The Holiday

I sat down and watched The Holiday this weekend. Sometimes you’re just in the mood for and unthinking romantic comedy. I’m a fan of Kate Winslet and I like Jack Black and Jude Law. I thought it was an interesting mix of personalities. I didn’t think Jack Black and Kate Winslet would ever play opposite each other, but in The Holiday they were a cute couple. In general, a cute movie. Not “super-cute” as some people have heard me say, but cute. The characters go through neat, predictable, personal changes, become more available to a “real” relationship and in the end, it’s happy. It’s a happy movie. I think the moral of the story is that if you can’t find love in your own country, go visit another! (Hahaha!)

Iron Man

I hope I don’t give anything away

Everyone needs to go see Iron Man! It was fantastic! You don’t even notice the time go by. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow were awesome. I think they did an amazing job with casting. Robert Downey Jr. really captures Tony Stark’s philandering ways. He’s charming and extremely intelligent and it was translated wonderfully on screen. The only thing, regarding the cast, I wasn’t totally for was making Jarvis into a computer. He’s supposed to be the loyal butler. He takes care of Stark and eventually of the Avengers mansion as well. I suppose they’ll integrate that into the story whenever they get around to doing an Avengers movie. Maybe they didn’t want it to be too similar to Batman. Still, Iron Man is a hot, must see, action movie.

That’s another thing, to me, it’s an action movie. I loved every bit of it. The effects were amazing, the explosions were big, but it’s not a “comic book movie” the way Spiderman was. There are terrorists and men on fire and death scenes. Iron Man kills several terrorists who are holding people hostage. In the theatre, there were a lot of kids. There were kids, who I think, were too young to watch this movie. It’s violent, not all throughout, there’s a fair bit of humour to offset it, but I’m not sure I would take an seven-year-old to see this. It’s rated PG-13 and I would take that rating seriously.

But for all of you old enough to watch tanks blow up, Iron Man is a must see.

The Undomestic Goddess

There’s no other way to begin this, except to say that The Undomestic Goddess was thoroughly entertaining. Sophie Kinsella has given us another character to love. Unlike the outrageous Becky Bloomwood, we have the indomitable Samantha Sweeting. Samantha is very responsible and career focused. Shopping is likely the last thing on this young woman’s mind. What happens to her is not her fault. She copes with the situation as best she can. Though she has a mini-breakdown, becoming The Undomestic Goddess is the best thing for her.

At first, one might get the impression that Sophie Kinsella (aka Madeleine Wickham) is advocating the domestic side of women versus the career driven. As funny and wonderfully entertaining as this novel is, at the heart of it, I think, is the search for balance. There are men and women both, who become obsessed by career. Samantha was only 29 and she was obsessed by work. She’s never had a real relationship and hadn’t been on a vacation in seven years. As Iris, the wise matron said, you only get your youth once. Do you really want to waste it in office buildings? Do you want to be the sort of person who doesn’t even bother to look out the window?

I think career is important. You need goals and a way to support yourself. Yet, you need to make sure that it’s something that’s going to make you happy in the long term. Fine, you want to be a lawyer, be “a full equity partner,” but you need to be sure that in this lies your happiness and future. Samantha never thought beyond making partner. She never though beyond work. In the end, she discovered that she wanted to look out windows and have weekends off. She wanted balance.

The Fallen Fortress

We continue to follow the adventures of young Cadderly in R. A. Salvatore’s The Fallen Fortress. You can see that the trials that this young man goes through are shaping who he is. While he is continually forced to things which go against his nature, his moral compass remains in check. He fears the growing responsibility, but accepts it anyway. Cadderly understands his role in stopping a potential war.

One thing I like about all of Salvatore’s books, which is displayed clearly in this one, is his depiction of female characters. They are strong and intelligent. They hold their own against any man. In The Fallen Fortress this is exemplified by Danica and Dorigen. Dorigen is as formidable an adversary as the villains in the previous novels. She holds the fear of the troops under her. Danica is a powerful warrior. She excels at hand-to-hand combat. Though she is Cadderly’s love and traditionally, the woman stays at home, he has too much respect for her and her abilities. I am glad to see that in these novels, typically read by men, the women are portrayed in a position of strength.

