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Weekly Recap For February 11-17 2018
Feb. 17th, 2018 11:06 pmChinese New Year was quiet for us in Shanghai. We got to see the lanterns at Yuyuan Bazaar and we walked around one of the old canal neighborhoods last weekend, but the week was busy for me at work up until vacation started at the end of school Wednesday. Since then, most of our efforts have been spent on cleaning the apartment and getting ready for the arrival of visitors tomorrow.
I've also been doing some reading and reviewing.
Comic Reviews On Comic A Day
Xenoglyphs Volume 1 by Omar Spahi and PJ Catacutan from OSSM Comics. (7.5/10).
Confessions of an American Ling Master Preview #0 by EJ Barnes and Al Ackerman. (7/10).
Superman #10 by John Byrne and Karl Kesel from DC Comics in 1987. (6/10).
Book Reviews On Goodreads
Burmese Days by George Orwell. (3*).
The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. (5*).
Supporting
I am supporting my friend Jim Henderson's request for help with debts.
Looking Ahead
This will be a big week for us, hosting our first visitors in quite a while and giving them the grand tour of Shanghai. We'll figure out the agenda once they arrive, but plans are likely to include the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Bund, the New Years lanterns at Yuyuan (after dark this time!), the Natural History Museum, and lots of local food. Expect lots of pictures on Instagram.
As February comes to an end, we'll need to make a decision about Spring break plans. We've also got the annual Summer trip home to plan for June/July. We're excited about going to see Black Panther (not released here until March), and I'm looking forward to the release of Magic: The Gathering: Dominaria in the Spring, as well as the arrival of Wrestlemania season.
Dandelion Studios Website Update
Feb. 11th, 2018 09:29 amWeekly Recap For February 4-10 2018
Feb. 10th, 2018 11:20 pmI also did a few reviews this week.
Book Reviews on Goodreads
Magic Tree House #23: Twister on Tuesday by Mary Pope Osborne. (3*).
Comic Reviews On Comic A Day
Cecil #1 by Jonathan Todd. (7.5/10).
Supporting
I am supporting Traci Marcovitz with help with student debt.
Looking Ahead
Chinese New Year is coming up this week. We get a week and a half off from work/school. We'll be hosting visitor here in Shanghai for most of that time. We have plans for a lot of local sightseeing. We were at Yuyuan Bazaar today, and I'll be taking the Kiddo to the historical district of Qibao (and the massive Vanke Mall for lunch) tomorrow. We might head back to Yuyuan to see the lanterns at night some evening this week. Our guests arrive next Sunday, and we'll be hitting many of the major Shanghai sights with them: the Bund, the Pearl Tower, the Natural History Museum, People's Square and Tianzifan are all on the list.
We've got the Kiddo's birthday in March, and then April vacation. We're planning to travel somewhere within China in April, but not sure where yet. And we'll be back in the US for parts of June and July.
Comic Reviews on Comic A Day
All in the Family Part 2: Angel by LB Lee. (9/10).
Crosswind #1 by Gail Simone, Cat Staggs, and Image Comics. (8/10).
Cerebus #288 by Dave Sim, Gerhard, and Aardvark-Vanaheim. (6/10).
Book Reviews on Goodreads
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants by Dav Pilkey. (4*).
Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day by Barbara Park. (4*).
Supporting
My friend Paul Dyson runs the Boston Marathon to raise money for the Krystle Campbell Scholarship at UMass Boston, which was established in memory of Krystle Campbell, a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing. I am supporting the 2018 Run For Krystle Team's fundraising.
Looking Ahead
Hoping to get to play in a Magic: The Gathering draft tonight, followed by a day of adventure in Shanghai with the Kiddo and his friend tomorrow. Chinese New Year break comes up in a week and a half, and we'll have friends visiting from Vietnam, so more chances to explore the city.
Looks like we will be traveling somewhere within China for Spring Break. We're currently examining our options. And looking way ahead, we'll be back in the USA (mostly in New England) for a few weeks in June and July.
