May 31 2008
Surely, surely you have heard about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It’s not as good as the other Indy films but enjoyable all the same. There are crystal skulls out there in the world, but they may not be thousands of years old.
And while we’re on the subject of the Indy movies, check out the guy who (partly) inspired the character.
May 20 2008
Portugal has voted to adopted Brasilian Portguese as its national language. It’s a sign of the times, as the South American country is economically in ascendancy and has a population many times in excess of its former colonial master.
The changes include spelling and the addition of three letters to the alphabet: k, w, and y. All letters Irish lacks, incidentally, apart from loan words.
But there will inevitably be opposition, as the change is as drastic as having Britain adopt American English (I work in a newspaper which has made North Americans conform to Anglo stylings, so I know how difficult it can be to change habits). Such is the way of language and life. Of course, I’m biased toward Brasil, but all the same I can understand the reason behind the change. It standardises the language, which is good for internet searches as well as contracts and the like; these points are made in the BBC article linked to above.
However, it does raise an interesting question. When faced with many variations, should the root be forced to change to come into line with the branches? Or, as with English, should the two distinctions be maintained?
Hat tip to Catholicgauze for coming across this news.
May 20 2008
May 17 2008
I am a very, very tired blogger these days. However, I have come to several conclusions.
One: coffee tastes better with hazelnut syrup. Step up Starbucks latte, take a bow. However, it has not displaced the mocha as the ultimate coffee concoction.
Two: KFC’s wrapstar thing is crap. Scrawny chicken, so-so bread, not very delicious nachos.
Three: it is possible for one’s groceries to thaw on the five-minute walk from cab to apartment.
Four: I should not be given a credit card and then allowed in a book shop.
May 16 2008
While trading YouTube links with a friend I found this gem of Irish rock. That’s this guy, in case you’re wondering.
May 14 2008
I like ‘em, believe it or not. Although the selection in recent times has been less than fantastic.
Movies I’ve seen since I moved to Abu Dhabi:
Charlie Wilson’s War. Strong performances by the main actors and a good film overall. Several scenes were cut heavily, to the point where it was obvious where the frames had been spliced together.
I Am Legend. Good if a bit disappointing. Will Smith plays well but the CGI was a bit off at times and the ending was changed completely from the novel (or at least the novel as I remember it). One I’d recommend to see but not buy. And did anybody else see The Omega Man? I should really get a hold of it and do a proper comparison.
In the Name of the King. Uwe Boll takes on Dungeon Siege and produces what you’d expect from Uwe Boll. That said it was enjoyable enough fare, and although Jason Statham is completely miscast as farmer he shows he can be a decent action star. The posters implied that Kristanna Loken was co-star but she only appears in three or four scenes and can’t have 10 minutes on screen. Not that I went because of her.
10,000 BC. Uh, why did I see this again? I suppose it wasn’t the worst film I’ve ever seen but it was still a fecking mishmash. Why the Egyptian priests look like Indian gurus I’m not sure but such is life. I guess they were playing with the Atlantis myth as well.
Doomsday. British-based science fiction/horror. Not the worst thing I’ve ever seen but I wouldn’t recommend it, even if I am a fan of apocalyptic-style movies. Some interesting looking ladies in it though but certain elements of the plotline are just stupid, even if they are justified in the film.
Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr is excellent, the production qualities are excellent and the origin story updated to make it more contemporary. Very, very highly recommended.
Speed Racer. Utter dross but great fun. Colourful and with plenty of things crashing about to keep the kiddies interested. I wouldn’t say the computer imagery was groundbreaking but it was certainly used very well.
