On the Move

Yes indeed, this blog is on the move. I decided to port it over to WordPress and integrate it into my web site. From here forward, please visit: http://www.blackmountainside.com/blog/. Thanks!

Autumn Reading

Autumn is an excellent season for reading. It is also an excellent month for apple cider and donuts, but that's another blog post altogether. I like it because I can still read outdoors on occasion, but I don't have to worry about a sunburn, or I can sit by the window and enjoy the season from indoors. I have also found that I have more time with many of my outdoor activities coming to an end.

Recently, I realized that I've been lagging behind my standard reading quota for the year so I decided to try to make a little push until the end of the year. It doesn't really matter that I'm behind, but I've been wanting to find more time to read and this gives me a good excuse.

One thing I started doing was reading during my lunch break at work. I only have a 30 minute lunch break so I can't get all that much read, but it has proven to be a success nonetheless. If nothing else, I find that my lunch break actually feels more like a break. By reading, I can actually escape from the stress of work and let my mind focus on something else. So for I've read Cory Doctorow's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, which was very good, and H.G. Well's The Time Machine, which is a classic, but wasn't my favorite. I just started Joe Haldeman's The Forever War today.

I've also decided to try something new this fall. I read all six volumes of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim graphic novel. I'm not really a comic guy, but I thought the series was fantastic. Will this lead to more comic reading? I'm not sure yet, but I'm open to the possibility.

In addition to The Forever War, I'm also reading God Emperor of Dune, the fourth installment in Frank Herbert's Dune series. I've had the book on my bookshelf since January so I thought it was about time I read it. I typically only read this right before bed, which can be tough. I try to get in about an hour of reading time, but if I'm tired, I'll often doze off before I get that far.

I'm not sure what I should read next though. I've got the fourth and fifth novels in the Wheel of Time series, Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy, and Stephen King's Wizard and Glass from the Dark Tower saga all sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read.

But what I am doing here typing? I should be reading!

Fall TV Makes Me Happy for Netflix

Needless to say, there haven't been a lot of really great new shows on television this fall.  I consider myself somewhat of a TV junkie and it's nice to have a few shows to turn to over the course of the week, but this fall, I find myself turning to Neftlix more often than prime time television.

The Event
Personally, I tried out a few new shows, but the only one that I've managed to stick with is The Event. Now, The Event is by no means a perfect show, but it's suspenseful and has a pretty interesting plot. Right now, that is more than enough for me to stay tuned.

Undercovers
I stuck with this one for three episodes. The only reason that I even watched it to begin with was because it was a creation of J.J. Abrams, but that wasn't really enough to make it good. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything special either and with rumors abound of cancelation, I decided to drop out.

No Ordinary Family
I only watched the first two episodes before I simply forgot about it and failed to record it. I think that says it all. The show is completely forgettable. I thought it did have some potential, but the writers need to find a way to make the show live up to its title.

For returning shows, I'm only watching Chuck, The Office, and Caprica. Chuck and the Office have been fantastic, but I'm still on the fence on Caprica. I didn't really like the first episode very well and I haven't worked up the energy to watch the second yet, though I did record it. I have a feeling that I'm going to give up on this one too, which is probably fine, because it sounds like it will be cancelled.

Now that I'm down to just a few shows, I'm finding myself with more time for Netflix than I expected. This actually works out pretty well, because I'm really enjoying the second season of Supernatural and the final season of Angel as much as or more than anything on prime time TV.

Chuck vs. the Coup d' Etat

It's no secret that Chuck is currently my favorite show on TV. I thought tonight's episode was pretty good. It had humorous moments, a great cast (no surprise there), an amusing adventure, and some more serious moments. Overall, it made me laugh, it kept me entertained, and it left me feeling good. Job well done in my book. Here are my top six moments:

6. The Generalismo of Costa Graves
This guy could only be more ridiculous if they gave him the line, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis."

5. Gratuitous bikini shots
It may have been a bit excessive, but, let's face it, I'll never complain about seeing Sarah in a bikini.

4. Chuck finally comes clean to Ellie, sort of
Well, at least he told her that he was looking for their mom. Will he ever come clean about still being a spy? I don't know. Would she ever be able to just him after that? I don't want to think about it.

3. Chuck's smirk
It was so heartwarming to see Chuck smile after Sarah professes her love while she thinks he's sleeping.

2. Morgan gets some action
Go Morgan. Alex is cute, but she's Casey's daughter. I see many humorous moments to come from this relationship.

1. Awesome's statue
Can you honor a guy more than by carving his likeness into a 9 foot block of marble? I think not.

I wanted to do my top ten moments, but it's late and I'm lazy. Anyways, I thought the show was as entertaining as usual, but I'm looking forward to seeing more Linda Hamilton and Summer Glau.

Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour

Over the summer, the Comic-Con hype for Scott Pilgrim vs The World inspired to see the feature film in theater and, man, was I blown away. I loved the characters, the plot, the concepts, the humor, and the graphics. Overall, I just thought it was sweet.

I liked it so much that it left me wondering if Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels that inspired the film could be as good or perhaps even better. I've never been a big comic guy and I wasn't sure if I would really find the experience as enjoyable. But I was wrong.

I decided to snag the first volume, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, off Amazon and I found it to be a lot fun. I was surprised at how closely the movie followed the graphic novel. A lot of the dialog was word for word. Unfortunately, that meant that my experience wasn't particularly unique, but it was still enjoyable.

In fact, I enjoyed the first volume enough that I bought the next two, Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness. I think the second volume was even better than the first. There was much more variation between the second volume and the movie. In the film, the plot had to keep rolling and actually pick up steam, but in the graphic novels, O'Malley was able to take more time to develop the characters and really tell the story.

The third volume was also really well done and I really started to get excited about the series. My next purchase from Amazon included the final three volumes and I got them for a steal. Seriously, if you are thinking about reading the series, don't hesitate. Just buy them individually from Amazon. I swear, every time I look, they are even cheaper. I'm guessing that the publisher ordered way too many copies assuming increased sales because of the movie, but, instead, I think there are just a ton of unsold copies in circulation and Amazon is selling them dirt cheap as of this writing.

It's hard for me to really describe why I liked the series so much. I'm not really a hipster and I don't really fall into the same social clique as the characters, but I'm pretty close in age and perhaps that is enough for me to relate to the characters and the story. Really, I think if you live in the world today, that's enough for you to relate to the story.

Joss Whedon described it really well in a quote that was included on the back cover of the final novel, Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour:

"Scott Pilgrim is the best book ever. It is the chronicle of our time. With Kung Fu, so yeah: perfect."

Seriously, the writing is amazingly witty, the characters are charming (each in his or her own way) and well-developed, and the story is a roller-coaster of action-packed battles, hilarious dialog, and innocent romance. I just don't know how you could ask for more.

O'Malley is really creative about his used of space. There is content everywhere--on the back of the front cover and straight through to the back cover. He also has such a creative way of telling the story. For example, he includes the chords to one of Sex Bob Omb's songs in the first volume and in another (second, I think) he actually includes the full instructions for a vegan dinner.

In the end, I found the entire series to be a blast. I wasn't super amazed with the conclusion (I almost like the end to the movie a little best), but that barely detracts from the series. I'm pretty sure I'll find myself reading these again and again, which will be easy, because they don't take very long to read.

Caprica is Back, But Do I Care?

So I just watched the new episode of Caprica on Syfy. I wanted to call it the season premiere, but it's not. Technically, we are only halfway through the first season. It's bad enough that Syfy split up the show for this long, but it was actually going to be worse. Syfy had originally planned on airing the episodes in January. But enough on that.

Anyways, I wasn't all that impressed. I watched the first half of the season last whenever and I could never get that into it. I would watch a couple episodes and start thinking I should just stop and then it would deliver a much better episode and I would keep watching. Unfortunately, there were only enough "good" episodes to string me along, not enough to actually make me excited about the show.

