Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Iron Man III Review, Rush Clockwork Angels Concert, Ninja News, Wednesday Movie Quote, and Bloglovin’ Question

Iron Man III Review

Another great entry in the series.
It’s less of an Iron Man movie and more of a Tony Stark film. Downey reprises his role with ease, firing off witty and hilarious comments left and right.
The special effects are great. What really shines are the action sequences, especially the ending. (The director wrote the Lethal Weapon series, so he knows his action.) We get multiple Iron Man suits this time as well. (Although the constant breaking down of the prototype began to grow old.)
Die hard fans of the Marvel comics will be disappointed with the villain, The Mandarin. I’m a DC guy so I had no history with the character.
It doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as the first two, but as a superhero action film, it delivers. Highly recommended.

Rush Concert Review

Last Friday night – and well worth missing Iron Man’s opening!
Rush is probably the oldest band that is still relevant, producing albums, and touring. They have twenty-four gold and fourteen platinum albums, for an estimated forty million albums sold worldwide. And they still put on an amazing show.
This was the second leg of their Clockwork Angels tour. For those of you who are steampunk fans, you’d dig the album – and you’d really like the stage setup and animation. They performed nine songs from the album, complete with a small accompanying orchestra. They also played a unique set of old favorites.
What continues to amaze me about this band is quality of both the music and the performance. Geddy, Alex, and Neil are three of the best musicians in the world and are truly a sight to behold in concert.
And I won’t even scare you with how many times I have seen this band in concert….

Mini-Alex didn’t get to go, but he did get a cool t-shirt!


Ninja News

First, I have to say thanks to you guys! Author CM Brown featured a poll during the A-Z Challenge, asking people to vote to Appreciate a Fellow Blogger – and I won! Thanks, everyone. That really means a lot, because I’m sure during the month there were many bloggers nominated.

Michael Pierce’s next book is now available – Susy Asylum.

In SUSY Asylum, there is no release. There is no escape. No hope…

This is the sequel to Provex City, which is receiving a new cover – second edition should be available soon.

Congratulations, Michael!

The Post A to Z Road Trip kicks off today, hosted by Tina Downey, Shannon Lawrence, and Nicole. If you’d like to join them as they continue visiting those on the Challenge list, sign up at the A to Z Blog.

Talli Roland has a new book coming out November 2013 – The No-Kids Club.

Almost-forty Clare Donahue is living child-free and loving it – except for her shrinking social circle…

Congratulations, Tallie! And funny, since you no longer belong to that club.

And Katherine at Katherine’s Corner had her photo selected for the cover of Ruby For Women Magazine.

Congratulations, Katherine!

Wednesday Movie Quote

Post your favorite here or play along on your own blog.

Today’s genre is psychological thriller.

My choice is from Manhunter:

Will Graham: I know that I'm not smarter than you.
Doctor Hannibal Lecktor: Then how did you catch me?
Will Graham: You had disadvantages.
Doctor Hannibal Lecktor: What disadvantages?
Will Graham: You're insane.

Next week’s genre – monster movies!

Bloglovin’

I was waiting until after the Challenge to start using a new reader. Bloglovin’ seems more user friendly than Feedly and will likely be my preferred reader. It doesn’t update quite as fast as Google Reader, but it does update all blogs and not hours later. (Or in poor Robyn’s case, not at all!) Following and unfollowing is easy, as are adjusting the various folders.

I did discover one drawback though. Bloggers who have their comment box on a separate page, such as Jay Noel and Medeia Sharif, I’m unable to comment because Bloglovin’ won’t pull up that second page. It’s just a blank screen. I had to hop over to Google Reader to find them there and leave a comment. Has anyone else noticed this and is there a setting I can adjust?

What did you think of Iron Man III? Any Rush fans out there? Excited about Michael and Talli’s books? Taking the A to Z Road Trip? What’s your favorite psychological thriller quote? And anyone else using Bloglovin’?

165 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck to Michael and Talli's new books, sure they will be a success.

Lots of news and views , bands and films, all very interesting.

Yvonne.

L.G. Keltner said...

I haven't seen Iron Man III yet, but I want to!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'm sooo looking forward to seeing Iron Man 3. I love things-blow-up movies.

I really need to get onto finding a new reader. Will check out Bloglovin

Annalisa Crawford said...

Going to check out Bloglovin - I've seen the link on a few blogs now. I have a horrible feeling I'm going to end up losing contact with loads of bloggers. I hope not!!

As a brand new Avengers fangirl, I'm looking forward to seeing Ironman III. In our house, Star Trek and Superman are highly anticipated too (although it might just be me for Superman!)

Old Kitty said...

Some of my favourite quotes from a psycho thriller are from Psycho! "Mother, no!!!!!" or something! LOL!!!

