Library Blog Reminder

It's been a while since I cross posted what I've been writing for my library blog, Browsing Room, so I thought I'd put this up here, just because it's a helpful article (on the current state of internet browsers today) and as a reminder that, hey--I write a library blog. Check it out, and if any of you have any library-related questions, you always know where to find me. :-)

For those of you playing along at home, Firefox has updated to a brand new version number this morning: 10.0. Of course, as I've noted before, those new version numbers seem to mean less and less these days than they used to. Case in point? The first (FIRST) listed "new feature" for Firefox 10? They've hidden the "Forward" button until you hit the "Back" button.


Whoa.


Firefox, you just blew my mind. All this time, that's been the one thing that I've been hating most about browsers. That pesky Forward button. Thank goodness it's gone now. I'm so happy we have a brand new version of your browser. Totally worth the wait.

Keep reading the full article over at my blog.

Downton Abbey 2.4 Review

First off, as usual, this post has a bunch of spoilers in it. If you haven't had the chance to see the latest episode of Downton (episode 4), then you'd darn well better not read this post. Got it?

Because there are some fairly major spoilers this week.

So I have to give the show some props right off the bat for not being predictable. I'm relieved that my guesses last week ended up being wrong--because really, who wants to watch a show where you know what happens each week before you watch? You might as well just turn the whole thing off.

Matthew getting paralyzed? Didn't see that one coming. William dying? Wasn't too hard to guess that was in the poor kid's future as soon as he became Matthew's helper in the field. Still, there's a difference between not being predictable and actually being good. For me, part of how I'll be able to tell which this is will be determined by what happens later. I would love for Downton to stick to its guns and keep Matthew paralyzed permanently. Not because I'm sadistic like that--I'm very sad for the guy and his future--but more because I'll be sad if they give him a miraculous recovery two or three episodes down the road.

This show is good because it's true to life. (Or at least it does an excellent job seeming like it is.) If suddenly you've got people prancing in and out of wheelchairs and paralysis, the soap opera elements leap to the forefront, and it cheapens the rest of the show. (That's one reason why I really don't care for the maid-with-a-child-out-of-wedlock subplot. I get that that sort of thing happened, and it's appalling the way the major is treating her, but it's not interesting enough to make me care for the maid yet. Am I just a cold, heartless jerk?)

More props for expanding Thomas and O'Brien into characters who actually aren't always evil. (Well, O'Brien at least--and yay for giving Thomas a bit more in the way of motivation.) I love me some villains, but I also really would rather the villains be realistic. Few people (in my experience) are just 100% awful people, all the time.

Daisy and William--This was an interesting plot line, but at the end of all of it, I have to wonder just where it was going. I mean, if the big payoff is just that Daisy was really conflicted for all of two days about having to pretend to marry William, and now that's it . . . what was the point? To make us all feel really bad for William? I'm hoping this somehow ties back into some more consequences for Daisy. In a soap opera, by next episode, she'd be back to her getting-bossed-around-by-the-cook-and-being-clueless old self again. (Maybe that's what a good drama needs to set it apart from a bad soap opera: real consequences that make sense and are realistic.)

Mary and her big secret--the plot thickens. Hooray for her fiancee for being a stand up guy and protecting her from the story, but you can't help but feel like washing your hands every time that fiancee is in the show. He's oily, and no good will come of it. I'm still convinced Matthew and Mary end up together, but I'm surprised how devoted he is to Lavinia. (And I'm surprised at myself for caring as much as I do--another sign of a great show.)

In any case, excellent developments, and I'm looking forward (as always) to next week. How about you? What did you think?

PS--Sybil and the chauffeur? Blech.The girl deserves better. MUCH better.

Elbow Update

I had no idea I'd ever be writing a blog post about how my elbow is doing. But since it's affected pretty much my whole life for the past 10 days, here I am.

I'm happy to report that things are looking brighter. I have the splint and sling off now, and while it hurts to do some things, I'm also typing this with both hands, and I have no plans on putting the splint back on--at least not until bed. We'll see how that goes.

I was supposed to start physical therapy today, but Mother Nature once again decided to bless me with a snow day, so that's been pushed off to next week. In the meantime, I'm back to writing, thank goodness. This injury pushed me back in my timetable by at least a week, likely more. It's not just the "not being able to type fast." I find it more difficult to think and get in the "writing zone" when I'm in pain and discomfort. Go figure. (It doesn't help that I fell on my back when I injured my elbow, and that's still aching, too. Yuck. And did I mention I grind my teeth at night, and this injury has really amp'ed that habit to 11, so my teeth have decided to stop lining up straight in the day. Yeah. No fun.)

But enough about whining and complaining. Snow day! I think this is my fourth one this year already. So let's see . . . snow and ice meant a broken elbow this year, but it also meant four extra days off from work. I try to be a glass is half full sort of a guy. :-)

But I think I'd still rather my elbow wasn't broken and I had to work those four days. (Then again, I watched My Left Foot while I was in the depths of depression--that did a lot to cheer me up. Things could be a ton worse.)

