Median Review

Black Books

2013-03-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

Title: Black Books

Genre: Comedy
Created By: Dylan Moran
Starring: Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Tamsin Greig
TV Run: September 29, 2000 - April 15, 2004 (Channel 4)
Seasons: 3, Episodes: 18

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Available on Netflix
Recommended
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Oh here we go, don't you watch anything other than British TV shows?

Sorry, sorry. I have a huge affinity for British comedy and Black Books fits right in there. I actually found this show tangent with The IT Crowd. How are they connected? The brilliant Graham Linehan (@Glinner for you Twitter heads) is a writer for both of these series. So what's the story?

Image from Channel 4.

So you have this fellow, Bernard (played by Dylan Moran) who owns a book shop. Oh great, sounds fun. Well, he's about as indulgent as they come. Drinking, smoking, saying what's on his mind, bullying, being surly, and so on. His store is pretty run down and he doesn't really care about people actually buying anything.

I love how the Channel 4 character page describes Bernard, "The easiest way to describe Bernard would probably be: a smoking, drinking Irishman." (Channel 4)

Image from Channel 4.

Then you have his friend, Fran (played by Tamsin Greig). She runs a very two-sided character. On the one hand, she seems to be about the female equivalent of Bernard in terms of liking to smoke and being obnoxious when she drinks, but then she (I suppose when she's sober) she also puts on an air of being righteous and good.

Image from Channel 4.

Lovable Manny (played by Bill Bailey). The third main character. How do I explain Manny. He's a kind hearted guy, kind of slow on the uptake, tends to be a bit of a doormat, and has a (generally) positive view on the world. He is Bernard's favorite bully target throughout the series. He comes off as somewhat childish as well.

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I have to admit one thing about this show. The first time I watched it I liked it.. However! The second time I watched it I actually enjoyed it more than the first time I watched it. What does that mean?

For me this show ended up being what I call a phoenix show. Oh great here we go with the random analogies again. A phoenix show is a show that does alright the first time around, then you kind of forget about it. Suddenly, you decided to watch it again (perhaps out of boredom or spite or whatever) and the show shines much better the second time around. Sometimes this is associated with not appreciating everything the first time around, and going through a second time you are able to gloss over some of the lesser parts and focus on some of the more subtle humor. I don't know, but I liked it more the second time around.

The humor is very in line with what you would expect from a British comedy series. It is witty, often dry, sometimes obnoxious, sometimes intelligent, and sometimes pretty deadpan. As I said earlier, Graham Linehan is a writer for this series so if you enjoyed The IT Crowd, you'll likely enjoy the type of humor in this show as well.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

2013-03-04T11:08:00.000-06:00

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

ISBN: 0061577073 ISBN-13: 978-0061577079

Pages: 576

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Reissue edition (June 10, 2008)

Originally Published: 1998

Recommended

Immersive

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I have seen some people describe this book as feminist (well Barbara Kingsolver is a feminist) but I don't feel like it was heavy handed feminism. The style of the book is revolving viewpoints. Switching each chapter to the viewpoint of one of the different daughters.

A quick plot overview, a family goes on a mission trip to the Congo, the husband, Nathan Price a fundamentalist baptist minister, his wife Orleanna, and their four daughters: Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May. With each chapter we get a viewpoint from one of the different daughters (with a handful of chapters giving the viewpoint of the wife Orleanna).

This is one of those stories which shows the plights of people who are used to first world comforts trying to adjust to life in the Congo where they don't even have running water. The story takes place right before the "Congo Crisis" takes place and leads into that civil strife that occurs when that launches.

So with that let me launch into the characters.

Nathan Price

Nathan Price is the father in the family. He is a Baptist preacher and an extremely evangelical one at that. He fiercely preaches the word of God and is on a mission to save every person that he can. He tends to rule the family with an iron fist and expects them to walk with God. His character is one of the few that does not change in this book.

Orleanna Price

Orleanna is the mother of the family. Through much of the book she is the good wife that follows her husbands orders without question. She undergoes changes as the Congo begins to get to her, and towards the end of the novel we see her become very independent from her husband. She is a generally strong woman, but she is kept restrained for most of the early parts of the novel.

Rachel Price

The oldest daughter. She is the "perfect" one. Mostly in looks. She isn't portrayed as a particularly intelligent person, but she definitely is the best looker of the family. She is also the most vain of anyone in the family and spends a lot of time concerned about her appearance. We hear a lot of complaining from her when they move to the Congo for the mission trip and she doesn't have those comforts that she used to have in the US. She changes a fair bit through the story, and especially towards the end she becomes a very different person.

Leah Price

Technically the next oldest daughter, but she is the twin of Adah Price. Leah is one of the more complex characters in this novel. Towards the beginning of the book she is pretty much a daddy's girl and likes to follow him around when he's working. She also does her best to be a perfectly studious disciple of the Bible and does everything she can to make her father happy. She is one of the more intelligent of the bunch but at first worries a lot about being accepted. Towards the middle and the end of the novel we see her take charge of her life quite a bit and not worry about being accepted so much.

Adah Price

Probably my favorite character in the book. Adah is a twin with Leah but Adah was born with hemiplegia. She is easily the most intelligent of the group, but she keeps all of her intelligence to herself. She is witty and insightful. She struggles a lot with feeling like the "damaged goods" of the family.

She reads and writes the most of anyone in the family, and is quickly shown as the least religious of the bunch. She has a much more rational view of the world, and quickly falls away from trying to please her father. I always loved coming to chapters that were from her viewpoint. She is kind of quirky and pithy which I like.

Ruth May

The youngest daughter of the family. The baby. She is treated much as the baby. One great thing about Ruth May early on is her ability to adjust the easiest to the new Congo environment. While everyone else is self-conscious about being the only white people around, Ruth May is easily able to make friends and even pick up the language of the area fairly quickly. This is one of the great things about children, they are completely unprejudiced and are able to pick things up so quickly.

This book focuses a lot on the daughters in the family. In fact I think there are only a few chapters which go to the viewpoint of Orelanna, the wife, and there are no chapters at all from Nathan Price's viewpoint. The four daughters are so different in personality that it offers a great insight from different sides of the situations that are happening in the Congo.

I very much recommend this book. It provides a great look into the nature of differing cultures and how different cultures often have trouble accepting one another. There is a strong religious background to the book, since the main premise is that the father is a Baptist minister on a mission to convert everyone, but it isn't in your face Christianity. Instead, we get to see the battling forces of the native religions and this new religion trying to take over.

There is a little bit of political focus since this book does take place just before, during, and after the Congo Crisis, but the book itself is not overly political. Really it focuses more on the culture challenges of the regions. So pick it up if you have a chance, it's a great read!

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

2013-02-15T11:20:00.000-06:00

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Translator: Gregory Rabassa
ISBN: 0679444653 ISBN13: 978-0679444657
Pages: 448
Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism
Publisher: Everyman's Library (Hardcover, October 17, 1995)
Originally Published: 1967

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Recommended
Immersive
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Wow, this book is beautiful. I can see why it is so often cited as a great book. This is one of the most immersive books that I have read in a long time. The descriptions, the characters, the settings, and everything else all comes together beautifully. Again, I am reading this in translation, so I can't really comment on the original Spanish version, but the English translation here (I'm reading the Everyman's Library edition) is wonderful.

A word of warning, there are a lot of characters in this book. Not only are there are a lot of characters but the character's names are all very similar to one another. The book follows several generations of a family, (which is what makes for the common character naming), rising and falling over the years. This provides for an interesting story line because you follow one family through several generations.

