Thursday, December 25, 2025

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Avatar 2: The Way of Water: Movie Review


This is my first time watching this movie, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.



This is, once again, a video in which I didn't fully get out all my thoughts because I got cut off at the end, but let me briefly jot a few more things down here:
* The visual designs of the Navi unfortunately sometimes make it difficult to distinguish which one is which, particularly in the action sequences.  And the I particularly had a difficult time distinguishing between the two sons.  When they were sitting and talking, it was okay.  But when they were running around, I couldn't distinguish between them.
* Speaking of the two sons, they sounded a bit too much like California surfers for my taste.  (e.g. "Bro, come on, Bro.").  It took me out of the movie a bit.

***SPOILER*** There's a death at the end of the movie which should be an emotional moment, but the movie doesn't quite know how to process it.  It places the death right during the big climax of the movie, and the movie wants to keep the momentum of the climax going, but also wants to have the death feel emotional and meaningful.  But in my opinion the momentum of the climax overshadowed the emotion of the death, and as a result the death scene doesn't hit the emotional notes that it should.  And because of this, the death doesn't pay off emotionally, and feels empty.
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Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Pentatonix - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen--Sharing Music I Like

Since it's Christmas time, it's time to share some Christmas music, right?
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs.  A few years ago, when I was still living in Vietnam, I was searching for an online version of that song to share with my kids, and discovered this version.  Which I like.
I've never heard of this group before, but their Wikipedia page is HERE.

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Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov: Book Review



(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.) 



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Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Mighty River by Railroad Earth--Sharing Music I Like

Yet another song I picked up from community radio (88.1 WWCE).  Whenever I hear a song I like on that radio station, I try to make a note of it here so that I don't forget it.  
More information about the group can be found on their Wikipedia page HERE.

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Prometheus: 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/2013/12/prometheus.html

Related Playlists:

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film)--Movies I've Half Watched

My kids have recently taken an interest in The Grinch.  They've been seeing his face everywhere on Christmas decorations.  And Home Alone (which we recently watched as a family) featured clips from The Grinch cartoon.  So they keep asking to watch the Grinch cartoon.

And I would love to show them the original 1966 cartoon (W).  Except that it turns out that cartoon is apparently very hard to get ahold of.  It doesn't seem to be available on any of the streaming services that we have access to--at least not without paying an extra fee.  (If anyone knows how to watch the original Grinch, let me know in the comments.)

Anyway, we were turning on the TV today, and they saw this movie listed as available.  (It's on Amazon Prime streaming service.)  I told them that this was not the original Grinch, but they wanted to watch it anyway.  So I figured, why not?

I'd never seen the 2000 version.  (It had gotten bad reviews when it came out, so I never bothered to watch it.)  But I thought I might watch it with my kids.  I could spend some quality time with them, and also get more material for my movie review project.  

...except, I got 12 minutes in, and I thought, "I really don't need to watch 105 minutes of this."
It wasn't so much that it was offensive or anything, it was just boring.  And charmless.  And not funny.  
I paused the movie to make sure my kids wanted to keep watching it.  They said that they did, but I decided I had had enough after the first 12 minutes.
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Started: Mythology by Edith Hamilton
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Monday, December 22, 2025

The New Teen Titans Volume Twelve by Marv Wolfman: Review

(Book Reviews--Teen Titans)


(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.)






My reviews of Silver Age Teen Titans books:

Related Playlists:






I was able to read this book thanks to the Michigan statewide state-wide interlibrary loan service called MeLCat, which may be in danger thanks to a Presidential executive order.  If you, like me, enjoy using MeLCat, contact your local representatives and let them know.  
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Sunday, December 21, 2025

Elf: Movie Review

As I mentioned in the video, this is a rewatch. I saw it on an airplane around 2003 or 2004. But this is the first time I'm reviewing it on this blog,  so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.  



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Saturday, December 20, 2025

Like everyone else, I've been following with interest the drama of the Epstein files for the past 9 months or so.

It's obvious that there's something in those files that Trump doesn't want released.  But what is it?
It's tempting to assume the worst, and yet, I tend to think that if Trump was implicated as directly participating in the sex-traffic ring, we would know by now.  The files might be withheld, redacted or destroyed, but there would also have to be human eye-witnesses to these activities, right?  The victims or the other participants would have been able to name Trump, and I find it hard to believe they wouldn't have come forward and named Trump already, if he was truly directly involved.

So, like most people, I believed that the Epstein files must hold embarrassing, but not incriminating, information about Trump.  At least that's what I thought 9 months ago.

Since then, it's been astonishing to see what a huge fight Trump has put up to keep those Epstein files from getting released.  In fact, many people have even speculated that one reason the Republican leadership was so intransigent about not making a deal on the government shutdown is because they wanted to delay congress reconvening and demanding the release of the Epstein files.

