Yes, we’re all supposed to be much more interested in the oil spill at the moment, but we still remember that whole huge financial crisis right? If so, then you will want to read Jeff Madrick’s review of Michael Lewis‘ new book The Big Short: Inside The Doomsday Machine. It’s the best kind of review–it not only gives you a… Read more →
Tag: Reviews
Best Of Lists
Generally speaking I hate this time of year on the Internet–I am so tired of year-end wrapups, best of lists, etc. It’s even worst this year, since it’s also the end of a decade. Enough with the lists. Having said that, I did see one list that actually got my attention: Paul Witcover‘s list of his ten favourite F/SF novels… Read more →
I drink alone
Well, my plan to try out a couple of interesting beers each night for the six nights kind of fell apart. Primarily this was down to too many nights when my all-day meeting schedule ran over into evening activities. (For the record, the official count was 57 hours of scheduled meetings over 5 days, and that doesn’t include the social… Read more →
Farther Beyond Than I Can Apparently Go
Generally speaking I appreciate black humour. Generally speaking I get that especially dry, uniquely British style of humour. Generally speaking any book that’s described as witty, much less as “a masterpiece of wit”, is right up my alley. Generally a book that makes excellent use of metaphoric commentary to satirize and skewer political systems, the general public, and the interaction… Read more →
A Monday Night Gallimaufry
Let’s see if we can close some of the myriad tabs I’ve opened in the process of trying to catch up with everything that happened in the non-work world while I was off spending time at the Melbourne office: I’m quite impressed at the 16-year old (from the city where I did my university days) who managed to isolate plastic… Read more →
Aside
So, for reasons perhaps best described as “masochistic”, I’m watching a DVD of The Spirit right now. I kind of knew it was going to be bad, but this… this is a whole other thing.
Considering this as an attempt to adapt Eisner’s work, and speaking as someone who owns & has read the entire Eisner Spirit oeuvre (in the DC Archives editions) this is an abomination upon the face of the Earth.
Considering this as just an action movie, and not thinking about it as an adaptation of anything, it’s still a terrible, terrible movie. (And I liked Sin City, except for Clive’s voice overs).
The phrase “directorially self-indulgent” pops to mind.
Lots of cute women, though.
Monday Night Miscellany
Like real-time strategy games? Like science fiction? How about a real-time strategy game where you (and your units) can time travel. Imagine sending future units back to fight alongside themselves against an enemy in the past… you thought keeping track of your units and tech tree was a headache, wait for the fourth dimension. Maybe before you get too interested… Read more →
A capsule review
most of it is such a carbon copy of the book that some of what alan’s saying gets across by accident. it’s kind of like someone with no sense of humour retelling a joke he heard once. some lines are taken out of context and you remember them from the book so you KNOW they’re a good line, you KNOW… Read more →
Closing the book-related tabs
And here we go again… I’ve been reading Jeff’s daily reviews of the books in the Penguin Great Ideas series. While I don’t think I’m interested in trying to read all sixty of them in sixty days (despite Jeff’s examples and the exhortation of the Harvard University Press) I am very impressed with the presentation of the volumes, and have… Read more →
Aside
A Pacifica Madagascar Spice candle makes a room smell exactly like I think a Malay opium den would smell. Actually, it doesn’t smell at all like such a place would really smell, but whenever I walk into a room where it’s burning that’s still what pops into my mind–I feel like I’m about to rescue some Victorian adventurer from his own failings. The Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple soap, on the other hand, is like a big ol’ block of pure, concentrated, Old Spice.
Me & Julio, Day 8: Tragedy
There was, as you may have noted, no Day 7. Last night I didn’t get to explore any of my stash, since I dined with a friend, and he provided me with samples of Dragonslayer Imperial Stout from Middle Ages Brewing Company, Saranac‘s Black & Tan, and Dogfish Head‘s Palo Santo Marron–it was kind of an east coast night, with… Read more →
Me & Julio, Day 6: A quickie
The movie means no time to really experiment with beer tonight. Well, the movie and the fact that we drank The Outback out of Newcastle Brown. However, one of my Australian coworkers picked up a couple of beer for me (at Julio’s) while searching for some Czech beer that’s hard to get in Australia, and I did manage to sneak… Read more →
Me & Julio, Part 5: Wet Hops
Tonight’s another night with just a single sampling (albeit a 24oz sampling), this time of a “wet hop” ale that came highly recommended by a pal at the office, Sierra Nevada Harvest (the “12th release” or 2008 edition). What’s a “wet hop” ale, you might ask? (Well, I did…) These hops are harvested and shipped as “wet” un-dried hops—the same… Read more →
Me & Julio Part 4: Christmas Is Coming
On the recommendations of a friend, I made a trip back to Julio’s last night to score a bottle of Anchor‘s “Our Special Ale”, a.k.a. “Christmas Ale 2008“. Actually, when I say “a bottle”, what I really mean is “one regular bottle for drinking now, and one magnum for taking home to share with the Boys”. (If you download their… Read more →
Me & Julio: Day 3, Fruit
Today’s work session ends and I jump into my car and drive to the Whole Foods to pick up some fruit, both because I need fresh fruit every day or I go weird, and because I have plans for doing some fruit-themed explorations in my hotel fridge. When I get back to the hotel, I eat a bunch of fresh… Read more →
