Alex Reviews All

Author: Alex

  • Love Me / Love Me Not by Honne

    Love Me / Love Me Not by Honne

    Honne’s magnus opus and what made me fall in love with everything they do. One of my saddest moments in life was when they were set to perform on a weekday in Austin, Texas. I took the day off, drove up there blasting this album, and then they canceled last minute due to issues with the lead singers vocal cords. My heart broke that day and it took me many months to forgive them even though I can understand why it happened.

    Following the theme of the title, this record starts off with the most beautiful, layered, and catchy love songs. They use a lot of different elements from lofi, r&b, hip hop, and indie pop. There’s so many cool sounds going on in the background that I’ll still catch on relistens. It’s cohesive and fitting for each song. The vocals also still blow my mind and they always hit more than any other artist for me.

    Really, there’s not a single miss on here. A couple of tracks were growers for me, but they’re all bangers in different ways. The love songs are so genuine and heartfelt. Day 1 and Location Unknown would be my recommendations for a first time listener in this category. However, 306 is my favorite song not just on this record, but any record. I can’t help but sing along and then scream my heart out during the ending chorus when I’m jamming out alone in my car.

    After all of the lovey dovey we get into the sad parts starting with Crying Over You. It’s the beginning of the breakup and such a vibe for that kinda switchup. Then you move onto Shrink which is sort of like the meltdown afterwards. This track was the biggest grower for me, but I still absolutely adore the instrumental at the end. Closing your eyes and grooving calms the nerves after such an anxious song. Then the final three tracks continue with the rest of the process and the story ends with “She loves me… She loves me not”

    It’s a beautiful album that will most likely always be my favorite.

    Rating: 994/1000

  • Agora

    Agora

    Agora is one of those places it seems like every coffee head in Houston knows of. Open daily till 2am it’s known to host a lot of late night students and workers. However I’m the second one in today after the 9am open.

    I asked for a coffee recommendation and was asked hot or iced? Iced. Sweet or no sweetness? None or a little. The recommendation was the Greek Frappe Iced Coffee. I’m surprised that the low sweetness rec is a Frappe, but it’s more so from the milk whipping process than a syrup vessel. I was just going to get the drink, but saw the Spanakopita pastry and completed the quick time event.

    So yes it’s a greek themed coffee shop. The vibes both inside and outside are extremely cozy and easy to hunker down in. Just check out this entrance:

    It’s extremely inviting from the outside. There’s plenty of chairs and tables surrounding the building. Likewise, that continues inside not only on the main level, but on the second as well. There’s a rectangular area above lined with places to sit and I was early enough to get the elusive window table.

    Now for the good stuff. The drink was unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. It fit the bill of my request exactly. It tasted like an iced tea and coffee fuzed together. Seriously, imagine the those two drinks combined and that’s not too far off. It was light, layered, and unique. The whipped part tasted the same except more creamy. I tried to mix it all in, but most of it stayed above the liquid layer. Overall it was a tasty and fun treat, but not something craveable enough to order again next time.

    The spanakopita pastry’s outer layer was light and airy. The filling inside was delicious and choke full of spinach goodness. Very flavorful and made a good pairing with my drink.

    Rating: 792/1000

  • Hades

    Hades

    Hades is a progressive rougelike in the sense that every run you get more and more powerful. You’re able to buy upgrades in between runs that permanently increase your health, money, attack, and abilities. It took me about 25 runs to get my first victory and after that I felt accomplished enough to call that a wrap.

    I enjoyed the combat and how intentional you have to be with your moves. You go up floors fighting a boss at the end of each dungeon and unlocking boons from the different gods along the way. You might get a Zeus power up that chains lightening after every strike or dash you do. You might get Hermes to give you quicker movement or attack speed. There’s some really cool synergies and I went from blindly picking what sounded coolest to really putting thought into which upgrades worked best that run.

    Gameplay with the bow (one of six fun and unique weapons to choose from)

    Another cool feature was how the story progresses with each character through dialogue between or on runs. You slowly get more and more info on the underworld and why you’re trying to escape. I appreciated the voice dialogues and while I wouldn’t say I was engrossed with the story, I enjoyed the banter.

    This guy never really says much…

    My main complaint is how similarly the runs were starting to feel against the same enemies over and over. There is a good variety to be fair, but after going through the same areas over and over it gets old even when using different playstyles. I had a great time making it to and then finally defeating Hades, but that repetition made me happy to take the win and move on. After you beat him there is still a shit ton more to do and unlock, but I’ve got other games on my list that excite me more at this point.

