We have a lot of movies to watch at our house. You see our cable company gave all subscribers a free month of HBO. Top this great offer with Mike’s love of movies and that gives us an 80% full recording cable box. He even taped a plethora of chick flicks and I don’t like chick flicks. Apparently he does or he’s trying to get in touch with his softer side. Either way, it just about a movie a night around here.
One he taped I’d never heard of Being Flynn. (more…)
You know you are in for something different with a subtitle of Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. Actually that’s why I picked up the book, was that subtitle. You see despite all my cheery disposition I’m a cynic at heart. Actually, just like Garfield admitted to Jon he is a cynic wearing a cat suit, I’m one wearing a human suit.
I’ve not embraced my inner cynic much beyond comedic effect I thought but Burkeman taught me what I had labelled as a cynic all these years was really an ancient Stoic. No, not stoic in the modern sense of enduring things without a peep of complaint. (What why are you laughing? I don’t complain THAT much do I?) But rather as the ancient philosophy of accepting the unpleasantness of life as reality that can’t be avoided makes the pleasant things sweeter and frees us to enjoy them more.
Okay, I see you are confused. Let me use the example Burkeman does in the beginning to illustrate this concept. DO NOT THINK OF A WHITE BEAR. What’s the first thing that came to mind reading that? Yep, a white bear. Burkeman explains the psychological reason for that and why the more you try not to think of the bear more bears there are in your thoughts. But the point is the basis of positive thinking is DO NOT THINK NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. So what comes to mind… that’s the point of the book. The more you try not to be negative, the more you check to see if you are happy, the more you notice things that make you unhappy.
Once he’s established that concept Burkeman goes through several ways and philosophies that embrace the negative aspects of life in order to enjoy life. He dedicates a chapter to the ancient Stoics and even visits some jolly modern ones. He explores how Buddhist techniques of watching thoughts go by without engaging them or why not letting what you think define you brings happiness. That the passing thoughts are ‘the noisy breather in the week long silent meditation retreat is out to get me so I’ll get him first’ doesn’t mean you are a bad person or will act on it. Yes Burkeman goes to such a retreat and has similar thoughts.
In the end when the book was over I found out I was happier for having read it. I didn’t feel the need to go DO something that wasn’t me. I’d learned my old technique of cheering myself up with “It could be worse it could be _________” and filling in the blank with the most rotten thing I could think of… was the basis of Stoic philosophy. I learned that in many ways I’m Mexican in my view of death. That the corpse meditation of Buddhism didn’t threaten me as much as other lesser phobias. I am more comfortable with death, the worst case scenario, and facing being uncomfortable than I am with positive thinking. Actually I’m happier among those things than I would be at a motivational seminars. I now know why affirmations make me feel worse not better, at times to the point of evoking anxiety. Sure life sucks sometimes but that makes the times it doesn’t that much more remarkable, sweeter, and for a Stoic (former cynic) like me happier in those moments.
If you are like me and the ‘rah-rah let’s get going to do this thing’ speeches make you roll your eyes and think PUH-leeze! Or if trying to visual success just makes you feel like you have too far to go, or affirmations just reinforce that you aren’t there yet – this book might be for you. We aren’t rainbows, glitter, and unicorn kind of people and that’s okay- we can be happy too. Burkeman just reminds us how to do it our way.
Last night a friend suggested lunch and movie on my day off. She wanted to see The Hundred Foot Journey I’d never heard of it. Much to her surprise I’d not seen the trailers. Actually we’ve not watched TV for a week reading on the porch in the evening instead. I agreed to the movie and we hooked up for lunch where we had the week before.
Thus I went into the movie without an idea what it was about. I was ready for a story and boy did I get one. It’s a food unites hearts type of story. An Indian family loses their matriarch and restaurant when it is set fire during riots after an election. The patriarch takes them to Europe to found a restaurant there. After some wandering they wind up in France buying a place 100 ft across a small road from a 1-star Michelin French restaurant where Papa in all his wisdom opens their restaurant.
This is a feel good movie from Disney. It’s family affair stuff. But you know what, it works. There is a dark night of the soul, but don’t worry it’s not too dark. There is romance but don’t worry it’s not too syrupy. There is comedy but not just for the sake of going for the laugh. But most of all there is hope and faith that in the end all will turn out as it should. Being Disney of course it does.
