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May. 12th, 2008 @ 09:52 pm Reviews: Taylor 2 & Cosi Fan Tutti
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Prospero's Speech, Loreena McKennitt
Tags: , ,
BPAL of the Day: Boo Bam

I've been busy posting and reading at the Den of Angels and researching BJDs like crazy. If I don't get to post these reviews soon I'll forget what I wanted to say!

Before I begin: If [info]babydraco is reading I'm just letting you know that Tonner Elizabeth Swann arrived and I can bring her next time you're able to come to B&N. Also, do you want to go see Narnia in the NEW Hooksett theater Friday? It would probably be whichever showing is closest to 7:00PM.

On with the reviews!

Taylor 2 was last Thursday. Taylor 2 dance is a scaled-down version of the much larger Paul Taylor Dance Co. which performs primarily on Broadway, from what I understand. The six dancers of Taylor 2 start off with a dance set to the Andrews Sisters music from the 1940s. The dances are supposed to be freeform and plotless, but to me it told the story of young love and innocent flirtation underscored by the boys' going off to war. After intermission there was a change on costumes and a major change of theme. The music was slightly dissonant and the dance was tense and sexual. (It was never bawdy or lewd; the sex was in the movement and passion, not the bump 'n grind.) It was my favorite for the hypnotizing rhythms and high emotion. After the second intermission came a very pretty flowing, running, jumping dance set to a classical score.

The energy and athleticism of the dancers is extraordinary to watch. The theater was only perhaps slightly over a third full- the most poorly attended event I have ever been to. There were at least eight empty seats in the front row of the center section alone! I don't know why. The ticket price was reasonable and the dancers were certainly talented. I guess dance isn't very popular in Concord.

**** Stars.

Cosi Fan Tutti was on Sunday afternoon at 2- not my favorite time for an event. Getting there was tight and they were out of programs, but I was in my seat before the opera started.

I have come to find that the *plots* of opera really aren't my favorite things. This one begins with two young soldiers boasting about how beautiful and *faithful* their beloveds are. Their older and wiser friend makes a bet with them that their lovers aren't so faithful as they think. The two guys pretend to go to war and return wearing turbans and false mustaches to attempt to seduce their beloveds in disguise. The two women are apparently spectacularly dim and don't notice that these guys look awfully familiar. Eventually they prove the friend right that women are inconstant, flighty creatures who are incapable of fidelity... just like men.

The performers were very talented but I think this would have made a better play. The overwrought style of opera seemed an awkward, overly melodramatic fit for such a flighty, silly little story. Lucia di Lammermoor had a plot worthy of opera's innate melodrama. This just seemed a bit too much for too little.

Next season's operas are La Traviatta & Macbeth. I'm definitely seeing both and particularly looking forward to Macbeth. Now there's a story worthy of opera's melodrama!

*** Stars.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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May. 1st, 2008 @ 08:45 pm Happy Beltane!
Current Location: B&N
Current Mood: bored
Current Music: Stolen Child, Loreena McKennitt
Tags: , , ,
BPAL of the Day: Beltane '08

In more extreme climates (like this one) Beltane takes the place of Ostara as the first real spring holiday. I almost wish I could have gone to the ritual in Concord. It would have been a nice evening for it.

I was supposed to go to the mall tonight, but it got too late so I'm posting this at B&N. I would have been happy to be working on my story but I forgot my memory stick. My battery is probably going to go dead soon anyway. (My screen is very dark so don't be surprised to find typos in this.)

I'm doing pretty well with writing now. It comes in fits and starts, and in between I pour over doll and art sites. lol.

I have discovered that a SD size BJD may not be as out of reach as I thought. If I use layaway I could probably bring one home in a few months. I have my eye on this guy and gal in particular:

http://www.iplehouse.net/shop/step1.php?number=316
&
http://www.iplehouse.net/shop/step1.php?number=497

Of course if they do basic 1/4 scale dolls as nice as these I'd go for those. It would take fewer months.:)

And I'm coveting this doll's clothes:

http://site.volksusa.com/html/2008/dolls_party_ny_3/limited_items/irvin.php

I'm not too crazy about tan dolls though he is nice. I just want those awesome robes! Volks always seem to have the best exclusive costumes.

I got my gorgeous Peter Parker repaint and put together a pretty good outfit for him with Jack's shirt, a pair of black pants and nice black boots. His hair is SO much better than my regular Peter! My repaint of Chrys didn't come yet. I did get Joe Hardy yesterday. I figure can get different sizes as long as I stick to my own characters. Joe will make a good Chrys at a younger age when he's repainted. I'm going to get a Nancy Drew to be Brynna sometime.