I usually do a predictions post on fb and let it stand, regardless of developments as we get closer to the event. This year, though, I had Paige predicted to win the Womens Royal Rumble, and she is unfortunately unable to compete due to injury, and so I decided to do a revision. I'm adding undercard and NXT takeover predictions, and leaving Kiddo's original Royal Rumble predictions intact.
NXT Takeover Philadelphia
Velveteen Dream vs. Kassius Ohno
My pick: Velveteen Dream
Kiddo's pick: Kassius Ohno
Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole
My Pick: Adam Cole (Baby!)
Kiddo's pick: Aleister Black
NXT Womens Championship
Ember Moon (champion) vs. Shayna Baszler (challenger)
This is a tough one to call. Really depends if they want to have Baszler dominating the division right from the start, or if they would rather give her some more seasoning and experience. Plans for Moon on the main roster could also be a factor here.
My pick: Ember Moon
Kiddo's pick: Shayna Baszler
NXT Tag Team Championship
Undisputed Era (champions) vs. Authors of Pain (challengers)
My pick: Undisputed Era
Kiddo's pick: Undisputed Era
NXT Championship
Andrade Cien Almas (champion) vs. Johnny Gargano (challenger)
I haven't heard anything about whether Tomaso Ciampa is cleared to compete. If he is, then I think he interferes here. But even so, the eventual clash between the former DIY members will be more intense with Gargano as champion.
My pick: Johnny Wrestling!
Kiddo's pick: Andrade Cien Almas
Royal Rumble Pre-Show
Bobby Roode US Championship Open Challenge
Bobby Roode (champion) vs. ?
This seems like a setup for Dolph Ziggler to return, but is that too obvious a way to go here?
My pick: Bobby Roode defeats Cowboy James Storm
Kiddo's pick: Lars Sullivan defeats Bobby Roode
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Revival
My pick: The Revival
Kiddo's pick: The Revival
Kalisto, Lince Dorado, & Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Jack Gallagher, & Drew Gulak
My pick: Kalisto, Lince Dorado, & Gran Metalik
Kiddo's Pick: TJP, Jack Gallagher, & Drew Gulak
Royal Rumble Undercard
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan (champions) vs. The Bar (challengers)
I'm thinking full-on heel turn for Jason Jordan here.
My pick: The Bar
Kiddo's pick: The Bar
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship
The Usos (champions) vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin
Best-of-Three-Falls Match
My pick: Gable & Benjamin
Kiddo's pick: The Usos
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
AJ Styles (champion) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Handicap Match (Owens and Zayn become co-champions if either of them wins)
My pick: AJ Styles
Kiddo's pick: AJ Styles
WWE Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (champion) vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane
Triple Threat Match
My pick: Brock Lesnar
Kiddo's pick: Kane
The Royal Rumble Matches: Complete Predictions
Womens Royal Rumble
My Order of Entry (revised to account for some injury issues)