    My game winning setup used the Twin Fists with the dodge upgrade purchased to the max of 15% and the Lambent Plume keepsake. This increases your movement speed and dodge chances by 1.2% after each quick chamber clear. This startup encouraged me to be aggressive enough to speed run chambers for the dodge upgrades and I also got Zeus boons enough to earn his legendary boon (makes lightening chains extremely powerful). The Twin Fists use a rapid attack and with each strike having that included… phew we.

    My game winning stats and boons

    Rating: 821/1000

  • Rare by Selena Gomez

    Rare by Selena Gomez

    Rare is Selena’s best work in my opinion. The tracks have the type of energy that you could either dance to or chill with it vibing in the background. I’ve spinned this a handful of times the past couple weeks and it really has fit every situation. Getting some work done on the computer, having a mini party with my girlfriend, chilling with my sister, and playing a couple runs of hades on the xbox. It’s soothing, comforting, and catchy. My only regret is not having the deluxe version of this album. No boyfriend for me.

    This is a very empowering record that gives post-breakup vibes. It’s cool to see a more mature Selena after growing up watching Wizards of Waverly Place and hearing her music evolve. The production is top tier and it really doesn’t sound like anything else put out from other pop artists. The standouts for me are the title track, Vulnerable, and Crowded Room. They’re low-key melancholic bops.

    I am a little disappointed that the record I bought has a few skips throughout. Even after a cleaning it still persists. That’s not something I’d take away from the actual album, but it’s still annoying nonetheless.

    Rating: 864/1000

  • Jonas Brothers Concert

    Jonas Brothers Concert

    I somehow forgot just how many hits these guys have. It has been a good while since I’ve attended a concert and as a Disney Channel kid this was a fun one to get back into it with.

    All three of the brothers had great energy throughout and the energy was electric. The vocals were strong and tight all night. Opening with Year 3000 and then bumping throughout to SOS, Play my Music, and Lovebug was a vibe. They also did a segment where they’d take audience requests to lesser known songs and it was impressive how well they could quickly belt out those deep cuts.

    There’s another bit they’ve been doing throughout their “Greetings From Your Hometown” tour where they have a surprise guest every show. Some of them have been pretty fire such as Demi Lovato, Hanson, and Jesse McCartney. There was speculation that today’s guest would be Hilary Duff since she’s from Houston and I was excited about the prospect. So who’d we end up getting? Ela Taubert! I’ve never heard of her, but she won last year’s Grammy for best new latin artist and has a song with Joe that they performed. I felt bad when she first came out because no one cheered due to confusion I guess. However, she was great and I’m going to give her newest album a listen sometime.

    The highlight of the performance was Burning Up. Big Rob came out for the rap portion and it was swaggy to the max. I don’t think anyone was seated in that entire stadium.

    Special shoutout to All American Rejects as the opener. They killed it and I forgot about some of their bops. Belting out the lyrics to “Gives you Hell” also gave me goosebumps with how good it felt.

    Rating: 847/1000

  • EaDough

    EaDough

    It’s hard to beat a good coffee and pastry combo. It’s one of my favorite simple pleasures in life. Today I decided to indulge with the boys and visited EaDough located in, you guessed it, EaDo. They specialize in baked goods and have a window counter you order at and then eat outside. Good thing it’s not summer.

    I went with the bodega breakfast sandy, pumpkin cookie croissant, and a honey iced latte. Let’s start with the coffee… it was mid. A little too sweet and not very balanced. I wouldn’t say coffee is their specialty from the vibe I was getting, so it felt like the love was missing. If you want a generic latte then that’s what you’ll get.

    The sandwich had soft bread with scrambled eggs, bacon, and aioli. The bacon was a bit chewy and not enjoyable. When I see bacon I want to get excited, but it didn’t incite that. The aioli was lackluster and didn’t add much flavor or mouthfeel. The bread was nice, but it completely overpowered the rest of the inside. To me it felt as if I was staying over at a friends and they said “hey I have these four things let me put them together and lets see how it turns out.” That’s great for a hangout, but I want more thought if I’m paying for it.

