So i'm indulging in a little Watch-Movies.net... i hate being broke all the time, i can't go see Twilight in the theater again until i get paid again, i need to save the money for gas so i can make it to work and school. But i wanted to give a rundown of my feelings while watching Twilight. Once again i think it's more negative than i truly feel. Why is it so much easier to point out errors than good?
Neutral - can we have another 10s of Phoenix? The sky isn't quite blue enough, but the Southwest Airlines is great. The switch from desert mountain to pacific northwest vista is great (heat instantly to snow). Incidentally, i read a review that calls Arizona "flat" (as opposed to mountainous). Excuse me? Arizona is not Colorado, but it is far from flat. Tornadoes are a rare thing there because there are too many mountains, small as they may be. The state is full of mountains, and even the desert is far from flat.
Incidentally, the same review said that Bella's thoughts are supposed to be brilliant, but her internal narration is rather lame. You know, i kind of agree, there are large silences without it, and she ends up thinking rather inane things.
Like - Billy Black, though he's not quite how i pictured him, wins me over. Charlie doesn't quite pull it off... not balding enough, and a little too annoying really.
Neutral - The parking lot (Bella's car is supposed to fit in!), the gym scene... something about Mike rubs me wrong (moreso than in the book), Bella's joke is good, Jessica's uncomfortable giggle: even better. The newspaper: i grew up in a town about the same size, the school paper never writes a feature about the new girl. Do any girls really talk about guys packages in a cafeteria? (i certainly haven't ever...)
Dislike - So why did Bella go into the school office? i really don't like the Diner and drunk Santa.
Like - Bella's Mom, apparently where the curls come in. Emmett standing up in his jeep as Jasper drives it up. Bella reading in the parking lot, a little uncomfortable with being the center of attention.
Dislike - No snow chains (like i said, messes us Tyler's accident). The killings of Humans isn't supposed to be until the next book (this makes Edward's lack of concern leading up to the Baseball Scene make absolutely no sense whatsoever, because it proves that the Vampires are a threat before they are even met, while in the book they are curious about the vegetarian lifestyle and on their good behavior at first).
Like - the Golden Onion (lol, making the science teacher quirky).
Neutral - The Science Experiment scene is greatly reduced: no hand touch, so no early clue. No inquiring teacher about Bella's participation in the lab. The microscope sounds like it's really, really heavy, and seems difficult to move. If so, why couldn't they have made a show of Edward passing it just a little too fast?
Dislike - Shortened accident, no Edward in the Ambulance or ER, no head trauma.
Like - Reference to Renee freaking out, early introduction of Rosalie freaking out.
Neutral - i feel like we should have gotten to see a little bit of Bella's dream, but i guess Edward actually being in her room was a nice trade off. i have woken up so many times over the years with the feeling that something was standing over me in the dark, only to discover that nothing was there when i turned on the light.
Mike asking Bella to the prom (it's too early, but it's cuz they shortened the time frame). How obvious it is that Edward was eavesdropping; it makes his later revelation too obvious, and Bella's lack of insight into it make her look dumb.
the Greenhouse: if you're going to pull in a totally new set (that wasn't in the book), you think they would feature it a bit more. Why is Bella drinking water out of the tap when there are water bottles on the counter? Jessica is better at surfing than the guys (lol).
Dislike - Angela being into Eric. The way the werewolves just look like wolves. Jacob not telling Bella what the Cullens are... so wrong.
Disike - While Victoria pulling the boat back is a neat trick, the Playing with Your Food scene is so unnecessary. It also doesn't make sense that they're hanging out near a small town, where people are likely to recognize outsiders and the increasing body count than in a city.
Ugh, the Native American bookstore: the terms of the Treaty say that the Quilutes can't reveal the nature of themselves or the Cold Ones, why would they be writing books about it? And if someone had, why would they be selling them locally? It would be banned. It's also a little too close to the New Age store that she passes up in the book.
Like - Jessica sunning.
Neutral - Bella being so disinterested in the dress shopping (man Jessica's dress is racy). It's true to character, but she's a little too disinterested, to the point of almost being rude.
Really Like - Bella getting a punch in; the way Edward pulls out when fleeing the would-be-rapists. And--when i think about it--said rapists being frightened of Edward.
Dislike - how different are those guys thoughts than Edwards were? The time in the car is too short, no cooldown for Edward, he's instantly being polite.
Neutral - Edward's a bit annoying when he laughs about the seatbelt; this is perfectly in character for Bella, she follows traffic laws because her dad is a cop...
Dislike - ...for instance, she should be commenting on Edward's speeding. The hand touch is too slight, and an entire scene is cut out. i feel so cheated. Not to mention, Edward shouldn't be staring straight forward and looking... annoyed? Half the time i don't even know what Edward is feeling or thinking.
Extremely Dislike - how Bella hasn't figured it out before the time she willingly gets in the car with Edward. We didn't need the browsing the book and internet reveal, the three thoughts (1 - vampire, 2 - thirst, 3 - in love) should have come before, not after, along with the knowledge that the vampires are vegetarians. Also said in that review... Edward in the sun is supposed to be scary? i like the way they did his skin just fine, but the way they led up to it is all wrong. Edward's running looks fake. Blooper: Edward opens his shirt slightly, and then it's instantly buttoned up again. His shirt is supposed to be completely unbuttoned. The "i'm a killer debate" is supposed to be in the dark, in the car, while the Meadow is meant to be about revealing everything, opening up. Yeah, he rips the tree apart and says that he's designed to kill in the Meadow, but this is just a little too dark.
Like - Perceptive Bella ("I feel like you're going to disappear") and the "Lion fell in love with the Lamb" exchange (oh so cheesy, but so, so good).
Dislike - the Turning scene is out of order, its supposed to be at the house, after the introductions, and shouldn't start with "do you have to be dying." No mention of Jasper's talent at all, he constantly looks like he's in pain, as if that's his only emotional state. And "I'm glad I amuse you"???
Like - How they're super obvious about Jacob's crush this early. How the Cullens are "Making Italiano."
Dislike - No silky blue blouse, no cross on the wall. Spider monkey?!?
Love - Bella's Lullaby. My first thought was that it wasn't a Lullaby, but now it is totally stuck in my head. Thank God for the soundtrack, i can't go to the theater every day, as much as i'd like to.
Dislike - Charlie discovers that it's a "Human," not an animal, after telling Billy that a couple of scenes earlier.
Neutral - Mike is a jock? Stephenie has to have the veggie plate? (come to think of it, why is Bella eating veggie burgers? there's nothing in the book to indicate that she's a vegetarian)
Like - Observant Renee? "Are you being safe?" (i can't believe she said that lol)
The kiss, though i'm not sure why Edward leaps off the bed like that. It's cool, but they don't show the cause, just the effect.
Neutral - Charlie doesn't know who saved his daughter (twice lol). They left out how he thought she was talking about Emmett. Cleaning the shotgun is funny, but a little over the top.
Like - Edward's formality, group date, this is safe mentality. Embarrassing (to Bella) pepper spray comments.
Incidentally, that first reviewer said it was dumb that vampires would like baseball. Vampires are competitive, how hard is that to believe? They have to throw the game in gym class, in the meadow they can let loose and be themselves, kind of like how they're house is their refuge.
Carlisle's "Nice kitty" comment to Rosalie.
Neutral - So, Bella says hey to Edward just seconds after seeing him downstairs. Her argument with Charlie is weak, they should have stuck to the book. i wish they would have used the full conversation in the jeep, too, with it being Bella's strategy to go to Arizona and hide in the last place James would expect.
Like - Bella's truck squealing as it comes to a halt in front of the Cullens.
Dislike - They should have asked Alice what the best strategy would be. Leaving at the same time wasn't it.
Like - Carlisle saying Bella's a part of the family. Bella's worry. Rosalie marking the tree (weird, i know). Alice and Jasper holding hands; his concern in the hotel (finally some other emotion than pain, lol).
Neutral - James is tracking Edward and pseudo-Bella... in the book, isn't it the other way around? And doesn't James make sure that he stays out of range of Edward's mind reading?
Odd - Wet parking lot in Phoenix?
Dislike - James' control around a bleeding Bella (he isn't a vegetarian, after all).
Like - Edward's distraction and struggle with his bloodlust.
Dislike - the bite is way too big and noticeable.
Like - Carlisle's control and clear head... as a doctor he's been around blood a lot more than the rest have. But he should have had the medical kit on hand...
Blooper - Bella doesn't have a cast on in the hospital.
Like - Charlie's sarcasm, especially in response to Edward's claim that the cast is perfect.
Neutral - the prom is supposed to be in the gym, and the other couples in the gazebo are distracting.
Dislike - "You wanna go?"?? As soon as they get to the prom, Edward seems to want to leave.
Love the music! (Have I found you... such weird lyrics). i'm not sure how Bella could have a long and happy life with Edward that doesn't have sex and that she gets old in.
Question - Do vampires get red eyes when they can't cry real tears?
What i miss: the blood-typing incident, the hotel and airport events, Edward not liking the way the blood transfusion smelled, the high heel with the ribbons, though the leggings and sneakers are definitely a nice touch i was expecting a longer dress.
i'm sorry if this format annoys, i'm overanalytical and have been obsessing about Twilight for the past few weeks. i wish Stephenie would write something new or the fanfic writers i'm following would update more often! i guess it's probably illegal to watch movies that were taped in theaters, and in fact i haven't watched one in over six months now; i guess that tells you how much i'm hooked on Twilight.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
hehe random Twilight moment
Edward's angel wings in Biology were interesting (they were really owl wings).
Twilight reviewed
Well i finally saw Twilight at the theater on Thanksgiving Day. It was a bit distracting because of who was sitting behind me and down the row on my right. Both groups were very vocal. The women beside me were bemoaning the fact that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is so far away, and were prone to make appreciative noises while Edward was gracing the screen. The guys behind me were less appreciative (lol), most noticeably when Bella is freaking out about Edward leaving her at the hospital, and is rendered heart wrenchingly speechless as a result.
Let me start by saying that the music and casting in this film was for the most part excellent. I have no major complaints about the movie, but the book is sooooooo much better. In fact, my biggest complaint about the film is that they condensed it too much, leaving out really, really good dialogue and handling the exposition poorly as a result. The movie felt like it was on fastforward, and probably slightly confuses people who don't know the books in some ways.
So i guess i feel compelled to list what my complaints are, along with what i liked about the movie. In a very minor way, Bella's house, father, and the Cullen's house is nothing like what i pictured, which isn't necessarily bad, it's just different. James was very weak, and also annoying. The scene in the ballet studio was too short, and also a bit campy with the dancing around the fire. There were many things that were slightly changed, that left me feeling wrong, such as the way Bella's leg is broken, how James doesn't feel any bloodlust when Bella is bleeding, and how he bites her on the forearm, not her hand. Carlisle having to order Edward to stop because Bella's blood is clean and he's killing her was also just wrong. There are lots of little things in the film like this that they just did not need to change and weakened the film. In fact, the movie ended up feeling like a rough draft with large parts left out, nowhere near ready to be filmed, let alone on the screen.
My biggest complaint, i think, is the accident in the school parking lot. TPTB didn't make it obvious that Tyler's van had slid on ice and Charlie was sort of over the top with how hostile he was. More importantly, they changed details far too much; in the book, Edward not only stopped the van, he lifted it off Bella and adjusted her position so it wouldn't pin her beneath it. She also hit her head, and he didn't abandon her. As the scene stands in the movie, it is completely inexplicable how she could have survived from the perspective of a bystander, because Edward didn't "push her out of the way;" the van apparently miraculously stopped just short of hitting her and inexplicably acquired a dent in the process. In other words, movie Edward majorly botched things, while book Edward actually handled things more smoothly.
That said, there were things from the movie that i enjoyed, and of course wanted to see more of. The Cullen household is a good example, despite campy repeatings of "we'll tear him apart and burn the pieces." Alice, in particular, was awesome, from start to finish: dancing with Jasper in the cafeteria, walking on the branch and stepping into the kitchen, pitching the baseball, seeing the vision in the hotel and fighting the urge to drink Bella's blood in the ballet studio. Ashley Greene is perfect in Alice's shoes, i really regret that they totally cut large parts of her story out, though i will admit that her backstory wasn't integral to the plot. i definitely would have loved to see more of the Cullens.
There was so little character development in the film that i'm afraid that people who haven't read the book aren't going to understand at all the depth of the bond between Edward and Bella, or his bloodlust, nor Carlisle's full history. The biggest complaint i have read from reviewers is of course the usual one, that the Cullens are too perfect to identify with (rather like complaints i have heard in the past about Lost in Space). i do not struggle with this at all... i mean, if i was by some "accident" turned into a vampire, would i just surrender to my "nature" (as most vampires do in vampire stories)? No, i would be like Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens, i would be at odds with and fight against those urges. Which is why i don't generally like the vampire genre, to be perfectly honest: Van Hellsing stunk for the most part and MSC's production of Dracula was horrible, i was so glad after seeing it that i hadn't been cast in it, i would have been so embarrassed to be in such a lame play. i guess the trouble is that most people don't fight against their sinful nature anymore, but from a Christian (or Mormon) standpoint, the Cullens are much more realistic than any other vampires we've ever read about or seen. That's in part why i like the Underworld series as well, Selene is not a mindless killer, she doesn't want to murder humans, she quenches her thirst by visiting a blood bank, etc.
The whole diner bit was annoying, but i liked Stephenie Meyer's cameo. i hadn't been expecting it at all. i have no idea why they made Bella go in that stupid bookstore (again, not what happened in the book) instead of letting Jacob tell her that the Cullens are vampires like he was supposed to. Edward revealed far too much to Bella far too early as a result, it makes much more sense in the book when she knows what Edward is when she gets in the car and guesses that he can read minds, etc. For some reason TPTB forgot that Edward and Bella were supposed to be tucked into a secluded corner of the restaurant, left them smack dab in the middle, and cut out lots and lots of character development that really would have helped the film so very much. The meadow scene, while okay, just turned out to be a bit lame as a result. In fact, Bella's angry walk into the woods, when Edward cannot read her mind, just doesn't really make sense. The planned date to the meadow (in the book) does... in fact, it is perhaps the most integral scene in the book because it was Stephenie's dream of said scene that inspired her to write Twilight.
