Anatomy of a Murder

Panties, panties, panties!  Oh, there are so many good things I could say about this film**, but Kathryn Grant's "deer in the headlights" performance on the stand while Jimmy Stewart handles what's supposed to be Lee Remick's panties is burned into my retinas:  

This is supposed to be shocking, titillating... and I'm sure it was in 1959, but Jimmy has enough material in his hands for several articles of "decent" women's undergarments circa 2008, so it's just funny. 

**Okay, so here goes: I love the jazz soundtrack complete with a cameo by Duke Ellington, the general courtroom fighting between two screen greats, Lee Remick's outstanding performance in the face of the aforementioned greats, George C. Scott's purr as he says "midnight prowls", the way Paul Biegler plays up to the judge with a lure in the lawbook, Eve Arden and Arthur O'Connell providing excellent support to Stewart, and panties, panties, panties!

The Porcupine (Barnes, Julian) 1992

Jump, jump, jump.  It's not Flaubert's Parrot, but it's a short and easy read with a few excellent passages.  I skimmed through several sections from the POV of the Leader; too repetitive and profanity-ridden to little effect.  

Empire of Ivory (Novik, Naomi) 2007

It's good to have Temeraire back with the formation again.  I missed Lily and Maximus (and their people).  In the "about the author" blurb, Novik notes that this was the hardest Temeraire book to write (so far), and it shows.  The narrative doesn't flow quite like it did in the previous three books and it feels like great efforts were made to put the story together, and the end has a big fat "to be continued" on it... and yet, I have a very positive feeling that all this effort is going to pay enormous dividends in the overall story arc.  We'll see.

Maddux back to La-La Land; "true rentals"

The AP has confirmed that the Padres and Dodgers are doing the sensible thing and Greg Maddux will once again be traded again as a mid-season rental. But "rental" is something of a misnomer here. The Dodgers now own Maddux's contract, just like they own Manny's and Blake's contracts. Sure, they only last to the end of the season, but it's not like a "true" rental where a team could send a player under contract through 2009 (or beyond) to a contender for a 2008 playoff run and then have that player back for 2009.

But maybe the MLB should allow true rentals. Maybe the Padres should be able to shop Peavy to the Dodgers/Diamondbacks/whoever for cash/prospects as a 2008 "rental", but Peavy's contract is still owned by the Padres, and he plays for the Padres in 2009 (until the season is a loss and his services are rented out again).

Black Powder War (Novik, Naomi) 2006

Having studied a little German history while in college, the moment that Laurence and Temeraire arrive among the Prussians, old neurons started firing off in my head, reminding me "wasn't the battle of Jena in 1806?"  So it pleased me to no end to see Our Heroes as witnesses to and participants in this catastrophe.  Iskierka is a nice addition to the family of characters, and, when present, is going to give Emily a run for primary scene stealer. 

For those with quesadilla makers

Sarah took me to Penny Cluse Cafe, the preeminent local breakfast place that has a 2-hour wait on weekends (only a 40-minute wait on Friday at 10:50am. Damn Quebec separatist tourists, pumping money into our flagging economy ;-)), to celebrate the grand opening of GBGB.

The hostess takes a look at my "When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not" t-shirt and says, "Ah, going to see Clone Wars?" and I'm like, "Huh?" "Clone Wars. It opens today." "Oh, so it does. No, actually, my four-year-old, by request, is seeing the original Star Wars tonight for the first time." So there you have it! The next generation begins to be indoctrinated! Of course, for them, the rage and disappointment of Episodes I-III will be all the less for not having to wait 20 years to be disappointed.

At any rate, I had the Garlicky Kale Quesadilla, which was really good. Basically, it tasted like you sautee garlic, kale (chopped up in the food processor), and a little onion, then put it in your quesadilla maker with the shell and some feta (we use the Doe's Leap feta that Penny Cluse used in their recipe; we've been buying their cheese for a couple-few years and their chevre is wonderful and the feta is pretty good, too). Serve with salsa and black beans.

even with the Padres' playoff chances at 0.1% (and that's overstating their case)...

… I’m interested in the races. The Cardinals are finally starting to wear down, but the Brewers are keeping the Cubs on their toes. There are dogfights in the NL East and West, and I have to admit that Manny on the Dodgers actually has me slightly rooting for a Red Sox – Dodgers WS with Manny having a tremendous series at the plate but ultimately losing it for the Dodgers by dropping a fly ball (otherwise I want to see Devil Rays – Cubs).

Throne of Jade (Novik, Naomi) 2006

Part II of the Temeraire series reminds us that it's the journey, not the destination, because oh, boy, is there a lot of journeying.  Novik's altered China is so excellently rendered that it's almost a shame that we get to spend so little time (relative to the journey) there.  

His Majesty's Dragon (Novik, Naomi) 2006

It's the Napoleonic Wars with dragons!  Who can resist?  This is a fun read with a fair bit of scholarship behind it, but the author excellently manages to keep all that research in the service of the plotting, rather than let it get in the way (yes, I'm looking at you, Neal Stephenson).

His Majesty's Dragon (Novik, Naomi) 2006

It's the Napoleonic Wars with dragons!  Who can resist?  This is a fun read with a fair bit of scholarship behind it, but the author excellently manages to keep all that research in the service of the plotting, rather than let it get in the way of the flow of the story (yes, I'm looking at you, Neal Stephenson).