Vermillion's Brain

Taking another break....

2013-05-06T15:54:00.003-04:00

Hey, there, audience.

I'm just writing this to say that I'm going to let this site go quiet for a while. I know, I know, I've done it before without saying a word, why do so now, blah blah blah.

I am really doing this for me. Because to be quite honest, that's all it has ever been: me rambling to myself. I am the only constant here, so I need to tell myself I am not going to write anymore. I know it sounds weird, but you creative types out there know what I mean. There is nothing more devastating to a wannabe writer than a blank page. And that is all this has been. A repeated torture session of blank pages.

I really don't have any reason or motivation to continue. I can't make up my mind what I want this site to be. I can't even decide how I want to write a freaking book review, for crap's sake. There isn't any real demand for my two cents, except that which I create for myself. And despite this, I still beat myself up for not doing anything, simply because I think I must. And I can't do that anymore.

I'm tired, guys. I'm tired of trying, of forcing myself to do something I get nothing out of. So I am consciously and willingly shutting off. No promises to update, no affirmations of "just write" or any of those stupid platitudes. No shame at seeing another empty page.

I've got nothing interesting to say. About anything. And it's time I realized it.

Superheroes, White Male Gaze And Colorblind Casting

2013-05-03T15:00:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post while this is still on my mind.

So, if you travel in the same geeky circles I do on the web, chances are you heard the rumors about Michael B Jordan (The Wire, Chronicle) being considered for the role of Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in an upcoming Fantastic Four reboot.

Courtesy of Comic Book Resources Facebook Page

When this news broke, the those geeky circles went a little...bugmunch crazy. It was basically a rehash of the drama surrounding the Donald Glover/Amazing Spider-Man casting rumors. That led into the other bit of drama surrounding the decision to replace Peter Parker in Ultimate Spider-Man with a biracial legacy character, Miles Morales.

Picture courtesy i09

Oh and let's not forget the utter rage unleashed when Idris Elba was cast as secondary character/plot device Heimdall in Thor. Which really didn't make sense to me, because he also played Roque in The Losers, and that guy was white(ish, couldn't really tell from the coloring, but he certainly wasn't brown). Of course, Roque was just a guy, and Heimdall is a Norse deity, so of course one is more plausible than the other. But why?

Picture courtesy of Comics Alliance/Yahoo!

What's the big deal? Why all the nerd rage over what barely amounted to rumors in the top two cases, and what was a fairly innocuous role in the latter? Well, it seems the biggest objections are based on fidelity to source material; the idea is that since the characters were created as Caucasians and have been such for so long, they should stay so in all portrayals of the character, or at least in any popular media. Now sure, one could interpret the complaining as racism, intentional or not. And there are those who plainly state such. But a good number, arguably the majority, are making earnest arguments about the issues with changing something that is pretty intrinsic. They use the example of changing Black Panther or any other minority superhero to a white person as proof as to why this wouldn't work. Race is indeed an essential part of the character, and changing that would utterly undermine both him and the stories being told.

And that would be a good argument in any other world but this one. Here, it is bullcrap.

The real problem here is white male gaze, and it's overpowering and ingrained nature. These characters were made white males because that was who was doing the creating in the first place. And due to that gaze being so widespread, it has become the default. Nobody questions a white superhero. Nobody asks if this guy is able to do the job because he is a particular hue. Nobody is treating him as the unofficially official representative of his particular race. Nobody assumes that he has to look or act a certain way to considered either a viable superhero or a viable white person. When a superhero is white, there are no questions or assumptions. No sideways glances and whispers behind the back. There is no "white" attached. He is just a superhero.

It is NOT the same for black superheroes. Or Hispanic ones. Or gay ones. Or female ones. And that's sad.

So yeah, I'm not weeping over black Spider-Man. I'm not going to gnash my teeth for a Human Torch that isn't an Aryan dreamboat. I just want the best people involved, who can truly embody the character. The Human Torch is a jerk, an annoying little brother whose ability to project and manipulate fire matches his "hotheaded" personality. He is also a steadfast friend and family member who will and has fought to the death to protect those he loves. He is a hero. Now the question is: what in that brief description requires him to be white? What about his official Marvel bio? Or his Wikipedia entry? Or anything that describes him as a character and a person? What exactly, besides the circumstances of his creation requires him to be white in order to still fit them?

Huh. "Circumstances of his creation." That's really what it's all about. Chance. Circumstance. Happenstance. Anybody could have done it. He could have been Joachim Storm. Or Jericho Storm. Or Jenny Storm. And nothing central to the character, nothing central to enjoying the character would have changed.

I honestly could give or take another Fantastic Four movie. I see the promise behind the material, and the last films certainly fell short to me. And Michael B Jordan is a talented young man who should be given a lot more roles. But I'm not going to cry if this ends up another internet rumor. Just like I won't cry if it becomes fact. All I want is a good story.

Am I wrong?

I'm Not Saying, I'm Just Saying...

