[Anime] Starship Operators

Okay, that's insane.

The basic plot of Starship Operators is, um, shall we say, baroque. A small planetary democracy's largest hyperspace-capable warship is currently tooling around with a group of graduate cadets on their shakedown cruise when a big, mean neighboring monarchy declares war. The planet, recently the sight of a bitter planetary-level unification war, is being overseen by an elected pacifist goverment that immediately capitulates.

There aren't enough small vessels for all the crew, so the officers leave as ordered, leaving the cadets behind. A quirk in the local laws immediately (a) makes all the crew of the ship civilians not under military jurisdiction, and (b) puts the ship up for sale.

Well the cadets aren't pacificts, and they aren't going to take the stripping of their homeworld's economy lying down. They buy the ship by getting a sponsor, a news agency, and off they go.

The artwork here is much better than in Xenosaga, and this is probably the SF show of the season. If it gets lame, I'm gonna go back to Battlestar Galactica.

Desirae will be so disappointed

So, I watched a couple of movie trailers over lunch and spotted the trailer for XXX: State of the Union. It doesn't star Vin Diesel. No, it's Ice Cube in the role of "this year's triple-X" secret agent. And I'm not enthused, even with Willem Dafoe and Samuel L. Jackson playing the heavies.

Warning: the trailer contains great big spoilers.

[Wine] Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet

Well, while I cooked dinner I indulged in the cook's perogative and had a glass of wine. I tried a 2001 Jacob's Creek Shiraz-Cabernet on the recommendation of an acquaintance and, sad to say, I'm underwhelmed. Oh, it's a drinkable wine all right, quite good, but I've spoiled myself on Rosemount recently. Jacob's Creek has a stronger acid taste to it than the Rosemount and the aftertaste takes time to build. It has a nice aroma and even after drinking it provides a very nice nose. I'd recommend it, but there are better. Maybe 2001 just wasn't as good a year as 2003.