tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154514442011-12-01T22:24:41.654-08:00Rhetoric, Literature, the Media and brief reviews of whatever.Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-53237896054783541212011-03-07T09:51:00.000-08:002011-03-07T09:55:36.293-08:00

Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-day Comedy.I finally saw the Mormon version of Pride and Prejudice. Overall, I enjoyed it. It’s hardly the best movie I’ve seen, or the best Mormon comedy film, or even in the top five of Pride and Prejudice adaptations, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.I had a few weak points, mostly from the film editing, which was so obviously a novice job that it distracted from

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-36506848623691958892011-01-29T07:44:00.000-08:002011-01-29T08:51:43.118-08:00

Which of the live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies had the best rap song for its theme?The contenders are 1. Partners in Kryme - Turtle Power 2. Vanilla Ice - Ninja Rap3. Psychedelic Dust featuring Loose Bruce - Turtle JamNow, a good theme song needs to have some applicability to the movie it's part of (unless it doesn't - as the Veggie Tales veggies state in "This is the Song that

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-87015514377860174912010-08-17T12:46:00.000-07:002010-08-17T12:47:49.103-07:00

As I have said many times before, I should keep this blog up more. Well, now that the divorce is finalized and I finally have a job at ASU, I might be in some emotional and financial shape to actually devote some time to blogging. Or not. We'll see.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-76786977275996918972010-01-01T13:47:00.000-08:002010-01-01T13:50:20.489-08:00

Still looking for a full-time job - just got back from Philly for an interview with USC at the MLA convention.Right now, though, I will be coaching the Homer Middle School wrestling team for the next two months. Which makes me a rival with my dad, who's coaching the Vosnesenka jr. high wrestling team. Last semester, I was the assistant coach (in charge of conditioning) for the Vosnesenka High

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-34913949231963057272009-12-18T14:38:00.000-08:002009-12-18T14:39:48.155-08:00

Here's my two sentence review:I liked the movie better when it was called Independence Day. Why Roland Emmerich felt the need to remake his own movie, I have no idea.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-5164174116347843272009-10-28T11:56:00.000-07:002009-10-28T12:05:21.717-07:00

I've been thinking about the Zombie Apocalypse lately. See, this is not a recent cultural fad, but a literary motif that goes back as far as humans have been creating literature. Don't believe me? Read the Epic of Gilgamesh (one of the oldest liteary works in existence, it dates to at least the 7th century before Christ). In it, an angry god threatens another god with a Zombie Apocalypse:"

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-51430658792768851762009-07-18T09:50:00.000-07:002009-07-18T09:52:26.211-07:00

Here's a link to an old post where I review an audiobook by and about "the most trusted man in America."

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-26619433274982246112009-07-09T09:04:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:11:40.823-07:00

Review: Carter Beats the DevilThis book can be summed up in one sentence: An excellent example of using the art of misdirection in a literary setting. There's more to it than that, of course. The book is full of rich historical detail, plenty of cameos (and starring roles) by important historical figures, and just enough action. The characters feel fully fleshed out, the historical

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-90549213876738550262009-07-01T15:57:00.001-07:002009-07-01T16:01:58.954-07:00

I loved the movie Hawk The Slayer. I must have watched it a dozen times over the course of two or three years.Then I saw it as an adult.Boy, that was a terrible movie. Yet, supposedly someone's making a sequel.I might just watch it for pure nostalgia's sake.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-5271139142393040662009-06-29T21:53:00.000-07:002009-06-29T22:00:03.257-07:00

"The vast majority of scholars believe this, so it must be true."That might be a good reason to believe something, it may even give me enough reason to seriously consider it and be humble about my own intellect. However, this phrase is often trotted out as though, in and of itself, it should be enough to convince me.The vast majority of scholars have been wrong before. I'm more interested in

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-44894598136718328502009-06-27T10:32:00.000-07:002009-06-27T20:04:19.141-07:00

