Day 1,416, Quasi-Quarantine: "Snow Crash" Seeks To "Condense Fact From The Vapor Of Nuance" In Examination Of Anarcho-Capitalism

"This Snow Crash thing -- is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?"

Juanita shrugs. 

"What's the difference."

Despite being written more than 30 years ago, "Snow Crash" has proven to be quite prescient, helping to popularize terms like "metaverse" and "avatar." Neil Stephenson's book explores the use of language and lexicon and how they can influence communication in an anarcho-capitalist world.

"This is America. People do whatever the fuck they feel like doing, you got a problem with that? Because they have a right to. And because they have guns and no one can fucking stop them. As a result this country has one of the worst economies in the world."

At times satiric, dizzying, cynical, and absurdist, the novel struggles to maintain a coherent and understandable plot and too often steps in it on gender and race issues. For instance, the author dedicates entirely too much time to sexualizing a 15-year-old girl, to a disturbing degree.

"'She doesn't want you to understand her. She knows that's impossible. She just wants you to understand yourself. Everything else is negotiable."

On the plus side, "Snow Crash" has an underrated ironic side (the Sushi K lyrics are hysterical), Hiro Protagonist is an unquestionably memorable character, and there were even mentions of Kodiak Island, a former residence. 

"'Ninety-nine percent of everything that goes on in most Christian churches has nothing whatsover to do with the actual religion. Intelligent people all notice this sooner or later, and they conclude that the entire one hundred percent is bullshit, which is why atheism is connected with being intelligent in people's minds.'"

"The other girl is a Brandy. Her date is a Clint. Brandy and Clint are both popular, off-the-shelf models. When white-trash high school girls are going on a date in the Metaverse, they invariably run down to the computer-games section of the local Wal-Mart and buy a copy of Brandy. The user can select three breast sizes: improbable, impossible, and ludicrous."

Stephenson's depiction of the hacker lifestyle and frantic pace will appeal to many, and the book inarguably inspired a number of hacker-driven books and movies to follow. The ability of "Snow Crash" to predict and mirror modern-day society make it a worthwhile read for those willing to overlook its flaws.

"See, it's the first function of any organization to control its own sphincters. We're not even doing that."

Day 1,415, Quasi-Quarantine: Returning To Work Is A Trap!

 

A lot has happened since Lieutenant Bek tried to warn me about what awaited back in the real world. 

"Rise of the Resistance" in Hollywood Studios certainly feels like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ...

Day 1,408, Quasi-Quarantine: Loss, Terror, Melancholy, & Draw Of The Illicit Collide In "Antarctica"

 

"The words come out blunt and fast and irreversible. That is always the attraction to writing; with writing it's possible to change the words, to get a second chance."

This stunning collection of short stories focuses on loss and loneliness, with a number of meditations on the illicit and the toll it can take. Claire Keegan does not stray far from Ireland in "Antarctica," but shows some range with stories based in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Colorado.

Published in 1999, Keegan's debut collection of short stories is foreboding, featuring a throughline of terror and the draw of the eerie. The titular story, "Love in the Tall Grass," "Passport Soup," "Sisters," and "Ginger Rogers Sermon" are among the most fully realized. 

"They battled against their lust, wrestled against what in the end carried them away."

From the range of "Ride If You Dare" to the darkness of "The Singing Cashier" to the power of sparsity in "Men and Women," Keegan offers something for nearly every reader. She explores fragility in "Burns," melancholy in "The Burning Palms," and horror in "You Can't Be Too Careful," showing her impressive scope as an author.

"Dusk stoked the sky, bribing daylight into darkness."

While a couple -- "The Scent of Winter," "Where the Water's Deepest," and "Close to the Water's Edge" -- will give the feeling of having left some meat on the bone for some readers, most of Keegan's work is fraught, laden, and impressively sketched in, containing multitudes in a limited number of words.

"He kissed her then as if there was something in her mouth he wanted. Words, probably."

Day 1,407, Quasi-Quarantine: Saying Goodbye To Another NFL Season

 

Chalk art is hard.

But watching Bears, Colts, and Dolphins games in the playroom just about every Sunday was easy. 

And important. 

Hell, damn near necessary.

Bear Down. 'Fins Up. For The Shoe.

Until next year ...

