Tangled is not a movie I'm proud to say I've watched, particularly when I didn't watch it with a child. H and I watched it on Netflix when there was nothing else on the tube.
I expected Tangled to be pretty mediocre and was modestly surprised. It definitely isn't a classic, but it is more fun than it could have been.
The plot is pretty much what one would expect. The characters are all standard fare. The heroine is plucky and resourceful. The hero is a rouge with a heart of gold. Together they fall in love, defeat the forces aligned against them, and live happily ever after. There is betrayal, sacrifice, and help from a rouge's gallery of misfits. Oh there is plenty of singing.
The beautiful animation is one of the Tangled strengths. While the story is cookie cutter, it is a good story and it is well assembled. Everyone does a good job. Mandy Moore's singing is excellent. Zac Levy's rouge is dashing when needed and believable when he gets soft. The jokes are well done and well timed.
So, Tangled won't win any awards, nor will it become a classic. That said, it is a decent way to kill an hour and a half.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Gearing Up
I love my Tricross single speed. Not worrying about shifting and the silence of the drive train are magical. The only trouble with a single speed is that you need to be in good enough shape to complete your ride in the bike's gear. It was becoming obvious to me that I was not in good enough shape to complete my commute to and from work in the bike's gear. It was also obvious that I was not going to be able to get into good enough shape if I kept trying to do it on the single speed.
I needed gears.
I have an old geared bike, but I just don't like riding it. The drive train is twitchy and the aluminum frame rattles my bones over the smallest bumps. I could have done some upgrading by putting better components into the drive train and getting a carbon fork, but that seemed like a lot of money to put into a cheap bike.
So I decided to buy a new bike. I knew what I wanted: my single speed with gears. I considered putting an internally geared hub on the single speed, but there are no shifter choices for drop bars. I wasn't really prepared to spend the money needed to switch to straight bars. Nor was I convinced that I wanted to ride on straight bars.
Then I saw that my local bike shop had a new Tricross Comp in stock. It is the same frame as my single speed, but with a Shimano 105 drive train. I figured I'd give it a test ride and see if it felt right. While I was there I also tried out a few other cross bikes, just to make sure.
Two of the other bikes that I tried had SRAM components, but I really didn't like the double tap shifting. Remembering that one tap did something and two taps did something else and a long tap did a third thing just wasn't working for me. The other bikes were also more traditional cross racing frames and felt twitchy.
The Tricross' shudders are easy to understand and smooth as butter to shift. The geometry is nice as well. It is a slightly relaxed cross racing geometry. It is a little longer and more stable which is what I was looking for in a commuting bike. The Triccross frame also is fender and rack ready. O e other nice feature of the Tricross is the triple from ring. The granny gears come in handy on the big hill between the bike path and home after a long day at work.
After two weeks and 200 miles on the bike, I am very happy with the upgrade. It really is just like riding the single speed, but with gears. I thought that I would be bothered by needing to constantly think about the gears and the clicking of the cassette. Instead I find that I appreciate the gears because I can commute to work in a reasonable amount of time without nearly killing myself.
In fact, I hardly even think about the gears. I just tap the lever when I feel like I'm struggling. The click of the cassette is a pleasant chant reminding me that all is well. Good gears are great.
I needed gears.
I have an old geared bike, but I just don't like riding it. The drive train is twitchy and the aluminum frame rattles my bones over the smallest bumps. I could have done some upgrading by putting better components into the drive train and getting a carbon fork, but that seemed like a lot of money to put into a cheap bike.
So I decided to buy a new bike. I knew what I wanted: my single speed with gears. I considered putting an internally geared hub on the single speed, but there are no shifter choices for drop bars. I wasn't really prepared to spend the money needed to switch to straight bars. Nor was I convinced that I wanted to ride on straight bars.
Then I saw that my local bike shop had a new Tricross Comp in stock. It is the same frame as my single speed, but with a Shimano 105 drive train. I figured I'd give it a test ride and see if it felt right. While I was there I also tried out a few other cross bikes, just to make sure.
Two of the other bikes that I tried had SRAM components, but I really didn't like the double tap shifting. Remembering that one tap did something and two taps did something else and a long tap did a third thing just wasn't working for me. The other bikes were also more traditional cross racing frames and felt twitchy.
The Tricross' shudders are easy to understand and smooth as butter to shift. The geometry is nice as well. It is a slightly relaxed cross racing geometry. It is a little longer and more stable which is what I was looking for in a commuting bike. The Triccross frame also is fender and rack ready. O e other nice feature of the Tricross is the triple from ring. The granny gears come in handy on the big hill between the bike path and home after a long day at work.
After two weeks and 200 miles on the bike, I am very happy with the upgrade. It really is just like riding the single speed, but with gears. I thought that I would be bothered by needing to constantly think about the gears and the clicking of the cassette. Instead I find that I appreciate the gears because I can commute to work in a reasonable amount of time without nearly killing myself.