I would recommend getting a character list, perhaps from Sparknotes or the like, which will make it slightly less painful to keep track of all the characters. I made the mistake of thinking that I could keep track of every character and I ended up asking myself, "Okay which one is this again?" Unfortunately, this book is not available as a Kindle edition, because if it was you could use X-Ray to help keep track easier.

This is a heavily character driven book as most of the action takes place in the same locale of Macondo. Marquez does a beautiful job of creating all these generations of characters, giving each a personality, developing their character, and forming character conflicts all of which brings the story together. I highly recommend this book, but be prepared for the long character list.

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

2013-02-13T17:29:00.000-06:00

Title: Kung Fu Hustle (2004) (R)

Starring: Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Qiu Yuen
Director: Stephen Chow
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Action, Fantasy
Rotten Tomatoes: Critic: 90%, Audience: 85%
IMDB: 7.7/10
Language: Cantonese
Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

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Recommended
Subtitled
Available on Crackle.
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I feel like this movie is a little underrated. The people who have heard of it love it, and most other people simply haven't heard of it. It wasn't exactly a blockbuster, but it is an extremely charming movie.

This movie centers on the character Sing (played by Stephen Chow) who tries to act tougher than he really is. He wants so badly to join the "axe gang", but he is generally incapable of doing anything without screwing up. Add into this his friend Bone (played by Chi Chung Lam) who is completely incapable of any intelligent thought, and you have a pair constantly overshadowed by despair.

This movie is hilarious. It is very slapstick type of humor, and there are plenty of parts where I would be laughing uncontrollably. I wouldn't really call this a.. realistic movie.. as it does have fantasy elements (especially in fight scenes), but it is a great movie to watch nonetheless.

The action is decent, the humor of the movie adds a nice twist to the fight scenes, and all in all the movie is incredibly enjoyable to watch. There are of course versions of this movie available with dubbed English, but I am personally not a fan of watching dubbed movies. So if you have the opportunity I would recommend watching it in Cantonese with English subtitles.

As of this post I don't believe this movie was available for streaming on Netflix or Amazon Instant Video, but if it is available for purchase from your various streaming providers. This is definitely worth checking out, especially if you like a little kung fu action. This is definitely a stylized kung fu movie, but it is sure to leave your sides most assuredly split from laughter.

This movie is available on Crackle for free streaming.

Dream Theater - Octavarium (2005)

2013-02-11T13:51:00.000-06:00

Artist: Dream Theater

Album: Octavarium

Genre: Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal

Released: June 7, 2005

Label: Atlantic Records

Track Listing

The Root of All Evil (8:25)
The Answer Lies Within (5:33)
These Walls (7:36)
I Walk Beside You (4:29)
Panic Attack (8:13)
Never Enough (6:46)
Sacrificed Sons (10:42)
Octavarium (24:00)

Recommended

Relistenable

Available on Spotify

Dream Theater is one of those bands that I adore. They have gone through some lineup changes in recent years, but they have always been one of the most prominent progressive rock bands in the world. An interesting tidbit about the construction of the Octavarium album is the key structure for the songs.

Music theory time. An octave is the interval between two pitches. So on a piano you'd have 8 naturals (white keys) and 5 accidentals (black keys).

A-A#-B-C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F#-G-G#-A (higher octave) For example.

In addition to this, Octavarium would be Dream Theater's eighth studio album coming just after the release of their fifth live album. So taking this into account they decided to construct each song on the album in a different key.

So off we go into the track breakdown, the last one will take a while at 24 minutes. (:

Track 1: The Root of All Evil (8:25)

We start with a single low piano note followed by some shifty sound effects. Get a little guitar strum here and there with a few drum hits as the weird sound effects continue. Drum picks up prominence as electric guitar is added. Then it breaks into the first main riff at about 1:00.

At 1:28 James LaBrie enters with his vocals as we continue that solid guitar and drum rhythm. There's this creepy sound effect riding in the background as these verse riffs continue.

3:01 my favorite part of the song. We get a more gentle drum beat with the guitar riding forward as the vocals swell into a sort of echo effect. Petrucci follows up with some wah effect added. The song breaks back into that first riff around 3:49.

5:18 we break into a little instrumental part. Petrucci and keyboards go insane for a few moments before the keyboard goes into a little solo effect run. 6:00 a little guitar solo comes on board.

6:26 it returns to my favorite part with the driving drum beat and the nice vocal part. 6:51 the wah guitar adds in along with the vocals. 7:48 it quiets down into a soft piano line which leads the song out towards the next song.

Track 2: The Answer Lies Within (5:33)

This track starts very softly with a little bird chirping in the background a church bell soon adds. It leads into a gentle piano line preceding LaBrie's vocals. Much of this song is dominated by LaBrie and this piano line.

1:22 a clean guitar strum joins in along with a light orchestra string line. We still have that piano running in the background with LaBrie. This is one of the more mellow songs on the album.

2:28 we get a stronger more distorted guitar, but it's still held back and calm. Vocal swell around 3:25. At 3:37 the vocals drop out and a soft orchestral line takes front stage. 4:03 LaBrie reenters with his vocals, that gentle distorted guitar following behind him.

Starting at 4:50 the vocals drop out again and the clean guitar strum, piano, and orchestral line lead us softly out of the song.

Track 3: These Walls (7:36)

One of my favorite songs on the album. The drums of Portnoy dominate much of this song. We start the song with a really dirty distorted guitar sound. It shortly kicks into a proper guitar riff and Portnoy busts in at 0:32 with his extraordinary drum work.

This is one of those songs that I am always air drumming. 1:03 we get a lovely hi-hat run on the drum with a clean guitar line in the back. LaBrie enters at 1:18. Portnoy keeps that splendid hi-hat work going throughout the verse.

1:49 the tension begins to rise before exploding into the main chorus line around 2:04. At 2:36 we jump back to that splendid Portnoy hi-hat drum line. 3:21 the song shifts back into that pre-chorus line before jumping into the chorus at 3:37.

4:08 we come to the mid-section of the song. Much of the instrumentation is dominated by Portnoy's driving drum line and a soft piano line in the back. 4:38 we get that hi-hat run along with a gentle guitar solo. 5:08 back into that pre-chorus again. 5:55 that little guitar solo starts up again in the background.

I love the ending starting at 6:27. We get some splash hits and heavy drum work. A boisterous string line takes center stage with the song being dominated again by Portnoy. The song ends with a heart beat sound and some funky sound effects leading into the next song.

Track 4: I Walk Beside You (4:29)

Another song dominated by Portnoy's drum work. This song starts with a little ticking clock song before Petrucci starts up with a killer guitar riff and Portnoy starts a killer drum beat. 0:21 we get Portnoy's brilliant hi-hat work as LaBrie also enters with his vocals.

This is another song that I air drum. Pre-chorus 0:50 with Portnoy stretching out the drum hits before leading into the main chorus where his drumming sounds very stretchy. Stretchy in that the snare beats tend to fall on the off beats.

We get that lovely hi-hat work of Portnoy again before breaking into the chorus again at 2:26 or so. 2:54 we get a nice vocal break where LaBrie is joined by some extended backing vocals.

Mike Portnoy is easily one of my all time favorite drummers.

The vocals drop out around 4:00 as the instrumentation leads us outward to the next song.

Track 5: Panic Attack (8:13)

One of the more head trippy songs. We start with a killer bass riff, pounding guitar and drum quickly add into the fray. The tempo in this song definitely goes through the roof. This is another of my favorite songs on the album.

LaBrie enters around 0:50. We get this nice drum beat showing off Portnoy's hi-hat prowess. 1:27 we get this nice tempo break as things kind of slow down a little. 1:43 everything comes back in and the tempo still runs at a furious tempo. 2:09 we get that intro riff again with bass, drum, and guitar plowing ahead.

