1.31.25: Challengers

I absolutely loved Challengers. The way everything came together—the music, the pacing, the rhythm of the dialogue—was incredible. It felt like every element was intentionally crafted to draw you in. The tempo kept things moving without feeling rushed, and the cadence of the conversations was so natural and engaging that it almost felt like you were eavesdropping on real life. The music added another layer, setting the perfect mood for each scene without being overpowering. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie that felt this well-rounded and immersive. Seriously, I can’t recommend it enough. Pure cinematic brilliance.

1.30.25: Creatively Logical

I think of myself as creative, which I definitely get from my mom, and logical, which comes straight from my dad. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to indulge both sides—writing fiction satisfies the creative part, while working as a project manager scratches the logical itch. But a job that combines the two? That’s always intrigued me. Creative Director seems like the perfect blend of imagination and strategy. It’s a role that demands vision but also structure, which feels right up my alley. I’ve always wondered—how does someone actually break into that kind of position?

1.29.25: Single-Room Movies

One of my favorite types of movies is when strangers are thrown into a room and have to figure it out. There’s something about the tension, problem-solving, and clashing personalities that always pulls me in. It’s not really about the budget—it’s the dynamics. I love how writers play with character tropes but still find ways to surprise you. For example, 12 Angry Men is a classic, with jurors battling biases and each other. Then there’s Circle, where strangers have to decide who lives and dies, and Exam, with its high-stakes puzzle-solving. That mix of chaos and strategy? Always so satisfying.

1.28.25: Stop Peeing on the Floor, Please

I really wish Cooper, my French bulldog, would hurry up and figure out how to only pee on his pee pad or dog toilet. I miss having carpets on my otherwise all-tile floor—so much. The tiles are fine, I guess, but they make the place feel cold and bare. Rugs would make everything cozier, but Cooper hasn’t exactly earned that trust yet. Every time I think he’s finally got it, he reminds me he hasn’t. I know he’ll get there eventually, but until then, it’s me, him, and a floor that feels way too empty. Fingers crossed it’s soon.

1.27.25: Work and Me

I have a strange relationship with work. I enjoy being productive, love the rush of efficiency, and take genuine satisfaction in crossing tasks off my list. But if money weren’t an issue? I wouldn’t work for a company or chase a salary. I’d probably set up a non-profit, read more, play video games, travel—the usual dream list of goals. The thing is, I don’t really care about work itself. I take pride in doing a good job and delivering solid results, but at the end of the day, it feels fundamentally meaningless. It’s a means to an end, nothing more.

1.26.25: Adverbial Phrases

I “collect” adverbial phrases. It’s a weird little habit, but I love it. They’re everywhere, scattered through books, movies, and TV shows, quietly adding depth or humor. Once I started jotting them down, I realized how much punch they pack. Some favorites? Fundamentally unlikeable—the perfect insult wrapped in brutal honesty. Irretrievably lost—achingly sad but final. Emotionally incontinent—oddly hilarious and painfully accurate. And Morally neutral—a whole ethical debate in two words. It’s fascinating how these phrases, so small and subtle, can evoke such vivid images or emotions. Now I can’t stop noticing them, like little gems hiding in plain sight.

1.25.25: Making Money

There’s an art to making money. From the jobs we choose to the side hustles we stumble into, it’s fascinating how we figure it out. Think about it—lemonade stands as kids, bake sales, random college gigs—it’s all part of this weird dance we do to make a buck. What blows my mind are the jobs I didn’t even know existed, services I’ve never thought anyone would need, and, of course, the conmen who push it to the edge. It’s wild how creative we get when it comes to earning, and honestly, it makes you wonder where the line really is.

1.24.25: TV Shows

I love TV shows, but Quentin Tarantino’s take on Yellowstone, a show I loved, really stuck with me. He called it entertaining, engrossing, and must-watch TV, but said the characters don’t linger—they’re forgotten as soon as the season ends. It’s true; they don’t haunt you or provoke deep thought like characters from truly great storytelling. Is that a fault of the writing, or a reflection of an industry chasing high-impact drama over the slow burn of real character development? Maybe it’s both. Either way, it really makes me wonder if we’re sacrificing substance for spectacle in today’s TV landscape.

1.23.25: Is Guacamole a Dip?

Is guacamole a food or a dip? I’d argue it’s undeniably a dip. Sure, it’s made of ingredients like avocado, lime, and spices, but let’s be honest—who’s eating guacamole straight with a spoon? You don’t just sit down with a bowl of guac like it’s soup. It’s not self-sufficient; it needs a vehicle, like a tortilla chip, to deliver its creamy goodness. Without something to dip into it, guacamole loses its purpose. Pasta, on the other hand, stands alone as a food. Guacamole? It’s a sidekick, not the star. So, let’s settle it—guacamole is, and always will be, a dip.

1.22.25: Snakesss

Sliding silently through shadows, snakes are the slick stars of the wild, masters of survival and suspense. Their sinuous movements scream stealth as they stalk prey with precision, then strike like a snap of static. Some shimmer in sunlight, their scales sparkling like scattered sapphires, while others slink in sinister shades, secretive and shadow-bound. With split tongues sampling scents and sinuous bodies slipping into unseen spaces, they’re the sneaky spies of nature. Whether they suffocate with crushing squeezes or sink venomous fangs into their supper, snakes are spellbinding. Love them or shudder at them, their story is simply spectacular.