Little Dal is going out for repainting this month. I actually feel a bit of seperation anxiety! I love that little guy. He'll look a lot nicer with a repaint, though.

Not much else. Next Thursday I have 'Taylor 2' Dance to go see in Concord. I'll see 'Speed Racer' next Friday, and the opera 'Cosi Fan Tutti' on Sunday afternoon (the 11th.) This week is just a bit dull, except for the dollies, of course.

I am reading a book called 'The Rise and Fall of Atlantis' by J.S Gordon. It is a little different than most other Atlantis books. The author's general philosophy closely matches my own- that both organized religion and hard line atheism are severely flawed- which makes the book quite gratifying to read. We seem to be coming at this subject (and many others) from the same viewpoint, if not always reaching the same conclusions.

They have a nice hardcover set of LotR books for $14.99 here @ B&N! Good deal if you need a nice set of reading copies for a good price.

Ok. My battery is on it's way out so off I go.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Apr. 27th, 2008 @ 09:43 pm Review: The Forbidden Kingdom & Pond photo shoot day 2.
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Something sucky in B&N.
Tags: , ,
BPAL of the Day: Hexennacht

I went to see Forbidden Kingdom Friday. Or rather 'The Wizard of Oz with martial arts' The story begins with a kung fu obsessed young man named Jason dreaming, living and buying Kung Fu movies, but in reality he's just a misfit kid picked on by the street gang bullies. When the bullies find out he is friends with a Chinatown shop owner who cashes checks, they force him to lead them inside the old man's shop so they can steal his money. The old man is shot and the kid ends up with a mysterious staff he'd seen on an earlier visit to the shop. When the bullies face him on a roof top the kid falls off the building, only to get sucked into ancient China.

In China he finds out from 'the Drunken Immortal' that the staff is part of a centuries old feud between the immortal Jade Warlord and the Monkey King. The staff belonged to the Monkey King but he was tricked out of it 500 years earlier and became a statue in the Warlord's court. Jason's task is to deliver the staff back to the Monkey King and defeat the Warlord, which he must do in order to get back home. He is helped by the Drunken Immortal and the Silent Monk, both martial arts masters, and a warrior orphan girl with a axe to grind with the Jade Warlord.

The result of all this is a archetypical fantasy coming-of-age, learning one's inner strength sort of movie that reminded me more than a little of every other fantasy coming-of-age movie and book, with a dash of the Wizard of Oz's 'kid torn from real world into fantasy land where he/she must defeat a baddie with the help of a band of misfits to be allowed to go back home' storyline thrown in for good measure.

But the plot isn't really the reason to see this movie. The kung fu, fast-paced fight scenes, Jackie Chan and Jet Li are the stars of the show. They're fun to watch. With the exception of the plot surrounding the orphan girl, the movie rarely takes itself too seriously.

It was an entertaining movie, if not a stellar one. I enjoyed the kung fu and battles, but found Jason to be too cardboard to be very likable or believable. The plot is standard issue; that's not necessarily bad, there just was not enough done with it to make it more than an excuse for Chan and Li to show off their considerable kung fu talent.

Still, it was a fun little diversion and I'm not sorry I saw it.

*** Stars.

Now just a couple more photos from day 2 of the photo shoot. I had trouble finding batteries for the camera so it was later by the time I got out there. The pictures came out pretty well, but I didn't have as much time for posing or artistic shots.
Gavin (Cole) & Winnie (Cinderella):





Pirate!Sean & Poison Ivy:





I'm getting a bunch of dolls (hopefully) next week! Chrys will be on his way, and I bought a Spiderman repaint to be Dal. I also grabbed a Joe Hardy on sale to turn into Chrys at yet another age and scale. I'll be getting a Nancy Drew to be Brynna someday. I just bought a pretty 1/6 ooak platinum girl head for a great deal, and my big Japanese 1/6 'holiday present' doll commission is now being worked on! eeek!
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Apr. 22nd, 2008 @ 03:11 am Doll photo shoot. Pt 1.
Current Location: Joggerville
Current Mood: complacent
Current Music: Yes I Will, Neil Diamond
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BPAL of the day Neptune

Happy Earth Day!

It is the last night here, sadly. It has been a very nice and peaceful 10 days. It went by so fast!

I did do the 'pond photo shoot' I mentioned in my last post. I photographed dolls in three different scales and can say absolutely that my BJD (Angel of Dreams 'An') took the best photos. Little Dal, even needing a new face-up and clothes is very expressive! It left me craving another BJD.

