tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316427602011-04-21T20:21:24.033-02:30A tribute to good stories (real or imaginary) in films, books, TV, life, and wherever else they may be hiding...Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-40557085336493185082009-04-13T00:01:00.004-02:302009-04-13T00:26:41.372-02:30

Special Note: There are absolutely NO SPOILERS beyond the very first episode of The Wire. So whether you've seen every episode or haven't seen a single one - Read on!Don't go in expecting non-stop action, or fast-paced plotting, or cliffhangers at every turn.This is not that kind of show.This is not your normal cop show.This is The Wire.I'll admit it, I wasn't ready for this show the first time I

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-63619472361113652652009-01-19T00:27:00.005-03:302009-01-19T01:34:50.736-03:30

Here's something I haven't done in a while: a TV review!Earlier today I discovered that my TV gets HBO Canada, and, even more fortuitously, the season 2 premiere of Flight of the Conchords was coming on at 11:30! I was excited. If you don't watch this show yet, you should. It's about a self-described "two-man novelty band" - Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement - two unassuming gents from New

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-33699091994281175662008-10-13T16:21:00.012-02:302008-10-15T00:17:28.404-02:30

My grandmother doesn't recognize me anymore.This may seem like a depressing thing to discover on an otherwise cheerful Thanksgiving weekend, but I've been expecting it for a while. My grandmother's memory has been getting hazier and hazier over the past few years, to the point that now she's literally living her life one moment at a time. She functions and communicates within each moment

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-91599795183106012032008-10-05T10:17:00.004-02:302008-10-05T10:43:10.823-02:30

I'll make it clear from the start that I've never been a fan of Sarah Palin. I don't normally wax political on this blog, but I just read a story from the Palin camp that makes my blood boil.Palin has just accused Barack Obama of having ties to a domestic terrorist.Does that sound just a TAD unbelievable to you as well? Apparently Obama served on a charity board with a University of Illinois

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-54826766735742841052008-09-22T23:05:00.004-02:302008-09-23T00:38:47.769-02:30

All I knew going in was this: it's a game where Japanese school kids have to kill each other off one by one.The movie is Battle Royale (2000) and it was somehow EXACTLY what I expected, and then somehow became a little bit more.The setup is quick and painless: it's Japan of the seemingly near future and for a somewhat hazy reason the government has instituted the "BR Act" - every year a "Battle

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-34924189744635056222008-09-20T09:56:00.002-02:302008-09-20T10:20:08.493-02:30

I had the strangest dream last night.I was watching someone jump out of an airplane. And for some reason it looked a lot like Hurley from Lost. He was a big guy, anyway. It was the usual "looking at him from above" angle, but the unusual part was that he clearly wasn't wearing a parachute.So I felt like this was going to be a grisly one.But then - another skydiver edges into the frame and gets

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-5796407175878828702008-09-15T18:53:00.004-02:302008-09-15T19:30:24.582-02:30

am·a·zon·ne·sia–noun Complete or partial loss of memory relating directly to purchases from online retailer Amazon.I love Amazon-nesia.Saw a package today from Amazon addressed to me and couldn't for the life of me remember what the hell I ordered. I'm not sure if that's good / that's bad / I need help.I enjoy it. It's like Christmas morning every time I open a package from Amazon. "Past Mark" (a

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-19946155986079018572008-09-10T22:59:00.002-02:302008-09-10T23:07:57.507-02:30

"Last night they used two bouncers, and one of 'em is alright, the other one's a scary 'n his-way-or-no-way totalitarian..."Go download "From The Ritz to the Rubble" by the Arctic Monkeys.Seriously. Go do it now.Now I must tear myself away from my gritty British music to go back to The Wire Season 4. I'm only on Episode 3 and I can't wipe the smile off my face, it's that good. More on that soon.

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-48463713163465683852008-09-04T23:18:00.002-02:302008-09-04T23:38:10.904-02:30

I really don't know what to make of this:Just when I start to think that I'm the geekiest man on Earth, a quick look around the Interwebs proves that I am wrong. SO VERY WRONG.This gallery on Wired.com shows off some of the dorkiest ink ever slapped on human flesh, with nine tattoos in total ranging from "nice!" (the DNA strand) to "Oh lord no!" (the flaming ten-sided dice).In the unlikely event

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-15013733910096599322008-08-30T13:54:00.002-02:302008-08-30T14:16:10.619-02:30

So I'm going to skip the requisite "I promise to write in here more often" statement.I think we're past that point now. We'll just play it by ear from here on in.Anyhow, read something hilarious in the Globe and Mail's "Report on Business" today. Something that made me question the very nature of my business pursuits.Here's the lead-up: Rafael Nadal is a famous Spanish tennis player, won the

