Book Review: One World Under Doom by R. North et al.

One World Under Doom written by Ryan North, art by R. B. Silva, and color art by David Curiel

Doctor Victor von Doom had previously taken on the mantel of Sorcerer Supreme and gone into reclusion in his home country of Latveria. Now, he has come out as Emperor Doom, ruler of the entire Earth. He claims to have secretly negotiated with every country's ruler and brought them all in as part of Latveria. He promises to make the world a better place, first by abolishing war (no Latverian province may take up arms against another). Second, he raises the living standard of every human being to the Latverian standard, meaning universal health care and education to the highest levels, as far as any individual wants to go. As he is making his introductory speech, he says revolts are already happening in several areas. His forces squash those uprisings but he will not punish the countries. He ends his speech with the promise: "Doom is Wisdom, Doom is Power, Doom is Prosperity! And only Doom can save you." Naturally, all of Earth's superheroes (including the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, and a handful of other unaffiliated heroes) come together to deal with this new situation. None of them believe Doom is on the level. They think he is on a power trip, probably with Doombots replacing world leaders or some mind control technique on the leaders. They spring into action but Doom has already anticipated many of their moves. More disturbingly, the world leader are all themselves and not under any mystical or mechanical influence by Doom. Is the Pax Victoris for real?

This narrative is the epitome of high concept storytelling. Having one of the greatest villains gain unimaginable power and then use it to make the world his own is just the beginning. His besting of the initial efforts by the heroes solidifies his role as benevolent ruler of the world, making future actions against him that much harder. There's an impenetrable barrier around Latveria itself--what is Doom hiding in there? Can the heroes find out without making Doom more sympathetic and likable to the rest of the world?

The story plays out nicely, with fun reversals and twists as the heroes try to outthink and outmaneuver Doom. Doom is his usual arrogant (always referring to himself in the third person, for one thing) and genius self, making the drama and the action fun and exciting. The plot is very over-the-top and also very enjoyable.

Recommended, highly for Marvel fans.

Movie Review: Deep Water (2026)

Deep Water (2026) directed by Renny Harlin

Ben (Aaron Eckhart) is a co-pilot on a flight from Los Angeles to China. He's been taking long flights to avoid going back home where his young son is battling cancer. The main pilot (Ben Kingsley) left his family behind a long time ago. Now he hits the karaoke bars in between flights to fill the emptiness of his life. Their flight to China is shanghaied by some broken electronics in the luggage that catch fire. The fire spreads and causes the plane to go down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and in the middle of shark-infested waters. A lot of the passengers are introduced to viewers, giving plenty of side plots to follow as everyone is jeopardized by a situation that's part Poseidon Adventure and part Jaws. 

This flick is a solid B-movie. The story has some decent scenes and ideas in it. Eckhart and Kingsley give solid performances. On the other hand, a lot of the minor characters have cliched story-arcs that play out as you would imagine (will the Chinese captain of the e-sports team finally admit his true feelings for his cute teammate?) and there are many very implausible moments. The sharks are very random, sometimes ignoring certain characters or only mildly injuring them or majorly-but-not-fatally injuring them or leaping out of the water spectacularly. I don't mind that I saw this but I probably wouldn't watch it again.

Barely recommended. You need to be a fan of someone in the cast (that includes the sharks).

TV Review: X-Men '97 Season 2 (2026)

X-Men '97 Season 2 (2026) created by Beau DeMayo based on the 1990s series based on the Marvel Comics

This series has the X-Men fighting the supervillain Apocalypse. He starts out in ancient Egypt as an insignificant slave and rises to become the first mutant. He lives on for thousands of years. The X-Men fight him in the far future, the past, and the present. The far future is dominated by Cable, the son of Cyclops and Jean Grey, who is fated to kill Apocalypse. Cable knows about his fate and has become obsessed by it. His aggression leads him to form his own mutant team, X-Force, who travel through time to fight Apocalypse. Meanwhile, Professor X and Magneto try to stop En Sabah Nur from becoming Apocalypse in 3000 BC. When all the X-Men return to modern day (1997, that is), they have to deal with X-Factor, a group of mutants hired by the American government to keep mutants in line. Naturally, the three X-groups come into conflict with each other as they are trying to deal with Apocalypse in their own ways.

