Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 2

August 30, 2025: Cheese, please!

A recent study suggests that cheese may give you nightmares, especially if you are lactose intolerant.  I try to be an open and tolerant person in general, but I did pick up some Mimolette and Tete de Moine this morning during our weekly Saturday farmer’s market trip and St. Lawrence Market visit, so I’m going to test this theory tonight.  I also picked up some Camembert which contains mrystamide, a fatty acid amide that is purported to enhance cognitive function and help stave off cognitive decline.  Findings from other recent cheese-related studies…

Gouda = Linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular death.

Fermented cheeses like Parmesan = Inverse link to type 2 diabetes risks and complications.

Cheddar = Bioactive peptides linked gut health benefits, cancer risk reduction, and bone support.  Another study saw reductions in total and LDL cholesterol.

Blue cheeses = Contain anti-inflammatory compounds and may counteract multi-drug resistant cancer cells.

Ripened white cheeses = Linked to antioxidant and anti hypertensive activities.

No news on those indulgent runny cheeses I love, but I suppose that’s simply because the studies have yet to be commissioned.

So, calling all cheese lovers.  What are your favorite cheeses?

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August 20, 2025: Another Crime Read recommendations and some Dark Matter moments!

Another 2025 crime book recommendation.  This one was a pleasant surprise…

A Novel Murder by E.C. Nevin

When a renowned and reviled literary agent is murdered at the Killer Lines festival, author Jane Hepburn puts her fictional sleuthing skills to use to find the murderer.

On a good day, I can do 3,

Dark Matter moments….

The Big Reveal…

dark-matter-episode-1-final-reveal-mp4

The Lie Detector Test…

dark-matter-episode-3-the-lie-detector-test-mp4

FIVE and THREE…

dark-matter-five-the-entrepreneur-mp4

 

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August 28, 2025: Nostalgic for those classic sci-fi intros!

Farscape’s season 4 intro was my favorite

On the topic of fantastic sci-fi t.v. themes, Space: 1999’s first season intro is one of my absolute favorites

When it comes to classic sci-fi themes, Star Trek: The Original Series is in a class all its own. But of the dozen other Star Trek shows, I think that Voyager’s elegant intro stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Finally, although I never really watched the show, there’s other denying the Dr. Who intro is a true classic.  And of its myriad versions, I’m fire and foremost a fan of the 1963 original opening…

What were some of your memorable favorites?

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August 27, 2025: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Absolute Wonder Woman #11 – cover art by Hayden Sherman

Absolute Wonder Woman #11 – cover art by Otto Schmidt

Absolute Wonder Woman #11 – cover art by Derrick Chew

Green Arrow #27 – cover art by Taurin Clarke

Justice League Unlimited #10 – cover art by Bruno Redondo

Robin & Batman: Jason Todd #3 – cover art by Dustin Nguyen

Superman #29 – cover art by Dan Mora

Emma Frost: The White Queen #3 – cover art by Nimit Malavia

The Thing #4 – cover art by Nick Bradshaw

Masterminds #1 – cover art by Stephen Thompson

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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August 26, 2025: There’s more Columbo in our future!

Alrighty.  We will officially resume our Columbo rewatch next week.  Here’s the schedule for the viewing/discussion of the show’s six-episode ninth season….

Monday, September 1st: Murder A Self-Portrait

Friday, September 5h: Columbo Cries Wolf

Monday, September 8th: Agenda for Murder

Friday, September 12th: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo

Monday, September 15th: Uneasy Lies the Crown

Friday, September 19th: Murder in Malibu

Once we’re done, we can again take stock and decide if and when we proceed with the final fourteen episodes.

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August 25, 2025: Back home! Columbo season 9 – Yay or Nay! Another 2025 crime book recommendation!

We’re home!  This morning, we caught our return flight back to Toronto after a 13 day stay in Montreal.  Good timing as I completely forgot my fantasy football league draft is tonight.  My Snow Monkeys may be at a disadvantage as I have done zero research in preparation but, to be fair, prep or no prep has made zero difference in past seasons.  It all comes down to luck.  And injuries.  Which, I suppose, you could also slot under luck in the bad category.