Tonight's episode was just not that great. The whole religious stuff with all the infighting and terrorist plotting just does not thrill me. Some religion that is. No wonder everyone thinks they are crazy. I just can't figure out what the writers are trying to tell us with this stuff. Are they the villains? Tragic heroes?

I think that pretty much sums up the whole problem; I can't figure out who I'm supposed to root for. I don't actually like any of the characters. There are only two decent characters (Zoe and Tamara) and they ARE DEAD.

The virtual reality aspect is really the only part of the show that I do like. The scenes that take place in New Cap City are gripping, action packed, and compelling. I think Tamara's story arc in the first part of the season was the only thing that kept me watching. And now to close last night's episode, we get a kick-ass scene of Zoe in New Cap City, complete with ninja moves and sword fighting. Which means that I'll have to watch the next episode, because, let's face it, I want to see more of that. The rest of it, I could take it or leave it.

The Event

I think Monday night is my favorite for television so far this fall. I've been a pretty big Chuck fan for awhile now and the episodes this season have been as good as ever. I really do like this show quite a lot and part of me just wants to write about how awesome it is and its ridiculous stunt casting, but, instead, I think I'll talk about the other show that is making Monday night so enjoyable: The Event.

I actually saw the pilot episode at Comic-Con and, honestly, I just wasn't sold on the show. I didn't love the way it jumped around the timeline so much, nor did I love the acting.

Nonetheless, I was intrigued by the plot and watched the second episode last week. I found that I still didn't love the way the show jumped around, but I got used to it, and maybe the acting isn't Lost quality, but it's not bad either. But what really changed for me was the plot. As it turns out, the show is about ALIENS. Yeah. That's pretty cool. I can dig that.

We got a little backstory in bits and pieces and I'm really intrigued now. Apparently these aliens landed in Alaska in 1944. The aliens look exactly the same as humans, but they do have some minor cellular differences. Most of them were detained, but at least a few managed to sneak off and have assimilated into the U.S. culture. Their motives are unknown.

So last week's episode was pretty cool. It gave us this backstory, but Sean Walker's story heated up as well. One of the producers is from 24 and the influences are very apparent (Sean is basically the Jack Bauer of the show), but those influences keep the show exciting and suspenseful.

Now this week, we're starting to see how the conspiracy surrounding "the event" runs deep and discovering the root of that conspiracy is probably going to be the only thing that keeps Sean from getting killed. I'm still not sure how he is wrapped up in the whole mess, but I am confident that we'll get the answer before too long. So far, most of the answers have come pretty quickly.

I wouldn't say that The Event is my favorite show on television, but I think I can say that it's my favorite new show. I'm not really watching that many new shows, so maybe that isn't saying a lot either, but it really is pretty decent and I think its a great replacement for anyone suffering from 24 withdrawal.

Reading at Work

I recently decided that I'm not getting in enough reading time per day and I've been trying to figure out how I can rectify that. Unfortunately, I really have a hard time finding more time at home and I'm pretty much confined to reading in bed, sometime after 11:00. Sometimes I can get in a good hour or so, but if I'm really tired, I might only manage to read a few pages before I pass out.

In the past I've tried reading during my lunch break at work, but it has never been all that satisfying. First, I only have a 30 minute lunch break and, second, I can only concentrate on a book so well while I am trying to cram food in my mouth. I would only ever end up reading five or six pages and it just seemed like it was more trouble that it was worth, trying to juggle between the book and a sandwich. However, I think I have found a couple of ways to improve the situation.

#1 - eBooks

I have never been a huge fan of reading on my computer, but for short periods of time, it's not really an issue. Because the text is on my computer monitor, I don't need to spare a hand for a book. That means, I can enjoy my lunch without diverting too much attention from the book.

#2 - Shorter Novels or Short Stories

Let's face it, I'm not really a fast reader and it's hard to make a ton of progress in 30 minutes. If I'm reading a 500 page novel, reading five pages isn't really all that encouraging. However, if I'm reading a 200 page novel, all of a sudden, those five pages go a lot further towards completing the book and may actually be enough to propel the story significantly.

Test #1 - Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

My first test was Doctorow's first novel, which he offers for free download on his web site in a vast multitude of formats. I had heard good things about the novel via the Sword and Laser podcast (which is awesome by the way) and I knew I could get a free copy so I grabbed a PDF and decided to give it a run.

The novel satisfied both of my conditions; I had my PDF copy and it was only 72 pages digitally (208 in paperback). The first test went really well. I was able to make major advances on the story during my short lunch break and check another book of my enormous "to read" list.

I just started my second test, which is The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. I expect it to go well and I'm excited about squeezing in a bit more productive reading time. FTW.

No Ordinary Family

Tonight, No Ordinary Family, starring Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz, premiered on ABC. The pilot episode was decent, but didn't grab me as something really special. I do think the show has potential, but it isn't quite there yet.

Michael Chiklis plays the role of Jim Powell, a slightly discontent police sketch artist, while Julie Benz plays his wife, Stephanie, a successful research scientist. They have two kids, Daphne and JJ, who are both teenagers. The pilot begins with the family on a vacation in Brazil, but trip doesn't go as planned and a plane crash leaves them with super hero-like abilities. As a result, Jim ends up having super strength, Stephanie is super fast, Daphne is telepathic, and, apparently, JJ is super intelligent.

The pilot episode was fairly good and acted as an origin story of sorts for the entire family. Jim got the biggest piece of the pie this week and it seems that his plot line will be the most important for the show. He was the first to discover his new power and, like many superheroes before him, tries to put it to use fighting crime.

Probably the best part of the episode was Jim's second fight with the criminal. It actually looked pretty cool, a bit like the opening Nightcrawler scene from X-2, and it also helped set up the underlying story arc.

Unfortunately, the title of the show, didn't quite ring true. The show is not terribly original. The superpowers are very basic and standard as those things go. Even the concept of a family superhero unit isn't really that new; The Incredibles did an awesome job exploring that concept a few years ago and the Fantastic Four also comes to mind.

I think the thing that is going to make or break this show is whether the writers are able to keep it fun. Sure, they can tackle the serious family and marital issues that were already prevalent in the pilot, but they need to do it with a little humor or it could get a little too preachy for the crowd that ABC is targeting. I think I'll give it another shot next week, but I'm not signing up for the long haul yet.

Undercovers

I decided to check out Undercovers despite the fact that the commercials made it look incredibly cheesy and, really, it wasn't too bad.

Undercovers is a show starring two married ex-spies. They have been out of the game for five years and are running a catering business at the start of the show. A veteran CIA agent manages to recruit them for one more operation to find a man, Leo Nash, that both Steven and Samantha Bloom know from their spy days.

Undercovers is yet another J.J. Abrams brainchild and his second foray into the spy world. Alias, his first spy-fi series, starred Jennifer Garner and had a couple of fantastic seasons to start off, but gradually declined over the following three. For those living under a rock the last six years, J.J. Abrams was also the creator of Lost, which is a show that I really enjoyed, and recently directed the Star Trek reboot. I have to admit that I'm a bit of an Abrams fan and I gave him the benefit of the doubt and gave the series a chance despite my reservations about the promo commercials.

Overall, I found the pilot to be a pleasant surprise. It was entertaining; there was a lot of good action sequences (some involving bazookas) and the dialog was fairly witty. I think the "sexpionage" gag missed the target, perhaps because it was overused the trailers for the show, but other than that, I thought the pilot was a solid episode and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes.

I'm not sure if Undercovers has quite the charm that Alias did early on (it was so easy to fall in love with Sidney Bistro and the SD6 plot was just superb). It certainly doesn't evoke the sense of suspense and mystery that Lost was famous for. What it does have is likable characters, pretty good dialog, and good action. I can already tell that I'm going to like Leo. Undercovers may turn out to be a bit of an eye-candy series, one that you don't have to think about too much, but it's not always a bad thing to keep one of those around for when you just need to unwind.

