Like earthquakes, hot summers are expected in Southern California. But this summer, like the entire year, has been on the mild side. We had 7 straight months of average or below average temps -another words, no huge spikes in temps. It was getting nice, if not rather boring. But this week changed all of that. We basically went from mid 80's in the daytime with low 60's in the night to 100 plus in a day. Tuesday really started it, but the oven was turned on the next day, with temps (locally) hitting 106. Thursday was also 106. Today, when I got home from work, the high here was 109. The heat wave continues through the weekend, and if the weather people are right, by Tuesday we should feel a measurable change in the temps.
The other thing about these last few days has been how humid its been here. With a huge high settled over the south and midwest, the monsoonal flow from Mexico has kicked in and is riding up theHigh sending warm, humid air over the foothills and mountains. This creates unstable air, and storms form with heavy rainfall and lightening for those in the desert communities. We get the humidity, and maybe a few drops of rain here in the LA basin.
So, for now, I'm trying to stay cool with the air on and fans blowing. I'm also not going to pend too much time on the computer. It's just too hot to do anything but read.
Hope you all have a good weekend -going hiking on Sunday (which should prove an adventure).
16 July 2010
14 July 2010
Time Slider
My alarm is set to go off at 5:55 am. I’m usually awake before it ever goes off, anywhere between 10 minutes up to 25 depending on how much I have to go pee.
And let me add that I consider myself someone who can pick up clues and solve riddles. This seemed to fail me today. The story goes that I woke up, looked at the clock. I’m convinced it says 5:35 am. I roll over, and lay on my back, and for about a two minutes I wrestle with whether to stay in bed until 5:55 or get up and pee -my bladder is usually getting ready to burst. I get up, and go to the bathroom. I noticed then the bright sun shining through the living room windows. I sighed, realized it was going to be a hot day. I close the blinds to stop some of the rays from heating up the house so early. I go back to bed and lay there until 5:55 (or so I assumed). I showered, shaved and did the rest of the stuff I do before going to work. At about 6:20, I’m ready to leave.
Through the open kitchen windows I can hear the cars coming to the school I live across from. The students from Summer School are arriving. It was then I noticed ants crawling all over the kitchen counter. So before I left, I had to clean up that mess, which took about 10 minutes.
I then left the house, got in my car and headed out of the alley onto Evergreen and then to the corner of D Street and Evergreen. Traffic is heavy now because of High School kids coming into summer classes. I say to myself, this is why I like to leave early, to avoid this traffic.
Anyways, I get out of this mess and eventually head towards the freeway. All this time, mind you, I’m thinking something is odd, something is out of place. But for some reason, I’m not connecting the dots.
But all of that changes when I get on the East bound 210. The first thing that occurs to me is that the sun is not my eyes. Why is the sun not in my eyes? It’s always in my eyes when I got to work at this time. Why is the sun not in my eyes? I glance down at the clock in the car and realize its 7:35 and not (as it should be) 6:35. I overslept by an hour -or just missed my usual wake up time, considering I never really slept until 6:55.
How did I not realize that I was an hour behind? I had some clues. I mean, besides 47 clocks that decorate this house, the sun beaming into the living room and the kids going to school should have tipped me off that I was not in the right time zone.
How could I not notice that I was exactly one hour behind?
My co-worker Jenn said I probably only paid attention to the minutes and not the hour aspect of the clock, which is pretty true - I have my mornings pretty well timed out on the weekdays.Plus, I think, because it was an exact hour and not some random time, my brain never made the connection.
Work was fine, and instead of working 7-3, I worked 8-4. Still it was weird. Right, it was weird?
Oh, and it was a hot day. 106. Hot. And its suppose to be that way for the rest of the week.
Super. Took summer long enough to get to the LA area.
And let me add that I consider myself someone who can pick up clues and solve riddles. This seemed to fail me today. The story goes that I woke up, looked at the clock. I’m convinced it says 5:35 am. I roll over, and lay on my back, and for about a two minutes I wrestle with whether to stay in bed until 5:55 or get up and pee -my bladder is usually getting ready to burst. I get up, and go to the bathroom. I noticed then the bright sun shining through the living room windows. I sighed, realized it was going to be a hot day. I close the blinds to stop some of the rays from heating up the house so early. I go back to bed and lay there until 5:55 (or so I assumed). I showered, shaved and did the rest of the stuff I do before going to work. At about 6:20, I’m ready to leave.
Through the open kitchen windows I can hear the cars coming to the school I live across from. The students from Summer School are arriving. It was then I noticed ants crawling all over the kitchen counter. So before I left, I had to clean up that mess, which took about 10 minutes.
I then left the house, got in my car and headed out of the alley onto Evergreen and then to the corner of D Street and Evergreen. Traffic is heavy now because of High School kids coming into summer classes. I say to myself, this is why I like to leave early, to avoid this traffic.
Anyways, I get out of this mess and eventually head towards the freeway. All this time, mind you, I’m thinking something is odd, something is out of place. But for some reason, I’m not connecting the dots.
But all of that changes when I get on the East bound 210. The first thing that occurs to me is that the sun is not my eyes. Why is the sun not in my eyes? It’s always in my eyes when I got to work at this time. Why is the sun not in my eyes? I glance down at the clock in the car and realize its 7:35 and not (as it should be) 6:35. I overslept by an hour -or just missed my usual wake up time, considering I never really slept until 6:55.
How did I not realize that I was an hour behind? I had some clues. I mean, besides 47 clocks that decorate this house, the sun beaming into the living room and the kids going to school should have tipped me off that I was not in the right time zone.
How could I not notice that I was exactly one hour behind?
My co-worker Jenn said I probably only paid attention to the minutes and not the hour aspect of the clock, which is pretty true - I have my mornings pretty well timed out on the weekdays.Plus, I think, because it was an exact hour and not some random time, my brain never made the connection.
