So, apparently this has been a DOOM filled week. Was going to mow the lawn today, but the mower had other ideas. It started up like normal, ran for about two seconds and then died with a cough of black smoke. And refused to start up again. Ended up having to borrow a neighbour's mower as the lawn really needed a trim. Stupid yard work implements. Stupid yard work.
Even regular work was rather frustrating today. But then again when isn't it?
At any rate, it's a three day weekend and tomorrow is Friday. ^_^
Plus there are rumors that Nintendo's new console will be relatively inexpensive. Certainly in relation to the other two. Smart move on the big N's part.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
The Fog rolls back in
Have I mentioned that they're remaking The Fog? I love that movie. Classic Carpenter. Wonder how they'll remake it? Hopefully they'll keep all the charming bits - cheesy frame story, evil townspeople, conflicted undead sailors... It just goes on. ^_^
Anyway, not much else to ramble on about. It's been a quiet kind of day. And that's a pretty good thing.
Anyway, not much else to ramble on about. It's been a quiet kind of day. And that's a pretty good thing.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Tuesday... of DOOM
King Kong has a trailer now. Looks pretty good actually. Special effects have come a long way.
And other than that I don't really have a lot to say. I suppose a better title would have been IMPENDING DOOM as I suspect I shall have a few things to discuss come the weekend.
The only bright spot is that I think I may have sorted out my time off for the rest of the year and come August I'll be on short weeks. w00t. Or exclamation of joy of your choice.
And other than that I don't really have a lot to say. I suppose a better title would have been IMPENDING DOOM as I suspect I shall have a few things to discuss come the weekend.
The only bright spot is that I think I may have sorted out my time off for the rest of the year and come August I'll be on short weeks. w00t. Or exclamation of joy of your choice.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Book 27
Finished The Beach by Alex Garland. Odd combination of Lord of the Flies and something like Utopia. Garland's writing style is enjoyable and he creates characters that are interesting to follow, but overall I'm not sure I'd recommend this book. We'll see how The Tesseract goes next. Maybe that will help cement a few things. I suspect that The Coma will end up being my favorite story by him. (Although the 28 Days Later screenplay would be a close second...)
I'm not entirely sure what puts me off The Beach. The drug use got a bit old. There were some good bits though. Almost anything involving Keaty, Jed or Mister Duck was worthwhile. I suppose part of it is that I just don't really identify with that subset of my generation. That and I'm not entirely certain that is my generation. I'm probably just old enough that I fall into that group right before "Gen X". But the idea that you could find a quiet, untouched place is an interesting theme worth exploring. I may have to track down Lost Horizon as I've heard it looks at some of the same things. It's interesting to me that some of the classics are now coming out repackaged for a new group of people...
I'm not entirely sure what puts me off The Beach. The drug use got a bit old. There were some good bits though. Almost anything involving Keaty, Jed or Mister Duck was worthwhile. I suppose part of it is that I just don't really identify with that subset of my generation. That and I'm not entirely certain that is my generation. I'm probably just old enough that I fall into that group right before "Gen X". But the idea that you could find a quiet, untouched place is an interesting theme worth exploring. I may have to track down Lost Horizon as I've heard it looks at some of the same things. It's interesting to me that some of the classics are now coming out repackaged for a new group of people...
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Trickery
My wife and I do have some overlapping tastes in entertainment. While she doesn't enjoy cheap horror like I do, I can get her to watch some regular horror as well as action and suspense. We both like platform games and we enjoy some of the same types of literature. A lot of this has to do with the fact that we've been together for quite a while. By now we've pretty much merged what we do like and know to enjoy the other stuff on our own time. But there are times she refuses to believe this. While I will admit to some rather bad guesses earlier on in our marriage, by now I'm pretty good at it.
