OceanBreezy's recent activity
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
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Comment on I've been to all fifty states, and I've unexpectedly fallen in love with these seven cities in ~travel
OceanBreezy LinkThe key word in the title is “unexpectedly.” I was born in and grew up in one of the cities on the list, have lived most of my adult life in another, and have visited all but Ft. Worth. Each of...The key word in the title is “unexpectedly.” I was born in and grew up in one of the cities on the list, have lived most of my adult life in another, and have visited all but Ft. Worth. Each of these cities have their own charms that are often overlooked by those who have not spent much time there.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
OceanBreezy LinkNew season of Only Murders in the Building is starting! I love this cute show. The three actors are so great together, and the plots are so fun.New season of Only Murders in the Building is starting! I love this cute show. The three actors are so great together, and the plots are so fun.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
OceanBreezy LinkI’m happy to hear the good news about Marlow. Poor Sophie! She looks like such a lovely cat, what rotten luck.I’m happy to hear the good news about Marlow. Poor Sophie! She looks like such a lovely cat, what rotten luck.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
OceanBreezy Link ParentI’m so glad to hear it!I’m so glad to hear it!
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
OceanBreezy LinkHere’s hoping for a speedy recovery for Marlow, sounds like you are taking great care of that cutie!Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for Marlow, sounds like you are taking great care of that cutie!
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Should we add Kindred and the City We Became to our schedule before nominating new titles? in ~books
OceanBreezy LinkYes, let’s add those books.Yes, let’s add those books.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman in ~books
OceanBreezy Link ParentVery appropriate for older kids! It reminded me greatly of Coraline.Very appropriate for older kids! It reminded me greatly of Coraline.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman in ~books
OceanBreezy LinkI didn't love this book. I never really became invested in the characters, but appreciated the descriptive writing that brought the story to life. Ex. "The coal shed smelled of damp and blackness,...I didn't love this book. I never really became invested in the characters, but appreciated the descriptive writing that brought the story to life. Ex. "The coal shed smelled of damp and blackness, and of old crushed forests." What a lovely sentence!
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman in ~books
OceanBreezy Link ParentUrsula? Who's... oh wait, Ursulamonkton, always with the last name! Such an evil stepmother type! Being referred to with both her names made her seem more singular and somewhat dehumanized.Ursula? Who's... oh wait, Ursulamonkton, always with the last name! Such an evil stepmother type! Being referred to with both her names made her seem more singular and somewhat dehumanized.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman in ~books
OceanBreezy Link ParentI happened to be cutting some carrots while listening to the audiobook, where the narrator enjoys some glorious roasted carrots at Lettie’s house. I’d never had roasted carrots! So I tossed a few...I happened to be cutting some carrots while listening to the audiobook, where the narrator enjoys some glorious roasted carrots at Lettie’s house. I’d never had roasted carrots! So I tossed a few in the oven and they were quite tasty.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir in ~books
OceanBreezy Link ParentMy reaction is nearly identical to yours. I knew almost nothing about the book the first time I read it two years ago. At that time, I read to where Grace meets Rocky and I was so astounded by how...My reaction is nearly identical to yours. I knew almost nothing about the book the first time I read it two years ago. At that time, I read to where Grace meets Rocky and I was so astounded by how Weir got from amnesiac Grace to an alien, that I stopped, went back and re-read the beginning again. I loved this book so much, and was thrilled this was a book club selection. I re-read it all over again this month (including re-re-reading the start as I had before!). I loved how the two timelines worked to unfurl the story, with Grace in space knowing nothing just as the reader knows nothing; he discovers his past at the same time we do.
There was plenty of science presented well enough to satisfy my love for hard sf, and the characters were interesting and distinct. Grace is full of joy, excitement, and curiosity, and Weir communicates that so well. Grace's voice is quite like that of a junior high teacher, with a notable avoidance of serious profanity ("Oh my gosh! This is it! First Contact! I'm the guy! I'm the guy who meets aliens for the first time!" and "Well, hell’s coming back to you, Stratt. In the form of me. I’m hell. I don't know what I'll say to her. But I definitely plan to say stuff. Mean stuff.")