I might as well resume posting while I look for a job.So, let's start off with a review!Was Superman a Spy? by Brian Cronin.Brian Cronin runs the excellent blog Comics Should be Good! where one of his recurring features is a column called Comic Book Legends Revealed (He does a lot more than that, but that's all we need to know for this review). A (usually) weekly look at the various urban

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-41906510011933836542009-02-24T10:55:00.000-08:002009-02-24T19:54:02.836-08:00

An American CarolThis movie didn't do well in the the theaters, and while it was well-reviewed on conservative websites, I was hesitant to see it. I'm not fond of movies that preach to the choir, even if I belong to that choir.But, my wife sneaked it into our NetFlix queue, and now that I've seen it, I feel I must blog about my reaction.This was a frustrating film. Like other not so great films

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-74102291302119129162008-11-03T04:21:00.000-08:002008-11-03T04:36:09.364-08:00

I don't care much for politics on this blog, but since there's an election tomorrow:How we go about debating politics is almost as important as who we ultimately choose. The ends do not always justify the means - and if at the other end, we've left nothing but hurt feelings, broken friendships, split congregations, and severed family ties because we are convinced that only evil or deluded people

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-29255165975268181932008-09-03T12:55:00.000-07:002008-09-03T12:57:03.098-07:00

Still not totally decided on who to vote for, but when I saw this, I couldn't pass it up.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-47741943336850239012008-06-14T13:15:00.000-07:002008-06-14T13:20:14.043-07:00

Big news this week: Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy: Mission Accomplished or Mission Frakked Up? from Open Court Publishing (not to be confused with a similarly titled volume from Blackwell) comes out this week. It features two essays by me: "Why Your Mormon Neighbor Knows More About This Show Than You Do" and "Coduction: Cylons, Colonials, and Criticism." Telling you about that second essay

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-82854526092096480422008-04-13T11:02:00.001-07:002008-04-13T11:03:43.449-07:00

"Males couldn't bite you even if they tried; Their mouths don't work that way."[Bonus points to those who can figure out the context for this quote.]

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-58126616108707950272008-04-06T11:07:00.000-07:002008-04-06T11:09:08.848-07:00

Moses, John the Baptist, and Brigham Young arrive at the gates of heaven. "Nice to see you, Charlie," says St. Peter.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-942907781096333602008-03-29T13:29:00.000-07:002008-03-29T13:36:07.036-07:00

Yesterday, in my campus paper, there was a small article with a headline that went something like "Campus Club Interested in Brains." (I've tried finding the article online, but it isn't there as far as I can tell).It was about a neuroscience club, but my first thought was "The Zombies have finally organized. We're all doomed."

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-82474623698487859312008-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:002008-03-17T11:46:02.010-07:00

Since I study rhetoric, the question people most often ask me is "what is rhetoric?" Usually I give a long answer dealing with the history of Western civilization, starting with the Odyssey and going right up to the current political season.This post is a simpler answer. If you listen to the radio at all, you already know what rhetoric is. You can find a few definitions of rhetoric on the web,

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-27726612250575953092008-02-17T18:59:00.001-08:002008-02-18T16:00:28.302-08:00

Last night on NBC. The verdict: Not too bad, better than expected.Let's do this by the numbers (SPOILER ALERT if you care, and in this case you shouldn't):1. The dialogue and story felt a lot like the old 80s series. That's not really a good thing. When I was 12, that was fine, but as a thirtysomething, I prefer a slightly more mature sensibility and snappier (or less on-the nose) dialogue.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-52510238984353675742008-02-05T12:10:00.001-08:002008-02-05T12:25:10.855-08:00

The Incorporation of America (25th anniversary edition)by Alan Trachtenberg This is one of those books that are really only read by academics such as myself. Since my dissertation covers the overlapping time periods variously known as "the Gilded Age", "Victorian America", and "The Progressive Era", I more or less have to read various works of cultural studies and history dealing with those same

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-21341762939572723142008-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:002008-01-30T12:43:55.349-08:00

JSA Classified #34 (DC): A nice little one-shot tale of no consequence, but a lot of fun to read. The best part, however, is the "DC Nation" news page that announces a new Ambush Bug mini-series. Since Ambush Bug is my favorite DC character (for the uninitiated - Ambush Bug knows he is in a comic. It's also implied he's a human from our - the real - world who has managed to enter the comics

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-86576042099778593562008-01-28T14:15:00.000-08:002008-01-28T14:25:12.945-08:00

Bride and Prejudice.As a semi-fan of Bollywood movies and a sucker for (almost) any type of Jane Austen adaptation, I probably went into this movie with higher expectations than it deserved. This movie should have worked, actually. The casting was excellent (except in the case of Darcy, who was far too bland), and the idea of mashing an Austen novel with a Bollywood movie (both of which are

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-45479915868472363312008-01-25T10:34:00.000-08:002008-01-30T12:44:26.982-08:00

Fine, fine. The e-mail and comments on the last post show there are at least six people who check this blog out once a month or so. Plus, my brain needs a break from the dissertation. Since today is my birthday (and I have some free time since I just finished two articles that will be published in a book sometime over the summer - more on that later), I'm going to make a return to blogging.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-34331209844914264342007-03-30T18:25:00.000-07:002007-03-30T18:30:01.618-07:00

I've been writing a lot on the darn thing, but it means I have little time for the net. Hopefully soon, but I figure since I seem to be in some sort of groove right now, I'd better stay in it. I'm getting tired of being in school as a student and I really, really want out ASAP. Of course, that's at least a year and a half away, but the more I get done now, the easier it will be once the

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-17858201703794163852007-02-26T14:09:00.000-08:002007-02-26T14:11:38.923-08:00

I had quite a few thoughts on last night's episode of Battlestar Galactica.But I felt it would work better as a post at the higher trafficked M*.So go here to read my BSG thoughts. (with a bonus discussion of the classic Science Fiction short story "The Cold Equations").

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-36048588022473329622007-02-19T13:40:00.000-08:002007-02-19T13:50:57.001-08:00

Random Thoughts on the Ghost Rider movie:1. As evidenced by the link on my sidebar, I love the character of Ghost Rider. He's one of the best and most interesting comic characters ever created. At their worst, they were a sort of horror-lite (i.e. scary for nine year olds), but at their best they were morality plays about dealing with and overcoming your own inner demons. 2. Generally, the

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-12404072432842805162007-01-04T17:34:00.000-08:002007-01-04T18:00:30.448-08:00

My entirely subjective and totally subject to change on a whim, 5 best things and 5 "what the?" things about 2006:(honestly, this is totally off the top of my head and I'm likely forgetting/overlooking several items of more worthy inclusion).Best:5. Me Finding Clint Walker's Blog: 'Nuff said. 4. The change over in Congress: Parties come and go, and IMHO it's healthy to change whoever is in

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-20835850084722022902006-12-23T13:07:00.000-08:002006-12-23T13:09:52.552-08:00

I'm taking the next few days off line (other than to check e-mail). Enjoy your Christmas. For a Christmas message, I have the lyrics of a relatively unknown song, but it's one of my absolute favorite ones. I've posted them over at Millennial Star.Go check them out. They're a timely reminder of what we should be focused on this season: Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-12323353242337693852006-12-21T09:29:00.000-08:002006-12-21T09:36:18.497-08:00

Well, it's Christmas break and grades are in. So my wife and I decided to rent some movies. Well, there are a few movies we want to see that aren't out on video yet, but we were surprised at how few movies there were that even vaguely interested us. It seems like, except for half a dozen movies, the last year in movie offerings were pretty lame.Even the few movies we were interested in seeing,

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-85241924791761316972006-12-15T19:35:00.000-08:002006-12-15T19:40:18.471-08:00

Point 1: We seem to be back on track, at least for now. This episode was rather exciting, and the cliffhanger was gripping.Point 2: The Apollo/Starbuck affair is annoying, pointless, and adds nothing. I could really care less. It seems forced and adolescent to boot.Point 3: To quote my wife "I stopped caring about the Cylons four or five episodes ago. They aren't interesting anymore. They