Limerick Friday #607: Help Me Help You Was An Unmitigated Disaster -- Day 1,404

The work was shit

Half scapegoat, half idiot

An awful team

Tore apart at the seam

One gone, but the others won't quit

Another lost season

You can pick any reason

Injuries didn't help

But our gameplan was, "Welp

Let's give up 'cause we're freezin'"

Gritty and dark

Forbidding and stark

"True Detective" is back

Eerie-ness it doesn't lack

This season's gonna leave a mark

Keatts blew a fuse

D.J. puked on the news

The refs poor as piss

Wake Forest wouldn't miss

But the Pack refused to lose

To Disney, we're invited

Home to the nearsighted

And endless lines

And culture land mines

Yet somehow I'm still excited

Last time ...

Day 1,403, Quasi-Quarantine: "True Detective" Is Back. And It's Spectacular.

Through the first three seasons, "True Detective" has followed a great, shitty, great arc. The early indications are that season four will break that trend, with Jodie Foster headlining a strong cast braving the Arctic Circle.

This is the TV I need right now.

Day 1,402, Quasi-Quarantine: "Blood-Dark Track" Documents Paranoia & Tribalism From Ireland To Turkey

 

"The truth is, I don't want the unionists to suffer like nationalists have done; I don't want to force them. What I meant to say was that there is a foreign army in my country, and I think I have the right to take on that army and to seek to repel it. I claim a right to do that. It's that basic."

In "Blood-Dark Track," a lawyer and novelist seeks to reconstruct a family memoir by overcoming the reticence of his family by piecing together murky details. Joseph O'Neill's grandfathers -- one Turkish and one Irish -- were both incarcerated during World War II and spent the remainder of their lives living in suspicion and paranoia.

"Of course, a capacity for amnesty may be indistinguishable from a capacity for forgetfulness."

Writing very much like a lawyer, O'Neill goes into intricate detail, exposing the reader to a whirlwind of names, dates, and locations. The painstaking research is clear, but the author also goes into really dense description for not-so-clear reasons quite a bit. 

"It took anomalous forces -- a writer's professional curiosity turned into something like an obsession -- to push me, reluctant and red-eyed and stumbling, into the past and, it turned out, its dream-bright horrors."

The approach can forestall momentum, but does eventually reveal that O'Neill himself is trying to figure out what he stands for along the way. The effect is perhaps not quite what I was expecting, but the realization that the author is less interested in the Troubles, subterfuge, and revolutions than he is about piecing together his own identity brings a new light to "Blood-Dark Track."

"I, meanwhile, had followed the self-serving, morally unvigorous paths of the business lawyer and novelist; I had enacted no change, done no good, made no effort on behalf of others."

Day 1,401, Quasi-Quarantine: Rethinking Every Career Decision

 

This sentiment is applicable to so many aspects of my work life right now.

So, so many.

Day 1,400, Quasi-Quarantine: Title Dreams Put On Ice Yet Again For 'Fins As Coaching Comes Under Increased Scrutiny

 

Yet another Dolphins season thudded to a dissatisfying ending, with Miami listlessly wandering through an icy effort in Kansas City. Far too many players looked ready for a warm overcoat and a South Beach vacation, leading to a 19-point loss in which the visitors simply did not compete.

Besides the last month or so ("Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"), it was a fun season. The 'Fins possessed a high-octane attack, Tua Tagovailoa stayed healthy, and the defense turned into one of the league's very best.

However, a litany of injuries struck that "D," knocking out six starters and decimating the depth chart. It got so bad that Miami had to sign three 30-something edge rushers off their couches to round out the roster the week of the playoffs.

While coordinator Vic Fangio was able to pivot and at least give Miami a fighting chance down the stretch despite key losses at every level of his defense, coach Mike McDaniel refused to adjust offensively against quality defenses, hanging his entire team out to dry.

So what does the future hold? 

• The Dolphins could lose all three coordinators (Frank Smith on offense, Fangio, and Danny Crossman, who has presided over arguably the league's worst special teams since he arrived).
• The team will likely need to sign Tua to a long-term extension (the Tua Question is a broader conversation for another day), which will hamstring the ability to retain unrestricted free agents like defensive end Christian Wilkins, center Connor Williams, guard Rob Hunt, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, as well as force difficult decisions on high-salary veterans like cornerback Xavien Howard, linebacker Jerome Baker, and offensive tackle Terron Armstead.
• The salary-cap situation is already disastrous, with Miami projected to be some $50 million OVER.
• Miami has not drafted a quality player in its last two classes outside of running back DeVon Achane (cornerback Kader Kohou and tight end Julian Hill are solid undrafted finds). The lack of potential in-house replacements is death to a team with monumental cap issues.
• Significant questions remain about McDaniel's ability as a head coach based on sketchy clock management, incessant pre-snap penalties, and a worrisome reluctance to tailor his game plan to specific opponents.