See you all on Monday!

Burn Notice Review

I've taken a break from Mad Men. The show just got too depressing for me. No one ever did anything redemptive, and it was just too doom and gloomy for me. So Netflix swore up and down that I would like Burn Notice, and I thought Denisa and I might give it a shot.

It's not a bad show. In fact, it's quite fun. Fun in a heavy-on-the-small-plot and light on the large plot sort of way, but fun nonetheless. The basic premise is that a contract spy gets thrown out of the spy world when someone frames him for some crimes against the government. The overarching plot is him trying to figure out who framed him and get even. The smaller, episode by episode plots are focused on him trying to earn some money to fund that search--mainly by helping people in need of help, ala the A-Team. (Then again, in later episodes, he keeps turning down the money, which makes one wonder how in the world he pays rent.)

The show is light fun. If you're looking for some adventure, some spy action, and some I-wonder-if-that's-really-true explanations for how spies do things in the real world (hint: it's all about cell phones), then you could do much worse than this show. Of course, Netflix thought I'd give it 5/5 stars, and I think it's more of a 4/5, but that's quibbling. I prefer my TV shows to have more big plot elements, but then again, I keep coming back to Burn Notice night after night. It's a great release show--especially when you're looking to escape a broken elbow. Plus (compared to many of the other offerings on TV these days), it's surprisingly light on sex and violence. (Swimsuits, yes. Simulated sex, no. Explosions, yes. Blood, no--that sort of thing.)

Denisa and I are now a third of the way into season 2. Gotta love that Netflix streaming.

Is this a show I should have known about a long time ago? Have I been under a rock? Any other fans out there--please share!

Mitt Romney, Tithing, and Mormons

Now that Mitt's released his taxes for the past few years, I've seen a rash of articles popping up focused on how much he's paid to the Mormon Church in tithing. Which of course is something everybody should have seen coming from miles away. (Indeed, the story for me would have been if he *didn't* pay his tithing, which--ironically--would no doubt have caused even more problems for him, politically. I can just see Newt declaiming someone who makes a commitment to pay 10%, and then not paying it.)

Anyway.

I wanted to take a moment to explain a bit about tithing and how it works for Mormons, just in case any of you out there are curious. I think it's a concept for most people, but then again, I never ceased to be surprised by the things I assume people know, only to find out my assumption was wrong.

Mormons pay 10% of their earnings to their local congregation. There's no strict definition of what this "earnings" consists of. In fact, church leaders are discouraged from putting a strict definition out there. It's up to the individual to figure out what that means. Is that 10% of what you make before taxes? After taxes? On gifts? Trust me--speaking as a "full tithe payer," there are all sorts of ways you can get confused by something as easy as 10%.

That said, there is no one who demands to see your tax returns or paycheck stubs to prove you're making the grade. Once a year, you sit down with your Bishop (the volunteer, unpaid leader of your local congregation), and he asks if you're a full tithe payer. You say yes or no. End of story. (Having never said "no," I really don't know what happens if you do. Attendance in Mormon temples (buildings reserved for special ordinances--not weekly meetings) requires a person to be a full tithe payer. So I'm thinking your Bishop would likely have a chat with you about tithing and why God asks it of us. Then again, that discussion probably varies from Bishop to Bishop. But I digress.)

Could you lie and tell your Bishop that you paid all your tithing, and really only have paid like 5%? Yeah. But that kind of misses the point.

I pay tithing because I believe it's a commandment. I pay it because I believe it brings blessings. Not in an "I give God 10% and He makes me rich" sort of way, but in a bunch of intangibles. I paid tithing when I was a starving newlywed college student. I pay it now.

Of course, I think this whole 10% thing is probably one of the reasons non-Mormons view the religion as cult-ish. You have to pay money to be able to be saved, that sort of thing. But people who make that assumption are missing an important side to tithing: what's done with the money. If church leaders were driving around in Bentleys and living in luxury apartments in Vegas or New York, I'd be just as concerned as the next guy. But church leaders are--for the most part--volunteer. Mormon meeting houses are utilitarian. Clean and efficient, but hardly gaudy. The church carries out its affairs in the same manner it encourages its members: to live prudently and be wise managers of money.

Why would God ask people to pay 10% of their money to a church? What does God need it for? God doesn't need it. The church certainly can use it to keep buildings operating and such, but in the end, I think this is a commandment more for the benefit of the individual than the church as a whole.

Many of my early budgeting lessons came directly from paying tithing. I had to keep track of how much I was making. I had to watch my money and pay attention to it. Step one of not going into massive debt is having a firm grasp on how much money you make. I pay my tithing first thing each month (not a requirement of members--just how I personally do it). If I'm going to be good at paying it, I automatically need to have a budget. I need to be planning out how I'll spend my money. That's a big plus.

Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, had the following to say about religion and sacrifice:

"A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life"

I agree with this sentiment. I feel like religion today is becoming for many more and more a personal preference, find what you already agree with sort of a thing. Religion is asking less and less of individuals, when I feel like it should be expecting more. If a religion doesn't ask you--expect you--to live a better life, to be kinder to others, to become a better person through both outward and inward actions, then what's the point? But again, I'm trying to avoid having this post become a diatribe on modern religion, and keep it to the facts at hand. Sorry.

In the end, I get how tithing could be an issue for some in a political season. I mean, if I found out a candidate was donating a million dollars to the Chuckles the Clown foundation, or spending two hundred thousand on chocolate pudding baths each month, then I'd have concerns about that. But to criticize a candidate (even in a backhanded, "can you believe he actually pays this much to a church" sort of way) for being a faithful member of a religion doesn't make sense to me.

I'd like a leader who believes in principles and isn't afraid to be financially committed to those principles. I'm not saying I'm going to vote Romney this year. I would admire anyone who lived his or her religion to its fullest, whatever that religion might be. In Romney's case, tithing is an excellent barometer of his commitment to his principles.

As far as I'm concerned, that should be the end of the political story.

Any questions from anyone out there? Keep 'em civil, but here's one Mormon ready and willing to have an open discussion on the issue. (You might also want to check out the transcript to a talk I gave in church a while ago on the subject of tithing.) Anyway--speak up!

Christmas Toy Reflection Reviews

Now that it's been a month since Christmas, I thought I'd take a look back on some of the toys we got and give them two ratings from 1-10. The first for anticipation levels leading up to the Big Day, the second for actual fun and value. Because hey--we all know that some toys soar and some crash. Maybe our experience can help you find some great toys. Here we go:

Dominoes:
Anticipation: 0--I got these as a surprise for the fam. The kids hadn't expressed any interest in having some, but I got them anyway.
Actual fun: 7--We've played with them as a family at least four times since Christmas, and everybody has a great time. We've stuck to Mexican Train so far, and the rules are simple enough that TRC can play on his own and beat me and Denisa as often as we beat him. Great purchase. Cheap, and lots of fun. Definitely worth it.

LEGO Master Builder Academy:
Anticipation: 5--TRC really wanted more Legos. I looked around for a while and ended up getting a family subscription to the Master Builder Academy, which sends us a pack in the mail once a month, and supposedly teaches all sorts of tips and tricks to become a master builder.
Actual fun: 8--Again, TRC loves it. Getting stuff in the mail as a kid is never a bad thing, and he's really taken the lessons to heart. I've seen his constructions improve. It's a fun kit, and I've enjoyed getting them myself. Hey--you can never have too many Legos.

Rocksmith:
Anticipation: 10--I had huge hopes for this. I've blogged about that already.
Actual fun: 10--Until I broke my elbow, I'd played this every day I could, usually for at least an hour a day. One of the biggest bummers I have about my broken elbow is the fact that I can't play this game for now. It's that good.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Anticipation: 8--New Zelda, with cool sword 1:1 motion accuracy? Sign me up!
Actual fun: 6--A bit of a let down--especially at first. It took too long to get into the game. But now that I'm into it, it's going much better. It's a great game for me to be able to play while TRC watches, and I expect the actual fun rating to end up around a 7 or 8, which isn't too bad, all things considered.

7 Wonders Game:
Anticipation: 7--I'd heard really good things about this game, and I thought long and hard before I chose it as the game to buy this year for Christmas. That's a lot riding on one game.
Actual Fun: 0--Big disappointment. Not because the game is bad. I haven't had a chance to play it. I broke open the rules, got ready to play with Denisa, and found out that it's designed with three or more players in mind. It's got a 2 person variant, but it's supposedly too confusing if you haven't played with 3 or more already. That ain't gonna fly with Denisa. So this one will have to wait for a few years until TRC can play, too. Big bummer.

Apple TV:
Anticipation: 7--I wanted this to fill a few holes in my AV library--primarily as a way to get content from a computer/iPad to my TV screen.
Actual Fun--5--Not quite what I wanted, but it scratches most of the itches I wanted it to. I've used it to watch TV through my iPad onto my big screen, and I've streamed music with it. Mainly disappointing from an "it ought to be capable of more" standpoint.

Nerf N-Strike Maverick
Anticipation: 9--TRC really wanted a new Nerf. He loves these things
Actual Fun--2--It broke not too long after he got it. He still uses it a bit, but it was, on the whole, a let down I think.

Those are some of the highlights. Other items that went over well were the Yoga DVDs I got Denisa--she's used them almost every day, which I count as a roaring success. The Kitchenaid cover? Not so much. She just uses the Kitchenaid too much for it to make any sense covering it. I should have seen that one coming. Whoops. Still, it was all told a fairly successful Christmas, mainly due to avoiding buying the garbage they advertise on TV and going for quality, well-reviewed products, instead. For that reason, it's been really useful to not have TV for TRC and DC to see ads for the crummy products. Much easier to get them excited for things that are actually worth getting excited for. Ya know?

