Wahoo!!! TV Guide reported recently that Farscape, the great sci fi show that was idiotically cancelled last season by the Sci-Fi channel, is coming back for a four-hour mini-series in order to tie up the loose ends and give the show a proper send off. And who knows? Perhaps this will spark some interest at another network (I know, I know, it's a long shot). The Save Farscape campaign has some comments about this news.
I just finished Dhampir by Barb & JC Hendee. I highly suggest you pick it up and read it (and not just because they're friends of mine). Here's the blurb:
Magiere has earned a reputation as the most formidable vampire slayer in the land. Villagers far and wide welcome her with both awe and disdain, grateful to her for ridding their towns of the undead menace, but finding themselves made poorer for their salvation. Magiere has always known she's dealing with simple folk who only wish to have their superstitions silenced, and she's never seen anything wrong with exploiting them for profit.
Now, tired of the game, Magiere and her partner, the half-elf Leesil, are ready to hang up their weapons and settle down in a place they can finally call home. But their new found peace will not last. For Magiere has come to the attention of a trio of powerful and dangerous vampires who recognize her true identity—even if she does not—and who fear the birthright that flows through her veins. And they will stop at nothing to keep Magiere from fulfilling her destiny.
SHE HUNTS THE REALMS MOST DANGEROUS GAME.
HER FEES ARE EXORBITANT.
SHE'S WORTH EVERY COIN SHE RECEIVES.
OR IS SHE?
I read the book fairly quickly because it just drew me in. I was disappointed when it ended because I wanted to read more about Magiere and Leesil and what would happen to them next. Fortunately, I don't have long to wait long—Thief of Lives is scheduled to be published in early January 2004.
Anyway, if I had a five or ten in my pocket I probably would have given it to him. But I didn't and didn't want to dig out my wallet, so I said no (and also thinking that this is probably a ruse--there is no sick kid at home and he just needs drinking money). Three seconds later, my eleven-year-old daughter pipes up from the back seat with "I will." And as she picks out three dollars she's giving me this look: Why aren't you helping him? She hands me the money and I pass it along. The man thanks her, but I perceive a bit of "thanks for not much." Maybe.
I am angry and proud of my daughter at the same time. She is wrong for the look, but not the compassion. So later, and still now, I'm wondering when did we trade mercy and charity for cynicism and distrust? Or is it even "we"?
My scores were these:
And here's how it looks graphically:
I actually share political space with Nelson Mandella and Ghandi. What?! Again, I am surprised by the results of my answers to these quizzes. Where do you stand?
Driretlan is your Vampire name.
You are a witty Vampire with a certain style that others are drawn to.
To use your new Vampire name and become a Vampire,go here:
www.life-blood.cjb.net
What is your Vampire name?
brought to you by Quizilla
Next I wanted to see which Greek god I would be:
Morpheus
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla
Cool!
Then I took a Personality test:
| Disorder | Rating |
| Paranoid: | Moderate |
| Schizoid: | High |
| Schizotypal: | Low |
| Antisocial: | Low |
| Borderline: | Low |
| Histrionic: | Low |
| Narcissistic: | High |
| Avoidant: | Low |
| Dependent: | Low |
| Obsessive-Compulsive: | Low |
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! -- | |
Narcissistic? I don't think so! It looks more like someone's out to get me. Oh, wait, that's my paranoia showing. ;-)
Finally, I thought I should see how well I'm doing spiritually. Not too bad...:
You have come to a place mute of all light, where the wind bellows as the sea does in a tempest. This is the realm where the lustful spend eternity. Here, sinners are blown around endlessly by the unforgiving winds of unquenchable desire as punishment for their transgressions. The infernal hurricane that never rests hurtles the spirits onward in its rapine, whirling them round, and smiting, it molests them. You have betrayed reason at the behest of your appetite for pleasure, and so here you are doomed to remain. Cleopatra and Helen of Troy are two that share in your fate.
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Very Low |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | Low |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | Very High |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | High |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Low |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | Low |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Moderate |
| Level 7 (Violent) | Low |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | High |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Moderate |
Again, I'm a bit surprised, but you know, all those things are rigged (it's not paranoia if they are out to get you!).
After I found out that the man I thought was my father wasn't, and was told the name of the man who was (and turned out not be, but that's another story), I found an old LP of Cash's with my biological father's name on it. It had "Ring of Fire" and the theme to Bonanza, complete with lyrics I never knew existed. I took that LP with me when I moved out, though it is my love for Johnny Cash's music that keeps me holding on to it now.
