I just finished reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, her little collection of fairy tales that play a role in Deathly Hollows. It started off a little slow and pedestrian, but by the end there were some fun pieces. I think she tried a little too hard with a couple of the stories to hit the notes that traditional fairy tales hit and point out how fairy tales morph over time and according to audience (through Dumbledore's running commentary), but there were a few that were pretty fun and might have been right at home with the Brothers Grimm.
Fairy tales are interesting little creatures. Mostly because they did morph and change over time. Back when I was in college one of the group papers I had to write dealt with the variations of Cinderella and how it changed. If you've never tracked down the original versions of some of the fairy tales you think you know, you really should. Sex and violence aren't new to prime time TV. It's often interesting to see what Disney did to those old tales (among other storytellers).
I believe there's a new annotated version of The Brothers Grimm running around that's supposed to be pretty good and it tracks some of those changes. Also worth a look.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Mythologies Monsters and possibly other things that start with "M"
I've read the next couple books in the Fall of Cthulhu series recently. Either they're not quite as trippy as the first one was or I've managed to complete the descent into madness required to be comfortable with good ol' Lovecraft's playground. I'll not comment on which scenario is more likely. At any rate, I enjoyed both The Gathering and The Gray Man. It's fun to see people playing in the sandbox Lovecraft started all those years ago. The Cthulhu Mythos is probably one of my favorites second only to some of the Norse myths. I really need to track down a good collection of Lovecraft Cthulhu stories. At any rate, I don't know that I'd recommend this series as a place to start with The Elder Gods and their dealings with us mere mortals, but if you've walked the Dreamlands before, you'll probably get a kick out of another trip.
We've been watching the second season of Psych on DVD over the last couple weeks. I really like that show. And season three is just as fun. I caught one episode of The Mentalist the other week but tend to forget it's on. Fortunately it's not really just a serious version of Psych so it has it's own little charm. And hey, Burn Notice is back as well. All our old friends are back telling new tales.
I've run across a couple websites that deal with world building lately. I suspect that would be a fun, if difficult, pastime. Some of them are D&D based and offer wiki type services and some of them are just guidelines and suggestions. I think it would be interesting to start small with a little town and then look at the world it's a part of. I'm not sure if it's easier to start on the macro or micro level.
G is completely obsessed with Super Smash Brothers Brawl on the Wii. We recently unlocked the Wind Waker version of link and he insists on fighting as little Link. Against me, not against bad guys, because he can't be little Link when we fight bad guys. (He refers to the adventure mode as fighting bad guys) It's amusing if constant.
We have recently gotten a few different items from the local bakery. They are all far too delicious and far too bad for us. But tasty, very tasty. Mousse like icing and cream cheese frosting and, well, you get the idea.
Yeah, I think that about sums it up.
We've been watching the second season of Psych on DVD over the last couple weeks. I really like that show. And season three is just as fun. I caught one episode of The Mentalist the other week but tend to forget it's on. Fortunately it's not really just a serious version of Psych so it has it's own little charm. And hey, Burn Notice is back as well. All our old friends are back telling new tales.
I've run across a couple websites that deal with world building lately. I suspect that would be a fun, if difficult, pastime. Some of them are D&D based and offer wiki type services and some of them are just guidelines and suggestions. I think it would be interesting to start small with a little town and then look at the world it's a part of. I'm not sure if it's easier to start on the macro or micro level.
G is completely obsessed with Super Smash Brothers Brawl on the Wii. We recently unlocked the Wind Waker version of link and he insists on fighting as little Link. Against me, not against bad guys, because he can't be little Link when we fight bad guys. (He refers to the adventure mode as fighting bad guys) It's amusing if constant.
We have recently gotten a few different items from the local bakery. They are all far too delicious and far too bad for us. But tasty, very tasty. Mousse like icing and cream cheese frosting and, well, you get the idea.
Yeah, I think that about sums it up.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Lost my mind (at Sea)
I forgot to mention I also read Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley (of Scott Pilgrim fame). It too is a coming of age story dealing with that transition from High School to the world beyond and the strange creatures we are at the time. It's also an interesting read. Blankets probably comes out ahead, but Lost at Sea isn't really that far behind. This one focuses on a quiet girl whose soul was stolen by a cat and the road trip she suddenly finds herself a part of. So, you know, it's exactly like real life.
So, yeah, reading list lately has dealt with growing up and thehorrors joys that that entails. Maybe I should pass some of this along to varying relatives and see if it helps... Unlikely.
So, yeah, reading list lately has dealt with growing up and the
And the Merry Go Round Goes Round
I first heard about Blankets by Craig Thompson a few years back. I didn't know too much about it other than it was a graphic novel and dealt with love and issues of faith. Snagged a copy from the Library last night and finally got around to reading it. I can see why it's held in high regard. The art is wonderful and the story is compelling. Your first love is certainly something that leaves its mark on you and Thompson has managed to capture just about everything that goes into that experience. All while dealing with issues about family and growing up and faith and their places in life as you struggle to come to grips with who you are. This is a pretty powerful story that isn't always easy to read. If you wander across a copy give it a go.
