Tag: laugh

From A to Zed

Random Thoughts

Around six months ago, I wrote about the CDC embracing the zombie apocalypse as a teaching tool for disaster preparedness. Some people laugh at stuff like this, but as I said then, as I’ve said for a long time, and as I continue to say, if you are prepared for zombies then you are prepared for just about anything.

Since then I’ve had their little badge up on my site and I hope people take it to heart. Seriously, just the simple act of having a flashlight with batteries (or one that doesn’t need batteries), a radio, some food, some water and a plan just puts you in a great position to handle even minor things, not to mention when a storm rips through and the power is out for a few days.

Randomly, earlier this week, I clicked that link myself, just to make sure it still worked, and was rewarded with finding out that they’ve made some changes.

Now, in addition to their one sheet about zombies and links to other disaster preparation information, they’ve put up a short graphic novel, Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic. It is available as a PDF from their site. I love that the CDC is doing this, and I hope they keep doing it.

Perhaps they need a page that uses werewolves to illustrate how to handle animal bites…

Movie Round-Up: January 22nd, 2010

Reviews

Tooth Fairy:

I have absolutely no desire at all to see Dwayne Johnson in a tutu and wings playing the part of the mythical figure who takes teeth from under kids’ pillows and leaves money behind.  None.  Well, maybe if it is awful enough I’ll watch it for a laugh someday on DVD.

Extraordinary Measures:

Based on a true story of a man with sick kids who decides to help fund the research of a drug for a cure.  I got to see a screening of this a while back, and it was decent enough, but it was typical.  It tugged the right heartstrings at the right moments, it made me laugh now and then to lighten the mood, and I felt good watching it.  That said, it really isn’t worth the price of admission.  Not full price anyway.

Legion:

Angels versus humanity.  I got to see a screening of this last night and my opinion can be summed up in two words: wasted potential.  This movie isn’t horrible, but it also isn’t really good either.  The underlying ideas are fine, but the execution of them is lacking.  The film could have been staged better to be more exciting, the diner in the middle of nowhere felt way too cliche.  Every step of the way, every fight, every loss, every win, it felt uninspired.  The movie took no risks.  That said… there were some good lines and scenes.  I kinda enjoyed the movie on some level, but I wouldn’t pay to see it.

American Movie

Reviews

This is one of those movies that people will tell you that its one of those movies you either love or hate, there is no middle ground. Only, I kinda found the movie to be… meh.

I suppose I can see their point. Much of this film is irritating, and its the kind of irritating that either you laugh at or that you go see a doctor about. If you don’t know what American Movie is, well, its a movie about this guy who wants to make this movie called Northwestern, only for some reason he feels he needs to make this short film called Coven (that’s pronounced “koh-ven” so that it doesn’t sound like “oven”). Northwestern is supposed to be the excellent drama type film, while Coven is a horror flick.

These guys, they are stupid, and their lives are stupid, but only in an “Hi, I’m an average American” type way. Its not that they are actually mentally deficient, but its like that friend of yours who insists that he’s good at basketball despite losing every game he’s played, of which no one you know has actually witnessed so you can’t be sure he’s ever even played at all.

The best thing about this movie is the feeling that if I had the money he had access to, I’m sure I could make a better movie than Coven… or even American Movie. Unless you are interested in the painful telling of not quite making it, I’d suggest you pass on this one.

Stuff on the Net VIII

Stuff on the Net

The image of this in my head just makes me laugh.

Amber Night tells a tale in two parts that everyone needs to read.

This isn’t really funny, but for some reason I keep watching it.

… and no, I will not be providing any E3 links. If I can’t go, it gets no airtime on my weblog.

Practical Demonkeeping

Reviews

Okay, remember how I said in my reviews of Coyote Blue and Island of the Sequined Love Nun that those books were not as laugh out loud funny and you could clearly see the development of Christopher Moore’s writing style? Well, I may have been a bit off. Having just finished Practical Demonkeeping, his first book during the reading of which I bellowed with laughter a great number of times, I’d say that, yes, his writing style has sharpened, but also the setting of Pine Cove (in Practical Demonkeeping as well as The Love Lizard of Melancholy Cove and The Stupidest Angel) is just fantastic. Of course, and I speak with no authority here, most writers tend to spend alot of time crafting that first book, much like music groups whose first album breaks chart records but their second, being that much less time was spent on it, can be good but does not sail quite as high.

Practical Demonkeeping is about a guy who has had a demon bound to him for the past seventy years. During which time he has tried very hard to keep it from wantonly eating people and destroying things. He’s also been searching for a way to send the demon back to where it came from and this is what brings him to Pine Cove. Hilarity ensues.

Now, having read all of Christopher Moore’s other books, I come to the most recent, the just released, A Dirty Job…

14 February 2001

Random Thoughts

Love
Does she think of me,
when I think of her
all the time
Does she dream of me,
when I dream of her
every night
And does she smile
And does she laugh
She does
I do
 
You’ll pardon the poetic, but today’s that day. You know the one. The roses, the candies, the cards, the hearts. Valentine’s Day.
While this day is often thought of as the romantic’s domain, I think its also important to remember family and friends. There is all kinds of love in the world, and none of it is any more important than any other. Today should be a celebration of all love, not just romantic love.
That said…
You know who you are.
I love you.