(Please click the photos to get a better look. They look pixelated in the small versions.)





( More of little Dal )

Here is Althamal in the robes I traded two nude dolls to get. They're perfect on him!



( More Althamal )

I also took a few photos of two of my 1/6 dolls- Altennimer and Alasta. It is much harder to get good photos of 1/6 dolls. This is the best one I took:



Tomorrow I will post day 2 of the photo shoot- Gavin & Winnie & Pirate!Sean & Ivy.

Meanwhile in a stroke of amazing timing I got the photos of my Chrys commission by Dalila. I couldn't be happier with how he turned out. Here he is!



I had better let the dogs out and go get the laundry now.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Apr. 18th, 2008 @ 01:02 am Review: Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash
Current Location: Joggerville
Current Mood: impressed
Current Music: Got My Mind Set On You, George Harrison
Tags: ,
BPAL of the Day: Kingsport

Today, after a lovely afternoon reading by the pond, we went to see Ring of Fire. It was a musical biography, with various events of Johnny Cash's life told through his music. There was no Johnny Cash 'impersonator' but rather three very different looking men and three women who took turns singing Cash's hits, along with several others to play an assortment of instruments. All the performers were real professionals and very talented. One of the 'Johnnys' was a smallish-statured natural blond... dress him up in robes and he'd look alarmingly like my Chrys.

It was truly a flawless performance by all the players. Johnny Cash's music is by no means my favorite, but I did enjoy and appreciate this performance very much. I was surprised at how underattended it was. The theater was the emptiest I have ever seen. It was certainly too good to have so few people there.

**** Stars.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Apr. 17th, 2008 @ 12:38 am Review: Nim's Island
Current Location: Joggerville
Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: Some Bridges, Jackson Browne
Tags: ,
BPAL of the Day: Windward Passage

Since we're in one of those 'between closings' weeks and in search of low-cost entertainment we went to see the only halfway appealing movie out right now, Nim's Island. I saw that the critics weren't crazy about it, but who cares?

It was a fun, very entertaining little movie. I am unfamiliar with the book it is based on, which may be best. The story begins with a young girl, (Nim) and her marine biologist father, who live an idyllic existence in their own tropical island paradise, where her father studies plankton and Nim runs with the extraordinarily intelligent animal denizens of the island. When her father goes out in search of new plankton species, Nim wants to stay behind to watch over a nest of turtle hatchlings. Her father reluctantly allows her to remain. A sudden, violent storm arises while her father is at sea, severely damaging his boat.

Meanwhile Nim, who was instructed to tell anyone who emails that her father will return in two days gets an email from Alexandria Rover- the author of Nim's favorite book series asking about life near an active volcano (there's one on the island) for her next book. Only Nim thinks it is the books' hero- Alex Rover- who is emailing. Nim climbs up the volcano to answer 'Alex's' questions, hurting herself in the process. The two continue emailing and Alexandria discovers that Nim is a child whose father is lost at sea.

Alexandria, despite her wild, tough, action-hero main character, is an agoraphobic who never leaves her apartment in San Francisco. She has a panic attack if she thinks about going outside to get the mail. You see her discussing the girl's plight with her own character, Alex, who thinks she should run to Nim's aid- all the way on the other side of the world!

There is a lot to like. I loved the relationship between Nim and her father. It reminded me a bit of Chrys and Brynna. Probably the best thing here is Alexandria's talks with her character, Alex. The portrayal of the odd 'relationship' an author can develop with one's characters is hilariously accurate. It also makes one think. Alexandria was really projecting everything she wished she was onto her heroic, fearless character. He dragged her out the door into the world and in the process she learns that there is more of Alex in Alexandria than she ever imagined.

I won't give away the ending but to say it was both very predictable and very satisfying.

No, it was not a critic's darling of a movie. You need plenty of suspension of disbelief and disregard for realism to fully enjoy and appreciate it. Understanding the author-character dynamic intimately doesn't hurt, either.

And Gerard Butler, who plays Nim's dad/Alex is very appealing.

**** stars!
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Apr. 11th, 2008 @ 12:20 am Reviews: Shine a Light & One Night of Queen
Current Mood: Rockin'
Current Music: Grateful, Art Garfunkel
Tags: , ,
BPAL of the Day: Zephyr

We went to see the IMAX special 'Shine a Light' the Rolling Stones concert documentary on Wednesday. It starts out with the planning process for the concert and continues into a relatively straightforward concert movie. At first I found the camera work too jerky and hard to watch, but it smoothed out quickly. I found it a bit amusing that most every female up front looked like a model and appeared to be under 25. The males didn't look very old, either. They must've stuck the 'old fans' in the back.