1.21.25: Style It Up?

Looking at my blog and seeing blocks of 100-word text on the main page, I’m starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. Should I add art? Maybe a drawing? I wish I could draw, but even then, scanning and uploading each picture sounds like a hassle. I’ve committed to writing 100 words a day, and I’ll stick to that, but now I’m questioning if there’s a more engaging way to present them. Something visual, maybe, or just a tweak to the layout. For now, it works, but I can’t help feeling like it could be more interesting.

1.20.25: Financial Priorities

Trying to prioritize expenses—like a visa for Thailand versus re-doing my walk-in closet—is frustrating. I get the appeal of being rich, of doing whatever you want without a second thought. But there’s also something satisfying about working hard toward a financial goal and finally being able to afford it, whether it’s a necessity or not. It feels earned in a way that unlimited wealth might not. Not to say billionaires didn’t earn their fortunes, but at that level, nothing is truly off-limits. Personally, I’d settle for a happy middle ground. A few hundred million should be more than enough.

1.19.25: Jerseys

I keep debating whether having signed, framed sports jerseys hanging in my condo is tacky. I’ve got a lot of them, and while I’ve tried to group them in spots like my office or the spare bedroom, I can’t help but wonder if it’s lame as I get older. To me, they’ve always been cool—like in lawyer shows or when NFL players show off walls of them. Sure, maybe I’m emulating that vibe, but for me, it’s more than decor. They capture moments in history, snapshots of greatness. I like having those reminders around. So, tacky or not, they stay.

1.18.25: Natural Born Killer

Killing wasn’t his passion, nor something he actively sought, but it came to him with surprising ease. He wasn’t particularly skilled or trained, yet there was a rhythm to it, a knack he couldn’t deny. Others struggled with the weight of it—the hesitation, the guilt—but not him. It wasn’t pride or pleasure that drove him; it was simply a matter of necessity, a job he could do when few others could. He didn’t question it anymore. It wasn’t his calling, but in the absence of anything else, it became what he did. He killed because he could. Nothing more.

1.17.25: Mini Games

In big games like The Witcher 3 or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, you’ll find these amazing mini-games, like Gwent or Valhalla’s dice game. Honestly, it blows my mind that someone out there took the time to craft an entire game within a game. They built the rules, figured out how to make it balanced, and somehow made it fun enough to feel like a fully fleshed-out experience. It’s a level of creativity and dedication that deserves serious respect. Hats off to you, random developer, for going the extra mile and adding that extra layer of depth to an already incredible world.

1.16.25: Nature vs. Nurture

I’ve always loved nature vs. nurture debates—they can be applied to almost any topic, but at their core, they’re about what makes us human. Are we the product of our upbringing and the lessons we’re taught, or is who we are—and the choices we make—predetermined, written into our DNA from the start? It’s fascinating to think about whether we’re shaped by the environment around us or if we’re simply unfolding into who we were always meant to be. Maybe it’s both. Either way, it’s a question that cuts right to the heart of what it means to exist.

1.15.25: Subscribe-as-a-Service

Subscriptions are slowly killing consumers' wallets and patience. The days of paying once and owning something outright are long gone. Now, everything is offered as "blank-as-a-service," from software to video games, trapping us in endless monthly fees. It’s frustrating, unsustainable, and frankly insulting. This model isn’t about convenience; it’s about squeezing every last cent from users. As consumers, we need to draw a line and send a clear message that this relentless push for subscription-based everything isn’t the future we want. Ownership shouldn’t be a relic of the past—it’s time to reclaim it before it’s gone for good.

1.14.25: Our Downfall

The end of humanity won’t come from AI or war—it’ll be a virus. Humans are fundamentally flawed, and viruses are masters at exploiting those flaws. We’re social creatures, wired for connection, and in a world that’s now irreversibly interconnected, a virus has the perfect conditions to spread unchecked. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Technology can’t save us from our own biology, and hubris blinds us to how vulnerable we are. The very traits that make us human—our need for community, travel, and interaction—are what will ultimately be our undoing. Viruses understand this, even if we don’t.

1.13.25: COVID Effects

I don’t want to sound like everyone else, but COVID messed me up. I’m not the same person I was before, and maybe that’s just part of getting older, but it feels different. I’ve started preferring quieter situations—staying in instead of going out, avoiding big social events that feel overwhelming. There’s also this constant undercurrent of not having enough—not enough time, not enough energy, not enough anything. It’s like a shadow that wasn’t there before. I’m not saying it’s all bad; I’ve learned to value simplicity. But sometimes, I miss the person I was before everything changed.

1.12.25: Roboticize

He brushed his teeth, the routine soothing, but the toothpaste tasted… off. Metallic. Shrugging it off, he reached for his coffee, only to notice the steam didn’t burn his hand. Strange. At work, the clock ticked loudly, its rhythm syncing perfectly with his heartbeat—too perfectly. That night, he cut himself chopping vegetables, but there was no blood, only a glint of metal beneath. Panic gripped him as he peeled back the skin. Wires. Circuits. A memory surfaced: a sterile room, voices calibrating him. His reflection stared back, expressionless. He wasn’t a man. He’d never been. He was just... programming.