1. Sasha Banks
2. Naomi (because really, if someone is going to get to do their full entrance, it should be Naomi!)|
3. Sarah Logan
4. Alicia Foxx
5. Ruby Riott
6. Liv Morgan (cue Riott Squad domination for the next few entries).
7. Dana Brooke
8. Carmella
9. Mickey James
10. Nia Jax
11. Tamina (Yeah, that should just about do it for Riott Squad dominance.. so now it's all Nia & Tamina... No, wait...)
12. Asuka
13. Blue Pants (fastest elimination!)
14. Sonya Deville
15. Bayley
16. Mandy Rose
17. Kairi Sane
18. Lana
19. Nikki Bella (or Brie; I'm guessing we get one, but not both)
20. Beth Phoenix (Wild guess here; I'm figuring they go with a couple of returning legends).
21. Lacy Evans
22. Billie Kay
23. Shayna Baszler
24. Peyton Royce
25. Ember Moon
26. Natalya
27. Trish Stratus (another wild guess)
28. Nikki Cross
29. Becky Lynch
30. Ronda Rousey
I'm still going with the idea that Asuka does not win this thing. And even if Rousey does enter (the latest reports have her out of the US filming a movie this weekend, but I left her in my prediction just in case it's all a massive misdirection), I don't think she wins the whole thing in her debut. So I'm going with Becky Lynch, to set up Lynch vs. Charlotte at Wrestlemania. Asuka wins the Raw Womens Title in the Elimination Chamber, and she could face Rousey at Wrestlemania. But I admit there are a lot of ways this could go, including the straight-up dominant win for Asuka.
My pick: Becky Lynch
Kiddo's Order of Entry (I left this one as originally written)
1. Nikki Cross
2. Nikki Bella
3. Bayley
4. Sasha Banks
5. Paige
6. Naomi
7. Ruby Riott
8. Lana
9. Emma
10. Carmella
11. Dana Brooke
12. Shayna Baszler
13. Asuka
14. Kairi Sane
15. Alicia Foxx
16. Brie Bella
17. Sarah Logan
18. Liv Morgan
19. Ember Moon
20. Billie Kay
21. Peyton Royce
22. Mandy Rose
23 Tamina
24. Nia Jax
25. Piper Niven
26. Jazzy Gabert
27. Bianca Bellair
28. Natalya
29. Vanessa Bourne
30. Mickie James
Kiddo's Pick: Nikki Cross (Winning from the #1 spot! Kiddo is all-in or Nikki Cross!)
Men's Royal Rumble
My Order of Entry (Slightly revised because there was a competitor that I forgot I wanted to include. I am also leaving in one competitor that I have since heard is unlikely to return from injury on time, on the grounds that wrestlers have been back from injury early on occasion before).
1. Bobby Roode
2. Finn Balor
3. Baron Corbin
4. Cesaro
5. Velveteen Dream
6. Xavier Woods
7. Seth Rollins
8. Randy Orton
9. Bray Wyatt
10. Elias
11. Kofi Kingston
12. Killian Dane
13. Rusev
14. Jinder Mahal
15. Heath Slater
16. Hideo Itami
17. Seamus
18. Big E
19. Luke Gallows
20. Shinsuke Nakamura
21. Sami Zayn
22. The Miz
23. Pete Dunne
24. Samoa Joe
25. Karl Anderson
26. Matt Hardy
27. Kevin Owens
28. Roman Reigns
29. John Cena
30. Big Cass
My Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Kiddo's Order of Entry (As originally written)
1. Finn Balor
2. Lars Sullivan
3. John Cena
4. Andrade Cien Almas
5. Killian Dane
6. Akem
7. Johnny Gargano
8. Shinsuke Nakamura
9. Jinder Mahal
10. Tye Dillinger
11. Bobby Roode
12. Kevin Owens
13. Rusev
14. The Undertaker
15. Aiden English
16. Adam Cole
17. Shane McMahon
18. Aliester Black
19. Randy Orton
20. Golddust
21. Rezar
23. Big E
24. Kofi Kingston
25. Xavier Woods
26. Kallisto
27. Sin Cara
28. Stone Cold Steve Austin
29. Roman Reigns
30. Seth Rollins
Kiddo's Pick: Rusev (After all, the match is taking place on Rusev Day!)
And finally...
My Traditional Royal Rumble Unlikely Scenario
(I'm keeping this intact from when I originally wrote it. Interestingly, something along these lines has actually become considerably less unlikely in recent weeks.).
Unlikely scenario: This scenario assumes that Kevin Owens wins the WWE Championship earlier in the night. When Matt Hardy enters at #26, the other remaining entrants are Anderson and Gallows, Samoa Joe, Miz, Nakamura, Pete Dunne, Sami Zayn, and Finn Balor and Seth Rollins, who have lasted since early in the match.
