Ages and ages ago, I lost my spare car key. One day, I'm going to do something random -- move the dryer, unpack a box of Christmas lights, or open a bag of pasta -- and there it will be, inexplicably revealed after years of absence. Until that happens, it's probably smart to have a spare on hand.
To that end, I went and had a new key cut.
And that's where it gets a bit odd.
I tried it in the door of my car and was thrilled when I was greeted with the telltale click, the wee button in the door popping up obediently to tell me that the key was working like a charm.
Getting into the car, I inserted it into the ignition and ... it wouldn't budge. Nope. Not even going to entertain the notion of turning. Nope. Nuttin'.
Apparently the ignition has higher standards than that loose and easy door, that will pop it's lock for any old substandard key.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
A Pinball Wizard (I Wish)
Alright, I have a confession to make.
I enjoy Wii pinball more than I expected. A while back, I picked up the Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection in a cheap bin but, having loaned the actual Wii to a friend over the summer, hadn't actually played.
Now I have.
And it's enjoyable.
Though not quite like the real deal, they've done a decent job of recreating pinball glory. I rememember playing some of the tables back in the days when you could easily go to an actual arcade and play actual video games and actual pinball because everybody and their dog didn't have a video game console at home. While Wii pinball can't really replace the real thing, it's still giving me cause to waste more time than is advisable, I'm sure. (Of course, that's by my standards, which are bound to be quite different from those of rabid video game players.)
Hooray for fake pinball!
I enjoy Wii pinball more than I expected. A while back, I picked up the Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection in a cheap bin but, having loaned the actual Wii to a friend over the summer, hadn't actually played.
Now I have.
And it's enjoyable.
Though not quite like the real deal, they've done a decent job of recreating pinball glory. I rememember playing some of the tables back in the days when you could easily go to an actual arcade and play actual video games and actual pinball because everybody and their dog didn't have a video game console at home. While Wii pinball can't really replace the real thing, it's still giving me cause to waste more time than is advisable, I'm sure. (Of course, that's by my standards, which are bound to be quite different from those of rabid video game players.)
Hooray for fake pinball!
Monday, September 06, 2010
Summer 2010 Reading Spectacular #10
With one final entry, this year's Summer Reading Spectacular comes to a close.
After misplacing Eric Shanower's and Skottie Young's graphic novel adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, I found it, picked it back up, and finished it off. The cover rightfully places Baum's name in large letters above Shanower's, as this is definitely a return to the original text both in plot points -- included are brief encounters with Kalidahs, the field mice, Hammerheads, and such -- and in the text itself, much of which is lifted directly from the original novel. Shanower has done a credible job of maintaining his commitment to the original story while keeping the pace going from panel to panel. Skottie Young's illustrations are full of whimsy and the occasional darkness, with hints of anime influence but uniquely his own, with inventive designs of the main characters and the world of Oz. Included at the back is a nice bonus: along with a cover gallery, the creators have included a "sketchbook" which shows some of the variant designs explored on the way to the characters' final looks in the book. The duo has already completed (if memory serves me) their follow-up, a graphic adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz.
And so, good readers (both of you), below is a lovely photograph of my summer reading. Though I certainly missed the Hermitage, the reading retreat I've taken for the past few years, I certainly managed to squeeze some reading into the summer. Looking it over, I realize I read fewer young people's books this summer than usual.
I had thought to include a photo for the Summer Screen Review; however, since some were in theatres and others belong to friends, it would have been an incomplete image in any case.
After misplacing Eric Shanower's and Skottie Young's graphic novel adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, I found it, picked it back up, and finished it off. The cover rightfully places Baum's name in large letters above Shanower's, as this is definitely a return to the original text both in plot points -- included are brief encounters with Kalidahs, the field mice, Hammerheads, and such -- and in the text itself, much of which is lifted directly from the original novel. Shanower has done a credible job of maintaining his commitment to the original story while keeping the pace going from panel to panel. Skottie Young's illustrations are full of whimsy and the occasional darkness, with hints of anime influence but uniquely his own, with inventive designs of the main characters and the world of Oz. Included at the back is a nice bonus: along with a cover gallery, the creators have included a "sketchbook" which shows some of the variant designs explored on the way to the characters' final looks in the book. The duo has already completed (if memory serves me) their follow-up, a graphic adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz.
And so, good readers (both of you), below is a lovely photograph of my summer reading. Though I certainly missed the Hermitage, the reading retreat I've taken for the past few years, I certainly managed to squeeze some reading into the summer. Looking it over, I realize I read fewer young people's books this summer than usual.
