Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

Staff picks: the 9 best Asian games of 2013

With the year drawing to a close, we thought it'd be fun to take a look back at the Asia-developed games that came out this year and pick a few of our favorites. Regular Tech in Asia readers will know that is our new sister site. Of course, since Games in Asia has only been around for a couple of months, there might be some titles that our fast-expanding team has missed. But if you missed any of these games this year, now's your chance to right that wrong!



CHARLIE'S PAIR OF PICKS

SAO Extra Edition: Swimsuit Art Online

Happy New Year's Eve! A-1 Pictures just had to give us more of this plague to anime. The shitheads that actually enjoy this can fap to this worthless fanservice episode all they like. As for me, I'm planning to get wasted so that I'm hoping that it'll make me think Sword Art Online never existed.



Which is impossible since Sword Art Online II was unfortunately announced. And I still have to tear it apart while it's on Toonami. Either way, Sword Art Online is never safe from my wrath.

2013 Year in Review

BEST OF, WORST OF... WHAT'S THE DIFF?THIS IS AN AUNT'S LIFE'S 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW!(CLICK LINKS FOR MORE)

IN MUSIC:


Best Songs of '13/Worst Movies of '13

The year of 2013 is almost over but 2014 is almost here. Well are some best songs of 2013.



1. "Royals" by Lorde

Favorites of 2013: TV

This was the year when I finally started catching up on a lot of shows I've missed in prior years. For the most part, this was a rewarding experience. There are still a few new series I need to dip into, namely Black Mirror, Orphan Black, and Orange is the New Black (hat trick!). The most important part of my playing catch-up was easily



BREAKING BAD: Holy shit, this show. I can't believe it took me until now to finally watch it. This is one of those instances where peer pressure definitely helped; many of my friends and coworkers at KU were fond of the show, and they gently coaxed me into starting. I blazed through it in a matter of weeks once it began. The overall run of this show constitutes one of the best stories I've ever read or seen. The character work is impeccable; the White/Schrader family and Jesse Pinkman rightly stand as some of the best television characters ever created. The acting is masterful on pretty much all counts, and the writing more often than not was spectacular. The entire back half of the final season was tense and horrifying, especially the episode "Ozymandias," which features my favorite moment in the series as a whole, the pivotal moment when the White family finally fractures. It was terrible and sad to watch, and yet I was rapt for every second of it.

Favorites of 2013: Books

I'm somewhat disappointed with my reading this year overall. I thought I did pretty well earlier in the year, while I was still living at home, waiting to hear what would happen with PhD applications and such. Once I moved to Lawrence, though, and started school, my for-fun reading dropped off a lot. It's been all textbooks for the past eight months, which I very badly want to rectify over break. It also feels like a cheat and, quite frankly, a bore to talk about classroom reading, although I enjoyed reading The Next American Essay, edited by John D'Agata, quite a bit. It's ostensibly a collection of lyrical/experimental nonfiction writing, but it's really a mixed genre writing anthology. I found myself reading it outside of class sometimes just because the writing challenged me to recontextualize my own writing and create new reading strategies. So, it gave me a fair amount of mental and creative exercise.



Books I've written about here before, which I would include among the best of my year in reading, include Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz, The Divinity Student by Michael Cisco, and Cataclysm Baby by Matt Bell. There are still several books I want to read too. I've heard fantastic things about Alice Nutting's Tampa and Rachel Kushner's The Flamethrowers, as well as George Saunders's Tenth of December. For now, though, I'll wrap up the year in reading with these.

A Year's Worth Of Wisdom From HuffPost Parents Bloggers

#truelove #allowing #dating GPS for the Soul - The Huffington Post A Year's Worth Of Wisdom From HuffPost Parents Bloggers From babyhood to graduation and beyond, we proudly present a selection of the many, many lessons we learned from HuffPost Parents bloggers in 2013.



THE EARLY DAYS

Mountain Biking expedition to Jalori Pass

Sometimes even in our so-called very busy schedule, a small tickle of change which you let in can make a lot of difference. For me it was one of my friends asking me to join him for a cycling expedition. My first reaction to him for the moment was, "Dude let me check my leave balance and upcoming schedule". As the saying goes when its right, ITS RIGHT!!!



PS: This is a long travelogue of sort and I hope you will enjoy it as I try to pour my heart and mind in it.

Considering Fast Systems For Pets

" With proper care and provision most pets can live her territory, and more dominance fights may break out than expected. Starting with an examination of Disney's 101 Dalmatians movies, an in-depth examination of urge legislative officials to ban non-domesticated pets in captivity for private owners and even zoological facilities. Humans : Burning and swelling of lips, mouth, and is the OFA Orthopedic Foundation For Animals . It is true that dogs have evolved with mankind for centuries, but the relationship started dogs and other pets often use wheat flour as the base ingredient. One should steer clear of these more difficult, but undeniably interesting animals if wisdom and simplicity we wish we could attain in our lives.



Usually after such events occur, even if the animal is safely returned and no one is injured, there will do not do their research and gain their education from Hollywood instead.

Frozen (2013): Celebrating difference

Sisters Elsa and Anna are the center of this new Disney animation that is incredibly smart and very moving.



When Elsa and Anna are young girls (they are both princesses and Elsa will one day be Queen), Elsa uses her powers for fun but accidentally causes Anna to bang her head. Their parents take Anna to be healed by trolls and one of them warns Elsa that even though her powers hold allure, she should be afraid. He warns that she should live in fear of the evils her powers might bring. Anna's memories of magic are removed and Elsa is shut away in her room. Anna does not know why this happened and so spends a lot of her time alone in the castle as Elsa's parents try to teach her how to repress her emotions in order to stop her from showing her magic powers.