On to the concert: I wanted to call this post 'On the absurd, yet undeniable sex appeal of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.' Because they've got it. I don't know WHY, but they do. My mother and I talked about it last (Wed.) night. We chalked it up to confidence and stage persona. Despite their all-too apparent age, they rock like twenty-year-olds... perhaps more vigorously than they did when they started out. Mick's passion, athleticism and energy was incredible. The craggy old pirate Keith Richards handles the guitar and his solos with a quieter, but still extraordinary, casual competence that is quite appealing. The Beacon Theatre in NY, where the concert was held, is attractive, but extraordinarily small for a band that could easily fill Madison Square Garden. They wanted the intimacy of a small theater for the show. I know I would jump at the chance to see them in real life, if I could ever get acceptable tickets for a not COMPLETELY insane price. They are certainly one of, if not THE greatest musical legend that still tours.

The IMAX theater itself only had a very few people in it. That's the one advantage to seeing it at IMAX, rather than live.

**** Stars.

Tonight (Thursday) I went to see One Night of Queen- a Queen Tribute band from the UK. It was very, very good. I am not so intimately familiar with Queen that I am bothered by minor details which may or may not be accurate. Gary Mullen, who 'plays' Freddie Mercury, had the moves, the voice, the body and the stage persona of Freddie Mercury. He performed the hell out of every last one of those songs. The band was smoking, too. It has been a long time since I've been to a real 'rock concert' and it took me a bit to remember how to behave. lol. I got my groove about halfway through.

A very entertaining evening!

**** Stars.

I was supposed to be petsitting Friday, but my clients' flight has been cancelled in the American Airlines flight cancellation blitz. I am supposed to start on Saturday now, provided their second flight isn’t cancelled, too. :/

Next up: Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash next Thursday. Unless I have to go see a movie tomorrow night.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 31st, 2008 @ 09:55 pm Meme spam
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Pilgrim, Enya
Tags:
BPAL of the Day: Titania

From [info]erised1810:

You are about 20 years old
The teen repellent will no longer foil you, but you can still hear some pretty high tones.

The highest pitched ultrasonic mosquito ringtone that I can hear is 16.7kHz
Find out which ultrasonic ringtones you can hear!


Not bad for a 31-year-old who goes to lots of concerts! I could hear the 17.7 as a high-pitched rushing sound that wasn't the computer, but not quite the tone itself. That puts me almost in the teen category. lol.

I'm off to the Cape tomorrow night. Looking forward to it!
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Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 24th, 2008 @ 02:32 am Review: AGON: The Lost Sword of Toledo. A bit of AdventureCon news, too.
Current Mood: hopeful
Current Music: Once in a Red Moon, Secret Garden
Tags: ,
BPAL of the Day: Pink Moon 07

Since I somehow forgot to review the first AGON game last year I wanted to make sure to do this one right away. I just finished this one tonight.

In the AGON series you play Professor Samuel Hunt who, in the early years of the twentieth century, works for the British Museum as he searches for pieces of the mysterious AGON board game for the museum's collection. Along the way he discovers pages of a codex which indicate that the fate of the world may rest upon the person who finds all the pieces. The pieces of the game have brought a curse upon each family who owns them. Professor Hunt must break the curses and help the families with their struggles in order to obtain the game pieces. So far there are four episodes with ten more to go. This concerns me as it took a long time between three and four. (Three was not new last year when I got it.) Adventure games are probably not getting any more popular, unfortunately. The story is too rich and fascinating to leave dangling forever.

I really like these games. They are challenging but not so impossible as to take away from the fun factor. The puzzles are generally of the logical kind and fun to work out. I usually prefer to make up my own characters to play, rather than be saddled with someone else's, but Professor Hunt is a pleasure. He is not your standard game hero by any means. He's a middle-aged archeologist with a mild and kindly nature, but also tough and tenacious when he needs to be. He also has some rather interesting secrets in his past that are revealed piece by piece in the biography written by his wife. You only get to read a few pages in every episode, but I would very much enjoy reading about him if he were in a book.

My only minor quibble is that the 3D NPC character graphics are a bit clunky and unattractive. The voice work is uniformly very good and Professor Hunt has the perfect mild-mannered English gentleman's voice.

An overall wonderful game with the near-perfect marriage of game play and story.

**** 1/2 stars!

I hate to even say anything, but it looks like I MIGHT get my wish for AdventureCon for an Infocom Imp. Steve Meretzky might well be attending! He is one of the four best Infocom authors and is also responsible for much of the history and backstory of the world of Zork. I would be so very, very, very excited if that comes to pass!