I'm going to check out the show again next week and see where it goes. The pilot was good, but not amazing, so I'm going to have to feel it out for a few weeks. After about a month, I'll probably know whether I'll stick with it for the season or not.

Chuck Is Back!

Chuck is back and filled with awesome, spy-fi goodness! I was really excited about the premiere, especially after seeing how excited the cast was at Comic-Con, and it did not disappoint. Chuck is basically my favorite show right now and I've got very high expectations for season four.

The premiere certainly delivered with the mix of action and humor that have come to define the show. Seriously, tonight's episode was a blast. They did a great job wrapping up the loose ends from last season's finale and getting right back into the action.

My Top 10 Moments

1. Amazing casting. Dolf Lundgren. Olivia Munn. Linda Hamilton. A geek's fantasy. Enough said.
2. The Buy More is back and better than ever.
3. Gretta. (Oh crap, I just drooled on my keyboard.)
4. Chuck is a spy again, after about a 10 minute break.
5. Casey's groans.
6. Morgan as Chuck's sidekick.
7. Sarah. (Drooling again).
8. Sexting!
9. Chuck is still a badass.
10. Chuck's mom is even more badass.

I really want to say more, but it's late and I need to sign off for the night. Godspeed!

Supernatural: Season One

Over the course of the summer, I have been working my way through the first season of Supernatural and I just finished watching the final two episodes. When I first started watching the show, I wasn't completely sold. There were a lot of horror elements that I just wasn't that into, but as the season went on, I got more and more wrapped up in the characters and the underlying plot and found that as soon as I finished watching an episode, I was ready to watch the next.

The show definitely got better as the season progressed. In the pilot, we were presented with the backstory that frames the main plot for the entire season, but many of the early episodes didn't focus too heavily on that story arch. Instead, they were one-shot, monster-of-the-week type episodes, somewhat reminiscent of the first season of Buffy. However, as the season progressed, the episodes became more and more engrossed in the central story line and just got better and better.

Probably the best part of the show for me was the characters. Sam and Dean are two brothers that have a lot in common, but have pretty different personalities. They have a great chemistry, a camaraderie that only brothers can share. But then, they really had to be perfect in order for the show to work. Sam and Dean are the only characters to appear in every episode so if the chemistry was off or one of the actors wasn't great, then it would have been very easy for the show to have failed early on.

Another thing that I really liked was how the show was geared around the concept of family. Sam and Dean are fiercely loyal to one another. They have very different relationships with their father, but it is clear that no matter what happens, they love each other and will stop at nothing to keep their family together. Family really is the primary theme throughout the show and it worked really well as a backbone to the plot.

Despite the macabre elements, the show had enough lighthearted moments to take the edge off and gave me a few good laughs. I also liked the use of classic rock. I'm pretty sure that every episode featured at least one classic song. I'm a big classic rock fan so I was always eager to listen for the song and find out what they decided to use. Sometimes, the song was very fitting and would be played at a critical moment (Don't Fear the Reaper comes to mind), but often, they would just sneak in a song while Sam and Dean were driving.

Overall, I really enjoyed season one and I can't wait to start in on season two. The finale ended with quite the cliffhanger and I'm dying to find out what is going to happen next.

Honestly, I would recommend this show for anyone, but especially fans of the paranormal or horror, or fans of Buffy or Angel. The first season definitely had a lot in common with those shows, so if you liked either of them, I think there is a good bet that you would like Supernatural as well.

LOST: The New Man in Charge

I FINALLY got to see the 12 minute epilogue to Lost that was released on the Season 6 DVD and it was awesome!

Right now, Lost is basically my favorite show ever. I loved the mystery, the drama, the characters, the story; I loved it all. That's not to say that there weren't some things that I found to be annoying or disappointing, especially some of those unanswered questions and "Stranger in a Strange Land," but I've forgiven the writers for some of their shortcomings and decided that I don't care (that much). The characters and story were always the most important pieces to me and, on those fronts, Damon and Carlton delivered.

But when my mind cleared after witnessing a very emotional and beautiful season finale, I realized that there were a lot of questions that went unanswered and some of them were kind of a big deal. Then I heard that there was going to be an epilogue with Ben and Hurley on the Season 6 DVD and I was really excited, hoping that we would get a look at their time on the island and maybe an answer or two.

The epilogue leaked on YouTube shortly thereafter, but by the time I got home from work, it had been taken down and I was forced to wait and, in doing so, my eagerness dissipated and my forgetfulness took over until I realized just the other day that I still hadn't seen it! A quick Google search directed me to the video and I can now say that I have been enlightened.

Basically, Ben visits a couple of dudes at a Dharma (Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-esque) warehouse in Guam and ends up showing them a training video starring Piere Chang, which reveals the answers to a number of mysteries like what the Hurley bird was and why pregnant women die on the island. From there, Ben visits Santa Rosa and recruits a teenage Walt to join him on the island. Ben and Walt join Hurley in a Dharma van and the epilogue concludes with them driving off. Based on Hurley's comments, we are led to believe that Walt was special because he was a candidate.

Overall, it was pretty cool. I mean, this thing was a total fan treatment and their were a lot of nods to things that only the dedicated fans would understand. I definitely enjoyed it and, in fact, I may need to go back for a second viewing. If you are a Lost fan, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Kick-Ass is Bad-Ass

This weekend turned out to be a good one for catching up on movies. After finally seeing Moon on Friday night, I watched Kick-Ass on Saturday night and, honestly, I really enjoyed it. I was a little surprised at the brutality, but I really liked how the story was told and how it presented itself.

Most of the film revolves around a geeky teenager named Dave whose love for comic books leads him to don a costume and take on evil as the alter ego Kick-Ass. He's really just a normal, likable guy and the whole superhero gig doesn't go as well as planned and he gets in way over his head.

But it turns out that Kick-Ass isn't the only superhero in town. Big Daddy and his 11-year-old daughter Hit Girl legitimately kick some serious bad guy ass in a very vicious and brutal manner. Hit Girl is one hell of a badass, which led to some outcry when the film was originally released in theaters.

I thought the film was well-done for the most part. It did take a little longer to get the story set up than I might have expected, but I even found that entertaining in its own way. I mean, who doesn't love a good origin story, right?

Overall, I liked it, but not as much as Scott Pilgrim, another comic book adaption that was a whole lotta fun. It was a little heavy on the violence and a little light on humor for my taste, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. The highlights of the movie were mostly the action scenes, but it did have a few good one-liners too. Not recommended for children or your mother.

Moon

Last night, I finally got a chance to watch Hugo award winning Moon by Duncan Jones, son of the acclaimed musician, David Bowie. David Bowie's music certainly had its science fiction influence, especially his Ziggy Stardust album, so I guess it's no surprise that his son's first major film would be a science fiction endeavor.

I had heard great things about the film and had been meaning to watch it for awhile. Recently, Moon won a  Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form and it also became available for instant watch on Netflix so I really had no more excuses. I was rewarded with a very intelligent film about an astronaut at the end of his three-year stint working on the moon.

The film is a very solitary view of Sam's final days on the moon and addresses many of the atrocities that could occur in such a situation. I don't want to go into more detail for fear of spoiling essential plot points, but, needless to say, the most interesting aspects of the film are the horrors that Sam uncovers.

The film has a minimal, but high quality cast with Sam Bell being played by Sam Rockwell and the computer GERTY being voiced by Kevin Spacey, whose monotone dialog was delivered perfectly.

Overall, I thought the film was well done, especially for an independent production, and the plot was very good. It's not a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat; the story is a more subtle and intellectual than it is action-packed. Still, there was enough suspense and intrigue that I never got bored. I'm definitely glad that I watched it, but it won't go down as one of my favorites.

Fall TV Programming

Blastr has posted a complete guide to 20 new and return sci-fi TV shows just a day after I decided to peruse the major networks' web sites to see what is on tap for this fall. As it turns out, I'm not really that excited about the lineup at this point, but here's what I've got to say about each series.