They did capture Edward's self loathing, but he just seemed a little too much of a whiner. i was really relieved that they didn't cast Hayden Christensen but it still felt like Rob Patterson was trying to channel him (a la Ani in Star Wars II and III). Ugh, my review is coming across really harsh. So... in conclusion, great casting for the most part, sub par script, slightly jarring cinematography, excellent music, overall it was okay, but could have been so, so much better.
It doesn't surprise me that people who haven't read the books think that the movie stinks, i would too, would shrug it off as yet another lame teen chick flick. Stephenie Meyer's is such a better writer than that, she doesn't deserve her incredible book being hacked up like this. i'll write more if i see the movie again, but right now i'm just feeling a bit let down and complained more than i meant to as a result.
Let me start by saying that the music and casting in this film was for the most part excellent. I have no major complaints about the movie, but the book is sooooooo much better. In fact, my biggest complaint about the film is that they condensed it too much, leaving out really, really good dialogue and handling the exposition poorly as a result. The movie felt like it was on fastforward, and probably slightly confuses people who don't know the books in some ways.
So i guess i feel compelled to list what my complaints are, along with what i liked about the movie. In a very minor way, Bella's house, father, and the Cullen's house is nothing like what i pictured, which isn't necessarily bad, it's just different. James was very weak, and also annoying. The scene in the ballet studio was too short, and also a bit campy with the dancing around the fire. There were many things that were slightly changed, that left me feeling wrong, such as the way Bella's leg is broken, how James doesn't feel any bloodlust when Bella is bleeding, and how he bites her on the forearm, not her hand. Carlisle having to order Edward to stop because Bella's blood is clean and he's killing her was also just wrong. There are lots of little things in the film like this that they just did not need to change and weakened the film. In fact, the movie ended up feeling like a rough draft with large parts left out, nowhere near ready to be filmed, let alone on the screen.
My biggest complaint, i think, is the accident in the school parking lot. TPTB didn't make it obvious that Tyler's van had slid on ice and Charlie was sort of over the top with how hostile he was. More importantly, they changed details far too much; in the book, Edward not only stopped the van, he lifted it off Bella and adjusted her position so it wouldn't pin her beneath it. She also hit her head, and he didn't abandon her. As the scene stands in the movie, it is completely inexplicable how she could have survived from the perspective of a bystander, because Edward didn't "push her out of the way;" the van apparently miraculously stopped just short of hitting her and inexplicably acquired a dent in the process. In other words, movie Edward majorly botched things, while book Edward actually handled things more smoothly.
That said, there were things from the movie that i enjoyed, and of course wanted to see more of. The Cullen household is a good example, despite campy repeatings of "we'll tear him apart and burn the pieces." Alice, in particular, was awesome, from start to finish: dancing with Jasper in the cafeteria, walking on the branch and stepping into the kitchen, pitching the baseball, seeing the vision in the hotel and fighting the urge to drink Bella's blood in the ballet studio. Ashley Greene is perfect in Alice's shoes, i really regret that they totally cut large parts of her story out, though i will admit that her backstory wasn't integral to the plot. i definitely would have loved to see more of the Cullens.
There was so little character development in the film that i'm afraid that people who haven't read the book aren't going to understand at all the depth of the bond between Edward and Bella, or his bloodlust, nor Carlisle's full history. The biggest complaint i have read from reviewers is of course the usual one, that the Cullens are too perfect to identify with (rather like complaints i have heard in the past about Lost in Space). i do not struggle with this at all... i mean, if i was by some "accident" turned into a vampire, would i just surrender to my "nature" (as most vampires do in vampire stories)? No, i would be like Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens, i would be at odds with and fight against those urges. Which is why i don't generally like the vampire genre, to be perfectly honest: Van Hellsing stunk for the most part and MSC's production of Dracula was horrible, i was so glad after seeing it that i hadn't been cast in it, i would have been so embarrassed to be in such a lame play. i guess the trouble is that most people don't fight against their sinful nature anymore, but from a Christian (or Mormon) standpoint, the Cullens are much more realistic than any other vampires we've ever read about or seen. That's in part why i like the Underworld series as well, Selene is not a mindless killer, she doesn't want to murder humans, she quenches her thirst by visiting a blood bank, etc.
The whole diner bit was annoying, but i liked Stephenie Meyer's cameo. i hadn't been expecting it at all. i have no idea why they made Bella go in that stupid bookstore (again, not what happened in the book) instead of letting Jacob tell her that the Cullens are vampires like he was supposed to. Edward revealed far too much to Bella far too early as a result, it makes much more sense in the book when she knows what Edward is when she gets in the car and guesses that he can read minds, etc. For some reason TPTB forgot that Edward and Bella were supposed to be tucked into a secluded corner of the restaurant, left them smack dab in the middle, and cut out lots and lots of character development that really would have helped the film so very much. The meadow scene, while okay, just turned out to be a bit lame as a result. In fact, Bella's angry walk into the woods, when Edward cannot read her mind, just doesn't really make sense. The planned date to the meadow (in the book) does... in fact, it is perhaps the most integral scene in the book because it was Stephenie's dream of said scene that inspired her to write Twilight.
They did capture Edward's self loathing, but he just seemed a little too much of a whiner. i was really relieved that they didn't cast Hayden Christensen but it still felt like Rob Patterson was trying to channel him (a la Ani in Star Wars II and III). Ugh, my review is coming across really harsh. So... in conclusion, great casting for the most part, sub par script, slightly jarring cinematography, excellent music, overall it was okay, but could have been so, so much better.
It doesn't surprise me that people who haven't read the books think that the movie stinks, i would too, would shrug it off as yet another lame teen chick flick. Stephenie Meyer's is such a better writer than that, she doesn't deserve her incredible book being hacked up like this. i'll write more if i see the movie again, but right now i'm just feeling a bit let down and complained more than i meant to as a result.
Monday, November 10, 2008
size 12 and super sexy
i admit it, i started wondering what size Sara Ramirez (Callie Torres) is on Grey's Anatomy, and found: Getting Over Myself. It turns out that she's 5'9" and wears a size 12. i personally don't think of size 12 as plus sized, unlike this blogger. In fact, i've never really felt she was that fat at all; being size 12 again is my goal. i have big bones and wouldn't mind looking as sexy as Ramirez. i remember her dancing in her underwear and thought she looked hot, but then, i'm not a guy.
Incidentally, i've been thinking about Callie's realization that she's bi... or is it that she feels that she can choose where her sexual preferences lie? i respect her for standing up for herself, and am surprised that Hollywood has taken this relationship in this direction. i have to admit that at first i was groaning, "Not another token lesbian relationship!" but tptb on Grey's seem to have decided to push the envelope, not buy into the hype that people are born that way. At least, that's the way it seems. i guess only time will tell where the show is really going.
Incidentally, i've been thinking about Callie's realization that she's bi... or is it that she feels that she can choose where her sexual preferences lie? i respect her for standing up for herself, and am surprised that Hollywood has taken this relationship in this direction. i have to admit that at first i was groaning, "Not another token lesbian relationship!" but tptb on Grey's seem to have decided to push the envelope, not buy into the hype that people are born that way. At least, that's the way it seems. i guess only time will tell where the show is really going.
Friday, November 07, 2008
caught up on Terminator
Yeah, i had two eps to watch, and they were easy viewing. Riley seemed strangely absent in the first, and then was barely in the second. i liked the psychiatrist, and the Terminatrix' daughter actually got to talk! The pregnancy video was a good addition, showing that the woman she replaced was very different. i don't think i trust Reese's new love interest (she had some photos of John, and killed that guy before he could). Anyway, not much to say really, i'm a bit tired.
caught up on Heroes
You know, i wasn't sure that i liked the direction this season was going in at first, but atm i am relatively content with it. i have always a bit overly sympathetic towards Sylar, and now he seems to be stepping up and trying to change. They are actually describing him in what can only be seen as Vampire like terms: his overwhelming hunger and attempt to resist what he is.
Peter's loss of power is astounding. The fact that his power is (was) so similar to his father's, when compared to the power of the Matt and his father, makes me wonder if Peter could (can?) not only absorb powers, but steal them as well. In a way, Peter has always had one of the strongest powers, because it does not rely on touch or others reactions for it's strength. He copies someone else's power, and they are not harmed because of it, and then he must learn and adapt in order to use said power.
In closing, how do we know that the absorbtion is irreversible? A part of me refuses to believe that Adam is dead, that Peter cannot regain his power. We have seen the future so many times, the entire show is about fighting against it, and there has never been a Peter that had no powers. This show doesn't really address the same things that Sarah Connor Chronicles does, the question of whether the future is written in stone or if it can be fought. In fact, this show is almost entirely about fighting the future with the hope that it can be changed, whether by Hiro or Peter. Our faith in Peter was not even questioned until this season, and it was an astonishing change. There are definitely a lot of questions here, and i look forward to discovering the answers.
Peter's loss of power is astounding. The fact that his power is (was) so similar to his father's, when compared to the power of the Matt and his father, makes me wonder if Peter could (can?) not only absorb powers, but steal them as well. In a way, Peter has always had one of the strongest powers, because it does not rely on touch or others reactions for it's strength. He copies someone else's power, and they are not harmed because of it, and then he must learn and adapt in order to use said power.
In closing, how do we know that the absorbtion is irreversible? A part of me refuses to believe that Adam is dead, that Peter cannot regain his power. We have seen the future so many times, the entire show is about fighting against it, and there has never been a Peter that had no powers. This show doesn't really address the same things that Sarah Connor Chronicles does, the question of whether the future is written in stone or if it can be fought. In fact, this show is almost entirely about fighting the future with the hope that it can be changed, whether by Hiro or Peter. Our faith in Peter was not even questioned until this season, and it was an astonishing change. There are definitely a lot of questions here, and i look forward to discovering the answers.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
re: Hunting Party
Well if you look at the comments on WoWHead, it looks like this talent doesn't give you a specific amount of mana, rather it increases the mp5 of the 10 party members that have the least amount of mana based on their buffed mana pool. i think that i'm going to respec Surv and test it out, along with Explosive Shot, because it now feels weird for me to be fully MM (how quickly i reverted back to a Surv hunter... i really think i will probably end up hybrid again).
Anyway, i should be going to sleep, but i'm wide awake. ): Class tomorrow, then election results. SNL tonight was great.
Anyway, i should be going to sleep, but i'm wide awake. ): Class tomorrow, then election results. SNL tonight was great.
Monday, November 03, 2008
will this semester ever end?
i should be doing homework or running, but i'm not. i'm listening to Lock and Load, the new podcast from More PewPew Less QQ and the Hunter's Mark. i found a new macro (courtesy of the former) that automatically changes what you're tracking (yay!) but am perplexed about the Talent changes to "Hunting Party":
Last night i finished reading Brisingr: excellent, i think Arya is coming around, my only complaint is (highlight to read) how easily Oromis and Glaedr died, though i can's say i didn't see it coming. i couldn't sleep, so i also watched two episodes of Heroes (i now need to watch two more eps to catch up, though i guess it will be three as of tonight). Things are finally starting to make a little sense. i like where they're taking Sylar (though i am wondering... who's the mommy (of his doomed son)? For some reason i thought of Claire), but not Matt. Is everyone a bad guy this season? Was not expecting the plot twist with the Petrelli and Parkman seniors alliance. More David Anders, please. Someone please put Suresh out of his misery (i actually thought he was going to be a cockroach hybrid, /shudder, since tptb clearly have a roach fetish).
Next i need to catch up on Sarah Connor Chronicles and Ugly Betty, i've been too busy to watch it, and i've given up so much; i'm not watching Samantha Who? or Pushing Daisies anymore.
Your Arcane Shot, Explosive Shot and Steady Shot critical strikes have a 20/40/60/80/100% chance to grant up to 10 party or raid members mana regeneration equal to 0.25% of the maximum mana per second. Lasts for 15 sec.WTH?!? So, no more rage/energy/runic power regen. What is the maximum mana per second, and how does that compare to mp5? Does this stack if your Steady Shot crits every 2s? What good is it to put 5 talent points into this when it gives less than 4% mana regen (0.25% x 15s = 3.75%)? This is what we lost the Expose Weakness buff for? Someone has some 'splaining to do.
Last night i finished reading Brisingr: excellent, i think Arya is coming around, my only complaint is (highlight to read) how easily Oromis and Glaedr died, though i can's say i didn't see it coming. i couldn't sleep, so i also watched two episodes of Heroes (i now need to watch two more eps to catch up, though i guess it will be three as of tonight). Things are finally starting to make a little sense. i like where they're taking Sylar (though i am wondering... who's the mommy (of his doomed son)? For some reason i thought of Claire), but not Matt. Is everyone a bad guy this season? Was not expecting the plot twist with the Petrelli and Parkman seniors alliance. More David Anders, please. Someone please put Suresh out of his misery (i actually thought he was going to be a cockroach hybrid, /shudder, since tptb clearly have a roach fetish).
Next i need to catch up on Sarah Connor Chronicles and Ugly Betty, i've been too busy to watch it, and i've given up so much; i'm not watching Samantha Who? or Pushing Daisies anymore.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Grey Day Flower Power
Today i watched the last two episodes of Grey's Anatomy. The past couple of weeks i saw a lot more of That '70's Show than usual cuz i was housesitting and they had satellite. In fact, most of the episodes i had never seen before. Both shows have extramarital sex, one show has drugs, a part of me wonders if i should even be watching them.
But they make me laugh. They don't give me an overwhelming urge to smoke a joint or jump into the sack with someone, they make me feel better for a minute. Right now, i can take all of the laughter i can get. i've been far too depressed lately. What's great about Grey's Anatomy is that everyone is more psychotic than i am, so i don't feel so bad. What's great about That '70's Show is that everyone messes up, does stupid stuff, laughs at themselves and each other, and at the end of the day they're still friends.
i don't have that: i have no friends, i don't have a "person" to talk to about my problems that helps me get through the day. God doesn't say anything. No guys or gals like me for me, not really. If the people i know really knew me, they wouldn't want to have anything to do with me. It's very sad really. Anyway, all i know is that, while there are sinful actions taking place, i am not endorsing said actions, or participating in them, and sin happens, i can't control it. All i can do is try to control myself, like Edward in Twilight and Midnight Sun, or Harry Potter. i cannot control the circumstance i am in, i can only try to make the best of them. And that's what i'm trying so very hard to do.
