Having reviewed movies and DVDs for the past 13 years, and starting up again recently, I've wondered at times why I don't review books on this blog. I subscribe to many book review blogs to read what others think about certain books and to learn about books I've never heard of, so wouldn't it just be a natural extension?
A movie lasts for a certain length of time. After 85 minutes, 95 minutes, 105 minutes or more, the movie's over and then I'm left to work out in writing what I think, what I liked, what I didn't like, and how I want to express that. Once I'm done with it, I move on. Obviously a book takes more time, and I've written book reviews before, in 2006, for a weekly Southern California publication called Valley Scene Magazine. It's not a well-run publication, rife with spelling errors, and more concerned about exposure in the market rather than carefully creating something worth reading, and it's still that way, but there, I found the opportunity to try it, to do something different from what I was used to.
I reviewed Feet on the Street: Rambles Around New Orleans by Roy Blount, Dewey and Elvis by Louis Cantor, Like Wind, Like Wave: Fables from the Land of the Repressed by Stefano Bolognini, More Than They Could Chew by Rob Roberge, The Average American by Kevin O'Keefe, The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies by Phil Hall (long before I became his co-author of What If They Lived?, and he's still as much an acquaintance now as he was before, since he lives in Connecticut and I live here on the west coast), It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks by James Robert Parish, The Girl Who Walked Home: Bette Davis - A Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler, and The One That Got Away by Lee Robert Schreiber, and Bollywood Confidential by Sonia Singh. I still have the reviews saved as Word files, but I don't remember why I reviewed some of these books, and I'm sure those at Valley Scene Magazine don't remember me, despite still sending me press releases and other things as part of its mailing list, the editor asking me and the other writers on that mailing list if we want to cover anything offered. I never do because I don't drive freeways and $50 paid for 3,200 words is insultingly paltry. However, I wrote those book reviews for free (I'm sure they still don't pay anything for book reviews), because I wanted to try it out, to see if maybe I wanted to write book reviews more prolifically one day. But now that I only write DVD reviews for fun, I don't see myself writing book reviews, not even for my blog. I know I've done it before for books I really really love, but that's only because I knew I wanted to push those books at you and jump up and down and shout about them and hope that would get you to look them up on Amazon and possibly read them.
Jonathan Yardley at The Washington Post, as with so many other book critics, gets a pile of books for review every single week, and I wouldn't be surprised if they number in the hundreds. From that, he has to weed them out, figure out what he wants to review based on what he's always reviewed, and then get to reading, and then write his reviews and repeat the process. It sounds like a wonderland to me, but probably because I don't do it. Books are like my hands, my heart, my feet, everything that keeps me operating every day. I can't live without them. I don't think I'd burn out from such an arrangement, but being that our future apartment (or whatever it might be, since we're still working out where we want to live in either Henderson or Las Vegas, as it stands now) will also have finite space, I would rather have my local libraries keep what I want to read and I'll just go there and choose what I want. That arrangement worked well in Florida, and here, before the City of Santa Clarita cut the libraries off from the County of Los Angeles system to create their own, and it'll work equally well there. I don't feel like I need to read every new book that comes out. I'll get to them when I feel like them, and some I won't even know about. I like to read those books after the hype has passed, if there is any hype.
I can review DVDs because I've done it for so long that I know what I want to talk about, what I want to pick at, such as with a recently-posted DVD review that I'll link to in the entry following this one. I hated the DVD packaging of this release, though I became slightly milder toward it after I played with it a little while longer, but still cautioned fans of this particular show to store the DVDs safely somewhere else.
Books are my private universe. I have an account on Goodreads, I rate books there, but that's all I do. I want my experience to be just me and the book. To write what I thought about a book takes time away from other books. Right now, I'm finishing Loud and Clear by Anna Quindlen, another collection of her essays, in anticipation of reading her memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, which will likely arrive tomorrow in the mail, courtesy of Amazon, which is always courteous when I give them my money. (There's only one Barnes & Noble in this entire valley. Nothing else. After I become a resident of Southern Nevada, I will explore.) After that, I'm thinking of starting either In Nevada: The Land, The People, God, and Chance by David Thomson, David Hackett Souter: Traditional Republican on the Rehnquist Court by Tinsley E. Yarbrough, Annie Lennox: The Biography by Bryony Sutherland and Lucy Ellis, or Pasta: The Story of a Universal Food by Silvano Serventi & Francoise Sabban. I've been reading since I was 2, and eventually speed-reading not long after that. I reflect on books by way of my favorites, which I reread a few times a year (it's a mix as to what I reread each year), and my writing reflects my reading. That's enough for me.
Besides, I'm working on my own books. Those will also be a reflection of my reading. Because of those projects, I review books in my own way, studying style, punctuation usage, figuring out how I want to write my own. And they're also good for inspiration. Lots of it.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Tidbits from the 10th Issue of The Henderson Press
Here we have Vol. 2, No. 5, dated March 10 - March 23, 2011. I can't wait until I get to the weekly issues. More immediate news, and I'm interested to see if pressure like that improves a few of the writers. Jeremy Twitchell slam-dunks it no matter what, but since he's no longer there, I want to see who steps up and perhaps does it just as well.
Now to the issue itself:
- I'm sure Don Logay's in here again somewhere, but first, the leading article in this issue is about the forthcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival. It's by Karen Y. Lu and begins: "The lively sounds, sights and scents of the Irish culture will fill the air from Thursday, March 17th through Sunday the 20th at the Henderson Events Plaza in celebration of St. Patrick's Day." I'm a sucker for alliteration, so Lu's pulled me in right away. And she may be right about it all being lively. I don't consider it editorializing because those festivals generally are lively. I hate the "fill the air" part. I read too many articles like that in The Signal which began with just that phrase: "Celebratory noises and shouts filled the air as..." "The pleasant, blooming scent of various flowers filled the air..." It's not Lu's fault. But one writer at The Signal, when I was there, continually used it, never stretching to think of something else. Mad Libs for journalists.