Get Smart is a nice little spy comedy that isn't really a Get Smart movie. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway are perfectly cast and could have made that movie, but the writers didn't quite latch on to what made the old TV show so much fun. Again, there's humor here and it's a fun little story, it's just not Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. Although they got it right once or twice. I'd say missed it by that much, but well, would you believe it was a little more than that? And I really like Dwayne Johnson for some reason (The Rock for those of you so inclined).
Rock Band 2 is fun. That is all.
I did re-read Scott Pilgrim 1-4 in anticipation of 5 and I'm a little giddy about the movie they're making. They certainly have a pretty decent cast lined up and the director seems to get it. So that's nice.
Well, that's a nice little catch up in the world of random books and movies. I've managed to actually get some exercise for the last couple weeks, so that's a plus. Wii Fit is growing on me some, although it's still a pretty mild workout. I've thrown some DDR in for variety. We'll see how long I can keep it up.
Get Smart is a nice little spy comedy that isn't really a Get Smart movie. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway are perfectly cast and could have made that movie, but the writers didn't quite latch on to what made the old TV show so much fun. Again, there's humor here and it's a fun little story, it's just not Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. Although they got it right once or twice. I'd say missed it by that much, but well, would you believe it was a little more than that? And I really like Dwayne Johnson for some reason (The Rock for those of you so inclined).
Rock Band 2 is fun. That is all.
I did re-read Scott Pilgrim 1-4 in anticipation of 5 and I'm a little giddy about the movie they're making. They certainly have a pretty decent cast lined up and the director seems to get it. So that's nice.
Well, that's a nice little catch up in the world of random books and movies. I've managed to actually get some exercise for the last couple weeks, so that's a plus. Wii Fit is growing on me some, although it's still a pretty mild workout. I've thrown some DDR in for variety. We'll see how long I can keep it up.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Brief Elegy
Siblings have already posted their thoughts. I'm not sure I have a lot to add other than Mom is missed. I can credit her for my love of reading, my hatred of losing and lots of other little things. Few days go by where I don't think of her in some respect.
So here she is playing in the pool with Miranda. They were spinning around when this was taken and Miranda loved every minute of it. Even if the kids didn't like the water, it seemed like they had a good time when Mom was around to help them splash and play. From the little fish toy that swam around the pool to the noodles and just being piggy backed around.
Love you Mom. Go talk to Ricardo Montalban and learn some history from those that were there.
So here she is playing in the pool with Miranda. They were spinning around when this was taken and Miranda loved every minute of it. Even if the kids didn't like the water, it seemed like they had a good time when Mom was around to help them splash and play. From the little fish toy that swam around the pool to the noodles and just being piggy backed around.
Love you Mom. Go talk to Ricardo Montalban and learn some history from those that were there.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Quick follow up
I meant to include a pithy joke about Shakespeare and roses and sea kittens in yesterday's post. Feel free to make up your own joke and attribute it to me. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Save the sea kittens
I'm too tired to link you to Twilight School Musical. And it wasn't really that good anyway. Google is your friend internet. This is mostly inspired by the news that Vanessa Hudgens tried out for Twilight 2:
The Music Store officially opened for Rock Band 2 on the Wii. So I downloaded a bunch of the free songs and bought one by Muse. I now know why people curse the space situation on the Wii. Fridge is definitely full. Fortunately RB2 lets you store songs on an SD card and will even play them right off the card. This is a Good Thing™. And you ought to check out World of Goo for it is awesome.
That's pretty much it.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Tiny bit of catching up
Had to make a card for recent favorite comedy. I'll mention again that this is an excellent film. If your heart does not sing with joy by the end, chances are you are destined to become our cruel robot overlord. Which I for one welcome.
Picture came from here.
Picture came from here.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Who can it be?
Recently watched The Strangers. Also recently read a forum thread where brief movie summaries were captured in Trading Card form. I am stealing this concept because it is awesome. Quite possibly most of my movie reviews will now take this form. So, as for my thoughts on the movie, see accompanying card. (Hint: it was great in that horror movie way) Oh and the picture came from here. Just to keep the internet honest.
You may have heard tale of a tome of eldritch knowledge. A tome thought to cause madness in those incapable of deciphering its strange texts and references to dice made of angles normal mortals cannot comprehend. The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons and Growing Up Strange is thistome book. I was never as into D&D as the author was, but I could certainly relate to several of the situations he found himself in. As I believe I mentioned before, if you want a look into 80s nerd culture, this is a pretty good start. Chances are you either knew this person or were this person. Liberal doses of humor and good storytelling make this a memoir worth reading. And if you fail to make your save vs reminiscing you may well find yourself picking up a copy of 4th Edition. It really is pretty good...