Work was fine, and instead of working 7-3, I worked 8-4. Still it was weird. Right, it was weird?
Oh, and it was a hot day. 106. Hot. And its suppose to be that way for the rest of the week.
Super. Took summer long enough to get to the LA area.
11 July 2010
The Death and Life of Stieg Larsson
Author Stieg Larsson died in 2004 at the age of 50 from a heart attack. A year later, his first novel - up until then, he had written many short stories in the sci fi genre - was published in Sweden in 2005 as Män som hatar kvinnor ("Men who hate women"), published in English in 2008 as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -coined by his British publishers. The novel went on to win the 2005 Glass Key award, given annually to crime novels by authors who are from Nordic countries; and its follow-up, Flickan som lekte med elden (The Girl Who Played with Fire), received the Best Swedish Crime Novel Award in 2006.
The third novel, Luftslottet som sprängdes (The Girl Who Kicked a Hornets Nest), was released in May here in the States, though like the previous two, were available overseas before then.
Larsson, a journalist by day, wrote all three novels as a way to relax at home. According to Wikipedia, “Larsson was initially a political activist for the Kommunistiska Arbetareförbundet (Communist Workers League), a photographer, and one of Sweden's leading science fiction fans. In politics he was the editor of the Swedish Trotskyist journal Fjärde internationalen. He also wrote regularly for the weekly Internationalen. As a science fiction fan, he was co-editor or editor of several fanzines, including Sfären, FIJAGH! and others; in 1978-1979 he was president of the largest Swedish science fiction fan club, Skandinavisk Förening för Science Fiction (SFSF). He worked as a graphic designer at the largest Swedish news agency, Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (TT) between 1977 and 1999. Larsson's political convictions, as well as his journalistic experiences, led him to the founding of the Swedish Expo Foundation, similar to the British Searchlight Foundation, established to "counteract the growth of the extreme right and the white power-culture in schools and among young people." He also became the editor of the foundation's magazine, Expo. Larsson quickly became instrumental in documenting and exposing Swedish extreme right and racist organizations; he was an influential debater and lecturer on the subject, reportedly living for years under death threats from his political enemies.”
Since his death his popularity has grown outside his native country, even as his family and former long-time girlfriend battle for control of is ever growing massive estate. Like his novels, which gave an intricate look within Swedish government, its financial life and its dirty little secrets about brutality towards women, his passing has shown the reality of what happens when a will does not exist. Under Swedish law, all of Larsson's estate, including future royalties from book sales, will go to his father and brother. This has put his long-time partner Eva Gabrielsson on the outs with the family, as she claimed in a Vanity Fair article that Larsson had little contact with his father and brother and is now petitioning the right to control his work so it may be presented in the way he would have wanted.
Part of the reason they never married was due to Larsson’s activity in uncovering the unsavory aspects of Swedish life. His life had been threatened and according to Swedish law, when a couple enters into marriage, all their personal history, including home address, become public record. Essentially, marrying would have presented a security risk to both Larsson and Gabrielsson. So, it appeared they were granted some sort of masking of that information so he could continue to his journalistic duties.
Until some sort of agreement can be ironed out, what remains of Larsson’s work will remain in limbo. If, according to claims by Gabrielsson are confirmed, it seems Larsson left about three quarters of a fourth novel on a notebook computer, which is in her possession, along with potential synopses or manuscripts of the fifth and sixth books in the series. It is rumored that the computer could contain enough material for 10 novels. One assumes she wants the ability to find the right author to complete these stories, and earn the monies that come from them.
In the meantime, three Swedish language movies have been made of Larsson’s books, with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo released in limited release (the art house circuit) here in the United States back in March and is now out on DVD. The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked A Hornets Nest will be released later this year.
And because the movie has sub-titles, and average Americans refuse to watch films with sub-titles, Sony Pictures has scooped up the rights to the first three novels and will remake then in English, with the first one that will probably hit the cinemas in late 2011. Rumor suggests that Sony wants David Fincher to helm it. Interestingly Noomi Rapace, who played Lisbeth Salander is not interested in recreating the role for the America remakes. She told Buzzine magazine that she became Salander too much that she was “so influenced by Lisbeth when we were shooting the film. She kept me in some kind of cage when I was her. I was really angry. I sat in a corner drinking coffee and not talking to anyone. I was very asocial and isolated.”
I guess some people don’t want to relive that sort of darkness.
The third novel, Luftslottet som sprängdes (The Girl Who Kicked a Hornets Nest), was released in May here in the States, though like the previous two, were available overseas before then.
Larsson, a journalist by day, wrote all three novels as a way to relax at home. According to Wikipedia, “Larsson was initially a political activist for the Kommunistiska Arbetareförbundet (Communist Workers League), a photographer, and one of Sweden's leading science fiction fans. In politics he was the editor of the Swedish Trotskyist journal Fjärde internationalen. He also wrote regularly for the weekly Internationalen. As a science fiction fan, he was co-editor or editor of several fanzines, including Sfären, FIJAGH! and others; in 1978-1979 he was president of the largest Swedish science fiction fan club, Skandinavisk Förening för Science Fiction (SFSF). He worked as a graphic designer at the largest Swedish news agency, Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (TT) between 1977 and 1999. Larsson's political convictions, as well as his journalistic experiences, led him to the founding of the Swedish Expo Foundation, similar to the British Searchlight Foundation, established to "counteract the growth of the extreme right and the white power-culture in schools and among young people." He also became the editor of the foundation's magazine, Expo. Larsson quickly became instrumental in documenting and exposing Swedish extreme right and racist organizations; he was an influential debater and lecturer on the subject, reportedly living for years under death threats from his political enemies.”
Since his death his popularity has grown outside his native country, even as his family and former long-time girlfriend battle for control of is ever growing massive estate. Like his novels, which gave an intricate look within Swedish government, its financial life and its dirty little secrets about brutality towards women, his passing has shown the reality of what happens when a will does not exist. Under Swedish law, all of Larsson's estate, including future royalties from book sales, will go to his father and brother. This has put his long-time partner Eva Gabrielsson on the outs with the family, as she claimed in a Vanity Fair article that Larsson had little contact with his father and brother and is now petitioning the right to control his work so it may be presented in the way he would have wanted.
Part of the reason they never married was due to Larsson’s activity in uncovering the unsavory aspects of Swedish life. His life had been threatened and according to Swedish law, when a couple enters into marriage, all their personal history, including home address, become public record. Essentially, marrying would have presented a security risk to both Larsson and Gabrielsson. So, it appeared they were granted some sort of masking of that information so he could continue to his journalistic duties.
Until some sort of agreement can be ironed out, what remains of Larsson’s work will remain in limbo. If, according to claims by Gabrielsson are confirmed, it seems Larsson left about three quarters of a fourth novel on a notebook computer, which is in her possession, along with potential synopses or manuscripts of the fifth and sixth books in the series. It is rumored that the computer could contain enough material for 10 novels. One assumes she wants the ability to find the right author to complete these stories, and earn the monies that come from them.
In the meantime, three Swedish language movies have been made of Larsson’s books, with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo released in limited release (the art house circuit) here in the United States back in March and is now out on DVD. The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked A Hornets Nest will be released later this year.
And because the movie has sub-titles, and average Americans refuse to watch films with sub-titles, Sony Pictures has scooped up the rights to the first three novels and will remake then in English, with the first one that will probably hit the cinemas in late 2011. Rumor suggests that Sony wants David Fincher to helm it. Interestingly Noomi Rapace, who played Lisbeth Salander is not interested in recreating the role for the America remakes. She told Buzzine magazine that she became Salander too much that she was “so influenced by Lisbeth when we were shooting the film. She kept me in some kind of cage when I was her. I was really angry. I sat in a corner drinking coffee and not talking to anyone. I was very asocial and isolated.”
I guess some people don’t want to relive that sort of darkness.
05 July 2010
Weekend ramblings
Saturday started like most over since work ended with HFP Productions, with a jaunt over to my local Starbucks (I awoke at 5:30 with a headache. Since I was tired, I grab some aspirin instead of Excedrin, because of that's pills high dose of caffeine and went back to bed. I cat napped for about two hours, but the headache, while reduced, was still there). I had posted a week earlier that I was going to read The Girl Who Played With Fire, but I did not really start it until this Saturday. I'm now over 200 pages into it.
After that, I came home and puttered around the house. Ate lunch, read some more and eventually headed over to Disneyland with my friend Kes. Spent five hours there, having fun.
Yesterday, I again had a headache when I woke up, but this time I was able to get rid of it pretty fast. I spent the morning back at Starbucks, then came home and went to the store to pick up a few things for dinner. Then sat outside the rest of the day watching the people arrive for the fireworks, which take place on the school grounds/park area here in La Verne directly accross the street from me. They started packing Bonita High School parking lot at around four, and as a people watcher, its fun to see the wide variety of people who interact here.
My housemate got home at about 5:30, and he grilled up the hamburgers we had for dinner (I'm a great cook, though I cannot for the life of me cook on the grill). At nine the fireworks started.
It was a nice day, all said and done. The weather here has been perfect, and apparently today was the 18th day in row with below normal temps, and we're in our 7th month straight of below normal temps. So when the high of 82 yesterday and 81 today -when it could be near 100 - I'm not complaining. The heat, however, arrives towards the end of the week. Next weekend we're suppose to hit the mid 90's (though in Palm Springs and Las Vegas, the temps are where they normally are during this time of year). But it's a dry heat, they say.
After that, I came home and puttered around the house. Ate lunch, read some more and eventually headed over to Disneyland with my friend Kes. Spent five hours there, having fun.
Yesterday, I again had a headache when I woke up, but this time I was able to get rid of it pretty fast. I spent the morning back at Starbucks, then came home and went to the store to pick up a few things for dinner. Then sat outside the rest of the day watching the people arrive for the fireworks, which take place on the school grounds/park area here in La Verne directly accross the street from me. They started packing Bonita High School parking lot at around four, and as a people watcher, its fun to see the wide variety of people who interact here.
My housemate got home at about 5:30, and he grilled up the hamburgers we had for dinner (I'm a great cook, though I cannot for the life of me cook on the grill). At nine the fireworks started.
It was a nice day, all said and done. The weather here has been perfect, and apparently today was the 18th day in row with below normal temps, and we're in our 7th month straight of below normal temps. So when the high of 82 yesterday and 81 today -when it could be near 100 - I'm not complaining. The heat, however, arrives towards the end of the week. Next weekend we're suppose to hit the mid 90's (though in Palm Springs and Las Vegas, the temps are where they normally are during this time of year). But it's a dry heat, they say.
Fireworks from my front door
Above is the front of the house
Turn around 180 to the park across the street. In the distance, a rental truckZoom in a bit
Zoomed in even further. This is the best part of living here. No driving, no traffic to get caught in.01 July 2010
New Peter Parker, part 2
So, one day after I post another actor had been cast, today Sony turns around an announces some one else. The gits.
"After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios."
For many Doctor Who fans, Garfield -born in Los Angeles, but raised in the UK - played Frank in the two-part episode Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks.
So, with a good script, and new up and coming lead actor they are still resorting to 3-D? Nice way to say, "We have no confidence our product is worth our time or your money."
"After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios."
For many Doctor Who fans, Garfield -born in Los Angeles, but raised in the UK - played Frank in the two-part episode Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks.
So, with a good script, and new up and coming lead actor they are still resorting to 3-D? Nice way to say, "We have no confidence our product is worth our time or your money."
30 June 2010
New Peter Parker is chosen
It looks like 17 year-old Josh Hutcherson will be the new Spider-Man. According to various sources, including Blue Sky Disney, the actor, who appeared in "Bridge to Terabithia," "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" will now play the High School bound Peter Parker. Look for the official announcement any day now.