Weight

Weight was an interesting retelling of the Atlas and Heracles myth. Jeanette Winterson evokes real sympathy for the plight of Atlas. Did he really deserve his fate? Or was he a victim of circumstance? Of the gods’ whim? Heracles isn’t the benevolent hero that many think. He is crass and selfish. Some may think that he deserves his fate.

Though they each are descended from gods, they are not gods. Are they even immortal? They are not infallible. Each makes mistakes. Are they victims of circumstance? Do they really have free will? The “weight” that Atlas carries, is it merely symbolic? I think it is the weight of his worries, his concern for the earth, his daughters, his overgrown garden. To put aside the weight on your shoulders and walk away, the freedom.

Jeanette Winterson’s short novel (it was barely over 150 pages) makes you think about all these questions, while providing a fantastic story. I think this, like The Penlopliad not only makes you question the interpretation of the myth, but the life around you. I’ve enjoyed these two books in the myth series; I can’t wait to read more. I’m also thinking about picking up another of Winterson’s books. I’m eager to see what comes next.

Foucault's Pendulum

I heard so much about Umberto Eco’sFoucault’s Pendulum over my academic years, when the opportunity arose to read it, I couldn’t wait. I found it rich with philosophy, supposition and dark creativity. I also found it very long. It has taken me 8 weeks to read the entire novel, versus my usual 1-2. It was a long search though Templars, Rosicrucians and Assassins to find the end; to find the meaning behind the story.

Foucault Pendulum in Paris

I’m not even sure if I’ve done that. What is the meaning behind Foucault’s Pendulum and the journey the characters take? Why is the Pendulum so important to the Plan they create? Maybe if I understood Gnosticism, Sephirot and Hermetism, I would understand more of this novel. Maybe.

Really, what I want to say is that this book is fucked. It’s brilliant and crazy and wonderful. I absolutely have to read it again. Not just because it was good, but because I’m sure I’ve missed things. It will be like a film you see for the second time and notice all sorts of new things. I’m not sure I was fully ready to read Umberto Eco’s great work. Or perhaps I was only ready to read it for the first time.

Image Via Wikimedia Commons

HelpLine: My fonts are too big

I just found this page really helpful with my problem of why my internet explorer fonts were suddenly so big. I don't know how they got changed in the first place, but at least I easily found how to change it back (option 3).

HelpLine: My fonts are too big

Anti-Integration/Pro-Segragation Video from The University of the Free State, South Africa

I can barely concentrate enough to write about this video. I’m so angry that things like this still go on in our world. It’s disgusting. As much as the University of the Free State and the individuals belonging to the Reitz hostel try to downplay this, it has become impossible not to garner unwanted media attention. Especially with YouTube and Facebook, blogs across the world, good luck.

At the University in the Free State, young [white] men from the Reitz residence made a video “initiating” the black cleaners coming to work at their hostel. I learned about the situation in an article in the Toronto Star. (A link is posted below.) The video really speaks for itself, though it’s in the South African (Afrikaans) language. A picture is worth a thousand words. It has made its way across the internet, of course. (The YouTube link is posted below.)

In this “information age” something like this can’t be kept quiet. Thank goodness! It is more than necessary that we know what is happening. I know what racism feels like. I know what it’s like to be thought of as less than everyone else around you because of how you were born, something you have no control over. I know what it’s like, even though you have all kinds of schooling, diverse friends and a wonderful family, to be thought that your opinion doesn’t matter; that you don’t matter and nothing you can say will make a difference.

I usually don’t like to talk about these things. They hurt me. But I feel as though it’s more than an obligation, it is my moral duty to help these voices be heard. I believe that we are all equal, that skin colour doesn’t play a part in the person you can be. But I also know that this belief isn’t held by everyone. That you can be denied a job because you aren’t white or Christian. That, as shown in the video, you can be made to drink urine and forced to participate in a video that is a protest against integration.