- It seems like the economy is gradually getting better, and here's a Twitchell article about the City of Henderson's Development Services Center (described as "a one-stop shop meant to streamline the planning and permitting process") being dismantled after being projected to bring in its lowest income total ever, with construction having come to a standstill in Henderson. I'm interested to see how the articles read in future issues, especially those starting from the beginning of this year.
- This is the Fred Couzens I like: An article about public comments being accepted until April 4 about "a proposed 600-kilovolt extra-high voltage electrical transmission line running through the utility corridor between Lake Las Vegas and Calico Ridge" is well-written because he deals best in facts over people. He's the one reporter besides Twitchell who can make sense out of bureaucratic gobbledygook, which is most of this article, and of the issues that come out of it.
- Another Couzens article is about the bid for a proposed expansion of Warm Springs Road in eastern Henderson coming in lower than expected. No quotes from anyone. Just facts and figures. This is Couzens' playground. He does it best.
- Twitchell's big article in the Local News section, headlined, "Transportation Options Studied," about "three planning studies examining the future of transportation in Henderson" being "among seven studies expected to be funded by the Regional Transportation Commission" has two photos by Couzens, one of the site of a potential future roadway and another of Boulder Highway, highlighting its right-of-way issues with a truck turning out of the roadway and a car turning into the roadway. Couzens doesn't write very well all the time, but his photos are great all the time. He's a true photographer. I know I've mentioned this before, but it's part of what makes The Henderson Press a rare professional community newspaper.
- Page 6 has a coupon in the middle of the left side for Mocha Joe Coffee. "Free Drink with Purchase" at 117 Water Street in downtown Henderson. Sounds like a new business.
- Couzens has another article, about more computers at the new James I. Gibson Library than at the old downtown library, which I think closed. This one shows that if Couzens interviews only one person, branch manager Candace Kingsley in this article, he gets good quotes. More than one, and there's mix-ups and other troubles. But I hope that he becomes more skilled at interviewing more than one person for an article as these issues go on.
- On page 12 in the middle of the right side is a coupon from Emery's La Barrista Restaurant for "All you can eat Spagetti [sic] and Meatballs (Lunch & Dinner) - $9.95 + tax." It sounds a lot nicer than Olive Garden.
- Here is Don Logay with an article about the upcoming "semi-annual" Brew's Best Beer Festival at Lake Las Vegas. In this article at least, he understands to just let those putting on the event speak, not himself, to just observe various details without getting overexcited about them. Readers will figure out what interests him based on what he writes about, that is if they're reading for more than just the information like I do. The last paragraph is weak, though: "A festival to celebrate beer. Imagine that! Better yet, don't imagine it, be there." It feels tacked on, not a natural part of this article. My guess is that he was trying to figure out some way to end the article, but couldn't come up with anything else. That's happened to me many times and when it does, I make sure that it feels like a natural ending, that all that I've written leads to that. Sometimes I don't succeed, but lately, when I haven't, it's never as public as this. Otherwise, it's a good article, and Lake Las Vegas has quite the booster in Logay.
- There's a coupon in the first page of coupons for a $4.95 16 oz. ham steak with eggs, potatoes and toast at Skyline Casino. I'm still taken aback by all the food choices in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Summerlin. If you feel like going out, you could be paralyzed by indecision.
- The Service Directory/Jobs page looks a lot more organized. Different categories instead of listings for the businesses just splashed all over and each business in its own box.
- On the Transportation page is a listing for a 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser for $11,988. We have it now, it's good for what we need, but only locally. It can't handle long trips anymore, which is why the next time we go to Nevada, we're renting a car. That's not a reflection on the PT Cruiser in general, but I want to be continually comfortable in a car and this isn't the one for me. Speaking of that, still no listings for a Toyota Corolla.
And that's it. A milder issue this time. More about the business of the community, which is necessary, but I hope the next issue delves into more of the actual community, activities, and other things bringing people together. A consistent balance of the business of the community and the community itself is ideal.
Now to the issue itself:
- I'm sure Don Logay's in here again somewhere, but first, the leading article in this issue is about the forthcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival. It's by Karen Y. Lu and begins: "The lively sounds, sights and scents of the Irish culture will fill the air from Thursday, March 17th through Sunday the 20th at the Henderson Events Plaza in celebration of St. Patrick's Day." I'm a sucker for alliteration, so Lu's pulled me in right away. And she may be right about it all being lively. I don't consider it editorializing because those festivals generally are lively. I hate the "fill the air" part. I read too many articles like that in The Signal which began with just that phrase: "Celebratory noises and shouts filled the air as..." "The pleasant, blooming scent of various flowers filled the air..." It's not Lu's fault. But one writer at The Signal, when I was there, continually used it, never stretching to think of something else. Mad Libs for journalists.
- It seems like the economy is gradually getting better, and here's a Twitchell article about the City of Henderson's Development Services Center (described as "a one-stop shop meant to streamline the planning and permitting process") being dismantled after being projected to bring in its lowest income total ever, with construction having come to a standstill in Henderson. I'm interested to see how the articles read in future issues, especially those starting from the beginning of this year.
