All sorts of updates

Books:

Nights of Villjamur - Mark Charan Newton

I was super intrigued by this book. Newton is the same age as me, from Nottingham, pitching out a fantasy debut. He's the me I want to be. Of course, the me I want to be would have finished this book a little better. There's too much telling rather than showing, some character developments which don't really hang true, and the edit is a touch weak. On the plus side the world building has plenty of interesting pieces in it, and there's aliens and non humans a plenty to add to the mix. I'll be getting the next book, because I think there's promise here, but this isn't a debut that stands up against First Law, Name of the Wind or a lot of last year's big splashes. This is a wait for paperback book.

Divided Kingdom - Rupert Thomson

This book is dreadful. Dreadful. The initial premise doesn't hang together at all, doesn't hold up under any scrutiny, doesn't, in fact, make any sense. The main character goes on a journey of personal discovery without making an personal discoveries. This book is, I will be honest, worse than the GI Joe Movie, worse than being waterboarded, worse than that bug which lives inthe Amazon and swims up your piss.

Football

Bye bye Matt Cassell. We hardly knew you. Hello Tyler Thigpen? I heard you were moving to Jacksonville, but that may be off now. Of course, Matt Guttierez may be making an appearance for KC, which is super exciting. It's battle of Tom Brady's backups, redux!

More later

This is INTENSITY!

Here's a link (hat tip sportsline):

This kid has the most intensity of any person I've ever seen.

INTENSITY!

Song of the day

Here's a new wiley track. I love me a bit of wiley, and his ridiculous eskibeat stylings.

Boy Better Know

I don't think it will be, but wouldn't it be amusing if this became a lesbian bar anthem? For the mean time, I can imagine dancing to this bad boy. Of course, given that despite his talent and prominence, Wiley doesn't seem to sell many records. Go figure.

Solid Verbal College Fantasy Draft

So I'm in the solid verbal podcast fantasy league.

Last night's draft has left me a bit heavy in the players from UCLA category, a bit light in receivers, and having earnt the emnity of Ty, one of the hosts, who said "Fuck whoever drafted Jimmy Clausen" and "I needed this".

I had warned that I would piss on chips, but perhaps they didn't realise I meant it.

I'm going to need to do some in year wrangling of the roster I think - more to follow

Bits and Bobs

Football news:

"OT SirVincent Rogers, a rookie from Houston, got tired of struggling during camp so he quit before Thursday morning's practice."

Interesting Dolphins news. Firstly... SirVincent may be the best name ever. Secondly, although from the armchair being a football player may seem like the most awesome job ever, I guess being beaten up by men significantly bigger and stronger than you every day for work could get old pretty quick. And if you don't love the football (and you played because of other reasons, for example, education, prestige, girls) then I totally get it.

Blog news:

Snacks and Shit

This website is very amusing. Deconstructed rap lyrics for all.

Film reviews:

I just watched GI Joe and oh my god was this the worst film of all time. If not the worst, then very close... absolutely terrible. I'm not sure exactly where to start, other than to say that the script and science were actually worse than advertised. The effects were good, where you could ignore the stupidity of the science and pretend that some of them weren't totally ripped off Transformers. There's a great segue from the aerial battle to the submarine stuff, totally smooth. And the submarine battle effects and sequence could be used to great effect in a space battle, with the colours rescrubbed and someone somewhat serious actually, you know, picking holes in the stupidity.

The script was horrific. There were screaming cliches, crap repartee, one liners a six year old could have bettered.

There was also some significant homoeroticism. And the hot women characters had thongs built into the costumes. So you could tug one out at home, but only if you could squeeze it in before the boy love started again.

Draft bust alert

People criticise Alex Smith. They scoff when I claim that he'll look incredible playing for the Colts in a couple of years, where he'll be the new Steve Young (what I'm saying is the 49ers are the new creamsicle Buccaneers).

He isn't anywhere near to being as big a bust as this guy though!

Rap feud!

I'm not normally a Tim Westwood fan, but last night on the way back from training he played the latest shots in a rap feud between Eminem and... wait... Mariah Carey?

Her original diss track is: here

I think it's a pretty dangerous game to pick a public fight with a rapper who cut his teeth in battle competitions, and whose first album contained some vigorous personal attacks. Oh, and who has been feuding on and off ever since... but who am I to judge.

The Eminem response is here.

I have never heard anything as vicious as this. I don't think that this will elevate to gun play like the rap feuds of old, but I guess I prefer the awful truth of the verbal jabs.

Blind Side

The trailer for the movie of Michael Lewis's book The Blind Side is out on youtube.

If you haven't read the book, go out and get it straight away. The writing has Lewis's typical style - he makes the relatively complex relatable. Go and get all his stuff, actually - Liars poker is fantastic and Moneyball is a great baseball expose which is accessible for non baseball fans.

Of course, part of the reason Blind Side is amazing is that there is the redemption of Michael Oher, form tragic hard knocks case to millionaire, and Lewis's investigation as to how exactly economics and personality have combined to create a perfect storm of circumstance.

I'm excited. Sandra Bullock.

Oh, and the film is going to be a weepy. Ideal for taking a girl to!