Sunday Review Postponement

I've got way too much crap going on over the next few weeks to do reviews. If I get chances, I'll throw some up, but the only really solid thing I have in my head right now is Gran Torino, and that'll proably slip out of my head if I don't get to it soon. More news later on, but now it's bedtime. I'd still like to exercise, but when the house is 80F/27C at 11:40pm, that's not gonna happen. It's raining in Linthwaite...wish I were there to run up and shut the skylights and stand on the balcony in the rain. Wish it were raining here. Blargh. I hate this heat--after Death Valley, anything over 2% humidity (hell, 1%) is too damn high.

Hopefully I'll get my act together enough to post some news in a few days. Got to get sorted though, first.

Stateside

Just a quick note. I have made it safely back to Eugene. My luggage even arrived today (I arrived yesterday). I really hate Delta. They're incompetent. I hate having to go to Atlanta to get anywhere else. And there are other issues with them, but I've mostly talked about those before. I think I'll be contacting them and complaining.

Also, they drastically overbooked the flights I was on, and so were offering compensation to be bumped. I did not do so--though I should have from Atlanta to Portland--but the compensation from ATL to PDX was only 200 Delta Dollars (or points, or whatever). Definitely not much. Though if I had know I wasn't on the last flight of the night to PDX (thought I was) I would have possibly done that. I need to fund other trips, though $200 on a crap airline really isn't enough (to their credit, internationally you can still check 2 bags--50 lbs--for free).

How do I know that there was another flight from ATL to PDX after mine? Because my luggage had to come in on that flight. I'd tell you why, but no one at Delta seemed to know. Morons. So I made them deliver it to Eugene. At least I had underwear this time.... To make it better, they tried to blame me for it not making my flight (they were still going to deliver it, though). Their argument fell apart when the other guy whose luggage didn't make it pointed out that he didn't come through customs (he orginated in ATL) and he checked in 2.5 hours early. I repeat: Morons.

No Review this Week

Due to the necessity of packing, cleaning the house, baking bread for the boy, and--if I'm extra lucky--getting to sit on my ass doing nothing for a few hours since it is my birthday--I won't get a review up this week. I didn't get one done over the weekend since we went out Saturday and over to the in-laws' on Sunday, and I've now got too much to do before Wednesday.

When I get a chance, however, I will regale you with stories from Saturday. I think I drank a smoked ham hock at one point. I didn't mind it, but everyone else thought it was foul. Apparently I'm the only person who doesn't totally mind when my beer and bar snacks have been combined into one...

Suicide is painless...

And it would bring on many changes, such as my not having to fly with Delta in a week. But I can take or leave it as I please.

Delta makes it look all nice and happy on their website. Too bad I've flown with them before and know what it's REALLY like. I will get a free meal from Manchester to Atlanta (which is good, because I've never boosted an airline galley before, but for the amount of money they charged for my tickets, they'll damn well feed me or I'll steal food). I'm debating if I want to be a pain a register for a special meal. Muslim, in this case. The Hindu option I got on Air Canada a few years ago was tasty (parsnip curry), minus that my snack was a dry nut-butter (cashew?) sandwich. No jelly. It was ok, but the normal meals had really fantastic smelling pasties for snacks. Mmm...oh well. I don't want Kosher, and I figure they're gonna be curious about me regardless, so I might as well ratchet that up with a "terrorist" meal. I assume it will be vegetarian, possibly bland, possibly very spicy, but it will be a pain for them. Which, admittedly, is unfair to the airline crew, who are rarely at fault for all the douchebaggy things that seem to happen with airlines. And I'll probably lose out on the snacks, which are, as everyone knows, the best part of an airline meal (can you say bizarrely textured brownie?).

I also looked at my in-flight entertainment options. I might possibly have internet access on my Atlanta-Portland flight, but that's not worth the $10 it would cost me. All the movies look like they suck. Plus, they claim to have on-demand, so I should have access to ALL the movies, but on the other hand, it lists them by region/date, so I don't know. Again. I have a distinct feeling I'll be doing a lot of reading, and hopefully a fair bit of writing. And a lot of yoga in the galley, which may irritate the flight crew as well. Too bad on that though; they get space to move around.

IF no one else moves their seat/books tickets for the flight, I can get a whole row to myself. I moved my seat today for that possibility. Additionally, there's currently no one in the seat behind me, so I don't have to suffer through some jackass continually kicking my seat. I rather doubt I'll be lucky on either of those two options, though. And that's only for the MAN-ATL leg. ATL-PDX is booked solid. Ugh. Sweaty masses, no food. Good thing I've got aisle seats. When you fly as much as I seem to, the window is only good for leaning against to sleep. Since I rarely sleep on planes (I do if I get 3 seats to myself, though, so here's hoping), someone else gets the window, and I get to get up without acrobatics.

