I warned you, didn't I? Behold the return of the video blog -- now with more ramble.
If you want to check out the first released still pic of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, click here.
To see the trailer for Jonah Hex, click here.
What do you think? Is Jonah Hex going to suffer the same fate as Will Smith's Wild Wild West? In other words, are you getting a severe campy vibe from the little footage being shown? I'm having some misgiving about this now, but I think in the end Josh Brolin will save the day. He's the only awesome thing about this so far.
Friday, April 30, 2010
So, About That Netbook Dilemma . . .
I spoke about it earlier this month, my decision to buy a portable computer but not knowing whether to go the Netbook or rather small laptop route? Click here if you need a refresher.
So, like I was pretty much already leaning toward in that entry . . . I ended up getting the Dell Inspiron 11z "mini" book. It just came via FedEx yesterday!
So far so good. It does everything your typical netbook does: plays movies on a widescreen display, surf the net, etc. Since it's a netbook, it can't play DVDs or load up CDs because -- hey, there's no optical drive! But there are ways and then there are WAYS around that, which I won't go into here.
It's smaller than your typical laptop, but has a bigger screen than your typical netbook: 11.6 inches, to be exact. Nice middle ground there, no? It weighs next to nothing, too! I don't have a postal scale so I can't tell for sure, but it feels just slightly above 3 pounds with the huge 6-cell power brick inserted into the back.
What else do I like about it? Hmm . . . well, for one, Windows 7 totally kicks ass! I wasn't so sure how I would weather the crossover from Windows XP, but I couldn't be happier. I'm so glad I didn't buy this back in the Vista days, though. Phew!
I actually purchased a MS Office license with the netbook, so I spent a few minutes registering that and then testing out the various programs like Word and Excel. Most netbooks come only with MS Works installed, if at all. But--and I shouldn't need to say this--Works sucks balls! I thought I would be able to handle it, but after giving it a test run in stores I have to say I was severely disappointed. I'll stick with Office for now, thank you.
The built-in webcam was a nice bonus feature I completely forgot about. Once again, Windows 7 made the whole process of recording and compiling videos a breeze. As evidenced by the rather bizarre and late-night vids I posted earlier. Again, sorry for that. I know the quality is horrible. I'll be looking in to fixing that over the weekend.
Funny thing about the vids. For some reason the audio synch was way off when I uploaded them on to my Youtube account. The audio's fine when I review the files on my desktop. But something screwy seems to happen when I upload the same files to Youtube. I'm not the first person to complain about this issue, though. Seems a lot of people who record their videos through integrated laptop or netbook cams experience the same synching problems. What's up with that?
I'm sure if I'd done some more research I would've figured it out. But screw that! I'm an impatient man when it comes to my gadgets. I needed answers NOW!!! I remember a video blogger I follow mentioning switching his account over to Vimeo. So this is what I did. And, voilà! The videos work, and the audio is in synch! So from now on until I learn better, Vimeo will be the repository of all my future inane video babblings.
Scared yet? Well, you should be.
During lunch today I went out and purchased a bluetooth mouse since the netbook has built-in bluetooth technology. I'm currently trying to decide between a bluetooth headphone set for watching movies on the plane vs. a traditional wired one. Either way, this time I'm going to go with actual foam cans instead of earbuds. I'm tired of the feeling of having hard plastic shoved inside my ear canals each time I want to just listen to music or watch a tv show. And, plus, they do a piss-poor job of canceling out the ambient engine noise on airplanes for some inexplicable reason. You would think with the speaker portion jammed so close to my eardrums, I wouldn't hear anything *but* the media I'm playing. But guess again.
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll update this blog if any exciting developments occur with my new toy. It's good to live in the age of technology, ain't it?
So, like I was pretty much already leaning toward in that entry . . . I ended up getting the Dell Inspiron 11z "mini" book. It just came via FedEx yesterday!
So far so good. It does everything your typical netbook does: plays movies on a widescreen display, surf the net, etc. Since it's a netbook, it can't play DVDs or load up CDs because -- hey, there's no optical drive! But there are ways and then there are WAYS around that, which I won't go into here.
It's smaller than your typical laptop, but has a bigger screen than your typical netbook: 11.6 inches, to be exact. Nice middle ground there, no? It weighs next to nothing, too! I don't have a postal scale so I can't tell for sure, but it feels just slightly above 3 pounds with the huge 6-cell power brick inserted into the back.
What else do I like about it? Hmm . . . well, for one, Windows 7 totally kicks ass! I wasn't so sure how I would weather the crossover from Windows XP, but I couldn't be happier. I'm so glad I didn't buy this back in the Vista days, though. Phew!
I actually purchased a MS Office license with the netbook, so I spent a few minutes registering that and then testing out the various programs like Word and Excel. Most netbooks come only with MS Works installed, if at all. But--and I shouldn't need to say this--Works sucks balls! I thought I would be able to handle it, but after giving it a test run in stores I have to say I was severely disappointed. I'll stick with Office for now, thank you.
The built-in webcam was a nice bonus feature I completely forgot about. Once again, Windows 7 made the whole process of recording and compiling videos a breeze. As evidenced by the rather bizarre and late-night vids I posted earlier. Again, sorry for that. I know the quality is horrible. I'll be looking in to fixing that over the weekend.
Funny thing about the vids. For some reason the audio synch was way off when I uploaded them on to my Youtube account. The audio's fine when I review the files on my desktop. But something screwy seems to happen when I upload the same files to Youtube. I'm not the first person to complain about this issue, though. Seems a lot of people who record their videos through integrated laptop or netbook cams experience the same synching problems. What's up with that?
I'm sure if I'd done some more research I would've figured it out. But screw that! I'm an impatient man when it comes to my gadgets. I needed answers NOW!!! I remember a video blogger I follow mentioning switching his account over to Vimeo. So this is what I did. And, voilà! The videos work, and the audio is in synch! So from now on until I learn better, Vimeo will be the repository of all my future inane video babblings.
Scared yet? Well, you should be.
During lunch today I went out and purchased a bluetooth mouse since the netbook has built-in bluetooth technology. I'm currently trying to decide between a bluetooth headphone set for watching movies on the plane vs. a traditional wired one. Either way, this time I'm going to go with actual foam cans instead of earbuds. I'm tired of the feeling of having hard plastic shoved inside my ear canals each time I want to just listen to music or watch a tv show. And, plus, they do a piss-poor job of canceling out the ambient engine noise on airplanes for some inexplicable reason. You would think with the speaker portion jammed so close to my eardrums, I wouldn't hear anything *but* the media I'm playing. But guess again.
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll update this blog if any exciting developments occur with my new toy. It's good to live in the age of technology, ain't it?
Ack! What Have They Done?
Somebody up and gave this fool a webcam! Be afraid, be very very afraid.
I'm still trying to work the kinks out. I'm not a big fan of the video quality, despite trying to tweak the settings. Anyway, if you ever wanted to know what I looked and sounded like en media res, here you go!
Well, that was weird. Hey, look, it's like 1:00 in the morning, I'm tired, and I didn't really look in a mirror before recording this. Here, I discuss it some more in this next video. Whoopeee! Here I go with a new toy again.
Seriously, that's all for tonight folks. I'll leave your bleeding eyes alone to recover now. Nighty nite!
I'm still trying to work the kinks out. I'm not a big fan of the video quality, despite trying to tweak the settings. Anyway, if you ever wanted to know what I looked and sounded like en media res, here you go!
Well, that was weird. Hey, look, it's like 1:00 in the morning, I'm tired, and I didn't really look in a mirror before recording this. Here, I discuss it some more in this next video. Whoopeee! Here I go with a new toy again.
Seriously, that's all for tonight folks. I'll leave your bleeding eyes alone to recover now. Nighty nite!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
David Anthony Durham Interview
Just read a cool mini interview of relatively new writer David Anthony Durham in this month's edition of Locus magazine. As you can see, it's the one featuring an interview with James Blaylock front and center on the cover. Another good interview, that. But not why I'm writing in today.
As some of you may know, Durham is the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and author of the epic fantasy Acacia: The War with the Mein (2007), and its followup The Other Lands (2009). I'm currently reading Acacia, and all I can say is: Durham is a boundlessly talented writer! I recently attended a reading of his here in NYC, and Tarrell even ran up to him with *my* HC edition of The Other Lands to have it personally autographed to me. How cool!
In the interview this month, I particularly liked what he had to say about his early "starving writer" years living abroad in France with his wife and not finding the conditions of being dirt poor all too appealing:
"I had no Internet, and I didn't really speak French. So it was writing all day, and cooking food for my wife when she got home. She was supporting us -- we were really, really poor. I guess it sounds romantic, but over the winter I would turn off the heat when she went to work. At the time I didn't love being in my sleeping bag with my fingerless gloves on, typing away."
I just get a kick out of this! That's so how I feel when people say they're "envious" of the hardships I've endured to get to where I am today. They tell me it builds character. I say: I'd rather have had a normal life, thank you very much.
But that's neither here or now.
Anyway, check out the rest of the interview by clicking . . .
Oh wait, you can only read this by purchasing the issue or subscribing to it. Oopsie! Guess you'll just have to take my word for it. But suffice to say: the interview is GOOD!
Or, you know, you can stop being a cheapskate and sign up to receive this wonderful SF semi-pro zine at your doorstep every month. It's what I do.
Click on this link and subscribe today!
No, seriously, the Locus staff are good peeps and work so very hard to ensure a quality issue hits the street every month. If not the subscriber type, you can find single issues to purchase at the magazine section of your local big chain bookstore, too.
So there, you've got no excuse! I personally read Locus to stay up to date on all the latest and forthcoming books in the SF world, as well as to keep an eye out on all the future big names in the making. But the magazine offers so much more than that. I can't sing its praises high enough.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
It's Coming . . .
Just got an e-mail update from Dell today. Looks like my Netbook has been constructed and shipped off -- hooray! I had placed the order a little over a week ago, and was told I would most likely get it on May 5th. Which, needless to say, felt like a very LONG time away.
But seems I'll be getting it a week earlier than estimated. This Thursday to be precise. Yippeee! Looks like I have a new toy to break in over the weekend. I'll post impressions and maybe a pic or two when I have the thing up and running.
In the meantime, if you have absolutely no idea what I'm blabbering on about, check out the original entry I wrote on the whole affair a while back by clicking here.