Top 13 of 2013

It's hard to believe that it's New Years Eve again. Another year has passed, and a new year is about to begin, full of new books, TV shows and movies that I just can't wait to get my hands on. But I couldn't let 2013 slip by without an ode to some of the best the year had to offer. So without further ado, here are the . . . TOP 13 OF '13:

In no particular order (and some of them aren't actually 2013 releases, simply new to me this year) . . .


Remembering 2013!

It's been a long and somewhat unpredictable 2013... And while much of it has brought its fair share of ups and downs, there's no denying that plenty of things in the popculture category that happened and need to be reviewed and listed as per annual tradition!



So before we welcome the big 2014, let's see what happened back in the year before us...

I want to ramble about something deep and thought-provoking for a change

Why are Onee-sans so much better than Imoutos?



This is basically a scientific matter of utmost priority.

5 Movies We're Looking Forward To: January 2014

The month of January has traditionally been a relatively light one as far as new releases are concerned. As we transition from 2013 to 2014, many moviegoers will be playing catch-up on the films they missed from the end of last year - films like The Hobbit or The Wolf of Wall Street - which leaves little time for new product.



Still, there are a few January films that may be worth seeing, if for no other reason than to enjoy a brief 2-hour distraction. We're not saying all of the films on our list are going to be winners, but they do have some potential.

Am I a sceptic or a cynic

This has been written in a bit of a blur, so apologies if it seems blurry at times or all the time.



Sometimes I wonder if I really am a sceptic or maybe just a cynic?

My Top 10 TV Shows of 2013

Best TV of 2013



Do I have a favourite TV show of 2013? Back in 2011 I'd watched somuch telly I was able to draft a definitive list, with a Bubbling Under category and some Least Favourites , but thinking back over 2013 I begin by drawing a blank. Then suddenly one show dominates and it comes together. Here we go, my favourite TV of 2013.

[BEST & WORST '13] Celebrating 20 Noteworthy Indies From This Year!

Since we started the site back in 2001 I've been sharing my picks for the best and worst films of the year. 2013 was godawful to me; it was easily one of the worst years of my life.



After 12 months of pure shit, I don't really feel like going into 2014 with negative energy, so I decided to put something positive into the end of this dreadful 2013. Instead of sharing my picks for the worst of the year, I've decided to celebrate 20 awesome independent films that the horror community should really be supporting.

1ST PIC OF CHRISTIAN BALE IN RIDLEY SCOTT'S EGYPTIAN EPIC 'EXODUS'! JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2014 EPIC & FANTASY MOVIES: 'THE ADVENTURER:CURSE OF THE MIDAS BOX' WITH IOAN GRUFFUDD, SAM NEIL, LENA HEADEY, 'P

1ST PIC OF CHRISTIAN BALEIN RIDLEY SCOTT'S 'EXODUS'

Before we continue what we started yesterday - spotlighting January and February 2014 epic and fantasy movies - you can check out the first picture of CHRISTIAN BALE as Moses in RIDLEY SCOTT's upcominghistorical epic EXODUS! SIGOURNEY WEAVER and JOHN TURTURRO play Egyptian rulers, JOEL EDGERTON is Pharaoh Rhamses while AARON PAUL plays Joshua!

THE ADVENTURERTHE CURSE OF THE MIDAS' BOX The tenth of January also brings us THE ADVENTURER: THE CURSE OF THE MIDAS' BOX.In this fantasy adventure, seventeen-year-old Mariah Mundi's (ANEURIN BARNARD) life is turned upside down when his parents vanish and his younger brother is kidnapped. Following a trail of clues to the darkly majestic Prince Regent Hotel, Mariah discovers a hidden realm of child-stealing monsters, deadly secrets and a long-lost artefact that grants limitless wealth - but also devastating supernatural power. With the fate of his world, and his family at stake, Mariah will risk everything to unravel the Curse of the Midas Box! MICHAEL SHEEN, SAM NEIL, LENA HEADEY and IOAN GRUFFUDD also star!

Reflecting On 2013

It's official, today is the last day of 2013. Does that scare you? It scares me but at the same time, it kinda excites me. I'm hoping that 2014 will be a good year, a year full of good opportunities and meeting new people.



I decided that I would two posts today about 2013 as I have a lot to write and thought that putting it all into one blog post would be too much.

My Films of the Year 2013

Looking back on 2013, it was a year of underwhelming blockbusters, ambitious follies, strong female led dramas, a return to black and white, great smaller independent films and fascinating documentaries.



Below I've selected my ten favourite films of the year, not necessarily what might be considered the "best" films of the year. I've tried to make my selections based purely on my own personal enjoyment or the emotional impact they had on me, but I hope you'll enjoy watching them too. As always, any feedback is, of course, welcome!

The Bawley 100

A pair of everyday radio listeners are diagnosed with inoperable, advanced end of year list monotony. On a summer road trip they hear a Hottest 100 promo and devise a scheme to become partners, combine their skills and manufacture their own end of year list. Recruiting a lost but likable foreigner the group start work on a list to act as the antidote to all other lists and provide musical riches for their friends and family. During their time making the finest end of year list the group have a series of run ins with the law and rival list makers. Despite these setbacks, they become addicted to power and continue their list making under the guise 'Bawley'.



The 2013 Bawley 100:

Slow breathing at the Li-bra-ry coffee shop in Bangkok...

For me it starts with amazing chairs and the rest follows suit in terms of a well styled interior. In the case of the Li-bra-ry coffee shop in Bangkok, the tasteful Scandinavian-esque interior extends into excellent food, and some very creative and delicious menu offerings (see my waffle pic). And tralaaaa, Li-bra-ry scoops the LPCS (Lateral Paul Coffee Snob) gold medal as our Number One coffee destination in BK.

