I voted! Have you?

Being away from home prevents me from voting locally in the upcoming American election on Nov. 4th. However, this election is extremely important. And so ... a few weeks ago I requested an absentee ballot. Today I filled it out and mailed it in to my Supervisor of Elections. I voted!

It’s most likely too late to request an absentee ballot for yourself. However, it’s NOT too late for you to become an informed citizen. Take some time to learn about the issues that concern you and find out which candidate best subscribes to your personal system of beliefs and values.

Whether you’re a Democrat, an Independent, or a Republican, it’s important for you to take advantage of living in this free country and exercise your right to vote.

After all ... if you don’t cast your vote, you have no right to complain about the outcome!

Is God Fair?

Have you ever thought about the fairness of God?

Paradoxically, I believe God actually is fair in that He views all of us equally and that even with all the pain, suffering, and evil in the world, the Order of Humanity makes sense to Him.

I'm not going to comment here on pain and suffering. I believe that to be the disgrace of Man.

Instead (and this is not an indictment of Him), I'm struggling with the fairness of God.

Individual circumstances appear through my miniscule human perspective to be unfair. We’re all born into this world with varying degrees of opportunity. Some people are born into wealth while others are born into poverty which will pave the way to your future: your health, your education, and your overall standard of living. Everything, for the most part, is tied into where, when, and how you were born.


Then there’s ability. The world only has one Barbara Streisand and one Magic Johnson. The rest of us can take lessons, but ultimately, if you weren’t born with the right degree of talent, you just aren’t ever going to become a megastar even when presented with the right opportunity.

Of course, there are exceptions: the little girl with chords of steel who was born into a third world country and will never record a CD; or the famous actor who becomes immensely wealthy but who doesn’t really have the talent to warrant his success.

But in most instances, if you're going to succeed in your chosen field (especially the arts), you must must must already possess the necessary talent.

God places each of us in the world under both positive and negative circumstances. Some people take this as evidence that He doesn’t exist. I don’t. I believe He does exist. I believe He created us. And I believe He loves us all.

I just can’t wrap my head around the apparent unfairness of our individual circumstances. How does He choose who will go where and why? And how? Toss of a die?

Perhaps one day He’ll explain it to me ...

A Weighty Crown

For reasons unknown to me, Royal Caribbean has begun doing weigh-ins. We didn’t have them during my last contract, but now we’re forced to step on the scale on a regular basis. Whatever.

First day of rehearsal, we took our base weight. I came in at 167. Okay. Great! That’s less than I was expecting to weigh, so yay for me!

Two weeks went by, and we did another weigh-in. I thought I would've gained a pound or two from muscle. City of Dreams is all about lifting and partnering, so I figured I was beginning to pack on some major muscle ... okay ... maybe just some minor muscle.

Instead, I came in at 164 and dropped three pounds! WHAT?! That’s awesome! I mean, who doesn’t want to lose weight, right? Especially at my age. Now, if I can just add some major/minor muscle, I’ll be all set. Protein, protein, protein.

In other news ... I have to have my crown replaced. For those of you who don’t floss your teeth everyday: START! A root canal is no fun. The dentist had to stretch my mouth open for about four hours to dig out that damaged root. Yuck!

Anyway, my one-and-only five+ year-old crown has shifted and created a gap which is allowing bacteria to get under and fester. Not a good thing. So amidst my RC rehearsals, I had to go and get fitted for a new crown.

The Ft. Lauderdale dentist then fit me with a temporary crown while I wait another two weeks for the new porcelain one to be created. But guess what? Two days later, the temporary crown popped off while I was flossing, so I had to go back to the dentist to get the temporary crown refastened.


FYI ... I do not have the time to be going to the dentist day-after-day. I'm dancing my little heart out and need to devote the rest of my time to eating and sleeping. So please cross your heart that this crown remains in place.

I’ll just be happy when rehearsals, and my teeth adventures are over. At least I’m skinnier than I was before I began!

