Odds and Ends 10-19-2012

Lots of little things have happened here and there the last couple of weeks so it is time to have another rambling post filled with disconnected subjects.

I’ll start off with this week being unspeakable for the most part, so mostly I will not speak of it. Today went well, which shocked me. I wasn’t prepared for it, so I don’t know how to handle it. There was some solace in watching entertainment that brought back memories, caused me to laugh, or was simply intriguing.

At long last, I own Evil Roy Slade, a 1973 TV movie stitched together from two failed pilots. This is a cult film and a special one in the family, so it was with great nostalgia that I watched the DVD. Starring John Astin (Adams Family, Night Court, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.) as the orneriest desperado to ever rob a bank, stage coach, or baby buggy, it is like a clean Blazing Saddles. My favorite scene is when Slade is in psychotherapy and tries to walk without his guns. Yes, it is that kind of warped humor.

The first Presidential debate was the one that mattered. Watching the following debates and the way polls have gone indicate that. Romney is going to win in November with the real question being by what margin. We will not be seeing recounts, I suspect.

Last night, I finished an anime from 2010 that did not get a huge amount of attention, but was a very well done piece weaving actual history from the 1930s with science fiction elements. Night Raid 1931 ended on a melancholy note that maintained the excellent writing of the entire series. The premise was much like X-Men: First Class but set in Shanghai when it was the crossroads of the world. If you like historical fiction and people with limited super powers, this is for you. I may have to save up for the Blu-ray set.

Also in the anime vein are a couple of series that have been interesting from the current season. My Little Monster is a romantic comedy unlike anything I have ever seen, featuring some notably eccentric characters. It is almost an anti-Kimi ni Todoke (finally streaming in North America!) in some respects even though the director is the same. The romance is strange and does not waste time in getting going between the two anti-social leads, so much of the story is about them trying to function in society. Much of it is seriously twisted, so I like it a lot.

Blast of Tempest is an interesting and very wordy action series that lifts some ideas and dialogue from Shakespeare. Two untrustworthy teen boys, a sorceress stranded on an island, a dead sister, and a mysterious plague interweave in a complex plot heavy on the supernatural. The quality of the production is very high, with a symphonic score that elevates everything to 11 on the amplifier. Somehow using mixed metaphors is the only way to describe this tragic adventure story. It will be interesting to see if it maintains.

Still on the anime vein, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otako is actually going to be released in the States by NIS America. A new title has been come up for the very witty and quirky series: Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl. Imagine if you will, a story about a teenager moving from the country side to a city with big dreams of having a perfect adolescent experience chasing girls and whatnot. Now imagine him having to live with an improbably youthful aunt who acts like a teenager and his cousin who lives wrapped up in a futon while believing she is an alien. Truthfully, there is no way to fully describe the series except that it is great fun despite character designs I cannot stand.

I will be preordering this one since it is the last holy grail of anime series for me. Done, now to wait until January for it. I see that the subtitles will be hardcoded into the video, which tells me how afraid Japanese corporations are of reverse importation. Good thing I loved the series for its dialogue.

While my sister was here with her husband and their newborn daughter, I horrified them with something I said. Apparently they were not aware that Disney had bought Marvel Comics and had put The Avengers out. So be careful of using the word Disney, it can be as offensive as Belgium in some circles.

Are the Elder Gods and Ancient Ones involved in making software? This blog makes me wonder. It might explain why Google and Microsoft are not meeting expectations. I remember seeing a section of system.ini hinting at black magic rites back in the Windows 3.1 days.

Watched 2016 and learned nothing new. Sadly, most people who watched this probably did. Most of the analysis is spot on, but I do not see any possibility of a “United States of Islam” in North Africa through the Middle East. Cooperation of that sort is simply impossible given the rivalries and tribalism in those countries. The best they could do is work as allies in a war against Israel, but even then they would fall upon each other in the aftermath.

That optimal remark by the President was not smart. Not surprising either, alas.

I’ve been rereading Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter novels via the Kindle software on my tablet. Almost finished with The Gods of Mars and have realized how much I enjoyed the old pulp style adventures.

More from the visit earlier in the month. One of these days I may get holding a baby right, so far I am one for three in my very limited experience. Unfortunately, this was not the one.

I have a new favorite ice cream flavor, Snap-O-Lantern from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. It is pumpkin spice with ginger snaps chunks in it. Fortunately it is seasonal, so temptation will only happen for a short period each year – if it returns.