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3 July 2008

movie 9: Wanted

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov

I saw this flick last Sunday night and it was pretty entertaining. Stylishly done. The protagonist, Wesley (James MacEvoy), is a self-described pussy (yeah, it's rated R) and learns that his father was a top-rated but recently killed assassin working for an organization called The Fraternity. A skeletal Angelina Jolie is the assassin who brings him in and begins to train him to not be such a pussy. Jeez, she really needs to put on a few pounds, she looks a little scary and weak in this flick. Maybe she'll keep some of her recent pregnancy weight for a while. But I digress. This flick heavily promotes her involvement but she is not the main character. James MacEvoy carries this flick nicely. And the movie moves along briskly unhampered by reality, which is to say, there are several key plot points that really stretch your suspension of disbelief. But once you get over that, it's a charged action flick. I hear the sequel is already in development.

A ghoulish Jolie shows displeasure.

See also: Movie Notes: last dozen movies seen on the big screen, etc

1 July 2008

book 25: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

This was a cool book about a young boy, Hugo, who lives in Paris in 1931. He's been orphaned and is living hidden within the Paris train station. The story involves a toy shop owner, a young girl, many clocks and an automaton. The story is told alternately in words and pictures and as such reads very fast. The book itself is big, fat doorstopper but I actually read it in only two days. It was fun, I may read it someday to my kiddos.
[amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

book 24: The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III

I hadn't read this author before and when I was browsing some comments on this book on Amazon, it looked like most people enjoyed this but consider The House of Sand and Fog a better book. I first heard of this after Stephen King's glowing review in EW. It's an engrossing story about an exotic dancer named April who brings her 3-year-old daughter Franny to work one night when her regular babysitter is hospitalized. April had no other backup babysitters (I know how that feels). Two of the other main characters are patrons of the Puma club where April works. One is a Muslim man named Bassam, the other is a down-on-his-luck construction worker named AJ. The tension mounts because you just know something bad is going to happen but you're not sure exactly what and then when it does, you've no idea how it'll play out. I read this book very quickly. It is perhaps a bit longer than it needs to be -- sometimes there's just too much description that doesn't really seem necessary. The two main male characters seem to be more fleshed out than April. But that said, it was a good story. I may check out a reading that the author will be giving later this month at a local bookstore. Maybe I'll get my book signed.
[amazon]

DVD: pointless sequel

Watched National Treasure: Book of Secrets with Nicolas Cage. It's a bad movie and he's bad in it. Too much exposition, too much stilted dialogue and unimaginative hoohah.

DVD: getting ready for the sequel

Watched Hellboy again. Can't wait for the sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, due July 11th.

23 June 2008

DVD interruptus

Rented 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days a Romanian film that won a slew of awards and is about a friend helping another woman get an abortion in Romania in the last days of Ceausescu's reign. I watched the first 45 minutes or so but I was falling asleep so I turned it off and went to bed. Then I decided that I was so disinterested in the story so far that I'd just return it and get the next flick in my queue. So that's what I'm doing.

19 June 2008

book 23: Straits of Fortune by Anthony Gagliano

Nothing really sets this crime thriller apart from others. Our hero is Jack Vaughn, an ex-cop from NYC living in Miami and working as a personal trainer. One of his clients offers him $100,000 to sink a yacht anchored off his property that has a dead body on it and when Jack finally assents to do it, bad things happen. For a book under 250 pages, it took its time getting to this pivotal moment. That scene was the most interesting but then it seemed as if our hero knew everyone in Miami. Lawyer? An ex-client — check. Rapper who just happens to have a gun and money handy in a pinch? An ex-client — check. Bouncer at swanky club? Check. This wasn't so bad that I didn't finish it. But it's nothing I would mark as a "to read" either.
[amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

18 June 2008

all that and more

Do yourself a favor and snag this free song, You're Not All That. It puts the lead in your pencil.

17 June 2008

browser of choice

Firefox 3 is ready to download at 1PM EST today. Check out this short video about some of its new features.

movie 8: The Incredible Hulk

Directed by Louis Leterrier

This was fun. We can all forget about the other Hulk movie directed by Ang Lee now. This one replaces it and is a lot more entertaining. Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner, hiding out somewhere in Brazil, his whereabouts are unknown even to his lady love Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). But her dad, General "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) is looking for him. Aiding General Ross is the experienced soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) who will eventually become more than human himself. This flick has small dose of humor and could've used more, but that's a small criticism. For a comic book movie, this one delivers pretty much what a fan would want. And it moves briskly besides. It never gets dull.