The Big Bang Theory - I've heard this is very funny, but I've never watched it. I may just try to hop in anyways and catch up on previous seasons via Netflix.

Caprica - The second half of season one was scheduled to debut in January, but got bumped up to October. I watched the first half and thought it was decent so I'll give the second half a whirl.

Chuck - I'm really excited about Chuck. I'm expecting it to be my favorite show this year since Lost is over. I really enjoyed season three and I think they'll do a good job with it again this year. The writers seem to have a knack for catering to their fans.

The Event - I saw the premiere at Comic-Con and thought it was decent. I think it could go either way, but I think I'll give it a shot.

Fringe - I watched the first couple episodes and stopped, but I've heard it just keeps getting better. I won't be watching it this fall, but I may check it out on Netflix later.

Human Target - I thought this got canceled. No? Oh. Well, I didn't watch season one and I'm not planning on watching season two.

Medium - I've never watched this show and I'm not interested in starting anytime soon.

Nakita - I never saw the original series that this is based on, but I was always under the impression that it was rather cheesy. The new show promises the same. No thanks.

No Ordinary Family - I think I'm going to check out this show about a family with super powers. I heard it didn't get amazing buzz at Comic-Con, but that might not mean anything.

Sanctuary - I haven't had a chance to check this one out yet so I'll have to pass again this fall.

Smallville - Considering that I've only seen a handful of episodes from season one (which I enjoyed), there is just no way that I would consider jumping in for season ten.

Stargate Universe - I've heard mixed reviews on this one and I've never watched any other the other Stargate shows so I've got no plans to start watching this fall.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - I started watching this when it first aired a couple years ago, but it was a little too cute for me. I know that there are some people that are really into it (adults included), but I'm not sure if I'm capable of watching a children's program anymore, even though I love Star Wars.

Supernatural - I just started watching this series on Netflix this summer and I'm really getting into it. Unfortunately, I'm still working through season one so I'm going to hold off on season six until I catch up.

Tower Prep - I have no idea what this is so I'll pass.

Ugly Americans - I did see one commercial for this and I thought it looked terrible.

Undercovers - I'm not sure this is really sci-fi, but it is from J.J. Abrams so he'll probably work in some sci-fi at some point. Honestly, it looks pretty cheesy, but I'm usually willing to at least give an Abrams program a chance.

V - I started watching last season and I hated the storytelling. I thought the concept was decent, but the execution was terrible. Oh and the son was a total moron. I couldn't handle it and gave up. I'm not planning on picking it up again.

The Vampire Diaries - Oh god no.

The Walking Dead - I'm not really a big zombie guy, but I heard the comic series is excellent and I did absolutely love Zombieland so there is a slim chance that I may check this out.

Well, out of the 20, I plan on watching Chuck and Caprica for sure; I'll be giving newcomers No Ordinary Family, Undercovers, and The Event a shot; and I may try to pick up on The Big Bang Theory. Combine those with football, hockey, and Netflix and I'll soon be spending far too many hours in front of the TV.

The Best of The Beatles

Rolling Stone magazine recently released their list of the "Top Ten Beatles Songs of All Time." As an avid Beatles fan, I was very interested to see what they had chosen and thought I should share. Here is Rolling Stone's top 10:

1. A Day in the Life
2. I Want to Hold Your Hand
3. Strawberry Fields Forever
4. Yesterday
5. In My Life
6. Something
7. Hey Jude
8. Let It Be
9. Come Together
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Needless to say, these are all great songs. Each of them is legendary in its own way. However, I'm not sure that these songs are necessarily the "best" of the Beatles' vast library. Perhaps I would agree that they are the most influential or the most inspirational or even the most important songs written by the Fab Four, but I don't think they are most enjoyable, at least not for me.

Now that's not to say that I wouldn't rank some of these in my own "Top Ten Beatles Songs of All Time" list, but Rolling Stone's list as a whole doesn't seem quite satisfactory if for no other reason, than because they don't explain what they mean by "best," which, in the case of musical preferences, is usually subjective (at least, not on the web site).

I do know a few things about the Beatles, but I won't claim to be an expert. I'm sure that Rolling Stone was able to factor in how the songs impacted history, what the songs meant for the band's development, how well the songs sold, and so forth. Since I can't claim to know those things, I'm keeping my list simple. Here are the Beatles songs that I enjoy the most, based on my own inferior knowledge and my personal tastes:

1. Let It Be
2. Dear Prudence
3. I've Got a Feeling
4. In My Life
5. Don't Let Me Down
6. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
7. Paperback Writer
8. Happiness is a Warm Gun
9. Hey Bulldog
10. Something

Wow, that was really difficult. I'm sure that I didn't give it enough consideration, but this list pretty accurately describes the songs I find the greatest desire to crank up when I hear them. There are several others that I had a really hard time not putting on the list including Eleanor Rigby, Getting Better, Day Tripper, and No Reply just to name a few.

I'm a little disappointed that I have almost no early songs (which I enjoy, but not as much as the later stuff) and I have nothing from Revolver or Sgt Pepper (which are both great albums). Perhaps I should make a list of my top 20, just to make myself feel better, but that's for another time.

According to Rolling Stone's the web site, they have actually ranked the top 100 in a new collector's issue of the magazine available at Barnes and Noble. I think I'm going to try to pick this up.

RUSH!

Yesterday, my brother and I made the journey to Syracuse, New York to see the legendary progressive rock band Rush at the New York State Fair. Rush is my brother's favorite band and they are my favorite band that still tours, so when they announced their 2010 Time Machine tour, buying tickets was a no-brainer. Usually, Rush comes to Buffalo whenever they tour, but this year they opted for Syracuse instead and we had to make the two hour drive; it was totally worth it.

This is the third time we have seen Rush and they have put on a fantastic show every time. There are certain songs that you are guaranteed to hear at every show, but Rush always mixes up their shows to some degree. This year, they played the entire Moving Pictures alum straight through. That was really cool. They also played the two singles that they have already released from their forthcoming album, Caravan and BU2B.

Part of me wants to say that this was the best Rush concert that I've seen, but it's really hard to say. These guys are excellent musicians and they are really consistent from year to year. I can say that it was definitely the loudest show. 24 hours after the show ended, I'm still hearing a high pitched noise in my left ear.

As usual, Rush really did a great job with everything, but I think I enjoyed Freewill, YYZ, and La Villa the best. Those are just some great songs and they really rocked them out. It was the first time I had seen them perform Freewill as well and that was really cool.

Another thing that was surprisingly enjoyable was the little intro video that they played before the band came out. The tour had kind of a steampunk theme going on and they played this video that showed Rush in a alternate universe as a three piece polka band playing in a deli. One of the characters in the deli was the inventor of a device that could convert music into other styles, which meant that we got to hear disco and county versions of The Spirit of Radio before Rush finally took the stage and rocked it out.

Overall, Thursday was a great day. My brother and I took the day off, hit up Dinosaur BBQ for an early dinner, and enjoyed a fantastic rock concert. I can't ask for much better than that.

Patrick Rothfuss

I love a good epic Fantasy novel, but my "to read" list is a bit on the long side and I haven't had time to dig into a few novels that I'm just dying to read. One of those is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I've heard a ton of great things, but I've decided that I need to read through some of the unread books that are getting dusty on my bookshelf first.

Nonetheless, I've found enough time to check out Pat's web site and peruse his blog. What I discovered is that the man is hilarious. His blog posts are so brutally honest and witty! So now, even though I've not yet read his novel, I've subscribed to his RSS feed and eagerly wait for a new post.