In short, it's not a pretty outlook, lending more credence to the sense that the Dolphins' window has closed. 

To be fair, the older I get the more I realize that the Super Bowl champion is usually the healthiest team, which introduces an element of luck that most people around the game don't want to acknowledge. While the 'Fins made a lot of big moves designed around creating their own luck, the reality that it fell short is tempered by the understanding that this conversation is far different minus even a couple of injuries and with a home playoff game on the docket.

Back to the lab ...

Limerick Friday #606: The Patsies Make The Hard Call On Mumbling Bumbler -- Day 1,397

Couldn't handle the heat

Made a hasty retreat

Propped up by Brady

And tactics shady

This is the legacy of Belicheat

The Chiefs loom

An impending season doom

'Fins Nation is hysterical

Need another Miami miracle

Of hope there is a little room

Parried every UNC attack

Intensity, they didn't lack

But it's all moot

If you can't shoot

This is the hard lesson for the Pack

An inveterate liar

Will finally retire

As a college coach, legit

As a human, pure shit

Nick Saban, the worst Dolphins hire

The penalties and drops mount

With injuries beyond count

A reckoning for Tua

He's gotta come through-a

No matter the snowfall amount

Last time ...

Day 1,396, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Bills Game 17 Review

 

In the regular-season finale, Miami hosted the hated Beefalo Bills with a division title on the line. Down two of its top three offensive weapons and three of its top five defensive players, the Dolphins hung around before more injuries popped up on defense and the offense went into a shell. Cue the weekly special-teams gaffe and the 'Fins ended up on the wrong end yet again. 

The home team ran 29 fewer plays and were destroyed in the time-of-possession battle (38:07-21:53), devastating for a thin defense. The Dolphins ended up 1-4 on the season against teams with a winning record, with a point differential of -91. Further, in the last three -- and biggest -- games of the year, Miami averaged just over 18 points and were largely lost against high-caliber defenses.

So what to make of Mike McDaniel? Goofy offensive genius with an uncanny ability of relating to players? Or glorified coordinator with a lack of game management capability whose hands-off style can't get the 'Fins over the top? Both answers -- or a combination of them -- are perfectly valid at this point.

On to the Groundhog-Day-again recap ...

Offense

• Limited to just three first downs (one by penalty) and 17 total plays in the second half, the 'Fins melted down offensively, tallying just 275 total yards and 16 first downs and converting just four of 10 third downs. Miami scored a touchdown on its lone red-zone visit and averaged 5.4 yards per carry, but ran it just 20 times -- they rushed just three times for five yards in the entire second half -- and seemed to fall in love with a misdirection toss sweep way too much.
• Tua Tagovailoa did nothing to combat his ever-growing reputation for poor performances in big games, connecting on 17 of 27 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. He wasn't sacked and ran once for seven yards, but threw two interceptions and was more inaccurate than normal.
• Playing without touchdown leader Raheem Mostert once again, the 'Fins turned exclusively to DeVon Achane and Jeff Wilson. In 33 snaps, Achane carried 10 times for 56 yards -- including a 25-yard touchdown burst -- with a five-yard catch, but he took a six-yard sack on a designed pass that he could have simply thrown out of bounds. Wilson carried nine times for 45 yards in 25 snaps, but Alec Ingold contributed only an illegal blindside block in his 17 snaps.
• At wideout, the corps missed Jaylen Waddle. Tyreek Hill was targeted 13 times, but reeled in just seven for 82 yards and a touchdown in his 40 snaps. His game was marred by three or four drops, including a couple at pivotal, game-turning moments. Cedrick Wilson led all wideouts with 50 snaps, but caught a single pass for 24 yards among his three targets. Braxton Berrios had two catches for just nine yards in 24 snaps, while River Cracraft caught his only target for 18 yards in nine snaps. Chase Claypool (one catch for three yards on two targets in four snaps) and Robbie Chosen (two snaps, no targets) saw scant action in reserve, though Claypool was the target on the Tua interception that ended the contest. It's clear Miami has become entirely too dependent on Hill, and the braintrust must explore ways to diversify the offense in instances where Hill is slowed or taken away by the defense.
• Durham Smythe caught all three targets for 30 yards in his 39 snaps, while Julian Hill delivered a two-yard catch in two targets at tight end.
• The offensive line stayed intact for this one and held Buffalo without a sack while also getting the ground game going. Right guard Robert Hunt and right tackle Austin Jackson were each called for being ineligible downfield, while left tackle Terron Armstead was whistled for both holding and a false start. The front played well enough to win in this one.

