East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Of Legacies & Evolutions

2011-01-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

At this time, I've watch the movie twice and played through the game twice so I thought now might be a good time to do some reviews of each of them, my first for the new year. I'll start with the film first, since that's the way it should be done.

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy opens and introduces us to Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a young man with a taste for adrenaline and a dislike for responsibilities and authority. Having grown up without his father, and still having no idea what happened to him, has left a mark on the young man. His father's company of Encom is now run by a board of directors that would be more to Dillinger's liking than Flynn's and good friend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) has been sidelined.

Right off the bat, I found Sam to be a likable character. He's got his own set of issues but they're tempered by an obvious sense of humor and a good heart. And it's clear that Alan has done his best to look out for his friend's son.

After getting a nostalgic look at Flynn's Arcade, we end up on the Grid with Sam, where he faces Recognizers, sentries, Clu and gets thrown into the Games. He escapes with the help of a friendly program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and soon finds his father and learns the truth of what happened so many years before, including the fate of the movie's namesake.

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is a very interesting character in this, part visionary, part hacker, part zen philosopher. He's been trapped inside all these years and has done his best to come to terms with his new life and the things he's lost but you get the idea that everything he was is still simmering just under the peaceful seeming surface. Seeing his son again, all grown up, definitely shakes things up for him and solidifies his priorities, things his long captivity has made him realize were more important all along.

Throughout the film, as Flynn, Sam and Quorra race to stop Clu, you meet a whole host of interesting characters including Castor (Michael Sheen) & his crew at the End of Line Club, Siren Gem (Beau Garrett), the unstoppable Rinzler and Clu's somewhat oddball sidekick, Jarvis (James Frain). There is even a great cameo by Daft Punk as a pair of mp3 programs.

Some would say that the film's plot is too simple and sparse to be enjoyable but I can't agree. In an industry where everyone is trying to create the new Inception, the next A Beautiful Mind or is just resorting to blowing up as many things as they can, I found watching this sequel to the original Tron very refreshing. The story is classic, a young man's search for the truth, and his father, and his growth along the way. It sucks you in right from the very beginning and makes you care about the fate of the characters and it's all set against the beautiful backdrop that is the stunning visual effects of this film

Fans of the first film will immediately spot the familiar recognizers and tanks, though they have been updated, and the new Grid is pure eye candy. No hand done rotoscoping here and the new suits look fantastic. Each effect is done with an eye for detail and is flawless in its execution while Tron City looks like you could live there, and you want to by the end of the film. The only exception might be when you see young Kevin Flynn and his grid sidekick Clu 2. Yes, you can tell that the faces are entirely digital and under certain lights can look a little too false but when you consider they're attempting to create a young version of an actor who is now in his 60's, I can't entirely fault them.

Combine all of this with the amazing soundtrack created by Daft Punk and you really can't go wrong. The score is distinctive, bringing to mind certain scenes from the film long after you've finished watching it, and several of the songs, such as Derezzed, wouldn't be out of place on Daft Punk's latest album. Those planning to buy the OST do need to realize, though, that it IS a soundtrack and not a new studio album from the pair so it contains the entire score of the film and not just the dance hits. Personally, I enjoy driving to it.

I really can't recommend this enough. It's a beautiful film and I found I actually enjoyed it more, and got more out of it, when watching it the second time. The first time, you are so dazzled by the look and sound of the film that the plot actually takes second place. Just don't watch it expecting a high brow art-house film because that's not what Tron: Legacy is. This is a film for the imagination and the inner child, a film that makes you smile and catch your breath and that anyone, of any age, can sit and enjoy time and again.

SOME SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

Tron: Evolution

The first thing I need to say about the game is don't play it first. While Tron: Evolution IS intended as a prequel to the film, the storyline works better if you have already seen the film. Not only do you see the correlation with certain events and the tie ins they've worked into it but you won't be spoiled about certain information. There are several things that you learn in the game that are, more or less, meant to be surprises in the film such as Castor/Zuse, Quorra being an ISO and the last of her kind and few other bits a pieces.

The first thing you will notice about the game, though, is that it is just as visually breathtaking as the film. You really do feel like you're in that world, which is great because in playing the game you get to explore more of what you only glimpse in Tron: Legacy.

The year is 1989 and your character is Anon, a specially programed system monitor created by Kevin Flynn to sort out what's been going on with the Grid. In this role you meet Tron, Quorra, Clu, Zuse, many of the ISO's, a friendly program named Gibson and eventually come face to face with the creator himself. You witness Clu's attack on Tron and Flynn in a cut scene taken almost perfectly from the film, see the destruction and purge of the ISOs and go up against the game's real enemy, a terrible virus by the name of Abraxas. Towards the end, your main goal is to protect Quorra and get her to safety. Yes, that sympathetic program she mentions in the film...it's you!

Whether going up against Clu's variety of sentries or the virus infected programs Abraxas has created, you generally fight with your light disc. The game carefully teaches you the basics of fighting and moving through this digital realm and then gives you a list of combos to use. Different enemies have different weaknesses and you can upgrade your software, adding mods to your disc to make it easier to fight them or just increase your health and energy.

Controls for moving about take a little bit of getting used to and can be a tiny bit frustrating for a bit but, with practice, getting through the game becomes very interesting and enjoyable. Even after playing it twice I still often derezz when I hit the controls wrong but you get used to that quickly. The moves you use have been predominately taken from Parkour so you leap over objects, run along walls and spend a lot of time flying through the air over the bright lights of the Grid. When not competing hand-to-hand, you also go up against tanks...and then get to drive and fight with one! I have to say, using a tank to blast Recognizers out of the air is one of my favorite parts. Not to be left out, there are also fast paced lightcycle sections where you have to move quick while avoiding being derezzed by recognizers, tanks or an assortment of objects that get in your way.

Tron: Evolution is not a very long game and can go quite quickly once you get the hang of the moving and fighting but every minute is fun and very beautiful. Even once you finish the game, you can try again on higher levels or play online multiplayer battles with discs, tanks or lightcyles and you keep your level throughout. On the Xbox 360, there are of course a variety of achievements to be won and they aren't impossible to reach.

Remember that, like most of the Xbox games, you need an Gold membership to play the online multiplayer maps with friends or other random players but for anyone who has enjoyed either of the Tron films and wants another way to get immersed in the world, I highly recommend this game. It's eye catching and fun and challenging enough without discouraging less proficient gamers and adds a bit to the storyline of the film.

Let Me In? No, let me OUT!

2010-11-08T00:33:00.000-08:00

There are probably going to be a number of people that won't agree with me on this one. I know this for a fact because the two people I watched this film with kind of think I'm nuts. The reason is because I really didn't enjoy this film.

I can't blame my dislike of Let Me In on being a fan of the original or anything like that. What did it for me is the sheer amount of BOREDOM I had to deal with for the first 2/3s of the film. The story was not enthralling, the pacing was slow and I don't think there was actually anything scary about it. For a film that was being advertised as 'the scariest ever!', it actually almost put me to sleep. The last part was decidedly more interesting but still not to the extent that I would choose to watch it again, let alone buy a copy.

Chloe Moretz plays Abby, a little girl with a secret. I'm sure I'm not spoiling anybody by saying that secret is that she is a bloody thirsty vampire. Chloe does a fantastic job in the role, especially given the general lackadaisical tone of the film, and she truly was the one bright spot. This didn't surprise me and I find myself looking forward to her future work. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Owen, a young boy living with his recently separated mother in the early 1980's. Owen is a bit of an oddball and gets quite heavily picked on and beat-up at school. The film does manage to show a very clear and real look of what it is like for a kid like that in school but I was never able to feel a huge amount of sympathy for the kid like I should have. He's really quite creepy, somewhat antisocial and seems incredibly dense. I'm going to assume that was what the character was supposed to be like and not what the child actor himself is really like. It's hard to give him the benefit of the doubt, though, since the last film I saw him in, The Road with Viggo Mortensen, was another one where I really didn't like his character. Kind of wanted to shoot the kid myself by the end of THAT film.

There are a couple of somewhat bloody attacks in the film and they could be scary to someone...I'm just not sure who. The digitally animated movements of Abby's more feral vampire side looked more ridiculous than terrifying and the effects themselves were quite under par. It all boiled down to me being quite glad when the film was finally done so I could go on with my life and forget the time I had just wasted. Had I been alone, I would have left long before the movie finished...somewhere around the time I was trying not to doze off in my seat.

One truly good thing I can say about the film is that all the teens and tweenies that are currently going crazy over how romantic and amazing vampires are, they should watch this film. It would give them a somewhat more realistic look at vampires and make them realize they don't REALLY want some creepy pale dude stalking them and hanging around outside their bedroom windows.

Tron Legacy - A Preview Review

2010-10-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, I came out of the Parramatta Greater Union cinema, having gone there to see the exclusive preview screening for the new Tron: Legacy film. This preview consisted of 23 minutes of footage, most of it from towards the beginning of the film to avoid spoilage.

In the preview, we got a glimpse of the story including a bit of an intro to young Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), an up close and personal look at the newly revamped Recognizers, a bit of what we can expect from the fully 3D disc games and light cycles and a some time with the one and only Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) himself. Having seen all of the released trailer footage so far, I had a bit of an idea of what to expect but none of it really came close to seeing it all up there on the big screen.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the over use of 3D filming right now but I fully admit that some films really do suit the new technology. This is going to be one of them. Tron Legacy will probably look just as breathtaking and beautiful in 2D but the designs, lighting and film effects all work incredibly well with the new tech.