No matter what these people do, segregation won’t last forever. Slowly, the whole world will be made to see that every person, no matter their colour on the outside, is the same within. The global fight may not be won in my generation, but as saddened as I am to see videos like this, it is fortunate that it affects so many people, of all races, in such a strong way.

My blood is as red as yours.


You Tube Linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8N-h8anSuE

Toronto Star Articlehttp://www.thestar.com/article/345955

You Tube Posted Response to the Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNjJpxWaseE

University of the Free State Websitehttp://www.uovs.ac.za/

An Italian Straw Hat

An Italian Straw Hat is a ballet (yes, a ballet) running at the Four Seasons in Toronto. It was the funniest ballet I’ve ever seen. If you want to try out ballet and you’re not sure about it, go see An Italian Straw Hat. The characters are interesting and hilarious. The music is beautiful and energetic. There are love triangles and all kinds of suggestive positioning. It opens with a woman sitting on a man’s face!! I’d love to see it again.

The Dark Tower 2: The Drawing Of The Three

Why does Roland pursue the Dark Tower? I still wonder. I know it is his obsession. I know what he did in the first book to get there. I know why Eddie and Susannah are now with him. I know what he is willing to do to them, though he loves them to get there. Why does he pursue it? Will it right his world? Will his world gain some kind of peace or coherence? (A world I still think is a dark future of our own.)

I think the additions of Eddie and Susannah to the story is marvelous. They are taken from our world, but at different times. Eddie first, in 1987 and then Susannah in 1959. Taken almost thirty years apart, they become a perfect pair. Now Roland isn’t the last gunslinger anymore. He has people to share in his quest, who will hopefully make it to the end.

Shrek The Third

I finally saw it… I really wanted to when it first came out in the theatres last summer, but, well, I didn’t. I heard mixed reviews. Now I know why.

It was a good movie. It was funny, but there were some parts that felt rushed. It was as if the movie was too eager to get to the end, as if it was forced. The movie was barely 1½hrs. It could have gone on a little longer and used that time to better develop the new characters.

It also lacked the same sweet kid value that the first two had. After all, it was initially designed as a kids’ movie with some hidden adult humour. I feel like that is all we got. I wanted that heartwarming kiddie feeling. I don’t know… I suppose I just thought the first two were better and Shrek The Third was just filled with star powered voices and surface comedy.

But I’d still recommend it.

Night Masks

R. A. Salvatore’s Night Masks did not disappoint. The third installment of The Cleric Quintet was thoroughly entertaining. Each of the main characters showed considerable growth. Young Cadderly has grown into his manhood and is beginning to accept all that comes with it. Night Masks was fun and exciting; the action kept moving. I can’t wait to read The Fallen Fortress.

Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West

I absolutely adored this book. Gregory Maguire wonderfully retells the story of The Wizard Of Oz. Poor Elphaba. She isn’t made out to be wicked in this story or innocent. She is just a person trying to get through life as best she can. The book examines evil. Is Elphaba born evil? I think evil things just happen to and around her. Though from birth, from conception, she seemed destined to play an important role in the history of her country.

Of course she wanted the shoes, the ruby slippers. They were her sister’s shoes and The Good Witch Of The North had no right to give them away. Both Glinda and Elphaba were only trying to do what they thought was right. After all, Dorothy was sent to the castle with the purpose of killing the Witch. I’m sad that a horrible accident, a happenstance of circumstance, cost Elphaba her life.

‘Fro

Sometimes my co-workers are so crass…

There was an article in today’s Toronto Star about black women being afraid of the "’fro” (http://www.thestar.com/living/article/298814). My female coworker said that it’s because they don’t want to look like a brillo pad. I usually take her to be a little more intelligent than that comment. I just found that terribly insensitive and judgmental. There are no black people where I work, (not for any “bad” reason, the owners only staff four people, myself and three others); there is no one there capable of growing a natural afro.

