Missed Opportunities

As a kid, I was a huge fan of Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. I read through the five books voraciously. Several times.

I vaguely recall seeing Disney's take on it - The Black Cauldron - in theaters, though I have no clear memory of any thoughts on it.

Recently I grabbed a DVD copy of the film. I like Disney flix (it's a guilty pleasure), mainly for the animation. And The Black Cauldron is unique in that it's animated but has no singing in it. Indeed, it's PG-13 and more than a little fucked up.

Dallben is a barely-present, stock character while Coll and Prince Gwydion are absent altogether. Taran and Eillonwy are fine enough, but Fllewdur is too-old and Gurgi... well, it's Disney, so I guess they had to go there.

Having watched the DVDs, I opted to re-read the series and I find myself saddened at the missed opportunities Disney had.

The first book, "The Book of Three", had all the classics a Disney flick would ever need. A young hero, a princess who could hold her own (I guess that's a bit progressive for Disney), a hero-prince (largely off-screen), a sidekick (Gurgi), magic, an evil sorceress, and the Horned King as a constant vague threat who really only appears at the end.

Add in some cutesy songs and tweak the ending a bit and you have a perfect Disney formula film.

Follow-up with an offering of "The Black Cauldron" that is a bit truer to the original (also with the songs and what-not) and you have a solid tale with most of the same cast of characters. For Disney sensibilities, I expect the end would require some serious tweaks, but they can't be as savage as the original film managed.

"The Castle of Llyr" gets a bit dicey. I'm not sure that would make the Disney transition well and "Taran Wanderer" is far too introspective for Disney fare, but such is life. "The High King" could work, with a bit of care. I imagine it delivered much like the Rankin/Bass versions of "The Hobbit" and "The Return of the King" back in... oh god, I'm dating myself.

Meh. Probably best Disney just leave this franchise alone.

brainsplatter

• I have to say I'm impressed that people (including the broadcast news) are all in a tizzy over the NSA spying. I'd have put good money down on odds that people would yawn and forget about it.
• A friend tried to convince me that one of the Off the Grid food trucks offered the "best" fried chicken out there. I'm afraid Bakesale Betty retains the crown for the best fried chicken I've had.
• A second BART strike threatens the Bay Area next week. *sigh*

Grey Tuesday

The bike repairs were a success. One of the smoothest bike rides into work in recent memory.

It is light outside but the sky is a steady grey color. I love summer in the Bay Area.

Checking off the bucket list

Accomplishments over the last couple of days:

• Wrote a eulogy for someone with whom I had a very, very complicated relationship. And it actually worked.
• Incorporated a fart joke into said eulogy. I did say it was complicated.
• Fixed my bike with my own two hands. And it works!
• Bonded with several neighbors.

That was an exhausting weekend, yet oddly satisfying. Now I have to find time to see Pacific Rim again and catch The Wolverine.

Reflections on a long Saturday

Attended a funeral/memorial service that took up pretty much the daylight hours of my Saturday today. A few random thoughts:

• One can be the most epic of fuckups in life and still have a fascinating, and one might say - positive - impact on other lives.
• Every memorial service should have alcohol, even if it's just snuck in using a flask.
• It really is how you tell the story.
• I have previously unmet family who are into "Doctor Who" as much as I am, or perhaps more.

Bike Woes

Managed to give the bike a proper examination. The damn inner-tube tore at the valve stem. Arrrgh!

Oh well. Just need a new inner-tube. And patience.

A Conversation on Race

Word.

Okay, seriously... plague squirrels?

Just... wow. Mother Nature is clearly past pissed.

What the hell is next? Ebola pidgeons? Flesh-eating-bacteria raccoons? Homicidal cats?

Okay... nevermind that last one.

What. The. F'tagn?

• Plague squirrels. 'Cause the little bastards are out to kill us all.
• Can I hear a "DUH!" here?
• What. The. Fuck? Just... what the fuck?

I need to rock back-and-forth under my desk now.

Karmic Squall

I'm riding my bike home. Peaceful as can be. I'm about a mile into the ride when... "POP!" Followed by: "Hissssss...."

Fuck. My tire went flat. Badly. Ye gods.

Four miles later, I'm home to a chat with some folks I know. The other day, some of us got to witness a sadly mentally-ill associate have a complete meltdown. It was... epic and very disturbing. We compared notes today about that and I learned things are worse than I'd known. Yeah. This week is a non-stop drug education. Drug abuse can be a horrific thing but when drugs are necessary, oh boy are they necessary.