Hulk smash.

See also: Movie Notes: last dozen movies seen on the big screen, etc

DVD: meh

Watched The Darjeeling Limited Sunday night. Hmm. A few chuckles were generated by its extremely contrived plot. At least one chuckle was derived from the three starring noses. Oof!

13 June 2008

book 22: I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

This book was hilarious. High school geek and valedictorian Denis Cooverman veers from his speech to declare his love for head cheerleader Beth Cooper who he's been lusting after since 7th grade. It's news to her and as soon as his speech is over some crazy events are set into motion. This book had me trying to stifle giggles on the train (people were probably slowing inching away from me). It's a very fast read. I basically read it over the course of three days. It may possibly make it to the movies. Regardless, this was funny stuff.
[amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

12 June 2008

DVD: been there done that

There's nothing like liberal use of the fast forward button to quickly view cliché-ridden thrillers. Although, in the case of this one, Chaos, there was one final plot twist I didn't see coming. This starred Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe and Wesley Snipes in a cops & robbers tale which speeds through clichés at warp speed.

11 June 2008

book 21: Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

The plot thickens. Some characters die. Some change. Some go on to greater things. Bayaz and crew go traveling and meet with danger. Glokta has even more questions. Collem West battles Bethod and his Northmen. Threetrees and crew get into some bloody melees. Eaters attack. Jezal slowly becomes less of an ass. New characters are introduced. Mysteries deepen. And who are Valint and Balk? Can't wait to get my hands on the conclusion this August. (Note: the title comes from the quotation: "We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged." ~ Heinrich Heine)
[amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

9 June 2008

overheard

Luke: Hello, half-naked girl!
Kajsa: I am a scientist!

6 June 2008

bad fiction by design

From the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest:

2007 Winner: Children's Literature
Danny, the little Grizzly cub, frolicked in the tall grass on this sunny Spring morning, his mother keeping a watchful eye as she chewed on a piece of a hiker they had encountered the day before.

Dave McKenzie
Federal Way, WA

5 June 2008

unread book reviews

I'm going to start reviewing books I haven't read (and will never read). First off is...

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
The author's teenage son (who everyone regards as a "bright" boy) gets hooked on a crystal meth addiction. After this incredibly stupid happenstance, the father understandably does everything he can to keep his son from being dead. Nic (the son) decides to try crystal meth because he was bored and besides, all the other kids are doing it. Hey, it seemed a good idea at the time. But his dad, who is so uncool, totally freaks out. A major bummer ensues for all involved. Both father and son then go on to write books about the ordeal and the father's book sells better than the son's which makes for some awkward moments during Thanksgiving. Recommended for people who enjoy reading about stupid people doing drugs and anguished fathers. Also recommended for people who need a book to tell them that doing drugs is a bad idea.

4 June 2008

in the news

Did you see that photo of the bike race accident in Mexico?! The drunk driver killed at least one and 14 were injured. Some reports have cocaine involved too.

minor updatage

I reformatted my Links page and added/subtracted a few links.

3 June 2008

DVD, shorts

Watched the 2007 Academy Award Nominated Short Films collection. There were five live action shorts and three animated shorts. I liked the eventual winner of the live action shorts best, a couple others were okay, and two were either too miserably sad (the Danish entry) or weird (the Italian entry) to watch. But all three of the animated shorts were way cool. Here's a still from Madame Tutli-Putli:

2 June 2008

eggshell blond

My kids described my bald head as "half-naked" over the weekend.

dress up

Kajsa, 3½, enjoys playing dress up and has a knack for combining things. Recently she was a "cowboy-fairy-doctor." She wore a cowboy hat, fairy wings, and carried around a doctor bag. I had an interesting check-up.

book 20: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

This was exactly the kind of book I’d hoped it would be. Fun, exciting, violent — a large roster (but not too large) of interesting characters get involved in intersecting story-lines and it’s set in a medieval world with all sorts of people and places plus some powerful sorcery. This is sword-and-sorcery at its best. And the best news is that this is a story in three parts so there’s lots more to come. I’ll be starting the second volume within days today — it's just been delivered. Sweeeet.