How about you? Any particular toys/items that were very successful or disappointing? Do share. I have two kid birthdays coming up, after all. Always looking for ideas . . .

Downton Abbey Update

Not sure how long this typing will last today. My elbow's been acting up, as it's the first day I've been back at work since the accident. Still, I wanted to jot down my current Downton impressions after last night's episode.

First off, Denisa and I continue to really enjoy the show. The characters are all very well done--written and acted. Though I have to say that right now, I miss the more straightforward plots of season one. Everything's just a tad too soap opera-esque for me. The biggest strength of the show remains the fascinating characters and the way their lives are affected by a fascinating period of history. I love seeing how characters react to different things--And how different those reactions are when compared to the norms today. Some special notes: (WARNING--SPOILERS!)

• Thomas is a weasel, and so is O'Brian, but the show needs them desperately. I want to see more of them, just so there can be more conflict.
• The new maid's dismissal for fooling around with the soldier was predictable and took too long to get to this point. I'm much more interested in seeing what happens now.
• Thank goodness that busybody Mrs. Crawley is off to France. She seriously bugged me, in a someone-get-that-woman-to-shut-up sort of a way. On the other hand, she might die now, and I didn't really dislike her *that* much.
• Mr. Bates and Anna are the pinatas of these writers. I swear the writers kick back and try to think about what awful things they can do to those two each week. That said, that's also a big reason for why we like the characters, I think.
• Molesley continues to be unlikable, in a pandering, greasy sort of way.
• I felt like the Matthew MIA plot was finished too quickly. I wanted a special Behind Enemy Lines: Downton edition. Oh well.
• That said, the reveal during the concert was well done.
• PREDICTION--Mary's fiancee will find out about the Turk (from Mrs. Bates). He'll try to use it as leverage to get Mary to marry him. She'll refuse. He'll publish it. Matthew will find out that's why Mary didn't want to commit, and we'll discover his fiancee isn't all that and a bag of chips, and that's how Matthew and Mary end up together. Kind of hoping I'm wrong, though--I hope it's not that predictable.

And that's all the typing I have in me. What are your thoughts of the season so far?

Vodnik Launch Party: Ideas?

The launch date for Vodnik keeps getting closer. I'm hoping to have a book launch party  over at my local public library when the big day arrives. Only a few problems: first of all,
I'm not sure when the exact release date *is*. March 2012 is a bit nebulous. GoodReads has it down for March 28th, but I have no idea where they got that date from. Either which way, this doesn't seem to be that big of an obstacle--I mean, I'll find out what a good date is and go from there.

The slightly bigger problem is that I've never done one of these before. I know friends of mine have done them, and I've caught bits and pieces of their planning stages, but there's a big difference between hearing about a book launch party and having your own.

So.

Anyone out there been to some good ones? Run a successful one themselves? I'm open to any and all suggestions as the big day approaches.

And in related news, the GoodReads page for Vodnik is up now. If you've already read it and would like to review it (or add it to your To Be Read list), now you can! Check it out.

Sick Time Movie Reviews

I'm stuck at home. Hard to hold a book open, can barely type, can't hold a video game controller--what can I do? Press the play button. Here are quick reviews of the movies I've been watching to pass the time.

The Fighter--4/4 stars. A great addition to the boxing film library. Bale is amazing in the movie. Modern day Rocky--very worthwhile, with fantastic story and acting.

Little Big Soldier--2/4 stars. Jackie Chan in a big budget historical Chinese war movie. Needed less drama, more action and humor. Play to your strengths, Jackie. Disappointing.

Gun Shy--2/4 stars. Liam Neeson and Sandra Bullock in a nervous/anxious undercover cop romantic comedy. A few patches of fun, but ultimately it's a hodge podge of pieces that have been done better in other movies. Plus, all semblance of believability is blown at the climax.

Manhattan Murder Mystery--3/4 stars. Very fine Woody Allen murder mystery. A bit slow in parts, but ultimately a lot of fun.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil--4/4 stars. This movie is a total guilty pleasure in the same vein as Shaun of the Dead. Gory, violent, and inappropriate. The film is brave enough to look at horror film hillbillies and ask, "What if it's all just a big misunderstanding?" Favorite quote: "Oh hidy ho officer, we've had a doozy of a day. There we were minding our own business, just doing chores around the house, when kids started killing themselves all over my property." Hilarious. (Thanks for the recommendation, Dan Wells. You saved my Tuesday from being 100% awful.)

Broken Elbow Update

I went to the orthopedist this morning. Looks like as far as these kinds of breaks go, this was a mild one. No need for a cast, and I should be able to be out of the splint in ten days, followed by four weeks of physical therapy.

