When the only tool you have is a banjo, sooner or later, every problem starts to look like a hoedown.
– Mike Beucler
Review: The Magicians
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Magicians is an absolutely wonderful book that un-selfconciously references Harry Potter, Narnia, Tolkien, and other fantasy works somehow without being plagiaristic at all. The main characters are wonderfully developed… distinctively different people who complement each other and keep the story racing along without a single dull moment.
Grossman ties the entire book together with articulate grace, weaving seemingly insignificant events at the beginning of the book into key points of the entire over-arching storyline. The Magicians is a truly satisfying read that left me wanting more.
Bohemian Rhapsody
This evening, while checking out new posts on Facebook, I came across this gem.
Well, Lori and I thought it was hysterical, since we both fell right into the trap. Megan, who is 10, didn’t get it.
So, after Lori and I did a poorly-performed duet of the song verses in question, I went to YouTube and found a video of Queen performing Bohemian Rhapsody and had Megan listen to it. She gave me lots of weird "What the heck is THIS?" looks while the song was playing, but she then understood (as much as a 10-year-old can understand her parents’ ancient memories).
The kicker to this little story comes from one of the commenters on the YouTube video. An hour later and I’m still chuckling over it.
I hate it when people compare Freddie Mercury to God. He is good but for fuck’s sake, he is not Freddie Mercury.
Thanks, speslqueen, for that wonderful bit of cleverness!
Aluminum Journey
I just finished my latest video project today. This was probably the most effort I’ve put into anything I’ve done to date… more moving parts and shots than previous videos. I think it was also my first multi-location video as well.
Fun to shoot. Fun to edit (to a point). It changed focus from being an emotional, tiring journey to a lighthearted romp across various landscapes (the video, not my attitude toward making it). It also changed from having a somewhat serious message to… well… not.
I shot it using a Kodak Playsport and a Kodak Zi8. Editing was done using Hitfilm Ultimate. Music composed with SmartSound Sonicfire Pro. Additional sound cleanup was done using Audacity.
Underground Skyscraper
My weekly StumbleUpon email presented me with this link to an article about an underground skyscraper concept from a Mexican architecture group. It has everything from museums and retail space to apartments and business offices (at the bottom because “that’s where business do their best work.”)
Umbrella Corporation reference, for the win!
There are some other great pictures of the design at the link above. Intriguing, to say the least.
BadLipReading and Michele Bachmann
I saw this the other day and was stunned because of how well done it is… the substituted words match up perfectly with her mouth movements.
I’m also amused at the first comment.
It’s more coherent than she usually is.
Juice Pouch Recycling
Megan’s school is collecting used juice pouches in order to earn money for school stuff (the funds go to the PTO to pay for activities for the kids). Since the school has a closed circuit TV system and does morning announcements on it, Lori thought it would be cool to have the program announced with a “commercial” of sorts. With a go-ahead from the principal and a volunteer cast, we shot this in just over an hour.
The kids were easy to direct and did a great job.
I shot it using my Kodak Playsport and Kodak Zi8. Sound recording was done using a Tascam DR-07. Editing was done using Hitfilm Ultimate. Music clips were customized using SmartSound Sonicfire Pro.
Review: The Undead Situation
The Undead Situation by Eloise J. Knapp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Fairly good, standard zombie fair with an interesting main character. The story “unfolds” rather than “develops” as the characters make their trek to a mountain cabin refuge. I say that because it comes across as almost a “slice of life” tale, without the usual story arc and character epiphany. The main character develops slowly throughout the book (in a very well-written manner), but the book’s ending leaves me thinking that it was just unfinished.
Oh… and having been a ferret owner, I was somewhat miffed at the pet ferret being called a “rodent” multiple times. 😉
Review: Merchants of Doubt
Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming by Naomi Oreskes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Merchants of Doubt is an extremely well-written, well-documented history of the shenanigans employed by those who, in an attempt to avoid unfavorable legislation or the potential loss of profit, attempt to discredit the science rather than accept reality and come up with an appropriate solution to the problems of the world.
The history lesson runs the gamut, including cigarette smoking, acid rain, ozone depletion, second-hand smoke, DDT, and of course global warming. The authors lay out their case with heavily documented precision, showing what the actual science indicated and how it was distorted and misrepresented by those who feared the repercussions. The book shows how disinformation and fear-mongering were used to mislead the public about what the actual scientific evidence showed and what degree of certainty the research scientists had reached.
It’s a sad statement about the lengths to which some will go for their ideology.