Felicia Fredlund

Writer. Editor. Reader.

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Great Games: Super Mario games by Nintendo

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This series of posts are about entertainment that I recommend when people ask me for recommendations. It also includes place-specific “entertainment”, such as beautiful gardens; it might be stretching the definition of entertainment, but I enjoy myself in the places I recommend.

They are not universal recommendations. I wouldn’t recommend a dark thriller to someone looking for something nice and happy; I’d recommend a romance.

They aren’t perfect or without mistakes.

Art is never finished, only abandoned. ~ Leonard da Vinci

Super Mario games by Nintendo

To be clear, I’m talking about the Super Mario platform games here, such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Galaxy, etc.

If someone asked me what kind of game merch I’d want the most I’d be picking between two games series I love. If I wanted something cool and potentially understated, I’d go for Legend of Zelda (and I’m sure those games or at least one of them will show up in a future post).

Otherwise, I’d always pick Super Mario.

As I write this I’m actually wearing a gray T-shirt with Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, and Luigi on it. They look happy and colorful.

I think that is a big reason I love these platform games. Simple, primary colors; cute characters; good platform designs; and iconic music.

If I had to pick one game over all the others, it would probably be Super Mario Odyssey. The latest and a great one. I wasn’t fully sold on it at first.

I played it from a space where I ruin games for myself (completionist kind of play).

I quickly switched though (switched on the Switch, lol), and enjoyed the rest of the game a lot. I’ve also enjoyed watching some speed runs of it. Even entertained the idea of trying to casually speed run it sometime.

If only I had more time, as if I don’t have too many things I’d love to do already.

Super Mario games appeal to me on several levels. I love good platform games, but Super Mario have more as I listed above. Sometimes I just listen to the music on YouTube.

So if you want some easy to listen to music, some clean looking design, and to press a button to jump at the right time, Super Mario is for you too.

One thing though: Don’t play the games for the story. They all have the outdated story of save the princess. But nothing is perfect, eh?

Great Books: In Death series by J. D. Robb

Posted:

This series of posts are about entertainment that I recommend when people ask me for recommendations. It also includes place-specific “entertainment”, such as beautiful gardens; it might be stretching the definition of entertainment, but I enjoy myself in the places I recommend.

They are not universal recommendations. I wouldn’t recommend a dark thriller to someone looking for something nice and happy; I’d recommend a romance.

They aren’t perfect or without mistakes.

Art is never finished, only abandoned. ~ Leonard da Vinci

In Death series by J. D. Robb

Edgy crime with a dose of romance.

That is how I’d describe the In Death series by J. D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts). This series is over 40 books long and the first one is called Naked in Death.

I love the protagonist in this one. Tough, kickass, and used to bulling her way through her emotions and her free time. She’s a NYPD detective and head of the homicide squad.

Man, just writing these few words of it has me excited to reread the whole series and I did that last year, all 40+ books of it.

This one for me is what I really look for in crime/mystery novels. I’ve previously mainly gotten my crime fix on TV with shows such as NCIS, Criminal Minds, Person of Interest, Elementary and more. I’m sure I’ll have a couple of posts covering some of those shows.

This series have that crime of the week with great characters and a dark edge (that sometimes goes very dark). Unlike some crime of the week though, the main detective and everyone around her keeps growing and changing with all the things that happen to them.

I go to this series when I want that dark edge, but with the safety net of knowing it is a mystery novel so the crime will be solved.

Great Garden: Portland Japanese Garden

Posted:

This series of posts are about entertainment that I recommend when people ask me for recommendations. It also includes place-specific “entertainment”, such as beautiful gardens; it might be stretching the definition of entertainment, but I enjoy myself in the places I recommend.

They are not universal recommendations. I wouldn’t recommend a dark thriller to someone looking for something nice and happy; I’d recommend a romance.

They aren’t perfect or without mistakes.

Art is never finished, only abandoned. ~ Leonard da Vinci

Portland Japanese Garden

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Portland Japanese Garden twice.

I still remember the first time.

The feeling I get is like being able to suddenly breathe very deeply. Like there is space in my chest for endless breath and with that feeling comes relaxation.

The second time I visited (May, 2018) I saw the new entrance they’d added and the culture village (as they call it).

They had a bonsai exhibition. Miniature trees that look like full grown ones. I’ve seen some amazing ones, and one of them looked like a small forest (pictured to the right).

The main garden area is divided into several different types of Japanese gardens. The most famous type of Japanese garden being the zen garden with raked gravel and rocks; Portland Japanese Garden has one of those with beautiful Japanese style historical walls closing it off from the rest of the garden and the outside.

Personally I love the wandering type of garden best. It often have a river, perhaps a waterfall; or it has the simulation of those things with pebbles. Wooden bridges to cross the water filled with colorful koi fish.

Mostly Japanese gardens are 50 shades of green. That is what I love.

Water, green shades, and some small human made details, come together to calm and refresh me.