More good news: I should be able to type and use my left hand as soon as the pain goes away, which should be relatively soon. Hooray for that. I'm sick of only having one hand. You get a much greater understanding for people with disabilities when something like this happens. I can't put on my jeans, tie my own shoes, put in my lenses--all sorts of things I normally just take for granted.

Anyway--that"s about all the one-handed typing I've got in me for now. In the meantime, if you haven't entered the contest to win an advance copy of my book, now would be an excellent time. :-)

See you all tomorrow.

I broke my elbow today. What did you do?

Today at work I had the bright idea of going for a walk during my break. Thins were going swimmingly--right up until I took a right on the sidewalk and came across a spot of sidewalk that was covered in black ice, with a liberal splash of snow dusted all over it to hide it.

My legs flew out from under me, and I landed flat on my back. I got up, took another step, and fell again.

For the first half hour or so, I tried to ignore the pain. When it became too obvious that I was in denial, I went to the ER. Verdict? Left radial head fracture. It hurts like the dickens, and is in a splint right now. Tomorrow I go to the orthopedist. Fun incarnate.

Snooping around online, I see that in mild cases, I should be good to go after a few days. Major cases require surgery.

Here's hoping it's a mild case.

In the meantime, I can't use my left arm or hand. Typing with just my right is a much bigger pain than I thought it would be, which is why this post is going to be a short one. I really hope this is a fast recovery. So much of what I do requires both hands.

Sigh.

Oh well--it could have been worse.

35 years, and today's my first broken bone. Do I win something?

I'll keep you updated as I find out more.

Movie Review: Mission Impossible

I had the chance to catch Mission Impossible over the winter break, and today was a slow blog day, so I thought I'd give you my thoughts on the film. Better late than never, right?

Overall, I enjoyed it. I liked that it was more of a team effort this time through than some of the past movies. For me, one of the things that sets MI apart from Bond or Bourne or other spy movies is that team element. In the films where Cruise is allowed to be THE guy, it doesn't really feel like a Mission Impossible movie to me. This time out, Cruise is still the most important, but it's more of a 60/40 split between him and the rest. Still not ideal, but better.

The action is relentless--almost to a fault. By the end of the movie, so much has happened, with one jaw dropping sequence after another. I started to get action fatigue, which means either that the movie is a tad long at 2 hours and 13 minutes, or that I'm well on my way to old geezer hood and wondering about newfangled movies with their loud noises and flashing explosions every two seconds. (Then again, I felt this way about Face/Off back when it first came out--14 years ago. So maybe I've always been on my way to old geezer hood. Or maybe this movie really does have too much action.)

Brad Bird (in his first live action directorial outing) does a great job. (He also helmed Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and the Iron Giant--a pretty good track record for animated movies.) While there might be a bit much action, it's always well choreographed and put together, and you don't get lost in the plot. (Which also says a lot for the editing of the movie.)

The acting is all fine. I enjoyed Simon Pegg, but the guy's starting to be typecast as heavily as Hugh Grant. Pegg's a funny guy, but I'd like to see a tad more diversity coming from him. Cruise is Cruisey. Renner did a solid performance, and he's definitely One to Watch.

Is it the best movie ever? No. It's solidly in the Popcorn Flick category, and that's okay. If you want to see things go boom (and check out an incredible film sequence on top of the world's tallest skyscraper), then this movie's going to scratch that itch. Three stars from me. Worth seeing in the theater, just for the eye candy.

Vodnik Cover Blurb from Brandon Sanderson

I have the day off today, courtesy of Mother Nature, who was kind enough to dump a bunch of snow outside my window. So I'm spending most of the day goofing off with my kids--which I believe is required by law on all snow days.

However, I had one more bit of Vodnik news to share will all ya'll (in addition to the ongoing contest to give away an advance copy of the book, that is): the book has gotten a very flashy cover blurb for publication, from none other than the illustrious, New York Times #1 Bestselling Author Brandon Sanderson:

“Vodnik is compelling, interesting, and darkly humorous. I think you’ll love it.”

 So there you have it, folks. If Brandon thinks the book is awesome, what more proof do you need that you and your closest 1,000 friends all deserve a copy for  . . . (what holiday is in March?) St. Patrick's Day. Vodniks wear green suits. They're kind of leprechaunish, if you ignore their proclivity for drowning you and keeping your soul in a lidded teacup. The book also makes a great Easter present. Or graduation gift.

:-) Have a nice Thursday, all. And thanks for the cover blurb, Brandon!

Vodnik ARC Giveaway Contest

Okay--I know this is long overdue, but I was waiting to run the contest until the rush of the holidays were over. So here we are. Rush. Over. :-)

As I posted earlier, I have a shiny new Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of my novel that I'm just itching to give away to somebody. Here's how this giveaway is going to work. Everybody can earn a certain number of entries in the contest (by doing various things, which I'll detail in a moment). I'll put all those entries into an Excel spreadsheet, number them, and then use random.org to select a random number within that range. If that number's yours, you win!