Along the way to the inevitable happy ending we are treated to a feast for the eyes. The cinematography is breath taking from the colorful streets of India’s spice markets to the breathtaking vistas of Southern France to the I can almost taste it shots of food the eyes feast at every turn. I could smell the delicious spiciness of Indian cuisine and taste the subtle blends of the French sauces. I felt the heat and heady scents of the market as we jostled to buy fresh sea urchins in India and felt the soul healing energy as Papa looked down into the town that would be their new home, the pristine visage of an old village that blended with the slopes of the alps.
Yes it is at it’s heart about the journeys we all take. The journeys inside to find ourselves and answer our callings. The journeys we take on the outside to find a place of our own. The journey where 100 foot wide road separates them but they start out a world apart. Then how in time and shared experiences they could be a world apart but nothing could come between them. Two cultures who find common ground and mutual respect in the love of food. Because as the movie states more than once, “Food is memories.” Sometimes flavors need to blend to make new dishes and new memories for all to treasure.
If you need a soothing boost… If you want a story that’s comforting over joke filled action of next Summer Blockbuster – then this journey is for you. Take it – you’ll enjoy it. But don’t go on an empty stomach!
How I found this book is by a podcast from Australia. First let me confess, I love the unexplained/unsolved/mysterious of the world from tales of ghosts to UFO to unsolved murders I’m up to hear the story. One of the ways I regularly feed this is by listening to podcasts. Now, Audible Books is a sponsor of many podcasts. One particular one I enjoy regularly is Mysterious Universe. During the plug for Audible the two hosts often recommend books they have enjoyed, it was here I learned of Wicked Plants. I will never eye a plant the same again.
Wicked Plants is non-fiction that I would say falls into what I call readable non-fiction. Think of two of my favorite authors – Mary Roach and Bill Bryson – their non-fiction books are humorous, informative, and enjoyable. This one fall right in there with those and I will be looking for other titles by Amy Stewart. In this book she takes each type of ‘wicked’ plant (plants that can harm you) goes through the bad boys of that type, tells what they do to you, give you a few interesting tales to hang the facts onto in your memory, then names familiar relatives of the bad boy. For example – Poison Ivy gives you a rash. She explains how this works, why some are barely sensitive and others are ‘exquisitely” sensitive, and then names cashew nuts and mangoes as familiar family members. BUT did you know that only the nut of cashews won’t give you the rash? She explains how you get the delicious nut from a hull and plant that is wicked. Also she tells tales of the exquisitely sensitive to poison ivy that ate the mango. It’s not pretty and that cherry orange fruit and smile shaped nut will never look the same to you. I learned there are plants whose ripe seed pods explode with such force that being struck by is seed is like being shot by a .22 gun. Yes she explains how a weed killed Abraham Lincoln’s mother and just what berries look like bilberries but eating just one will kill you – imagine the family that made them into a pie!
I found myself marking passages and taking notes for use of plants in future plot lines. Oh the uses of the suicide plant in a devious murder… maybe a poison that modern investigators would not think to look for unless the death was suspicious. The story possibilities whirled in my mind. This is a book I will revisit when a wicked character has to clandestinely kill someone or a sharp detective needs a break on difficult case. Also if I’m a fretting mom about what berry did my pet just eat? I can’t tell how many times I cringed remembering my son asking if a berry of a plant I didn’t know in his grandparent’s neighbor’s yard was poisonous. I said I didn’t know. He said “I sure hope not because I just ate one on a dare.” (Yes my insides still scream at that one) Turns out it must not have been as he’s still around and doing well.
This is a book I would wholeheartedly recommend to friends who like me love information. When I closed it I knew it was one that I will always keep and enjoy reading again some day to discover another tidbit that didn’t stick this time. However my strolls through gardens or walks in the woods will never be the same as I eye the possibly wicked greenery around me. You never know when a plant might shoot you or literally hook you causing pain for life!
Until next time!
I picked up Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs for three reasons. 1) I was going on vacation and wanted something to read, 2) I had heard a lot favorable talk about the book at the conference, 3) It was on sale when I passed. I can never pass up a bargain paperback that has people talking.