The new visual effects are seamless and are the same step up the ladder that the original film was. All of the classic and recognizable vehicles are there, polished up and dusted off, along with a couple new designs that actually look original and not like a knock off of some other film. The classic Tron suits have also been given a slightly more modern look but are still completely recognizable, though they now come in more than just basic black! And the lights aren't rotoscoped! In one scene, there are four women wearing suits fairly recognizable from the classic film but they are entirely white and silver, the women's movements synced with each other like a carefully choreographed dance. You also get to see Sam Flynn make his transformation from normal everyday clothes to a Tron suit, complete with ID Disc, and the way it happens looks great. A really amazing amount of detail was put into every moment of the film so far.

The preview didn't give much away story wise, certainly not much more that the trailers have, but what I did see just made me want more. I have to say that the de-rezzing effect was perfect and really gave a proper feel of why that term is used. And even though we didn't see the very start, I got right into the movie right away, I was sucked in. Of course, the soundtrack helped. Done by the ever amazing Daft Punk, every musical cue suits the visual aspects of the film and really make you feel what's going on. I look forward to the whole soundtrack being released, as I will be definitely be getting a copy.

I'm really glad I got the opportunity to see this small bit of footage because it's made me very excited for the December release. Like a lot of fans of the classic, I'm sure, I was at first a bit worried when the sequel was announced but my worries have really been put to rest. I very much look forward to enjoying the whole film, both in 3D and in 2D. The official release date is the 16th of December, the full soundtrack comes out on the 8th of December and the dvd & blu-ray versions should be out in April 2011. Also, until the release of the film, gamers can try their hand at Tron: Evolution which is to act as a bit of a prequel to the upcoming film and is said to be very action packed with moves inspired by parkour and a capoirea fighting style. The game comes out on the 25th of November and features the voices of Bruce Boxleitner and Olivia Wilde from the film and also the very popular Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. Word has it that the limited edition of the game comes with a Lightcycle, courtesy of Sideshow collectibles.

I look forward to the film, I look forward to the game, to the soundtrack...to everything. Even all the merchandising Disney is bound to be doing. Is that a replica ID Disc I see? Hmm.....

I will definitely be watching this come opening night. Until then, I have several friends I need to introduce to the original! :)

X-posted to LJ

Of Me, Vikings & Cowboys

2010-09-19T23:40:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sitting here listening to some of my favorite music and got the idea that maybe I should write a bit of an explanation. About what? Well, about me, I guess.

You see, I've been living in Australia for over 8 years now. It's a long time to be away from friends, family and all the things familiar to you. Visits home are great because I spend a lot of the time stocking up on things I missed and people and places I remember from my childhood because, I'll be honest wit you, as similar as Australia and Canada are...they are still DIFFERENT.

In some ways, I think it would have been easier to adjust to some things here if they had been more different to what I was used to. When everything is so much the same, you forget and begin to expect things to be a certain way, which means it's kind of a bigger jolt when it isn't. I gave up a lot of things when I came here, changed habits and what not, and one of the things that fell by the wayside for a long time was the parts of me that were 'country'.

Sydney is a huge sprawling internationally recognized city. It has its lower ends and very up market areas, its cultural districts and its trends. It is very commercial and forward yet still a bit backward and stuck in the past...an odd combination that has taken me a long time to get used to and it still bugs me at times. But it's very urban. The closest thing to truly rural Australia that you get here in Sydney is probably the Royal Easter Show, otherwise you have to drive for about 3 hours before you start to see more of the country heart of the place. Which is why, when I moved here, the cowboy boots, the big belt buckles, the turquoise jewelry and so forth all got packed away. I wanted a change and I wanted to blend in.

I eventually came to realize some things, though. I missed it and it will always be a part of me, no matter how deep into the city feel I get. I wouldn't exactly call myself a redneck, but there's a big part of me that rolls my eyes at some of what I see in the city. Spending my summers out on the family farm, life was so easy! It was quiet and peaceful and you didn't have to worry about makeup or getting dirty or meeting expectations. You got frustrated with something, you hopped in the truck or on the back of a bike and just went off for a while.

So, the country stuff came back because, as much as love girly things and dressing up, I missed the simplicity of my boots and jeans and plaid shirts. *laugh* And then the looks started.

I'm a pretty eccentric person and I do costuming. I'm USED to people giving me odd looks when I'm doing that. But walking into a shopping center with my cowboy hat on, a plaid shirt and boots...I think I got more stares than I usually do.

Sydney doesn't see their 'cowboys' often...and they don't quite look the same as North American ones do. Rural Aussies seem to be more heavy work boots, singlets and low brimmed dusty hats that MIGHT have had a shape at one point. They're beer cans in stubbie coolers and lawn chairs with cattle dogs panting next to them. It's a different image, so I don't quite match.

I grew up in a city but I also grew up in the country, around horses and cattle, dirt bikes, rodeos and demolition derbies. When I think back to the first music I can remember hearing on the radio, it was country. Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline...that was my childhood. Then came Reba McIntire, George Strait, Garth Brooks and then Shania. I had friends among the local First Nations kids...and enemies too. I grew up aware of the modern issues of the Native American/Canadian tribes and had run ins with some, which probably affected my thoughts about them for some time, but I was also fascinated with their history and their culture. I grew up hearing stories about Coyote and Grandfather Raven and How Bear Lost His Tail. I learned how to bake bannock bread and about pemmican because the explorers that founded my country used it to survive on. (Something, I just found out, that got picked up by Australia explorers like the ill fated Burke and Wills) I remember being invited to learn how to make dreamcatchers with a class of native students...something I've made many of since and never forgotten how to do.

As I got older, I began researching and learning about my own genetic heritage, being Norwegian, and learned about the Norse mythologies and culture. What I found was that many of the things that fascinated me about the Native American culture were echoed, sometimes strongly, in my own heritage. The art styles, the crafts, the reverence given ravens and the stories of tricksters...all have such strong similarities that I am no longer surprised that there was a viking settlement so early in history up in what is now Newfoundland. I'm sure that the cultural similarities would have made communication easier between the two groups, despite the language barriers.

The western country elements I wear and love have many layers of significance to me, these days, many of which I could expand on for pages but I won't. The connections to my heritage and childhood, my country and family being the gist of it. The stares continue here in Australia but I've gotten used to that, too, and it makes me laugh sometimes. I like shaking things up, a little.

X-Posted to LJ

Bullet, Not Death...Yet

2010-09-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

I just completed reading the most recent offering from Laurell K. Hamilton in her Anita Blake book series, the simply titled Bullet. You would think we would be nearing a conclusion at some point soon, since this is book 18 of the series plus two side stories, but that doesn't seem to be the case just yet.

Certainly, events are unfolding and changing for Anita Blake and her troop of weres, vamps and other assorteds but not nearly as quickly as I kind of expected. The book deals mostly with the aftermath of the explosive death of Marmee Noir and, as usual, with the ever expanding and evolving powers of Anita herself. As usual, things don't go according to plan and there doesn't appear to be a nice sparkly happy ending looming any time soon for the tiny brunette and her many lovers but some good things do happen. For one thing, there is another emergence of the ever moody Richard Zeeman but this time some good seems to come of it. Of course, no Anita Blake novel would be complete without her jumping in the sack with a wide variety of people, both intended and not.

Having read these books from the very beginning, I remember when this girl was all about the Catholic upbringing and the 'not before marriage' declarations. While many of the books have de-evolved down to, essentially, slightly plotty smut, I am one of the readers that don't mind it too much. Ms. Hamilton does usually take time to give the story some plot and evolution and attempts to tie the sex in with what is actually happening. There are reasons for most of it, anyway. And had we spent the last dozen or so books still dealing with Anita's original moralistic hang ups, I probably would have stopped reading by now because there is only so much pent up sexual tension a person can read before going nuts. *coughtwilightcough* I know there were quite a few readers who were turned off the books over the years because of the sex but I find that easier to handle than the excessively puritan ideals would have been. If Anita had been surrounded by all these gorgeous and available men all this time and had NOT gotten laid, I wouldn't have found her very realistic and would have wanted to strangle her. Really. :)

Anyway, as far as books go, it was an enjoyable read for someone who has been a constant fan of the series. It doesn't give quite as much story as I might have liked and things are starting to seem a bit slow in coming to fruition, but if things pick up really well in the next book then everything should be fine. This could just be the small lull before the shit storm. I'm kind of hoping it is because, as much as I enjoy her writing, there is only so long Ms. Hamilton can milk this cash cow before even her most devoted readers jump ship.

Oh, and if you're someone completely new to the series, DO NOT start here! *laugh* Not only might you be turned off by the story but you'll probably be a bit confused. I do very much recommend going back to read the first books where Anita's life is all about raising zombies, helping out the police and ganking the occasional psychotic evil vampire. You just may want to stop reading by about book 8 or 9 because that's when things really start to go a little Harlequin fantasy romance...in full detail.

Updates & Thoughts

2010-09-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Just realized that it has been a while since I last updated this so I figured I should get off my lazy butt and do something about that.