So, I told her she should read The Coma. It was interesting and I figured she'd enjoy it. She didn't believe me. We were going to head to the library today to poke around for a few things for the kids. The Coma was a new book so it was due back a little earlier than a couple of the other books we have out at the moment. I asked if she was going to read it or not. She hemmed and hawed a bit so I said, "Look, just read the first five pages. You'll know then whether or not if you want to read it." So she did and of course she finished it a couple hours later. I tried not to say "I told you so" too many times. And I didn't point out the sheepish expression on her face. Well, I'm pointing it out now, but that's different. ^_^
I'm glad she enjoyed it though. I think she's one step closer to trusting me when I recommend things for her.
And on an unrelated note, it looks liks Land of the Dead is getting good reviews. Good on Romero. Look forward to checking that out at some point...
So, I told her she should read The Coma. It was interesting and I figured she'd enjoy it. She didn't believe me. We were going to head to the library today to poke around for a few things for the kids. The Coma was a new book so it was due back a little earlier than a couple of the other books we have out at the moment. I asked if she was going to read it or not. She hemmed and hawed a bit so I said, "Look, just read the first five pages. You'll know then whether or not if you want to read it." So she did and of course she finished it a couple hours later. I tried not to say "I told you so" too many times. And I didn't point out the sheepish expression on her face. Well, I'm pointing it out now, but that's different. ^_^
I'm glad she enjoyed it though. I think she's one step closer to trusting me when I recommend things for her.
And on an unrelated note, it looks liks Land of the Dead is getting good reviews. Good on Romero. Look forward to checking that out at some point...
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Links
This is an interview with George Romero. Land of the Dead comes out tomorrow. It was an interesting interview. I especially liked the bit that involved the actors from Shaun of the Dead. That and the fact that Romero is not a fan of speedy zombies...
This is a Japanese IQ test. Hit the big blue circle and then try to get all the people across the river.
And that's enough entertainment for now.
This is a Japanese IQ test. Hit the big blue circle and then try to get all the people across the river.
And that's enough entertainment for now.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Primer
To conclude indie film rental-a-thon, I snagged Primer at the same time as the previously blogged Machinist. Primer wasn't as well received. My wife and the letter 'r' were sorely unimpressed. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. It's a movie that requires multiple viewings. And the commentary tracks. And a strategy guide to help navigate the tough bits. Full points for originality. Full points for telling a story that focuses on an issue. No points for clarity. Things start to come together, but they never gel. You don't really get an a-ha moment of illumination that throws everything into strong relief. But it's interesting. If you don't mind using your brain (a lot) while watching a film, give it a go. If nothing else it'll humble you a bit and you'll feel better the next time you sit through an Arnie movie.
And the letter 'r' has also come across a book that I will be reading in the not too distant future. It's about Robert Rodriguez. Rebel without a Crew. More later.
And the letter 'r' has also come across a book that I will be reading in the not too distant future. It's about Robert Rodriguez. Rebel without a Crew. More later.
The Machinist, take 2
Alright, a warning first. If you haven't seen The Machinist, don't read this post. Unless you don't plan on watching it. In which case you can still avoid this post. I feel like actually talking about the movie some and I can't really do that without spoiling it. So consider yourselves warned.
The Machinist is quite a little piece of celluloid. First off, Christian Bale - weight loss, 63 lbs, walking skeleton stick of a man, yadda yadda yadda. Now that that's out of the way. What we have here is basically a redemption tale. A homily on guilt. The striking figure that is Trevor Reznik is a warning on the powerful force that is human nature and what can happen to us if we let it. Only instead of a metaphysical discourse on how guilt can eat us alive, we watch it consume poor Trevor. Literally. I mean look at him. Eeesh.
Actually the film discusses both sides of that coin. The majority of the movie looks at some of the interior aspects of what guilt can do, but we don't realize it at the time. Brad Anderson directs a picture that for the most part is a suspense film and saves the moral for the final reveal at the end.