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-61298801261433312422006-12-11T06:15:00.000-08:002006-12-11T16:44:03.428-08:00

Back in October, the Daily Texan (the student newspaper here at UT-Austin) for some bizarre reason, published a brief essay by me that gave some writing advice to struggling students. Apparently, this essay became a big hit in the Physics department here at UT. I have no idea why. Anyway, it's available online. If you want to see my column, here it is.[Please note - the student editors made a

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-52262724757189628492006-12-09T10:48:00.000-08:002006-12-09T10:55:39.896-08:00

Over at the Bodybuilding.com forums (yes, I go to the gym six days a week and lift weights 3 - 4 of those days, depending on the cycle at the time), I posted some reviews of common ingredients in nutritional supplements aimed at helping people sleep. Since I don't sleep very well (and never have), I've tried nearly all of them at one time or another. I figured I could share my experiences here

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-51368723166943616632006-12-07T17:14:00.000-08:002006-12-07T17:42:03.914-08:00

The Savage Tales of Solomon Kaneby: Robert E. HowardI'm not a Conan fan. Yes - I'm a total comic book/sci-fi/fantasy geek. But Conan annoys me - the hyper-masculinity, the lack of character development, the adolescence of the barbarian worship. Yet - yet, Robert E. Howard does have one thing many other better writers lack: Energy. His tales sparkle with life, and his prose - while sometimes

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-2776138682472613492006-12-06T10:07:00.000-08:002006-12-06T10:15:08.033-08:00

Well, the first few episodes of this season were great, thrilling, edge of the seat stuff. The political context was quite obvious, but I was so wrapped up in the epic nature of the first four hours of season three, that I barely noticed it.However, it's been downhill since then. And the last episode had what I thought was a horrible moral: If you have issues with someone, you should beat up

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1160854489887236632006-10-14T12:26:00.000-07:002006-10-14T12:34:50.910-07:00

10. Schrodinger's cat is dead to the world.9. Everybody wants to rule the world.8. You can change.7. It's world gone crazy keeps a woman in chains.6. One and one and one make two 5. Everybody loves a happy ending.4. Love is God's mistake.3. It is too late for anyone to believe.2. Nothing ever changes, unless there's some pain1. Life is not a cake to separate.Of course, this labels me as

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1160190902727787392006-10-06T20:08:00.000-07:002006-10-06T20:21:56.033-07:00

Especially since the new season of Battlestar Galactica started tonight.A great two hour opener. I could see some complaining (or celebrating) that this is critical of the war in Iraq (especially since series creator Moore has quite clearly expressed his disdain for all things Bush), but I don't see it.Well, strike that. Baltar's line "no one has been tortured" seemed forced and probably was

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1148327937092475772006-05-22T12:56:00.000-07:002006-05-22T12:58:57.110-07:00

I never use bookmarks.Well, in the sense of using the kind of bookmarks sold at bookstores. Instead I tend to use whatever is handy: A receipt, a piece of paper from earplug packaging.I wonder how many seriously addicted book lovers/readers like myself actually use "real" (i.e. commercially produced) bookmarks. My guess is that "real" bookmarks are used by people who want to look good rather

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1147365655415219272006-05-11T09:23:00.000-07:002006-05-11T09:40:55.436-07:00

Icebound by Dr. Jerri NielsenI'm not a big fan of partially ghostwritten "autobiographies" written about the newsmaker of the moment and released on the quick in order to capitalize on whatever meme the media is stuck on at the moment. But Dr. Jerri Nielsen's adventures in Antarctica seemed a bit more worthwhile and interesting than the types of stories this genre usually encapsulates. [For

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1138851188320091382006-02-01T19:19:00.000-08:002006-02-01T19:33:08.343-08:00

Fantastic Four #534 (Marvel): I thought this was a Fantastic Four comic. Instead, we have a Hulk comic with the FF guest starring. A decent tale - and since I like the Hulk more than I like the FF, I won't really complain. But it seems odd the first really well told story of JMS's run on the FF barely features them.Nick Fury's Howling Commandos #4 (Marvel): Since a good chunk of the team is