I'm not sure what exactly about his music appealed to me so much, but part of his appeal lay in his expanding repertoire of music--he was as successful doing rockabilly as straight country as folksy anthem as alternative covers. His latest single was a cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." Cash took an okay song and turned it into a haunting portrait about a man reflecting on his addictions/weaknesses. If you haven't seen the video, I highly recommend it. The video cuts between Cash as an old man and clips of him at various points in his career. At one point his wife of 34 years looks on from some stairs, the concern etched into her features as Cash shakily pours wine over a bountiful feast before him singing "you could have it all, my empire of dirt," before it eventually fades to black. It's a beautiful 3.5 minutes of film.
When wife June died earlier this year, I predicted it was only a matter of time for Johnny, their love and dependency for each well documented. At least now they can be together again and Johnny Cash is no longer suffering. But his music and his presence will be sorely missed.
Anyhoo, that's all I got today.
The actor that plays Batman isn't bad, but he's not given a whole lot to do other than fight the Joker, an Alien, and a Predator. After all, the film was created as a calling card for the director, so monster make-up and special effects have to be part of the whole experience.
Intrigued? If so, check it out, if the link above stays intact. If not, Google for Batman Dead End.
I was struck this morning with a recent unemployment report on the radio and I flashed back to the late 1980s and early 1990s, and then even earlier as I recalled my father being on unemployment during the Reagan era. What is it with the American voter that they keep swallowing the same bitter pill, election after election, even though they know better, yet, I guess, keep hoping that this time, things will be different.
I'm not suggesting that the Democrats are the answer, but the trend is disturbing, and I still can't get over the fact that the Junior Bush was elected despite the fact that he did not receive the majority of the popular vote--hardly a mandate of the people, indeed. Obviously, the electoral system is bent. Plus, I just think the guy's a total hoser. Clinton's detractors use to refer to him as Slick Willy, but every time I hear Junior speak all I can think of is "Snake in the Grass." I mean, how many Bush/Chaney contributors are going to benefit directly from the rebuilding efforts in Iraq before someone says, "hey, that's not right" and put a stop to this good ol' boy networking?
I guess I just can't trust a guy who can't make the right decisions, relying instead on biased information fed to him. Case in point, Iraq. Where are those weapons of mass destruction, anyway? C'mon, Iraq's not that big. Also, during his tenure as governor, Bush allegedly allowed some men to die by the Texas' hand when their cases called for clemency in order to further investigate their questionable convictions. But he trusted too much his Attorney General's word that it was OK to kill these men.
Just read a bunch of new stuff. Whenever we go up to Spokane, WA, I get to stop at the Comic Book Shop (shout out to the fellas at LexCorp!) and buy at least a few graphic novels/trade paperback collections. This time 'round I got Avengers: Clear and Present Dangers and Starman: Wicked Inclinations.
I got Avengers: Clear and Present Dangers because I love Kurt Busiek's writing and absolutely love George Perez's art. Nobody can draw like George! However, I must say that I was fairly disappointed in Busiek's storytelling. It was your average superhero fair, with just a hint of the poignant human drama Busiek's known for. I did like how Busiek and Perez have taken the Scarlet Witch and put her front and center—I always did like her character, and the way George can draw her...! Be forewarned, though, the binding on this collection sucks! This is the second Marvel collection I've gotten where the binding fell apart. Yet another reason I like DC better overall.
The Starman collection, on the other hand, was a pure joy to read. I had bought the previous two collections (Sins of the Father and Night & Day) and thought they were OK, but Wicked Inclinations was very good, and not so much superheroey as magical realism. That reviewer at Amazon.com was correct. Starman got better with age. Looking forward to the fourth volume.
Shh. Don't tell anyone, but I also picked up a few CrossGen collections at ... Barnes & Noble (whew! Glad that's off my chest...). What can I say? They had a special buy 2, get the third free deal. Anyway, I've been hearing some good things about those upstarts from Florida and was pleasantly surprised that those rumors are true.
Ruse is an homage to the Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes character, only this time, the great detective's associate is a beautiful woman with the power to freeze time (which is in part where the title comes from, I think). Come to think of it, the detective Simon Archand is more like the Batman in his singular pursuit of the criminal element and his disregard of the feelings of others. Still entertaining and I want to read the next set of adventures.
Sojourn is a medieval-like fantasy revenge plot that is superbly drawn by Greg Land. His drawings of the main character (female archer Arwyn) is absolutely scrumptious (verging on eye-candy, but in a sophisticated way). I hope the plot expands beyond the you-killed-my-family-now-I-won't-rest-until-I-kill-you theme. But boy can that guy Land draw!
Attorney General John Ashcroft is visiting an elementary school. After the typical civics presentation he says, "Alright, boys and girls, you can ask me questions now."
A young boy named Bobby raises his hand and says, "I have two questions:
"1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore? and
"2. Why are you using the USA Patriot Act to limit Americans' civil liberties?"
Just then the bell sounds and all the kids run out to the playground.