- This is the Fred Couzens I like: An article about public comments being accepted until April 4 about "a proposed 600-kilovolt extra-high voltage electrical transmission line running through the utility corridor between Lake Las Vegas and Calico Ridge" is well-written because he deals best in facts over people. He's the one reporter besides Twitchell who can make sense out of bureaucratic gobbledygook, which is most of this article, and of the issues that come out of it.
- Another Couzens article is about the bid for a proposed expansion of Warm Springs Road in eastern Henderson coming in lower than expected. No quotes from anyone. Just facts and figures. This is Couzens' playground. He does it best.
- Twitchell's big article in the Local News section, headlined, "Transportation Options Studied," about "three planning studies examining the future of transportation in Henderson" being "among seven studies expected to be funded by the Regional Transportation Commission" has two photos by Couzens, one of the site of a potential future roadway and another of Boulder Highway, highlighting its right-of-way issues with a truck turning out of the roadway and a car turning into the roadway. Couzens doesn't write very well all the time, but his photos are great all the time. He's a true photographer. I know I've mentioned this before, but it's part of what makes The Henderson Press a rare professional community newspaper.
- Page 6 has a coupon in the middle of the left side for Mocha Joe Coffee. "Free Drink with Purchase" at 117 Water Street in downtown Henderson. Sounds like a new business.
- Couzens has another article, about more computers at the new James I. Gibson Library than at the old downtown library, which I think closed. This one shows that if Couzens interviews only one person, branch manager Candace Kingsley in this article, he gets good quotes. More than one, and there's mix-ups and other troubles. But I hope that he becomes more skilled at interviewing more than one person for an article as these issues go on.
- On page 12 in the middle of the right side is a coupon from Emery's La Barrista Restaurant for "All you can eat Spagetti [sic] and Meatballs (Lunch & Dinner) - $9.95 + tax." It sounds a lot nicer than Olive Garden.
- Here is Don Logay with an article about the upcoming "semi-annual" Brew's Best Beer Festival at Lake Las Vegas. In this article at least, he understands to just let those putting on the event speak, not himself, to just observe various details without getting overexcited about them. Readers will figure out what interests him based on what he writes about, that is if they're reading for more than just the information like I do. The last paragraph is weak, though: "A festival to celebrate beer. Imagine that! Better yet, don't imagine it, be there." It feels tacked on, not a natural part of this article. My guess is that he was trying to figure out some way to end the article, but couldn't come up with anything else. That's happened to me many times and when it does, I make sure that it feels like a natural ending, that all that I've written leads to that. Sometimes I don't succeed, but lately, when I haven't, it's never as public as this. Otherwise, it's a good article, and Lake Las Vegas has quite the booster in Logay.
- There's a coupon in the first page of coupons for a $4.95 16 oz. ham steak with eggs, potatoes and toast at Skyline Casino. I'm still taken aback by all the food choices in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Summerlin. If you feel like going out, you could be paralyzed by indecision.
- The Service Directory/Jobs page looks a lot more organized. Different categories instead of listings for the businesses just splashed all over and each business in its own box.
- On the Transportation page is a listing for a 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser for $11,988. We have it now, it's good for what we need, but only locally. It can't handle long trips anymore, which is why the next time we go to Nevada, we're renting a car. That's not a reflection on the PT Cruiser in general, but I want to be continually comfortable in a car and this isn't the one for me. Speaking of that, still no listings for a Toyota Corolla.
And that's it. A milder issue this time. More about the business of the community, which is necessary, but I hope the next issue delves into more of the actual community, activities, and other things bringing people together. A consistent balance of the business of the community and the community itself is ideal.
Las Vegas as Seen by Aaron Spelling
With the exception of one colleague at Movie Gazette Online who also reviews DVDs, but at a slower pace than I do, the three others review Blu-Rays. Because of this, and the hero worship of the Blu-Ray format, I don't need to review the image and sound quality of a DVD. For one, I don't have the 5.1 surround sound system that would be necessary for a proper review, nor do I want it. And with so many raving over the clarity of Blu-Ray, why would the image quality on DVDs matter anymore? It's always of serviceable quality and I find no problems with my massive DVD collection. I simply review what I've seen and any extras that are included.
Today, I reviewed Vega$: The Third Season, Volume 1, Aaron Spelling's series set in Las Vegas and actually filmed entirely in Las Vegas, thereby giving me a valuable history lesson on what Las Vegas looked like at the time this show was produced. Though it's absolutely useless in what it presents in attempted drama and comedy, it's a valuable time capsule to me to see the Strip as it was.
I love reviewing DVDs now because there's so much more room. Before, everyone was reviewing DVDs. Now everyone has moved to Blu-Rays. It reminds me of walking by a set of bungalows in San Diego with the family on the way to Hash House a Go Go, and walking right by one window, I saw a small library, almost squashed together on both sides, but very comfortable. There was a leather easy chair and bookshelves, and I saw it as my own. That's what I want, with constant privacy and as much time as I want.
I get that same feeling now with reviewing DVDs. It feels that comfortable, there's not so much of a rush as there used to be, and I prefer this format because I don't need all those technological advances that suck up more and more money. All I need is my favorite movies and my favorite TV shows and I'm set. It may be because I watch less movies and TV shows and read more, but this is how I like it. I can go into the unknown crevices, the little rooms that no one has been to in a while and see it all myself. I don't have to try to jump up and quickly see what I can before coming back down. There's no crowds now. There's just me. Much more comfortable.
Here's that review:
Vega$: The Third Season, Volume 1
Today, I reviewed Vega$: The Third Season, Volume 1, Aaron Spelling's series set in Las Vegas and actually filmed entirely in Las Vegas, thereby giving me a valuable history lesson on what Las Vegas looked like at the time this show was produced. Though it's absolutely useless in what it presents in attempted drama and comedy, it's a valuable time capsule to me to see the Strip as it was.
