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As each one of Peter Jackson’s movies comes and goes, I find myself liking him less and less.  What started out as an amazing vision for Lord of the Rings has now degenerated into the pretty good but not spectacular production that is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  While I can say that I did enjoy the film and that many parts of it were truly spectacular, Jackson and the production studio’s decision to turn it into three films ultimately made the first installment drag on and come to a rather long-winded conclusion.

In case you don’t already know, The Hobbit pretty much follows the story in the book of the same name, although Jackson, in order to stretch the film out and add more back-story, delved into some of J.R.R. Tolkien’s other works.  So what we end up with is a very long Hobbit movie with lots of other little bits and pieces.  The extra stuff was actually really interesting and I was happy that he did that.  Unfortunately, the execution of the main storyline is a little wonky.  Some parts were changed that didn’t need to be changed, and the main motivator was nothing less than having a few more action scenes in the film - a fatal flaw that most directors seem to be afflicted with these days.

Probably the highest point for me in the film was the acting of Martin Freeman, who played Bilbo Baggins.  He pulls off an amazing fantasy character, despite a few goofy lines he’s expected to say, and is definitely the best thing about the entire production.  I also enjoyed the way they slipped some of the old songs into the film, though they could have gotten away with more.  The singing added a unique element to the film and made it very much true to Tolkien’s story along with the cartoon adaptation that I remember enjoying as a child.  Other highlights include, of course, the amazing special effects (though I did not see it in IMAX, 3D or the 48 fps format) and huge production values.

All-in-all, The Hobbit was a great way to start off the trilogy, though I suspect that three movies was probably one too many.  The excuse for the extra film may have been to put in all the additional content, but the reality is that Jackson just extended his action scenes for way too long.  By the time the last nearly-thirty-minute sequence ended, I was ready to go home, regardless of any epilogue.  It was just too much and too gimmicky to be enjoyable, even in the context of a fantasy film.

Hopefully the next installment will be just as enjoyable, but I doubt Jackson will fix the errors he had in this one.  People seem to love pointless action and so it will continue to haunt movies to their detriment.  Eventually we may get past this old and worn out cliché and be able to move on, but until then, The Hobbit is about as good as any fantasy film is going to get.  I recommend a watch, though make sure to have a little caffeine before you start in.

The Thai Beer Festival is more than just your standard collection of tents and drinking halls, serving out a variety of beer for people to enjoy while they visit.  It’s a huge event that takes place all over the country, though the biggest and the best is by far the event in Bangkok.  Some think of it as the Thai equivalent of the German Oktoberfest and it’s even acquired the name of Novemberfest to solidify this connection.  Starting out in late October, the festival continues all through November and December and into mid-January.

All sorts of places in the city celebrate this festival by offering their own drinking tables.  Malls, the middle of streets and more each host their own part of the event.  There are a plethora of beer gardens, though the best location is definitely right in front of Bangkok’s World Trade Center.  The event has become so popular over the years that it attracts thousands of people daily and even draws in many celebrities.

When you attend the Thai Beer Festival, you’ll have the opportunity to try beers from all over the world.  There are plenty of Thai breweries bringing what they have to offer to the festival, as well as countless brands of more well-known beer coming in from other countries.  One of the fun and informal events that takes place during the festival are the beer games, whereby people use unique methods to down their beer, racing on to the next.  Perhaps not the best way to enjoy a brew, but certainly a good way to throw a party.

In addition to the drinking, visitors can find several things to occupy their time.  There is live entertainment at many of the drinking venues, including dancing, music, light shows, cultural performances and, of course, a massive amount of amazing Thai food.  In fact, aside from the beer, the food is the biggest focus of the festival and those that come for the beer can also expect some seriously good eating.

If you’re a lover of beer, the Thai Beer Festival is a great place to be.  If you happen to be a lover of both beer and Thai food, there’s no place better on the planet to go to enjoy the best of both.  It is a celebration of beer and food like few others and its popularity attests to its greatness.