The story centers around Jacob who enjoys the fanciful stories his grandfather tells him as a child. When he was young Jacob believed they were true but as he grew older he doubted the stories. Then as he became a teenager he began to see, with his father’s help, that the grandfather’s stories about monsters, powerful friends, and idyllic orphans home were metaphorical for the tragic childhood he he’d had as an orphan Jewish child fleeing the Nazis. Then grandfather is killed with Jacob finding the man in his last moments. His grandfather’s words haunt him, were the stories really metaphors. Jacob goes to the island of his grandfather’s orphanage to learn the truth of the tales and just what killed his grandfather.
This is a heroic fantasy with all the traditional unknowing hero comes of age elements. I wish I could say there were surprises in the plot but there weren’t. If you’ve read comics, seen Star Wars, or brush up on the Harry Potter series you know what’s coming from the start. It’s one of the classic tales that Perseus himself tread in Greek tales. So I was disappointed in the slow pace of the novel. Every hero needs an origin story but for me the full reveal took too long and the facing the first big bad boss guy was rush as a result.
That said the concept of taking found antique photos and weaving them together to make a story was unique and intriguing. At times it feel he was working too hard to fit a favorite photo into the narrative but others it flowed nicely. Some were prefect fits for the narrative but others were a stretch. The paperback edition I had (I have linked to it in the title up there) included some images that didn’t make the cut. I was inspired to look through the old photo collection I have from genealogy research to see if there were any ‘peculiars’ in my family tree.
What I enjoyed the most about the book was the writing. Ransom Riggs can turn a phrase with a lovely modern twist. His voice as a writer was pleasant to read. I enjoyed it so much I got up from our room’s balcony over the pleasant Caribbean sea to get a highlighter to mark the ones that stood out to me as a writer. I read the rest of the book with the highlighter at hand. Despite a very familiar plot and pacing short comings I enjoyed reading merely for the voice of the writer. I haven’t had such pleasure reading the written word since I finished George R. R. Martin’s Fevre Dream (his best work IMHO).
Overall I enjoyed the book and found it perfect for the vacation read. I liked it well enough to pick up the sequel Hollow City possibly for my next vacation in July.
If you are interested in what I’m reading now or want to see what I have waiting to read you can visit my GoodReads page. If you have an account there by all means friend me! I’m new there. I didn’t even try to list the books I own or have read. (Though I did spend a fun evening reminiscing about books I have read and checking them off. I find a few I put on my to read list this way.) I just started with this one and will carry forward. If you have any suggestions of titles I might enjoy let me know.
Until next time!
Yes, I’ve seen the movie. Yes I liked it very much. Yes, I thought it was better than his Origins movie though I never thought that was as bad as some made it out to be. For me the stinker was X-Men III. I regretted that this movie had to pull from that one but Logan’s pining for Jean Grey is legendary. So it’s an important character element. I still have issues of casting Famke Janssen in the role.
The movie takes a classic and beloved story line of Logan meeting one of the major loves of his life Mariko and tells it in the film universe. Sure some changes are made in the telling but the heart of the story is there, and the story is about the heart of a warrior falling in love with a quiet powerful woman and having that love returned. Some of the changes I like – I like Logan having to face his healing power being diminished. He deals with fatigue, blood loss, medical care, and stuff all of us would have to deal with being a hero. I also like that he gets it back in time to be what many come to see in a Wolverine movie – kick ass. I fear the comic’s attempt at copying this idea of losing healing will not be executed so well and will fall into the category of the 1992 nose-less feral Wolverine no one at Marvel ever acknowledges much to the relief of fans (may the whole Romulus crapfest, Native’s frozen wolverpups, and Agent of SHIELD all fall into this category).
I liked the movie and found it a stronger better story than his Origins one. It didn’t feel rushed nor that it was an attempt to shove in as many mutants as possible into one movie. The characters served purpose to build and move the story along. I think the action scenes were well done (but really for all fanboys goggling over the train scene I preferred the funeral one hands down for action). I did feel that the climatic scene between the Silver Samauri and Logan was a bit over the top for this movie’s style. I also wasn’t a fan of the Silver Samurai being a giant. That said I like how Logan recovered from the attack of the admantium cutting sword. That was awesome!
