Vanishing

I got off work at three, hopped a ferry to the mainland and then caught a bus down to central Nago. As I tend to carry more and more distractions with me (books, iPod, DS), traveling has become increasingly easy. I'm encased in my own little world of audiobooks, word games and fiction. The iPod in particular has paid for itself; you can go further and longer when you're not bored tearless.

Elina picked me up at the game store in Nago where I snatched up a copy of Mario Strikers to play in downtime I increasingly don't have. Between writing thank you notes to my Japanese friends, the pile of reading I brought back for myself, exercise and all the myriad details that scream their importance, there's been little time for gaming. But I'll gravitate back toward games when I get tired of reading. I can already feel the pull, but I'm enjoying my books too much.

But reading was why Elina picked me up Nago. This month's book was Starship Troopers and for a novel with no plot, I was completely engrossed. I'm not sure if that's an endorsement, since I could say the same thing about the last four books I've read and am reading: Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, A Disorder Peculiar to the Country, Starship Troopers and currently Salem's Lot. This either means I've picked good ones lately or I'm looking for some escapism. I think the latter, perhaps.

There was a problem, however, with this month's book club: our meeting place Celluloid Cafe had vanished from this earth in the span of a month. In honor of this cozy, seaside locale, I present the obligatory "wtf photo":



We reconvened at a burger joint down the street, where I enjoyed a tasty goya burger and a spirited discussion of Troopers. Fascism and Nazis were absent from discussion, but American--and a touch of British--military policies were at the forefront. Our discussion was concise. Either people liked it or hated it and they could tell you why and probably go off for five or ten minutes, lost in their own thoughts.

It was a short meeting though, since we then hightailed it to one of the three movie theaters in Okinawa for a showing of I am Legend, which had been discussed the previous month. I'd seen it before, but this time I had the pleasure of a frightful young lady clutching my arm.

I was rather pleased with this.

Funny Animals

I love animation but am tired of "funny animal" movies and would like to see something that is a step up from Shrek and The Incredibles. I was disappointed when it seemed that Brad Bird was taking what I thought was a step back with Ratatouille.

Well, watch this.

Edit: Above link appears to be dead, so here's a page compilation of all Ratatouille trailers and previews.

Spiderman 3

I love the Spiderman movies. The first was good and the second near perfect, so much so that it's been a long wait for the third. When I saw the third, I was good. That's enough. I never need to see another Spiderman film again. Between the overstuffed plot and dialogue that only serves to set up the next scene, I'm probably good for the next decade.

It does have its moments. Topher Grace in particular is great as weasally Eddie Brock. I had the most fun when he was on-screen. But if this is any indication of what's to come with the rest of the summer movie season, prepare for some major disappointment.