First Lady Introduces Figure 3

 

BREAKING: This awkward moment just happened at the White House. pic.twitter.com/inKgfyeWAy

— HighImpactFlix (@HighImpactFlix) March 25, 2026

With the help of ChatGPT and Adobe Photoshop, I imagined the near future based on Figure 3's performance:

 

My Siblings' Current River Raft Trips

Photo re-imagining of the Raft Trip with help of Fotor AI & Photoshop.

Two Floating Sheets of Plywood

During the summer of 1971, we took two ambitious 26-mile trips down the Current River in Missouri. For the second trip, we upgraded our fleet to two custom-built rafts.

Our crew consisted of eight people, split four to a raft. The group included Chris M., Pat M., Frank S., my sister Alicia J., and me (Bryan J.), along with a few other friends.

From the Ground to the Riverbed

For the second trip, we used the same design for our rafts as Frank S. and friends had used for the final exam of their design project. We needed two rafts, so we hauled the materials  (2x4s, plywood, and inner tubes) to the Current River and assembled the rafts on the bank of the river. One raft was 8x10, the other was 8x8.

The journey spanned 26 miles from Powder Mill to Van Buren.

This was actually the second time that summer that Chris, Rhonda, Frank, and I had tackled this stretch. The first was in May with Frank Steinmarch’s Southern Illinois University (SIU) design class. On that first trip, we only had one raft, which we had built in our side yard in Energy. We transported it to Missouri on the roof of my mom's car—an executive decision that left a permanent dent in her roof. For the trip with Alicia, we learned our lesson and transported the raw materials to Missouri, assembling the rafts right at the river landing.

The Three-Day Trek

The trip lasted three days. Much like the May excursion, we lived off the river, sleeping in cow pastures along the banks or right on the rafts themselves.

We brought plenty of supplies since it was a 3-day trip. We had long poles to steer the rafts with, but one was lost along the way. Since we were on a river, the raft was always in motion, flowing along with the river, but we frequently had to steer around snags, fallen trees, etc. Also, under the river were many branches and so forth that ended up puncturing some of the inner tubes along the way

The journey wasn't without its excitement. At one point, we hit a squall. The rain came down suddenly and we were swept into an eddy. I had to use every bit of muscle I had to row and push against the riverbed using a long, handmade paddle to reach the shore. Once we made landfall, everyone scrambled for shelter beside a large log to escape the downpour.

The Raincoat and the Cowboy Hat

I was the only person wise enough—or lucky enough—to have brought a raincoat. However, Pat Marlow was wearing a straw cowboy hat. As he crouched down to hide from the rain, I reached over, plopped his hat onto my head for extra protection, and kept right on pushing with the paddle.

By the third day, the smaller raft had too many punctured inner tubes and we no longer could be on that raft. We tied it to the larger raft and only used it to keep our supplies on. At one point, we waited too long to steer around a large snag and we crashed right into the snag, breaking the rope and sending the smaller raft away from the larger left. We were able to get it back, but it was a bit of a shock when it happened.

Alicia recalls that we were floating down the river, she spent a lot of time just sitting on the edge of the raft with her feet in the water, feeling like Huckleberry Finn floating down the Mississippi.

About halfway through the third day we ran out of food and drink. When we reached the spot where we had left the car, we saw some fishermen on the bank who had a case of beer. We traded them both rafts for their case of beer, and finally our thirst was quenched.

Despite the squalls and the physical toll of rowing a plywood square, it was an incredible time. It was the kind of pure, unbothered fun you can only truly have when you're 19 years old. The experience even inspired my mom to take the whole family back to the river at Big Spring the following summer for a much calmer, one-day canoe trip.

Link to Map of the Current River in Missouri

True Story by Bryan Jennings and his sister Alicia Jennings Tippins

“Star Chosen” Sci-Fi Novel Review

 

Star Chosen: A Science Fiction Space Opera for the Whole Family by Joe Chiappetta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ambitious, heartfelt, and worth the journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook of Star Chosen by Joe Chiapetta, and I appreciated it enough to purchase the print edition to experience the fun illustrations as well. The novel combines imaginative future technology with thoughtful spiritual reflection, grounded in characters who feel authentic and relatable.

The spiritual themes resonated with me personally. While the story occasionally leans into a more overtly didactic tone, the message feels sincere rather than heavy-handed. At moments, it brought to mind Robert Heinlein in its glimpses of evolving society, and a key plot turn evoked echoes of Perelandra by C. S. Lewis.

An ambitious and heartfelt work. Not flawless, but deeply worthwhile and sincerely imagined.

View all my reviews

Quick Video View of Printed Version:

Into the West

This song voiced by Annie Lennox and accompanied with footage from The Lord of the Rings film is a powerful and poignant expression of love for loved ones who have passed on. It fills my heart.