2013-05-01T13:45:00.000-04:00

&

Heroic leader who is set up as the chief representative of his/her species

Member of all-female species with immense psychic powers, who is also de-facto love interest and fanservice, who is direct competition with latest female guest star

Deadpan snarker who acts as sharpshooter and main ship gunner, has cool injury to one side of face and goes rogue from his previous job to join the crew

Boisterous big guy from a proud warrior race, known for berserker rages and frightens the crap out of most mooks

Adorkable young genius who gets involved through happenstance and for some reason cannot return home, proves to be tougher and more courageous than they first seem

Artificial intelligence that serves as backup tech guy

Massive god-like AI that mind controls his minions into doing his bidding, seeking to eradicate the pesky organics keeping him from total domination/eradication of all known life

Dragon to the massive AI above, that leads the enemy forces, becomes a cyborg and only sees others as either tools, scum or annoyances

Humanoid yet clearly alien threat that acts as antithesis to dominant races (reptile/amphibian vs. mammal and organic vs synthetic), who were once thought a joke/empty threat but thanks to above AI have become much more dangerous

Joke character that keeps getting in the way of the plot, thinks he is more important than he is and everyone would rather he just shut up and go home

Awesome spaceship with fitting name that is known for being a prototype with experimental technology (that mainly acts as a handwave)

Personal vehicle that steers like a b*tch but deserves a bit respect (although one is clearly superior)

Courtesy this guy

Federation of alien worlds united to fight the invading menace, with rank and file members just as brave as the main hero....

but led by the most useless council imaginable

I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

(Bucky O'Hare and Mass Effect are owned by their respective owners. Images used, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Bucky O'Hare Fan Fiction and Information Site and Mass Effect Wiki. Used for humor purposes only.)

Numbered Things I Love and/or Hate: DC Comics (Over the Last Decade)

2013-04-30T14:59:00.002-04:00

When we last left off, I was expressing my opinion on the current mainstream comics landscape with regards to Marvel Comics.Well, it is only fair to give the Distinguished Competition the same treatment.

So, DC Comics. They...have not been having as good a time as Marvel has. Despite releasing two of the most lauded and respected films of the last decade (and an apparently middling follow-up; I still haven't seen The Dark Knight Rises) and an excellent run on video games that the new Injustice: Gods Among Us is shaping up to continue, everything else has gone kinda...bleh. Their one time dominance of animation has dwindled down due to killing off those few shows that were growing into themselves and becoming much more developed (good night, Young Justice and Brave and the Bold) while replacing them with half-hearted clones of previous successes (seriously, Teen Titans? Seriously? And I'm not even bothering with Beware the Batman). The live-action department hasn't been doing much better, with Arrow pretty much the only non-Batman property to remotely stand for any length of time. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the elephant in the room: the New 52. A editorial and marketing crapstorm of epic proportions. With every hit, another two titles got knocked out before their first storyline got finished. But with Man of Steel on the horizon (although still involving Nolan) and the comics universe now reaching a weird state of equilibrium, can DC get back to being top dog once again?

To be honest, I've always leaned more towards Marvel than DC. That's not to say that there were no DC titles I liked, just that I found myself drawn more to the other guys growing up. And when the few DC titles I did follow slowly faded from publication, I found myself drawn less and less to them. Of course, this means that my frustration with them has lasted a lot longer and hit a bit harder than Marvel did.

I'll try not to repeat myself in this post, but I will say that a lot of the negatives in the Marvel piece applies just as much to these guys. Hell, just swap out Bendis for Geoff Johns (or to a lesser extent, Grant Morrison) and Civil War for Mad Libs Crisis.

Enough. I'm getting bored. To the good stuff:

Image courtesy of DC Comics Google+ page

Updates Ahoy!

2013-04-20T12:30:00.003-04:00

So for those of you still keeping up with me and the blog, I am going to be trying some new things over the coming weeks. Hopefully I will not fall on my face with them.

One is an epic surprise that, once seen, a lot of you familiar with my past antics are gonna wonder why I didn't do it sooner.

So stay tuned!

Vermillion’s #CBR5 Review #03: Dungeons of Dread by Gary Gygax and Lawrence Schick

2013-04-14T20:04:00.000-04:00

SPECIAL GUEST REVIEW FOR MAGNETIC EYES OF SUPER-POWER

The Skinny:

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5.

Series Order: S Series, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition

Links

Book's Website: Dungeons of Dread on Wizards.com
Book/Author's Twitter: @Wizards_DnD
Amazon: Buy Dungeons of Dread Through My Affiliate Link!
Goodreads:

In Six Words: Four Adventures Collected For Nostalgia's Sake.

Numbered Things I Love and/or Hate: Marvel Comics (Over the Last Decade)

2013-04-03T13:33:00.000-04:00

In a effort to jump-start my blogging juices, I decided to try something new. Since list posts seem to be the most popular type of post you can do, I am going to view-whore for all its worth with this one! So Welcome to Numbered Things, a hopefully recurring feature where I condense everything I love and/or hate about a particular thing into easily digestible chunks for the time-starved and attention deficient!

Today's topic: Marvel Comics. home of flawed heroes, complex villains, and a much more realism-oriented world than the distinguished competition. Recently undergoing a renaissance in pop culture relativity thanks to the success of Marvel Studios and the Avengers experiment and now part of the Wonderful World Dominating Conglomerate Of Disney, Marvel the company is riding high. But the comics arm, arguably the flagship of the company, is hitting some nasty bumps in the road. I can't say why that is for anyone else, but I can give my unasked opinion on the subject.