    Lastly, the pumpkin cookie croissant also disappointed me. The croissant wasn’t flaky and had way too much sugar coating on top. The pumpkin filling didn’t taste that pumpkin-ie too me either. I feel like a hater writing all this, but I just wasn’t impressed and shared a lot of it.

    I was disappointed with my visit here, but my friends seemed to like it a little more. It also has pretty solid reviews and I’m just one person, but based on my visit it’s not for me.

    Rating: 247/1000

  • Trung Nguyen E-Coffee

    Trung Nguyen E-Coffee

    Trung Nguyễn… whoever you are I love you. Trung specializes in a phin coffee which is a Vietnamese coffee made in a metal filter. This is my first time knowingly trying this and as a Viet lover it was even more divine than I could have ever imagined.

    When ordering they have a lot of different cream options with either the phin or matcha drinks. I went with the recommended Egg cream and my partner got the Pandan cream. We surprisingly only waited a few minutes before they were ready for us.

    First off the coffee portion. It had that characteristic strong Viet taste while still staying silky smooth. This is something I’ve been noticing with all of the cafes in Chinatown, so this is the area to be for a Viet coffee. The cream was an unbelievable compliment and absolutely delicious. It was of course creamy, but also whipped and rich enough to linger on my tongue even after a minute had passed. I sometimes notice with cream topping drinks that they don’t fully complement the base liquid. However, it’s like these two were made for each other with those bold and velvety notes.

    Parking wasn’t an issue at 6pm on a Friday. It’s part of a big lot and there was plenty of open parking. The vibes inside are nice and chill. There isn’t a ton of seating so I could see it getting full fast when busy.

    I know I’m glazing this place hard, but it’s rare that both me and my girlfriend feel the exact same about how great a place is. Her Pandan cream was fire from the few tastes I had and we’re excited to go back and try the matchas another time.

    Rating: 947/1000

  • Roofman

    Roofman

    I remember hearing the story many eons ago about a man caught living in a Toys R Us for months without getting caught. I also recalled how he robbed blockbusters, but didn’t realize he had stolen from 45 something odd McDonalds.

    I didn’t expect this to be such a tragic story. It made me sad how a veteran had to stoop to such lengths to get by and how he was losing his daughter after initially getting caught. His wit and cunning were like nothing else and by the end I was rooting for Jeffrey to get away with it all.

    Once he escaped jail and started living in the Toys-R-Us I was skeptical of what else could progress the film. I could feel it starting to slow down and my interest was waning. However, being holed up for so long can’t help but lead to loneliness and he filled that by basically starting a whole new family. It was anxiety inducing knowing that it all had to come crashing down. Jeffrey was just biding time to get away and him bonding with Leigh and her two daughters felt both wholesome and terribly wrong. The closer they got with each other the more my anxiety built.

    The highlight of the film was Dinklage’s character running into Jeffrey naked and how Jeffrey somehow got out of that uncaught. It was a genius play and that was the point where he should have laid low and quit roleplaying with his new family. However, he just wasn’t built like that and his humanity is why I loved him so much despite the wrongness of it all.

    I wanted to rip my hair out at the ending. It was incredibly obvious that it was a trap and he went anyways. I wanted him to get away with his crimes and live out the rest of his life free. I wonder how at peace he is now after learning he attempted two other escapes since being imprisioned. I also appreciated how Leigh’s family saw it as one big adventure and didn’t hold any grudges against him. Even all these years later, the oldest daughter didn’t have a single bad thing to say about the guy.

    Rating: 809/1000

  • Refuge Coffeehouse

    Refuge Coffeehouse

    Attached to one of the best cocktail bars in Houston is Refuge Coffeehouse. The Refuge aims to be just that. To be a refuge you need a calm, peaceful, and tranquil environment. Sorry Websters dictionary… I’m taken.

    The inside instantly brings you there. Back to that fireplace in the wooden cabin feeling. I walked up to the barista and asked for the rec. He mentioned that all their syrups are great and go well in an iced latte. I saw a honey option and that’s all she wrote folks. When I thought it couldn’t get better he said he could add some cinnamon too.

    It wasn’t too crowded and everyone inside was hard at work. I sat in a booth’d seat near the wall with the backrest a little too far back.

    The drink came quickly and the honey syrup they used was perfect. It added flavor without having overwhelming sweetness. It strangely reminded me of banana and if you told me that was the flavor I’d have zero reason to disagree. The ice also didn’t take up a lot of the glass and I was able to consistently sip without finishing in 10 minutes.