2:32 we get this great guitar and drum line that add nicely to the vocal line. 2:55 the tension rises. 3:18 we get that gentle break again in the tempo before kicking back in at 3:26.

3:52 we get this vocal change where the vocals take prominence. We still have that driving drum beat in the background with the bass. 4:30 we kick back to that initial heavy drum, guitar, and bass line from the beginning. Here though we start to lead into a instrumental part with the keyboard taking the solo at 4:57. 5:20 we get Petrucci insanely fast picking solo. He loves those rapid pick parts. (:

5:42 things calm down a little. 6:13 we go back to that chorus line. 6:51 again to that intro riff. The following minute of the song is dominated by that bass, drum, and guitar line until 7:14. The car crashes into the side rail and things mellow down. Queue random sound effects until the end of the track.

Track 6: Never Enough (6:46)

This track starts with some trippy sound effect in the beginning followed quickly by Portnoy and Petrucci. The initial guitar riff to this song is pretty wicked. 0:30 we get LaBrie entering as the guitar backs off a little. Portnoy's drums are really restrained in the song.

1:15 we get a chorus like line. With the guitar dragging out the tempo. 1:56 we get that killer guitar riff again from the beginning. 2:04 we get a sort of verse line with a brilliant drum part. Petrucci follows the vocals in the background with much of how his beloved rapid picking.

2:48 we stretch out again as the tempo mellows down. The vocals take center stage. 3:31 trippy sound effects. 3:45 guitar soloesque line enters really taking shape at 4:15. Petrucci goes into his insane speed mode again here. 4:45 we break out into a more gentle sound.

5:15 LaBrie reenters. We get that mellow stretched tempo. 5:56 we get that intial guitar riff again with the drum continuing to drive in the background. 6:15 things break down into weird sound effects. This slowly drops in volume leading into a foreign language towards the end of the track which leads us into the next track.

Track 7: Sacrificed Sons (10:42)

This song starts with a foreign language rambling in the background followed by news clips being overlaid on top. This song feels the most politically charged. 0:57 we get a solo piano line, very soft followed by a gentle drum beat. 1:16 LaBrie enters.

1:55 a soft string line joins LaBrie as his vocals soften. 2:16 vocals drop out as we get some trippy sound doing a bit of a melody. 2:35 LaBrie reenters with a more aggressive guitar line restrained in the background.

2:57 we get a chorus line dominated by LaBrie's vocals. 3:35 we get that trippy melody line.

4:13 get this really dirty bass line. A wicked guitar riff adds on top. The drum line drills onward in the back. This part is dominated by the instruments. 5:04 trippy keyboard solo line. 5:46 the guitar starts revving up. The guitar really starts around 6:02 with the solo line.

6:25 things calm a little bit as we get a very gentle melody line here. 7:01 we get the guitar taking charge. LaBrie comes back in around 7:50. Chorus again around 8:25. The song is dominated by LaBrie and that trippy melody line. 9:31 the instruments take over again as the vocals drop out. The end of the song drives to the finish with the guitar and strings before dropping out completely.

Track 8: Octavarium (24:00)

Title track of the album. Also the longest. Really, you could probably break this song into several distinct sections. These are not "official" sections to the song, just the ones that I felt like pointing out.

Section 1 (0:00 - 3:47)

The song enters with a very soft line which is dominated by the keyboard. Much of the beginning of the song runs through this trippy keyboard section. This is one of the more mellow parts of the song. Very ambient sounding.

Section 2 (3:47 - 8:46)

Portnoy takes charge here drilling in with some nice drum springing in on the splash. 4:22 we get a gentle clean guitar strum. A soft wind instrument drives the melody line here. 5:16 a more straight forward guitar arpeggio line. 5:32 LaBrie enters with his vocals. We get a gentle piano line along with the vocals as well.

7:58 things pick up as the guitar becomes more pronounced and the vocals swell. Portnoy continues driving in the back with his drum line.

Section 3 (8:46 - 12:15)

This section begins dominated by the drum and bass. This is one of my favorite parts of the song. We get a nice piano line going in the back as well. 9:17 LaBrie enters with his vocals. We still have that great bass line and drum running in the background. 9:28 nice little drum hi-hat fill.

10:39 we get that drum and bass line from earlier in this section.

Section 4 (12:15 - 13:49)

The keyboard breaks in here with the drum and keyboard dominating the line. This is my favorite drum part of the song. Portnoy really goes to town here.

Section 5 (13:49 - 16:00)

The guitar reenters with a vengeance here. Portnoy continues driving a brilliant drum part in the back as LaBrie comes back in on vocals. 14:27 one of my favorite parts we get back and forth vocals with Portnoy pounding the splash cymbals.

15:07 nice little drum hi-hat fill again. This part is really dominated strongly by Portnoy's brilliant drum work. 15:40 LaBrie drops out and the sound is dominated by Portnoy, Petrucci, and a trippy line in the background.

Section 6 (16:00 - 18:28)

The guitar and keyboard take over here before Portnoy joins in the crowd. The guitar riff drives the tension forward until 16:28 when it breaks into this sort of cyclical sounding riff. 16:47 guitar soloesque part. 16:57 the keyboard joins the guitar in a really rapid fire riff.

17:51 we get this nice little clean guitar melody run before things break back into the distortion. 18:07 we lead into a more driving guitar riff before falling back into that rapid run at 18:18.

Section 7 (18:28 - 20:00)

Things mellow a bit here. LaBrie reenters with his vocals. The sound is dominated by LaBrie, Petrucci, and Portnoy's drumming. 19:32 vocal swell.

Section 8 (20:00 - 24:00)

Things mellow again as we enter a more orchestral sounding part. 20:38 LaBrie comes in on vocals again. That string line continues strongly in the background. 21:28 guitar solo. 23:15 or so things start drawing to a close. The sound really calms down and drops to almost nothing around 23:40 where we just have this single piano note as trippy sound effects come back in again. These lead out the track.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

2013-02-08T11:53:00.000-06:00

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Translators: Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O'Connor
ISBN: 0679760806 ISBN13: 978-0679760801
Pages: 372
Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism
Publisher: Vintage (Paperback, March 19, 1996)
Originally Published: 1966
Original Language: Russian

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Well, this was an interesting book. I would call this a semi page turner. That is, at certain points I was railing through pages, but other times I didn't feel the need to read the next chapter right away.

The basic premise of this book is that Satan comes to Moscow and starts screwing with people. That's my one sentence summary of this book. Is it funny? Absolutely. Is it thoughtful? Certainly. It is difficult to do a character break down in this book because there are a fair number of characters.

Really, this is more of a plot driven book since the characters are developed very quickly and don't go through much of a character progression. The book is a political critique of the literary establishment of Soviet society at the time. It also takes a shot at the heavy handed bureaucracy of the Soviet Union.

There is a double plot line running through this book. The main plot line is Satan and his retinue screwing with citizens, but there is another plot line that does a retelling of the story of Pontius Pilate and the crucifixion of Jesus. No, it's not a heavy handed religious punch, it really focuses more on Pilate himself and lesser so on Jesus. So, don't be scared away by the religious inference there if that sort of thing bothers you.

I read the Burgin/O'Connor translation of the book which is supposedly one of the better translations of the novel. I can't really say for sure since I unfortunately can't read in Russian. The prose was written very well in the translation (I can only imagine what it was like in its original Russian).

This book fits into the genre of magical realism and I couldn't help but think of Haruki Murakami while I was reading this. I'm not saying at all that Bulgakov is analogous to Murakami, but it certainly had a similar feel. After all, one of the main characters in the story is the devil who messes with people so there is definitely some black magic going on throughout the novel.