I love reviewing DVDs now because there's so much more room. Before, everyone was reviewing DVDs. Now everyone has moved to Blu-Rays. It reminds me of walking by a set of bungalows in San Diego with the family on the way to Hash House a Go Go, and walking right by one window, I saw a small library, almost squashed together on both sides, but very comfortable. There was a leather easy chair and bookshelves, and I saw it as my own. That's what I want, with constant privacy and as much time as I want.
I get that same feeling now with reviewing DVDs. It feels that comfortable, there's not so much of a rush as there used to be, and I prefer this format because I don't need all those technological advances that suck up more and more money. All I need is my favorite movies and my favorite TV shows and I'm set. It may be because I watch less movies and TV shows and read more, but this is how I like it. I can go into the unknown crevices, the little rooms that no one has been to in a while and see it all myself. I don't have to try to jump up and quickly see what I can before coming back down. There's no crowds now. There's just me. Much more comfortable.
Here's that review:
Vega$: The Third Season, Volume 1
Friday, April 27, 2012
Discovering More of Me
At the end of the day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, into the evening in mid-December, I stopped in again at the main souvenir store to see what Superman t-shirts they had. Not any with the logo. I wanted a Superman t-shirt with the Man of Steel himself on it. I wanted to see his face, his power, and wear it proudly.
I first spotted a Superman t-shirt in a heavy duty can. Pop the top off and you find a black t-shirt wrapped tighter than you think a t-shirt could be. It was like a small block in my hand. I liked the image of Superman plowing through the black color of the t-shirt and his name above him in bright yellow letters with red rectangles on top of each letter to simulate speed. Perfect.
Two days after that visit, I unwrapped the t-shirt and found it severely wrinkled, as was to be expected from how it had been packaged. A trip in the washing machine and then the dryer eliminated some of the wrinkles, but not all. At least the shirt smelled clean.
I must have put it in the wash a second time, though I don't remember when, because I found it in the far left stack of t-shirts in my closet and was thinking about wearing it on our food shopping errands earlier this evening. It fit, but the sleeves made it an impossible t-shirt for me. They were so short, nearly reaching my shoulders, and I'm more modest than that. I will never be one who wears a sleeveless t-shirt, and I never liked tank tops either. I wore them when I was younger, but that was it.
So I gave the t-shirt to Meridith, who's excited to have it since she's a huge Superman fan. I am too, but she was first. She easily wears nearly sleeveless t-shirts. I prefer t-shirts with sleeves that end a few inches above the crook of my arm. I never thought about this at length until finding that that shirt didn't fit. It's always been an automatic part of who I am. Fortunately, I have a gray Superman t-shirt with the Six Flags logo on it, and that suits me because the sleeves are more reasonable.
No short shorts for me either. I'm not that brave.
I first spotted a Superman t-shirt in a heavy duty can. Pop the top off and you find a black t-shirt wrapped tighter than you think a t-shirt could be. It was like a small block in my hand. I liked the image of Superman plowing through the black color of the t-shirt and his name above him in bright yellow letters with red rectangles on top of each letter to simulate speed. Perfect.
Two days after that visit, I unwrapped the t-shirt and found it severely wrinkled, as was to be expected from how it had been packaged. A trip in the washing machine and then the dryer eliminated some of the wrinkles, but not all. At least the shirt smelled clean.
I must have put it in the wash a second time, though I don't remember when, because I found it in the far left stack of t-shirts in my closet and was thinking about wearing it on our food shopping errands earlier this evening. It fit, but the sleeves made it an impossible t-shirt for me. They were so short, nearly reaching my shoulders, and I'm more modest than that. I will never be one who wears a sleeveless t-shirt, and I never liked tank tops either. I wore them when I was younger, but that was it.
So I gave the t-shirt to Meridith, who's excited to have it since she's a huge Superman fan. I am too, but she was first. She easily wears nearly sleeveless t-shirts. I prefer t-shirts with sleeves that end a few inches above the crook of my arm. I never thought about this at length until finding that that shirt didn't fit. It's always been an automatic part of who I am. Fortunately, I have a gray Superman t-shirt with the Six Flags logo on it, and that suits me because the sleeves are more reasonable.
No short shorts for me either. I'm not that brave.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tidbits from the Ninth Issue of The Henderson Press
This could not wait to fall in line as the first tidbit: Don Logay has the top story on the front page of the ninth issue of The Henderson Press, Vol. 2, No. 4, dated February 24-March 9, 2011. It's about what went on at the opening of Ravella at Lake Las Vegas, the new hotel in that resort region. His article is so obviously a booster piece, but his quiet enthusiasm for the area always comes through so wonderfully. He cheers, but he doesn't slobber. He overdoes the adjectives this time, such as "wonderfully warm" weather, and "warm and gloriously sunny" day, but considering the area had nearly become a shell after Ritz-Carlton closed the year before in the same location, it's understandable, but only just, since it almost reads like a press release from the resort itself rather than a newspaper article. But when he sticks to the facts, he writes as well as he always has. I still appreciate the article for those facts, for learning what Ravella has, and storing it in my memory. I may not think about it all the time as I do with Nevada overall, but it's there.
And now to the rest of this issue:
- There's a quarter-page ad for Skyline Restaurant & Casino, touting "Loosest Machines," "Most Liberal Comps," and "Friendliest Staff." I want to see what kind of slot machines they have, because even though I won't gamble regularly--and even then it'll be very small--I want to finally pick out a favorite machine. I've got my favorite pinball machines at the Pinball Hall of Fame on East Tropicana Avenue, but I also like the meditative quality of slot machines. Not only do I consider whatever's going on in my life, but I wonder about the machine itself, who came up with the idea, if it was expanded at any meetings, how many iterations it went through before final approval, and the work of making the machine itself.
