This is the first entry in one of my favorite scifi trilogies to date. It's about the end of humanity as we know it and how it came to be in a world of (of course) extreme capitalism with prestigious schools who specifially choose students who lack empathy and value for any life other than their own. It's a very fun, immersive trip with shades of clever social commentary tucked into every scene. I highly recommend it to anyone who isn't touchy about their privilege and social norms.
LaBrasca's Pizza of Columbia, SC
With a ratio of 2cr/3ce/4ch, we'll start with the good news. I give La Brasca's sauce a 5 out of 5. It is rich, thick, and sweet, tasting like the pizza of my childhood dreams. Like Show Biz pizza but better.
For style, I give La Brasca's a 4 out of 5. It's a no-frills, cozy place. Seat yourself in a very old booth with leather apolstry. Drink unlimited refills from a styrofoam cup with puffy ice. Get yourself a free side of Pizza Sauce with your pizza. And the pizza certainly has its own style while conforming to the acceptable format of dough, red sauce, and melted mozzarella. However, this isn't Florida. La Brasca's doesn't stand out much among other pizzas of middle america.
Now for the bad news. La Brasca's dough gets a 2 out of 5. Their crust is far too dense for the amount of sauce and cheese on it. In fact, everything fell off my first slice. If the dough had more yeast and more proofing, it would be fluffy and work for the fork eaters among us, bringing that 2cr ratio up to a proper 3 or 4. As is, the pie is difficult to eat. The dough doesn't taste as bad as a frozen pizza, but it has a similar texture. There were also some spots of burnt residue on the bottom which didn't taste good.
For overall quality, I give La Brasca's a 4 out of 5. It did taste very good all together, and I feel like I needed to bump up this score since I was a little harsh on the dough. I'm going to eat some cold slices for breakfast and I bet with the sauce and cheese cooled and properly coagulated, it'll be a glorious experience.
With a final score of 75%, I'd definitely recommend La Brasca's to anyone who wants the taste of down home South Carolina Pizza. I don't know what else the state is known for, foodwise. It seems like Georgia got all the cultural credit in that department. But I digress. I don't care how cool you are. You're not too cool for La Brasca's Pizza of South Carolina.
Sid Meier's Memoir!: A Life in Computer Games by Sid Meier
If you don't know who Sid Meier is, he's a very famous game developer from the 8 and 16-bit era of computing. If not, you still might have heard of the Civilization series of games. They were originally designed and programmed by none other than Sid Meier. As an enjoyer of game-making with dreams of having some kind of success in the field beyond my little home office, I Have done some reading on the subject. How could I not? Sid Meier's story isn't especially unique aside from his eventual success. He got his start making games in contests hosted by small publishers and programming for boring companies until his own game studio took-off. Still I love the magic of game making, how one can take nothing and make something that will bring hundreds of hours of enjoyment to a player's life. I'm inspired by anyone who can achieve such a thing. So are you looking for inspiration? Look no further until you finish this one.
The Push by Ashley Audrain
I had a brief phase of reading dramatic, murdery thriller type things. And I think there's a new trope for stories told by mothers whose favorite children were murdered by their least favorite children. In this case the mother was the only witness and there is no proof. Even She questions what she suspects to have seen. But she cannot let go of this suspicion, causing everyone in her life to turn on her. The Push is a dark, juicy ride for sure.
On Book Reports
Okay friends. It's time to resume my book reporting. Just so you know, I'm not suddenly reading a way more books than normal, though I am reading less than I did in 2021 when I wanted to do a hundred books in one year. So if I schedule one book report per week, I should have enough posts to last for the next forever or at least get through my next lull if there is one. Hopefully there won't be, because I'm trying my best to fight depressive boredom.
You might be wondering. Why bother writing about a book you read two years ago? Don't you remember what happened in it? While I don't remember everything about everything I've read in the past couple years, I certainly remember more than I will in two more years. Of course I can read a summary on goodreads, but said summary will not contain my personal takeaways and emotional responses. If you don't like me posting book reports, please do comment your feelings and I'll try to focus more on the type of posting you prefer.
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey
This book is a collection of editorials by one author, detailing the daily routines of famous, successful artists when they are and are not working on a project. Almost all of these people became rich and famous, giving them freedom pursue other interests while agents and managers set up work for them to do when it was time to do Art. Most of these artists also progressively drank more alcohol until they stopped creating things altogether. So it's not an especially encouraging read for anyone trying to form a strategem for becoming even more creative. Aside from that, you could read it if you want to stuff more information into your head.
Battery from Master
Rechargeables run off
As the cheap ones die
The store wehere you drive
in the hot car to buy
Them is a sketch zone
You're on your own
But never alone
Why use a turn signal?
It's nobody's business
Where I take this bull
Strangers smell too much
I'm feeling their eyes touch
My private bones
I'm never alone
Where have I been?
Dear readers, I know I have not posted in a while, but I'm going to change that. If you don't know, I have been in Florida, in a very deep depression for some time. The climate here is quite oppressive and most the people you find yourself running into would not be capable of getting along in any other region. To an extent, Florida is where America's sketch accumulates. I've had five jobs since moving to Deland in 2022, and most have been things you would not be willing to do with people I was unwilling to get along with.
However, I am determined to pull myself out of this depression and remind myself daily that my own value is enough to get me through and rise above. I've done it before and I can do it again. After all I have a very suppportive partner, two amazing dogs, and a very nice (indoor) living space. So while I have not felt like sharing much of my experience with you folks, I'm going to work on building meaningful connections between my creative self and people like you while using said creative self to curate personal experiences worth sharing and experiencing. While coping with the hairiness of the day-to-day, I've often forgotten how important it is to value myself and my own capabilities which I am very blessed to have.
So. What have I been doing? I'm making just as much music as ever. Not reading 100 books in a year, but still reading. Maybe I'll catch up on my book reports. I've fallen out of the Nicolas Cage movies because I felt bad about not writing about them while worried about forgetting them. So maybe I'll bring back those rankings. I have, however, really stepped-up my work in computer game design. So if you're interested in what I've been making there, you can go to my page on itch.io. I also have plans to go on a trip soon, so do expect a return of pizza reviews. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please do comment.
xoxo - PJ
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