I had thought to include a photo for the Summer Screen Review; however, since some were in theatres and others belong to friends, it would have been an incomplete image in any case.
Summer 2010 Reading Spectacular #9
With the hours ticking down to the end of another Summer Reading Spectacular, it's time to reflect upon two more reads.
A few days ago I received a smashing surprise in the mail, all the way from BC (that's British Columbia, not through time from the days before Christ): a copy of SAD MAG, issue 4. But wait. This copy of the arts and culture magazine was signed by cover girl Suzy Shameless, roller derby chick extraordinaire! Woohoo! (And the contents of the magazine were enjoyable, too; in particular the cover story about the culture of the roller derby community in the area was a good read.)
Today I finished up Catching Fire, Book Two in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The series has been a bestseller among the young adult audience, but a lot of adults I know have also been reading and recommending it. Part Running Man, part Survivor, part The Lottery, the basic premise isn't all-new, but it's handled quite well and puts a decent original spin on it that makes it new enough for a new audience. Though the romantic triangle elements of the story have gotten a bit weary over the course of two books, this volume continues to move along at a nice pace and sets up nicely the final book in the trilogy which will find its way into my "Currently Reading" pile sometime in the next twelve months, I'm sure. Certainly a series worth checking out if you're a reader of young people's literature or just enjoy a little SciFi adventure story now and then.
A few days ago I received a smashing surprise in the mail, all the way from BC (that's British Columbia, not through time from the days before Christ): a copy of SAD MAG, issue 4. But wait. This copy of the arts and culture magazine was signed by cover girl Suzy Shameless, roller derby chick extraordinaire! Woohoo! (And the contents of the magazine were enjoyable, too; in particular the cover story about the culture of the roller derby community in the area was a good read.)
Today I finished up Catching Fire, Book Two in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The series has been a bestseller among the young adult audience, but a lot of adults I know have also been reading and recommending it. Part Running Man, part Survivor, part The Lottery, the basic premise isn't all-new, but it's handled quite well and puts a decent original spin on it that makes it new enough for a new audience. Though the romantic triangle elements of the story have gotten a bit weary over the course of two books, this volume continues to move along at a nice pace and sets up nicely the final book in the trilogy which will find its way into my "Currently Reading" pile sometime in the next twelve months, I'm sure. Certainly a series worth checking out if you're a reader of young people's literature or just enjoy a little SciFi adventure story now and then.
Friday, September 03, 2010
The 2010 Summer Screen Review (Part IV)
Watching the first season of One Day at a Time was a great trip down Memory Lane (which corners on Nostalgia Boulevard, and runs parallel to Man-Do-I-Feel-Old Avenue). I wonder how many of these classic sitcoms which have been released, as of late, in Season One sets will see their subsequent seasons released? Probably not as many as I'd like. I was struck by a few things while viewing this enjoyable program:
1. Even after all of these years, I can sing along with the theme song.
2. The opening titles are curiously more blurry than any of the episodes themselves.
3. There was a lot of yelling between mother and daughter and between sisters, making this probably one of the more realistic portrayals of family life on television at the time.
4. I still find it odd that there's a window beside the front door in an apartment.
5. It really was "pushing the envelope" for its time by addressing divorce, teen drinking and sex, and moustaches.
6. If only we could learn from sitcom families that we don't have to sit around watching television all the time. TVs only appear on TVs when they're necessary to the plot.
It was also nice to see, through a little Reunion special feature, that they really had a family-like affection for one another during the show's run, even when Mackenzie was struggling with addictions. (And they spoke openly about those times, too.)
1. Even after all of these years, I can sing along with the theme song.
2. The opening titles are curiously more blurry than any of the episodes themselves.
3. There was a lot of yelling between mother and daughter and between sisters, making this probably one of the more realistic portrayals of family life on television at the time.
4. I still find it odd that there's a window beside the front door in an apartment.
5. It really was "pushing the envelope" for its time by addressing divorce, teen drinking and sex, and moustaches.
6. If only we could learn from sitcom families that we don't have to sit around watching television all the time. TVs only appear on TVs when they're necessary to the plot.
It was also nice to see, through a little Reunion special feature, that they really had a family-like affection for one another during the show's run, even when Mackenzie was struggling with addictions. (And they spoke openly about those times, too.)