Off to finally see Eagle Eye tonight, can hardly wait for Wrath and Twilight. i need to get ready to go to the theater.
But they make me laugh. They don't give me an overwhelming urge to smoke a joint or jump into the sack with someone, they make me feel better for a minute. Right now, i can take all of the laughter i can get. i've been far too depressed lately. What's great about Grey's Anatomy is that everyone is more psychotic than i am, so i don't feel so bad. What's great about That '70's Show is that everyone messes up, does stupid stuff, laughs at themselves and each other, and at the end of the day they're still friends.
i don't have that: i have no friends, i don't have a "person" to talk to about my problems that helps me get through the day. God doesn't say anything. No guys or gals like me for me, not really. If the people i know really knew me, they wouldn't want to have anything to do with me. It's very sad really. Anyway, all i know is that, while there are sinful actions taking place, i am not endorsing said actions, or participating in them, and sin happens, i can't control it. All i can do is try to control myself, like Edward in Twilight and Midnight Sun, or Harry Potter. i cannot control the circumstance i am in, i can only try to make the best of them. And that's what i'm trying so very hard to do.
Off to finally see Eagle Eye tonight, can hardly wait for Wrath and Twilight. i need to get ready to go to the theater.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
One of Us, One of Them
Claire Bear was hugged too tight.
Speedy one upped Hiro.
i actually feel bad for Sylar.
Speedy one upped Hiro.
i actually feel bad for Sylar.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
i've been bitten
Some of you that are observant may have noticed: i changed the header again. There's been a sudden influx of women on it, but what can you do (not everything can be equal all the time). Anyway, the newest addition (two were just new photos from the same show as before, a newer image of Ellen Pompeo and Hayden Panetierre instead of Milo Ventimiglia) is from a poster for the upcoming film Twilight, which stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
Yes, i have been turned, or bitten if you will, by the Twilight Saga bug. i started reading them about two and a half weeks ago and have been completely unable to put them down, truth be told. i cannot get enough of Edward and Bella and Alice. i was even certain, from the moment in Breaking Dawn when (highlight) Bella realizes she's pregnant, that she was going to have a girl and that Jacob would imprint on her. It's a bit surprising to me, for Cedric (from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) to be Edward, but i have no real objection to it i suppose, from the previews and stills he seems to have done an excellent job. i haven't seen Kristen Stewart in anything since Panic Room, and she isn't exactly how i picture Bella, but i'm not sure that Emily Browning would have been a better choice, and i certainly didn't like Michelle Trachtenberg for the part (i've been checking out fanart on DeviantArt, can you tell?). The van on ice accident doesn't look as good as i imagined it (i see it in slow mo with Edward clearly lifting the van and shouldering it out of the way, not slamming his hand into it in a way that looks overkill and unnecessary), but i have hopes that the finished product will look better on the big screen. Some of the casting choices aren't exactly how i pictured things, but aren't overtly terrible either. i am certainly looking forward to the movie. One of the nice things about becoming a fan later on is that there isn't as much waiting, i read all the books back to back and the movie is already in (or out of) post production.
Now if only Stephenie Meyer would continue writing Midnight Sun (/sad)... the chapter on her site is really good, and the Host just isn't cutting it for me right now. i'm going to reread Twilight soon. Anyways, time to get ready to go to church.
Yes, i have been turned, or bitten if you will, by the Twilight Saga bug. i started reading them about two and a half weeks ago and have been completely unable to put them down, truth be told. i cannot get enough of Edward and Bella and Alice. i was even certain, from the moment in Breaking Dawn when (highlight) Bella realizes she's pregnant, that she was going to have a girl and that Jacob would imprint on her. It's a bit surprising to me, for Cedric (from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) to be Edward, but i have no real objection to it i suppose, from the previews and stills he seems to have done an excellent job. i haven't seen Kristen Stewart in anything since Panic Room, and she isn't exactly how i picture Bella, but i'm not sure that Emily Browning would have been a better choice, and i certainly didn't like Michelle Trachtenberg for the part (i've been checking out fanart on DeviantArt, can you tell?). The van on ice accident doesn't look as good as i imagined it (i see it in slow mo with Edward clearly lifting the van and shouldering it out of the way, not slamming his hand into it in a way that looks overkill and unnecessary), but i have hopes that the finished product will look better on the big screen. Some of the casting choices aren't exactly how i pictured things, but aren't overtly terrible either. i am certainly looking forward to the movie. One of the nice things about becoming a fan later on is that there isn't as much waiting, i read all the books back to back and the movie is already in (or out of) post production.
Now if only Stephenie Meyer would continue writing Midnight Sun (/sad)... the chapter on her site is really good, and the Host just isn't cutting it for me right now. i'm going to reread Twilight soon. Anyways, time to get ready to go to church.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
WoW hunter yayness
Hurray, they fixed the glitch-that-wasn't-a-glitch on wind serpents! Now maybe i shouldn't dump my wind serpent. Worms and their talent look sweet but i'm still not sure i want to spec bm. Anyways, check it out from Big Red Kitty.
Mondays and Tuesdays this week
Well they're certainly trying to make Miss Connor appear to be more motherly. That kid was cute, more worried about his book report than his parents being worried, mentioning that she wasn't very good at being a mom. i was excited to see Mr. Patrick Kilpatrick as a terminator, but of course they killed him off immediately. ): i liked seeing him on Dark Angel and in Minority Report.
In other news, NCIS just isn't cutting it for me this season, and i wish that Fox would have shown Fringe after the debates but nooo.
In other news, NCIS just isn't cutting it for me this season, and i wish that Fox would have shown Fringe after the debates but nooo.
NBC.com is my bane
So i have been having trouble keeping up with Heroes because i can't find it on the internet in a format that i can actually watch. i have no idea why DSL should be so much worse than cable was last season, but it apparently is. NBC now stops and starts about every 15s. It took me two hours to watch the first 5-10 minutes of Heroes last night, so i finally just gave up and started downloading it off of Mininova via utorrent. i even tried downloading their new program where you download episodes in HD, but i can't even install the program because their downloader for the installer won't finish, it always has an error.
i don't have this many problems with ABC or Fox, though they do sometimes stop and start a little, it's never to this extent. If i pause for a second and then play again that usually fixes it. What i want to know is why all of this is set up so that it has to be streamed instead of loading like on YouTube. It would work so much better.
i don't have this many problems with ABC or Fox, though they do sometimes stop and start a little, it's never to this extent. If i pause for a second and then play again that usually fixes it. What i want to know is why all of this is set up so that it has to be streamed instead of loading like on YouTube. It would work so much better.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
this week on Fox
TSCC keeps me guessing as always. i love Summer Glau, so i don't mind her being featured, but i wasn't expecting this backstory. i also am not so sure that Agent Ellison knows what he's getting himself into. i also think that it's weird that the newest Terminatrix' "daughter" basically ignored him and did not utter a single word.
On Fringe they are, of course, keeping us guessing. i wasn't sure at first if i should trust the Observer, but he seems to be all right. i am rather surprised that he put so much spicy stuff on his sandwich if his trouble is that he cannot taste: too much spice can burn your tastebuds as well a leave a slightly bitter bland taste behind. i was sure that it was Scott that had called Dunham, but is he really alive? It seems highly dubious. There is a chance that she's hallucinating, or that his mind is trying to contact hers again (what with all the probing that seems to be going on with his brain), but all of that seems to be a pretty far stretch. i guess that only time will tell.
On Fringe they are, of course, keeping us guessing. i wasn't sure at first if i should trust the Observer, but he seems to be all right. i am rather surprised that he put so much spicy stuff on his sandwich if his trouble is that he cannot taste: too much spice can burn your tastebuds as well a leave a slightly bitter bland taste behind. i was sure that it was Scott that had called Dunham, but is he really alive? It seems highly dubious. There is a chance that she's hallucinating, or that his mind is trying to contact hers again (what with all the probing that seems to be going on with his brain), but all of that seems to be a pretty far stretch. i guess that only time will tell.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Varimathras gets an upgrade (spoilers of course)
Out with the old...
...and in with the new.
And EPL has a new map again: the Ruins of the Scarlet Enclave are complete, but unpopulated. The portal to the Ebon Hold is present, but not functioning. i imagine this area will be overrun with lvl 55ish mobs and npcs very soon.
...and in with the new.
And EPL has a new map again: the Ruins of the Scarlet Enclave are complete, but unpopulated. The portal to the Ebon Hold is present, but not functioning. i imagine this area will be overrun with lvl 55ish mobs and npcs very soon.
PTR updates: playing as a SV/MM hybrid in 3.0
So i saw that the Beta talent calculator had been updated on Wowhead to reflect the new Hunter changes and decided to download the new PTR patch. Nothing too exciting, though some odd changes: Surefooted doesn't have the increased chance to hit anymore, that's been moved to MM and incorporated into Focused Aim, which no long affects Aimed Shot's pushback because Aimed Shot is now cast instantly (!). This puts the hit buff in the first tier of MM, meaning no Hunter should ever have too much trouble reaching hit cap (or be required to stack massive amounts of +hit gems).
One bug i noticed is that using Aimed or Multi triggers both cds the same way using Arcane or Explosive triggers both cds. Also, my melee macro (Raptor, Wing Clip, repeat) is no longer working: i have no idea why. The Cat family skill Rake is finally in, but i can't tell that it helps dps (oddly enough it's a dot). Anyways, i may tinker with my spec a bit, but i think that i'm going to stay hybrid.
Talking to some fellow hunters, they weren't all that happy with AoV, but i was. i don't even know if i tried turning it on in previous patches because i read it was broken. Basically it really nerfs your damage but at the same time it takes less than 30s to fill your mana bar up so you can switch back to Hawk and continue to dps your heart out. i can live with that.
My figures are as follows:
with AoH
high dps 1080
834 average dps (148s to oom) or 919 average dps (110s to oom)
pet dps = 140
with AoV
max dps 380
300 average dps
20-25s to 100% mana
pet dps 125
400+ mana per shot
This of course isn't entirely accurate because of the Aimed and Multi bug, but it's still pretty impressive. Once the bug is fixed i will most likely be able to put out dps even faster, albeit by also going oom faster. But specced so deep into Surv that won't be as big of an issue for me as for a BM hunter.
One bug i noticed is that using Aimed or Multi triggers both cds the same way using Arcane or Explosive triggers both cds. Also, my melee macro (Raptor, Wing Clip, repeat) is no longer working: i have no idea why. The Cat family skill Rake is finally in, but i can't tell that it helps dps (oddly enough it's a dot). Anyways, i may tinker with my spec a bit, but i think that i'm going to stay hybrid.
Talking to some fellow hunters, they weren't all that happy with AoV, but i was. i don't even know if i tried turning it on in previous patches because i read it was broken. Basically it really nerfs your damage but at the same time it takes less than 30s to fill your mana bar up so you can switch back to Hawk and continue to dps your heart out. i can live with that.
My figures are as follows:
with AoH
high dps 1080
834 average dps (148s to oom) or 919 average dps (110s to oom)
pet dps = 140
with AoV
max dps 380
300 average dps
20-25s to 100% mana
pet dps 125
400+ mana per shot
This of course isn't entirely accurate because of the Aimed and Multi bug, but it's still pretty impressive. Once the bug is fixed i will most likely be able to put out dps even faster, albeit by also going oom faster. But specced so deep into Surv that won't be as big of an issue for me as for a BM hunter.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Grey Hair! rofl
Yes, i saw the two hour extravaganza yesterday. It was very good, much better than anything last season. Cristina is finally starting to realize that she needs to step up and do better, and her new love interest is quite interesting (i hope they bring him back, and she actually showed some self-control, too). The flashforward (Meredith and Cristina as senior citizens) was hilarious! Alex is regressing. ): i was really hoping that Callie and Erica would not be resuming their relationship, but of course that wasn't up to me. i'm sorry, i just happen to think that Ms. Hahn is rude, condescending, etc., and Callie is rather... well a failure i guess (and i used to like her so much, too), i don't see any chemistry, and i'm morally against homosexuality. In other relationships, i guess that Lexie will have to sit on her hands for a while and see if George comes around.
Wrath Spoilers!!! Highlight to read:
Well there's finally video up for that battle that everyone was guessing would be a world event. Now it seems that it's a quest chain that you start in Northrend! i'm not exactly sure how this is going to work, but it's sort of a Caverns of Time thing only it involves Alexstrasza the Life-Binder and you don't go to the CoT at all. What i find very surprising is that players won't receive the quest until you've been in Northrend for a while; in fact, the player who made these videos was a lvl 80 pally.
This part of the chain requires a party of two (you don't need a party of five when you have 2 leet dpsers). Varimathras takes off (the coward), you're surrounded by waves of undead trash, and lastly a giant Abomination boss comes out. Thrall seems to be tanking while you are dpsing. Sylvanas sings her lament then joins in the battle (using her uber bow and also dual wielding swords that glow red). You go into the UC and battle some more, face another boss (this time a huge dread lord), and then of course face the ultimate boss, Verimathras himself, who's been hiding in the Royal Quarter and calling in reinforcements.
This is vastly different then what i was expecting because there was some talk of the razing of Org! Also, where is Slyvanas challenging the Lich King by unleashing a new plague? Maybe that is the world event instead of this?
Video can be found at Spponcraft.com:
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6
Note: Probably this quest makes you Revered with the Warsong Offensive... To access this quest it seems you must have done all quests from Alexstrasza in Dragonblight and all quests in Agmar’s Hammer.So this is a quest chain that seems epic enough to give you a title lol. There are a lot of Forsaken Refugees streaming into Org, all the vendors are complaining, and the Lady Sylvanas (in her old High Elf body) is in Thrall's chambers when Lady Proudmoore shows up to hold a council because the King is readying to go to war. Sylvanas makes it clear that she has been betrayed by Varimathras, so Proudmoore leaves to try to talk some sense into King Wrynn and we go to UC to try to take it back.
This part of the chain requires a party of two (you don't need a party of five when you have 2 leet dpsers). Varimathras takes off (the coward), you're surrounded by waves of undead trash, and lastly a giant Abomination boss comes out. Thrall seems to be tanking while you are dpsing. Sylvanas sings her lament then joins in the battle (using her uber bow and also dual wielding swords that glow red). You go into the UC and battle some more, face another boss (this time a huge dread lord), and then of course face the ultimate boss, Verimathras himself, who's been hiding in the Royal Quarter and calling in reinforcements.
