As another year comes to a close, I look back at this blog and wonder “Where the hell have I been?”
This blog has suffered long spates of inattention. A lot of it is due to my other blog (that totally geeky gaming one), and some of it is due to school, work, and life in general. But, I have to admit, a lot is due to just a general malaise that has taken over my mental self.
I don’t know if it’s the academic burnout I know I am feeling. Or if it’s the apathy I often feel when I start to think that nothing I write, or dream up, is any good. Or maybe even the recurring health-issues that just sap my energy. Chances are, it’s a combination of all of that and more.
But, the year wasn’t a total loss. I did manage to complete one short story and submit it to a publisher. I made progress on a handful of other shorts, one of which is very close to completion. I did a lot of game-writing, actually. I self-published an entire superhero RPG, a couple of small supplements, and the first issue of a gaming fanzine (which flopped like a trout in a boat). So, there’s that.
2015 does promise to be a bit better, though. I expect to have my Master’s degree by summer. Though the prospect of having to start paying back student loans soon after frightens me, I have done some research on some opportunities that the degree will bring. And once I no longer have to stress about writing stuff I have to write, I can focus more on writing stuff I want to write.
One thing I’m not going to do is announce publically what my writing plans are. Every time I do that, I can almost hear the collective eye-roll as my readers think “Yeah, sure you will.” Instead, I will make announcements about what I have done. Which, if history serves, means that my announcements will be few and far between.
I would also like to read a lot more. For pleasure. I probably average maybe four novels in a given year. I’d like to double that. Maybe even triple it. I have stacks and stacks of books, and more keep coming in as I “comfort shop” at Half-Priced Books a lot. Their bargain section is downright dangerous for me.
That being said, I think I am going to pare down my book collection. I might even post titles I want to get rid of, and see if anyone is interested in buying or trading for them. And that includes Roleplaying Games. I have a ton that I will probably never play. I’m going to keep all of my D&D core books (from every edition), but some of the other games will probably just go away.
All-in-all I’m hoping to make 2015 a year of forward momentum. Making progress and improving my life in general. Lately I have been very stressed out over a lot of things, and it’s high time I start trimming the fat, and streamlining my life.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
New Movies Watched
This weekend I ended up with some uninterrupted time with the TV. So, I watched a few movies that I hadn’t seen yet, but had been wanting to. Here are my thoughts on these…
Sabotage (2014) – This Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner was actually pretty good. Very bloody and violent, with a cast of interesting characters, and a pretty interesting premise. Basically, a “bad boy” DEA Spec Ops team pulls off a heist in the middle of a Cartel raid. But the money ($10M) goes missing, and the hunt is on. Seemed like it was just going to be a straight-up chase film, but things get really mucked up really fast. After a few plot twists that I honestly didn’t see coming, the end is kind of a shocker. At least it was for me. But, I’m usually not very good at spotting plot holes, plot twists, or anything like that during my viewing, so YMMV. Probably the only problem I had with it was that this supposedly elite DEA team couldn’t hit shit. And there was a lot of unnecessary lead flying about. But, that was minor, and it did keep the tension pretty high. (3.5/5 stars)
War of the Worlds: Goliath (2012) – This animated film seemed like a western attempt at anime. Over all it succeeded, and it did manage to cut down on the amount of superfluous dialogue that plagues most anime. The premise was pretty damn cool. Basically, Martians invade in 1899, but we are able to beat them back thanks to Nikola Tesla (who only had a sadly brief appearance in the film) being able to reverse-engineer Martian technology. 15 years later, ARES is a multinational military unit (like SHIELD or GI Joe) set up to fight the Martians should they ever return. When WWI breaks out, ARES almost falls apart, but the Martians show up just in time to give them renewed purpose. Some of the plot points were a bit contrived, but the steampunk tech was cool. And any movie that features Teddy Roosevelt as an action hero is aces in my book. (4/5 stars)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) – I had never got around to seeing these films, so when I went to the library and saw them both available, I checked them out. Watched this first one yesterday, and enjoyed it. Andrew Garfield is a fine Peter Parker, though a bit TOO goofy-looking for my tastes (with that HUGE hair!). The plot was good, though I did miss some of the elements that define the character, such as Pete being a scientific genius. In this one he kind of learns a bit of science here and there as he goes. Over all, it was a fun movie. Decent acting, cool visuals, and a serviceable story. And although I still prefer the first two Toby McGuire films (the third just doesn’t exist to me), I look forward to seeing the second one this week. (3.5/5 stars)