The show gets a little convoluted as it goes along. The main story line gets scattered, especially when filler episodes show up, like the one where Wolverine gets his adamantium back while on a mission to the Weapon X facility. The stories are exciting even if they don't all gel together. The finale introduces a new problem, the election of an anti-mutant president of the United States. Also, Mystique takes over the identity of the head of X-Factor, which probably won't be good news in season 3. I enjoyed this season enough to be looking forward to next season.

Recommended, highly for X-Men fans.

As I write this (September 2026), this is only available streaming on Disney+.

Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, Maryland

Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park was a historic farm in Montgomery County, Maryland. Doctor William Palmer built the house in the early 1800s and ran a farm here. The family also ran a boarding school for a while. Francis Scott Key, writer of the American National Anthem, visited several times since his daughter was enrolled there. The construction of the manor house follows the Federal style popular then. Tours are available on the weekends, but I visited on a weekday. 

Woodlawn Manor

A double side porch!

The back of the house

Lawn with gazebo but not much wood

Fairly soon after building the manor house, Dr. Palmer had the Stone Barn constructed. It is a large, multi-level structure that houses the on-site museum (which was also closed). It is one of the most impressive barns in the area.

Stone Barn

The back of the barn

Another view of the back

Several of the minor outer buildings are still extant. A smaller stone structure, thought to be a springhouse or meat house, is just behind the manor house. Possibly it served as the kitchen back in the days when a hot and hazardous kitchen was kept separate from the main house, to prevent summer overheating and the spread of a fire. 

Too small to be another barn

A board and batten tenant house and a log building may have served for the school and for the enslaved farm workers. The tenant house has a statue nearby. "The Inner Light" by Marcia Billig is a bronze sculpture installed in 1988. A Quaker woman holds a child up who has a bird landing on his upheld hand. 

Two nearby structures

"The Inner Light"

The carriage house has been turned into the visitor center for the property. Happily, the bathrooms were open to the public even if the center wasn't!

Carriage house

The property is part of the Rachel Carson Greenway. 

Rachel Carson Greenway sign

This particular part of the greenway is also the Underground Railroad Experience Trail, which we visited a while ago (see the blog post). The nearby town of Sandy Spring had large Quaker and African-American populations. Thanks to their religion, most Quakers freed their slaves, resulting in a large free Black community in the area. African Americans owned and worked on farms, ran schools and churches, even the local Odd Fellows Lodge. All of this made the area a natural path for escaped slaves to find assistance on their way North to freedom. 

Underground Railroad Experience Trail

The Montgomery Police department have a training facility here as well. There are no visiting hours there!

The forbidden zone

Book Review: Captain Henry and the Graveyard of Time by M. Mignola et al.

Captain Henry and the Graveyard of Time written by Mike Mignola and Bruce Zick with art by Bruce Zick

Young Whittier inherits his uncle's mansion in 1880s England. Edward Grey and some other Whittier relatives are summoned when he hears a voice speaking from one the decorative polar bears the uncle once hunted. The family hooks up a fancy steampunk suit that will transport someone to "the other side," hopefully to settle down the uncle's ghost. Captain Winston Henry, ex-military and friend of the family, is in the suit when they power it up. Initially, he is transported to what seems like the spirit realm version of the mansion's interior but an overload sends him to an entirely different place, the Graveyard of Time. He only knows the name because he runs into a professor who claims to be a time traveler trapped in this dimension along with a lot of other time travelers. As the name suggests, the other time travelers are all dead, most still sitting in their time travel machines. The graveyard is not without its monsters, as Captain Henry soon discovers. 

The book is part of the Hellboy universe, though a very tangential corner. The graveyard is a steampunk art playground for artist Zick, who comes up with very fantastical machines, ruins, and monsters. Other than exploring and the occasional fight, the story is not so interesting. An explanation for the graveyard is given at the end that could easily have been given much earlier. This story is more of an excuse to be creative than to develop a new character or a more significant plot. I enjoyed reading it but probably won't come back to it. I'd read a sequel.

Mildly recommended.