I was trying not to contribute to the day’s conflict, so I walked away. (Walking away seems to be something I have to do at the job.) What I wanted to say was that many black women feel compelled to fit into the stereotypes of beauty, which include straight, flowing hair, impressed upon them by a predominantly white media. If my coworker actually read the article before making her careless comment, those ugly words may not have come out of her mouth.

I could go on about the pressures to be beautiful, according to a certain stereotype. I could talk about how this affects the women of different cultures in different ways, from Asia to Africa to South America and the cosmetic/chemical processes these women put themselves through. These comments could turn into an essay on what is considered to be the ideal image. I’m not going to. I hope that the people reading this know what the arguments are. I just wish for a greater acceptance of individualism that looking a certain way, natural or processed doesn’t really matter. I wish a lot of things that I know aren’t true.

Read the Star article. It’s quite good, a little snippet into manufactured beauty from an afro point of view.
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/298814

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets

National Treasure was exactly what I thought it would be. It was a mystery, a treasure hunt that took the audience to some interesting locations. It used real historical fact and combined it with fiction. Nicolas Cage did his thing. The girl was beautiful. John Voigt and Helen Mirren were fantastic. The sidekick was exactly what he ought to be. I enjoyed myself.

The one thing that I question slightly is the end. Would Mitch actually do that? Where did this redeeming quality come from? What were his true motivations? It makes me go, hmm….

I loved Bruce Greenwood as president. He was very personable and approachable. Why can’t the president be like that in real life? I really doubt that if someone like Cage’s character did what he did to the president, Mr. Bush would be so accommodating. Clinton may have thought it was funny, but Cage might have had to be a girl… I’m sorry, it’s just so easy to make fun of political leaders. Of course, I’m not sure Steven Harper would make out much better than Bush…. Tony Blair seems adventurous though……

The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger

I think it’s the future. I think that it is our world that has moved on and become Roland’s. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how science and technology was forgotten, how the world fell into another dark age, but that is what I believe right now. After everything the man in black (Walter) said to Roland and about the world before, cars, the round world, visiting the moon, how could it not be our world? I know that there has been some speculation that it’s a parallel universe and Roland & Jake cross the line. I think there is magic in Roland’s world and time is crossed.

The first time I read The Gunslinger, I was in high school. I loved it. I fell for Stephen King and developed a taste for fantasy and other forms of fantastic fiction. The Gunslinger showed me that I could (and would) enjoy novels beyond the standard realm of fiction and literature. Recently, I have acquired the last novels written in The Dark Tower series (they are BIG books), as well as the graphic novel. I’m so excited to read them. However, since it’s been so long since I read The Gunslinger and it’s been eight years since I read Wizard and Glass, I thought that I might start from the beginning and enjoy the novels all over again. Like Roland, I’m working my way to The Dark Tower

Live Free or Die Hard

The fourth installment of the Die Hard movies does not disappoint. It is full of chases and explosions and ass-kicking. Bruce Willis is still John Mclane. He is still and I think always will be an action star. Everyone who has loved the Die Hard movies and loves action movies needs to see Live Free or Die Hard.

A Complicated Kindness

A Complicated Kindness is a beautifully sad story. Nomi goes through so much in her life and she’s only 16. I would never have though that a novel about a Mennonite girl could be so captivating. Miriam Toews is brilliant.

Nomi’s story is so emotional, so tangible; it breaks my heart a little. I think that’s why it took me so long to finish; the emotions reached out and grabbed me. The only way to make them let go was to put the book down. Then, of course, you are left with the longing of wanting to know what happens to Nomi.

A Complicated Kindness also gives you an interesting look at Mennonite life. You get to know a little about their history and the kind of society they’ve become. Some Mennonites truly love their community, others dream of being free from it. Behavioral rules are complex and often contradictory. It’s difficult to know what to do. This is where Nomi and her family struggle. It is a struggle between love, faith and freedom.