Awwww mini-Alex looks super cute in his fab t-shirt!! Take care
x

Ted Cross said...

My oldest son is crazy about Rush and even plays bass. He'd love to see them live, but sadly it doesn't look like Rush will come anywhere near Budapest. I've looked into going to see them in Amsterdam or somewhere in Germany, but it's just too expensive. If only they would add some new dates, say in Vienna or Prague or, gasp, Budapest!

J.L. Murphey said...

I didn't get a chance to see Ironman 3, but will look forward to it on dvd or cable. Life just got in my way this week.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - like you I was waiting to change over .. and I was going Feedly wards - but perhaps I need to do a rethink .. anyway I'll check things out ..

Lots of information here .. and Ironman is on at the local flick house .. so I might see it - but lots on right now.

Yea - Talli's doing well - seeing she's left the club.

Congratulations on all your hard work for everyone and the notes here .. cheers Hilary

shelly said...

I'm going to stick with Feedly now that I've figured it out.

Excited to see the 3rd Ironman.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Unknown said...

Hey Alex, I am glad that you mentioned the Appreciate a Fellow Blogger Award! Glad you won.

My daughter went to see Iron Man lll and absolutely loved it, I haven't been yet, but it is on the list of things to do.

Star Trek opens tonight here in Oz, I hope to go see it next week. I am really looking forward to it!

Congrats to Michael and the Talli on their book releases!

Kimberly Gabriel said...

I'm excited to see Iron Man! I love a good action movie mixed with wit and humor. I've never seen Rush in concert, but I've heard they are very good.

RaveAir said...

Someone has to organize a "Farewell Google Reader Blogfest", where we can mention our favourite blogs, some good memories about GR and posible alternatives or suggestion to other blogers (with experiences).

Maybe it'll be a very useful blogfest.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lynda, things do blow up!

Annalisa, excited about all of them in our house.

Kitty, that's good!

Ted, they've probably played there at some point in the past. I always have to take a road trip to see them.

Carolyn, thanks again. And let us know what you think of Star Trek.

Kimberly, they are amazing in concert.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I saw Rush with my husband once when they came through Charlotte. Might have been 10 years ago now! It definitely was a good show.

Thanks for the Iron Man review! Was wondering how you liked it.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats to everyone on their books. Sorry I don't use Blogovin. I use Blogger Dashboard. Keep us updated.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

The Rush concert sounds great!

I may as well stick with Feedly, since I already switched over.

You asked me about the Cover Keepers program on my blog, so I'll answer you both here and there to make sure you see it. It's open to all types of authors, not just indies. Your publisher can sign up several authors at once, or you can sign up on your own.

Unknown said...

LOVE the patch of dialogue from Manhunter--LOL. Glad to see someone review the Ironman movie; my husband is foamin' at the mouth to see it. He's a Marvel AND DC man. I know, right?

Unknown said...

Great books highlighted-- you are so good about that. And I just rolled over to bloglovin' yesterday and added the button. (I hear the traditional Google friends following method will soon disappear as well). I haven't figured it all out, but will keep an eye out for the issues you pointed out.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I still have to see Ironman 1 and II first haha. I plan on doing that asap so that I can catch III in theaters. Regarding Bloglovin, I need to do that soon since Google Reader is leaving on July 1st. BUT I read in two seperate places that GFC is staying. Have you heard this???

Mark Koopmans said...

I haven't seen any of the Ironman movies, but will one day... on Netflix?

Mini Alex needs his own Blogfest...

Unknown said...

I wish Talli and all the other writers lots of success. I really liked your review of Iron Man and agree totally.

Laura Eno said...

I agree with Mark - Mini Alex needs his own blogfest. :)
And I'm grumbling about Readers. Even email doesn't work really well. It's often a day late and some sites don't have an email signup box on them.
I'm going to go pet my unicorn now...

Juliana Haygert said...

I keep hearing Iron Man 3 is awesome - can't wait to see it.
Glad you enjoyed the concert!

Summer Ross said...

I am excited to watch Iron man III. I've never been a big rush fan-
Congrats tot he new release Michael.

Have a great day, Alex!
~Summer

randi lee said...

Thanks for the review on IM3! I've had a Rave Cinema gift card sitting in my desk drawer since Christmas. Guess it's finally time to bust it out :D!

Stina said...

I'll wait until Ironman III comes out on DVD. It sounds like a family night movie.

I can't believe RUSH are still preforming. Aren't they like 100 years old by now? lol

Shell Flower said...

Yay that you got to see your favorite band again. Nothing wrong with seeing a band many times. I've seen the Grateful Dead in concert over 50 times :) So nice to see all the great success so many folks are having with books and photos, too.

farawayeyes said...

No Ironman III for me, but that Rush concert sounds awesome.

Isis Rushdan said...