The problem is, the movie is pretty dense. I still can't make heads or tails of the timeline. I think I've managed to figure out who Ivan is (Trevor's repressed conscience that finally makes itself heard), but I'm still unsure of what happened when and with whom. Mostly this revolves around Stevie. It's apparent at the end that Stevie knows what Trevor used to look like. And I suspect that Trevor is in reality the psycho ex-boyfriend that she refers to. But if that's the case, how do we view the relationship that they have over the course of the movie. It's obviously the template for the relationship he builds in his mind with the boy's mother at the airport diner, but beyond that I'm a little stuck. And I don't really know what to make of the events in the machine shop. Further grist for the guilt mill? (Pun only slighty intended. ^_^)
At any rate, The Machinist is certainly a powerful film and one my wife and I quite enjoyed. It's up there in the ranks of The Fisher King and se7en for redemption/cautionary tales for me. I suspect multiple viewings would help make further sense, but I'll have to wait a bit before I can sit through it again. Mostly because I took it back to the video store already for the dollar credit... Stupid video store.
The Machinist is quite a little piece of celluloid. First off, Christian Bale - weight loss, 63 lbs, walking skeleton stick of a man, yadda yadda yadda. Now that that's out of the way. What we have here is basically a redemption tale. A homily on guilt. The striking figure that is Trevor Reznik is a warning on the powerful force that is human nature and what can happen to us if we let it. Only instead of a metaphysical discourse on how guilt can eat us alive, we watch it consume poor Trevor. Literally. I mean look at him. Eeesh.
Actually the film discusses both sides of that coin. The majority of the movie looks at some of the interior aspects of what guilt can do, but we don't realize it at the time. Brad Anderson directs a picture that for the most part is a suspense film and saves the moral for the final reveal at the end.
The problem is, the movie is pretty dense. I still can't make heads or tails of the timeline. I think I've managed to figure out who Ivan is (Trevor's repressed conscience that finally makes itself heard), but I'm still unsure of what happened when and with whom. Mostly this revolves around Stevie. It's apparent at the end that Stevie knows what Trevor used to look like. And I suspect that Trevor is in reality the psycho ex-boyfriend that she refers to. But if that's the case, how do we view the relationship that they have over the course of the movie. It's obviously the template for the relationship he builds in his mind with the boy's mother at the airport diner, but beyond that I'm a little stuck. And I don't really know what to make of the events in the machine shop. Further grist for the guilt mill? (Pun only slighty intended. ^_^)
At any rate, The Machinist is certainly a powerful film and one my wife and I quite enjoyed. It's up there in the ranks of The Fisher King and se7en for redemption/cautionary tales for me. I suspect multiple viewings would help make further sense, but I'll have to wait a bit before I can sit through it again. Mostly because I took it back to the video store already for the dollar credit... Stupid video store.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Monday, June 20, 2005
Books 25 and 26
Beautiful Aquarium was an odd little book. I asked my wife to snag me a book about setting up aquariums when she went to the library the other day. And this was the book she came back with. It covers this strange creature known as Dutch Aquariums. I had no idea such a thing existed. Apparently the Dutch like aquariums. And they like to feature plants as opposed to fish in them. A Dutch Aquarium is about creating an underwater garden. Very much centered around the plant life and the few fish that might be found there. So not entirely helpful as I'm more interested in looking at the fish. Plus it was just an odd book. Strange bouts of bias interspersed with odd bits of superiority. Will have to track down another book about fish tanks.
The Coma by Alex Garland, however, was a delightful read. Years ago Kit recommended a book called Einstein's Dreams. That was a whimsical little book that took on some of the trickier aspects of time and physics as seen through the lens of Einstein's dreams. (Hence the oh so clever title) The Coma is also a bit of a whimsical book that tackles the nature of reality vs. dream. It reminds me a bit of that old TV show Tales from the Darkside (as opposed to The Twilight Zone). Garland weaves both words and images into a book that is pretty hard to put down. In fact, you probably won't until you finish it. It's pretty short, but no less powerful for it's brevity. Perfect for perusing a couple times.
In fact, much like Fight Club when I first read it, I'll probably read through The Coma again pretty quickly to see what other bits of information I can glean from it. It's a book I could see assigning to a High School English class as required reading. Of course I'd probably assign them some Neil Gaiman as well as the aforementioned Palahniuk, so a proper English teacher I'll never be. ^_^ (Actually, despite all the classics - some of which there is little doubt as to why they're classics - I had a pretty cool English teacher. She was probably a good part of why I got an English degree...)