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-89812388806681772522007-11-26T21:51:00.001-03:302007-11-26T22:17:12.152-03:30

I really don't write in here enough.Work and life (and sleeping and eating and laughing and learning and all other necessities) seems to get in the way at every turn.I quickly glanced back at what I wrote back in August and the words have a strange new resonance after the events that followed. That day in Oakville, Ontario at the end of August when I was resting and reading the paper and

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-27773308865376244052007-09-05T22:57:00.000-02:302007-11-26T21:51:02.504-03:30

A Blog Post in 3 parts over multiple days probably defeats the purpose of a blog, but I've been traveling a LOT over the past 2 weeks, and my internet time has been limited at best.From August 24-26 I was in Toronto working in a booth for AbbyShot at a convention called "Fan Expo". The weekend after that (August 31 - September 4) I was off to Atlanta for ANOTHER convention called "Dragon*Con" (

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-76608109220495261892007-08-12T12:18:00.000-02:302007-08-12T15:51:08.147-02:30

Once again, it's been far too long since I've thrown my stream-of-consciousness onto this little blog. After a jog this morning (running always gets the thoughts going), I basically realized that summer is nearly over! With work and life and all that, I guess I didn't realize the very obvious.So there's no better time to start blogging again!So let's look at the state of the world in terms of

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-86780493938825199242007-06-05T22:50:00.000-02:302007-06-08T09:32:37.813-02:30

I know it's been too long. I know I really should write in here more often. I will.I had to post this up here because I'm proud. I shot and edited together a video for the release of a brand new AbbyShot coat called the Squall Jacket. Anyone who's played (or seen) Final Fantasy 8 should recognize it! We managed to find a model that looks EXACTLY like the character from the game, it was crazy.If

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-55685682257278678282006-12-27T18:02:00.000-03:302006-12-27T18:14:59.891-03:30

December is always a wonderful month, even though one December is rarely the same as another. This time last year I had just said goodbye to a fleeting time in France, and even now, a full year later, I still treasure that time and miss it intensely. This time last year I was still in University (just about to begin my last term), and now I’m a regular working man in a FAR from regular job that I

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1163128382393366182006-11-09T23:30:00.000-03:302006-11-10T19:48:25.100-03:30

- I’m trying to remember you now; I didn’t recognize your voice when you called. You were here over the summer, yes? - Yes I was. I was visiting my girlfriend. You dropped me off at Rue St-Dominique. - Ah! I remember now! But I pick you up at a hotel this time, you are not broken up I hope? - No, no. I’m here on business this time. She’s back

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1162635730964158352006-11-04T06:33:00.000-03:302006-11-04T06:52:10.973-03:30

I wasn't sure if I was going to get time for this.I'm a little sad here on my last day in Reykjavik. I came on a Canadian Trade Mission with AbbyShot and everything went VERY well, the Icelanders we met were so friendly and direct and lovely to deal with; we really couldn't have asked for a better time in a foreign country.And then last night, the business dealings were all finished! We went to

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1161219052250195822006-10-18T22:00:00.000-02:302006-10-19T00:20:55.400-02:30

How is THIS going to work? A complicated situation in Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien.It’s a movie about teens who drink, smoke up, and try to have sex with anything that moves. We've seen this all before, right?The thing is, every frame of Y Tu Mama Tambien is filled with a real melancholy that few films are able to evoke. You can feel that these "glory days" of youth are slipping away

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1160849669806856822006-10-14T13:40:00.000-02:302006-10-16T00:44:12.026-02:30

Jack (Matthew Fox) is locked away while newly-introduced Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) looks on in the Season 3 premiere of LOST.The third season of LOST has begun in much the same way as the second: with a tantalizing look into a world that we're dying to understand. The massive question hanging over Season 1 was "What is in the hatch?", a question adressed enigmatically in the Season 2 opener

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1160442296240130132006-10-09T21:18:00.000-02:302006-10-10T00:59:23.116-02:30

"Look, it's me in a comic-book I found when I teleported to New York City! Hey, why don't you believe me?" Masi Oka from Heroes on NBC.Yes, it's that time of year again: the days are getting shorter, the leaves are getting ready to let go of the trees, and TV networks are throwing shows at us like each one is the second coming of MASH. Yes, I'm sure Brothers and Sisters is great, and surely

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1158118911899303062006-09-13T00:43:00.000-02:302006-09-13T07:49:12.926-02:30

Wow, I don't even know how to begin to describe Dragon*Con.It's a convention that's all about the people you meet, so I guess I'll start there.Every person you will meet at Dragon*Con is interesting. Normal, boring, run-of-the-mill people will not wait the entire year for the one weekend where they can pack into sweaty hotels in Atlanta to dress like their movie hero of choice. Let's say, Jack

