Tag: hobbies

More Star Wars – News!

If you are anything like me, you will have watched all of the Star Wars films several times over the years. I was born in 1977 when the original Star Wars movie came out. This fact makes me feel like I am part of a Star Wars generation. TV series and movies come and go but right now I am excited to see that there have been more Star Wars news announcements over Easter.

I was beginning to wonder what comes next after the disappointing news that Willow won’t be renewed in the near future. Never say never though. It feels like this is the right time for some big feature films to appear on the horizon instead.

So we all need to get ourselves ready to be wowed by the amazing special effects of ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). I was recently watching a documentary about how they began with Star Wars – Episode 4. George Lucas gathered together a group of model makers and technology wizards to push the boundaries of film making. Now they make so many epic movies and lead the way with CGI.

Anyway, here is what we know so far about the new Star Wars developments. So, strap yourself in and get ready for more light-speed action and heart-warming Jedi orientated narratives.

Mandolurian Paved The Way

As the Mandolurians say quite often, ‘This is the way.’ For me, it is a no-brainer that Lucasfilm are continuing to extend the Star Wars Universe. George Lucas always saw the possibility of lots of storylines existing on the same timeline.

With the popularity of Baby Yoga (Grogu) and his companion Mando (the Mandolurian) there was bound to be more. The spin-off Star Wars series such as Obi-Wan and the Book of Bobba Fett have roped in younger fans and kept Star Wars popular and relevant. Rightly so.

What’s New?

Legendary Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy announced that there will be three more movies in the Star Wars franchise. They will be covering different aspects of the Galaxy and set at different times.

Dave Filoni, who fronted Mando and Bobba Fett, amongst other TV shows, is directing a film about the New Republic. I have been loving the new Disney Plus seasons and wondered how they all connected. Maybe this film will bridge the gaps.

James Mangold will apparently direct a movie taking us back to the dawn of the Jedi. Meanwhile, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be directing as we watch Rey (played again by Daisy Ridley) trying to build a new Jedi order after the events of the last film.

In A Nutshell

I have to say I wish I had had tickets to the Disney Celebration event last weekend. It must have been amazing to witness Kathleen Kennedy announce these incredible new films. Since producing Jurassic Park, ET, Schindler’s List and the newer Star Wars movies, I have always found her an inspiring film maker.

Are you excited about three new Star Wars movies? Do you have fond memories of growing up with the franchise? Let me know what you think in the comments. Perhaps you are a lifetime fan of Yoda, Leia and R2D2, like me.

Also, have a look at my recent Dungeons and Dragons review. Perhaps also consider following my blog for future similar content. I especially love reviewing books, TV shows and movies. My blog also keeps you up to date with environmental issues and how to be ecofriendly.

My Current Projects

Sometimes I feel like just taking stock of what I am up to with regards to writing and blogging. This post is to let you know what my current projects are and how I am getting on with these.

As a teacher, I have to be very organised in order to write fresh content. I also want to keep expanding my horizons because one day I want to write for a living.

Blogging

My blog is nearly two years old and I have varied the amount of content I produced. Lately I have tried to be more consistent and I can see the engagement has gone up. Here are a couple of recent articles I am proud of:

Allelujah Film: Celebrating The NHS
Read, Watch and Listen – April

Audio

I have also decided to really get into podcasting again. I dallied in it once before but did not make enough time to grow the podcast. Now I have decided to make sure I produce some spoken content weekly, even if just a small amount.

Here is my first episode:

Or you can find it here:

JamieAdStories Podcast – on Apple Podcasts

Final Thoughts

I appreciate your thoughts on my current projects and would love some followers for my brand new podcast. Thank you for being supportive and keeping up to date with my content.

Why Business Sim Games Are Fun To Play

Collaborative post about money-related online Sim games.

I have mentioned before how much I love playing online games. They can be very entertaining and useful, especially when filling time, waiting for meetings or travelling from one place to another. If these games can reflect the real world, then that is even better. You may even learn something while playing them.

Money-related games

Imagine being able to play Sim games that are based on real life. Games that simulate financial things such as making investments and making decisions about trading. For me, these kinds of games are more interesting and relevant than racing games or wrestling simulations. My best friend would disagree. For him, you can’t beat an hour of Wrestlemania.

This article is my way of saying that business simulations can be just as fun, but while also being educational.

A Few Examples

I have become fond of a game which relates to trading stocks and shares (something which I do regularly, but not always well). Stocks is a game where you have to click to buy and sell your stocks as they rise and fall in value. It is quite fast and you have to be a rapid clicker to stand any chance of making money (not real money obviously – this is a game after all).

A screenshot from the Stocks game.

Housing Market Game

Real Estate Tycoon is also a lot of fun. I have been trying to get my head around this one which involves buying and selling houses as they increase and decrease in value. As each property is built, a green speech bubble appears showing the value go up or down. You have to make quick decisions about when to sell and the resulting profit or loss shows up in the top score bar.

A screenshot from Real Estate Tycoon

Entertaining but cost-free

There are so many games to choose from which are related to money and finance. If you enjoy activities which make you really think and make quick decisions, then these particular games will easily satisfy your needs. For me, they scratch an itch. The best thing about them is that they are free and you don’t lose any real money if you make the wrong decisions.

A lot of computer games do cost money these days. Even if they are free to begin with, you soon end up buying credits to progress further through modern online games. That is why I happily recommend free business Sim games, as they are easily accessible and you won’t be persuaded to pay for credits later on.

Final Thoughts

The idea of playing online games to pass time may be commonplace these days. However, having the chance to practise life skills while playing Sim games may be new to you. I learned about these types of games through blogging and previously wrote about them but this time I have focused on ones which I find most fun and relevant (especially for me, as a person obsessed with stocks and shares).

Thank you for reading my article about online games. Which do you prefer to play? If you are also looking for TV suggestions, check out Two TV Shows Worth Watching. Please drop a comment and consider following my blog for future similar content.