Walking through the tall wooden swing door at Li-bra-ry feels good- it's calm, quiet...a place for slow breathing where you leave your stress at the door with your shoes. The wooden floor is cool underfoot as you tread softly (it's a library after all) over to one of the beautiful mustard yellow chairs or soft sofas to settle in for a spot of blogging, a mag read, a flip through one of the cook books on the shelves, or a bit of a day dream over a latte in a bowl. Yes, you heard right, a bowl. All this while Sinatra and a bit of 50's music plays unobtrusively in the background to add to the mellow mood.Li-bra-ry had the same effect on me as Vanilla Garden in Ekamai did when I first walked in...a soothing space in the madness that is Bangkok, a city to which I'm now addicted, thanks to Lateral Paul.Oh, if your kids are unruly and used to tearing around the place, rather don't take them. The place is sophisticated - not ideal for busy, noisy smallies...it attracts, amongst others, quite a well heeled set of people who (noted both times I was there) pull up in posh cars seeking respite from the city bustle. What I really want to know is who conceptualised and designed this place...whomever you are, take a bow. See you soon in March...(Directions follow after the last pic)

Follow the arrow...

Cats~

Cats~

Cats have walked among us and lived around us for a millennium.

The Cat has been part of legend and Myth in the Egyptian Culture for centuries. It was death to kill a cat in such a culture of cat reverence,

The Accidental Witch by Jessica Penot

Jessica Penot is a therapist who lives in Alabama with her 2 corgis, cat, sons, husband and other strange creatures. She is the author of Haunted North Alabama, Haunted Chattanooga, and Circe.



Phaedra Michaels is a small town psychologist who is beginning to lose hope. Two of her patients at the local hospital in Dismal, Alabama have just killed themselves, she's still reeling from her divorce and what turned out to be a disastrous marriage, and her father has died, leaving her without any notion of who her real mother is.

#CBR5 Book 145. "Proven Guilty" by Jim Butcher

Page count: 479 pages

Audio book length: 16 hrs, 16 mins

Rating: 4 stars

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

Brad Sullivan stole scenes in everything from SLAP SHOT to THE UNTOUCHABLES

SULLIVAN, ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTER ACTORS OFF ALL-TIME, DIED FROM LIVER CANCER ON THE LAST DAY OF 2008. HE WAS 77.



SULLIVAN WAS IN DEMAND FOR OVER 3 DECADES, WORKING WITH SUCH TOP DIRECTORS AS BARBARA STREISAND, GEORGE ROY HILL, MICHAEL RITCHIE, BRIAN DE PALMA, BARRY LEVINSON, JOHN FRANKENHEIMER AND JAMES CAMERON.

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

What does Arsis think of the PS4?

So, it's been roughly a month and a half since the Playstation 4 was released, and I've put in a lot of time with it so far. Since it's release, the main games I've played have been Battlefield 4, Knack, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Fifa 14, Killzone: Shadow Fall, of course Contrast, and Resogun, and now Madden 25. Unfortunately Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was not a part of this list, since I didn't want to wait the 2 weeks for the PS4 release. It is my favorite series after all, what did you expect?



My initial impressions of the system was more or less what I expected. A much more structured layout than the PS3 offered, being able to go from game to PSN Store without having to close applications, and of course very useful apps, like YuppTV(Sarcasm). All joking aside, most of the apps on there, although very useful, and very entertaining, cost a monthly fee, and NO YOUTUBE. That's what really blew my mind here. Had they launched with no Youtube, but gave a ball park figure on when we can expect it, or explained why we are not going to have it on the PS4, that may have been different. Crunchy Roll is an app I've yet to really delve into, as I am an anime fan, but no where near the level of most people that call themselves fans. I have my moments where I'll spend an entire day watching something, but months may pass before I do it again. Hulu, and Netflix, of course are the basic Hulu and Netflix, nothing to mention really. The IGN app is decent at best, I'll probably do a write up on that one alone, as I have my gripes with IGN as a company and their practices(Disqus anyone?) NBA/NHL apps? Not really a basketball fan myself, and I'd rather not pay a monthly free for information I can find on the internet I already pay for. Music Unlimited is the one that blew me away. My entire life has been about music, and video games, and for Sony to offer a service like this, I was a bit skeptical, until they gave me a free 30 day trial. I was thoroughly impressed with the music selection it offered, and the price wasn't too bad either. What I did find wrong was, it loves to shut down, and have playback errors regularly. Some may want to argue that it must be my internet, but no, it unfortunately is not. I play enough online games, and watch enough Netflix to know that it is in fact, their service. All in all, the apps section of the system is a 7/10. Had there been Youtube, Music Unlimited not felt like a beta, and it not filled with adds requiring payment, it might have scored a bit higher.

Monday, December 30, 2013

My Top Movies for 2013

So this year, I actually went to see quite a few movies, and below is just a list (with reasons) on why I feel like they were some of my favorites! Also, there were a lot of movies I haven't seen yet (like The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug--which I will see on Jan 1st!) that I will list at the end for movies I still need to see!



Now by no means were most of these award winning, or even critically excellent. These are just my own favorites and for my own reasons!

U.P. DJ business a family affair

Music has the unique ability to inspire people in ways that words simply can't. Pat and Bill Digneit heard their calling in high school.