Pretty easy, eh? You'll be sent 368 pages of Slovak fantasy goodness--destined to be a collector's item. If you choose to donate your copy to the Smithsonian for posterity's sake, I'm sure the country will thank you years down the road. :-)

So how can you generate entries? Simple:

• Comment on this blog post (either here or on Facebook) = 1 entry
• "Like" this post on Facebook = 1 entry
• Share this blog post on Facebook = 1 entry
• Retweet this blog post on Twitter (my Twitter name is bmoorebooks) = 1 entry
• "Like" the Amazon page for Vodnik = 1 entry
• Blog about the book, or me writing the book, or . . . anything Vodnik and me-related (link back to here so that people can find out more about the book and go on to enter the contest themselves) = 5 entries

(If you "like" the page on Amazon, you'll have to tell me--either in the comments or via email or on Facebook or Twitter. They don't let me know who liked it.) If you helped me come up with ideas for this contest (per my previous blog post), congrats! You've already earned yourself one entry. :-)

I'll have this contest run through Groundhog Eve (February 1st, for those of you who don't take your rodent festivities as seriously as you should), and then I'll announce the winner in a big, elaborate blog post (or maybe a smaller, not as elaborate post--it depends on how my Groundhog Day is going) on Groundhog Day itself.

Sound like a plan? Then get posting!

For those of you coming here for the first time, click here to find out more about it.

Public Service Annoucement: Amazon Prices

Howdy folks. Today I'm here with just a brief bit of info that might make your life a tad better. Assuming you ever shop at Amazon, that is. Did you know that Amazon has a tendency to mess around with its prices? Not just a little, either. They don't have to have their minions scurry around with stickers to change their prices--they can do it with a click of a button. And they do.

A lot.

I have no idea *why* they change them as much as they do, but who are we to question the ways of the mighty Amazon? And in the end, why they do it doesn't matter. All that matters is to be aware of it and to know how to fight it.

Because if there's one thing any good librarian knows, it's that knowledge is power.

Enter Amazon price watchers, stage right. There are any number of these services online--the one I personally use is myPriceTrack, not because I think it's better than any others. It just happens to be the one that I found first. (If any of you out there have services you like more than this one, please speak up. I have no loyalty to this particular one.)

This handy tool allows you to cut and paste the web address of any Amazon product into its search engine, and it spits out the relevant price data for that item, charted over time. So in action, let's imagine you wanted to buy Adobe CS5. You go to Amazon's page for the item and see that it's selling for $650 (right now), marked down from $700. That seems like a pretty good deal, right? Well, when you go to myPriceTrack, you discover CS5 was on sale for $490 back on November 19th, and then again for $500 on December 17th. Maybe you ought to watch the price of it over the next while and find a better time to buy.

You can do this with anything on Amazon. Books, movies, electronics, music--you name it. It'll also show you the lowest "Buy Used" price on Amazon. The price doesn't fluctuate as wildly for some areas, but you really never can tell where it will and where it won't. When I go to buy something off Amazon these days, I almost always at least make a stop by myPriceTrack first to make sure I'm not getting ripped off.

Any of you have any tips you use for online shopping?

Thoughts on Downton Abbey: Season Two Premiere Review and Response

Yeah. I know. Me and Downton Abbey--I didn't really see this one coming. But I'd read so many positive reviews from my friends, that I finally caved and watched Season One a week or so ago with Denisa. Even with all the good buzz, I wasn't expecting to like it. I thought I'd just get over 15 minutes or so, and then be able to dismiss it.

We finished the season in about three days. (Granted, this is a British production, which means the seasons are significantly shorter, but still--we were hooked.) What was it about the show that kept me captivated? The characters, or course. It's almost always the characters that keeps me watching more. In this series, you have a great contrast with the lives of the nobility and the servants who keep them running. (Plus, Denisa and I can have an endless conversation wondering what exactly the nobility *do* each day to pass the time. No wonder some of them scheme so much. There was no Netflix.)

Better yet, season two started last night, and PBS is one of the two channels our antenna picks up, so we could watch this one "live" along with the rest of the country. So. If you haven't seen season one, you owe it to yourself to go and watch it now. You also should NOT read the rest of what I'm going to write now, because it won't make any sense, and it'll spoil some of the first season for you, and we don't want that.

If you haven't seen episode one of Season Two, you also would be better served watching it and then coming back to read my comments, since I'm assuming that readers have seen it. Okay? So SPOILER ALERT if you haven't seen 2.1.

My thoughts:

I like the WWI developments. It's a way to keep the show fresh and new--so that it avoids just going over the same old same old in a tiresome treadmill. Yes, I still care about whether Bates and Anna get together or not, but it's good to have a bit of a mix up to start the season. Jumping forward two years was also a great idea (though I find it a tad strange that more hasn't changed in some of the side plots in the intervening time--though I'm happy to just smother that nitpick and move on.)