Viper was interesting but I missed her trademark green hair. (Also don’t forget she has a thing for Logan, even blackmails him into marrying her but even then he’d sleep with just about ANYONE but her). She had the right level of self-centeredness to make the character recognizable but would like more of a hint of her lust for Logan’s body in her reaction to seeing him shirtless & cleaned up.
Mariko was Logan’s first wife for a long time but then he got his memories back and remembered Itsu (Dakan’s mom). Now Mariko isn’t even considered his wife but instead one great love that took him years to get over losing. For those who don’t know she’s poisoned and dying, she begs him to kill her so she won’t have to suffer the agonizing death for which there is no cure. He does then revenges her death on those who killed her to get her conglomerate.
Yurkio being psychic about deaths only was a nice touch. I don’t consider this a mutate so much since it happens among normal people. It’s just a fun element to give a ninja woman. I like how her friendship developed with Logan. Eventually after Mariko’s death she’ll help Logan raise his foster daughter Amiko. Sure at times they are friends with benefits but when one or the other is in a relationship they support that. It’s a complicated friendship but one that isn’t overburdened with romance. I like how it started here and feel it’s got a good future on screen should it be developed.
Logan himself – what can I say but WOW! Jackman pulled out the stops in getting into Wolverine shape. He does the comic proud. Also the short hairstyle is awesome and more what I picture the up lifts being – side cowlicks that just curl up. I did enjoy his mountain man scenes and long for a bit more exploration of that since it was a frequent retreat in the comic books. I get that this movie wasn’t about that so in interest of moving the story along it was just enough. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy a bit more of the surly mountain man kicking the city slicker hunter’s ass in the dive bar. LOL!
Finally the kicker after the credits (Marvel is famous for that always stay in their movies to see them) was awesome! It’s a nod to Days of Future Past coming out in 2014. This is another classic comic tale for the whole team but in the movies it will blend the cast of First Class with the cast of X-Men I. I am hoping that it is along the lines of this movie and First Class in tone not the hyper frenzy of X-Men III or Origins where it was thought the more thrown in the better (psst I prefer Taylor Mane as Sabertooth sorry Liev ).
In the end I think The Wolverine is a rare comic book movie that doesn’t suffer from being over done. It doesn’t suffer from what I call Fanboy syndrome of constant battles. It takes time to have action and emotion. It does well to juxtaposition peaceful with traumatic imagery. I think that unlike some comic book movies this one is more accessible to those who don’t know the comic. The Romeo/Juliet or right/wrong side of the tracks romance between Logan and Mariko is something many people can understand. What makes this movie stronger than many of the ones before it in Wolverine’s story is that it has a core, a heart, and isn’t afraid to be quiet and serve that heart, much like best portrayals the Wolverine himself.
Until next time.
How I came to this book is through research. I am looking into the various creepy crawlies of various cultures folklore. I asked a friend that was raised in Russia about Russian folklore. She gave me The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia to read before we discuss it.
I have to admit that once I started this it was a page turner. It’s set in modern times but draws on the legend of pre-revolution and revolutionary Russia. Heck we even see Soviet Russian fall into legend.
The story is bleak much like what I’ve been led to believe is the traditional Russian outlook. I found it interesting to hear how the average person felt about the Soviet fall. Before the fantasy part comes forward in this urban fantasy we get a glimpse into post-Soviet Moscow.
The heroes and villains of the fantasy segment are all new to me and fascinating. I especially liked Koschei the Deathless. He was a very intriguing fellow. One-eyed Likho was intriguing and very creepy. Also the November Revolutionists Wife Marya Morevna was a more modern myth that was elegant and tough.
Overall the story was fast paced and kept me turning the page to see what happens next. The ending was very fitting for the story and we learn why people were turning into Jackdaws including the main character’s sister.
I enjoyed the book so much that I have gotten The Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente to read another take on Koschei and Marya.
The only thing I found distracting was the over use of the ‘said’ tag. I noticed it early on and at times became distracted by it. Maybe it was an artifact of bad editing after translation. One of the first thing in writing is learning that said is dead in dialogue. There are many ways to indicate who is speaking. Often you don’t need to indicate but the flow of conversation between two will naturally do it.