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1156997095217712622006-08-31T01:20:00.000-02:302006-08-31T01:34:55.230-02:30

Well, it's off to Dragon*Con in a few hours with the AbbyShot crew. I've had my baptism by fire by getting ready for this big convention, and now I really feel like I'm becoming a part of the team. I'm sure the upcoming bonding experience of many, many people crammed into one hotel room will further strengthen our resolve. I honestly can't wait; selling coats from a booth to the diehard fans at

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1155871703983381342006-08-17T21:06:00.000-02:302006-08-18T01:08:01.156-02:30

Treadmills have never been this cool before.Okay, so it's been a little over a week since the last update. Many apologies to my rabid fanbase of... well... at least three people that have left comments! Thanks so much for that, I will be leaving comments on your blogs soon, once I think of some witty stuff to say. It's interesting too that my first comments haven't even come from here in Canada;

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1154887489942194342006-08-06T14:27:00.000-02:302006-08-06T15:34:50.050-02:30

It's a celebration! Mark's got a job!It's Sunday afternoon now and I'm in the backyard basking in a surprisingly warm and sunny day. My legs are still throbbing from an all-day Ultimate Frisbee tournament that rolled on yesterday through a mainly rainy and wet day. But it was still a great time! My randomly-picked (but amazingly fun) team went all the way to the finals, through six hard-fought

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1154466620300009192006-08-01T15:31:00.000-02:302006-08-01T18:40:26.073-02:30

Everything that's worth doing in St. John's begins on (or around) George Street.Friday night at the Republic. It started out as a few rounds of drinks between our Ultimate Frisbee team to celebrate our friend Dave's birthday. Yes I play Ultimate Frisbee and it is a damn fine sport! Anyway, between conversations about TV shows, music, and Internet videos that are probably better off forgotten (

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1154051850649212432006-07-27T23:13:00.000-02:302006-07-27T23:27:30.656-02:30

Sony's new PS3 controller?!? Something just doesn't seem right...I never thought I'd feel bad for mega-corporation Sony. But first it's the angry (yet hilarious) Sony fanboy going wild on a radio talk-show.And now this. The picture is apparently real, coming from an actual Playstation 3 model at a recent videogame expo. All I can say is OUCH...

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1153971551174515882006-07-27T00:02:00.000-02:302006-07-27T01:22:46.206-02:30

Former cop Hartigan (Bruce Willis) in the bar with a very grown up Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) in Sin CityIn keeping with the film noir theme of my previous posts, I’ll dive right in: Sin City is a movie that instantly blew me away. Not even halfway through the first act I was ready to sign up for the fan club. Sin City is not only a perfect page-to-screen adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1153962802880451702006-07-26T22:36:00.000-02:302006-07-27T01:20:04.743-02:30

Bud White (Russell Crowe) holds back the inquisitive Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) in Curtis Hanson's L.A. ConfidentialL.A. Confidential is a movie that lives and breathes. Starting from the credit sequence, Danny DeVito's sleazy Hollywood tabloid reporter gives us a voice-over knocking down the "wholesome" image of 1950's California to show us a world of gangs, drugs, sex, and a whole host of other

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1153946023229296352006-07-26T15:01:00.000-02:302006-07-27T01:22:25.733-02:30

Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) in a bit of a bind in Terry Gilliam's BrazilTerry Gilliam's movies, to start out simply enough, are definitely not for everyone. All of his works are not confined by the normal constraints of movie storytelling, say, logic, rationality, and reason. Watching a Gilliam film is more like opening the lid on top of the man's head (much like one of his funky Monty Python

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1153880477190272272006-07-25T23:19:00.000-02:302006-07-25T23:51:17.210-02:30

After catching up on the new, "reimagined" Battlestar Galactica last month (after a few years of being scared off by the name and the cheesy 'Star Wars' rip-off from the 70s that it's loosely based on) I discovered that it's a damn good show! Gritty and dark, with realistic characters that are never painted in black and white; it's a necessary new step in TV science fiction. But while watching

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31642760.post-1153854276550166532006-07-25T13:53:00.000-02:302006-07-26T18:11:50.346-02:30

Well, here's my first official post in a bona-fide blog! On "Blogger" no less. My previous attempts at blogging were in the younger and slightly more foolish days of, well, last year. I took a lovely trip to France to travel (with a side of study mixed in) and started up an MSN Space thing that basically turned into a place to dump pictures.So I think it's about time now to graduate to a real

Mark B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15371652456842601782noreply@blogger.com1