The book is definitely a head trip, but I don't want to give too much of the plot away. It is fairly philosophical, but it's not heavy handed in that respect. The philosophical undertones glide along nicely in the background.

I definitely recommend this book, and I hope you enjoy it as well!

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

2013-02-06T11:37:00.000-06:00


Image from thetvdb, creator equiv

Title: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (TV-MA)

Genre: Comedy
Created By: Rob McElhenney
Starring: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito
TV Run: August 4, 2005 - Present (FX)
Seasons: 8, Episodes:94 (As of this posting)

--
Recommended
Seasons 1-7 available on Netflix
--

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of those shows that I had heard about for a long time but never got around to watching. Well, once I started watching it I ended up watching the whole series within a couple of weeks.

It it brash, it is hilarious, it is straight in your face, and they take no prisoners. I hate to use the term "they go there" but this show certainly goes there without hesitation. It revolves around "the gang" a group of friends that own a bar called Paddy's Pub. It follows their daily lives which often has them hatching idiotic schemes which they try to make work.

Let's take a look at the main characters.

Image from the tvdb, creator LaTropa64.

Charlie Kelly (Played by Charlie Day)

Loveable Charlie. Probably one of my favorite characters in the series. Charlie is.. let's say less than average intelligence. He does a lot of what the gang calls "Charlie work" around the bar which is things like cleaning toilets and cleaning rat traps. He is pretty naive and gullible, but he has a heart of gold. It's really difficult not to like Charlie.

Image from the tvdb, creator LaTropa64.

Mac (Played by Rob McElhenney)

Mac is one of the more complex characters in this series. His primary job the bar is being a sort of bouncer (though we never really see him bounce anyone). He has an affinity for martial arts which he isn't skilled in but thinks he is skilled. He is the only pseudo religious one of the bunch. Mac is generally seen as less intelligent but not as bad as our friend Charlie.

Image from the tvdb, creator LaTropa64.

Dennis Reynolds (Played by Glenn Howerton)

I like to call Dennis the "hound dog" of the group. He is generally displayed as the most intelligent in the group (though this is all relative). He is also the most vain and is constantly concerned about still being able to attract women even though he is starting to age. Dennis is often drafted as a pseudo leader in the group and the others seem to kind of follow his lead.

Image from the tvdb, creator LaTropa64.

Dee Reynolds (Played by Kaitlin Olson)

Oh, sweet Dee. The most "aww they're so mean to her" character (with exception to "The Waitress" character which I'm not including in this post). Her character is similar to the Dennis character (who is her brother) in terms of vanity, but she always tries to exhume some amount of morality into the group. The gang often makes fun of her for looking like a bird. She is the go to for when the gang needs to make fun of someone.

Image from the tvdb, creator LaTropa64.

Frank Reynolds (Played by Danny DeVito)

Frank Reynolds. We actually don't see his character enter until the second season, but he immediately takes on an important role in the group dynamics. He is the midlife-crisis I want to act like I'm younger again person. He also has tons of money, which makes it much easier for the group to accept him so easily. Frank Reynolds is one of those characters who is completely off the rails. Like.. completely off.. in the ditch.. smelling road kill type off the rails.

--

This series is actually still airing and as of this posting I believe it has been renewed for another couple of seasons. If you're looking for a funny show that isn't afraid to delve into the more abrasive side of things this is one to see. For me, the show started a little shaky but as I watched more episodes it grew on me very quickly.

This is a very inside joke heavy show. Jokes will be presented in earlier episodes and will be referred to multiple times throughout the rest of the seasons, so while I don't think you really have to watch the episodes in order I think it helps. The characters are lovable and the schemes they end up in are hilarious. This is one of the few shows that I watch where I'm pretty sure I laugh multiple times during every episode.

Enjoy!

Adrift in Tokyo (2007)

2013-02-04T20:44:00.000-06:00

Title: Adrift in Tokyo (2007) (NR)

Starring: Jô Odagiri, Tomokazu Miura, Kyôko Koizumi
Director: Satoshi Miki

Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes: Critic: No Ratings, Audience: 87%
IMDB: 7.3/10
Language: Japanese
Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

--
Subtitled
Recommended
Available on Netflix
--

Here's another random one for you. This is another example of random gems on Netflix. I do have a certain affinity for foreign movies, and Japanese movies in particular I enjoy. That being said many of the Japanese movies available on Netflix fall under two categories: horror and anime. I'm not a huge fan of horror, so you probably won't seem too many of those reviewed here, but this movie is just a good old comedy.

The basic premise of this movie circles around a college student who is down on his luck. He has no friends or family and spends his time alone. To make matters worse he ends up in debt. In the very first scene of the movie, we see this debt collector aggressively try to get payments out of our main character.

So.. this is like a gangster movie? No, far from. Yes, there is the rough debt collector person who definitely acts kind of gangster.. but the plot quickly delineates from this. The debt collector Fukuhara makes our main character, Fumiya Takemura a deal to settle his debt. In order to settle his debt, all Fumiya has to do is go for a walk with Fukuhara.

Wait.. a walk that's it? That's it. As long as he goes for a walk through Tokyo, he will clear the debt. Now, the reason behind this walk becomes evident as the movie progresses, and I don't want to spoil the movie by providing further details on that.

Fumiya agrees to the deal and they head out on their walk together. This is where the hilarity ensues, and Fukuhara ends up going to visit many past acquaintances. As the walk occurs there is a lot of philosophical type banter that goes on between the two, and ultimately the movie sheds an interesting light on the nature of life and human interactions.

This was kind of a pleasant surprise of a movie for me, and I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. However, it did very well, is paced well, and has plenty of comedy injected throughout. Certainly worth a watching if you are looking for something different.

Enjoy!

Epica - Requiem for the Indifferent (2012)

2013-02-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

Artist: Epica

Album: Requiem for the Indifferent

Genre: Symphonic Metal, Progressive Metal, Gothic Metal Released: March 13, 2012
Label: Nuclear Blast America

Track Listing:

Karma (1:33)
Monopoly of Truth (7:11)
Storm the Sorrow (5:12)
Delirium (6:08)
Internal Warfare (5:13)
Requiem for the Indifferent (8:34)
Anima (1:25)
Guilty Demeanor (3:22)
Deep Water Horizon (6:33)
Stay the Course (4:25)
Deter the Tyrant (6:38)
Avalanche (6:53)
Serenade of Self-Destruction (9:55) (Instrumental)
Twin Flames (5:02) (US Bonus Track)

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Recommended
Relistenable
Spotify (Note: this has the vocal version of track 13 and doesn't include track 14)
--

It is difficult for me to say that I have a favorite band. It is difficult for me to even list a top 10 of bands that I like. However, Epica is definitely near the top of any list I may have. It is rare that I preorder new albums from bands, but when I saw this new one coming from Epica I preordered it the first day it was available.

I am reviewing the US Version of this album, which as far as I can tell has two differences from other versions. The first difference is that track 13 has no vocals on it. There are actually two different versions that I have heard of this, the US album version is more or less an instrumental, and the other version adds in vocals from Simone and Mark Jansen.

The other difference is the bonus track, Twin Flames, which doesn't appear on other versions of the album.

I am certainly a fan of symphonic metal, and Epica is one of the premiere bands when it comes to this genre. Simone's vocals are glorious, Jansen adds that nice growl counterpoint, and the overall instrumentation work on the tracks is outstanding. So let's get to the track breakdown.

Track 1: Karma (1:33)

We start with a sort of "intro" track. Dominated by solid symphonic strings and a pounding drum. The strings sing throughout until around 0:39 when we get the chorus vocals. They start harmonizing on the upper end at first, and then the more bass, baritones, and tenors kick in. They combine together adding back in that drum and symphonic backing. The tension builds as the vocals start to stretch, and then we get kicked into the next track.

