Terrorised by a heat wave and a violent street gang, Gotham City is as bad a place is it ever was. Ten years after Batman's forced retirement, Bruce Wayne is pushing sixty. But despite of his age and his best intentions (and his efforts to drown his dark side in alcohol), despite butler Alfred's complaints and Commissioner Gordon's warnings, the Dark Knight breaks free again. Unfortunately, he is not welcome anymore. Police and politicians refuse to put up with his brand of vigilante justice, and the violence gets worse, especially after his comeback stirs The Joker out of catatonia. To make things worse, he is not twenty-nine anymore, and only gets out of some fights by luck, and badly bruised, too. Nevertheless, he continues to slug it out. Eventually Superman is brought in to put Batman away for good.

Batman vs Wolverine. Director Christopher Nolan (Memento) presents Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as stage magicians in 19th century London, caught up in a bitter rivalry as they try to out-do and sabotage each other. The film starts with a personal message from Nolan not to tell anybody about how it ends, so no more words on the story. But he is true to form, and you will want to watch it again with the knowledge of how things play out. Also has Scarlett Johanssen, Michael Caine, and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla.

8 points

Saw a kung-fu slapstick show in Shinjuku tonight. Very entertaining. These people definitely know their moves. Thanks to Ted and Amazon for the tickets.

We cancelled our Discas membership because we do not really have enough time to watch DVD (certainly not because there was anything wrong with the service itself, it is excellent).

1. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (8 points)
2. A Shot in the Dark (1964) (7 points)
3. Drunken Master 2 (7 points)
4. Bullets over Broadway (7 points)
5. Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (3 points)
6. Basic Instict 2 (5 points)
7. X-Men: The Last Stand (7 points)
8. Proof (5 points)
9. Mystic River (7 points)
10. Serving Sara (4 points)

Part Three: The Microwave Egg Boiler raises doubts about energy efficiency.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose above the broken mountain named Dragonmount. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

I bought Book Eleven of Wheel of Time (the penultimate) when it came out in 2005 but shelved it at the time in order not to have to wait for Book Twelve (A Memory Of Light), which according to Wikipedia has been pushed back to early 2009 due to health issues. Now I read it anyway.

The main plot threads of the previous two instalments are mostly resolved in this one (Faile's kidnapping, Mat's marriage, Elayne's struggle for the throne; only Egwene' struggle for the Amyrlin Seat goes on.) The main story arc is also progressing, but probably a little too rushed (you get enormous Shadow armies appearing out of nowhere and being dispatched with over a few pages), and too casual (as the Last Battle is approaching, the world starts falling apart; but while the dead walk the land, the ground opens up to swallow people and buildings change their structure over night, this does not seem to have much of an impact on what anyone is doing).

Overall an enjoyable read, and next month Harry Potter will step up to ease the wait.

• Thurn und Taxis: Glanz und Gloria
• On the Underground
• Mother Sheep
• Arena Maximus