In fact, I hardly even think about the gears. I just tap the lever when I feel like I'm struggling. The click of the cassette is a pleasant chant reminding me that all is well. Good gears are great.
Chariot Courgar
H and I wanted a way to take Bug biking with us, so we needed a baby carrier for our bikes. We both liked the idea of a trailer better than a child seat. The trailer seems safer because it is lower to the ground and has a built in roll cage. Having a child carrier on the back of a bike (I cannot even imagine that the front mounted seats are safe) changes the balance of the bike and means the baby falls the same distance to the ground.
I did a bunch of research to see if my bias was wrong. The bike mounted carriers are generally cost less than the trailers. It turns out that there are a lot of conflicting opinions, but no hard facts. There is no statistical evidence that either the trailer or the bike mounted carrier is safer. Carrier people like having the child close to them so they interact with the child and feel that the risk of a trailer getting hit by a car is worth the danger of the child falling. Trailer people think the trailers are safer because they are less likely to flip and the child is better protected in any accident.
Since there was no hard evidence, we decided to go with a trailer. Then we had to find the right trailer. There are a wide range of trailers on the market and a correspondingly wide range of prices. We quickly ruled out the low end trailers. Some just looked cheap others didn't get good reviews. Bug's safety and comfort is worth going up a notch.
The two big names in trailers are Burley and Chariot. I looked at both and read a ton of reviews. The prices were comparable as were most of the features. From my reading, the Chariot trailers seemed to be a notch better. The Chariot's also had a few spiffy features the Burley did not: adjustable spring suspension, easy store trailer arm, and a ton of conversion kits.
We opted to get the mid-level Chariot, the Cougar. It was not cheap, but it seems worth it so far. It is well constructed. The cockpit is well ventilated and the integrated screen and rain cover is easy to use. The strap system is well padded and easy to use. One nice feature is that the back has a pocket so that the back of the child's helmet doesn't push against the back panel.
The trailer also has a ton of storage. There is a good sized trunk and a big mesh pocket on the back.
We've taken it out once, and it performed admirably. The hitch is a simple ball hitch that hooks up without any trouble. When in motion it rolls along smoothly. You can tell there is some weight behind you, but it is not too bad. Getting used to the wider turn radius was a little difficult.
Bug seemed to enjoy the ride. She chatted away one the way out and fell asleep on the way home.
The best part was that we had a stroller to push around in between bike riding stints. We had ridden into Lexington to do a bit of shopping, so having a stroller was key.
I did a bunch of research to see if my bias was wrong. The bike mounted carriers are generally cost less than the trailers. It turns out that there are a lot of conflicting opinions, but no hard facts. There is no statistical evidence that either the trailer or the bike mounted carrier is safer. Carrier people like having the child close to them so they interact with the child and feel that the risk of a trailer getting hit by a car is worth the danger of the child falling. Trailer people think the trailers are safer because they are less likely to flip and the child is better protected in any accident.
Since there was no hard evidence, we decided to go with a trailer. Then we had to find the right trailer. There are a wide range of trailers on the market and a correspondingly wide range of prices. We quickly ruled out the low end trailers. Some just looked cheap others didn't get good reviews. Bug's safety and comfort is worth going up a notch.
The two big names in trailers are Burley and Chariot. I looked at both and read a ton of reviews. The prices were comparable as were most of the features. From my reading, the Chariot trailers seemed to be a notch better. The Chariot's also had a few spiffy features the Burley did not: adjustable spring suspension, easy store trailer arm, and a ton of conversion kits.
We opted to get the mid-level Chariot, the Cougar. It was not cheap, but it seems worth it so far. It is well constructed. The cockpit is well ventilated and the integrated screen and rain cover is easy to use. The strap system is well padded and easy to use. One nice feature is that the back has a pocket so that the back of the child's helmet doesn't push against the back panel.
The trailer also has a ton of storage. There is a good sized trunk and a big mesh pocket on the back.
We've taken it out once, and it performed admirably. The hitch is a simple ball hitch that hooks up without any trouble. When in motion it rolls along smoothly. You can tell there is some weight behind you, but it is not too bad. Getting used to the wider turn radius was a little difficult.
Bug seemed to enjoy the ride. She chatted away one the way out and fell asleep on the way home.
The best part was that we had a stroller to push around in between bike riding stints. We had ridden into Lexington to do a bit of shopping, so having a stroller was key.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Kick Ass
I've had Kick Ass on my list of movies to see for ever. The opportunity finally popped up last weekend. H was too pooped to argue and it was on Netflix.
I was prepared to be disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty awesome. The characters, visuals, acting, and action were great. I liked the origins of the title character. I particularly liked Hit Girl.
The weakest part of the story was the love story. I found it unbelievable even for a movie about super heroes. I know every super hero needs a girl, but a little effort could have been made to make it work.
I was prepared to be disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty awesome. The characters, visuals, acting, and action were great. I liked the origins of the title character. I particularly liked Hit Girl.