Track 2: Monopoly of Truth (7:11)

I love how the first track is soft and symphonic and then you get sort of kicked in the teeth (in a good way) when it transitions to this track. Immediately we have a driving guitar line and the drums kick off a rapid beat, the bass drum pounding with the snares. We still have that symphonic backing of horns in the background. Around 0:34 Simone enters with her vocals, Jansen joins in at around 0:42 with his counterpoint growls.

Jansen groups with a bass chorus vocal backing. 1:15, I love this part. We get a pounding snare with the guitar kicking up a fast strum. The pounding snares and fast strum breaks out and Simone enters again with her beautiful vocals. We get a sort of break with the chorus vocals breaking things up before we get that pounding snare with driving rhythm guitar.

2:30 we get a nice counterpoint between Jansen and those choral backings. 2:50 we get my favorite line, with the pounding snare and the fast strum guitar. It breaks out again around 3:00 when Simone enters.

3:17 we get this nice syncopated guitar that breaks back into a faster strum guitar leading with Jansens vocals. Soon after we break into the choral vocals. 3:45 the song softens as Simone flows with her vocals along with a gentle choral backing. 4:03 we get that driving guitar again, this time with a strong horn backing.

4:23 is probably my favorite part on the album. We get this driving guitar and the pounding snare comes back in. Simone comes back in with her vocals, the drums drive hard with female choral vocals backing Simone's vocals as she flourishes over this part. 4:43 we get a little quick guitar solo run, and the bass drum starts driving hard here as Simone comes back in. The choral vocals adding a little back and forth in the background.

5:52 we get this nice driving drum line with the guitar backing before it softens at 6:01 again with Simone coming in with a staccato string line behind her. 6:19 we get a nice little guitar solo. 6:37 we have Simone and the choral background coming together, the horns slowly rising. The song gently starts to fade out with pounds of the drum.

Track 3: Storm the Sorrow (5:12)

This song enters with the drums hitting the splash symbols. They fade as Simone enters, her vocals dominating now with the rhythm guitar gently backing her. We get a nice vocal flourish from Simone before it hits into the next verse. A soft choral counterpoint adds to her vocals, with the rhythm guitar continuing its driving riff.

1:22 we get that vocal flourish again as Simone drives the lyrics forward, with the soft choral backing. Around 1:44 we get this weird vocal bend that surprised me at first. I'm not sure if this was added in post mixing or if Simone actually sings that vocal trill.

2:44 I always starting singing along here as Simone drives up the intensity of the vocals. 3:03 we get that gentle vocal slide. It sounds like a half-step slide down then back up. 3:28 we get Jansen adding his customary growls with a cleaner vocal on top.

3:49 gentle piano with Simone's lovely vocals. 4:17 we get the drums kicking back in. 4:48 we start getting the driving strings and thumping snare drum as Simone's vocals still flare over the top, the song ends with a nice string run.

Track 4: Delirium (6:08)

We start with a nice hummed choral line here. I always ending up singing along to this part when I'm in the car. Around 0:41 we get a soft piano line that adds itself. Around 0:52 we get Simone's lovely vocals. This song definitely capitalizes on Simone's vocals. Much of the song is dominated by her vocal line. 1:24 we get a hair raising vocal drop by Simone. That is, she goes probably to the lowest end of her vocal register. The hair stood up on the back of my neck the first time I heard that. She quickly comes back up into her regular register afterwards.

2:07 we get a combination of Simone and those choral vocals. We hear a little more soft guitar around 2:27, just a gentle chord strum. Around 2:59 we get a gentle drum beat added to the mix. That piano line continues throughout. 3:23 we get the combined vocals again of Simone and the choral voices. 3:39 we get a more aggressive rhythm guitar here. They basically add a little distortion to the chord strums. 4:13 we get a more driving drum beat with vocals leading into a guitar solo around 4:23.

Simone enters back in 4:47. The vocals slowly fade out around 5:32 and we get the soft piano line that continues until the end of the song.

Track 5: Internal Warfare (5:13)

Again, we are kind of kicked in the teeth (in a good way) at this track transition. Immediately we get a hard bass drum kick with pounding snare and symbols. A driving rhythm guitar rips through with a nice symphonic backing. 0:41 we get Simone entering with this wicked guitar riff. We also get this bottom dropping bass added to the bottom of the sound.

1:25 we get the driving bass drum cranking along with the distortion guitar with Simone's vocals on top. Quickly kicking back up into that aggressive drum line. The drum is backed by driving strings and horns. 2:01 we get that bottom dropping out bass. I have a hard time identifying it but it absolutely shudders the low end frequency. 2:33 we start getting this back and forth with the choral vocals. 2:52 we get a driving guitar riff with choral vocals hitting in every now and then.

3:17 we get Jansen's growls coming in backed by the hard driving guitar line. 3:58 we get this solo guitar run where it kind of gets doubled up. Quickly getting backed by a similar string line. 4:19 Simone comes back in with that kicking drum line. The back and forth choral line continues in the background. 4:40 we get a nice choral vocal flourish, with Simone continuing her vocals until the song slowly winds down towards the end of the song.

Track 6: Requiem for the Indifferent (8:34)

Title track of the album. We start with a clean distortion guitar riff running and.. a sitar? Or something like that? We get the drums entering in around 0:29 with Simone sneaking in little vocal lines here and there.

Much of the beginning of the song is pretty instrumental, again with that clean distortion guitar. The heaviest guitar picks up at 1:16. The distortion is turned up and we get this nice driving guitar riff with kicking bass drum behind it. Jansen enters first around 1:38 with Simone quickly added afterwards.

2:19 we get the combined Simone and choral vocals with the guitar still driving in the background. Nice counterpoint vocal part at 2:34. Driving riff takes over at 2:43. This is one of those air guitar moments. 2:58 Jansen enters with Simone closely following.

4:01 we get some strong growls from Jansen. The drum is still driving hard in the background with the guitar line still flowing hard. 4:17 we get a sort of guitar break. With a driving riff that swells to more rapid picking then backs off. Choral enters 4:36 on top of this back and forth guitar. 4:56 we get this really fast guitar line that drives on top of the symphony. 5:20 fast picking guitar with choral vocals again driving forward.

The carpet gets pulled out from under you at 5:49 when the song suddenly mellows. A soft guitar line and gentle riding drum line. Some nice drum fills are scattered throughout here. 6:38 we get Simone. Probably the most powerful vocals of the track. 6:54 the hammer is dropped as Jansen enters again and the guitar picks up.

7:17 they pull the carpet again. Gentle string line followed by the choral vocals coming back in with the guitar picking up a little. 8:03 we get that driving guitar riff again with the choral vocals taking front stage here. This continues driving through to the end of the track.

Track 7: Anima (1:25)

I kind of call this an intermission track. Sort of how the first track was an "intro" track, this completely breaks the tension from the first half of the album which was really kicking us in the teeth (in a good way). A very soft piano line with gentle strings runs throughout this track.

Track 8: Guilty Demeanor (3:22)

Alright bring the hammer again. This track doesn't start with a kick in the teeth, but we get that boisterous drum line and guitar entering in with the high tension symphony backing again. Around 0:34 we get Simone's vocals entering in backed by a very fast guitar riff. 0:48 Jensen adds a nice growl counterpoint.

Simone's vocals dominate this track. We still have that choral backing around 1:04 with a nervous string line before Simone enters again dominating the soundscape. We get a back and forth between this choral vocal line and Simone singing throughout much of the track. 2:12 we get this nice string line before Simone enters. 2:37 Simone crescendos nicely before backing off a little. The song ends with Simone holding a note while the choral vocals drive through to the end of the track.

