Either we're preparing a meal, going out for a meal, or sitting down to a home cooked meal. For the past couple of days, mom has put us to work in the kitchen. The day before yesterday, Akemi and I were layering lasagna. Yesterday, we were cleaning mussels. Today, we were making frittata... We went…
December 26, 2013: Akemi’s superhero breakdown!
I asked my Japanese girlfriend, Akemi, to identify some of comicdom's most famous superheroes. How'd she do? Not bad. Not bad at all... How'd YOU do?
December 25, 2013: Merry Christmas!
Traditionally, people open their presents Christmas morning but, when we were kids, we just couldn't wait. My cousins and I would gather around the tree, shaking gifts for any hint to their contents, holding them up the light in the hopes we could discern some a word or phrase through the thin wrapping paper: "robot"…
December 24, 2013: It’s an All Dog Christmas!
Akemi commemorated the first Vancouver snowfall by making her very first Canadian snowman. Check it out, above. Not exactly button eyes, carrot nose, and stove pipe hat. But okay for a first effort I guess. Fortunately, she's better suited to working with flour, chocolate and sugar than snow as evidenced by Sunday night's kitchen creations:…
December 23, 2013: Upcoming under-the-radar movies to look forward to! Or not!
BEYOND OUTRAGE Release Date: January 3, 2013 What it’s about: A police crackdown on organized crime triggers a yakuza gang war. What it’s got working for it: Writer/Director/Actor Takeshi Kitano. What’s it’s got going against it: Occasionally, his films can veer off into the ridiculous. THE ADVENTURER: THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS BOX Release Date:…
December 22, 2013: Upcoming Movie Releases To Look Forward To! Or not!
THE LEGEND OF HERCULES Release Date: January 10, 2014 What it’s about: Sold into slavery, the son of Zeus must fight his way back to his kingdom. What it’s got working for it: Has the potential to be a fun adventure. What’s it’s got going against it: Looks mighty humourless - the kiss of death…
December 21, 2013: I miss ’em already! Snow Monkeys on the verge of another championship!
As much as the dogs miss us when we're away, I think I miss them even more. Especially at night. After a while, you not only get used to sleeping like a contorted magician's assistant in one of those sword-through-the-box tricks, but you come to draw comfort from their pudgy, snoring, encroaching presence. As crazy…
December 20, 2013: Stargate Universe 1.0! The Japanese Girlfriend Edition!
After dating me for almost four years, Akemi finally decided it was time to take the plunge. Yes, after all these years, she finally made the BIG commitment. She actually started watching Stargate! I gave her a choice between the three series - SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe . She elected to go with the latter…
December 19, 2013: Okay, finally, sweet sweet victory! And one more to go! Braving versus Battening! Mom’s Christmas Brigade!
Well, you'll be pleased - nay, thrilled! - to hear that the NFL's minimal stats corrections for week 15 of the regular season did NOT impact the score of the semi-final fantasy football match that saw my Snow Monkeys win by the slimmest of margins. To refresh your memories: Damn, that's tight! So now, with…
December 18, 2013: News of note! And a mailbag!
Rex Reed picks his best films of 2013: Rex Reed: The Best Films of 2013 | The New York Observer And his worst: READ REX REED’S PICKS FOR THE WORST MOVIES OF 2013 In other important movie news, Yahoo casts the rumored Gilligan's Island big screen reboot: http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/casting-gilligan-island-movie-josh-gad-203025069.html Michael Cera as Gilligan. Hmmmm. Maybe. Kelsey Grammar as…
December 17, 2013: Snow Monkeys win! Possibly! Top 5 Bitterest Losses of All Time!
Hmmm. Well that was a little too close for comfort. My Snow Monkeys won their semi-final fantasy football playoff match-up by a score of 109.30 to 109.10. Yes, that's right. They won by a whopping 0.2 points. Rather than celebrate, however, I'll be on the edge of my seat until Thursday morning when the NFL…
December 16, 2013: Recommended comic book reads!
THE SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MANWriter Nick Spencer is at the top of his game here, exploring the private and professional lives of a group of B-team villains, The Sinister Six - who are actually made up of FIVE members hard-luck members. They're sneaky, opportunistic, and completely disloyal, but you can't help but love 'em. RAT…
December 15, 2013: Snow Monkeys on the cusp!
It's that time of year! Yes, time for the Fantasy Football playoffs. On the back of a fearsome running game, my Snow Monkeys took the second seed in my league, winning themselves a much-needed (last) weekend off with a first-round bye. Today, they were back at it, meeting As Luck Would Have It in semi-final…
December 14, 2013: Planning the Fan Campaign! And next year’s Group Holiday!
Okay. Pursuant to yesterday's blog entry, some careful strategy is required. I think that, rather than striking out now as everyone - especially those in a position to make the decisions - prepares for the holidays or, in some cases, is already off on holidays, the campaign should hold off in order to maximize its…
December 13, 2013: Stargate: Extinction! The comic book?!
StellaByStargate writes: "I’m curious as to who (person or organization) “owns”–for lack of a better word–the scripts for the SGA and SG-1 movies? So many of us would love to see those novelized and made part of the Stargate canon…is there any way we could launch a campaign to make that happen? Who would we…