This page has two purposes: 1. To tell about books, movies, and music I am
currently enjoying. 2. To shameless try to sell you some of these products
through Amazon.com. Products will be rated
1 - 5, with 5 being exceptional and 1 being... well, not.
The Hobbit
J.R. R. Tolkien
Originally published 1937, Revised Edition January 1982, Ballantine Books.
ISBN: 0-345-33968-1, 305 pages.
Reviewer: Webmaster
J.R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is a wonderful fantasy. This book is prelude
to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Sadly, here in Japan, the 2nd movie does not
start until April...) This is the story of the hobbit Biblo Baggins and his
journey with Gandalf the wizard and a band of dwarves. (Dori, Nori, Ori, Gloin,
Fili, Kili, Bombur, Bifur, Bofur, Dwalin, Balin, and Thorin Oakenshield.)
The tale explains a great deal about middle earth. Each chapter, and there are
19, is its own little adventure. Its is quite well written and easy to read.
It is appropriate for all ages except for the very young. They may find it a bit
long. Published originally in 1937, updated in 1982.
I personally find this book hard to put down. The characters grow on you. It
is especially interesting to watch the progress of the main character, Bilbo.
Though at first he does not want any part of the adventure proposed by Gandalf,
he soon becomes an integral part of it. Gandalf too, grew on me. Though, I won't
say too much as I don't want to give anything away.
The writing style is narrative, with the narrator quite happy to tell you the tale with many details and interludes. While I have been told that this tale was originally intended
for children, I can assure you that it is not dumbed down. Any adult can enjoy it.
There are many songs that appear throughout the text, and a chapter of riddles too.
I advise you to try and figure the riddles yourself before reading on as some
are quite good!
Overall rating: 5
If you are interested in The Hobbit, it is available from the link below, but the cover is a bit different from the one reviewed above.
Fugitive from the Cubicle Police
Scott Adams
Published 1996, Andrews and McMeel.
ISBN: 0-8362-2119-2, 224 pages.
Reviewer: Webmaster
I have been a Dilbert fan for a little while now. I must credit my friends for introducing me to
it. (I must also credit my friend with addicting me to Queen, but thats a different story...)
This book had a slow start for me. Oh sure, there were a few giggles, but I could probably read it
under the table at work and not ball out. (Thus alerting everyone that I am not working.) Perhaps
that is a good feature in book, but I am going for belly laughs with Dilbert. But page 43 turned
the tide. (What to do with people with personality defects) Funny. Very funny. The whole book continued
on in typical insightful Dilbert fashion. May I recommend page 148: Dogbert explains the different kinds
of friends...
Overall, this is a good book, but not so good if you are looking for a work avoidance book. Take it home
instead and enjoy. Find out more about Dilbert at Dilbert.com.
Mostly black and white comics with a few colored ones. Yeehaw.
Overall rating: 4
Music
Boston: Greatest Hits
Epic / Sony Records
ESCA 6490, 16 tracks. length: 1:15:32
Reviewer: Webmaster
Review Date: March 6, 2003
I had been looking for something 'new' for my rock collection. Mysteriously, I had no Boston CDs. In
fact, the only Boston song I knew (or that I knew I knew) was "More than a Feeling" (track 3). Curiosity
took me and I surfed on over to my favorite online store (hint: starts with an 'A' and there are links to
it all over this page) and listened to the audio clips of the first 5 tracks. Surprise! I knew many of these
songs, just not their names. Better yet, I liked them. So, I picked up the CD (I have the Japanese version,
but I think it is identical to the US release) and it quickly has become one of my favorite disks.
Boston's music is good 'ol rock. While many of the tracks on this disk are from the late 70s, they
don't seem dated. This disk is quick enough that it keeps your mind interested, but it is not hard enough
to keep you from listening to it as background music. My opinion is that this would be a great disk for a
long drive.
To sum up, I highly recommend this disk. I am trying not to give out so many 5 ratings, but this one
keeps tugging at me to do so. (I feel I would be cheating it with a 4.5!) Quote Zorak: "Boston Rocks!"
Overall rating: 5
Van Halen Best Of (Volume 1)
Warner Brothers, Records Inc.
9362-46474-2, 17 tracks. length: 1:12:32
Reviewer: Webmaster
Review Date: March 6, 2003
And so my parade of "best of" CDs grows. Many of my old Van Halen disks have developed scratches, or
have been lost, or have been scratched and lost. (...or been stolen by the Lock Ness Monster, but we
are talking about the disk here.) So, I decided to infuse my collection with this CD.
Right off, most of the songs are well known. Many of these have enjoyed substantial radio play time.
This makes for a bit of a problem: perhaps some of these you know a little too well. Of course,
the guitar work that you expect from Van Halen is stellar from the first track to the last. Make no mistake,
this disk has some serious rock. While there is a fair amount of variety in the disk, it leaves me wanting
for more. Not a big fan of the last two tracks.
To come to a point, this disk has a lot of songs you probably already know. A good disk for someone
wanting to get into Van Halen. For someone who already has a large collection, maybe best to look at
a different disk. Though, it would be a good traveler, if you want to take only one disk. (Or if you
don't have a CD burner or MP3 player.)
Overall rating: 3
Movies
None right now!
Any thing else?
Shinobi
Saga / Overworks System: Playstation 2
ESRP: M (gore)
Reviewer: Kenshiro
A classic "Love/Hate" relationship with this game.
The Good: This is a great game, one of the best games (be it 2D or 3D) that I have ever played.
From the moment you start, you are given some great CG cinemas and then the game itself.
The visuals are quite nice, I say, although the edges of some objects tend to be a little jagged.
Shinobi's saving grace is the game play. This is the best playing game that I've ever played!
The flow of the control is to die for and it's easy to dash about the screen and pull of
mad "Tate"s left and right. It pays off for both veteran and novice players, in that a beginner
can play the game and fell as if he/she is a good player and a skilled player can come up with some
wild strategy in combat.
So if Shinobi's all good, then why only 3.5 [for the rating] and not 5? Well...
The Bad: The game is FLAWED. The stages are a bit too long and filled with enemies. While this can be
a good thing, if you've been playing a stage and you come to the end, and you fall into a pit, or
you screw up when you mid-are "tate" and you fall of the ledge, you must start back at the beginning of
the stage! This will frustrate people, myself included, to no end.
So in the end: Don't let the bad outweigh the good. I say that because this IS a good game and
over time, you'll learn to love it.
