Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 112
October 25, 2022
October 25, 2022: Health Check 2022!
I never sleep well if I have to wake up early the next morning. I’m up at all hours of the night with a strange mix of anxiety and a relentless need to check the time to make sure I haven’t overslept. And so, I was out of bed at 6:00 a.m. this morning, thoroughly exhausted and not looking forward to the day’s menu: a smorgasbord of tests and checks for my annual physical.
All told, it took about three hours. Before getting on the treadmill for my EKG, the technician informed me that my resting heart rate was unusually low – 56 beats per minute. Above 60 is apparently normal. And so, between my run and my ultrasound, I dove down a rabbit hole on low heart rates and the dangers of a condition known as bradycardia which occurs due to Heart Block which, interestingly enough, doesn’t really have anything to do with blockages and is really more about the heart’s inability to quickly process electric signals. According to the site I checked out, a resting heart rate below 60 is not always cause for concern. There are times when a resting heart rate is 40-60 beats a minute. Of course, that’s while someone is sleeping and, to the best of my knowledge, I was not doing that while talking to the technician. After doing an even deeper dive into the pacemakers and their various implantation methods, I felt I was suitably educated/panicked enough to talk to my doctor about it. For his part, however, he seemed less concerned, informing me that last year’s stress test revealed an equally low heart rate (of about 61 beats per minute) along with something called scooping (a micro-second delay in my heart’s beating process) that resulted in a follow-up cardio-ultrasound…that came back negative. Since I have no other symptoms (ie. passing out), it’s no cause for concern. I did mention I have been feeling a lot more tired at night and he essentially officially welcomed me to old age.
Equally disquieting was the ultrasound session which saw the technician being disturbingly thorough in scanning my esophagus tract. The techs are not permitted to reveal their findings (That’s the doctor’s job!) and they must be all be world-class card players because their poker faces are inscrutable – still, I try my best to suss them out, engaging in humorous banter with them off the top, then gauging them for a potential souring in their mood as the session evolves. Has she stopped chit-chatting because she’s focused OR is there a more distressing reason for the change?
Anyway, I mentioned this to my doctor as well and he brought up the scan, assuring me that my results looked absolutely boring – but, of course, we would have to wait a week for the official sign-off. And the results on my bloodwork. To date, so far so good – although my cholesterol was on the high end a couple of years ago before I made some lifestyle change (Eating steel cut Irish oatmeal at night? Doing cardio every night? Increasing my intake of nutty dark chocolate”?).
And that was pretty much that. Blood draw. Flu shot. Shingles vaccine. And a promise to set up a zoom session with a nutritionist to criticize my diet choices.
To celebrate, we took two buses to visit a Japanese restaurant Akemi has been dying to check out. Verdict: mama deshita. .
The post October 25, 2022: Health Check 2022! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 24, 2022
October 24, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with movies, weird Pop-Tarts, and my annual physical!
Racing to get 100 horror movies under my belt before Halloween!
Let Us Prey (2014)
Held in a remote police station, a mysterious stranger takes over the minds and souls of everyone inside.
Thoughts: Flashes of a pretty good movie here but, ultimately, contrived and silly.
3/5
Swallow (2019)
Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession.
Thoughts: As one-note and detached as its protagonist. Weird, and not in a good way.
2.5/5
Who Invited Them (2022)
Adam and Margo’s housewarming party is a success, but after one couple linger long after the other guests have left, the evening takes a dark turn.
Thoughts: A very slow build to a lackluster climax with a twist that is delivered in annoyingly contrived fashion. The movie includes a vestigial B story we keep cutting away to that ultimately never impacts the A story.
3/5
The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
An elderly woman battling Alzheimer’s disease agrees to let a film crew document her condition, but what they discover is something far more sinister going on.
Thoughts: Dubious found footage horror movie logic, shaky performances from the supporting cast, and some really contrived scare scenes make this one a miss.
3/5
Summer of 84 (2018)
After suspecting that their police officer neighbor is a serial killer, a group of teenage friends spend their summer spying on him and gathering evidence, but as they get closer to the truth, things get dangerous.
Thoughts: Treads the same 80’s-inspired ground as Stranger Things but, unlike the show or its filmic inspirations, lacks warmth, a sense of wonder, and a willingness to challenge or reimagine the classic genre conceits.
