Let’s start with the bad things. Or thing, really.
In case you haven’t heard (and if you haven’t, where the hell have you been?), a powerful cyclone hit Myanmar five days ago, devistating nearly everything in its wake and killing thousands of people. Five days have passed, and even the largest city in Myanmar is paralyzed.
The length of time these people are forced to wait for aid is a travesty. If you’d like to help, please give anything you can. GlobalGiving.Com has a few different programs you can give to, or you can give to one all-inclusive plan, where a little of your money will go to all the programs listed.
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On to some less Apocalyptic bits.
Author John Scalzi is now blogging it up over at AMCTV.Com.
His first entry is one entitled “Is Guillermo del Toro the Right Man for The Hobbit?” and it serves as a bit of a response to this blog entry by a man named Andrew O’Hehir over at Salon.Com. O’Hehir is against del Toro directing The Hobbit (and it’s subsequent sequel, which Scalzi affectionately refers to as The Hobbit 2: Electric Bilboloo), Scalzi is all for del Toro taking over for Peter Jackson.
Both articles make very interesting points, but I find myself agreeing with John. The Hobbit, while one of my favorite books, is a bit soft ’round the middle; making it the sort of book that is great to read before bed or to your children or whilst sitting under a nice big tree, but also the sort of book from which a film adaptaion may be a dangerous thing. A film adaptation of Hobbit, if not done correctly and by someone who knew what he or she were doing, could end up being very… Let’s say “fluffy”.
I, for one, think del Toro is a fantastic choice to direct Hobbit, because of his ability to create visually stunning and emotionally gripping fantasy (Go watch Pan’s Labyrinth. Right now. Even if you’ve already seen it, just go watch it.) and because he is a short bearded man with a funny accent, hence the perfect person to take the helm from Peter Jackson.
That last bit was a joke.
When I first read that del Toro had been chosen to direct The Hobbit, I felt relieved. I felt as though I could sit back and relax, as one of my favorite books was no longer in danger of turning into a very boring film.
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Give a listen to these mp3s of Arthur C. Clarke reading the final chapters of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s very moving and very haunting and very cool.
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The wife and the boy and I are all going to see IRON MAN tonight at our local theater, which excites us, but we are unable to make it a night out involving dinner, which disappoints us. We will have to make due with corn dogs before we leave for the film.
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The boy’s arm is still broken and not yet in a cast, but the casting appointment has been made (May the fourteenth) and he says he’ll be happy once it’s on.
He also says the pain is minimal, which is more than I could say when I broke my arm around that same age.
Ramblings and Musings 