Russell Javert and Harrison Graff

Les Mis and Ender's Game

Okay everyone, I am so excited for these two movies! The clip below shows us a little insight on Russell Crowe's vocal talent and the picture is the first glimpse of the Ender's Game movie (set to come out November 1, 2013). We will have to see if the movie can compete with the second Hunger Games movie also scheduled for release that month. With Ben Kingsley and Harrison Ford, I have some pretty high hopes for the movie, and Asa Butterfield I think will be a great Ender. Anyway, we have a long time before that movie comes out, so let's focus back on Les Mis. Merry Christmas! Les Mis is out on the 25th of December and is going to be incredible. Its star power is unbelievable; Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, and Helena Bonham Carter. I am currently reading the abridged version of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables (abridged, so that I can finish it before the movie comes out). I have seen the show done live, and have listened to special Broadway anniversary editions on T.V. and in French class. The story is amazing, and the songs are transcendent. Be excited and that is How Lou Sees It!

Verbal Vomit Back in Action

I team up with The Wife for our most vomit-y podcast yet! Discussed in very little detail: The Holidays including Black Friday, Brave, Movember, The Hobbit, Les Miserables, A Date Idea for SLC, Our Child says Donkey, A Moment of Silence, and other random stuff. Not only are we unscripted and uncut, we are unprepared. But we missed you, and hope you missed us. I will have some game reviews coming soon (and some old classic Cornelius Fly)...I promise. Happy Holidays!

Brought to you by: Drain-o and Spitwads

The Only Ones

The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I came across this book first by browsing through the goodreads giveaways a while back. I didn't win, but it remained on my "to read" list. When I was in the library last, it was displayed on one of the tables and I remembered the cover and snagged it up with the rest of the books. I am so glad that I did. A book that definitely has some "Lord of the Flies" like moments as we follow the story of a few children who are left alone in the world. The book is very intriguing and to me was definitely a page turner. The story is fantastic and the characters are well developed. For one who is interested in Einstein and his theory of relativity, the book was especially enjoyable. Funny enough, the book I read just previous to this book was "Einstein's Dreams." The main character, Martin, was very easy to relate to and I think just about everyone could. Martin is great at building things, loves to read books, is a little socially inept, faces being alone, deals with new friendships, and learns how to adapt while staying true to who he is. The book has a great mystery about it and the writing is excellent. The book includes some very clever ideas (love Felix's "Internet") and the city of Xibalba and its residents will definitely keep you entertained. I highly recommend you read it (don't be the only one not to) and that is How Lou Sees It!

View all my goodreads book reviews

New Book

The Only Ones
By Aaron Starmer

Just wanted to give you all an update on what I am reading lately. I just started reading Aaron Starmer's "The Only Ones" and I can tell you that I am hooked. It is very well written and the story is a real page turner. If you are looking for a great novel, look no further, The Only Ones is sure to hit the spot. You can read the first chapter here and you can purchase the book by following this link.

Don't be the only one not to read it and that is How Lou Sees It.

Pantheon Is Restored To Glory

Day 35 - Pantheon
Designed by Bernd Brunnhofer

Mythology is more popular these days with Rick Riordan books about Greek and Egyptian Gods, many movies lately have also centered around mythology or ancient civilizations of that time period. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that a board game was created (last year) using that same mythology and ancient civilizations theme. Tonight's game is called Pantheon where players try and obtain the favor of the gods throughout the reign of different civilizations. There are a lot of components to this game and they are of great quality. When first opening the game and looking at the rules, one might be a little overwhelmed at first but the truth is, once you have read the rules and played through a game at least once it is actually fairly simple to understand and play. It took about an hour and a half for The Wife and I to play this game the first time through, but my guess is that a two player game would be around an hour (maybe even a little less).

The Wife and I really enjoyed Pantheon. There are a few different routes to get your victory points and you will want to try and get victory points in each category. You score some points throughout the game as you play but the game is primarily scored at the half-way point and again at the end of the game. I feel that the game has good replay value with how the board is set up each epoch (or round) and with the random selection of the civilization played that round as well. When you win over certain gods, they will help you greatly in your pursuit to establish yourself and obtain victory points (they can be pretty powerful, surprise surprise). Pantheon is a game for 2 to 4 players and will range from about an hour to an hour and a half with more players. A well thought out strategic game that is different from anything else I have played and that is How Lou Sees It.

Screwtape Has Three of a Crime

Day 29 - Three of a Crime
Designed by Heinz Meister

I think the reason why I first tried this game was purely because of the title. I love puns, and the title fits the theme and play of the game so well. (If you are having trouble coming up with the pun, think poker). Three of a Crime is a simple deduction game where players take turns being the detective and out of 7 suspects they have to figure out which trio was truly guilty for that round. The player representing the thief draws a card from the shuffled deck. This card represents the 3 people who are guilty. The detective draws a card from the top of the deck and places it face up on the table. Each card has some sort of combination of the 7 suspects. The thief then assigns a little number token to that card stating if the card has 0,1, or 2 thieves correct. As more cards are flipped over, the easier it will be to deduct who the 3 guilty criminals are for the round. If you are playing with more than 2 players, there are multiple detectives, and the one that correctly guesses first wins the card. In a 2 player version, you can both play each role simultaneously, and whoever gets 3 cards first wins. The game is a fantastic game for young kids to introduce them to deductive reasoning, which in my opinion is a very important trait. Since The Wife and I are deductive reasoning masters, this game isn't really much of a challenge for either one of us, and we usually tie (not today thankfully, mark another win for Lou on the scoreboard). The Wife and I can remember characters that are not even on the cards and would probably frustrate others if we played with them because we pretty much could play this game in our sleep (a little too simple for must adults I would say). The game is very well done though, love the the theme, again the quality of the cards and number tokens are great. Get this game for your kids and I think they will enjoy it while mastering deductive reasoning and that is How Lou Sees It.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amazing book! Favorite letter was #15 from which I post this quote: "For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity." View all my 'goodreads' reviews

Let's Make Being Ingenious a Habit

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be." - William James

I heard about this book watching CNN one day, and I was very excited to get my hands on a copy. The book discusses how habits are formed, why they are formed, and how to recognize habits and change them for the better. It talks about habits on an individual level, a business level, and a cultural or social level. I found the different discussions very interesting and the main concept of the book is very valid, noteworthy, and in some ways inspiring. There were a couple of times where I didn't want to know any more detail in the examples given, but overall the book was a great read - exactly the sort of discussion that gets you thinking. Thanks Charles Duhigg for putting this book together. I highly recommend this book to everyone. View all my book reviews

Day 23 - Ingenious
Designed by Reiner Knizia

Ingenious is a game well worth its title. Imagine a game that is a mix between Qwirkle and Blokus. If you aren't familiar with these games yet, I hope to be able to get my hand on a copy of each to review for you later on. Ingenious is a game for 1 to 4 brains, and is simple enough for younger players to play as well (the game recommends 10 and up, but I'm sure some 8 year old kids or younger could figure it out as well because the concept is pretty easy. Each player draws 6 tiles to start the game. On a players turn, you play a tile, score the points associated with that tile, if you are lacking your currently lowest scored color you may switch your tiles, and you draw so you have 6 tiles again. The board is a large hexagon shape made up of little hexagons. The tiles are two hexagons attached together with a symbol on each hexagon. There are six different shapes (each shape is also associated with a color) and thus 6 different colors you are trying to score points in. You score points by placing a tile adjacent to at least one matching symbol and counting the same colored tiles already on the board that are adjacent to each symbol in all of the directions (except for in the direction of the other hexagon on the tile you laid).

This may all sound a bit confusing, but its not - you are trying to score as many points in each color as possible while advancing your score in each color. This is where the real kicker comes in - the winner is the person with the highest lowest score. Yeah, you read that right. Pretty cool if you ask me, maybe even INGENIOUS! This requires players to advance each colors scoring marker on their board evenly. It won't matter if you have 18 in 4 colors, if you have 1 color with only 4 points because your score at the end of the game will be 4 points. Each color has a maximum value of 18 and when players reach this point on a color's scoring track, the player says "Ingenious" and gets another turn. The game ends when all the players can't play another piece to the board. Again, the player with the highest lowest score wins. If there is a tie, then it is the next highest lowest score etc. A player can also end the game and win immediately if they can get all 6 colors/shapes to the end of the scoring board (18 points in each color).

Wow, this turned into a longer post than usual. Bottom line is, the game is great! Check it out. It is even available for the iPhone apparently (so you and Siri can play all night long). The Wife won tonight in a pretty close game. I need to start making a comeback, but it is difficult when you are playing against someone who is Ingenious and that is How Lou Sees It.

