Phone Booth

2.5/5 stars

Stu Shepard answers the phone in a phone booth. That’s not his first mistake, but the caller on the other end thinks it might be his last. The caller, a sniper with a view of the phone booth, keeps Stu on the phone, threatening to kill if he hangs up.

I think the idea was more interesting than the movie itself. It wasn’t bad, but I wonder if it would have been better as a short story, or somehow better developed with more flashbacks to get to know the characters better, or something.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging

by Louise Rennison

This book is written as snippets from Geogia Nicolson’s diary. Georgia is a 14-year-old in England struggling with a large nose, an insane cat (half domestic, half Scottish wild cat, by some estimates), and boys. It’s kind of like a Bridget Jone’s Diary for a younger crowd. I’ll bet Rennison is tired of hearing that, but I don’t mean it as a put down. I found this to be a fun read, and it brought back some of my high school memories…albeit, not all good memories, but it was still fun.

Eight Nouns

While looking at the new researchblogs.org page [which no longer exists 1/2014. -b], I saw an ice-breaker idea. The poster has used this for on-line courses, and thought that perhaps it would be good for a “real” classroom as well. I thought I’d see what I came up with.

1. Introduce yourself with 8 nouns

Astrophysicist, writer, friend, fiancé, daughter, reader, survivor, goofus

2. Explain why you picked each noun

Astrophysicist – this is what I do day-to-day. I love the sky, the stars, the magic there, even if I don’t always love the day-to-day part of being an astronomer. I’m also a bit reclusive, off-center, and eccentric, as seems stereotypical of scientists.

Writer – this is what I aspire to be. I’ve always loved writing, but never followed that dream. I do get to do some writing as a scientist and in my work administering web pages for a NASA mission. However, to me, being a writer is really about being a creative writer. That’s where I want to be. And I have started to take this back into my life after a necessary leave-of-absence during grad school.

Friend – friendships are very important to me, both what I get from having friends, and what I get from being a friend. I’m fiercely loyal to my friends, and will do anything once I let you in. But, no, it’s not always easy to get in.

Fiancé – soon-to-be wife. I’m not ashamed to identify myself as part of a couple, though I am (and was) complete as an individual. I’ve found that I am a stronger person since I started my relationship with Andrew.

Daughter – my family is also important to me. These are people I grew up surrounded by, and they can’t help but to have had a profound impact on who I am today — whether for better or worse.

Reader – More than TV and movies and the Internet, books have value to me. I may not always read the most profound novels, but the written word in almost any form is one thing I highly value (somewhat related to being a writer, huh?)

Survivor – no, not the TV show. While I may not have been through as much as some people, I have experienced my share of loss and sadness. And during those times I sometimes wondered how I would make it through to the next day, hour, minute. But somehow I’ve always pulled through. Whether I’m actually a stronger person, or just know more of my strengths from those experiences is hard to say.

Goofus – the other words didn’t really show that I have a silly side, so this seemed as good as any. I have a sense of humor, and can sometimes be found turning red while giggling about some inside joke (inside myself, that is — no one else need know what I’m giggling about).

Ares Helping

I was trying to update my book journal. (The paper version, where I write more than my on-line version. sometimes I even give away the ending in my paper journal. For shame!)

Ares decided to help.

Out of Time

by James P. Hogan

Time is disappearing in New York City. The losses seem worst at airports, TV stations, and telephone switchboards. When a scientist from the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the time is being stolen by aliens in a parallel universe, the case of larceny falls to Joe Kopeksky from the NY Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He assembles an unlikely team of himself, his assistant, an engineer, a scientist and a priest to solve the case.

Fun, short book (really a novella). I was caught up in the mystery from chapter 2 on, wondering what physics-oddity Hogan had thought up for this story. I probably noticed a few things that a non-physicist may have had to wait for the exposition to catch on, but was still intrigued, and didn’t find the exposition overly annoying.

Artemis Fowl

by Eoin Colfer

Since Artemis Fowl’s father, Artemis I, disappeared at sea, his mother has not been playing with a full deck. Twelve-year-old Artemis II has taken it upon himself to attempt to replenish the Fowl fortune. His plan? Acquire fairy gold. However, the fairy he kidnaps just happens to be a member of the Lower Elements Police force (a LEPrecon).

I found I didn’t know who to root for. Artemis, while sympathetic because of the loss of his father (and subsequent loss of his mother), is portrayed as evil. Holly, the LEPrecon Artemis kidnaps, is sympathetic, but a bit of a flake. The LEPrecon forces sent in to deal with the situation ranged from likeable (Foaly) to hate-able (Cudgeon).

This was a fun, fluffy book, but I doubt I’ll be running out to find the second in the series.

Wonderfalls cancelled

FOX introduced two creative new shows this season — Tru Calling and Wonderfalls. Tru Calling survived the axe by a mid-season revamp, but Wonderfalls has been cancelled. Bastards. I’m not sure how executives at FOX can hold their heads up with the crap TV they’ve invented. It’s beyond my capacity to understand how a network who has created such auspicious shows as My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance and The Swan could can one of the two respectable new shows this season.

That’s okay. I didn’t need to watch any TV anyway. There are too many good books for me to read.

Witch Hunt

A True Story of Social Hysteria and Abused Justice
by Kathryn Lyon

I’m done with true crime, unless a trusted friend specifically recommends something to me.

Witch Hunt chronicles injustices of the child welfare, police and justice departments in Wenatchee, Washington. Children suspected of being sexually abused were questioned for hours on end until the interviewer heard what he wanted. These interviews were never recorded, and any notes were destroyed, lest they contradict the final report. Suspects were interviewed by police, their requests for lawyers ignored, until they signed confessions. Many of the suspects were poor, mentally retarded, or illiterate. Prosecutors withheld relevant information from defending lawyers and filed new charges days before trials were to begin.

While the story itself sounds compelling, Lyon tells it in excruciating detail. The story should have been told in half the number of pages (or less). Just because an author has a bit of research, it doesn’t mean that it has to be included in the book — true crime authors, in my limited experience, need to learn the strength of summary over scene for parts of their story when summary will do the job just as well as a point-by-point account.

Blade

2/5 stars

Standard action film, but with vampires instead of terrorists or random super-villain.

Hidalgo

4/5 stars

This movie was based on the life of Frank Hopkins, a Pony Express courier and long distance horse race legend. he and his horse, Hidalgo, travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in a race across the desert. Most participants laugh at his horse, a wild Mustang, from their purebred Arabian mounts. Hopkins finds himself not just fighting to win the race (and survive the race) but caught up in Arabian politics.

I quite enjoyed the movie. While I knew that Hopkins had to survive. I was still caught up in the action.

Funny comment from couple behind us: “They really used a lot of horses in this movie.” Duh. Really?