Monthly Archives: March 2017

Who Was Odysseus?

Posted on 2017-03-27 by jimbelton

I recently published a novel, Tales of Odysseus, which is the story of Odysseus’s return from the Trojan war, based on one of Homer’s two sagas, The Odyssey. Who was Odysseus, and why did Homer make him the hero of … Continue reading →

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Writing: “Tales of Odysseus”

Posted on 2017-03-26 by jimbelton

I have just published my book “Tales of Odysseus” in kindle and paperback form on Amazon. It is the story of Odysseus, one of the great heroes of the Trojan War, who fails to return to his home for twenty … Continue reading →

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Review of “Assassin’s Creed” (mild spoilers)

Posted on 2017-03-25 by jimbelton

* * C Assassin’s Creed the movie had some big shoes to fill. While there were things I liked about the film, overall, I wasn’t impressed. Michael “Magneto” Fassbender does a solid job with the protagonist, Callum Lynch, as does … Continue reading →

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The Mercenary’s Son: A Parable

Posted on 2017-03-24 by jimbelton

A king came in to power, and to cement his hold on his kingdom, he formed an alliance with a great empire who had an army of barbarian mercenaries, and agreed to pay the empire tribute in exchange for the … Continue reading →

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Review of “Cardinal”

Posted on 2017-03-21 by jimbelton

* * C The CTV crime series Cardinal is a murder mystery. Two cops in northern Quebec, John Cardinal (Billy Campbell) and Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse) revisit a murder Cardinal was lead detective on when the killer strikes again. While … Continue reading →

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Book Review: “Saga” (vol. 1)

Posted on 2017-03-19 by jimbelton

* * C The first volume of Saga, written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, is a decent science fiction novel. The protagonists, Marko and Alana, are a mixed race couple from opposite sides of a war. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: “Grendel: Black, White, & Red”

Posted on 2017-03-16 by jimbelton

* D While Matt Wagner’s graphic novel “Grendel: Black, White, & Red” has a few interesting chapters, it is a poor excuse for a novel. The main character of this book is primarily evil, a sort of Walter White character. … Continue reading →

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Why “Why the Singularity is Bullshit” is Bullshit

Posted on 2017-03-15 by jimbelton

Dave Cullen released a video on his YouTube channel, Computing Forever, entitled “Why the Singularity is Bullshit“. He makes a lot of claims in it that are themselves, well, bullshit. Here’s my summary. First Dave doesn’t understand what the technological … Continue reading →

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Is Raising the Minimum Wage a Good Idea?

Posted on 2017-03-14 by jimbelton

Two recent articles on the effects of raising the minimum wage in America document conflicting outcomes in the face of increasing employment costs. On the positive side, the CNBC article Minimum wage hikes actually boosted my sales: CEO quotes Bill … Continue reading →

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Book Review: “Night Mary”

Posted on 2017-03-13 by jimbelton

 * * * B Night Mary, a graphic novel by Rick Remender and Kieron Dwyer, is a comic book about a young girl who is helping her father, who is a psychiatrist, treat disturbed patients because she has the ability … Continue reading →

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