Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Movie: Over The Hedge
The comic strip comes to life in a slapstick tale of forest critters encountering the sudden onslaught of suburbia. If the thought of a squirrel blowing canned spray cheese out his nose makes you laugh, this is for you ... and if it doesn't, it's not.
Movie: The Wedding Date
Well done insofar as standard chick-flicks go.
Watching people deal with the embarassingly painful consequences of mundane stupidities just doesn't work for me. In this case: on the verge of a wedding, we are to be entertained by the assorted clashing permutations of a failed engagement, a gigolo hired to make an ex-fiance jealous, who had what now-defunct relationships with whom, who finds out about those relationships when, who wants what relationship de-defunctified, etc. and somehow it all just works out into a happy ending.
Watching people deal with the embarassingly painful consequences of mundane stupidities just doesn't work for me. In this case: on the verge of a wedding, we are to be entertained by the assorted clashing permutations of a failed engagement, a gigolo hired to make an ex-fiance jealous, who had what now-defunct relationships with whom, who finds out about those relationships when, who wants what relationship de-defunctified, etc. and somehow it all just works out into a happy ending.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Mead: a bubbly first batch
After the first bottle, I found I had overlooked what was really the first bottle! Made with common honey from Sam's Club, and fermented using Lalvin EC-1118 yeast, the result was shared with visitors in a progressive dinner. Rather bubbly, the cork needed almost no assistance in opening, and the result was more champagne-like than akin to a sweet white wine. Those partaking seemed to rather like it, being bold & peppy.
Today I opened another bottle made the same but fermented longer (6 months). Fortunately the opening had been wrapped, as when unwrapped the cork popped on its own (to the surprise of guests). Still a bit yeasty, samplers liked the bold bubbly taste. This was sampled alongside a professionally produced mead, very clear and likable and flat. Obviously the home brew requires considerably longer fermentation time, and filtration would be wise. Remaining bottles must be stored so they won't make a mess if the cork (or, moreso, glass) blows.
Today I opened another bottle made the same but fermented longer (6 months). Fortunately the opening had been wrapped, as when unwrapped the cork popped on its own (to the surprise of guests). Still a bit yeasty, samplers liked the bold bubbly taste. This was sampled alongside a professionally produced mead, very clear and likable and flat. Obviously the home brew requires considerably longer fermentation time, and filtration would be wise. Remaining bottles must be stored so they won't make a mess if the cork (or, moreso, glass) blows.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Mead
My first bottle of aged mead finally got uncorked - and it was worth the work & wait.
Made from "Mountain Gold Wildflower Honey" purchased in Dahlonega, and fermented with "White Labs Sweet Mead Yeast WLP720", I mixed 1 part honey with 3 parts boiling water, cooled, then add yeast, pour in glass jug with airlock (gasses escape, nothing gets in), let sit at room temperature for a month, then rack to wine bottles (siphon off clear fluids from settled sediments), cork, and let sit. Total cost was somewhere around $2/bottle.
First bottle sat 6 months. Opened and served a the first meeting of the Grove Park Wine Club, it went over surprisingly well. The clear, slightly golden liquid had a pleasant, slightly sweet taste with a mild bite. Certainly worth the effort, which was wasn't much considering the very simple recipe - it was just a matter of spending a little time actually doing it.
Made from "Mountain Gold Wildflower Honey" purchased in Dahlonega, and fermented with "White Labs Sweet Mead Yeast WLP720", I mixed 1 part honey with 3 parts boiling water, cooled, then add yeast, pour in glass jug with airlock (gasses escape, nothing gets in), let sit at room temperature for a month, then rack to wine bottles (siphon off clear fluids from settled sediments), cork, and let sit. Total cost was somewhere around $2/bottle.
First bottle sat 6 months. Opened and served a the first meeting of the Grove Park Wine Club, it went over surprisingly well. The clear, slightly golden liquid had a pleasant, slightly sweet taste with a mild bite. Certainly worth the effort, which was wasn't much considering the very simple recipe - it was just a matter of spending a little time actually doing it.
Movie: Rambo III
By this point they've figured out that in the audiences' mind, the name of the series is "Rambo", not "First Blood".
Having made a pile of money off the first two movies, a third was created. The result was something halfway between its predecessors: less story and more action than the first, but without the extreme disparity in the second. Still, the point is to build on the enduring memory of the first movie: strong action hero takes on enemy forces, practically single-handedly, and wins. That the final enemy is what seems the whole Russian army is, indeed, going a bit far.
Here's hoping that the fourth installment, recently released, manages to get the high action and meaningful story due a big-budget movie descended from the first Rambo.
Having made a pile of money off the first two movies, a third was created. The result was something halfway between its predecessors: less story and more action than the first, but without the extreme disparity in the second. Still, the point is to build on the enduring memory of the first movie: strong action hero takes on enemy forces, practically single-handedly, and wins. That the final enemy is what seems the whole Russian army is, indeed, going a bit far.
Here's hoping that the fourth installment, recently released, manages to get the high action and meaningful story due a big-budget movie descended from the first Rambo.
Movie: Rambo - First Blood Part II
OK, so the first one was a hit for good reason. Decent story, acting, etc. Appealing to the visceral nature of men.
Given that success, they had to do a second one. They shouldn't have.
While the first Rambo movie had a sane, consistent emotional arc which made for a good story, this second one was just a bunch of action scenes stuck together - and not particularly well done ones at that. I'd suggest they fire the continuity director, except there obviously wasn't one.
Given that success, they had to do a second one. They shouldn't have.
While the first Rambo movie had a sane, consistent emotional arc which made for a good story, this second one was just a bunch of action scenes stuck together - and not particularly well done ones at that. I'd suggest they fire the continuity director, except there obviously wasn't one.
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