The weakest part of the story was the love story. I found it unbelievable even for a movie about super heroes. I know every super hero needs a girl, but a little effort could have been made to make it work.
Baby Backpacking with Kelty
H's cousin gave us a used Kelty Journey when bug entered the scene. Until recently, we'd been using either a stroller or carrying bug in a Baby Borne when we'd go on walks. Then I pulled the Kelty out of the basement because the Baby Borne was wrecking my old, chair conditioned back.
The Journey looks like a serious back pack with the storage compartment converted into a chair. We didn't have instructions, so figuring the harness system out was a challenge. Once you figure the straps out it makes perfect sense and they keep the passenger snug, but comfortable.
With the technical hurdles overcome, the real challenge was seeing how bug, and I, did on an actual walk... We started small with a walk around the neighborhood. Bug liked it a lot. She was able to see stuff and move around a little better. My back liked the Kelty much better than the Baby Borne. The weight is well distributed.
We've taken out two more times since then. We did a 5k charity walk that was most fun. Today we did a short hike that was marred by mosquitoes. On both occasions the Kelty did excellent. Bug likes hanging out in it and my back is much happier!
The Journey looks like a serious back pack with the storage compartment converted into a chair. We didn't have instructions, so figuring the harness system out was a challenge. Once you figure the straps out it makes perfect sense and they keep the passenger snug, but comfortable.
With the technical hurdles overcome, the real challenge was seeing how bug, and I, did on an actual walk... We started small with a walk around the neighborhood. Bug liked it a lot. She was able to see stuff and move around a little better. My back liked the Kelty much better than the Baby Borne. The weight is well distributed.
We've taken out two more times since then. We did a 5k charity walk that was most fun. Today we did a short hike that was marred by mosquitoes. On both occasions the Kelty did excellent. Bug likes hanging out in it and my back is much happier!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Chuck Anticipation
I'm psyched that Chuck is getting one more, albeit shortened, season. It is a fun, action comedy and the central characters—Chuck, Sara, and Casey—are interesting. You want them to succeed and be happy. The rest of the cast makes a nice back drop, as long as they don't get too much air time.
I thought the season finally was, although predictable, excellent. It showed Chuck's growth in terms of self-confidence and skills, it resolved the Volkoff storyline, and tied up the family issues. I also liked that it set up the next season for big changes.
The one concern I have, and it was one of the things that bothered me all season, was the expansion of Morgan's role. As the slacker friend in the first few seasons he was a nice comic side-kick. This season his position as "team member" put him on screen too much, and his role is set up to be even bigger next season.
It many ways Morgan is just a delayed version of Chuck. Adding a second Chuck into the mix cannot be a good idea. It will either distract from the main arc of Chuck's development or be just an easy way to keep fall back on previously trodden territory.
I hope the writers can find a way to keep the story focused on the central trio. I imagine there is a way Morgan can be integrated into the story and his status elevated such that he enhances the central narrative. I just hope the writers pull it off.
I thought the season finally was, although predictable, excellent. It showed Chuck's growth in terms of self-confidence and skills, it resolved the Volkoff storyline, and tied up the family issues. I also liked that it set up the next season for big changes.
The one concern I have, and it was one of the things that bothered me all season, was the expansion of Morgan's role. As the slacker friend in the first few seasons he was a nice comic side-kick. This season his position as "team member" put him on screen too much, and his role is set up to be even bigger next season.
It many ways Morgan is just a delayed version of Chuck. Adding a second Chuck into the mix cannot be a good idea. It will either distract from the main arc of Chuck's development or be just an easy way to keep fall back on previously trodden territory.
I hope the writers can find a way to keep the story focused on the central trio. I imagine there is a way Morgan can be integrated into the story and his status elevated such that he enhances the central narrative. I just hope the writers pull it off.
Easy A
The highly rated teen drama staring the highly regarded Emma Stone makes Hester Prynn a web caster - sort of. It is a neat idea to update the classic in a respectful manner without a naked Demi Moore. Sadly, Easy A is not the film to do it.
Emma Stone's performance is strong and the supporting performances by her character's family member are perfect. The film does deal with the issue of character assassination and false piety, but it gets lost along the way. There is the whole rumors running wild conceit, the whole being infamous has a dark side conceit, and the whole be true to yourself conceit. They all have a place, but in this case I found that they detracted from the main thrust of the story.
The writing and humor was well delivered, so it is a watchable movie. It was definitely an OK Saturday Netfilx film.
Emma Stone's performance is strong and the supporting performances by her character's family member are perfect. The film does deal with the issue of character assassination and false piety, but it gets lost along the way. There is the whole rumors running wild conceit, the whole being infamous has a dark side conceit, and the whole be true to yourself conceit. They all have a place, but in this case I found that they detracted from the main thrust of the story.
The writing and humor was well delivered, so it is a watchable movie. It was definitely an OK Saturday Netfilx film.
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