I’m not proud that I’ve switched feed readers twice in six months (hi Tapestry, you’ve finally won me over), but I am thrilled to now have one interface filled with train pictures.

I have one question about the upcoming season of Slow Horses, and it is whether it will confirm my theory that one throwaway detail in the source material is a deliberate reference to the Franco-Belgian comic series XIII.

On one hand, this is the first manga I’ve read where I saw why the art form is as revered as it is. Good art, interesting premise (somewhat silly, but no more than XIII, which I love more than I should), and not too gratuitous (but still some).

On the other, I felt that it didn’t catch my attention for the whole volume, and I’m torn on whether I’d enjoy reading the next four.

Top Gun is probably the better movie, but if I had to watch one US Navy aviation recruitment video dressed up as a blockbuster film, I think I’d pick this one. It wrestles with more interesting ideas, and more of it happens on a carrier, which is fun.

And yet, I am annoyed by two things that I recognize stand in tension with each other: 1) the jingoistic “look how cool our war toys are” vibes and 2) the shaggy dog nature of the story that ultimately rules out showing off those war toys and doesn’t do anything with the time travel premise that a short story couldn’t do better.

No idea how Queen albums (including live albums, which are something I’ve recently discovered I like) wound up on the fourth-tier streaming service my library provides access to, but I’m quite glad.

I struggled with how to rate this one. I’m going to settle for this: Just because a series that knows it’s being dumb and fanservicey does not automatically elevate it above being dumb and fanservicey.

Need another cup of this before I make up my mind definitively, but that’s part of the fun story behind this blend.

Over the weekend, I discovered for the first time a place that serves Elmwood Inn by the cup, so that let me try a new blend without having to buy a bunch at once. This sounded interesting enough to give it a shot, and it was good! I may buy more of this the next time I’m buying from this company.

Not life-changing, but a pretty good comic. I didn’t know about this apparently legendary story, but it was fun to learn about.

There’s nothing like subscribing to a new podcast with dynamic ad insertion to teach you about the two businesses in your area that do podcast advertising. (Though I did VPN to Bordeaux for the next set of episodes, so let’s see what that changes.)

Like the last volume, I’m less convinced by the plot as it continues, but there’s still so much about this that’s good. I appreciate the portrayal of faith without being preachy, I like the art, and there is still plenty of humor.

This is the last PDF I own, and I didn’t realize there was a fifth TPB that rounds out the story. I’ll have to track it down somehow…

Horror is not my genre, but this was funny and interesting enough in other ways that I (mostly) enjoyed the series anyway.

J’aime bien un petit drame politique, et voici la première fois que j’ai eue la chance de rencontrer un tel drame à la française. J’avoue que je ne suis pas arrivé à tout suivre, mais j’ai été content d’avoir reconnu plusieurs détails qui auraient échapper à la plupart des Américains. J’aime le cynicisme des personnages, même si certaines parties de la série deviennent fantabuleuses.

I’n pickier about this volume because it’s harder to follow up on a good premise than to set it up, but it hasn’t entirely jumped the shark, and I’m still enjoying it.

This volume has some more obvious furniture moving so that important things can happen later, but it’s still great so far.

Uh, this is amazing—and in a way I never would have expected. I don’t usually do body horror, but it’s just restrained enough for me to work with. The concept is fascinating, the art is good, and there’s a sense of humor that has me checking every detail in every panel for a chuckle. Glad to be getting back into this huge bundle of comics (but also, I just bought a bunch of Dark Horse titles, sooooo).

Nan, mais c’est qui le type qui a traduit “se tenir au drone de secours” comme “stand with the relief drone” en Heave Ho 2 ? Parce que c’est bien différent, ça.

I hate a dumb movie, but I love a movie that is so intentionally dumb that it loops right around to genius. There are excellent jokes of all kinds in here—from riffs on video games to subtle musical jokes—and even if I could have done without an “Indian fur trader” character, I’m hard pressed to find anything (else) that gave me pause in this movie. I wish I hadn’t watched it on my phone while doing chores, because I’m sure I would have gotten even more out of it on a full screen.

J’ai déjà écrit sur combien j’aime le faux français dans Heave Ho 2, mais j’avais oublié mon exemple préféré : quand le chef de cuisine prononce « burger » comme un verbe du premier groupe.

A deserved masterpiece that I enjoyed watching despite much that’s aged—some things were just out of date while others were more problematic.

Serviceable chai that I’d drink again but that I’d never go looking for.

I usually feel guilty about preferring corporate dessert-y teas to fancy blends, but this blend has dispelled some of that. It wasn’t bad at first, and I was glad to give a fancy tea a try, but the taste wound up being so strong that the next thing I steeped in my tea tumbler tasted of this rather than what I’d been hoping for. Meh.

I first encountered TTRPGs through the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars game, which was a heavily reskinned version of 3.5. I would be very tempted to pick up a Star Wars sourcebook for 5e.

Hojicha is good stuff!

I avoided this series for a while because I was afraid that it would provoke some existential angst, but wow is it ever good. Despite what I just said, existential horror is my favorite horror, and this series delivers; it also has analog horror vibes that I find delightful.

I would say that I regret not having watched this earlier except it’s nice not having to wait for the second season in real time.

Uh, tandoori paneer tikka is amazing. I did not know you could prepare cheese like this, and I love it.