#27 is AJ Styles, who immediately tosses Zayn. Reigns at #28 goes on a tear, eliminating Miz, Joe, and Dunne. Cena at #29 tosses Rollins and Hardy, then Reigns (to the dismay of the crowd) throws out Nakamura. Cass comes in at #30 and gets near-eliminations on Cena and Reigns before they quickly team up to toss him.
Reigns and Cena turn around and they are facing...
Anderson. Gallows. Balor. Styles.
Commence with the (we're still not calling it the Bullet) Club beatdown. Reigns is tossed. Cena is tossed.
"Too Sweet" salute in the center of the ring, and Balor, Anderson, and Gallows all exit over the top rope.
Your winner: AJ Styles. And the Club is back.
Friday Five
Jan. 27th, 2018 10:50 am2. Does your country have a second language? What is it? I'm living in China right now, which has a unified written language and a LOT of dialects. English is the most common second language here in Shanghai, and a fair number of people I run into here know a bit of English (most people's English is better than my Chinese, that's for sure!).
3. How many languages can you count to 5 in? To 10 in? List them. English, French, Vietnamese, Chinese (to 10). Spanish and Japanese (to 5).
4. What is the first overseas country you visited? And from where? Barbados from the US for Christmas vacation when I was a teenager.
5. What country do you most want to visit? And why? Ireland. I have some ancestry there, and I've had an interest in Irish history and mythology. I'd also like to get to Laos, which was on our list of places to visit when we lived in Vietnam, but we were never able to fit it in. It's still a doable trip from China, so maybe sometime in the next couple of years.Weekly Recap For January 21-27 2018
Jan. 27th, 2018 10:43 amBook Reviews on Goodreads
Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies From Outer Space and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds by Dav Pilkey. (4*).
Comic Reviews on Comic A Day
Nail Polish by Sophie LaBelle and Assigned Male Comics. (8.5/10).
Wonder Woman #8 from DC Comics in 2012. (8/10).
Erstwhile: The Clever Farmer's Daughter by Gina Biggs and Strawberry Comics. (8.5/10).
Supporting
I'm supporting Caty Simon's local efforts to help prevent overdose deaths in Western Massachusetts through distribution of fentanyl test strips.
Looking Ahead
Royal Rumble weekend has arrived! I posted my predictions a while ago in a Facebook post, but I plan to do a revised version here (in light of recent injuries, I've had to change some of my predictions). NXT Takeover will air here Sunday morning, and Royal Rumble Monday morning, so I'll be a bit late getting to see the Rumble (no spoilers, please!). I can't watch Mixed Match Challenge when it airs due to lack of Facebook Watch access, but the first two matches showed up on WWE network about 5 days after airing, and I thought they were both fun. Also props to Velveteen Dream and Johnny Gargano, who put on a great match ahead of Takeover on this week's NXT!
Next movie I'm likely to see will be Black Panther, but I haven't looked up the China release date. I also thought the second Pacific Rim: Uprising trailer was a lot better than the first one, and I'm now looking forward to seeing it. The only reason it was even made was the fact that the first movie did so well in China, so the sequel should be a big deal over here.
We are hosting visitors for our first Lunar New Year here in Shanghai. Still working out travel plans for Spring break, and for the summer.
The Kiddo, of course, was thrilled! Aside from a bit of leftover snow on the ground (and on the Great Wall!) when we visited Beijing two years ago, this was the first snow we'd seen in over four years.
Womens March
Jan. 21st, 2018 06:41 pmWeekly Recap for January 14-20 2018
Jan. 20th, 2018 09:26 amComic Reviews on Comic A Day
The Eye of Aya by Aya Rothwell. (8/10).
Book Reviews on Goodreads
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets by Dav Pilkey. (4*).
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett. (4*).
Supporting
I'm supporting NYC Books Through Bars, which sends donated books to incarcerated persons in New York and around the USA.
Looking Ahead
Lunar New Year break in February will have us hosting friends we met in Vietnam. We're excited to get to show them around Shanghai!