    One thing I hesitate to mention is that I noticed a roach running along the floor while I was seated. I get those things happen and it’s hard to control, but it definitely ruined my comfort level there and I left shortly after. Otherwise, really was a cozy place to settle down for a while.

    Rating: 782/1000

  • Un Caffe

    Un Caffe

    Un Caffe por favor. Coming right up.

    The vibes here are off the charts. If you told me they were spinning records and playing them out the speakers, I’d believe it. It’s hip, trendy, and I’m sure TikTok approved. At the counter they had a display of the Einspanner drink. A tiramisu drink with house milk whipped cream, half & half, espresso, and cocoa powder. If it’s the spotlight then I have to see if it’ll shine.

    The drink looks like something Eisenhower would have cooked up in the Oval Office. A line waiter couldn’t help but inquire about my drink after seeing it. It comes with a spoon and I immediately tried out the whipped cream on top. Wow it was divine. Smooth and light enough to want some strawberries to mix with it.

    It was hard to drink without mixing because of the cream, so I regrettably stirred up the beautiful concoction. Afterwards, the drink was unsurprisingly creamy. Don’t get me wrong it was delicious, but it was also a little much for me. I got the tiramisu notes and it felt very rich with that cacao and cream. A fancier, tastier, and more creative frappuccino.

    Rating: 796/1000

  • Morning Star (Red Rising Series)

    Morning Star (Red Rising Series)

    What an epic finish to this amazing trilogy. Pierce Brown has a way of writing that will have your calves looking like tree trunks with how often you’re standing on your toes. The stakes are high and the fluid transitions between scenes keeps them that way.

    I’ve grown to really like Darrow and those first couple chapters were hard to read. You could feel the helplessness and misery Darrow went through as he was tortured for a year. How he was able to recover and use that perspective throughout was impressive. He knew he couldn’t take half measures anymore and made some decisions that he would never have in the earlier books.

    Similar to the prior books, there’s a lot of action. The endgame is near and you can feel it creeping closer and closer. No character feels safe from death and the anxiety that Darrow felt transferred to me. I would be exhausted after certain tense scenes and I can’t recall the last time a series made me just sit and think instead of continuously reading.

    Spoilers Ahead:

    I was extremely pissed off near the end when Cassius “betrayed” Darrow and killed Sevro. I had to take a day before continuing after that first happened. I kept thinking it wasn’t real, but the writing was extremely convincing against it. The twist saved me because I was raging at the injustice of it all. Sevro was drugged with the same substance Darrow was in book one, Cassius played the villain, and then they all struck at the opportune time.

    It was also badass when Darrow pulled out The Jackals tongue. If he was willing to bomb the whole planet then how could you trust him to keep his word anyways? I’m also glad they hanged him instead of leaving him to rot somewhere to potentially return in the next books.

    I’m very curious how the next three books I have play out. There’s a lot left open ended with the destruction of the class system. I definitely need a break, but I have no doubt I’ll be returning to this world in the future.

    Rating: 839/1000

  • Making my dream review site with the WordPress.com Personal Plan

    Making my dream review site with the WordPress.com Personal Plan

    Before starting this blog I wanted to get the website perfect. Instead of writing content I was frustrated with getting my site to look just like I wanted. I imagined my homepage having pictures of each new post side by side, a search bar, a drop down menu to filter by categories, and a filterable ranking list. It took a while, but I got the homepage to have pictures although it’s currently limited to 9 posts a page with each row of 3 posts taking up a huge chunk of the screen. There’s also an option to go to the next page, but I wish it listed the number of pages at the bottom. Instead, it makes my earlier posts harder to find.

    I also think it’d be cool to have customized category pages. If someone’s only interested in coffee reviews, they can go to that category. The design is more coffee focused and the rankings on that page will also be accessible and filtered to be only on coffee.

    This is my main objective. I am going to work on it and then report back and rate how possible this is to achieve on WordPress and the process of it.

    Update 1:
    After two hours I made some progress. First off I was able to get my homepage to display 20 posts instead of 9. It’s a lot easier to take in the content and I’m not sad anymore when a post I woke the week before is already off. It makes me appreciate my reviews a lot more. I could also have expanded it to be 5 reviews in a row, but I thought that looked a little too busy. This site is ultimately for me as a creative hobby, so if I’m not feeling the homepage then I’m not going to be inspired to write.

