gdp's Comments

David de Beer : 10 Things you didn't know about orgasm

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 13:07:03 +0000

they have some really oddball things on TEDvideos,don't remember how I found this one but it did hold my attention all the way. Glad you enjoyed it,

David de Beer : The Goodkind appeal

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:28:53 +0000

I watched parts of it. It's...ok. Quite a bit different from the book that I've seen and basically typical television. It appears to be popular, although I lost interest after a couple of episodes. Am much more interested in the HBO production of George Martin's A Game of Thrones

David de Beer : The Goodkind appeal

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:21:17 +0000

Hey Len, long time:) I'll second your endorsement of Gemmell's Rigante novels, thoroughly enjoyed them. The Troy trilogy is sitting on top of my stack of to be read books, as soon as I ever get time to do so. Goodkind...somewhere along the line it just fizzled. As you said, after a while you just begin to lose faith in the characters. I blame it on the increasingly superman theme that Richard was getting into -- there was nothing he could not do. He just became ever more superhuman and lost the human aspects that made him so appealing to begin with.

David de Beer : The Goodkind appeal

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:14:07 +0000

it kind of amuses me that you hated it so much since somehow I really thought it would be up your alley:D yeah, I do think sometimes people focus too much on what's wrong with stuff that's popular (get me started on The Matrix and I'll never stop, for example..), but the fact is these books and movies must do something right or they wouldn't mean so much pleasure to so many people. And the usual saying people are so fond of, "well, it just proves that shit sells and people can't appreciate quality," is, I'm sorry, an answer I don't think is accurate at all. besides, finding fault is easy; discerning what's working and why is more interesting and more insightful into people's psyches. imo:)

David de Beer : The Goodkind appeal

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:05:25 +0000

had a bit of a thought about this today and oddly what occurred to me was LOTR, the scene where the two hobbits get Treebeard and the Ents to move against Isengard. Now, true, the hobbits themselves were powerless to act againt Saruman, and initially Treebeard refused. What the hobbits could and did do, though, was to persuade the ones with the power -- the Ents -- to move and take action. So, that's another form of competence as well -- not necessarily to act directly, if you are powerless to do so, but to act according to your ability and have an indirect impact. What it seems to me is that far too often we like to celebrate the obvious heroic and miss the little heroics, and they can be just as important.

David de Beer : The Goodkind appeal

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 19:38:56 +0000

haha, I think I told you before but I quite enjoyed the chicken episode! I think this is just the umpteenth book which proves the Law of Highlander which people ignore time after time after time: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!! eh, I'd heard he had a new book but I just don't care. I take it you've seen the trailer?

David de Beer : The Goodkind appeal

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 19:35:17 +0000

I see what you're saying and agree to some degree -- there is definitely such a thing as being powerless or unable to prevent bad things. However, it's also true that being competent alone isn't enough. We see this in the world all the time where those who can and have the power to act simply don't.

David de Beer : The Goodkind appeal

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 15:23:29 +0000

interestingly, I've observed that what many writers themselves view as bad writing is often deemed very accessible and comfortable to readers and major houses may conceivably place more of a priority on that, and selling more books. The Mord-Sith were fantastic, I'll agree to that. Again, though, only in the beginning. Later on it just...fizzled and became weird.

David de Beer : Middle Grade Fiction

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:19:24 +0000

ah, it does. I couldnt figure out (and the wording isn't all that obvious) whether MG is an older or younger audience than YA. ta for the help:)

David de Beer : Middle Grade Fiction

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:00:21 +0000

Golden Compass and Northern Lights are the same book/story yes:)

David de Beer : Middle Grade Fiction

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:29:32 +0000

have you read Philip Pullman's Nortern Lights, btw? am reading it now. Delightful. Think it would be worth a shot for your tastes too.

David de Beer : Middle Grade Fiction

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:28:22 +0000

ok, that I'll grant you -- YA and supposed "kids" fiction can sometimes be the most delightful and inventive to read. I do like it for the fact that younger readers are way more willing to accept the most outrageous things. but my problem is more along the lines of how people slap age restrictions on books and movies, saying there are themes and subject matters younger people aren't fit for. And that's bull, imo. Ideally, I'd love to see the best of both worlds but I'm not sure there are any writers who do that -- wildly imaginative and willing to plumb any issue and viewpoint no matter how provocative or unsettling.

David de Beer : Middle Grade Fiction

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:26:43 +0000

Thanks!

David de Beer : Dead Links on your blog

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:36:26 +0000

it is a divine little toy, isn't it? you know, I've been thinking about doing a "my plugins" post, in case something might of interest/ use to other wordpress users. Maybe it'll be an idea if a few people did it on the same day and then we could all cross-link, give a broader reference spectrum. What do you think?

David de Beer : 50 Questions

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 12:38:05 +0000

lol! I am totally not a morning person! it's just that I can't give in to my preference for late nights or I'll be a zombie most days of the year. So, I'm kind of changing my habits slightly although Saturday there was some reason I had to get up early. oh, yes, work. except it rained, so I couldn't work anyways. I did get back into bed for awhile:)

David de Beer : 50 Questions

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 12:36:05 +0000

The...uhm, is that a book? If its, I'm absolutely reading it, for the awesomeness of the title if nothing else.

btw, are you getting the comment notifications now? if not, make sure you're ticking \"subscribe to replies\" just below the comment box. if that still doesn't work then...I give up.

David de Beer : 50 Questions

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 16:34:10 +0000

my sister showed me a bag of mixed veggies yesterday and, ok yes, I have eaten broccoli before it seems. It just doesn't register mentally, at all. The reason I think, is that I'm not fond of mixed foods (mixed veggies, stew, etc), and normally I separate all my foods on my plate and eat them from least delicious to most delicious. I've always done that, not sure why although since there are other people with a similar food separation fetish (none in my family though, apart from me), there's probably a simple explanation. I really ought to go google and see if I can find it.
And the only time I'm likely to have eaten broccoli would have been a mixed bag of veggies, so, it doesn't register.

Pizza, interestingly, I love but I think of it as an individual unit of food rather than a mixture of different elements.

I was about 4 or 5 when my cat left, so I don't remember what kind. The pavement special kind probably. His name was Kietsiekat, which translates as \"kitty-cat.\"
Most cats appear to like me, though.

oh, and hey, welcome to virtual farming on Facebook! I'll send you some more trees.

David de Beer : 50 Questions

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 17:19:14 +0000

Chuck season 2 finally started couple weeks ago here in SA. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be able to carry over the momentum of the first season but no worries, it's even more enjoyable:D

David de Beer : How to turn off Snap on Livejournal

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:27:45 +0000

you're welcome. I wouldn't have minded it if it was just the previews, but the stupid program grabs your mouse cursor if's in the general vicinity of the link and THAT drove me bonkers.