Andy Serkis will don the motion capture suit once again, as he'll play Caesar, the chimp who leads a simian insurrection against humanity in 20th Century Fox's "Rise of the Apes," their prequel to "Planet of the Apes."
Two casting rumors that first sprang up the other month have finally been confirmed: Tommy Lee Jones will play US Army Colonel Chester Phillips in "Captain America: The First Avenger" and Jon Tenney has been cast the father of Ryan Reynolds's Hal Jordan character in "Green Lantern".
Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths have all joined the cast of Martin Scorsese's 3D adventure film "Hugo Cabret." The movie, based on Brian Selznick's novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", is the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. He is soon caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure that could put all of his secrets in jeopardy.
Fresh off securing Michael Fassbender as Magneto and getting Alice Eve to play Emma Frost, there's news of yet another casting role for "The X-Men" reboot. Caleb Landry Jones, probably best known from his work as Jimmy Adler on Friday Night Lights, will play the Irish mutant Banshee.
Andy Serkis will don the motion capture suit once again, as he'll play Caesar, the chimp who leads a simian insurrection against humanity in 20th Century Fox's "Rise of the Apes," their prequel to "Planet of the Apes."
Two casting rumors that first sprang up the other month have finally been confirmed: Tommy Lee Jones will play US Army Colonel Chester Phillips in "Captain America: The First Avenger" and Jon Tenney has been cast the father of Ryan Reynolds's Hal Jordan character in "Green Lantern".
Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths have all joined the cast of Martin Scorsese's 3D adventure film "Hugo Cabret." The movie, based on Brian Selznick's novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", is the story of an orphan boy living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. He is soon caught up in a magical, mysterious adventure that could put all of his secrets in jeopardy.
Fresh off securing Michael Fassbender as Magneto and getting Alice Eve to play Emma Frost, there's news of yet another casting role for "The X-Men" reboot. Caleb Landry Jones, probably best known from his work as Jimmy Adler on Friday Night Lights, will play the Irish mutant Banshee.
27 June 2010
The Week that Was
Semi interesting week here. While work continues to be somewhat of a pain -and I've discovered that I want my GM these days to get mad at me, at least then I know he's alive with passion. I mean, what Borders management lacks (from the GM on up) is any passion for what they do. It's all about tracking sales in every mathematical aspect.
Anyways, after spending most of last weekend trying to call my family in Chicago due the the severe storms that moved through, I did the same again on Wednesday, which was also my mom's 75th birthday. It seems odd to me that she has reached this milestone, though I'm sure she does not feel that way.
Yesterday was the wrap party for Hidden Frontier Productions. As of now, with our fan produced Star Trek series finished (the two-hour movie is due later this year), and the fate of HFP's original production, Frontier Guard, not yet decided, I'm done working there. Anyway, the party was held at our friends house near LAX. Barb and her husband Oz have this great house with a pool and hot tub. While I did not partake in either of the two, I got to see some friends I've not seen in months, like writer Dan Crout and our Scotland pals (and creators of Star Trek: Intrepid fan series), Nick and Lucy Cook in for a visit. It was a blast to be with them.
One of our fans who has since become a good friend, Rick has been here since the prvious weekend. Rick lives in Maryland, and comes here often. Last Saturday we all got together in West Hollywood for a night of drinking and fun times. The above photo is Logan, our server at the bar. Super nice guy, handsome and not shy.
Anyways, today Rick and I ventured out to Griffith Obsevatory. It's funny in many ways. I've lived here for almost 5 years, and visit the Silverlake area of Los Angeles many times, but I've never been there. Does this happen often, where we wait for visitors before we see the local tourist attractions? And I've yet to see Mt Baldy, which is very close to where I live. And I do want to climb it, but really don't want to do it by myself.
It was nice, an I should go there more often. But like many things in this money tight times, it seem illogical to drive so many miles just to walk around a park.
So the last week of June is here. Half of 2010 is gone and it astounds me thst time is flying so fast. I want to slow it down, I want to live more.
At times, it seems, life can be unfair.
Anyways, after spending most of last weekend trying to call my family in Chicago due the the severe storms that moved through, I did the same again on Wednesday, which was also my mom's 75th birthday. It seems odd to me that she has reached this milestone, though I'm sure she does not feel that way.
Yesterday was the wrap party for Hidden Frontier Productions. As of now, with our fan produced Star Trek series finished (the two-hour movie is due later this year), and the fate of HFP's original production, Frontier Guard, not yet decided, I'm done working there. Anyway, the party was held at our friends house near LAX. Barb and her husband Oz have this great house with a pool and hot tub. While I did not partake in either of the two, I got to see some friends I've not seen in months, like writer Dan Crout and our Scotland pals (and creators of Star Trek: Intrepid fan series), Nick and Lucy Cook in for a visit. It was a blast to be with them.
One of our fans who has since become a good friend, Rick has been here since the prvious weekend. Rick lives in Maryland, and comes here often. Last Saturday we all got together in West Hollywood for a night of drinking and fun times. The above photo is Logan, our server at the bar. Super nice guy, handsome and not shy.
Anyways, today Rick and I ventured out to Griffith Obsevatory. It's funny in many ways. I've lived here for almost 5 years, and visit the Silverlake area of Los Angeles many times, but I've never been there. Does this happen often, where we wait for visitors before we see the local tourist attractions? And I've yet to see Mt Baldy, which is very close to where I live. And I do want to climb it, but really don't want to do it by myself.
It was nice, an I should go there more often. But like many things in this money tight times, it seem illogical to drive so many miles just to walk around a park.
So the last week of June is here. Half of 2010 is gone and it astounds me thst time is flying so fast. I want to slow it down, I want to live more.
At times, it seems, life can be unfair.