But seems I'll be getting it a week earlier than estimated. This Thursday to be precise. Yippeee! Looks like I have a new toy to break in over the weekend. I'll post impressions and maybe a pic or two when I have the thing up and running.
In the meantime, if you have absolutely no idea what I'm blabbering on about, check out the original entry I wrote on the whole affair a while back by clicking here.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Our Bon Voyage Is Official!
Well, as of this morning I've paid the final amount on what will be our next big trip celebrating our 5-year anniversary. Yup, this time we'll be going on our 2nd cruise together . . . touring the Eastern Mediterranean. The 11-night voyage will be aboard the brand new (since July 2009) luxury liner, the "Equinox," part of Celebrity Cruises' fleet.
For those who may recall, our first cruise was a 7-night, 4 port Caribbean affair back in 2007. This time, we're going to be visiting more exotic locales at 7 ports-of-call across 3 countries -- and I for one CAN'T WAIT!!!
The ship departs from Rome, which means we'll have to endure yet another 9-hour trans Atlantic flight before we even begin the cruise. But I mean, come on -- it's to ROME! Somehow I don't foresee this being a problem.
Once aboard our ship, the itinerary will include stops along the Mediterranean at the following ports:
Athens, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Istanbul, Turkey
Ephesus, Turkey
Naples/Capri, Italy
And, finally, a return to Rome. We set sail on a Monday evening in July, but will actually arrive in Rome a couple of days earlier so as to take in the city and relax before we board. Two days in Rome before a whirlwind 11-night cruise is not so bad, eh? In fact, it sounds pretty damn awesome to me right about now.
I'm most looking forward to spending almost a day and a half in Istanbul, according to our itinerary. I've always wanted to go, and would in fact prefer to spend an entire week there to explore all the wonderful richness of the city's history and culture. But alas this trip will have to just whet my appetite until I can return for a longer, more detailed, stay.
Of course, the history buff in me is also thrilled at getting to visit Rome and Athens, too. However, because of the very short stay in Athens (only 7 hours), I predict we will only have time to visit the most touristy of areas like the Parthenon. Oh well, guess I'll have to make a return trip there someday, too.
I haven't yet figured out our land excursions. I'm a bit worried about booking them through the cruise ship since those trips will likely be crowded and overly expensive. I'm looking into arranging private tours with only a handful of other fellow cruisers, independent of Celebrity, but I fear I won't have the time to stay on top of the details before we leave. Might be that we'll end up booking everything through the ship's concierge by default. Bummer.
Still, even that won't be a deal breaker against all the fun I plan on having visiting all these wonderful locations. Just like last year, looks like 2010 is shaping up to be quite the year in travel for us. Niiice!
For those who may recall, our first cruise was a 7-night, 4 port Caribbean affair back in 2007. This time, we're going to be visiting more exotic locales at 7 ports-of-call across 3 countries -- and I for one CAN'T WAIT!!!
The ship departs from Rome, which means we'll have to endure yet another 9-hour trans Atlantic flight before we even begin the cruise. But I mean, come on -- it's to ROME! Somehow I don't foresee this being a problem.
Once aboard our ship, the itinerary will include stops along the Mediterranean at the following ports:
Athens, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Istanbul, Turkey
Ephesus, Turkey
Naples/Capri, Italy
And, finally, a return to Rome. We set sail on a Monday evening in July, but will actually arrive in Rome a couple of days earlier so as to take in the city and relax before we board. Two days in Rome before a whirlwind 11-night cruise is not so bad, eh? In fact, it sounds pretty damn awesome to me right about now.
I'm most looking forward to spending almost a day and a half in Istanbul, according to our itinerary. I've always wanted to go, and would in fact prefer to spend an entire week there to explore all the wonderful richness of the city's history and culture. But alas this trip will have to just whet my appetite until I can return for a longer, more detailed, stay.
Of course, the history buff in me is also thrilled at getting to visit Rome and Athens, too. However, because of the very short stay in Athens (only 7 hours), I predict we will only have time to visit the most touristy of areas like the Parthenon. Oh well, guess I'll have to make a return trip there someday, too.
I haven't yet figured out our land excursions. I'm a bit worried about booking them through the cruise ship since those trips will likely be crowded and overly expensive. I'm looking into arranging private tours with only a handful of other fellow cruisers, independent of Celebrity, but I fear I won't have the time to stay on top of the details before we leave. Might be that we'll end up booking everything through the ship's concierge by default. Bummer.
Still, even that won't be a deal breaker against all the fun I plan on having visiting all these wonderful locations. Just like last year, looks like 2010 is shaping up to be quite the year in travel for us. Niiice!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Hey, A Blog On Virgos!
I just stumbled across this site, which I believe is run by someone named "Joe Pennant." It seems to be all about Virgos and how simply awesome we are! Although, I wish this person would learn the difference between the possessive and the plural noun. Arggh!
LOL! Even though I don't typically buy into astrological signs and what have you, it's scary how much I embody the usual (some would say stereotypical) traits of those born under the sign of Virgo. I would like to say that they're mostly wrong, but they're mostly not. Mostly.
Those who know me well, how close does this come to describing me? I feel only Lisa would appreciate this most since, while she hasn't known me the longest, she certainly knows me the most intimately. But alas, she is a Virgo too, so it'll be like preaching to the choir were I to show this to her.
Click on this link, btw, if you want to read the full entry. And when you're done, check out the rest of the blog why don't you? Pretty interesting--and amazingly accurate--stuff!
"One of the consequences of this is that Virgo's strive to keep their minds clear and their emotions compartmentalized. Adjectives of them being like "Vulcans" are thrown around, Virgo's are characterized as being unfeeling. Not at all, Virgo's are human too - but they do place a premium on logic, that is true. It's just that being emotional interferes with the thinking. That is why they prefer being calm."
LOL! Even though I don't typically buy into astrological signs and what have you, it's scary how much I embody the usual (some would say stereotypical) traits of those born under the sign of Virgo. I would like to say that they're mostly wrong, but they're mostly not. Mostly.
Those who know me well, how close does this come to describing me? I feel only Lisa would appreciate this most since, while she hasn't known me the longest, she certainly knows me the most intimately. But alas, she is a Virgo too, so it'll be like preaching to the choir were I to show this to her.
Click on this link, btw, if you want to read the full entry. And when you're done, check out the rest of the blog why don't you? Pretty interesting--and amazingly accurate--stuff!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Laptops vs Netbooks
I've been looking into this conundrum for the past two weeks now. Which portable computing system to purchase, that is. And bearing in mind that I don't want to spend more than $800 for whichever choice I do go with.
Do I get a Netbook: generally smaller, slower, and weighing a lot less than a traditional laptop, but lacking a lot of the features that are standard on the latter?
Or do I get a Notebook PC: generally bulkier, but possessing greater functionality over a Netbook?
In the end, I had to decide what exactly I intended to use this machine for. In my mind, I rarely need portable computing power in my everyday life. I'm always either at work or at home, both locations already providing anchored desktop options more than adequate for my needs. And when I go out on the town, the last thing I want to do is lug a computer around with me. Nor do I write in coffee shops, or am by any means a mobile professional always on the go.
In fact, the only time I would need a laptop is when I go away on trips. But since I only do this once or twice a year, it hardly seems worth it, don't you think?
However, I just booked a 2-week voyage on a cruise ship. This after having just come back from a week's stay in Paris where I was sorely missing easy, instant access to the Internet and suffering from withdrawal. Added to this is that said cruise liner has wifi available all throughout the ship and in cabins. So it became clear to me that what I really needed most out of my potential mobile PC was the ability to connect online. And to watch movies on the plane, or to upload trip pics at the end of each day rather than in one huge dump at the end of the trip.
I need to be able to do all these things on one nifty, easy-to-use device that won't break my back carrying it through the airport.
What I don't need is a mobile unit that plays CDs or balances my money accounts. But I *do* need one that lets me draft the occasional short story or novel excerpt on the rare occasion I'm bored on my trip and just NEED to write! Hey, it does happen.
In the end, as should come to no surprise, I settled on the Netbook option. They typically only weigh 3 lbs, and, with the right amount of memory, are perfect for when all you need to do is hop online and check e-mails or watch Hulu.
Moreover, most new Netbooks today come with Windows 7 and some version of MS Works already pre-loaded. And for a good chunk of change, if it so pleases one, one can get the MS Office suite added on, too. If you're into that sort of thing.
Me? A simple word processor, built-in wifi, and a big enough screen to watch videos comfortably on is all I need. For real computing power, I can just wait until I get home. Plus, with a Netbook lying handily around the house, Lisa can hop on real quick to check her mail at any time. Which means no more nagging me to stop hogging up the desktop PC when I'm brainstorming my latest prose session. Bonus!
So, after searching high and low for just the right Netbook, I finally settled on my old tried and true source for most of my computing needs: Dell. Yeah, it's not a choice that's popular with most technorati these days. Or, worse, the pseudo technorati known as Mac users. But Dell is a pretty decent middle-of-the-road option. One that has never failed me yet.
Plus, after looking into virtually every other offering on the market now, I fail to see how any of them tops the Dell model I eventually settled on.
Behold, the Dell Inspiron 11z "mini" book:
The standard model comes in obsidian black, but I've found that the plastics used to make these minis are too shiny and prone to fingerprint smudging. I normally love all my electronics to be as black as the inside of a coffin on a moonless night . . . but this time I decided to fall back to my favorite general color: Blue. The standard "sky blue" option Dell offers for their Inspiron line, however, is a bit too lite of a blue. I prefer sapphire or "midnight" blues.
So I decided to splurge a little extra and use Dell's online "Design Studio" division to customize the top lid of this netbook. The color scheme I settled on--called "Suzi Says Feng Shui" from OPI--is a sort of brushed cobalt blue with some swirlies thrown in. I could've done without the swirlies, but cobalt blue is my FAVORITE! I just hope it looks more cobalt and less aquamarine in person than in that pic above. We shall see.
At the very least, I won't have to deal with fingerprint smudging. I mean, they'll still be there I'm sure. I just won't be able to see them as well as I would against a black background. And, as they say: seeing IS believing!
Anyway, for those who are into such things, here are the specs. Take note of the slightly larger than normal (for Netbooks) screen, as well as the extra memory, which I had to upgrade and which I think is typically abysmal on most Netbooks offered in brick-and-mortar stores. With the amount I've chosen, however, I think my videos and website loading should be quite a bit faster than normal:
DELL INSPIRON 11z SPECS:
----------------------------------
11.6" display.
Pentium SU4100 processor (1.3Ghz/800MHz FSB/2MB cache)
Windows 7 premium edition
250GB hard drive
4GB RAM (DDR2, 800MHz on 1 DIMM)
Wireless G mini network card
Built-in Bluetooth
Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
3-in-1 flash card reader
HDMI out
56WHr Lithium-ion battery (6-cell)
Dimensions: Height 0.92" x Width 11.5" x Depth 8.43"
Weight: 3.3 lbs
Not bad, if I do say so myself. Laptops can do all this and more, of course -- at the penalty of weight, poorer power management, and general bulkiness. But for a Netbook, this is pretty impressive. And while I haven't made the concrete decision yet, I'm almost certain this is what I'll be getting.
Unless someone out there can point me to a better option . . .
Do I get a Netbook: generally smaller, slower, and weighing a lot less than a traditional laptop, but lacking a lot of the features that are standard on the latter?
Or do I get a Notebook PC: generally bulkier, but possessing greater functionality over a Netbook?
In the end, I had to decide what exactly I intended to use this machine for. In my mind, I rarely need portable computing power in my everyday life. I'm always either at work or at home, both locations already providing anchored desktop options more than adequate for my needs. And when I go out on the town, the last thing I want to do is lug a computer around with me. Nor do I write in coffee shops, or am by any means a mobile professional always on the go.
In fact, the only time I would need a laptop is when I go away on trips. But since I only do this once or twice a year, it hardly seems worth it, don't you think?
However, I just booked a 2-week voyage on a cruise ship. This after having just come back from a week's stay in Paris where I was sorely missing easy, instant access to the Internet and suffering from withdrawal. Added to this is that said cruise liner has wifi available all throughout the ship and in cabins. So it became clear to me that what I really needed most out of my potential mobile PC was the ability to connect online. And to watch movies on the plane, or to upload trip pics at the end of each day rather than in one huge dump at the end of the trip.
I need to be able to do all these things on one nifty, easy-to-use device that won't break my back carrying it through the airport.
What I don't need is a mobile unit that plays CDs or balances my money accounts. But I *do* need one that lets me draft the occasional short story or novel excerpt on the rare occasion I'm bored on my trip and just NEED to write! Hey, it does happen.
In the end, as should come to no surprise, I settled on the Netbook option. They typically only weigh 3 lbs, and, with the right amount of memory, are perfect for when all you need to do is hop online and check e-mails or watch Hulu.
Moreover, most new Netbooks today come with Windows 7 and some version of MS Works already pre-loaded. And for a good chunk of change, if it so pleases one, one can get the MS Office suite added on, too. If you're into that sort of thing.
Me? A simple word processor, built-in wifi, and a big enough screen to watch videos comfortably on is all I need. For real computing power, I can just wait until I get home. Plus, with a Netbook lying handily around the house, Lisa can hop on real quick to check her mail at any time. Which means no more nagging me to stop hogging up the desktop PC when I'm brainstorming my latest prose session. Bonus!
So, after searching high and low for just the right Netbook, I finally settled on my old tried and true source for most of my computing needs: Dell. Yeah, it's not a choice that's popular with most technorati these days. Or, worse, the pseudo technorati known as Mac users. But Dell is a pretty decent middle-of-the-road option. One that has never failed me yet.
Plus, after looking into virtually every other offering on the market now, I fail to see how any of them tops the Dell model I eventually settled on.
Behold, the Dell Inspiron 11z "mini" book:
The standard model comes in obsidian black, but I've found that the plastics used to make these minis are too shiny and prone to fingerprint smudging. I normally love all my electronics to be as black as the inside of a coffin on a moonless night . . . but this time I decided to fall back to my favorite general color: Blue. The standard "sky blue" option Dell offers for their Inspiron line, however, is a bit too lite of a blue. I prefer sapphire or "midnight" blues.
So I decided to splurge a little extra and use Dell's online "Design Studio" division to customize the top lid of this netbook. The color scheme I settled on--called "Suzi Says Feng Shui" from OPI--is a sort of brushed cobalt blue with some swirlies thrown in. I could've done without the swirlies, but cobalt blue is my FAVORITE! I just hope it looks more cobalt and less aquamarine in person than in that pic above. We shall see.
At the very least, I won't have to deal with fingerprint smudging. I mean, they'll still be there I'm sure. I just won't be able to see them as well as I would against a black background. And, as they say: seeing IS believing!
Anyway, for those who are into such things, here are the specs. Take note of the slightly larger than normal (for Netbooks) screen, as well as the extra memory, which I had to upgrade and which I think is typically abysmal on most Netbooks offered in brick-and-mortar stores. With the amount I've chosen, however, I think my videos and website loading should be quite a bit faster than normal:
DELL INSPIRON 11z SPECS:
----------------------------------
11.6" display.
Pentium SU4100 processor (1.3Ghz/800MHz FSB/2MB cache)
Windows 7 premium edition
250GB hard drive
4GB RAM (DDR2, 800MHz on 1 DIMM)
Wireless G mini network card
Built-in Bluetooth
Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
3-in-1 flash card reader
HDMI out
56WHr Lithium-ion battery (6-cell)
Dimensions: Height 0.92" x Width 11.5" x Depth 8.43"
Weight: 3.3 lbs
Not bad, if I do say so myself. Laptops can do all this and more, of course -- at the penalty of weight, poorer power management, and general bulkiness. But for a Netbook, this is pretty impressive. And while I haven't made the concrete decision yet, I'm almost certain this is what I'll be getting.
Unless someone out there can point me to a better option . . .
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Still Plotting . . .
For those of you wondering about my progress on the "practice novel" as first mentioned here -- don't worry, I'm still chugging along.
I know I said I would start writing the darn thing on the first of the month, but actually I'm still outlining/plotting. I'm not stuck or anything, just taking things very carefully. The whole point of preparing my notes before I write is so that I minimize as many inevitable errors as I can right now, when the plotting is more fluid. But things are slowly falling in to place and I can begin to see the overall picture and tone of the story I want to tell.
In other words, I've not given up yet. If anything, I'm getting more and more psyched for this novel as I plan it. I'm discovering that I'm really liking the scope of freedom writing a novel affords over a short story. So many fun and interesting story threads I get to weave together! With multiple POVs and thematic arcs aplenty.
Now if I can just pull it all off . . .
In any event, I will keep updating on my progress, including when I eventually start the actual writing of the novel. After that, I'll probably keep mums on the affair as I doubt I'll be updating this blog much during that time period.
I won't completely disappear, to be sure. You'll still get a musing or observation on every day life here and there. Maybe even the occasional movie review or two. But, yeah, once I get truly cracking on this thing, I think even my own wife won't be seeing much of me.
Scary!
I know I said I would start writing the darn thing on the first of the month, but actually I'm still outlining/plotting. I'm not stuck or anything, just taking things very carefully. The whole point of preparing my notes before I write is so that I minimize as many inevitable errors as I can right now, when the plotting is more fluid. But things are slowly falling in to place and I can begin to see the overall picture and tone of the story I want to tell.
In other words, I've not given up yet. If anything, I'm getting more and more psyched for this novel as I plan it. I'm discovering that I'm really liking the scope of freedom writing a novel affords over a short story. So many fun and interesting story threads I get to weave together! With multiple POVs and thematic arcs aplenty.
Now if I can just pull it all off . . .
In any event, I will keep updating on my progress, including when I eventually start the actual writing of the novel. After that, I'll probably keep mums on the affair as I doubt I'll be updating this blog much during that time period.
I won't completely disappear, to be sure. You'll still get a musing or observation on every day life here and there. Maybe even the occasional movie review or two. But, yeah, once I get truly cracking on this thing, I think even my own wife won't be seeing much of me.
Scary!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Survey Says!
A co-worker of mine has created a survey for her grad school class concerning a sci-fi based parody-review website. Click on the link below and take 2 minutes to check off a variety of responses to some pretty neat questions re: your interests and online habits:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LNZJWRJ
If sci-fi gaming/comics/movies/books is not your thang, well then . . . what are you doing here on this blog again?
Seriously, though, click on the link and make me happy! :)
That is all.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LNZJWRJ
If sci-fi gaming/comics/movies/books is not your thang, well then . . . what are you doing here on this blog again?
Seriously, though, click on the link and make me happy! :)
That is all.
10 Questions
My good friend, Rodney, over on his blog last night, mentioned "Inside The Actor's Studio" on the Bravo network. And, more specifically, the 10-question mini interview devised by Bernard Pivot and given to guests of the show.
I figured I'd provide my own answers just for shits and giggles today:
01. What is your favorite word?
Prognosticate. (Sounds fairly disgusting, but yet nerdy at the same time)
02. What is your least favorite word?
The N word.
03. What turns you on?
A woman smarter than me.
04. What turns you off?
High maintenance women.
05. What sound or noise do you love?
Shakuhachi flute.
06. What sound or noise do you hate?
People singing/rapping to themselves in public.
07. What is your favorite curse word?
Sonuvafuck!
08. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Comedian. (Yeah, no shit)
09. What profession would you not like to do?
Livestock masturbator. (Look it up, it ain't pretty)
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
I'm sending you back on a mission. Here's your sword!
I figured I'd provide my own answers just for shits and giggles today:
01. What is your favorite word?
Prognosticate. (Sounds fairly disgusting, but yet nerdy at the same time)
02. What is your least favorite word?
The N word.
03. What turns you on?
A woman smarter than me.
04. What turns you off?
High maintenance women.
05. What sound or noise do you love?
Shakuhachi flute.
06. What sound or noise do you hate?
People singing/rapping to themselves in public.
07. What is your favorite curse word?
Sonuvafuck!
08. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Comedian. (Yeah, no shit)
09. What profession would you not like to do?
Livestock masturbator. (Look it up, it ain't pretty)
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
I'm sending you back on a mission. Here's your sword!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Eye Inside
Went for an eye exam. Didn't really want one, but they force me to get one each time I go in to renew my contact lens supply for the year. But this time, instead of a simple chart to read, the doctor wanted to give me the "Full Monty" of comprehensive exams.
Geez, I felt like a lab rat. What gives with all these different machines now? There was a row of them, like a gauntlet of increasingly complex torture devices lined up against the wall. It reminded me of circuit training at the gym.
The first machine tested my distance vision, whatever the hell that means. I wasn't aware there was any other type of vision for a 33 year old.
Next came one to measure the pressure inside my eyeballs. That turned out fine. After this, a fun little device that tests your peripheral vision. I had to stare into a small opening at a pattern of three red laser dots grouped together at the center of a wide circle -- not unlike the Predator targeting scope from the movies. I had to keep my eyes focused on the red dots while a white dot blinked on and off at random spots and frequency off-center of the circle. Each time I spotted a small, white pinprick flash in my periphery, I had to click a button on this device in my hand. It was strangely akin to whack-a-mole, complete with the software trying to fake you out with lengthy pauses to catch trigger-happy nimrods. Little did they know I have superior video-gaming skills, and that this was actually right down my alley!
I aced it, of course. The woman giving the test was surprised by how fast I clicked to each flash of light. She said my response time was way quicker than average.
Thanks Asteroids, Galaga, and Missile Command! 50 billion quarters and most of my 80s childhood wasted at the arcades has finally paid off!
After all this, I still had one more machine to submit my precious eyeballs to: a high-tech retina mapping imager. I don't know what's the official word for it, but this is a big round machine that needs its own separate room. Yet in operation it's quite simple. You stare into yet another small round hole while a big, bright green rotating laser flashes you from right to left and takes a digital image of the back of your eye. This is to make sure your retinas are healthy and not in danger of becoming detached. Because, if you lose a retina . . . that's it. You're blind, bucko!
Anyway, no bad news to report. Everything checked out fine. After all this, I then had to see the actual doctor. This is where I did the standard eye chart and stare into the impossibly bright light while being told not to blink routine. You would think a place concerned with the health of your eyes would try to not blind its patients with so many bright lights at once, right? You would think, but you'd be wrong.
The doc, a short young Asian dude (who mumbled and was a bit rude) then informed me that he would dilate my eyes.
Why ever would you want to do that? I asked.
To check the inside of your eyes, he said.
But isn't this what that Death Star optical blaster machine did? The one I *just* came from and which left me blinking green for 5 minutes?
Apparently, that machine really is just for retinas. But the doc needed to peer behind my pupils to check for cornea health and all that jazz. I still didn't understand why they couldn't have the machine see this, but went along with it anyway.
So, for 30 minutes I had to sit and wait for the special yellow-acid eye drops from hell to numb my eyes to the point my pupils simply gave up and spread wide. 30 minutes of me wondering why the fuck the lights all around me are suddenly HURTING like stabbing needles inside my brain. Seriously, I had a major headache by minute 15 and eventually had to pull out my own shades to protect myself.
Wait, wasn't he supposed to warn me about this? Not just tell me to wander around the streets outside and come back a half hour later? Also, I thought you're supposed to get special shades to protect your eyes when you go in for these tests? Why was I relying on my own resources in this moment?
Like I said, this doc was clueless. It made me pretty pissed. When I came back in, he saw me with my shades on and said: Oh, good idea. Everyone should wear shades more often.
Oh, no shit doc? Like how about when their pupils are the size of fucking SAUCER PLATES? I would think especially then, right?
Anyway, he then proceeded to shine more bright lights into my eyes. And this time I was seeing bright splotches for what felt like forever. Ow! But he said everything looked good, and that my pupils would return to normal after a couple of hours.
That's it? I was subjected to this much pain and assholery just for a 1-minute evaluation? And they wonder why I always turned this procedure down in the past. I knew it would be a big pain in my ass -- and I was right!
Anyway, I got my contact lenses renewed and am done with this place for at least another year.
How was your day?
Geez, I felt like a lab rat. What gives with all these different machines now? There was a row of them, like a gauntlet of increasingly complex torture devices lined up against the wall. It reminded me of circuit training at the gym.
The first machine tested my distance vision, whatever the hell that means. I wasn't aware there was any other type of vision for a 33 year old.
Next came one to measure the pressure inside my eyeballs. That turned out fine. After this, a fun little device that tests your peripheral vision. I had to stare into a small opening at a pattern of three red laser dots grouped together at the center of a wide circle -- not unlike the Predator targeting scope from the movies. I had to keep my eyes focused on the red dots while a white dot blinked on and off at random spots and frequency off-center of the circle. Each time I spotted a small, white pinprick flash in my periphery, I had to click a button on this device in my hand. It was strangely akin to whack-a-mole, complete with the software trying to fake you out with lengthy pauses to catch trigger-happy nimrods. Little did they know I have superior video-gaming skills, and that this was actually right down my alley!
I aced it, of course. The woman giving the test was surprised by how fast I clicked to each flash of light. She said my response time was way quicker than average.
Thanks Asteroids, Galaga, and Missile Command! 50 billion quarters and most of my 80s childhood wasted at the arcades has finally paid off!
After all this, I still had one more machine to submit my precious eyeballs to: a high-tech retina mapping imager. I don't know what's the official word for it, but this is a big round machine that needs its own separate room. Yet in operation it's quite simple. You stare into yet another small round hole while a big, bright green rotating laser flashes you from right to left and takes a digital image of the back of your eye. This is to make sure your retinas are healthy and not in danger of becoming detached. Because, if you lose a retina . . . that's it. You're blind, bucko!
Anyway, no bad news to report. Everything checked out fine. After all this, I then had to see the actual doctor. This is where I did the standard eye chart and stare into the impossibly bright light while being told not to blink routine. You would think a place concerned with the health of your eyes would try to not blind its patients with so many bright lights at once, right? You would think, but you'd be wrong.
The doc, a short young Asian dude (who mumbled and was a bit rude) then informed me that he would dilate my eyes.
Why ever would you want to do that? I asked.
To check the inside of your eyes, he said.
But isn't this what that Death Star optical blaster machine did? The one I *just* came from and which left me blinking green for 5 minutes?
Apparently, that machine really is just for retinas. But the doc needed to peer behind my pupils to check for cornea health and all that jazz. I still didn't understand why they couldn't have the machine see this, but went along with it anyway.
So, for 30 minutes I had to sit and wait for the special yellow-acid eye drops from hell to numb my eyes to the point my pupils simply gave up and spread wide. 30 minutes of me wondering why the fuck the lights all around me are suddenly HURTING like stabbing needles inside my brain. Seriously, I had a major headache by minute 15 and eventually had to pull out my own shades to protect myself.
Wait, wasn't he supposed to warn me about this? Not just tell me to wander around the streets outside and come back a half hour later? Also, I thought you're supposed to get special shades to protect your eyes when you go in for these tests? Why was I relying on my own resources in this moment?
Like I said, this doc was clueless. It made me pretty pissed. When I came back in, he saw me with my shades on and said: Oh, good idea. Everyone should wear shades more often.
Oh, no shit doc? Like how about when their pupils are the size of fucking SAUCER PLATES? I would think especially then, right?
Anyway, he then proceeded to shine more bright lights into my eyes. And this time I was seeing bright splotches for what felt like forever. Ow! But he said everything looked good, and that my pupils would return to normal after a couple of hours.
That's it? I was subjected to this much pain and assholery just for a 1-minute evaluation? And they wonder why I always turned this procedure down in the past. I knew it would be a big pain in my ass -- and I was right!
Anyway, I got my contact lenses renewed and am done with this place for at least another year.
How was your day?
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Ties That Bind . . .
One of my Facebook friends recently posited the following observation:
Why is it that the ones we love hurt us the most?
The interpretation, here, is not love between boyfriend and girlfriend (although, that does apply), but rather more like familial love. As I'm sure most of us can relate to, nothing hurts more than the betrayal from a close family member. If a friend or an acquaintance betrays our trust, we shrug our shoulders, ban them from our lives, and move on. But with family, the situation's not so simple. After all, we can't "un-friend" relatives. We still have to eat Thanksgiving dinner with these folks.
So dealing with betrayal from a brother, or aunt, or cousin usually produces a whole list of attendant complications along with it. Well maybe "betrayal" is too strong of a word here. More like disappointment, I guess.
Either way, you know what I mean. Or, at least, what my friend meant. The responses some of his other friends gave back were the typical knee-jerk phrases we're all conditioned to give. Maxims like: "it only hurts because you love them so much"; and: "because those you love know you best, and how to say or do the things that will pain you the most."
And, yeah, I guess this is all true. But honestly, as with most things in life, I think some of the cause of all this pain lies at the feet of the receiver. In other words, a lot of the disappointment that comes from the misguided actions of those we love the most is really only a reflection of the high standards we apply to our family members.
But family members are human beings, too. We all have our faults and weaknesses, right? Yet somehow we tend to hold our relatives to a higher plane of excellence than we would our own selves. Is this fair?
Of course the degree to which this hurt can manifest depends on the type of familial relationship; the closer the connection, obviously, the greater the potential pain. Naturally there exists a higher level of expectation between a mother and daughter than, say, between cousins twice removed.
I just saw on the news last night a story about a couple who left their 18 yr old son alone back home while they went on vacation to Paris. The couple obviously felt their son was well at the age to be treated like an adult, and gave him the trust and benefit befitting this maturity.
Bad decision.
This fool went and advertised to all his friends that his folks' home was available, and a HUGE party to end all parties thus ensued on the premises. Unfortunately for him, a group of punks crashed the party and completely and utterly DESTROYED the house. I'm talking big, gaping holes in the walls . . . rugs ruined from countless spilled drinks . . . furniture smashed to shambles . . . and even someone urinating into every drawer in the master bedroom. So much damage that the estimate to get it all repaired totals in the $45,000 range!!!
Looking at the mother talk about the ordeal to the reporter, she had this glazed look on her face that can best be described as true "shell shock." And I can only imagine how the father must feel. He probably wasn't on camera because he was too busy looking for something soft and squishy--like his son's fool head!--to smash into the concrete.
What do you do with betrayal this massive? I mean, how does the son ever repair his relationship with his parents? Moreover, were the parents at fault here? Obviously their level of expected maturity from their son far exceeded reality.
So what hurts more: the fact that their house is totaled, and should really be condemned by the city? Or the fact that this 18 yr old high school senior took a big fat shat on his parent's trust in him? As much as the hurt of the first is truly going to take a long time to go away, I'd likely wager that it is the last which leaves these parents crying at night.
But, you know what? I suppose the reverse is also true. That while those who we hold closest to our hearts have the potential to cause us the most heartache, so too are we more likely to forgive out of our deep familial love for them. In the case of this couple, had this been a friend of the family they put in charge of watching their house while away, that friend would now be looking at a lawsuit. Or even criminal charges. And forget about their friendship. That would be irreparably ruined for life.
But because this was their son, I'm willing to bet that all will eventually be forgiven. This idiot probably learned a valuable lesson here, and I doubt he'll ever do something so stupid ever again. And years down the line, when the parents are old and doddering and the son has his own family and bowl-headed children of his own . . . will they all sit around the table on Turkey day and laugh about this incident?
Maybe so. After all, they're family.
Why is it that the ones we love hurt us the most?
The interpretation, here, is not love between boyfriend and girlfriend (although, that does apply), but rather more like familial love. As I'm sure most of us can relate to, nothing hurts more than the betrayal from a close family member. If a friend or an acquaintance betrays our trust, we shrug our shoulders, ban them from our lives, and move on. But with family, the situation's not so simple. After all, we can't "un-friend" relatives. We still have to eat Thanksgiving dinner with these folks.
So dealing with betrayal from a brother, or aunt, or cousin usually produces a whole list of attendant complications along with it. Well maybe "betrayal" is too strong of a word here. More like disappointment, I guess.
Either way, you know what I mean. Or, at least, what my friend meant. The responses some of his other friends gave back were the typical knee-jerk phrases we're all conditioned to give. Maxims like: "it only hurts because you love them so much"; and: "because those you love know you best, and how to say or do the things that will pain you the most."
And, yeah, I guess this is all true. But honestly, as with most things in life, I think some of the cause of all this pain lies at the feet of the receiver. In other words, a lot of the disappointment that comes from the misguided actions of those we love the most is really only a reflection of the high standards we apply to our family members.
But family members are human beings, too. We all have our faults and weaknesses, right? Yet somehow we tend to hold our relatives to a higher plane of excellence than we would our own selves. Is this fair?
Of course the degree to which this hurt can manifest depends on the type of familial relationship; the closer the connection, obviously, the greater the potential pain. Naturally there exists a higher level of expectation between a mother and daughter than, say, between cousins twice removed.
I just saw on the news last night a story about a couple who left their 18 yr old son alone back home while they went on vacation to Paris. The couple obviously felt their son was well at the age to be treated like an adult, and gave him the trust and benefit befitting this maturity.
Bad decision.
This fool went and advertised to all his friends that his folks' home was available, and a HUGE party to end all parties thus ensued on the premises. Unfortunately for him, a group of punks crashed the party and completely and utterly DESTROYED the house. I'm talking big, gaping holes in the walls . . . rugs ruined from countless spilled drinks . . . furniture smashed to shambles . . . and even someone urinating into every drawer in the master bedroom. So much damage that the estimate to get it all repaired totals in the $45,000 range!!!
Looking at the mother talk about the ordeal to the reporter, she had this glazed look on her face that can best be described as true "shell shock." And I can only imagine how the father must feel. He probably wasn't on camera because he was too busy looking for something soft and squishy--like his son's fool head!--to smash into the concrete.
What do you do with betrayal this massive? I mean, how does the son ever repair his relationship with his parents? Moreover, were the parents at fault here? Obviously their level of expected maturity from their son far exceeded reality.
So what hurts more: the fact that their house is totaled, and should really be condemned by the city? Or the fact that this 18 yr old high school senior took a big fat shat on his parent's trust in him? As much as the hurt of the first is truly going to take a long time to go away, I'd likely wager that it is the last which leaves these parents crying at night.
But, you know what? I suppose the reverse is also true. That while those who we hold closest to our hearts have the potential to cause us the most heartache, so too are we more likely to forgive out of our deep familial love for them. In the case of this couple, had this been a friend of the family they put in charge of watching their house while away, that friend would now be looking at a lawsuit. Or even criminal charges. And forget about their friendship. That would be irreparably ruined for life.
But because this was their son, I'm willing to bet that all will eventually be forgiven. This idiot probably learned a valuable lesson here, and I doubt he'll ever do something so stupid ever again. And years down the line, when the parents are old and doddering and the son has his own family and bowl-headed children of his own . . . will they all sit around the table on Turkey day and laugh about this incident?
Maybe so. After all, they're family.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Awesome In One Movie?
OMG! This movie is like every 80s action junkie's wet dream come true! If a more kick-ass ensemble ever existed on celluloid before, I'll eat my socks. Let's break it down by actor here:
Sylvester Stallone
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Jason Statham
Jet Li
Bruce Willis
Mickey Rourke
Eric Roberts
AND
Dolph Lundgren!!!
And . . . AND . . . it's being directed by Stallone, too? I mean, what the hell? Did I just walk into some parallel dimension where movies are now made of pure epic WIN? When did this movie get greenlit?
Anyway, in case you need visual proof, here's the trailer for the upcoming summer action blockbuster, The Expendables:
I'm so there for this on DAY ONE! Who's with me?
Sylvester Stallone
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Jason Statham
Jet Li
Bruce Willis
Mickey Rourke
Eric Roberts
AND
Dolph Lundgren!!!
And . . . AND . . . it's being directed by Stallone, too? I mean, what the hell? Did I just walk into some parallel dimension where movies are now made of pure epic WIN? When did this movie get greenlit?
Anyway, in case you need visual proof, here's the trailer for the upcoming summer action blockbuster, The Expendables:
I'm so there for this on DAY ONE! Who's with me?
Monday, March 29, 2010
My Self-Guided Highlander Tour Of Paris: Part Deux
Last year during our very first trip to Paris, I made it a point of identifying and locating as many filming locations for Highlander: The Series as possible. Believe it or not, there's actually woefully little info on the 'Net regarding the exact locations of many of the sites used over the course of the show's six-year run. So, for the most part I was left to figure it all out on my own.
I think I did a rather good job, as evidenced by the first part of this tour which I wrote almost exactly one year ago. Click on this link if you want to review the initial batch of sites I was able to find across Paris. If you are a fan of the show and/or planning a trip to the city yourself, I gather this entry will be rather helpful as well as entertaining to you.
Having just come back from our second trip to the "city of light," I am pleased to announced that I have found even more sites than last time. For some of you, this will answer the questions you've submitted regarding many other locations I was not able to find or had time to visit last year. Using my almost encylopedic knowledge of the episodes, as well as that ever trusty and ubiquitous search tool--Google maps!--I was able to prepare a list of several promising locations before even setting foot on European soil. And I'm pleased to announce that I was able to locate every one of these sites.
Still, this entry, in addition to the first, does not represent every filming location ever used in the history of the television show. There is still much to be explored and discovered in the grand ancient streets of Paris, so this list in no way represents the be-all and end-all of this endeavor. I'm sure I will be updating this in the years to come, and gladly so.
With that being said, let's get started with perhaps the most asked question by fans to drop into my inbox:
Where was the Highlander's barge briefly moved during the second season?
Now, before I answer this, let's back up a bit and recap the original location of the barge. For those who want a quick fix answer to this:
The primary spot where the barge was moored for almost the entire show is along "port de la Tournelle," which is the cobblestoned quai that lies just between the Pont Tournelle and Pont Archeveche bridges on the left bank of the river Seine. Basically, just find Notre Dame cathedral in the Latin Quarter and you're pretty much there!
Here's a recent pic of the quai that I took last week from atop Pont Tournelle, which offers the best view. This is also the spot from which a Watcher took various candid photos of Mac and company. As usual, click on all images to view larger versions:
Now, as many fans know, during Highlander's second season the river Seine flooded over its banks and the real-life barge used for filming had to be moved from port Tournelle to another, safer, spot in Paris. The producers of the show found a way to work this into the mid-season episode "Unholy Alliance, pt. II," in which Mac flies to Paris only to have Agent Delaney drive him to the quai and show him that the barge is no longer there.
This is the same ramp they drive down, located midway along port Tournelle. It should be recognizeable to most fans for sure, because it was used in many other episodes over the years.
As for just where the barge was moved, try a little reservoir near the northern outskirts of Paris called "Bassin de la Villette":
This is the mouth of the reservoir, which today hosts not one but TWO fairly large cineplex venues situated on either bank, along with a host of pretty decent outdoor cafes for the requisite people-watching beloved by Parisians young and old. You can get here by taking the 2, 5, or 7 lines to the Stalingrad metro stop and walking around 2 minutes east. Once here, walk along the left side a ways until you get nearly to the halfway mark where I'm standing in the pic below:
I reached the reservoir after a rather long day and when the sun was nearly setting, so the lighting quality is poor. But as you can see, this is the spot where the barge was moored for several episodes during the latter half of the 2nd season. Notice the green pedestrian bridge as well as the tall, white apartment complex in the background. If you watch "Unholy Alliance, pt. 2" during the scene when Mac walks up to the barge and reminisces about the happy moments he spent with Tessa, you'll be able to see that this is indeed the same location. Too cool!
Eventually, however, the barge was returned back to its rightful place behind Notre Dame for the rest of the season, but would alternate between the two locations off and on throughout the years.
This next site is actually not all that far from port Tournelle, just a stone throw's away (almost literally) on the way to Ile Saint-Louis -- an island just next door to the cathedral:
This bridge is the Pont St. Louis and, while it was used more than once on the show, is probably most recognizeable from the 6th season premiere episode, "Avatar." This is the bridge where Sophie Baines is tricked by Ahriman into commiting suicide, and Duncan dives off of the railing to plunge into the murky Seine and rescue her. He then drags her body to the quai along Port d'Orleans for a little mouth-to-mouth. It's fun to note that actor Adrian Paul actually performed the stunt himself (the dive, I mean) -- much to the worry of his fellow cast members and the show's producers. I don't know if you could have paid me enough to jump into the Seine.
While we're still in the same general area, I'd like to take the time to point out two other locations that unfortunately only put in brief apperances on the show, but which were both in notable scenes that have stayed with me long after the series has ended.
This first is directly across the street from Notre Dame in the garden behind St. Julien le Pavre, the church where Darius lived and worked. The little open space between these two unique-looking trees is where an "evil" Duncan Macleod passes through in the 4th season episode, "Deliverance," when he seeks redemption inside the church's hallowed walls. You can find this garden on rue de la Bucherie, just a few hundred feet or so from the Shakespeare & Co. English-language bookstore (another Highlander landmark).
This next spot might not be immediately recognized since it was never viewed from this vantage. This is the quite popular (but super expensive) chic Parisian restaurant known as La Tour d'Argent, located on Quai de la Tournelle at the foot of Pont Tournelle. You can't miss it!
The restaurant is notable for its expansive scenic view of the river and the "flying buttresses" of Notre Dame cathedral. It's significant to Highlander because the interior was used to stand-in as the immortal Kuyler's penthouse pad during a flashback scene in the 1st season episode, "For Evil's Sake." In this scene, Mac fights Kuyler in his studio apartment, only to have the fight spill out onto the streets below. This flashback is beloved by fans because it revealed to us just how Mac meets Tessa. But if you watch the scene, you'll definitely notice that rather distinctive tri-sectional bay window up there. The interior of the restaurant looks far different now, but alas I could not get myself on the reservation list to take photos from the inside. Boo!
In fact, "For Evil's Sake" is the perfect stepping off point to reveal the next batch of photos, all of which were used to various effect within the episode.
First off here we have the restaurant where one of Kuyler's lackeys, disguised as a mime, assassinates a lawyer at the opening of the episode. The resturant has a new name and new facade today, but I was able to use the address of the building in the background (18, rue St. Severin to be exact) to confirm that this is indeed the same corner bistro spot as that in the episode.
Next up you have the church of St. Severin itself, which back-alley entrance was used as a safe spot for Mac and Kuyler to chat in broad daylight without having to go at one another with swords. I'm standing in the second shot for scale, and not for added dramatic effect. Yeah.
Directly across from the church entrance is this shopfront which, at the time the episode was filmed, served as the Carlo Luchesi liquor store where Mac tracks down Kuyler's favorite brand of Absinthe. Today, as you can see, it is apparently an Italian cultural center. A fact which I think actor Adrian Paul would appreciate, being of half Italian ancestry himself.
St. Severin would also serve as a backdrop to yet another 1st season episode, this time being the one and only "Avenging Angel" -- one of my favorites! If you move to the right of the back entrance as seen in the above shots, you'll spy a quaint little secluded courtyard behind a barred fence.
This is the very same courtyard where Mac chases a soon to be newly annointed Immortal, Alfred Cahill, when the latter is stabbed in the chest by a pricey call-girl and left to die. Mac is standing next to his lifeless body there behind the arches when Cahill eventually revives and discovers that he cannot, in fact, die. Not while his head is still attached to his shoulders, at least. You can see the little entrance to one side of the statue (and behind the tree) where both men entered the courtyard. Unfortunately, it was gated and closed to visitors the entire time I was in Paris. And trust me, I checked almost daily! In order to get this shot, I had to stick my camera through the bars and hoped my zoom worked it's magic, which it did.
Staying with the same episode, I was able to finally discover the location of the spot where Mac tracks down Cahill again to have their contentious talk about immortality and god's so-called "plans" for Cahill. The wall is located along rue d'Alsace, made notable by the unmistakeable green-roofed "rows" of the Gare de l'Est railway terminal in the background:
Recognize it now? You can't imagine how happy I was to finally find this place. I tried looking for it during my first trip to Paris, but to no avail. All I can say is: thank you, Google maps "street view" function! I knew the spot had to be a railway terminal, and there are but a limited number of them in the city. Trial and error did the rest.
In the same scene, and if you notice in the background of the pics above, there are steps leading down to the station entrance where Mac and Cahill have to fight off some rather nasty mafia goons.
It's a very distinctive double-spiral staircase, and not too far from the previous spot. So, much like with the St. Severin location, I was able to kill two birds with one stone here. Always good in my book.
Now, last but not least is another 1st season filming spot, this time from the episode "The Beast Below." This is one of the few locations nobody should really have any problem locating, since it is in fact the very recognizeable Opera Garnier building smack dab in the heart of the glitzy Paris fashion district. In "The Beast Below," the Highlander eventually ends up fighting the Quasimodo-inspired Immortal, Ursa, atop the rooftops seen in the above pic.
Inside the opera house itself are several additional areas used in the episode as well. From the gorgeously appointed and curving grand staircase just within the main entrance to the famous Chagall ceiling above the seating area, the building is rich not just in Highlander lore, but in art history as well.
Just below is a quick pic I snapped of the stage which, while updated since the episode first aired in 1992, is still recognizaeble to fans. Well, to this fan at least.
This, of course, is the very same stage where the object of the immortal Ursa's affection, Carolyn, rehersed each day for her starring role.
And there you have it folks. Yes, that's a lot of pics, ain't it? What can I say, I'm very passionate about this tv show. My favorite of all time, bar none. If you are not a fan, don't even bother trying to understand.
But if you ARE indeed a true fan, then please feel free to use this humble series of blog entries to chart your very own Highlander tour the next time you're in Paris. Trust me, it's a thrill like no other!
And in case you missed the link at the beginning of this page, click on this link to get taken back to: Part 1 of my Highlander Tour of Paris.
I think I did a rather good job, as evidenced by the first part of this tour which I wrote almost exactly one year ago. Click on this link if you want to review the initial batch of sites I was able to find across Paris. If you are a fan of the show and/or planning a trip to the city yourself, I gather this entry will be rather helpful as well as entertaining to you.
Having just come back from our second trip to the "city of light," I am pleased to announced that I have found even more sites than last time. For some of you, this will answer the questions you've submitted regarding many other locations I was not able to find or had time to visit last year. Using my almost encylopedic knowledge of the episodes, as well as that ever trusty and ubiquitous search tool--Google maps!--I was able to prepare a list of several promising locations before even setting foot on European soil. And I'm pleased to announce that I was able to locate every one of these sites.
Still, this entry, in addition to the first, does not represent every filming location ever used in the history of the television show. There is still much to be explored and discovered in the grand ancient streets of Paris, so this list in no way represents the be-all and end-all of this endeavor. I'm sure I will be updating this in the years to come, and gladly so.
With that being said, let's get started with perhaps the most asked question by fans to drop into my inbox:
Where was the Highlander's barge briefly moved during the second season?
Now, before I answer this, let's back up a bit and recap the original location of the barge. For those who want a quick fix answer to this:
The primary spot where the barge was moored for almost the entire show is along "port de la Tournelle," which is the cobblestoned quai that lies just between the Pont Tournelle and Pont Archeveche bridges on the left bank of the river Seine. Basically, just find Notre Dame cathedral in the Latin Quarter and you're pretty much there!
Here's a recent pic of the quai that I took last week from atop Pont Tournelle, which offers the best view. This is also the spot from which a Watcher took various candid photos of Mac and company. As usual, click on all images to view larger versions:
Now, as many fans know, during Highlander's second season the river Seine flooded over its banks and the real-life barge used for filming had to be moved from port Tournelle to another, safer, spot in Paris. The producers of the show found a way to work this into the mid-season episode "Unholy Alliance, pt. II," in which Mac flies to Paris only to have Agent Delaney drive him to the quai and show him that the barge is no longer there.
This is the same ramp they drive down, located midway along port Tournelle. It should be recognizeable to most fans for sure, because it was used in many other episodes over the years.
As for just where the barge was moved, try a little reservoir near the northern outskirts of Paris called "Bassin de la Villette":
This is the mouth of the reservoir, which today hosts not one but TWO fairly large cineplex venues situated on either bank, along with a host of pretty decent outdoor cafes for the requisite people-watching beloved by Parisians young and old. You can get here by taking the 2, 5, or 7 lines to the Stalingrad metro stop and walking around 2 minutes east. Once here, walk along the left side a ways until you get nearly to the halfway mark where I'm standing in the pic below:
I reached the reservoir after a rather long day and when the sun was nearly setting, so the lighting quality is poor. But as you can see, this is the spot where the barge was moored for several episodes during the latter half of the 2nd season. Notice the green pedestrian bridge as well as the tall, white apartment complex in the background. If you watch "Unholy Alliance, pt. 2" during the scene when Mac walks up to the barge and reminisces about the happy moments he spent with Tessa, you'll be able to see that this is indeed the same location. Too cool!
Eventually, however, the barge was returned back to its rightful place behind Notre Dame for the rest of the season, but would alternate between the two locations off and on throughout the years.
This next site is actually not all that far from port Tournelle, just a stone throw's away (almost literally) on the way to Ile Saint-Louis -- an island just next door to the cathedral:
This bridge is the Pont St. Louis and, while it was used more than once on the show, is probably most recognizeable from the 6th season premiere episode, "Avatar." This is the bridge where Sophie Baines is tricked by Ahriman into commiting suicide, and Duncan dives off of the railing to plunge into the murky Seine and rescue her. He then drags her body to the quai along Port d'Orleans for a little mouth-to-mouth. It's fun to note that actor Adrian Paul actually performed the stunt himself (the dive, I mean) -- much to the worry of his fellow cast members and the show's producers. I don't know if you could have paid me enough to jump into the Seine.
While we're still in the same general area, I'd like to take the time to point out two other locations that unfortunately only put in brief apperances on the show, but which were both in notable scenes that have stayed with me long after the series has ended.
This first is directly across the street from Notre Dame in the garden behind St. Julien le Pavre, the church where Darius lived and worked. The little open space between these two unique-looking trees is where an "evil" Duncan Macleod passes through in the 4th season episode, "Deliverance," when he seeks redemption inside the church's hallowed walls. You can find this garden on rue de la Bucherie, just a few hundred feet or so from the Shakespeare & Co. English-language bookstore (another Highlander landmark).
This next spot might not be immediately recognized since it was never viewed from this vantage. This is the quite popular (but super expensive) chic Parisian restaurant known as La Tour d'Argent, located on Quai de la Tournelle at the foot of Pont Tournelle. You can't miss it!
The restaurant is notable for its expansive scenic view of the river and the "flying buttresses" of Notre Dame cathedral. It's significant to Highlander because the interior was used to stand-in as the immortal Kuyler's penthouse pad during a flashback scene in the 1st season episode, "For Evil's Sake." In this scene, Mac fights Kuyler in his studio apartment, only to have the fight spill out onto the streets below. This flashback is beloved by fans because it revealed to us just how Mac meets Tessa. But if you watch the scene, you'll definitely notice that rather distinctive tri-sectional bay window up there. The interior of the restaurant looks far different now, but alas I could not get myself on the reservation list to take photos from the inside. Boo!
REDACTION (updated 5/13/2012): I've recently been informed by Andy Sloane, an ardent Highlander fanatic like myself, that in fact La Tour d'Argent was not the filming location for Kuyler's loft as I had thought. Although not having been there in person, Andy did some amazing online research involving Google Earth to determine that the view of Notre Dame we see out the windows in this interior scene matches up with the line of sight accomplished from the Arab World Institute building (Institut du Monde Arabe) located approximately one city block southeast of La Tour d'Argent, at the intersection of Quai Saint Bernard and Pont de Sully bridge. So if you're ever in Paris, stop by the Institute and take some pics from the upper levels. The next time I'm there, I'll be sure to do just that and update this page with the correct pics. Thanks Andy!
In fact, "For Evil's Sake" is the perfect stepping off point to reveal the next batch of photos, all of which were used to various effect within the episode.
First off here we have the restaurant where one of Kuyler's lackeys, disguised as a mime, assassinates a lawyer at the opening of the episode. The resturant has a new name and new facade today, but I was able to use the address of the building in the background (18, rue St. Severin to be exact) to confirm that this is indeed the same corner bistro spot as that in the episode.
Next up you have the church of St. Severin itself, which back-alley entrance was used as a safe spot for Mac and Kuyler to chat in broad daylight without having to go at one another with swords. I'm standing in the second shot for scale, and not for added dramatic effect. Yeah.
Directly across from the church entrance is this shopfront which, at the time the episode was filmed, served as the Carlo Luchesi liquor store where Mac tracks down Kuyler's favorite brand of Absinthe. Today, as you can see, it is apparently an Italian cultural center. A fact which I think actor Adrian Paul would appreciate, being of half Italian ancestry himself.
St. Severin would also serve as a backdrop to yet another 1st season episode, this time being the one and only "Avenging Angel" -- one of my favorites! If you move to the right of the back entrance as seen in the above shots, you'll spy a quaint little secluded courtyard behind a barred fence.
This is the very same courtyard where Mac chases a soon to be newly annointed Immortal, Alfred Cahill, when the latter is stabbed in the chest by a pricey call-girl and left to die. Mac is standing next to his lifeless body there behind the arches when Cahill eventually revives and discovers that he cannot, in fact, die. Not while his head is still attached to his shoulders, at least. You can see the little entrance to one side of the statue (and behind the tree) where both men entered the courtyard. Unfortunately, it was gated and closed to visitors the entire time I was in Paris. And trust me, I checked almost daily! In order to get this shot, I had to stick my camera through the bars and hoped my zoom worked it's magic, which it did.
Staying with the same episode, I was able to finally discover the location of the spot where Mac tracks down Cahill again to have their contentious talk about immortality and god's so-called "plans" for Cahill. The wall is located along rue d'Alsace, made notable by the unmistakeable green-roofed "rows" of the Gare de l'Est railway terminal in the background:
Recognize it now? You can't imagine how happy I was to finally find this place. I tried looking for it during my first trip to Paris, but to no avail. All I can say is: thank you, Google maps "street view" function! I knew the spot had to be a railway terminal, and there are but a limited number of them in the city. Trial and error did the rest.
In the same scene, and if you notice in the background of the pics above, there are steps leading down to the station entrance where Mac and Cahill have to fight off some rather nasty mafia goons.
It's a very distinctive double-spiral staircase, and not too far from the previous spot. So, much like with the St. Severin location, I was able to kill two birds with one stone here. Always good in my book.
Now, last but not least is another 1st season filming spot, this time from the episode "The Beast Below." This is one of the few locations nobody should really have any problem locating, since it is in fact the very recognizeable Opera Garnier building smack dab in the heart of the glitzy Paris fashion district. In "The Beast Below," the Highlander eventually ends up fighting the Quasimodo-inspired Immortal, Ursa, atop the rooftops seen in the above pic.
Inside the opera house itself are several additional areas used in the episode as well. From the gorgeously appointed and curving grand staircase just within the main entrance to the famous Chagall ceiling above the seating area, the building is rich not just in Highlander lore, but in art history as well.
Just below is a quick pic I snapped of the stage which, while updated since the episode first aired in 1992, is still recognizaeble to fans. Well, to this fan at least.
This, of course, is the very same stage where the object of the immortal Ursa's affection, Carolyn, rehersed each day for her starring role.
And there you have it folks. Yes, that's a lot of pics, ain't it? What can I say, I'm very passionate about this tv show. My favorite of all time, bar none. If you are not a fan, don't even bother trying to understand.
But if you ARE indeed a true fan, then please feel free to use this humble series of blog entries to chart your very own Highlander tour the next time you're in Paris. Trust me, it's a thrill like no other!
And in case you missed the link at the beginning of this page, click on this link to get taken back to: Part 1 of my Highlander Tour of Paris.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
A Chocolate Tour of Paris
Now that we're back from our week-long stay in beautiful, lovely Paris, I'll be posting a series of entries detailing various aspects of our trip. This is because there's simply too much to cover in just one entry. So, if you've arrived via a direct link to this article, please check out my previous entries by either clicking on the blog's main heading banner at the top of this page and scrolling down, or by using one of the label tags at the end of this entry. "Paris Trip 2" is the one I'll be using for all my reports on this most recent trip.
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The day before we left Paris, we went on a walking tour of some of the finest, non big-name retail chocolatier shops in the city courtesy of Paris Walks. The morning was a gloomy and rainy one, but luckily we were going to be spending most of the time indoors at various small shops tucked away on or around rue St. Honore in the 1st arrondissement.
The first stop was a small but rather famous boulangerie, which unfortunately I forget the name of at the moment. But it's located along rue Bailleul near the Louvre-Rivoli metro stop. This place has the best baguettes in all of Paris, but also some pretty damn good chocolates and pastries, too. Click on the pics for larger versions:
The shop was kind enough to make some special éclairs from gourmet chocolate and mint just for our tour group, which we all devoured like hungry savages in the bush:
Hmm, I'm not a big pastry person. I especially don't care for chocolate éclairs. But these . . . now these were good!
Our next stop on the tour was Cote de France, a premier chocolatier located in a ritzy part of Paris either along Avenue de l'Opera or rue des Pyramides. I forget the exact street name, but the shop is located very near to the Pyramides metro station. I think of all the shops we visited this morning, this had the best-tasting chocolate in my opinion. Check out their selection of both dark and milk varieties:
Cote de France, as many stores around the city were doing during our visit, also had an Easter theme going in the spirit of the season. The chocolate eggs in particular were quite appealing:
Our next stop was nearby back on rue St. Honore and just beyond the church known as Eglise St. Roch.
Michel Cluizel's is a veritable Disneyland of fine chocolates. Everything from chocolate bunnies and turtles (it's a French thang, trust me), to flowing fountains of liquid cocoa . . . this place was enough to give one diabetes just from stepping through the front door!
I bought a few chocolate bars to bring back home and give to family, but stayed away from the more elaborate items for fear of lack of luggage space. But, yeah, this place was also very good. A must see and taste for any chocolate lover out there venturing to Paris.
We went to one more location after this, but just to window shop as the store was too small to allow a tour group to enter. We did get some yummy complimentary chocolate squares to nibble on for our trouble, though, in the hopes that after the tour was over we might venture back and shop in earnest. Lisa and I did not, but others in the group did.
And, voilà! That was our Thursday morning. The rain cleared up shortly after, and the weather turned quite nice and sunny for the rest of the day. Which was too bad since we were heading to the Louvre next, which happened to be nearby. Spending a dreary afternoon in a huge museum is nice; doing so when there's bright sun and nary a cloud in the sky? Not so much. Especially considering that there were quite a few large windows in the connecting hallways of the Louvre.
But that might be a story for another entry. Or maybe not.
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The day before we left Paris, we went on a walking tour of some of the finest, non big-name retail chocolatier shops in the city courtesy of Paris Walks. The morning was a gloomy and rainy one, but luckily we were going to be spending most of the time indoors at various small shops tucked away on or around rue St. Honore in the 1st arrondissement.
The first stop was a small but rather famous boulangerie, which unfortunately I forget the name of at the moment. But it's located along rue Bailleul near the Louvre-Rivoli metro stop. This place has the best baguettes in all of Paris, but also some pretty damn good chocolates and pastries, too. Click on the pics for larger versions:
The shop was kind enough to make some special éclairs from gourmet chocolate and mint just for our tour group, which we all devoured like hungry savages in the bush:
Hmm, I'm not a big pastry person. I especially don't care for chocolate éclairs. But these . . . now these were good!
Our next stop on the tour was Cote de France, a premier chocolatier located in a ritzy part of Paris either along Avenue de l'Opera or rue des Pyramides. I forget the exact street name, but the shop is located very near to the Pyramides metro station. I think of all the shops we visited this morning, this had the best-tasting chocolate in my opinion. Check out their selection of both dark and milk varieties:
Cote de France, as many stores around the city were doing during our visit, also had an Easter theme going in the spirit of the season. The chocolate eggs in particular were quite appealing:
Our next stop was nearby back on rue St. Honore and just beyond the church known as Eglise St. Roch.
Michel Cluizel's is a veritable Disneyland of fine chocolates. Everything from chocolate bunnies and turtles (it's a French thang, trust me), to flowing fountains of liquid cocoa . . . this place was enough to give one diabetes just from stepping through the front door!
I bought a few chocolate bars to bring back home and give to family, but stayed away from the more elaborate items for fear of lack of luggage space. But, yeah, this place was also very good. A must see and taste for any chocolate lover out there venturing to Paris.
We went to one more location after this, but just to window shop as the store was too small to allow a tour group to enter. We did get some yummy complimentary chocolate squares to nibble on for our trouble, though, in the hopes that after the tour was over we might venture back and shop in earnest. Lisa and I did not, but others in the group did.
And, voilà! That was our Thursday morning. The rain cleared up shortly after, and the weather turned quite nice and sunny for the rest of the day. Which was too bad since we were heading to the Louvre next, which happened to be nearby. Spending a dreary afternoon in a huge museum is nice; doing so when there's bright sun and nary a cloud in the sky? Not so much. Especially considering that there were quite a few large windows in the connecting hallways of the Louvre.
But that might be a story for another entry. Or maybe not.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sci-fi Reading . . . It's EVERYWHERE!
Now that we're back from our week-long stay in beautiful, lovely Paris, I'll be posting a series of entries detailing various aspects of our trip. This is because there's simply too much to cover in just one entry. So, if you've arrived via a direct link to this article, please check out my previous entries by either clicking on the blog's main heading banner at the top of this page and scrolling down, or by using one of the label tags at the end of this entry. "Paris Trip 2" is the one I'll be using for all my reports on this most recent trip.
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As soon as we arrived at our hotel on Day 1, I did what I usually do: I unpacked. Then I went for a walk, alone. I can cover a lot more ground on my own, you see? And, plus, Lisa usually needs a lot more time to adjust to jet lag and unpack her own clothes and relevant items.
So, since I'd been missing this one area of Paris the most--the Latin Quarter--that was naturally the first place I headed. Leaving Ile Saint-Louis, I crossed the Seine river onto the left bank via the St. Louis and Archeveche bridges. This led me straight past Notre Dame cathedral on the right . . . and what a sight it was!
I continued walking down quai de la Tournelle until I reached Place Saint-Michel and the throngs of tourists that perpetually seem to mob the square every time I'm there. On this particular afternoon, the crowds were especially thick as everyone stopped to watch a motley band of misfits perform before the famous fountain and statue of the Archangel Michel (aka, Michael):
I wasn't too interested, so I kept on moving down the boulevard. Shortly afterward, however, I came across a French-language used bookstore called Silly Melody. Needless to say, but this most certainly did grab my attention.
What piqued my interest the most, however, was a little sign amid the outdoor book displays proclaiming sci-fi goodness to be had:
Now, mind you, these books were all in French; so it's not like I was going to be purchasing any this day. But just take a look at the selection to be had. Not only are the book covers seriously retro and fascinating in an old-school 70s-motif sort of way . . . but some of the titles are downright legendary! I don't think I've seen such a fantastic collection of sci-fi classics all in one cart before, have you? The books are in fact used, but at 2,50 euros a pop (some cheaper), you can't go wrong! Check 'em out:
Click on the images to view larger versions, btw. Look real closely at this pic and, even if you don't read French, you'll probably be able to make out a certain seminal novel by recently appointed SF Grand Master, Joe Haldeman. Just look at that cover!
No, seriously, you do!
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As soon as we arrived at our hotel on Day 1, I did what I usually do: I unpacked. Then I went for a walk, alone. I can cover a lot more ground on my own, you see? And, plus, Lisa usually needs a lot more time to adjust to jet lag and unpack her own clothes and relevant items.
So, since I'd been missing this one area of Paris the most--the Latin Quarter--that was naturally the first place I headed. Leaving Ile Saint-Louis, I crossed the Seine river onto the left bank via the St. Louis and Archeveche bridges. This led me straight past Notre Dame cathedral on the right . . . and what a sight it was!
I continued walking down quai de la Tournelle until I reached Place Saint-Michel and the throngs of tourists that perpetually seem to mob the square every time I'm there. On this particular afternoon, the crowds were especially thick as everyone stopped to watch a motley band of misfits perform before the famous fountain and statue of the Archangel Michel (aka, Michael):
I wasn't too interested, so I kept on moving down the boulevard. Shortly afterward, however, I came across a French-language used bookstore called Silly Melody. Needless to say, but this most certainly did grab my attention.
What piqued my interest the most, however, was a little sign amid the outdoor book displays proclaiming sci-fi goodness to be had:
Now, mind you, these books were all in French; so it's not like I was going to be purchasing any this day. But just take a look at the selection to be had. Not only are the book covers seriously retro and fascinating in an old-school 70s-motif sort of way . . . but some of the titles are downright legendary! I don't think I've seen such a fantastic collection of sci-fi classics all in one cart before, have you? The books are in fact used, but at 2,50 euros a pop (some cheaper), you can't go wrong! Check 'em out:
Click on the images to view larger versions, btw. Look real closely at this pic and, even if you don't read French, you'll probably be able to make out a certain seminal novel by recently appointed SF Grand Master, Joe Haldeman. Just look at that cover!
I pulled a few choice titles from the lot to focus on specific books, all of which I've had the pleasure of reading at some point in the past. See how well you do translating the titles of these well-known classics:
Simply amazing, isn't it? Gotta love Paris.
No, seriously, you do!
Paris, Redux
We returned home from our second trip to Paris last night. Of course, today we're feeling the "Paris blues" that comes from spending an entire week in such an awesome city only to leave it behind rather abruptly. To be true, New York City is every bit as amazing a metropolitan center as Paris, but in its own different way.
The unique thing about being in Paris, of course, is simply the grand scale of HISTORY that surrounds you everywhere you go. I had a Parisian this week tell me that this is because my wife and I chose to stay in the very quaint and historic island of Ile Saint Louis. Sure, the island *is* one of the few places in Paris that still has many of its pre-19th century buildings intact. I'm not talking the isolated centuries-old town house or church here--which you can stumble across anywhere in Paris--but entire streets and neighborhoods that have remained virtually untouched since the 1600s!
So, yes, this person had a point. Still, walking down any street in the city will be a history lesson that can stretch as far back as the Middle Ages, if not to actual Roman times. There's a certain thrill to this knowledge, walking around such an ancient city, that you simply cannot get in New York City. This is not to say NYC doesn't have it's own unique history. It certainly does, and I love it! But who are we kidding? I walked through back alleys in Paris that dated back to before the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. It's hard not to be impressed by that.
And this is what I love so much about the city. But it is not the only thing that makes it so special. The people, the language, the art, the restaurants . . . the impromptu street musicians who spring up out of the blue!
Honestly, I can go on and on. So I will, if only for a little while longer. Bear with me.
Lisa and I had an even more fantastic time this second trip around. We went the exact same time period as last year (second-to-last week of March), but the weather could not be any different. This time we had sunny skies and mid-60s temps for most of our visit. It was glorious! Truly the best weather for walking around a city.
We did notice, however, that we were more jaded this time. Riding the metro, for instance, was a barely remarked upon afterthought. We simply used it to get to where we were going. What I mean is: we took the trains as if we were in NYC. We didn't feel like we were in Paris, or that there was anything special about the experience. It was a tool to be used as a means to an end. And that end was to get to parts of the city we could not get to on foot. No different than how we ride the subway here.
Suffice to say we were only rarely seen as tourists during our stay. Except the one time when I stumbled into a souvenir shop lured by the sight of Japanese samurai swords (turned out to be cheap knock-offs -- BLEH!) and suddenly lost what few words of the local tongue I knew when the Chinese owner came up to me and started hawking her wares in rapid-fire French.
To be fair, I think what threw me off the most was that, prior to this, she had been speaking to her friend in Mandarin, and my brain had a momentary WTF? lapse as it tried to process the Chinese it was hearing into the English internal dialog of my thoughts, all the while preparing a French phrase of apology as I quickly retreated out of the kitschy store. What ended up happening was that I became tongue-tied. The owner laughed and made fun of me in Chinese to her friend, before switching to English (don't ask me how she knew this was my native tongue) and asking me if I needed help. To cover my embarrassment, I was forced to buy a ridiculously cheap miniature of Notre Dame cathedral for 3 euros. I have the thing sitting on my desk right now. It's a constant reminder of how my ego can still be knocked down to size whenever I get too comfortable with what I think I know.
But that's Paris for you. Always full of funny and, maybe, not-so-funny moments if you are not paying attention.
Keep your eyes on this blog as I update with more reports on our trip. And, of course, this includes my now infamous "Highlander: The Series" filming locations tour, the first entry of which I wrote last year and can be viewed by clicking here. Suffice to say I have even more and exciting pics to offer in the followup entry, which I'll be posting shortly.
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
In Paris . . .
As I posted on Facebook, I'm still in Paris. I'm at the same internet cafe in the Latin Quarter that I used to frequent last year during our first trip to the city. Everything's great here! The weather has been absolutely beautiful -- clear skies, high sun, 65F/17C temps. I mean, can you ask for a better vacation forecast than that? I don't know what crack the long-range weather forecasters were smoking when they informed me that this week would be a cold, windy washout here in the city of lights. But I'm sure glad they were completely wrong.
Anyway, we just spent the entire day traipsing across the length and breadth of the royal palace at Versailles. If any of you have ever been there, you know the estate is HUGE!!! Right now my feet are sore, but I'm in great spirits. It was a really fun and educational experience.
Yesterday just before sunset I got to climb the 400+ steps or so to the bell tower atop Notre Dame cathedral. It was quite the adventure, believe it or not. One that will stay with me for years to come. I really enjoyed the views from the top, and got to chill out with some rather jaded gargoyles keeping watch over the city. Can't wait to post the pics of that!
We're staying at the same hotel we stayed at last year, and in fact were able to secure the same exact room again. It''s a great little hotel on rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile on the quaint historic island in the middle of the Seine, the Ile St. Louis. Love it, love it, love it there! Although, next time, we might just rent an apartment instead. The hotel is lovely, don't get me wrong. But Lisa and I feel comfortable enough with the area that we would prefer to be able to shop for our own food at the local markets and prepare our own meals at home rather than always having to secure reservations at various restaurants every evening.
Yes, that's right . . . we're starting to feel very acclimated here. We travel the metro each day without barely a second thought now. I'm completely fearless of this city . . . every street I walk down I feel fully confident on how to get back home. It's amazing how much I've learned already in just two trips. Paris really is feeling like our second home.
So, ain't that something?
Anyway, just wanted to check in and let you all know we're doing fine. Unfortunately we only have two more days left here. But, hey, we'll be back again soon!
(And, yes, I'm bringing back some great Bordeaux wine to help with the Paris blues when we return to NYC).
Anyway, we just spent the entire day traipsing across the length and breadth of the royal palace at Versailles. If any of you have ever been there, you know the estate is HUGE!!! Right now my feet are sore, but I'm in great spirits. It was a really fun and educational experience.
Yesterday just before sunset I got to climb the 400+ steps or so to the bell tower atop Notre Dame cathedral. It was quite the adventure, believe it or not. One that will stay with me for years to come. I really enjoyed the views from the top, and got to chill out with some rather jaded gargoyles keeping watch over the city. Can't wait to post the pics of that!
We're staying at the same hotel we stayed at last year, and in fact were able to secure the same exact room again. It''s a great little hotel on rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile on the quaint historic island in the middle of the Seine, the Ile St. Louis. Love it, love it, love it there! Although, next time, we might just rent an apartment instead. The hotel is lovely, don't get me wrong. But Lisa and I feel comfortable enough with the area that we would prefer to be able to shop for our own food at the local markets and prepare our own meals at home rather than always having to secure reservations at various restaurants every evening.
Yes, that's right . . . we're starting to feel very acclimated here. We travel the metro each day without barely a second thought now. I'm completely fearless of this city . . . every street I walk down I feel fully confident on how to get back home. It's amazing how much I've learned already in just two trips. Paris really is feeling like our second home.
So, ain't that something?
Anyway, just wanted to check in and let you all know we're doing fine. Unfortunately we only have two more days left here. But, hey, we'll be back again soon!
(And, yes, I'm bringing back some great Bordeaux wine to help with the Paris blues when we return to NYC).
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