- Here's another "Only in Las Vegas" thing: Blood donations in Henderson done through United Blood Services throughout February earn donors a voucher for two free tickets to Defending the Caveman, a one-man play performed by Kevin Burke at Harrah's. Makes me even more proud to soon be part of Southern Nevada.
- Jennifer Twitchell's latest "Family Matters" column is really good once again, talking about being three days past her due date, and how she should be more attuned to what's wonderful about parenting. It is for her, but what she thought she was stating as fact, such as "heartburn" and "no sleep," sounded negative to her grandmother. This is her best column thus far, enough to make me ignore her use of "whilst" instead of "while." If she was British, I'd understand the usage.
- Twitchell also has a profile about the "It's a Gas" science exhibit at Galleria at Sunset, which has the twofold purpose of informing and promoting the Henderson Space and Science Center, which its board hopes to open "in about five years." There's exhibits and demonstrations on nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases, on the first floor next to Dillard's. That kind of wonderful incongruity is what makes Galleria at Sunset my kind of mall. This is what Twitchell's best at: Great care for the community and what it offers.
- And Twitchell cares yet again, about the 10th Annual Moms and Muffins benefit at John Dooley Elementary, which puts the money earned back into the school. Those who think Las Vegas, and by extension Henderson and Summerlin, are only about casinos and fast, easy entertainment are very wrong. There are communities here. There are people that care here.
- On page 13, color ad for Baskin-Robbins offers a free single-scoop cone with the purchase of one. Valid only at the location at 510 South Boulder Highway "(and Basic Road)".
- On page 14, the ad for Johnny Mac's offers half-price pizza on Wednesdays and a 1-topping pizza for $10 on Sundays. Above both is "Daily Specials," so I would assume that they offer more than that during the week.
- The Henderson Press, at least in these early issues, are very selective about their "Letters to the Editor" section. One of the criteria seems to be that letters be thoughtful and well-written enough to get their point across clearly, without resorting to ranting and raving. In this issue is a letter to the editor from Ligeia Will of Henderson, headlined "Support Services Often Overlook Single Moms," vividly about her experiences from looking for work to becoming homeless, living in a shelter, and then finally getting housing, apparently below homeless men and Section 8 people in Clark County's priorities. She makes a lot of sobering points, important points that should be considered.
- Under "Corrections" is a long list of one from Gail Rattigan, director of the Dr. Joel and Carol Bower School-Based Health Center. He wrote about vaccines given by the center, and got facts and names very wrong (including spelling wrong the name wrong of one senior nursing student who gives the vaccines, as well as her mother's name). I don't know if that's why his byline is nowhere in this issue, but it is a relief to have a break from him, and the newspaper reads a lot stronger, free from being bogged down by Couzens's wandering articles. I'm sure he'll be back in the next issue, and so I hope his articles are like the article he wrote for the eighth issue about the City of Henderson receiving $6.6 million for flood control. When he concentrates fully on the facts, when he doesn't worry so much about how to write an article, as I suspect he does based on past evidence, he's an informative writer. He gets it.
- All of page 20 is given over to where The Henderson Press can be found, based on zip code. And there's a lot of places, including Barnes & Noble, Lucky Star Chinese Buffet, Hot Rod Grill, Henderson Hobbies, 155 Water Cafe, and so many others. This is as a community newspaper should be. It spreads; it reaches.
- Still no Corollas on offer in the transportation ads.
This was a comfortable issue, well-connected to the community itself. From here, The Henderson Press is starting to find the necessary balance of hard news and an attentive focus on the people who live in Henderson. This works.
And now to the rest of this issue:
- There's a quarter-page ad for Skyline Restaurant & Casino, touting "Loosest Machines," "Most Liberal Comps," and "Friendliest Staff." I want to see what kind of slot machines they have, because even though I won't gamble regularly--and even then it'll be very small--I want to finally pick out a favorite machine. I've got my favorite pinball machines at the Pinball Hall of Fame on East Tropicana Avenue, but I also like the meditative quality of slot machines. Not only do I consider whatever's going on in my life, but I wonder about the machine itself, who came up with the idea, if it was expanded at any meetings, how many iterations it went through before final approval, and the work of making the machine itself.
- Here's another "Only in Las Vegas" thing: Blood donations in Henderson done through United Blood Services throughout February earn donors a voucher for two free tickets to Defending the Caveman, a one-man play performed by Kevin Burke at Harrah's. Makes me even more proud to soon be part of Southern Nevada.
- Jennifer Twitchell's latest "Family Matters" column is really good once again, talking about being three days past her due date, and how she should be more attuned to what's wonderful about parenting. It is for her, but what she thought she was stating as fact, such as "heartburn" and "no sleep," sounded negative to her grandmother. This is her best column thus far, enough to make me ignore her use of "whilst" instead of "while." If she was British, I'd understand the usage.
- Twitchell also has a profile about the "It's a Gas" science exhibit at Galleria at Sunset, which has the twofold purpose of informing and promoting the Henderson Space and Science Center, which its board hopes to open "in about five years." There's exhibits and demonstrations on nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases, on the first floor next to Dillard's. That kind of wonderful incongruity is what makes Galleria at Sunset my kind of mall. This is what Twitchell's best at: Great care for the community and what it offers.
- And Twitchell cares yet again, about the 10th Annual Moms and Muffins benefit at John Dooley Elementary, which puts the money earned back into the school. Those who think Las Vegas, and by extension Henderson and Summerlin, are only about casinos and fast, easy entertainment are very wrong. There are communities here. There are people that care here.