This is vastly different then what i was expecting because there was some talk of the razing of Org! Also, where is Slyvanas challenging the Lich King by unleashing a new plague? Maybe that is the world event instead of this?
Video can be found at Spponcraft.com:
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6
Friday, September 26, 2008
growing up on Ugly Betty
This is funny, because someone just told me on my main blog that i "have a lot of growing up to do." At the beginning of the episode, i could tell that Betty's objectives weren't entirely valid from a conservative point of view (but i suppose they are from a feminist one). You don't have to have a great job and apartment to find yourself! Like Ignacio said, "Being a grown up isn't about making great choices, it's about dealing with the choices you've made" (or something to that effect). i feel like i'm farther than Betty even if i don't have a great job and an apartment, because i know who i am, and i actually like her.
PTR updates (minor spoilers)
i just happened to be on the PTR again today, mostly because i wanted to see if Ebon Hold is hanging over EPL yet (as well as take some pet screenshots for the post before this one). Several npcs surprised me:
Mr. Lekorawtie is suddenly hanging outside the zep towers... i'm guessing that he either has something to do with the upcoming world events or will give the obligatory quest to go to Northrend. What's interesting is that he's an orc and that a search for him via WoWWiki and Google revealed... absolutely nothing.
It occurred to me as i entered UC that i'm not sure i saw Varimathras flapping around last time i was in the Royal Quarter. i decided that i might as well drop in and see what is up with him. Wonder of wonders, but he is gone, just like (reportedly) in the beta, along with another surprise: the new and improved High Elf Sylvanas skin.
i think that she's even taller than last time Lui stood next to her. She looks amazing, though my turned down graphics don't show off her face detailing (i've had to turn my video effects nearly all the way down because my WoW keeps crashing on the PTR due to a graphics driver issue). The amount of detailing TPTB put into her is really sweet, for instance the skulls on her shoulder armor, the tassels on her breastplate (breastmail?), and her armbands. We soon had a little synchronization going on, which is sooo funny. i've got one of the screenshots of her up for my background, and i must emphasize that it's so nice for Sylvanas not to be bouncing around like a Night Elf (so less imposing when she's acting like a bunny rabbit, though there is that one Cottontail... RUN AWAY!!!!).
The Ebon Hold is indeed hanging over Light's Hope Chapel, but even when i turned the video effects back up there wasn't much to see. Even so, it was exciting, and i half expected to suddenly be surrounded by a bunch of Death Knights just like in a beta video i saw a couple of weeks ago. i wish i had a beta key and could test out a death knight, though i can't decide if i want to make her undead or a blood elf with pale high elf coloring. Either way, changes are starting to come quickly, and Wrath is just around the corner.
Mr. Lekorawtie is suddenly hanging outside the zep towers... i'm guessing that he either has something to do with the upcoming world events or will give the obligatory quest to go to Northrend. What's interesting is that he's an orc and that a search for him via WoWWiki and Google revealed... absolutely nothing.
It occurred to me as i entered UC that i'm not sure i saw Varimathras flapping around last time i was in the Royal Quarter. i decided that i might as well drop in and see what is up with him. Wonder of wonders, but he is gone, just like (reportedly) in the beta, along with another surprise: the new and improved High Elf Sylvanas skin.
i think that she's even taller than last time Lui stood next to her. She looks amazing, though my turned down graphics don't show off her face detailing (i've had to turn my video effects nearly all the way down because my WoW keeps crashing on the PTR due to a graphics driver issue). The amount of detailing TPTB put into her is really sweet, for instance the skulls on her shoulder armor, the tassels on her breastplate (breastmail?), and her armbands. We soon had a little synchronization going on, which is sooo funny. i've got one of the screenshots of her up for my background, and i must emphasize that it's so nice for Sylvanas not to be bouncing around like a Night Elf (so less imposing when she's acting like a bunny rabbit, though there is that one Cottontail... RUN AWAY!!!!).
The Ebon Hold is indeed hanging over Light's Hope Chapel, but even when i turned the video effects back up there wasn't much to see. Even so, it was exciting, and i half expected to suddenly be surrounded by a bunch of Death Knights just like in a beta video i saw a couple of weeks ago. i wish i had a beta key and could test out a death knight, though i can't decide if i want to make her undead or a blood elf with pale high elf coloring. Either way, changes are starting to come quickly, and Wrath is just around the corner.
Luinel's Wrath Pet Rundown
Ferocity / DPS
So many choices, so few slots. Reduced casting speed (Core Hounds) and a damage boost (Devilsaurs) sounds good, but by how much? Dust Cloud (Tallstrider) also sounds like an interesting skill. Blighthounds have cool markings, but they look like their mom was molested by a hyena (i hate those annoying blights on the Barrens).
Sneaux (Cat)
i don't mind Prowl being the skill, i use it a lot, but i favored cats before i ever discovered that it existed. i hear that cats will be getting a second skill (Rake) but Petopia doesn't have that info on the books yet (though something called Rake is showing up in the Combat Log on the PTR, it doesn't say exactly what the skill does). It does kind of stink that cats don't get an uber skill but i'm never getting rid of my Ghost Saber... she's been with me a long time, ever since i stopped using Ruin, my Dragonhawk.
Periwinkle (Moth)
i have been wanting a moth ever since i saw the Royal Terromoths in Terrokar Forest. i want the non-combat pet from the Exodar, too, but have never seen it on the neutral ah. What i like about this pet is that it has an ap buff and heals itself. i want to see how well the skill works against Naj'entus (every little bit has to help).
Serenity (Wasp) vs. a Worm
Not a very ferocious name, i may change it, i recently read about Sting and decided that i should probably tame one of these for raids. i also knew which one i wanted: the pretty ones that drop the Firefly pet that i've been trying to farm on and off for ages. There isn't data on Petopia yet about the ranks for this skill, and it appears to be comparable with the tenacity Worm's skill Acid Spit. There are differences, though, Acid Spit has as 20s cd, lasts for 30s, and can be stacked up to 5 times. In other words you can bring along another worm and increase the effect, but otherwise you might be able to get it to stack twice.
The odd thing about the Worm's skill is that it has a 30yd range, which is farther than Lightning Breath, but will it cause the same pathing problems? Why would you want your tank darting in and out of range of the target? If your pet has agro will it be kiting the mob, trying to get into range?. In contrast the Wasps' skill doesn't stack but has a 6s cd and lasts for 20s. i'm not sure which skill is better in the long run, but i'm also not planning to go bm.
Tenacity / Tank
Bad Attitude (Crocolisk) sounds weak, Thunderstomp's (Gorilla) threat generation is a stark contrast to the way that tanking classes won't be using tps in the same way as in BC. Stampede's (Rhino) knockback could be problematic. Scorpid Poison (Scorpid), Shell Shock (Turtle), and Warp (Warpstalker) don't tempt me! Gore's buff always looks nice, but i'm still not going to be picking up a Wilbur any time soon.
Eiheikani (Crab)
Pin sounds awesome for pvp, and i will probably use her to do dailies a lot. At lvl 80 the skill will apparently do 112 damage or 28dps. i'm surprised how much i enjoy this pet, although i don't really notice when Pin is being used, her intercept is surprising and comical (i think it's a little too random right now, and is causing some pathing issues). Btw, the name means Sentinel Crab in Japanese, just call her Kani (Crab).
Iorek / ? (Bear)
i had Iorek while i was running around Winterspring and the Hinterlands (i tamed a Shardtooth Bear for Claw 7 and kept him around until i needed another slot so i could tame another cat for the next rank of Prowl). i am eager to try out Swipe: 60-84 damage doesn't wound that high, but being able to hit 3 targets simultaneously is an improvement as it is the only pet that will be able to do that. i'm wondering if the damage is per target or an average divided amongst them (probably the latter).
Cunning / Cruel
The only pet i'm interested in for this bracket are the Birds of Prey, and they're butt ugly and i don't have enough pet slots already. There are a lot of questions here: does the bat family's 2s stun work on bosses (doubtful). How about Spiders' Web? Nether Ray's Nether Shock is awesome, but only seems worthwhile for pvp (after all, a hunter can't switch out pets in the middle of a raid usually). Froststorm Breath (Chimeras) will probably look very neat.
Thulug (Wind Serpent)
Upon closer look, the Focus cost of Lightning Breath is going to be cut in half, from 50 to 25, so maybe Thu will be worth keeping around. However, the amount of damage for the skill currently learnable at lvl 62 is 99-113 Nature Damage while the new lvl 80 skill will deal 80-120 damage... a substantial nerf on an already subpar skill. Apparently Wind Serpents are wildly popular because they can deal damage at range (20 yds. to be precise), however that isn't a large enough radius to escape most aoe damage and the pet doesn't stay at range, it dodges in and out with glitchy pet pathing. In other words, it flies to maximum range even when it doesn't need to, wasting time and possibly pulling something you don't want pulled. i'm not convinced that these changes overcome the problems.
(Thanks to Petopia for all the info!)
So many choices, so few slots. Reduced casting speed (Core Hounds) and a damage boost (Devilsaurs) sounds good, but by how much? Dust Cloud (Tallstrider) also sounds like an interesting skill. Blighthounds have cool markings, but they look like their mom was molested by a hyena (i hate those annoying blights on the Barrens).
Sneaux (Cat)
i don't mind Prowl being the skill, i use it a lot, but i favored cats before i ever discovered that it existed. i hear that cats will be getting a second skill (Rake) but Petopia doesn't have that info on the books yet (though something called Rake is showing up in the Combat Log on the PTR, it doesn't say exactly what the skill does). It does kind of stink that cats don't get an uber skill but i'm never getting rid of my Ghost Saber... she's been with me a long time, ever since i stopped using Ruin, my Dragonhawk.
Periwinkle (Moth)
i have been wanting a moth ever since i saw the Royal Terromoths in Terrokar Forest. i want the non-combat pet from the Exodar, too, but have never seen it on the neutral ah. What i like about this pet is that it has an ap buff and heals itself. i want to see how well the skill works against Naj'entus (every little bit has to help).
Serenity (Wasp) vs. a Worm
Not a very ferocious name, i may change it, i recently read about Sting and decided that i should probably tame one of these for raids. i also knew which one i wanted: the pretty ones that drop the Firefly pet that i've been trying to farm on and off for ages. There isn't data on Petopia yet about the ranks for this skill, and it appears to be comparable with the tenacity Worm's skill Acid Spit. There are differences, though, Acid Spit has as 20s cd, lasts for 30s, and can be stacked up to 5 times. In other words you can bring along another worm and increase the effect, but otherwise you might be able to get it to stack twice.
The odd thing about the Worm's skill is that it has a 30yd range, which is farther than Lightning Breath, but will it cause the same pathing problems? Why would you want your tank darting in and out of range of the target? If your pet has agro will it be kiting the mob, trying to get into range?. In contrast the Wasps' skill doesn't stack but has a 6s cd and lasts for 20s. i'm not sure which skill is better in the long run, but i'm also not planning to go bm.
Tenacity / Tank
Bad Attitude (Crocolisk) sounds weak, Thunderstomp's (Gorilla) threat generation is a stark contrast to the way that tanking classes won't be using tps in the same way as in BC. Stampede's (Rhino) knockback could be problematic. Scorpid Poison (Scorpid), Shell Shock (Turtle), and Warp (Warpstalker) don't tempt me! Gore's buff always looks nice, but i'm still not going to be picking up a Wilbur any time soon.
Eiheikani (Crab)
Pin sounds awesome for pvp, and i will probably use her to do dailies a lot. At lvl 80 the skill will apparently do 112 damage or 28dps. i'm surprised how much i enjoy this pet, although i don't really notice when Pin is being used, her intercept is surprising and comical (i think it's a little too random right now, and is causing some pathing issues). Btw, the name means Sentinel Crab in Japanese, just call her Kani (Crab).
Iorek / ? (Bear)
i had Iorek while i was running around Winterspring and the Hinterlands (i tamed a Shardtooth Bear for Claw 7 and kept him around until i needed another slot so i could tame another cat for the next rank of Prowl). i am eager to try out Swipe: 60-84 damage doesn't wound that high, but being able to hit 3 targets simultaneously is an improvement as it is the only pet that will be able to do that. i'm wondering if the damage is per target or an average divided amongst them (probably the latter).
Cunning / Cruel
The only pet i'm interested in for this bracket are the Birds of Prey, and they're butt ugly and i don't have enough pet slots already. There are a lot of questions here: does the bat family's 2s stun work on bosses (doubtful). How about Spiders' Web? Nether Ray's Nether Shock is awesome, but only seems worthwhile for pvp (after all, a hunter can't switch out pets in the middle of a raid usually). Froststorm Breath (Chimeras) will probably look very neat.
Thulug (Wind Serpent)
Upon closer look, the Focus cost of Lightning Breath is going to be cut in half, from 50 to 25, so maybe Thu will be worth keeping around. However, the amount of damage for the skill currently learnable at lvl 62 is 99-113 Nature Damage while the new lvl 80 skill will deal 80-120 damage... a substantial nerf on an already subpar skill. Apparently Wind Serpents are wildly popular because they can deal damage at range (20 yds. to be precise), however that isn't a large enough radius to escape most aoe damage and the pet doesn't stay at range, it dodges in and out with glitchy pet pathing. In other words, it flies to maximum range even when it doesn't need to, wasting time and possibly pulling something you don't want pulled. i'm not convinced that these changes overcome the problems.
(Thanks to Petopia for all the info!)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
wth?
i go offline for one class and suddenly all the Hunter talents are getting moved around like it's a game of musical chairs (check out BRK and Less QQ More PewPew for more info).
Edit: apparently this was announced yesterday at noon, but i don't get to frequent to forums and none of the sources i use were talking about it until today.
Edit: apparently this was announced yesterday at noon, but i don't get to frequent to forums and none of the sources i use were talking about it until today.