I Am Legend

Will Smith’s new movie is fantastic. Yes, he’s saving the world again, but he also isn’t. The catastrophe that befalls mankind is unbelievable. Is it science or God that condemns us? Is it science or God that will save us? Is it a bit of both? There are so many questions, so many things that can be talked about, but I don’t want to ruin the movie for anyone who might read this. I just recommend seeing this movie more than any other one in theatres right now. There were moments where it actually made me want to cry and where I was suddenly terrified.

For a full synopsis (with full spoilers) you can check out the wikipedia page. I don’t really recommend it, or looking at too many trailers. They can give away too much about the movie and you don’t want that.

In Sylvan Shadows

The second book of R. A. Salvatore’s Cleric Quintet was fantastic. It makes me look ahead to the future books. I want to know what happens to innocent Cadderly and his friends. Things have changed so much for him. He has seen the world beyond the library walls and it is not what he expected. Violence and monsters are all too real. Death haunts him. Mercy and compassion can be weakness.

Secrets circle about him. They come so close, then are pulled away. He has to learn to deal with the real world after the things he’s experienced. Cadderly also has to learn about his own past. Who were his parents? Why did they leave him at the library? His journey goes beyond understanding the positive and negative aspects of the world, it is about finding those things in himself.

Little Brother

Who was Mary Mann and how could she write such a frightful story? The ending was so disturbing, I had to take pause. Little Brother is short, shocking and to the point. I didn’t know what to expect, but this wasn’t it. Mary Mann gives us a harsh glimpse into English life.

A Mere Interlude

Poor Baptista. I am so sad for her. She appears to have real strength at the beginning, but then loses it. Perhaps it was never strength at all and just the succumbing to a new pressure. No matter the source, I feel sorry for Baptista. She has to deal with marriage, death, passion and children all in the space of a month. She is so young. The “children” are closer to her in age than her husband! She hates teaching and when she thinks she’s gotten away from it, it is thrust upon her again.

Thomas Hardy creates an interesting, sad and funny tale. A Mere Interlude is fantastic. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I’ve always enjoyed Hardy’s works, Tess of the D’Ubervilles and Far From the Madding Crowd are fantastic novels. His short story does not disappoint.

Relics of General Chassé

I must say, that unlike Dickens, I was not eager to read Relics of General Chassé by Anthony Trollope.  I admit that I was wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed Anthony Trollope’s short story. It was funny, full of odd coincidences and kept me interested all the way through. The characters were believable. The situation was unique and hilarious. I’m ready to give Anthony Trollope’s works another try.

Blade Trinity

I know this is an old movie, but I saw it for the first time last night. Is it me, or did they undo everything in the second movie with the third? I thought there was a kind of bridge built between Blade and vampires. Maybe I just remember it wrong. Didn’t a beautiful female vampire die in his arms? I suppose it has been a long time since I’ve seen the movie. Is there no peace made? Or is it only with that particular group of vampires represented in Blade: II?

Whistler died. How many times has this character died now? I think this time it’s going to stick, since they’ve brought on replacement Whistler. Abigail Whistler is Papa Whistler’s illegitimate daughter. Fantastic! Now we get to see hottie Jessica Biel take a shower. Was it really necessary to have so much naked woman? I guess so, it is Biel after all, still rebelling after leaving 7th Heaven. Oh, have I said too much?

Though I must admit, she and Ryan Reynolds did a good job. They really held up the action end of this movie. Their fight sequences were great. For the ladies watching this movie, Ryan Reynolds was hot. If the guys get naked Jessica, the girls get Ryan with his shirt off. He still had his fun, comedic edge, though.

I really think that Ryan and Jessica carried the action. In some of the fight sequences with Drake, Wesley Snipes just didn’t have the flexibility he used to. He’s still big, but can’t do a spinning kick. The actor they hired for Drake didn’t have that either. I know people like him because he’s the older brother from Prison Break, but I thought he was a lame Dracula. Drake should have been bigger, scarier or something. Is this therefore the final installment of Blade? I think so. I really can’t see Wesley Snipes as the agile vampire hunter from his earlier work.