Track 9: Deep Water Horizon (6:33)

We start with a soft cello and a moving clean guitar pick riff. Simone enters around 0:15 completely dominating the sound. She has one of the more powerful voices that I often hear from symphonic metal artists.

0:54 we get the drum entering in with a nice string line added on top of those beautiful Simone vocals, still have that driving clean guitar riff behind. 1:23 they add a distortion guitar as the vocal swell with Simone's vocals continuing to drive the song.

2:02 the vocals drop as we get this transition point. Simone enters back in with a harder guitar backing her vocals. We still have that running clean guitar line behind. 3:16 we get this nice rolling choral vocal line. The guitar picks up again momentarily then slides back into the rolling vocals.

3:34 we break off into this string instrumental part. The drum adds a little drumroll in the background before the disotrtion kicks back in 3:49. The strings continue to dominate until 3:56 when the lead guitar rips off into a rapid riff. Jensen enters shortly after. 4:11 we get the horns, the drums drive with the bass as they take the melody. 4:26 we get a nice little guitar solo. 4:41 the strings take over. Still have that driving guitar riff on top of everything. Jensen adds 5:02 with his growls a rapid guitar line here.

5:17 we get Simone back again with a nice guitar riff backing along with her. We get that driving bass drum with Simone again dominating the vocals, the soft symphony still backing her through towards the end of the track.

Track 10: Stay the Course (4:25)

We immediately start with a hard guitar riff and that drummer kicking off a nice beat. The symphony strings add to the mix before Jensen enters around 0:20. We get little vocal flourishes just after here from Simone. She doesn't enter fully just yet.

0:37 she sneaks in a little vocal line before we drop back to the guitar and strings. Jensen picks up again at 0:58. Again those little vocal lines sneak in from Simone. 1:15 we start with Simone's main vocal line. This is probably my favorite Simone vocal line of the whole album. She really lets it flow here. We get a driving symphonic line and bass line run behind those vocals.

I get chills at many points in Simone's vocals lines, and this track has some of the strongest Simone vocal work on the album. Jensen enters again around 2:10. We get this swelling guitar line before Simone enters again 2:27 with very gentle vocals. 2:35 we get Jansen dropping the hammer again. 2:52 we get a drop in the vocals as the guitar, strings, and choral vocals take over again. Back to the original driving line with the guitar and symphony from earlier in the song.

3:27 we get Simone's vocals. Almost solo. A very gentle string line follows her. We get the guitar and bass drum kicking back in 3:42. We get this lovely hard string line behind here where they are really grinding those violins. The song slowly starts to wind down as Simone's vocals fade towards the end.

Track 11: Deter the Tyrant (6:38)

We start with a really solid guitar riff here with the drums adding a nice counter point. We added a driving rhythm guitar line with that sick lead guitar still until 0:32. 0:34 we get Simone entering in still with that driving rhythm guitar behind. Soft choral vocals flourish behind her. They dominate along with that guitar line until around 1:02 when Simone enters.

We get that back and forth between the guitar lines and the choral lines. Simone enters around 1:34 driving the vocal intensity up here a little. 1:51 or so her vocals drop back out and we are dominated by the guitar lines. There is a lot of this back and forth between that guitar riff and Simone's vocals.

2:38 Simone really picks up the vocal intensity. Especially at 2:48. We get a gentle symphonic string line with the drum kicking the bass hard either. 3:08 we get a nice harmony line with Simone and that choral vocal background. Jensen adds at 3:22. We get that vocal harmony line with Simone and the choral vocals.

Vocal line break at 3:51. We get this gentle drum line with a guy ranting in a foreign language (Arabic maybe?). 4:02 that drops out as Simone comes back in with a gentle vocal line. The intensity picks up at 4:34 when Jensen enters back in and the distortion guitar ramps it up a notch.

5:03 we get a vocal drop out. We get some Jensen vocals followed by the ranting foreign language guy. We get this really sick guitar riff running along here picking up to a soloesque part at 5:24. The standard Simone line comes back in 5:56 with the intensity building. The drum line starts kicking hard at 6:11 on the bass. The song ends with Simone's vocals and Jensen adding a final growl at the end.

Track 12: Avalanche (6:53)

This song starts very gently. Very gently. This really soft instrumental part begins everything with a nice string line adding a little later. The strings flourish around 0:38 driving the melody. Chilling vocals from Simone around 0:59. Her vocals dominate here as they often do. A gentle clean guitar backs her vocals.

1:42 we get the drum adding to the mix. The song is still dominated by Simone's vocals with that clean guitar backing. 2:13 we add the distortion guitar. 2:21 get Jensen as the guitar picks up speed on its riff. The drum picks up speed again before everything mellows again at 2:36 with a sudden slow down. Simone dominates the vocals again here.

3:12 we get Jensen and that hard driving guitar line. Simone adds at 3:28 this time with a harder edge to her vocals being backed by that heavy guitar riff. 3:47 we get this really fast guitar line with Simone adding upper register vocals on top. 4:04 we get a sort of instrumental break as the guitar riff changes.

Everything comes back together at around 4:20 when Simone enters. Vocals drop out again at 4:29 as the instrumentals take over. Guitar and strings dominating now. Jensen adds at 4:45. That fast guitar pick line again at 4:57. Simone adds upper register vocals again with choral backing her that guitar line drilling in the background.

5:15 things calm down. The sound is dominated by the strings here. 5:27 the guitar picks up again as Simone reenters with her vocals. Jensen adds his counterpoint growls along this line. 5:47 extended note by Simone as a driving guitar riff picks up again. The guitar dominates towards the end of the track as the vocals drop out and a nice guitar riff takes over. 6:23 Simone enters again with a very gentle instrumental background leading the song out.

Track 13: Serenade of Self-Destruction (9:55)

I'm reviewing the US album version of this song which has no vocals (well except for a couple of very short parts). This song starts with a nice piano line and some soft Simone vocals running through much of the intro.

0:43 we get the drum and a driving string line. The guitar also enters here with a strong rhythm line. Personally I feel like the drum dominates this song (the instrumental version). 1:18 we get a nice choral line with a driving guitar lead line. The drum continues dominating the background.

A nice string line runs along with the guitar as the drum holds things down until 2:03 when we get those choral vocals. We get a number of repeats of this pattern. 2:48 is one of my favorite drum part of the song. This drum line occurs multiple times throughout the instrumental version of the song. I absolutely love this part of the song. 3:12 is my favorite drum line of the song. This is sort of the "chorus" line of the song if you were listening to the vocal version. I love the drum line which does this extraordinary bass drum with snare and splash.

We get repeats back and and forth with these wicked drum lines throughout the majority of the rest of the song. 4:13 we get that nice snare to splash with the double bass. Some nice tom work throughout as well.

4:45 things quiet down as a piano line enters. A soft string line backs it up. 5:05 we get some nice hi-hat work from the drum along with a bass kick. Things pick up again 5:42 with a tom lead in. We get a nice string melody line here before the choral vocals kick in around 6:03.

6:26 things pick up with the guitar kicking in again as the drums pick up speed. 6:42 choral vocals again as the tempo comes down just a hair. 7:03 we get a sort of instrumental break as the drum kicks off some nice drum fills. 7:30 we get this nice back and forth between the electric guitar and the strings. The drum does this lovely hard double bass with quick splash hits. The guitar really drives up the tempo before we get some talk at 8:04. We get that wicked drum part over the top of what sounds like various news anchor lines talking over one another.

8:27 we get back to that chorus line again with my favorite drum parts. I always end up air drumming when I listen to this in the car. Not going to lie. Choral line at 8:59 with that drum line continuing in the background. Things start to chill at 9:12 as the drum drops out and we get a soft horn line. A gentle clean guitar riff runs along with it till the track gently fades out.

