“Books are not Hollywood, to the general astonishment of agents and corporate suits. They are intimate, unpredictable agents of delicious rebellion.” I’m not sure I buy the thesis in Osborne’s piece, but I really would like the believe I live in the world that this quote from it describes. Read more →
Month: December 2008
Yeah, that’s actually quite creepy
You know, I don’t think I ever really realized just how creepy the whole button-eyes thing in Coraline is until just now. I whipped that up with the tool at the page for the forthcoming Coraline movie. Sarah’s going to love that pic when she sees it. (I bought Coraline for myself when it came out, but Sarah and I… Read more →
It doesn’t matter if it’s good, it’s still genius.
So, we know that I like Revelations, especially some of the bits at the end, and especially including God’s no-modifications open license. We also know that I like Hal Duncan, and especially when he’s being his most over-the-top flagrantly intellectual. You might not know that I have a sentimental affection for historical surrealists and Burroughs, and thus, by extension for… Read more →
A Thought To Help Me Stay Calm
Most are engaged in business the greater part of their lives, because the soul abhors a vacuum and they have not discovered any continuous employment for man`s nobler faculties. —Henry David Thoreau Read more →
Aside
I’m not sure who I feel more pity for: my poor wife, who suddenly has to spend (at least) three unanticipated extra hours in Pearson with our four-year old daughter, or my poor daughter, who has to spend three extra hours in an airport with my wife. And people ask my why I hate air travel…
Aside
Speaking of a geek hierarchy…
Language By Example
I like to think I have a pretty large vocabulary, and more than that I kind of pride myself on understanding why words mean what they do–what the history behind them is. Even so, there are lots of times I find myself using a word or phrase in a way that I’ve heard it used before, often many times before,… Read more →
War Crimes And Justice For All.
OK. Let’s start by quoting Glenn Greenwald, who I love to read at Salon, in an interview with Bill Moyers (himself much lauded around these parts). Let’s just quickly describe in the most dispassionate terms, as few of euphemisms, as possible, where we are and what has happened over the last eight years. We have a law in place that… Read more →
Aside
For the record, none of the 104 Chris McLarens on Facebook are me. I do not expect this to change. Also, at present, none of the 23 Chris McLarens at LinkedIn are me–although I expect this will probably change shortly. The top Google result for Chris McLaren, with or without the quotes, is very much me, however.
Boys And Their Toys
As I’ve mentioned quite a few times here, I buy a significant number of comics. One thing I have almost entirely managed to avoid, though, is the purchase of dolls. Every month there are literally hundreds of “action figures” and “statues” solicited in the Diamond Previews catalogue, and mostly I sneer at them–yes, I know, there’s something sad about the… Read more →
Aside
So, it seems my post about getting the swank edition of From Hell, has caught the attention of Eddie Campbell himself, and he tells some of the story of how that edition came to be. Another great side effect of this is that a couple of the other owners of the swank edition put up links to scans of the paintings in their copies.
Everything(*) You Know Is Wrong
How fast does the average electron move through a copper wire? If you thought “at the speed of light” or “something close to the speed of light, but varying with the conduction medium” you are so wrong that’s it’s almost immeasurable. What’s the temperature in a complete vacuum? If you answered “near absolute zero” or “very cold”, then you might… Read more →
Aside
Boy, that was a good movie. Peter O’Toole and Joseph Bologna are so good, that I can forget how much I want to punch Cousin Larry every time he’s on the screen.
Aside
I’m watching My Favourite Year. How is it that I have never seen this before? I’ve even seen the one where O’Toole turns into electric death Jesus.
Bachelor Lifestyle
My family is away this weekend, visiting more of our extended family. I couldn’t go with them, for a combination of reasons. One of the consequences of this is that I am getting to do some things I haven’t done in more than 4 years. Yesterday, I woke up at 8AM, rolled over and went back to sleep until 10AM,… Read more →