The Haunted House

What a strange story. I’m not sure what to make of it. Normally, I love Dickens. David Copperfield and Great Expectations were fabulous novels. From that experience, I was quite eager to read The Haunted House. Now, I don’t really understand what kind of conclusion I am supposed to draw.

I read the introduction to the collection (something I don’t always recommend doing; they often give away the story). I’m glad I did. Maybe I should go back and read the section on Dickens again. (I skimmed it when it was giving too many details). It’s good to know that this story is actually an introduction to a collection of Dickens’. There is a lot of character and scene introduction. I wondered why. Byatt thought to include this story, because it does have a sense of being complete. I disagree. You could feel that something was missing. I’m sure something better could have been selected.

Perhaps, with the rest of the collection, everything will be easier to understand.

The Sacristan of St. Botolph, by William Gilbert

The Sacristan of St. Botolph was written by William Gilbert in 1866. It is a part of the Oxford Collection of English Short Stories. When they say ‘English’ they don’t mean written in English, they mean England. A. S. Byatt edited this collection and sought stories that were really English, with English sensibilities. If this first short story is any indication, I think that I’m going to quite enjoy the rest.

The Sacristan of St. Botolph is really about truth, inner truth. Through devious means, the little imp helps the sacristan to become a better person. The sacristan, though by all appearances a faithful church-goer, in reality is a bad man. Not that he’s a murderer; he’s just selfish and prideful. Why does the imp bother with this man? Perhaps beneath this exterior, the imp knew there was true goodness within. Perhaps not. Perhaps this was a test, a test that in some way another man might fail. It was exactly what it seemed.

The next story is by Dickens. I can’t wait to get started.

In All It’s Glory

I’m at work yesterday, trying to get through the day, when someone walks into the storefront. Naturally, I go up to meet her. She’s an older lady, at least in her sixties, with the look of time pressed upon her. As I walk up towards her, I catch her eye. She has the look of someone wanting to sell me something, like those people going door to door in this plaza offering “promotions.” I internally prepare to politely say, ‘no thank you,’ when she hands me two small paper books, says that it’s for anyone in my workplace who is interested and walks away. Who was this woman? A Jehovah’s Witness.

Honestly, I didn’t know they were allowed to come to your workplace. The expression on her face, her attitude, her general approach made it feel to me, as though she was soliciting; getting me to buy her product. You really shouldn’t have to “sell” your religion, should you? There is nothing I feel against Jehovah’s Witness as a religion, or any religion. I believe that an individual has the right to believe or not to believe whatever they choose. I believe that in a secular nation like Canada, citizens should be free from attempted religious conversions. I also believe in freedom of speech; each individual has the right to express their beliefs.

Based on these freedoms, I have nothing against someone coming in and handing me a booklet or pamphlet. This isn’t the first time or first job where it has happened. I recall getting several Christian “save your soul” pamphlets in the years I worked at Staples. In their respected faiths, they are charged with spreading “God’s word.”

The part I don’t like is when they come back. They want to discuss what was in the booklet. Then they ask why you haven’t read it. This is unwanted conversation. If I haven’t read it, there is a reason. If I did and want to discuss it, I know where to go. If I’m at work, I don’t have time to talk about religion when I’m at work. At 8am on a Sunday, I don’t want to be talking about religion. I feel as though it’s almost demeaning to the religion. It should be attractive on its own, shouldn’t it? Faith shouldn’t need sales people.

1984

George Orwell's 1984 is an absolutely powerful novel. It is a real vision of the future; conceivably plausible. This future can be imagined even now, 58 years after it was written. It is a horror that exists somewhere in the minds of those who've read 1984.

