:: Privatjokr ::

...and I was having this insight that my parents had let me loose in the world without explaining anything of importance to me.

Lincoln lawyer Mickey Haller and LAPD Detective Harry Bosch team up in this new novel by Michael Connelly.

Things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, Haller is back in the courtroom. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his biggest case yet: the defense of Walter Elliott, a prominent studio executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent's killer may be coming for him next.

Enter Harry Bosch. Determined to find Vincent's killer, he is not opposed to using Haller as bait. But as danger mounts and the stakes rise, these two loners realize their only choice is to work together.

The Brass Verdict will be released in hardcover on October 14, 2008 in the USA and Canada, and on October 16, 2008 in the UK and Ireland, and in November 2008 in Australia and New Zealand.

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What he had taught me was to be reckless, taught me that if I let myself go, did not slow myself down by thinking so much beforehand I could achieve many things I would never have dreamt possible.

While in the Middle East providing a new-product demonstration to the US Armed Forces, super-genius playboy weaponsmaker Tony Stark is ambushed and kidnapped. To buy his freedom from his captors he must construct the new weapon he was showcasing. He decides, instead, to build a suit made of iron to help him escape, a suit powered by an electromagnet that was installed in his chest to prevent shrapnel from entering his heart. Further design modifications and refinements lead Stark to a truly amazing concept which makes him a bonafide superhero.

The movie follows its hero (pun intended) on a series of personality changes. He goes from chick magnet to humble captive and from cocky fly boy to man on a mission. I am sure you can figure out which traits were more entertaining.

I was impressed at first with how much hype was created for this movie. Those involved took a pretty well-known but certainly less-popular comic book character and made it one of the most highly anticipated films in at least recent history. My hat is off to them all for going beyond that and delivering such a fun and energizing movie. They also followed the story well and included at least two teasers as to what we might see sometime into the future (*cough* War Machine and The Avengers *cough*).

The story gets in the way a few times, and it is cheesy comic book story, but I hope you can get past that. With the volume of comic books being adapted to film, most people should be pretty used to that by now. What that story does is form the environment in which the special effects can really shine.

Tony Stark is a stronger personality (and thus a better lead) than either Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne, and Iron Man and the pace of his movie are also significantly more explosive. Since you're now questioning me, I will say that Iron Man was better than any of the Spider-Man movies. And I liked Iron Man for different reasons than Batman, so that is a hard comparison to make, but I think Batman Begins is still the better movie. And we'll see how Mr. Stark does against The Dark Knight later this summer.

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Stan Lee: You know, I think you ought to get him some help. He seems to be really hung up on super heroes' sex organs.

I misplace things far too often these days, my glasses more than anything. My car keys. I enter stores and forget what I've come for, leave the theater with no recollection of what I've just seen. If time for me really is a series of bookmarks, then I feel as if someone has shaken the book and those yellowed slips of paper, torn matchbook covers and flattened coffee stirrers have fallen to the floor, and the dog-eared flaps have been pressed smooth.

Fiery Cajun Shrimp

2 cups (4 sticks) melted butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ground pepper
2 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
5 pounds unpeeled medium shrimp
2 lemons, thinly sliced
French bread, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Stir together the butter, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, pepper, hot sauce, garlic, and salt. Pour half this mixture into a large heatproof dish. Layer half the shrimp and half the lemon slices in the dish; then form a second layer with the remaining shrimp and lemon slices, and pour remaining sauce into the dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, stirring twice. Pour off the sauce into individual serving dishes. Serve the shrimp with plenty of French bread for dipping in the spicy butter sauce.

Yield: 8 servings

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The flyer advertising the event promised over 100 wines from around the world for this two-hour event. The actual offering in close, though under 100 wines, but it was more than enough. We were greeted with a Champagne toast and set free on the food and wine. The food was good, but not great. They had fruit, some cheeses (which came in handy later in the night) and three different pasta dishes.

The wine was placed on nine tables. I would have loved to see them organized by region or light-to-heavy around the room, but that would have been too difficult. They were, instead, arranged by nine different wine distributors who sell to Red Wagon, and each brought basically whatever they wanted. Each wine at the event was wine that Red Wagon sells. For the night of the event only, each bottle was offered at a discount.

When we checked in before it started, we were given a complete list of the wines available at each table. We had time to go over the list and note which ones we didn't want to miss, but we had enough time to really try every wine they had.

The distributors' participation extended beyond supplying their wine. Each remained stationed at its table and was available to pour and discuss the wines. They were all personable, helpful and very knowledgeable.

The ticket price was $50, which is expensive. But it was a great value when you consider that there were so many wines available to taste, food was included, each person received a Riedel wine glass to keep, and a portion of each ticket was donated to charity.

The crowd seemed to be enthusiasts, professionals, casual drinkers and first timers. Dress code was advertised as casual, but business casual was more appropriate.

I look forward to the next event.

Magic Hat #9

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