Movie Review: Galaxy Quest (1999)

Galaxy Quest (1999) directed by Dean Parisot

"Galaxy Quest" was a canceled science fiction television show that looks an awful lot like Star Trek. The actors still go on the convention circuit, where they sign autographs and answer arcane technical questions that obsessive fans have. At one convention, lead actor Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) shows up late yet again, a habit annoying to everyone else. Two other things happen at the convention. In the bathroom, Nesmith overhears some people making fun of him and the Galaxy Quest fandom as nerds who are completely pathetic. Second, Nesmith is approached by what seems like a quartet of cosplayers who beg him to come to their homeworld and save them from an oppressor. He assumes it is some gig he is scheduled for and demands a limo pick him up tomorrow. They come to his house with the limo, then take him into space to help with their negotiations. He still isn't quite sure what's going on (partly because he is hung over) and blusters his way through, firing all weapons at the baddie. They send him back to Earth in a gel pod, which is when he realizes he was actually in space and the "cosplayers" are real aliens who think he and the other actors are intergalactic heroes. Nesmith has a hard time convincing the other actors about what happened until they all get sucked up into space to help with a second round of negotiations.

The movie does a great job spoofing Star Trek in its entirety. The TV show has the cheap look of a 1960s production with the typical diverse crew including an alien first officer (played by Alan Rickman). That actor is tired of the role since he used to do Shakespeare and has a lot more self-importance than everyone else. Rickman and Allen are great together. Sigourney Weaver plays the female lead who is in the show more for fan service than for checking a diversity box. Tony Shaloub and Sam Rockwell also give great performances in lesser roles. The premise is a bit bonkers but very entertaining, doing a good job balancing the satire, sci-fi, and action. The movie is so much fun and easily rewatchable. It's both a science fiction and comedy classic.

Highly recommended, even if you aren't a Star Trek fan.

TV Reviews: Star Trek The Original Series Watch to Prep for Galaxy Quest

We've planned a long list of movies to show to the kids for the cultural or artistic relevance. Galaxy Quest is on that list though we've decided they need to watch some of the original Star Trek episodes to prepare for the viewing. Here's what we watched...

Balance of Terror, Season 1 Episode 14

This is often cited as the best of the original Star Trek episodes. The Enterprise is called to the border with Romulan space because several outposts have stopped responding. They arrive just as another outpost is being blasted by some weapon or ship they can't identify. The Enterprise crew is barely able to see an anomaly on their sensors. The Romulans have a ship equipped with a cloaking device and a powerful weapon. They are testing the limits of what they can get away with. Kirk and crew spend a lot of time doing the submarine warfare thing as they try to stealthily pursue the Romulan ship,.

In addition to the tense main plot, several subplots add to the excellence of this episode. First, the episode opens with Captain Kirk officiating at the marriage of two of his crew, though that is interrupted by the call from the outposts. The episode returns to the couple several times though the ending is quite tragic. Second, viewers see the Romulan commander, who is a war-weary veteran and personally does not want to go to war with the Federation. He is true to his duty, but has a very stoical outlook. Third, when the Enterprise crew see the Romulans for the first time (the original conflict was a hundred plus years before when they did not have ship-to-ship visuals), one of the bridge crew immediately suspects Spock, who has the same pointy ears and arched brows, of being a spy or colluding with the Romulans. So there's a whole racism subplot too. The lean narrative packs in all these elements to make a very satisfying episode on several fronts.

City on the Edge of Forever, Season 1 Episode 28

Another candidate for the best episode! The Enterprise is orbiting a planet that has a lot of spatial-temporal distortions coming off of it. The bridge is getting rocked back and forth, causing an injury to a minor character. Bones heals the guy with a wonder drug that's okay in small doses. Another distortion happens and Doctor McCoy accidentally injects himself with an overdose of the drug. It makes him totally paranoid and he runs out, eventually getting to the transporter room where he beams down to the planet. A team beams down to find him and discovers a large, ancient, sentient piece of technology that presents them with the whole of Earth history on a running display. The temporarily deranged McCoy shows up and jumps into the display, transporting him into the Earth's past. After that, Kirk and company discover that the Enterprise is gone and they are stranded. The technology explains that McCoy has changed the past.

Spock had been recording the Earth history so he and Kirk jump into a rerun of the timeline, hoping to undo whatever McCoy did. They wind up in 1930s New York City. They have a little trouble blending in until they are taken in by Edith Keeler (Joan Collins). Keeler runs a soup kitchen but has a lot of optimism about humanity's future. Kirk is smitten with her while Spock works on a gizmo to slow down the historical recording. Spock discovers that Edith was supposed to die in 1930 but somehow survived (probably McCoy), resulting in the United States delaying it entrance into World War II, allowing the Nazis to develop the A-bomb and win the war. Kirk struggles with her fate as they wait for McCoy to show up. He eventually does, winding up at Edith's soup kitchen where he recovers, unbeknownst to Kirk and Spock. Kirk is taking Edith on a date when McCoy comes out. Kirk races back across the street to reunite with his friend. Edith is slower in crossing and is killed by a truck when Kirk prevents McCoy from saving her.

