The Girl Who Played with Fire

Recently I read and reviewed the first novel in the Millennium Trilogy, the hugely popular Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. My verdict was mixed; it was solid overall but slow and distracted for long stretches, with a subplot that hindered rather than complement the story.

The sequel, The Girl Who Played with Fire, is a remarkable improvement.

Lisbeth Salander, the titular character of the first book, is a stunningly intelligent but socially inept woman with a history of mental illness. She has severed ties with Mikael Blomkvist, the reporter who served as the protagonist of the first novel, but continues to monitor his life by hacking into his computer. When she discovers he has agreed to publish a book on Sweden's sex trade her complicated and dark past threatens to be exposed. Soon three people are dead, and newspapers across Sweden proclaim Salander the killer. As she goes underground it's up to Blomkvist and other unlikely allies to ferret out the truth before the law catches up to Salander.

Slow? No, not at all. Start to finish it has a tight, well-developed structure that keeps the reader turning pages. There is action - actual action, not the Miss Marple heroics of the first book - and a fight worthy of a Robert B. Parker novel. I wouldn't label the mystery itself as first rate (in that regard, Tattoo is superior) but it's certainly enough to keep you interested. And no, you don't need to read the books in order; they stand alone.

Well done. B+

Jody Gerut hits for the cycle! Congrats to Jody, the first Brewer since Chad Moeller to accomplish the feat. [btw I was at the Moeller game in 2004]

Came home from work and, wanting to get some repairs done on the porch roof, promptly sliced my thumb on a utiity knife. Don't worry, I stopped the blood flow - by accidently crushing a tube of asphalt sealant while I headed inside, thereby covering my hands, forearms, & shirt with a layer of black tar that took 20 minutes to scrub (75%) off. Ah, well. Saved me a stitch or two I suppose.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Where war and woe and wonder/Have been known frequently/And by turns bliss and despair/Have changed places suddenly

Lost

*spoilers* I finally got around to watching this weeks Lost. THREE principal characters killed off in a single episode - what other show would have the ba**s to do that? The death of the Kwon's was moving, as was Jack's last speech with Locke in the hosp.It was good to see Sayid shake off the 'fugue' - and wonderful to hear Jack named, however unofficially, as Jacob's successor. Wow.

Congrats and a book plug too!

Grim Reaper by Steve Alten will be released 10-10-10 *AND* will feature Bridgett, a friend of mine, as a character (two characters, actually) Leigh Nelson and Bridgett Deem. Her family Doug, Parker, and Autumn will be characters as well.

Congrats to the whole family!

You can pre-order copies now from Barnes and Noble!

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo is so different in this neighborhood. Back on Mitchell Street it was parties & fireworks & guys stalling traffic by driving around w/ huge Mexican flags hanging out of their cars and leaning on their horns. Here, there's not a whisper. I much prefer it, of course, but we did do one half-a*s but well intentioned nod to the event: the family enjoyed the take home Taco buffet from Taco Bell.

You know how I know Glee is a great show? Because every Wednesday morning I wake up to take the kids to school, think of the show I watched 12 hrs before, and break into a huge grin.

Two more dreams, and a poltergeist moment

For no reason other than "Cuz", I present another dream I had.

I was in the 2nd building at Job Prior, and Simon Cowell was working with me at the desk. News came of a near drowning in the pool, only the victim wasn't in the water but laying on the tile at our feet, and I think she actually was drowning then and there.

I called for help while Simon stayed with her, but no one came. I ran south down 27th St (but in a direction that, in the real world, is north). I found myself in the home of a Hispanic family that claimed the man of the house was the Sheriff (?) but that he wasn't home. I did not believe the wife, and I began to suspect her of delaying because she wanted the woman dead.

Then, as if it was a completely different day, I was seated w/ Lisa at a table near the door of a New York restaurant. Spike Lee came in wearing a silver Yankees cap, and I remarked to her how disrespectful it was to wear a cap indoors, even though I appreciated the nod to my Yanks. Then I noticed Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who stood and waved in acknowledgement as the restaurant cheered him; and finally Carol O'Connor entered with his wife.