Last night, I said my goodbyes the other other gals in mom’s ward.  Over the past two weeks, I’ve been surprising them with chocolates and have really grown to enjoy their company – Linda with her appreciation for food, the sociable Monique, avid reader Shirley, down-to-earth Lise, and the ever-smiling Suzanne.  Hopefully they’ll all be heading home or to more independent digs in the weeks ahead.

Yes, even though season 8 was a disappointment, I am considering resuming our Columbo rewatch.  I really do miss my fave detective and I hear good things about a couple of this season’s offerings  Also, it’s a mere six episode commitment.  What do you think?  Yay or Nay?

Finally, I have checked out roughly one hundred and twenty 2025 crime book releases and have recommended about thirteen titles.  Here’s number fourteen…

The Trouble Up North by Travis Mulhauser

A family of bootleggers will have to contend with the old, familial ways and the new, shifting world to smuggle one more thing through and out of their land to safety.

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August 24, 2025: Sharky Sunday!

Sharky therapy….

Special delivery Sharky…

Wild farmer’s market blueberries….

Hey, you!  C’mere…

The reluctant walker…

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Happy Belated International Blind Dog Day to all those who celebrate!

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August 23, 2025: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst!

Best: Chili Oil Onion Pasta

Worst: Weeni-tini

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August 22,2025: Crime Read Recommendations and Pitches!

Two more terrific 2025 crime reads….

Leo by Deon Meyer

An attack on a young cyclist. A businessman’s murder. And a multi-million-dollar heist gone tragically wrong. Two South African detectives set out to discover what links them.

Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor

Three friends go mountain climbing.  One plunges to her death.Was it suicide, a terrible accident – or something more sinister?

***

So I’m juggling three pitches.  Going out with that action-adventure series.  Preparing to go out with that cozy murder mystery series.  And finalizing a pitch for a series adaptation of that cult horror(ish) film series.  Like most introverted writers, I am, of course, at my very best conveying my ideas in a structured, rehearsal public performance format.

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August 21, 2025: Proposed NFL Team Name Changes!

It’s time to reconsider the NFL’s most controversial team names with a mind to building a more benign league, and a more banal and inoffensive future for our children.

Listed are some of the most polarizing and insensitive team names along with suggestions for non-triggering alternatives.

The Buffalo Bills

Whether it be electric, water or gas, nobody likes to be reminded of their delinquent payments, especially while watching a football game. So instead of bills, how about switching to something everyone enjoys receiving in the mail.

Suggested name change: The Buffalo Refunds

The New York Jets

Gone are the days when the word “jet” would bring to mind noble images of private planes flying celebrities and politicians to climate conferences. Instead, today, the word is associated with bombings, CO2 emissions, and emergency landings on golf courses. Let’s flip the script and get behind the green initiative by taking a page out of the Cleveland Browns’ uninspired handbook.

Suggested name change: The New York Greens.

The Miami Dolphins

On the surface, dolphins may seem innocuous enough – until you learn that they were actually trained by the US military in the 1960’s to run reconnaissance operations on innocent communist yachters. So instead of honoring warmongering dolphins, why not commemorate the peaceful unsung heroes of the sea?

Suggested name change: The Miami Barnacles

The New England Patriots

Today, the word “patriots” brings to mind right-wing extremism and such unpalatable nationalistic symbols as the American flag, sexy women in jeans, and Captain America (although Marvel has, thankfully, taken steps to rectify this). Instead of inciting division and 4th of July fireworks, why not switch to a name that celebrates the fans who support these athletic spectacles.

Suggested name change: The New England Athletic Supporters.

(Next up: The insidious NFC EAST)

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Every time I do a pitch, there’s always that one exec who sits through it like he suspects my involvement in the unsolved murders of his grandparents.

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So what do you think?  Should we move on to Columbo season 9?

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