mood: ecstatic music: Panic! At the Disco

That will probably mean the end of this Livejournal too...

mood: just waking up

Really.

I know I've posted some of their strips on my LJ from time to time, and if you've looked and chuckled and then forgot, this is a time to remember.

Really Questionable Content

How could you not go read a comic that had something like *that* made for it?

In other webcomicy goodness, mouse611 sent me this one on V-day: Ctrl-Alt-Del

The Feb. 13th PVP comic was done by guest artist Aaron Williams (of Nodwick fame): Snow Report

And lastly, a cute V-day comic from Blue-Crash-Kit (aww...they all chibi!)

Well, I'm pimped out. Hope you enjoyed it. Real book reviews will be coming back, I promise.

Have you ever been to Israel?

Want to go there for free?

Mayanot Birthright Summer Trip registration just opened up at www.mayanotisrael.com. If you are between 18 and 26, and you've never been on an educational/meaningful trip there (that family vacation when you were 8 doesn't count) you can go to Israel. All they need is an upfront $250 deposit from you, and you do get it back.

This past January I went, and the experience changed my life. I don't pimp out or plug anything unless it's good, and this is a fantastic program. Even if you can't go, you should donate to the cause.

On a more bookish note: I know I haven't updated the book portion of this thing in a while...I will (I have been reading), but it's been put on the way back burner while I'm trying to finish off my senior year with all As and Bs. BTW, I will being going to Comic Con in NYC, so I'll be able to check out all the new graphic novels, manga, anime lovlieness, etc.

So remember, Israel...Comics...and love.

If you are no longer on it, it's probably because you haven't written an entry in a long time, and I'm assuming that you don't use this forum anymore.

If you want to be back on my f-list, just comment here.

When I got home, I went on iTunes on the off chance that they had him listed. They did, so I downloaded the entire EP. He sounded so good with just him and his keyboard, and the album only made him sound better (full orchestrations, mixing, etc, tend to do that).

I e-mailed him through his website saying who I was and telling him again how much I enjoyed the show, how I download the EP off iTunes, and that I hoped he'd come back again soon. He e-mailed back saying thank you for the positive encouragement, and saying that he wasn't sure where to do from here when it came to finding an agent, lable, more venues, etc. He was very nice and gracious in his e-mail, and that only made me like him more. I wish I could post a couple songs up, but I only have what I got from iTunes and they are passworded and stuff.

However, if you do go to his website he has snippets of his songs on there. I *highly* recommend: Harder Then They Can, All Yours, and Somewhere. If you want a description of his sound (and I must warn you that I am crap at this) he is like Ben Folds, but his singing/lyrics are more passionate, and his piano playing is simpler. The cafe events thing calls him "edgy, yet accessible". My friend Sean says "good. really good." I'd have to agree.

The first book in the James Bond series proves one thing... the man has flaws. Lots of flaws.

The premise of the book is that there is a renegade Russian spy who needs to pay 50 million francs to get rid of the last of the dirt on him, and he needs to make that money before the Russians can find out where he is. He decides to make his money gambling, mostly in a game called baccarat. The British don't want this man to make his money, because it'll go to the Russians. So, they send in James Bond to out gamble the renegade.

That's the entire mission.

James Bond gets 25 million francs to play with and must out gamble a man in a high stakes game of baccarat. If you don't know the game, the book goes into detail of the mechanics, the strategy, and the actual game.

The girl in the book is a fellow spy they send in to keep James company. Arm candy is her only purpose.

If you want to find out what happens with James, the girl, and the gambling, you'll have to read the book. I will say this though, James Bond messes up. Big time. Many times.

The book is written well, a pleasure to read. The amount of detail that goes into the game, the style of dress, the food that is ordered is written by a man who knows what he's writing about.

The James Bond in the book is a different James Bond from the movies. In a sense, seeing his flaws and obsessions makes him a more three dimentional character, but it takes away from the whole James Bond Super Man image I've grown up with.

The bottom line is, the book is very good to relax your brain. You will learn a thing or two, and you'll be fascinated on how much culture has changed since the tme the book was writen (for example, James Bond blames his precise eating habits on being a bachelor. Most bachelors I know eat out of a frozen dinner tray, and when they use a spoon and a fork it's a special occasion). If you are comfortable with Sean Connery James Bond, and do not wish to see any other side of the character, do not read this book.

If you are under 18, you probably won't understand my next statement.

Gals: you know that morning when you wake up and you know that you're a girl? Your brain has encompassed all that it means to be female and in that brief instant you are assured that yes, you're a woman. Hear you roar.

For guys, you wake up and you can feel your male-ness coursing through you, and your brain knows what it means to be a man. Boo Yah.

Jennifer Boyan woke up one morning and knew she was a woman, except at the time, she wasn't.

James Boyan delt with transsexuality and transgender issues his entire life. He tried to will it away, accept the fact that he was a man, and thought that he could be "cured by love". He had a career, got married and loved his wife to the ends of the earth, and they had two children. He was happy, except that he still felt like a woman. At the age of forty and after years of teetering on the edge of a emotional collapse, he "came out" to his wife.