I remember constantly dropping my bread during dinner, and being frustrated that the waiter wouldn't bring the proper place setting.

Then it was back to Job Prior. Simon was giving a music lesson to someone. After studying a song in depth, he told the student that he'd just been taught a comprehensive guitar theory, which I thought was odd because it was a song that featured no guitar at all.

At that point I grew very depressed. I took a weeding tool that I use every day, licked the end to make it wet, and shoved it in a live electrical wire to kill myself.

At which point I woke up to the alarm, literally the first time a dream/alarm have merged in that melodramatic Hollywood fashion.

It should be noted that three hours earlier I'd had what seemed like a dream, but turned out to be 100% real. At 3:15 my girls woke me up saying one of their bedroom windows had 'fallen down'. I remember thinking "Just open the damn thing. Why are you waking me?" but I didn't even have the energy to say that. Without putting on my glasses I went to their room.

Then things got weird. Their window had indeed fallen - OFF. As in, off the track and now laying on the floor. While no light was on the room was strangely well lit, and the sky seemed a dark gray. A fierce, cold wind was pouring in the open window and paper was swirling in the air. There was a strange howl that bothered the girls more than the cold. It was a Wizard of Oz/Poltergeist moment, depending on your point of view. Without my glasses, and fighting the wind, I got the window in, shook off a "WTF?" moment, and returned to bed.

When I woke up I assumed it was a dream, but the girls remarked upon it before school. Yikes.

BTW - I had another elaborate dream last week. Most of the details are lost now, but I remember riding a bike all the way to a gas station on 76th and Coldspring, where I bought some Hostess Cupcakes. The bike was a 10 speed, but oddly resembled the old blue bike my sister Katie once owned. I think I remarked upon that in the dream, and explained (to myself?) that it had been modified to the 10 speed and I'd borrowed it for the ride.

Weeiiiiirrrd.

P--s on you AI for running over AGAIN and cutting off the end of Glee. Buy a g'damn watch already.

Please

One was funny, 7 or 8 not so much. Stop the "This is Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you!" updates. This is your final warning - one more and I unleash a torrent of Dr. Who posts. It'll be a Dork Cage Match for the ages- and the Doctor will kick some Jedi a**. 😉

I'm done w/ the ditch for today, or more precisely the 10 ft part of it that runs in the narrow gap between my shed & the neighbors fence. Good news there - the neighbor came out and said his fence was encroaching on my lot by 14", and asked me to help him move it this weekend. So, if I don't finish by then, I'll have a lot more elbow rm to dig . .

LuLu had trouble breathing when she woke up & so they were late for school. The secretary gave them detention when I dropped them off, which set YaYa off in tears. What-the-F-ever. My kids have served more detention than all the members of the Breakfast Club put together. I consider it almost a badge of honor at that school - if you avoid it altogether you are. IMO, a meek and servile tool of the Man.

LuLu just called from school asking for her inhaler. I know people from my school days are rolling their eyes and remembering me as a hypocondriac (sic), but things change. I've missed two days of work in 12 yrs, & while I'll keep the kids home to go see a concert or a ballgame, I'll be damned if they'll stay home for any illness that isn't fatal. But her asthma/allergies are becoming an issue . .

See what I put up with? - Quote of the Day

Lisa and I enjoy watching shows on Discovery ID like Dateline, 48 Hours - basically any of the well-done network true crime shows. The cable reruns also come with the added benefit of being old enough for a nice postscript to be tacked on, letting you know where the case stands.

This weekend, Lisa missed the first ten minutes of an episode and asked me to fill her in on the details.

"Well, it's about a murder in Anytown. There's this guy, he looks like me, you'll see when it comes back on, he's leaving a gym when he's stopped and shot - "

"Wait, wait," Lisa said, interrupting me. "You said he looked like you?"

"Yeah." I said.

"Let me get this straight," she said. "He looked like you and he was coming out of a gym?"

She was grinning and I smelled trouble.