Fifteen minutes later, the kids come back to class and Ashcroft says, "I'm sorry we were interrupted by the bell. Now, you can all ask me questions."
A young girl raises her hand and says, "I have four questions:
"1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
"2. Why are you using the USA Patriot Act to limit Americans' civil liberties?
"3. Why did the bell go off 20 minutes early? and
"4. Where's ! Bobby?"
Well, first off, I've added some stuff to my Lit page, specifically, the Author's Notes for those stories that are posted on Qayne's Place. If you're interested, you can find out some behind the scenes sort of information about "Dogs," "Fencing," and others.
So far this spring I've seen X-Men 2 & Matrix: Reloaded. As with Daredevil, X-Men 2 did not disappoint—these recent superhero movies are doing a good job with the material. I am looking forward to the third X-Men installment and the emergence of Phoenix! The Matrix sequel, on the other hand, suffered a bit from sequel-itis. The fight scenes were visually spectacular but too long. However, as I suspect with the X-Men movies and more pointedly with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you have to look at Matrix as one story told in multiple parts—the assumption being there's a big payoff in the end. If there isn't, I doubt we'll see movies "told" the same way they have been recently.
Next up is the Hulk and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I have this funny feeling that the Hulk will be the last superhero movie we'll see for a bit. I know, there's a ton of these kind of movies in development, but I'm afraid the audience might be reaching critical mass. We'll see. I just hope that DC can get its characters back on the big screen (and done well) before the bubble completely bursts.
A long while ago, I threatened to provide a list of the books on my "To Read" shelf. Well, here ya go:
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Girl with Curious Hair by David Foster Wallace
Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz
White Noise by Don DeLillo
Snow White by Donald Barthelme
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This House of Sky by Ivan Doig
Ulysses by James Joyce
Highlander: Scotland the Brave by Jennifer Roberson
Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth
Grendel by John Gardner
Cheerleaders from Gomorrah by John Rember
The Kryptonite Kid by Joseph Torchia
Empire of the Senseless by Kathy Acker
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Northwest Edge: Deviant Fictions, L. N. Pearson & Lidia Yuknavich, eds.
Girl Imagined by Chance by Lance Olsen
Sewing Shut My Eyes by Lance Olsen
Time Famine by Lance Olsen
The Further Adventures of Wonder Woman, Martin Greenberg, ed.
Grave Markings by Michael Arnzen
Double or Nothing by Raymond Federman
Smiles on Washington Square by Raymond Federman
Take It or Leave It by Raymond Federman
They Watch by Rick Bass
Pricksongs & Descants by Robert Coover
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Blood, Tin, Straw by Sharon Olds
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen Donaldson
Going Native by Stephen Wright
The Waste Land and Other Poems by T. S. Eliot
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Light in August by William Faulkner
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
So, I saw Rhona in Sweet Home Alabama (though not enough), and then saw that she was going to be in The Life of David Gale. I knew that I had seen her in other productions, but couldn't remember exactly which ones until I went to that ever knowledgeable oracle, the Internet Movie Database. There I rediscovered that Rhona had appeared in the brief, but enjoyable series Gideon's Crossing (she was the hot doctor). And then I saw she had a bit part in the Kevin Bacon horror flick, Hollow Man. Interestingly enough (at least for me), when I saw Hollow Man, I remember thinking that I knew who Kevin's neighbor was and it took me a few minutes to recognize her as the hot doctor on Gideon's Crossing!
What's the point of all this? Is this the beginning of the Unofficial Rhona Mitra Home Page? Not! There is no point beyond that I had either seen Rhona in a movie or an advertisement for a movie within a short period of time and it got me thinking about her past appearances. That's all. Buh-bye.
You know, it's been nice these superhero movies lately. They've been well made (for the most part), able to attract a larger audience than the comics themselves while still staying somewhat loyal to their comic book roots. Plus, the directors involved are passionate about the subject matter. The days of the bad 70s Captain America-type (if you've ever seen these movies, you know what I mean) superhero movie seem to be over. X-men, Spider-Man, now Daredevil, and then the Hulk. Now if DC can revive its superhero flicks, I'd be extremely happy.
But, back to Daredevil. Last year Spider-Man made a big splash (well deserved after all those years of promising), but I've always liked Daredevil more than the Web Slinger so I hope that Affleck and Company don't screw it up. I'll let you know.
Anyone know of any publishers who'd like to publish a short story collection about superheroes set in a more or less real world?
I've been obsessed with watching the Twin Peaks episodes the Bravo network had been showing recently. I missed most of the first-run episodes back in the 80s, but maybe that's a good thing--perhaps I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the show as much as I do now (much the same as with any David Lynch production). I've watched the entire two-season storyline and am now looking forward to watching the movie, Fire Walk with Me. If you get a chance and you like the off-beat or downright bizarre, then you should try Twin Peaks.