The drama here is very melodramatic and presents a difficult moral problem. Naturally, Spock and Kirk want to restore the timeline but Kirk's growing affection for Edith makes it hard when the time comes to let her die. McCoy is very mad when Kirk stops him. Kirk is torn up inside. The drama is lightened by some well-placed humor. When Kirk and Spock first show up in the past, a cop finds them and is curious about Spock's pointy ears and such. Kirk makes up a ridiculous story about a mechanical rice picker. If you've seen the episode, you probably remember the line. The performances are very good by the whole cast. Such a satisfying episode!

Arena, Season 1 Episode 19

The Enterprise chases after an alien ship that was involved in an unprovoked attack on a Federation outpost. The pursuit leads them near a solar system where a powerful force stops both ships. The Metrons are a highly advanced race protecting that area. They take the captains of both ships and deliver them to an asteroid that has resources to kill each other. The Metrons order the captains to battle to the death, with the loser's ship being destroyed. Kirk fights the other captain, a Gorn, though they have a hard time coming up with anything other than sticks and stones. Kirk finally figures out how to make rudimentary gun powder, crafting a projectile weapon to take down the Gorn, who seems physically invulnerable to melee attacks by the smaller Kirk. After disabling the Gorn, Kirk decides to spare the Gorn, showing mercy. The Metrons are impressed and let them both go, expressing their hope that humans will evolve into better people in the future.

The show is infamous for the physical battles between Kirk and the Gorn. The choreography is slow and unconvincing. The Gorn costume looks pretty good when he's just standing there, but when the character talks or moves, and especially when he fights, it looks like a guy in rubber suit who can't quite see outside the suit. This episode could have benefited from a "less is more" attitude. But it still has its charm. The overpowered aliens manipulating weaker, more primitive Federation people is a bit of a trope for the show, especially with Kirk and company showing them up in one way or another. The episode is certainly entertaining and has an iconic villain. Speaking of iconic villains...

Space Seed, Season 1 Episode 24

The Enterprise discovers a derelict space ship from Earth's 1990s. Life forms on board have very strange readings. Kirk beams over with a few people including a historian, Lt. Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue). They discover the occupants are in suspended animation. The leader, Khan (Ricardo Montalban), is awakened first. He plays coy with Kirk and aggressive with McGivers, not admitting who he is or why they were sent out like that. 72 other people are in cryosleep on the ship. Soon enough, the Enterprise crew figure out that Khan was a genetically engineered, megalomaniacal leader in the Eugenics Wars of late 20th century Earth. The history records don't record his fate but clearly he was sent with a bunch of other genetically-enhanced people as a banishment. Khan tries to take over the Enterprise and fails. He succeeds in winning the heart of McGivers. The episode ends with Kirk banishing Khan and his shipmates to a planet in the Ceti Alpha system. McGivers joins them in exile and Kirk speculates what they might discover on the planet in a hundred years. 

Of course, Kirk only had to wait around less than 20 years to find out what happened as detailed in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This episode presents a great villain well played by Montalban. He's devious and sinister, with a very creepy manipulation of McGivers who is fascinated by powerful men from the past and is willing to go along with Khan's schemes. The show provides lots of good drama and action, along with the lead in to the best of all Star Trek movies.