Garh. I have so much I need to do for the few weeks I'm in the states, not enough time to do it in, and I have to suffer through long flights to do it all. I'm trying to limit my time in the states since I can't come back to the UK for as long as I hoped--I'm needed to dog-sit after I undergo the terrifying introduction of Adam's parents and mine. Hell, after 3.5 years, we can't really put it off anymore, since my folks are coming over to see Adam's and my place anyway. They're in the area, so we'll take them all to a pub. Then we'll drop them at a table, and Adam and I will go get quietly drunk in a corner.

[Day] Review #8: The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is in many ways one of my favorite novels. I have seen the movie, and from what I remember, it wasn't bad, but it could not capture the voice and tone of the novel, primarily I think because of the way Atwood tells the story.

To quote from the Wikipedia article:

The Handmaid's Tale is a feminist dystopian novel, a work of science fiction or speculative fiction . . . . Set in the near future, in a totalitarian theocracy which has overthrown the United States government, The Handmaid's Tale explores themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain agency.

I was probably about 12 when I first read The Handmaid's Tale. Perhaps a bit young for the themes in some ways, but I understood the fear and the sense of loss of family and comfort and way of life. What captivated me then, and what still captivates me now, is the structure of the story and the way Atwood creates her sentences. The story is told in fragmented chunks, as the protagonist remembers things. It all weaves together into bits of the Handmaid's history prior to Gilead (the new name under the new regime), elements of her training/re-education, and life under the Commander and his Wife.

The nature of the language is what makes it all seem so real. Offred (the Handmaid's new name) is telling her story to whomever may be listening. She knows that it could be an imaginary person, or no one at all, but she has to talk, for her own sanity, if nothing else. In an almost desperate, pleading tone of voice she tells of her life. She needs it to make sense for herself, and she's pleading that her actions will make sense--and be excused--by others. She occasionally makes things up to make it more...palatable...for herself, but will correct herself immediately. Sometimes she doesn't know all the facts, but can piece together a reconstruction from what she does know.

What makes The Handmaid's Tale so terrifying is the ease in which the new regime takes over. It was published in 1985, and in some ways the technology is dated, but in other ways Atwood made the descriptions vague enough that it could pass for the present. By taking over the technologies (banking, employment records, marriage records, etc.), the regime fairly easily slides into place. It's by no means bloodless, but it is effective. While this is not perhaps the central theme of the novel, it certainly serves as a warning to being overly dependent on certain types of technology.

It is a depressing novel, but there is also a sense of hope to it. The indomitable strength of the human spirit and such. Really, I've just run out of things to say. My brain can't get into gear today.

I'm not sure what happened...

You know how I said I'd be able to avoid being on the Titanic Mills Residents Committee? Yeah...I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I'm now a committee member. Not an officer, but a member. Shit.

Three people volunteered to be part of the four non-officer members. Silly me, speaking up in an awkward silence. I figured this way I could look like I wanted to help out, but was unavailable. "I'd be willing to help out, but I'm flying back to the States next week. I don't know when I'll be back, and even after I do come back, I won't be here for very long. Adam is still working nights, so he can't come in my stead, and we haven't resigned our lease yet, so we might not be staying."

Good enough for them. I'm on the damn committee. I'm not entirely sure where I screwed up, other than by opening my mouth. I know they say never volunteer, but that's what I was doing--NOT volunteering. Oh well, it's going on my CV.

Sheesh.

Review still to come. After exercise.

Argh...forgotten again!

So once again I've forgotten about Sunday Reviews. That may have had something do with the roast duck breast for tea last night. Ooops. I doubt I'll have time to write up a review today, since I have to go to the Titanic Mill Residence Committee meeting tonight. I've been to two of them, and they take about 3-3.5 hours. This one will be either much longer or much shorter since it's the Annual General Meeting and we need to elect a new committee. I don't want to go, but I said I would...the good news is that I can easily get out of a nomination to the committee (if that happens) since I'm flying back to the states in 9 days. I totally support the committee, but since I don't know what decisions Adam and I will be making about living arrangements over the next 6-12 months...yeah. And I won't be here for large chunks of the next six months anyway, it doesn't matter.

So yes, I shall try to write a review tonight, or certainly tomorrow. I'm debating between a couple of movies, a couple of books, or a video game...hmm...if you actually have a preference, your choices are Superman Returns, Zodiac, Wizard's First Rule, The Handmaid's Tale, or LEGO Indiana Jones. Post in the comments if you care (I get emails now, and so know when people say things :) ).

World's ugliest dog?

So a few weeks ago, a new "world's ugliest dog" was crowned. The article is here, if you care, but I'm confused. I actually think this dog is adorable, whereas I think any number of the Chinese Cresteds should have won. THOSE suckers are seriously hideous. And are usually the winners, I believe.

Here's this year's winner

A face only a mother...and I...could love.

He's a boxer mix. I personally think he's really quite endearing. The other dogs, however...wow. Beaten with an ugly stick. There are some images of them in the article as well.