Alex, if you didn't win the that poll I would have said it was fixed, lol. You went way above and beyond with the A-Z challenge. Not only was it creative, but it was time-consuming. You put a ton of effort into it. Way to go!!

mooderino said...

I'm still using Google Reader even though I've set up my bloglovin and feedly accounts. Will have to switch over at some point...

IM3 looks pretty good, will be checking it out soon.

mood

Unknown said...

I will tell you this, bands today cannot pack them into a stadium the way bands from my youth could. I do wish the record companies would take note. Musicians that can actually play their instruments are better than those who can't.

Michelle Gregory said...

we loved #3, especially the after-credit scene. i'd watch the whole movie again just for that. but the rest of it was great too. it was nice to see Tony being a hero without the suit.

Sarah Ahiers said...

LOVED Iron Man. And I'm a die hard Marvel fan and had no problems with the way they handled the Mandarin. The movie was so funny and so action packed. It makes me super excited for Avengers II

Unknown said...

RUSH....IRON MAN 3...MANHUNTER... all a good things. Fan of all those things... Insane.

You packed a wallop in this Wednesday's Post...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Zoltan, that sounds like a great idea!

Elizabeth, Charlotte is where I usually go for concerts.

Sandra, thanks - I'll let them know.

Julie, I still need to add the button.

Optimistic, I hope it stays!

Mark, that would be funny.

Laura, that made me laugh!

Stina, they are almost sixty.

Shell, you have me beat.

Thank you, Isis.

Anne, Amen!

Pat Hatt said...

Will see Ironman soon, glad it was good. read all the backlash on the mandarin too, oh well. As long as they leave my blogroll alone, I'm good.

Jo said...

As usual, I haven't seen the movie and I have never heard of Rush except through you. Ah well.

Congrats to all the new book authors, it must feel so great.

Alex, you will really have to write another book.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Alex,

Thanks for the review. One day I will watch the series. Too busy with EVERYTHING else to sit in a movie for two hours. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie at all let alone in the theater.

Congrats to Talli and Michael!

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Multiple Iron Man suits... And now he's officially fashionable. I really want to see this one. RUSH is awesome! Thanks for sharing that experience. Sorry Mini Alex couldn't go. :)

Hmmm... Bloglovin'. When I heard about GR closing, I signed up for both Feedly and Bloglovin'. I did find a few quirks with Bloglovin', so I've been using Feedly more regularly. One thing I do like with Bloglovin' is that you receive an email daily with blog updates. I thought that was kind of cool. I'm not sure which reader I'll end up using permanently.

Katherines Corner said...

I can't wait to see the new Iron Man, hopefully it will be on dvd a bit quicker this time. Thank you for making me feel like a rock star my cherished friend xo

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I have Bloglovin on my to do list. I'm going to see I-3 later today and I do enjoy Rush. I'm looking forward to Michael's second book.

Karen Baldwin said...

Happy for Tali. My favorite quote is from Silence of the Lambs: I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti. There's a TV show now about Hannibal Lector that shows him eating what looks like someone's liver. Seeing this however isn't as creepy as imagining Anthony Hopkins doing it. And I'm waiting for the Great Gatsby.

Luanne G. Smith said...

Tony Stark's wit is what I love about the Iron Man and Avengers movies. :)

And I've tried Bloglovin. I was noticing yesterday that not everyone's posts were loading up the way they were on blogger, but it might be that I haven't figured out the folders yet. Will try messing with it more today.

Jessica Salyer said...

Congrats to Michael, Talli, and Katherine. And thanks for the review of Iron Man. I'd been wondering how it was.

Heather M. Gardner said...

I enjoy listening to Rush. I have for many years. My brother was a big fan and got me hooked. They are fantastic musicians. Real musicians.

Nice quote! I guess we are on the same wave length!

Heather

Mark Means said...

I'll admit that, at first, I wasn't thrilled with The Mandarin (as I know his comic book history fairly well), but the way the pulled it off was entertaining, so I can't really balk (too much) at their creative license :) I liked this installment better than IM2...and,if you haven't seen it yet, wait until -after- the credits for more goodies. It's worth it! :)

I remember seeing Manhunter when it first came out in the theaters...great film.

Anonymous said...

Hey bud, I use Bloglovin' and have not run into that problem, yet! LOL hopefully you will figure it out and not have anymore problems, I really love using Bloglovin' as it's so user friendly! Have a great week my friend!

Shannon at I Survived and Now I Run

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I enjoyed IRON MAN 3 even more than Two. You're right: it is a Tony Stark movie and better because of it. He is often his worst enemy in this movie but overcomes in his own unique style, tapping into what made the first IRON MAN fun and moving at the same time.

Charles Gramlich said...

Will definitely see Iron Man 3

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I'm waiting for the new Star Trek movie. It's coming soon (she shivers). I hope I'm not disappointed.

I will probably wait on Iron Man to hit NetFlix.

Mary Aalgaard said...

I think my kids would agree with your review of Iron Man III. They weren't impressed with the villain, and did not like watching it in 3D.

I'm resisting the switch from Google Reader. Why are they canceling it, anyway?

I finally wrote my reflections post. Thanks so much for supporting it. Millie and Willie thought it was a hoot!

Nigel G Mitchell said...

Congratulations, Tallie and Michael!

ilima said...

I've never been to a Rush concert (my husband's been to a few) but he took me to a Rush laser show when we were dating in college which was cool.

We watched Iron Man on Friday. I wasn't a fan of the second one, so I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Mostly we just got excited knowing how much the kids would love it and then took them all to see it Monday night, lol. I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. :)

Cherie Reich said...

I still need to catch up on Iron Man 2. *sighs*

I'm glad you had a great time at Rush. It sounds like an awesome concert, and that T-shirt is so cool!

Tina said...

Ah...I knew it was a concert - the only thing to trump a new superhero movie! I love Rush. Swissie has seen them multiple times, but I've never had the time or money at the right time. However, I won't scare you with how many times I've seen Bruce Springsteen in concert...
Congrats on winning - didn't run across the chance to vote, but it's certainly deserved!
Thanks for the road trip plug and glad you'll be along.
Tina @ Life is Good

Nicki Elson said...

The concert sounds awesome. So does Talli's new book! Congrats to Michelle & thanks for the Bloglovin tips.

Suze said...

You had me at, 'It’s less of an Iron Man movie and more of a Tony Stark film.'

And as for mini-Alex -- I WANT HIS T-SHIRT!! :D

Misha Gerrick said...

I'm hoping to go watch Iron Man III this Thursday.

Thanks for the tip on Bloglovin. I signed up and will try it out for a while. :-)

Andrew Leon said...

I've never been into Rush, so I would still have taken IM3 over the concert. Now, if it had been U2...

Author A.O. Peart said...

I haven't seen IM3, but will soon. Thanks for posting a review - I prefer the bloggers' opinions to those of the professional critics :-)

Congratulations to Michael, Katherine, and Talli!

I am soooooo jealous, Alex! I would love to go to this concert. Rush rocks, and it sounds like the concert was fantastic. So jealous. Ugh. ;-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jo, still thinking about it.

Sheri, Rush IS awesome. And I'm using a bit of both right now.

Katherine, you're welcome!\\Leigh, good one.

LG, it doesn't update as fast, but I think you also have to refresh often. But thirty minutes later is better than ten hours later!

Heather, you are all kinds of awesome in my book.

Mark, I knew there was a clip at the end, but wanted to beat the crowd out of the parking lot.

Shannon, must just be me...

Mary, I think they are forcing everyone to use Google+. And your theme was a lot of fun.

Ilima, you've seen it twice now - nice.

Tina, email me and we'll scare each other.

Suze, you'd take Mini-Alex's shirt...?

Al Diaz said...

Hum, could it possibly be that I have the same disadvantage than Doctor Lecter? :D

So Bloglovin' is easier to use than Feedly? It took me a whole month and some frustrating moments to figure it out. There are some blogs that would not appear in the update, for some unknown reason. But now that we have smoked the pipes of peace I'm seriously wondering if I really want to try another.
That pic of the concert, did you take it? It looks amazing.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I'm going to see Iron Man this weekend. My kids have seen it, but say they will go again.

You totally deserved the award! Congratulations.

Nancy Thompson said...

Ah, Will & Hannibal! One of my favorite couples!! Hey, did you know Talli's book, The Pollyanna Plan, has been nominated for Best ChickLit/Women's Lit for the eFestival of Words Best of eBooks Awards? How cool is that?!!

Nancy Thompson said...

Forgot the link. Here it is: http://astore.amazon.com/efestival2013-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=17

Nancy Thompson said...

AND...Talli's Build a Man is up for Best Romance.
http://astore.amazon.com/efestival2013-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=24

DL Hammons said...

Manhunter was such an under appreciated film, and the remake (Red Dragon) didn't do it any favors. Loved that exchange you highlighted! :)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I bought Michael's book! I'm about 5% through with it.

RaShelle Workman said...

I can't wait to see Iron Man 3. So excited.

Johanna Garth said...

Best wishes to Michael and Talli (now I feel like I've made it sound like they're getting married, but you and they will know what I mean).

My older, super cool cousin used to have a huge Rush poster in her room. Glad you enjoyed the concert!

~Sia McKye~ said...

I haven't seen Ironman yet. Pain and Gain is hilarious tho! And, c'mon fast five 6!

I confess, I'm still dawdling on a new reader. There are a lot of second pages for comments. Hopefully Bloglovin' will make adjustments.

