• Reflections

    The Magic of Animation: Dragon Prince

    Note: This is based on the first three seasons of this show.  At time of writing, future seasons are planned, but were delayed for obvious reasons (thanks 2020).  I look forward to seeing the rest of the story soon! World Building: The world of the Dragon Prince has a classic fantasy feel baked into the story.  A dramatic event sparked a tension between the two races of humans and elves.  Who would have thought?  There is magic that resides in the land and the creatures of Xadia.  Thousands of years ago, the humans and the elves shared the land and…

  • Reflections

    2020 Decade of Hope

    I wrote this way back at the beginning of 2020.  Remember that?  This is some unbridled optimism that I think we all need right now.  Enjoy! Looking forward to: Mars 2020 Artemis (2024 & 2028) Electric vehicles Autonomous Driving Renewable energy Smart Homes Personal: Paying off debt Saving More fulfilling job Volunteer work Family The driving force of technology and progress from the Industrial Age to the Modern Era has always captured my imagination.  Fantasy and science fiction fueled these passions inside of me.  There is plenty of time to reflect on the past, but sometimes you must push past…

  • Reflections - TV and Film

    The West Wing

    I first wrote this in mid-October of 2020.  It was hiding on my computer and I forgot to share it.  This is a brutally honest reaction to a difficult time.  We are not out of the woods yet, but I didn’t want my kind words about the TV show The West Wing to be missed.  It’s been almost 15 years since the last episode of this political epic.  I have watched the entire series at least three times now.  My most recent viewing was within the last week.  I know it is not a coincidence that the real presidential election…

  • Reflections

    “Better Version of Who I Am”

    I was listening to a podcast about leadership earlier today and the guest was talking about being yourself.  She used this phrase that really struck me.  I paused the podcast and wrote it down.  I didn’t want to forget this simple, yet profound idea.  I spent the better part of my 20s trying to figure out who I wanted to be.  Which interests would I embrace and which would I leave behind?  I would speak of my “core self” as if that was a solid piece of rock that never moved.  I tested the boundaries of my beliefs and I…

  • Reflections

    The Slower Form of Energy

    Sound.  Little molecules vibrating through a medium so the tiny bones in our ears can send signals to our brain to process.  Even before we are fully developed, we hear our mother’s heartbeat and our father’s favorite music.  Perhaps a dog is barking and a lawnmower buzzes around outside the window.   As we grow, we learn what the different sounds are, and make our own.  A child will learn the language that it is exposed to in the early years.  In fact, the earlier the child learns multiple languages, the more likely they will stick.  The young human will learn…

  • Reflections - Travel

    Chicago 2020 (Trains, No Planes, and Automobiles)

    Note: This trip was taken in February 2020 before COVID was a major issue in the USA. I have been pretty much trapped in my tiny apartment since then. Trains: The last time I had been on a train before this had been more than 15 years ago when I had just started Boy Scouts.  One of our adult advisors worked for the Railroad and was able to get a few of us on board for a special tour.  We walked the length of the train and rode in a fancy sleeper car.  It was an adventure!  About halfway to…