From the back cover:

Wicked fun. [amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

book 19: The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders

Read this for the third time (it’s 84 pages, illustrated) and this time I did it aloud to Luke. It’s the story of a girl named Capable living in the town of Frip who’s exhausted from her job of brushing off gappers from her goats on a daily basis. Gappers are baseball-sized, multi-eyed creatures that adhere themselves to goats and then shriek joyfully. The goats get put out. Capable’s neighbors are buffoons and she comes up with a plan. It’s a bizarre and occasionally funny tale which has the importance of being neighborly as a lesson learned. George Saunders is more well-known for his offbeat short story collections (I’ve read ‘em). This book is gorgeously illustrated by Lane Smith (of Stinky Cheese Man fame). [amazon]

30 May 2008

links

• $8-a-gallon gas: Eight reasons higher prices will do us a world of good
• Norway's Think to Produce, Sell Small Electric Cars in U.S. (I'd like my next car to be electric.)
• Unanswered: Why are the Gawker Media sites (e.g. Gizmodo, Lifehacker) a jumbled mess when viewed via the Firefox browser (ver 2.0.0.14)? (see this forum post for more info)

29 May 2008

surf

I've been surfin' a bit through some design-themed sites. My new addiction is to Apartment Therapy where I found this cool idea for transforming a dropped ceiling into overhead bookshelves.

I'd love to do this downstairs at my own house.

I also liked this idea about making a headboard, etc from a photo.

And I thought that these wee houses were cool.

I also stumbled across this rocking chair by Mathias Koehler:

Slick. ...Hmm... I wonder if I could get it to roll completely around?

marginally updated

• links
• Doodle Dump
• 100 ways to be like Woodge

28 May 2008

gas

Think we've got it bad? Check out these prices:

country	price of gas per gallon
Canada	$5.18
France	$8.07
Germany	$8.91
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)	$0.45
Sweden	$8.72
Turkey	$10.13
United Kingdom	$8.53
United States	$3.93

source: Gasoline usage and pricing

Oh but wait, it's cheap in Saudi Arabia. But who wants to live there? Some days ago I read an article in The New York Times about single men living in Saudi Arabia. Here are a few tidbits that I learned:

• a single man caught talking to an unrelated woman can get arrested. It's a flogging offense.
• unmarried men can not enter a shopping mall
• there are no movie theaters
• prayer five times daily is mandatory
• talking via text message is taboo
• you can only see your wife for the first time on your wedding day
• said one 22-year-old man: "There is no romance."

What a horrible place Saudi Arabia must be. Young men grow up knowing next to nothing about women. The women are treated like chattel, and religious nut-jobs can have you flogged for innocent behavior that we take for granted. It sounds like hell.

movie 7: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Directed by Steven Spielberg

The buzz is on target, it's good, not great. It plays much like the previous Indiana Jones movies, except Dr. Jones is definitely older. And Harrison Ford seems a little tired too. I thought it was great that Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) was brought back for this outing. It's refreshing that a love interest for a guy in his sixties is age appropriate for once. (Remember in Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Entrapment? Puh-lease!) The villains leave a little to be desired though. It's set in 1957 so the Russians are giving the Nazis a break. Cate Blanchett's Russian agent Irina Spalko has got a great accent but not much in the way of charisma. Shia LaBoeuf adds some youth into the mix and handles himself well. The story, though, is not all that surprising. Many plot twists are easily foreseen and some of the elements seem ripped off from the first movie (my favorite). It's got some great action sequences, though. It's fun.

Harrison Ford versus the Russkie.

See also: Movie Notes: last dozen movies seen on the big screen, etc.