Summer 2010 Reading Spectacular #8
As I cling mercilessly to the final days of summer, I wrapped up another book mostly whilst sitting on my porch, pretending that work was not to be done.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey is the follow up to The Mysterious Benedict Society (convenient, isn't it?) and has since been followed up with a third in the series (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, for those who like to be informed). The story reunites the young heroes from the original adventure and, naturally, throws them into another adventure which makes use of their considerable and varied skills. While the "set-up" of this plot had me a bit concerned (Mr Benedict, their benefactor and leader, has been captured by his brother and arch nemesis while setting up an elaborate follow-the-clues hunt for his young friends and so they must start out following his clues until they figure out what has happened to him), once things got rolling, all was forgiven. It's a nice, silly little romp that Trenton Lee Stewart has created to follow up on his first Benedict hit.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey is the follow up to The Mysterious Benedict Society (convenient, isn't it?) and has since been followed up with a third in the series (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, for those who like to be informed). The story reunites the young heroes from the original adventure and, naturally, throws them into another adventure which makes use of their considerable and varied skills. While the "set-up" of this plot had me a bit concerned (Mr Benedict, their benefactor and leader, has been captured by his brother and arch nemesis while setting up an elaborate follow-the-clues hunt for his young friends and so they must start out following his clues until they figure out what has happened to him), once things got rolling, all was forgiven. It's a nice, silly little romp that Trenton Lee Stewart has created to follow up on his first Benedict hit.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Summer 2010 Reading Spectacular #7
Reading right up until the last minute, I finished another book today. Not bad, since I started it yesterday.
It was the debut novel from George D. Shuman, 18 Seconds. The title refer to the approximate amount of time that something is held in short-term memory and, as a result, the duration of the final moments of a victim's life seen by blind psychic Sherry Moore upon physical contact with the deceased. Though the novel is ostensibly Sherry's (and three have since followed in the Sherry Moore series), the interwoven characters of the story are given their share of page space. (The book arguably belongs more to Lieutenant Kelly Shaughnessy -- a recently promoted New Jersey officer coping with office politics, a troubled marriage, and a pair of violent abductions on her caseload -- than to Sherry based on narrative focus alone.) The result is a satisfyingly well-developed story where police work gets as much attention as the psychic element. While certain revelations are less-than-revelatory, they don't particularly detract from the reading in any notable way. I good first outing for Shuman, and one for which he was apparently nominated for a Best First Novel award from the International Thrillers Association (didn't know such a specific organization existed) and for a Shamus Award (had to look that one up, too).
It was the debut novel from George D. Shuman, 18 Seconds. The title refer to the approximate amount of time that something is held in short-term memory and, as a result, the duration of the final moments of a victim's life seen by blind psychic Sherry Moore upon physical contact with the deceased. Though the novel is ostensibly Sherry's (and three have since followed in the Sherry Moore series), the interwoven characters of the story are given their share of page space. (The book arguably belongs more to Lieutenant Kelly Shaughnessy -- a recently promoted New Jersey officer coping with office politics, a troubled marriage, and a pair of violent abductions on her caseload -- than to Sherry based on narrative focus alone.) The result is a satisfyingly well-developed story where police work gets as much attention as the psychic element. While certain revelations are less-than-revelatory, they don't particularly detract from the reading in any notable way. I good first outing for Shuman, and one for which he was apparently nominated for a Best First Novel award from the International Thrillers Association (didn't know such a specific organization existed) and for a Shamus Award (had to look that one up, too).
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Summer 2010 Reading Spectacular #6
With this entry, I will be completely up-to-date with the summer reading spectacular, and with not too much time to lose as there's only a week to Labour Day!
I picked up The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, and subsequently discovered it was the first in a trilogy, so now I'm playing the waiting game until the second book comes out, and then it'll be all about whether or not to get it in hardcover or to wait until it's in paperback to match the one I've got. But, I'll happily deal with those dilemmas, because I really enjoyed the book! Sort of a revisionist vampire thriller, I found it slick, smart, and entertaining, and I could certainly sense del Toro's visual influence in the writing, and wouldn't be surprised to find this is adapted into a film at some point. I'm always intrigued with co-authored works, and would love to know how that collaboration operates on a practical level.
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen (can anyone confirm for me exactly how his surname is properly pronounced?) was the first adult fiction I've read by him, having read Hoot a few years back. After her husband throws her overboard from a cruise ship on their anniversary, Joey Perrone doesn't die as expected and rather than going to the police, decides to seek her own revenge -- and get a few answers to her questions along the way. The book is witty, filled with quirky characters (the bulky and shockingly hirsute bodyguard, Tool, is such fun to read), and a well-paced plot. Enjoyable.