I'm looking forward to an eventful couple of weeks on WWE with Mixed Match Challenge, Raw's 25th anniversary show, NXT Takeover Philadelphia, and Royal Rumble.
The Kiddo is getting organized for his science fair project this weekend. The science fair is at the beginning of March.
Travel plans are still pretty vague at this point. We expect to be heading to New England USA during the summer, and we're hoping to do some traveling within China on our Spring break in April.
Weekly Recap For January 7-13, 2018
Jan. 13th, 2018 10:51 amThis week we were back to school following winter break. We did a "staycation" here in Shanghai, and got to see lots of sights around the city. From here we've got five and a half weeks of school to our next break, Lunar New Year, where we will be hosting friends visiting from Vietnam.
Here are my reviews for the week
Comic Reviews On Comic A Day
The Sleeplessness: 2015 Special by Jay Kennedy and Fat Cat Funnies (8.5/10)
Book Reviews On Goodreads
Magic Tree House: Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne (4*)
Supporting
I'm supporting Frank Huminski's request for help with medical expenses.
I'm also supporting my former student Antonia Liu, who just published her debut book, Hack College Like An Entrepreneur.
Looking Ahead
I'm looking forward to Mixed Match Challenge, NXT Takeover Philadelphia, and Royal Rumble from WWE in the coming weeks. Looking forward to seeing Black Panther, when it gets released here in China (we had to wait about an extra month for Star Wars: The Force Awakens). And tomorrow, I'm heading to the Magic: The Gathering: Rivals of Ixalan prerelease tournament... with cards in Chinese! That should add an extra bit of challenge to it. And, as mentioned above, Lunar New Year break in February and getting to show visitors around Shanghai.
Jing'An Temple
Jan. 12th, 2018 10:41 pm
We had a great time exploring Shanghai over winter break and we're looking forward to seeing more in the coming weeks!Review Recap for April 3-22, 2017
Apr. 23rd, 2017 01:09 amThe trip north was amazing! I'm way behind on posting photos (and even further behind on travel blog entries!), but I will be posting those in the coming weeks.
Between the trip, and then getting back to the day job, things have been busy. Here are the reviews I've written.
On Goodreads
Samurai by Louie Stowell, illustrated by Jason Engle: A history of the warriors of feudal Japan for young readers.
On Comic A Day
Mighty Archie Players #1: Some classic movie plots performed by classic Archie Comics characters in this Free Comic Book Day giveaway.
Scott Pilgrim Volume 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together: The fourth book in the epic series by Bryan Lee O'Malley.
Fist of Justice Vol. 1 #1: A Free Comic Book Day giveaway from Digital Webbing.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw: The third book in Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid series.
Venus Needs Sharks: A minicomic collection of gag strips by Matt Finley.
Scott Pilgrim Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe: The penultimate book in Bryan Lee O'Malley's epic tale.
Little Archie: The House That Wouldn't Move: A promotional ashcan from Archie Comics in 2007.
Also This Week
I supported Elise Warshaver, who ran the Boston Marathon for UMass Boston's scholarship fund in memory of Boston Marathon bombing victim Krystle Campbell. She was successful in her marathon run; it it is still possible to donate.
Upcoming
Heading to the USA on June 16. Leaving for Shanghai on July 27.
Myself, my wife, and the Kiddo (age 9) are finishing up our third year living in Vietnam. We've had an amazing time, and we're rushing to get in those last bits of sightseeing that we can manage before we head to the US for a one-month stay. Then it's back overseas, this time to Shanghai, China, where I have a one-year teaching contract.
In between finishing up the last marking period at the day job and preparing for the move, I'm working on a MG fantasy novel set in a Southeast Asian influenced world, and trying to read and review a pile of books and comics.
I've done some writing and publishing of comics, and those have mostly been on hiatus since we moved to Vietnam, but the plan is to get back to that at some point.
Once I get dreamwidth figured out, I'll be importing my LJ entries, and thinking about some new ways to use this space moving forward. Hope to make some new connections here!