So, without further ado, let's talk about...

All images courtesy of marvel.wikia.com

Vermillion’s #CBR5 Review #02: How To Be Black by Baratunde Thurston

2013-03-11T00:44:00.000-04:00

Okay. My last review was...disappointing. I really liked that book, but in my efforts to not drown you in fanboy zeal, I instead gave a stilted, disjointed list of pros and cons with little to no real context. I failed to do what a review is supposed to do, which is get you ineterested in the book. And even if I did (somehow), and you were satisfied with the review, I wasn't. It wasn't good enough for that book or for CBR. So I am throwing all caution out the window. I am simply typing my thoughts on the books I read, with no editing outside of general spelling and grammar, as well as factual corrections. I am sorry you had to read that mess, and I hope this will fit better.
With that out of the way....
Hello, everyone, My name is Vermillion, and I am Black.

Read more »

Vermillion’s #CBR5 Review #01: Hard Magic by Larry Correia

2013-01-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

Well, hello again. Welcome to my latest attempt at completing a Cannonball Read. First off, for those who are new here and are not from Pajiba or the CBR blog, Cannonball Read is a free-for-all reading marathon that anyone can join. Started originally between two commenters at my favorite movie and pop culture website, it has grown into a nicely-sized conglomeration of folks celebrating the life of a great person and the idea of reading for fun. Regardless of my completing it or not, I do appreciate CBR for getting me back into reading as much as I used to. If you would like to find out more, read other reviews, or maybe join up yourself, please visit the site here.

So without further ado...

Hard Magic is the first book in the "Grimnoir Chronicles" by Larry Correia, author of Monster Hunter International (a series that I am also tackling during CBR, based mainly on this book). The Grimnoir Chronicles is an alternate history series, at the basic level, Great Depression-Era X-Men. The first book follows two characters: Jake Sullivan (the big palooka on the cover) and Faye (actually not the woman on the front, I'll get to that) as they end up embroiled in a secret war between the Grimnoir Knights (a group of people with special abilities who are trying to avert World War II) and the Chairman (the near-godlike leader of a supremely powerful Imperial Japan, who seeks to cull the weak in his own attempt at saving the world).

Now, for those of you wondering, in this world, magic does exist, but instead of wizards and witches, you have people born with a single magical ability, or Gift. These people are called either Powers or Grimnoirs (I'll get into THAT later). The discovery of the source of this power and its effect on humanity is an important plot point (and looks to be the plotline for the entire series).

So let's get down to brass tacks. Pros and Cons of the book (warning: a few spoilers abound, but barely). Keep in mind: "pros" and "cons" represent both my logical and emotional responses to things in the book. A particular character I like/dislike will be listed in the respective area, whether or not the text indicates I am to feel that particular way about them.

Pros:

Jake Sullivan. Jake is a Heavy, a Power who can manipulate gravity. Right from the outset, Correia shows us that in contradiction to his ex-con status and his hulking frame, Jake is a cunning soldier and is a borderline genius when it comes to his insights into the Powers. He isn't spouting magibabble or anything, but is shown experimenting with his powers and noting his limits. He acts like a scientist, while putting on a front of the dumb muscle.

Faye. The secondary protagonist, she is an Okie girl who can Travel (basically Jumper-style teleportation) with more skill and power than most others like her. She proves to be quite resourceful, acting more like the viewpoint character when Jake isn't available to do so, and she is badass in a way that is believable. She has probably the best fight scene in the book between her and another teleporter, that ends epically.

Characters. Nobody runs around acting like they hate their powers. Nobody cries about not being normal. Everyone takes full advantage of their abilities and come up with some wickedly brilliant uses for them. Jake is the king of this, but everyone manages to do some impressive feats by the end of the book, including the villains. And everybody (aside from most of the villains, and even then...) is likeable and worth following. Even Faye's grandpa (who's kind of a dick) is shown to be a loyal and loving man.

The action scenes. Oh good God, the action scenes. Right off the bat, the first fight is a brutal knockdown brawl between Jake and his Brute ex-girlfriend (Brutes are the superstrong Powers) that tears up a blimp depot. He also takes down a magically enhanced near-invulnerable samurai with the assistance of a duel-wielding German gunman in all white who can phase through solid matter, ending the fight in a way reminicent of the hallway fight in Inception. The fights are grimy yet fantastical. Correia is known for his action scenes and his attention to detail and function when it comes to firearms in his books, and he does not disappoint here. Again, the Traveler fight between Faye and her rival Toshiko steal the whole shebang, though there isn't a sour note among any of them.

The mystery of Pershing's death. Fairly easy to figure out around halfway through, but that may have just been me. Correia does do a fine job of keeping the clues subtle enough that you might not pick them up right away, with all the other stuff happening. Most of the really big keys to the puzzle revolve around relationships to other characters, which are made clear.

Cons:

The name "Grimnoir". Okay, this is jsut my thing, but while it is pretty cool to read (the quotation of its creation in-universe is quite cool as well), and it isa nice badass appelation for our heroes, it is really awkward to say. I keep telling myself to get the "n" sound after the "m" sounds, and it just sounds like something is stuck to the roof of my mouth. It is just something that bugs me.