'We were both on student council, and I was the class president and I was paying the prom DJ an astronomical amount of money and he was not up to what we thought we should have gotten, so my brother and I were like 'Yo, we can start our own DJ company and do that', so we took our graduation money and a little money we each had in savings wand were like 'We can do this' and we're going to jump feet first into this,' Pat Digneit said. 'We bought two speakers, a mixer, two lights, a smoke machine, a strobe and we're like 'Yep we're a DJ company'.' The Detroit duo brought their newfound franchise with them to Northern Michigan University, where it blossomed into a full-fledged family business. 'Our dad called us the Gruesome Twosome, or Double Trouble, and we thought Gruesome Twosome would only be good around Halloween, so we kind of went with Double Trouble DJs,' Pat said. 'Some people were like 'Double Trouble, what does that mean?' and we're like 'Oh we're identical twins' and they're like 'Oh that makes so much sense'.' 'It can be stressful as anyone knows, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or weddings can be stressful family events, but we really try to be positive and we have each other's backs,' Bill said. 'That's really important in running a business is to make sure you know the person you're working with cares about you.' 'My wife actually works with us now too, so that's a whole other element to it, but Pat took her on just like a sister and that is actually pretty awesome.' And it's not just their workforce that's expanding. The Double Trouble brand stretches from Marquette to Detroit, all the way out to Las Vegas, where Pat and Bill work as consultants for aspiring nightclubs on the strip. And anything they pick up along the way, comes right back to home base. 'People always say 'Oh the U.P. is five or ten years behind', well we're from Metro Detroit and we have an office down there, so if we see something down there we want to bring it here (to the U.P.) so it isn't that we're ten years behind, we're still on pace,' Pat said. 'Photo booths became a hot thing and we're like lets start doing that.' 'We're both gear-heads where we like all the technical aspects so it's really fun to, you know, find new technology and new things from, you know, monogram spotlights to LED effects and everything like that.' Whether it's a grand opening, a parade, or a bridal expo, you can hear the level of sophistication in every tool the two-headed monster wields. 'There's some risk, but you have to jump in feet first and take that chance,' Bill said. 'You don't want to look back in twenty years and regret where you're at,' Pat said. 'You know, live every day and got for it, you know. That's what we push our business everyday-is trying to find something new and something that's going to make it the next best thing.' 'I really do love my job and I know my brother does too,' Bill said. 'We get to go to a party for a living and be the people that are driving the party and making sure people are dancing and having a good time or enjoying the photo booth and memories. That's what we like to do, making lasting memories people and I always have a smile at work. I'm never really having a bad day.' For more information, visit the Double Trouble DJs website or Facebook page.

It's A Jolly Holiday

We had a magic morning pass and so we got up extra extra early and got ready and walking to get to Disney before 7 so that we had a good place in line and could get to the Radiator Springs racers at a good time and ride it as much as we could. We did and while we rode, Mom went to get us some fast passes so that we had another ride that would be shorter. By the time we got to 8 am and the park opened we had ridden it 6 times, and our fast pass made 7. We enjoyed it a lot! This is our family photo for the ride when we used our fast pass and were all together. We decided to look scared our of our wits, I was so scared I ate my hair! I even got to meet RED! I was so excited I ran up and gave him a big BIG hug (there was no line) and he was so happy that he let out a big happy sigh that he got a hug. Boo even decided to add in and give him a hug too, and Red was very happy that we gave him warm hugs. We loved him!

We then went on our way to go on and visit the rest of the Boardwalk that we missed because we had

learned that Toy Story was hidden somewhere there and we got to meet Jessie. She gave us hugs when we met her and we liked that we got to meet one of our favorite characters! Buzz would have been cool to meet too. We then went on our way and the family went on to ride the roller coaster again. Mom and I decided to ride on King Triton's carousel of the sea. We had picked a pretty pink whale and a blue dolphin to ride on and it was a lot of fun! Since we had been running around all day we had then gone off to lunch. Mom and Dad had found a gluten free place while Muffin had some rice and veggies, and Boo and I had bread bowl soup and salad. It was really really yummy! We then met up and went to Bear Peak and Muffin, Boo, and Dad decided to ride the water ride. Mom and I stayed in the sun while they got soaked!

December In Review

Well, we've made it through another year! I'm saving my evaluation of my 2013 goals for a separate post, but here's what I experienced during the rest of the month. This also marks a year of me doing monthly reviews as opposed to yearly, and I've really enjoyed it! Planning to put these posts together helps me remember and appreciate each little thing during the month as I go along. I hope you've enjoyed it too.



HEARD: I found a bunch of stuff I loved this month (visit my to see it all!) but the one song I couldn't stop playing was Oscar Isaac's rendition of Green, Green Rocky Road. I haven't seen "Inside Llewyn Davis" yet though, have you?

THE PURGE: Redditt reported list of movies being dropped by Netflix.

Just in case you haven't seen it elsewhere yet. This has all but been confirmed by Netflix itself.

Not a lot of losses in TV series, but there are a few decent films on the list that will be going away.


Li'l Abner Comic Strips

Al Capp's



LI'L ABNER

Dorset's Weird and Wonderful Year of 2013

From Big Cats to a strange Monkey creature, Dragon skulls found on beaches to Haunted Houses. This 2013 has been a busy year for weird and wonderful news in Dorset.

Dark Dorset looks back with a selection of twelve stories taken from our and .


http://www.mysteriousplanet.net/mybolg.php nike air max 90 nsrh

According to Kung Yu said the old man,, Kung Yang has exceeded the training mission ! But this point has been widely questioned four bedrooms Kung headed the human family, even with, Kung Kung Yu patriarch of the family that everyone called Gifted, very disagree ! Kung sheep hearts of the little genius named universe whether the government 's expectations, but also rapidly approaching low ! People naturally do not know, after two months of special training, the maidenhair sheep cultivation has reached a peak of 12 items ! Opened the six kidneys : Yang meridians, yin -dimensional vein, Yang Rocker vein, overcast Rocker veins, red veins, with veins.



Open six meridians again,, maidenhair sheep and repair almost doubled, the degree of pure basic upgrade twice, especially in terms of strength, become more sick ! Today, Gongsun Yang arms whirl round, has been able to issue twenty thousand kilos of energy left ! And back to the family after the maidenhair sheep keep a low profile, are the basic daily nest in three rooms of the hospital without leaving home. In fact, Gongsun Yang is now busy ! In addition to combing all the martial arts, but also somehow find time to study the flood by Yu Wang, and that the Department already has the mysterious Hill Easy !

[BEST & WORST '13] Jimbus_Christ's Top Ten Debut Issues of 2013

A debut issue is a difficult conundrum. How do you introduce your characters, their motivations, and the larger world around them in an interesting and dynamic way?



Often first issues can be clunky and sometimes hard to read, only to morph into incredible series down the line. However, this year there were ten books that killed it right out of the gate. They are tight, incredible debuts filled with action, intrigue, and dynamic worlds. Each of them is distinctly different, but share one common thread: they are a hell of a lot of fun to read.

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

Beyond the Boundary Review

STORY:

Akihito is a sophomore in high school who loves girls wearing glasses. A lot. Which is weird enough all on its own, but he also happens to be an immortal half-youkai. When he meets a young female Spirit Warrior, whose blood is cursed, his casual life is destroyed as first one dangerous youkai and then another begin popping up in preparation for the biggest danger of all: Beyond the Boundary.


Horror And Raunchy Comedies Dominate 2013 Most Profitable Releases List

When it comes to the highest grossing film of 2013, that title went hands down to Iron Man 3. With $409 million domestic and $806 international, the third adventure in the Tony Stark film series beat out the competition with a massive $1.2 billion haul. But when it comes to the most profitable films of 2013, Iron Man 3 came in 9th place. How's that? Allow us to break it down.



The "highest grossing film" title goes to the movie that pulled in the most at box offices worldwide. However, this honor doesn't take into account how much the film cost to make. If you deduct the production budget (in the case of Iron Man 3, an estimated $200 million) and the expensive fees of marketing all over the world, the remaining number is known as the movie's ROI, return on investment. The Wrap looked over the big successes of the year to uncover which movies had the greatest payoffs, or ROIs. And the final list might surprise you:

Doomsters At the Drive-In Presents Doom Metal Approved Fright Flicks Presents Psychomania (1973) ...

This article first appeared on 11/13/2013 at www.ravenousmonster.com and was originally published as "The Psychotic Glee of PSYCHOMANIA."



This is part five of a thirteen part series.

Best of 2013

Yeah I know everyone does this but I love making lists. Rather than make a bunch of lists broken down by categories I've just tossed in all my favorite stuff from the past year onto one list. This includes my favorite movies, comics, TV shows and what not from 2013. What are your favs?

1. PACIFIC RIM

Guillermo Del Toro delivered the giant robot vs giant monster movie I'd been waiting my whole life to see. My favorite part? When Gypsy Danger unveils it's colossal sword out of no where! Now where's my Voltron movie?

2014 JANUARY HISTORICAL & FANTASY MOVIES: 'THE LEGEND OF HERCULES' WITH KELLAN LUTZ, LIAM MCINTYRE AND 'I, FRANKENSTEIN' WITH AARON ECKHART, MIRANDA OTTO, BILL NIGHY

JANUARY 2014IN CINEMASHISTORICAL AND FANTASY MOVIES Since your trusted HOLLYWOOD SPY is one of web's leading sites on historical and fantasy movies, we shall spend the last two days of 2013 spotlighting historical and fantasy movies that will hit cinemas in the first two months of 2014. From THE LEGEND OF HERCULES, POMPEI, 300, I, FRANKENSTEIN, MALEFICENT, HERCULES THE THRACIAN WARS, DRACULA UNTOLD and then HOBBIT 3, next year will bring us more epic movies than we've been used to before.

THE LEGEND OF HERCULESKELLAN LUTZ & LIAM MCINTYRE The 10th of January will take us to the time of mythical legends with the premiere of epic adventure THE LEGEND OF HERCULES in which KELLAN LUTZ stars as the mythical Greek hero - the son of Zeus, a half-god, half-man blessed with extraordinary strength. Betrayed by his stepfather, the King, and exiled and sold into slavery because of a forbidden love, Hercules must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his rightful kingdom. Through harrowing battles and gladiator-arena death matches, Hercules embarks on a legendary odyssey to overthrow the King and restore peace to the land! SPARTACUS star LIAM MCINTYRE is also in the cast, playing Hercules' friend and sidekick, captain Sotirus. Directed by RENNY HARLIN, the historical adventure also has SCOTT ADKINS, JOHNATHON SCHAECH and ROXANNE MCKEE in the cast. You can read more about the film in HOLLYWOOD SPY's on the historical adventure.


Anime Mondays #43

It's almost the end of the year!How did your 2013 treat you?Mine was pretty awesome, let me tell you, and not in the usual ways.I feel like I've grown up so much in the past year, it's not even funny.I mean, let's be real, not grown up enough to stop watching anime, but in a bunch of other ways.Life is what you make of it, my friends.Let's get cracking on the last Anime Mondays post of the year!



All images are from , and there are spoilers up to the episodes listed!

131227

We love strength days at CFSF, and this was a good day.



Press1-1-1-1-1

My year in review

January started with a heightened buzz. I'd just finished teaching my first yoga teacher training and led my very first yoga retreat. In Feb I cooked for three whole days for 25+ people at a yoga retreat. I was living my dream. By March I was prepping my second teacher training, and things were sky high. My yoga teaching partner Simone and I had a good thing going.



I was also teaching a couple yoga classes a week and subbing, too. My life felt spiritually balanced, I was in a good, centered place with my romantic partner, and I was in a solid, grounded place inside myself. My days were filled with joy, I experienced little depression, had an internal drive, felt love and compassion most of the day everyday, felt forgiving in each moment, I had very little anger, and I had a healthy sense of purpose along with a clear, focused direction for my life.