Books: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2009)
According to Wikipedia, Sarah Waters’ fifth novel, The Little Stranger, started out as a book about the economic changes brought by socialism in postwar Britain. Somewhere along the way, though, it became a ghost story as well.
Set in 1947, the novel is narrated by Doctor Faraday, a middle aged country doctor who is called to Hundreds Hall, an 18th Century estate that has seen its glory days long since past -and, ironically, Faraday’s mother was once a maid in the house. There he becomes involved with the Ayres family, Caroline, her brother Roderick and their mother, along with maid Betty. Faraday, thinking he can help Roderick with his badly healed wounds from World War II, becomes wrapped up in a gothic drama he does not see coming.
This ghost story is stylish and intelligent, and Waters writing abilities prevents the tale from becoming a cliche. Waters also tells a tale about the shift away -more or less- from the class struggle that permeated the centuries before, essential aspects of a these gothic, macabre novels. Here we see the Ayres family trying to stave off the inevitable - the true aspect that during this time period, impressive estates like Hundreds Hall where broken up, either turned into museums or bulldozed into suburbia - but continue to “pride themselves on living like the Brontës out there," someone observes.
The Little Stranger is, in the end, an old fashion ghost story with social commentary thrown in with large doses. Sarah Waters has a deft hand at creating this world, these characters, and her compelling style will make you want to continue reading when you should have longed turned off the light or gone back to work.
Set in 1947, the novel is narrated by Doctor Faraday, a middle aged country doctor who is called to Hundreds Hall, an 18th Century estate that has seen its glory days long since past -and, ironically, Faraday’s mother was once a maid in the house. There he becomes involved with the Ayres family, Caroline, her brother Roderick and their mother, along with maid Betty. Faraday, thinking he can help Roderick with his badly healed wounds from World War II, becomes wrapped up in a gothic drama he does not see coming.
This ghost story is stylish and intelligent, and Waters writing abilities prevents the tale from becoming a cliche. Waters also tells a tale about the shift away -more or less- from the class struggle that permeated the centuries before, essential aspects of a these gothic, macabre novels. Here we see the Ayres family trying to stave off the inevitable - the true aspect that during this time period, impressive estates like Hundreds Hall where broken up, either turned into museums or bulldozed into suburbia - but continue to “pride themselves on living like the Brontës out there," someone observes.
The Little Stranger is, in the end, an old fashion ghost story with social commentary thrown in with large doses. Sarah Waters has a deft hand at creating this world, these characters, and her compelling style will make you want to continue reading when you should have longed turned off the light or gone back to work.
Doctor Who: 31.13 The Big Bang
The Big Bang brings Doctor Who’s 5th season (or 31st) to a stunning conclusion, and thus closes out a somewhat uneven year.
When we last left our heroes, the Doctor was trapped in the Pandorica, Amy was dead, and River Song was about to be blown up with the TARDIS. Then, within mere minutes, the Doctor has escaped his imprisonment and we discover Amy is not that dead - and when things shift 1,894 years into the future, who was not surprised to see, when the Pandorica opened in 1996, it contained Amy instead of the Doctor, in what must be the longest pre-credits sequence since the series returned?
Anyways, as with part one, The Big Bang resembles the old RTD era, down to the deus ex machina Moffatt unleashes here, along with the paradoxes and a lot of techobabble. And once again, the Doctor needs to sacrifice himself to save the universe, and as he flies the Pandorica into the heart of the exploding TARDIS, insteading of dying, he finds himself back in his TARDIS and rewinding in time. As the Doctor unwinds through this last season, he sees events which relate to The Lodger. Next he visits the events of Flesh and Stone, revealing that his message to Amy seen in that episode was given by a future Doctor -and one of the first clues the fans got that somehow the Doctor was traveling back through his own time stream. Finally, he arrives in seven-year-old Amelia's house after she waited for him in The Eleventh Hour. It is here, where the episode gets a bit of let down. Much like in the Last of the Time Lords, it seems all it takes to save the Doctor is to speak his name or remember him. Again, this deus ex machina can be forgiven if only because the performances are brilliant. Matt Smith, once thought too young to play the Doctor, really shows why he was chosen to play this role. Yes, he’s young, but behind his eyes, hides an old soul.
Karen Gillan is perhaps her best in this story, as well is Arthur Darvill, who appears to become the first male companion in the TARDIS since Turlough left in TOS. And, I think, this is the first for Doctor Who, by having a married couple travel with the Doctor -even though Rory is a Nestene.
What's most unique about this episode was that the sinister rasping voice that said "Silence will fall" was never explained. Nor was the reason for the TARDIS exploding. For one thing - as some people have suggested - it was too late to introduce a villain, even a classic Who villain like Omega (that rumors earlier in the week thought it might be), so there was no space left in the episode, I guess, to explain any of those things.
So it means season 32 will start with an already established mystery, with a lot of time explain what or who is behind all of it.
When we last left our heroes, the Doctor was trapped in the Pandorica, Amy was dead, and River Song was about to be blown up with the TARDIS. Then, within mere minutes, the Doctor has escaped his imprisonment and we discover Amy is not that dead - and when things shift 1,894 years into the future, who was not surprised to see, when the Pandorica opened in 1996, it contained Amy instead of the Doctor, in what must be the longest pre-credits sequence since the series returned?
Anyways, as with part one, The Big Bang resembles the old RTD era, down to the deus ex machina Moffatt unleashes here, along with the paradoxes and a lot of techobabble. And once again, the Doctor needs to sacrifice himself to save the universe, and as he flies the Pandorica into the heart of the exploding TARDIS, insteading of dying, he finds himself back in his TARDIS and rewinding in time. As the Doctor unwinds through this last season, he sees events which relate to The Lodger. Next he visits the events of Flesh and Stone, revealing that his message to Amy seen in that episode was given by a future Doctor -and one of the first clues the fans got that somehow the Doctor was traveling back through his own time stream. Finally, he arrives in seven-year-old Amelia's house after she waited for him in The Eleventh Hour. It is here, where the episode gets a bit of let down. Much like in the Last of the Time Lords, it seems all it takes to save the Doctor is to speak his name or remember him. Again, this deus ex machina can be forgiven if only because the performances are brilliant. Matt Smith, once thought too young to play the Doctor, really shows why he was chosen to play this role. Yes, he’s young, but behind his eyes, hides an old soul.
