Eating Muffins in an Agitated Manner

Day Twelve

Posted by jukkahoo

Today the choice of beers are Lapin Kulta III and Lapin Kulta IV. I believe my choice is red wine, which is Farnito Camponibbio. I can live with that.

The book is Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick. Entertaining caper about a thief and a scoundrel. Well worth your while. I'll be among the City council members at their christmas reception tonight. Good company.

Film should still be The Hobbit - An Unexpected Party, but I guess that would be overdoing it, a bit. Therefore the film of the day is Helsinki, Ikuisesti (2008) by Peter Vompatti.

And therefore it follows that the song must be this one: Katupoikien laulu by Problems? Featuring the talented council member Valokainen. Helou Helsinki!

Day Hobbit

Posted by jukkahoo

Beer of the day is Dragonhead Stout by the Orkney Brewery. Very nice, low-alcohol (4%) stout that has a good spirit to it, plenty of flavour and soothing aftertaste. The Northern Light Pale Ale was good too, same percentage, a lot less complex beer, easy to drink and therefore a solid recommendation as well. But the stout was really good, excellent beer.

Book of the day is Lohikäärmevuori by J. R. R. Tolkien, the childefied Finnish version of The Hobbit, which is still the only version I've read of the classic. I think I now must go and read the original version, since...

The film of the day is The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey (2012). Now, I'm a bit of an Tolkien fan. I was one of the three founders of Legolas, the later official fanzine of The Finnish Tolkien Society, of which I was also later a founding member, a vice-chair and subsequent editor of Legolas. I was gobsmacked by The Fellowship of the RIng and while I loved the other movies, I though of them not as much as the first one. Better looking, but less good. Two Towers' extended version was still great, come to think of it.

I was sold by the Misty Mountaing song sung by the dwarves. Not so much by the Neil Finn version, but nevermind. There's lot to like in the film: it looks REALLY great and New Zealand Tourism Board must be over the moon by all the visuals, I love the fact that plenty many dwarves have a distinctive personality, the film takes its time with the source material, the cast is great (Martin Freeman is made of awesome-sauce!), Gollum looks magnificient and the Dwarves vs. Orcs battle at the gates of Moria is breathtaking! And the eagles! They are a'comin'!

There are, however, few moments when Jackson could've just cut stuff out: I could've done with less roller coast rides, several bits of extended fighting, the totally unnecessary Freddo-bit and the usual Jacksony-grotesque. OK, his film and he loves the stuff, so I will not complain too loudly. But still.

I think my expectations were not that great, mainly because of the mistakes (in my opinion) he made with LotR and the inexplainable reason to make The Hobbit as a trilogy. And with the bloody 3D. Though, this was not as bad as I expected. I believe this would and will look really great in 2D. I mean, it LOOKS great nevertheless.

Very happy and satisfied. And big thanks to Mikael Ahlström for the invitation to the kutsuvierasnäytäntö.

The song for today is this, of course. It's really just the beginning, first minute or so, that rulez.

Day X

Posted by jukkahoo

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen is a very good beer. It's one smoky beer. A bit bitter at first, but when your palate gets used to all these wonderful flavours, you'll keep coming back for more. Most excellent.

James S. A. Corey aka. Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck wrote one of the regular doorstoppers of 2010. Leviathan Wakes is a big, bold interplanetary space opera, that plays with cliches and invents a few new ones. This is one proper "lukuromaani" as we say in Finland. There's action, betrayal, space battles, sacrifices, rebellion, war, love and kitchen sink. And vomit zombies! I believe I died a little when those came into the picture, but in the end it was OK. Hollywood goes Space in A Book! 

Religulous (2008) is Bill Maher taking a look into the world of organised religion of the worlds. He asks plenty questions and gets some answers from people of various faiths. Most of the people interviewed give their denomination a really bad name, while some salt of the Earth -types get a bit more respectful treatment. To an atheist this is often very funny, if a bit repetative. Maher's had this schtick for the longest time and it gets a bit stale at times (which indeed surprised me a bit). I had higher hopes for this one. Still, "eh?" for an effort.