At any rate, The Coma was a great little read as well as an interesting and thought-provoking one. I look forward to reading some more by Mr. Garland.
The Coma by Alex Garland, however, was a delightful read. Years ago Kit recommended a book called Einstein's Dreams. That was a whimsical little book that took on some of the trickier aspects of time and physics as seen through the lens of Einstein's dreams. (Hence the oh so clever title) The Coma is also a bit of a whimsical book that tackles the nature of reality vs. dream. It reminds me a bit of that old TV show Tales from the Darkside (as opposed to The Twilight Zone). Garland weaves both words and images into a book that is pretty hard to put down. In fact, you probably won't until you finish it. It's pretty short, but no less powerful for it's brevity. Perfect for perusing a couple times.
In fact, much like Fight Club when I first read it, I'll probably read through The Coma again pretty quickly to see what other bits of information I can glean from it. It's a book I could see assigning to a High School English class as required reading. Of course I'd probably assign them some Neil Gaiman as well as the aforementioned Palahniuk, so a proper English teacher I'll never be. ^_^ (Actually, despite all the classics - some of which there is little doubt as to why they're classics - I had a pretty cool English teacher. She was probably a good part of why I got an English degree...)
At any rate, The Coma was a great little read as well as an interesting and thought-provoking one. I look forward to reading some more by Mr. Garland.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Miyazaki
Howl's Moving Castle was great. McKenna enjoyed it and it kept enough of Miranda's attention that she tried to keep up with it. Honestly it was a little old for her. Miyazaki's animation is still a thing to behold. The voice talent was excellent and it was fun to see Dianna Wynn Jones's book come to life. Wholeheartedly recommended.
And another trailer. Another Bill Murray film from Focus Features. Looks good.
And another trailer. Another Bill Murray film from Focus Features. Looks good.
Before I forget
Trailer for The Brothers Grimm, the new Terry Gilliam flick. The video quality isn't stellar, but this is one to see. Plus it's got Matt Damon in it. The half of the Dynamic Duo that can actually act...
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Nothing to see
Move along. They've put up some interesting stuff over the last couple days.
I on the other hand don't really have anything. Which isn't to say there aren't things to discuss. I remember thinking Press the Buttons had a few things of interest. And a couple other places, but I really haven't had time to jot these things down for you.
Had quite the rousing game of Canasta the other night. My wife and I barely managed to eke a victory out over the in-laws. Good times.
Rented I, Robot so they and the letter 'r' could check it out. Held up well on its second viewing. Oddly, it seemed a lot more philosophical than I remember it being. This could be due to the fact that I rented it more for action content and I'd forgotten those bits, but regardless it was still good. Especially enjoyed the "ghosts in the machine" voice-over this time for some reason.
The Old Spaghetti Factory is a pretty good restaurant as well. Although the Vesuvius wasn't as spicy as advertised.
I on the other hand don't really have anything. Which isn't to say there aren't things to discuss. I remember thinking Press the Buttons had a few things of interest. And a couple other places, but I really haven't had time to jot these things down for you.
Had quite the rousing game of Canasta the other night. My wife and I barely managed to eke a victory out over the in-laws. Good times.
Rented I, Robot so they and the letter 'r' could check it out. Held up well on its second viewing. Oddly, it seemed a lot more philosophical than I remember it being. This could be due to the fact that I rented it more for action content and I'd forgotten those bits, but regardless it was still good. Especially enjoyed the "ghosts in the machine" voice-over this time for some reason.
The Old Spaghetti Factory is a pretty good restaurant as well. Although the Vesuvius wasn't as spicy as advertised.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Random moment
Posting will be a bit hectic this week as my in-laws are here. Just when the kids were over the last set of grandparents... ^_^
Actually it's been a really nice visit so far. They watched the kids so my wife and I could get out a bit, so we can accept a bit of grandkid spoiling in return. Although the guitar they decided McKenna needed as a birthday gift is questionable...