And now that the files have been released, they've redacted so much of it--in blatant violation of the law.
So, there's got to be something really bad in there, right?  I mean at this point, how could you think otherwise?  

My prediction: I doubt the Epstein files will show Trump was a direct participant in the sex-trafficking right, but I'm guessing it will show he knew about it all along, and did nothing to stop it.
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The Iron Lady: Movie Review


Links to things mentioned:
The Iron Lady: An Awful Margaret Thatcher Biopic: https://youtu.be/KaIj58hXJ1k?si=STPxm57w_twbYJvM

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/2013/12/the-iron-lady.html




Biopic Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7gofRZ29NESE3ZzgmAh8nP&si=3ter6lg-DPUk-61s

3 Stars Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x70ViGYftDcGCPIKZHYqBYd
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Friday, December 19, 2025

The Story of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman translated by Major Alexander Ewing and adapted by Bob Blaisdell: Book Review



(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.)






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With all the problems AI is currently causing, and has the potential to cause in the future, I'm somewhat mystified by the complete lack of government action.  We need strong laws to keep AI in check.  Or, we need government programs to be compensate for the huge societal upheaval. (e.g. If everyone is going to be put out of work by AI, we need something to compensate for that.  If AI is going to use up all the electricity, then we need a government plan for that.)
And yet what is our government doing?  Nothing.

Prediction:
Future historians are going to judge the complete lack of government action on AI to be one of the big failures of our age.
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Wednesday, December 17, 2025

 A good discussion about an important problem.


...I do have to admit, though, I find these AI John Lennon hat videos funny, because it is exactly the kind of thing you can imagine John Lennon actually doing.





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Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Started: The Story of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman translated by Major Alexander Ewing and adapted by Bob Blaisdell

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Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov: Book Review



(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.)



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Monday, December 15, 2025

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: Movie Review

As I mentioned in the video, this is a rewatch. I've seen this movie many times before. But this is the first time I'm reviewing it on this blog,  so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review. 





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Sunday, December 14, 2025

Started: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
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Home Alone: Movie Review


As I mentioned in the video, this is a rewatch. I've seen this movie many times before. But this is the first time I'm reviewing it on this blog,  so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.



Links to stuff mentioned:
Siskel & Ebert - Home Alone - 1990: https://youtu.be/68sAtF5G0BQ?si=DVbz6RXgl0zYOm-1

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Friday, December 12, 2025

...and while I'm bookmarking things that I might write about more at a future date, I should include this as well: 


(I had actually been intending to post about this weeks ago, but then while researching the topic, I got distracted when I figured out the podcast I was listening to was actually AI generated.)

Part of me wants to condemn Noam Chomsky for his association with Epstein.  (This is why you should never have heroes!)

Part of me wants to excuse Noam Chomsky.  (Chomsky is 97 years old.  Surely he's not still interested in sex at his age.  His relationship with Epstein must be innocent.)

And while I'm still sorting that all out in my mind, deciding whether I want to condemn or excuse Chomsky, I guess I'll just stay quite for the moment. 
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 As I mentioned before, I am a fan of Freddie Deboer's subscriber writing links.

He's got a new batch up now, and from that batch, this one in particular spoke to me: What Does "Autistic" Even Mean? Social atrophy, late bloomers, becoming well-adjusted

For now I'm just going to bookmark it here.  Along with this post here.  At some point, I may come back to these posts if I decide I want to write more about this in the future.

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Thursday, December 11, 2025

My Favorite Historical Fiction Books




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:





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Tuesday, December 09, 2025

Started: The New Teen Titans Volume 12 by Marv Wolfman

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aFU2ze       (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
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Monday, December 08, 2025

Everyday Clothes Vocabulary

(TESOL Materials--Clothing Vocabulary)

* Lin's Day of Clothes Storybook--Created from this chat here  (Made using Google Gemini Storybook).  [If you look at the chat, you'll notice I messed up the prompt slightly--I said it was the topic of people at work.  This was because of copying and pasting the same prompt from another lesson, and forgetting to change the name of the topic. Thus clothing vocabulary is mixed in with work situations.  But I think it still works.]
* Clothing Vocabulary slideshow: slides, pub
* Clothing worksheet to color: docs, pub

[Notes: These are all materials that I used to supplement the lesson Everyday Clothes p.28-29 from Oxford Picture Dictionary Content Areas for Kids, and the specific choice of vocabulary in the storybook is influenced by that lesson.  However, I think these materials could be used for any general lesson on describing homes, and so I'm including them here.]

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Clothing Vocabulary


* Quizlet only for Clothing: English World 2 Unit 4 Clothing (from English World 2 Unit 4 Review)
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Mickey 17: Movie Review


This is my first time watching this movie, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.



