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REDEMPTION

Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Risotto

I swear; it tasted better than it looked.  Chunks of butternut squash.  The rice was microwaved nicely considering it was frozen food.

Front

Back

Frozen

Microwaved

Bad Boys (1995), Bad Boys II (2003), Bad Boys for Life (2020), Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

Originally posted 01 July 2024:  I'm surprised to learn that all three movies were made so far apart, but the bromance between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence did not fade over time.  They both had great charisma and chemistry.  Their bantering was enjoyable.

While Fast & Furious franchise defied physics, Bad Boys franchise defied biology.  Will Smith got shot three times in his chest and completely healed in six months.  Armando was shot in the heart, but he immediately was able to stand and help Will Smith.  On the other hand, some people got shot once through the neck and shoulder and died.  Plot armor!  I still love this franchise.

Updated 26 November 2025:  big love to this franchise.  It didn’t disappoint.  The plot was the same in every movie, somehow they made it work.  This spoke volumes to the star powers.  This might be one of the few movies that I would continue watching the sequels.

COMING SOON 2026 - The Second Smile

My next book title reveal!  Drum roll please!

The Second Smile: Book of Golden Dragon

Song to listen to and be inspired by while writing this book: Broken Heart Poetry, by Jody Chiang 江蕙「斷腸詩」.

Set about 200 years before Heartless. This was the love story of the last Princess of Bhaliq Empire, referenced by Count Covasna in 'Til Death Do Us Part.

I'm not universe-building. I'm simply too lazy to come up with brand new empire names, location names, all kinds of other names. Basically I'm using Krenn Empire as a stand-in for China's Tang Dynasty but lasted a lot longer, like Rome. I could pick and choose different centuries to write a story.

Book Title: The First Smile will Topple a City. The Second Smile will Topple a Nation.
書名：一笑傾城，再笑傾國
Tagline: Even the Brave will fall for the Fair.
內容：英雄難過美人關

"Even the Brave will fall for the Fair" is way too long. So I changed the book title to "The First Smile will Topple a City. The Second Smile will Topple a Nation". But! This name is even longer!! Thank Heavens this name could be shortened as "The Second Smile".

「英雄難過美人關」好難翻譯，找到最好的是"Even the Brave will fall for the Fair".可是這名字太長，所以就改為"The First Smile will Topple a City. The Second Smile will Topple a Nation"。可是這名字更長！好在這名字可以縮短為The Second Smile.

Here's my horrible translation of my favorite lines in this song.

昨夜殘風傷心雨 / Last night it was raining heartbreak.
今日愁眉割心槽 / Today the sorrow cut into my heart.
踏上迢迢感情路 / I started this long road of loving you.
何必越頭問歸途 / There was no need to ask for a return path.

三分醉 / Three parts drunk.
七分痴 / Seven parts insane.
十分相思啊夢中見 / Ten parts of Missing You sigh Ssee You in the Dreams.

Trader Joe's Mesquite Smoked Seasoned Almonds

These almonds were deliciously smoky!  Very little sugar, too.  However, sodium clocked in at 170mg per 1/4 cup.  I couldn't have too much of these because it was too salty.  So maybe the serving size of 1/4 cup was actually reasonable.

Good Fortune (2025)

We only went to see this movie because we were bored.  This was at most a rent DVD/stream online movie, or wait until it's available for free in the local library.

At 97 minutes, it still felt like dragging.  I was wondering how the movie was going to end at several points.

Keanu Reeves has decided he was not going to change the long flowy hairstyle.  He's had the same hairstyle since John Wick, Siberia, and now Good Fortune.

Math Teacher didn't quite like the movie because he was annoyed that every woman fawned over Keanu Reeves in the story.

Panera Bread Pumpkin Cookie expectation vs. reality

Expectation

Reality

Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Pasta with Eggplant

This one was good.  Two small trays per package.  I could choose to eat both or one at a time.  Something in it made me think of smoked bacon.  I had to check the ingredients.  Nope; this was vegetarian.  Perhaps it was the cheese, kind of smoky.  This was good quality.  So I checked the packaging again.  Yup, product of Italy!

Front, frozen

Back, frozen

Microwave'd

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Horror of Dracula (1958)

I'm convinced that nobody read the actual book when they attempted to make a movie about Dracula.  This movie started with Jonathan already knew about Dracula and went to Dracula's castle to kill him.  Why but why?  The original book was perfect.  There was no need to change it. Every change I've seen sucked.  Bram Stoker was a theater writer; he knew how to make storylines and stage designs.  This movie had a castle that looked like a rich person's manor with short walls, a small garden, and two bedrooms that no one would be afraid to walk in.  This movie also had Dracula taking more than thirty seconds to strangle someone and had Dracula running like a wussy.  Ugh!

On the other hand, this movie had a very good Dr. Van Helsing.  He was intelligent, sophisticated, caring, patient, and well-dressed.  Every scene with him was enjoyable.  Every scene without him felt dumb.