Haven't had a chance to make a trip to the library recently so I have no idea what the next book will be.
Anyway, laundry is buzzing and real life is doing it's best to poke me in the back muttering "You've got things to do..."
Actually it's been a really nice visit so far. They watched the kids so my wife and I could get out a bit, so we can accept a bit of grandkid spoiling in return. Although the guitar they decided McKenna needed as a birthday gift is questionable...
Haven't had a chance to make a trip to the library recently so I have no idea what the next book will be.
Anyway, laundry is buzzing and real life is doing it's best to poke me in the back muttering "You've got things to do..."
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Mr and Mrs Smith
Went to Mr and Mrs Smith this afternoon. Great flick. Take True Lies and stick it in front of a mirror. Take that reverse and add a dash of War of the Roses, stir and let simmer. I enjoyed this one a lot more than War of the Roses. To me, that movie was just completely unpalatable. It was just too mean-spirited to be fun. Mr and Mrs Smith managed to hold onto the humor and kept the relationship real. In spite of the troubled nature, they managed to pull out of it. Brad Pitt has some great comedic talent on top of his action chops. Go see it.
And this is wonderfully creepy...
And this is wonderfully creepy...
Friday, June 10, 2005
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Random
House of Flying Daggers fit the Asian Cinema bill. I'd like to know how they get the colors so vibrant in their films. Do they color them post process? Filters? Voodoo? I liked Hero a touch better, but Daggers was certainly enjoyable. Some nice fight/dance sequences. Beautiful cinematography. And the standard everybody dies ending. I suppose that one's a little arguable this time, but most everybody at any rate. If you've liked any of the other Chinese films out over the last couple years, you'll feel right at home with this one.
Seems like there was something else worth mentioning, but I forget what it was. So there. The British reduced sitcoms to a formula. But I don't have the link at the moment. I'm undecided if that constitutes British humor - reducing comedy to a formula. I suspect it does.
And tomorrow is Friday.
Seems like there was something else worth mentioning, but I forget what it was. So there. The British reduced sitcoms to a formula. But I don't have the link at the moment. I'm undecided if that constitutes British humor - reducing comedy to a formula. I suspect it does.
And tomorrow is Friday.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Magazine
Giant may win the new magazine for the letter 'd' search. I've been hunting around for a while for something and so far this looks pretty promising. 'r' lets me borrow Wired when it comes out and I've been tempted to get my own subscription, but I have more fun browsing that one than reading it cover to cover. Giant on the other hand has been fun to get in there and read. A "Men's Magazine", it covers movies, books, music, and games. It follows that bizarre trend that most magazines adhere to lately of consisting mostly of bullet-point style articles, but the interviews are interesting and the women aren't looking for their next paycheck in the porn industry. This year it's bi-monthly but next year it goes to ten issues a year. Plus the current June/July issue features an article about Donnie Darko. Bonus points right there.
Monday, June 06, 2005
The Long Dark Monday of the Soul
Eh, I just thought it would be a cool title. A riff on good ol' D. Adams. I need to get to the library.
Apple is in the news again. Switching over to Intel chips. At the moment I have no thoughts on this because I'm not sure how it will affect me. Hopefully not a lot for a while. By the time I need to buy a new computer I hope the transition to that chip is over.
Have I mentioned that we watched Ocean's Twelve? Eesh. That film needed to be at least half an hour shorter. It was far too long and far too slow. I enjoyed the first one, but this was just painful. Oh well. I get to make my wife sit through House of Flying Daggers on Wednesday, so turnabout is still fair play.
And we're hoping to see Mr. and Mrs. Smith on Friday. What can I say, it looks like silly action fun. And you can almost never go wrong with that if that's what you're looking for.
At any rate, Monday is rounding out to a close, so that light ahead should no longer be the oncoming train.
Apple is in the news again. Switching over to Intel chips. At the moment I have no thoughts on this because I'm not sure how it will affect me. Hopefully not a lot for a while. By the time I need to buy a new computer I hope the transition to that chip is over.