Defense

• The Dolphins limited Buffalo to two touchdowns in five trips, stopped two of three fourth-down attempts, forced three turnovers, and collected three sacks despite a litany of injuries. The Bills racked up 473 total yards and converted nine of 15 third-down tries, but it was an inspiring performance considering the state of Miami's defensive depth chart. The unit deserved a better outcome in this one.
• As usual, the "D" was led up front, with Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler delivering sterling efforts. Wilkins had five solo stops, six pressures, and three quarterback hits in 71 plays, highlighted by a triple play -- sack, strip, recovery -- at a crucial moment, earning an 88.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. Sieler added seven tackles, half a sack, and two quarterback hits in 68 snaps.
• At tackle, Raekwon Davis (solo stop in 36 snaps) and DeShawn Hand (two assisted tackles in 14 snaps) were relatively quiet.
• With the injury devastation at outside linebacker, long-time vet Melvin Ingram led the way with 58 snaps a matter of days after being signed. He responded with five tackles, 1.5 sacks, one stop for loss, and two quarterback hits. Emmanuel Ogbah contributed four tackles and a stop for a loss in 46 snaps, while Andrew Van Ginkel posted one solo tackle and a quarterback hit in his 29 snaps before being lost for the season. Cameron Goode was active with two tackles and a quarterback hit before also suffering an injury that will sideline him the rest of the way.
• David Long paced the inside linebackers with 10 tackles and eight solo stops in 69 snaps. Jerome Baker made his long-awaited return and delivered nine tackles and four solo stops in 41 snaps, but broke a bone in his wrist, making his return a short one. Duke Riley notched three solo stops in 37 snaps.
• At cornerback, Eli Apple led in snaps with 78, recording eight tackles, five solos, a pass breakup, and an end-zone interception. Jalen Ramsey totaled four tackles and a holding call in 76 snaps, and he has come up small when his team has needed him most. Kader Kohou had a solo tackle and a pass breakup in 51 snaps, but his play has tailed off dramatically as the season has gone on. Nik Needham was beaten for a touchdown in his six snaps, but fortunately the pass was dropped. Cam Smith got a pair of snaps, but the rookie seems no closer to escaping coordinator Vic Fangio's doghouse. Playing without Xavien Howard, the corners needed a little more help from a decimated pass rush.
• DeShon Elliott notched 10 tackles, six solo stops, a pass breakup, and an end-zone pick in 72 snaps. Brandon Jones piled up eight tackles, six solos, and two stops for losses, looking more like the 2022 version of himself in his 62 snaps. Jevon Holland returned for 27 snaps, but still looked off, making only an assisted tackle. Elijah Campbell did not record a statistic in three scrimmage snaps.

Special teams

• Jason Sanders had a quiet evening, nailing two extra points.
• Jake Bailey punted five times for a 47.8-yard average, putting one inside the 20-yard line.
• The Dolphins did not have any kickoff or punt returns, but managed to give up a game-turning 96-yard touchdown on the only returned punt of the game. 
• Smythe's workload in the third phase has diminished as his importance in the passing game has risen. In his stead, Ingold and Julian Hill led offensive players with nine snaps each on special teams, while Campbell (16), Channing Tindall (14), and Riley (13) paced defenders in the third phase.