Track 14: Twin Flames (5:02) (US Bonus Track)

Bonus track. We start with a gentle horn line before Simone enters 0:11 with a beautiful vocal flourish. This song definitely showcases Simone's vocals. We have a gentle string line backing her extraordinary vocals throughout. 0:59 we get this nice string change with symbols backing. 1:19 we get a swell in the string line as Simone's vocals continue. 1:58 we get a break from the vocals as Simone does that beautiful vocal flourish.

Lyrics kick back in at 2:15 with a nice guitar line added. I love the 2:21 guitar line. Simone and that nice clean guitar riff continue through a large chunk of the track with the drum adding a nice rhythm backing. 3:52 we get a sort of crescendo before Simone comes back in that nice guitar line adding. 4:11 we get a beautiful choral vocal background as Simone adds vocal flourishes on top. 4:38 things chill out as it drops to a gentle instrumental line which leads the track out.

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Whew, made it to the end of another one of my stream of consciousness reviews huh? Congratulations. (: I hope you enjoyed the track by track breakdown it takes me quite a while to do these. I highly recommend this album and really all of Epica's albums. Simone's vocals are extraordinary, the instrumentation is outstanding, and overall it is just an amazing experience. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

I Love Better World Books

2013-01-30T14:44:00.002-06:00

Okay, this is not meant as an advertisement, but it is probably going to sound like one. There are many places that I buy books from, but one of my favorite places to buy from is Better World Books.

Much like other online retailers of books, Better World Books sells both used and new books. They have also added ebooks. So what makes them different from sellers like Amazon or Barnes and Noble?

Better World Books is a B Corporation

"B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency." (B Corporation)

So what does that mean? Well, from what I understand companies that are B Corporation certified work very hard to have a positive impact on the environment and their community. We'll learn more about the wonderful social and ecological impacts that Better World Books has in the next few sections.

Better World Books Triple Bottom Line

We hear about the bottom line all the time when talking about a business. For most companies the bottom line is simply becoming profitable. This refers to "net income" which is the total amount of income a business has after all expenses have been subtracted. So what is a triple bottom line?

Social

Better World Books has partnered with a number of literacy partners including: Room to Read, Books for Africa, Worldfund, National Center for Family Literacy, and 80 other literacy partners.

A portion of the money from any book purchases goes to fund some of these literacy partners. On top of that they added a program called "Book for Book". This means that for every book that you buy, they donate one book to a literacy partner. That's awesome! So, not only do you get the books you want, but you help literacy worldwide along the way. I love it.

Environmental

There are two big things that Better World Books does to have a positive impact on the environment. The first of course is they sell a lot of used books. Often times they sell books that a library would otherwise have disposed. So by recycling these books back into someone's home they reduce wasting resources. From their website, "So far, we've kept over 8,000 tons of books out of landfills."

The second thing is the carbon offset program. When you buy a book from Better World Books you can choose to pay a little extra to help with the carbon offset program. Better World Books accounts for all of the carbon emissions that they produce and work to be a carbon neutral company.

Business

Now here is where we get back to the "bottom line" we heard about before. They answer to their employees (of which own around 64% of the company), the literacy partners they support, their customers, people that have invested in the company, and the environment. They are working hard to have a positive impact on the world.

Prices

This is one thing I love about Better World Books. Often when you think of buying things from companies that are socially responsible, prices often end up being expensive. I often think of things like organic foods and so on. Well, not the case at Better World Books. They sell both new and used books. The new books are basically the list price of the books, but the used books are often very inexpensive. Shipping is added into the price of the books.

One my last orders for example (which sadly was a long time ago, I need to buy some more books!) I purchased 10 books. Yes, you read that right, I purchased 10 books. A mix of hardcover, trade paperback, and I think one or two was a mass market paperback. I paid just over $30 for those ten books. That's not bad.

Better World Books will often have sales going on where if you buy a certain amount of used books you get them all for cheaper. So even better!

Shipping

I think I am a little spoiled here. I live in Wisconsin, and many of the books that ship from Better World Books ships from Indiana. So even with standard ground shipping I receive my books very quickly. All of the times I have ordered books they have been sent out within 1-2 days of my order, so the processing times are pretty good.

A note here, they also sell books from third party vendors which have different processing and shipping times. However, even when you buy a book from a third party vendor you are still helping to fund literacy programs worldwide.

They also send you this quirky little email as a confirmation of your shipment where the books you ordered write a funny little note thanking you for choosing them. It's really pretty cool. (:

Are you a paid spokesperson for Better World Books

No, I am not a paid spokesperson. I just know when I see something that is amazing. Better World Books is amazing. The work that they do is amazing, and it feels good to help out literacy programs just by buying books I want to read anyway! So I want to get the word out about Better World Books because more people should know about them.

So check them out at Better World Books.

Castaway on the Moon (2009)

2013-01-28T15:41:00.000-06:00

Title: Castaway on the Moon (2009) (NR)

Starring: Min-heui Hong, So-yeon Jang and Jae-yeong Jeong
Director: Hey-jun Lee
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rotten Tomatoes: Critic: No Ratings, Audience: 80%
IMDB: 8.1/10
Language: Korean
Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

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Subtitled
Recommended
Available on Netflix
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Wow, here's a nice random one for you. This is the type of movie that I come across from randomly browsing Netflix's library. The premise of this movie is something that I haven't seen before and because the movie is so hilarious it just adds to that.

So here's a basic plot outline, this guy is depressed over debts and his life just generally being crappy. So he decides to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. (Wow.. getting heavy and sad.. I thought this was a comedy?) Well, hold on hold on. So he jumps from the bridge, but he doesn't end up dying. (Oh.. one of those.) He ends up on a little island in between the shores of the city.

Okay.. so why doesn't he just swim back? Well, that's the tricky part, apparently he cannot swim or has a fear of swimming. Since the water is too deep to walk across, he is effectively stuck on this island with no way of getting off the island. We see his feeble attempts to try to signal people and so on to no avail. Then the movie kind starts reminding me of Castaway ala Tom Hanks. He starts making the island his home and becomes really effective at living on this little island.

Okay, so the whole movie is like Castaway? Well, no the movie adds another nice angle. So the romance part comes from this girl who is kind of a shut in. Read like a Hikikomori who spots this guy trapped on the island from her window (she uses a telescope to look at people). Throughout the movie we see her attempts to break her own isolation because she becomes interested in this strange fellow living on this little island in the middle of a waterway. The basic feeling I get is people trying to break free from their own comfort zones of isolation.

The movie overall is very funny. It gets a little emotional (tear jerky) hear and there, and is a fun movie to watch. This is what I would call one of those hidden gems on Netflix, so be sure to check it out if you think you'll like it. Enjoy!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

2013-01-26T14:40:00.000-06:00

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

ISBN: 0307887448 ISBN13: 978-0307887443
Pages: 384
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction
Publisher: Broadway (Paperback, June 5, 2012)
Published: June 5, 2012
Awards: ALA Alex Award 2012

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Page-Turner
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This book received a lot of praise from the relatively niche audience to which it appeals. This book was an absolute page-turner for me. It was one of those books that I'd stop reading and I'd get that twinge in the back of my head.. once I get that twinge I'd end up reading another chapter.. then another.. and so on.

Straight up, this is a reference heavy book. Very heavy. Like.. shotgun to the face loaded with '80s and '90s references from video game and science fiction culture. I think if you grew up in the '80s and can appreciate all these references then you'll love the book all that much more.