26 May 2008

book 18: Mainspring by Jay Lake

This fantasy has the bizarre and interesting premise of a literal clockwork universe. The Earth’s mainspring is winding down and young apprentice clockmaker Hethor Jacques is charged with finding the Key Perilous and winding it up again by a Brass Angel. The equator of the Earth is a giant gear that meshes with another for Earth’s journey around the Lamp of the Sun. Set in an alternate 19th-century Earth where Her Imperial Majesty Queen Victoria rules over England and Her American Possessions, the story is set up in an interesting fashion with the promise of armed zeppelins to boot. But then the sluggish pacing sets in and before you’re halfway through you’re half convinced the protagonist is a dull-witted simp who often just gets lucky to get out of any particular scrape he’s gets into. It often seems that deus ex machine is at work several times within the story. Until finally, the story completely sputters out and leaves the reader wholly unsatisfied. There wasn’t even a compelling villain to hate. And also, several questions go unanswered. This was a waste of time. [amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

25 May 2008

animated Star Wars

After watching the trailer for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, I think I may have made a mistake in leaving it out of my top 20 list. Looks like fun.

can't beat these odds

Buckle up...

chances of...	odds
winning Mega Millions jackpot	1 in 175,711,536
being struck by lightning (1)	1 in 600,000
winning Mass Cash jackpot	1 in 324,632
dying in a bike crash (2)	1 in 75,000
choking to death (2)	1 in 68,000
drowning (2)	1 in 20,000
dying in a car crash (2)	1 in 5,300

(1) lightning FAQ
(2) figures are annual odds in the U.S. as reported in Innumeracy, John Allen Paulos (2001).

book 17: Three Tales of My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Over a period of six nights, I read these tales aloud to my six-year-old son, Luke, and three-year-old daughter, Kajsa. Last night after finishing the book I asked Luke if he enjoyed the stories. “I loved it,” said Luke. (Meanwhile, Kajsa got far too squirmy to pay much attention after the first 10 minutes of any story). Luke ate it up though. The first of these three tales was published back in 1948! They concern the adventures of a young boy named Elmer Elevator and a baby dragon that he rescues in the first tale. Cute, light-weight stuff with a few illustrations sprinkled throughout. The end papers of the book are two different maps of the story’s environs. Luke wants to make his own maps now.
[amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

24 May 2008

lightbox

I've been messing around with lightbox and I've changed both the Luke Art and Kajsa Art pages to use it (instead of dozens of other web pages.)

23 May 2008

DVD: Will Smith talks to his dog, himself

I watched I Am Legend the other night and it had little in common with the book. In this flick Will Smith stars as Robert Neville, alone in New York City after a human-engineered plague (oops) wipes out most of the world's population. Many of the infected remainders turn into voiceless, flesh-eating savages who abhor daylight. Oy, this was a slow-moving flick without much in the way of payoff. The book (by Richard Matheson) had the hero as the last man among a world filled with vampires. And even though vampires have been done to (un-)death, that would've made a more interesting flick. 'Course I was never really a big fan of Smith to begin with.

22 May 2008

floccinaucinihilipilification *

Last night seconds after Tina turned off the TV she told me that [some name I can't remember] won American Idol. "That's great!" I said. "That means it's over." Then she mentioned that the next American Idol show won't be on until next January. "That is awesome news," I said. Tina just laughs at me.

* defined.

ignorance is bliss

Creationism Creeps into U.S. Classrooms ... oh, ferchrissake!

21 May 2008

steampunk automaton

paper, ink

New maze uploaded.

20 May 2008

video, David Lynch

David Lynch is definitely... unique. Here's an odd video of him putting a fan's panties in his mouth. Here's another of him responding to Tom Cruise's statements about Scientology. (I'm with Dave on the latter).

hip 2B square

I joined the forums of the anything but iPod site. I don't automatically think of Apple when I think of MP3 players. In fact, while there is much that is cool about Apple products, they just generally annoy me whenever I get around to using them. I'm much more comfortable and happier using non-Apple tech.

Oh, and I'm not buying into that whole "We are so much more cooler than PC people" propaganda. Cha! As if!

newish

Recently updated: Top 5 Wish List (books).

weird TV

Word is that that FOX will be cutting the ad time for its new upcoming show Fringe from 18 minutes to about ten. Cool. Looks like a great show too (in the same vein as X-Files). Check it out:

Fringe will air Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) this fall on FOX. The official plot storyline reads: When an unlikely trio uncovers a deadly mystery that involves a series of unbelievable events, they discover it may be part of a larger, more disturbing pattern that blurs the line between science fiction and technology.

