the bookshelf: nerd alert

I brought a ton of reading material with me on the trip, and have plowed through a lot of it. Random thoughts:

- Night at the Museum 2 (on the airplane): Looked mildly fun until I put the headphones on. Best viewed on mute while playing the new Muse or Mika album.

- League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, 1910: anticlimactic. This felt more like a super-sized serial issue rather than a self contained story. Also, having two of your supporting players sing exposition in a comic...not really working.

- Trials of Shazam: The first time I've really questioned Judd Winick as a comic book writer. Disjointed and stilted, a good story is arranged haphazardly but beautifully illustrated by Howard Porter (who appears to have lost steam halfway through, and eventually hands things off to Mauro Cascioli for the final few issues).

- Blackest Night: Continues to be the mega-event that could, delivering on all cylinders when it comes to the main books as well as satellite titles. I liked the Titans issue so much, I just ordered the first trade paperback from Amazon.

- Marvel Books: I'm sort of over the doom and gloom of the Marvel Universe and its Dark Reign. Instead of planning to buy a run of books, I'm looking at them all in-store and actively dismissing or purchasing. Sad. (Old Man Logan's finale is being saved for the flight home).

- Superbooks: Still loving The World of New Krypton. I love how its an actual event, and not a flash in the pan.

- X-Books: Now that this whole Utopia/Dark Avengers mess is sorted out (I skipped most of it) I'm happy with the new status quo, and hope the book can returns to the high points of Messiah Complex. Mention of the Predators has me hopeful.

Is anyone actively reading Flash: Rebirth? Can a Flash novice who learned everything about the Speed Force from Justice League Unlimited pick it up and enjoy it?

bonjour/bon voyage

Hello Blog!

I am at the tail end of a much much much needed vacation.

Seven days ago I untethered myself from the computer, and flew with Boy over to Boston to stay with our friends Craig & Lisa, who were married almost a year ago.

They have an 80 year old house (the definition of "charm") in Arlington Heights that we treated as our own personal bed and breakfast, which a little town center accessible through a park that lines the lake across the street. They both kept apologizing for having to work while we're there, but there's nothing like sleeping in, waking up with nothing to do, brewing coffee, reading, and walking into town for lunch. The pedestrian-ness of it all really made me miss the east coast.

Now, don't get me wrong, you CAN be very pedestrian in LA, in fact one of my friends doesn't even own a car, but time is the key factor. I often don't have time to walk down the hill or take a bus, I need to get a book for work, get home, and finish said work.

After a few days of leisure in Boston (including a surprise visit by Boy's Dad and Stepmom), we took the train (yay! mass transit!) up to New Hampshire, where the leaves are already changing and the weather was getting chilly. We took in our annual Jonatha Brooke show with our friends Pierre and Andrea and have proceeded to be no-good layabouts for another few days. We leave tomorrow. I miss my dogs, but man, I needed this.

review: cloudy with a chance of meatballs 3D

belated birthday

I'm really having fun with these faux-toy portraits when I can squeeze them in! This is for Micka, Tobias' hubby.

today's loop

Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - Florence and The Machine
New In Town (Fred Falke Remix) - Little Boots
She Wolf - Shakira
Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
I Am Not A Robot - Marina & The Diamonds
We Are Golden (Original Radio Edit) - Mika
Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves (Remastered Version) - Eurythmics
Celebration - Madonna Celebration
Bulletproof - La Roux
Walking On a Dream - Empire of the Sun
My Delirium - Ladyhawke
Don't Trust Me - 3oh3

A very gay playlist with a decidedly straight finale.

Also, I'd like to buy this please: