I think I'll read Clarence Thomas

ABC News offers a review of memoirs by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas--and it looks like a great read. I've wondered about where he came from, where he developed his opinions and how he has handled the abuses he's seen since becoming one of the most conservative voices on the Supreme Court. A couple interesting bits from the review:

Thomas's most deeply felt opinions are about race, and he pulls no punches. For Thomas, the menacing racists who donned white sheets in the segregated South of his childhood [aren't] as bad or worse than the northern liberal zealots in suits and ties.

"These people who claim to be progressive … have been far more vicious to me than any southerner," Thomas says, "and it is purely ideological."

"People get bent out of shape about the fact that when I was a kid, you could not drink out of certain water fountains. Well, the water was the same. My grandfather always said that, 'The water's exactly the same.' But those same people are extremely comfortable saying I can't drink from this fountain of knowledge," Thomas says. "They certainly don't see themselves as being like the bigots in the South. Well, I've lived both experiences. And I really don't see that they're any different from them."

He says his critics — the people who question whether he is smart or qualified to be on the Court or who suggest he merely does what a white Supreme Court colleague dictates — are as also as bigoted as the whites of his childhood in the deep South.

I think I'll pick it up.

Eragon Reviewed

My many, many regular readers know I'm not much one for giving reviews. But seeing as I saw Eragon over the weekend, and that I don't have much that's newsworthy to report, here goes.

Historically, Hollywood has been decidedly lame in producing fantasy movies. Being a bit of a fantasy buff (and a Tolkein fan since fourth grade), I used to eagerly await any new film featuring dragons, wizards and warriors. Most tended to disappoint, whether because the directors' visions weren't on the same level as my favorite authors', or because the special effects were cheesy and rudimentary. Whatever the reason, most fantasy flicks – from Willow to Dragonslayer – came off as cheesy, juvenile attempts to capture a more sophisticated audience. The occasional gem would come through, however, such as Labyrinth, which succeeded because it didn't take itself as quite serious work. Even in the mid-90's, when CGI came into play, films such as Dragonheart and Dungeons and Dragons (okay, that was 2000) were too shallow for my taste.

Unfortunately, Eragon is in the same vein. I haven't read the books, so I can't judge it from a literary standpoint, but the movie is about on par with most fantasy films. The plot is predictable, the characters are flat (the main character is annoyingly so), and backdrop seems like nothing more than an inconsequential mural. I probably won't see the rest of the trilogy. I give it a thumbs-up for visual effects, but it takes far more than eye-candy to make a good fantasy movie.

Peter Jackson set a pretty high bar with Lord of the Rings. I wonder how long it will take for another fantasy film to reach that level.

Music Review: Free

Writing an album review is a departure for me. I guess the music I like hits me in ways that are so personal and subjective that I find it difficult to express my opinions about it in any meaningful way. But I'll make an exception in this case. Because it's that good.

That band is called Office of Strategic Influence, or O.S.I. for short. It approximates one of those supergroups that coalesce every so often, following what I would call "electronic prog." Consisting of Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, former Dream Theater), the band's latest album Free also recruited the talents of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) and Joey Vera (Fates Warning).

This album is far from an exercise in virtuosity. Its genius lies in its composition - made of thick layers of unique electronica, alternately subdued and driving percussion, and brooding vocals. Throw in some dashes of heavy guitar and strong melody, and a masterpiece is born.

In nearly every song, there are so many elements, tones and voices to hear that it's a real pleasure to experience how they all fit together. One of the strongest pieces, however is the completely stripped down song "Our Town," which relies solely on vocals and a variety of guitars (including a banjo).

Okay, so this is about the lamest review in the world, which is probably why I rarely do reviews. Free is best heard with some high-definition headphones, but it's compelling even through car speakers.

I like my earbuds

This is neither here nor there, but it's been a while since I wrote anything here that nobody (or anybody) reads. For Christmas I got those Bose Triport® Earbuds. I had tried them in the store, and they seemed very comfortable and produced good sound. Now, after nearly a month, I have to say I'm still pleased.

In looking at reviews on the Internet, I found most people critical of the fact that they're too bass-y. I tend to agree, but a simple tweak to the equalizer fixes that problem. Now I can listen to tunes all day long without any soreness on the ears. The sound that's reproduced is at least as good, if not better, than earmuff-style headphones.

In short, yay for my Bose earbuds.