A Green New Year

When I'm sick I get a lot of things done that don't get done when I'm well. I may have stayed in bed until 2:30 however I then: washed the dishes, put away my clothes, shaved my legs, addressed letters to my parents, did 3 Italian lessons and wrote out my goals and plans for the new year and revised them, and googled things and revised them again.Oh I also started knitting a baby blanket for my niece. So being sick serves a purpose.



And I made healthy food and thought a lot about my past diets and all the changes and evolutions,what worked and what "didn't", when I was happiest with my body. And I decided that I'll no longer be writing directly about food in the way I have in the past. I'm not going to outline my diet or post pictures of my lunch on instagram. All of this feeds my insecurity about what I eat and how it effects my body. It reinforces my perfectionist, dieting mentality.As for my goals - I want to take the focus off of dieting for the body I "should" have and put it onto more important, or just different things. I've explored that, I know what I want to do. I want to eat in a way that I don't have to think about it 24/7 but I'm healthy, fit, maximising my potential and feeling max energy. As I perused millions of vegan blogs, again, over the past few days, I realised how much time I spend thinking about FOOD. FOOD FOOD FOOD. It's one small aspect of life. Yet it feeds my issues, it fills up my boredom, it satisfies my curiosity, it helps me make friends. I spend so much time thinking about food that when I die what will be said about my interests? I spent all my time trying to figure out how to avoid getting fat or eating the wrong way? Ridiculous, I say. No more, I shout! I want to eat when I'm hungry and to have boundaries and beliefs that help me choose what to eat. and I want to have a full life outside those decisions that keep me too busy to worry about it.

Deccie The Brockness Monster

THE DIRTY ARMY: This boyfriend stealing bitch right here is December Dawn Chatham. We were best friends for the longest time until she stole the love of my life right out from under me. She thinks she is better than everyone. Well guess what bitch, I know all your dirty little secrets. But I'm gonna be the true friend and keep them to myself instead of posting them on this site like you did to Matt and I. I will let everyone else fill the world on your bullshit and lies.



SHE MAKES A GOOD CANVAS, TOO BAD SHE COULDN'T FIND AN ARTIST.- NIK

End of term report: 2013, or The books I read in an arbituary time period.

Good year, I think. In that I was quite disappointed by most of what I in the first part of 2013, but I've read some cracking books since.



So, what words have reflected light into my eyes this year?

Top 10 Anime of 2013

I thought 2013 was a pretty weak year for anime. Of course there were certainly a decent amount of things that I liked and enjoyed. It was difficult compiling the top ten list this year. For the first time I have movies and specials on here simply because I didn't have enough TV series that I loved this year. Number ten was, again, a fight between a couple of series.



2012 CARRY OVERS

Scooby Doo & The Castle Mystery

My eight-year-old currently has an unhealthy fixation with Hanna Barbara's 30-year-old mutt. In between endless reruns of the various cartoon shows on Boomerang and countless replays of Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed - which does start to worryingly grow on you - I soon found myself reminiscing over the Scoobster's first outing on the Amstrad CPC.



First released in 1986 after an insane promotion campaign that was promising Dragon's Lair-like graphics and clever gameplay mechanics, Scooby Doo's flimsy plot could have come straight out of the cartoon.

Winter Anime 2014 Genius Compendium

The Winter Anime Season Has Arrived. This Pretty Much Means Me Ranking A Ton Of New Anime And Pretty Much Being Dead Wrong By The Time February Rolls Around. Let's Get This Started!



Now, for those of you who don't know how my Compendiums work, it's simple: I only rank all of the new TV anime that's making their debut this Winter. No Sequels (*looks at Silver Spoon and Chuu2Koi2*). No already existing franchises, or I guess long running franchises (*Looks at Saki, Seitokai Yakuindomo*). No Shorts (*looks at Pupipo, Strange +*). And of course, no films or OVAs. It just makes everything easy for me/I get to shine all the new faces in anime. For better or for worse. So, you get how things work? Then I better get started!

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

EL-FOKISS BAT-BLOG:The Best Movie Posters of 2013 * By Paul Young

There's an old saying that applies to how we picked our twelve favorite movie posters of 2013: "I may not know art, but I know what I like."



We don't look for one or more specific things when deciding which posters we think are the best, but when a poster stands out to us among the more than two thousand submissions each year, we have to include it.

Lost Friends, Lasting Influences

One of the saddest tasks I undertake at the end of each year is to compile a list of people who--for various reasons--were significant to the crime-fiction community, and who perished during the previous 12 months. I keep hoping that every new such inventory will be shorter than the last, that the folks so familiar to us through their fiction writing or their roles in mystery/thriller-related films and TV shows will do a better job of surviving. Unfortunately, even more names appear below than were featured in .



, 91, a Syrian-born American actor who came to prominence playing Chiricahua Apache chief Cochise in the 1956-1958 ABC-TV series Broken Arrow. Ansara later appeared on Law of the Plainsman, Daniel Boone, , Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, , Police Story, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and many other programs.