Amok Time, Season 2 Episode 1

Spock has been acting very unusually lately, drawing the notice of Kirk and McCoy. He's not eating and he is yelling at people. Yelling! This goes on for a bit with Spock being tight-lipped about his behavior. He finally requests leave to go to Vulcan. Kirk is willing to go without understanding why. Eventually Spock reveals in confidentiality to Kirk that he is in pon farr, the Vulcan time of mating. He must return to his wife on Vulcan and perform a ceremony or he will die. When they get there, he invites Kirk and McCoy as his friends. They see his woman, T'Pring, who is beautiful but also demands the challenge, a part of the ceremony where a champion fights Spock for her. Everyone expects it will be Stonn, the Vulcan she has been making eyes with. But she chooses Kirk, forcing the two friends into fighting. Vulcan's atmosphere is hotter and thinner than kirk is used to, so he has a hard time. McCoy volunteers to give Kirk a tri-ox compound to compensate. This helps a bit but Spock winds up killing Kirk. McCoy is shocked and beams back to the ship with Kirk's body while Spock, who has now regained his emotional equilibrium, sorts out the ceremony. He asks T'Pring why she chose Kirk. She did want Stonn, and any outcome of the battle with Kirk would put her with Stonn. Spock complements her logic and leaves her with Stonn. Back on the ship, he's ready to surrender himself to Federation authorities at the nearest starbase. Kirk sneaks up from behind and surprises Spock, who is uncharacteristically delighted. McCoy and Nurse Chapel are there, so he quickly recovers his composure. McCoy reveals that the injection was really a drug that faked death. 

I definitely wanted to watch this, but after some episodes so the contrast in Spock's character would be obvious. The episode has lots of good drama and an intriguing mystery. The happy ending is all the more delightful thanks to the heavy proceedings. The episode is also notable for introducing the Vulcan salute and their catchphrase, "Live long and prosper."

We intended to watch Mirror, Mirror and The Trouble with Tribbles but the opportunity to watch Galaxy Quest came up so we went ahead. We will still catch up with those episodes.

Book Review: Helena by Evelyn Waugh

Helena by Evelyn Waugh

This fictional biography of Constantine's mother leans into the fiction because, quite frankly, not many facts about her origins (and a lot of her life) have survived the years. This book starts with her as a daughter of a British chieftain. Constantius, the future father of Constantine, comes on a secret mission and is smitten with her and arranges to marry her right away. Helena is a tall red-head teenager who is getting a classical education but really enjoys riding horses and going hunting. She is whisked away into the life of the Roman army, leading eventually to Roman politics as Constantius is drawn closer to the imperial purple. They have Constantine but have little time together,. Politics dictates an arranged marriage with another woman that will put Constantius closer to the throne. Helena tries to live a quiet life at this point but gets pulled back into imperial circumstances when Constantine becomes emperor. She also discovers Christianity, converting in short order. She goes on pilgrimage to Jerusalem where she builds many churches and finds the True Cross.

Waugh creates an interesting character in Helena. She is educated but is more grounded in real world things than a lot of the intellectuals she comes in contact with. Her British educator believes in a pagan myth about the creation of the world. When she asks, "But when and where did it happen?" he demurs. Constantine is drawn into a Mason-like cult before becoming Christian. He tells her their explanation of creation and she has the same questions. By contrast, Christianity has Jerusalem and various historical sites and a lot more reality about it. Her conversion is shrouded in mystery but it is taken as genuine. Constantine still consults witches and other pagan sources even as he leads Christian prayer services and debates theology. He seems less authentically Christian. Her devotion takes her from Rome to Jerusalem.

The book provides a sweeping view of the Roman world. Waugh is good at describing the journeys and the hardships, both physical and political, the characters face. Helena is an ideal blend of dreamer and realist. At first, she admires Helen of Troy (a namesake, clearly) and wants to visit Troy and Rome as famous, and presumably glorious, cities. By the time she gets to the Holy Land in her old age, she admires the Magi who worshipped the infant Jesus. They too had spent a long life of wandering only to find the true faith toward the end. She is a fascinating character. 

The story jumps around a bit. While the first chapters detail her life in Britain and her first travels in Europe, creating the expectation of a lot of detail to come, the story skips over many intervening years. The focus shifts to Constantine and his wife Fausta for a few chapters, seemingly leaving Helena out of her own story. Her conversion is just accepted as a fact, with no detail about how she came to the Faith. I found the narrative left out some bits I wished were there. I wanted more, though I did enjoy it.

Mildly recommended.

Book Reviews: Seraph of the End Vols. 7 & 8 by T. Kagami et al.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 7 story by Takaya Kagami and art by Yamato Yamamoto

Yuichiro's unit is ordered to the front lines of the war between vampires and humans. The plan is to eliminate a lot of vampire lords to deplete their ranks. But the unit's trip to Nagoya is both a bonding experience and a humbling one as they have to team up with more experienced and more disciplined vampire-fighting units. There's a fight between humans that's part-exercise and part-humiliation. Meanwhile, the vampires have their own problems with inter-factional rivalry. And Yuichiro's friend Mika is struggling with his desire for blood and his hope to free his friend from the clutches of the evil humans.