I, Frankenstein (2014) – This DTV film by the creator of Underworld, Kevin Grevioux (who also wrote the graphic novel, and played a part in the film) was actually pretty cool. Basically, it turns Frankenstein’s monster into a demon-hunter, who is backed (initially) by a coven of Gargoyles. The mythology is pretty solid, and grounded in Christian mythos. I liked the gargoyles a lot, and Adam (the name given to Frankenstein’s creation by the leader of the gargoyles) is a bad-ass character, played wonderfully by Aaron Eckhart. I’m sure there were plenty of plot holes, but I just didn’t notice them. I was having too much fun with the spectacle of it all. If you liked the Underworld films and Van Helsing, you’ll probably like this one. IMHO, well worth a rental (or a library checkout, like I did). (4/5 stars)
Sabotage (2014) – This Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner was actually pretty good. Very bloody and violent, with a cast of interesting characters, and a pretty interesting premise. Basically, a “bad boy” DEA Spec Ops team pulls off a heist in the middle of a Cartel raid. But the money ($10M) goes missing, and the hunt is on. Seemed like it was just going to be a straight-up chase film, but things get really mucked up really fast. After a few plot twists that I honestly didn’t see coming, the end is kind of a shocker. At least it was for me. But, I’m usually not very good at spotting plot holes, plot twists, or anything like that during my viewing, so YMMV. Probably the only problem I had with it was that this supposedly elite DEA team couldn’t hit shit. And there was a lot of unnecessary lead flying about. But, that was minor, and it did keep the tension pretty high. (3.5/5 stars)
War of the Worlds: Goliath (2012) – This animated film seemed like a western attempt at anime. Over all it succeeded, and it did manage to cut down on the amount of superfluous dialogue that plagues most anime. The premise was pretty damn cool. Basically, Martians invade in 1899, but we are able to beat them back thanks to Nikola Tesla (who only had a sadly brief appearance in the film) being able to reverse-engineer Martian technology. 15 years later, ARES is a multinational military unit (like SHIELD or GI Joe) set up to fight the Martians should they ever return. When WWI breaks out, ARES almost falls apart, but the Martians show up just in time to give them renewed purpose. Some of the plot points were a bit contrived, but the steampunk tech was cool. And any movie that features Teddy Roosevelt as an action hero is aces in my book. (4/5 stars)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) – I had never got around to seeing these films, so when I went to the library and saw them both available, I checked them out. Watched this first one yesterday, and enjoyed it. Andrew Garfield is a fine Peter Parker, though a bit TOO goofy-looking for my tastes (with that HUGE hair!). The plot was good, though I did miss some of the elements that define the character, such as Pete being a scientific genius. In this one he kind of learns a bit of science here and there as he goes. Over all, it was a fun movie. Decent acting, cool visuals, and a serviceable story. And although I still prefer the first two Toby McGuire films (the third just doesn’t exist to me), I look forward to seeing the second one this week. (3.5/5 stars)
I, Frankenstein (2014) – This DTV film by the creator of Underworld, Kevin Grevioux (who also wrote the graphic novel, and played a part in the film) was actually pretty cool. Basically, it turns Frankenstein’s monster into a demon-hunter, who is backed (initially) by a coven of Gargoyles. The mythology is pretty solid, and grounded in Christian mythos. I liked the gargoyles a lot, and Adam (the name given to Frankenstein’s creation by the leader of the gargoyles) is a bad-ass character, played wonderfully by Aaron Eckhart. I’m sure there were plenty of plot holes, but I just didn’t notice them. I was having too much fun with the spectacle of it all. If you liked the Underworld films and Van Helsing, you’ll probably like this one. IMHO, well worth a rental (or a library checkout, like I did). (4/5 stars)
Monday, December 8, 2014
Agents of SHIELD
I don’t, technically, watch TV. We have a NetFlix account, and I usually just watch that, or the occasional Blu-Ray/DVD of my favorites. I do occasionally get into a TV show on NetFlix, and have even binge-watched entire seasons. Mainly these have been comic book-based shows. I’ve run through most of the animated series from both Marvel and DC, and have thrilled to the exploits of Oliver Queen in two seasons of Arrow. And my most recent foray was all of Season 1 of Agents of SHIELD.
I have to say, I feel dumb for not watching this show as it was broadcast. This is easily the best show I have ever watched, IMHO (YMMV). It hits all the right notes for me personally, and I have already grown very attached to the entire cast. Not to spoil things, but when the betrayals came about, I felt personally betrayed. It’s that immersive for me.
As always happens, NetFlix didn’t get Season 1 until Season 2 had already started. So, as of right now, I’m several weeks behind. This week is the “winter finale”, which I am hoping signals a period where they will re-broadcast the previous episodes, just so I can get caught up.
I’ve also become hopelessly infatuated with Ming Na Wen. Not only is her character, Agent Melinda May a kick-ass character, but she is arguably one of the sexiest actresses out there, IMHO. So, yeah, there is a lot of “eye-candy” factor to this show as well.
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