While that's all getting sorted out, I'd really like the impacted parties to move elsewhere. Like Maine.

Yeah, I'm callous and uncaring. I also just saw someone who was a part of my life get buried and I will admit that's colored my worldview a little.

It never rains, it pours. And life just has the occasional squall.

Space Pirates are cool

This looks cheese-tastic. Wish I understood Japanese.

47 Neos

Oh god this looks awful.

The hardest thing

Have you ever tried to take a moment out of your life - a small, insignificant moment - but a moment that's relevant and important to you and turn it into something that can be used to honor someone?

It's really fucking hard.

It might not be for other people, but it's a goddamn stressful nightmare for me.

Makes me wish I could just info dump directly into people's brains.

Of course, that ability would probably kill that writing career.

Sigh. Life is hard.

Karmic Dumpster Diving

Some people's lives are really just a warning to the rest of us.

There are far too many people who fill that role in my opinion.

I spent part of the weekend sorting through the remains of one of those lives and having a bit too much quality time with another.

This second unfortunate is a good two years or so younger than I but looks a good twenty years older than my mother.

Don't do drugs, kids. That shit can fuck you up worse than you can imagine.

A couple of hours in a musty, unwashed, disgusting hovel made me seriously look at my own bad housekeeping tendencies and other personality quirks.

Ugh. Not fun.

Now I have to conjure up some kind of pleasant memory and write it out as a short story (a couple of paragraphs or so). I have esoteric work assignments that will be easier than this. Ugh.

At least it's Friday

I'd be lying if I said this week was fun. It wasn't. I expect another couple of weeks of thrills on a similar level then, hopefully, life will calm down some.

In other news, the quality of the rum matters when making ill-advised cocktails.

You're welcome.

sleep

Ah sleep.

It doesn't fix everything but when you need it, its pretty damn wonderful.

timing is everything

It was a weird day yesterday.

I came home and puttered. Did some baking. Tried to make another (weaker) Hurricane with some remaining supplies.

I was just about to start in on the tasty beverage when the phone rang.

It was bad news and I had to be somewhere else.

Ten minutes later and I don't think I would have been able to drive a car. I suppose there's a lesson there.

Dumped the drink down the drain (I should have just put it in the 'fridge, but I wasn't thinking.

I didn't leave immediately. I had to get my head on straight and deal with that whole stuff-in-the-oven thing.

The weird thing was that while I fought my way through rush-hour traffic to get to my destination, I kept thinking "jesus... what if that call came a half-hour later? Would I still have tried to drive?"

No more cocktails for a while, methinks. And no crazy-strong ones.

urgh

So the Hurricane?

Bad idea.

In other news, the ghost music has returned to my office. Gotta love the creepy.

Home bartending

In an effort to master the find art of the cocktail, I find myself experimenting on a Sunday afternoon. I am free of family responsibilities today and unexpectedly free of schedule too.

I have a copy of Beachbum Berry Remixed and have been thinking of trying to make some of the drinks within. I happen to have all the stuff needed for a Hurricane.

Per the book:

2 oz fresh lemon juice (fresh squeezed as of yesterday)
2 oz passion fruit syrup (I used passion fruit juice)
4 oz dark Jamaican rum (I used Cuban rum and decided 4 oz would kill me so it's a smidge less)
Pour into a glass with crushed ice. My blender doesn't crush ice as well as I'd like, but all-said it's turned out well.
By "well" I mean "it's a miracle I can type right now". Glad I don't have to drive anywhere today and I'm glad I shaved down the rum a bit. Ye gods...
Tastes delicious, though.

Probably an unwise maneuver on a work night...

Review: Pacific Rim

Once in a while, a film comes out with sublime pathos, transcendent acting, and the ability to deliver a philosophical message that echoes through the ages.

This is not one of those films.

Pacific Rim instead gives you what you want: giant robots battling giant monsters in an orgy of crazy, destructive, chaos.

It's the future. Giant monsters, called kaiju, have emerged from an extradimensional rift in the Pacific Ocean to attack humanity. In defense, humans created Jaegers, giant robots piloted by two people using a mind-linking technology called "the Drift". The giant robots kicked kaiju ass.

Politics being as it is, nations decided it was cheaper to build giant walls around the entire Pacific ocean instead of more Jaegers.

The last of the Jaegers hole-up in Hong Kong, and that's when the film really starts going.

I won't go too much into the plot. It really doesn't matter. You have your various characters: avuncular and tough leader-guy, blond and artfully-unshaven hero guy, waifish and plucky heroine gal, obnoxious guy with father issues, father issue guy, dorky scientist cliche one, dork scientist cliche two, and Ron Pearlman as a dealer in kaiju organs.

