Nerd Alert

As a dutiful nerd, I will happily fork over some dosh to see Alien: Covenant.  But already, I'm sensing the same problem Prometheus had (well, one of the problems at least) -- there are simply too many characters to care about.  Sure, they're going to colonize a new planet, but you'd literally need thousands of people to do that.

So why not deep-freeze everybody except a good core of six or seven characters?

Cf. also Rogue One.  Characters are, like, these really important things in any story, not just people taking up space on a screen.

To put it another way, I don't remember all their names, but I can tell you one cool trait or quirk for every miner in Alien, or every marine in Aliens.  I'm guessing the crew of The Covenant will be far more disposable in every sense of the word.

Almost Spring

Matthew Shipp Trio, live 2014

Trying to not be as lazy as usual and get all my new-semester-print-and-enter-stuff-into-the-computer busy work accomplished before classes start in a few weeks.  Since I decided to stay in Korea this winter instead of travel, I really have no excuse.

Having limited success though.

Another Day In Paradise Cont'd

Oh, and the head of Samsung was just arrested for apparently trying to use millions of dollars worth of "charitable donations" to President Park Geun-hye's best friend / supposed "Rasputin" figure to push through a complicated merger deal.

In purely scientific terms, the political situation in South Korea right now is bug-fuck crazy.

Another Day In Paradise

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apparently had his older half-brother offed by assassins in Malaysia:

"Kim Jong-nam died on the way to hospital after he told airport officials he had been attacked by unknown assailants.

Intelligence officers here briefed the media that Kim, who lived in gilded exile in Macau after falling out of favor with his father Kim Jong-il, was killed with a poison needle or spray by two female North Korean agents.

But neither the government here nor Malaysian police have confirmed the tale."

We really are living in some kind of fucked up Tom Clancy novel now, aren't we?

ITMFA

Week four. Only week four. Jesus fucking Christ.

— Nazi Puncher James (@wetcasements) February 15, 2017

"You'll be in some Sputnik baby / But I'll be underground"

Elvis Costello, "Next Time Round"

Is this real life?

Meh. Meh, I Say.

I'm halfway through The Traitor Baru Cormorant and I can't recommend it so far.  It follows a trend with a lot of recent sci-fi (and not just in books) of trying to jump-start a trilogy or even franchise rather than construct a solid, single story.  (Cf. also the Ancillary Trilogy.)

These aren't bad or terrible books by any means, but the sheer amount of narrative padding can be ridiculous.  (Repeating an idea isn't the same as exploring one.)

Anyhow, here's hoping the second half manages to pick up some steam.  So far it feels like a chore.

Just Askin'

Has anyone punched Richard Spencer lately? Let's get on that.

— Nazi Puncher James (@wetcasements) February 7, 2017

Interesting Times We Live In, Cont'd

Without exaggeration, we live in an era where Saturday Night Live is doing more to protect fundamental democratic freedoms than CNN, the Washington Post, or the New York Times could ever dream of.

Note: this is not a positive or salubrious development, just an observation of fact.

Nothing Good Ever Happens In Houston

This can only mean the Yankees are going to win the next four World Series titles.

Busan

Busan, South Korea.