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Update: Amusingly, as soon as I posted this, there were 5 or 6 questions in a row that were answered directly.

It seems that, for the most part, when a question is asked that can be easily answered with a candidate’s prepared and rehearsed talking points, the question gets answered. If it’s not, the question is avoided and/or ignored.

There are some good points being made by most,if not all, of the candidates at one time or another.

Update Again: No surprise, but Gingrich is really confirming the impression that he’s a petty little blowhard.

Lori: No.

Me: Then why am I wrapping presents without an iced vodka drink?!?!? FFS!!!

(the situation has been remedied)

This is a wonderful follow-up to The Magician. Grossman continues the story of Quentin and his friends as they continue their magical adventures, but this time, Julia, his friend who never got into Brakebills, gets equal billing with Quentin, as we head back in numerous flashbacks to see her progression through the magical world that exists outside the academic structure of Brakebills.

Moving deftly between the gritty world of Julia’s past to the present day where Quentin and friends are adventuring, Grossman reunites old friends, introduces some new friends, unloads multiple surprises and twists, and captivates… but never disappoints. The Magician King is possibly (dare I say it) better than what came before.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOsyDYVTjPc

I was  at a friend’s mom’s Christmas party yesterday and her house is amazingly decorated with animatronic characters, four Christmas trees, animated villages, lights, bows, bells, garlands… the works. It’s wonderfully festive.

Some of the animatronic characters are in a bit of shadow and while looking at the slowly-moving bears, I was just a little bit creeped out… so I decided to run with it and took some video using my phone. Adding a bit of not-particularly-festive music changed the whole vibe from festive to disturbingly creepy.

There you have it!

Said Bachmann…

You don’t need to be within the technical definition of being a lobbyist to still be influence-peddling.

Gingrich comes off as very Clinton’esque when he makes his “I didn’t lobby” claims.

Of course, at another point during the debate, Bachmann headed back to her comfortable but loopy world of sunshine and rainbows.

I think it’s just outrageous to continue to say over and over throughout the debates that I don’t have my facts right, when it as a matter of fact, I do. I’m a serious candidate for president of the United States, and my facts are accurate.

Ummmm…

That sounds very much like, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”

When the only tool you have is a banjo, sooner or later, every problem starts to look like a hoedown.

- Mike Beucler

The Magicians is an absolutely wonderful book that un-selfconciously references Harry Potter, Narnia, Tolkien, and other fantasy works somehow without being plagiaristic at all. The main characters are wonderfully developed… distinctively different people who complement each other and keep the story racing along without a single dull moment.

Grossman ties the entire book together with articulate grace, weaving seemingly insignificant events at the beginning of the book into key points of the entire over-arching storyline. The Magicians is a truly satisfying read that left me wanting more.

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Well, Lori and I thought it was hysterical, since we both fell right into the trap. Megan, who is 10, didn’t get it.

So, after Lori and I did a poorly-performed duet of the song verses in question, I went to YouTube and found a video of Queen performing Bohemian Rhapsody and had Megan listen to it. She gave me lots of weird "What the heck is THIS?" looks while the song was playing, but she then understood (as much as a 10-year-old can understand her parents’ ancient memories).

The kicker to this little story comes from one of the commenters on the YouTube video. An hour later and I’m still chuckling over it.

I hate it when people compare Freddie Mercury to God. He is good but for fuck’s sake, he is not Freddie Mercury.

Thanks, speslqueen, for that wonderful bit of cleverness!

Fun to shoot. Fun to edit (to a point). It changed focus from being an emotional, tiring journey to a lighthearted romp across various landscapes (the video, not my attitude toward making it). It also changed from having a somewhat serious message to… well… not.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D-Yqdb1E_o

I shot it using a Kodak Playsport and a Kodak Zi8. Editing was done using Hitfilm Ultimate. Music composed with SmartSound Sonicfire Pro. Additional sound cleanup was done using Audacity.