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Click to view list of Sumerian flash cards

I found this supremely awesome website called VirtualSecrets.com that has flash cards on Sumerian cuneiform symbols. The website has lots of other great information, but I really enjoyed the Sumerian flash cards the most. They are quick break downs of popular symbols used in Sumerian texts, and the pictures are easy to read. And from what I’ve read from other resources the few symbols that I am familiar with, a bunch of the words look right. For example, the cuneiform symbol for, ‘hand’ rang a bell when I searched through the flash cards. But I recommend that before you make your own Sumerian cuneiform T-Shirt, you do a little research and make sure that you aren’t insulting the weight or value of anyone’s bull herd. Even if you maybe aren’t interested in learning Sumerian language, the images are quite beautiful. The symbols have such grace, elegance and complicated minimalism that it is no wonder that this civilization was able to ascend to greatness.

Unfortunately, the flash cards don’t have comparisons with pictographic representations of the words. But that isn’t a big deal, because there are plenty of books out there that discuss that. I previously mentioned a book in my post regarding the possible origins of unicorns that has some comparison charts on the early forms of Sumerian written language.

One thing that is cool about Sumerian language is that the writing evolved a great deal over time. The words started out in a very pictographic form that may remind one of Egyptian written word. But the advent of Cuneiform to their pictographic predecessor is sort of analogous to how the keyboard and typewriter is analogous to cursive writing. The Sumerian scribes would use wooden sticks that had a wedge-looking shape at the end. These would be used to either make impressions or slide across a soft (unbaked) clay tablet or other surface. Once the clay tablets were baked, they could last in a non-dusty environment for literally thousands of years.

I’m really excited about the flash cards and when I have more time I might even print them up and practice.

You can click HERE to visit the website virtualsecrets.com and browse through the flash cards yourself.

Just look for the, “FLASH CARDS” JavaScript link above the translation program.

-Tyler

Iron Man Extremis is available from Amazon.com

As a huge fan of the first Iron Man movie with Robert Downey Jr, I was excited to learn more about the superhero. I continued to read a couple other comics with Iron Man and was definitely impressed. What I liked the most about Iron Man, was that the character, Tony Stark has a believable attitude when one takes into account his skills and intelligence. I especially enjoyed the comic I read on Iron Man and the Avengers where, Stark mentions with a grin that he owned a fully functional spaceship. Tony Stark always seems a bit older than the rest of the characters and even though he is quite conflicted, he speaks from a place of authority. Yet, instead of being derived from his financial or technical resources,  his authority comes from his life experiences. Iron Man is a survivor, who is in the process of reforming himself on multiple levels. So when I read, Iron Man: Extremis, I was pleasantly surprised to find these issues and themes, among many others, explored quite thoroughly in the graphic novel.

The quality of art in this graphic novel is so superb, that it isn’t even worth mentioning. Every page is literally a work of art that if on a framed canvas,  it could stand on its own in a modern art collection or museum. The depiction of Tony Stark is crisp and his physique makes sense for what one would imagine him to look like. The Iron Man suit itself looks awesome and the Heads Up Display (HUD) images are depicted with flawless accuracy. We truly get to see through Iron Man’s optics. The shading and shadow-work give ambiance and clarity to the milieu that is a pure pleasure to the reader.

For someone who is relatively new to the Iron Man series, I had no confusion at all. And I’ve only really read a couple comics and seen the two movies. The discrepancies between the movies and the comic were negligible and I had no trouble figuring out what was going on.

When the villain of the story was introduced, he enters into this strange cocoon-like state. It is impressive beyond words. The guy looks so messed up that the imagination just runs wild with how powerful or strange the character will become.

The story itself, is slightly controversial. The villain has a backstory that is based on a politically sensitive subject. And also, when Iron Man and his colleague visit a somewhat psychedelic shaman of a scientist, the discussion gets esoteric bordering on material that should be restrained to university courses. So you can probably tell, that those parts were my favorite. You never know what modern gems are available for purchase with wood pulp.

I wouldn’t recommend trying anything that is discussed in the conversation previously mentioned.

Iron Man: Extremis contains the perfect blend of plot development, character arc, and action. My evaluation of the story is that the villain is simply a foil for Tony Stark, instead of being a fully functional co-star. So, it is difficult to emphasize with him. But I bet that the people who do emphasize with the villain will have their eyes opened, when they watch what happens to a character with such unrelenting anger and rage.

The arc that Iron Man goes through in the graphic novel has multiple aspects. First, there is an emotional/psychological arc that exemplifies Stark’s self-evaluation. Second, his actual technology undergoes significant change throughout the book.  And the final arc is a sort of transcendence that is required for him to achieve his goals. By the end of the book, the reader is highly satisfied that Iron Man well-earned his victory.

-Tyler

Steve Trevino

Steve Trevino did a short set that popped the house a few nights ago. He talked about his experiences as a Los Angeles resident. His personality and comedic timing truly shined, albeit they definitely had a dark and tainted side to them. I love highly stylized performances like Trevino’s. He easily stood out and I know I will remember his name when I see him on a comedy roster when I go to the Improv or another comedy club again. Although the video below is just an excerpt from the set he performed, it is easy to see that he knows how to keep the punches coming. Even though the videos are great, being a part of the audience during his live performance added to the experience. Also his set was much longer than this small sneak-peek. His joke about tossing the baloney on the lawn was great!

A lawn

The movie, “The Lawnmower Man” was something that popped into my mind about a month ago. I just had this feeling, “You need to watch ‘The Lawnmower Man’ again.” So I purchased a used copy of the DVD. When discussing this film with other people, I generally have gotten a scoff-like or negative vibe. This leads me to believe that this movie is not for everyone. Because if you stick around for 28 minutes into the film, you are rewarded. My favorite part of the movie kicks in around 28 minutes. When I saw that scene, I was like, “OK, I’m listening.” The computer graphics are something that are often discussed, when that is just the carrot to get you to watch the film. If you want to see a film for the 3D animations, and if you appreciate older school polygon animations, then this might be interesting to you. But the best part of the film is how the concepts evolve and how they are presented.

In the special features, someone mentions how this movie is a “cautionary tale.” While I agree that this is true, The Lawnmower Man is a lot more than that.

The thing I like the most about this film, is that the characters just straight up say their pieces. There is zero fear on the part of the director in this movie. The vision is so clearly lined out that it feels more like a survival guide than a cautionary tale. I love that.

Jeff Fahey is the title character, “Jobe/The Lawnmower Man” and he does a phenomenal job. You may recognize him from the TV Show, “Lost.” He acts with such precision and heart that watching Jobe’s character arc is both entertaining and frightening.

Pierce Brosnan did such a great acting performance in this movie. The way he depicted how much his character actually cared, as well as his own ambitions was perfect. His character, Dr. Lawrence Angelo, seemed like he was proving something to himself. And most of his suffering that he was experiencing was because he wanted proof. He wanted to prove that he could actually do what he wanted to do. And when he finally achieved that goal with Jobe, it scared the living daylights out of him. And Brosnan nailed it on the head with that one.

-Tyler