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1138240073480092402006-01-25T17:33:00.000-08:002006-01-25T17:47:53.493-08:00

Another year older. *sigh*Serenity: Those Left Behind (Dark Horse): A trade paperback collection of the comic book series that bridged part of the gap between the Firefly TV series and the Serenity movie. A must read for fans of either. Special Bonus: It's canon, as it was part written by Joss Whedon himself!Exiles #76 (Marvel): More reality hopping fun. The team picks up a non-mutant

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1137812576310727402006-01-20T18:58:00.000-08:002006-01-21T15:49:30.936-08:00

Stargate SG-1: Okay, if a bit predictable. Haven't I already seen this episode? (Oh, wait that was on Star Trek - or maybe it was Red Dwarf....)Stargate: Atlantis: What the hell---? Music by alien survivors from Atlantis (in another galaxy) sounds a lot like 21st century Celtic Fusion. Where did they get the synthesizers? Stargate: Atlantis has been getting better lately, but this episode

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1136850099642082502006-01-09T15:07:00.000-08:002006-01-09T15:42:23.286-08:00

I probably should be doing something productive, but since school doesn't start until next week, I've been watching a lot of TV. Here are three documentaries I saw, with brief reviews:Absolute Evel: The Evel Knievel Story on the History ChannelI'm not a big fan of extreme sports, or motorcycle stunts, but this was on just after the Houdini documentary I'll review below, and since Johnny Blaze (

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1135994680112854622005-12-30T17:54:00.000-08:002005-12-30T18:04:40.123-08:00

Here are three board games we all got for Christmas, with my thoughts.Duel Masters: The Board Game - Honestly, I do not like the Duel Masters CCG (Collectible Card Game) or any of its contemporaries: Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, etc. However, this board game was on sale for 2 bucks at the local Kay-Bee toy store (which is closing for good). After playing it a few times, I found this to be a near perfect

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1135890604157435792005-12-29T12:53:00.000-08:002005-12-29T13:11:31.676-08:00

Christmas is over. Grades are in. NOW I have some time to blog. I plan to review some of my gifts (board games and such), and get around to some more serious book reviews. But since today is new comic day, here's a round-up of comics purchased by me (with BLOOD MONEY* even):Marvel Comics:Daredevil #80(#460): Brian Michael Bendis' best work for Marvel outside of Alias (no connection to the TV

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1134438264288323552005-12-12T17:34:00.000-08:002005-12-12T17:53:41.273-08:00

I will probably have a mega comic post on Wednesday, though I will still have freshman essays to grade then (still not as tough as writing my own for graduate seminars). As for TV - Well, I'm mad as spit that FOX is canceling Arrested Development. I'm happy they kept it around as long as they have (despite the constant pre-emptings and reschedulings so typical of Fox), but -well, I wonder why I

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1132182694021942882005-11-16T14:59:00.000-08:002005-11-16T15:11:34.036-08:00

on comics, anyway. I still have a few serious book reviews to post, but they may have to wait until Christmas break. Terms papers are coming due very, very soon.However, I have a few spare moments to do mini-reviews of comics I purchased this week:DC Comics:Supergirl #3: Why do I even bother? Supergirl used to be a very interesting character (back in the 80s and 90s). But this series stinks,

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1130971203018973592005-11-02T14:25:00.000-08:002005-11-02T14:40:03.030-08:00

As the semester nears crunch time, blogging gets much lighter. I may post everyday over the christmas break, though.I should be able to catch up on comic mini-reviews over the weekend, though. As for the serious book reviews? Who knows?As for TV this season:The best shows are Battlestar Galactica on Sci-Fi and Lost on ABC. That's all that needs to be said. Lost is a great character driven

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1129253236975105102005-10-13T18:06:00.000-07:002005-10-13T18:34:22.356-07:00

I have other, more serious books I've finished, but I want to give them serious, lengthy reviews. Graduate school gets in the way, of course.Oh, well.Marvel comics:Essential Ghost Rider vol. 1 & Essential Werewolf by Night vol. 1: Marvel loves me! (well, maybe not me specifically). The Essential volumes are great - low priced phonebook sized Black and White reprints of Bronze and Silver age