I had sort of meant to do some movie reviews, one for Inception and one for The Expendables, but it seems silly to do it now. Plus, do I REALLY need to tell everyone to go watch Inception? I mean, really, I think word of mouth did a great job on its own in getting people out to see that flick. Talk about a bit of a mind bender but I did really enjoy it. Not something I think I would watch over and over again but definitely worth a couple watches. The second time you see it, you notice different things, pick up stuff you missed on the first go around. I do recommend going to YouTube, though, and looking up an interesting little video regarding the main musical cue in the film. You know that deep, booming sound they use for the ads? Yah, has a very interesting connection with a certain Edith Pief song...the same song they use as a 'wake up' cue in the film!! The film is chock full of connections like that. Oh, like the girl who plays the wife? Is well known for her role in another film as...wait for it...Edith Pief. The layers (ha ha, get it? Layers...) of this film are kind of insane. I love the girl named Ariadne, though. I mean...she's the maze maker, right? Well, the mythological lore is that Ariadne was the one who gave Theseus the ball of thread to help make his way through the Minotaur's MAZE. Like I said, layers.

Go watch it, if you haven't yet! Bloody hell. *laugh*

Okay, so mini review there. :P And go watch Expendables because it's fun and funny and just great to see so many major action stars in one flick. It's a huge, mindless, testosterone filled blow up fest but entertaining.

Meanwhile, still using the ipad...it goes everywhere with me and is again the instrument of my current blogging. So far, the only thing I think I wish I could change is to make it just that tiny bit more computer like. To be able to access files and folders a bit would be good and word processing situations seem to be a tiny bit of a let down but that hasn't been an issue for me yet. Oh yah, that and the whole no directional arrows on the internal keyboard. That's still a pain once in a while but they may change that with a firmware update. Otherwise, all is good. I think I've become surgically attached to the damn thing, though. Guess I can't make too many cracks about people and they're iphones now but at least this is, technically, an actual computer. *shrugs* Need to hunt down a different bag/backpack thingy, something that will carry all of my purse gear and the ipad at once if I need to. Much easier for traveling because atm I'm carrying my purse and this in a separate shoulder bag. Easy but still an extra bag.

Oooh, got a look at the new ipod Nano's! I'm drooling, I will admit it. I love my Nano but these new ones are TINY! Along with a full tiny touch screen, it clips on and is about half the size of the current Nano. Just another toy to add to my list of things to get as soon as I can.

M's been laughing lately. I'm not a major tech head but I guess I look a little like one now when at my desk in the office. I have the laptop open, the ipad docked with the external keyboard, my cellphone next to me...all I need is some sort of uber cool over-head display and my set up would look awesome. Maybe when M gets around to updating his Mac monitor, I'll snarf the older one and put it on an arm. Yes...plans I have. *does evil steepled fingers*

I have three books to read through right now so when those are done, I'll post reviews on them. One is the newest Anita Blake novel, Bullet, one is called Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder and the third is the newest vamp diaries book from L.J. Smith. While not a huge fan of the show, I was a fan of Smith's books as a teen so it's funny to see them back in print and have her writing for them again. Makes me curious so I'll give it a go. Just too bad they haven't decided to reprint her Secret Circle books as well. Maybe soon.

That's all for now. Will attempt to not leave it so long again. I've had this blog just over a year now and still haven't done too much with it but I'm slowly feeling my way along.

PS...using the Kindle app on ipad? Lots of fun and SO convienient. I still like to buy certain books for the collection physically but others are great as digital Kindle books...and no shelf space required! I imagine the physical Kindle, which I almost bought prior to getting the ipad, is almost as cool. :)

IPad, Apps & Happiness

2010-07-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Since I've had my iPad for about a week now, I thought it might be time to write down a few thoughts about it.

I'm not someone who's going to be able to push its abilities, especially right off the bat, because most of what I do tech wise isn't very intense to begin with but I've been trying to use it for all the normal things I would do on my full sized laptop. Generally, so far, so good.

I now understand the issues people have had with the fact that Apple has made it so that anything flash animated can't work on the iPad but it's only a small annoyance and not anything major. Mostly, there are one or two silly internet based things that I would normally like to have access too but can't use so I have to wait till I can get to the laptop. Otherwise, there really isn't anything I've asked it to do that it flat out hasn't done.

Internet access is quick and easy, for the most part, and I have been able to access all my usual websites and forums. Typing on the inbuilt keyboard is quick and easy, though having to rely on the touch of my finger to move back or forward in paragraphs that have already been typed can be a bit of a nuisance. That being said, the external keyboard (which I am using atm) is small, light weight and dead easy to use with EVERYTHING I've tried on here. I do wish that I could use a Firefox based platform on here instead of a Safari one but Safari does work fine. I'm used to the tab system and a few other small features that Firefox has and Safari doesn't but it hasn't actually caused any problems. Opening links to a new page turned out to be quite intuitive and holding down a touch on most things within the internet scope seems to work great. You get a relevant list of choices and need only pick what you want, whether it is to email, reply, save an image or open a new window, it all seems to come up easily.

Several of the sites I would normally visit on any given day actually don't need to be seen through Safari on the iPad because that is where the apps come in. The main exceptions to that rule seem to be Facebook and Myspace. I have looked at apps for both but there aren't any dedicated to those sites yet and only ones using Facebook's chat ability as a tie in to other chat apps. As I don't use the FB chat option, this has not interested me so far. Twitter is a different matter. Twitterific is free and I have found it very convenient in using and quick to update, so I check it constantly. I have yet to try the AIM chat app since I haven't used my AIM account in years but the MSN and Nimbuzz ones seem to work alright. The only downside to those are that they were originally built as iPhone apps, not iPad. The iPhone apps all still work just the same but they aren't created at the same resolution so you have to expand them to fill the iPad's screen. This makes them a little pixelated and blocky. I'm sure, with time, iPad dedicated apps will come up for most of the major chat programs and then those problems will disappear. The apps are all free ones so downloading them for use until something better comes along is not that big a hardship.

Removal of unwanted and/or unneeded apps has proven to be very easy, as is moving and arranging them to your liking. I currently have three separate app windows in use, personally. You also don't have to worry about accidentally erasing the apps because it takes a very deliberate series of touches to delete them.

I have played a few games, some very simple and some slightly more graphically intensive, and enjoyed them all so far. I highly recommend Soosiz for those looking for something fun and addicting but be warned, it can make you a little motion sick if you play it for long periods. NOVA is a fun first person shooter with nice looking, though a little repetitive, graphics. It makes me think it's the iPad lovechild of Halo and Doom. All your easy computer standards are around for use, such as solitaire and sudoku, and the air hockey game is great whether you're playing with friends or against the computer. Great way to pass the time.

I have only had one or two minor crashes, most of which were based around the NOVA game. I think that because it is a rather large app (in comparison) and somewhat more graphics intensive, sometimes the iPad just doesn't like it and closes itself. It only takes a moment to reopen and try again and it's only been on start up so far, not during gameplay, so you don't lose anything that you've done. The only other app to cause the same issue was Tap Tap and only after I had just downloaded a whole bunch of new songs for the game so it could be that everything hadn't quite settled in yet.

Other than that, no major issues to report. The Apple standard apps have worked great; photos was easy to figure out, as was iTunes, iPod, calendar and notes. I'm using notes to originally type this up, actually. The intuitive typing has worked very well for me, to the point where I wasn't actually sure if I was just typing well or not spelling things wrong or if it was the application fixing things for me. And, again, anything it doesn't immediately recognize and brings up as an error is easy to check with a gentle touch as it is underlined in red. I have noticed that it is more intuitive with the on board keyboard than the external but only slightly.

The sound for playing music is pretty good, considering how small the speakers are so I have no problem with putting on music or a movie and propping the iPad up in a corner while I do something else. iPad is very good at multitasking and allowing you to do the same. And, finally, the battery life is good, IMO, as I can use it most of the day for wifi and videos, games and so forth without having to worry about dieing. Charging could probably be a tiny bit faster but I haven't really seen how fast it is on straight charge since I usually charge it WHILE I'm using it.

So, yah...no major complaints so far. One week in and I'm as happy as a clam with my new toy. It goes everywhere with me atm, which was made even easier by the recent purchase of a small fitted shoulder bag for it. If any issues come up, I'll mention them but it has been good so far. I DO hope that Apple makes an update for the built in keyboard though, so it has directional keys like a normal keyboard. That is one place that the external is much better because the touch direction can be a small problem in some situations and with some sites. But that's my only concern so far.

Now I have to go play Red Dead Redemption some more so I can give some honest thoughts on how that works out. I wish Christmas wasn't so far away because now that I have this iPad, I'd love some iTunes cards! Lots of tempting apps to try out but I'm trying not to spend too much money!

Extra note:

Something I haven't tried yet is using the 3G net connection for my iPad since I haven't gotten a micro sim and some credit for it yet. That's next on the list.

Also, some other apps worth mentioning are:

iJournaler - A password protected, simple electronic journal. Great for on the go and for privacy
IMDB - everything the website has in one app at your fingertips, so if you're watching a movie and can't remember who someone is or what they have done before, it's right there
Miso, eBay, & Photobucket - all great dedicated apps that make surfing from the iPad that much easier
Wikihood - This is a relatively new app and it takes info from the various wikis and Google and tells you things you may not know about places, like your home town, somewhere you intend to visit or just a random place you type in.
Cat Piano - A must have cat lovers!! Each key makes a cat meow and it's great for having fun with you kitty. XD
DC & Marvel comics - Can't say enough good about these! For quick, cheap comics to read on the go and a great interactive paneling, they're one of my faves.
Weather HD - a beautifully designed multi city weather app with gorgeous graphics. You can add as many cities as you like and get the time and weather for the location in C or F and it looks beautiful doing it. :)

Birthdays & Novas

2010-07-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

Time for me to try and play catch up on here again. Told you I would go for months at a time without blogging! I'm horrible about stuff like that but I do try.