Finally, thanks to Sarah, I have received some very useful (?) advice thanks to The Recently Deflowered Girl, illustrated by the incomparable Edward Gorey. Ladies, have you ever been deflowered by a marimba player and been at a loss for the correct thing to say? Then you should have had this book on hand! Hilarious fun.
I picked up The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, and subsequently discovered it was the first in a trilogy, so now I'm playing the waiting game until the second book comes out, and then it'll be all about whether or not to get it in hardcover or to wait until it's in paperback to match the one I've got. But, I'll happily deal with those dilemmas, because I really enjoyed the book! Sort of a revisionist vampire thriller, I found it slick, smart, and entertaining, and I could certainly sense del Toro's visual influence in the writing, and wouldn't be surprised to find this is adapted into a film at some point. I'm always intrigued with co-authored works, and would love to know how that collaboration operates on a practical level.
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen (can anyone confirm for me exactly how his surname is properly pronounced?) was the first adult fiction I've read by him, having read Hoot a few years back. After her husband throws her overboard from a cruise ship on their anniversary, Joey Perrone doesn't die as expected and rather than going to the police, decides to seek her own revenge -- and get a few answers to her questions along the way. The book is witty, filled with quirky characters (the bulky and shockingly hirsute bodyguard, Tool, is such fun to read), and a well-paced plot. Enjoyable.
Finally, thanks to Sarah, I have received some very useful (?) advice thanks to The Recently Deflowered Girl, illustrated by the incomparable Edward Gorey. Ladies, have you ever been deflowered by a marimba player and been at a loss for the correct thing to say? Then you should have had this book on hand! Hilarious fun.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Summer 2010 Reading Spectacular #5
Nearly caught up!
Starting off with some young people's literature, I picked up The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera because the inside flap read well, describing quirkily amusing characters and an odd little adventure involving The Wizard of Oz.
How disappointing, then, to get into the book and find it remarkably unremarkable. What showed promise in the opening chapters quickly degrades into one of those, "The author threw in a bunch of supposedly fun ideas and hoped to create a story out of them." The Oz connection is strangely corrupted, only marginally leading anywhere, since the girls end up in some un-imaginative alternative-to-Oz lands called "Spoz" and "Spudz" that lack any of the wit and charm of the Oz stories to which the author is ostensibly paying homage. The witches (with names like Cha Cha and Bling Bling -- seriously) are concerned with fashion, makeup, and cell phones (yack) and all-in-all, the book is just a mess. I was shocked to discover that it was a (reasonably) established author (which explained why a big, reputable publisher such as Harper Collins was putting this piece of garbage out there), but it made more sense when I realized that this was her first novel, having been known for picture books. Shock and dismay returned, however, when I heard that she was working on a sequel. Avoid this book, as I had to force myself to finish it just for the sake of finishing it.
More positively, I read The Boy in the Dress, by David Walliams, one half of the duo responsible for Little Britain. Walliams (of "I am a LAY-dee!" fame) even includes an author photo of himself as a young boy, complete with wig and gown, with his sister, proving that he, also, was a boy in a dress from time to time. This breezy little humourous tale took an afternoon to read and, despite the occasional comment for the adult reader, keeps the tale simple and clear. Dennis enjoys fashion secretly, the most beautiful girl in school finds out, and becomes his confidante and accomplice in discovering that he enjoys, on occasion, putting on a dress. Naturally, social disaster occurs. One of the enjoyable elements, I find, is that Walliams bucks the obvious explanation. Dennis just enjoys dressing up now and then. That's all it is. Deal with it. Ha!
Finally, for this entry, a friend of mine recommended Andrew Davidson's The Gargoyle (a Canadian author, no less). An engrossing story of a burn victim's personal struggle to define himself with the assistance of a (possibly) schizophrenic artist, The Gargoyle kept me turning the pages, wondering how all of the stories within the story would be resolved and connected. The title refers to: (a) sculptures made obsessively by the talented young artist; (b) the disfigured protagonist; (c) the true character of the once-beautiful protagonist before his disfiguring accident; and (d) probably even more, to be noted on a second reading some day. While the "once he was made ugly, his inside had an opportunity to become more beautiful" theme isn't a surprising one, the journey of the two characters over the course of several or several hundred years (depending on what you make of it all) was certainly worth the read. Thanks for the suggestion, Rob!
That's it for now. The next time I update, I should be completely up-to-date, and just in time for Labour Day!