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1128388313171670842005-10-03T17:52:00.000-07:002005-10-03T18:30:07.816-07:00

Graduate school comes first! Marvel Comics:Ultimate Iron Man #4: Orson Scott Card writes a comic book! Despite some similarities to his other work (good child genius fights psychopathic child genius) this is a well told tale. This issue is the best one so far, with the stakes clearly amped up, and with the Iron Man armor finally taking shape.Fantastic Four #531: Haven't I already seen this on

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1127604756998223492005-09-24T16:16:00.000-07:002005-09-24T16:33:34.956-07:00

Marvel Comics:Exiles #70 - A fun little jaunt through alternate worlds - this is the only Mutant/X-men type comic I care to read. This issue has a lot of heartbreak, as one character has lost his wife and kids due the reality change, but the other Exiles aren't sure if they should change reality back to the way it was, especially since it seems the new reality is better than the old one. Then a

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1127411877123199932005-09-22T10:54:00.000-07:002005-09-22T10:57:57.126-07:00

HmmmLOST on ABC is back. Great show last night. I have seen what is in the hatch, and it's the apartment of someone stuck in the 1970s.This show keeps getting better and better.INVASION, on the other hand was dissapointing. Lame dialouge, one-dimensional characters and unsympathetic protagonists. A decent set-up, but as my time as a grad student is precious, I'm sitting this one out for now.

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1126970238325282552005-09-17T07:59:00.000-07:002005-09-17T08:17:18.330-07:00

6:00 Firefly - A good episode, alternately gripping and humorous. The preview for the Serenity movie was nothing special as most of it was already featured in the trailers.7:00 and 8:00 Stargate SG-1 - One of those episodes where everything that can go wrong goes wrong and at the last minute, leaving us with about 3 different cliffhangers. The religious themes being explored are still waaaaaaay

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1126912224025490822005-09-16T16:01:00.000-07:002005-09-16T16:11:28.486-07:00

Marvel Comics:Mega Morphs #3: Sean McKeever rocks! Super heroes in giant robots - plus Ghost Rider! Feeds my inner child.Marvel Knights 4 #22: What with Ben Grimm (the Ever lovin' blue eyed Thing) being Jewish and all, I'm surprised no one ever pitted him against the Jewish myth of the Golem before. Very touching tale.The Pulse #11: The first Super-hero giving birth in a long while. Bendis

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1126802947762186972005-09-15T09:31:00.000-07:002005-09-15T09:51:24.276-07:00

Walter Cronkite Remembers (audio cassette)(audio CD here).Despite the ubiquitous clarinet motif that sounded oddly similar to the opening notes of the My Little Pony theme song, I enjoyed this brief trip down Walter Cronkite's memory lane. He's seen a lot in his life and been more places than I'll ever be - plus his voice could make the phone directory sound like poetry.Filled with snippets of

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1126369682534709782005-09-10T09:15:00.000-07:002005-09-10T09:28:02.546-07:00

6:00 Firefly - A funny, moving episode (with bonus futuristic folk song!) - including a moral dilemma with no easy answers. The preview for the upcoming movie seems to indicate that Jayne's character arc in this episode (and over the whole series) has been abandoned for a more simplistic (more accessible?) portrayal.7:00 Stargate SG-1 - Good character development for the new guy on the series,

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1126226850187312062005-09-08T17:37:00.000-07:002005-09-08T17:51:38.316-07:00

Due to the Holiday, comics came out on Thursday this week.Marvel Comics:Ghost Rider #1: A return to my favorite comic character, this new series ignores the 90s series without discarding it. The story is typical Garth Ennis, though without the cussing (but with the usual level of vulgarity). I can see why the top brass thought Ennis would be a good fit for the Spirit of Vengeance, but it seems

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1125929141713717722005-09-05T06:41:00.000-07:002005-09-05T07:05:41.720-07:00

