Author Archives: Duff

DVD: Premonition

Posted on by

Other than the last five minutes, which I thought were total cheeseball (and UCK not necessary!!), I thought this was a totally satisfying (and mentally quite torturously terrifying) movie. Sandra Bullock was completely convincing and I don’t know why no one went to this movie. Although, as I said, it should have ended five minutes earlier.

Such a nice treat to see Julian McMahon (yum!) in something other than Nip/Tuck which has just gotten way too icky and weird for me. He’s delish.

Thumbs up from me, yo.

Fantasy: “Witchery: A Ghosts of Albion novel” by Amber Benson & Christopher Golden

Posted on by

The sequel to Accursed. Things continue to get harder for Tamara and William; the more magic in their lives, the harder all their relationships, even with each other, become. Some really neat stuff. I knew Sophia was asking for trouble, but DAMN I had no idea THAT would happen…. Yay. Can’t wait for another.

And p.s. there is one super super sexy scene that really took my breath away. So you know, there’s that. As well.

Fiction: “Run” by Ann Patchett

Posted on by

Since this book doesn’t come out until October in the US, I was very excited to stumble upon it in Belgium. It’s not that long of a read (it didn’t even last me the entire plane ride from Brussels to Philadelphia), but it was a really rich, satisfying read that has stayed with me since.

One of my favorite reading “things” is when unrelated books you read in short periods turn out to be thematically linked; they become a matched set to me / a good “pair.” As with “The Buffalo Soldier” which I read a week earlier, this is a story of racially-mixed adoption (white parents/black child(ren).

What truly makes a family? What makes a mother? How important are the physical links? Do the emotional ones replace them? Can your hopes and dreams for other people ever STOP hindering them / stop hindering your relationship with them when they don’t work out?

This was just really lovely. I think I’ve now read all Patchett’s books. I’m on the bandwagon. Leading the parade. They’re all really different than each other; they’ve all got at least one breathtaking, beautiful moment. This book had several. Run, Kenya, run…

Fiction: “Seven Types of Ambiguity” by Elliot Perlman

Posted on by

Technically this was my vacation reading but since I didn’t want to carry it on the plane with me on the way back, I didn’t finish the last few pages until a few days after I got back thanks to the luggage screwup.

Ginger loves this book and had recommended it to me several times. Finally she just sent me a copy. Wow. Somewhat like another book I read recently, or a movie like “Memento”, as each chapter unfurls, something takes you by surprise. Yet UNLIKE say the current show “Damages”, the things that happen unexpectedly MAKE SENSE and are not blindsiding you. You weren’t expecting them, or you might not have predicted them, but it’s one of those books where things unfold in such a neat way… You have to keep reinterpreting your previous conclusions as you go.

Carrying the torch of a love long lost can lead one to do things you wouldn’t expect. Yes? No?

It’s a big, thick one. It takes a bit of time. But it’s worth it.

Fiction: “The Buffalo Soldier” by Chris Bohjalian

Posted on by

Although I found some parts of this book weren’t quite where I wanted them to be (didn’t use the Buffalo Soldier analogy enough, touched on it too lightly), I found myself very emotionally attached to Alfred and I had a hard time not crying during the last few chapters. I mean, even the THOUGHT of foster kids could put me on tear’s edge some days, so reading an entire book about one… well. He felt very, very real to me. Particularly enjoyed his relationship with the neighbor, Paul.

SModcasts: Side-Splittingly Funny

Posted on by

If you found Clerks, Clerks 2, or Jay & Silent Bob to be just downright fucking hilarious, then these podcasts are for you. If you like the “Evening with Kevin Smith” DVDs, these podcasts are for you. If you can sit through 45 minutes of really blatant grotesque sex and slime talk, these podcasts are for you. I had to download them for my Dad, Kevin Smith’s biggest fan, and after hearing his rave reviews of SModcast #2, just started listening to them myself.

Too dangerous to listen to on the El because other passengers think you are a freak when you bust out laughing over what’s playing on your ipod. These would brighten even the darkest horrible days. So funny.

Netflix: Attack of the Gryphon

Posted on by

Although this movie was cheesy to a truly ridiculous degree, I think I could have been fine with the cheese had the special effects not been so very, very bad. It’s hard to believe it was made in 2007, although I realize the Sci Fi Channel does not have a big-movie-house budget.

Amber Benson = good in a badly written role. Jonathan LaPaglia = not as good. The only person in the movie whose accent (natural, in this case, I believe) just seemed too modern to fit in with the rest.

Planet Mnemonics

Posted on by

The old mnemonic my Dad can still recite from however many gazillion years ago (hahaha) he learned it:

My (Mercury)
Very (Venus)
Earnest (Earth)
Mother (Mars)
Just (Jupiter)
Served (Saturn)
Us (Uranus)
Nine (Neptune)
Pies (Pluto)

The new mnemonic he made up for the Pluto-less planets:
Miserably
Vain
Earthlings
Must
Just
Shut
Up
Now

Just one of the many ways in which I am clearly living in a dream world.

Posted on by

Number of times I went swimming this year in either ocean, lake or pool: ZERO.
Number of times last year: ZERO.
Year before: Maybe? ONE or TWO during physical therapy no less.

Number of swimsuits I bought this year: TWO.
Number of swimsuits last year: At least ONE, maybe two or three.
Number of (lap-swimming) suits hanging on the door of the closet: TWO.
Number of (beach & pool) swimsuits in a plastic bin under the bed: At least SEVEN.

Number of delusions I clearly have about how much swimming I do in my life: MANY.