I got new knives! They’re the “Alton Brown Set” of Shun knives from Kershaw (as AAl asked, “are they named that because of the sound they make when they cut?”). The set included a bread knife, the 8″ chef’s knife, and a paring knife. You probably can’t tell from the picture, but the side of…
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
If I recall correctly, I am somehow contractually obligated to use the term “rousing tale” with the phrase “adventure on the high seas.” Fortunately in this case, it’s an apt description. An amazing yarn from beginning to end– though it ends with the hint of another adventure to be had, which is fitting, considering the…
Well, whaddaya know…
Great Expectations
I haven’t read the book, but my wife tells me that the first two acts of this film (the ones I call “maddeningly intriguing”) are the closest to the source. It all comes together in the end, but the re-emergence of Finn’s benefactor took the film on a seemingly unnecessary action-adventure bent. That said, most…
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
James Stewart being upstanding, Jean Arthur being lovely and encouraging, and Claude Rains being shocked– SHOCKED!– that there’s corruption in the U.S. Senate. A wonderfully clean-cut fairy tale of right and wrong in the Federal Government. We could use more movies like this one. What the hell happened to Frank Capra, anyway? Oh. Well… crap….
An Open Letter to George W.
Dear George, Listening to your weekly radio address, I counted that you pronounced “nuclear” as “NUKE-U-LER” no less than eleven times. I understand you supposedly stay with some of your vocal Texas-isms because you thinks it makes you seem more folksy and likable, but — goddammit man, you’re the President of the United States of…
My Mac Timeline
Just for kicks, I put together a very crude timeline, showing what Macs I’ve owned and when. It’s a hell of a lot more than I thought I had owned, now that I look back on it all. For the curious, the items in question are: 1993, my first Mac– a brand-spanking-new Color Classic. The…