There has been a lot of things going on of late, so I don't know if I will be able to cover all of them. There have been movies watched at some point but atm I honestly can NOT remember what any of them were. Great reviewer I am! Note to self, make sure to do all blog posts as soon as I watch a movie or I'll forget I even watched it. *snicker* Duh!

Now, where to start? I'll start with the silly stuff and then get stuck into the meat of this little post. I cam across a fun site that gets you to enter some samples of your writing and then it will analyze you and tell you what kind of a writer you are and who you write like. I decide this sounded like fun so I entered a couple of the blog posts from here to see what it would say. Here is the result...which I really can't say I mind at all!! XD

I write like
Douglas Adams

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Nope, I can not complain about being compared to Douglas Adams. Admittedly, I am nowhere near as funny as he is nor as good a writer but I like it and maybe one day I'll get off my butt and actual write something worth publishing.

Now, onto meatier subjects. In the last few weeks, two major events have occurred. The first being the annual Sydney Supanova convention and the second being my birthday. Sydnova was wonderful, as always, and because I was able to just enjoy it as a visitor for the first time in several years, I had a great time. Caught up with a lot of people, though I did manage to still miss quite a few, had a lot of pictures taken and generally had a good time. It was nice and I'm looking forward to being able to do the same thing next year at Brisnova.

Of course, my birthday was a MUCH more important event, wasn't it? XD It was generally a smallish affair but a fairly extravagant one at the same time. Saturday, M and I went into the city to the Blue hotel in Woolloomoolloo to check in because we were staying the night there. Then it was off to the lovely 360 restaurant in the Sydney Centerpoint Tower for dinner. I had venison carpaccio, Barramundi with semi-dried tomatoes and a tasting platter for dessert. All very lush and delicious!

Back at the hotel, fashion designer Alex Perry was holding a special show called Fashion 4Ward that helps to raise money and cancer awareness for 20-30 year olds with cancer. Seeing the show up close from our balcony and listening to the music live from the Rogue Traders was a fairly surreal moment and really amazing. Definitely not something I am going to forget soon.

The next day was spent having a quiet dinner at the Bavarian Bier Cafe in Parramatta with friends, including a young lady named Jodie who I had just met in the city on Canada Day. We got talking only to find out that, not only did we both live in the Parramatta area but, we also were from the same area back in Canada as well. I grew up in Kelowna and she grew up in Penticton. Very strange and very small world!

So that was my birthday...wait, what....I've forgotten something haven't I? that's right!! PRESENTS!!! Can't forget those. One would have thought that a deluxe dinner out and a night at our fave swanky hotel would have been enough but M decided to spoil me rotten as well. First, I got a bright pink Nixon watch that has both tidal and moon phase settings on it. Now, I would have been more than happy with that but he didn't stop there. Then I got a book called Bad Girls & Wicked Women. I really look forward to reading it; it's all about the most powerful, shocking, amazing, thrilling and dangerous women of all time. But it didn't stop there because I also got a video game in the form of Red Dead Redemption. I've been eyeing it off for a while because it looks really interesting and is entirely western based. Anyone who knows me will realize why but I happen to be fond of country and western stuff and also have a huge soft spot for cowboys so...it's really a perfect game for me. I haven't gotten too stuck into it yet but once I do, I'll be sure to post a review here. :)

Now, this is already enough to spoil me like crazy and I was very much thankful for everything, It was all so amazing! But M still had MORE up his sleeve, the main piece being what I am writing this entry on as we speak. Yes, he got me and IPad. *jaw drops open* I was floored but ecstatic. I've been drooling over theme since before the came out and it's now my new best friend. He also got me a cover for it, a neon pink neoprene case and a keyboard dock to make it even easier to type. I'm using that right now and I have to admit that it's great. Typing is pretty damn easy as it is on the IPad but this keyboard makes it even faster and easier. It's also small enough that I can carry it along with the IPad should I feel the need.

I haven't added too many in the way of apps to the IPad yet but that's partly because I'm not an IPhone user so I didn't have a backlog of things for it to grab onto. I'm also being selective on what I do put on here. It may have a lot of memory (M got me the largest one with both sim and wifi capability) but I don't want to fill it up with silly trash and I don't want to spend money on things I end up hating so I'll take my time and enjoy it as I go along. In the near future, I think I will write a proper review for the IPad as well. I know a crap load of people have already done that but I have one now and I might as well say my piece. If anyone reads it, than that's all good. :)

So, yah. Got spoiled for my bday. V got me a movie voucher and Jo got me a Borders card so I'm looking forward to using those too. In all, it was a great birthday. Unfortunately, spending so much time running around (the friday before my bday was spent at a bbq as well) means that I am now running low on energy and fighting off a possible cold. Ick! Fingers crossed that it doesn't get stuck into me cause I can't afford to deal with it right about now.

Once I get more stuck into things, I will post reviews on the IPad, Red Dead Redemption and on Bad Girls & Wicked Women, so keep an eye out for those. 'Til then, I'm going to put my feet up and watch The Losers.

Mass Movie Reviews – Legion

2010-06-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Last, but not least, on the list is the newly released film Legion, starring Paul Bettany, Adrianne Palicki, Lucas Black and Kevin Durand. (Getting a lot of work lately, isn't Kevin? Great to see a fellow Canuck doing well!)

Jeep (Black) is a young man who's grown up in the middle of nowhere at a dusty diner owned by his dad, played by Dennis Quaid. Charlie (Palicki) has grown up with Jeep and now works as a waitress at the diner while waiting to give birth to her baby. Their lives revolve around the few customers they get, though Jeep's centers even more on Charlie and his long held unspoken love for her. This is all they know...until one day, a very strange and creepy old woman walks into the diner, heralding much worse things to come.

Legion is pretty much your classic christian biblical apocalypse story where the lives of everyone in the world hang in the balance. Deeds and decisions made by a small group holed up in the diner, led and protected by a man known only as Michael who arrived with a small arsenal in his car, are what will decide the fate of all humanity. Simple, classical story, recognizable characters and an easy to follow plot create a fairly enjoyable film. The biggest weakness lies in much of the dialogue, which comes across cheesy and pointless at times. The fight scenes are fantastic, though, and coupled with nearly flawless, highly detailed, CGI. If the same eye for detail had gone over the dialogue before it was filmed, this would be not just a decent film but a really good one.

Most people could probably wait to see this when it comes out on DVD but if you're looking for something different to see at the cinema and, like me, REALLY have no interest in Sex in the City 2 then I would recommend this as an interesting alternative. It's one of those films to just sit back and enjoy with a big box of popcorn and some friends, no thinking required.

Mass Movie Reviews – Prince of Persia

2010-06-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, the day after the comic book based film, I went and saw the video game based film. Yes, it was a busy week.

While I'm a long time fan of video games in general and can get quite addicted to them from time to time, there are some games that I have never played or that just slipped through the cracks. One of them is the Prince of Persia series of games, so going into the film I knew very little about the franchise and even less about the story. This didn't stop me from getting into the film from the very beginning and definitely didn't stop me from enjoying it. The visuals were amazing and flawless and the story interesting. They kept the story fairly simple because the concentration was obviously on the action and visuals but it was still an interesting story with enjoyable characters and an ending that was somewhat unexpected.

The film centers around Dastan (Jake Gyllenhal), a young man who was adopted into the Persian royal family when he was a poor orphan living on the streets. At the time, the King saw something special in the boy and chose to raise him with his other two sons. What happens because of that decision, the interaction of the brothers and their choices in life are much of the main idea that threads though the story. Along the way, Dastan meets Tamina (Gemma Arterton) who is princess of another country and guardian of a very special treasure.

The way Dastan moves and fights makes it really easy to see that this was based on a game and not reality but it's really fun to watch and pulls you in very quickly. It actually reminded me of the real life sport called Parkour (aka Freerunning). The shots are clean and the CGI quite good with only the occasional 'shaky cam' shot to annoy the hell out of me. Hollywood has become far too enamored of that technique in order to both convey action and movement and hide any flaws in the CGI or the stunts. I keep hoping that film makers will realize that we have steady cams for a reason but so far, no luck.

Again, in all, an over all enjoyable film and definitely worth seeing in the cinemas rather than waiting for it to be out on DVD. The action sequences alone are great on the big screen!

Mass Movie Reviews – The Losers

2010-06-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

The next film on the list definitely went a different direction.

Simply called The Losers, this is a story based on a series of recent comic books...that were based on a series of OLD comic books! It involves a special ops team, five men of very different and very specialized skills, who have been betrayed by their handler, Max, while in Bolivia on a mission. Clay (Jeffery Dean Morgan) is the leader of the team and the man with the plans, Roque (Idris Elba) his ruthless second in command, Jensen (Chris Evans) is the techie and computer geek, Pooch (Columbus Short) the laid back pilot with a touch for anything that moves and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada) the sniper in a cowboy hat.

They are believed to be dead after the mission blows up in their faces and they go into hiding, but the thought of getting home, and getting revenge, is never far from their minds. They are given the chance at both when a strange woman named Aisha (Zoe Saldana) shows up and says she can, essentially, hand them Max on a silver platter. Of course, things don't go quite according to plan and no one is ever exactly who they seem.

Someone going into this film expecting a serious film is going to be really disappointed. It's comic book fights mixed with comic book humor and cheesy one liners delivered by a series of somewhat kooky characters. But it's a really fun film and completely entertaining if you don't go in with any expectations besides looking for entertainment and some laughs. Yes, you can very easily draw some major similarities between this and the upcoming A-Team remake but it also has a lot of differences and is still a good film to watch. Actually, anyone who is a fan of the A-Team, or humorous action films in general, should really get a kick out of this. Personally, I'm going to add it to my DVD collection.