It is also a good place to write poetry, and I’ve written some at Portland Japanese Garden, as well as in other gardens.

Great Music: The Corrs

Posted:

This series of posts are about entertainment that I recommend when people ask me for recommendations. It also includes place-specific “entertainment”, such as beautiful gardens; it might be stretching the definition of entertainment, but I enjoy myself in the places I recommend.

They are not universal recommendations. I wouldn’t recommend a dark thriller to someone looking for something nice and happy; I’d recommend a romance.

They aren’t perfect or without mistakes.

Art is never finished, only abandoned. ~ Leonard da Vinci

The Corrs

I’ve listened to The Corrs for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t something I chose myself.

I was more Spice Girls, Aqua, Backstreet Boys, etc. when I was a kid.

During summer vacation, we’d often go somewhere by car, visiting my much older half-brother or driving over to Denmark to vacation at the beach and visit Legoland.

On those long car rides, when my dad picked the music, we often listened to The Corrs. At least, that is the only music outside a few things us kids loved that I remember hearing.

I love listening to The Corrs. Whenever I’m on a bus, train, plane or other transport and I want music, The Corrs is my most often picked music.

Nostalgia is definitely a part of it, but it is also pretty calm (country-ish) and cheerful (I can’t speak for the lyrics (I honestly haven’t listened to the lyrics much), but the sound is cheerful). Basically, it is very easy to listen to and it doesn’t jar me out of thoughts or out of naps.

What more can I ask of music while traveling?

Great Web Comic: XKCD by Randall Munroe

Posted:

This series of posts are about entertainment that I recommend when people ask me for recommendations. It also includes place-specific “entertainment”, such as beautiful gardens; it might be stretching the definition of entertainment, but I enjoy myself in the places I recommend.

They are not universal recommendations. I wouldn’t recommend a dark thriller to someone looking for something nice and happy; I’d recommend a romance.

They aren’t perfect or without mistakes.

Art is never finished, only abandoned. ~ Leonard da Vinci

XKCD by Randall Munroe

I don’t remember who introduced me to XKCD, a webcomic I’ve enjoyed immensely for years, even if I don’t always understand them.

There is a lot of physics, maths, and other sciences, but I read for the humor and the cutely funny ones. I also do find the science ones interesting, at least when I understand them!

The one thing to know is that after you finish reading the comic, you should hover your mouse over it and read the text that pops up. Those are the best.

The comic is made by Randall Munroe.

A few years back I bought a couple of the comics in print. I can share those comics here, Munroe allows it, and I will share my absolute favorite, but for the others, I’d rather link so you can potentially go down the rabbit hole of the wonderful and sciency weird.

Jealousy

XKCD Loves the Discovery Channel

Lastly I want to share one that kinda transcends the comic format. I was reading XKCD regularly when this one came out, so I got to follow it in real time. It is called Time and is more like a cartoon/animated movie, except you can pick the pace yourself, or let it go through the many many frames automatically.

Click the play button in the top left to let it run with some pauses on key frames. You can adjust the speed in the same area. Or you can step through the frames with your arrow keys or the buttons in the top right.

Have fun with this last one. I have no idea how long he worked on that one, but it is long.

Great Movie: Die Hard and Die Hard 4.0

Posted:

This series of posts are about entertainment that I recommend when people ask me for recommendations. It also includes place-specific “entertainment”, such as beautiful gardens; it might be stretching the definition of entertainment, but I enjoy myself in the places I recommend.

They are not universal recommendations. I wouldn’t recommend a dark thriller to someone looking for something nice and happy; I’d recommend a romance.

They aren’t perfect or without mistakes.

Art is never finished, only abandoned. ~ Leonard da Vinci

Die Hard and Die Hard 4.0

My movie taste runs primarily action. And a classic action movie that I like to rewatch regularly is Die Hard. I also love rewatching Die Hard 4.0 (while double checking the name of Die Hard 4.0 (as I know it), I learned that the North American name for the movie was Live Free or Die Hard).

(Die Hard 2, Die Hard with a Vengeance (3), and A Good Day to Die Hard (5) are also good, but if I’m not planing to rewatch all Die Hards, I always pick 1 or 4.)

I don’t know that there is much to say about Die Hard (1) that hasn’t already been said.

Christmas, great action, and fun interplay between characters.

Basically feel good with explosions.

Instead I’ll talk about Die Hard 4.0. If I have to pick between watching 1 or 4, I might actually pick 4 because it hits a few more of my favorite things.

I like hacker/action movies.

So what 4 adds is a sidekick that I find funny, a bit sweet, and just the right amount of snark/wit. There are also strong women, a villain that is very Die Hard, and one specific one-liner from the sidekick that I love.

I watch action movies for relaxed fun. Give me some entertaining characters and great action and I’m good. That is what I look for in my action movies. So if that is your thing, Die Hard (all of them) are a good choice.