I thought the human-on-human fight was a little contrived and only served to fill out some space before the bigger action started at the end. The end does have a huge cliffhanger, since it's in the middle of the attempted take-down of the vampire lords.

Mildly recommended.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign Volume 8 story by Takaya Kagami and art by Yamato Yamamoto

The battle to eliminate vampire lords in Nagoya rages on. After some successes and some failures, a group of humans has been captured and placed on crosses in front of Nagoya City Hall. Obviously that's a trap for the remaining vampire hunters, who have no choice but to take the bait and hope for the best. They have their own secret agenda, so maybe things will work out well?

The action is non-stop in the volume, with a few small revelations here and there. The fight is not over yet, so of course it's on to Volume 9!

Recommended.

Movie Review: Key Largo (1948)

Key Largo (1948) directed by John Huston

Drifter Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) travels to Hotel Largo on the Florida Keys to visit the owner, James Temple (Lionel Barrymore). Temple is the father of George, one of McCloud's war buddies who died in Italy. George's widow Nora (Lauren Bacall) lives with Temple and helps to run the hotel. It's the summer, so no tourists are visiting with all the heat and bugs and such. But when McCloud arrives, some men are at the hotel, claiming it's closed and that they are staying there for a fishing trip. Their group includes one women, a former singer named Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor). The leader of the group is upstairs in his room, only coming down at night. The guys are a bit rough on McCloud but once he explains he'll only be there for an hour or so, they let him see Temple. Temple and Nora have a heartfelt discussion about George, especially his death. They convince McCloud to stay overnight. Trouble brews as it becomes clear the men are mobsters there for a meet-up. Also, a hurricane comes in. Additionally, some local Native Americans show up at the hotel since they trust Temple. A couple of the boys broke out of jail and he counsels them to go back with the cops when they show up. That would be okay but the local deputy has words with the mobsters and gets knocked out by them. The mobsters want to keep things quiet till they've done their business, which means keeping everyone in line.

This noir classic has a bit of a convoluted plot. The Indian subplot's purpose seems solely to get the cops to the hotel. McCloud is a bit hard and a bit pessimistic, unwilling to fight the mobsters even when Temple, who is old and in a wheelchair, is itching to take down the head mobster, Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson). The singer is Rocco's former girlfriend, though now she is an alcoholic and more needy. These disparate elements come together to make some very dramatic moments and give McCloud some character arc. The cast is all around good. Huston's direction delivers the story well, giving it enough tension and excitement to stitch together the complicated group of characters. 

Recommended, especially for noir fans.

Hershey Park Summer 2026

Some friends gave us passes to go to Hershey Park. We went at the end of August, though our daughter was working so she did not come with us. It was the last big rush of summer (summer passes expired August 31), so it was fairly crowded.

The entrance

My son and I

All of us minus our daughter

Our first ride was the newly renamed Star-Spangled Laff Trakk. Normally it is called "Laff Trakk" but for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a lot of stuff in the park has been patriotized, if that is even a word.

An unassuming entrance

Where to get on the rie

The ride is an indoor coaster that whips back and forth. The car seats four, with two people facing forward and two backward. The car rotates at times on the track (or is it "trakk"?), switching who is in front. The ride has a bunch of fun house decorations and music (though there was some patriotic songs too).

Our next ride was Wild Mouse, a coaster that does a lot of whipping back and forth, much like Laff Trakk but outdoors. It looks milder than it actually is. Some of the turns are very tight and we felt like we might fall out. Of course, the restraints are good enough to prevent that, but still we experienced the thrill of danger. 

Entrance

A convoluted mouse trap

We walked over to the Comet but the line was over an hour long. We got some lunch at the Chik-fil-A in the park and decided to ride the Classic Cars, a favorite of my son. The line wasn't too bad and we parents rode in the back while he did the driving.

Entrance

On the highway

A happy driver

Unfortunately, I twisted my foot coming out of the ride. I hobbled over to the Kissing Tower, which is a 250-foot tower with an enclosed cabin. The narration provides a little history of the park. After we got off, I decided the foot was not good enough to keep going so we went to the first aid station in the park. They elevated my foot and did an examination. They didn't think anything was broken, maybe I hyperextended something. They gave me some ice, an aspirin, and a ride back to our car. The day ended early. Luckily my son wasn't upset. We headed home where the urgent care took an x-ray and saw a broken fifth metatarsal in my left foot. They gave me a walking boot and a referral for an orthopedist. Since it was Saturday, I waited till Monday to make an appointment to have it checked. I am still in the boot and slowly recovering.