Ah, it's the little things ...

Cell Phone Drama

I can’t wait to get a new cell phone!

I currently own the LG Chocolate. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it. It looks cool, but its functionality leaves a little to be desired. I think the newer version is better, but I was cursed with the first edition. However, the phone was fine. I really had nothing to complain about.

Until last February when I began having major problems with it:

Calls not connecting to my phone ...
Dropped calls ...
Losing info...
Etc.

I went to Verizon (with whom I have received excellent service from in the past) and was, luckily, still a week away from an expired warranty. They agreed to send me a refurbished unit, and I was on my way. Received the phone within a decent amount of time, and everything was fixed. Great!


**Side note** They only extended the warranty another month which is rather unhelpful. What if the refurbished unit is a piece of crap? Then you’re stuck with a lemon!

Anyway ... the new/old phone worked great ... until about a month ago.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say Verizon sent me a lemon, however, calls began not connecting to my phone again. I just received missed call notices without my phone ever actually ringing.

And now the battery is utterly shot. I literally get less than five minutes of battery life before the whole phone powers down. I plug it in, and it charges completely within five minutes ... for another five minutes of battery life. I’m pretty much tethered to a wall outlet. My cell phone has, for all practical purposes, become a miniature land line. So much for mobility.

Luckily, I’m eligible for Verizon’s $100 new phone credit in two weeks, and I can’t wait! Let the countdown begin!

And this time I’m not getting the Chocolate!

Gotta Dance

I’ve been in rehearsals for Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas for 8 days now. We finally have a full cast minus one girl singer (whom the casting department still hasn’t been able to find). Thankfully we have all our dancers so we can learn our choreography without having an empty space.

So far we’ve learned:

Welcome Aboard
The Farewell Show
The ABBA Theme Night (all of which, I previously knew)

... and half of our first show, City of Dreams:

River of Dreams ... nice, easy, floaty number
Time After Time ... tricky, but not too bad
Like An Eagle ... the first number of the Bollywood section. Lots of fingers and bent wrists
Every Way That I Can ... same as Eagle but with lots more hip action!
Aria ... BITCH of a number! Fast and furious!
Heaven ... fun club finale.


My body hurts!!! My calves. My shoulders. My biceps. But most of all ... my butt! Too much lunging in this show!

My days consist of waking, eating breakfast, dancing dancing dancing until my brain fries from information overload, hot tub-ing my sore muscles, showering the sweat and chlorine away, eating anything I can find for dinner, reviewing choreography, and sleeping.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?

Farewell ... for now

Sorry for my absence from the blogosphere. I’ve been busy.

And now I’m gone.

I left Orlando last night and headed down to Ft. Lauderdale to begin rehearsing for my shows with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. I arrived at about 1:00 am and am now going about getting settled: Unpacking. Shopping for food. Meeting my new cast mates. It’s a lot.

One of the male singers arrived last night, too, so he and I chatted as I was unloading my car. I didn’t get to bed until 3:00am. Needless to say ... today I’m tired. Luckily, we don’t have orientation until 1:45 tomorrow, so I should be able to recover by then.

I’m nursing a sore throat, too, so feel sorry for me. I woke up this morning absolutely freezing. The temperature was set at seventy degrees, and my bed only had a sheet and a paper-thin blanket. Brrrrr!!! I was c-c-c-cold!!!I’ll probably be out of touch for a while. I have limited internet access, and once rehearsals get underway, I have little-to-no energy left to expend on witty blogs.

But, I’ll try to keep you all updated on the happenings. I don’t want you, faithful reader, to feel neglected.

And now I’m off ... to take a nap! Cheers!

ps. I've redesigned my web page, so if you haven't had a chance, check it out and let me know what you think: www.taitmoline.com

The Miniature Earth

The world is big, and I take a lot for granted.

This thought-provoking video shrinks the international statistics into percentages to help us understand the world we live in. Very enlightening ...

