Author: Mike Pihlman

  • STEM / STEAM: Remote Working After COVID

    STEM / STEAM: Remote Working After COVID

    COVID forced everyone to understand the value of telecommuting, videoconferencing, and remote work. During that time……remote working / telecommuting / videoconferencing helped keep the world spinning for a few years while people worked at home. Now that the pandemic is “over”….there should no longer be ANY hesitation about continuing to remote work! After all……the benefits…

  • Movie Review: “Five Blind Dates”

    Movie Review: “Five Blind Dates”

    After her grandmother (Popo) passed away, Lia (Shuang Hu) left her hometown for Sydney and opened a traditional Chinese tea shop (Popo’s Tea Time) with the help of her best friend, Mason (Ilai Swindells). Unfortunately, the world wants bubble tea and does not understand, nor want, the traditional tea offered (stubbornly) by Lia. As such,…

  • Movie Review: “The Wolverine”

    Movie Review: “The Wolverine”

    August 9, 1945 Wolverine is a prisoner being held in a hole in the ground, when the B-29’s from America arrive over Nagasaki, Japan. His guard, Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), tried to save him, but, was unsuccessful. Instead…..Wolverine saved Yashida. Present Day Yashida is on his death bed and he sends his very dangerous “grand-daughter” Yukio…

  • Finding the 2024 Fireworks Booths in Tracy CA

    Finding the 2024 Fireworks Booths in Tracy CA

    Start: June 28, 2024 at Noon End: July 4, 2024 at 9 PM Here are the 2024 Nonprofit Fireworks Booths in Tracy, CA Bookmark this page and come back often…. Mission City Church 2994 W. Grant Line Rd. (near Adrians Beauty College) GOOGLE MAP  The South Side Community Organization 1801 W. 11th Street (near Safeway on 11th)…

  • Movie Review: “Die Hart 2: Die Harter”

    Movie Review: “Die Hart 2: Die Harter”

    In this sequel to “Die Hart”, Kevin (Kevin Hart) is trying to get funding for a movie that will put him at the top of the list as an action hero. Unfortunately, funding is not coming, but, someone is…. Trying to kill him, Jordan (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Andre (Ben Schwartz). Who is the killer? Well….to…

  • Movie Review: “See You on Venus”

    Movie Review: “See You on Venus”

    Mia (Virginia Gardner) was an infant when her birth mother put her up for adoption. Now, at 18, she is an orphan and wants to head out to Spain to find her birth mother. She has 10 names to visit. Kyle (Alex Aiono) is dealing with the guilt of being the driver in a fatal…

  • STEM / STEAM: Phosphates in Your Pool? Read this first

    STEM / STEAM: Phosphates in Your Pool? Read this first

    I did a quick research project when I learned that all the measures I took (and MONEY we spent!) to lower the phosphate level in our pool….did NOTHING! My decision: Leave the phosphate level high and kill the algae as needed. Caveat: This is a quick un-scientific study of pool phosphates. Your phosphate remediation results…

  • Movie Review: “Madame Web”

    Movie Review: “Madame Web”

    Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) is an EMT with the New York Fire Department. One day, while saving a man from his crashed car on a bridge, Cassandra gets stuck in the car as it plunges into the river below. She dies. Luckily, her partner, Ben Parker (Adam Scott) saves her, but…… Cassandra now can see…

  • Movie Review: “How to Date Billy Walsh”

    Movie Review: “How to Date Billy Walsh”

    Amelia Brown (Charithra Chandran) and Archibald Arnold (Sebastian Croft) have been best friends since the hospital mixed the two up as newborns! Now they are 17 and Archibald desperately wants to tell Amelia how much he loves her, and Amelia desperately wants to kiss the new kid in school, Billy Walsh (Tanner Buchanan). Ooops….. To…