No Sunday Review

I really tried to come up with something to review this week, but all the movies were forgettable, the TV is limited to current, but not new shows (except Dollhouse, but I've not seen enough yet to form an opinion) with the exception of The West Wing, and we don't need to hear a lovefest/orgy on my love for this show, particularly the early seasons (Adam's watching the first season now, and I forgot how many good episodes are in the first season).

Literature-wise, I can't think of anything new I've read this week, except for Terry Goodkind's short story Debt of Bones. I liked it, though in some ways I suppose I found it simplistic. I want to hold off on reviewing it, and more likely, Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth" series, until I've read more. I've just started Wizard's First Rule, and it's different from Debt of Bones. The writing is a little less...dashed-off, maybe. Which, in many ways, makes it less approachable (still, so far it seems better than Robert Jordan). I think Goodkind wrote Debt of Bones more for fun and to quickly sketch out some background for his readers, and possibly to turn a quick profit. None of that is bad at all, but I found the plot to be a bit "make everyone happy" at the end, and the writing was simpler. Neither of these is inherently a negative thing (though the forced "happy ending" plot device can bug me--see my comments on Harry Potter 7), but I'm betting it's not representative of Goodkind overall. Hence my not properly reviewing it.

So sorry about that. On my personal writing front, I've started back up (if knocked off for the weekend because we were busy), but I've been working on a thing that I started back in December. I'd written on it sporadically for quite a while, and then a couple of weeks ago picked it up more seriously. I'm a bit stuck at the moment on it, so I suppose it's time for me to go back to my historical fiction. I'm still kind of glad to be getting a forced second chance to write the second chapter, and still pissed that I lost so much of it. I've discovered, however, that I'm much much better at coming up with starts for novels and cliff-hangers to leave them on, but not so good at fleshing out the whole plot. Which is, well, a problem. A large problem for an aspiring writer. If, one must admit, an aspiring writer for lack of other career options at the moment.

It's so tiny and cute!!

See that picture over to your left. No, on the monitor...yeah, the one of the pygmy hippo. A baby one of those was just born at Edinburgh Zoo!!!!

Now just to try and find time to schedule a trip up there before I head back to the states. A doubtful happening, as we've got people coming over both tonight and tomorrow (we think tomorrow, but I didn't buy Carling so they may not), next weekend is Adam's birthday, and the weekend after is mine, then I fly back to P-town. Who knows, though. Maybe my birthday weekend. Probably not, but I haven't looked at train fares yet.

News articles (from a very quick search) with pics:

http://deadlinescotland.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/hippo-132/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5719118/A-pygmy-hippopotamus-has-been-born-to-a-new-breeding-pair-at-a-zoo.html

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/uk_national_news/4471798.Hippo_hooray_for_zoo_baby_Leishan/

Weird coincidences

Well, really only one weird coincidence in this case. But Adam's watching 1408, so in my head it's multiplied. I'm not watching 1408 because a) I've already seen it, and much as I love Samuel L. and John Cusak, the movie isn't all that great and b) it's not a great movie, but it is after midnight and I'll probably be freaked out if I watch it and then go to bed.

But I digress. My weird coinkidink is that almost exactly a year ago, I split my head open on a wrought iron curtain frame in Scotty's Castle (like a shutter, but inside, with the curtains attached to it). It bled a whole lot, as head wounds tend to. Particularly when you slam them with rather a lot of force into the corner of a piece of wrought iron. I didn't need stitches, but I did need to fill out a nice government accident report form. Let me tell you how not popular I was with my supervisor: he hated paperwork--luckily, Beth the office manager/tour guide/awesome person extraordinaire did everything except sign his name.

So that happened almost a year ago. Yesterday evening a spot on my head started hurting, and had a slight bump. Nothing too bad, but you know, the kind that you poke at to try and figure out why it hurts (usually because you kept poking at it). To my credit, it started hurting before I poked at it, and I don't even remember how I found it. It was just this evening that I remembered last year and where on my head the injury was. I'm sure it's the same spot, just not sure why it hurts now.

Still, kinda cool in a weird, head-injury sort of way.

And in other random health-related news, my teeth suck. I think a filling came out. It doesn't hurt, but I know I'm not supposed to keep a supply of 3 raspberry seeds in my molar (they were jammed in). Luckily, I have a cheap knock-off of those evil pokey metal hook things that dentists use, so I can remove stuff from the hole. No, that is not how my filling came out. Also, my teeth are badly stained; I blame the water here, even though everyone says I'm wrong, but I brush my teeth and take care of them. Namely because I don't have dental insurance, and fillings are expensive, as are x-rays. And cleanings.

And for the final bit of health news, Faith had a blood workup to renew her heartworm/flea medication (all in one tasty beef-flavour coated pill...that she sucks the flavouring off of and spits out), and apparently everyone commented on how pretty she is (true!) and well-behaved (well, she doesn't wee or try to bite people at the vet, so...). And apparently she is nice and healthy :) Yay! Wish I were. Between my teeth and shot knees/ankles (I've taken up Wii Fit jogging) I'm just fan-damn-tastic.

No links for movies and such tonight. I'm lazy. Sorry.