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01 January
2004
Disney (Part 4), and Prey
Day 4 resulted in a more laid back pace in comparison to the rigorous hectic sprint that we maintained the first couple of days. We treated ourselves to breakfast at IHOP in the morning. We reflected on our accomplishments during our trip and congratulated one another on a successful vacation. Once we ate, we packed our things and took a cab to the airport. The rest of the day was spent waiting for planes or riding in one.
I had previously borrowed the Michael Crichton novel, Prey, from Ed a few weeks back. I took advantage of sitting in the airport terminals and riding on airplanes to polish that book off in no time. I highly recommend this book. With the premise of nanotechnology gone awry, Prey is a great story that is just begging someone to make a blockbuster movie out of it. Throughout reading this book, I could not help but visualize which actors would play each character. I imagine Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the lead character, Jack, in more of an anti-hero role. Parker Posey would fit in nicely as Jack's wife, Julia. If you get the chance, you really should read Prey. Don't be intimidated by the geeky, scientific backdrop, Michael Crichton will hold your hand and explain everything to you on the way.
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steve at
16:48
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08 August
2004
Angels, Demons and Ambigrams
I just finished reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown who also wrote The Da Vinci Code (DVC). Dan Brown has turned into the author I read the most recently. What happens is that I read one book by an author and fall in love with it. Then, I read several of their other works in hopes of recapturing the same sizzle from the first book, usually without much success. I have gone through similar scenarios with Micheal Crichton (Jurasic Park), John Grisham (The Firm), and James Patterson (Kiss the Girls). Although each of these titles have had a overpowering positive influence on me, their follow up books lack something in comparison to the first one I read by the author. Same thing goes for Dan Brown. Although I really liked Angels and Demons, I could not help but make the unavoidable comparisons with DVC, which would always lead to a victory in DVC's favor. I would still recommend A&D to anyone, but try not to read it right after The Da Vinci Code.
On a side note, I was completely engrossed in the world of ambigrams. Teach yourself about ambigrams, then you can go here to create your own.
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steve at
23:10
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09 September
2004
To Be The Man...
...you have to beat the Man. And Ric Flair is still the man in my eyes. I recently plowed through Slick Ric's biography, To Be the Man, and I like him even more than I did before. Although the book too frequently focuses and romanticizes the Nature Boy's rambunctious drinking binges and his accompanying mad cap shenanigans, I gained a new found respect for Flair. The main reason for elevating him in my personal rankings was his Cal Ripkin, Jr. approach to his profession. He would wrestle 60 minute marathon matches night after night, usually at his own expense, to make his opponent look good. That fact is undeniable since I have seen him do it for several years in different wrestling organizations. He becomes the team player in an individual "sport". Flair was never portrayed as the dominating champion like Hulk Hogan, but a crafty wrestler who knew how to squeeze out a victory. While the Hulkster was only promoting himself, the Nature Boy was a true team player that would catapult whoever faced him into a star, if only for one night.
Growing up in North Carolina, I followed Ric Flair in Mid Atlantic Wrestling, eventually becoming World Championship Wrestling (WCW). I thought he was great then, and I still think he's great. Although he might not be in the best shape (he's in his mid 50's for crying out loud), he can still draw the fans. If you want to know more about this legend, I highly recommend reading his biography. If reading isn't your forte, pick up a copy of Ric Flair's DVD collection. Its cool too.
Yeah, I might be a shill for Flair, but that is because he deserves it. Because he's a limousine ridin' , jet flyin', kiss stealin', wealing dealin' son of a gun! Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair.
Whooooooo!
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steve at
10:12
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19 October
2004
Twisted Stories
Thanks to Dan the Man, I have been introduced to the writings of Chuck Palahniuk. Might I say, that this fellow has a warped view of the world, and I think I like it. So far, I have finished Survivor and have started Lullaby. Each story tends to thumb its nose at the social norms that we have created, hopefully in an effort to prevent us from turning into a bunch of lemmings following each other on our collective swan dives into oblivion. If you have seen Fight Club, you have a good sense about where Chuck is coming from. According to him, we have evolved into some soft, accepting weaklings instead of standing up for what we believe in. In my opinion, he claims that we are unaware of our own weaknesses because we have lived this way for so long. The changes are so subtle that you do not even notice it happening to you.
I have found these stories refreshing. Instead of the typical mainstream novel that eventually gets ruined by turning it into a movie, we get a tale that would have trouble either being made into a movie (based on its content) or would not lose its essence if it was every Hollywood-ized.
I am totally digging these anti-establishment, pseudo-neo-philosophies. Know of any other authors similar to Chuck?
Posted by
steve at
10:20
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11 April
2005
ROTS Leads To Spoiling
Choosing My Own Spolier
This weekend I happened to pick up a copy of the latest Star Wars novel, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I know what you all are thinking: "Doesn't this go completely against your stance against spoilers?"
True, this purchase does seem to fly in the face of previous
non-spoiler opinions. However, upon further review, I decided
that I want to find out the lynch pin story of the Star Wars saga in
written form instead of on the big screen. The reason behind this
complete shift comes from the notion that a novel will allow me to
visualize the story, and more importantly, focus on the story and not
get distracted by the sweet, creamy special effects. Plus, the
novel should shed additional light on character development that could
only be implied on the movie screen. Or from a skeptical
perspective, it will not allow poor acting (I'm talking to you, Hayden) get in the way of a pivotal storyline.
I'm merely a hundred pages into the book, but I am completely on board
with this latest Star Wars installment. With the movie coming out
on May 19th, I have a deadline to meet in completing this book.
My productivity soars with a deadline looming overhead. Last
minute desperation provides a strong catalyst for me, but hopefully I
will finish the book well before the movie's opening weekend.
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steve at
14:10
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14 April
2005
ROTS Renege
I Just Can't Go Through With It
I have changed my mind about reading Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. I have decided that I need to learn about the story in the manner in which it was intended to be presented.
I have read about a third of the book already. With each turn of
the page, a part of me silently hoped that there was not a monumental
part of the story awaiting me. Based on that and the feedback
from both friends and anonymous Star Wars fans that post to message
boards, I think I am better off watching the movie as I had originally
planned.
This decision begs the question, "Am I strong for sticking with my
original proclamation of not spoiling the movie OR am I weak for not
going through with reading the book?"
Posted by
steve at
09:58
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05 July
2005
Returning to the Written Word
One book down for the summer
You will notice a change in the Books in Progress section of COALM. Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Woodring Stover,
has finally been removed. (Because I completed the book, not
because I got tired of seeing the book on my site) Back in April,
I purchased this book to get a head start on the Episode III movie, but later thought better of it.
This on again, off again approach to reading a book caused me to
struggle through this prose. Of course, I had several
distractions on my way to book completion, like PlayStation, movies and
televised sporting events. Pairing this book with Lies My Teacher Told Me
was not a wise decision either. LMTTM might be chock full of
information, but it had an uncanny knack for putting me right to sleep
within a few paragraphs. Dispite these obstacles, three months is
a very long time to finish any book. Now that I have moved on to
a new book, I have been rejuvenated bookwise. After I closed Star
Wars for the last time, without hesitation I dove into Invisible Monsters, another Chuck Palahniuk book I picked up from the Dan Fisher
library. In comparison to the slogging pace of my last book, I
felt like I was fanning myself with my perpetual page turning. It
certainly is nice to read for fun again. Episode III was such a
chore.
Now that I have rediscovered reading, I will do much better on the
number of books I read. My current summer reading plan has netted
one measely book. My teachers would be so proud.
Posted by
steve at
10:33
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