    The next item I made progress in is my rankings list. From what I can tell there’s not a way to make a filterable list without a plug-in. I’m on the cheapest personal plan that doesn’t give access so I had to get creative. After research I decided to import my previous rankings list into a google sheet and reformat it. Then I was able to embed it into a new WordPress page so that anytime I update it in google it should do the same on the page. This is huge. My next plan is to make pivot tables off of the master list for each category and find a good way to present it on the site.

    Both of these wins were annoying to deal with on the interface. The homepage took forever going through screens and inputs till I was able to adjust both the columns and posts per page. Based on the instructions it shouldn’t have been as hard of a time as I had. To be fair though I have zero website creation experience even though I consider myself semi techno savvy. The list took forever to get the html embedment to display on the whole screen. I couldn’t find a way to display the list on the whole margins, so I ended up using smaller fonts on the google sheet. This is one I hope I can eventually get for ease of reading.

    There were times I thought what I was attempting wasn’t possible, but perseverance paid off. WordPress is a powerful tool if you know how to navigate it. If you’re a beginner like me then wear a helmet before all the headbanging figuring this out induces.

    Update 2:
    What a major pain in the ass. I managed to make two pages for my coffee reviews. One displaying all the reviews in a format similar to my homepage, and a rankings list. I was so happy when I first figured out how to add the background image I found… only to see that it applies it to the whole site. Then, I spent hours trying to change the image for my specific pages and as far as I can tell it’s not possible. I have to mess with the code and even with google I can’t get it to work. There is no easy way to do this through WordPress when it should just be a feature. I was excited to set this up for my major review categories and now I feel like it’ll be more of a chore to do without the ability to individually customize the backgrounds.

    Another annoyance is that my coffee rankings list isn’t centered like my complete rankings list is. I’m not sure if it’s something with the embedment from my google sheets, or another thing entirely. I haven’t really had the energy to dig into this as the background defeat took the wind out of my sails.

    Update 3:
    So I went down a rabbit hole and I’ll either have to upgrade to the premium plan or use another hosting site to get things the way I want it. WordPress.com is very closed off and limiting. The personal plan doesn’t even allow the additional CSS option I need to make the background updates.

    This isn’t a project that I want to spend the whole nine yards working on, so maybe that’s just how it is. My plan will be to continue writing posts, slowly creating the category/ranking pages to add to my header, and then maybe upgrading sometime in the future to get things the way I’d like. I know I originally wanted to make a search bar and drop down category section, but that’s far off my radar. The more content I have the more I’ll want to present it all in a nice bow. The double edged sword may be that I’ll be less inspired to write with the way things are now. The site has come a long way since I first started it, but I have my vision and want to see it come to fruition. I’t has just been a pain in my bootie getting there so far.

    If this review was just for having a review blog I’d rank it very high. However, the process of creating and working towards my vision has been a slog for this website noob.

    Rating: 397/1000

  • Warhammer 40K: Space Marine

    Warhammer 40K: Space Marine

    I gave this game a download on gamepass due to the rave reviews of the second game. I booted up the campaign and was quickly thrown into action. My character was reminiscent of a spartan thrown into the gears of war universe. You’re insanely powerful and battle against hordes and hordes of ogres. Unfortunately, the gameplay loop quickly gets tedious and boring.

    I enjoyed unlocking new weapons and abilities at the start. You have a chainsaw type melee weapon that cuts down ogres with ease. The rest of the guns all have their own uses and it’s easy to switch between them on the fly. You have the infinite ammo pistol, machine gun, sniper, and grenade launcher. It’s fun going between blowing a pack of ogres to smithereens with the launcher and then sniping any stragglers. You feel like a badass cutting down forces that would overwhelm most others.

    The locations and stages felt bland. There wasn’t enough variety in enemies, vistas, or story to spice anything up. Even now I couldn’t tell you much about the story because I wasn’t given much to engage with. I wanted to be sucked into the Warhammer universe when I started this and after playing I just wanted to leave.

    I did have an odd feeling of nostalgia playing this game. The oldish graphics, feel of the main character, 3rd person perspective, and cheesy dialogue all brought me back to the xbox 360 days. It felt like something younger me would have rented from blockbuster, played through for a week, and returned after doing as much as I could. However, now I’m more seasoned and not as easily entertained as younger me.

    There’s also a competitive multiplayer mode that I had trouble finding opponents in. I was able to get into a game against one other player, but he left before we found each other on the map.

