The Bartimaeus Trilogy

Just finished listening to Simon Jones' excellent readings of Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy. There's a lot of wonderful things to chew upon in this series, including some wonderful takes on magic and magical items that ought to satisfy many old fans of D&D. I won't spoil anything but many magical items are created by binding demons/spirits/djinn/etc. within them to create the appropriate effect. Nothing new, I suppose, if you're used to Michael Moorcock's Elric series, but it's all very logical and well-thought out. But there's a lot of stuff and meat in here for something that's supposed to be a "book for children".

EDIT -
One thing I do want to add is that Stroud effectively displays why the normal people in the story distrust the people with power. This has been something that's always fascinated me about UK superhero stories, how the writers are more willing to explore the possibilities of deluded and dangerous super-people, which seems so at odds with the American depictions of super-people who seem much more well-meaning and morally grounded. I guess I'm just another naive and dopey American, but this work of fiction has given me another means of looking at the world.

There are others like me out there

A site that might understand: Rebel Dad.

Unlike this one, which is trying to sell me on something.

I didn't stay home to be an entrepreneur. I started staying home six years ago because the daycare we had set up for our son would've matched us up with a teenaged girl who just didn't seem to have much enthusiasm for taking care of babies. We certainly didn't want to pay more than $1000US a month for that kind of care. So my wife tearfully asked if I might take some paternity leave and stay home for as long as I could. I think it ended up being about 3 or 4 months, and it worked out so well that I've been doing it ever since.

I like being home for my 3 kids. I may not be the best housekeeper in the world, but I'm there for my kids everyday. Now if only I could get paid for it somehow...

In the meantime, a video.

Out of the Closet

It's time I 'fessed up. I've been living a lifestyle that lots of people, particularly men, find quite offensive. I can feel their stares at the mall as I walk by. I can tell that they know there's something different about me. Something... unmanly.

Well, it's time to come clean. Time to declare to the world who and what I am. Time to stand on my own two feet and own up to what I really am.

I AM A STAY AT HOME DAD.

No longer will I hide behind the veneer of just being a nerd and using this as a platform to express my nerdiness. I've got things to say, anecdotes to relate, recipes to share.

...

Seriously, the posts will get better.

DOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

It's not comics fans predicting the end of all that is; there's these people too.

Whatever will my mom do?

Missing link discovered!!

...and it's a vicious little thing!



No doubt the Red Ghost will be adding the little creature to his army of attack primates...

ADVENTURE!!

Do these adventurers eat candy?

While at Newsarama I saw this article on the return of Adventure Comics. While the article talks about how the Legion of Super-Heroes may take up residence in the new Adventure, I remember how Adventure was the home of the Spectre, Black Orchid, Superboy, Deadman, Starman, and a whole slew of other characters.

While I'm glad to see this, I wish they'd taken a truly bold move and offered Adventure Comics as an online-only comic. A giant anthology of cool comics for the web with possible reprinting as TPBs later.

Guess I'll have to wait for the online All-Flash comics instead...

Brave and Bold!

Just wanted to link to this interview with Diedrich Bader on playing Batman for the new CN series. (I had some trouble finding it using Newsarama's own search engine. They're not trying to bury it, are they?)

I missed the premiere, but caught the online clip here.

As someone raised on the Adam West Batman, a couple of iterations of Filmation's Batman, the Super Friends and DC's own The Brave and the Bold series, I'm kinda glad to see a friendlier Batman. I hope this series does really well. And sells a bunch of cool toys where they're at it!