3/5
Today’s Yes/No…
Tajin Pop-Tarts? Yes/No
Pop-Tarts and Tajín Come Together for a Special Kit https://t.co/nt2ei1sc9c and Tajín Come Together for a Special Kit
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) October 24, 2022
Speaking of horrors, tomorrow I have to wake up at 6 a.m. for my annual physical: general check-up, blood and urine work, ultrasound, stress test, hearing and sight tests, kinesiologist, nutritionist. Then, Thursday, it’s a visit to the dentist for another check-up.
Am NOT looking forward to the rest of the week. Nor the weekend which I will undoubtedly spend worrying about my physio results.
The post October 24, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with movies, weird Pop-Tarts, and my annual physical! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 23, 2022
October 23, 2022: Suji Sunday!
Physio time!
Sneezy McSneezy…
Loves her sweater.
Also loves her fishies….
Le chapeau!
Instagram’s tribute to our girl…
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October 22, 2022
October 22, 2022: The Saturday Report!
WUT is THIS?
Live-action Attack on Titan musical reveals in-costume photos of full cast【Photos】
https://www.shingeki-musical.com
I am IN! Who wants to join me in Osaka for the January 2023 premiere?
Today’s farmer’s market haul: fish and monkey face peppers, and smoked chicken fat…
Finished the first draft of that android murder mystery. Switching gears to generate a few episode springboards for that sci-fi action-comedy. Watched that new series that steps on one of my existing pilots, so going to have to make some tweaks over the course of the next couple of weeks to avoid those creative parallels. I mean, it’s difference enough but there are similarities and, if this other show does well, people will say: “We’re going to have to pass. Your show is too similar to Show X.” On the other hand, if the show crashes and burns, people will be like: “We’re going to have to pass. Your show is too similar to Show X that tanked.” Also, going to hash out an outline for that new horror script and start strategizing with my agent re: the new action-comedy pilot.
Head on over to twitter and cast your vote in this all-important poll:
When do you shower?
— Joseph Mallozzi
I used to be a morning showerer until I started dating Akemi who has long argued you want to shower BEFORE you get into a nice, clean bed.
I am now 95 movies into my Horror Marathon. Once I have 100 under my belt, I’ll put together a list of my Top 10 Favorites – hopefully just in time for Halloween.
Today’s Yes/No…
Purple Halloween Frappuccino? Yes/No
Does Starbucks Japan’s new Halloween Frappuccino taste as good as it looks? https://t.co/lmzxXLhPYB via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post October 22, 2022: The Saturday Report! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 21, 2022
October 21, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokay – and Dr. Pepper Bourbon!
Every so often, the Shitanaga Uba will venture out for a nice dinner with the demonic Shunobon. But instead of going to Olive Garden, they’ll feast on humans – he, scaring them senseless; she, licking the flesh and blood off their bones with her impossibly long tongue. Art by @matthewmeyerart
If you’re hosting and notice food has started to mysteriously disappear, you may want to check to see if one of your guests is a Futakuchi Onna, a woman with a second mouth hidden in the back of her head. Another dead giveaway would be the tentacle-like movements of her hair.
Like most mysterious warriors, little is known of the Suika no Bakemono, the watermelon-headed samurai, outside of the fact that he hails from Osaka and is thus, in all likelihood, a Hanshin Tigers fan. Art by Yosa Buson
If you’re a young, single man walking down a dark street and happen upon a beautiful young woman with long hair who smiles at you – DO NOT SMILE BACK. You should run away because she is probably a Harionago who will tear you apart with the hooked barbs at the tips of her hair.
Have you noticed that the lanterns around your house keep going out no matter how many times you re-light them? You blame the wind but, more than likely, you are the victim of a Hikeshi Baba, a white-haired old woman who wanders around town at night, blowing out lanterns.
Today’s Yes/No…
Dr. Pepper Bourbon Soda? Yes/No
Dr. Pepper Just Released a Limited-Edition Version of Your Favorite Barrel-Aged Drink https://t.co/FT7cvrQ9NM
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post October 21, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokay – and Dr. Pepper Bourbon! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 20, 2022
October 20, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with 3 more horrors (or 4, depending on whether or not you like peanut butter on your burger)!
The Last Shift (2014)
A rookie cop’s 1st shift alone in the last night of a closing police station turns into a living nightmare.