- On page 13, color ad for Baskin-Robbins offers a free single-scoop cone with the purchase of one. Valid only at the location at 510 South Boulder Highway "(and Basic Road)".
- On page 14, the ad for Johnny Mac's offers half-price pizza on Wednesdays and a 1-topping pizza for $10 on Sundays. Above both is "Daily Specials," so I would assume that they offer more than that during the week.
- The Henderson Press, at least in these early issues, are very selective about their "Letters to the Editor" section. One of the criteria seems to be that letters be thoughtful and well-written enough to get their point across clearly, without resorting to ranting and raving. In this issue is a letter to the editor from Ligeia Will of Henderson, headlined "Support Services Often Overlook Single Moms," vividly about her experiences from looking for work to becoming homeless, living in a shelter, and then finally getting housing, apparently below homeless men and Section 8 people in Clark County's priorities. She makes a lot of sobering points, important points that should be considered.
- Under "Corrections" is a long list of one from Gail Rattigan, director of the Dr. Joel and Carol Bower School-Based Health Center. He wrote about vaccines given by the center, and got facts and names very wrong (including spelling wrong the name wrong of one senior nursing student who gives the vaccines, as well as her mother's name). I don't know if that's why his byline is nowhere in this issue, but it is a relief to have a break from him, and the newspaper reads a lot stronger, free from being bogged down by Couzens's wandering articles. I'm sure he'll be back in the next issue, and so I hope his articles are like the article he wrote for the eighth issue about the City of Henderson receiving $6.6 million for flood control. When he concentrates fully on the facts, when he doesn't worry so much about how to write an article, as I suspect he does based on past evidence, he's an informative writer. He gets it.
- All of page 20 is given over to where The Henderson Press can be found, based on zip code. And there's a lot of places, including Barnes & Noble, Lucky Star Chinese Buffet, Hot Rod Grill, Henderson Hobbies, 155 Water Cafe, and so many others. This is as a community newspaper should be. It spreads; it reaches.
- Still no Corollas on offer in the transportation ads.
This was a comfortable issue, well-connected to the community itself. From here, The Henderson Press is starting to find the necessary balance of hard news and an attentive focus on the people who live in Henderson. This works.
New DVD Reviews
Five DVD reviews of mine were posted on Movie Gazette Online since El Bulli: Cooking in Progress. I like single-disc releases such as that one because I can write something right away, whereas with, say, Doc Martin: Series 5, which I'm currently watching for a review, it takes time for a review to form. I'm not in a rush or anything, but sometimes I want to write right away. I've got my novel, so that helps, but to write for readers, I like being immediate. But then, the DVD sets that take time to review can elicit richer writings that explore what's involved in a show, what makes it work, or what doesn't work.
If the DVD set is really good, I don't mind it, and having received the miniseries, Washington: Behind Closed Doors, a fictionalized take on the Nixon administration, I'm going to watch it all because of the presidential aspect. Normally, I don't watch all of a DVD set. I can't, because some reach well over eight hours. For a review that's usually less than 1,000 words, it's not necessary to watch everything. But I love how each DVD review differs, that I watched I, Claudius: 35th Anniversary Edition, and just recently finished Hazel: The Complete Second Season. Yesterday, Rebecca Wright, the head of Movie Gazette Online, forwarded a press release about Tom and Jerry: Around the World, asking if anyone wanted to review it. I do, because I like Tom and Jerry, though my favorite animated character is Popeye. By the time this DVD comes, I'll probably have watched the Carlos Mencia DVD I'm expecting, written a review of Doc Martin: Series 5, and started watching a German film called Young Goethe in Love (owing to my desire to watch more foreign films after seeing We Have a Pope three Fridays ago at The Landmark in Los Angeles). In DVD reviews, there's always something different to watch, and even though that was true of Film Threat, I feel far less pressure now because I don't want to be a full-time film critic anymore. I can have fun with this, and I am.
Here are my new DVD reviews, from earliest to latest:
Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour
I, Claudius: 35th Anniversary Edition
The Getting of Wisdom
Titanic (2012)
Hazel: The Complete Second Season
If the DVD set is really good, I don't mind it, and having received the miniseries, Washington: Behind Closed Doors, a fictionalized take on the Nixon administration, I'm going to watch it all because of the presidential aspect. Normally, I don't watch all of a DVD set. I can't, because some reach well over eight hours. For a review that's usually less than 1,000 words, it's not necessary to watch everything. But I love how each DVD review differs, that I watched I, Claudius: 35th Anniversary Edition, and just recently finished Hazel: The Complete Second Season. Yesterday, Rebecca Wright, the head of Movie Gazette Online, forwarded a press release about Tom and Jerry: Around the World, asking if anyone wanted to review it. I do, because I like Tom and Jerry, though my favorite animated character is Popeye. By the time this DVD comes, I'll probably have watched the Carlos Mencia DVD I'm expecting, written a review of Doc Martin: Series 5, and started watching a German film called Young Goethe in Love (owing to my desire to watch more foreign films after seeing We Have a Pope three Fridays ago at The Landmark in Los Angeles). In DVD reviews, there's always something different to watch, and even though that was true of Film Threat, I feel far less pressure now because I don't want to be a full-time film critic anymore. I can have fun with this, and I am.
Here are my new DVD reviews, from earliest to latest:
Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour
I, Claudius: 35th Anniversary Edition
The Getting of Wisdom
Titanic (2012)
Hazel: The Complete Second Season
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Smooth, Peaceful Evening...in Santa Clarita?