The story itself is pretty straightforward, well written, and engaging. The main problem I had with the book was the main character. Wade Owen Watts. Wade is a poor kid that lives in the "stacks" (the stacks are basically houses stacked on top of one another usually in a slipshod fashion.. think of a shanty town.. only vertical), but he spends a lot of time in the virtual world OASIS.

The problem I had with Wade is the lack of conflict. (But.. lots of stuff happens to him.. and he runs into problems.. and so on..) Okay, yes Wade has conflicts that arise, perhaps I should say lack of needing to overcome these conflicts. A lot of things would get in Wade's way, but he (or life handed him) an ace up his sleeve and he was always able to get around these conflicts handily. In fewer words, things always worked out for him. Every time. There was no.. oh crap how do I manage this.. It was always, oh this is happening good thing I have this prepared ahead of time.

This bothers me because while the story isn't really meant to be a literary masterpiece, it made me feel less invested in Wade. As time after time he was able to avoid these conflicts with random fate inspired preparation or having something randomly come along, I felt less invested.

Despite this, I think the novel is definitely worth reading. If you are a child of the '80s and remember all these references then get ready for a nostalgia trip. The novel overall is very immersive.

Harry Brown (2009)

2013-01-23T21:11:00.001-06:00

Title: Harry Brown (2009) (R)

Starring: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, David Bradley
Director: Daniel Barber
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Rotten Tomatoes: Critic: 63%, Audience: 74%
IMDB: 7.3/10
Runtime: 1 Hour 43 Minutes

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I'm a little torn on this movie. On the one hand I loved Michael Caine's character. On the other hand there is no hand. Michael Caine makes this movie work. This is your typical former military serviceman (now old guy) gets pissed off by the lack of justice in his neighborhood and goes vigilante. So, Michael Caine's character lives in this rotten place and he feels like the police aren't getting things done. So he takes matters into his old.. hands.

Is this movie watchable? Absolutely. In fact it's very watchable. Is it astounding cinema destined to be remembered forever? Probably not. In fact within a few years nobody will probably remember this movie.

One thing I appreciate that they did with Caine's character the balance they gave him. Sometimes in these "turned vigilante" movies they make the main character relatively invincible throughout the whole movie. However, this movie takes into account the fact that Caine's character is an old guy and he struggles with his physical incapacities throughout his attempts to garner justice.

Really, the only reason I even watched this movie was because it has Michael Caine in it, and I am a fan of Michael Caine in general. Really, not much about this movie is worth watching, except for Michael Caine. So there you go.

As of this posting the movie is no longer available on Netflix, but I believe it's available on Crackle.

Enjoy.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

2013-01-21T21:22:00.000-06:00

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

ISBN: 0802130208 ISBN13: 978-0802130204
Pages: 405
Genre: Fiction, Comedy, Tragicomedy
Publisher: Grove Weidenfeld (Paperback, 1987)
Published: 1987, (Originally Published 1980)
Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1981

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Page-Turner
Recommended
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Oh how I loved this book. Ignatius J. Reilly is one of the most loveable characters of any book I have read. This is more of a character driven book than a plot driven one, and it follows the exploits of Mr. Reilly. The best way to understand this book is to look at the characters, namely Ignatius.

Ignatius J. Reilly: The main character of this book, he is a large (read obese) character who has multiple college degrees but lacks any real common sense. He has a lot of book smarts but not a lot of street smarts. Throughout the novel he will drop numerous literary references. He is also extremely egotistical and selfish.

What makes Ignatius likeable is the fact that his character is what I call being "weighted on the ends". "Weighted on the ends" refers to having some sort of advantage or positive trait that is offset by a negative trait which opposes it. Ignatius is extremely smart, in terms of books and education, but he has very little clue how to handle human interaction.

Some of his "weighted ends" are:

Has:

Book smarts
Self-confidence
Ego

Doesn't Have:

Street smarts
Social skills
Modesty

Other Characters:

Myrna Minkoff: Former classmate of Ignatius from college. She is also very intelligent but possesses many of the traits that Ignatius does not. For example, she has much better social skills, is more modest, and has better street skills. We don't see a lot of Myrna until the later half of the novel, and most of her character is revealed from Ignatius as he continually converses with her through letters.

A point on these letters. This is a writing tool that I usually dislike. Reading the "letters within a book" always felt forced and unnecessary. However, the letters that Ignatius writes to Myrna are absolutely hilarious and absurd.

Irene Reilly: The poor mother of Ignatius. Ignatius still lives with her and is utterly dependent on her. At first Irene is presented as having a sort of co-dependency with Ignatuis but she gains some independence later on in the novel. Irene is your typical motherly figure who only wants the best for her child, and she is generally scared of any sorts of changes.

One refreshing point of her character is that while she utterly spoils Ignatius, she also presents a positive force on him throughout the novel. She begins to force Ignatius to be less dependent on her, which does a world of good for both of them.

Angelo Mancuso: The "aww I feel sorry for him" character in the book. He is a police officer who likes his job quite a bit. We first meet Angelo early on in the book when he "improperly" arrests Ignatius for making a scene in public. He is punished and forced to wear disguises to catch "suspicious characters" at the bus station toilets.

Burma Jones: The "world viewpoint" character of the book. He is forced to take a job paid "under the minimal wage" at a local bar "Night of Joy" to avoid being arrested for vagrancy. He is treated very poorly by the owner of the bar, who constantly threatens to report him if he doesn't follow her direct orders. This is one of the political statements that are threaded in the book displaying race issues in the southern United States at the time (early '60s).

Gus Levy: Owner of "Levy Pants". Levy Pants is a business completely inept at keeping up with the styles of the times. They are always creating pants that would have been popular many years ago and are always late to keep up. Gus is your typical rich business owner type. He spends very little time actually managing his company (which was left by his father and which Gus has little interest in actually running).

Gus spends most of his time being annoyed by his wife. His wife is your typical spoiled rich person wife who thinks she knows everything and deserves everything.

Miss Trixie: A worker at the Levy Pants company. She.. appears to have an extrordinary amount of senility, but is not allowed to retire (ala Mrs. Levy who thinks that Miss Trixie would be better off if she kept working). Miss Trixie takes an immediate liking to Ignatius (although we wonder if she even knows where she is most of the time), and spends most of her day doing everything except working.

Mr. Gonzalez: The office manager at Levy Pants. Another "aww I feel sorry for him" character in the book. Mr. Gonzalez loves his job, and puts everything that he has into accomplishing what needs to be done to keep the offices of Levy Pants running smoothly. Unfortunately, he is the one who hired (or more got bullied into hiring) Ignatius. He quickly realizes this error, but feels powerless to do anything. What Mr. Gonzalez has in commitment to the company he lacks in being able to assert himself.

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There are a number of other minor characters in the book, but I wanted to just touch on some of the characters that I felt were more important. For the most part, Ignatius dominates much of the plot line of this book and many of the other characters are supporting roles to him.

One of the great reoccuring events in this book is the absurd and off the cuff rants that Ignatius goes on when he doesn't like something. In his rants (many of which he records down on notebooks because the world must have published copies of her wondrous ideas), he presents very intelligent points, but points which lack much common sense or realism.

I absolutely recommend this book. It isn't often that books will make me audibly laugh, but this one was able to do that.

The IT Crowd

2013-01-19T14:47:00.001-06:00

*Image from TheTVDB.

Title: The IT Crowd

Genre: Situational Comedy
Created By: Graham Linehan
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, Matt Berry
TV Run: February 2004 - July 2010 (Channel 4)
Seasons: 4 Episodes: 26

Available on Netflix as of this post: Click here.

Full disclosure again, I have a thing for British comedies. I don't know why, I think the dry wit just works for me. The IT Crowd is a brilliant show, the characters are loveable, and it is one of the few shows that I have been able to watch multiple times without getting sick of it.

Characters: