Posted: May 1, 2007 | Author: mll | Filed under: Entertainment | Tags: books, movies | 6 comments »
While reading
Philip Pullman‘s
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, I’d wondered what kind of daemon I’d have if they so existed. In the book, a daemon is an outward, physical manifestation of a person’s soul. It appears as an animal that reflects a person’s true nature.
A friend who introduced me to the His Dark Materials trilogy told me about this quiz on The Golden Compass movie Web site. After answering a series of 20 questions, I found out my daemon’s a fox.
I am “modest, spontaneous, sociable, inquisitive, and dependable.” Sound like me? On a previous run-through, I’d scored a crow daemon. As much as I love crows, I have to admit the fox traits more accurately describe me.
Anyway, I highly recommend the trilogy, which though marketed as a young adult fantasy, is actually a very smart, philosophical inquiry into religion and the meaning of life. The Golden Compass (which incidentally co-stars Daniel Craig and Eva Green, who were in Casino Royale together) comes out this Dec. 7, so there’s still time to devour the books before then.
Posted: August 30, 2006 | Author: mll | Filed under: Media | Tags: books, quotes | 1 comment »
When did a sheep last die of old age? Sheep do not own themselves, do not own their lives. They exist to be used, every last ounce of them, their flesh to be eaten, their bones to be crushed and fed to poultry. Nothing escapes, except perhaps the gall bladder, which no one will eat. Descartes should have thought of that. The soul, suspended in the dark, bitter gall, hiding. -Disgrace, J. M. Coetzee
Finished the book today. It’s the first Coetzee book I’ve ever read. Really amazing–unsympathetic characters one can actually empathize with.
Posted: August 7, 2006 | Author: mll | Filed under: Miscellaneous | Tags: books, sports | 2 comments »
“In so many ways, his family’s life feels like a string of accidents, unforeseen, unintended, one incident begetting another. … And yet these events have formed Gogol, shaped him, determined who he is. They were things for which it was impossible to prepare but which one spent a lifetime looking back at, trying to accept, interpret, comprehend. Things that should never have happened, that seemed out of place and wrong, these were what prevailed, what endured, in the end.” -The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri
It’s something I’m continually trying to learn, that disappointments are petty and that life goes on.
The day after the driving range, this spot on my thumb was sore and filled with fluid. But it’s finally deflating, hardening. (I used to get blisters all the time as a kid playing on the monkey bars, but now that my days consist of sitting at a computer, there’s no time for that.) Maybe if I ever get serious about this, I’ll get some golf gloves.
I’ve been going to the Chelsea Piers driving range during summer hours, taking advantage of the weekday daytime specials. Last Friday I chose the “Ball Blitz,” $20 an hour for unlimited balls and free club rental. The day was clear and hot. Only occasionally did a breeze lift off the Hudson, relieving everyone of us perched on the multistory driving range.
I love going to the driving range, though I’ve only been a few times. (Many thanks to Athena and Tomo for introducing me to it.) I have no interest in learning how to play golf, but I find the act of hitting the ball itself very calming and meditative. I don’t worry about where the ball goes, though it is always satisfying when my club connects perfectly with the ball. It makes this certain sound–maybe there’s a physical term for it, the same sound one hears when a bat hits a baseball dead-on or when one makes a desirable break in pool–a significant crack, not a superficial sound at all.
And then tracking the ball against a blue sky. After my hour was up, I watched two men practice their swings. They both looked like serious golfers, with appropriate attire, their own sets of clubs, concentration. My routine had been to swing every few seconds, almost as quickly as the balls came up out of the ground (one of the things I love about the Chelsea Piers driving range is the automation, no need to retrieve balls out of a machine, stooping over repeatedly to set the ball on top of the tee). But these two men would each focus on his ball, swing, observe the ball’s flight, absorb the outcome, gather himself mentally for the next swing. Their golfballs would arc through the air, describing mathematical equations.
Posted: July 7, 2006 | Author: mll | Filed under: Culture | Tags: books, music | 2 comments »
While in Boston, I was introduced to the music genre Wizard Rock, which according to
Wikipedia dates from 2002 with
Harry and the Potters being the first such band. My friend Alice had seen Harry and the Potters and dragged me to see
The Remus Lupins at T.T. the Bear’s.
The show was actually quite fun. Despite the plural in the band’s name, Alex Carpenter is the sole member, though he was accompanied on one song by friends on other instruments. I bought a copy of his CD–you can hear some of his music on his Web site and myspace page–though it lacks the energy of his live playing. (He also played the show in a Hogwarts uniform, sweater and all; I don’t know how he withstood the heat.)
Still, he’s a talented musician, and it was interesting to learn about another facet of fandom. (See Wikipedia articles on cosplay and slash fiction).