Karen Gillan is perhaps her best in this story, as well is Arthur Darvill, who appears to become the first male companion in the TARDIS since Turlough left in TOS. And, I think, this is the first for Doctor Who, by having a married couple travel with the Doctor -even though Rory is a Nestene.
What's most unique about this episode was that the sinister rasping voice that said "Silence will fall" was never explained. Nor was the reason for the TARDIS exploding. For one thing - as some people have suggested - it was too late to introduce a villain, even a classic Who villain like Omega (that rumors earlier in the week thought it might be), so there was no space left in the episode, I guess, to explain any of those things.
So it means season 32 will start with an already established mystery, with a lot of time explain what or who is behind all of it.
23 June 2010
Beneath a Spielberg Sky II
My home town once again is under the gun from severe weather tonight. Chicago gets hit with a lot of storms, but this has been the worst outbreak to hit the area in decades.22 June 2010
The E-Reader War has begun
Er...well it began yesterday really. But the groundwork was laid months ago when Apple announced its iPad. And 2 million iPads later, and on the week that the Kobo, an upstart e-reader backed by Borders, shipped to its customers, Barnes & Noble dropped the price of their $259 Nook e-reader to $199. Not to be outdone, Amazon, who was first with an e-reader device, dropped the price of their Kindle from $259 to $189, giving them the cheapest 3G device on the market. Of course, one would be remiss not to note that this is also the week that Apple releases its IOS4, which will bring the iBook format and the IBookstore to the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Also, B&N introduced a $149 Wi-Fi-only version of their Nook.
As noted, Borders got into the fray with Kobo, a $149 e-book reader, and will introduce the Libre e-book Reader Pro for $119 in July. These price ranges, according to consumer research company Boston Consulting, are what the mass audience would be willing to pay for an e-reader. As of now, blocking point for more sales of these devices was that most people thought the price was way out their range -that only well-off and tech savvy people could afford the product. Now with the price dropping to what they call the “sweet spot,” the devices now become accessible to everyday people.
Meanwhile, Borders announced today that people who buy the Kobo will get a $20 gift card and double points on their Reward Card that can be used for future purchases. Also, they announced the availability of an Apple app for the iPhone and iPad and customers who download it will get a free cup of coffee just by showing the app.
So, what we got here is a good old battle between retailers for the cheapest e-reader on the market. And who wins? Well, it looks like the customer, but will that be good in the long run, or is technology developing so fast that the e-reader is already doomed?
One man, Allen Weiner of Gartner, believes the because of the “new tablet technology, reading-only devices have been forced into a race to the bottom. We've only begun to see the price cuts."
E-reader manufacturers were banking on the easy reading ability of the E-Ink technology, which boasts a backlight-free display and reflects light like regular paper does, to make their devices must-have gadgets. But Weiner believes that the iPad will push the e-readers toward obsolescence.
But with tablets, the iPad imitators, eventually hitting the market (just as MP3 players did after the iPod), what will be the long-term fate of reading-only devices, or even the ones that have 3G or Wi-Fi access ability? How many people want multiple devices that can do the same thing?
Weiner also sees that this type of competition, the price of the Nook, Kindle, Kobo and other reading-only devices could to less than $100 by the end of 2010. He feels the “devices just didn't evolve quickly enough. It's possible that this E-Ink tech has had a very short life.”
Also, B&N introduced a $149 Wi-Fi-only version of their Nook.
As noted, Borders got into the fray with Kobo, a $149 e-book reader, and will introduce the Libre e-book Reader Pro for $119 in July. These price ranges, according to consumer research company Boston Consulting, are what the mass audience would be willing to pay for an e-reader. As of now, blocking point for more sales of these devices was that most people thought the price was way out their range -that only well-off and tech savvy people could afford the product. Now with the price dropping to what they call the “sweet spot,” the devices now become accessible to everyday people.
Meanwhile, Borders announced today that people who buy the Kobo will get a $20 gift card and double points on their Reward Card that can be used for future purchases. Also, they announced the availability of an Apple app for the iPhone and iPad and customers who download it will get a free cup of coffee just by showing the app.
So, what we got here is a good old battle between retailers for the cheapest e-reader on the market. And who wins? Well, it looks like the customer, but will that be good in the long run, or is technology developing so fast that the e-reader is already doomed?
One man, Allen Weiner of Gartner, believes the because of the “new tablet technology, reading-only devices have been forced into a race to the bottom. We've only begun to see the price cuts."
E-reader manufacturers were banking on the easy reading ability of the E-Ink technology, which boasts a backlight-free display and reflects light like regular paper does, to make their devices must-have gadgets. But Weiner believes that the iPad will push the e-readers toward obsolescence.
But with tablets, the iPad imitators, eventually hitting the market (just as MP3 players did after the iPod), what will be the long-term fate of reading-only devices, or even the ones that have 3G or Wi-Fi access ability? How many people want multiple devices that can do the same thing?
Weiner also sees that this type of competition, the price of the Nook, Kindle, Kobo and other reading-only devices could to less than $100 by the end of 2010. He feels the “devices just didn't evolve quickly enough. It's possible that this E-Ink tech has had a very short life.”