One word of caution...I hope you like the song 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey because it's fairly major in the soundtrack and you WILL come out of the cinema with this lovely little earworm firmly lodged in your brain. :)

Mass Movie Reviews – Robin Hood

2010-06-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

In the last couple weeks, I have had the opportunity to watch quite a few of the new films out in the cinemas so I thought now would be a good time to do a review of each of them in a series of mass postings. I want to be able to put my thoughts down while I can still remember!

There have been four films, so I will start with the oldest and work my way through them. Easier that way.

First film was the new Robin hood film starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. I didn't know a great deal about the film going in because I wanted to keep as open a mind about it as possible. It's always hard when a classic story is remade again because all of the previous versions you have seen or read tend to color the film. The first thing to strike me about it, though, was “Oh, thank goodness...no tights!” Sure, I have a personal bias regarding costume authenticity but I think everyone can agree that the previous incarnations of Robin Hood, and many of its similar themed stories, all had problems regarding accuracy of costume. This one looked good, it looked REAL. A die hard medieval recreationalist or such would be able to tell you the dozens of problems still left in each outfit, but it had a much more true feel to the look of the sets and the clothing on each character.

Which is good since the story itself seemed to be an attempt at accuracy in itself as well. It reminded me a bit of the recent King Arthur film, starring Clive Owen. The story takes place somewhat before the usual story, before Robin has taken his band to Sherwood forest. Robin Longstride (Crowe) is in the Middle East, assisting his king in his current crusade. King Richard is older, worn out but still fighting but also considering a return home. Home to a place filled with unrest, where the people are broke from paying for the crusade and the French are, as always, eyeing off the country for conquest. Robin Longstride, a long bowman, and his men do return to England, where his life becomes entwined with that of the Locksley family. The way they bring the two together, the different real men believed as possible basis for the Robin Hood of legend, is really well done and pulls together a very complete and interesting story.

There are, of course, plenty of sword fights and archery, some romantic moments between Marion (Blanchett) and Robin, behind the scenes plots and the always hated Sheriff of Nottingham. I love that they also managed to mix in some great moments of humor and some of the most recognized members of Robin's band, namely Little John (Kevin Durand), Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes), Allan A'Dayle (Alan Doyle) and Friar Tuck (Mark Addy).

The film closes with his entrance into Sherwood Forest as Robin of the Hood and finishes nicely, while still leaving space should they chose to continue the story with the more classic portion of the tale. In all, it's a film a would definitely recommend to fans of the story or those who just wanted a night out with a great film. It's not perfect and different people are bound to have different issues with the film, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

Book Review - Shalador's Lady

2010-04-26T07:04:00.001-07:00

I have just spent a quiet evening at one of my favorite pastimes, reading, and now it is time for me to put some words down on paper...so to speak.

I've just completed the most recently novel from one of my favorite authors, Anne Bishop, a writer I've mentioned here before. And, as always, Ms. Bishop has created a great book that was impossible to put down.

'Shalador's Lady' takes up where 'The Shadow Queen' left off, with Cassidy and her court living in Dena Nehele. Everyone is working hard to rebuild the badly broken land, something that is hard to do when so many are still slow to trust. On top of that, not everyone is entirely happy with how things have worked out so far and personalities clash. When inside strife is combined with problems from outside forces, the strain on the new queen and court begin to mount to the breaking point. Will Cassidy be able to save this land she's been entrusted or is everything and everyone too broken?

This is a short review because there is only so much I can say when everyone already knows from previous posts how I feel about this writer and her work. Ms. Bishop has a wonderful way of writing that grabs you from the very first page. Her characters are realistic and full of personality, making you really care what happens to them. When combined with a story that takes you through every emotion, from happiness to fear, hatred to love, and then makes you laugh at any given moment at the antics the characters get up to, 'Shalador's Lady' is very much worth reading and something I highly recommend...just like every other book to come from this amazing writer.

Just be warned, once you begin reading her books, you won't stop until they're all done...and you'll be begging for more.

Book Review - Cast in Fury & Cast in Silence

2010-01-24T04:40:00.000-08:00

I originally became familiar with this writer's work when she was writing under the name of Michelle West. At the time, she had completed her Sun Sword series, a series of quite thick books that I really did enjoy but don't recommend for anyone who doesn't like very involved and complicated fantasy fiction. If you love J R Tolkien and Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series, then you might like it. :)

Michelle Sagara, the name she now usually writes under, is a Japanese-Canadian writer with an amazing sense of vision and ideas to add to the realm of fantasy fiction. Her current series is known as the Chronicles of Elantra and, atm, numbers 5 books with at least two more on the way. I just completed reading books 4 and 5, Cast in Fury and Cast in Silence.

The city of Elantra is ruled over by the Eternal Emperor, the head of the Dragon race, and houses large groups of several other races, among them the humans, Aerians, Leotines, Barrani, Tha'alani and other Dragons. Kaylin Neya is a young woman born and raised in the fiefs, an rough and deadly area just outside of Elantra, on the other side of the river, and outside the Emperor's rule. She is one of the lucky few who made it out of the fiefs and into the city and she now works for one of the branches of city law. As a Hawk, she intereacts with many people and has many unusal duties...all of which are made that much more unusual by her own past and how it interacts with her present.

In Cast in Fury, Kaylin finds herself interacting even more heavily with the Leontines than normal. The Leontines are a race of lion-like humanoids with fur, razor sharp teeth and claws, tempers and fairly strict familai codes. But Kaylin loves them a great deal, and not just for their nifty swear words. So when there is trouble in the Leontine district, she get's stuck into it even when ordered not to and does her best to save people as well as find justice.

I really enjoyed this as she creates her characters and paints everything so vividly. The Leontine people should be more scary and harder to relate to but you really end up loving them and getting very involved in the story.

Cast in Silence takes Kaylin back to the fiefs she escaped so many years ago, in the attempt to find out what is going on with the strange events there and, hopefully, prevent anything bad happening to the city she had grown to love so much.

Like the rest of the Elantra series, both books are amazingly well written. Michelle Sagara creates races and people that you fall in love with and you really end up caring what happens to them. Also, the actual events and stories are engaging and just complicated enough to make you really think about what's going on and why.

I originally picked up the first book in this series because I had liked her previous work but I kept picking them because they're enjoyable and interesting and very much worth reading. I'm, personally, looking forward to the next couple books because I already wanted more, the minute I finished the most recent book.

Conquering A Fear

2009-12-22T07:59:00.001-08:00

To most people, getting a hair cut is really no big deal. In fact, it's a regular occurrence. A trim, a change of style, a fresh look...all normal and everyday.

For me, the thought of an accidental hair cut used to be nightmare inducing. It sounds ridiculous and pathetic, I know, but I had invested a great deal of time and love into my hair. Allow me to explain.

Up until the age of 12, I always had very short hair, for a variety of reasons including sports and my mother. However, the last major hair cut I had was when I was 12 and I chopped it back to a cute pixie cut. After that, I personally took control of my hair and decided I was growing it out. I had always dreamed of having long hair so now it was time to make it happen.

When I started, there wasn't really a plan other than to grow it out but the scheme soon became that I would grow my hair to my knees...if I could. Not everyone can grow hair that long because of genetics or whatever. Seems I could, though, because it hit knee length a few years ago and I kept it there. So you can see what I mean by the amount of time invested.

I had done what I set out to do and I enjoyed the attention and notoriety it gave me. Eventually, though, I found myself beginning to get frustrated with it. I didn't wear it down much, because it got caught on things and was physically longer than most skirts I owned. I began talking of cutting it a bit, make it healthier and easier to handle. It took a long time to actually happen though because I had to face my haircut issue and what people would think, would I miss it or the attention it attracted? Would I regret it as soon as it was done?

I finally cut close to 12 inches off of it in September 08 when I was home visiting family. I got pics of it at full length, first, and all through the actual cutting stage. Kept the hair cut off! Afterward...I was glad I did it! It felt good, lighter, clean ends and it WAS easier to deal with! What a relief.

Now, nearly a year and a half later, I found myself thinking along the same lines again. It had grown about 3-4 inches in the time and felt unwieldy again. Plus, I saw a video of myself from the back. Never realized until then how ODD having a braid that long could actually look. So the process began again, the contemplation, the opinion seeking and the second guessing. Until tonight.

A couple hours ago, without fan fair or record, I marked the new length I wanted, tied it off and then had M take the scissors to it. Gone, in seconds! Just 9 slices of the shears and it was off. I laughed right after...part adrenaline, part shock and disbelief. Was I going to panic? Was the regret going to set in?

Have washed my hair, brushed it out and admired the new length. And I have decided I like it! It feels SO good and clean and light! I can wear a normal ponytail for the first time in YEARS! Waist length is where I will keep it from now on...long enough to be unusual and do things with it, but short enough to easily look after.

I'm happy and no longer dread having to consider going to the hairdresser's for a trim. Why didn't I do this sooner? :)

I Fear For The Future!

2009-12-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe the title is a TAD dramatic but you'll understand what I mean in a minute.

I just got through flipping through the latest Shop Til You Drop magazine that I picked up with the groceries this evening. Now, it's not a high fashion magazine but it's usually a good one to look through to get a run down of current trends, places to look for neat bits and pieces, how to put certain outfits together and sometimes a different point of view on the fashion industry. It's an overall okay mag for someone with a limited amount of time.