19 May 2008

PSA

This is an announcement made at least three times daily by Kajsa:

newish

Recently updated: links.

two dramedic DVDs

Broken English stars Parker Posey as a thirtysomething single woman in NYC who is a bit depressed by her bad luck with men. Not helping matters is that all her friends are married. Then she meets a quirky French guy. I liked this movie. It was romantic, reminded me somewhat of Before Sunset.

Juno was entertaining but Tina thought all the characters sounded like Diablo Cody (the writer). I thought only three of them did. And once you gloss over the fact that 16-year-old girls don't really talk like that, it's pretty good. Plot? Outsider-type 16-year-old gets pregnant, decides to have it and give it up for adoption. It's cute too.

16 May 2008

mysteries of the universe

I had to add hot chicks with douchebags* to my links page.

*"Pictures of hot chicks with total and complete douchebags. With commentary."

15 May 2008

Google search on woodge.com

Google is so cool. Check out my search bar on my site map.

book 16: Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez

I discovered this author while checking out another reader's blog. Martinez has a few books out that all look like fun and since this was his first one, I decided to start here. The story is a light-hearted horror tale in which our two heroes are a slovenly, overweight werewolf and a lovelorn vampire in overalls with a comb-over. Low on gas, they pull up to the titular diner and take on a job from the owner to help her with her current zombie problem. Throw in a jailbait sorceress, undead cattle, and the local sheriff (Sheriff Marshall Kopp) and you've got a swift-moving tale that's just fun to read. It could stand a shot of joe to get things going a little quicker but based on this outing, I'm looking forward to this author's other two books, one of which tweaks the fantasy realm and the latest of which has a robot P.I. Good times.
[amazon]
See also: Booknotes: last dozen books read, etc

14 May 2008

mp3, maybe 4

My new favorite song is Mercy by Duffy.

Other recent mp3 purchases have been:

• Chasing Pavements by Adele
• Worrisome Heart by Melody Gardot
• Fool by Marié Digby

13 May 2008

flicks

I saw Mamet's Redbelt last night. 'sgood. And saw American Gangster on DVD before that. Good acting all around but what I found most surprising about that was how everything ended up (since it's based on a true story 'n' all).

12 May 2008

control freak

Last Friday morning Tina told me that Luke (age 6) got up and decided that he wanted to be in control today. He brushed his teeth and then he brushed his sister's teeth. (She's three). Then he pulled out a book called Do Not Open This Book, and proceeded to read it aloud by himself. He's in kindergarten and not currently being taught to read, so this came as a bit of a surprise. That evening when I got home, I had him read it to me to see for myself. He only needed help on five or six words but he did indeed read it to me. Very cool.

FYI, the book begins: "Excuse me, but who do you think you are, opening this book when the cover clearly says do not open this book!?..."

scooter

My commute involves an 8-minute walk, a train ride, and a 15-minute walk. Today, for kicks, I took my son's scooter for the walking portions of the commute. Here's the two comments I received:

• "Getting crazy, Dave?"
• "Need a valet, sir?"

bad monkey

Speed Racer opened over the weekend. Here's an excerpt from an AP story in which two of the stars are interviewed:

Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci, in Speed Racer

7 May 2008

last night in the inner sanctum

Tina tuned into American Idol last night which she is wont to do on occasion. So-and-so "is a really good singer," she said. "I care a lot," I said. Then she said something along the lines of "I'm just trying to get you up-to-date on the popular zeitgeist," but without using the word zeitgeist.* "Uh-huh," I said. Then, "Y'know... I'm bummed that they cancelled thirtysomething."

The whole conversation had started with her asking me what Paula Abdul had said recently. Apparently she'd flubbed her lines again. We Googled her. 138 stories told how she'd gotten confused recently. Most stories said she should be removed from the show. At least one said that having her on, flubs and all, probably brought viewers to the show. Fascinating, huh?**

---

* I can't remember her exact phrasing because I was too busy trying to sound like I'd reached the nadir of boredom and the pinnacle of condescension.
** I am SO kidding.

making me wait

Fandango asked its visitors which films they were most excited about seeing this summer...