I'll be back Tuesday night with a review of Joan Baez. :)
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Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 20th, 2008 @ 03:55 am Happy Equinox!
Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: The music for AGON 4
Tags: ,
BPAL of the Day: Sugar Moon

In celebration of my favorite of all the holidays, some lyrics for the occasion. :)

***

Ostara (Spring Song) 2003 Lisa Thiel

Chorus:
Praise to the Spring, Praise to all living things
Praise to the Maiden and the joy that she brings
Praise to the Earth let all her creatures now sing
Hope is renewed with the coming of the Spring

We turn from the darkness and the wise Crone within
We turn to the Maiden and creation begins
It's a time for things growing and time now for flowing
A time now for sowing the seeds of your dreams.

(Chorus)

The heart fires are stirring with the new life returning
Its time now for learning what rebirth truly means
We honor ourselves and all the faeries and elves
May we dance and ring bells for the coming of the Spring!

(Chorus)

So open your heart to nature's wondrous art.
Its time now to start the Healing of the Green.
Young rabbits abound and there's flowers all around
The air is filled with the Sound of the Coming of the Spring!

(Chorus)

***

In other news, this is the first time I'm half considering not getting the BPAL Lunacy. These are the 'notes' for Worm Moon: "mold-crusted dirt, decomposing organic matter, coffin wood, drooping funeral flowers, congealed blood, gloomy lunar oils, cuckoo flower, and a gruesome burst of overripe red fruits."

I understand the humor they're getting at but it's just too nasty and icky for me. I probably will get an imp for the Lunacy collection because I now officially have every lunacy since 2004.

The boozy Tiki stuff is all a no go, but there are a few others I'd like to try out.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 12:13 am LJ Icon meme!
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: The Sacred Stones, The Fellowship
Tags:
BPAL of the Day: Hanami

From [info]in_the_blue:

1. Reply to this post, and I will pick five of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon squee. Whoo!



Nursery Crimes Division

This is from Jasper Fforde's 'Nursery Crimes' series featuring Jack Spratt, Mary Mary and a Rambosian blue alien named Ashley. They are the law enforcement agency for the strange and often barbaric folk who inhabit nursery rhymes. Jack's work is often thankless and the division gets little respect from the rest of the force. Jack's stubborn habit of hunting down the truth has made him unpopular. No one wants to hear that the Three Little Pigs framed the Big Bad Wolf.

I love this bizarre, creative and endlessly entertaining little series that is quite unlike anything else out there.




Festeron Town Library.

This is from Zork I's original packaging. Festeron is a well-to-do, sub-tropical, but New England-like coastal town on the island of Antharia. The library is the pride of the town, with its extensive collection of artistic masterpieces and historical artifacts. Antharia has long been my favorite of the Quendorian provinces for its beautiful scenery and stubbornly independent spirit.

Two of my characters spent a lot of time in that library during their formative years. :)



The Raven.

From Susannah Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. This book is probably one of the richest and most atmospheric works I have ever read. It is one of those books that gives one an inferiority complex; just because it seems nearly impossible that one can ever be THAT good. It immerses you in its world and keeps you there.



Dal in Lantern.

From Zork: Grand Inquisitor. This is the scene when the player 'meets' Dalboz for the first time where he explains what needs to be done and how he got in the lantern. Dalboz is voiced by Michael McKean, and is the player's companion and helper throughout the game. He has a great, slightly snarky sense of humor but his backstory is really quite tragic. I loved him to bits.:) He is also the only character I was able to originalize and keep.



Platypus ring.

An item available from the 'Frobozz Magic Equipment Catalog' for a mere 50 zorkmids. From the original Spellbreaker packaging. I have looked for a ring like this one with no luck, alas. Platypus featured strongly in Wishbringer where they have their own island kingdom off the coast of Antharia. Platypus are one of the most symbolic creatures of the Quendorian universe.(Aside from grues, of course.) I originally intended this icon to be for jewelry-related posts.

That was fun. :D
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Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 16th, 2008 @ 01:35 am Review: Vantage Point
Current Mood: complacent
Current Music: You're Still You, Josh Groban
Tags: ,
BPAL of the Day: The Carpathian Mountains

Either I don't post for weeks or I post every day.

Today the choice was between being asphyxiated by cigarette smell at my grandmother's house or go to a movie. I chose the movie. By the time we got done eating my choices dwindled as to what I could see. I chose this one because the previews looked interesting and it was a unique concept.