My thoughts: A great premise and some solid (if not altogether original) scares, but this one suffers from some shaky performances, a weak script, and dubious horror movie logic.
3.5/5
Afflicted (2013)
Two best friends see their trip of a lifetime take a dark turn when one of them is struck by a mysterious affliction. Now, in a foreign land, they race to uncover the source before it consumes him completely.
My thoughts: Flashes of inventiveness but overwhelmed by its unintended silliness.
2.4/5
Color Out of Space (2019)
A secluded farm is struck by a strange meteorite which has apocalyptic consequences for the family living there and possibly the world.
My thoughts: Wonderfully weird in its embracing of its cosmic horror trapping yet, at the same time, tonally discordant. Cage’s over the top performance robs the film of any real sense of terror.
3.5/5
Today’s Yes/No…
Peanut Butter Royale? Yes/No
Burger King adds peanut butter burgers to its menu in Japan https://t.co/CvDPyrL3xQ via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post October 20, 2022: The Horror Marathon continues with 3 more horrors (or 4, depending on whether or not you like peanut butter on your burger)! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 19, 2022
October 19, 2022: Amazing Covers!
Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 – cover art by Rafael Albuquerque
Catwoman #48 – cover art by Jeff Dekal
Catwoman #48 – cover art by Sozomaika
DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #3 – cover art by Kael Ngu
Nightwing #97 – cover art by Bruno Redondo
Eve: Children of the Moon #1 – cover art by Miguel Mercado
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The post October 19, 2022: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 18, 2022
October 18, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokai!
The Hitotsume-kozō look like bald one-eyed boys dressed as monks. Every December, they will put together a list of naughty households that they’ll deliver, not to Santa, but to the god of disease and misfortune who will curse the offending homes. Art by Masayoshi Kitao
The Addam’s Family Cousin Itt, the Keukegen is an adorably hairy, diminutive creature that prefers the dark and damp rececesses of a home. Although huggable, these cuties are carriers of disease and pestilence. You can avoid them by keeping your house clean!
The gore-soaked earth of a battlefield may give life to a Jubokko, a tree with a taste for human blood. It snatches up its victims with its branches, drains them dry, leaving their skin and organs for the birds, their bones to litter the grounds surrounding its trunk. Choose your picnic spots wisely!
Hashime (literally: Bridge Princess) are irascible goddesses that guard long, old wooden bridges. Wildly jealous, they will curse you should you be foolish enough to compliment or praise another bridge while standing on hers.
Beware the Shunobon, a red-faced, big-headed, spiky-haired, ear-to-ear grinning demon that stalks the night, lying in wait to jump out of hiding and startle evening strollers, occasionally scaring them to death! Art by @matthewmeyerart
Today’s Yes/No…
Phozilla? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/xwp7nR9HAc
— Joseph Mallozzi
The post October 18, 2022: Your Handy Guide to Weird Yokai! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
October 17, 2022
October 17, 2022: The Birthday Debrief!
Saturday’s Wings & Beer night was a rousing success. We sampled 9 different wings and 17 different beers (before tapping out).
The homemade wings were far and away better than the take-out wings. Emily, Kayla, and Akemi’s were my faves, as were my own lemon-thyme contribution.
As for the beer – while I was pleasantly surprised by the smoky lager, my favorite had to have been the topical fruit-forward Scout Micro IPA from Left Field Brewery.
Then, this was me on Sunday after spending the entire day watching football…
Yep, that’s how I celebrated my birthday. With football. And ramen, as per tradition, since it was also our wedding anniversary…
Among my birthday gifts were these socks I ordered earlier this year that Akemi intercepted and hid away for six months –
Loving me those space rabbits.
Perhaps inspired by my mom, Akemi decided to make “toni”. That’s rigatoni with the rig.
Delicious.
Hey, look who I got together with the other day – Director/Stunt Coordinator John Stead and this delicious smash burger from Matty’s Pattys. Truly awesome reuniting with both.
Today’s Yes/No…
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies? Yes/No
We Tried the Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies That People Can't Stop Talking About https://t.co/g6ubOzWJec
— Joseph Mallozzi
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October 16, 2022
October 16, 2022: Suji Sunday!
Thank you for all of the Birthday well-wishes! Suji and I appreciate your support!
Getting into Halloween mode.
Crunchy time!
Enoki time!
Carpet run!
Calling it a night.
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