"Why was he there?" she said, "To deliver the mail?"

Some Quick Movie Reviews

I was surprised when Lisa suggested we rent Sherlock Holmes, as it didn't sound like her cup of tea at all: Victorian England, murder and mayhem, two handsome men, one of them a Doctor, running around shirtless and sweaty - wait a minute!


In the end she didn't care for it, because it turned out to be a somewhat generic action flick. A well acted movie, but an action flick all the same. I enjoyed it, but I didn't care for a Holmes that was more about blood and guts than brains. He's Sherlock Holmes. I expected a few more examples of his trademark skill before we were treated to the 'here's where I explain it all" monologue.


To me, the late Jeremy Brett remains the perfect screen Holmes.


B

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I rented this, as I said on Facebook, largely to pay homage to my late List of Five great, Brittany Murphy. It has very little in the way of plot, although I've seen far worse, and it's largely a bore. But she does look hot in her trademark crack-ish style. RIP.



C-

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The Descent was a pretty good horror flick about a group of female spelunkers who meet their doom at the hands of cannibalistic mutants inhabiting an Appalachian cave. I know - it's better than it sounds, trust me.

Part 2 is, as you can guess, all but a rerun of the first installment. Assemble diverse rescue party, put them in the identical situation, watch them die one by one. There is a decent development 3/4ths of the way through, and there are some wicked scenes, but that makes it worth a rental price and nothing more. You're much better off with the first movie. P.S. what's with the dude at the end?

C

* * * *

I may have talked about Triangle before, but if I did, so what? It was dang good.

I rented this solely based on a review on The Billiionty-oneth Geek blog. It concerns a young, single mother of an autistic child who takes an acquaintance up on his offer to go sailing one fine afternoon. Soon a strange storm swamps the boat, and the group is 'rescued' by a passing - and abandoned - cruise ship. And from there, things get crazy.

I can't think of a decent way to explain the plot without giving the crux of it away, but I found it enjoyable, and the twist at the end, while believable, came right out of left field.

Rent it and see for yourself.

A -

the oldest tonight had a fit over wearing clothes? Am I being punked? Otherwise a most pleasant day w/ new friends 🙂 - Lisa

I'm trying hard not to be the snarky pre-2009 Danny, but the populace isn't making it easy. Before work I waited in a 7 person line at a convenience store. Along comes an elderly woman, who cut in front of 4 of us with her Hoveround. She shot us a glare and *announced* that she is elderly & hence will assume that spot. Hey, lady, why does it matter to you how long you wait in line? You've already got a f*ing seat.

Rented a movie but Lisa's already asleep & I'm pooped from digging. I might call it a night. Got a lot done in the yard (but not everything) the kids went to Home Depot for the monthly project w/ Grandma J, Lu went to a swim party, & we set up the sandbox & pool. Tonight Park's the only kid home. We've enjoyed the heck out of our 'quality' time w/ him. Life is good. It'd be better with $, but it's good all the same.

Victory of the Daleks

Just finished watching "Victory of the Daleks", ep. 3 of this season of Dr. Who. It features Winston Churchill, a devilish Dalek plan, and Spitfires (!) in a dogfight around the moon LOL. Grand. Good to see the new team jettison Davie's obsession w/ stamping out the Dalek race; this ep. made it clear the Daleks are back & here to stay.

The oil spill in the Gulf is horrendous, & the enviornment will suffer needlessly. But to those who claim this is *the* reason to abandon drilling: unless you live w/out a car, plastics, lawn mower, etc - YOU NEED OIL. We can continue to delude ourselves that letting other countries pump oil for us is somehow saving Mother Earth (?!), but its not. Plus all the economic & security reasons . . .

"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis

I'm 12 ft into digging a 2ft deep/30 foot long trench w/ no shade in sight. Anyone want to come over and help? For gosh sake's I'm a fat guy - I'll have a heart attack any second.

My Thoughts

Not to decide is to decide.

So the sandbox is restored for the season, I wonder where the possum will go now? - Lisa