She's Not There is the book that chronicles her transition from James to Jenny. She writes about her youth, different events that mattered in her emotional and psycological upbringing. She talks about her family, friends, and her job. Since she's an English professor at Colby College, and is a professional fiction writer (she calls Richard Russo one of her closest friends and comerads) this is a very well written account that's also incredibly entertaining and emotional.

This is not Rocky Horror, and it's nothing like Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This story is real, it feels real, and it's an amazing encounter.

mood: sleepy music: The Venture Brothers

benderelle told me to read this, so I did. It was a beautifully written train wreck.

Let me explain, the language was fluid and gracious. The words were woven together almost perfectly. But the story was about a girl going down a downward spiral. You didn't want to read anymore, but you had to find out how it ended, and the beauty of the words just made the horror of the content that more horrible.

This novel made me question the entirety of my past relationships, but it also improved my writing tremendously. It's the rose and the thorns underneath. That's all I'm going to say. If this interests you, then read it. If it doesn't, then don't.

mood: blah music: Peter Gabriel - Solbury Hill

Everyone has probably seen the movie "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" with Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Did anyone know that it was a movie based on a book? In case you haven't seen the movie, Johnny Depp plays Gilbert Grape, the oldest son living in the Grape household in Endora, Iowa. The other Grapes are Momma Grape, a woman who until Mr. Grape died was a prettiest girl in Endora. Due to years of over over eating she is now 500 pounds, and nearly unable to move from her blue chair in front of the TV. Amy Grape is the eldest sister who teaches during the school year, and takes care of the family all year round. Gilbert Grape is the second oldest and it the primary caretaker of Arnie Grape (Leonardo DiCaprio), his mentally handicapped younger brother. The story is about how Gilbert Grape comes to see his broken family in a new light, with the help of the new girl (Juliette Lewis), and falling in love with her.

That was the movie. I picked the novel up, knowing how the movie ended, and kind of knowing what to expect. Even with all that literary baggage, I was still moved. I saw similarities between the Grapes and other families I knew. Part of that scared me, and made me want to cry, but the writer part of me knew that I was having these reactions because that's what the author wanted to invoke. I was amazed. This was a good 300+ page read, and the fact that the author was able to cram the most important bits into a 2 hour movie is definitely a credit to his writing.

If you haven't seen the movie, see the movie. If you like the movie, read the book. I recommend watching the movie first, because the movie is very good in it's own right. It also allows you to have a guide to what these characters and what this town really looks like. Also, if you read the book first, and then watch the movie, you'll probably be disappointed. There is so much more that they just couldn't fit into two hours.

mood: ecstatic music: Rent Trailer

It looks *really* *freaking* *good*

mood: energetic music: Ben Folds - Get Your Hands Off Of My Woman

So, I leave it up to you, my readers, to give me a book to read. I have a list of books that I've acquired recently, and if you find it in your heart to drop a comment and end my weary undecisiveness, I'd be very appreciative.

The list is:

• Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk (also wrote Choke and Fight Club)
• Hawkes Harbor by S. E. Hinton (also wrote The Outsiders, Taming the Star Runner, etc.)
• Silent Bob Speaks by Kevin Smith (if you don't know who he is then just stop right now and go watch Clerks)
• Candy Freak by Steve Almond
• The Book Of Absinthe by Phil Baker
• The Know-It-All by A. J. Jacobs (editor of Esquire magazine)

mood: bwee music: Garden State Soundtrack

Alright, I know the book is adapted from the screenplay of the movie, but it looked so intriguing that I had to read it anyway. Having now read the book, I'm excited about the movie.

The premise is that Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been married for six years, both of them leading doubles lives that neither knows about. When they discover each other's secrets, all hell does break loose. The novel isn't that advanced, literally. It's a beach book. Not to weighty, fun and funny, definitely a page turner. But it's based on a screen play, so what can you really expect. However, it is a good book. Not fantastically wonderful, but good, and it did get me to want to see the movie.

For readers now, if you're looking for something funny, with a decent story, that you can easily finish in under a day, this is a great book for you. If you're looking for a Sedaris or Alexie, you may want to bypass this one.

mood: exhausted music: None

Coffee Bar Tip Guide:

• Brewed Coffee: $0.00 - $0.20 I figure, for a cup of coffee, a couple cents is a fine tip.
• Simple Espresso Drink (Latte, Cappuchino, or Mocha) $0.20 - $0.50 Your left over change for example.
• Complicated Espresso Drink (i.e. Sugar Free Vanilla Decaf Soy Mochachino, made extra hot and extra wet) $0.50 - $1.00 We are programed to make the drinks noramlly, and any change you make we have to remind ourselves (use decaf, not regular, soy, not whole, etc). It's a lot to remember. That's why I'd say 0.75 or $1.00 is a good tip.
• Entire Meal (food and drink, or multiple drinks, or multiple foods) $1.00+. We have to prepare your food, and your drink in a certain amount of time or else we'll get a line, or we'll lose customers. It's also a lot of time and components to keep track of.

mood: exhausted music: David Bowie - Little Wonder

Ryoichi Ikegami is talented love.

Start off with Crying Freeman and/or Sanctuary. Live Ikegami, love Ikegami.