I can't really be bothered to recap 2008. I'd rather just purge it from system memory and start over. There were certainly some high points (the current job comes to mind) but overall it was a real downer of a year. So we'll simply look forward to 2009 and hope the current weather isn't a forecast for the rest of the year.
You may have heard tale of a tome of eldritch knowledge. A tome thought to cause madness in those incapable of deciphering its strange texts and references to dice made of angles normal mortals cannot comprehend. The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons and Growing Up Strange is this
I can't really be bothered to recap 2008. I'd rather just purge it from system memory and start over. There were certainly some high points (the current job comes to mind) but overall it was a real downer of a year. So we'll simply look forward to 2009 and hope the current weather isn't a forecast for the rest of the year.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Late to the party - Christmas Edition
So the siblings have pretty much recounted the Christmas happenings. They got the good bits version of the holiday. We got stuck with the travel. I will not speak of it, for doing so will only summon the vile beast that is Airline Travel itself. Suffice it to say I will most likely never fly again, and shall never fly American Airlines again specifically.
As for the good bits version, there was some bowling, some games played (Qwirkle is quite good as is the Catan Dice game), far too much food consumed, and much ribbing of the favorite niece. (That means giving a hard time oh favored relative. See? It continues.)
Santa managed to find the wee bairns (whose photographically stolen souls are displayed for the world to see here) a touch early delivering gifts on Christmas Eve. They were a bit too worn out to fully enjoy such providence, but that's ok, they still had a good time.
At any rate, a good time was had by all. I especially enjoyed the nifty photo book sister "J" put together for us featuring pictures of Mom. That and she makes a good cup of cocoa! Home made whip cream. Yum.
Books have been consumed, notably the fourth Percy Jackson story Battle of the Labyrinth and Uglies. Both were quite good. (And still in the YA vein, hmm...) Also read through The Fall of Cthulhu Book One: The Fugue. That's one trippy story. Even by Cthulhu standards.
Lovely wife almost escaped having to suffer through Twilight, but cruel siblings forced it on her the night before we left. Poor soul.
Thanks to Dad and family for a nice time. Hopefully it will be a touch longer next time. And not bookended by the eye gouge inspiring torment known as air travel.
As for the good bits version, there was some bowling, some games played (Qwirkle is quite good as is the Catan Dice game), far too much food consumed, and much ribbing of the favorite niece. (That means giving a hard time oh favored relative. See? It continues.)
Santa managed to find the wee bairns (whose photographically stolen souls are displayed for the world to see here) a touch early delivering gifts on Christmas Eve. They were a bit too worn out to fully enjoy such providence, but that's ok, they still had a good time.
At any rate, a good time was had by all. I especially enjoyed the nifty photo book sister "J" put together for us featuring pictures of Mom. That and she makes a good cup of cocoa! Home made whip cream. Yum.
Books have been consumed, notably the fourth Percy Jackson story Battle of the Labyrinth and Uglies. Both were quite good. (And still in the YA vein, hmm...) Also read through The Fall of Cthulhu Book One: The Fugue. That's one trippy story. Even by Cthulhu standards.
Lovely wife almost escaped having to suffer through Twilight, but cruel siblings forced it on her the night before we left. Poor soul.
Thanks to Dad and family for a nice time. Hopefully it will be a touch longer next time. And not bookended by the eye gouge inspiring torment known as air travel.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Both Sides the Tweed
I'm not a big fan of memes. This one piqued my curiosity though. So you have to suffer through it. Mwa ha ha ha. Oh and in the interests of full disclosure, I did skip one track as it was an untitled Japanese track from Serial Experiments Lain. Sorry about that internet.
Da Rules:
1. Put your iPod (or MP3 player, or iTunes) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4.Tag others, if so desired.
Da Meme:
IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Tomorrow Never Knows, The Beatles
Magic 8 ball confused, ask again later. Alternately, this is very zen, go listen to the sound of one hand clapping and contemplate the futility of knowing if something is indeed, "OKAY"
WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Sprite - Melonball Bounce, Raymond Scott
Apparently dropped on my head a touch too much...
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
See the Sun, Dido
Well. Really. This is not that sort of blog. Normally.
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Washington, D.C., The Magnetic Fields
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ahem. Sorry 'bout that.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
I'll Find My Way Home, Vangelis
Strangely, I'll take this one. I'm pretty sure it was in my last fortune cookie.
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Into a Dream III, His and Her Circumstances - Act 1.0
Oh letter 'd', you're so dreamy. You're straight out of Twilight.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Dirt Bike, TMBG
Curse you iTunes for illuminating my secret passions! it's so true... I think I'd like to be alone for a moment. Leave the dirt bike.
WHAT IS 2+2?