Pershing's killer(s). They were still assholes, regardless of their motives. And really, a lot could have been avoided if they didn't think they were so much smarter than everyone else. Again, this isn't a knock against Correia or the book (if anything, it is a compliment to his characterization), I jsut thought they were assholes.

Conclusion

Totally worth a read. It is an action-packed thriller and can easily compete with some of the better adventure books and movies out there. I am surprised it hasn't gotten any film offers (although MHI has been sold for a TV show), but who knows, maybe someone will. All I know is, if they can convey half the awesome in this book on a movie screen, they already have my money and maybe my firstborn.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Correia has sample chapters from all his novels for free on his blog, Monster Hunter Nation, including Hard Magic. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think.

Updates since last I wrote - January 2013

2013-01-15T10:51:00.001-05:00

Wow, I was feeling such a pity party in that last post, I forgot to actually wirte about stuff that matters.

- Like I said, I am signed up for Cannonball Read 5: The Quest for More Stress. Once again, I am semi-cheating by rereading the books I didn't write reveiws for last time, to cut down on reading time and see if there was stuff I missed. Then agian, apprently they are taking graphic novels now, so there may be hope.

- Got a new job, that so far is pretty great. Work is interesting, pays good, and the folks are nice. Kinda wish I could work somewhere without interoffice drama, but I suppose that is a fantasy. Gotta say, it is nice having my own health insurance now. I feel almost grown up!

- Speaking of which, turned 30 this past December. When you fail to die before you get old, what happens?

- Got another car, worked for a while. I actually got to drive it for a longer period of time than it has been in the shop, which is a big step up from my previous vehicle. And it looks like the proble now may not break my wallet! So, huzzahs all around for that!

- I have been going out socially more, thoug no dates as of yet. I have discovered my mutant power is somehow only being attracted to women already in relationships. Either that or my taste in women is so good they are already taken. Let's go with the latter.

Huh, better get back to work. But I'll be back later with my first CBR5 review. I do hope you'll enjoy it.

State of the Blog Address - January 2013

2013-01-15T10:40:00.001-05:00

When am I going to freaking learn?

*sigh*

Yep. Doing it again. Signed up for yet another Cannonball Read, I resolved to actually start writing more on the blog, so on and so forth.

I don't know. People make a big stink about getting your stuff out there. But it really isn't easy, is it? You hear the same old tune "You've got something to say, then say it!" But reality doesn't work that way.

We don't simply say stuff to say it. We say stuff you hear someone say something back. We don't want monologue. We want conversation., We want reaction. I want reaction.

I want people to agree, disagree, support, challenge, blantantly rip off, acknowledge, disregard, question, answer, and basically take every word I put here and take out all their love anf rustrations on them. I want feedback. I want...something.

But I'm not going to get it. Face it, this blog could disappear as I'm typing this, and nobody would care. Hell it has been inert for a year and nobody cared. Not even me.

But I do come back. Again and again, for something I know isn't there. Just to hear my own voice, read my own words. Marvel at it. The utter pointlessness of it.

I shouldn't let the silence get to me. i should keep writing regardless of the lack of comments or links or attention. That's what the old wisdom says. But I can't. It defeats the whole purpose of doing this. Pretending like it doesn't get to me is bullshit. It does. It always did. And it always will.

If someone does read this, and you manage to not be a spambot scanning to see what words you can link to whatever weirdly specific dating site you are working for, thanks. Thanks for reading. For considering. For engaging me for the little time it took. I do appreicaite it.

Vermillion's #CBR4 Review #01: Heroics For Beginners by John Moore

2012-02-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

Note: I originally read this book for CBR3, and was intending on making a video review, but never got around to it. In order to keep myself honest, I am re-reading all the books I did last year. Honest and a bit lazy and cheap. This is the original text for my review, edited to remove the script format I had it in. Enjoy.

Hello, fellow readers. I'm Vermillion, and if you are anything like me, you enjoy a good fantasy story every once in a while. Dragons, knights, princesses, heroic deeds, evil overlords, the whole works. And, if you're anything like me, you love deconstructionist parodies of said works, where the secret entrance to the evil lair has an admission price and prophetic old crones are only as good as their stock portfolio. You enjoy that kind fo stuff right?

If you said no, you suck. and you go away, but until after the video finishes and you comment. But if you said yes, have I got the book for you: Heroics for Beginners, by John Moore.

John Moore is a long-established fantasy author, having first been published in 1986. A resident of Houston, Texas, he was a classmate of comedian Bill Hicks at the University of Houston, with Hicks inspiring Moore's use of comedy in his fantasy work. Now with six novels (one a free ebook), several short stories, and a few nonfiction works under his belt, Moore has managed to get his name mentioned in the same breath as Terry Pratchett and Robert Asprin. And I totally did not crib this from Wikipedia. Nope, no sirree.

This is my first time reading his stuff, after having stumbled upon in an ad I read somewhere. I found the book itself in a thrift store a couple of years ago, and finally got around to reading it earlier this year.