Evoking feelings of sadness and forlorn hope. Call in the Night Boy by Talk Talk.

Day Nine

Posted by jukkahoo

I remember the first time I tried a kriek. What could it be? A cherry beer? Surely this was going to be an abomination and then some. Fell in love and soon found out that Lindemans Kriek is my favourite. As it happens, it also readily available in FInland, hooray! Delish sparkling cherry drink goes well with most of things and is brilliant all by itself, too.

Since kriek is a light, easy-going beer, the book should be as such. Philippa Ballantine's Geist is more than aptly that. Rollicking fun fantasy with uneasy couple of tagteam-wizards and we have a very competent and readable little fantasy series. Geist is the first book of the Order, with Wrayth and Spectyr following. These are entertainment, good for few hours/days of fluffy reading. The magic system is interesting and character relations grow and weld together really well. I believe some people might call these guilty secrets, if one is secretive type.

Ballantine is from New Zealand and besides the Order-books, she writes steampunk (as Pip Ballantine) with her husband Tee Morris. The MInistry of Peculiar Occurences is actually a shared world, where many antipodean authors have written stories to. There is also a fair amount of podcasting going on.

The Extraordinay Adventures of Adéle Blanc-Sec (2010) is also a very easy-going, entertaining funny film. A very much awaited return of Luc Besson wasn't in the end what people expected, unfortunately. It's a good film, but it should've been great, because Tardi. Lovely visuals, good story and delightful protagonist, all good building bricks for a great fantasy film and who doesn't love the pharaoh? Tres bon!

Still, something is lacking. Should it be a bit tighter? Should the plot itself be more engaging? Menetiedä.

And since our beer is Belgian, the song du jour must also be from Belgium. And who else than Monsieur Magnifique, Jacques Brel and Amsterdam could it possibly be? Spit it away, sir!

Day Eight

Posted by jukkahoo

Beer- Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged Beer. I like the taste of this ale. It's not too anything, but it has endurance and a regular cornucopia of flavours. Every mouthful is an experience eagerly expecting another one. Would really like to see more (beside s the good Rum Finish) from this brewery in Alko. The mere thought of their Winter Treacle Porter...

Book- John Maddox Roberts has had a long and varied career. He's probably most known for his entertaining SPQR-mysteries featuring Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, the solver of things criminal, a son of a prominent plebeian and of the powerful Metelli family. Good fun, decent mysteries and a great feel of the era (basically the age of Ceasar, from the Republic to his demise). Decius is delightfully Roman, arrogant and well aware of his stature and place in the world. But he is also good protagonist, not too shabby with his trusted sica and armed with sense of honesty, righteousness and humour. These are short novels, easily devoured in a day, but I would limit reading only one or two at the time and taking a healthy period of rest between the next dosage of the Roman goodness.

But Roberts has written other stuff too: some eight or so Conan novels, couple of historical adventures (like really fun Falcon-series as Mark Ramsay), some fantasies and SF. Of which my absolute favourite is Space Angel (Avaruusenkeli!), a really charming space opera. The Finnish translation is clearly abridged, but who cares, the action is there, the chitin-covered aliens really cool warriors and the mysterious ball is really mysterious. And them abandoned spaceships! Sensawunda galore!

Now, Space Angel I've read dozens of times (and have about as many copies of it), but I only recently found out that there is a sequel (of sorts): Spacer: Window of the Mind. In the novel a street urchin Kirill is saved by the titular Space Angel and subsequently has to use her telepathic powers to prevent the ship from being used as a pawn in an insane attempt to start an intergalactic war. Great stuff!

Film- So, I found French films this year. Not that I hadn't seen Truffaut or Godard, Renoir, Cocteau, Besson, Malle, Tati or Sönösekuu before. But this year I realised first that "yeah, there are many French SF-films by people like Jeunet, Caro, Julien Leclercq, Franck Vestiel and Mathieu Kassovitz. And a whole lot more in crime, action et al genres!" 

Eden Log (2007) is the debut film of Vestiel and looks absolutely stunning. Not in a sense that it's special FX galore of visual stunningness, but the look of the film is stark, powerful and gripping. It begins in a dark hole, as a lonely figure is struggling to get out of something sticky and muddy. It's all black with occasional glimpses of light. The naked man starts to looksee where the hell he is, finds clues but even more mysteries, monsters and madness. If you've seen Pandorum (2009), you've seen the big budget lesser version of Eden Log.

I loved the film, though I would've wanted to see it done with a slightly bigger budget, now some of the scens just scream "gimme visuals!" But all in alla, great little film. And watch it in French if possible, the English dubbing lost me in five minutes. 

Song - Kraftwerk's Radioactivity as it would've appeared in any Santo-movie. ¡Señor Coconut Y Su Conjunto!

Day Seven

Posted by jukkahoo

Kapuziner Winter-Weißbier is a lot more like proper wheat beer than the Kaiserdom from day one. Faint aroma, but that's OK, I rather drink than sniff my beer. The taste is very easy, opening up wonderfully. Nicely wheaty. I like this one. Not very wintery though.

Emily Gee: Thief with No Shadow is agonisingly finely-tuned little fantasy novel of self-loathing, submission, hidden emotions, athmosphere and anxiety. It reads like a little realistic Dutch coutryside novel of a family of dark, sinister secrets that two strangers have some to reveal by way of stealing their most prized posession. It's gloomy and desperate, but at the same time, hauntingly romantic, liberating and filled with tension that refuses to be categorised easily. Loved the darkness of it all, felt the distress and torment the characters had and sighed well and truly in the end. Tough but rewarding read. 

Lockout (2012) is a regular paint-by-numbers wrongly convicted man has a chance to redeem himself if he can help someone powerful in a bad situation. This time the president's daughter is in space prison when convicts take over the facility and Guy Pearce is the man for the job, as a wise-cracking ex-agent.

I wanted to like this one a lot more than I actually did, it has good action, nice visuals, decent script and BRILLIANT Joe Gilgun as the deranged baddie. Unfortunately the script is drab, conspiracy is weak and the tone isn't quite clear to all participants. This looks good and is well worth your while, provided you won't expect anything really interesting. Joe Gilgun as one truly flipped out psychopath is excellent and can really add this performance to the equally excellent portrayal of Rudy Wade in Misfits. Next I'd like to see him do something nice.

Song of the day is It's A Jungle Out There by The Bone Symphony. The video screams out a literal version, but otherwise this is brilliant version of the original. I remember seeing the video ages ago, wrote the name of the band down and after that I never heard more of the band. Few years ago I found the piece of paper with the band's name and I had an epiphany of looking for the band from the internets. Hey presto! There is was and as good as it ever was. Yay!

Day Independence

Posted by jukkahoo

Today we celebrate the Independence Day by staying at home and checking out the wardrobe on people at The Party. Many Happy Returns Fair Maiden of Finland!

I'll start with some smoked oaked porter from Querkus. The smokiness is light, but there's plenty burned, roasted, malty flavours. As porters go, this one is delightfully fullbodied and Byzantine, but it's still very easy to drink. I now have craving for chocolate.

I don't remember really reading any independence stories this year, but Elizabeth Moon's Remnant Population has some independent thinking in it. Moon was squarely in the middle of one of the many Racefail™'s we've had in the fandom. She was wrong but some her detractors weren't looking all that much better in the end. Anyway.

Remnant Population is a story of Ofelia, an old woman, who decides to stay put, when her colony of settlers are moved away from their planet. Apparently they are really bad settlers and the powers that be want some new ideas and blood on the ground. And blood they shall have, since the hitherto calm original inhabitants of the planet come and massacre the newcomers.

When the aliens move to Ofelia's town, they find out that perhaps these ugly creatures that cannot speak or understand their language are after all, sentient beings. And then more humans arrive.

I liked this one a lot. It's relatively short, compact novel with interesting cultural differences and genuinely alien aliens. Not to mention a fairly uncommon main character. Recommended.

I guess I should choose a rousing interpretation of some nationalistic anthems for the song tonight, but I don't think I cannot do that. Instead, I'll link (once more) to something horribly accurate and at the same time deadly funny presentation of us Finns. The "song" for today is: The Finnish way of drinking by Robert Gustafsson.

<addenda> Ooops, I seem to have forgotten to include a film here. My bad. How about Attack the Block (2011)? This little gem of a mix of gang violence and alien invasion is something definitely not for everyone. The plot is pretty much The Warriors meet The Gremlins and hilarity mayhem ensues. Deadly aliens start to fall from sky and kill people in the hoods. Local juvenile delinquents decide to take action and cue violence. No heart of gold gansters here, effing foulmouthed thugs (played by real-life street kids) who begin the film by mugging and robbing our future female lead. It shouldn't possibly work, nut all in alla, Attack the Block is fun rollercoaster ride told by an idiot, full of blood and gore, signifying the hopelessness of a suburban youth. Or something. <addenda>

Day Five

Posted by jukkahoo

Little Valley Brewery's Organic Bottle Conditioned Ginger Pale Ale. Lovely smell of ginger and the taste is delish too. Bit subdued and tad on the bitter side, but all in all very drinkable ale.

Deborah Biancotti: Bad Power is one interesting small collection of fantastical short stories on superheroes. In the vein of several tv-shows like Heroes, Alphas et al, Bad Power deals with the problems and humanities behind the special powers these people have. Really good ideas, powerful writing, so all good there. Buy it from Wizard's Tower Books! And while you browse the store, fill your cart up with some other beauties, you'll thank yourself later.

Gentlemen Broncos (2009) is a komedi by the people that brought you Napoleon Dynamite, except this time they make science fiction authors look like twats. And apparently the big kahoona Ronald Chevalier is a take-on David Farland (of the atrociously abhorrent Runelords-books, "Oh the Humanity!"). Clumsy and awkward, the film is tacky to the power of two, and so fluffy and gauche and embarrassingly funny; at the same time sad, strange and so off-kilter, that one just watches it in a bewildering amazement. Yeast Lords, indeedy.

Keeping with the spirit of the Gentlemen Broncos, I cannot but end this with nothing else besides: My Lovely Horse by Mr. Neil Hannon on the piano. "Sorry, had to do it."

 

Day Four

Posted by jukkahoo

Long day at work. Tired.

Nevertheless, beer must be imbibed! Tänään juomme kotimaista lajiketta: Viikinkien voimaolut Harald, suomalaisella hunajalla kruunattu täysmallaolut. This is a beer made for the Viking-themed restaurant chain Harald, a great place to visit, eat well and drink few hornfulls of beer/mead. This bottled one is slightly honeyed lager, fairly malty with a hint of citrus. It's drinkable, but not a great beer by any means. The small Åland brewery Stallhagen brews this one as they do the somewhat more interesting drafy beers at the restautants. The cinnamon beer is especially favoured by visiting fen.

Finnish beer, Finnish book. Juri Nummelinin Jumalten tuho on reipas otteinen fantasia-pulp, jossa alakerrasta pakoon päässyt Jeesuksen kaksoiveli tulee maan päälle, aikomuksenaan kylvää tuhoa ja turmellusta. Forssassa. Juho Juntunen lienee innoissaan, eikä tämä nyt pahaksi ole kenellekään muullekaan, viihdyttävää roiskimista ja kansalaissodan haavojen tilkitsemistä on luvassa. Suositellaan. Olen sanonut aikaisemminkin ja sanon nyt uudestaan: "Tykkäsin Jumalten tuhosta ihan oikeastikin, vauhtia piisasi ja henkilöhahmoihin tuli hyvin tuntumaa freneettisen väkivallan keskellä. Ja kukapa ei pitäisi kirjasta, jonka nimigalleria on tuollainen!" Good little pulp about the evil twin of Jesus wrecking havoc and mayhem in Forssa, Finland.

