Safe Wars and the usual updates

It's been far too long since I wrote a proper update. That said, it's also been a quiet five or six weeks with Veronica Mars and various roleplaying sessions. However, a few things have been going on.

• Gran Turino and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button - These were both good films. The former is probably my favourite Clint Eastwood film although, to be fair, I haven't seen many of his. Despite the plot looking dull and dreary on paper (or that's how I would now have expected it to look - I didn't spoiler myself) was very watchable with a satisfying ending. The latter I thought great, but found very sad. It's difficult to say much without spoiling the concept of the film but it's a good take on "what if?"
• Lost in Austen - I didn't catch this at the time, but got the DVDs as I wanted to see it. Now I've seen it. I hated the first half, wincing all the time at what they had done with it. I then enjoyed the second half, having finally come around to the point and style of the series.
• Matter - Iain M Banks - bateleur bought this for me and I've spent a long time on it. The main problem I had was getting into it. Not until I was well over half way through did I want to actually carry on with the story. And I was forcing myself to pick it up again each time because I knew if I put it down for another book I would never return. The problem I have with it is that I got lost among the characters and that Banks was more interested in world building than telling the story. When he finally gets into it, the plot is good and the ending fits. But... it seems to take him longer with every book.
• Meteor - Still going well. The gods have faced-off against the new bad guys (The Diseased Ones) and the result is definitely not good. I think that the players are still happy, even if their characters aren't.
• lathany vs the safe (work) - We keep all our keys in a safe over night. Back in the old building I never had problems opening it. However, the safe in our new building is old, cranky and it doesn't love me very much. And there is now a new morning ritual in the office - can I open the safe? (I'm usually first in). So far, I've either opened it in one or my chances are close to zero. Last week I did it on three of the four mornings I was in, but had to give up on my tenth attempt on the other morning. The rest of the staff always ask me how many turns it took (if open) and whether I attempted it (if closed). And I get a small round of applause for a successful attempt (in other words, no-one else who attempts The Safe has this trouble).

That's probably enough. I'll try not to leave it too long again.