Heroics for Beginners follows the story of Prince Kevin Timberline of Rassendas, a young and not particularly strapping member of royalty seeking the hand of the quite available and quite well proportioned princess of the neighboring (and strategically important) country of Deserae, Princess Rebecca. During this time, Kevin learns of a grave threat to the land: the evil Lord Voltmeter has gotten his hands on Deserae's most prized possession, the Ancient Artifact Mark Seven. Kevin volunteers to go and recover the artifact, seeing this as the perfect way to get the clout needed to impress the king. Of course, this is easier said than done, as Kevin has to compete with Lord Logan (the much more aggressive suitor competing for Rebecca's hand) and his own ineptitude when it comes to being a hero. Luckily he find a book, The Handbook of Practical Heroics, in the local library to teach him the basics and get him started. Of course, not everything goes to plan, and Rebecca has her own ideas about how this will end.

So now that we have done the summary, now we get to the review. Warning, some slight spoilers, but nothing past the middle of the book, and nothing that really ruins the story. With that said...

First off, the good stuff. This book is HI-LARIOUS. From Kevin's near-dismissal of a old crone making prophesies (don't ever ask them to be more specific. They will, and it pretty much kills the mood. Instead, Ask for stock tips!), to the banter between him and Rebecca (such as their discussing her desire to become his sidekick, a position that he points out would mean she will certainly die) to Voltmeter and his hammy antics (MILKING THE COW!) and other gags (you cannot leave without going through the gift shop. Fiendish!), this book peppers you with enough jokes that at least some of them will hit home.

But while it is quite funny, it's greatest strength lies in the moments where it plays the plot straight. Much like, say, The Princess Bride, there is an actual story underneath the gags, and the secret weapon Voltmeter develops is quite frightening. The final confrontation with Voltmeter is truly dramatic and tension filled, with some well-written fight scenes and a neat firing of a Chekov's gun. While some of the resolution is predictable, it is only so due to its nature as a fantasy story parody, and still managed to cleverly subvert some expectations to the end.

Now there are some, well, I wouldn't say weak, but maybe, underdeveloped spots. The book, being a farce as it is, isn't very deep and may be a bit too short for some folks. I have seen some complaints in other reviews that the characters are too shallow, but I found that to be a bit nitpicky. I for one thought the characters were fairly well-established as a bit more than standard fantasy archetypes and Moore managed to show some wonderfully believable chemistry between Kevin and Rebecca. Of course, he used a bit of a cheat with them, but with the clever writing, you could buy it without complaint.

Since this is a fantasy comedy, and I did review Unseen Academicals last time, I suppose I should compare the two. But it is kinda unfair to compare him to Terry Pratchett. While both like to poke fun at and subvert quite a number of fantasy tropes, they go about it in different ways. Pratchett is more of a satirist, using the Discworld setting to not only demonstrate the silliness in your typical fantasy world, but in our modern one as well. Moore seems to come from a more farcical standpoint, not really coming with a message or anything, and just content in making you laugh, even when taking a moment to play it straight towards the end.

Now, since I made a similar comment in my written Prometheus Deception review, I can't walk away without giving a little thought to a possible film adaptation. Quite honestly, I would like to see a movie version of this book. It is quick, irreverent, and since all of the plot and humor are not dependent on the literary medium (another thing different from Pratchett), very little would have to be lost in translation. Of course, this is with some trepidation. It is almost too easy for some hack to get their hands on it and try to unnecessarily "update" it.

As I understand it from my research, Moore has managed to improve on the weaknesses mentioned here in his later books. I am certainly quite eager to find out, because if this is his rookie work, I gotta see what he does with some time under his belt.

So to wrap up, go read Heroics for Beginners. You will definitely get more than a chuckle, and you make find a guffaw or two. It won't take much out of your day, and could be a good way to unwind after ready something heavy and soul shaking, like many of my other reviewers have (show pics of books, then one of a silly choice). And if you like this, try out some more of his work and let me know how they are. And if you liked this review, please comment. Otherwise I am going to feel all sad again.

You don't want me to be sad, do you? Well, that's it for my third book review for Cannonball Read 3. Next time, I go over to the other side. To the sci-fi side. But will I find myself going over....to the DARK SIDE???!?!?!

No. But I will be reviewing a Star Wars novel. Bye!

State of the Blog Address - January 2012

2012-01-04T09:47:00.000-05:00

Well, another year is upon us, and my writing haunches are tingling again. Normally a little prune juice would take care of that, but not this time. Nope, it seems more drastic measures must be taken.

So I am once again dusting off the cobwebs and making use of my Google account. So let's see: what could I possibly put here now?

Well for one, I signed up for Cannonball Read again. Number Four this time. I had no trouble reading the books, it was the reviews that got me. Will I try video again, or will I stick to text? At this point, I don't know. I still want to try something a bit more attention grabbing, and a bit less dependent on my typo-riddling fingers. We shall see how the winds of fate take us.

As far as anything else, I am simply taking it one step at a time. Feeling myself out. If you wish to join me in feeling myself, otu or otherwise, you are welcome to come along.

Closing out.

2011-09-23T23:27:00.000-04:00

By the way, here are the books I managed to finish for CBR3.

Prometheus Deception (already posted text)
Unseen Academicals (posted, then deleted video)
Heroics For Beginners (the video I was working on)
Star Wars: Shatterpoint
Corsair (Forgotten Realms novel)
Avenger (sequel to Corsair)
First Lord's Fury
Thud!
Revenge of the Cold Machines (a GITS: Stand alone Complex novel)
White Maze (a GITS: Stand alone Complex novel)
Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!