Love is, Kenny Loggins
Apparently iTunes thinks I'm a swinger now.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Starting Up, Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack
I... I don't know what to make of this. Although he does change places of employment quite often.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Sympathy for the Devil, the Rolling Stones
I always knew the Devil was a woman. And from the D.C. area...
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Alien Mind Bender, Pliant
I'm not sure anyone would argue with this. Least of all me.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Katamaritaino, Hideki Tobeta, Yui Asaka
Sou desu ne.
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
State of Independence, Vangelis
Hee hee. <snicker> Bwa ha ha ha ha. This is spot on. (Sorry slacker siblings)
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Armogohma (First Storm), Zelda Reorchestrated (Twilight Princess)
And now is the time when we dance the ceremonial, ah heck forget it.
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
Oh I'll be satisfied. Actually, this is strangely appropriate as well.
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Cut Flowers, Smithereens
Oh iTunes, must you continue to shine light on my secrets? Oh ikebana how I adore you.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Dialogue 2-8, Cowboy Bebop CD Box Set
That's what she said.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Cherry Blossom Color Season, Yu Miyake, Katamari Company Jr.
So pretty. So lively. So what the heck is going on here?
WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Jenova Returns (J-E-N-O-V-A ~ Jenova Complete), Steffan Andrews
This is true. This is the worst possible thing that could happen. Damn you Jenova!
HOW WILL YOU DIE?
End Credits, John Murphy (28 Days Later Soundtrack)
Couldn't have said it better myself. And I knew it would be zombies.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Runners High, The Pillows
Also strangely true. Exercise, my deepest regret...
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Caribbean Blue, Enya
When they installed that Genius feature in iTunes they weren't kidding around were they?
WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Re: Your Brains, Jonathan Coulton
Hee hee hee. Oh and zombies again.
WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
99 Red Balloons, Goldfinger
Apparently when I'm the last man on earth. Go Apocalypse. Sorry honey.
WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!, The Beatles
iTunes has been to Kansas. So true.
DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Papa Was a Rodeo, The Magnetic Fields
I... I have nothing to say here. Move along.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Treasure Every Meeting, His and Her Circumstances - Act 1.0
Apparently I was my own Grandfather. This explains a lot.
WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Hyrule Castle Soundscape, Zelda Reorchestrated: Soundscapes Vol. 1
... Your Princess is in another castle Mario. And another game for that matter.
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Both Sides The Tweed, Mary Black
Done and Done.
Da Rules:
1. Put your iPod (or MP3 player, or iTunes) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4.
Da Meme:
IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Tomorrow Never Knows, The Beatles
Magic 8 ball confused, ask again later. Alternately, this is very zen, go listen to the sound of one hand clapping and contemplate the futility of knowing if something is indeed, "OKAY"
WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Sprite - Melonball Bounce, Raymond Scott
Apparently dropped on my head a touch too much...
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
See the Sun, Dido
Well. Really. This is not that sort of blog. Normally.
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Washington, D.C., The Magnetic Fields
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ahem. Sorry 'bout that.
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
I'll Find My Way Home, Vangelis
Strangely, I'll take this one. I'm pretty sure it was in my last fortune cookie.
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Into a Dream III, His and Her Circumstances - Act 1.0
Oh letter 'd', you're so dreamy. You're straight out of Twilight.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Dirt Bike, TMBG
Curse you iTunes for illuminating my secret passions!
WHAT IS 2+2?
Love is, Kenny Loggins
Apparently iTunes thinks I'm a swinger now.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Starting Up, Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack
I... I don't know what to make of this. Although he does change places of employment quite often.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Sympathy for the Devil, the Rolling Stones
I always knew the Devil was a woman. And from the D.C. area...
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Alien Mind Bender, Pliant
I'm not sure anyone would argue with this. Least of all me.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Katamaritaino, Hideki Tobeta, Yui Asaka
Sou desu ne.
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
State of Independence, Vangelis
Hee hee. <snicker> Bwa ha ha ha ha. This is spot on. (Sorry slacker siblings)
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Armogohma (First Storm), Zelda Reorchestrated (Twilight Princess)
And now is the time when we dance the ceremonial, ah heck forget it.
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
Oh I'll be satisfied. Actually, this is strangely appropriate as well.
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Cut Flowers, Smithereens
Oh iTunes, must you continue to shine light on my secrets? Oh ikebana how I adore you.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Dialogue 2-8, Cowboy Bebop CD Box Set
That's what she said.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Cherry Blossom Color Season, Yu Miyake, Katamari Company Jr.
So pretty. So lively. So what the heck is going on here?
WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Jenova Returns (J-E-N-O-V-A ~ Jenova Complete), Steffan Andrews
This is true. This is the worst possible thing that could happen. Damn you Jenova!
HOW WILL YOU DIE?
End Credits, John Murphy (28 Days Later Soundtrack)
Couldn't have said it better myself. And I knew it would be zombies.
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Runners High, The Pillows
Also strangely true. Exercise, my deepest regret...