So, I decided to give the current one a quick flip through, to see what catches my eye in case I want a new outfit for the upcoming Christmas parties, or just because, and was horrified by what I found. Yes, horrified, terrified and wanting to stick my head under a pillow and forget...pretend it was all a bad dream.

I weep for anyone trying to buy clothes for the next season, for those that decide they love the new trends and hop on board this particular fashion train because it's really nothing but the worst kind of TRAIN WRECK. The styles are pulling up some of the WORST trends of the 80's and combining them with the most ludicrous colors and stylings. The only people who MIGHT (and that is a big maybe) be able to pull these looks off are stick thin Glamazons with more money than Gates and who probably belong on the catwalks themselves.

I mean, seriously? Poofy but structured Tulip skirts (which we all know were really a bubble skirt in it's past life) and floppy wannabe blazers with scalloped edges? The ruffle trend could be fun if done right but most of the dresses I saw had strategically places ruffles intended to draw the eye to the parts of the body most normally built females would really prefer to pretend don't exist. And high waisted short shorts? Did somebody forget that shorts aren't the most flattering garements to begin with? Pulling the waist up to your bra strap and cutting the legs off at your groin REALLY isn't going to help any. *headdesk*

I have a funny feeling I'm going to be relying on my in-closet staples spread out with very selective online purchases from places where sanity still reigns and combining that with garments coming from my very own sewing machine. You know, ones that fit and flatter me rather than make me look like a balloon float that got lost on it's way to the Macy's Parade. *rolls eyes*

Oh yes, and then there is the final thing. You know how 'they' like to say Green is the new Black and all that crud? The color of the season, for both garments and makeup...is orange. Ranging from peach to pumpkin, it's the trendy color. And it makes my want to vomit. One of the hardest colors to match to most people, it's also just plain hideous under normal circumstances unless you're going to a Halloween party. Does that sound a bit too narky? I know I really hate the color, personally, but come on! It's ORANGE! McDonald's uses orange in everything they make because it's supposedly the most psychologically neutral color and one that spans all socio-economic groups. It does that because everyone agrees it's a gross color!!

Alright, rant over. I'm going to go through my fabric and pattern stashes and decide what I'M going to be wearing for the next 6 months because I get the feeling that I really won't be buying anything new anytime soon.

X-posting to LJ

The End is Nigh!

2009-11-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

So, I went and saw the movie 2012 the other night. I wasn't expecting a great deal from it and I am not what you would call a John Cusack fan, so I went into the movie with a fairly open mind. And while I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't 'wowed' either.

The concept and story are those of your classic end-of-the-world disaster film. Humans discovered the world is going to end, find out they have less time then they thought, world starts to go belly up and everyone makes a mad dash for what little safety there may be. Some people show themselves to be selfish and, typically, end up dieing in the long run, and others show how selfless the human race is capable of being and, unsurprisingly, are the most likely to live.

The visual effects were very well done, the scenes very eye catching and able to keep you entertained. There were instances where you KNEW something just wasn't physically possible of happening but that was put mentally put aside for the sake of entertaining mayhem and explosions. As it was an Apocalypse film, you of course had your prerequisite of the crazy conspiracy guy who knows about everything that's going on In this movie, that was played by Woody Harrelson, and he actually kind of steals the show when he's on screen. John Cussack does well as the ever reluctant hero, the every man forced into situations know one could predict and managing to get through alright. His only thought, to try and save his family, of course. I was somewhat surprised by his ability to hold his own against a rather stellar cast as his strength is more light romantic comedies than action and adventure films.

Another stand out performance, btw, was Chiwetel Ejiofor as Dr. Adrian Helmsley. I know Chiwetel best for his outstanding role in the film Kinky Boots but every time I see him, I am again impressed by his acting and his presence on film. I look forward to more work from him, since he seems to be getting better and large roles as time goes on. To anyone that hasn't seen the movie Kinky Boots, btw, I HIGHLY recommend you go and rent it. Still one of my favorite films.

In all, not a bad film. Entertaining, which is really all a flick needs to be in the long run. Worth seeing in the cinema because the effects look better on the big screen but if you can get a cheap night, go for it. Someone on Twitter asked me for a 0-10 rating and I said 7. The production value is really very high but there are parts that tend to drag out just a little too much for my liking. It gets to the point where you just want them to get on with it already.

Not sure what the next flick will be that I see but there are tons about to come out and I will be sure to post an opinion on here is I get the chance. Let me know if there's one in particular you'd like some thoughts on!

Book Review - To Light A Candle

2009-10-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

As I said I would do, I'm x-posting some of my old Book Reviews from Myspace to here. This was originally written in February of 2007.

To Light A Candle by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory

The second book in the Obsidian Trilogy, I'm currently rereading it and enjoying it as much as I did the first time. It has Mercedes Lackey's usual well developed characters, a story that draws you in quite quickly and takes traditional Fantasy faves like Elves and Dragons and gives them their own small spin. It also looks at magic in different ways while keeping everything nice and cohesive.

This book contains your usual main Fantasy ingredient, the battle between good and evil, coupled with a young man's journey to adulthood while dealing with the relationships of the people around him and the effect war has on them. Like so much that Mercedes writes, though, she manages to take what may seem familiar and make it new and interesting for the reader.