Today, he gave such a post and it was great. I love how he is so open about the writing process. Even as he complains about his dream job, he wins me over even more and makes me all the more eager to read his novel! I also highly recommend his "Everybody Hates Their Job Sometimes" post, which he references in today's entry. Enjoy.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

My brother and I have been playing Lego Harry Potter together since it was released a couple of months ago. Last night, we finally completed the game, earning 100% of all characters, red bricks, gold bricks, house crests, and students in peril. Overall, the Lego games are a lot of fun and this was no exception.

We have played every Lego game together since the Star Wars Prequels version came out a few years ago. Honestly, that first game might still be my favorite and though I enjoyed the following Original Trilogy version quite a bit as well, there is just something about being able to choose from a plethora of lightsaber-wielding Jedi and Sith (especially Darth Sidious!) that is hard to beat. Nonetheless, I would put Harry Potter as a close second. It was definitely better than Indiana Jones and Batman, which I felt were both lacking in the character department.

Lego Harry Potter includes 24 playable levels, six for each of the first four books. We played through them on story mode pretty quickly and though we didn't have any trouble beating the levels, we found that we didn't get many of extras. For each level, you can unlock three characters, rescue a student in peril, attain "True Wizard" by collecting a certain quota of coins, and find the four parts that make up a Hogwarts crest. I think we ended up playing most of the levels three times before we collected everything.

Collecting the coins, student in peril, and crest would also give you a gold brick for each. In order to unlock a bonus level and the final character (Lord Voldemort), you need to collect all 200 gold bricks. In addition to the levels, you can also wander around Diagon Alley and Hogwarts, where there are additional students in peril, gold bricks, and 20 red bricks.

Unfortunately, we couldn't quite find everything on our own and had to keep a laptop nearby the last couple times we played so we could look up the final few gold bricks hiding within Hogwarts (which is one hell of a maze) and the last student in peril.

This game really is a blast for kids and adults. If you are into Harry Potter, and even if you aren't really a gamer, it's a lot of fun and allows you play with all of the characters you love (and hate) from the series. Highly recommended.

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life: The Review

So I saw Scott Pilgrim vs The World in the theater a couple weeks ago and I thought it was pretty awesome. So awesome in fact that I decided to check out the comic series and purchased the first volume on Amazon.com. Though my package wasn't delivered by a cute girl on rollerblades, I was still happy to receive it and was not disappointed with the contents.

The first volume is 168 pages and I think I read it in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. It sets up our protagonist Scott Pilgrim, a lazy, unemployed bassist living somewhere in Canada, and concludes with his fight with the first of Ramona Flower's seven evil exes, Matthew Patel. By falling for the spunky, rollerblading delivery girl, Scott has signed on to do battle with a league of evil ex-boyfriends, which sets the stage for the rest of the series that recently concluded after six volumes.

So what did I think of the comic?

I thought it was fun. There was a decent amount of humor and I really enjoyed the story. One thing in particular that I thought was really cool was that the author, Bryan Lee O'Malley, even included the chords to the song that Scott's band (Sex Bob Omb) performs. I might just have to dust off my guitar and give it a whirl.

So how does it compare to the movie?

Honestly, I think the entertainment value is pretty similar, though, obviously, the experiences are a lot different. I was a little surprised at just how similar it was to the movie in fact. The dialog is almost word-for-word, adding and subtracting very little. I thought the filmmakers did a really good job capturing all of the details and creativity. I've seen some criticism about the choice of Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim, but I enjoyed the way he played the part when I saw the film and, after reading the first volume, he seemed to play it true to the comic.

Hopefully, I'll be getting the second volume pretty soon!

Arrested Development

Earlier this summer a friend recommended that I check out Arrested Development. As it turns out Netflix has all three seasons available for streaming so it was an easy decision to add the first season to my queue and give it run. My friend insisted that it was very funny and I vaguely recalled that it was often labeled as "the best show you're not watching," but what I discovered was that Arrested Development is outrageously hilarious and perhaps the funniest show since Seinfeld.

Now for me, Seinfeld is the quintessential sitcom. It was hilarious when it originally aired and it is still hilarious years later. In fact, I find myself laughing loudly and frequently during episodes that I've seen literally a dozen times. Until I saw Arrested Development, I would say that The Office had been the only sitcom in recent history that I have found consistently funny and that even comes close to Seinfeld stature, though it doesn't have the same rewatchability.

Arrested Development, for those who haven't seen it, stars Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, the one sensible individual living amongst a family of idiots. Sure, he has his moments of stupidity, but his fellow siblings and parents outshine him by far. The show has an amazing cast, including Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth, Will Arnett as Gob Bluth (pronounced like Job from the Bible), Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Funke, and David Cross as Tobias Funke among many other talented actors. The show is also narrated superbly by Ron Howard (which I didn't realize until like a minute ago).

The first two seasons are pure comedic genius and the third is very funny as well, though I thought it wasn't quite as funny as the first two. Overall, the show only ended up with 53 episodes before it was untimely canceled. I didn't take long to watch the whole series and it was pretty disappointing to see it end, but there is some light on the horizon. A feature film is scheduled for release in 2012 and, according to imdb.com, will feature the full cast from the show. I'm definitely looking forward to the movie. I would love to see what the talented writers have come up with in the last few years.

If you haven't watched the show and you like to laugh at all, check it out. Now. Seriously.

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

So I saw Scott Pilgrim vs The World during its opening weekend and I was pretty much blown away. I loved the story and really enjoyed the creative way it was told. The video game and pop culture elements were well done and gave the movie a unique quality.

Leaving the theater, I kept thinking about how much I really enjoyed the experience. I didn't really know what to expect going in so I was completely unprepared for just how funny and just fun the movie ended up being.

Since then, little scenes or lines from the movie have continued to pop into my head at random times and I find myself smiling or even chuckling. So last night, I finally broke down and dropped $6.59 for the first volume of the comic book that inspired the movie, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. The book will be in my hands on Thursday and I can't wait!

I am a little worried though. Like any normal kid growing up, I read comics, but not consistently. I wouldn't buy them regularly so, when I did, I'm pretty sure I just picked out whatever had the coolest cover art. I have never really been able to quite get into comics; it is one of the lacking aspects of my otherwise impressive geek cred. I mean, I totally respect the work that goes into them and I've definitely enjoyed the deluge of recent comic book inspired movies, but I've never found a series that has really drawn me in. I'm hoping that I've just been reading the wrong stuff, because I really want to like the Scott Pilgrim comic as much as I enjoyed the movie.

Settlers of Catan

Since I was a teenager, my friends and I have made it a point to play strategy board games whenever we get the chance. It all started with the World War II epic, Axis & Allies, which would take all night, but was a lot of fun. Since then, we've spent countless hours playing just about every version of Risk in existence and an awesome Star Wars themed game known as Epic Duels.

A few months ago, I was introduced to Settlers of Catan, which is a strategy board game in which you attempt to build roads, settlements, and cities to earn points. The first player to 10 points wins. In order to build these structures, you must acquire the proper materials including ore, grain, brick, lumber, and wool.

Okay, I know what you're thinking--this sounds really boring--because that's what I was thinking when my buddy first introduced me to the game. As it turns out however, the game is really a lot of fun. Games generally take about 45-90 minutes so you can often play a couple in one sitting. We usually play with 3 people, but you can have up to 4 in the regular edition and I believe there is an expansion pack that lets you play up to 6.

If you start getting tired of the original version, there are a slew of expansion sets that you can buy (for about $30) that provide a completely new gaming experience. We have the Cities and Knights expansion and it introduces so many new elements that it is like playing a completely different game. The only caveat is that it seems to take a little longer.

Despite the fact that I really enjoy this game, I kind of suck at it. I usually play with my brother and a mutual friend. My friend tends to win about 2/3 of the time while my brother and I split the other 1/3. Unfortunately, my brother even tends to win most of those, but I finally got my second ever victory Friday night and I was so pleased that I decided that a blog post was required!

Well, I'm out. Godspeed.