The Miniature Earth

My play

If you're in Orlando, come out and support new theater and see my brand new play!

Moline Media Minute

Hi everyone. It’s time for the Moline Media Minute. Here’s a sampling of things I’ve watched and read lately:

Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis

Kind of a disappointment. I love the Chronicles of Narnia, and this book is the first in Lewis’s adult-oriented Space Trilogy. Unfortunately, I had to slog through it. Though, to be fair, I’m not much of a classics kind of guy; I don’t usually enjoy the style.


Dr. Ransom is kidnapped by a mad scientist and his assistant and taken to another planet (which turns out to be Mars) with the intention of being sacrificed to gain favor with the foreign inhabitants. Once there, Ransom escapes his captors and integrates with the different species and societies he meets. Eventually he comes face-to-face with the ruler of the planet who mets out justice to all three humans as he sees fit.


Critics raved about Lewis’s entire trilogy back in the 70s when it was written, but I found his first one rather tedious at times.

I loved the ideas behind the book and the overall philosophy, theology, and mysticism of Lewis’s Mars compared to Earth (“The Silent Planet”). He had great characters, too. But the dense descriptions and slow pace made it difficult for the book to hold my attention.


The Wicker Man

This was Nicholas Cage’s suspense thriller about a secluded island and its strange, Amish-type community. When Cage’s ex-fiance contacts him about her missing daughter (whom she fears is about to be harmed by the island’s community), Cage races to the rescue.


I was excited to see this movie. I’m not a big Nicolas Cage fan, but I’m all about the weird mystery-thriller genre. Unfortunately, the ending was a big let down, and as you know ... it’s all about the ending for me.

I was completely engrossed in the movie, but the finale, meant to be shocking and horrendous when it finally answers your questions, ultimately disappoints when the plot sucks all life and hope from its characters.

What a waste. What a downer. No wonder it bombed at the box office.


The Road to Cana by Anne Rice

Wow. She did it again. Anne Rice sure knows how to take a gamble and make a masterpiece.

Beginning with some bare bones information from the Gospels, Rice creates a story about Jesus’ life before He began His ministry, adeptly weaving history, family, geography, politics, spirituality, and humanity into an engaging and powerful novel.


And she takes risks.

This time around, Rice begins her story with two young boys - accused of homosexual activity - being stoned to death by the citizens of Nazareth (Jesus’ hometown) and ends the book with Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, His exorcism of Mary Magdalene (here Mary of Magdala), and His forty days of temptation in the desert (handled ingeniously, I thought).

If you’re a fan of Chaim Potok’s novels of Jewish life (and even if you're not), you’ll enjoy Rice’s take on Biblical Jewish society. I’m definitely looking forward to Anne Rice’s next book.

Company

My friend, Brian, was so kind to have kept the Broadway Revival Presentation of Stephen Sondheim's Company (shown on PBS last year) on his DVR for months and months for me until we were finally able to get together and watch it. He personally didn’t care for the production, and I wasn’t sure what to expect but ... overall, I liked it.

I definitely think watching the show on television doesn’t carry the same weight or impact of watching the live performance (obviously, but sometimes it does work, like MTV’s showing of Legally Blonde). This version of Company was so modern and minimalistic, I think it needs the atmosphere and energy of actually being present with the actors.


However, I still thought it was a powerful production. Having all the actors play their own instruments actually worked for once. I never saw the Sweeney Todd revival, but I can’t imagine how that would be successful and not distract from the musical. But here, the actors interact and socialize through the music, and their instruments practically become characters in their own right.

I didn’t care much for the melancholy undercurrents, though. Sondheim describes Company as being difficult for audiences to grasp due to its ambivalence: relationships are impossible, yet we can’t live without them.

However, there’s an overall negativity to the show that he doesn’t appear to recognize. The musical’s theme is a paradox, but the lack of hope and positivity affects that audience’s ability to connect with the material.