    Rating: 257/1000

  • Bluestone Lane

    Bluestone Lane

    It’s finally cooling down here in Texas! That means more outside coffees 🙂

    I’ve been here a couple of times and it has always been decent. It has never been my first choice, but if I’m in the area it’s not a bad option. I visited today and asked the barista if she had any recommendations for a specialty or unique drink. The first rec was the Aussie latte which has ice cream in it. The second rec was the cold brew with their in house pumpkin cold foam. Ice cream sounded a little much today, so I went with numero dos.

    The vibes inside are chill and outside there are plenty of tables. There are several locations in Houston and the one I frequent is located in a plaza. Surprisingly, there were several cars pining for my parking spot in the crowded lot by the time of left. I never expected it to get so busy here.

    I hated my first sips of the drink. I was shocked at how little it tasted like pumpkin when mixed. It was just all wrong. The ratios of milk, espresso, and cold foam didn’t mesh and I thought at best I’d finish half of this. However, in an unexpected turn of events I started to enjoy it. I’m not sure if it was the ice melting and watering it down, my initial tastes getting the wrong part of the drink, or my tastebuds adapting. I’ve never experienced such a 180 with a drink before.

    Rating: 508/1000

  • Cambrian Coffee

    Cambrian Coffee

    I treated this menu like a book. Start from the top left and work your way down… except I gravitated to the first thing I read. The Cambrian Explosion. This drink is basically just drip coffee with a shot of espresso. As a reviewer I usually go with the flagship drink and while unorthodox I had to order it. I even asked the barista how it was beforehand and got a great response – “strong :D”

    The cafe is very cute and minimal. They had Halloween decorations up and it was completely full when I entered. Luckily I managed to grab a bar seat facing the window. The drink also came out lightening fast which isn’t too surprising with what compromises it.

    The coffee was great and whatever beans they use are delicious. The drink was indeed strong but also surprisingly smooth. I love black coffee and it just hit all the right marks. The vibe felt extremely welcoming and warm compared to some places where you can’t help but feel like you’re intruding after staying past the imaginary time limit. Thus, two hours flew by and before I knew it my stomach was rumbling and I had to find a lunch spot.

    Rating: 807/1000

  • Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Movie

    Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Movie

    I was extremely pumped to catch this in an empty theater after having just caught up with the latest season. Around 3 hours later and I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

    First off, it’s extremely hype that the demon slayer corps are now all in the infinity castle and the endgame feels near. We got to see a couple fights in the film involving Demons #2, #6, and #3. The animation throughout was beautiful and flying through the infinity castle was mesmerizing.

    My main gripe is that not enough happened and I wished for quicker pacing. If this movie was split up into episodes and I watched them from home it would have been great. However, I felt like the constant flashbacks drew out a lot of the fights and big moments. This was almost 3 hours of nonstop anime, so it needed to be tighter. I’m not one to hate backstories, but #3’s in particular had me wishing for the movie to end. It felt like 30 minutes of flashbacks for a character with a tragic backstory, but also uninspired.

    The movie ends with a lot left unresolved and has me excited to pick it back up when the next season commences. Regardless, it’s hard to rave about the way we got there. I haven’t heard much discourse yet as I try to avoid reading others opinions before my reviews to remove bias, so I’m curious to see if others enjoyed it more.

    Rating: 547/1000

  • Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc

    Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc

    With the new movie out in theaters I needed to catch up on the last season before airings stop. With only 8 episodes it made it easy to binge in two afternoons.

    The arc doesn’t have much going for it till the final episodes. While all of the demons have disappeared, the Hashira decide to lead trainings for the demon slayer corps to get stronger. Tanjiro travels to these different sessions and then moves on after mastering each one. There’s not a whole lot going on and while I don’t mind a slower pace, it just wasn’t engaging for me. We do get to see a bit more of the Hashira’s personalities, but we never stay long with one.

    The last episode was epic and got me excited again. The trap setup by the master was big brain and not even Muzan anticipated something so ruthless. The animation in this show is stellar and they turned it up to 11 when the mansion blew up. I’m excited to see the movie and how the demon slayers deal with being inside the infinity castle.