I saw the film in 3D IMAX. I regret nothing and decided that was the best possible way to behold the unimaginable awesome of the world Guillermo Del Toro created. I wasn't wrong.

The film starts hard core and never really slows down. I'm sure there were intentions for characters, plot, and stuff I should have cared about. Instead, I got what I wanted: an orgy of awesome robot vs. monster battles.

I liked all the characters, though I cannot for the life of me remember the main hero's name nor that of the actor's (he was that generic). I would see this again in a heartbeat. I may try to see it more than once.

Pacific Rim: First Reactions

Holy shit that movie was amazing!

Seriously. Saw it in IMAX 3D. I would normally consider that to be a waste of money. It wasn't. That movie was glorious and fucking unbelievable. I... jesus... I'm speechless. And I need to sleep on this before I can do a proper review.

More Kickstarter cleverness.

EOne Bradley Timepiece. Clever Kickstarter idea. Nice design idea.

Review: Brew Shoes

I saw the Brew Shoes in an ad I got from Duluth Trading Company. It's summer and I've pretty much thrashed the hell out of my regular slip-on shoes. My Earth Runners had not yet shipped (and, being a Kickstarter, I expected them to be delayed). I had a Duluth coupon so boom. Got a pair.

Thoughts: The Brew Shoes are a great idea. I got "The Walter", if the Duluth page is accurate. Nice, canvas shoes. Cool for warm days and comfortable enough. The sizing is a little off. I found I had to exchange the pair I got for the next half-size up and the new size is pretty much perfect.

The tred is a little slippery, but given that it's in the form of multiple beer bottle shapes, I can forgive that. After a minute of wearing them, I pretty much forget I have them on.

Overall, I'd say these are worth the purchase. I found the Brewshoes.com site later and was intrigued to discover they weren't a Duluth creation but were actually made by this Brewshoes company and they offer different types of shoes.

Intriguing stuff. I'd recommend giving them a look. My brew shoes are my current go-to footwear when I am moving quickly out-the-door. Assuming I remember to put shoes on at all.

OMG! OMG!

SQUEEEEE!!!!

IT BEGINS!

I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Okay, breathe. Breathe...

Seriously, this movie has to rock. If it sucks, I will out-Shat the Shat with my cries of KHAAAAAAAN! Though it will probably be more of a "Del Torooooooo!!!!".

Nah, I'll enjoy it. It's got giant robots and giant monsters. This movie cannot fail me.

A moment of blind panic

Stopped to run an errand after work. Noticed my credit card was missing.

I'm OCD. I NEVER misplace my cards... well, clearly that's not true now.

Pondering... where was it last? I used it last night... when I bought dinner and beers... ay carumba.

Ran to the pub. Breathless, asked if my card was there. The bemused bartender went through the cards and lo, there it was.

Relief, followed by a beer.

Sometimes fate demands a pint.

The most important map ever

East Bay Beer Map

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (especially the East Bay) then YOU'RE WELCOME!

Stan the man

HOLY SH*T!!!

STAN LEE is going to be at Flying Colors Comics on August 7!

For the unfamiliar, Flying Colors is the Bay Area comic book store east of the Caldecott Tunnel.

Concord is a bit of a trek, but... dayum. I am undecided if I want to make the trek inland into the oven of Concord just to encounter the legend.

I'd have to take time off work, so I probably won't make it... still, this is pretty cool.

Artisan Coffee by mail

BrewPony, fresh coffee by mail. Suggested by a friend whose opinion I trust implicity. I share to spread the word.

'Cause the awesome must be shared.

Another episode of Kickstarter crack

Oh Kickstarter, you have so many interesting little projects...

• Nap Anywhere - I always wish I had something like this on an airplane.
• ChargeLight - I've already pimped this.
• Apollo AP-1 Tactical Flashlight - ditto
• SingKey - I've seen variations on this design, but I gotta say I like how they integrate the bottle opener on this one.
• Ringtool - This is damn clever!
• STOCK Wallet - RFID-blocking wallets are the big thing these days. I like the design of this one.

I wish I were rich.

Review: Earth Runners - Minimalist Outdoor Sandals

As part of my addiction to Kickstarter, coupled with a need for new summer footwear, I backed the Earth Runners Minimalist Outdoor Sandals project.

They arrived.

The sandals (I got the Birkenstock tread version) are quite comfortable while still giving that "barefoot" feeling that Vibram Five Fingers give. The lacing system is interesting and clever. I strolled about in them for a bit and found them quite to my liking.

