Link of the Day [8.06.12]
Curiosity landed on Mars as you were sleeping. It’s awesome! No priority inversion issues. Nothing. Now to await photos and info of our red neighbor.
One small step, etc., etc.
Meat Seller
They eat a lot of meat in Germany.
I ate a lot of meat in Germany. I wish I didn’t. I could’ve used a salad or two. At least the pizza at Thursday’s lunch was something different.
Bread
I could go for a pretzel right now.
Picture is of the selection of pretzel bread available to you as you wander around Munich, Germany. What’s missing is the sandwiches that could be made with said bread. Schnitzel. Some ham. Some turkey. In America, we have wraps. In Germany, they wrap a pretzel around it.
I could go for a pretzel…
Link of the Day [8.01.12]
Sight and Sound magazine’s latest compilation list of the “greatest films of all time.”
Agree or disagree?
Discuss.
The Dark Knight Rises
You know how much I hated the previous installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, so it should come as a surprise that I found The Dark Knight Rises more palatable. Maybe I’m getting use to Nolan?
The main difference between the two Dark Knight films is that this one is actually as comic booky as could be. There’s a guy with a mask that talks funny, and it ain’t Darth Vader. There’s all kinds of comic book action: Batman gets his back broken! Then there’s all kinds of comic book plots like the back stabbing (literally!) twist in the end. Of course, I never read any Batman books so it all came as a surprise to me.
In the end though, it was decent but The Avengers kicks its ass.
3 of 5 stars.
The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya
This past weekend was the big anime convention in Baltimore, Otakon. One of their guests was the infamous Aya Hirano. She’s the voice actress for Haruhi Suzumiya. While there is no word about a third season of Haruhi, we still got the light novels. The latest light novel, The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Now the light novels in this series have followed a pattern after the first installment. There are two books of short stories followed by one book with a feature length story. The last feature length book, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, was the best so far. It featured Yuki in moe mode. The Intrigues comes a close second, and it featured Mikuru Asahina the moe maid of the SOS Brigade. While she could never beat out Yuki, Mikuru is so moe that you just got to love her like Kyon does.
The Intrigues follows Kyon as he finally goes back to save himself as he had done in Disappearance. Then he comes back to meet a version of Mikuru from eight days in the future sent back to the past by his future self. The bulk of the book involves adventures with eight day future Mikuru. Why did Kyon send her back from the future? And how does any of this have to do with the older, future, curvier Mikuru? Read the book as it was a great read.
This book added depth to the Haruhi universe. It expands the cast with the addition of an opposing faction against each of the SOS Brigade members. There’s a faction of time travelers who oppose Mikuru’s group. There’s a faction of ESPers that oppose Itsuki’s Agency. There’s another sentient alien being — Yuki watch out! It plays as a set up for the latter novels and makes the setting greater.
I sped through this book on my trip to Germany. I finished it up early in the week and I regret not having reread it again immediately. I even read it after having a few litres of beer!
After reading this installment of Haruhi, I wish to see another season of the anime. It would be awesome to get the rest of the short stories filled out, then we can get another Haruhi movie from this book. Please, please, please Kyo-ani, more Haruhi anime.
Mad As In Angry
Just got home from the Orioles game and a stunning loss to the hated Athletics. I am mad at how the whole thing went down. Mad at Zach Britton for giving up 4 runs in the first. Mad at that Socolovich character who gave up another 3 as the Orioles had taken the lead in the sixth. I am especially mad at Jim Johnson who blew a save and blows chunks since the All-Star game.
It was a game that should’ve been a W. Instead it was a blown opportunity to act like contenders. They battled back all night. Adam Jones is a true All-Star coming through with a lead taking 3 run homer in the fifth. He’s the only good player we have.
This loss was hard to take as we knocked those fuckers down every time. Coming back big time for the lead, but losing on the supposed best reliever. Jim Johnson blows and I still hate him. This loss I blame on the idiot kid who wanted extra innings, because it was always extra innings whenever it was fireworks night. As I told him, you always take a W whenever its given to you. Dumb kid jinxing the team.
At least I have another baseball story to tell. Another ball was hit my way. In the three years sitting in that section for season tickets it was the only night a ball came near, and by near I mean right at me, again.
Top of the sixth. One out. Athletics first baseman Parker up. I’m in Row 2 Section 10 Seat 3. The drunk kid in front of me, the couple on the end, and the kid on the wall. The crack of the bat. “Ball,” yells the kid in front of me! Woa, that’s head right this way! “Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit,” goes the kid in front of me. I think that it’s the dude’s on the end he’s got it. Except i carries some more. I’m gonna have to make a play! It curves in the air away from the end and is right to me, agan! I let it fall. The kid in front of me has it. I feel like a fool. Needed the nephew’s glove tonight. One more time, please.
Torrented: K-ON!
It’s been a long time since K-ON!! but finally K-ON! (the movie) has seen our shores. So in its legal form, K-ON! (the movie) will take another year to reach here. Come on Sentai and hurry up with the official US releases.
To catch up with the girls from Hokago Tea Time, it’s Mugi, Mio, Yui, Ritsu, and Azu-nyan doing their whole lot of nothing on a trip to London. But we also get to see them craft their song for Azusa, which is the best part.
The movie operates as a bridge from just after the Blu-Ray only episode 27 and takes us right to the end of their last day at school, episode 24. The girls decide to go on an after graduation trip, and use their pet turtle, Ton-chan, to decide where to go. It’s London just in time for the Olympics! They get into cute situations involving revolving sushi and Otokon in London. Yui spends lots of time thinking about the song. Azusa fears Yui is yuri. Mio watches circles. Mugi does as Mugi does. Ojo-sama. Ritsu? Not so much buchou as buchou!
Loved it. I miss their antics and thank kami-sama, we got a last few episodes. Yes, it was just like the show. Not too much and the small thread that kept it together made it bittersweet. There was some more music, and Death Devil was there. Sawa-chan-sensei rocks! Where’s my normal Sawako-sensei nendoroid in full Death Devil garb? The played some music: in London, twice, for their classmates in class, and for Azusa.
I guess I am going to have to save this to iPhone as well.
Fuwa fuwa time!
4 of 5 stars.
The animation was great too.
Link of the Day [7.25.12]
Funny review of the latest revision of OS X, Mountain Lion. It's even funnier, if you had read each and every review ArsTechnica did for each OS X version.
http://www.marco.org/2012/07/25/siracusa-mountain-lion-review-review