Beyond Othello

A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first Brandon Mull book experience. His other series (Fablehaven) has been on my "to read" list for a while, but somehow I ended up reading this book first. I started listening to the book on audio cd until I had to return it to the library (luckily they had the book in stock). Brandon does a good job in creating interesting characters and has a pretty good story as well. I really liked the book, and I see myself reading more from Brandon Mull and that is How Lou Sees It. View all my reviews

Day 14 - Othello

"This is the night that either makes me or fordoes me quite." I played as black, "smooth as monumental alabaster" and The Wife played white, "perfect chrysolite." Luckily she is "a daily beauty in [my] life." She definitely had me the entire game. "To be once in doubt, is once to be resolv'd." I had a strategy to get my pieces to the outer border of the game board, but The Wife set me up where I just wasn't able to do so. She is really good at this game. For those who are unfamiliar with Othello, the game is simple enough. Each playing piece has two sides, one white and one black. You take turns placing pieces onto the board and flipping over your opponent's pieces to be your color. You do this by enclosing your opponent on both ends (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally). Othello is a great strategic game, but I just happen to enjoy others more so. The Wife mentioned that my review of the game might be low because I hardly ever win (there could be truth to that) and that is How Lou Sees It.

Olympic Mistborn Animals Avenge Homer Simpson

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first Sanderson novel that I have picked up. I decided to check it out from the library after hearing multiple people say how they enjoyed them. I have to say that I am very impressed, and you can count on me reading Sanderson's other books - with the rest of the Mistborn series on the top of my list. Sanderson does everything well with this book. He creates such an amazingly descriptive world and has some great character development. Some moments were predictable, but not necessarily in a bad way. The story is fantastic and the intriguing abilities of the Mistborn and other Allomancers are very cool. The book is pretty violent (just a heads up) with many brutal killings, but the book is clean of bad language and sexual descriptions. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a good fantasy novel. Fantastic. (View all my 'goodreads' reviews)

The Avengers

I saw The Avengers this last weekend (with about a half million others probably) and I really enjoyed it (surprise surprise from the man who still goes and buys a comic book every once and a while). With the success of comic book hero movies over the past decade, Marvel used the oldest trick in the book to make this movie the huge success it is - combine many great things into one great thing. Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, and throw in Hawkeye and Black Widow and you have an amazing line up of comic book heroes (The Avengers) and some great actors (and actresses - including Cobie Smulders who plays some prominent agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.).

The Avengers is a non-stop action type flick with some witty one-liners, in other words, a comic book brought to life on the big screen. The story line could be simplified to the following: the world is in danger from an evil villain and these super heroes have to band together to save the world. You don't really need to see the other movies before seeing this film, but I would highly recommend doing so (not just because they are great movies, but it will help you get some of the jokes throughout this film). For story line purposes, the movie Thor would be the most important in understanding the movie a bit more because the evil villain in this film is Loki (Thor's brother). If you were not a fan of Thor, I don't think you will enjoy this movie either (maybe you will a bit more than Thor, but since the story line is heavily based off of Thor...). The fact is, I love comic books and I love the movies that Marvel has done. This is definitely a winner in my book, and I'm not surprised that Disney confirmed The Avengers 2 is already in the works. There is also Iron Man 3 to look forward to next year and other sequels coming out like Thor 2 and Captain America 2. Stay 'till the credits are done to get a couple more quick clips. It looks like Thanos will be the next villain The Avengers will have to face (or he may end up in some of the other sequel movies before then). Thumbs up for The Avengers.

Lou Compared to Homer Simpson

I was recently compared to Homer Simpson and I was very flattered (Mmmmm....Fat). Other than the fact that we have a similar work environment, I'm overweight, and I'm on my way to baldness... Homer was once a food critic who gave reviews like me. Let me explain. Homer Simpson loves food, but not only that...he loves everything he eats. I guess you could say we are similar in this regard as well. Not only do I love food, but I love board games. Now, contrary to popular belief I bet there are some board games out there that I may not like so much - I just haven't played them yet. I own games that I really enjoy, and hence the good reviews (and if we learned anything from that Simpson's episode, bad reviews can bring some unwanted attention). I may start including more reviews from The Wife along with mine to give readers a different perspective now and again.

Day 13 - Animal Olympics
Designed by Heinz Meister
Illustrated by Uwe Schildmeier