Book Review: Ethics for Beginners by Peter Kreeft

Ethics for Beginners: Big Ideas from 32 Great Minds by Peter Kreeft

Following his usual humorous and direct style, Kreeft presents the ethical stances of almost three dozen people from the history of human thought, running from ancient Asia to modern America. Most summaries are two to five pages long, outlining the main idea of the thinker, giving some critical assessment, and finishing with a short bibliography for further reading on that thinker. His explanations are clear and cover the basics.

The book shines in its extra parts. The introduction is broken into nine introductions, describing the audience of the book (open-minded beginners and teachers using the book), the value of the topic, and the variety of opinions about the topic. The tone is light but serious, giving a good grounding for what comes afterward.

The book also has several appendices, providing study questions or essay prompts for each thinker. Kreeft also provides some writing and discussing advice--how to have a Socratic debate, how to write a Socratic dialogue, how to write a logical essay, and how to write a Summa article. His long experience as an academic is in play and makes the book a useful tool in an educational setting.

Highly recommended. Even if you are an expert in ethics, there's probably something new or useful for you here.

TV Review: Mob Psycho 100 (2016)

Mob Psycho 100 (2016) written by Hiroshi Seko based on the manga by One

Shigeo Kageyama is a regular middle school student except he has psychic powers. He keeps a low profile at school and the rest of his life, keep his powers in check and never using them against other people. Sometimes he might show off but he is more worried about than impressed with his own abilities. He goes to a psychic consultant named Reigen to get advice. Reigen's business is a sham--he pretends to be a psychic and solve supernatural cases, though he just tosses salt around most of the time. When he realizes Shigeo (who is nicknamed "Mob") has authentic powers and can banish evil spirits, he takes him on as an assistant so he can "teach" Mob how to control his powers. They start having odd adventures battling local disturbances and larger, more organized psychic problems. Meanwhile, Mob tries to fit in at school. He joins the body-building club to get more exercise and a more impressive physique. The jocks are amiable fellows devoted to working out and take him under their care. He's also in a telekinesis club, though they mostly play games and eat snacks. They don't initially know about Mob's powers. And, being a school student, he has a girl he's interested in but too shy to talk to.

The show is a great blend of action and comedy, with occasionally very serious bits. Mob is good-natured and tries to help out people, often trying to talk them out of doing bad things before using his powers. Some situations escalate out of control and he has to use his powers. He also sometimes escalates out of control, with his emotions hitting "100" and resulting in a power outburst. Most of the rest of the cast are good-natured and helpful. Normally, in a situation like this the jocks would be bullies/antagonists but they are on Mob's side. Reigen is comically fraudulent and does give good advice and guidance to Mob. Mob is able to turn around some of the bad guys, including an impish spirit called Dimple. I was surprised how charming and inventive the show is, though I am definitely a fan of oddball things.

Highly recommended.

Book Review: Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 32 by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo Volume 32: Mysteries by Stan Sakai, with additional contributions by Julie Fujii Sakai

More adventures from the rabbit ronin!

The Hatamoto's Daughter--Usagi heads to Inspector Ishida's village and discovers a dead man and his living daughter in the forest. Bringing the girl into town, Usagi does not realize the trouble he is getting himself into. This is another compassionate, well-crafted tale that I found very satisfying.

Death by Fugu--Fugu is a famous sushi made from puffer fish that can be deadly if not prepared correctly. In this story, Inspector Ishida investigates a death caused by eating fugu. Is it an attempted assassination or an accident caused by a less than skillful chef? Usagi joins in the search for answers. I thought this was just okay.

The Body in the Library--Kitsune, the master thief, gets more than she bargained for when she robs a supposedly empty house and comes across a dead body (but, intriguingly enough, not in a library). The police break in, accusing her of murder. Inspector Ishida and Usagi are on the job. They try to clear her as the situation gets more complicated (and a body is found in a library). It's another fun outing.