Sylvanas gets gear upgrades
A week and a half ago i posted a screenshot of the Lady Sylvans as seen on the Public Test Realm: well in the Beta it seems that her armor has been upgraded again and she had gotten even paler (if i'm not mistaken she also has a faint hint of night elf markings under her eyes, too). i liked the way her armor looked, but at the same time it felt a little too tier gear for the leader of the Undead, and not quite awe-inspiring enough for my taste. Of course this armor will also be more reason to drool for the men (sorry to tell you boys, but she's only that skinny because she's undead). Well the issue has been dealt with, she looks even more awesome now (or soon will for those of us who still don't have beta keys /cry). Before she had a purplee thing going on, now it looks more like a muted red, which is still suitably mournful. Varimiahras currently has a placeholder (which is only going to mean something to you if you read certain spoilers), and WoWInsider thinks it's time to upgrade certain boss models in this article.
The still new Lore Nerd in me was also eager to read about the changes to the model for King Wrynn, whom i had heard was finally making it back to Stormwind, but had yet to see a screenshot of. The funny thing is that i expected him to be blonder and not look quite so... psycho (i guess the comics have shown him as a brunette, but his son is blond). Anyways, WoWWiki has an interesting read about where he's been all this time.
The still new Lore Nerd in me was also eager to read about the changes to the model for King Wrynn, whom i had heard was finally making it back to Stormwind, but had yet to see a screenshot of. The funny thing is that i expected him to be blonder and not look quite so... psycho (i guess the comics have shown him as a brunette, but his son is blond). Anyways, WoWWiki has an interesting read about where he's been all this time.
Harry Potter and the Onion Forward (for Children's Lit)
When people talk about banned books for children, one of the first controversies that many people think of is the Harry Potter series. The fact that many Christians are anti-Harry Potter is a well known fact; for a while many Evangelicals were trying to get the books banned and were taking part in book burnings (ironically enough, they had to buy the books to burn them). There is also a very famous forward, their smoking gun, which gets passed around every time a book or movie comes out. In fact, the forward in question was how I heard of Harry for the first time, and every time my mother receives it she sends it to me yet again. This is because five years ago I found out that the forward (which had been presented to me as absolute truth) was actually a satirical article published by The Onion. Not only was I shocked, but I decided to find out the truth about the series by reading the books for myself.
The first quote of the article “Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children” is indeed a cause for concern for the Christian community (if we are to believe it’s real):
The article in the Onion also claims that: “Ashley was captivated…by the strange occult doings” and that the books “teach you all about magic and how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your enemies” (Harry). Christian radio commentator Charles Colson, on the other hand, reported: “The magic in these books is purely mechanical, as opposed to occultic…The plots reinforce the theme that evil is real, and must be courageously opposed” (Bewitched). That is, of course, the theme of the entire series, which is clear when Quirrell states that the ultimate villain—Lord Voldemort—has shown him that: “There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those to weak to seek it” (Sorcerer 291). Dumbledore later reaffirms that such a concept is false when he says: “you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy...” (Goblet 724).
In the article one child claims that he wants to become a Necromancer and “summon greater demons to Earth” (Harry). In contrast, Necromancy is communicating with the dead, not with demons (Necromancy). In most fantasy books and video games it also involves bringing the dead back to life (rather, an undead state) so that they can fight. Once again, this issue isn’t dealt with until The Half-Blood Prince, when Voldemort uses Inferi (565-566), which is frowned upon as Dark Magic (43). Rowling also stated in an interview: “The natural laws of death applies to wizards as it applies to Muggles and there is no returning once you’re properly dead” (Connection).
Even if the magic in these books were real, it is clear that there are rules that govern its use. You can’t read any of the books in the series and learn how to cast spells (they’re really only words in Latin). Harry inherited his powers from his parents (Sorcerer 53), one can’t acquire magic through a correspondence course (Chamber 127-128, 145), and he certainly didn’t try to obtain them for any selfish gain (Sorcerer 58).
Every time I read the article or the forward (which does not quote the article in full, nor cite the Onion as its source) I am astonished that people can take it serious<ly> (or that I once did). Some of the so-called quotes are absolutely hilarious and obviously made-up, such as: “’Harry is an absolute godsend to our cause,’ said High Priest Egan of the First Church Of Satan in Salem, MA” (Harry). Some of the quotes would be downright offensive if they were real, but what I find most offensive is that someone out there started e-mailing people this article and claiming that it was truth.
Ironically enough, the Harry Potter series is about an epic struggle between good and evil. The books contain many historical and mythological references that lend to the suspension of disbelief. Ultimately these books challenge the reader to live better lives, one where they are tolerant of others despite differences and put others’ needs first in the face of great difficulty. The books aren’t overtly Christian, but the hints of Rowling’s faith are there. I anticipate rereading the series for many years to come.
Works Cited
"Bewitched by Harry Potter." The Washington Times. 13 Nov. 1999: A11. LexisNexis. Academic. Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO. 24 Sept. 2008. http://0-www.lexisnexis.com.www.millennium.marmot.org/.
The Connection. WBUR Radio, Boston. 12 Oct. 1999. 24 Sept. 2008. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/1999/1099-connectiontransc.html.
“Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children.” The Onion. Issue 36•25 (26 Jul. 2000). 24 Sept. 2008. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/harry_potter_books_spark_rise_in.
"Necromancy." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 24 Sep. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/necromancy.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, 1999.
---. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic, 2007.
---. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000.
---. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, 2005.
---. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1997.
Student’s Life Application Bible, New Living Translation. David R. Veerman, senior ed. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1997.
Wyman, Max. “’You can lead a fool to a book but you can’t make them think’: Author has frank words for the religious right.” The Vancouver Sun. 26 Oct. 2000. 24 Sept. 2008. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/1000-vancouversun-wyman.htm.
The first quote of the article “Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children” is indeed a cause for concern for the Christian community (if we are to believe it’s real):
“I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School," said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus, the three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the Bible is nothing but boring lies."There are several things wrong with this paragraph from the viewpoint of a fan of the series: the first is that Cerebus isn’t in the series, and Fluffy is nothing more than an overgrown guard dog who cannot be summoned by using a spell (Sorcerer’s 160-161, 192-193). More importantly, there’s nothing in the series that says the Bible is “boring” or full of “lies.” The book is not even mentioned until Deathly Hallows, when it is quoted on a tombstone: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (325). Those words were, of course, originally spoken by Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 (Student’s), so Rowling is clearly not anti-Bible or anti-Christ. In fact, Rowling indicates that she is a Christian and doesn’t even believe that magic is real (Wyman). The students and faculty at Hogwarts even observe Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
The article in the Onion also claims that: “Ashley was captivated…by the strange occult doings” and that the books “teach you all about magic and how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your enemies” (Harry). Christian radio commentator Charles Colson, on the other hand, reported: “The magic in these books is purely mechanical, as opposed to occultic…The plots reinforce the theme that evil is real, and must be courageously opposed” (Bewitched). That is, of course, the theme of the entire series, which is clear when Quirrell states that the ultimate villain—Lord Voldemort—has shown him that: “There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those to weak to seek it” (Sorcerer 291). Dumbledore later reaffirms that such a concept is false when he says: “you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy...” (Goblet 724).
In the article one child claims that he wants to become a Necromancer and “summon greater demons to Earth” (Harry). In contrast, Necromancy is communicating with the dead, not with demons (Necromancy). In most fantasy books and video games it also involves bringing the dead back to life (rather, an undead state) so that they can fight. Once again, this issue isn’t dealt with until The Half-Blood Prince, when Voldemort uses Inferi (565-566), which is frowned upon as Dark Magic (43). Rowling also stated in an interview: “The natural laws of death applies to wizards as it applies to Muggles and there is no returning once you’re properly dead” (Connection).
Even if the magic in these books were real, it is clear that there are rules that govern its use. You can’t read any of the books in the series and learn how to cast spells (they’re really only words in Latin). Harry inherited his powers from his parents (Sorcerer 53), one can’t acquire magic through a correspondence course (Chamber 127-128, 145), and he certainly didn’t try to obtain them for any selfish gain (Sorcerer 58).
Every time I read the article or the forward (which does not quote the article in full, nor cite the Onion as its source) I am astonished that people can take it serious<ly> (or that I once did). Some of the so-called quotes are absolutely hilarious and obviously made-up, such as: “’Harry is an absolute godsend to our cause,’ said High Priest Egan of the First Church Of Satan in Salem, MA” (Harry). Some of the quotes would be downright offensive if they were real, but what I find most offensive is that someone out there started e-mailing people this article and claiming that it was truth.
Ironically enough, the Harry Potter series is about an epic struggle between good and evil. The books contain many historical and mythological references that lend to the suspension of disbelief. Ultimately these books challenge the reader to live better lives, one where they are tolerant of others despite differences and put others’ needs first in the face of great difficulty. The books aren’t overtly Christian, but the hints of Rowling’s faith are there. I anticipate rereading the series for many years to come.
Works Cited
"Bewitched by Harry Potter." The Washington Times. 13 Nov. 1999: A11. LexisNexis. Academic. Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO. 24 Sept. 2008. http://0-www.lexisnexis.com.www.millennium.marmot.org/.
The Connection. WBUR Radio, Boston. 12 Oct. 1999. 24 Sept. 2008. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/1999/1099-connectiontransc.html.
“Harry Potter Books Spark Rise in Satanism Among Children.” The Onion. Issue 36•25 (26 Jul. 2000). 24 Sept. 2008. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/harry_potter_books_spark_rise_in.
"Necromancy." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 24 Sep. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/necromancy.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, 1999.
---. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic, 2007.
---. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000.
---. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, 2005.
---. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1997.
Student’s Life Application Bible, New Living Translation. David R. Veerman, senior ed. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1997.
Wyman, Max. “’You can lead a fool to a book but you can’t make them think’: Author has frank words for the religious right.” The Vancouver Sun. 26 Oct. 2000. 24 Sept. 2008. http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2000/1000-vancouversun-wyman.htm.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
PTR: playing with specs
So i respecced twice today, testing out Surv, MM, and lastly BM. What did i discover? Well i'll tell you!
Surv
it takes about 154s to go oom
peak dps = 910ish
average dps = 868
pet dps = 100ish
MM
89s to oom
peak = 912
average = 878
slightly increased pet dps
BM
90s to oom
peak = 1000
average = 958
pet dpsx2.5
What does this tell us? Surv has the best mana efficiency, but is very comparable to MM as far as dps and pet dps. BM has the same mana efficiency as MM but the hunter's dps takes a major hit! In reality the hunter's dps for Surv = 868, MM = 868, and BM = 700. So we have several options here... Surv = more mana efficient sustainable dps, MM = sustainable dps, and BM = only way to put out the most dps is to keep your pet alive (and the more you heal the pet, the faster you run out of mana... which isn't to say that you should ignore the pet, it's just something to keep in mind).
i went out and played with Chimera Shot, and i'm starting to consider staying MM/Surv Hybrid. Explosive Shot rank 2 is still sharing a cd with Arcane Shot. Chimera Shot doesn't have the tick factor anymore (where you have to wait in order to get the most bang for your buck) but it still is entirely too much of a mana drain. Basically, you spend 600 mana to gain 200 mana with viper shot (-650 + 850 = 200)... and that just doesn't seem that cost efficient. If you use Viper Sting a lot (perhaps in pvp?), then i would say it could be very efficient (instantly draining 1416.6 mana and renewing the sting). The trouble is... i rarely use Viper Sting, in fact, i probably only use it in pvp. So MM will still dominate pvp for those mana drainers, but when you're focused on pve as i am, what's the point?
Coming soon: a post i've been working on today comparing the new pet skills and outlining why i chose which pets.
Surv
it takes about 154s to go oom
peak dps = 910ish
average dps = 868
pet dps = 100ish
MM
89s to oom
peak = 912
average = 878
slightly increased pet dps
BM
90s to oom
peak = 1000
average = 958
pet dpsx2.5
What does this tell us? Surv has the best mana efficiency, but is very comparable to MM as far as dps and pet dps. BM has the same mana efficiency as MM but the hunter's dps takes a major hit! In reality the hunter's dps for Surv = 868, MM = 868, and BM = 700. So we have several options here... Surv = more mana efficient sustainable dps, MM = sustainable dps, and BM = only way to put out the most dps is to keep your pet alive (and the more you heal the pet, the faster you run out of mana... which isn't to say that you should ignore the pet, it's just something to keep in mind).
i went out and played with Chimera Shot, and i'm starting to consider staying MM/Surv Hybrid. Explosive Shot rank 2 is still sharing a cd with Arcane Shot. Chimera Shot doesn't have the tick factor anymore (where you have to wait in order to get the most bang for your buck) but it still is entirely too much of a mana drain. Basically, you spend 600 mana to gain 200 mana with viper shot (-650 + 850 = 200)... and that just doesn't seem that cost efficient. If you use Viper Sting a lot (perhaps in pvp?), then i would say it could be very efficient (instantly draining 1416.6 mana and renewing the sting). The trouble is... i rarely use Viper Sting, in fact, i probably only use it in pvp. So MM will still dominate pvp for those mana drainers, but when you're focused on pve as i am, what's the point?
Coming soon: a post i've been working on today comparing the new pet skills and outlining why i chose which pets.
on the edge of my seat (for "the Ghost Network")
Fringe was excellent this week, more answers and more questions (wait, were there more answers?). i cannot decide who to trust: Broyles? Sharp? Are they working for the good guys or the bad guys? Is this like an SD-6 thing going on, or are they actually working for the federal government? Was Scott actually working for the good guys or spying on the bad guys, it's all twisted up. (i feel bad for Mark Valley, all he gets to do is lie around on tables acting like he's sick or dead.)
i really liked Roy, i kind of hope they keep him around. Was that terrorist actually talking on his cell or over the network (was his cell just to cover up that he seemed to be talking to himself lol)? Was the DEA agent a good guy or her handler?
i'm wondering what is actually going on with Peter... i hope they keep introducing parts of his background the way they have been. i guess you have to wonder if he's a good guy or a bad guy, too.
What's the truth here, everything is so grey, should i just go with my gut? If so...
Broyles and Sharp = bad
terrorist = bad
handler = bad
DEA agent = good
Peter = good
Scott... = good (i think he had figured out that he was working for the bad guys)
Only time will tell.
i really liked Roy, i kind of hope they keep him around. Was that terrorist actually talking on his cell or over the network (was his cell just to cover up that he seemed to be talking to himself lol)? Was the DEA agent a good guy or her handler?
i'm wondering what is actually going on with Peter... i hope they keep introducing parts of his background the way they have been. i guess you have to wonder if he's a good guy or a bad guy, too.
What's the truth here, everything is so grey, should i just go with my gut? If so...