It is a unique concept. The president gets shot at a public speech while in Spain for a historical summit on the 'War on Terror.' The movie proceeds to show the whole train of events from the PoV of eight people who witnessed the attack. Despite the cleverness of the concept, it it boils dow to the most formulaic of of action thriller plots. We watch many different people sprinting through the whole city without even having a drop of sweat on them, despite the summer heat. (They didn't all have marathon runners' physiques, either.) There were the prerequisite assortment of wild car chases where little randomly acquired subcompacts drive like Lamborghinis and have the miraculous thriller movie ability to speed through traffic jammed streets and full sidewalks. Not to mention Secret Service agents who can get in massive car accidents and jump out of the windshield running and without a scratch. The bad guys are an ill-defined and self-destructive terrorist cell out to get the president.

None of these things would be fatal to the movie if it did a better job of portraying them in an entertaining way. Nothing about the the characters- good or bad- is interesting enough to make one care about them one way or the other.

These are all thriller movie conventions, to be sure. I can overlook the odd unrealistic car chase or Superman hero, but this was just too much. The incredible predictability of the story and action undermines the uniqueness of the different PoVs. It is almost like they used a Random Thriller Generator and filmed whatever came up. :/

It WAS watchable, though. Car chases always seem to be watchable. lol.

** Stars.

May is certainly a big movie month. Speed Racer, Narnia and Indy! Yay!
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 15th, 2008 @ 04:02 am Review: Karan Casey & Buille
Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Voices in the Sky, The Moody Blues
Tags: ,
BPAL of the Day: Ides of March 05 (Yes, again.)

As is obvious from the subject, I went to see Karan Casey instead of H.M.S Pinafore. I had two tickets, and my mother seemed like she wanted to go, so that sort of made the decision for me.

This was my first time going to a show at St. Anselm's Dana Center. It's a small auditorium; probably the smallest I've ever seen a show at. The isles are tight and it is quite hard to move around in there.

The show began with several jigs from Buille, Karan’s husband’s band. The instrumentals were nice and very well performed, if a little bland. They all ran together after awhile. Karan has a beautiful, natural voice. She sang at times with no musical accompaniment and her voice proved to be a beautiful instrument all by itself. I am a little surprised at her choices of songs; they were good, but generally long and many were brand new. (Not even released yet!). People are likely to lose interest in very long songs they don’t know, no matter how beautifully they are sung. That would be fine if it were just one that was a representative of the new album, but does not work quite so well when it makes up most of the concert. They were pretty songs, though. She didn't play my favorite, 'This Time Will Pass,' but that isn't surprising. It's on an older album and not a 'single' as far as I know.

Did I make the right decision? It’s hard to say. I think the play might have been more exciting, but this concert was by no means ‘bad.’ It all turned out well enough.

It was a very nice concert, if not a spectacular one. I would go see her again, but if the show conflicted with a play I wanted to see, I would go to the play next time.

*** ½ stars.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 14th, 2008 @ 02:00 am More random than you can imagine.
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Pussywillows, Cat-Tails, Gordon Lightfoot
Tags: , , , ,
BPAL of the Day: Ides of March '05

Holy flaming stop lights, my hair is RED. This is what happens when they discontinue one's favorite haircolor and force one to find a new shade. I'll still be looking for a new shade next month.:P

I see Deathly Hallows is going to be made into two movies. I really think it would have been impossible otherwise. Yes the 'camping trip' can be shortened up and a few other things, but even so there is just way too much stuff in there to cram into a two or even three hour movie without making the whole thing incomprehensible, or at least bear no real relationship to the book. A November/May release the wait for fans won't be THAT terrible. Just think of how much more $ it'll bring in this way!

I got my Spellbreaker necklace commissioned today. It came out even better than I pictured it. It's gorgeous! It was pretty amazing to watch Kythryne make it. To get all those beads on a necklace and make it look artistic rather than a jumble of stones is quite a feat. Amazingly, it only took her about an hour to finish it.

IF AdventureCon happens this year, and IF they manage to get an Infocom Implementor you can bet I'll be wearing it there!

I have a ticket to see H.M.S Pinafore and tickets to see Karan Casey tomorrow night. Why oh why do they have to be the same day? I hate having to decide. The Karan Casey show might be a bit riskier, considering how the Mary Black show went, but I WOULD Like to see her. Arrrrgh.

I've been researching habitable planets. (No, I'm not moving.;P) I'm using this one for sanity's sake, but I need at least two other worlds, maybe more over the course of my whole epic. At it's heart, the story is fantasy, but I want good science behind the worlds I give my characters; their evolution needs to be at least possible, too. It's making for interesting research, that's for sure.

