Exactly How They Work

Of all the "motivational" style posters I've seen, this is probably closer to the truth than any of them (can't imagine getting much closer, honestly). I've seen this link posted a handful of times over the last few weeks, and each time I've left the tab open, returning to look at it several times throughout the day. Figured it's about time I put it up here...

Can't imagine it's going to work well on this here template, so you'd be better off clicking the link above or the image below and seeing it in a better way.

DVD: I Am Number Four

So the family and I sat down and watched the DVD for I Am Number Four this weekend--the oldest three of us enjoyed the novel to varying degrees, and probably at least one other kid would have, too, if it weren't for having to take it back to the library before he got to it. It's been awhile since I had such a visceral reaction to a movie, so I figured I'd write about it a bit. But I'm not in the mood to do more than provide two lists about the flick--a pro and a con, if you would.

Reasons to Watch It (largely for novelty):

• Timothy Olyphant gets more dialogue per second of screen time in this role than in any other I've seen him in (haven't seen him on The Office, so...I dunno about that). So as weird as it was to see him without a hat (thank you, Sheriff Bullock and Marshall Givens), it was weirder yet to see him as such a chatterbox. He was funny, too, I should add. Then he got to pick up a gun and blast a few bad guys, and everything was right with the world.
• Speaking of jarring, Dianna Agron spent a whole lotta time walking around a high school and no one, not one person, broke into song, even for a moment.
Reasons Why Not to Watch It:

• Everything else about the movie. The acting. The script. The characters. The plot. How do you take a novel that's basically a very thorough movie treatment to start with and ruin it? I dunno, but somehow the normally reliable Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and typically wonderful Marti Noxon did just that.

Hope you find this helpful.

I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Start with a young-ish divorced man, struggling to get his career going, in love with a woman dating someone else. Throw in a parent with a major health issue, a supportive sister, and a much more successful older brother who's a lifelong rival and idle who he must come to terms with. On the whole, there's not much here you can't find in many other books on the General Fiction shelves. But Nelson executes his story so well, the lack of novelty isn't that important. Nothing seems forced, even if several plot developments can be seen coming a hundred pages or more away, they still unfold naturally. And you're left with a tale well told, and well worth your while.

And that would be enough, but there is one element to this book you won't find anywhere else--Stella, "a mixed breed, half German Shepherd and half yellow Labrador, but favoring the latter in appearance. Fortunately, she’d also gotten her personality from the Labrador side of the family, taking from the Germans only a certain congenital neatness and a strong sense of protectiveness, though as the Omega dog in her litter, it only meant she frequently felt put upon." As with any good book with a dog as a main character, Stella is the heart and soul of this book--at least until her master gets his act together, and then he shares that billing. Stella's also the source of the humor in the book--humor frequently needed to keep the story from being bogged down in the muck of her master's life.

If you can buy Paul talking to Stella and Stella talking back (and there's no reason you shouldn't), this is a sweet, heart-filled book that's a great way to wile away a few hours.



View all my reviews

Semi-Random Spring-Timeish Picture

this is probably the fourth or fifth actual Spring-like day we've had this month, in honor of which, I snapped this photo on my way in the house from work today. The robin caught my eye and made me actually look around a bit.

Top This, Guys

Skywriting? Antiquated (and probably will get Al Gore after you)
Using the JumboTron during a pro sporting event? Cliche.
That Boise Junior College Guy celebrating the Fiesta Bowl win by proposing to that cheerleader? Bush League.

This is the new (fleeting) gold standard:


Awwwwww......

Father of PFC Bowe Bergdahl Breaks his (public) Silence