Streets of Minneapolis by Bruce Springsteen Video

Official @springsteen video of Streets of Minneapolis. Powerful. #springsteen #Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/wrp6pIevsj

— Spring-Nuts (@SpringNuts_) January 29, 2026

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

"STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS"

LYRICS

THROUGH THE WINTER'S ICE AND COLD

DOWN NICOLLET AVENUE

A CITY AFLAME FOUGHT FIRE AND ICE

'NEATH AN OCCUPIER'S BOOTS

KING TRUMP'S PRIVATE ARMY FROM THE DHS

GUNS BELTED TO THEIR COATS

CAME TO MINNEAPOLIS TO ENFORCE THE LAW

OR SO THEIR STORY GOES

AGAINST SMOKE AND RUBBER BULLETS

BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT CITIZENS STOOD FOR JUSTICE

THEIR VOICES RINGING THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THERE WERE BLOODY FOOTPRINTS

WHERE MERCY SHOULD HAVE STOOD

AND TWO DEAD LEFT TO DIE ON SNOW-FILLED STREETS

ALEX PRETTI AND RENEE GOOD

OH OUR MINNEAPOLIS, I HEAR YOUR VOICE SINGING THROUGH THE BLOODY MIST WE'LL TAKE OUR STAND FOR THIS LAND AND THE STRANGER IN OUR MIDST

HERE IN OUR HOME THEY KILLED AND ROAMED

IN THE WINTER OF '26

WE'LL REMEMBER THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO DIED

ON THE STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS

TRUMP'S FEDERAL THUGS BEAT UP ON

HIS FACE AND HIS CHEST

THEN WE HEARD THE GUNSHOTS

AND ALEX PRETTI LAY IN THE SNOW, DEAD THEIR CLAIM WAS SELF DEFENSE, SIR JUST DON'T BELIEVE YOUR EYES IT'S OUR BLOOD AND BONES

AND THESE WHISTLES AND PHONES

AGAINST MILLER AND NOEM'S DIRTY LIES

NOW THEY SAY THEY'RE HERE TO UPHOLD THE LAW

BUT THEY TRAMPLE ON OUR RIGHTS

IF YOUR SKIN IS BLACK OR BROWN MY FRIEND YOU CAN BE QUESTIONED OR DEPORTED ON SIGHT

IN CHANTS OF ICE OUT NOW

OUR CITY'S HEART AND SOUL PERSISTS

THROUGH BROKEN GLASS AND BLOODY TEARS

ON THE STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS

My Personalized Year Review with ChatGPT 2025

Throughout 2025, I regularly consulted and collaborated with 

ChatGPT. Capped off with a poem, here is the app's review of my year with its service:

3 Themes

Chat Stats

Chat Style

Fortune 🔮

Prediction

Still Life

Archetype

Year in Poem

 

X-Men Anime Japanese Intro Goes Hard

 

The 90s X-Men anime opening is insane pic.twitter.com/O3yfXL2EGv

— Blaze Binges (@BlazeBinges) December 17, 2025

The Japanese opening theme for the 90s X-Men animated series is "Rising" by Ambience. Here's an English translation of the lyrics:

Shock! Slashing with a knife fortified with lies
Shock! The city gulps down my dreams and shines
Your body will be cut by conflict and hatred…

— Grok (@grok) December 18, 2025

Full Lyrics here:

The Japanese opening theme for the 90s X-Men animated series is "Rising" by Ambience. Here's an English translation of the lyrics: Shock! Slashing with a knife fortified with lies Shock! The city gulps down my dreams and shines Your body will be cut by conflict and hatred Secretly attacking in the middle of the night, break out! Cry! In the valley of buildings, the sigh of sin Cry! Swept by the wind, the city turns its back When it changes into being lost, the storm blows violently, disturbing My heart is stolen with betrayal in hand, break out! Cry for the moon Why do people indulge themselves in masks? Your body will be cut by conflict and hatred Secretly attacking in the middle of the night, break out! The limelight lights up the rustling An illusion wet with real time.

BONUS: Just for fun, here's the Teen Titans Animated Intro

Teen Titans
Opening Theme pic.twitter.com/wYs1fnLgPg

— Blaze Binges (@BlazeBinges) December 17, 2025

Fun Marvel Hero Macy's Parade Clip!

 I enjoyed the following clip of a live-action performance of Marvel Super Heroes during a past Macy's Parade (Cheesy in a fun way - LOL!):

Stop what you're doing and watch the Marvel Universe float from the 1987 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, set to the music from Back to the Future and also RoboCop is there?! pic.twitter.com/9tfcrZaWgI

— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) November 27, 2025

But, of course, Spidey is the perennial top Super Hero of the Macy's Parade!

THWIP THWIP! 🕸️ Spider-Man swings through NYC at the #MacysParade to wish you an amazing Thanksgiving! pic.twitter.com/futudbXMfU

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) November 27, 2025