Not those Runaways

I think I heard about this series on NPR, and it's been a while since I discovered a graphic novel series that I loved, so I reserved it right away.  The Runaways follows a group of teens who discover that ther parents are super villains.  Great premise!  I'm surprised that this hasn't been movie-fied already.  I liked it okay - 5 out of 10.  I'm fairly certain that I'll pick up volume 2 and that's always a good sign.

Brutal

Watched The Proposition.  A western film set in Australia - do we need a new phrase for westerns when they aren't in the west?  The landscape is stunning.  The music/sound to the film is amazing.  The story is about as brutal as it gets.  I found the brothers to be fascinating but the violence was at a level I found hard to watch.  I give it a 5 out of 10.

Checking it twice

DoBot To Dos app is helping me keep track of gift ideas and who's left on my holiday gift list.

Dresses make life so easy

And this one looks extra flattering.

Potter!

 We went and caught the latest Potter movie at the wonderful and local Studio 35.  I liked it.  I think that someone watching this movie without seeing all the previous ones - even I had to think pretty hard to remember some of the previous plotlines.  Still I liked the moodiness of it.  I give it a 6.5.

Crumb

Mary Oliver's Swan has some real gems in it.  I adore her poem "Don't Hesitate" which tells the reader, "Joy is not meant to be a crumb."  What a lovely sentiment!  Other poems I liked; some did not strike me.  A pretty mixed bag - but a pretty one.

Revisit

Neil Gaiman has a way of making Norse gods seem like your oddball set of friends while still keeping their edge.  Odd & the Frost Giants is just a short story (with some fantastic illustrations), but it was nice to revisit Odin, Thor & Loki.  (And if you have yet to read his grown-up novel American Gods, I highly suggest that you do so).  7 out of 10.

Broken

I need to slow down on the true crime documentaries before I lose all faith in the justice system.  The more i see, the more I'm convinced it's more than just flawed - it appears to be completely broken.  Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills is about the West Memphis 3, teenage boys who were convicted of killing 3 eight year old boys.  The teenagers' biggest guilt appears to be not fitting in.  Almost 20 years later, they are all still imprisoned - one on death row.  Just recently, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered a retrial for one of them which may lead to the liberation of all three.  The whole thing is such a travesty. 

Other recent documentaries that have added to my anger - The Confessions, Death by Fire, and The Staircase.

Lingering effect

The 25th Hour is a book I started missing as soon as I'd finished it.  It's the tale of Monty who has 24 hours left before he has to turn himself over to be sent to prison for seven years.  The story is told through the eyes of Monty as well as his friends and girlfriend.  It's so damn sad and wonderful.  The ending was a total slice of perfect.  I give this book a 9.  It's going to haunt me for a good while.

Irrevocable

Once,
for each thing, only once. Once, and no more. And we too,
once. Never again. But this
once, to have been, though only once,
to have been an earthly thing – seems irrevocable.
- Rilke, Duino Elegies

Frogs and crime

Manda Bala is a documentary all about the cyclical nature of political corruption and poverty-driven crime in Brazil.  They tell the tale through many interesting avenues - frog farmers, plastic surgeons, and criminals.  5 out of 10.

Couldn't we all?

I could use some good luck.  Verabel's necklace wouldn't hurt.

More gore

We've been on a bit of a zombie kick lately.  While the first one was amazing, 28 Weeks Later was just so so.  The zombies are scary and the gore is intense, but the story is super lacking.  Almost an afterthought, and not nearly enough to hold up.  Only a 4 out of 10.

Rainbow bags

The felted bags from Katieandme2 are so pretty.

Perfect

Doesn't everyone have a favorite quilter?  Besides my mum, Denise Schmidt may be mine.



Paper gown

Sucker

I'm a little bit of a sucker for anything that reminds me of the good parts of being a kid.  Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium managed that.  Loved the toy store and how imanitive all that was!  For me, the characters took backstage, and, while that might bug others, I didn't mind at all. 7 out of 10.

Trouble

Cake

Hyperbole and a Half is one of the funniest sites I've found in a while. Loved God of Cake.

Pretty tunes

Take a listen to Clare Burson.  Thank me later.

Gorgeous

It's important

I Vote
Originally uploaded by Fedje

If you live in the U.S., tomorrow is a big day. Go vote!

Immoral

Want to watch something that'll make you mad?  Check out The Least of These about families being locked up in HUTTO while they await deportation.  It's something that is hard to believe happened in this country.  Children in jail.  Folks fleeing tortue and seeking asylum having to recount their horrors in front of their kids.  It's just awful awful awful.  I don't care where you stand on immigration, the way these families were treated was immoral.  6.5 for the film.  Much higher on the anger scale.

Tentacles

Totally up my alley.  Love all her bookmarks.