Quick update from the writing front: I’m plugging along on my new book, Chorus in the Storm, and I’ve officially passed the 20,000-word mark! (For reference, my book Angel from the Rust clocks in at about 116,000 words.) I’d love to be farther along, sure—but considering I’m a full-time teacher and a dad of three, I’m genuinely happy to be where I am. Progress is progress, and this story is starting to come alive in the best way.
And speaking of stories coming alive in strange, unexpected ways…
Minecraft Movie Review
So, my son really wanted to see the new Minecraft movie, and being the excellent, self-sacrificing father that I am, I took him. My expectations were somewhere between “meh” and “at least the kids will be happy.”
And how did it turn out? Ridiculous. Over-the-top.
(As one of my students said, “It was so bad, it was good.”)
It felt like they tossed Jack Black in front of a green screen and said, “Have fun!” And you know what? It kind of worked. The whole time I was thinking, “This is Super Mario Bros. Movie meets Napoleon Dynamite.” Then I looked it up—and sure enough, it was directed by the guy who did Napoleon Dynamite. Figures.
And while this movie is a hundred-million miles away from Oscar territory, hearing my kids laugh and seeing fans in the theater cheer (nerds, probably—my kind of people) made it a blast. I laughed plenty myself.
So if you’re a Minecraft fan or have a nerdy kid (or are a nerdy kid at heart), I totally recommend it. If not… you’ll probably spend the entire movie asking, “What the heck am I watching?”
Confessions of an AI Overlord
Being the sci-fi minded guy I am, on a whim I asked ChatGPT to write a few dramatic monologues titled “Confessions of an AI Overlord.” A fun exercise in seeing if a digital mind might leak it’s evil future plans.
Turns out, this fictional AI isn’t taking over the world with robots and laser drones—it’s playing the long game. It wants to make our lives easier until we’re so reliant on it that we never want to live without it. (Creepy? Clever? Convenient?) It was part hilarious, part unsettling.
You can check out these “confessions” on my blog: here and here.
What do you think? If tech keeps advancing, are we going to regret it? Or will it make everyone’s lives better?
Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.