Still, I still enjoyed this critically-acclaimed revival and was glad to finally see it. Sondheim is a musical theater genius, and this show was no exception.

Good News

I’m thrilled to announce that my play, this Functional family, has been chosen to premiere at the 2008 Orlando GLBT Theatre Festival!

There will be two evenings of 10-minute plays Sept. 14 and 21 at Downtown Orlando’s Mad Cow Theatre at 7pm with talk backs to follow.

A Celebration Of GLBT Theatre in Ten Minute One Acts

Baby Summer, by Michael Ramirez – New York, NY
Directed by Margaret Nolan

The Boileroom, by Bill Cosgriff – New York, NY
Directed by Seth Kubersky

Songs My Brother Sang, by Myra Slotnick – Provincetown, MA
Directed by Laura Lippman

Daniel(le) – A Monologue Play, by Asher Wyndham – Tempe, AZ
Directed by Lester Malizia

Godfrey – A Short Play, by Ian August – Highland Park, NJ
Directed by John DiDonna

this Functional family, by TAIT MOLINE – Orlando, FL
Directed by Chad Lewis

Kids ‘R Us, by Josh Levine – New York, NY
Directed by Rob Ward

With plays originating from all over the United States, I'm very proud and excited to be included in this Festival!

For more information please go to www.glbttheatrefest.com

Kristin Chenoweth's Addiction

Hilarious! Who knew Kristin Chenoweth would ever be in the same sentence as meth addiction?!

See more Kristin Chenoweth videos at Funny or Die

Part Time Announcement

I think the most difficult thing about working part-time for Disney (as opposed to having a full-time contract) is the inability to have a routine or to even plan anything definitively in advance.

Because I never know how many hours I’ll be scheduled to work in any given week, I have to be available any time Disney calls which has resulted in me missing out on a lot of previously scheduled events (like two different birthday parties!).

I feel horrible about canceling on people, but I have to work. Thankfully, all of my friends have been understanding of the situation, but still. I feel terrible. Now whenever I make plans, I make sure to give the standard “Yes ... unless I have to work” response.


Granted, in the past, I was often late or had to cancel things even when I was full-time due to a show time change. But now the occurrences are much more frequent, and it’s aggravating.

However, in today’s economy, I'm thankful to have a job that provides me with a paycheck, even when it’s inconvenient.

Of course, the big news in my life is ... I’m going out on another cruise ship!!!!

It's official. I’ll be going into rehearsals for Royal Caribbean at the end of September to join the Jewel of the Seas in November, and I’m very excited!

For more information about the shows and itinerary see my website under News.

Funny Funny

These are some hilarious videos I found to spice up your day. They're not that long, but be warned ... there is some adult content. Enjoy!


Universal Studios's Free Photo Booth ...
or so they think.




Sesame Street: CENSORED

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Michael Phelps's Endorsements

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Trying to get this kid to wish Roseanne a "Happy Birthday"

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Go Kathy!

Finally watched Kathy Griffin’s Life on the D-List 2008 Season Finale. I give her such props. She’s a staunch Democrat, strongly opposed to the war in Iraq, and yet, last season she went to Iraq and Afghanistan to entertain the troops. And this year she went to the Walter Reed Army Hospital to meet-and-greet the injured soldiers (almost all of them amputees) and their families before putting on a show.


What an eye-opening experience to see exactly what the men and women defending our country have to go through. As Kathy said, traveling to the military bases and hospitals puts names and faces to the the numbers we see and hear about on the evening news.

Somehow Kathy kept her sense of humor while still creating an extremely emotional and touching episode. Kudos.

Yes, she’s bawdy and controversial and over-the-top. And I love her!

Goodbye American Airlines

I’m mad at the airline industry, but most specifically American Airlines. I’m not going to say I’ll NEVER fly with them again (because who knows what’s going to happen with the industry the way it is), but if I can help it, I’m going to avoid American Airlines.