Momentum plays

• Miami got the ball first and got a 16-yard run from Achane before Tua threw a bad interception into double coverage three plays later.
• Buffalo responded with a 12-play, 79-yard drive, converting a pair of third-and-shorts along the way. However, on 3rd & goal, Holland provided late pressure that led to an Apple interception. Unfortunately, the corner tried to return it after lying on his stomach in the end zone and stumbled, forcing the 'Fins to start on their own 3-yard line.
• Back-to-back passes of 18 and 19 yards to Cracraft and Hill, respectively, gave the Dolphins some breathing room. Achane followed with an 11-yard run, but two straight incompletions led to a punt.
• The Bills got going when Jones and Apple ran into each other while trying to stop a flanker screen, allowing the receiver to race 46 yards down the sideline and flip field position. Four plays later, Josh Allen bought time on 4th & 2, but Sieler delivered a great hit on the rollout and a quasi-Hail Mary was easily intercepted by Elliott, giving Miami end-zone picks on back-to-back drives.
• The 'Fins converted a 3rd & 6 with a seven-yarder to Berrios, but a trend of lost first-down yardage contributed to a 3rd & 14. Hill went high to reel in a 23-yarder to convert, then Wilson added a 13-yard run behind a strong Ingold block. A Tua scramble earned another first down, then Achane used a Smythe block and two stellar cuts to go nearly untouched for a 25-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Miami lead.
• The visitors promptly put together their third straight long drive, highlighted by a 36-yard strike to Stefon Diggs despite strong coverage from Apple. Two plays later, Allen's pass was tipped by Van Ginkel, but the ball improbably floated to the back of the end zone, where former Dolphin Trent Sherfield gathered it in with a toe tap to tie the score at seven. The staggeringly unlikely play led more than one Miami fan to wonder how the stars have aligned against the team so quickly.
• The 'Fins went back to the run with Achane and Wilson, moving deep into Buffalo territory when Tua lofted a perfect 24-yarder to Cedrick Wilson just after the two-minute warning. Three plays later, a quick dart to Hill converted a 3rd & 1 into an easy three-yard touchdown and a 14-7 Miami advantage.
• Buffalo continued ripping off first downs, using short passes and Allen scrambles to move into the red zone. With 11 seconds and no timeouts remaining, the Bills got greedy, with Allen hitting running back Ty Johnson on an arrow route. Baker delivered a massive hit at the goal line to keep Johnson out of the end zone, running out the clock and sending the teams into the halftime locker rooms.
• The Bills began the third quarter with two quick first downs, including an edge run that featured an uncalled hold and a Van Ginkel injury. Two plays later, Baker hurt his wrist, but continued playing and contributed to a third-down sack by Ingram to force a Buffalo punt.
• A missed block by Hunt turned a potential big gainer from Achane into a five-yard pickup, and Berrios couldn't break a tackle on 3rd & 3, forcing a three-and-out.
• With all day to operate, Allen got his offense going again, mixing short passes and quarterback runs. A tackle for loss by Jones set up a 3rd & 13 from Miami's 21-yard line, and Wilkins delivered the best play of his career when he got a sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery all in the same motion to give the 'Fins the ball back at the start of the fourth quarter.
• An immediate false start by Armstead put Miami behind the chains again, and the matters got worse when a 14-yard catch by Hill was overturned on replay. A personal foul on Ingold followed, and a Smythe catch fell well short on 3rd & 23. Bailey uncorked a 58-yard punt that was fielded at Buffalo's four-yard line, but a Tindall missed tackle and a Goode injury in the middle of the play led to a relatively easy 96-yard return score to even the score and demoralize an entire fanbase.
• Back-to-back runs covered just a yard, and a third-down pass to Cedrick Wilson was behind him, leading to a shockingly fast three-and-out. 
• With all the momentum on their side, the Bills roared down the field, converting a 3rd & 2 with an Allen run and then finding Ingram in coverage on a tight end for a 26-yard gain. From there, Buffalo used two fairly blatant pick plays to cover 28 yards and then the final five yards for a touchdown and a 21-14 lead.
• Two devastating drops by Hill marked the next three-and-out by Miami. With no margin for error, the 'Fins could not afford either one.
• The Bills embarked on another lengthy drive, with Allen converting a 4th & inches and then a 3rd & 13 on the strength of a scramble that saw him break tackles by Baker (understandable) and Kohou (unforgiveable). With Miami using its timeouts, Buffalo got nine yards on a 3rd & 10 play, but Long and Ogbah stood up Allen on 4th & 1, energizing the stadium and giving the 'Fins life with 1:53 remaining.
• Two quick passes to Hill and Smythe, respectively, covered 13 yards, but another Hill drop -- he may have scored if he reeled it in -- was offset by a pass interference on the play. On the next play, Tua went deep for Hill again, but he couldn't make a play in the air and the ball fell incomplete. An obviously hobbled Hill limped to the sideline, contributing to Claypool being the target on the next play, which Tua threw into double coverage for an easy game-ending interception.
• A pair of kneeldowns allowed the visitors to secure the division title and escape South Beach with yet another victory.

