Yes, my interest is Kindled

I just finished my first read, Dickens' A Christmas Carol, on the Amazon Kindle. My dad gave me the Kindle for Christmas and, though I wouldn't have bought one for myself, I think it's a pretty great device and that it's an awesome gift. I have the Global version, which is good since I live in Canadia (I'm pretty sure that dad didn't think about this before clicking on "buy" so it really is a bit of luck there) with a 6" screen. I wasn't previously aware that there is a DX version with like a 9.5" screen. I think I would like the smaller one that I have better since it would be more portable but I've yet to hold the DX in my hands.

The configuration of the device is the 6" screen, with a keypad below that. To the right of the keypad is a little joystick for navigating the device menus. The basic interface of "turning pages" is done with dedicated buttons on either side of the device. There are also speakers and a earphone jack for audiofiles. Finally, a mini-USB port can link it to a computer.

The Kindle has a nice feel in the hands although it reminds me of those things they are always reading from on Star Trek. The screen is smallish but since you can adjust text size, this doesn't really matter. The screen is pretty soft and easy on the eyes, not like a computer display. On the other hand, it requires exterior light to read and the glare is only reduced so much. The controls are nice and you can basically hold the device and "turn pages" with one hand (either right or left) leaving your other hand free to hold a martini, for instance. Another nice feature is the built-in dictionary, which provides short entries at the bottom of the screen if you highlight a word with the joystick.

I don't know how many e-books that I realistically am going to buy. I like the feel of physical books and the sight of them on my bulging bookshelves. But one can get many old books for free since they are now public domain. Further, it will be very useful for perusing PDFs of papers and whatnot while I'm traveling or commuting. I'm hoping that a little digging around online and talking to other Kindle users will provide me with more ideas on its use.

Comic reviews -- Preacher

One of the first stores I found when I moved to Vancouver was a comic shop just down the street from my apartment. Although a nerd, I've never read much in the way of comics, just an issue of Spiderman occasionally when I was a kid. But when the Watchmen movie came out recently, I was inspired to read the original graphic novel and I really enjoyed it. So it was only a matter of time before I stopped in the neighborhood comic shop and checked out some other things. With the exception of a short-run series of the X-Men's Storm as a kid, everything has been pretty good. Let me tell you a little about what I've been reading.

If you follow my Twitter feed, you've probably seen a few of my tweets regarding Preacher. Put simply and objectively, Preacher kicks ass. In the intro to the third volume, Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller fame has this to say, "...had all the things I love -- tits, fucking, and things blowing up." That doesn't say it all, but gets quite a bit of it.

Preacher follows the adventures of Jesse Custer, a hard-fightin', hard-cussin' man of the cloth; his crack-shot girlfriend Tulip; and, of course, Cassidy, their good buddy who's a 100 year-old vampire from Ireland. Jesse is on a mission to find God, who has apparently taken leave of heaven and is more or less on the run in the mortal world. It even appears like God may be a bit afeared of ol' Jesse since the preacher has been infused with the power of the incredible being, Genesis, the offspring of an angel and a devil. On this mission Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy run into an amazing and memorable cast of characters as they hunt down God to make Him answer for why He made such a fucked up world.

The artwork is colorful and vibrant. It is definitely not sanitized and a number of the scenes will certainly stick in your memory. Preacher is not for the faint of heart. It's brutal and, at times, plain sadistic. You will be shocked. But it is much more than just another push on the envelope. This comic will definitely leave you with things to think about and it's just damn entertaining to boot. I'm in the middle of the series at present (it's about 36 issues in total) so I can't tell you if it all pulls together well in the end. But I am definitely enjoying the ride.

I've got a few of other series that I've been following so expect to see some more posts on comics in the future.

Movie preview

During my time in L.A., I developed a number of contacts in "the biz." The following titles of upcoming releases were recently leaked to me:

• Pop Culture Shout Out 3

• An Animated Rat Becomes King or Whatever

• Actioner 2 : The Awesoming

• Retread : The Sequel

• Honey, Where Are My Fucking Keys?

• You're Cute. No, You Are

• Disgraced Celebrity : The Real Story

• Hip-Hop Soundtrack Movie

• An American Jingo

• Diva Thinks She Can Act

• Knock-Off 2 : Legally Distinct

• We Love Love

• Slut Valley High

• Sports Montage

• Aquaman : The Best Superheroes Already Have Movies

• Little Bobby's Story : An Inspiring Downer

• Book, the Movie

• Frenchie, the Dog Who Delivers Babies

• Cram It! True Story of the American Olympic Debate Team

• Bikini Murder Island

• Carnage, the Musical

• The Creature That Ate the Supporting Characters

• In the Red : Street Accountancy

• Slaughterhouse Jive

• Murder, She Tweeted