Seeing Thomas figuratively soil himself in the trenches of WWI was great fun, though if he'd been shot in the head instead of the hand, I might be a bit happier. Getting him and O'Brien back in the same town is nothing but trouble. (Seriously--why in the world is Cora so blind to the fact that her maid is the spawn of Satan? The woman's a witch across the board. Also, remind me why in the world the Crawleys would do something nice for Thomas, who proved himself to be a Grade A Weasel in Season One? I suppose it's just the Crawleys being all nice and good, which is what (some of them) do best.)

I don't like the new redheaded maid as much as I liked Gwen, the last redheaded maid (what was the job announcement like? WANTED: A cute red head to be our maid. Ideally, she should be like our last maid (have dreams at bettering her station in life), just not as likable.) Still, one tends to think they're developing a good subplot where I'll end up liking her despite myself. It's interesting to me though that the two characters are so similar, and yet my response to both of them is quite different. All in the attitude of the character . . .

Molesley is a grimy, yucky, icky man who I no longer care for at all. Of course, I wasn't crazy about him in the first season--it was more of a neutral feeling. But with the one two punch of his cowardice and trying to go for Anna so soon after Bates' departure . . . not sure if he can regain his standing in my eyes. Which is too bad. I feel like the whole "I don't want to go to war" subplot could have been better handled. By sticking it with the guy who viewers will hate for trying to take Anna from Bates, the producers don't even seem to give it a fair shake when it comes to making a case.

I'm curious to see what dark nasty secrets Lavinia is trying to hide, but I have little doubt that Mary and Matthew will end up getting together, just like I believe Anna and Bates will end up married, at some point. Why? Because Downton Abbey has to have a Season Three, and to have that, they need to still have fans, and if they did something as awful as permanently separating either of these couples, there would be mass hysteria among their fan  base. (So maybe I'm too cynical. But tell me I'm wrong.)

And Mary dating a newspaper tycoon? The girl sometimes makes the most self-destructive life choices I can imagine. What's her thought process? "I've got this huge, terrible secret, and if it ever gets out, my family and I could be ruined. Maybe I'll date the guy who'll want most to print it, just to give him the best chance at finding out." Silly rabbit.

Anyway--that's all I have time for today. I loved the premiere, and I'm looking forward to watching the rest. How about you? Are you still hooked? Or do you think I'm silly for caring about a British costume drama? Do tell . . .

Video Game Review: Rocksmith

I very rarely review video games, mainly because it's not that often I have a chance to really play a new one. However, when Rocksmith came out, it really perked my ears up. I got an electric bass a few years ago, and while I've had fun fooling around on it now and then, I'd never really found a way to have fun with it and actually improve my playing.

Full disclosure: I an acoustic guitar class at BYU for a semester. I have an acoustic, as well, and I really liked playing on it. Mainly strumming chords. Nothing too elaborate. Bar chords tended to intimidate me, if that means anything to you.

I'd played Guitar Hero and Rock Band some, but I couldn't help feeling kind of silly--like I was playing on a pretend guitar. Probably because, you know, I kind of was. Games like Guitar Hero do a great job of making you feel like you're actually good at playing guitar, without actually being good at playing the guitar. Devoting the kind of practice necessary to really get good at the game felt pointless to me. I might as well devote the time to learning the actual instrument.

Enter Rocksmith.

It works with any electric guitar (and they're promising a bass add-on in the not too distant future). It's got a similar "note highway" that everyone's familiar with from Guitar Hero--it's just that this one incorporates fret numbers and six different strings. I got it (and an electric guitar) from Santa for Christmas for me and TRC, who (as you'll recall) has been wanting a guitar for Quite Some Time. In an ideal world, this game would actually help me learn how to play the guitar better, and I'd enjoy doing it.

It has exceeded my wildest expectations.

I can play for hours on end (not that I do--I usually have to force myself to stop playing after an hour, since I do have other things I need to be doing besides learning to play the guitar. Although I don't feel too bad, because I'm actually learning something, as opposed to perfecting how to play a plastic toggle.) It scales the difficulty to your ability, automatically. Basically, it does everything I dreamed it might do. It makes me feel like I'm playing along with the song in question, it's improving my ability, it's a blast. In the few weeks I've had it, I've already seen my skill go up noticeably. It's taken me from a general knowledge of the guitar to actually being able to play solos on some of the songs.

If you're not a guitar player and never hoped to be one, then this game obviously isn't for you. And if you're an expert who shreds out songs like they're nothing at all, then you might want to think twice about this one, too (although it really does a great job of making you feel like you're part of the band--and it has some really fun guitar-based games on it, as well). But if you're like me--a novice or intermediate player, or someone who would really like to play, then this is perfect for you.