I'd love to see Rush in concert. I'm looking at concerts hitting my area and deciding which I will be going to. I usually hit at least one a year, now. Any of the venues are always a minimum 2 hours or more away. Kinda cramps the concert going.

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

msmariah said...

Hi Alex! I'm with you. I'm a DC fan, so I don't really care much about Marvel canon or history. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm kinda tired of Tony Stark. But if you say it's good then I'll go see it.

I've been so busy with baby stuff. Baby isn't here yet, but soon will be. I hope all is well for you.

Rick Daley said...

I liked IronMan III much better than II. Hard to top I though.

Leovi said...

Yes, we will see this new installment of super hero!

Ray Rousell said...

I actually watched Manhunter once again the other night, what a great film, a little dated, by today's standards but well worth a watch!

Unknown said...

I saw Iron Man III on the first day @ 9:00 in the morning!!! I couldn't wait until the evening. I loved it! Especially the bit after the credits with him and Banner.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Angela, don't hate me for my Rush concert experience!

Al, I did take it. Thanks. The wonders of my wife's iPhone.

Nancy, that is very cool! Talli is such a super writer.

DL, it was an amazing film. Everything Mann does is gold.

Michael, I have about a hundred books waiting first...

Johanna, that made me laugh!

Sia, we always have to drive as well.

MsMariah, you will be really busy soon.

Ray, it has so much atmosphere.

Jenn, you are a devoted fan.

Hart Johnson said...

YAY Ironman! I probably won't see it until it hits pay-for-view, but I do love Downey Jr. and it's my favorite of the comic book adaptations, probably because he is such a fabulous anti-hero.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Haven't seen the movie yet but glad you enjoyed Iron Man 3. I saw Oblivion yesterday and I LOVED it!! Hey Mini-Alex. Congrats Michael and Tallie on your latest books. Enjoy your Day Alex and congrats on winning Appreciate a Fellow Blogger, *whispers* I voted for you.

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to the A - Z road trip ... just have to get through this week first. Busy time, as you know, but then things start to slow down again. Congrats on your award! You certainly deserve it! I'll catch up with you again soon. Best of Wednesday to you:)

Rusty Carl said...

Interesting about the cover change to Provex City. I liked the old one quite a bit. And the concert must have been amazing. Loved Iron Man.

Lisa said...

I really liked IM3, and am very happy for Michael, Talli and Katherine! Sounds like life is good right now for them! Love your info-bites on your blog! And, congrats on the fellow blogger award!

Elizabeth Sara said...

It would be so cool to get a photo selected for a magazine! And I hope the books are successful!

Lisa Regan said...

"Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive." - Josephine Hart

I'm sure I'll see IM III soon--my husband loves those movies. Good stuff.

Jo said...

As Yoda would say, do not think just do. Or something similar.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

Mel Chesley said...

I haven't had any problems commenting with blogs that pull up another page or even window for that matter, using Bloglovin'. So far, it's the best reader out there for me. Although, I haven't tried using it on my Kindle fire, so not sure.

Happy walker said...

i like Iron Man~ XD

Regards, www.lonelyreload.com (A Growing Teenager Diary)

Billy Blue Eyes said...

First one on my roadtrip, not seen Ironman three yet but looking forward to it. My son tells me it's great

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hart, you will really dig him in this one then.

Sheena-kay, thank you!!

Lisa, good one.

Mel, wish I could figure out why they don't pull up for me.

Bill, enjoy the A to Z Road Trip!

Robin said...

The movie: Fracture (with Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling)

Judge Pincus: "I appreciate your concern for the dignity of the court 007, Unfortunately, the man is a tax-paying citizen and entitled by our Constitution to try and manipulate the legal system like everybody else."

I would post it on my blog, but I am just too frazzled to put something together today. So, here you go...

M Pax said...

Glad you had fun at the Rush concert. that is an awesome t-shirt.

I'm still using feedly or whatever it's called.

Congrats to Michael and Talli on their new books, and to you for winning the poll.

Rhonda Albom said...

My kids loved Iron Man III. I haven't thought about Rush in a while, but as soon as I read it above a few songs started in my head, and now they are stuck there. As for new readers, I haven't switched yet. I need to get on that, but for now I am hoping over the to the Road Trip.

Karen M. Peterson said...

I'm looking forward to seeing Iron Man 3. Probably this weekend!

As for the commenting issue with Bloglovin', I've run into the same issue, but if you right click on 'comment' and select 'open in new window' it always works for me.

Ella said...

Congrats on the win! OOh,I would of loved to see RUSH-jealous! Mini Alex will rock his t-shirt ;D

Congrats to Michael, Talli and Karen

Now I can hear RUSH music in my head...lol
What a rush... ;D

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Aw, thanks Alex! I don't know why Google Reader was so finicky with me. I'm going to look into lovin' (been looking into, or for, that my whole life), and will research bloglovin' too. Smiles.

xoRobyn

Arlee Bird said...