Broyles and Sharp = bad
terrorist = bad
handler = bad
DEA agent = good
Peter = good
Scott... = good (i think he had figured out that he was working for the bad guys)
Only time will tell.
not again!
Every time i want to get on the PTR i can't because i have to download another patch! This one is small, but it's taking forever, which is probably for the best because i really need to do some laundry and cleaning and (gasp!) homework. But i really want to get on and test out my shot rotation (hopefully they fixed the bug that put Arcane Shot and Explosive Shot on the same cd) and see how much damage my pets are putting out. i think i'm going to get rid of my wind serpent before too long because i don't really care for her and my list of pets is getting to be too long...
Sneaux (cat dps)
Eiheikana (crab tank)
Periwinkle (moth, hopefully will do well in aoe fights such as Naj'entus)
Serenity (wasp, armor penetration is good for raids! i may change the name)
unnamed/untamed (bear cub available in Wrath, looks cute and i want to have a mini tank)
So that's five pets (screenshots may be forthcoming), shoving out my pet that does less dps because he's always out of focus, even with Bestial Discipline and Go for the Throat. Sorry Thulug, but i can only have five pets and you aren't pulling your weight. If one of my other pets doesn't work out, i'll tame you again, cuz i love how you eat bread and cheese and of course manna biscuits. (:
Sneaux (cat dps)
Eiheikana (crab tank)
Periwinkle (moth, hopefully will do well in aoe fights such as Naj'entus)
Serenity (wasp, armor penetration is good for raids! i may change the name)
unnamed/untamed (bear cub available in Wrath, looks cute and i want to have a mini tank)
So that's five pets (screenshots may be forthcoming), shoving out my pet that does less dps because he's always out of focus, even with Bestial Discipline and Go for the Throat. Sorry Thulug, but i can only have five pets and you aren't pulling your weight. If one of my other pets doesn't work out, i'll tame you again, cuz i love how you eat bread and cheese and of course manna biscuits. (:
stop and start and stop and start
Watching the first hour of Heroes took forever. i wasn't expecting the Biblical references (the "Revelation" and "Second Coming"). The only reason for Suresh to shoot up on the street was for the gratuitous mugging/discovering of powers. i tire quickly of his voice overs.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
thunk
So Charley threw out his Bible... one that was old fashioned KJV, probably with Large Print and Red Letters, lol. i doubt that he read that Bible very often, i'm not sure why he would be mad at God when it was his own fault that they got into that mess. i am not lamenting his wife's death in the slightest, i feel bad that he was torn between her and Sarah, but she wasn't exactly nice or pleasant. However: i wouldn't have stopped the van. The faster you can get to the hospital, the more likely she is to survive.
How did Lazlo track them down, anyway? He wasn't following them at a close distance, they had been at that gas station for several minutes before they pulled up. The entire thing was very implausible.
Has Ellison fallen for Weaver's story? Will he be a double agent, or stay as far away as possible?
It's a good thing that Machines sink.
How did Lazlo track them down, anyway? He wasn't following them at a close distance, they had been at that gas station for several minutes before they pulled up. The entire thing was very implausible.
Has Ellison fallen for Weaver's story? Will he be a double agent, or stay as far away as possible?
It's a good thing that Machines sink.
or...
What if it's Riley? Call John up for a day of fun, then take him while you blow up the family.
it just occurred to me
i'm watching the Sarah Connor Chronicles and it dawns on me: what if Charley's wife is a Machine? At this point it seems extremely unlikely, but that is one of the places that i'd put a Machine, that or kidnap someone close to Charley (lol). Onward, i guess...
it's hard to raid and watch Heroes at the same time
We almost downed Lynx boss in ZA, but i couldn't really keep up with all that was happening in the first hour of Heroes last night. i don't like the concept of distrusting Peter and trusting Mrs. Petrelli instead, it just goes against everything in me lol. What good was saving the Cheerleader one season only for her to be overpowered a year later (does it even translate to a year in their time)? Argh, i don't know when i'll be able to watch it again, tonight is TK.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Heroes premieres tonight...
i am excited, i was upset that last season was so short (give me more David Anders, please! (: ). i'll watch John and Cameron on the net tomorrow night per usual.
On Tuesdays, i think i saw that Fringe isn't going to have a new episode every week, more like every month... Why would they do that??? According to FringeWiki there is a new episode tomorrow, however. NCIS will also be having the premiere for it's sixth season (hard to believe it's been on that long!).
And on Thursday, of course, is the two hour premiere of Grey's... i'm hoping that the pregnancy of that nurse was indeed a false alarm and/or dropped concept that wasn't meant to be released as TPTB claimed.
Anyways, have to get ready for my interview! i might be working at KREX soon.
On Tuesdays, i think i saw that Fringe isn't going to have a new episode every week, more like every month... Why would they do that??? According to FringeWiki there is a new episode tomorrow, however. NCIS will also be having the premiere for it's sixth season (hard to believe it's been on that long!).
And on Thursday, of course, is the two hour premiere of Grey's... i'm hoping that the pregnancy of that nurse was indeed a false alarm and/or dropped concept that wasn't meant to be released as TPTB claimed.
Anyways, have to get ready for my interview! i might be working at KREX soon.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
re: mr. parker
Jonathon LaPaglia is apparently going to have a role on NCIS during it's sixth season, though i'm not sure if it will be a recurring role or if he will become a series regular: on IMDb he is listed as having been in three episodes.
anime and prison... /rofl
i finished Vandread last night, was hoping for more of a gesture from Hibiki, but i guess he and Dita are official now anyway lol. i only have a fourteen more episodes of Inu-Yasha left... and i have yet to see the third and fourth movies. i have read that the series doesn't really come to a satisfying ending and am wondering if the manga is still coming out? Anyways, i'm not going to be focusing on Prison Break, too much catch up for right now, i'll just get the eps on dvd sometime and watch them all back to back as i have missed so much. i just have too much on my plate right now, and i know Sarah's alive (was there ever any doubt?) and her kidnapper has been killed, so that's about all i need to know for now. There's a lot of premieres coming up this week and i'm excited: Heroes and Mr. Parker and McDreamy, oh my. Oh, and Eagle Eye, can hardly wait to go to the theater. (:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
last night's viewing experience
i'm not sure i like the new girl. i don't mind that John is starting to take charge, i mean it's not exactly respectful towards his mother, but he is supposed to be the leader of the Resistance (not her), and he is becoming a man. She can't be in charge forever. It's interesting where they're taking Cameron's character, while all of Uncle Derek's scenes seem to be an afterthought. Why is he tagging along exactly? The information from the future is an interesting spin, as is the Machines' attempts to directly influence the war from the future. i'm surprised that Charley and his wife left town. Guess i'll have to wait and see what comes next.
Monday, September 15, 2008
more from the ptr
i can't believe i forgot to go to (Old) Dalaran! The crater that was left behind is very interesting.
And last but not least, a little evidence of some world pvp that i have never experienced. Just goes to show that those achievements are going to liven things up a little.
And last but not least, a little evidence of some world pvp that i have never experienced. Just goes to show that those achievements are going to liven things up a little.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Wrath of the Lich King
Well i don't usually talk about gaming too much, but i know that some of the readers of my main blog will be totally uninterested in this piece of news, so i'm posting it here: WotLK will be releasing on November 13th. Last night i downloaded the Public Test Realm and today i took some screenshots in anticipation of patch 3.0.
First off i played with my crab's talent trees and put her into combat for a couple of minutes. Then i tamed a Royal Terromoth (not an easy proposition when rogues are ganking you). There is a lot of activity on the pvp ptr, which is a bit exciting for me as i frequent a fairly low-pop server. So after taming Periwinkle i headed off to see my favorite character in the game: the Lady Sylvanas. She finally looks like a high elf!!!
Heading out of UC the first thing you notice (besides all the people who are dueling) is the new tower.
On my server everyone duels outside Org. You can get on the new zep and it does fly off, but once it gets to where the load screen would pop up you are ported to the courtyard with the broken statue, back outside of UC.
Time to head for Org, i suppose. Oh, did you notice how i'm mounted on the zep? You can do that now, but still get dismounted while climbing the tower, which is good because otherwise you're likely to be running so fast that you'll fall off.
In Org i was perplexed. i couldn't figure out where the zep to nr was. It wasn't on the original zep tower as i had anticipated. i thought maybe the Skytower, but that wasn't it either. While i was in Org i visited the barber for the first time (but didn't partake in his wares) and saw my first working training dummies.
Heading back out of Org i discovered a new signpost pointing to the new zep tower. It's to the right as you come out of the city, behind where the Brewfest is being set up and Rocktusk Farm.
Flying back to UC i discovered the return of the zep vending machines.
The other areas i wanted to visit were the Eastern Plaguelands and Caverns of Time. The map has changed for epl but you cannot see the Ebon Hold hanging over Light's Hope Chapel just yet. Naxx is missing from the skyline above Strat, and i couldn't find it's entrance (though i've only used it a couple of times, so maybe i wasn't looking in quite the right place).
Back in Shattrath i visited A'dal and discovered that the portal to the Isle of Quel'danas has gone missing. (Edit: this is because there hadn't been enough dailies done on the Isle to get to that stage of the Shattered Sun Offensive, there is now a portal in Shatt on the PTR). This little alcove was frequently stormed by people who wanted to do dailies (probably wanting to do dailies to pay for the inscription items that were in the ah for 700g, which is ridiculous because those people can't keep the gold when Wrath goes live).
A quick port to the Caverns of Time later and i was standing before the entrance to Old Strat.
The heroic mode graphic has changed subtly, and as you can see i can't enter the instance until i ding 75. ):
Anyways, i might mess around with the new hunter talents soon (i'm specced survival now and haven't even used Explosive Shot yet) and play around with my two newest pets. My crab looks more awesome than i was anticipating, and i can't wait to intercept some rogues and pin them long enough to get at range. Deterrence isn't working as well as i'd like yet, but i'll be playing around with it some more, too. As you can probably see, i'm soooo excited about the expansion. On Monday my guild is scheduled to storm Naxx, i can hardly wait.
First off i played with my crab's talent trees and put her into combat for a couple of minutes. Then i tamed a Royal Terromoth (not an easy proposition when rogues are ganking you). There is a lot of activity on the pvp ptr, which is a bit exciting for me as i frequent a fairly low-pop server. So after taming Periwinkle i headed off to see my favorite character in the game: the Lady Sylvanas. She finally looks like a high elf!!!
Heading out of UC the first thing you notice (besides all the people who are dueling) is the new tower.
On my server everyone duels outside Org. You can get on the new zep and it does fly off, but once it gets to where the load screen would pop up you are ported to the courtyard with the broken statue, back outside of UC.
Time to head for Org, i suppose. Oh, did you notice how i'm mounted on the zep? You can do that now, but still get dismounted while climbing the tower, which is good because otherwise you're likely to be running so fast that you'll fall off.
In Org i was perplexed. i couldn't figure out where the zep to nr was. It wasn't on the original zep tower as i had anticipated. i thought maybe the Skytower, but that wasn't it either. While i was in Org i visited the barber for the first time (but didn't partake in his wares) and saw my first working training dummies.
Heading back out of Org i discovered a new signpost pointing to the new zep tower. It's to the right as you come out of the city, behind where the Brewfest is being set up and Rocktusk Farm.
Flying back to UC i discovered the return of the zep vending machines.
The other areas i wanted to visit were the Eastern Plaguelands and Caverns of Time. The map has changed for epl but you cannot see the Ebon Hold hanging over Light's Hope Chapel just yet. Naxx is missing from the skyline above Strat, and i couldn't find it's entrance (though i've only used it a couple of times, so maybe i wasn't looking in quite the right place).
Back in Shattrath i visited A'dal and discovered that the portal to the Isle of Quel'danas has gone missing. (Edit: this is because there hadn't been enough dailies done on the Isle to get to that stage of the Shattered Sun Offensive, there is now a portal in Shatt on the PTR). This little alcove was frequently stormed by people who wanted to do dailies (probably wanting to do dailies to pay for the inscription items that were in the ah for 700g, which is ridiculous because those people can't keep the gold when Wrath goes live).
A quick port to the Caverns of Time later and i was standing before the entrance to Old Strat.
The heroic mode graphic has changed subtly, and as you can see i can't enter the instance until i ding 75. ):
Anyways, i might mess around with the new hunter talents soon (i'm specced survival now and haven't even used Explosive Shot yet) and play around with my two newest pets. My crab looks more awesome than i was anticipating, and i can't wait to intercept some rogues and pin them long enough to get at range. Deterrence isn't working as well as i'd like yet, but i'll be playing around with it some more, too. As you can probably see, i'm soooo excited about the expansion. On Monday my guild is scheduled to storm Naxx, i can hardly wait.
Friday, September 12, 2008
musings on Vandread
Okay, i enjoy this anime. i started watching it at a time where i was dealing with some relationship issues and it just seemed to fit. It's over the top, and the characters can be annoying ignorant, but overall i like it for a little rest and relaxation. Overall i can only think of one thing about the show that really bothers me besides Bart's hair (i was sooo glad when he shaved it): the insinuation that women have to be told how to have a baby. There have been two episodes with a birth and both times the Captain had to save the day and tell the laboring mother what to do. As a believer in homebirths (especially unassisted ones), this totally goes against my grain. i didn't realize that Japan is as medically backwards when it comes to labor and delivery as most doctors are here in the U.S.
the Fringe Pilot
i just got finished watching the Pilot for Fringe, and all i can say is wow, just wow. The beginning was kind of gory and gross out, and i had to admit that i was thinking not another plane, but the show is very good. It's darker than Lost, and the entire time i wasn't sure who to trust really (i'm still not sure), but i wasn't expecting the twist at the end. The humor was extremely well done and the FBI bits seemed fair and balanced (lol): i'm looking forward to seeing more.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
interesting (discusting) thought
If, as on that famed Martha Stewart episode of South Park, i vomit poop out of my mouth as a result of sitting on/injesting turkeys through my bum, does that mean my period will also come out my nose?
That's just gross.
