Ranking the 20 Highest Grossing Movies (so far)? Yup!

Sean Chandler has an interesting take on the top 20 grossing movies of all time, not taking into account inflation or the change of what a movie ticket represents over time.  You can see his list on his video.  Under that, I've provided my own brief comments and ranking next to his ranking for my own thoughts about these various movies.

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SC #	Movie	Box Office (WW)	My #	My Comments
1	Avengers: Endgame (2019)	$2.80 billion	3	Thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying conclusion to the MCU Phase 3 and the Infinity Saga.
2	Avengers: Infinity War (2018)	$2.05 billion	2	To me, Infinity War is a better movie overall than Endgame, as the pieces all come together for the biggest cliffhanger in movie history.
3	Top Gun: Maverick (2022)	$1.50 billion	9	This is a very enjoyable movie with an extremely simple and formulaic plot.
4	Titanic (1997)	$2.26 billion	1	A showcase of human interactions with all our flaws and selfish actions on full display, told in a way that changes our perspective of an history event while honoring those who lost so much from it.
5	The Odyssey (2026)	$1.46 billion+ (still in theaters)	6	An awesome telling of the historic classic tale, but perhaps would've benefited with updated storyline to smooth over elements of the original epic that no longer function with our current understanding of the World, such not having Hell be an actual physical location to which one could sail.
6	The Avengers (2012)	$1.52 billion	7	The OG of cinematic universe culminations which brought Phase 1 of the MCU to an exciting and hopeful conclusion.
7	Inside Out 2 (2024)	$1.70 billion	N/A	I've never seen this movie, but not against seeing it at some point.
8	Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)	$2.23 billion+ (still in theaters)	8	Fun movie that brings together many different elements from diverse origins within the greater Marvel Comics mythos, though it may have covered too many topics, as some plotlines where left without full resolution.
9	Frozen II (2019)	$1.45 billion	N/A	I've never seen this movie and not interested in going out of my way to see it.
10	Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)	$1.92 billion	11	Exciting movie that expands the scope of Spider-Man mythos, but had more fan service than actual plot.
11	Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)	$2.07 billion	14	An interesting retelling of Star Wars: A New Hope in a manor that forced Star War movies into a very cyclical and repetitive story arc. However, this movie is diminished even more by the lack of story cohesion from its sequel.
12	Jurassic World (2015)	$1.67 billion	12	Fun movie that forces the Jurassic Park movies into a very cyclical and repetitive story arc.
13	Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)	$2.32 billion	10	A great return of the Avatar franchise that becomes diminished by a repetitive and yet superior sequel. Had Fire and Ash come out first, this movie would have been unnecessary.
14	Avatar (2009)	$2.92 billion	4	The OG "must see in 3D" movie that tells a well thought-out story while introducing a new cinematic Universe.
15	Furious 7 (2015)	$1.52 billion	N/A	I've never seen this movie and not interested in going out of my way to see it.
16	Zootopia 2 (2025)	$1.80 billion+ (still in theaters)	15	Enjoyable film, but with a story that is inferior to the original Zootopia movie in almost every way.
17	Barbie (2023)	$1.45 billion	13	This is a fun flash-in-the-pan experience that likely won't be repeated, at least not within the genre of movies derived from toy IP.
18	Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)	$1.48 billion+ (still in theaters)	5	Enjoyable film. Its unfortunate this movie will always be compared with The Way of Water since this movie is better in almost every way, though it repeats much of the plot from its predecessor. Its a great movie that fleshes out the Avatar cinematic Universe.
19	Ne Zha 2 (2025)	$2.2 billion	N/A	I've never seen this movie and not interested in going out of my way to see it.
20	The Lion King (2019)	$1.66 billion	N/A	I've never seen this movie and not interested in going out of my way to see it.

Life Stages and Years for Dogs

Canine Aging

Approximate Dog Years

The "multiply by seven" rule is a myth. Dogs mature fast in year one, keep aging quickly in year two, then their pace splits by size with bigger dogs aging faster in their adult years. Pick a size and drag the slider to see their approximate age as compared to human lifespan.

Adult size

Dog's actual age

3 yrs

28

human years

≈ 3-year-old small dog is about 28 in human terms.

Adult

Aging curve

Small Medium Large Giant

Based on commonly cited veterinary aging charts (AVMA / AKC-style size breakdowns). All dogs age at roughly the same fast pace through year two, then aging curves diverge. Small and medium dogs level off; large and giant breeds keep climbing. Each slider's outer edge is stretched to fit real-world longevity outliers where small dogs are the ones most likely to reach their late teens or early 20s, while giant breeds rarely see much past their early-to-mid teens. As such, the giant breed curve ends stops sooner. Treat this as a rough estimate, not a diagnosis, since genetics, breed, and health matter as much as size.

For information on other tools and topics:

• A list of many types of Angles from Geometry: So many varieties! [Do you know of angle types that didn't make the list?.]
• Collatz Conjecture Visualizer: Explore one of math's great unsolved problems interactively. [Explore the Collatz paths]
• Earth's Looming Expiration Date: Why Earth faces an early deadline as the Sun's energy output increases. [Idea on how to preserve our planet]
• Number Rounding Tool: Multiple methods of rounding supported. [Type your number and round it up or down!]

The opening line of Beowulf isn't actually confusing

 Hwæt wē Gār-Dena in gēardagum þēodcyninga þrym gefrūnon hū ða æþelingas ellen fremedon

The above is the Old English opening line for Beowulf.  There's been a lot of debate on how to translate the opening word "Hwaet".  This is ironic because "hwaet" is Old English for "what", so the question is, what's there to translate‽  Here's a straight translation without punctuation (though capitalization is added per modern convention).