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Caribbean Blue, Enya
When they installed that Genius feature in iTunes they weren't kidding around were they?
WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Re: Your Brains, Jonathan Coulton
Hee hee hee. Oh and zombies again.
WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
99 Red Balloons, Goldfinger
Apparently when I'm the last man on earth. Go Apocalypse. Sorry honey.
WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!, The Beatles
iTunes has been to Kansas. So true.
DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Papa Was a Rodeo, The Magnetic Fields
I... I have nothing to say here. Move along.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Treasure Every Meeting, His and Her Circumstances - Act 1.0
Apparently I was my own Grandfather. This explains a lot.
WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Hyrule Castle Soundscape, Zelda Reorchestrated: Soundscapes Vol. 1
... Your Princess is in another castle Mario. And another game for that matter.
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Both Sides The Tweed, Mary Black
Done and Done.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Before I Forget
This is probably as much Twilight as I can take.
And they totally fired Jacob. And the director. And the new director is the guy that helped direct American Pie. And The Golden Compass. You guys are screwed. Bwa ha ha ha ha.
And they totally fired Jacob. And the director. And the new director is the guy that helped direct American Pie. And The Golden Compass. You guys are screwed. Bwa ha ha ha ha.
Melancholy is Fun
I've been looking forward to seeing The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for quite some time. I requested it at the Library and it showed up last week. So we spent part of the weekend watching the series. It was brilliant. If you have any tolerance for/interest in anime this is one worth checking out. It follows Kyon (see Sis there's a K name - that you shouldn't use) a normal High School student whose life gets turned upside down by one Haruhi Suzumiya. She's on the lookout for aliens, time travelers and espers (psychics for you non Japanese folks). And poor Kyon gets dragged along for the ride. What follows is a tongue in cheek look at anime cliches served with lots of humor and some seriously snarky inner dialogue. I could watch this over and over. And I just might. It's a little FLCL a little Excel Saga and a lot awesome. And the opening and ending themes are great. Hit youtube and check out some of the dance numbers put together for Hare Hare Yukai.
In other news Hikaru no Go volume 13 was fun to flip through.
And the weekend draws nigh. As does Christmas and the end of the year. Where has this year gone? Although in a lot of ways I'm pretty glad to see it go.
In other news Hikaru no Go volume 13 was fun to flip through.
And the weekend draws nigh. As does Christmas and the end of the year. Where has this year gone? Although in a lot of ways I'm pretty glad to see it go.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Partially for my Uncle
First, I finished Death from the Skies and it was great. It seems to me that boys go through some distinct phases growing up. First there are Dinosaurs (G says Raaarrr!) and then there's Astronomy. This book rekindled quite a bit of my old love for Astronomy. Never mind that the book focuses on the destruction of the Earth a dozen or so times. Death by Asteroid! Death by solar flare! Death by black hole! They're all great. Well, ok, horrific, but you get the idea. The science is always at a manageable level and if you like sci fi apocalyptic tales, it's nice to see what might really happen. So give Death a chance.
Oddly, speaking of growing up male, that brings me to my current book: The Elfish Gene (another one with a subtitle I can't be bothered to type up). If you played D&D or knew someone that played D&D I suspect this book will bring back memories, fond or otherwise. It might also help you understand that poor creature that was the nerd in the 80s. I'm not very far in, but I can already tell this will be a great book.
My own sordid past with D&D all starts with my Uncle Paul. I still have fond memories of the old red box and the hours of fun it led to. I also remember pestering him to let me fight a Dragon with my brand new magic user. The death my poor character received at the hands of the foul beast was one I still treasure. My Uncle probably still rolls his eyes at the thought of some young kid with magic missile and an obvious death wish.
And if that last paragraph made any sense to you at all, you really need to read The Elfish Gene.
In (mocking) Twilight news, they fired the director of the film as they gear up for the sequel. And it also sounds like they fired the actor that plays Jacob. The werewolf. That's not a werewolf. Because in a movie about vampires that are not vampires, you better have werewolves that are not werewolves. Has the last decade of bad fantasy cinema taught you nothing? At least you can rest assured there will be no leather clad heroine in the Twilight sequel. That would just lead to impure thoughts and we know nobody in that series has those...
Christmas fast approaches. Which means I will have to brave airline travel. I don't think I'm ready for that. Trip to see the family notwithstanding. I hate airports.
If you're not watching Leverage on TNT on Tuesday nights you should be. And the Librarian movies were pretty good too. I only caught most of the second and the third, but (go figure) our Library carries them so we'll be watching the first two on DVD. They're a little National Treasure, a little Indiana Jones, a lot The Mummy, but it works. Although Noah Wyle is no Brendan Fraser. It was funny seeing Gabrielle Anwar in the second one. Glad to see she's still working (Burn Notice!) I liked her quite a bit in 80s/90s. Whenever that silly Invasion of the Body Snatchers re-telling came out. That and If Looks Could Kill with that Grieco kid. I think she was in that.