Star Wars Year By Year

When I was at Comic-Con in July, I attended the DK Publishing panel where the authors and contributors of Star Wars Year By Year discussed their roles in putting together this chronicle of all things Star Wars. It was actually a pretty interesting panel and brought back some fond memories of my Star Wars-filled childhood, but the best part was that I won a free copy of the book!

Honestly, I didn't know anything about the book going in and the way they described it made it sound like it was similar to DK's other Star Wars contributions like the Incredible Cross-sections and so forth. However, the book came in the mail today and as soon as I picked it up, I knew it was going to be more than I expected.

The book weighs like 5 lbs and retails at $50 (both of which were surprises to me), but I was really shocked when I opened it up and began to grasp the amazing level of detail. There are just a ton of fantastic photos and tidbits of information. It really is incredible. It definitely made me chuckle a few times as I thought back on some of the toys I had, games I played, or books I read as I grew up.

I haven't had a chance to really go through it, but I can't wait to dig in. The one that I already know for sure is that it's going to make a great coffee table book. I've already decided that it holds an honorary spot where all my guests will be able to page through it.

Listmania: Favorite Bands

I like making lists. I make lists for all kinds of things: groceries, books that I would like to read, stuff I need to do around the house, stuff I need to do at work. I could go on, but I'll digress for the sake of sanity. I make lists to keep myself organized, but sometimes when I'm bored, I make lists of things that I like such as my favorite bands, movies, TV shows, etc. It keeps me entertained while I'm mowing the lawn or driving home from work.

Well, with all of these lists just floating around in my head, I think it is time to document them. I'm starting with an easy one: favorite bands.

1. The Beatles - The entire first floor of my house is Beatles themed. I don't quite own all of there studio albums, but I'm pretty close. I'm not sure I could ever pick a favorite album or song, but I do really love Hey Bulldog and Dear Prudence.
2. Led Zeppelin - These guys just plain rock. I have all of their studio albums, The Song Remains the Same dvd, and that other dvd they released in like 2003 that doesn't have a name (the one that is really awesome).
3. Rush - These guys are truly amazing musicians. I really love their stuff from the 70s and their first couple albums from the 80s. Not a huge fan of the rest of their stuff until the last few albums, which are decent, but definitely not my favorites. I'll be seeing them for the 3rd time in September!
4. The Who - Tommy and Who's Next are two of the finest rock albums ever in my opinion. I so wish I could have seen them live in their glory days.
5. The Rolling Stones - I don't think any of their work is among my favorites, but the sheer magnitude of good, solid music makes them a band I never get tired of hearing.

Notable contenders (in no particular order): Yes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Allman Brothers, Cream, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd.

New Books! Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy

I've had Mistborn on my "to read" list for some time now (along with about 50 other novels), but my resolve to read the trilogy has increased significantly lately.

First, while wandering around the Gaslamp district during Comic-Con, my brother and I went into Borders to borrow some Wi-fi and I noticed that Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, and Brent Weeks were going to be there doing readings, signings, and the like while I was in town. I was really excited until I realized that I had never read anything by any of those authors.

Second, the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club on Goodreads chose Mistborn as their August Fantasy novel.

Third, I discovered that Amazon.com had the trilogy listed at $16.30 (which is a really good deal for three new paperbacks) and I jumped on them. They came today and I can't wait to tear into them.

But there is one problem: I promised myself that I wouldn't start a new series until I finished at least one other series that I'm currently partway through. So I guess Mistborn will have to sit and wait patiently on my bookshelf for me to finish reading Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy (at the very least).

I really want to read some of the newer Fantasy work that's coming out, but I feel the need to work through some of the classic works first. Right now, I'm somewhere in the mid-90s. I just hope I catch up eventually.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

Last night, my brother and I decided to go see Scott Pilgrim, a movie that I knew almost nothing about, but was drawn to by solid reviews and a huge amount of hype coming out of Comic-Con. If I had to describe the film in one word, it would be AWESOME.

Enormous Scott Pilgrim ad on the side of the Hilton

I really didn't have any idea what to expect going in, but the experience left me thoroughly entertained. Not only was there great action, special effects, and humor, the film also had an excellent plot with thoughtful dialog. But perhaps the best part was that it was FUN from beginning to end.

The way the story was told was so creative. There was this ever-present video game vibe throughout the movie that I thought worked really well. For example, every time Scott got into a fight, it felt like a scene out of Mortal Kombat and every opponent that he defeated would burst into an explosion of coins. Then, there was this other scene where they played the Seinfeld theme and interjected sitcom-style laughter. It was really random and was pretty brief, but it was really amusing.

Another thing that I liked was how everyone was just able to kick some serious ass and that was all just well and normal. Getting punched through a brick wall wasn't really that big a deal. Maybe it hurt a little, but was typical in a bare-knuckles brawl. The writers didn't try to explain it; that's just how things were.

On top of all the afore mentioned awesomeness, the film was also a great love story. I know that seems sappy, but I really liked how everything Scott faced was to win the heart of a girl.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. So much so, that I could almost go see it again or perhaps check out the comic book series.

Swapping Books on Goodreads

I've been a member of Goodreads.com for over a year, but I only recently decided to try out their Book Swap feature that allows you to trade books with other users. The concept is pretty basic:

• You list the books in your collection that you are willing to part with.
• You create a Wishlist of books that you want or you can search through the books that other people have listed. Goodreads will also periodically remind you if books you Wishlist are available.
• If someone requests one of your books, Goodreads asks you a series of questions that they use to assemble a proper shipping label. You print the label, put the book in a box or good-sized envelope, and send it out--and you aren't charged a thing.
• If you request a book, Goodreads bills you the shipping total.

It really ends up being a pretty good deal. I just requested my first book and it came in the mail today. I Choose The Fires of Heaven, the first novel in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. When it came, I was surprised to find a like-new hardcover, the original receipt, and a recent McDonald's receipt in the envelope. Needless to say, I was most excited about the book, especially because it only cost me $4.00.

At this point, I have only listed two items, a paperback copy of A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin and the original Dragonlance trilogy by Weiss and Hickman. A Game of Thrones was requested within 24 hours, but a couple months went by before Dragonlance was requested. I shipped them both out without a hassle.

I really think this is a nice service. The best part is, unlike similar services such as bookmooch.com, you don't have to list or ship any books before you get your first one. However, you do get rewarded with a free book for every 10 you ship out.

The service is so easy to use and, best of all, cheap that it's really a no-brainer. I'm definitely going to start picking up more books this way, though, for the sake of fairness, I probably won't request many more books than I send out. If you are a Goodreads user, I definitely recommend that you check it out.

Summer TV: Supernatural

I recently started watching the first season of Supernatural after hearing good things about the show for awhile. At this point, I've watched the first four episodes and I have say that I'm enjoying it so far. I'm not really huge into the whole horror scene, but I'm not that concerned about that as I'm also not a huge vampire fan and yet and I love Buffy and Angel.

I think the main thing that has drawn me in so far is the characters. Sam and Dean really just feel like normal guys, like real, down-to-earth people, despite the fact that they are hunting demons for a living. Maybe they are a little one dimensional at this point, but I think we are going to see more layers as the story progresses.

I also like the background story that helps string together the one-shot episodes. Only four episodes in and I'm already dying to find out what is going on with their father and find out what happened with their mother and Sam's girlfriend.

Lastly, I dig the music. I like how they use classic rock to set the mood of a scene and it seems to work pretty well. Sometimes it seems a little forced, but I love classic rock and I'll give them a pass. I mean, anyone that uses Rush in a TV show is okay in my book.

Mutant Enemy

So the other day I was at work and I was listening to music on my iPod. I had just added a few albums that I hadn't heard in awhile and found myself listening to Yes' Close to the Edge album, which is a progressive rock masterpiece of epic proportions. (Whoah, just geeked out a little hard on that...but really it is good stuff if you're into that sort of thing.)

Anyways, I was listening to "And You and I" and caught the phrase "mutant enemy" and thought to myself, "Wait, isn't that the name of Joss Whedon's production company?" You know, the guy responsible for all of those awesome tv shows like Buffy, Angel, and Firefly? Why yes, if fact it is.