21 June 2010
20 June 2010
Aftermath
This is what 75 miles per hour winds do to electrical poles. Des Plaines, a suburb near O'Hare airport, was the most damaged area around Chicagoland when storms pushed through the area on Friday afternoon and late Friday evening.Beneath A Spielberg Sky
On this past Friday, my home town was hit with a one-two punch of severe storms. These images are from the one that hit in late afternoon, with winds packing 75 miles per hour -which is hurricane strength. No one was hurt, including my family, but nearly 500,000 people lost power, which included my family. As of today some 60,000 people still remain without power, which also includes my Mom and Dad and my sister.Happy Father's Day
While he’s been married to my Mom (this November) for 25 years, I’ve known him collectively for nearly 31 years. I was 17 when I first met him, when my mom, coming out of a nasty, bitter divorce from her second husband started dating him. All of us, my siblings and I, was sort of wary of him. My older sister, me and my younger sister had called my mom’s second husband “dad” because we so wanted one. Our real father was dead, cancer taking him in July 1968 at the age of 33.
But when my moms marriage fell apart in 1979, we all tried to rally around her, and hate the man who screwed her over. And over the years, I grew less resentful of the man who first replaced our father; we’ve seen him at certain family functions over the years. Still, its hard to fathom just what he did and still not remain bitter over it.
But this third man, this nice Italian with three kids of his own, seemed to take a shine to my mother, despite four rebellious kids of her own. Well, only my older brother was rebellious, and was the only one who refused to call my mom’s second husband “dad.” He perused her for nearly six years before she agreed to marry him.
But see, in those six years before, I kind grew to like the man, and my siblings and got along with his three kids, so by the time they did marry in 1985 I knew this one was for keeps. It didn’t hurt that I think he kind of worshiped the ground my mom walked on, even though I felt at times it was silly for him to do that. And, I always thought my mom married Guy because she was getting older, and did not want to spend the rest of her life alone. I know that sounds mean, bitter and stupid, but after all the issues with her second marriage, those thoughts stayed with me.
That was until he had a heart attack. While it was a mild one, he none the less went through bypass surgery. I remember, with the clarity of the day, my stepfather laying on the doctors table at the hospital, my mom hovering like the mother hen she can be, while the doctor explained the situation: a bypass would be mean he would recover completely while a shunt would only prolong things. She stood there, her hand in his, looking at her husband while tears streaming down her cheeks. It was then, that I knew she really, really loved him.
Over the last 25 years, I’ve grown to love this man as a husband to my mother and the father I lost 42 years ago this July. And this man, who does not share a single gene with me or my siblings, has tried (rather successfully) to love all of us nonetheless. And that is great.
So on Father’s Day, I can remind him that while we are genetically not connected, he is my dad. And I think, and I hope, that my real dad would approve. And I have 31 years of fond memories, three step-siblings who I care for (even the one has forsaken his family due to his religious beliefs) and hope that my mom and dad will be together for the rest of their lives.
All my love.
But when my moms marriage fell apart in 1979, we all tried to rally around her, and hate the man who screwed her over. And over the years, I grew less resentful of the man who first replaced our father; we’ve seen him at certain family functions over the years. Still, its hard to fathom just what he did and still not remain bitter over it.
But this third man, this nice Italian with three kids of his own, seemed to take a shine to my mother, despite four rebellious kids of her own. Well, only my older brother was rebellious, and was the only one who refused to call my mom’s second husband “dad.” He perused her for nearly six years before she agreed to marry him.
But see, in those six years before, I kind grew to like the man, and my siblings and got along with his three kids, so by the time they did marry in 1985 I knew this one was for keeps. It didn’t hurt that I think he kind of worshiped the ground my mom walked on, even though I felt at times it was silly for him to do that. And, I always thought my mom married Guy because she was getting older, and did not want to spend the rest of her life alone. I know that sounds mean, bitter and stupid, but after all the issues with her second marriage, those thoughts stayed with me.
That was until he had a heart attack. While it was a mild one, he none the less went through bypass surgery. I remember, with the clarity of the day, my stepfather laying on the doctors table at the hospital, my mom hovering like the mother hen she can be, while the doctor explained the situation: a bypass would be mean he would recover completely while a shunt would only prolong things. She stood there, her hand in his, looking at her husband while tears streaming down her cheeks. It was then, that I knew she really, really loved him.
Over the last 25 years, I’ve grown to love this man as a husband to my mother and the father I lost 42 years ago this July. And this man, who does not share a single gene with me or my siblings, has tried (rather successfully) to love all of us nonetheless. And that is great.
So on Father’s Day, I can remind him that while we are genetically not connected, he is my dad. And I think, and I hope, that my real dad would approve. And I have 31 years of fond memories, three step-siblings who I care for (even the one has forsaken his family due to his religious beliefs) and hope that my mom and dad will be together for the rest of their lives.
All my love.
18 June 2010
Idiots on a stick
As my co-worker pointed out, our customers are like kids. Insomuch as they don't listen to us.
Had a customer call this week looking for a certain title. It does not matter what it was, though I giver her props for knowing the title and the author (you don't know how many times we get neither, but we're expected to know what they are talking about). What I love about Atlas, our relatively new inventory system, I can show a title anywhere a Borders store carries it. And as it happened, out of 500 plus Borders stores, only 3 stores carried it.
I told this lady, very clearly because I know they don't hear the words I'm telling them, that it's barely carried on the brick and mortar level, and out of the three stores that do carry it, the only California Borders is somewhere in the heart of Los Angeles, like some 60 miles from my store.
Now, there are two Borders within 10 miles of my store, one in Mira Loma and the other in Montclair. Now, just after telling this lady that the book she wanted was essentially not readily available, she says "So, Montclair does not carry it?"
There are times when I just want to hang up, or say some snarky remark when I get this type of behavior from people. But it's a tough job market, so after I rolled my eyes, gathered a deep breath, I re-explained the situation.
No, Montclair does not carry it, only one Borders in California does, and that's 60 miles away. This still seemed to confuse her. But after a moment, where universes crashed together like mashed patotes and peas, she said that was too far to drive.
Yes, I agree. Idiot on a stick.
Anyways, the point is as always, pay attention to what we say. We might not have fancy cars, big homes, graduate papers and what not, but we know our job. We know what we're talking about, we know...things.