I'm normally quite a Mercedes fan but even putting aside that slight bias, I have to say that this is a good book and an enjoyable series. I'm looking forward to the next book, When Darkness Falls as soon as I can hunt it down. The books themselves are thicker than her normal size so the story lasts longer and gives you a longer read to enjoy. The first book of the series is called The Outstretched Shadow for those thinking to read this series. I recommend it.

~~~

Having completed this entire series since writing this review, I can happily say that the whole trilogy is worth a read. The climatic end battle between Good and Evil has some beautiful visuals, great use of the traditional creature characters such as Elves, Dragons, Unicorns and Wizards and some unexpected moments that keep you on your toes. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read that should fit well with lovers of traditional and epic fantasy elements. Where the book I previously reviewed, The Shadow Queen, has a darker, more complicated and more centralized story, this series has a much grander scope and softer writing style that makes it an easier read while still being a very enjoyable story.

Book Review - The Shadow Queen

2009-10-13T06:49:00.001-07:00

At one time, I used Myspace on a somewhat regular basis and posted blogs and comments as the whim took me. Along with these were review on books I read, since I tend to read a great deal. I've decided to start doing those again, here instead of on Myspace since it sits unused these days, and I will probably look at transferring some of those previous writings here.

I guess that, besides just wanting to share the enjoyment of a book, I hope sometimes that the reviews will help others find new stories and authors and their own enjoyment of them.

Now, that being said, I just completed a new book from one of my favorite authors.

In her initial series, known as The Black Jewels trilogy, Anne Bishop created a deeply fascinating world where power, good or bad, is classified by darkness instead of light, where those with Power are wrapped in a heavily detail dance of caste and Protocol and they are meant to be care takers of the land and all those that live in it. Of course, sometimes things go wrong and what was once good is corrupted and tainted by those wishing to warp it for their own pleasure.

That series details the hope for things to be cleansed and put right. The book I just finished, The Shadow Queen, takes place two years after the events of the first series and shows the effects and how people react. Left to pick up the pieces of their world, the people of a Territory called Dena Nehele have to rebuild their lives and make choices they haven't been given in many, many generations. And they need a leader, a Queen who is strong and just and cares about the land and its people, who can help lead them back to a better time.

As beautifully written as her others books, The Shadow Queen was difficult to put down. While many of the favorite characters from the trilogy were very present, they were not the main focus but the story was just as captivating. Also, this book works incredibly well because it ties in with another book written as a prequel to the trilogy, The Invisible Ring, and shows what has become of the land and the descendants of those depicted in THAT book.

Everything ties together so beautifully and the whole series is very much worth a read. This book just adds another beautifully written piece to an already amazing story puzzle.

As a final word, I would say have a look at the other books that this author has written as well. Her House of Gaian trilogy and Landscapes of Ephemera duology are just as amazing. I really can't say enough good about her and I look forward to more books from Anne Bishop; she can't put them out fast enough for my liking!

Updates & Reviews - How To Be Hero!

2009-10-09T22:33:00.001-07:00

Wow, just realized it's been nearly a month since I have updated this. It's been a weird but busy month, I have to say. There's been a few things of note but not sure what all I'm going to mention here...think I might keep this short or just move onto some reviews I need to do. Yah, reviews sound pretty good!

A couple weeks back, I had some friends over for a movie night and we watched a selection of fun and somewhat quirky films. Among the selection were the independent film Ten Inch Hero and an odd family flick from the early 90's known as Airborne.

Now, I watched Airborne when I was just a kid in school and I loved it. It was funny, it was light hearted and it's heavily based around hockey and rollerblading...two things I love. The last 15 - 20 minutes of the film is taken up with a hardcore downhill rollerblade race between two rival teams and is probably the most entertaining part of the film to watch.

The star of the film is Shane McDermott as the teen Californian surfie, Mitchell Goosen, forced to spend 6 months in Cincinnati, Ohio with his aunt, uncle and cousin Wiley...a very dorky cousin played by a very young Seth Green. Going from sunny California to snow-locked Cincinnati is hard to begin with but he also ends up on the wrong side of the local jocks (including one named Augie, played by Jack Black) who decide to make Mitchell's life a living hell. The only thing that ends up making life a little easier for him is meeting a girl from school, Nikki. That is, until he finds out she's the sister of the head jock/meat head making his life hell.

Mitchell has to win back the girl after some stupid things said, survive his new high school, help out his dorky cousin and try to get on the good side of the jocks who hate him. Antics ensue but it all turns out in the end when the two teams go head to head on 'The Devil's Backbone' race and the jocks ask Mitchell to skate with them.

It's pretty schlocky and coated with a thick layer of 'cheese' but it's cute and fun at the same time. VERY 90's teen film. As I said, best part of the film is the race at the end, especially since all the stunts and blading effects were done by Team Rollerblade. Good film to get if you need a filler rental with some cheesy laughs and the chance to see now famous actors looking painfully young.

And then there's Ten Inch Hero.

Originally created as an independent film and never given a cinema release, this quiet little flick has a huge cult-like following and has now made it's way onto dvd release. Something well deserved because this is a well written, interesting film that seems to appeal to just about everybody.

Taking place in Santa Cruz, CA and centering around a quirky little sandwich shop, the story brings together a diverse group of interesting characters who, you eventually realize, all have a some sort of problem regarding image and perception of people. It has a lot of elements that one would find in a 'chick-flick' but the humor laced through the whole plot, and the way the different characters interact, make it a much more interesting and well rounded film.

The main plot is driven from the POV of Piper, a young woman who moves to Santa Cruz to be closer to a young girl she thinks might be the daughter she gave away for adoption. She gets a job at the sandwich shop where she meets quiet and unassuming Jen (Clea Duvall), sexy and vivacious Tish (Danneel Harris), mohawked and unorthodox Priestly (Jensen Ackles) and the mellow hippie Trucker (John Doe) who owns the shop and is secretly in love with Zo (Alice Krige). The young girl's father, Noah is played by Sean Patrick Flanery.

Friendships are made, secrets are revealed and, through it all, Priestly's mohawk color changes as often as the wacky shirts he wears. I really do recommend this as a must watch, though it may not be a film for a younger audience as there are some sexual scenes and rough language.

As a last note, I'll point out that those I have shown this film to...all with a rather wide range of movie tastes...have all said that it is one that would watch again and most likely add to their personal collections. :)

P.S. I am still VERY much in love with my new cell phone! Just FYI. :)

Fools Of Us All

2009-09-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Hmm, it's been a little while since I updated this thing so I guess I should probably do that. It's not like I've done anything of note lately, but if I leave it too long then I'll never do it!

Have to stop and think about what to write, first. I've always been pretty aware of writing things on the 'net where anyone can read them. I don't mind posting on open forums like this but I also value privacy, so there are some things I'll never discuss. I'm sure it would make more interesting reading if I DID and get me more views but is it really worth it?

It's weird for me to think about the current group of kids in school right now. Partly because I'm not exactly old, just older than them, and partly because I really don't feel it. A big part of me feels like I should still be chained to one of those scarred desks, listening to a teacher drone on about something I know I'm never going to use. One of the main differences between me and them, though, is that they REALLY don't seem to have any concept of just how public the internet is. You put something in writing for the whole world to see without stopping to think about it first and you could really find yourself regretting it one day.

The capacity we have for making fools of ourselves is high enough in person, but add in the internet, reality television and things like YouTube and suddenly everything is so much worse. Can I be glad that I went through most of my 'stupid' phase before everyone and their dog carried a phone with still and video camera ability? :)

Course, there's not much you can do for some people. (Kanye, Serena, I'm looking at you)

Anyway......

In a couple days, I'm having a few friends over to watch some flicks and hang out. I think it looks to be a good night and should be pretty fun since what we'll be watching are pretty much all amusing in some way. Since it will be 'Talk Like A Pirate Day', maybe I'll wear my hat. Which is funny in itself because nobody really talks like a pirate, other than to say 'Yar!' alot. Should really be DRESS Like A Pirate Day.

Not sure what else to say after that so I'm just going to conclude this here. Might be a good night to crash early, I think. After the weekend, I'll post a review or two on the movies we end up watching. Might even get some of the others to add an opinion. :)

Btw, still having weird sleep issues, but here's hoping that will be sorted soon. Oh well!

More Midnight Ramblings

2009-09-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Sleep is a funny thing. Unless we happen to remember a particularly vivid dream, we don't actually remember sleep but it plays a huge role in our lives. We know when we're needing it, when we've had enough and when we've over slept but if sleep were a person, they'd be someone we wouldn't remember ever actually having met.

And why on earth am I rambling on about it like it's the answer to life, the universe and everything? Because sleep is doing it's annoying best to elude me right now.

I slept for a couple hours earlier. Went to bed quite early because I felt tired and figured I would see if I could sort my sleep habits out. You see, for the last couple days, my normally constant (if unconventional) sleep schedule has some how been thrown completely out of whack. I keep finding myself awake around 5-5:30am, either because I've woken up and can't get back to sleep or because I have woken up earlier (like last night) and am now attempting to crawl back into bed for a few more hours.

So, what do I do? Do I annoy the other half and force myself to stay awake, maybe go for another early morning run like I did a couple days ago? Do I lie here and force myself to doze some how? If I do manage to get back to sleep, you can almost guarantee that I won't want to get up at the more 'normal' hour I've set on my alarm. I'll probably end up turning it off by instinct and then oversleeping into the afternoon and, thus, expounding my difficulties. (Which is exactly what I ended up doing, btw)

Bloody hell, do I have a love/hate relationship with sleep! I love the feeling of being well-rested, waking up warm and cuddled up in bed without anywhere else to be. I hate HAVING to sleep. If I didn't have to sleep, wasn't forced to sleep, I could get so much more done in life. I would still want to be ABLE to sleep, but when I felt like it.

I'm going to stop typing this now and try to sleep. Since I've gone and written all this idiocy out, I'll post it on my blog later (here!) for the amusement or ridicule of others.

Night! (Or would that now be morning?)

The Fun of Being a Basterd

2009-09-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

So, tonight I went and saw Inglourious Basterds with its quirky cast and even stranger spelling. It ended up being a different film to what I was expecting but, in a lot of ways, it seemed almost subdued for a Tarantino flick. I did enjoy it, though.

While the trailer makes it seem like quite a comedic film, and it really does have its amusing moments, the film is a bit more serious than it first appears. The Inglourious Basterds that are Brad Pitt's character's crack team of Jewish Americans are out to get back a bit of their own by killing Nazi's and keeping count by taking their scalps. By being on Pitt's team, they each owe him 100 Nazi scalps or to die trying. I did like the choice of a baseball bat as a preferred weapon by one of the Basterds, known as The Bear Jew.

Meanwhile, there is also the story of a French Jewish girl who survives the massacre of her family and ends up running a Paris cinema. She would also like to get her own back, especially on a Colonel Landa, the quirky detective SS officer known as The Jew Hunter and who was responsible for the death of her family. Taking out as many of the Gestapo's best and brightest becomes her goal when an opportunity falls into her lap.

In all, it was an entertaining film full of interesting characters, a few odd scenarios, some humor and some great gore effects. All set against a background of a slightly AU WW2. Though it doesn't state it's based on an events in any way, I do hope that no one tries to think this is a documentary in any way. Maybe more of a mockumentary or 'If Only' kind of scenario.

Watch it, enjoy it, though if you miss it in the cinemas and have to rent it, you'll probably get just as much enjoyment out of it.

District 9 or Real Life?

2009-08-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