That's just gross.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
re: Terminator 4 and the tv show...
i meant to mention this last night, as it has been on my mind ever since the first episode of the Sarah Connor Chronicles... How does the show fit into the timeline as far as the movies? Does John somehow travel back in time at some point in the show's future, or are the events in Terminator 3 (Rise of the Machines) completely erased? In other words, will Judgment Day happen on the show the same way it happened in the movie, and how does that relate to T4? Because as Schwarzenegger's terminator pointed out in T3: "You only postponed it. Judgment Day is inevitable." As i said, i've been meaning to address this for a while. i would really like to go back and watch the first season again, but unfortunately right now i really just do not have the time. i have to be back in class in half an hour...
Monday, September 08, 2008
eeeeeeeee
That's the sound of me squealing because i just saw the preview for Terminator Salvation. Guess who's playing John Connor?!? Christian Bale! And guess who's playing Kate Connor?!? Bryce Dallas Howard! i didn't know that production had come this far, i certainly had no idea that the teaser had been out since July.
In other related news, i missed the season premiere of the Sarah Connor Chronicles today. First it slipped my mind, and then when i remembered i thought it was okay, cuz it's at eight, right? Wrong: it's at seven, and Prison Break was on its third episode of the season. i have some catching up to do. i hope FOX updates its website quickly.
In other related news, i missed the season premiere of the Sarah Connor Chronicles today. First it slipped my mind, and then when i remembered i thought it was okay, cuz it's at eight, right? Wrong: it's at seven, and Prison Break was on its third episode of the season. i have some catching up to do. i hope FOX updates its website quickly.
Friday, August 29, 2008
catching up on schoolwork...
This week we watched clips from Romeo and Juliet and Romeo + Juliet in Shakespeare (it's hard to believe that it's already been twelve years since the latter came out). Most notably we watched the scene where Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time in the former, and the duel scenes in both.
The first time i saw Romeo + Juliet i had not seen Moulin Rouge and had only a vague remembrance of Strictly Ballroom. i didn't like it, but then, i hate the play to begin with. i had no idea who Harold Perrineau was (Michael on Lost) or John Leguizamo. Their portrayals of Mercutio and Tybalt are soooo much better than the older version. In the old one Michael York and John McEnery seem like a couple of kids playing around. In the new version there are no accidents, it's violent and deadly serious. I prefer it that way. i still hate the fact that Claire Danes shoots herself in the head... it's supposed to be in the heart @(#*@&$.
So next i have to read Macbeth (something i have never been successful at) and drew Hamlet for my final paper (which we will be working on all semester, is our third play, and i have to read in British Lit). Shakespeare's going to be coming out of my ears for a while. i want to get both versions of R&J, and the Kenneth Branaugh version of Hamlet. i have so much homework this weekend....
The first time i saw Romeo + Juliet i had not seen Moulin Rouge and had only a vague remembrance of Strictly Ballroom. i didn't like it, but then, i hate the play to begin with. i had no idea who Harold Perrineau was (Michael on Lost) or John Leguizamo. Their portrayals of Mercutio and Tybalt are soooo much better than the older version. In the old one Michael York and John McEnery seem like a couple of kids playing around. In the new version there are no accidents, it's violent and deadly serious. I prefer it that way. i still hate the fact that Claire Danes shoots herself in the head... it's supposed to be in the heart @(#*@&$.
So next i have to read Macbeth (something i have never been successful at) and drew Hamlet for my final paper (which we will be working on all semester, is our third play, and i have to read in British Lit). Shakespeare's going to be coming out of my ears for a while. i want to get both versions of R&J, and the Kenneth Branaugh version of Hamlet. i have so much homework this weekend....
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
not watching much...
i've been leveling lowbies on WoW and maybe watching an Inu-Yasha or Vandread before i turn in for the night. Today's my first day back to school.... (Way to post about nothing ;)
Saturday, August 23, 2008
summer is nearly over!
And it's time for a blog overhaul! i am going to try to blog here more often, on the many shows i watch, as well as writing movie reviews. i'm also going to try to remodel the blog a bit to make it prettier to look at. i'll probably change the banner (if nothing else) more often, to match wherever my viewing tastes have taken me. And once again i am going to take Southern Mama off the list of authors (she's only written one post) and make this blog solely about my viewing tastes. Further, there is no reason for me to be using the Muchacha de Hurley nickname when i haven't posted on the Fuselage in ages and this blog isn't going to be only about Lost anymore. i've already redone all of the blog's labels to make this more clear and streamlined.
This has been a weird year for tv with the SAG Writers strike and shortened seasons. Because there was less to see of my usual programming, i greatly expanded the number of shows that i watch. i want to take a moment to outline my television viewing choices... in alphabetical order for ease.
the 4400 ~ Science fiction at its best, making you think about issues such as terrorism and medical technology etc. i sincerely hope that they continue this series (instead of canceling it as they seem to have) and we get to find out how this story ends.
Firefly ~ Once i gave in to Serenity my curiosity was piqued and i gave in to Firefly, too. The original (unaired) pilot would have been a much better choice to air first (i might have actually given the show a fair try instead of acting so much like Chubuncle) but alas Fox as a rule acts idiotic and kills the shows that show the most promise. i went on to watch Fillion in the quickly canceled Drive... and must admit though i am annoyed by how Whedon is so down on Star Trek i also appreciate his vision of the future.
Heroes ~ Geeks rule!!! i had heard that this show was good, but who really cares about saving a cheerleader anyway? (; i finally decided to watch it simply for Greg Grunberg but was entirely pulled in. i love Hiro and Peter's characters and liked the Man with the Horn Rimmed glasses a lot more than i was expecting. Oh and of course seeing David Anders again is awesome! i'm really looking forward to the new season.
Grey's Anatomy ~ i started watching this show while i worked at KJCT 8 and discovered that i actually liked it more than i thought i would. So through the power of Netflix i started getting the first season and fell in love with the show. Yes, it's soap operish and angsty and there are a lot of affairs going on, but i really identify with Meredith even when i have never been in the same situation, felt the same way, or been nearly as psychotic. This most recent season was incredibly weak, mostly because i never liked George and Izzie together (or Izzie and Denny for that matter). The Ava arc got a little old and had a really astonishing twist at the end, and though i originally liked Alex and Izzie together, if they get them back together i am now going to be extremely disappointed. i like Meredith's sister Lexie and George together, however, so that will be interesting to see unfold.
Inu-Yasha ~ i started watching this because it's my ex's favorite show but also came to like it. It's got a good mix of action, romance, and comedy (even if it is corny as all get out and mostly filler instead of actually containing episodes where they come face to face with their real nemesis, Naraku). i like the first couple of seasons best, hated the band of seven, and am eager to see how things end up, but am not sure that i like where it's going as well as i liked where it came from. But watching this show has made me become more interested in anime, that and the myriad of Hayao Miyazaki films that i've been watching this summer. Just this week i started watching Vandread as a result of my Inu-Yasha obsession (though the plot is completely different i must admit).
Jericho ~ Another modern day science fiction tv show that is (was nearly?) cancelled, this one about politics and terrorism in a small town. i had meant to watch this show from the beginning, but it turned out to be on the same time as another show that i watch... i'm not sure which one actually. This show's pacing and subject matter is a bit different, but i still like the show and don't want it to end, even if it isn't at the forefront of my viewing choices.
Lost ~ Though at the moment it feels like it's the farthest thing from my mind, i still love Lost and faithfully watch it every week when it's on. The Jack/Kate saga is still pissing me off, i still love Sawyer and Hurley, and i still can't decide whether i like/trust Locke or not.
NCIS ~ My old standby and the only mystery crime fix i really indulge in any more (i rarely watch Law & Order or CSI anymore), these characters still feel like family and make me laugh. The crimes still keep me guessing and make you think.
Prisonbreak ~ Wentworth Miller is still dreamy, and i totally missed most of season two, but i want to catch up on dvd as soon as possible.
Private Practice ~ Not as good as Grey's, but i love Addison, and this show makes me cry nearly ever week (and that's a good thing... in a way).
Pushing Daisies ~ The irritating narrator's voice aside, this show can be extremely funny in a very quirky way. i appreciate the grumpy P.I.'s knitting. The romance is a bit strange... we'll have to see what happens.
Samantha Who? ~ This is very funny and i appreciate Christian Applegate so much more in this role than in Anchorman (though she was funny in that as well). The cast is excellent (even the small part of Nikki from Lost) and seeing Tim Russ again (being funny no less) is refreshing.
Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles ~ Lena Headey isn't quite how i picture Sarah Connor, but i like her just the same. But really, the star of this show is Summer Glau, and i want to trust Cameron, i'm just not sure that i should.
Ugly Betty ~ Ridiculous, soap operish, hilarious, and sometimes frustrating, but i love America and the antics that everyone gets into.
Last but (not?) least... Battlestar Gallactica ~ i've been watching the original series on NBC.com, and can definitely see why 20th Century Fox sued, but still find it completely different from Star Wars. It's also to see what Bellisario was working on at the beginning of his career. i have two episodes left i think, and then the second season, and the new show... i'm not sure how much i care about it really, but it's there when i get bored.
As far as the fall lineup... i'm full! i might check out Christian Slater's new show. i just discovered that Victor Garber is going to be in a miniseries that looks interesting. And i watch way too much tv, but Lost is nearly over and some of these shows probably are already over. ):
This has been a weird year for tv with the SAG Writers strike and shortened seasons. Because there was less to see of my usual programming, i greatly expanded the number of shows that i watch. i want to take a moment to outline my television viewing choices... in alphabetical order for ease.
the 4400 ~ Science fiction at its best, making you think about issues such as terrorism and medical technology etc. i sincerely hope that they continue this series (instead of canceling it as they seem to have) and we get to find out how this story ends.
Firefly ~ Once i gave in to Serenity my curiosity was piqued and i gave in to Firefly, too. The original (unaired) pilot would have been a much better choice to air first (i might have actually given the show a fair try instead of acting so much like Chubuncle) but alas Fox as a rule acts idiotic and kills the shows that show the most promise. i went on to watch Fillion in the quickly canceled Drive... and must admit though i am annoyed by how Whedon is so down on Star Trek i also appreciate his vision of the future.
Heroes ~ Geeks rule!!! i had heard that this show was good, but who really cares about saving a cheerleader anyway? (; i finally decided to watch it simply for Greg Grunberg but was entirely pulled in. i love Hiro and Peter's characters and liked the Man with the Horn Rimmed glasses a lot more than i was expecting. Oh and of course seeing David Anders again is awesome! i'm really looking forward to the new season.
Grey's Anatomy ~ i started watching this show while i worked at KJCT 8 and discovered that i actually liked it more than i thought i would. So through the power of Netflix i started getting the first season and fell in love with the show. Yes, it's soap operish and angsty and there are a lot of affairs going on, but i really identify with Meredith even when i have never been in the same situation, felt the same way, or been nearly as psychotic. This most recent season was incredibly weak, mostly because i never liked George and Izzie together (or Izzie and Denny for that matter). The Ava arc got a little old and had a really astonishing twist at the end, and though i originally liked Alex and Izzie together, if they get them back together i am now going to be extremely disappointed. i like Meredith's sister Lexie and George together, however, so that will be interesting to see unfold.
Inu-Yasha ~ i started watching this because it's my ex's favorite show but also came to like it. It's got a good mix of action, romance, and comedy (even if it is corny as all get out and mostly filler instead of actually containing episodes where they come face to face with their real nemesis, Naraku). i like the first couple of seasons best, hated the band of seven, and am eager to see how things end up, but am not sure that i like where it's going as well as i liked where it came from. But watching this show has made me become more interested in anime, that and the myriad of Hayao Miyazaki films that i've been watching this summer. Just this week i started watching Vandread as a result of my Inu-Yasha obsession (though the plot is completely different i must admit).
Jericho ~ Another modern day science fiction tv show that is (was nearly?) cancelled, this one about politics and terrorism in a small town. i had meant to watch this show from the beginning, but it turned out to be on the same time as another show that i watch... i'm not sure which one actually. This show's pacing and subject matter is a bit different, but i still like the show and don't want it to end, even if it isn't at the forefront of my viewing choices.
Lost ~ Though at the moment it feels like it's the farthest thing from my mind, i still love Lost and faithfully watch it every week when it's on. The Jack/Kate saga is still pissing me off, i still love Sawyer and Hurley, and i still can't decide whether i like/trust Locke or not.
NCIS ~ My old standby and the only mystery crime fix i really indulge in any more (i rarely watch Law & Order or CSI anymore), these characters still feel like family and make me laugh. The crimes still keep me guessing and make you think.
Prisonbreak ~ Wentworth Miller is still dreamy, and i totally missed most of season two, but i want to catch up on dvd as soon as possible.
Private Practice ~ Not as good as Grey's, but i love Addison, and this show makes me cry nearly ever week (and that's a good thing... in a way).
Pushing Daisies ~ The irritating narrator's voice aside, this show can be extremely funny in a very quirky way. i appreciate the grumpy P.I.'s knitting. The romance is a bit strange... we'll have to see what happens.
Samantha Who? ~ This is very funny and i appreciate Christian Applegate so much more in this role than in Anchorman (though she was funny in that as well). The cast is excellent (even the small part of Nikki from Lost) and seeing Tim Russ again (being funny no less) is refreshing.
Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles ~ Lena Headey isn't quite how i picture Sarah Connor, but i like her just the same. But really, the star of this show is Summer Glau, and i want to trust Cameron, i'm just not sure that i should.
Ugly Betty ~ Ridiculous, soap operish, hilarious, and sometimes frustrating, but i love America and the antics that everyone gets into.
Last but (not?) least... Battlestar Gallactica ~ i've been watching the original series on NBC.com, and can definitely see why 20th Century Fox sued, but still find it completely different from Star Wars. It's also to see what Bellisario was working on at the beginning of his career. i have two episodes left i think, and then the second season, and the new show... i'm not sure how much i care about it really, but it's there when i get bored.
As far as the fall lineup... i'm full! i might check out Christian Slater's new show. i just discovered that Victor Garber is going to be in a miniseries that looks interesting. And i watch way too much tv, but Lost is nearly over and some of these shows probably are already over. ):
watching Inu-Yasha...
At the moment, i'm waiting for the streaming video to load. Kagome has, once again, been kidnapped by a demon... she gets kidnapped far more often than Sango does, or any other character for that matter.
i've been thinking about it for a while, how to reconcile the fact that Inu-Yasha is a half-demon himself, and the fact that there are nearly as many demons on this show that are good as there are that are evil. And then today it finally occurred to me: demon is just another name for angel. In Genesis, there were angels that slept with women called the Nephilim (or Nephilites in the NLT version of Genesis 6:2-4), and though i never understood the significance of the passage, i also never got the feeling that they were fallen angels. So on Inu-Yasha, all of the "demons" could just as easily be called "angels"... if the creators of the show actually meant the word demon in the Biblical sense.