I recommend this book to get a view from Russian eyes. It’s an urban fantasy that’s got a unique perspective this book is for you.
Until next time!
What does one do when at the beach and the temp is over 100F with feels-like temps over 110F? Well go see a movie in a nice air conditioned movie theater that’s what. We did exactly that one hot evening in Norfolk. Mike wanted to see Lone Ranger. I vetoed that very quickly the badly CGI’d rubbery looking horse on top of the train in the commercial turned me off. Also I’m not into westerns much and prefer gritty ones or comedy – think Blazing Saddles.
Aaron had seen WWZ and said it was good. If a bio-chemist with epidemiology emphasis and loves actions flicks says it’s good we’re game. Besides I adore zombies from Walking Dead (comic or TV show) to Shaun of the Dead. I’m up for zombies. Heck even in bad movies zombies are good.
I wasn’t sure what to expect since I had read part of the book and liked it. It was a cyber check out and returned itself before I had time to finish it. That was a busy time and I’ve not put myself back on the waiting list for the kindle edition or paper one. I went in aware that there were changes from the book. First Brad Pitt made the movie for his son who loved the book so he wanted the hero he played to have a more family focus and in the end make it back to his family. Understandable, I can take differing stories (The Walking Dead does that) if both are well done.
Let me say up front WWZ did not disappoint in the action department. Then again when it is a true World War action is a requirement. The zombies being fast moving and traveling in insect swarms was well done and chilling. It really dehumanized them fast and made them things instead of Uncle Billy gone wrong. The moral issues of can we save them goes out the window very fast when they are doing things like piling up to rip helicopters out of the air.
The special effects were good. I’d heard that the swarms were a struggle to get a non rubbery look to them. They were decent and shown in quick flashes so they couldn’t be over scrutinized. Which honestly when running from zombies – that’s all you’d take in any way fast flashing looks to think “Holy shit they just tore my ride from the sky!” and run off to find a good hole to hide in and defend.
Over all it was a great Summer action flick with a very smart ending. It doesn’t resolve all the issues but it’s a nice chapter closing one. It gives room for sequels and I read that one is in the works. Unlike the book where it’s a series of characters telling their WWZ stories and from that we get the history of the incident it appears the movies are going to follow Pitt’s character. If you like zombies, action flicks, or both this is a good movie for you.
Now that said here are some spoilers that are issues I had with the movie. If you don’t want spoilers then don’t go below the jump.
Let’s start by saying I love everyone of Mary Roach’s books. I discovered her at her second book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and have anxiously awaited the release of every one since then. Gulp: Adventures On the Alimentary Canal is her latest offering. I wasn’t so sure that it would be as interesting as her others but knowing that she can face the most uncomfortable subjects with child-like fascination asking the questions we all ponder but don’t know who to ask. Mary finds the specialist that can seriously answer those questions. Then she brings the answers down to the common man level.
Before I go on I have a confession followed by a recommendation. I have never actually READ any of Mary’s books. Instead I’ve enjoyed them on audio books. Yes I started with Stiff and went back to Spook then awaited the release on audio for all the following books. Each reader brings Roach’s every man narration to life, not overly deadpanning the funny aspects tackled in each book nor over playing the amusement. They keep in respectful but inquisitive with slight amusement that they are asking a flatulence expert if food changes the composition of farts or watching nice grandmas make sex toys.
Now to her current topic – how food makes it from mouth to anus and what happens to it on the way. Okay go ahead make the bathroom jokes, but honestly spend time with the very young or the retired elimination will be a topic of discussion. Watch tv note all the stuff hocked that addresses unpleasant passage along the alimentary canal from anti-acids to laxatives/anti-diarrhea medication. We are a society that is consumed by what happens to what we consume but embarrassed to talk about it.
What makes Roach’s books so enjoyable is the fact she’ll acknowledge societal taboos but ask the questions any way. Not only that she introduces us to quirky but delightful specialists to answer those questions. From the Italian Dr. that specializes in studying saliva and its various types – to the team that studies human poop consistency. She attends a party where all the foods are poop texture themed from chocolate covered bananas to chocolate shakes.