I'm a Rush fan! Never saw them in person, but seen concerts on TV and they were very impressive.

Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out

Unknown said...

I think my Aerosmith might be just a bit older, but hey, when they've been around that long who really cares. It's the fact that they are still around that matters.

Loved IM3 and thought it was vastly superior to 2 which was far too much set up for Avengers with little to no good story. Did not like Mickey Rourke in there, either. And it's good that they changed up Mandarin, who really is a racist caricature and a relic. He certainly does not fit the times now.

Thanks for yesterday, I had a lot of fun and really appreciate the welcome here. Your site is like another home on here. :)

The Words Crafter said...

my husband loved the new iron man. i still have to see it.

spirit of the radio! fly by night! tom sawyer!

i'm in the process of uploading bloglovin....i'll let you know what i think :)

klahanie said...

Oh man, after averaging three hours sleep this week, apologies if my comment is even more nonsensical than usual.

I don't get to see many movies. So reading about them is pretty neat.

I'm a huge fan of Rush, eh. As for the A to Z road trip, as much as I've been proactive to the point of exhaustion visiting folks who participated in the challenge I would never do, I just wish it was all over and done. If enough people have email subscription applications on their blogs, it would be straightforward. I get email notifications of a number of bloggers when they have up a new posting.

Be well, I need some sleep.

Gary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Robin, that one is great!

Rhonda, you can't ever forget...

Karen, thanks for the tip!!

Ella, not sure if they were headed north to you or not.

Robyn, just glad I can find you again.

Lee, they have so many live discs and DVDs now.

Melissa, Rush is older by two years. But those guys have been around a long time. And glad you had a good time entertaining the Ninja Army.

Words Crafter, you rock.

Gary, go sleep. And knew you'd be a Rush fan.

Helena said...

New books by new writers (to me) are always exciting.

I want to see Iron Man, but only after the crowds are thinner. Robert Downey Jr. is the kind of intelligent actor who really commands my attention.

Tami Von Zalez said...

I've been considering switching to Bloglovin, I tried Feedly and (thumbs down) for me. Guess I better make up my mind soon!

thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com

JJ said...

I am still debating Ironman 3, but the jury is still out. Now RUSH - I might be jealous!

ib said...

Here are some of my favorite movie quotes from the movie Se7en.

William Somerset (Morgan Freeman): 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part.

David Mills (Brad Pitt): Who knows. So many freaks out there doin' their little evil deeds they don't wanna do... 'The voices made me do it. My dog made me do it. Jodie Foster told me to do it.'

And one last thing.

RUSH ROCKS!!!!

SpacerGuy said...

Lookin' forward to Ironman. Theres 44 Star Trek blogs on Bloglovin' which is totally cool with me.

Erin L. Funk said...

Glad to hear Iron Man 3 was another good installment in the series. Looking forward to watching it!

Alexandra Heep said...

Rush is coming here next month and I entered a giveaway for tickets. Not that I could go anyway. For one, I can't handle flashing lights and I can's stand long or walk unassisted. Still, I'd give them to my boyfriend.

Cathy Keaton said...

I love the Iron Man movies! Too bad this one doesn't have the same emotional impact as the other two, but it's probably more about the great action anyway.

DMS said...

I haven't seen Rush in years. Glad to hear they still put on a great show. I have heard wonderful things about Iran Man III. Can't wait to see it!
Jess

Donna K. Weaver said...

Isn't Talli amazing? How can she crank out books so fast?

We really enjoyed Iron Man III. For sure stay for the extra scene at the end.

Brandon Ax said...

Being a Marvel/DC guy I can say it got me at first, but I got to where I found it funny.

It was an awesome movie though.

Hey I nominated you for an award on my blog. :)

Unknown said...

I have to go see Iron Man 3. It is on the list for sure. That's awesome about the Rush concert. Happy for you, not so happy for Mini-Alex. haha

Unknown said...

Thanks for the shout out for my second book! I must admit that I haven't looked that much into Rush, but from all the things you describe, they've got to be amazing. I've never been to a steampunk themed concert...sounds cool.

Unknown said...

I agree with your view on IM3, though I thought the Mandarin was absolutely brilliant (not such a die hard fan, though).

I keep meaning to listen to Clockwork Angels; steampunk musical goodness is all good with me :)

Kyra Lennon said...

Ah, how did I miss that Michael's new book is out?! Thanks for the heads up, Alex!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the news. I need to check out some of these books.

dolorah said...

I'm looking forward to seeing Iron Man III soon. And yep, I like Rush. Would be great to see them in concert.