Books I planned to read:

Thief of Time
Star Wars The Force Unleashed novelization
Star Wars The Force Unleashed II novelization
In His Majesty's Service (collected Temeraire novels)
Black Gun, Silver Star
Neverwhere
Kingdom Come novelization
Operation Chaos re-read
Dilbert Future re-read
Fool Moon
Reaper Man

Good night.

The finale.

2011-09-23T20:09:00.001-04:00

Some time ago, I got into a discussion with some members of my family about my taste in movies. Specifically, my dislike of films such as Transformers 2 and the oeuvre of Tyler Perry. Somebody asked if the reason such films infuriate me is because I feel that I can do better. That such drek pisses me off because I see it as a waste. At the time, I honestly thought that was the case. I really did believe that I COULD make a better movie than them.

This last month or so, I have realized that this was wrong. I hate those films, yes, but not because I think I can do better. I KNOW I can't do better. I can't even attempt to do better.

I recently attempted to try and add some much need flourish to my stagnant blog here. I was brimming with ideas. I was going to do video! I was going to do funny lists! I was going to do reviews and sketches and all kinds of crazy stuff and make the most of this little corner of cyberspace. Cannonball Read 3 was supposed to be the catalyst for this new change. I was going to do more than a tossed together text review like I did before. I was going to engage and shit.

But when it came down to it, I couldn't do it. My first review was a textual mess, my second a rushed video that I deleted off the site. I promised myself I was going to do better with the next one. I wrote a script, had it proofread and everything. Had my camera ready to go. But I couldn't do it.

I got a email form a casting director from my flirtation with reality TV. They were asking for submissions for a new show and everything. I was going to do that, too. Figured this would get me to be more comfortable talking about myself to other people, something I always struggled with. But I couldn't even get past answering the sample questions. I didn't even get past question 4. Out of 11.

And you want to know what freaks me out the most about doing this? It isn't criticism. I understand criticism. Like it or not, it has a point. Whether it is constructive or not, criticism shows that not only are people seeing your work, but they care enough about it to say something, even if it is "this sucks!".

Nope, it is silence. They are right when they say there is no such thing as bad publicity; even invective and bile is better than utter. FUCKING. SILENCE. When people don't care, when they honestly don't give a shit, they don't waste their time saying so. They simply ignore you. Take a look around here. Who comes to this site? Who is actually being entertained by this? By the looks of it, not a damn soul. The "top" post as far as views on this site came from a comment a wrote about a naked picture scandal. Whoopee.

Do you realize how hard it is to be creative? To put thought to paper, to film, to screen? To put something so infused with yourself out in public for people to criticize? It is ROUGH. I have always respected people who could do it, but now, I can't ever knock someone for doing it. They are indeed doing something I simply CANNOT do. Even the people who I think are terrible at it are capable of doing more than I ever will.

....

....

So yeah, I'm not doing this anymore. I just can't.

No videos. No blog posts. No commentaries. Nothing. It is simply not meant to be.

If you could do me a favor, the three or so of you actually reading this, if you catch me online complaining about something (a movie, a person, whatever) remind me of this, so I can shut up.

Because I can only complain if I can do better. And I can't.

Cannonball Read 3 Review #2 - Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

2011-08-01T09:01:00.001-04:00

Cannonball Read 3 Review #2: Unseen Academicals from Claude Weaver on Vimeo.

My second review in the CBR3 series, I take on Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. Look what six months of writer's block gets you!

My First YouTube Video: Southern Fried Bacon

2011-03-22T13:41:00.001-04:00

Here is my first actual uploaded video EVARRRR. If you like it, i do plan on doing mroe vlog-style posts in the immediate future.

EDIT: Attempt two with Vimeo uploading.

Southern Fried Bacon Day 1 from Claude Weaver on Vimeo.

Oh it makes me weep at how bad it is.

Cannonball Read III #1: The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum

2011-01-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

Ah yes, Robert Ludlum.

While everybody now knows him as the guy Matt Damon should present his next child to Roots-style, Ludlum, along with Ian Fleming and Tom Clancy (and John Le Carre to a lesser extent), should be considered one of the codifiers of the image of the modern covert operative in fiction. And like them, Ludlum had his own signature style, namely that one guy goes around and beats the crap out of other guys in increasigly verbose titles with the same "The (adjective) (noun)" naming scheme.

I figured, since I am a big fan of the Bourne films, and I wanted to streatch my reading boundaries some, I would tackle a Ludlum novel. It just so happened that I found a nice bundle of them on sale at a local thrift store, and this one was the only one I could put my hands after the ugliness of a few months ago. But enough about me, to the book!

Meet Nick Bryson, near-legendary operative for a super-secret organization only known as the Directorate. Answerable only to the President (presumably), the Directorate has no ties with any other agencies, and as far as anyone is concerned, they do not exist. After a paticularly brutal mussion where is his greviously wounded (seriously, I visibly flinched when I read the aprt about the knife going...where it went), Nick is forced into retirement.