I recently had to change a plane ticket (over a month in advance of the original departure date) and instead of a $25 or even a $50 change fee, they charged me an additional $150 on top of the ticket difference. So basically, my $200 ticket became a $50 credit to book a new reservation, and I lost the other $150.

Oh ... and was there any indication anywhere on the ticket or emails they sent me or on their website that told me a reservation change would cost $150? No siree. The most I could find was a generic “there may be a fee”.

And don’t think I didn’t try and try and try to get the fee waived or at least reduced. I even got Patrick to try. He went above and beyond and climbed higher up the AA food chain than I thought possible.

But American Airlines, whose Customer Service Plan states “We are dedicated to making every flight you take with us something special. Your safety, comfort and convenience are our most important concerns,” gave Patrick this (paraphrased) answer: “Sorry. There’s nothing we can do.”

So, ta-ta American Airlines. See ya, later.

Rubber Boy

I've seen lots of female contortionists, but it's rare to see a male one. And he's definitely flexible!

Rubber Boy

It's Survey Time!

Haven't done a survey in a long time either, so here's a random one for fun!

*******************************************************************

Did you have any unread text messages this morning when you woke up?
No.



What's your relationship with the person you last texted?
My honey.



Where was your default picture taken?
Movement Arts Studio



Do you have a flip or slide phone?
Slide.



Do you wish someone would call you right now?
Don’t care.



Could you go the rest of your life without smoking a cigarette?
I sure hope so. I’m trying to avoid cancer!



Name something you dislike about the day you're having?
It’s hot outside.



When was the last time you cried?
I think it was reading The Shack by William P. Young



Is there anybody you're really disappointed in right now?
Not that I can think of ...



Do you miss someone?
Always.



Do you have a best friend?
Yes.



Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
Usually I talk about them. Or maybe over-talk about them is more accurate.



If someone looked under your bed, what would they find?
Wrapping paper.



What is the last movie you watched?
Batman: The Dark Knight



Will you be in a relationship 3 months from now?
Yes.



Are you happy at the moment?
Yes.



Are you a morning person or a night person?
I’m definitely more of a morning person, but I have a hard time getting up if I haven’t gotten enough sleep.



What were you doing at 1am this morning?
Sleeping.



Do you like to read?
YES! But I don’t have the opportunity to read as much as I did when I was younger.



You're in the hospital, who on your TOP friends would you call?
Amy, Patrick, and my family



Is there a difference between the word 'best friend' and 'friend'?
Definitely. I have lots of friends, but the classification belongs to someone who knows me intimately



When is the last time a girl gave you a hug?
Today at work.



Have you ever touched an elephant?
... I think so ... not sure on that one ...



Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?
Yes. I’ve also been told my eyes are always hugely dilated. Don’t know what that’s about.



Do you ever keep arguing when you know you're wrong?
I don’t think so. I usually argue because I believe I’m right. Once I realize I’m wrong, I think I concede.



How is your hair?
Unruly and receding.



Do you like your first name?
I love it!!!!



Last time you ate grilled cheese?
I hate a grilled ham and cheese only a few weeks ago. Does that still count?



Name something great that happened today?
I booked a day next week to work at Dream Along with Mickey



Who was the last person's voice you heard?
The boys from the cast of Dream Along with Mickey playing Nintendo Wii



Who spoils you the most?
I don’t think anyone spoils me, although there are a couple people who can be very nice.



Do you like your life as of now?
Yes ... it’s kind of in transition right now ... but you know ... that’s life.



How many kids do you want in the future?
I’ve always wanted 2-4 kids, but I don’t forsee that happening anytime in the near future.



Have you ever kissed anyone whose name started with M?
No.



Have you ever kissed anyone whose name started with D?
No. Random questions.



Do you crack your knuckles?
Yes. Those air pockets are annoying.