I hoped for rebellion. I hoped for change. I hoped for some sign that the future maybe better. Winston said repeatedly that the hope was in the proles. I kept thinking that somewhere in the story, there would be a sign that one day, his hope would be fulfilled. If you take the appendix as part of the narrative, then you can infer that Winston’s hope was realized and the world of Ingsoc and Oceania is part of the past. If you don’t, well, there is no hope for the world of 1984

Winston’s “discussion” with O’Brien is fascinating. There is a real argument regarding the nature of reality. I’m surprised this novel never came up in one of my philosophy classes. Winston clings to solipsism, the idea that if nothing else exists, your mind exists (someone correct me if I’m wrong.) “My mind is the only thing that I know exists.” It is very closely related to Descartes’ “I think therefore I am.” But after beatings and torture, Winston loses his grip on this belief and doubts his mind. If you can’t be sure of the existence of your own mind, how can you be sure of anything else?

The R-Word

I’m not sure how to talk about it. Rape. It’s a word I’ve been hearing thrown around all too often. Thankfully, I’ve never had this horrid act perpetrated upon me, but the sound of it still bothers me. Maybe it’s been too much Law & Order: SVU. I don’t know.

I think, at least once a week, I hear someone use this word to describe something commonplace. A store is “raping” us with prices. We’re getting “raped” by taxes. Can’t they use a different word? Can’t they say that we’re getting “screwed”? Or “fucked”? I could deal with “fuck” and any of the “fuck” derivatives. “Fuck” can have positive and negative connotations. No one would ever equate “screw” and “fuck” with “rape”. They are simply not equivalent words. Why are they treated as such?

One side note. A man who happens to say this word a lot, also made a really horrid comment about “mentally handicapped” / “special needs” people. At the place where I work, we do printing for various companies, one of which produces books which act as teaching aids for these individuals. Some teach the workers what is appropriate with their clients others teach about sexuality as they grow older. Discussing the job, he said that someone should just burn their hands and that would teach them not to touch themselves or anyone else. I was appalled! I didn’t know what to say. What can you say to something like that? I know I could have said something, like, “That was a disgusting thing to say!” But I didn’t. I just went about my work like nothing was said. I suppose I didn’t want to make my work condition even more horrible.

I also don’t mean to say it is just a particular man or men alone. I have heard these comments from the fairer sex as well. To hear another woman speak about getting raped by the government or whatever, disturbs me in a different way than when a man says it. When a man says it, I can just blame it on him being an insensitive prick. When a woman says it, I wonder is something wrong with her or wrong with me?

Maybe I am too sensitive to these sorts of things. Maybe I need to grow a thicker skin. Maybe I just need to accept these traits in others and not let it bother me. Yet, I also worry about it not bothering me anymore. I certainly never want to take such a volatile word and treat as just that, a word. I never want to say anything that would disturb someone so much, they couldn’t stop thinking about it for days and have to write some 500 words about it!

Canticle

After reading (and loving) so many of R. A. Salvatore’s books about Drizzt Do’Urden (the famed drow ranger), I though it was time to read about another of Salvatore’s characters, Cadderly. One important reason to begin reading about Cadderly was because Drizzt and Cadderly are going to meet in the next book in the series about Drizzt. So, now I have completed Canticle.

I must admit, I was a bit disappointed by the first half of the novel. It was slow to begin. I feel like it took forever get to the action. One of the reason it took so long for me to complete. My husband said that the book is written that way because it is the introduction to a five part series. I guess I understand. However, I’m sure I didn’t feel that way when I read The Crystal Shard (though that was the beginning to only a 3 part series).

Once you reached the meat of the story, Canticle was really good! The mysterious characters were intriguing. There was a great twist at the end. Cadderly is an interesting character, he definitely grew as a person because of these events. I am eager to read the next in the series.

A Long Way Down

A Long Way Down should really be called, The Suicide Club. At least, that was what popped into my head as I read the book. It’s interesting how one thing in common can bond four very different people for quite a long time. Their bond changed their lives and the lives of those around them. Apparently, attempted suicide can do that.

I wouldn’t call this a “feel good” sort of novel. Not unless all you need to feel good is to have someone who tried to kill themselves, alive at the end. But this novel makes you think. Why would someone want to kill themselves? Why is it better than trying to work out the problems? Why would these people choose to die, then change their minds? They could easily change their minds again.