The humorous moments lighten the times where horrific issues are discussed. The affliction of mega-colon that can be a side effect of not being born with enough muscles to evacuate properly. Elvis was a famous person who suffered from this. Then there’s the matter of fact account of a poop transplant. Yep you read this right a poop transplant. Take a person who poops well – frequently, good evacuation, good consistency, etc. and get a sample of poop. Then there’s a person who has issues – irritable bowel, frequent going due to damage to the gut flora from say chemo. Transplant the good processed poop via a colonoscopy. Then in a few days, yes just days, the good flora from the good pooper has bloomed and the bad pooper is cured. Sometimes the simplest ideas with the least invasiveness work the best. Sure social taboos about other’s poop come into play but honestly if you have been through cancer or irritable bowl, a colonoscopy for a cure is so simple. Yet, as it stands insurance doesn’t cover it. The poop team is working to change this.
I think Roach summed it up in the start of the book. She stated she hoped your first reaction of “oooh that’s a gross subject” is quickly overcome by “oh this IS interesting!” Basically that sums up most of her career with the exception of Packing For Mars take on topics with their own taboos – death, corpses, sex – with a great scientific eye, honest curiosity, and a fantastic talent to find the right person to ask. Even in Packing For Mars she asks the questions we ponder “What if there’s a personality clash in space? Have fights happened?” or “How did astronauts poop before the space toilet installed?” and so on.
One other thing I’ll tip my hat to Mary Roach for doing – trying it herself. From the butt alignment camera on a space toilet to sex with her husband in an MRI to collecting her spit with a specialist – Mary’s game to participate in her own research. This adds great depth, insight, and humor to her own writing.
At the end of Gulp I had a new appreciation for how my own body takes food and turns it into me and getting rid of the rest. People are fascinating, awe inspiring beings from what ever makes us US and if that survives death to how our magnificent bodies function and malfunction to our aspirations to travel among the stars. When I finish one of Roach’s books I am always in awe for humanity and feel pleasantly educated about just how awesome each and every one of us is.
If you’ve not discovered her books – get thee to the library, store, or audible now! You are in for a treat!
I know I am WAY behind on my Comic Comments but I’m making effort to catch up with the list. I am seriously considering doing by issue once I get the backlog diminished significantly. Mostly because it would be easier to keep up with what I’ve reviewed and what I haven’t.
Okay my mea culpa and plans revealed let’s talk zombies! This is a one-shot that fits into the Marvel Zombie line but not into any continuity. Just think of this as a fun story, part of the fun is figuring out who is who in this post zombie apocalypse world. It’s an excellent Marvel superhero tale for Halloween.
First give credit where credit is due for this one-shot: Fred Van Lente, Writer – Alessandro Vitti, Artist – Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Cover – Jon Moisan, Asst. Editor – Bill Roseman, Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.
Next the legal disclaimer – All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.
The art is perfect for the issue. I like the ‘dirty’ line look and really suits Old Man Scratch in his appearances. It also does well with the zombies by giving suggestion without being too explicit on the details of decay. I thought it was excellent and made the tale even better.
As for the story it starts out with a definite Walking Dead (tv show) vibe but quickly becomes a Marvel tale. The premise is that a mother and son have established a safe camp in an old Victorian mansion complete with a greenhouse for safe gardening. The boy is going over the calendar and discovers it’s Halloween. After them mom explains what the holiday was and the boy wants to celebrate.
Here the tale takes the Marvel turn – they find the boy a Wolverine costume in the basement. When they head out to get candy – they encounter superhero zombies. I’ll leave it to you to discover just who these are! It’s fun to see them in that form, LOL!
Then Old Man Scratch makes his appearance accompanied by the Rolling Stone song that introduces him. The question becomes – do you want to be in debt to the devil or eaten by zombies? I’ll leave you with that only to say that in the end a black kitten makes it all worth it.
Just who are the mother and child? That’s part of the twist too! Let’s just say there is a clue in the fact Mom likes Wolverine (no he’s not the father of the boy THIS time). In the end I enjoyed the tale of Halloween during a Zombie Apocalypse, well done Marvel, well done! If you didn’t pick this one last Halloween get it in time for this one.
Mary Louise Eklund 