Once TRC gets a bit older, and once they have the bass add-on out, I could totally see me playing with my son. I'm really excited for it.

There are two versions--one with just the game and the cord you need to connect your guitar to your console (it's running for about $60 on Amazon right now), one bundled with an electric guitar (that runs for $200 normally, though the price on Amazon is now up to $250). The bundled guitar is supposedly just fine. Not fantastic, but very usable. Rumor has it Santa got my guitar separately for $99 (on sale from $200) through Amazon, and the game just might have been on sale for $40 over Christmas.

Expensive? For a video game, yes. For an actual learn-to-play the guitar course? Not so much.

Anyway--there you have it. If any of you have questions, I'm happy to answer them. Meanwhile, I think I have to go practice some Lenny Kravitz.

Movie Review: The Adventures of Tin Tin

Right before Christmas, I took TRC to the movies to see Tin Tin. Sorry this review is coming so late, but hey--that's what you get when you've got me on a holiday.

I've read some reviews of Tin Tin where people were disappointed in the film, and part of me can see why they would be. You've got the ingredients for a perfect storm. If this were a weather system, you'd have forecasters calling for feet upon feet of snow. Spielberg and Jackson? Tin Tin? John Williams? And when the storm arrived and you only got a foot of snow, you might be let down some.

But a foot of snow is still a lot of snow, people.

Again, it was also hurt by a bit of the way it was marketed. People were saying "It's going to be like Indiana Jones, but digital!" When you start throwing comparisons like that around, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. You can't compete against a classic like that. Too much baggage and memory in people's lives.

I really enjoyed Tin Tin. The plot was exciting. The action scenes were thrilling. (My favorite had to be the one where essentially two pirate ships are dueling--it'll make sense once you see it.) The score added to the whole mood. The 3D was fun and added to the experience. The digital motion capture wasn't distracting for me, either. I liked that it wasn't trying to be photorealistic. It seemed real, but not real--if that makes sense.

This is a movie I'd like to see more like. I'd love for Peter Jackson to be able to direct his version now. This wasn't a perfect  movie, and it wasn't Spielberg's best, but that's a really hard measuring stick to use to evaluate a movie like this. He was aiming for a fun thrill ride, and I think he succeeded. Unfortunately, the film isn't performing as well as it ought to, and that might make the sequel doubtful at best. Then again, if Peter Jackson wants to do it, I think the man can do just about anything he feels like.

Three stars for me on this one. Recommended for a fun time. Any of you already seen it? Thoughts?

In Which I Sacrifice My Phone to the Ice Fishing Gods

You ever wish life had a rewind button? At least one of those "back 30 seconds" buttons. That happened to me on Saturday. New Years Eve.

I was out ice fishing. In the rain. It was my second time ice fishing over Christmas break. The weather was supposed to be drizzly at first, then clear up. It was clear at first, then poured for about two and a half hours straight.

This is just to say that when my phone rang at 11:30, I was a bit busy. Why? Well, I had an umbrella in one hand, an fishing jig in the other, I had mittens and gloves on, and a hat. My coat was wet, my hands were wet, and I'd caught two fish over the past three hours. Neither of them were good (a yellow perch and a chub).

Despite all of this, I was having a great time. I know--I have a problem, clearly. But Denisa called me, and I cheerfully got out my phone and started chatting away, holding it between my cheek and my shoulder.

If my cell phone had been any bigger, I wouldn't have any problems. It would have stayed where I put it. But I had a new phone. A small phone.

A phone that slipped on my wet coat and went tumbling to the ice.

Or so I thought.

The hole I was fishing was seven inches across. Maybe. The LG Octane is over 4 inches long. Definitely. The odds of the phone falling right in that little hole? Gotta be slim to none.

But that's where it fell.

Time slowed down. I looked at the phone, and saw it floating in the hole. It wasn't sinking. I snatched off my glove and mitten, threw down my umbrella and jig, and dove for the phone. It could still be okay. A bit of uncooked rice--it would fix it right up. My arm plunged into the hole up to my elbow as the phone sunk faster than I'd hope. I got a last touch of it on my fingertips, and it was gone.

Eight feet down. A five inch layer of ice between me and the phone.

Gone goodbye.

Moral of the story? Don't ice fish and talk on the phone.

Also, don't try calling me or texting me over the next few days. I have to reload.

The good news? I ended up getting a trout. Denisa enjoyed it very much.

I still want to go ice fishing. But next time, I've told Denisa that if she calls me, I'm just going to let the phone ring.

Family Newsletter 2011

That's right, folks. It's time for me to post the yearly newsletter (sans the short story I write each year for Christmas, which is available only in the print version--sorry). This year's newsletter contains such gems as my guide to growing a beard and Denisa's overview of Breadweaver business. If you're remotely interested in my life at all, this'll probably be worth a gander.

If you're not . . . have you ever asked yourself why in the world you're reading my blog?

Click this link, and enjoy!