Starting off with some young people's literature, I picked up The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera because the inside flap read well, describing quirkily amusing characters and an odd little adventure involving The Wizard of Oz.
How disappointing, then, to get into the book and find it remarkably unremarkable. What showed promise in the opening chapters quickly degrades into one of those, "The author threw in a bunch of supposedly fun ideas and hoped to create a story out of them." The Oz connection is strangely corrupted, only marginally leading anywhere, since the girls end up in some un-imaginative alternative-to-Oz lands called "Spoz" and "Spudz" that lack any of the wit and charm of the Oz stories to which the author is ostensibly paying homage. The witches (with names like Cha Cha and Bling Bling -- seriously) are concerned with fashion, makeup, and cell phones (yack) and all-in-all, the book is just a mess. I was shocked to discover that it was a (reasonably) established author (which explained why a big, reputable publisher such as Harper Collins was putting this piece of garbage out there), but it made more sense when I realized that this was her first novel, having been known for picture books. Shock and dismay returned, however, when I heard that she was working on a sequel. Avoid this book, as I had to force myself to finish it just for the sake of finishing it.
More positively, I read The Boy in the Dress, by David Walliams, one half of the duo responsible for Little Britain. Walliams (of "I am a LAY-dee!" fame) even includes an author photo of himself as a young boy, complete with wig and gown, with his sister, proving that he, also, was a boy in a dress from time to time. This breezy little humourous tale took an afternoon to read and, despite the occasional comment for the adult reader, keeps the tale simple and clear. Dennis enjoys fashion secretly, the most beautiful girl in school finds out, and becomes his confidante and accomplice in discovering that he enjoys, on occasion, putting on a dress. Naturally, social disaster occurs. One of the enjoyable elements, I find, is that Walliams bucks the obvious explanation. Dennis just enjoys dressing up now and then. That's all it is. Deal with it. Ha!
Finally, for this entry, a friend of mine recommended Andrew Davidson's The Gargoyle (a Canadian author, no less). An engrossing story of a burn victim's personal struggle to define himself with the assistance of a (possibly) schizophrenic artist, The Gargoyle kept me turning the pages, wondering how all of the stories within the story would be resolved and connected. The title refers to: (a) sculptures made obsessively by the talented young artist; (b) the disfigured protagonist; (c) the true character of the once-beautiful protagonist before his disfiguring accident; and (d) probably even more, to be noted on a second reading some day. While the "once he was made ugly, his inside had an opportunity to become more beautiful" theme isn't a surprising one, the journey of the two characters over the course of several or several hundred years (depending on what you make of it all) was certainly worth the read. Thanks for the suggestion, Rob!
That's it for now. The next time I update, I should be completely up-to-date, and just in time for Labour Day!
The 2010 Summer Screen Review (Part III)
Sonya very helpfully reminded me that we finished watching Season One of True Blood. What I am about to write may not make me popular (well, it might not if anyone actually read this), but I haven't exactly boarded the True Blood Fan Train and hugged the engineer. While the main story thread is intriguing and nicely developed, and the actors' performances are great, the show itself hasn't grabbed hold of me. I find that it suffers from the trap of several cable dramas in hitting the audience over the head with, "Look what we can do because we're on cable!" Sure, it makes the shows immensely popular with teenaged boys, but it's so deliberate that I find it distracting. In watching a commentary for an episode of Six Feet Under (see below), the show's creator makes mention of HBO saying, "Can you make this more f***ed up?" If that's not an indication of where they're coming from, I don't know what is. In theory, these cable shows are supposedly able to make the shows without the networks interfering and censoring so much, but obviously it's just a different sort of pressure at work. Just tell a story worth telling and I'll be happy. I don't particularly care if I see any other True Blood seasons.
I also finished watching Six Feet Under, season one, after the show was recommended by lots of people. Much more enjoyable than the aforementioned show, if you ask me, and even though I periodically find myself asking, "Seriously? Who does that?" the characters with all of their flaws are quite engaging and the storytelling's good. (And those fake dead bodies are top-notch! Ha!) Frances Conroy as Ruth (the mother) is fascinating. What a great actor!
I also finished watching Six Feet Under, season one, after the show was recommended by lots of people. Much more enjoyable than the aforementioned show, if you ask me, and even though I periodically find myself asking, "Seriously? Who does that?" the characters with all of their flaws are quite engaging and the storytelling's good. (And those fake dead bodies are top-notch! Ha!) Frances Conroy as Ruth (the mother) is fascinating. What a great actor!
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