Tales from the Tummy Trilogy (Audio Cassette) Written and Read by: Calvin TrillinI have never heard of Calvin Trillin, though apparently he was rather popular in the 1970s. This Audio book features him reading selections from his trilogy of essays about food. This food expert eschews pretension, and while enjoying fancy food as much as the next guy (and will even travel to other continents for

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1125541371219116692005-08-31T19:16:00.000-07:002005-08-31T19:23:43.630-07:00

Marvel Comics:1602: New World #2: If you haven't read the brilliant but overhyped 1602 written by British author Neil Gaiman, this won't make a whole lot of sense. That said, the 1602 concept (what if Spider-Man, the X-men, etc. started out in 1602 rather than the 1960s) is a fun one, and writer Greg Pak does a decent job following in Gaiman's footsteps.Wha Huh? #1: An utter travesty of a

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1125418676931978842005-08-30T08:37:00.000-07:002005-08-30T17:06:49.043-07:00

The 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows of the 20th Century selected by Walter CronkiteFinally finished this huge set - and guess what? I can think of several dozen episodes of the Simpsons that make a WHOLE lot more sense now. Highlights (based on my own subjective impressions) follow.Five Best (no particular order):1. The Shadow, "White God" - Not the best Shadow episode, nor even the best

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1125177680350146072005-08-27T13:55:00.000-07:002005-08-27T14:21:20.356-07:00

6:00 Firefly: I got distracted a few times, so if there was any special behind the scenes footage for the upcoming movie Serenity (based on Firefly), I missed it. Plot wise, this was an unremarkable episode, but arc-wise it established that River was a bit more than just a girl the eeeeeeeeeeevil (*cackling laughter*) government experimented on - there are hints she can read minds or see the

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1124917511136839372005-08-24T13:32:00.000-07:002005-08-24T14:05:11.146-07:00

Every Wednesday is new comic book day.The educated elites out there may scoff, but I figure that just shows their lack of open mindedness. Comic books are a serious medium for adults as well as kids - just like novels, films and music. I think it a shame many people feel they "outgrew" comics - but that shows their lack of education concerning what the comic medium really is. I suggest - to

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1124567507623545212005-08-20T12:16:00.000-07:002005-08-20T12:51:47.630-07:00

My wife and I cannot miss the Sci-Fi Channel's Friday night block. So, some brief capsule reviews of yesterday's (8/19/05) episodes.6:00 FIREFLYWell, we actually have this entire series on DVD, and despite FOX's boneheaded cancellation of this brilliant series (from the mind of Joss Whedon), it is gearing up for release as a motion picture franchise under the name SERENITY. The main reason to

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1124395207136379372005-08-18T12:48:00.000-07:002005-08-18T13:00:07.143-07:00

Deathworld TrilogyI just finished Harry Harrison's Deathworld trilogy. It's widely available in combined or separate editions (the link above is for the first book in the series. I read from an old out of print omnibus edition, though there are omnibus editions currently in print).As far as a quick, easy, fast paced action scf-fi thriller, this series delivered. The plot of the first book is

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1124238903717547742005-08-16T17:24:00.000-07:002005-08-16T17:35:46.260-07:00

Rise and Fall of the Media Establishment by Darrell M. West.I'm using this book as the cornerstone of my Rhetoric 309 class here at UT-Austin. Though this book is aimed at the undergraduate textbook market, it is well written and accessible for the modern reader. I doubt a better, more concise history of the news media exists today.This tome should be required reading for everyone interested in

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1124135928449851372005-08-15T12:42:00.000-07:002005-08-15T15:12:24.096-07:00

The 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows of the 20th Century selected by Walter CronkiteI'm about halfway through. As a kid, I stumbled upon some old phonograph records of old 1930s radio shows like The Shadow. Ever since then, I've been nostalgic for something that my Grandparents barely recall. After seeing this collection at the local library, I knew I had to listen to it.So far it’s quite a

Ivan Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805753010002754020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15451444.post-1124133856914412002005-08-15T12:12:00.000-07:002005-08-15T12:24:16.916-07:00

Just a test to make sure this is working......

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