Five years later, he is now Jonas Barrrett, colelge professor. Of course, that doesn't really have any point past this quarter of a chapter, because the CIA comes calling, giving Bryson an excuse to engage in some counter-intel hijinks before they corner him at his home. He is told that the Directorate was not an U.S. agency, but a Russian sleeper group, and that all his mission were actually against American interests. So now Bryson is recruited to use his experience to find out what the Directorate is up to. This leads to a floating weapons bazaar, a worldwide phenomena of coordinated terrorist attacks, and something called "Prometheus".

If that sounds kinda familiar, you may recognize as the central conceit of a little show called Alias. Quite a few reviews make a big deal about that (even the Wikipedia page does it), but really, there is very little similar between the two. As far as the book itself, it is a pretty fast read for 500 pages. The pacing is nice and,crisp, the plot (while not groundbreaking) had enough twists to keep me engaged, and the action was brutal and beleiveable. In other words, what you would expect from the guy who created Jason Bourne.

Bryson is a pretty engaging protagonist. The closest I could come up with for a comparison is probably Michael Westen from Burn Notice. He is viciously pragmatic, but stillhas that streak of honor and loyalty that always gets taken advantage of. Of course, around the tenth time he questions everything hes ever known and wonders who can he trust, I did kinda wnat him to shut up with the existential crisis crap. Motherfucker, you are a spy. People lie to you, dela with it, punch them in the face, and move on. Ted Waller, the head of the Directorate and Bryson's best friend-turned-enemy(?) is a decent fellow and a manipulative bastard of the highest degree. The book repeated shows how Waller's lessons help Bryson deal with the situation, almost like he trained Bryson specifically for this purpose. For all I know, he did. The other characters are functional to say the least. Elena (Nick's wife) does her duty as resident hacker type (refreshingly not some Hollywood Hacker type, but a fairly realistic cryptographer), but besides giving Nick something else to moan about, doesn't have much else to do. And don't bother getting to attracted to any other characters, because they will die. Usually within 50 pages. And offscreen. As far as the big reveal of "Prometheus", it was....kinda underwhelming. I wish I could really discuss it, but spoilers and all that. I may go into more detail on my blog (BLATANT PLUG ALERT), but suffice it to say, the main antagonist (if one could call him that) does have a sympathetic story and motivation. But he ends up more like a Macguffin than an actual character.

In conclusion, I have to say the book was quite entertaining, and while I did get a bit irked at some parts, it wasn't enough to keep me from reading. I can totally see this getting the film treatment, and if the rest of Ludlum's work is the same, i am surprised Hollywood hasn't done more to take advantage.

Anyway, thank for reading my review. I welcome all comments, and feel free to ask for mroe detail.

Snow Day...Hell, Snow WEEK

2011-01-12T08:25:00.000-05:00

Well, if you haven't heard, Most of Atlanta is under a crapload of snow. I mean, the whole city is FROZEN. Nobody is going anywhere. On top of that, I managed to get stuck with laryngitis and a snuffed nose for the last few days. So it was a ball of fun time for me.

What that means for you is that I can no longer procrastinate using an every increasing list of excuses be forced to deprive myself of entertianing you good followers any longer.

So while I prep my CB3 reviews (I swear they are coming), I figure I might talk to you about the hours upon hours of television I have subjected myself to. I am glad that I finally caught up on several films I had missed before.

So, without further ado:

Superman II: Not ragging on it or anything (Lord knows I wouldn't do that), but during the street fight scene (where Superman is crushed by a bus and thought dead) I noticed that 1) Metropolis citizens are wishy-washy as hell. How many times does this guy have to save them before they stop bitching and moaning everytime he leaves for a few minites. damn ya'll. And 2) there is at least one really awesome citizen though who, in response to the threat of three superbeings, goes "Let's get them, I know a little judo." No, go and watch it again, and listen for it. That is probably the bravest dumbass in cinematic extra history.

Book of Eli: Huh. Well, I think this film falls in the same pit as, say, Hancock, where I can see where they were going, and they started off pretty good, but they had no idea how they were going to keep it up the entire length. Plus, any subtext the movie had, especially around the whole "religion as a social weapon" pretty much became text. Look, I wasn't as flummoxed as apparently so many others were when the big twists happened, but I do see where the disappointment lies. By the way: so the Bible and (assumedly) all religious texts are destroyed. But books that reference those texts, like say, The Da Vinci Code were not (a copy of which are shown amognst the books brought to Carnegie in the early parts of the movie). Huh. I did like the design though. and Jennifer Beals and Mila Kunis didn't hurt things.

Dragonball Evolution: Look, I amde a deal with myself to watch at least one really shitty movie while I was sick, and it was either this or Battlefield Earth at the time. And you know what? It isn't as horrible as I thought. Now hold ON. It is still terrible. But honestly, if they cut all the compeltely unecessary high school subplot, it would have been a lot more accurate to the anime storyline. Still would ahve been a blight on humanity and another reason I still sneak my anime in, but it would have been a less bitter pill to swallow.

Women In Trouble: Well, the title is quite accurate. And it is hella funny and sad and crazy and brilliant. And i probably shouldn't be this turned on, but I mean, have you seen this film? If I wasn't at least uncomfortably aroused, I might be doing it wrong. And look at Mentalist-guy being all pensive and shit...