Mom and Meridith wanted to go to Kohl's today to see if the bargains in the ad were truly so. *Insert joke here about how if there's a Kohl's in Germany, it's probably a museum about the former chancellor Helmut Kohl, who served from 1982 to 1998*
It was unusual for a Tuesday since here, we never go out on a Tuesday. We save errands for the weekend. But this was limited, and it couldn't wait.
First was OfficeMax in the back end of Valencia, in the same shopping center as Best Buy, which I now call Bankruptcy in HD. Mom saw in the OfficeMax ad that there was a Toshiba 24-inch Class LED 1080p HDTV for $159.20, down from $199. Naturally, if it's in the OfficeMax ad, our OfficeMax doesn't have it, as we found out. They had a bigger TV if we wanted. We didn't. But I needed more legal notepads, which I find more comfortable to write on and easier to grab than a full-size legal pad if I'm inspired to write. Plus, I jot notes on one while I'm watching a DVD or DVD set for review. I found a 12-pack that'll be enough for a while.
Then Kohl's, across from Whole Foods, that shopping center across from the Valencia Town Center Mall complex. No decent bargains for Mom and Meridith, but for me, I found a black t-shirt with the original Nintendo controller printed on it. All my printed t-shirts are aspects of who I am, and this one is also me, a fond reminder of all the hours and days I spent on the original Nintendo.
After this, dinner time. Chick-Fil-A? Five Guys? The food court at the mall? Lazy Dog Cafe? No. Johnny Rockets, across from Edwards Valencia 12, which we hadn't been to in so long and which offered an extensive shake menu. I had a strawberry Oreo crumble shake, and from my vantage point in our booth, a view of the street that passes that end of the Valencia Town Center Mall complex, and across that street, a few shops, leading into the apartment complex over there. The trees over at that end are wrapped in white string lights. And while waiting for a patty melt with fries, and my sister's chili dog and fries, and Mom and Dad's burgers, with onion rings for her and fries for him, I just stared out that window, amazed that Valencia could exude such peace. It feels so rushed during the day, so frantic, so much to do. Yet here it was, a Tuesday evening, and I understood why some who work in Los Angeles live here. It is calm relief. But what helps is that it feels like a hub, that there are at least a few things to do, fewer than what I find in Las Vegas, but still a few things to do, which is rare elsewhere in the valley. In Saugus, my area, not a damn thing. Down the street from where I live and then across that street, there's two known restaurants, a Papa John's takeout, a CVS, and that's mostly it in that shopping center since the only major activity during the day is a dentist's office and it's long closed by that time of the evening.
That Valencia view reminded me of a conversation we all had today, and the possibility, slight so far, of a development at the foot of the Las Vegas Strip that might suit all of us. It's for 55 and over, but by Nevada law, 18 and over is allowed in those places, so Meridith and I can live there too. I don't mind. I've never had real grandparents, and my maternal great-grandfather died when I was very young (though I knew him a bit), so it'd be nice to be surrounded by those who may have lived in Las Vegas for decades, who know exactly what I want to know about some of the history of it, who lived it! Plus a bookmobile comes by (either once a week or once a month, we're not sure, and we still have a lot more to find out), and there's various classes, and a newsletter (which I want to see if I can be part of, if this is where we choose to live), and bus transportation for residents to go where they need (limited routes though and it's only about two hours during the summer days). Plus, we'll be near the new Smith Center, which is Las Vegas's first cultural center, and I'm not far from the Pinball Hall of Fame.
I told Mom that the Valencia apartment was the best time we had in these eight years because it was located behind a shopping center and there were things to do all around us (including a short walk to the library), the mall was right there, and it felt lively because of all that. While this potential Las Vegas residence is very preliminary, it fits who we are. We visited Walt Disney World so often when I was a tyke that we might as well have lived there. In fact, we wanted to. We wanted to live closer to Disney World than Casselberry allowed us. Dr. Phillips, a suburb in Orlando, would have placed us even closer to Walt Disney World. In our adult lives, Las Vegas is to us now what Walt Disney World was to us then. The same sparks of imagination I felt there, I feel in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, I still want to know everything about Nevada, and that includes Henderson and Boulder City and all of that. I want to explore every inch of Southern Nevada. I'm serious about that. I will finally have roots, and I will make it count.
Tonight's outing reminded me that not everything has to be pushed to the weekend. Every single day of the week should be lived fully. Yeah, I'll hopefully be working as a full-time campus supervisor not long after we've moved, but that time after work is mine. I can go to the Pinball Hall of Fame. I can go to a library. I can go see a movie. I can spend my evening reading. I can drive the Strip. I can watch planes take off and land at McCarran. I can do so much. Life is not meant to only be lived on the weekend. As I told Mom, we need a drastic change in our lives and this could be it. We still have to explore it further, and we'll see what shakes out, but for now, it's a reminder of what we can do, what we can be, more that we can know. I believe I'll be a much better writer after we move, because of all that'll be around me, but I also believe that I'll be living much better. Most importantly, I'll be far happier than I am here. I have books, so I'm set, but place matters too. No doubt Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Summerlin and the rest of Nevada (Reno too, one day) will provide me with constant inspiration.
Plus, I've found my kind of baseball statistics. I want to memorize the headliners, Broadway-type shows, and other acts that have appeared at casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, how many days, months, years they've appeared there, and how many performances they did, going all the way back to when Las Vegas began offering that. I'll have a lot of fun with that!
Santa Clarita is good for very little, but tonight, it was a kind of peace offering. I've despised it for eight years, but I will not leave bitter. I appreciate what it did tonight, in that reminder of things to come, things to do even during a workweek, but I will not waste more time on it after I leave. I hope this is a sign that we are indeed getting closer. We have to be, but it feels more a lot more serious now, and more comfortable. I'm game for anything.