What we have heard of the majesty of the Spear-Danes in days of old how the nobles performed acts of courage

The problem comes from punctuation that has been added by translators.  For Centuries, translators have added punctuation to that treats "Hwaet" as an interjection.

An interjection is a word or phrase that is grammatically independent from the words around it, and mainly expresses feeling rather than meaning. - Merriam-Webster

So, the punctuation typically breaks up the first line into two sentences, but that breakdown is the reason for the confusion.

Hwæt! Wē Gār-Dena in gēardagum, þēodcyninga, þrym gefrūnon, hū ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. 

There are huge debates on how to translate "Hwaet" as an interjection. Choices that have been made are "Lo!", "Listen!", "So,", "Hark!" and "Bro!", among many others. However, a plain reading the text reveals something that's typically missed in all of these debates.

"Hwaet" is not an interjection! It should be treated as an intensifying adverb.  It shouldn't be separately punctuated because it is grammatically necessary to the sentence.  The first line should just be:

"Hwæt wē Gār-Dena in gēardagum, þēodcyninga, þrym gefrūnon, hū ða æþelingas ellen fremedon." 

Or

"What we have heard of the majesty of the Spear-Danes in days of old, how the nobles performed acts of courage."

This restores a concept from the plain reading, that of parallelism between the two phrases with structures that utilize an intensifying adverb.  This is the raw poetry of the line.  In fact, if there are to be two sentences, the breakdown should be between these two phrases (which currently form a run-on sentence).

"What we have heard of the majesty of the Spear-Danes in days of old. How the nobles performed acts of courage."

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However, from my perspective, there's another problem that now arises with modern translations.  That is, modern translations seem to treat Beowulf as story being told by a bard as some myth from long ago.  In my opinion, that's not how a plain reading of that first line introduces the story.

Let's try a literal-based (word-for-word) translation.

What we Spear-Danes in days-of-old of-people-kings majesty have-heard how the nobles courage performed

If we take "we" to be inclusive to an intended audience having some relationship with the Spear-Danes, then this isn't a bard's retelling of an old myth.  It could be the speaker including the audience in a story about a shared lineage.  Taking this into account may render the modern translation as follows:

What of the Spear-Danes in days of old, of the kings' majesty we have heard. How the nobles performed acts of courage.

By respecting the grammar of the original text (even without punctuation as guides), we actually may  discover a sentence that introduces a story as a matter of heritage, a claim of shared greatness from which the audience descends.  Such an introduction actually recontextualizes the entire surviving story of Beowulf.  This story regales the audience with great deeds of a shared history.

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Sources:

• The status of hwæt in old English - George Walkden
• Listen! Beowulf opening line misinterpreted for 200 years - Jonathan Brown
• What is Hwæt? The Debate Behind Beowulf’s Opening Line - Hana Videen

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AI was not used to generate this article.  This article was written by a real-life human.

Mission Bay and Achilles Point

December 14 in Auckland, Allie and I spent some more time with her cousin in Mission Bay for lunch and some ice cream.  We headed over to Achilles Point afterwards. While taking some photos from the overlook, another person approached me with his significant other and made a comment about my performance earlier in the week. Allie and her cousin were thoroughly confused. However, it is not an uncommon event for me to be recognized as someone I'm not. It did take me a second, but I quickly commented with a smirk to the man (while half addressing Allie), "You think you know me!"  I then politely explained to him that I wasn't who he thought and that others often confuse me for other people too. At first the man was suspicious that I claimed to not be who he thought I was, but Allie's confusion at the whole engagement allowed the interaction to end with a light chuckle by him and me.

Allie and I ended the day with dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant back in CBD called Amano, where the food and drinks were great.

Homebound

The next day, we went for a morning walk to a breakfast spot. I spotted a black and white bird.  Later that day was our our flight home. Delays to this flight involved a replaced plane since the scheduled plane had maintenance issues. However, we still made it back to San Francisco on December 15.

Also see

• Queenstown Dec 3-5 - Gondola and Central Business District
• Queenstown Dec 6 - Lord of the Rings Filming Locations Tour
• Queenstown Dec 7 - Extra day in town
• Auckland Dec 8-9 - Arrival and Exploration
• Auckland Dec 10 -  Auckland's Harbor and Newmarket Mall
• Auckland Dec 11 - Rotorua, New Zealand
• Auckland Dec 12 - Auckland Zoo and Horse Races
• Auckland Dec 13 - Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
• Auckland Dec 14-15 - Mission Bay and Achilles Point, then Home
• New Zealand South and North Islands Adventure

Humans aren't sponges!

The reason we humans are not sponges is because our ancestors were worse at being sponges than the ancestors of modern spongers. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Db38e12D6OW/

How are their Flat Earthers in Denver, of all places‽

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Da-m80XjgFR/

When I first moved to the Denver area, the location struck me as a place with geology and weather that would serve as its own evidence against flat Earth concepts, with a mountain range that extends beyond the horizon in two directions, no visibility beyond the horizon when looking Eastward (even when looking over the Great Plains from Front Range peaks), and morning and evening Sunlight that illuminates the bottom of low altitude clouds. Imagine my surprise when I found out this is a hotbed for Flat Earth nonsense. Like, do any of these people spend any time outside enjoying the beauty of the region‽