I've added Feedly, but haven't put much effort into using it. I have a blog roll that displays the blogs I want to see all the time, and for the rest - just catching up sometimes - I scroll through the google thing that lists all blogs I follow.

Have a good weekend Alex.

......dhole

Michelle Wallace said...

Congrats to Talli & Michael!
Bloglovin'? I haven't even checked out Feedly... there's a new one every month... how on earth are we supposed to keep up...?
Steampunk themed concert? That sounds super-cool!


ediFanoB said...

My wife and I liked Iron Man III.
We have been surprised how fast the time passed. That is always a positive sign.

Laura Pauling said...

I love the premise of Talli's new book. It's so true. After a certain point when everyone has kids and the moms talk about mom stuff all the time....it's hard to fit in if you don't have kids and can't relate.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tami, I may end up using both.

Ib, you are uber cool in my book.

Spacerguy, I need to find them.

Alexandra, hope you win so he can enjoy them.

Thanks, Brandon.

Julie, at least he got a t-shirt.

Michael, you're welcome.

Jamie, you need to listen to it.

John Wiswell said...

I have to wait another two weeks before I'm allowed to see it, but all of the positive reactions are great. I'm presuming the Mandarin ire is that he has no magic rings?

A Beer for the Shower said...

I liked Iron Man 3, but I'll tell you, that suit breaking down thing kept wearing on me too. It was a great movie and Robert Downey Jr. was awesome, but I really wish we could have seen Iron Man kick some ass at least ONCE. But he's falling, or getting thrown around, or the suit breaks, etc. Where's the bad ass I was promised?

Melody said...

I have yet to see any of the Iron Man movies, but I did see a trailer for this one and thought it looked great. That's something I will have to do over the summer!

Stephen Tremp said...

I took the plunge and signed up for the A to Z Summer Road Trip.

Rush is might awesome although its been a lot of years since I've seen them live.

I'll check out Iron Man III when the crowds die down. I'm just not into shoulder to shoulder packed theaters any more.

Jen said...

I enjoyed Tony Stark in The Avengers but the Iron Man movies have flown under my radar. Don't know why...

Congrats to all the new books coming out :D

I'll have to check out Rush's new album. I do enjoy Steampunk; I'll give 'em a listen.

Cheers!
Jen

LD Masterson said...

SPOILER ALERT ***

I enjoyed Iron Man 3. I thought it was interesting that our hero (I.M./Tony) didn't save Pepper. The villain did, by having injected her. Unusual for a superhero story.

Jay Noel said...

I have yet to see Iron Man 3...ugh. Not enough time in the day. Or enough babysitters.

Rush is still so incredible. I'm going to see if I can find some pics of their steampunk-laden tour.

You know, I have never noticed that my comments go to a whole new page. Weird. Getting senile in my old age, I guess.

Natasha Hanova said...

I'll have to look into Bloglovin. Just when I figured out Google Reader… Thanks for the Iron Man III review. I want to watch it.

Christine Rains said...

Glad to hear Iron Man III was good. I've only heard good things about it so far.

Julie Dao said...

Glad you enjoyed the concert!!! Looks like it was a good time.

Liesel K. Hill said...

Can't wait to see Iron Man III. I'm hoping to go this weekend! :D I've also been looking into Bloglovin. I agree, it seems to be pretty good. :D

Patsy said...

I'm rubbish at remembering quotes!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

John, it's even more than that. You'll see. I liked the twist, but then I don't follow the comic.

Brandon and Bryan, exactly!

Jen, you'll enjoy it!

LD, that was an unusual twist.

Jay, sorry I couldn't get any close ones for you. And yes, your comment box is on a separate page.

Yolanda Renée said...

Really enjoyed the Lady Badasses, in your last blog. Recently saw Alice of resident evil fame, and so enjoy her character.

I did sign up for the Road Trip, and I'm so glad to be able to spread it out over time. Makes so much more sense than trying to do it all in the month of April.

Looking forward to seeing Ironman!

Thanks for stopping by and for the words of encouragement. We are all healing and mending, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Jennifer Lane said...

Hi Alex! Totally agree with your thumbs up review of Iron Man 3. RDJ makes this series for me--"the mechanic" has great comedic timing. He is quite a charmer. I saw it in Omnimax 3-D and the effects were spectacular!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Of course you won, silly. Was there any doubt! You rock, Captain.

Did you ever see Manhunter with Will Peterson. It was the first time we got to see Hannibal, played by the outstanding late Scottish actor, Brian Cox. Music by Seven. I still listen to the sound track to this day.

Yet, the new series Hannibal... can't watch it. Way way too violent and gory for this old Tom Harris fan.

Unknown said...

Iron Man! Really loved it. If it is RDJ's swan song in the iron suit, it was fitting.