It's calls like that, people who probably yell at other people for not listening, that make me worry for our species. But hey, if I was an alien and had to talk to the people I have to talk to on a daily basis, I say it ain't worth landing. Just blow them up.
Had a customer call this week looking for a certain title. It does not matter what it was, though I giver her props for knowing the title and the author (you don't know how many times we get neither, but we're expected to know what they are talking about). What I love about Atlas, our relatively new inventory system, I can show a title anywhere a Borders store carries it. And as it happened, out of 500 plus Borders stores, only 3 stores carried it.
I told this lady, very clearly because I know they don't hear the words I'm telling them, that it's barely carried on the brick and mortar level, and out of the three stores that do carry it, the only California Borders is somewhere in the heart of Los Angeles, like some 60 miles from my store.
Now, there are two Borders within 10 miles of my store, one in Mira Loma and the other in Montclair. Now, just after telling this lady that the book she wanted was essentially not readily available, she says "So, Montclair does not carry it?"
There are times when I just want to hang up, or say some snarky remark when I get this type of behavior from people. But it's a tough job market, so after I rolled my eyes, gathered a deep breath, I re-explained the situation.
No, Montclair does not carry it, only one Borders in California does, and that's 60 miles away. This still seemed to confuse her. But after a moment, where universes crashed together like mashed patotes and peas, she said that was too far to drive.
Yes, I agree. Idiot on a stick.
Anyways, the point is as always, pay attention to what we say. We might not have fancy cars, big homes, graduate papers and what not, but we know our job. We know what we're talking about, we know...things.
It's calls like that, people who probably yell at other people for not listening, that make me worry for our species. But hey, if I was an alien and had to talk to the people I have to talk to on a daily basis, I say it ain't worth landing. Just blow them up.
17 June 2010
Former Doctor Who actor Christopher Ecceleston explains -sort of - why he left after one season
After five years, actor Christopher Eccleston revealed the reason he left the revived Doctor Who after only one season.
Well, somewhat.
In an interview with The Sun Newspaper, Eccleston said that he did not enjoy playing the Doctor. While he did not elaborate too much, some fault seems to lie on the doorstop of the BBC itself. It’s been suggested that the Beeb wanted David Tennant all along, but understood the that if the show was to come back -and sold into a much wider audience - it needed a well know, recognizable actor in the role -Eccleston was known in the UK for numerous television appearances, including The Second Coming miniseries, written by new Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies.
But Eccleston suggests that it was the culture of “Doctor Who” made the work not enjoyable.
“I was open-minded but I decided after my experience on the first series that I didn’t want to do any more," he told The Sun newspaper. "I didn’t enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in. I wasn’t comfortable. I thought 'If I stay in this job, I’m going to have to blind myself to certain things that I thought were wrong.’ And I think it’s more important to be your own man than be successful, so I left."
Still, the BBC did mishandle is departure. At first, it appeared that the star was doing this because he was afraid of typecasting. This eventually turned out to be red herring on the BBC’s part. The BBC was already aware -even before the first episode of the new series aired - that he was not returning, and it was suppose to be a secret. But as history has proven, all it took was one person to spoil it. And even though it was an honest mistake, the BBC was forced to apologize to Eccleston.
“They handled it very badly but they issued an apology and I dropped it,” Eccleston said. “But the most important thing is that I did [the show], not that I left."
Still, one wonders what the BBC was doing, and going to do, with its most successful franchise. Was the fact that Tennant signed so soon after Ecceleston proof that the BBC always wanted him? Was Davies “gaying” up the show? Was it true that he and Billie Piper did not get along?
Unless Ecceleston writes a tell-all book, we may never get a full, detailed explanation of what he means. Still, without his as the Doctor, I don’t think the show would be as popular as it is today. In give props to Tennant, who really made the revived series an international phenomena, but it was Christopher Ecceleston who lead the way.
And for that, Doctor Who fans should be grateful.
Well, somewhat.
In an interview with The Sun Newspaper, Eccleston said that he did not enjoy playing the Doctor. While he did not elaborate too much, some fault seems to lie on the doorstop of the BBC itself. It’s been suggested that the Beeb wanted David Tennant all along, but understood the that if the show was to come back -and sold into a much wider audience - it needed a well know, recognizable actor in the role -Eccleston was known in the UK for numerous television appearances, including The Second Coming miniseries, written by new Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies.
But Eccleston suggests that it was the culture of “Doctor Who” made the work not enjoyable.
“I was open-minded but I decided after my experience on the first series that I didn’t want to do any more," he told The Sun newspaper. "I didn’t enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in. I wasn’t comfortable. I thought 'If I stay in this job, I’m going to have to blind myself to certain things that I thought were wrong.’ And I think it’s more important to be your own man than be successful, so I left."
Still, the BBC did mishandle is departure. At first, it appeared that the star was doing this because he was afraid of typecasting. This eventually turned out to be red herring on the BBC’s part. The BBC was already aware -even before the first episode of the new series aired - that he was not returning, and it was suppose to be a secret. But as history has proven, all it took was one person to spoil it. And even though it was an honest mistake, the BBC was forced to apologize to Eccleston.
“They handled it very badly but they issued an apology and I dropped it,” Eccleston said. “But the most important thing is that I did [the show], not that I left."
Still, one wonders what the BBC was doing, and going to do, with its most successful franchise. Was the fact that Tennant signed so soon after Ecceleston proof that the BBC always wanted him? Was Davies “gaying” up the show? Was it true that he and Billie Piper did not get along?
Unless Ecceleston writes a tell-all book, we may never get a full, detailed explanation of what he means. Still, without his as the Doctor, I don’t think the show would be as popular as it is today. In give props to Tennant, who really made the revived series an international phenomena, but it was Christopher Ecceleston who lead the way.
And for that, Doctor Who fans should be grateful.
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