A collection of random things

[thistlechaser]

1) Can I tell you how excited I am about the new Jurassic Park movie? It's been years since I last stepped foot in a movie theater, but I might have to go back for this. It's going to be such a hard challenge though, if I do. Popcorn is my #1 favorite food in the world, but it's also a food I can never eat again. I can resist it in day-to-day situations, but going to a popcorn-scented movie theater? Don't know if I can... but still, Jurassic Park movies MUST be seen on the big screen. :/

Anyway, they hired on a new star, and made a promo for the park featuring his character:

2) This song came up in RP today, and I died when I googled and found it was a real song. ("Real" song? A song that was sung by a character in a TV show.) NWS lyrics.

3) This tree is quite amazing! Linked for size. It's like some kind of modern artwork thing. I see a dancer with more trees growing out of her.

4) #3 lead me to the most amusing discovery. I visit reddit a lot (a social/information/interesting links kind of place). Different groups or subjects have subreddits. Apparently 'tree' is slang for pot, so the /trees subreddit is actually about smoking pot. Since that was taken, someone made /r/marijuanaenthusiasts for people who like trees! Ha!

5) Seraphina (by Rachel Hartman) is the BEST BOOK EVER. I have about 8% left to go, then can review it. And I'm SO HAPPY SO SO HAPPY I was offered the next book for review! I have it waiting for me right now! It's not for sale yet, which usually doesn't matter to me, but this time it works out so eeee! It's put out by a major publishing house (Random), so hopefully this will get me lots of good offers in the future.

6) I had previously accepted a different book for review, and usually read them in the order accepted, but I'm making an exception in this case. I suspect this other one (Chaos Station by Kelly Jensen and Jenn Burke) is actually Captain America fanfic with the serial numbers filed off. (It's about a "retired, broken super soldier" and his lover (officer in the military) who everyone had thought was dead...). I accepted it for review more to see if it was fanfic-ish than anything else, so Shadow Scale (Seraphina #2) comes first.

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

I am super jealous that you get to read Shadow Scale early! (also, very happy that you're loving Seraphina :D)

Also, that tree is very cool, and I'm amused by the reddit thing XD

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I thought of you first thing when I was offered the book! Only a month until it's released, so you'll be able to get your hands on it soon. (And as slowly as I read, you'll likely finish it first! :P )

Isn't it cool? I love it.

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

There's a new Jurassic Park movie..?

What do you get in return for reviewing the books? And how did you get into it?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yep! Jurassic World, coming out in late spring.

Usually I get nothing other than the book for free, so I try to only accept things I'd want to read anyway. Nowadays books are getting kind of expensive, so it's not a bad deal. I just kind of fell into doing it. I was reviewing books here on my LJ just for myself/friends list, then publishers started contacting me offering me books to review.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Suggestion for the popcorn thing, from what I do when I'm trying to avoid cinema concessions:

Smuggle in a safe-for-you snack and eat that instead. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was what I was thinking. It wouldn't be as good as popcorn, but it'd be something. Besides, I can't drink while eating, and can't have soda of any kind, so popcorn without Diet Coke would be less good anyway. Eventually I'll be able to convince myself of that. :P

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

It is amazing how many marijuana stores have popped up around here since WA legalized it. There are strip malls down in Spokane with stores right next to each other. They must be making a fortune...almost makes me want to start pot farming!

I read Reddit quite a bit too, but mostly lurk. The community there does not seem as friendly as LJ. But they do have lots of cute animal photos, ahaha.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can imagine how much they're making, and luckily with it legalized, it can be taxed. Hopefully that money will do some good.

And haha I've often thought I should grow it, too. Just a passing thought, seems an easy way to make money.

The reddit community seems to very strongly based on the subreddit you're in. Most of my time is in the FFXIV one, and that's pretty okay, but some of the others I visit I mostly just lurk in.

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

Isn't it legal in California now too?

The open pasture area of our ranch is unfenced and right next to a main road, so I think if we started growing there will be lots of people stopping by to help themselves...not good!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I think it is, but to be honest I haven't really tracked the issue much.

Hahah that could be a problem, yes! They're probably like my mother: She thinks if it's growing, you can take it without it being stealing. It drives me crazy, she'll walk onto someone's lawn to pick oranges or something!

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

It sucks that you can't have popcorn, I love it too! I'm not tempted by the popcorn in our movie theaters in Germany, though. Germans tend to like their popcorn sugared, not salted, and...ew, no!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Wow, sugared? Yuck! I'm with you, buttery and salty is my favorite. We have some sweet popcorn around here (kettle corn), but it doesn't work for me. Can you ask for salted, or is it just always sugared?

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

It's usually sugared, I only know of one movie theater that offers it salted too. You'd think salt costs a fortune to keep some around for us with a different taste, but no. Yeah, buttery and salty is the only way to eat popcorn, IMO!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Very odd. Well, I fully agree with you!