I'll be back tomorrow with a review for whatever I decide to go see.
About this Entry
Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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Mar. 9th, 2008 @ 03:03 am Reviewlet: Portland Taiko, etc.
Current Mood: dorky
Current Music: Shining Waters, Fionnuala Gill
Tags: , , ,
BPAL of the Day: Pisces

I went to see Portland Taiko tonight in Concord. It was one of those concerts I grabbed just because Saturday nights can be pretty boring. I thought it would be more fun than sitting in Panera Bread all night. $12.50 for a front row ticket was pretty irresistable, too.

It was fun, but VERY short. They play a wide array of traditional Japanese drums. It was quite interesting to watch and they are certainly very talented and athletic! It must take a LOT of strength to pound those drums while dancing and keeping perfect rhythm. They performed about 5 pieces; from modern jazz fusion to Japanese festival music, ending the show with an extraordinarily intricate piece called 'TaikoKinesis.' They also had people from the audience come up and beat the drums and gave a little talk about the artform and it's roots.

It all took a little under an hour, which would have been okay since it WAS only $12.50 a ticket. The only problem was that my mother had dropped me off and wasn't due to be back for another hour because we assumed it to be a regular length concert. Fortunatelely my niece was still asleep so she just sat in the car and read instead of going to get dog food.

I would warn that it is more a demonstration than a concert, but the performance is well worth the ticket price. I even learned something new today, which is always good. :)

**** stars

After the show it was still early enough after the show to go get dog food, go to Borders' and battle my way through Wal Mart. Borders' was nice. I had one of their new low fat honey orange coffee cakes and a honey cinnamon latte while playing Enchanter for the 400th* time. It was nice. Wal Mart wasn't, but there's nothing new about that.

While at Wal Mart I grabbed a bunch of envelopes for the HUGE BPAL sale I'm going to be putting up soon. My 'collecting' days are done. I just want the perfume I WEAR. I still like having at least a bit of each of the lunacies, because I have all but one since they started in 2004. I will only get imps if they sound like Milk Moon 07, though!

I need to sell to get more Zephyr, Tempest, Sea of Glass, Schrodinger's Cat, Pisces, Parsifal, Aquarius, Libra, Rozpustnica, Yvaine, Ides of March 05, Kingsport, Evening Star... etc, etc, etc.

All this playing with BPAL before bed has led to interesting dreams. One night I dreamt about these twin vampires who looked just like Snape. They were reformed vampires who didn't drink blood, but were immortal and had magical powers. One was accusing the other of seducing this woman in the other room, but vampire!Snape #1 insisted he was just helping her with his magic because she had asthma. (Hence why he had his hands on her breasts.) Vampire!Snape #2 rightly didn't believe him and was afraid Vampire!Snape #1 was going to break his vow and drink her blood. He really wasn't going to do that. He just wanted to have sex with her.

I have no idea where the hell that came from, but I sniffed so many different BPALS that night that I'm really not surprised. lol.

I'm going to get my Spellbreaker necklace commissioned in person on Thursday! Should be fun. :)

IT'S RAINING! I LOVE RAIN!

*400 may be a tiny exaggeration. But I have played Enchanter many, many times.
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Feb. 28th, 2008 @ 12:42 am Review: 'Tunnels' by Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams
Current Location: Siberia
Current Mood: unmotivated
Current Music: Midnight Dream, Neil Diamond
Tags: ,
BPAL of the Day Nuclear Winter (It looks like a friggin' nuclear winter.)

Before the review is lost in a ineffectual rant about snow and winter, here it is.

I read 'Tunnels' because someone on The Zork Library board said that it was 'Zorkish.' I can never resist anything Zorkish, so I gave it a try.

'Tunnels' is officially a 'kids’ book'- probably roughly the same target age as Harry Potter. It starts out following a young boy and his very dysfunctional family. Will's father is a highly educated archeologist trapped at a dead-end job as the curator of a forgotten museum. His mother is addicted to television; she never leaves her chair except to get food. Fourteen-year-old Will is a bit of an outcast with strange, pale coloring, but he shares his father's passion for digging. His twelve-year-old sister runs the household; she buys and cooks the food, pays the bills and cleans up after everyone. I found it to be a bit of a slow start, but I can see that it was necessary to set up Will's circumstances.

Will's father comes into possession of a strange little glass globe that glows brightly in the dark, and becomes unhealthily curious about strange 'men in hats' that he sees around town, and Will and his best friend, Chester are busy with an excavation project of their own. Things run as 'normally' as they ever do in this strange household, until Will's parents have a fight and his father descends into his basement, never to return.