I saw the movie District 9 tonight. There's been a lot of talk about the film and most people I have spoken to have raved about it. What did I think of it? Well...

Let me start with the easy part. Yes, it is a great film. Well written, well made, great visual effects, some amusing shots, gutsy story...there is really nothing bad you can say about the film. It is well worth watching, though I do not recommend it to those with a weak stomach as Peter Jackson really goes back to his roots with the gore factor.

Did I enjoy this film? That is a hard question to answer. I thought it was a really fantastic film but I don't think it is one I would choose to watch again; not for entertainment, anyway. It's a very gritty, brutal tale full of the dark side of humanity and I found a great deal of it downright depressing. This doesn't show humans prevailing over darker forces or showing the better side of mankind's spirit, it shows the brutal truth of what we do to ourselves and our own kind in rough corners of the world everyday but uses the aliens to create an outside view.

The main human character is incredibly selfish and shows almost no redeeming qualities until the very end and the only person you really find yourself relating to and feeling for is the main 'prawn'. There is a very strong use of a lot a grey area, with there being no actual villain besides humanity itself and one jackass military type the audience cheers for when he finally gets killed in a very gruesome fashion.

Peter Jackson did a fantastic job with this film, going places with it that few would have the guts to and none really expected. It isn't a cheerful or feel good movie but it IS thought provoking and eye-catching and likely to be the subject of many conversation for quite a while.

Brain Picking MBV

2009-08-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was thinking about 'My Bloody Valentine' and what would happen if this all occurred in the 'real world' as opposed to a slasher film, specifically with the character of Tom Hanniger.

Here's the thing. In the film, we find out that Tom has spent the last seven years holed up in a mental institution and only released himself in order to deal with the consequences of his father's passing. During his time in the institution, he obviously would have been diagnosed and treated and we see him taking medication several times. (The fact that this is usually seen right before an 'episode' begs the question, was he getting some sort of warning that he was about to flip?)

Tom's symptoms of fear, hallucinations and, likely, blanks in his memory would have led to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and he would then have been medicated accordingly. Obviously, the medication didn't work because the diagnosis was wrong; Tom was suffering from the rare Multiple Personality Disorder rather than the more common Schizophrenia.

What this comes down to is that, had this really happened, where he was misdiagnosed and released to commit his massacre, Tom would not be charged due to an obvious plea of insanity but re-institutionalized and the original mental hospital he was in would, most likely, be sued for culpability in the wrongful deaths that occurred in Harmony by Tom's hand.

Somehow, it really makes you wish for the 'slasher reality' where things are so much more straight forward and less frustrating. And where the chance for true 'justice' is a clear cut scenario (ignoring everyone's love to cheer for the bad guy) and far more likely to actually occur.

Midnight Ramblings

2009-08-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, look. I managed to go several days without writing anything. I'm actually very good at going several MONTHS normally so right now I'm really wishing there was a 'sarcasm' button or some sort of emoticon. My monologues just don't come across the same without my native language to put them in. ;)

Well, Optus finally managed to get off their communal arses and find themselves with strong guidance and several maps. In other words, my phone and internet have been restored and I no longer have to resort to eating at the local McDonald's in order to get my daily fix of 'net and remain sane...sorta...maybe. Okay, so maybe sane is NOT the best word for me but it's the only one I can think of right now. Let me re-read my thesaurus and get back to you on a properly defined synonym for what goes on in my brain.

Anyway, not going to get into detail about what the final issue was but it WAS their fault. Like, duh!

I'm back to my regularly scheduled surfing and pretty much caught up on the goings-on of all and sundry, but then I do have plenty of time right this second to do that. You see, I'm sick. Again. That makes three colds/flus in the last eight months, which is more than I have had in the last 5-6 YEARS! I'm just going to blame the uber bugs out this year and go with that. No, it's not pigfluenza or any other variant. At the moment, it's just being tired, having a rough throat and a stuffed up but infinitely runny nose. (Can someone PLEASE tell me how the hell it is that we can have both at the same time? Shouldn't they be mutually exclusive?) This means a lot of time spent in bed with my laptop and cat for company.

What this also means is that I am continuing in my quest to finally watch Angel. Yes, the Joss Whedon tv series. No, I didn't really get to watch it the first time around. I was a bit busy at the time and Space channel kept airing it at weird times so I just gave it up as a lost cause. Saw one or two eps so I knew who some of the chcracters were but now I am marathoning vast tracts of the series at a time in a game of catch up. Almost done season 2 right now and I think I have already picked my fave ep. It's the one titled 'Dead End' where Lindsey McDonald gets his hand back etc. I like the story and some of the character interactions. Love seeing Kane and Boreanaz working closely together, since everyone knows they're such good friends. And I just love Chris Kane heavy eps...and bonus, he sings in it!

For me, that's a huge bonus since I have been a very long time fan of Christian Kane's music. I actually know that part of him and his talents better than I do his acting. And, yes, that is part of the impetus for me going on an Angel kick. Not only will it quiet certain friends who have been hounding me about the show for about a decade but I can finally catch up on Kane's mad acting skills. It's actually a bit odd to watch because I am also currently a big fan of Leverage so seeing the two roles at the same time is strange. Very different characters and Chris looks very different as well.

Note to anyone who actually happens to read this...watch Leverage. It's funny and it's entertaining, which are things tv shows are MEANT to be. You know, entertainment. The characters are fun and quirky and it's got a bit of a Ocean's 11/A-Team vibe to it, which means you can just enjoy it without it taking itself too seriously. The writers and creater of the series really must be comended. I mean, I have no time and the attention span of a gnat but I manage to catch this show ever single week. So, there you go. (Met Dirk Benedict from the A-Team/BSG recently. Enjoyed chatting with him, interesting guy)

Wow, just realizing this one is getting almost long in the tooth so I'm gonna wrap now and maybe try and get some sleep, if my cold will let me. If not, it'll be back to wandering the vast expanse of the internet to see what trouble I can get into. :)

PS Still loving the new phone to pieces! Best purchase I have ever made, I swear. Sad thing is, I have trouble putting it down sometimes. Will have to give blogging from it a try, shortly.

PPS I really should tell some of my mates over at LJ and what not that I have this since I haven't been posting there lately. It's just, I swear I'm scared to log on there! Love everyone there to bits but there is always SO much to read and catch up on and by the time I'm done, I REALLY don't feel like posting anything. Plus, I find this more user friendly for some strange reason. Will have to pick at my brain a bit til I can figure out why.

My Sanity Is Slipping

2009-08-05T01:39:00.000-07:00

Day Two without my precious internet...and yet I still manage to blog!

*bangs head repeatedly on desk*

Optus sent out ANOTHER tech to have a look at things. Needless to say, according to them, there is nothing wrong on their end of things. So, of course, it must be on our end and the inside cables which they don't have anything to do with. *sigh* Tomorrow, an external phone contractor will be coming to check inside. I'm hoping he finds that there is nothing wrong inside either because then I get to go back to Optus and vent a little frustration at them.

Again, thank goodness for free wifi at McDonald's. You think if I plus them enough, maybe they'll pay to have my net fixed? :)

I just hope it all gets resolved soon because I don't want to gain weight eating at McDonald's all the time and I really don't want to miss out on some of my net stuff, cause the wifi isn't really up to handling certain websites.

Oh well. *sigh*

Maybe I should hurry and get my new skates sharpened so I have something to amuse myself because I'm already running out of stuff to clean at home.

Optus Rant

2009-08-04T02:13:00.000-07:00

*sigh* I am currently sitting in McDonald's (Maccas to Aussies) and using their free wifi internet in order to be able to check messages and get my daily intake of netty goodness. The reason for this little outing? Optus.

Normally, I have not had much bad to say about the illustrious phone company. From all I have heard, they are far better than Telstra in most things and we've been pretty happy with them. However, last Saturday I picked up the phone to find it had no dial tone. No buzz, no static...nothing. At first thinking it might just be a temporary fault, as does happen, we waited to see if it would come back on. No such luck. Called the fault in to be told that it looked like something had caused our phone line to literally be disconnected. WTF? We haven't changed providers or done anything to our phone of late so we were baffled.

They said they would get a technician to look at it, booked us in for Tuesday morning (no Monday???) and wished us a nice day. Fortunately, the internet seemed to be unaffected so we happily kept ourselves amussed, secure in the fact that Optus would fix everything and we had cells if we really needed to call someone.

This morning, the tech came (never saw him as it was an 'external' booking only) and then got a message saying the phone should be all fixed. No such luck. Messaged them back, they booked another tech for tomorrow morning and voila, more waiting. Only, now I go to get onto my computer and the internet? NO...LONGER...WORKS! Call into the fault line and am pretty much told there is nothing they can do until the phone line itself is fixed. *headdesk*

Um, hello? The phone that was meant to be already fixed? By the tech who did SOMETHING to now knock out our net? *sigh*

Amazing how only a couple hours without reliable internet makes me a little crazy. *twitch*

I'm hoping that all will be fixed tomorrow. In the mean time, I may actually get some cleaning done without the distraction of the computer. Go figure!

Oh, and I have now had my new cell phone for a whole day. I am really starting to get the hang of all the features, have gotten almost everything set up to my liking and have yet to find a fault with it. For most people, the main issue is the lack of external volume control but I see how they have worked it for the different settings and aplications, so it's all good. Lots of texting has already been done thanks to the so-easy-to-use Qwerty pad. So far, so good. Shall keep you posted! *laugh*

New Phone

2009-08-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited because today, I have finally gotten a brand new cell phone. I always had one but it was pretty simple and out of date and the new one is very high tech. No, not an iPhone. I didn't think I needed to go quite that direction. Went with the Nokia E63 instead and so far I'm pretty happy with it. Still going to take me a little bit to get used to everything and all the new things it can do compared to the old one. Like Twitter and surfing the net from a phone!

Wanted the red one but I had to go with the black but I'm still happy with it. Go the nice and easy Qwerty pad on it. I would recommned it as a new phone to people. I'll post updates as I get more used to it and if there are any issues I find with it. :)

New Beginnings

2009-08-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Today seems to have been a day for new starts and beginnings. Perhaps somewhat appropriate as it is currently Imbolc here in the Southern Hemisphere.

The first new start came with a purchase. After a very long time, I have finally gone out and bought myself my own pair of ice skates. Skating, in many forms, is something that has always interested me (I love to watch it) and a very large part wishes I had gotten into it more heavily as a child...possibly even up to competition level. However, I still love and enjoy it and I'm determined to become as comfortable on the ice as I am on my own two feet. I chose figure skates, as more of the type of skating I am interested in is in that vein but I do intend to get a pair of hockey skates as well in the near future. The girl who assisted me in my purchase actually mentioned a local women's hockey league so I make look into that in the next year and maybe join up.

Some of the people that have inspired me in skating, over the years are:
Kurt Browning
John Zimmerman & skating partner Kyoko Ina
Elvis Stojko

The second new start is this blog. Part of me is wondering why on earth I am starting it since I have proven to be an inconsistent blogger at best but we will see how things go. I mean, I have a myspace I almost never use, a livejournal I rarely use, a deviantart whose journal gets update when I think of it, a facebook, a twitter, a flixster, a photobucket and a flickr I have never posted images on. I seem to spend most of my life on the internet and it feels like it has always been that way. It's really too bad someone can't come up with a mega super net program that can magically combine all your social networking into one handy site/tool. Then some of my more ignored sites might see some traffic.

Like I said, we'll see how long this lasts and if I end up sticking with it. Couldn't been any worse than some of the other net homes I've had and lost track of.

Meanwhile, I'm going to attempt to keep on top of my myriad of insane hobbies and hopefully accomplish something with some of them.