Tampa

I’m headed to Tampa to a homeschool event so I can promote what I’m up to. Tickets were cheap, table fee was low. What more could I want?

See more progress on: Teach Latin over the internet

A review of "Khadak"

Khadak

I’ll be the first to admit, the story was a little strange to my Western senses. Or maybe I’m not enough of a mystic. Either way I followed it in broad strokes, but there was much that I missed. I’m sure of that much.

That said, it is worth seeing if you’re a visual sort. It is eye candy. The movie was shot in Mongolia in the winter. Yes, that’s right. In the winter. So the landscape was extra super stark and the air was clear in ways that only winter air can be. It lent to the atmosphere of the movie. It kind of makes me want to check out Mongolia.

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A story about "Valkyrie [Theatrical Release]"

Valkyrie [Theatrical Release]

I wanted to like this movie. Really, I did. It has some of my favorite actors in it, but I just couldn’t make myself like it no matter how much Terence Stamp was in it.

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Proof of concept

I ran a trial session with some students from the consortium I teach at. It worked out pretty well, but it was not 100% what I had hoped for. I couldn’t really hear the students, though they did seem to enjoy the chat feature. They however could hear me loud and clear, so that’s a win.

See more progress on: Teach Latin over the internet

Imagination unleashed (rated 5 stars)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus [Theatrical Release]

My only response to this when I saw it was, “wow.” And it is. Wow. It is easily the best movie I’ve seen in the theater since Pan’s Labyrinth, but that’s not saying much. New Moon isn’t much in the way of competition to this.

I didn’t think any individual performances overshadowed the others, though Tom Waits may have come close. Heath Ledger’s performance was sadly not long enough, though the substitution of other actors to fill out his role worked quite well. The transitions were seamless and made sense.

The big winner here was Terry Gilliam. At last special effects caught up with his imagination and came down to his budget. I cannot imagine what Brazil might have looked like with modern digital effects, but if this movie is any clue it would have been amazing. Why do I say this? Because this movie’s effects were amazing. In too many fantasy movies the effects almost seem to be there to be seen, whereas Gilliam uses it as an integral part of the story. It must be seen to be believed.

A heartily recommended movie.

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Utopia

Well, at least that’s the book I bound four copies of. The sewing was easy. The gluing not so much. I’ve got a way to go before I get good at the glue part.

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More opportunities to speak Spanish

I’m going to Puerto Rico with the wife. Score!

I’ve already had to have a phone call with a guy who didn’t speak English. We managed to communicate despite the lack of lip reading—a genuinely large part of talking and listening—and gestures. Of course, it turns out that we won’t be staying at that hotel after all, but that’s life.

See more progress on: improve my spanish

Slacker

Oh, I’ve been slacking on this one. I don’t know why. I enjoy his writing. I enjoy what he writes about.

Maybe I’ve been too tied up with work. Or the kiddo. Or life in general. I need to get Valis on interlibrary loan.

See more progress on: read all of Philip K Dick's novels