It's 2009!

Don't really have a lot to discuss today, but I'll go one by one here and talk about a couple things.

Finally sat down and watched the Iron Man movie. Robert Downey Jr. was very charming, and the movie was really well made. I enjoyed it, and I don't even like Tony Stark. In fact, I loathe him as a character. He's one of Marvel Universe's top 5 douche bags, right up there with Reed Richards the work-a-holic and Hank Pym the wife beater. Still, good movie, great origins set up. Though I did find the after credits ending with Nick Fury rather cheesy, and it felt really tacked on (it probably was). Sammy L. has really got the look down though, and seeing as how the Ultimates version of Fury was based on Sammy L. it wouldn't make sense if he didn't have the look right. Can't wait to see what they do down the line, particularly with their Kenneth Branagh directed Thor film. I could do without Ant Man, though....

For Christmas I received Beck Mongolian Chop Squad on DVD, which I have already reviewed here, and the first half of Ouran High School Host Club (which I don't think I've talked about yet). I won't do a full review of it now, but I do want to make note of the English voice overs, courtesy of FUNimation. Some of the characters, like the heroine Haruhi and the cool Kyoya are spot on. Others, like lead male Tamaki, are completely off. Also, in what I can only assume is an attempt to reach a larger audience, they re-recorded the opening and ending in English...and once again it sounds awful. I wish they would stop doing that, though I understand why it's done. Doesn't make it any less annoying.

Got a couple of new games. Several Sims 2 expansions (to be honest, I don't ever really play the game, I just build stuff). Chrono Trigger for the DS which I haven't gotten around to yet because I'm trying to finish Golden Sun 2 first. My fiancee got Civilization Revolution for the 360, and I've been messing around on that. It's a super simplified version of the game you play on the PC. His son got Guitar Hero World Tour with two guitars (we won't be getting the full kit), which I've played off an on. Got some books (A Lion Among Men, The Tales of Beedle the Bard) and movies (Get Smart, Sleeping Beauty, Sweeney Todd, The Red Curtain Trilogy, Stardust) and a copy of Lost Odyssey. Some cash and gift cards. Did pretty well, I think, though I haven't managed to get everything that was on my list. Missing Last Remnant and Prince of Persia, and the new Tolkien book.

Well, I hope everyone has a great 2009! I know 2008 ended pretty poorly, and 2009 has started out with a bang (literally), but I hope it gets better. At the very least, Bush will be out of the White House, and that's got to count for something. My fiancee is also quitting smoking, which is wonderful (it drives my allergies nuts). I don't have any particular goals yet for myself this year. Though I would like to get myself to read more novels, and get up off my butt every now and then. Anybody else do New Year's resolutions?