Links to stuff mentioned: 
6th day - Clone strips and steals the clothing from his real person: https://youtu.be/sC5gXkf_4h4?si=GWNDaHVeyfGQhZtf


Check out this movie on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KEaYf1             (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
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Sunday, December 07, 2025

My Favorite Narrative History Books


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:

Links to stuff mentioned:

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Gula Hymn of Bullutsa-Rabi (from Before the Muses by Benjamin R. Foster): Summary and Discussion



Links to stuff mentioned:

Related Playlists




* Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4Cvg1Yw4LQyKEXIwDwo1m0&si=X6OZ7Ectw-fzHbCn

* Akkadian Literature: The Mature Period 1500-1000 BC Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x545tikwEDqcgD_qmFqtLUF&si=XlI2gaYNnh1HGPyf

I was able to read this book thanks to the Michigan statewide state-wide interlibrary loan service called MeLCat, which may be in danger thanks to a Presidential executive order.  If you, like me, enjoy using MeLCat, contact your local representatives and let them know. 

Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4k08VgZ            (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
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This video is 6 months old, but I just discovered it today.
I don't know how many of these "don't go to graduate school in the humanities" stories I've heard over the years, (and a number of them I've linked to on this blog before in the past), but I still find them interesting.  This, for me, is the path not taken.  And I sometimes still catch myself feeling regretful that I never pursued a PhD in history.  But then I watch a video like this, and I'm reminded of why it would never have been a good idea.
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Saturday, December 06, 2025


Yet another song I discovered by listening to community radio (88.1).  I liked the sound of it, so I thought I'd make a note of it here so I so I don't forget it. 
I'd never heard of this artist before, but she has a Wikipedia page here.

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Thursday, December 04, 2025

A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer


I've posted versions of this book twice before (here and here), but I've retooled this for one of my Story Time lessons.  I used the images on this youtube video for creating the slideshow.

My materials for this book are below:
Google Drive HERE
Slideshow: slides, pub
A great sequencing activity can be found here on Teachers Pay Teachers.  (This particular resource is free, although you will need to create an account and log-in.)
Coloring sheet: docs, pub


Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pPoP0O     (This is an Amazon Associate's Link.  If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission.)
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Vocabulary for Jobs

(TESOL Materials--Jobs)

* Storybook 1: Pili's Busy Day--Created from this chat here (Made using Google Gemini Storybook)
* Kahoot for Storybook 1: People at Work
* Slideshow for storybook 1: slides, pub (I used this slideshow to present the vocabulary, and also to do a board race)
* Storybook 2: People at Work--Created from this chat here 
* Kahoot for Storybook 2: People at Work 2
* Slideshow for storybook 2: slides, pub
* Kahoots 1 and 2 combined: People at Work (1+2 combined)

[Note: This vocabulary is based on the vocabulary from pages 20 and 21 of Oxford Picture Dictionary for the Content Areas.  But I believe this material could also be used independently for any lesson on jobs vocabulary, so I'm posting it here.  Because the lesson contained so many vocabulary words for jobs, I broke the vocabulary up into 2 different lessons, with 2 different presentations.  I originally tried to fit all the vocabulary words into one storybook, but that proved too crowded.  That storybook is here:  Elara’s Walk and the Working Town--created from this chat here.  I also experimented with creating a sequel, City Heroes, Special Skills--created from this chat here.  FYI: Google Gemini seemed to have a bit of a glitch, so the character designs preserved in the chats are different than the ones in the storybooks.  In the chats, at least at the time of posting, the character designs are consistent between the original story and the sequel, but not in the storybook links.]


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Wednesday, December 03, 2025

Story for -it CVC words

(TESOL Worksheets-- -it Word Family)

Slideshow: slides, pub
Worksheet: docs, pub
Worksheet 2--copy the sentences: docs, pub
Worksheet 3--write the sentences: docs, pub

[Note: These images were created by Google Gemini using their storybook feature.  For whatever reason, Gemini Storybook was fighting me a bit on this story, and I had to go through several versions before I got the story I wanted.  That's why the color of the kit changes from picture to picture.  I then took the pictures from the storybook, and imported them into Google Slides.  A few of the pictures comes from versions I created on my work account, and can't share with you here.  But of the storybooks on my personal account, you can see this book here--from this chat here.]

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Kahoots for Folk Stories / Fairy Tales


I've recently been using picture books of folk stories or fairy tales in my classes.  I've also been using Kahoots as rewards for good behavior.  To save time, I try to find premade kahoots.
The picture books I've been using are by Paul Galdone (W), just because that is what's available in my school library.  But these Kahoots are generic Kahoots that work with most versions of the folk tales.
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