Rush!!!! One of the best live shows you can go to--even if you aren't a super fan of their music. They put on old school, spectacle shows that highlight true musicianship. Hard to find these days. And I'd never judge you for how many times you've seen a band/act. (I'll keep my Van Halen and Ben Folds counts to myself. :)

I'll have to check out that blog reader. I'm still dangling in the wind and need to grab ahold of something fast.

Lydia Kang said...

I cannot wait to see Iron Man 3! I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it.

Anonymous said...

I'm a very slow Rush fan, because I only have their first 3 albums and listen to the 3rd. lol Caress of Steel is so epic, though. I'm guessing they kept getting better with each album, because the 1st & 2nd were disappointing. I bought the 3rd first, which may have been the problem. lol

Tonja said...

I liked Iron Man III. I wanted Pepper to become a superhero too.

Fe said...

Seeing Iron Man III on Sunday. Looking forward to it.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yolanda, I'll be signing up in a week or two, when I am ready.

Joylene, Manhunter was an amazing film. Michael Mann only makes great films.

EJ, you rock in my book!

Debra! You need to continue buying albums.

Unknown said...

Congrats to Michael on his new book and to you for winning on CM Brown's poll! You definitely deserved it. :)

Carrie-Anne said...

So far I haven't tried out any alternate services to Google Reader. I was thinking of copying and pasting all the URLs into a Word document and then just clicking, though that wouldn't show me when each were updated.

I'm unable to leave comments in Google Reader itself anyway, and have to click on the link to the actual post to see a comment form.

Nick Wilford said...

I'm using the Old Reader to follow new blogs but still on Google Reader to follow my faves. Just prefer it.

Congrats on the deserved win!

Looking forward to Susy Asylum. Provex City is my current read.

msmariah said...

Hi, one question-- I thought Google made Google Reader go caput? Is it still going?

Sherry Ellis said...

Rush would've been an awesome concert to see! I use Bloglovin and like it.

Mina Burrows said...

I'm so glad you got to see Rush. I bet you and my man could talk hours about that concert. IronMan 3 is on the docket.

Congrats on the blog win. I'm not surprised. :)

I'm heading over to see Michael now. :)

Leovi said...

Yes, a Rush concert should be spectacular, totally recommended!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks Candilynn.

Carrie-Anne, try Feedly, I think that one will work for you.

Google+ is taking over Google Reader, MsMariah.

Sherry, you rock!

Mina, be glad to talk hours about Rush.

Unknown said...

I'm so glad Iron Man III gets a positive review from you. My husband is desperate to go see it (and I'm pretty keen too), so I'm glad to hear it wasn't a disappointment :)

Anonymous said...

I really need to see Iron Man 3! I love those films!

I automatically moved to feedly on news that Google reader was closing. I quite like it and feel settled. I might have a look at Bloglovin though.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I can't wait to see Iron Man 3! No idea when I'll get to, though. Hubby and I try to sneak out to a movie while the kids are at school, but next week is the last one, and hubby will be busy. It is at the drive-in, though, so I'm hoping it stays there for a couple weeks. Yay!

Thank you for posting about the Road Trip, Alex!

Shannon at The Warrior Muse

Jeff Hargett said...

My latest Feedly update was most welcome. Organizing blogs is easier, more intuitive and much more user friendly. The Feedly drawback for me is the lack of IE support. All non-IE browsers at work are blocked.

Anonymous said...

Rush AND Iron Man?? I love you. That is all.

Cathrina Constantine said...

Nothing can dampen my spirits on seeing Iron Man 3, except my sister who wants to go with me and can't seem to fit it into her schedule.

Powdered Toast Man said...

Great movie quote today. I've seen Red Dragon more times than Manhunter so I picture Edward Norton saying it.

I going to see Iron Man 3 very very soon.

Talli Roland said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Alex! :)

Anonymous said...

I am going to attempt to go on the road trip.

Denise at Organization and Inspiration for Fellow Writers
Denise Reashore on Facebook

TerryLynnJohnson said...

as always - lots of stuff going on here! I've just scrolled through your posts doing some catch up. Love that you are SO active in the blog community!

I'm still waiting to see Iron Man 3 - definitely on the to-do list! Saw some mediocre films lately and anxious to have my socks blown off.

S. L. Hennessy said...

I'm a Marvel fan, but I have to say I loved Iron Man 3, even in The Mandarin was a bit...different. It was hilarious and sooo much better than the second. Almost as good as the first Iron Man film.

Deniz Bevan said...

Yay, Rush! I can never tell if Scalzi and Joe Hill are being ironic when they tweet about Rush. I don't care, I think they're an awesome band!

Jai Joshi said...

I'm a Rush fan! So cool that you got to go to the concert, I'm jealous.

Jai

Unknown said...

yeah, I think so, I also like the Iron man t shirt.