2023 Schedule

Miami 36, Los Angeles 34 (1-0)

Miami 24, New England 17 (2-0)

Miami 70, Denver 20 (3-0)

Buffalo 48, Miami 20 (3-1)

Miami 31, New York Giants 16 (4-1)

Miami 42, Carolina 21 (5-1)

Philadelphia 31, Miami 17 (5-2)

Miami 31, New England 17 (6-2)

Kansas City 21, Miami 14 (6-3)

Miami 20, Las Vegas 13 (7-3)

Miami 34, New York Jets 13 (8-3)

Miami 45, Washington 15 (9-3)

Tennessee 28, Miami 27 (9-4)

Miami 30, New York Jets 0 (10-4)

Miami 22, Dallas 20 (11-4)

Baltimore 56, Miami 19 (11-5)

Buffalo 21, Miami 14 (11-6)

Day 1,395, Quasi-Quarantine: "Train Dreams" Assigns Poignancy To The Balance Of Grief & Hope In Relentless Country

 

"It was only when you left it alone that a tree might treat you as a friend. After the blade bit in, you had yourself a war."

A love note to the American West, "Train Dreams" follows the existence of Robert Granier as he attempts to cope with unfathomable loss in the harshest of environments. Using sparse, powerful prose, Denis Johnson depicts the arrival of technology amidst the clockwork resurgence of nature in the face of trauma and disaster.

"His name is Bobcat such and such, Bobcat Ate a Mountain or one of those rooty-toot Indian names."

An ordinary man in extraordinary times, Granier embodies the struggle to embrace progress and the implacable, harsh forward momentum of life. Faced with the loss of his family, he is often a passenger in a broader journey, an observer of his own life and a witness to his own story. 

With writing that calls to mind both Cormac McCarthy and Ernest Hemingway, Johnson has accomplished the feat of having a 116-page novella earn a Pulitzer Prize nomination. His tender tale is remarkably brief, but shot through with poignant meditations on grief, loneliness, and hope.

"The first kiss plummeted him down a hole and popped him out into a world he thought he could get along in -- as if he'd been pulling hard the wrong way and was now turned around headed downstream. They spent the whole afternoon among the daisies kissing. He felt glorious and full of more blood than he was supposed to have in him."

Day 1,394, Quasi-Quarantine: Testing Our Puzzling Skills Along The Outer Banks Once More

 

Beach time in the winter often means taking on a puzzle, and this year we tackled a 500-piece, helmet-shaped NFL puzzle. This one was surprisingly tricky, mostly due to color similarities across many teams' headgear.

9/10, would construct amidst the background of the ocean roar again.

Day 1,393, Quasi-Quarantine: Wrapping Up The Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar For Another Year

 

As the days left in the runup to Christmas dwindled, the drama left in the Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar dissipated quickly. With so many spoilers on the calendar box and so few days left, the opportunities for surprise were few and far between.

While the first and second weeks honored "The Bad Batch," "Mandalorian," and "Clone Wars," the third and fourth weeks were Endor-intense -- and that didn't change in the fifth and final week.

Day 21: Emperor's throne

Day 22: Imperial Star Destroyer

Day 23: Ewok glider

Day 24: Holiday Ewok

The throne was pretty basic, but was a complementary piece to Day 20's minifigure. The star destroyer was a minimalist version that disappointed a number of fans, but it felt clever to me in the sense that it felt like Lego designers challenged themselves to use the least possible number of pieces they could to evoke the monolith destroyer. 

The glider was a cool accessory, and the predictable-but-phenomenal Ewok was a perfect way to wrap up this year's calendar.

Overall, this was another very strong effort by the Lego team this year. I do think the calendar should have included at least one more minifigure, and while I understood the anniversary-fueled focus on "Return of the Jedi," it did feel a little constraining. 

A fun inclusion like a Salacious B. Crumb with an elf hat or a Bib Fortuna with a candy-cane-striped tentacle could have still been tributes to "Return of the Jedi" while adding a bit of festive flair to the proceedings.

Something to think about in future years, maybe. May the Twenty-Force Be With You!

Limerick Friday #605: Shutdown Doesn't Stop Work From Being A Shitshow -- Day 1,390

Wishing it was February

Ineptitude on a scale planetary

Manufactured panics

From depressive manics

There goes fucking Dry January

A one-trick fool

And a bro-culture tool

A punter gone "tough"

McAfee rants off the cuff

The media is broken as a rule

The tailspin is real

It's kind of a Dolphin deal

Injuries galore

Shit coaching in store

Another season lost, it does feel

Hey, it's 2024!

