Monday, March 09, 2026

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Rainy day in early spring)

(Travelogues--West Michigan)



This was a couple weeks before the Spring Equinox, so technically I guess this was late winter.  But it's early March, and it felt like a rainy spring day.
Because it was raining, we didn't get out to see any of the outside grounds.  That will have to be another video for another day.

Address: 1000 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Related Playlists:



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Sunday, March 08, 2026

This Week in Booktube: March 8, 2026
(These are the Booktube videos I watched this week. As always, I encourage you also to check out each of the videos I've linked to down below.  Support Booktube.  And let me know what you've watched this past week.)

Google document: docs, pub

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Frozen: Movie Review



This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:
In this case, the old blog post is here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2014/01/frozen.html

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Saturday, March 07, 2026

Noodle Fest 2026: Calder Plaza

(Travelogues--West Michigan)




Address: 320 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 United States

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Friday, March 06, 2026

 Thanks to Steve for the shout-out in this video (which happens at 11:14)


The comment he's referring to comes from this video...


...in which I said:
I'm actually a big fan of this series myself, although I've long known from your comments that you are not a huge fan.  There's no denying it has it's faults.  The dialogue is not great.  But I was 14 when I first encountered this series, and this was my first time learning about the story of Marius and Sulla and all the rest of them.  I think when you're first encountering these characters and these stories for the first time, the book is a lot more interesting.  And back in the early 90s, before the Internet, I don't know if there was another way I would have encountered these stories.  My school library didn't have any detailed histories on Marius.  Although the plot is all over the place, I think there is an attempt to dramatize history here--the way Marius and Sulla go (in McCullough's version at least) from best friends to bitter rivals struck me as fascinating when I read it.

Oh, and while I'm on the subject, I would be remiss not to mention that my friend William also gave me a shout-out this week:  

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Epitaph On A Tyrant by W. H. Auden: ESL Listening

(TESOL Worksheets--Poems ESL Listening)

Transcript: docs, pub
Video: HERE


Epitaph On A Tyrant by W. H. Auden: poems


Video: https://youtu.be/-BZSUA8oqFQ


Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,

And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;

He knew human folly like the back of his hand,

And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;

When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,

And when he cried the little children died in the streets.

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Thursday, March 05, 2026

Filmtasic February Tag



This tag was created by Back Away from the Donkey: https://youtu.be/vU_55niQGJM?si=gpuiLygQcSAfWe-A

Prompts:- 
1/ Your first memory of seeing a film at the Pictures/Cinema 
2/ A book about film. It can be behind the scenes, an autobiography, a work of fiction that includes film as a main subject. 
3/ A novelization or tie-in book. 
4/ A film about writers or writing 
5/ A film that brings back fond memories 
6/ A film that made you want to read the book 
7/ A book that made you want to watch the film 
8/ Films based on a book/story that bear no resemblance to the source 
9/ Recommend 5 Films 
10/ Tag People ‪

I tag:
 @Bucky749  
 @WilliamsLibrary  
 @danecobain  
 @mindysbookjourney  

Links to some of the stuff mentioned in the video:

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Wednesday, March 04, 2026

Mythology by Edith Hamilton: Book Review






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Tuesday, March 03, 2026

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Movie Review



This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:
In this case, the old blog post is here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2014/01/catching-fire.html


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