My only complaint (such as it is) is that the delrin clips used to secure the laces tends to pop-off on one of my sandals. Might be not really be an issue. I suppose time will tell. If it becomes too troublesome, I'll look into getting a replacement clip from them. The lacing system looks pretty simple for replacing the clip, if needs be.

The sizing and grip are otherwise perfect for my mutant feet.

Another awesome Kickstarter, in my opinion.

They have an actual site here: Earthrunners. If the simulated barefoot footwear concept is your thing, I suggest checking them out.

'Tis Monday morning. Let the whining begin.

• Oh HELL yeah! (Doctor Who Monopoly tokens)
• Pacific Rim this Friday. GLORY BE!

All of the above is mainly to distract from the horror of the terrible plane crash at SFO this weekend. I don't even know what to say about this.

Passion for the drinks

Discovered a supply of lilikoi passion fruit juice. For whatever reason, getting this in the mainland is a giant pain in the arse. Thankfully, I found a local source.

With it, I took over bartender duties today and made philippine punches.

What's a philippine punch, you ask?

Fill a blender about 2 cups of crushed ice for every drink you're making. Add 2 ounces of a light rum (Baccardi is recommended), 1 ounce of Toriani Amer (I am probably spelling "Toriani" wrong), 1/4 ounce Grenadine, 2 ounces orange juice, 1 ounce lemon juice (best if fresh-squeezed from Meyers lemons), 1/2 ounce passion fruit juice.

Blend, pour into a long glass. Add a sprig of mint. Enjoy.

To add to the joy, my dad sent his children home with some tiki bar lounge music (Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny). I now have over three hours of kitchy lounge music for Tiki bars playing on my computer.

I love my life.

Gluttony and Sloth honored

Aaah, the laziness of a four-day weekend.

I only left my apartment on the Fourth ever so briefly to have lunch at my local watering hole ("lunch" was fairly liquid, but that's no surprise) as I finished reading River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay. Nice story. Kind of a choppy ending. Not quite as enjoyable as Under Heaven but still a good read. Am now re-reading an old classic I enjoy: The Man Who Used the Universe by Alan Dean Foster. Good, clean fun there.

Actually gotten some housecleaning done, which is the only non-sloth-or-gluttonous activity I've managed. Even my car hasn't been touched since Sunday. I'm aiming for a whole week of not driving so as to see what that does with my monthly gas bill.

The heat wave broke with the visit of the summer fog to the Bay Area. Much welcome, in my book. Coupled with that, the BART strike is on hiatus until early August. It's nice to have BART back just in time for pending celebrations in the City next week and the week after.

So now I must decide: do I watch more "Person of Interest" or read more brain candy sci-fi or just websurf?

Mine is a difficult life.

Independence and all that

Happy Fourth of July-slash-Independence Day, fellow Americans!

I've taken a bit of personal time to enjoy some locally-made beer and food as the start of a delightful four-day weekend. At least part of tomorrow will be dedicated to sanitizing my kitchen as I've discovered ants trying again to infest it. Little bastards.

Today, though... today's about chilling out and enjoying the holiday. Enjoying the whole being American thing and trying not to ponder the more ridiculous parts of that (Hi NSA!).

WedFriDay

Day Three of the BART strike.

Also, it's my Friday.

Relevant to anyone? Not really.

Looking forward to four days of beer and... um... whatever else there is to do.

Ho-hum deedle-dum

Day two of the BART strike. I am grateful I can bike to work.

It helps that it's a short work-week for me. Oh, the laziness I expect to enjoy over my pending four-day weekend...

It'll suck if BART is still on-strike come the weekend as that will limit my venues a tad, but there's plenty to do on my end of the Bay.

And a week from this Friday is Pacific Rim. Giant f***ing robots vs. giant f***ing monsters. This is what life is about.

Okay, maybe life is about a bit more than that, but GIANT ROBOTS VERSUS GIANT MONSTERS!

A lovely start to July

Heat wave and BART strike.

That's how the week, and the month, start.

What's BART, non-Bay-Area folks ask?

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the train-slash-subway-slash-metro that serves the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

It's pretty much the main way to get around, other than driving. Sure, there's buses, but BART is the main way to get to different cities or across the bay.

Last time BART went on strike (and it's "BART", not "the BART") was 1996 (or was it 1997?). That was... decidedly not-fun. Since then, BART ridership and the general population of the Bay Area has increased about four times.

Glad I rode my bike today.