Well, that's quite the bit of rambling. I should point out at this point that Blue Moon does look to be rather fun, especially once you're familiar with the cards. It does look like there's a learning curve there, but I think it will be worth it. Also, I managed to collect all 120 stars as Luigi in Super Mario Galaxy. I won't comment on what kind of a geek/nerd that makes me. Did you not read the beginning of this post?
Oddly, speaking of growing up male, that brings me to my current book: The Elfish Gene (another one with a subtitle I can't be bothered to type up). If you played D&D or knew someone that played D&D I suspect this book will bring back memories, fond or otherwise. It might also help you understand that poor creature that was the nerd in the 80s. I'm not very far in, but I can already tell this will be a great book.
My own sordid past with D&D all starts with my Uncle Paul. I still have fond memories of the old red box and the hours of fun it led to. I also remember pestering him to let me fight a Dragon with my brand new magic user. The death my poor character received at the hands of the foul beast was one I still treasure. My Uncle probably still rolls his eyes at the thought of some young kid with magic missile and an obvious death wish.
And if that last paragraph made any sense to you at all, you really need to read The Elfish Gene.
In (mocking) Twilight news, they fired the director of the film as they gear up for the sequel. And it also sounds like they fired the actor that plays Jacob. The werewolf. That's not a werewolf. Because in a movie about vampires that are not vampires, you better have werewolves that are not werewolves. Has the last decade of bad fantasy cinema taught you nothing? At least you can rest assured there will be no leather clad heroine in the Twilight sequel. That would just lead to impure thoughts and we know nobody in that series has those...
Christmas fast approaches. Which means I will have to brave airline travel. I don't think I'm ready for that. Trip to see the family notwithstanding. I hate airports.
If you're not watching Leverage on TNT on Tuesday nights you should be. And the Librarian movies were pretty good too. I only caught most of the second and the third, but (go figure) our Library carries them so we'll be watching the first two on DVD. They're a little National Treasure, a little Indiana Jones, a lot The Mummy, but it works. Although Noah Wyle is no Brendan Fraser. It was funny seeing Gabrielle Anwar in the second one. Glad to see she's still working (Burn Notice!) I liked her quite a bit in 80s/90s. Whenever that silly Invasion of the Body Snatchers re-telling came out. That and If Looks Could Kill with that Grieco kid. I think she was in that.
Well, that's quite the bit of rambling. I should point out at this point that Blue Moon does look to be rather fun, especially once you're familiar with the cards. It does look like there's a learning curve there, but I think it will be worth it. Also, I managed to collect all 120 stars as Luigi in Super Mario Galaxy. I won't comment on what kind of a geek/nerd that makes me. Did you not read the beginning of this post?
Friday, December 05, 2008
For my sisters (in insincerity)
Here you go. It's like a car wreck, actually, more to the point, it's like a bad relationship. I can't help but mock my poor sisters' love for Tryharderlight (and feed that addiction so I can then mock it some more). If I were feeling really abusive, I'd link to all the articles decrying the series as a step back for women's rights by something on the order of 50 years or so. But I won't, I'm not that mean. At the moment.
Mostly I'm just glad it's the weekend. And I can sleep. All weekend. Hopefully after the next 48 hours this stupid head cold will be gone. And I can return to the land of the living.
Mostly I'm just glad it's the weekend. And I can sleep. All weekend. Hopefully after the next 48 hours this stupid head cold will be gone. And I can return to the land of the living.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Head full of cheese
While the normal human head may weigh about 8 lbs or so, I'm pretty sure mine is clocking in at about 15. I really dislike sinus infections. From the way everything acts like a slow-mo action shot to that slight sore throat to the aforementioned hefty head full of snot, they're not fun. And don't get my wife started on the snoring. Ear plugs indeed...
In other news, G has caught the Star Wars bug. He's been playing through Lego Star Wars (or Star Wars the Clone Wars as he insists on calling it as everything SW related must be named after the show on Cartoon Network) with either my wife or I (depending on who he can con into it at the moment) and having a grand old time. Apparently he finished the game (a feat I myself have not yet managed) and decided that the movies had to be consumed next. I told lovely wife that he could only watch the first one without me. For Star Wars movies are an ancient male bonding ritual and he's not allowed to watch them the first time without me. Or there will be hell to pay. (Apparently the viewing of Ep 4 this afternoon was accompanied by much light saber wielding, toy x wing flying and "hey that was in the game! I remember that!" commentary.) Now to find a way to get that really cool Lego Millennium Falcon... Hmm....
Picked up Blue Moon courtesy of Father-in-Law for my birthday. Will report back on how it is. Looking forward to it as we really enjoy Blue Moon City.
The Graveyard Book and Death from the Skies are still being consumed. I'm going to run out of patience to read long before things to read... Although they may take a backseat to Zombies: A Field Guide to the Living Dead which is lurking on the hold shelf for me. That plus some Rolling Stones, gotta catch up on my classic rock yo.
It needs to snow. That is all.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go use my head for a paperweight.
In other news, G has caught the Star Wars bug. He's been playing through Lego Star Wars (or Star Wars the Clone Wars as he insists on calling it as everything SW related must be named after the show on Cartoon Network) with either my wife or I (depending on who he can con into it at the moment) and having a grand old time. Apparently he finished the game (a feat I myself have not yet managed) and decided that the movies had to be consumed next. I told lovely wife that he could only watch the first one without me. For Star Wars movies are an ancient male bonding ritual and he's not allowed to watch them the first time without me. Or there will be hell to pay. (Apparently the viewing of Ep 4 this afternoon was accompanied by much light saber wielding, toy x wing flying and "hey that was in the game! I remember that!" commentary.) Now to find a way to get that really cool Lego Millennium Falcon... Hmm....
Picked up Blue Moon courtesy of Father-in-Law for my birthday. Will report back on how it is. Looking forward to it as we really enjoy Blue Moon City.
The Graveyard Book and Death from the Skies are still being consumed. I'm going to run out of patience to read long before things to read... Although they may take a backseat to Zombies: A Field Guide to the Living Dead which is lurking on the hold shelf for me. That plus some Rolling Stones, gotta catch up on my classic rock yo.
It needs to snow. That is all.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go use my head for a paperweight.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Insert Post Title #42
Been a while. Kept meaning to jot some things down closer to Thanksgiving and just ended up ... not. Thanksgiving itself went fine. Food was good. Company was fine. Gratitude was expressed.
It was the first year in quite a few that I didn't have the whole week off. It will probably be another couple before I can attempt to do it again. Silly new job and resetting my vacation time... Oh well. Friday was pretty quiet, so that was nice.
Listened to a couple 5 Browns CDs to see what all the fuss over at sisters' blogs was about. Nice piano music. They're probably more fun to see live. It's ok to listen to, but mostly it's just nice piano music.
Read through the Old Boy graphic novels. Mostly as I'd heard Spielberg was going to do the movie based more on them as opposed to the extremely trippy and US unfriendly Korean film. The graphic novels were decent and certainly less disturbing than the film, so that's something I guess.
Snagged a couple DS games for my birthday (thanks Dad). They've been pretty fun so far. Avoided Black Friday due to working and real lack of anything worth fighting for. Although a couple of the HDTV's sounded nice. Sounds like Dad and Jen had a decent showing.
Other than that, not too much earth shattering stuff to comment on. Star Wars themed Robot Chicken episodes were hilarious.
It was the first year in quite a few that I didn't have the whole week off. It will probably be another couple before I can attempt to do it again. Silly new job and resetting my vacation time... Oh well. Friday was pretty quiet, so that was nice.
Listened to a couple 5 Browns CDs to see what all the fuss over at sisters' blogs was about. Nice piano music. They're probably more fun to see live. It's ok to listen to, but mostly it's just nice piano music.
Read through the Old Boy graphic novels. Mostly as I'd heard Spielberg was going to do the movie based more on them as opposed to the extremely trippy and US unfriendly Korean film. The graphic novels were decent and certainly less disturbing than the film, so that's something I guess.
Snagged a couple DS games for my birthday (thanks Dad). They've been pretty fun so far. Avoided Black Friday due to working and real lack of anything worth fighting for. Although a couple of the HDTV's sounded nice. Sounds like Dad and Jen had a decent showing.
Other than that, not too much earth shattering stuff to comment on. Star Wars themed Robot Chicken episodes were hilarious.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Steampunk and other odds and ends
Finished up Starcross and it's genre-riffic subtitle the other day. It's the second in a series (Larklight was the first and I believe Mothstorm just came out) of Steampunk novels in which our heroes have adventures and save the world. All while extolling the virtues of the good ol' Victorian era. Huzzah! Not sure why I've been on such a YA reading kick lately. But there you go. It was a fun read and is another one that won't take much time to read through. Lots of twists and turns and yarn.
I must take a moment to point out that the book I'm currently reading (Death from the Skies: These are the Ways the World Will End) is truly awesome. It's written by an astronomer and details what would really happen if all of those sci-fi, astronomical, world-ending scenarios came to be. Truly brilliant. And funny. Go give it a look. There's plenty of humor and the science is aimed firmly at the lay audience, so there's very little pesky math to be muddled through.
Fall is coming to an end and I suppose and that's a good thing. Tired of leaves on the ground. Ready for some snow and some cold weather. It's been cold enough in the mornings, but strangely warm in the afternoons. Or at least it seems that way.
Sock animals have taken over the house. Pigs, cats, totoro. (Totorii?) I am amused by that. Most of them fall in the disturbingly cute camp, but you'll find a mutant here or there.
Speaking of mutants, the world can finally shut up about Twilight after this weekend. It will have its one big box office weekend and then we can all go about ignoring it and living our lives again. It will be nice, he thought giddily, while typing furiously and glittering in the afternoon sunlight. See I've read the book... Well, ok enough to know that Meyer should be brought up on abuse of adverbs. Early reviews are coming in and they're mostly positive (if you ignore the "vampire" content and see it for what it really is - tween romance chick flick) while knocking Edward. And really after seeing that trailer, who thought he was a good idea?
Guess I'll need a new passtime.
I must take a moment to point out that the book I'm currently reading (Death from the Skies: These are the Ways the World Will End) is truly awesome. It's written by an astronomer and details what would really happen if all of those sci-fi, astronomical, world-ending scenarios came to be. Truly brilliant. And funny. Go give it a look. There's plenty of humor and the science is aimed firmly at the lay audience, so there's very little pesky math to be muddled through.
Fall is coming to an end and I suppose and that's a good thing. Tired of leaves on the ground. Ready for some snow and some cold weather. It's been cold enough in the mornings, but strangely warm in the afternoons. Or at least it seems that way.
Sock animals have taken over the house. Pigs, cats, totoro. (Totorii?) I am amused by that. Most of them fall in the disturbingly cute camp, but you'll find a mutant here or there.
Speaking of mutants, the world can finally shut up about Twilight after this weekend. It will have its one big box office weekend and then we can all go about ignoring it and living our lives again. It will be nice, he thought giddily, while typing furiously and glittering in the afternoon sunlight. See I've read the book... Well, ok enough to know that Meyer should be brought up on abuse of adverbs. Early reviews are coming in and they're mostly positive (if you ignore the "vampire" content and see it for what it really is - tween romance chick flick) while knocking Edward. And really after seeing that trailer, who thought he was a good idea?
Guess I'll need a new passtime.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Books and sock animals
Finished The Magic Thief the other day. Great book. Young adult story about, wait for it, a thief who learns to be a magician. Clever eh? It's a fun little story that I look forward to seeing followed up. Easily read in a day or so. Give it a try if you like YA adventure stories.
One of the other books we got from the Library was on sock animals. You can see McK's pig here. Lovely wife is currently working on a Totoro for moi. (Note to favorite niece, that means "me" in French. That's the language of France. It's a place where French people live. Also, French can be a salad dressing. (Although not a very good one.) At any rate. Relatives may discover sock animals under the tree at Christmas. For they are cute.
Snagged Mega Man III on the Virtual console the other day. And Secret of Mana. Mega Man III is an exercise in old school platform torture. Oddly enough I'm finding that strangely compelling. And G thinks it's great. Weird. Secret of Mana is a 1-3 player RPG from Yore (the time period, not a company. Squaresoft made the game). Should be good. Look forward to torturing lovely wife and kids with it. (Strangely Super Mario Galaxy has come back into vogue as well. I've actually gotten quite a few stars with Luigi. It's a pretty great game.)
Spaced is an humorous British comedy. Lots of geeky pop culture references. And Simon Pegg.
Ladron Que Roba a Ladron was a fun Spanish heist comedy. Also recommended if you run across it. I enjoy a good caper flick and this one didn't disappoint. Favorite niece should watch it. In Spanish. With subtitles. And then send me a report on the effects of Infommercials on Immigrants and other subsistence communities.
Well. I think that's enough of a catch up for now. Go watch the new Harry Potter trailer. It's far more interesting.
One of the other books we got from the Library was on sock animals. You can see McK's pig here. Lovely wife is currently working on a Totoro for moi. (Note to favorite niece, that means "me" in French. That's the language of France. It's a place where French people live. Also, French can be a salad dressing. (Although not a very good one.) At any rate. Relatives may discover sock animals under the tree at Christmas. For they are cute.
Snagged Mega Man III on the Virtual console the other day. And Secret of Mana. Mega Man III is an exercise in old school platform torture. Oddly enough I'm finding that strangely compelling. And G thinks it's great. Weird. Secret of Mana is a 1-3 player RPG from Yore (the time period, not a company. Squaresoft made the game). Should be good. Look forward to torturing lovely wife and kids with it. (Strangely Super Mario Galaxy has come back into vogue as well. I've actually gotten quite a few stars with Luigi. It's a pretty great game.)
Spaced is an humorous British comedy. Lots of geeky pop culture references. And Simon Pegg.
Ladron Que Roba a Ladron was a fun Spanish heist comedy. Also recommended if you run across it. I enjoy a good caper flick and this one didn't disappoint. Favorite niece should watch it. In Spanish. With subtitles. And then send me a report on the effects of Infommercials on Immigrants and other subsistence communities.
Well. I think that's enough of a catch up for now. Go watch the new Harry Potter trailer. It's far more interesting.
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