The author shares a new music mix featuring nearly three dozen tracks they've enjoyed in 2024 to date. Artists like Ella Eyre, Kimbra, and Grace VanderWaal are highlighted, showcasing their evolution and recent releases. Despite differing opinions on certain albums, the author maintains appreciation for each artist's creative journey and contributions.
Creating Character Sprites for My Visual Novel
One of the most time-consuming tasks when making a visual novel is gathering its artwork. As the name visual novel implies, the visual component of the work plays a major role in its construction. There are two basic types of artwork needed in a visual novel: character sprites and screen backgrounds. Other pieces of art... Continue Reading →
Mike’s Music Mix 8
Delving ever deeper into my Last.fm artists list, here's more music I've been listening to over the past seventeen years and want to share with you. The Beatles - A Day in the Life / Come Together It's time I included a song by The Beatles in one of my music mixes. They're timeless legends.... Continue Reading →
Wearing a Mask in the US
TLDR: I describe my own mask wearing experience, as well as address US politics surrounding mask wearing and make a few related political statements. Why I Started Wearing a Mask I've lived in Central Florida for about 20 years. Before that, I lived in Maryland, and before that I was in Missouri. I spent a... Continue Reading →
Mike’s Music Mix 7
We're solidly into the new year, and here's my first Mike's Music Mix post of 2024. As with all the previous ones, I'm mixing it up, grabbing a variety of artists and styles from my Last.fm library to share. Here you'll find songs from the 70s—the era of my youth—to today, with a few new... Continue Reading →
Music Favorites, 2023
With 2023 in the rear view mirror, it's time for a special post of my favorite music of the year. I discovered less new music in 2023 than in previous years, and that's mostly because I listened to less music in 2023 than in previous years. I won't go into the reasons why, but suffice... Continue Reading →
Mike’s Music Mix 6
Time for another Mike's Music Mix. This is my sixth one, taking more inspiration from my Last.fm lists. Kid Sister - Right Hand Hi I used to buy MP3 albums and singles on Amazon. I'd often buy them without ever hearing them, to expand my horizons, especially when Amazon held sales. Some of those purchases... Continue Reading →
Toasted Bacon, Egg, Cheese Flatbread Wrap
This week, let's talk food... breakfast in particular. My wife makes this wonderful morning meal, and said she'd be delighted for me to share it on my blog, so here's the recipe, complete with pictures and video. Ingredients The following ingredient list is for a single serving. Flatbread, 1 piece, approx. 6"x9" Cream Cheese, 2... Continue Reading →
Mike’s Music Mix 5
With little rhyme or reason to the selection, here are several more artists I'd like to share from my Last.fm lists. Katharine McPhee - Had It All Let's start off Mike's Music Mix this week with an American Idol alum who finished her season in second place. She was my number one choice in Season... Continue Reading →
Mike’s Music Mix 4
Diving yet again into my Last.fm artists lists to pull out some musical gems I've not posted before. Bachman Turner Overdrive - Looking Out For #1 While BTO is perhaps best known for their rockin' tunes like Roll On Down the Highway and Takin' Care of Business, they knew how to slow down the music... Continue Reading →