TL;DR The Mandalorian is an OK show with high production value and occasional flashes of brilliance, occasional flashes of inexplicably low quality, but mostly mediocrity with a shiny veneer. It’s a fun romp of mindless fun but doesn’t capture what makes Star Wars special. I usually review media properties in three sections: The Good, TheContinue reading “The Mandalorian Review”
Author Archives: Bryan Guido Hassin
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 29 & 30
Another Harry Potter book finished – only one more and our 2yo will have “finished” them all! Reflecting back on the end game of Half Blood Prince got me thinking about the burden of responsibility for products sold. I wonder where the Death Eaters procured their Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. In my head canon IContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 29 & 30”
Rice Ring Ceremony
Last week was Rice’s first ever virtual Homecoming. Owl Together brought together thousands of alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff to help people connect – to the university and with each other – despite the challenging times. As President of the Association of Rice Alumni, I was invited to make some brief remarks at theContinue reading “Rice Ring Ceremony”
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 27 & 28
Every time Hermione refers back to Hogwarts: A History, I can’t help but think that, if GRRM had written the Harry Potter series, he would have actually written and published Hogwarts: A History by now – and I, for one, would be eager to read it! The downside, of course, would be that Harry wouldn’tContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 27 & 28”
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 25 & 26
Let’s look at the ways Voldemort stores/guards his six horcruxes (listed below chronologically in the order in which they were made): Tom Riddle’s diary – he gives it to Lucius Malfoy to safeguard Marvolo Gaunt’s ring – he leaves under a floorboard in the dilapidated Gaunt house Helga Hufflepuff’s cup – he gives it toContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 25 & 26”
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 23-24
My Harry Potter book club leader, Becca, proposed an interpretation that Harry, the unintended seventh horcrux, was also the unintended Gryffindor horcrux! I haven’t heard that before and i doubt that JKR intended it that way per se so I think it’s doubly brilliant! This Ravenclaw’s mind is blown! This theory especially appeals to myContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 23-24”
Right Place Right Time For Climatetech
Many lives ago I was CTO of a startup that built the largest DVD rental machine network in the world. We were acquired by RedBox, our largest competitor at the time, but before that happened it was amazing to participate on the front lines of a market in the throes of massive disruption. One dayContinue reading “Right Place Right Time For Climatetech”
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 16 – 19
Chapter 16: Scrimgeour’s characterization never made much sense to me. I always figured that a battle-hardened ex-Auror wouldn’t be the type to care about fake appearances and goofy politics. Looking at modern militaries, though, maybe Scrimgeour’s characterization is right on. As I understand it, the farther up you go in the US military, the lessContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 16 – 19”
Third Derivative Six Month Update
It has been six months since I began as Cofounder and CEO of Third Derivative. Below is a very long assessment of how things are going but the TLDR is that I am really thriving in this role, loving my team, and feeling really good about this decision! What is Third Derivative?A joint venture ofContinue reading “Third Derivative Six Month Update”
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 13-14
Thes chapters really got me thinking about the difference between Harry and Voldemort vis a vis their childhoods. I had always had in my head that they were similar – both having grown up without their parents – but the key difference that determined their divergent paths was that Tom Riddle was abandoned whereas HarryContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Chapters 13-14”