Shopaholic & Sister

Oh, Becky. In and out of such complicated situations. How does she get herself into them? Sometimes (most of the time) it’s due to her lack of self control. Other times, however, it just happens. The end of the story, the protest, she had nothing to do with her sudden complication. It just happened that way! She was trying to help her sister and it was an odd coincidence.

Jess is such an interesting sister to Becky. A sister who hates shopping! What a blow to Becky’s vision of her sister! How can a woman hate shopping? That’s okay; Jess can obsess about other things. Becky just needs to open her shopaholic mind to other possibilities. I can’t wait to see what happens in Becky Brandon’s (neé Bloomwood) next adventure.

The Queen Of The Damned

If you’ve ever wondered how vampires came into existence, The Queen Of The Damned has the answers. The Queen is the source. She is the first blood drinker. There must always be the Queen for the other blood drinkers to live. She is the Mother of them all.

I loved the collection of characters we are given. Of course we have the return of Lestat & Louis, Armand & Marius. The new characters are just as interesting. I can see whole novels based on their lives. I think Blood & Gold is about Marius. I’ll just have to read more to find out.

Babel

Babel is the movie of bad decisions. It hurt my brain. I just kept yelling at the television, wanting the characters to do something else. I understand the intelligent side of this film. No one is listening. You are trying with every effort to explain your situation and no one listens. They have their own presumptions or agendas, so what anyone else says has to bearing on their decisions. Still, this movie made me angry. I don’t know if I would recommend this film. It wasn’t bad, I just didn’t find myself wanting to watch it.

The Last Legion

I’m not sure what to think of The Last Legion. It was good. It has some historical accuracies, in terms of the time line. The characters were fun. It was a little hokey sometime and the effects weren’t top notch, but I liked it. I really liked the young actor they had play Romulus. I enjoyed Colin Firth and Aishwarya Rai. Excellent casting choices and good combat scenes. Interesting tie-in to the Arthurian legend too.

The Fountain

I love Hugh Jackman. I mean, he’s Wolverine! I think Rachel Weisz is pretty fabulous too; a good actress. So a movie with both of them should be good, right?

Not that The Fountain wasn’t good. It was just really weird. So many things are happening. You weren’t sure what was real or what was a story. Was it all real? Would you want to live forever? How mad can a man go from grief? What can grief and desperation drive you to do? What would you do for eternal life? Would it be worth living without the one you love?

Many question, few answers!

The Vampire Lestat

The Vampire Lestat is Lestat’s opportunity to vindicate himself. He gets to tell his side of the story. You realize that he wasn’t as bad as Interview With A Vampire made him seem. There is even a different side to Louis and Armand. I love the depth and change in these characters. So much emotion, love and hate. Lestat and his story is not like what you think it is going to be. It is filled with the unexpected, but still has Lestat’s impulsiveness. His unpredictability makes Lestat unique and a fascinating character.

Starless Night

How does Artemis Entreri fit into the future of Drizzt & the battle for Mithril Hall? He seems to keep popping up. Entreri is such a curious character. Catti-Brie thinks Entreri is akin to the drow, but he hates the comparison. How has this time in Menzoberazzan changed him? I don’t think Entreri is the same man he used to be.

Drizzt has realized his mistake. He also knows now how selfish he was thinking the attack on Mithril Hall was just about him. He is not the only reason bad thing happen to his friends. Mithril Hall is a major underground kingdom. It is a target. Drizzt Do’Urden needs to gather with his friends to defend against impending attack.

Note: Again, not the cover of my book.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

Bloody brilliant! It was so good! I can’t stop talking about it. I can’t stop thinking about it. What a fabulous end to a fantastic story. I almost cried at one point. Harry is such a magnificent character. They are all wonderful, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Lupin; such amazing people. You want them to be real. I can’t really say much more without giving too much of the story away. Just read it. It’s not like I expected at all. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows is a marvelous end to J. K. Rowling’s series. I want to read it all again!

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