Have I mentioned that we watched Ocean's Twelve? Eesh. That film needed to be at least half an hour shorter. It was far too long and far too slow. I enjoyed the first one, but this was just painful. Oh well. I get to make my wife sit through House of Flying Daggers on Wednesday, so turnabout is still fair play.
And we're hoping to see Mr. and Mrs. Smith on Friday. What can I say, it looks like silly action fun. And you can almost never go wrong with that if that's what you're looking for.
At any rate, Monday is rounding out to a close, so that light ahead should no longer be the oncoming train.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Book 24
Finished Order of the Phoenix. And there's just over a month until the new one comes out.
Goblet of Fire was a decent read. I have vague memories of acquiring that one. My folks sent it to us. After they had read it. So it arrived in less than stellar condition, but arrived nonetheless. While it suffers from being huge, it still told an enjoyable tale. The Tri-Wizard Tournament was an enjoyable backdrop for the action that went on. And of course the ending brought the first of the much whispered about character deaths. This one was a bit of a red shirt, but oh well.
Order of the Phoenix was a different matter. I got, and read, it the day it came out. Good ol' Amazon. No pesky lines for me. Reading it in such a short space of time was a bit of an injustice though. It's definitely my least favorite of all the books. It may advance a few things plot wise, but it's not an enjoyable read. I don't care if Harry is acting your typical teenager, you shouldn't hate the main character. And after that initial read-through I did. I've since read it twice (including this one) and it's gotten a bit better. The second time through I actually enjoyed it a bit more. Harry wasn't as angry and obnoxious as I remembered him, but Umbridge was still just a real low point. I'm all for villains you can hate, but she was unbearable. This last read through just left me feeling indifferent. It's not that great a book. So, here's to hoping that Rowling gets back to telling a decent story and learns to be a bit more concise. At least Fred & George are still brilliant. I'm going to miss them in Book 6. Hopefully they'll be around some where. And then there was Sirius's death. I think I'll just point out that it happened. That's about all the time she gave it. And the relationship between Sirius and Harry. (Actually that's a little unfair - reading them this time did show that she tried to highlight Harry's feelings for Sirius when she got the chance, but those chances were few enough that it still didn't carry a lot of weight when she bumped him off. It was more of a "Oh, Harry's about to have a surrogate Father, let's get rid of him" kind of thing.)
So. Speculation? We know more characters will die - I'm betting on Dumbledore at some point (as Rowling is telling a pretty traditional Hero's journey) and Remus at the silver hand of Peter. Other than that it's a pretty level playing field. I suspect the trio will make it out alive, but probably not unscathed. That most likely points to a Weasley death of some sort, but I'm not sure who would affect Hermione that much. Unless it's Ron, but I don't think it will be him - chess sacrifice in Book 1 notwithstanding. Some possible romance. Will Ron and Hermione finally stop bickering? Harry and Ginny? Hard to say. And Neville should finally stop flinching at his shadow.
But enough about that. My next book should be a bit of a departure for me. I may try and tackle something historical and possibly even non-fiction. The horror!
Goblet of Fire was a decent read. I have vague memories of acquiring that one. My folks sent it to us. After they had read it. So it arrived in less than stellar condition, but arrived nonetheless. While it suffers from being huge, it still told an enjoyable tale. The Tri-Wizard Tournament was an enjoyable backdrop for the action that went on. And of course the ending brought the first of the much whispered about character deaths. This one was a bit of a red shirt, but oh well.
Order of the Phoenix was a different matter. I got, and read, it the day it came out. Good ol' Amazon. No pesky lines for me. Reading it in such a short space of time was a bit of an injustice though. It's definitely my least favorite of all the books. It may advance a few things plot wise, but it's not an enjoyable read. I don't care if Harry is acting your typical teenager, you shouldn't hate the main character. And after that initial read-through I did. I've since read it twice (including this one) and it's gotten a bit better. The second time through I actually enjoyed it a bit more. Harry wasn't as angry and obnoxious as I remembered him, but Umbridge was still just a real low point. I'm all for villains you can hate, but she was unbearable. This last read through just left me feeling indifferent. It's not that great a book. So, here's to hoping that Rowling gets back to telling a decent story and learns to be a bit more concise. At least Fred & George are still brilliant. I'm going to miss them in Book 6. Hopefully they'll be around some where. And then there was Sirius's death. I think I'll just point out that it happened. That's about all the time she gave it. And the relationship between Sirius and Harry. (Actually that's a little unfair - reading them this time did show that she tried to highlight Harry's feelings for Sirius when she got the chance, but those chances were few enough that it still didn't carry a lot of weight when she bumped him off. It was more of a "Oh, Harry's about to have a surrogate Father, let's get rid of him" kind of thing.)
So. Speculation? We know more characters will die - I'm betting on Dumbledore at some point (as Rowling is telling a pretty traditional Hero's journey) and Remus at the silver hand of Peter. Other than that it's a pretty level playing field. I suspect the trio will make it out alive, but probably not unscathed. That most likely points to a Weasley death of some sort, but I'm not sure who would affect Hermione that much. Unless it's Ron, but I don't think it will be him - chess sacrifice in Book 1 notwithstanding. Some possible romance. Will Ron and Hermione finally stop bickering? Harry and Ginny? Hard to say. And Neville should finally stop flinching at his shadow.
But enough about that. My next book should be a bit of a departure for me. I may try and tackle something historical and possibly even non-fiction. The horror!
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Friday, June 03, 2005
Don't blink
Finished Goblet of Fire. (To be fair I started it back while the internet was down, so there was some trudging.
Ocean's Twelve would have been a good hour and a half long film... Maybe...
Ocean's Twelve would have been a good hour and a half long film... Maybe...
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Back in the saddle again
So, things are in the process of calming down a bit. Got my folks off to the airport. Was a great visit. It's always good to see them. There are times I wish we lived much closer to both sets of parents, but on the upside it does tend to make our visits more enjoyable. We now have about a week before my wife's folks show up, so hopefully the kids will have wound down by then.
We saw Madagascar on Monday. It was pretty cute. Probably the best Dreamworks cartoon I've seen. If nothing else, it's worth seeing for the Planet of the Apes and Twilight Zone homages. Nicely done. That and the Penguins rock...
So, as mentioned, I finished Prisoner of Azkaban. That will be the last one I blast through. The last two will take a little longer as Rowling just starts toramble on and on tell more of the story. PoA is my favorite movie of the three currently out. I'm not quite certain where the book falls. Any more I just think of them as one long story and not a series. So take that for what it's worth. I must admit, I remember being a little surprised the first time I read the book that she was doing a time travel story. Fortunately that was only an aspect of the story overall. Book 3 does set up quite a few more of the pieces that will be important later, so it gets a few points for that as well.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's, in some ways, an odd and yet unsurprising list of directors. About four of the ten I have no problems with. I'd throw David Fincher on there. I don't think Spielberg is really number one material. But I suppose that's more due to his recent work than some of his older stuff. Oh well. Typical list really.
And I have the day off tomorrow. So 3 day weekend for me. Yay me!
We saw Madagascar on Monday. It was pretty cute. Probably the best Dreamworks cartoon I've seen. If nothing else, it's worth seeing for the Planet of the Apes and Twilight Zone homages. Nicely done. That and the Penguins rock...
So, as mentioned, I finished Prisoner of Azkaban. That will be the last one I blast through. The last two will take a little longer as Rowling just starts to
I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's, in some ways, an odd and yet unsurprising list of directors. About four of the ten I have no problems with. I'd throw David Fincher on there. I don't think Spielberg is really number one material. But I suppose that's more due to his recent work than some of his older stuff. Oh well. Typical list really.
And I have the day off tomorrow. So 3 day weekend for me. Yay me!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
It lives! And a Book 22 bite
The internets live! They live here at my house. I can once again waste my time in cyberspace.
And I finished Prisoner of Azkaban. Still a great book. Will talk more later.
And I finished Prisoner of Azkaban. Still a great book. Will talk more later.
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