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Well, if you have noticed, I don't relaly ahve a lot to say about the good ones. Here is another. Hot damn. I see why Terry Gilliam gets such love. And I gotta say, didn't see the last few minutes coming. Woof. But on a more serious note, if one had to ahve a last film, you could do worse like Street Fighter and I will leave it at that.

Black Dynamite: Still awesome as hell. By the way, laughing hard while having laryngitis is not a good idea. You will nearly die.

Series 7 The Contenders: I had seen this some years ago, and when I saw it on the guide, I had to turn in on again. For those of you unaware, think Battle Royale as a reality show. It is pretty fucked up, and great as hell. It is still trippy as hell to recognize folks from this film on other stuff (let me tell you, for a while I thought Grey's Anatomy was about to get reeeeeeaaaalllly interesting). And this was before the whole reality show influx thing, too. I wonder what a followup would look like.

Still Kicking...

2011-01-08T15:53:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. Been hit with a mind-numbing case of larygitis, with a stuffed nose chaser.

I barely have the dtrength to put this up. But hey, it is something.

Also, I am still putting my new computer through it's paces. So far, so good. I might even be able to run Dragon Age on this thing. If that happens, then this blog is a goner.

Harder Than Looks

2011-01-02T17:37:00.008-05:00

Well, second day, second post.

Annnnnnddddd....nuthin'.

It doesn't help that my laptop (which has all my first drafts and such) is crapping out on me faster and faster. I have another one lined up in my sights, but I just don't have the money (and if the state government has any say, I won't have it anytime soon).

Arrrrgh.

Hopefully i can at least get the first of my CR# book reviews out this week. But I may end up having to revise my whole "post a day" goal, at least until I get a more reliable machine.

Damn. Damn it all.

If you could become any fictional character, who would you be?

2011-01-02T17:09:00.001-05:00

I would have said Harry Dresden, but after "Changes", FUCK NO. And Jim Butcher, you are a bastard. A brilliant bastard, but a bastard nonetheless.

Ask me anything

What 3 things do you think will become obsolete in the next ten years?

2011-01-02T17:07:00.001-05:00

1) Snuggies. They will be replaced with a new model that incorporate a massager and a tray for nachos.
2) Human flesh. GIVE ME MY SOUL OF CHROME, YOU TRANS-HUMANIST BASTARDS!!!!!
3) Google. Just kidding. They will rule us all.

Ask me anything

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T01:03:00.001-05:00

[insert Auld Lang Syne here]

Yep, another year, another attempt at total domination....I mean, another attempt at making something of the blog. Yeah.

Oh, I totally meant it when I said I was going to force myself to post every day for a year. I wanted to have a new laptop to do it, but the funds are slow in the coming.* In order to give myself actual stuff to talk about, I have developed a five step plan:

1) Make sure blog is still active (check)

2) Sign up for Cannonball Read (check)

3) Prepare to rewatch/reread my entire media collection

4) ??????

5) Profit!

Okay, okay. Hopefully, with all the practice I will be getting this year, the humor will get better. A little bit. Fine, it might actually get worse. Like puns worse.

Well, I am feeling a little tipsy off the Manischewitz ('cause kosher is how I roll) and I still have a few more blogs to rip off places to visit for Inspiration. If I plan this right, my next post should be my first ever Cannonball Read review! I cannot wait, and I am sure it will be a doozy!**

So I say good night, and I wish you and yours a happy and prosperous 2011. Especially Obama, Because he is gonna need all the well wishes he can get.***

*Anybody feel like donating to this somewhat worthy cause can email or IM me for info on where to send the sewwweeeeet cashola.

**I am not that sure.

***And that is about as political as I am gonna get.

The Brain Receptacle in 2011

2010-12-01T21:07:00.001-05:00

Thanks to some recent developments in my personal life, I have been taking stock and reevaluating my life as is and as it is going to be.

While there are some things I am pleased with (JOB!!!), I find myself dissatisfied with other aspects of my life. Chief among them, I don't believe I have developed my creativity as much as I would have liked, especially when it comes to this blog and other manifestations of my online persona.

I just look around at some of my favorite Web haunts and think "I have a great idea for this," or "I wish I could have done that". It feels as though I am still playing catch-up with the rest of the internet. Maybe if I had started delving in it sooner, I wouldn't feel so left behind.

I recently started reading this book "ADD and Creativity" by Dr. Lynn Weiss, Ph.D. It has helped me realize a number of things about myself that I didn't know or refused to believe. Number one among those things is that I can be just as creative and entertaining as anyone, and that I shouldn't let 20-some odd years of "mismanagement" (not fair to call it anything worse) by family and friends keep me in the same self-loathing rut I have been in.

So starting January 1st, I will take on a quite monumental task: I am going to post at least once a day, EVERYDAY, for a WHOLE YEAR. Sometimes I may stock up for a week and take a breather, and sometimes I may only manage a Twitter update. But dammit, I am going to do it.

But I will need your help. Yes, you, random or not-so-random blog reader. I need feedback. I need to know I am not just screaming into the darkness here. I ask you to respond, as positively as your blackened hearts can muster. This is important. I wouldn't ask this if it wasn't.

I am tired of talking to myself because nobody around me is interested in what I have to say. I want to have a conversation. I want to engage.

And most of all, I want to have some purpose.

Even if it is merely to make your day go by a few minutes faster.

Thank you,

Vermillion