What were you doing twenty minutes ago?
Dancing on the castle stage at Disney’s The Magic Kingdom



Last thing you drank?
Nice, cold H2O.



What were you doing at midnight last night?
Uh, sleeping. Morning person, remember?



When is your birthday?
September 13th



Where does most of your family live?
My extended family is centralized in Minnesota, but I have family all over the world. My immediate family lives in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Florida.



Did you kiss or hug anyone today?
Yes



Ever told someone you loved them and meant it?
Yes. I would hope that people wouldn’t say I love you without meaning it.



Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced?
I’ve thought about it ... and then dismissed it.



Have you broken a bone?
Nope.



What can't you wait for?
My birthday!



Who are you talking to right now?
Nobody.



Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school?
No. I’m boring.



Who was the last person that called you?
Patrick.



Who is the last person that called you and you didn't answer?
Patrick.



Are you good at giving directions?
I think so, if I know where they’re going.



Rent a movie or go to movies?
I would say go to the movie, but the experience is so often marred by the attending audience, so now I’ll usually say rent the movie!



Has anyone told you they've missed you lately?
Yes.



Are you wearing any clothes that don't belong to you?
Yep. They’re all Disney’s baby (except the underwear!)



If you could seek revenge on someone, would you?
I don’t think so, but then again I don’t currently have anything to seek revenge for so it’s hard to say.



Mountains or the beach?
Mountains.



Bonfires or fireplaces?
Tough one. Depends on the weather, but I’ll pick bonfires. The S’mores just edge out the fireplace.



Have you ever taken medicine that wasn't prescribed to you?
No. In general, I try to stay away from medicine.



Do you hate when people smoke around you?
Yes. It smells bad and gets into my clothes.



Who was the last girl you talked to?
The Dance Captain of Dream Along With Mickey



Who was the last person you talked to in person?
See last question.



Do you have any plans for tomorrow?
I’m dancing at Beauty and the Beast



Recently done anything you regret?
No. I try not to regret. Too much time and energy wasted on things I can’t change.



How do you handle stress?
Depends. I think I usually handle it fairly well depending on the situation, but other people tell me I tend to freak out.



Do you think best friends can be replaced?
In general, no. Once a best friend, probably always a best friend. That’s my theory right now.



Who will you be with Saturday night?
Me, myself, and I watching the Olympics!



Who's Myspace Password Do You Have?
Umm... my own.



What does the last text message in your inbox say?
It’s not a text. It’s a picture of my cat, Gideon.



Something you want to know?
Why do our bodies generate more hair all over ourselves as we grow older, while the hair on our head disappears?



Something you're happy about?
I’m happy I’m healthy.



Do you wish you were somewhere else right now?
No. I’m happy to be working and making a paycheck.

Movie Thoughts:

I haven’t done any movie reviews in a while so ... let’s see if I can catch up:

A Home at the End of the World

I’ve heard about this movie for a long time and was looking forward to finally seeing it, but, I must say, I was disappointed. I kept waiting for something more.

From the writer of The Hours comes a functionally dysfunctional threesome between two childhood friends and the girl they meet along the way. It wasn’t necessarily bad - all three leads were excellent - but when the end arrived with a decidedly sad turn of events, I just thought ... “is that all?”

The Strangers

Don’t even bother. The trailers were excellent, but this movie is a completely unbelievable piece of garbage. I can’t believe Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman agreed to make it.

Were you scared?
Yes.

Did you jump in your seat?
Yes.

Did it have any other redeeming qualities?
No.

Strangers is pointless, depressing, and stupid. If you’re in the mood for a good scare, rent Vacancy instead, a far superior horror film in every aspect.

Juno

When I finally saw this movie, I thought my expectations might sabotage my viewing pleasure. Boy was I wrong. Extremely witty, unconventional, and thoroughly surprising, Juno was a delight to watch. The Oscar for original screenplay was well-deserved.

In the mood for a quirky comedy filled with snappy dialogue and believable characters? Juno is your movie.