Will finds a blocked-up tunnel in the basement and concludes his father must've gone through it. He and his buddy re-dig out the tunnel and eventually enter a vast Georgian underground city populated a religious cult of pale people and dark, sinister priest-like 'Styx' who rule them with a combination of religious zeal and fear of their diabolical punishments. The atmosphere is creepy, threatening and decidedly unwholesome. Will faces many uncomfortable revelations about himself and his family. He also meets some interesting folks along the way; some of them are even good!

This is the first book of a trilogy. (I think it's a trilogy.) There are a lot of loose ends, unanswered questions and the ending isn't really an 'ending.'

After the beginning set-up the pacing is fast and furious; almost as if the authors already had a movie deal in mind when they wrote it. I read most of it last night.

It isn't the sort of book I would become a 'fandom fan' of; I just didn't have that kind of 'connection' with any of the characters. It is certainly compelling enough to look up the next book when it comes out.

Is it as 'Zorkish' as the Zork Library poster said? Somewhat. The very beginning of their time underground, when Will and Chester start exploring, was VERY Zork-like. the Colony, the Eternal City, and the labyrinth certainly wouldn't be out of place in Zork. The strange machinery and oddly advanced sciences could certainly fit in, but there's no magic as far as I can tell.

It didn't feel traditionally Zorkish to me, but thinking along the lines of Zork Nemesis this could fit in quite well. The diabolical alchemists would feel right at home among the seemingly sociopathic Styx. I could also see them as the sort of fanatical cult that could have sprung up in the Underground after the fall of the Flatheads and before Curse Day. So, yes, the book is definitely worth reading for Zork fans. :)

**** Stars.

On with the snow rant...

Yes there is a whole fourteen M*&%$#@*&($^*& inches of new white crap in the past two days.>:P I really need to take a picture of our driveway. Those who live in normal places and even those south of Concord really have no idea of what it is like here. There's supposed to be 'significant accumulation possible' again on Friday night, too! Arrrrrrrggggghhhhh!!!

I WANT GLOBAL WARMING HERE NOW, DAMMIT!

Actually, I just want to get away from here, the sooner the better. I just can't until I have a good enough paying career so I can live independently. My uncle is working towards moving to Florida next year, but my mother will never leave as long as my brother stays because of the grandkids, even though she hates it as much as I do. :P
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Stinky Surmin, NCD Icon, Warrior Kobolds, King Dimwit, Dryad, Evening Falls, Sirius and Cassie 2, Sirius and Cassie, Brynna 3, Dal 4, Ashley, Nathan 2, Spellbreaker, star hibiscus, Enchanter folio detail, Chrys portrait, Ally the Minx, Acacia icon 2, Implementors, Me, Austin Allegro, Platypus ring, Dal, Discipline Crab, Spellbook, Barsap, The Coconut, marauder icon, Astraea, Noah Wylie as the Librarian, Sirius and Cayane 5, Mylon of Famathria, Chrys, Corbie icon, Zork icon 1, Wild Child, Grue, Dal's lantern, The Present, Gazing into the orb, Memories of Tours past, Don't Panic!, Liam, Days of Future Past, The Four, Festeron Magic Shop, Ray reading and fishing, Jack and Liz, Althamal 1, Enchanter Raven, Dal in lantern, I <heart> Mithicus!, Althamal 2, Brynna 6, Quendorian postcards, Nathan 3, Marya of Festeron, Spell Co. Icon, Chrys studying cubes, Chrys with book, Dal and Brynna 2, X-Mas tree monster, Brynna and Dal, Sirius in blue, Dal's old bedroom, Lucrezia, Dal studying, Hungus, Brynna 5, GUE on 9 Zorkmids a day, Gone Frotzing, Young Chrys, BPAL Capricorn, Celeborn, Festeron Library icon, Unicorn, Little Chrys in trouble, Monk with Manuscript, Dal and Kiahna, Chrys and Astraea, Enchanter folio, Frobozz Magic Cave Co., Gustar, Dust bunnies, Sirius & Cayane X-mas, Yipple cookies, The Leather Man, Spenseweed, Dal thoughtful, Chrys and Brynna, Dal's phone, Dornbeast, Threshold, Mighty Oak 1, BPAL Capricorn 2, Althamal and Brynna, Lucksucker icon, Cube of Foundation, Nathan, Anthar Mines, Frobozz co., Every Good Boy Deserves shinies, The Raven
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