Most Anticipated Summer 2008 Movie:

1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (82%)
2. The Dark Knight (42%)
3. Iron Man (38%)
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (37%)
5. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (30%)
6. Get Smart (29%)
7. The Incredible Hulk (22%)
8. The X-Files 2 (20%)
9. Speed Racer (19%)
10. Sex and the City (19%)

My own top 10 anticipated summer flicks in order of gotta see-ness:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Iron Man
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. Hell Boy II
5. Hancock
6. Redbelt
7. Wall-E
8. Hell Ride
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

book 15: A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

I’ve read a few other books by Christopher Moore and this looked fun. So. In this story, Charlie Asher, a secondhand shop owner with a kid on the way suddenly finds that he’s moonlighting as Death. Which sort of casts a pall on the evening. (Sorry, obscure Python reference there). Anyway, in Moore’s typical light-hearted style, bad things may happen but quirky characters make the best of the situation – a situation that only keeps getting stranger. Quick, non-taxing, mostly fun read, nothing super great though. One plot point that the reader sees a mile off catches Charlie by surprise. I hate that. Still, this guy writes an entertaining story.

6 May 2008

dissing Nic Cage

Nicolas Cage is a hitman in a summer flick called Bangkok Dangerous due in August. I saw a trailer for it. He's got stupid hair again. It's long, scraggly, and greasy-looking. He probably thinks it looks cool. I think it looks retarded. (It's the same stupid hair he had in Next, see pic, right). He should do what I do and just buzz his head. That's what I say. (He's not fooling anyone.)

true life DVD

We watched The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, based on the book by Jean-Dominique Bauby. In 1995 Jean-Do was the editor of Elle magazine (in Paris) when he suffered a "cerebrovascular accident", i.e. a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed and mute, a victim of "Locked-In Syndrome." He communicated by blinking his left eye (and dictated his book by blinks). Sad story but well done and makes you glad for what you have. (In French).

book lust

I've updated my Top 5 Wish List; the last two are new (since the others were recently acquired).

5 May 2008

rock'em sock'em summer flick

Iron Man Directed by Jon Favreau

Boozy, billionaire playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a weapons maker, gets abducted by baddies in Afghanistan and is ordered to build them a missile while jailed in a cave. He builds his first Iron Man suit instead and opens a can of whup-ass on the baddies. This annoys them. But then you'd know all this if you've seen the trailers. First of all, Downey is perfectly cast, second of all, this flick delivers a very enjoyable, occasionally funny epic superhero movie. The scenes where Iron Man flies are way cool and the dialogue is often witty and never corny. This flick is big fun.

What was probably not a good idea was eating a chicken pesto sausauge and garlic fries before seeing this flick. It was even more of a bad idea for the people sitting next to me. Mu-ahahahahaha!

Oh, two more things, 1) stay for the end of the credits for the coda (although, it may be more meaningful for fans familiar with Iron Man). And 2) Iron Man 2 is already scheduled for April 30, 2010.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

quote

Added to Bookish Quotes:

3 May 2008

Summer Movie Predictions 2008

ESP 2008: Top 20 lists are in, the grid is up.

2 May 2008

recipe

This is the first thing I cooked on my new gas grill:

Lamburgers (makes 4)

• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 3/4 pound ground lamb
• 4 or 5 tbsp chopped purple onion
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped mint
• tsp salt
• dash of pepper

Mix, grill, eat. Yum.

in the works

ESP 2008: I've got most everyone's lists. Loki and VC Nickels are AWOL. Two other players sent lists of 19 movies. It's going to take a while to put the grid together. If Loki and VC don't get me their lists pronto, they are gonna be booted.

1 May 2008

evil

This stuff about the Austrian who imprisoned his daughter and fathered seven kids by raping her AND keeping three of the kids imprisoned in a dungeon for their whole lives is almost beyond comprehension.

30 April 2008

first bike

Luke got his first bike last weekend.

requests granted

Not long ago I was awoken at 5:00am by my 3-year-old daughter, Kajsa.

And I wondered to myself: how many other people are being ordered to clean butts at 5:00am?

go H20

I've always wondered how a water birth would work.

scruffy-looking nerf herder

The first words out of my mouth today were: "Oh crap!" I overslept. Doing so when you have to catch a train is not good. I went tinkle, brushed my teeth, threw on some clothes, grabbed an apple, and ran out the door. That's all the time I had. So much for the early start I was planning. I really have to get to bed earlier.