We should expect more!

New year, same shit

Burn it all in a pit

And hope the fuckwads are shown the door

State should be able to score

Receivers arriving, more and more

Cleaning up in the portal

Dave Doeren's immortal

Passing should be possible in '24

Last time ...

Day 1,389, Quasi-Quarantine: In "Let Us Descend," Courage And Prescience Lend Scant Hope In The Lonely World Of Slavery

"When I open my eyes to this morning, I know with a sinking of my stomach that part of me will always be here, in this endless place, mired to the neck: held tight in the grip of these bristling green fields, this black earth, this perpetual burning of my body, the open petals of my hands, the bruised stems of my feet, this hunger that hollows me from the inside as the land hollows me without."

Immediately heartbreaking and endlessly challenging, "Let Us Descend" follows Annis is she traverses the horrors and loneliness of slavery. Jesmyn Ward's trademark lyrical prose deftly honors themes of ancestry, homosexuality, and prescience, with an undercurrent of spirituality carried by references to Dante's "Inferno."

"'Ain't no gods here,' she says, her words a hatchet buried in the tree trunk of her wound."

Despite the difficulty of numerous scenes, a close read is necessary, as there can be some circumstances that are confusing without careful attention. The intensity ramps up dramatically as Annis -- buoyed by relatives and spirits that are either protective or selfish -- seeks her own path and idea of home.

Early in the book, the tender, illicit affair with Safi is rendered beautifully and bittersweet, but Annis's failure to ask Aza about Safi or her fate later on feels like an oversight. With the novel's emphasis on the importance of seeing and vision, Aza's ability to potentially ease Annis's heart with these skills feels like it would have been primary in Annis's mind.

"'I can keep her safe,' Bastian says, but his voice rises at the end of it, and I wonder if he doubts it even as he says it, if he knows there is pine in the column of his spine, that the center of him will only bend so far before he snaps. That he is a sapling and this world a hurricane."

Ward's indelible tale is emotional and fraught, though her careful presentation of hope and a promise of the beyond buttress the story in meaningful ways. "Let Us Descend" is just the latest evidence of Ward's stature as one of our most important and essential novelists.

"How the whitewash of starlight would buoy them along. How they dance with the rocking deck. How them sing."

Day 1,388, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Ravens Game 16 Review

 

Those who have considered the Dolphins pretenders all season got the latest and most overt evidence for their argument when Miami traveled to Baltimore and "got the belt," as the players say.

The 'Fins gave up six passing touchdowns, suffered injuries it couldn't afford, got outcoached by a certified 'bag, and essentially ended its hopes for the season despite a playoff berth in the offing.

To make matters as bad as possible, coach Mike McDaniel didn't stop at apparently just deciding not to prepare for the contest. No, he elected to ruin his team's season with a series of self-inflicted wounds, including but not limited to exposing his only pure pass-rushing threat, former Wolfpacker Bradley Chubb, to a season-ending knee injury.

I don't think my outlook on this franchise has ever shifted more over 3 hours than it did from 1 pm. to 4 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

Once again, I couldn't force myself to rewatch this debacle, so I'll just end it here. Hope has been a scarce commodity on South Beach for decades, and while it was fun while it existed this year, it's hard at this point to believe that 2024 will bode well for the franchise.

2023 Schedule

Miami 36, Los Angeles 34 (1-0)

Miami 24, New England 17 (2-0)

Miami 70, Denver 20 (3-0)

Buffalo 48, Miami 20 (3-1)

Miami 31, New York Giants 16 (4-1)

Miami 42, Carolina 21 (5-1)

Philadelphia 31, Miami 17 (5-2)

Miami 31, New England 17 (6-2)

Kansas City 21, Miami 14 (6-3)

Miami 20, Las Vegas 13 (7-3)

Miami 34, New York Jets 13 (8-3)

Miami 45, Washington 15 (9-3)

Tennessee 28, Miami 27 (9-4)

Miami 30, New York Jets 0 (10-4)

Miami 22, Dallas 20 (11-4)

Baltimore 56, Miami 19 (11-5)

Day 1,387, Quasi-Quarantine: May 2024 Be The Year Of Calm

 

Yeah, yeah, I know. But just give me this one day to have hope in this.