So after referring to the ever-trustworthy Wikipedia entry, it turns out that Joss was or is a big Yes fan himself and took the name from that very song. I thought that it was pretty cool that I actually made the connection, that is until I realized how many times I've heard the song and totally missed it.

Here's the verse where it's used:

Said preacher nailed upon the colored door of time
Insane teacher be there reminded of the rhyme
There'll be no mutant enemy we shall certify
Political ends, as sad remains, will die
Reach out as forward tastes begin to enter you

Wow, those are some pretty weird lyrics and I'm not even going to try to figure out what they mean at this time of night, but that's Yes for you.

Well, that's it for today. Grrr. Arrrgh.

In Over My Head

One of my favorite hobbies is reading, especially science fiction or fantasy novels. I have always been a reader going back to childhood, but I didn't really delve into the fantasy realm until I read The Lord of the Rings in college. Since then, I've been devouring as much fantasy as I can while sprinkling in a highly recommended science fiction novel for variety from time to time.

But this has lead to a small problem. I may have over committed myself and I'm now realizing that I am partway through far too many series. I have officially put a hold on starting any new series until I finish at least a couple of these. Here's the damage:

• Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series: On book 4 of 13 (with one more on the way)
• Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series: On book 3 of 13
• Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy: Currently reading book 2 of 3
• Stephen King's Dark Tower series: On book 4 of 7
• Frank Herbert's Dune saga: On book 4 of 6
• Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series: On book 5 of (currently) 6
• Orson Scott Card's Ender saga: On book 2 of 4
• Karl Schroeder's Virga: On book 3 of 3
• George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice: On book 2 of (currently) 4

I'm also reading a couple other series, but luckily I'm caught up on those. I have read all 12 of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (my current favorite series) and I'm just awaiting the final novel in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle.

Hopefully, I'll catch up on some of these pretty soon so I can get started on a few other series that I'm really excited about.

Comic-Con Recap #5: Sunday

Sunday was kids day at Comic-Con and everything was scheduled to be wrapped up at 5:00 PM. I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the Sunday panels and overall atmosphere. After three days of pure glory, the convention kind of went out with a fizzle. I actually think I would prefer to just eliminate Sunday scheduling and go out with a bang (or maybe next time I would just skip Sunday).

The other part that was weird was that almost all of the panels were geared towards kids, but there weren't really many kids at Comic-Con. And what kid wants to sit through an hour long panel anyways? I give them credit for trying to introduce a kid-friendly atmosphere, but I just didn't think it worked very well.

Comic-Con exclusive LOST figures
(atop a beautiful hotel comforter)

So what ended up happening was that the Exhibit Hall was a zoo, largely because all the adults that had four day passes still showed up and needed something to do. That is exactly what happened to my brother and I. Don't get me wrong, it was definitely cool to finally spend some time in the Exhibit Hall and finally pick up some souvenirs, but I would have liked to sit in on a panel or two.

Now that isn't to say we didn't try to sit through a panel. My brother and I are both huge Harry Potter fans so, naturally, we showed up at the Harry Potter fandom panel. Admittedly, I was nervous about there being an army of 14 year old girls in attendance, but we needed something to do and decided to give it a shot.

To be perfectly honest, about 15 minutes in, I was already thinking that it was the worst panel that I had attended. I guess I thought that the panel of well-known Potter fans would, you know, talk about the upcoming movies and perhaps discuss the footage shown in Hall H on Saturday. Instead, the panel opted for long-winded soliloquies about why the Potter fan community is still so strong.

Comic-Con exclusive Star Wars figures

But just when I thought I might doze off, it got worse. The crowd started singing the words to one of the songs of the Harry Potter musical and shortly afterwards they opened it up for fan questions. I got nervous when a dozen teenage girls sprinted to the microphone in the middle isle, but I didn't actually walk out until the third consecutive "shipper" question was asked. Yikes.

I had been thinking about attending the Buffy musical screening, but after the Potter fiasco, I was scared to go anywhere near Ballroom 20.

Overall, Comic-Con was completely awesome. I definitely want to go again, but I'm not sure if it will be next year. If I lived in southern California, I think I would go every year. A lot of people that had been going for several years complained about the lines and the crowds (which was certainly understandable), but they were manageable if you planned things out and just accepted that you weren't going to see every cool thing at the convention.

Well, I think that is it for the Comic-Con recaps. I'm out. Godspeed.

Comic-Con Recap #4: Saturday

Saturday was perhaps our most efficient day at Comic-Con. My brother and I didn't have a lot of panels on our to-do list, but we managed to sneak in a couple extras and really filled out our day. Here's a breakdown of our day:

A small glimpse of the line for Chuck

Chuck - I was really excited about this panel so we got up way too early and showed up in line at 7:30 for the 10:00 panel. Needless to say, we probably could have showed up at about 9:00 or so and still made it in, but the time went fast as we chatted with the people around us. The panel was awesome even though it only lasted about 30 minutes. The entire cast was there and they were a ton of fun. This was definitely one of my favorite panels during the entire convention. And they announced that Chuck's mom will be played by Linda Hamilton (yes, the original Sarah Conner) next season!

On another Chuck note, I didn't see too many celebrities out and about, but all the ones did see were from Chuck. I saw Awesome, Morgan, and Leceister, though I didn't stop them for pictures or anything.

The Event - We really wanted to go to the Warner Bros panel to see the new Harry Potter footage, but we weren't sure if we would even be able to get in and it overlapped with Jay and Jack's LOST Podcast panel. We were looking for something to do so we just walked into Room 6A and watched the pilot for The Event. There was no line and it killed some time, but the show didn't look too bad either. I wasn't crazy about the way the show was produced or the lead actor, but the premise was intriguing. I think I'll give it a shot this fall.

The LOST Podcast with Jay and Jack - This panel was held over in the Santa Rosa room (hilarious, I know) at the Marriott next door. My brother and I are big LOST fans and we have both listened to Jay and Jack's excellent podcast for a couple years. I definitely couldn't pass up on this panel and I'm glad I didn't because it was a lot of fun. The only down side was sitting through about 10 minutes or so of the Indy Fans panels that ran beforehand. Those guys were just downers (and I really like Indiana Jones!).

Warehouse 13 / Eureka - Once again, we found ourselves in the situation where we needed to kill some time. The Exhibit Hall, though very cool, was an absolute madhouse. We had a hard time dealing with the sheer volume of people so we tended to favor attending panels where you actually had a small amount of personal space. Therefore, we decided to check out this panel just a few minutes before it was scheduled to start and walked right in. Honestly, it was a lot of fun. The actors told some amusing stories and I left the panel thinking that I would really like to check out both shows. At the time, I had only seen a handful of episodes of Warehouse 13 and not a single episode of Eureka.

LOST But Not Forgotten - Our last panel of the day covered the upcoming Lost Encyclopedia. The panelists did a great job explaining their process, though I wasn't certain that the moderator had ever used a computer before. I enjoyed the inside look and I think I'll definitely be purchasing a copy when it comes out. The best part however was when some jerk asked why they couldn't answering all of the questions and the moderator basically verbally bitch-slapped him.

That was a last panel for the day. After that we got some food, hung out a bit, and then hit up the Zombieland screening at the Marriott. Damn, that is a funny movie.

Well, I'm out. Godspeed.

New-To-Me TV

This summer, I have been trying to find some TV show to fill the void left by LOST, Heroes, Dollhouse, and 24 (which all ended or were cancelled this spring). I think the only shows that I watch that are returning this fall are Chuck and The Office. I also watch Caprica, but that won't return until the winter. Netflix has been my biggest ally in my quest. Here's what I've tried out so far:

Veronica Mars - I've watched the first four episodes and I'm still on the fence. I like the mystery aspect, but I'm not into the whole teenage angst stuff so much. I may continue to feel it out for a few more episodes before I decide whether to stick with the full season or not.

