Missed Fortune 🗻

What does it take to pull you into a new podcast? Or a book? Or really anything?

With so many great podcasts out there and already not enough time for them all, the bar can be pretty high for anything new. But the first few lines of the Missed Fortune podcast pulled me in right away.

Did you ever find yourself in one of those situations where if it goes well, there’s a huge reward? But if it goes bad, you look just unforgivably stupid? Like what were you possibly thinking?

I’m in a car with some guys I don’t know on the way to somewhere we’re not supposed to be. And this is one of those situations.

They go on to explain that this is the story of a real-life treasure hunt in the Rocky Mountains with the only clues being a short poem.

I’m already hooked. 😲 Well played, new podcast.

“When I choose to see the good side of things…It is strategic and necessary.”

Featured patmcg2 Comments

Packed inside the breakneck crazy multiverse film Everything Everywhere All at Once is some real wisdom.

My favorite character is the unfailingly nice Waymond, the husband of the main character. One minute he seems a bit out of touch, and the next minute he is the man with the plan.

He embodies the idea that optimism is courageous and powerful. Being cynical and guarded might seem smart, but it will never land you on the moon or win a big battle. Did you ever hear a great general say, “I’m not sure we can do this, guys.” Being optimistic is strategic and necessary.

When I choose to see the good side of things, I’m not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. It’s how I learned to survive through everything.
Waymond from Everything Everywhere All at Once

Thank you, Waymond. 🙏

Side note: Ke Huy Quan, who played Waymond, was also the little kid in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. 🤯

entertainment · Me

Cultivating cultivating

29 May 20228 April 2023 patmcgLeave a comment

My daughter finds the best shows to watch. She introduced me to the amazing Avatar series. More recently we’re watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, a post-apocalyptic anime series from the 1990’s. 🤩

One thing jumped out to me in episode 17. The cool guy Kaji, who seemed like just a shallow “player” type, introduced his friend Shinji to his secret watermelon garden.

It’s my hobby. Don’t tell anybody, okay?

Shinji was feeling down at the time, and Kaji was trying to lift him up.

It’s great to make something. To grow something. You notice things and figure stuff out. Things you enjoy, for example

Shinji was’t super receptive at the time, but I knew exactly what Kaji was talking about, having experimented with gardening some myself in my tiny urban plot.

There was the early attempt in the pandemic, then everything getting wiped out in the 2021 snowpocalypse. Hints of a natural rebirth, then actively clearing out the dead brush for new growth. This was followed by some small success at growing something you can eat, and then some wild growth this spring.

Right now I’m eating a few bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapeños, and strawberries from my tiny garden. The pesky birds and squirrels have caught on and are usually getting to the good stuff before I do. 😭

Still, I don’t mind feeding the wildlife. I just like to grow stuff. 🤷🏻‍♂️

creativity · entertainment

Don’t Be Like Uncle Colm

21 February 202128 February 2021 patmcg4 Comments

Writing a full-length novel turns out to be hard. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Even if you know the story you want to tell, there are myriad challenges such as finding your voice, getting into the creative mood, and consistently finding the time to focus.

My latest challenge is pretty basic – figuring out what level of detail to use in the story. I want to make the story is engaging and specific, rather than just sweeping over things with the wave of a hand. 👋

But too much detail quickly turns into sounding like Uncle Colm from Derry Girls.

So if I ever find myself adding unnecessary detail and de-emphasizing the main story line, then I need to watch Uncle Colm as a little kick in the butt.

Or soon enough, people will be saying, “Alright, Colm, let’s pack it up. You’re tied to the radiator…” 🤦🏻‍♂️

entertainment

Some Valentine’s Day Movies For You, However You May Feel

14 February 202114 February 2021 patmcgLeave a comment

Some people love Valentine’s Day, and some people hate it. And it might change from year to year.

Personally, I like Valentine’s Day. It’s sweet. Even if you don’t have a serious partner, you can tell your kids, parents, or even your pet that you love them. 🐶

Regardless of how you feel about today, and especially if you are bundled up at home avoiding the cold weather, here are some movies celebrating the joy and/or pain of love. 💗

And this isn’t just a list of current movies. This list is full of classics going all the way back to Pillow Talk from 1959.