Steamboy

I just saw Steamboy with the_infamous_j. The best part was the immersive surround-sound: why, when there were fireworks on the screen, we could just swear that we heard the fireworks coming from outside, too. Hm, could that have been the neighbours?

Anyhow: the film. I'm glad I saw it, but it only gets a weak thumbs-up.

I loved the Victorian steam-technology, the dark and brooding interior shots, and the main characters. The grandfather (voiced by Patrick Stewart) was over the top, and the plot was really over the top for the second half, and not in a good way. Not to mention the "huh?" moments every time they tried to explain the fake science. It would've been better if they'd been a bit less earnest about it.

I preferred Castle in the Sky, which is strikingly similar in theme, even more than the standard anime trope of "great power, mankind is too warlike to be worthy". They're also close in their settings and characters (impossibly advanced steam-power society, scrappy boy and girl turn out to be wiser than the power-mad adults). But I guess Aetherium works better than high-pressure steam to keep a story aloft.

J. brought by some nice lemongrass/fruit tea. I think I shall ask him again where it came from, as I bet they have more. :)

Birthday

Today I:

slept in,
went to Quaker Meeting and Business Meeting, which was generally pretty good,
was formally asked to speak at the upcoming Non-Violence Festival in four weeks,
failed to return library books /or/ get good coffee, due to closedness downtown,
did yard-work,
finally met the lesbians from next door,
failed to get to the nursary to buy a few Clematises, though they're open tomorrow,
talked to melted_snowball and we were in agreement that we wish he were coming home tomorrow instead of Tuesday,
treated myself to mango chicken from the around-the-corner chinese restaurant,
talked to my mother, and
had company till 11.

Hm, I think I'll go to bed now. Tomorrow, I'm planning to go in to work, to get stuff done where it's quiet, and because I'd like a vacation-day when dan's here.

Apologies for the flat delivery of this post. I'm sure I'd have more interesting things to say about the day if I were more awake. Speaking of which, I was going to bed... 'night!

Oh, and thanks for the birthday wishes. :)