Farscape - I have heard so many good things about this show, but it wasn't exactly what I expected. The whole puppet element threw me off to say the least. I'm only three episodes in, but I'm still on the fence with this one too.

Eureka - I caught the Warehouse 13 / Eureka panel at Comic-Con and it inspired me to check out the show. I have watched two episodes from the fourth season and it's just good fun. I think this is a show I could enjoy and I think I'll continue watching. I also want to catch up on Warehouse 13. I watched part of season one and liked it, but dropped the ball and stopped watching.

Supernatural - I've watched the first two episodes and I think I'm getting into it. I'm not a big horror guy, but I like the characters and I dig the classic rock. I'll think I'll be sticking with this one.

Arrested Development - This may be the funniest show since Seinfeld. I think its even funnier than The Office. I'm about halfway through season two and I'm sure I'll finish the series before the summer is out. This is the best new-to-me show I've discovered this summer. I just love it.

I'm also thinking of checking out Dexter and The X-Files, but I haven't had time yet. They may have to wait until I whittle down this list a little. They have been more than enough to keep me busy.

Well, I'm out. Godspeed.

Comic-Con Recap #3: Friday

Friday was officially Star Wars day at Comic-Con and, as a pretty big Star Wars geek, it was pretty easy to find a panel to attend. In fact, we ended up sitting through four Star Wars panels back-to-back. Here's a brief recap:

DK Star Wars: From Banthas to X-Wings - This was a pretty interesting panel. Several well-known Star Wars authors and experts discussed their roles in writing Star Wars Year by Year. At the end, they gave away 5 copies and I won one! Of course, I haven't heard back from DK yet, so hopefully they'll send it.

Amazing diorama at the Hasbro booth

Star Wars Day: Hasbro Panel - Hasbro gave us a look at upcoming Star Wars toys, which was pretty cool, even though I stopped collecting a few years ago. The coolest thing was definitely the AT-AT, which was incredible.

Star Wars Day: Collectibles Update - Representatives from several companies showed off upcoming Star Wars collectibles. It was fairly interesting, but was probably my least favorite of the Star Wars panels, mostly because I can't afford most of the collectibles.

Star Wars: The Old Replubic - My brother is a pretty huge fan of the KOTOR games and was really excited about this panel about the new MMORPG by Bioware that is set in the same universe. We definitely got an interesting insider's perspective on the creative process and the audience asked some pretty good questions. I don't think I'll play the game, but my brother probably will and I'm definitely interested to see what it will be like.

The only downside to our Star Wars marathon was that we missed a couple of panels that I would have really liked to attend including the Caprica and Joss Whedon Experience panels.

After that, we got some food, checked out the Exhibit Hall, wandered around the Gaslamp District, and ended up watching Inception at Horton Plaza.

Well, I'm out. Godspeed.

Comic-Con Recap #2: Thursday

San Diego Convention Center

On Wednesday night, my brother and I picked up our badges for Thursday at our hotel and took the shuttle downtown to get a lay of the land and finalize our plans for our first day of Comic-Con. One amazing quesadilla later, we had our gameplan for the next day and, surprisingly, it went pretty smoothly. Here are the panels that we attended:

TheOneRing.net Talks The Hobbit movies - The latest news on The Hobbit was minimal, depressing, and I had already heard most of it. Still, the hosts did a good job presenting it and the first portion of the panel was entertaining. Then they brought in a speaker to discuss the documentary footage from the Extended Editions and pretty soon there was a mass exodus for the doors. We left just a few minutes early.

Caprica, Battlestar, and Beyond - This featured writers, actors, and composers from the recent Battlestar Galactica reboot and was a pretty good panel. Bear McCreary had some pretty cool stories and Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), who wasn't even supposed to be there, was pretty funny and kept us laughing. The only down side was the we waited through about 30 minutes of the panel that was on beforehand--even the panelists looked bored--it was a snorefest.

Summit Entertainment: RED - We sat through this panel in the massive Hall H as we waited for the next one. The panel was actually decent even though I knew nothing about the movie or the comic book it was based on.

Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries - This panel featured Joss Whedon AND J.J. Abrams. Need I say more? I mean these guys collectively brought us Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Alias, and LOST. It was amazing and definitely one of the highlights on my entire experience. Joss was, to little surprise, hilarious and they both told some pretty interesting stories. It could have gone on a lot longer.

Cafe Diem menu

That was it for our "day one" panels. After that we enjoyed some much-needed food at the Syfy themed Cafe Diem, got turned away from a screening of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (I still can't believe how many people show up for that), and settled on a screening of J.J. Abram's Star Trek.

Overall, it was an awesome day. There were definitely some panels that sounded awesome that we didn't make it to, but we made it into the ones we wanted to see the most. Even though it doesn't seem like we did that much now, it really was busy--we barely even had time to hit the Exhibit Hall.

Well, I'm out. Godspeed.

Comic-Con Recap #1: Lessons Learned

Just a couple of weeks ago, my brother and I endeavored on a journey from New York to California to attend our first ever Comic-Con, or convention of any kind for that matter. Overall, I had a blast and I'm so glad that I went, but I learned a lot and there are definitely a few things I would do differently if I go again.

First, I would buy my tickets sooner. We waited until January (a full 6 months prior to the convention) before buying our tickets. It meant that we were able to get tickets for each day, but weren't able to get 4 day passes. That meant that we paid a little more and had to make time (about 5 minutes) to pickup the next day's badge. Neither was a big deal, but getting the 4 day passes just makes it that much easier.

Second, I would try to book a hotel really, really early...like by December at the latest. We looked into hotels at the same time we got our badges and found all of the reasonably priced or nearby hotels booked up for the weekend. We ended waiting to put our name in for the reserved hotel rooms through Comic-Con's web site, which ended up being a minor disaster. Comic-Con got so many requests that they had to book rooms at a bunch more hotels, most of which were a little farther away in the Mission Valley area.

About two months after putting in my name, I got an email from Travel Planners that they could get us a room for a very reasonable rate so we jumped on it. Unfortunately, it had been so long that we had called off the trip and I had already asked for my tickets to be refunded. Fortunately, I was able to get the tickets reinstated with a phone call and several emails.

Third, I would stock up on snacks and water. We brought some snacks with us, but not water. It just meant that we were forced to pay too much money for bottled water most of the time and ran out of snacks pretty quickly.

Fourth, I would make sure I have Internet access. Our hotel charged a fee for wireless access so we opted not to pay for it. We barely spent any time in the room so, at the time it didn't seem like a big deal. But after seeing all of the blog posts and tweets after the fact, I think it would have been a lot of fun reading them during the convention.

Really, in the end, none of that stuff mattered too much. We still had a great time, but, knowing what I know now, I think I'll have an even better experience next time around.

Godspeed.

What to Read

Last night, I finished the fourth book in Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series, Captain's Fury. I started reading it on the plane ride to Comic-Con and finished most of the book over the course of the trip. It was probably the best in the series so far.

One of my favorite things about Butcher's novels--especially in the Dresden Files, which I prefer over Codex Alera--is his pacing. He never lets his foot off the gas. His novels are a constant thrill ride and I love that. The fourth book was no exception.

The other thing that Butcher does really well is write compelling characters. I do think he does a better job of it in the Dresden Files--there isn't a character that I don't love or love to hate--but Tavi is really developing into an interesting, if not a little too perfect, character.

The last point I want to make about the fourth book was that it was awesome seeing some of the plot devices from earlier novels reemerging and seeing many questions get answered. I really like how there is a clear, underlying plot that helps string each novel together.

But now that I've finished the book, I can't decide what to read. I've got several novels on my shelf that I still need to read including God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert and Shadow Rising (Book 4 of the Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan, but I think I have decided upon Royal Assassin, which is the second novel in the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb.

Well, I'm out. Godspeed.