Which makes you think... how many angels are walking among us (a la Hancock)? How many humans are half-angel, or half some angel blood in them from hundreds of generations earlier? Maybe all these really good athletes in the Olympics (especially the tall ones) are descended from an angel? Or even the short ones, think about how those tiny gymnast vault themselves through the air, have extraordinary balance and strength... is that completely human? How can they be so thin and strong when so many of us are struggling not to be fat? Even the Bible says that "they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times" (v.4), so maybe all or most of the ancient myths are based on these very offspring! Those heroes and warriors were worshiped as gods themselves (interesting to think about).
i've been thinking about it for a while, how to reconcile the fact that Inu-Yasha is a half-demon himself, and the fact that there are nearly as many demons on this show that are good as there are that are evil. And then today it finally occurred to me: demon is just another name for angel. In Genesis, there were angels that slept with women called the Nephilim (or Nephilites in the NLT version of Genesis 6:2-4), and though i never understood the significance of the passage, i also never got the feeling that they were fallen angels. So on Inu-Yasha, all of the "demons" could just as easily be called "angels"... if the creators of the show actually meant the word demon in the Biblical sense.
Which makes you think... how many angels are walking among us (a la Hancock)? How many humans are half-angel, or half some angel blood in them from hundreds of generations earlier? Maybe all these really good athletes in the Olympics (especially the tall ones) are descended from an angel? Or even the short ones, think about how those tiny gymnast vault themselves through the air, have extraordinary balance and strength... is that completely human? How can they be so thin and strong when so many of us are struggling not to be fat? Even the Bible says that "they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times" (v.4), so maybe all or most of the ancient myths are based on these very offspring! Those heroes and warriors were worshiped as gods themselves (interesting to think about).
Monday, July 14, 2008
Kiss Them for Me
We got this movie from Netflix because Cary Grant was in it. It's a movie based on a play based on a book... in other words it's nothing like the book. This movie stinks, Grant plays a jerk, and the situation echoes my own sole failed romance. Needless to say, i hated this film. Oh, and the bottle blonde was as annoying as all get out... what do men see in women like that?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
i finally caved in...
...and watched Serenity. It was better than i was expecting. i didn’t watch Firefly (the pilot irritated me, so i shut it off, not to mention the fact that i was still mad about it taking over Dark Angel's slot) but when i saw the preview for the movie i was intrigued. i didn’t know who she was at the time, but it was Summer Glau that pulled me in. She is an absolutely awesome actress, and i love watching her on the 4400 and now the Sarah Connor Chronicles. i predict that her career is going to go somewhere. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses to watch.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Economist (spoilers if you missed it)
Teaser
wth? Has Sayid become an assassin? He certainly knows how to negotiate himself off the Island, promising to recover Charlotte is now a veritable certainty. We now know who 4 of the Oceanic Six are: Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid. I assume that Sawyer is one, because of comments that Kate made to Jack in last season's finale, and i wager that Juliet is the sixth.
Act 1
MICHAEL is in the credits. i get the distinct impression that Sayid is not with Nadia and that he's working for Abaddan. The episode's title seems to point to the blonde's boss being Sayid's ultimate target. Jack doesn't look to Kate as his go-to girl anymore: he goes to Juliet. But he did have something else that he wanted Kate to do, so is he trying to stay on Kate's side while publicly displaying his preference for Juliet? Or did he not trust Juliet with Sayid still? Or maybe with Ben?
Act 2
What's going on with the experiment? i feel like i missed something. The Others left laundry still on the clothesline. i CANNOT believe that they locked Hurley in a closet. i think that Jacob is more likely to be talking to Hurley in the near future than he is to be talking to Locke. i feel like Locke has totally lost his way... ever since the hatch blew up i don't understand him.
Act 3
"Oh great, the ship sent us another Sawyer." rofl
So... the Island is 31 minutes off in time?
What's that black poster in the wall in Ben's room? Looks like a star map or some such (overlaid with a map of the Island? Are things on the Island laid out like they are in the sky?).
A bookcase hiding a doorway... to a closet full of men's clothing. AND CASH, passports, all with Ben's photos: how Alias of him.
HURLEY WAS IN ON IT!?!?!?!? what in the world?!?!?!?
Act 4
Sawyer doesn't want to go back to civilization... he wants to marry Kate.
Ben looks awful.
What's the list about? And why does that girl have the same bracelet as Naomi?
Act 5
Desmond getting off the Island does not include him as one of the Oceanic Six: he wasn't on the flight. For that matter, i guess Juliette leaving the Island wouldn't make her one of the Six, either, so the question still remains... who are the last two members of the Oceanic Six?
Somehow i knew it was Ben that was waiting for Sayid, but i cannot think of any reason that Sayid would be working for Ben. If it weren't for the fact that we know that Sayid is alive and off the Island in the future then i would be very nervous about his being on the helicopter with Frank and Desmond.
wth? Has Sayid become an assassin? He certainly knows how to negotiate himself off the Island, promising to recover Charlotte is now a veritable certainty. We now know who 4 of the Oceanic Six are: Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid. I assume that Sawyer is one, because of comments that Kate made to Jack in last season's finale, and i wager that Juliet is the sixth.
Act 1
MICHAEL is in the credits. i get the distinct impression that Sayid is not with Nadia and that he's working for Abaddan. The episode's title seems to point to the blonde's boss being Sayid's ultimate target. Jack doesn't look to Kate as his go-to girl anymore: he goes to Juliet. But he did have something else that he wanted Kate to do, so is he trying to stay on Kate's side while publicly displaying his preference for Juliet? Or did he not trust Juliet with Sayid still? Or maybe with Ben?
Act 2
What's going on with the experiment? i feel like i missed something. The Others left laundry still on the clothesline. i CANNOT believe that they locked Hurley in a closet. i think that Jacob is more likely to be talking to Hurley in the near future than he is to be talking to Locke. i feel like Locke has totally lost his way... ever since the hatch blew up i don't understand him.
Act 3
"Oh great, the ship sent us another Sawyer." rofl
So... the Island is 31 minutes off in time?
What's that black poster in the wall in Ben's room? Looks like a star map or some such (overlaid with a map of the Island? Are things on the Island laid out like they are in the sky?).
A bookcase hiding a doorway... to a closet full of men's clothing. AND CASH, passports, all with Ben's photos: how Alias of him.
HURLEY WAS IN ON IT!?!?!?!? what in the world?!?!?!?
Act 4
Sawyer doesn't want to go back to civilization... he wants to marry Kate.
Ben looks awful.
What's the list about? And why does that girl have the same bracelet as Naomi?
Act 5
Desmond getting off the Island does not include him as one of the Oceanic Six: he wasn't on the flight. For that matter, i guess Juliette leaving the Island wouldn't make her one of the Six, either, so the question still remains... who are the last two members of the Oceanic Six?
Somehow i knew it was Ben that was waiting for Sayid, but i cannot think of any reason that Sayid would be working for Ben. If it weren't for the fact that we know that Sayid is alive and off the Island in the future then i would be very nervous about his being on the helicopter with Frank and Desmond.
Confirmed Dead repeat (live)
Right now a repeat of last week's episode is on with little trivia tidbits sprinkled throughout. I'm at the beginning of act two, where Mr. Miles "Ghost Whisperer" no last name is talking to an empty teenagers room and making off with a big was of cash. Interesting facts about Act I... The woman in Daniel's house is not his wife, it's a caretaker. Daniel Faraday is named in honor of Michael Faraday, a physicist who investigated electromagnetism and gravity. His comment about light is supposedly a clue about the properties of the Island... i'm lost.
Ben is still getting under everyone's skin, and it's interesting to see him finally using his silver tongue out in the open.
Who expected to see Sayid and Juliet teaming up? Only a couple of days ago he was insisting that he and Sawyer be allowed to get answers out of her (actually, it's rather interesting that Sayid and Sawyer were working together, too. You have to remember, season one is years ago to us, but it's only a couple of weeks ago to the castaways).
Interesting to observe... Ben riles Sawyer by talking about Kate. Jack and Juliet have little moments together. Hurley and Sawyer may become best friends next.
Act 3
Charlotte is named after C.S. Lewis (wow, Chronicles of Narnia reference) and seems to know something about Dharma and polar bears being in deserts where they shouldn't be. Miles' sarcasm is actually refreshing compared to Charlotte's false niceness and feigned interest in the castaways. I like Charlotte better than Miles, she has guts (she dove head first into unknown waters for instance), but she just seems a bit socially awkward. She knows what she wants and she goes for it, acting polite just seems fake.
Act 4
Greg finally gets a name! Seth Norris married his high school sweetheart at 19: verrrrry interesting. Frank feels guilty that he wasn't flying the plane when it crashed, and Seth died as a result. i miss Greg Grunberg (he's why i started watching Heroes, plain and simple) and hope we get more info on Seth. Well, time for the new ep! Good thing Charlotte was wearing a bullet proof vest lol... or is it?
Act 5
Abaddan is the guy who visited Hurley, and apparently hired the rescuers. Naomi refers to Charlotte as a head case (hm... another crazy?). Frank knows the manifest by memory and that Juliet is a "native"... which is what they called the people Ben joined. Ben doesn't know what the Black Smoke Monster is, apparently, but he does know who Charlotte is (and presumably the rest of the team).
Who was flying the helicopter that Naomi bailed out of? How many people are on the freighter and who is the "man" on the boat??? Is the name of the boat Rescue? Are Michael and Walt aboard? New ep is starting now.
It occurred to me halfway through this ep (this second viewing) that our impressions of these rescuees/searchers for Ben are probably going to be vastly different in the future. For instance, when Mr. Friendly was introduced he originally seemed very menacing, but when Sawyer finally killed him... it was a shock for me in a way because i knew i would actually miss him. i am wondering what is wrong about anyone wanting to find Ben, but also what's so special about him.
Ben is still getting under everyone's skin, and it's interesting to see him finally using his silver tongue out in the open.
Who expected to see Sayid and Juliet teaming up? Only a couple of days ago he was insisting that he and Sawyer be allowed to get answers out of her (actually, it's rather interesting that Sayid and Sawyer were working together, too. You have to remember, season one is years ago to us, but it's only a couple of weeks ago to the castaways).
Interesting to observe... Ben riles Sawyer by talking about Kate. Jack and Juliet have little moments together. Hurley and Sawyer may become best friends next.
Act 3
Charlotte is named after C.S. Lewis (wow, Chronicles of Narnia reference) and seems to know something about Dharma and polar bears being in deserts where they shouldn't be. Miles' sarcasm is actually refreshing compared to Charlotte's false niceness and feigned interest in the castaways. I like Charlotte better than Miles, she has guts (she dove head first into unknown waters for instance), but she just seems a bit socially awkward. She knows what she wants and she goes for it, acting polite just seems fake.
Act 4
Greg finally gets a name! Seth Norris married his high school sweetheart at 19: verrrrry interesting. Frank feels guilty that he wasn't flying the plane when it crashed, and Seth died as a result. i miss Greg Grunberg (he's why i started watching Heroes, plain and simple) and hope we get more info on Seth. Well, time for the new ep! Good thing Charlotte was wearing a bullet proof vest lol... or is it?
Act 5
Abaddan is the guy who visited Hurley, and apparently hired the rescuers. Naomi refers to Charlotte as a head case (hm... another crazy?). Frank knows the manifest by memory and that Juliet is a "native"... which is what they called the people Ben joined. Ben doesn't know what the Black Smoke Monster is, apparently, but he does know who Charlotte is (and presumably the rest of the team).
Who was flying the helicopter that Naomi bailed out of? How many people are on the freighter and who is the "man" on the boat??? Is the name of the boat Rescue? Are Michael and Walt aboard? New ep is starting now.
It occurred to me halfway through this ep (this second viewing) that our impressions of these rescuees/searchers for Ben are probably going to be vastly different in the future. For instance, when Mr. Friendly was introduced he originally seemed very menacing, but when Sawyer finally killed him... it was a shock for me in a way because i knew i would actually miss him. i am wondering what is wrong about anyone wanting to find Ben, but also what's so special about him.
Friday, February 08, 2008
save the 4400
i've been working hard on a paper for school, so i haven't had time to post on Lost yet (though i have seen it). i just wanted to mention the cancellation of the 4400 and i hope that the show can be saved. Sign the Petition or find out where to send sunflower seeds. i can't wait to see what happens next.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
so...
i know that i created this blog as an outlet for Lost. i've been writing about tv shows for a long time, most specifically Star Trek (Voyager and Enterprise), Dark Angel, and Alias. But i've never been able to launch a webpage or blog that does everything i want it to do. i like writing about tv, movies, books, and think that there would be a lot more content here if i expanded this blog. Everything doesn't just happen for a reason on Lost, there are a lot of other shows that i felt were like that, too. It's one of the ways to write a good story or screenplay, you don't put anything in there that doesn't directly influence the story, so you only put in something for a reason. So i am planning on expanding this blog to include other forms of entertainment as well. Happy viewing everyone.
the wait is finally over
Lost is returning!!! i've finished watching season three and am ready to find out what happens next. After the typical catching-back-up clip-extravaganza the fourth season will premiere with "The Beginning of the End."
"Feeling that their rescue is close at hand, the survivors don't know whether to believe Charlie's final message that the people claiming to liberate them are not who they seem to be. The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must continue to work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But as they have discovered during their 70-plus days on the island, danger and mystery loom behind every corner, and those they thought could be trusted may turn against them. Even heroes have secrets..."
~ from Lostpedia
"Feeling that their rescue is close at hand, the survivors don't know whether to believe Charlie's final message that the people claiming to liberate them are not who they seem to be. The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must continue to work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But as they have discovered during their 70-plus days on the island, danger and mystery loom behind every corner, and those they thought could be trusted may turn against them. Even heroes have secrets..."
~ from Lostpedia
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
my birthday present
No, not the One Ring, but season three on dvd. i totally did not expect to get it for my birthday, but lo and behold there it was. Season four is around the corner and i'm actually starting to get a little excited. Saw the new promo and Jack is still such a whiner. Let's hope we'll still be skating this season. (:
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