Mouse Trap--Nezumi is a popular thief in town who robs from the rich and gives half to the poor, making him the darling of the people. Ishida and Usagi have a hard time chasing him down. Nezumi witnesses the murder of a local merchant who wasn't paying protection money to local mafia. The bad guys saw him and pin the blame for the murder on Nezumi, though Usagi and Ishida are certain Nezumi is no killer. As they investigate further, the crime conspiracy grows larger. The story is exciting and has a nice climax tying in the previous stories.

Chibi Usagi and the Big Bad Jei--A bit of a joke tale with the young Usagi bringing breakfast from town for his master. In the woods, Jei takes the sack full of food by force and eats it himself, which works out well for him until the day Usagi brings two sacks. I laughed, so the story worked. The chibi art was fine.

Chibi Usagi and the Goblin of Adachi Plain--Another joke tale, this time reimagining a great battle as a great marble competition, with Usagi drawn into a second fight many years later. This was less funny than the last story but still entertaining.

Recommended.

Movie Review: Silverado (1985)

Silverado (1985) co-written, produced, and directed by Lawrence Kasden

Fresh-out-of-jail Emmett (Scott Glenn) is ambushed by a mysterious assassin in a remote cabin but turns the tables on his would-be killer. It's the late 19th century American Southwest, so he takes the guy's horse back to civilization, presumably to sell it or find out about who wants him dead. He picks up an eccentric cowboy named Paden (Kevin Kline) whose lost everything, including his boots and clothes. When they get to town, they find more trouble and help out another loner, Mal (Danny Glover), who is just passing through and wants a drink and a bed for the night, though the local racists make trouble. Emmett discovers his brother Jake (Kevin Kostner) has been jailed and will be hung the next day. Emmett breaks him out in the morning, forcing the four cowboys (Emmett, Jake, Mal, and Paden) to flee. Their next stop is Silverado, where Emmett and Jake have a sister they want to say goodbye to as they head off to California to seek their fortune. Mal's parents have a farm just outside of town. Paden is along for the ride. They discover more trouble when the get there...a lot more trouble.

This is an unabashed throwback to classic westerns, full of tropes and common images. The cowboys help out a wagon train, have a street fight with the bad guys, drink whiskey in saloons, ride all over the range, discover a box-canyon hideout, fight corrupt sheriffs, cause a cattle stampede, shoot guy who falls off the rooftop down to the street, etc. etc. The creators show no cynicism or revisionism, just a wholehearted enthusiasm for an exciting adventure in the Old West. It's such a delight with a cast that shines in their roles. The plot is a little convoluted but the film has so much energy and charm, it is easy to forgive.

Recommended, highly for Western fans.

Cute Kid Pix August 2026

More photos that didn't make their own post...

Our son played in his first chess tournament. He was nervous but excited. He wound up with three wins and one loss, so that was encouraging. Since it was his first tournament, he was in the "unranked" group for his age. He is interested in going to another one.

Contemplating his first move

At home, we introduced our godson and his brother to Gizmos, a fun tableau-building game where players are making a Rube Goldberg device to win a science fair. 

Contemplating my next move

We went out to lunch with some visiting friends but forgot to take a picture with them at the restaurant. We exchanged photos via cell phone.

Our half of the photo exchange

Our daughter went to visit her grandparents in Minnesota. They had her working on a deck out in the woods. With enough work, it will be a tree house, though that will require a few more trips.

Working in the projects

Our dance studio, That's Dancing, had a 1980s dance, so we dressed up a bit.

Not too dressed up

Our son had a birthday outing at Urban Air, an indoor trampoline and adventure park. One of their favorite things was the battle pit, with a narrow beam on which competitors fight it out. 

Ready to challenge the champ

Blocking

The climbing area was also very popular.

So many choices

He makes it to the top

A close up so you can see him

Going down is easier

High ropes action

Spider-time

Jump and duck activity

Back home, we had some more celebrating. One of his presents was a Super Mario Chess Set, which was fun to play with. Fortunately the pieces are labeled with which chess piece they are, so you don't accidentally play Peach as a queen. For some reason, Mario is the king and Luigi is the queen, not Peach. Peach is a bishop, which is also weird. At least Yoshi is the knight!

Contemplating his next move

I was running errands and ran in to the BWI Airport to get a virtual geocache. I've been meaning to get it done every time we go to the airport, but we are always in a rush to get through security or to get home. The blue crab is a Maryland mascot and the sculpture has been there for a long time.

Glass sculpture and me