With the London Summer Olympic Games starting July 27th, tonight The Wife and I played Animal Olympics. 2-4 players, ages 7 and up, and taking 5-10 minutes to play, this is a great little game for teaching children to think critically and about ordering with numbers. Each player is dealt eight cards, face down in front of them in a line. The goal of the game is to get the cards in order from the lowest on the left to the highest on the right. This is accomplished by drawing a card either from the discard pile or the draw pile and replacing one of the face down cards in front of you. The first player to successfully have 8 cards face up in the proper order wins the whole enchilada. The Wife and I played best of three. I won the gold medal. The game is a little too simple for my liking but is a great teaching tool for youngsters. I thoroughly enjoy the illustrations. The hippo in 31st place is my favorite and that is How Lou Sees It.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you liked the Hunger Games, chances are you will enjoy this novel by Veronica Roth. There were some details about the society and how it got to where it is in the book that I wish were in the book (maybe I will learn more in the books to come). Roth has created a very intriguing concept where the city lives in five different factions. You choose when your 16 which faction you will join and live the rest of your life with. Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. But what happens when you don't really belong in any one faction, but you are...let's say well-rounded...you may just be Divergent. The story follows Tris as she hast to make some very difficult choices. The book was very enjoyable, a bit violent, and it has some romance stuff in it for the ladies. I found myself entertained and engaged throughout the entire book. A great read that kept me flip'n the pages and that is How Lou Sees It.

View all my reviews

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

L'Engle does an amazing job creating interesting characters and telling a fantastic story. I felt that the book had some really great religious symbolism as well. I look forward to reading some more books by L'Engle. I highly recommend reading this one if you have not. That is How Lou Sees It.

View all my reviews

1984

"1984" by George Orwell

War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Doublethink. Big Brother. George Orwell does what he does best and creates a startling world where the reader is submerged in interesting political and social statements. A disturbing dystopian future where The Party controls everything. The Party is never wrong. If they said something that did not come to pass, then the statement would be changed to match what happened. The Party is never wrong. Big Brother controls the past. What is truth? Is it what you remember happening, or is it what Big Brother tells you. If Big Brother says 2+2=5, then 2+2=5. Telescreens and microphones are everywhere; two-way devices that allow Big Brother to watch and listen to you every minute of every day. The world is in constant war. The Thought Police strictly enforce thoughtcrime.

The book is very well written, and has had a big impact on today's literature (dystopian novels are very popular now with the recent Hunger Games). For some reason, I didn't seem to enjoy this novel nearly as much as Orwell's Animal Farm. I would recommend Animal Farm over 1984 if you were to choose only one Orwell novel to read. 1984 is definitely worth a visit, even though it is full of war, torture, and deceit.

And that is How Lou Sees It.

The Present

"The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity." - Quote from The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

How to win 100 Grand and Lou Plants a Garden

Welcome readers to a very special blog post. You are all invited to play for a chance at 100 Grand! (Inspired by one of my recent reads, "The Westing Game.")

The rules are simple, the game challenging:

1. Be the first to unravel the given clues and you will obtain that which you seek.

2. Those seeing something extra to the same will do best.

3. You should find clues within "How Lou Sees It."

4. Listen to your eyes, look with your ears, and seepa with your feet.

5. Watching one travel on a horse EW is allowed.

6. Give heed to letters and numbers and remember what you have seen.

Now that you have everything you need, answer correctly the hidden question to win. The first to get it right will win 100 Grand. Just post a reply with your answer and I will let you know when we have a winner!

Gardens
A green thumbs up to gardens everyone! Over the past couple of weeks, I have taken the time and money to plant a little garden (about as well as you can do in 7 patio pots). I felt a little like Kevin Costner in Waterworld as I had to buy precious soil from others and keep it in a pot because I lack the earth to plant a traditional garden.

I don't know what it is about growing plants that produce food, but it is a bit addicting really. Entire games have been made under the goal of growing things (The Farming Game, Farmville, and Harvest Moon) and they are somehow very entertaining. Being able to water and tend to plants that will produce food is just as fun as growing carnivorous plants (which is really awesome by the way).

My garden is nothing too special, like I mentioned before, but I will keep you updated on the progress of my garden via pictures now and again. My garden includes a Sun Sugar Tomato plant, Strawberry plant, Yummy Bell Pepper plant, Sweet Banana Pepper plant, Beat seeds, Pea seeds, and Radish seeds. I really like to eat radishes for some reason, and its a bonus that they grow so stink'n fast.

After a few weeks you can see that I thinned down my radishes so that the actual radish will be able to have room to grow, and my strawberry is turning a nice shade of pink. The tomato plant was planted a bit latter and was struggling a bit before I planted it, but I hope all goes well. Enjoy some pics!

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
I did not read this book when I was a young Lou, but it is a Newbery Medal award winner and is frequently read in schools. The book is a fantastic mystery novel and the author is very clever and cunning with word play, the characters, and her writing. The book has a great sense of humor to it and I was not disappointed with the ending (some mystery novels come up short in really the most important part of the book, this one does not) and the entire book had me flipping back through the book trying to figure out the mystery myself. A great light and short read for anyone wanting a nice little mystery book to read. I would also suggest reading this a week or two before July everyone! Enjoy!