SInce I've been choosing Finnsih things, I may have to choose a Finnish film as well. And since the only Finnish film I remember seeing this year is Iron Sky, that'll have to do. Now.

I like the idea. I like the people behind the production. I like the special effects. The movie itself? It coud be worse. But it also could be so much better. I'm afraid I'm one of those people, who think that this is a bit of a wasted opportunity, in a sense that it really could've been SO much better, sharper, more poignant, funnier and so on. I like the ending with its pathos, but even that could've been a bit more biting.

Now, the characters are great, there's a lot to like and I laughed more than any Kermodian Rule of Humorous Films dictates. As a matter of fact, I think I might be somewhat close to what His Kermodianess said: It's OK, just what the label says, nothing more, nothing less. Good-looking romp, with a heart of gold and level of satire that cannot exist in many US-films. And I like the fact that I catched many of the easter eggs in my only viewing of the film. I may have to see this again. But still, not as good as I hoped for.

Aargh, a Finnish song. I won't choose my all-time favourite, Noitalinna Huraa!'s Pikkuveli, but something equally sad and melancholy: Haistakaa kukkanen, Pikku Kakkonen!

Day Three

Posted by jukkahoo

Today we drink American beer. Anchor Brewing's 2012 Christmas Ale is a very smoky, spicy and wonderfully malty dark ale. Really wintery affair that suites this time of the year more than merrier. It has a sweetly bitter taste that follows up nicely. Good for xmas table and pretty much everywhere. Couple of these should get the evening going on smashingly.

I like K. J. Parker a lot, even though I never finished the first book (Colours in the Steel of the Fencer trilogy) of her/his (those who are in the know, have their lips sealed) I started. I blame the font, which really gets on my nerves in the copy (Orbit) I have. Still, I wanted to like Parker and after I read The Company, I knew s/he was going to be one of those authors I would read everything from now on.

Parker's The Hammer is the real deal. It has some similarities with The Company (an island of industrious free-minded individuals), but I don't think the location is the same. The feel of the two books is still very much the same: rough living, hard working, proper engineering. In The Company pretty much everything that can go wrong, goes. Veterans in look for some peace and quiet and prosperity are dealt really sucky cards and the experiment goes pearshaped. In The Hammer the noble family that rules the island manages to fuck up everything so royally, that their comeuppance is almost deserved one. But only almost, as nobody really deserves what they get.

Very much in the vein Parker writes: strong, problematic main character; really well-thought secondary chars; interesting problems to overcome; added engineering; superior adversary; and lots of history, geography and politics that are not explained, only hinted. I would really like to see a proper map of the world these stories take place, with some historical notes attached.

The Hammer is not without it's problems, but the language Parker uses is just so strong and stark, that I find it impossible to let go. I see more than a hint of Gemmell here, only even more pessimistic so. The eventual fall of the protagonist is always there, Parker does not write comfort fantasy, thems are some cynical fantasy as its best. Recommended with a caution.

Tracker (2010) is a New Zealand historical (set in 1903) thriller of a chase of a murderer. Keremea (Temuera Morrison), a Maori gets wrongly accused of killing a British soldier. Van Diemen (Ray WInstone), a recent immigrant Boer gets involved and he sets out go catch the alledged killer. The game is afoot. Catch and release ensues.

This was a really nice little film. Filmed on location in NZ, the look of the land is bare and untouched. Two main actors are terrific, Morrison is suave and open freeminded spirit, while Winstone is a gruff, stoic and determined Boer, a master tracker and commando leader from the 2nd Boer War. Neither of these man love the British, more likely they both hate them, passionately even. The relative low budget of the production shows occasionally, but doesn't take anything away from the strenght of the story and the brilliant display of acting prowess these two men portray. Strong stuff.

The song of the evening is Sleater-Kinney's The Fox, I don't think I need to explain the obviousness of this song? "Land Ho!" Thems rock.