It was unusual for a Tuesday since here, we never go out on a Tuesday. We save errands for the weekend. But this was limited, and it couldn't wait.
First was OfficeMax in the back end of Valencia, in the same shopping center as Best Buy, which I now call Bankruptcy in HD. Mom saw in the OfficeMax ad that there was a Toshiba 24-inch Class LED 1080p HDTV for $159.20, down from $199. Naturally, if it's in the OfficeMax ad, our OfficeMax doesn't have it, as we found out. They had a bigger TV if we wanted. We didn't. But I needed more legal notepads, which I find more comfortable to write on and easier to grab than a full-size legal pad if I'm inspired to write. Plus, I jot notes on one while I'm watching a DVD or DVD set for review. I found a 12-pack that'll be enough for a while.
Then Kohl's, across from Whole Foods, that shopping center across from the Valencia Town Center Mall complex. No decent bargains for Mom and Meridith, but for me, I found a black t-shirt with the original Nintendo controller printed on it. All my printed t-shirts are aspects of who I am, and this one is also me, a fond reminder of all the hours and days I spent on the original Nintendo.
After this, dinner time. Chick-Fil-A? Five Guys? The food court at the mall? Lazy Dog Cafe? No. Johnny Rockets, across from Edwards Valencia 12, which we hadn't been to in so long and which offered an extensive shake menu. I had a strawberry Oreo crumble shake, and from my vantage point in our booth, a view of the street that passes that end of the Valencia Town Center Mall complex, and across that street, a few shops, leading into the apartment complex over there. The trees over at that end are wrapped in white string lights. And while waiting for a patty melt with fries, and my sister's chili dog and fries, and Mom and Dad's burgers, with onion rings for her and fries for him, I just stared out that window, amazed that Valencia could exude such peace. It feels so rushed during the day, so frantic, so much to do. Yet here it was, a Tuesday evening, and I understood why some who work in Los Angeles live here. It is calm relief. But what helps is that it feels like a hub, that there are at least a few things to do, fewer than what I find in Las Vegas, but still a few things to do, which is rare elsewhere in the valley. In Saugus, my area, not a damn thing. Down the street from where I live and then across that street, there's two known restaurants, a Papa John's takeout, a CVS, and that's mostly it in that shopping center since the only major activity during the day is a dentist's office and it's long closed by that time of the evening.
That Valencia view reminded me of a conversation we all had today, and the possibility, slight so far, of a development at the foot of the Las Vegas Strip that might suit all of us. It's for 55 and over, but by Nevada law, 18 and over is allowed in those places, so Meridith and I can live there too. I don't mind. I've never had real grandparents, and my maternal great-grandfather died when I was very young (though I knew him a bit), so it'd be nice to be surrounded by those who may have lived in Las Vegas for decades, who know exactly what I want to know about some of the history of it, who lived it! Plus a bookmobile comes by (either once a week or once a month, we're not sure, and we still have a lot more to find out), and there's various classes, and a newsletter (which I want to see if I can be part of, if this is where we choose to live), and bus transportation for residents to go where they need (limited routes though and it's only about two hours during the summer days). Plus, we'll be near the new Smith Center, which is Las Vegas's first cultural center, and I'm not far from the Pinball Hall of Fame.
I told Mom that the Valencia apartment was the best time we had in these eight years because it was located behind a shopping center and there were things to do all around us (including a short walk to the library), the mall was right there, and it felt lively because of all that. While this potential Las Vegas residence is very preliminary, it fits who we are. We visited Walt Disney World so often when I was a tyke that we might as well have lived there. In fact, we wanted to. We wanted to live closer to Disney World than Casselberry allowed us. Dr. Phillips, a suburb in Orlando, would have placed us even closer to Walt Disney World. In our adult lives, Las Vegas is to us now what Walt Disney World was to us then. The same sparks of imagination I felt there, I feel in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, I still want to know everything about Nevada, and that includes Henderson and Boulder City and all of that. I want to explore every inch of Southern Nevada. I'm serious about that. I will finally have roots, and I will make it count.
Tonight's outing reminded me that not everything has to be pushed to the weekend. Every single day of the week should be lived fully. Yeah, I'll hopefully be working as a full-time campus supervisor not long after we've moved, but that time after work is mine. I can go to the Pinball Hall of Fame. I can go to a library. I can go see a movie. I can spend my evening reading. I can drive the Strip. I can watch planes take off and land at McCarran. I can do so much. Life is not meant to only be lived on the weekend. As I told Mom, we need a drastic change in our lives and this could be it. We still have to explore it further, and we'll see what shakes out, but for now, it's a reminder of what we can do, what we can be, more that we can know. I believe I'll be a much better writer after we move, because of all that'll be around me, but I also believe that I'll be living much better. Most importantly, I'll be far happier than I am here. I have books, so I'm set, but place matters too. No doubt Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Summerlin and the rest of Nevada (Reno too, one day) will provide me with constant inspiration.
Plus, I've found my kind of baseball statistics. I want to memorize the headliners, Broadway-type shows, and other acts that have appeared at casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, how many days, months, years they've appeared there, and how many performances they did, going all the way back to when Las Vegas began offering that. I'll have a lot of fun with that!
Santa Clarita is good for very little, but tonight, it was a kind of peace offering. I've despised it for eight years, but I will not leave bitter. I appreciate what it did tonight, in that reminder of things to come, things to do even during a workweek, but I will not waste more time on it after I leave. I hope this is a sign that we are indeed getting closer. We have to be, but it feels more a lot more serious now, and more comfortable. I'm game for anything.
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