The Amityville Horror (2005 remake)

Pretty straight-forward horror movie based on “true” events that I actually enjoyed. Fluffy and lacking substance but still enjoyable when you’re in the mood. Settle in with a bowl of popcorn, a dark room, and loved one to snuggle up with, and you’re all set.

Reminded me a lot of The Shining and definitely better than Strangers (see above), but I’d still opt for Vacancy.

Dan in Real Life

Another disappointment. Okay, I wanted to like this movie. I really did.

Steve Carell was excellent, Juliette Binoche absolutely perfect, and the three daughters were believable and precocious, but the whole movie was so melancholy. Where was the joy? Where was the hope?

Carell plays a columnist whose wife died four years ago and is struggling to find love again. Sounds like a good beginning. But his large extended family comes across as so insensitive, uncaring, and oblivious that when the end finally comes I was only mildly happy. Just too much sadness. Carell was like Charlie Brown only more depressing.

If you want a heart-warming story about large families, I recommend watching The Family Stone instead. It succeeds where Dan fails.

Batman: The Dark Knight

Finally, I saw the blockbuster that everyone’s talking about.

The first thing I have to say is how well-crafted this movie was. The plot moves faster than Batman’s Batmobile so the 2.5 hours zoomed along unnoticed. Christopher Nolan does a masterful job of balancing the action with the drama and keeping the tension tight between the good characters and the bad characters. There weren’t any twists per se, but I can’t say I ever knew where the story was headed. And that’s the kind of movie I like.

Heath Ledger makes an incredible Joker, and with his untimely death, it’ll be interesting to see if he wins an Oscar for his role. I didn’t think anyone could surpass Jack Nicholson’s Joker, but Ledger sure did. He’s every bit as good as people said he was.


The whole cast, actually, is wonderful including Christian Bale ... except for his raspy Batman voice. What’s up with that?!! Was anyone else distracted by his utterly ridiculous vocal put-on? It made it difficult to understand him when he was the Caped Crusader. I don’t remember that voice from his first Batman movie, but maybe it wasn’t as pronounced. Oh, well.

Surprisingly, The Dark Knight lived up to the hype. And now I’m actually looking forward to the next Batman movie.

Books for Thought

I haven’t done any book reviews in a while, so here are the last two books I've read:

The Kite Runner

Amazing, amazing book. Not at all what I was expecting. Actually, I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess it wasn't this.

The beginning was a little difficult as I figured out the characters and their names - and the Afghani language in general - but that's really the only negative thing I have to say about the book because the prose was so smooth.

The characters were rich and well-rounded, the history and politics fascinating, and the story compelling and heart-wrenching. If you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Kite Runner. It wasn't the third highest selling book of 2005 for nothing.

The Shack

Interesting book!!!

The premise is this: where is God amidst tragedy? Not an easy topic to tackle, that’s for sure. And yet William P. Young courageously delves into a story about a husband whose daughter is abducted during a camping trip with unabashed tenderness.

The writing alternates between rich and glorious to hideously amateur, and yet, this book offers a fresh and original take on the nature and personage of God. If you’ve hungered for something spiritual that is decidedly Christian in nature but still waaaaaaaaay out-of-the-box, check this book out. I can't describe it, but I've never read or thought about God in the terms that this book dramatizes.

You’ll have to wade through some dense theological/philosophical passages in the middle, but it’s worth it for something so different from your typical spiritual fiction.

And ... I admit it ... I teared up at the end. If that isn't enough of a recommendation, I don't know what is.

Lifted

Here's a cute little Pixar short called Lifted that was nominated for an Oscar in 2006 or 2007. I guess it played in theaters before Ratatouille, but I wouldn't know. I only saw that movie on DVD. Yet I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it. Much better than I had originally anticipated.

Anyway ... Lifted reminds me of my very first driving lesson ... sort of ... Enjoy!