The miniature sculpture Rocky made to send to Grace with the spheres and connecting lines to communicate the astrophage problem, and the location of his own planet was so clever. There were many moments of almost laugh-out-loud humor that kept me smiling throughout. Rocky and Grace had great chemistry together.
I also adored this book and its optimism. It’s one of only a very few that I could recommend to almost anyone, even those who generally dislike sf.
How did I feel about it?
Love, love, love.
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Comment on Red One | Official trailer in ~movies
OceanBreezy LinkThis looks so fun!This looks so fun!
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Comment on The time I built an ROV to solve missing person cases in ~engineering
OceanBreezy LinkThis was fascinating! Thanks for sharing!This was fascinating! Thanks for sharing!
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Comment on What dying people see in their dreams in ~life
OceanBreezy LinkThis was such an interesting and positive talk! Thanks for sharing.This was such an interesting and positive talk! Thanks for sharing.
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Comment on Remembering May 4 (Kent State massacre) - An interview with Devo's Jerry Casale in ~humanities.history
OceanBreezy LinkThanks so much for posting this. The obvious parallel is truly frightening. I am appalled at the current assault on free speech by the universities, but also hopeful that the steps they are taking...Thanks so much for posting this. The obvious parallel is truly frightening. I am appalled at the current assault on free speech by the universities, but also hopeful that the steps they are taking might avoid a similar outcome to what happened at Kent State.
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Comment on A pill to make exercise obsolete (2017) in ~health
OceanBreezy LinkReally interesting idea, an exercise pill. But what tickled me most was this:Really interesting idea, an exercise pill. But what tickled me most was this:
Mice love to run, Evans told me, and when he puts an exercise wheel in their cage they typically log several miles a night. These nocturnal drills are not simply a way of dealing with the stress of laboratory life, as scientists from Leiden University, in the Netherlands, demonstrated in a charming experiment conducted a few years ago. They left a small cagelike structure containing a training wheel in a quiet corner of an urban park, under the surveillance of a motion-activated night-vision camera. The resulting footage showed that the wheel was in near-constant use by wild mice. Despite the fact that their daily activities—foraging for food, searching for mates, avoiding predators—provided a more than adequate workout, the mice voluntarily chose to run, spending up to eighteen minutes at a time on the wheel, and returning for repeat sessions. (Several frogs and slugs also made use of the amenity, possibly by accident.)
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell in ~books
OceanBreezy Link ParentI would not recommend this book. I had the distinct feeling that it was a collection of short stories, tied together rather tenuously, somewhat awkwardly, and deliberately, so that it could be...I would not recommend this book. I had the distinct feeling that it was a collection of short stories, tied together rather tenuously, somewhat awkwardly, and deliberately, so that it could be called a novel. Aside from the Luisa Rey and Sonmi stories, the characters in the others were quite unlikeable. Sloosha's Crossing was difficult reading due to the dialect (soooo many apostrophes!). I stopped reading in the middle of the 2nd part of the Luisa story; I just gave up, the enjoyment factor was lacking. There were definitely some things I truly liked about the book. I loved the descriptions of Sonmi's world, such as yellowup for sunrise and calling things by corporate names.
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Comment on "By all means, go after big tech. But for the love of the next generation, don’t pretend that it’s going to help vulnerable youth." in ~tech
OceanBreezy Link ParentThis was also my experience growing up. Friends' houses, yards, my suburban neighborhood were the places I spent 90% of my time. We walked or rode bikes everywhere. VERY occasionally, we went to...This was also my experience growing up. Friends' houses, yards, my suburban neighborhood were the places I spent 90% of my time. We walked or rode bikes everywhere. VERY occasionally, we went to shops, the mall, the pizza place, or the movies, but no one hung out there or any commercial space on a regular basis.
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Comment on How to preserve a 9000 piece jigsaw puzzle? in ~games.tabletop
OceanBreezy Link ParentFoamcore is a thin layer of rigid but lightweight foam sandwiched between two sheets of paper. You can google to see pictures of it. The foam thickness is variable.Foamcore is a thin layer of rigid but lightweight foam sandwiched between two sheets of paper. You can google to see pictures of it. The foam thickness is variable.
I just finished Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker, just 159 pages. It’s about someone who works on a reality show where they renovate houses that might be haunted. Not scary but very heartwarming. You might enjoy it!