    Rating: 457/1000

  • Dreaming Spanish Level 1

    Dreaming Spanish Level 1

    I finished my first 50 hours of Spanish input and am excited for the start of this journey. Dreaming Spanish is a program that preaches learning Spanish through Comprehensive Input. No direct memorizing of words, conjugations, and phrases. Instead you watch videos curated to your level meant to help your listening grow. Speaking isn’t intended to be done until much later with this program.

    The instructors talk about tons of different topics in Spanish and use visuals and hand gestures to help you follow along. Then your brain takes in the sentence structure and words and suddenly you understand more and more. It’s really cool.

    The first 50 hours were tough to find a balance. I’ve been on and off with wanting to learn Spanish and finally have the time to lock in. There are four levels and each level can be sorted by difficulty. I started in Superbeginner and quickly found myself getting bored. A lot of the early videos utilize whiteboards while the newer ones use more visual popups. The whiteboards quickly wore me down and I now find myself skipping a lot of these in favor of popups.

    The amount of growth to my listening skills already is highly encouraging. I went to Mexico for a recent cruise and could mostly understand when people spoke Spanish around me. I’d have trouble speaking back, but I’m getting better at trusting the process and doing my best to get the time in. My goal is to have at least an hour of input a day, but I’m hoping to greatly exceed that.

    Level two goes from 50 to 150 hours, so I’m looking forward to seeing where I’m at after that time. My goal is to hopefully be able to watch simple YouTube vlogs and listen to easy podcasts/music by the end of this year. I know that’s probably a little further off than 100 hours, but I know I can get there eventually.

    Rating: 879/1000

  • Blacksmith Coffee Shop

    Blacksmith Coffee Shop

    Iron sharpens iron. There are many a blacksmiths in this village and so to be the best you have to craft the best.

    There are plenty of spots to park your steed which is a welcome surprise for the location. After entering you approach the anvil and request your weapon of choice. After a heartful explanation of the Champions Cappuccino, I made the purchase order. The blacksmith worked with a steady hand to bring me my arms with a couple bonuses thrown in.

    The vibes inside are mixed. People are working, some chatting in business clothes, and some reading. I enjoyed the mix of clientele. There are a small number of tables inside and outside, but I can see it filling up quick. Even with the amount of parking spots open there still wasn’t much places to sit. My hand was forced in choosing a table in the middle of the room instead of a preferred spot against the wall.

    Since I was given three items I’ll review the supporting cast first. The shot of espresso was very acidic in a good way. I swirled each sip around my mouth and the acidity would fade away leaving a more citrusy note in its wake. The sparking water was lemon flavored and it was nice to hydrate after remembering that I hadn’t had any water yet in the morning.

    The cappuccino was both strong and slightly sweet. The barista explained the process to me and it sounded complicated. Nothing I can recite here. I do remember it having a foam top that adds the sweetness element. It was delicious and easy to drink. I love a good cap and don’t normally enjoy the specialty versions as much. However, this is clearly a labor of love with lots of testing and thought put in.

    Rating: 873/1000

  • Avatar: The Way of Water in 3D

    Avatar: The Way of Water in 3D

    Watching this on imax in 3d was the most beautiful movie experience of my life. It’s amazing to me that a movie like this can be made. The entire film I was in awe of how real and eye popping everything looked. The characters, creatures, and environments just stand out in a way that’s hard not to continuously gush about.

    The story wasn’t my favorite, but it’s one that evokes a lot of emotion. The sky people (humans) feel rotten to the core. They invade the Navi’s land, kill their creatures, destroy their nature, and have no regard for their life. I rooted against them the whole way through.

    I go back and forth on the three hour runtime. On one hand it’d be a lot tighter if scenes were cut or shortened. On the other, the film is just so gorgeous and it constantly brought wonder and awe. When the Sully’s first arrive to the water tribe and learn to live among them, I was blown away by the water. I sat in the fourth row and the scenes where they were swimming with their bodies above the water and the waves were eye level blew me away. It felt like it was actually there. Similarly, there were a few shots where it felt like someone was blocking the screen with their arm, but it was actually a character from the movie.

    The cinematography and visuals shined in the final confrontation. The battle scenes are hectic and fast paced. I could have imagine it, but it did feel like the animations stuttered a few times. However, the intensity and stakes kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. The death of Jake’s son made me feel for the family even if it didn’t impact me personally.

    Ultimately it was a marvel that I’m glad to have experienced. Being sucked into Pandora for a while was a nice escape from life and I’m looking forward to going back for the next movie in December.

    Rating: 843/1000