Who doesn’t love the Discount Bin at Best Buy, WalMart, and Target? It’s an assortment of flops, hidden gems, and everything in between. This Discount Bin is the catch all of the everyday. Here’s hoping all of us find some joy in the simple and some excitement in the ordinary.
Holy guacamole! Noggin Squall has been live on the world wide web for over a year! Honestly, I’m a little surprised. I have the unfortunate tendency to dream up cool ideas, then abandon them rather quickly, and then regret that project’s indefinite hiatus and/or death six months later. But not here! I’m still blogging strong (ish) since May 24, 2016. When I started this blog, it had no clear focus. On the About page, I describe the blog as “my…
I’ve been on anime kick lately. I tore through Durarara!!!, and ate up One Punch Man. Check them out. I stepped back from the medium several years ago but now I’m back in it. I’m not sure if anime had a dry spell or if only the lamest shows (except Gurren Lagann!) were imported from Japan after 2010. But now… it’s like I’m experiencing an anime renaissance. It’s pretty rad. I was sucked into anime fandom at the ripe age…
I really didn’t have anything to write this week. This is the week after Easter Sunday, so I feel like I should have something profound to write about. Frankly, I don’t. No Easter reflections formulated to be typed in a coherent manner. At least not yet. We shall see what next week brings. But not this week. Holy week is a busy week that often leaves me relieved it’s over. Holy week is a emotional rollercoaster that doesn’t stop moving…
The more I go to comic-book conventions, the less I like church. And it is not just because the best conventions conflict with Sunday morning services. No, I’m afraid it is much more essential than that. I like church less because these and similar cons seem to excel where many church communities in the U.S. miss the mark: they create a space where a wide variety of people feel at home in their own bodies. Two weekends ago, I was…
Confession: I am a Christmas music junky. Halfway through November, I begin to patiently wait for Black Friday when it becomes socially acceptable to blare the season’s tunes ad nauseam for a month, including the occasional Hanukah jam (shout out to those Maccabees). I really love Christmas music, whether it be cheesy crooner songs about being snowed in with a lovely companion, or the richer, more vibrant hymns, like “O Holy Night.” If there is one thing that causes me…
This week, many of us will sit down with our families and consume copious amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pie. With the 2016 presidential election only 3 weeks behind us, there is a great likelihood that the Thanksgiving family gathering will be tense at best or, at worst, ridden with hateful words and divisive political talk. Maybe I should edit my previous post to be “On Thanksgiving Day, Hug a Family Member Who Voted Differently from You” and…
Why, hello November. When did you show up? October feels like a blur. I’ve been busy. Work, school, and what not. My posts haven’t been as timely as I would have liked, but such is life. As many of you are aware, we are several days away from the infamous election day. Soon the mantras, chants, and verbal challenges of the season will come to an end. “Trump for President!” “Clinton for President!” “Never Trump!” “Never Clinton!” “Break the system…
Hey everybody! My sincere apologies. I don’t have a post for this week. I’ve been spending that last few days working on other projects., both personal and professional. All good stuff. But have no fear! The Squall is brewing up to some awesome content (at least I think it’s awesome). Here’s a taste of what to expect over the next few weeks (in no particular order; titles subject to alteration): Minor Spoilers: Stranger Things Genre Fiction and the Prophetic…
Do you know what is one of the coolest looking creatures on planet earth? The Lobster. Lobsters are pretty frakking cool (as well as delicious, but I digress). I had forgotten just how bizarre they look. The shells, the claws, the antennae! To think, I had to be reminded of these crazy crustaceans that seem to fall right out of a 1930’s pulp sci-fi series by a three year old. Here’s a play-by-play. I am going about my weekly grocery…
If you were ever in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, specifically in the Franconia Notch along I-93, before May 3, 2003 I hope you took the time to take in the view the Granite State’s Old Man of the Mountain. The natural rock formation overlooked Profile Lake with its broad, strong features carved out of granite by ancient glaciers. Until its fateful collapse behind the fog and clouds of the White Mountains in 2003, it was a site to be…