Stuck on how to win a 100 Grand?
If you can't get it with what was given, try these extra hints to help you along (hints are hidden, highlight the area after the number to see the hint):


Hint #1: The answer is a location.

Hint #2: Reread the rules.

Hint #3: There are 2 possible answers, but each answer shares one letter in common.

Hint #4: If you have a QR-code reader, another clue for you below:




And that is How Lou Sees It!

Thor's Hammer, Gregor's Boots, and Lou's Yogurt

Movie Poll closed: No tea leaves necessary to predict that the most anticipated movie of the summer is HP7P2! Watch out Box Office, you may just see some record broken this summer. Thanks for voting! (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II won with 9 votes, and Captain America had 2)

Now on with the post....

Thor

Another marvelous Marvel of a movie! A lot of my favorite movies of late include the many superhero movies that are coming out each year. Some of the comic book movies are duds (The Hulk), but most of them are very well done and very entertaining. Thor is very entertaining and it rightfully SMASHED the box office competition. Now maybe I really liked this movie just because of watching all of those Saturday morning cartoons, or because I collect comic books, but it may just be because it was a well put together movie. The movie had great visuals, music, and even a good story line. Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth are great as well as the rest of the cast (including Anthony Hopkins and Kate Dennings). Action, Romance, and Comedy like you can only find in the comic book/movie world. One to see and perhaps add to your collection.

 Hammer Time

One thing relates the following: Bryce Canyon, M.C.H., a carpenter, Thor, and from Mario's world some of the Koopas....and that one thing is Hammers.

Hammers are totally old school cool. Invented way back by M.C. Hammer's great great great great....great grandma. She was tired of M.C. Sr. complaining about hard to open pistachios and she really wanted him to build her a house with something other than sticky paste. Anyway, any carpenter or real man would tell you just how handy a hammer is to have in one's tool belt. Batman wishes he had room to carry one on his belt too.

Hammers are not just useful tools for pounding in nails (or pulling them out) or for smashing open nut shells, but they are a deadly weapon. Now, I understand if you disagree with me at first, but you should talk to Thor, Mario, and Luigi before you state that disagreement. Thor's Hammer is a pretty awesome weapon. Its extremely heavy (making it impossible for anyone else to use it), indestructible, and magical.

Mario and Luigi fought Koopa Hammer Bros for years. No one likes having hammers thrown at them. Mario and Luigi got a little tired of their throwing flames and took up hammer throwing themselves there for a while. Back in Camelot time not only were swords popular, but a type of hammer called a mace became very popular. Once someone sees King Arthur whirling one of those around, then by Odin everyone wants one.

Gregor the Overlander

Suzanne Collins, the author who brought you The Hunger Games, wrote the Gregor the Overlander series first. Written as a kind of re-make of Alice in Wonderland, this book delivers like Karl Malone used to (I miss the Stockton and Malone days). Gregor follows his little sister, nicknamed "Boots" into a world underneath our own. Humans in the underland live among giant cockroaches, spiders, bats, and rats. What started out as an attempt to escape the world, ends in a quest that will change Gregor's life forever. I highly recomend this book and I look forward to the other 4 books in the series.

Lou's Favorite...Yogurt

My favorite yogurt is Yoplait's Light Fat Free Orange Creme yogurt. What's yours?

That is How Lou Sees It!

A Dark Red Summer

Dark Life by Kat Falls

My goodreads rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love goodreads and scholastic! I received this book for free from the goodreads giveaway area, and I am very glad that I did.


Dark Life is a fantastic book, and the best one I have read all year. It has all of the right elements to a great story. Great characters, a fascinating setting, and an intriguing plot (there is even a little romance for the ladies, or the guys...I'm not judging - its really a perfectly balanced book). I really appreciated the attention to detail concerning the underwater homesteads. I also love water in general and the ocean. The book has some, what I like to call, Star Wars elements to it. Its not a long book and makes for a quick read. This is one of my new favorite books, and I can hardly wait for the sequel! Great work Kat! Keep them coming.

Superman: Red Son

This really is an intriguing graphic novel. This story takes place during the cold war time period, and is a "what if" scenario...that is...what if Superman (who stands for Justice and the American way) had landed in Russia? Brought up on the communistic ideals and who takes over after Stalin dies. Batman and Wonder Woman are also a bit different, and with Superman landing in Russia, Lois Lane is now...Lois Luthor. A good read, and a very interesting look at what it could have been like if Superman was Comrade Superman. Interesting stuff. 

Summer Movies
Some of the movies coming out this spring and summer that have caught my attention.

 

And these are just some of the movies Lou will See.

P.S. How Lou Sees It has now been viewed in 10 countries!