Pixar Rankings Revealed

The Wait is Over

See the gallery below for the final, authoritative Pixar Rankings List. Ok, ok, maybe not so final or authoritative. But I had fun collecting responses anyway. Thanks for humoring me. I've learned a few things. For instance, my wife's opinions are more right than mine. Shocker! LOL.

My comments/reactions are embedded in the gallery. I'll keep the survey up for a week or two if someone new wants to add their opinion to the mix. I might have to create an updated list.

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George R. R. Martin's Character Development

• Book: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)
• Book: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2)
• Author: George R. R. Martin

A Quick Observation

This is not a full review. I plan to read these books and watch the HBO series and write a review on the entire saga once I have finished. However, after book two I needed to pause and express a bit of praise for a particular literary quality.

I found myself rooting for Renly Baratheon.
I found myself supporting Robb Stark.
I found myself backing Danaerys Targaryen.
Everyone hates Joffrey Baratheon.

I was engrossed in their stories and motives. I wanted them to succeed. Then I realized something, each of those characters are enemies of one another. For just one of them to succeed, the other two would have to fail. They even outright threaten each other.

Though they stood in direct opposition, I still hoped the best for them. It is an interesting dynamic that I have never felt while reading a novel before. Kudos to Mr. Martin for great writing!

History of Typeography

This is just cool. Enjoy the nerdiness!

American News

Just The Facts

We all rely on some news outlet to get information about the world. There is no way we can personally everything that is going on even on a local level, much less across the globe. However, sometimes we get discouraged at the way news is reported. For those times, we can turn to Glove and Boots to tell it like it is:

Merlin (TV show) Rapid Reaction

It's not like we devoted our lives to the watching of this program, but tonight was a bittersweet evening as we viewed the final episode of the Merlin TV Series. It took us about a year and a half to finish all 5 seasons. 

The story is captivating and compelling, while some of the twists may be a little off-putting. The plot, in short, pits the king of Camelot against all forms of sorcery. This is troublesome because Merlin, the greatest sorcerer in history, is the once and future king Arthur's personal servant. The tension between Merlin's desire to help Arthur and the fact that the practice of magic is illegal fuel the entire story. 

The first season is light and fun to watch. Clearly, the special effects budget increased as the show continued. After a couple seasons, random episodes take on a dark nature until it climaxes with war for the future of Camelot. 

A lot of the legend of King Arthur is presented here, though clearly the creators take liberties to tell their own story. If anyone finds that offensive, I suggest you look elsewhere. The myth weavesd here is excellent and entertaining. 

Overall, I give this TV Show aired on BBC five stars and a hearty recommendation. Now I need to find something else to watch on Netflix!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Book Review

** I am currently taking a Young Adult literature course and I will be reading and reviewing several materials using a new format. This review follows a template given to me by my professor.**

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Publication Information

Name: Christopher Jimenez	Media Format: Book (eBook)
Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret	Genre: Fiction, Graphic novel, Children's literature, Mystery, Historical fiction
Author: Brian Selznick	Selection Source: 2008 Caldecott Winner
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.	Recommended Audience Age: 8-12
	Reading Recommendation: 3 out of 5
	Curriculum Connections: Literature, Leisure, Filmography, Technology, History

Review

Hugo Cabret is an orphan, a thief, a magician, a prodigy and alone. He is consumed by his late father's desire to repair a curious automaton that is poised with a pen. Hugo is convinced that the mechanical man is programmed to deliver a personal message to him, perhaps from his father.

Hugo embarks on an adventure with the George Méliès family as he struggles to maintain his anonymous lifestyle in a Paris train station. The narrative, and its characters, are clearly influenced by love of the cinema. As the story unfolds, we find that things are not always as they appear. 

This novel has achieved the following awards:

• 2008 Children's Choices Selection
• 2008 ALSC Notable Children's Recordings

Evaluation

This is another novel that features an orphaned child who desperately tries to avoid the orphanage. Hugo Cabret does all he can to remain undetected by adults who may inquire about his living situation. His salvation turns out to be his love of technology and ability to build. Through his devotion to his father's project, he is able to establish a relationship with the George Méliès family, who ends up vouching for him.

A major influence in this novel is the cinema. The magic on the silver screen is evident in the characters, the language, (audiobook) the production of background sounds and (the monograph) the illustrations. This book presents a well-rounded experience for the reader.

Is Information Hindering Society Socially?

Real Talk

I just saw this infographic video on the affect of Social Media on our loneliness. It raises some interesting concerns about the sociology of human interaction and how Social Media changes that. While I don't believe we need a clean break from Social Media, we do need to remember these points for a healthy, complete social life. The video makes some excellent points, including the following.

• We're sacrificing conversation for connection.
• We're expecting more from technology and less from each other.
• We slip into thinking that always being connected is going to make us feel less alone.
• If we are not able to be alone, we're only going to know how to be lonely.

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

What do you think? Do you feel lonely when you're online?