This one is for the spook-hunters out there, a strange and foreboding bridge just outside of West Dunbartonshire in Scotland.  The thing that makes this bridge so peculiar and of interest to those with a taste for the supernatural is the repeated dog suicides that take place there every year.  So many dogs are said to have taken their own lives by leaping from this bridge that it’s acquired the nickname of “Rover’s Leap.”

Nearby the bridge is the Overtoun House, a granite structure that resembles a castle in many ways and now serves as bed and breakfast.  In order to cross a creek to get to the house, a bridge was built.  Since in the 1950s, this byway has proven to have an unusual effect on the local dogs.  They randomly jump over the edge, at a specific spot on the bridge, and the landing often ends in their deaths.

Why it happens is up for debate.  Those who choose a less traditional explanation have several theories.  Some say that since the areas nearby have a high human suicide rate that the dogs pick up on it and mimic the actions of people.  Others say it’s a less supernatural phenomenon, akin to animals finding a place to die when they get old.  And, of course, there is a fair share of people who claim the bridge is haunted and that the dogs are lured into jumping by ghosts.  This last theory is further reinforced by an event that took place in 1994, when a man threw his baby over the edge of the bridge and then attempted to follow suit.

A more scientific explanation has also been addressed.  The fact is, the wall is just high enough to block the vision of most dogs, yet the presence of wildlife nesting in the area is very high.  Some believe that the dogs smell these critters and then go chasing after them, not realizing that when they jump the wall they’re leaping straight into a long drop.

Whatever you choose to believe, Overtoun Bridge has taken its place as a local urban legend, being responsible for more than 50 dog deaths over the last few decades.  Though the legends and supernatural presence at the bridge may be called into question, it is certainly an interesting place to visit if you happen to be a fan of the strange and unusual.

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=== The Tools of Victory(TM), Dept. ===

Shandler sez, on Justin Upton for 2013,

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Maintained CT% gains but suffered major power outage.  He hinted that April thumb injury may have been a factor.  Finished strong with 6 HR, 137 PX in Sept.  That doesn't erase Apr-Aug, but given age and previous track record, could bounce back in a big way.  Buy at a discount ($29 roto) if you can ... UP:  2011, or more.

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:: taps chin ::

This is interesting, the implication that Upton's contact rate trend is the most important factor in his assessment.  (In chess, a master wins by sorting through various attributes of a position to find the one that matters most.  He sees through the confusion and zeroes in on that aspect of the terrain that will trump the other aspects.  This is the pattern recognition we're talking about.)

You might think, "well, all players improve their EYE ratios, their K/BB ratios, as they get older."  That's true.  But we're not talking about K/BB ratio.  We are talking about strikeout rate itself.  THAT is not the default assumption, that a player will start striking out less as he gets older.

For example, Justin Upton's b-ref.com comps list is loaded with players who were great at 23 years of age, but who never got better.  Ruben Sierra is there, and Cesar Cedeno, and Andruw Jones, and guys like that.  Boom, you file Justin Upton with Ruben Sierra, right?  A couple of 5-WAR seasons in his early 20's, and then 2-3 WAR for the rest of his career?

Actually not.  Sierra was a thick-headed player whose K's never got better.  Same with Andruw Jones:  he fanned 107 times as a 20-year-old, and was still fanning 130 times a year as a 30-year-old.

The pattern recog gives us a key difference in the position:  Upton is evolving at the plate, whereas Sierra, Jones, etc. never did evolve.

Let's not use these numbers indiscrimately; let's take a breath, calmly, and watch him hit on video.  Does his swing match the above trendlines?

Actually it does.  Ruben Sierra was always a GREEDY hitter, jumping at the ball and hoping to hit a glory shot so that he could do a wiggly-waggly down the 1B line.  Justin Upton is almost the opposite of that, staying almost too much within himself, taking easy swings and using the whole field.

Shandler's opinion is that Upton is learning, that he is definitely getting better as he gets older, and that a spike could be just around the corner.  Considering his opinion carefully, I've got to admit that Ron is probably right.  Upton's trends do look great.

Except for the power, of course...

NEXT

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