Best TV Moments of 2013: The Red Wedding

Game of Thrones, HBO Damn - they could have just sent a crockpot or something. The Red Wedding on Game of Thrones had to be the year's most intense TV "wait no this can't be happening" shocker, pitched somewhere between The Wild Bunch and the "November Rain" video. On the spectrum of emotional torment, it made Ned Stark's beheading look like Liz Lemon's wedding. Fans who'd read the novels thought they knew what was coming, but they got sucker-punched along with the rest of us. Talk about the wedding bell blues. All season long - and in case you missed it, beware spoilers ahead - Thrones kept throwing in weird glimmers of old-school heroism. Like Daenarys busting out a few words of Valyrian, or Jaime jumping into the bear pit to stand by his woman. (A very thing to do.) But man, that Red Wedding. The brilliant part was how the moment captured the authentic boredom of a wedding, when dinner's over and everyone sits around itching to leave. Then you notice the band is playing the wrong song - hey, isn't that "The Rains of Castamere"? And the dullard you got stuck next to at dinner - why is he wearing armor? Then it all starts to go wrong. Oh, it goes so wrong. A monster climax from a monster season. The North will never forget. Neither will we.



via Blogger

The War Zone (1999)

Actor Tim Roth's dictatorial debut is also an exquisitely acted masterwork about the dark secrets surrounding a middle-class British family, with Lara Belmont stealing the show as the abused daughter. Teenager Tom (Freddie Cunliffe) is horrified but initially fails to intervene when he realizes his older sister (Belmont) is carrying on an incestuous relationship with their father (Ray Winstone.)



Winstone, who is primarily known by the public for imposing-baddie-with-a-cockney-accent kind of roles, really sells it as a monster of a human being. You will hate this man so much you will want to vomit. Tilda Swinton plays Mum, who is pregnant at the start of the film, and later has a baby girl named Alice.

Biggest Feuds of 2013

LADY GAGA VS. PEREZ HILTON



One of 's most ardent Little Monsters became her biggest frenemy as the singer and gossip blogger Perez Hilton engaged in this summer. Hilton publicly celebrated the less-than-great chart performance of Gaga's firstsingle "Applause" (after mocking the hip injury that landed the superstar in a wheelchair last year) so Gaga responded by calling Hilton a stalker amongst other not nice things. The feud never escalated beyond Twitter barbs, but something good did come out of the beef: The Artpop track "Swine" is reportedly inspired by the pair's falling out

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

"At Least We've Got Each Other"

The adorable Rob Benedict



We wanted to kick off the New Year with a post full of love and gratitude and optimism - what better way to do that than a chat with Supernatural's version of God (or Kripke, if you prefer), Rob Benedict? Rob has had a tumultuous year, which is ultimately very inspiring. An update on that in a bit. But first, Lynn caught up with Rob at the Dallas Supernatural convention, both a little tired from karaoke the night before (which was so worth a little next-day fatigue, btw). Rob had recently debuted his short film, The Sidekick, and we were dying to ask him about it.

Now That 'Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Has Proper Supervillains On The Way, Who Else Could Marvel Use?

We noted before Christmas that is finally in the form of Blizzard/Donnie Gill. Sure we had a glimpse of the character and weaponry inspired by characters like . We even have tease in the upcoming , which could be used as a nice crossover (). There has never been an honest to God villain though and the confirmation of Blizzard is exciting.



This got my geeky nerve endings firing and I thought we could look at some of the other supervillains that could be molded and brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

Attack on Titan (manga, vol. 1) by Hajime Isayama, translated and adapted by Sheldon Drzka, lettered by Steve Wands

Attack on Titan is a DYSTOPIAN FANTASY series. I got this volume via interlibrary loan.



SYNOPSIS:

2013 Movies in Review

Just due to the sheer number of films that get released in the span of a year it is nigh on impossible for one that is not a fully paid film reviewer to see and comment on them all. If anyone wants to have a Times film reviewer bumped off so I can take their spot to do such a daunting job by all means. In the interim I will highlight films I have seen in the theater this year and break down which ones I feel have merit, which are mediocre, and which was the most horrible abortion of celluloid I have seen in the past twelve months.



Before the love fest kicks off I need to make a confession here. After going and seeing primarily nothing but comic book superhero films for many years I swore off of them; frankly I was burning out on them. After The Dark Knight Rises I wanted to take a break from the superhero genre and have done a good job of staying the hell away. So you will not see Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Kick Ass 2, or any of those films on this list as I did not see them nor have any desire to for the time being. That said there are two comic films I did see this year. One was a non-superheroic one and the other was Man of Steel (which was screened at a friends house well after the theatrical release I'm talking three weeks ago people).

Top TV Series

Saw this article and you know how much I love lists, I had to share.



I only listed the Top 25 TV Shows. To see the rest of the lust, read the article by clicking the link: .

this is the new year.

2013 is closing down. For good. Never ever again will we see another 2013.

So, I will recap and reflect and then look forward. Mind you, this will be longggggg.


THE BEST OF 2013

THE YEAR IN MOVIES - 2013



- This was, quite simply, a phenomenal year for movies. Rarely has it been so hard for me to put together a Best-of-the-Year list, and rarely has it been so difficult to figure out what would and would not make the Top 10, let alone the Top 25. In any other year, great movies like ALL IS LOST and RUSH would have made the Top 10 list, no question. But this year, the quality level is so high that there were close to 30 movies that I'd call absolute must-sees. 2007 was probably the last real landmark year for film. Years from now, I think people will look back at 2013 and put in a similar category - a year that produced great movie after great movie.

The holidays...

LISTENING TO: BEAUTIFUL MONSTER - NEYO

FEELING: CONTENT

Well, I'm three weeks into my break and sadly with only one more week to go before school starts up again. I'm a little excited for the start of semester (like I usually feel) before going through my "what the heck was I thinking?" a few weeks in. But for now, I'll enjoy my break for a little while longer.

When black leaders, black clergy and the entire democrat party endlessly tell young blacks that whites have unfairly profited on their backs, what do you expect?------------------THUG LIFE: Punk Kills

I SUSPECT THIS MONSTER WOULD'VE BEEN BARRY OBAMA TOO-----

: "A 20-year-old allegedly went to the Indianapolis home of his former boss during the middle of the day and murdered the man's wife and daughter after getting fired from his job, court documents claim.


THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG

I am probably not the most objective judge of the Hobbit movies. I grew up on Tolkien's books, and I am not ashamed of admitting that I saw The Fellowship of the Ring in cinemas 9 times. Simply to see Middle Earth onscreen will always be a pleasure for me.



Much of that pleasure is present in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (H2 for short), the second installation in the Hobbit trilogy. I can't help but think that if the Lord of the Rings trilogy hadn't come first that these films would be being hailed as the standard-setters in fantasy filmmaking, because there really is nothing else like them, even now, more than a decade after The Fellowship of the Ring hit theatres.

Lazy year

Hey,I'm the main writer for this site/blog and all the random fun/boring contents it brings from the depths of hell. Tonight/Today we are going to look into lazy days and how they can get extended into months,years and for some poor souls a lifetime. One main component of laziness is,yea you guessed right man/girl its PROCRASTINATION. Its common I'm sure. I procrastinate,you procrastinate,the whole fucking world procrastinates at some time in their life.Hell,even the earth procrastinates,it should have ended december last year,but it postponed it because its too much pain. We avoid things or put them off because we attach too much pain to them and too little pleasure.Take gaming for example,who the hell would put that off,for some extreme gamers they'd play completely naked in front of millions and not give a fuck. Activities like gaming are fun,so we associate it with pleasure. On the other hand activities like say anything that requires us to step out of our comfort zone,we tend to put it off another time. If the activity is extremely painful(can't think of any examples maybe you could think of your personal pains)then we will do whatever it takes to avoid or get done as quick as possible and never do it again. Nevermind I have one example,telling someone you hate that you love them.Most of us are too stubborn,too full of foolish pride to do anything painful and end up putting our sense of self worth on the line. Seeing a bunch of crazy teenagers around your age screaming like chimpanzees as they throw light bulbs at each other in total joy and bliss,what's up with that? Let your imagination run wild whenever you want to just enjoy yourself,no matter the situation.Hell whenever I lose my train of thought I just go blank and type whatever.I don't care. Its pleasurable in a way. We all need our own therapy,our own outlets so whenever the pain gets a little out of hand we know where to go to release it. Some ways to release pain include



* Do metal screams and growls

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

Notable highlights and lowlights in 2013 New York sports

There are some years when New Year's Eve can't come quickly enough. You have had years like that, right? Some tough days on the job. Some hard times at home. Some difficult trips to the doctor. Some years are better than other years. Some years are worse than other years.



2013?

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

Book Review: City Of Bones

City of Bones is the first of six books in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Like her past novels, these fantasy stories take you into the world of the Shadowhunters -a breed of people who are descendants of angels and who posses the ability to fight and kill other supernatural beings like vampires, warlocks, demons and so on.



City of Bones starts off with an introduction to Clary Fray and her best friend Simon Lewis -two ordinary teenagers who squabble with their parents, go out to clubs to mingle and dance and to coffee houses to listen to bad poetry readings. It's on one of these normal adventures with Simon that Clary catches sight of some odd characters and before she knows it she is whisked into the world of Shadowhunters. One in particular, Jace, catches her attention and before long the two of them become inseparable.

Best Nerd Things of 2013!

2013 is winding down, and with that, it's time to take a look back at thenerd year that was. While not the slam bang that 2012 was, there was still plenty of cool moments and nerd things in 2013. Here's a few of my favorites.



THE SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN

Le Femme Nikita

What is better than Nikita going on an undercover mission? Nikita going on an undercover mission together with Michael! And, on top of that, an undercover mission that requires them to be lovers! This episode is one of the best in Season 1. Interestingly enough, it also was the first episode of the entire series to be filmed. Somebody probably thought: let's give Wilson and Dupuis something sexually charged and sizzling, to make sure they forge a "good" working relationship right away. Hehe, I'm not complaining. Apparently, the script was considered so good that many aspects of it made a reappearance in Season 5 of 24 (yup, the nerve gas season), another Joel Surnow/Robert Cochran smash hit.

LOVE 1X06

Our bad guy Perry Bauer (marvellously played by Tobin Bell) is meeting with potential buyers for a powerful nerve gas: L-Virus (or El Virus?). An Asian woman (a translator) demands solid proof for the effect of the gas - what he shows them on the computer screen isn't enough; it could just be a simulation.

Notable highlights and lowlights in 2013 New York sports

There are some years when New Year's Eve can't come quickly enough. You have had years like that, right? Some tough days on the job. Some hard times at home. Some difficult trips to the doctor. Some years are better than other years. Some years are worse than other years.



2013?

Doctor Who's Greatest Moments

In 2010, The Doctor regenerated. Usually on such occasions, viewers are eased through the change in the knowledge that even with a new Doctor, they are watching the same show. However, this time, Doctor Whoitself regenerated. In as big a change as when the show returned to TV screens five years previously, it had an entirely fresh cast, headed by rising stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, and a all-new production team, led by newly-appointed head writer Steven Moffat. Anyone expecting this new incarnation of the show to continue on with Russell T Davies' Earth-rooted, often-angsty, 'proper drama' approach was in for a shock; Doctor Who was once again proud of its sci-fi status, with the stories becoming increasingly fantastical, and also its own history, the First Doctor's image can be seen a number of seven times in Series five alone, fact fans. In short, the Doctor Who of the 2010s (so far) has been 100% Doctor Who featuring some of the strongest characters and stories the show has ever seen. And, of course, some of its greatest moments...



10.GOODBYE IDRIS - THE DOCTOR'S WIFE

When Characters Change the Story By Roxanne Rhoads

Excerpt featuring Mike Malone:



"You should have told me why you hate vampires so much. It was during the Hysteria wasn't it?" The damn Hysteria ruined and destroyed so many lives all thanks to a bunch of power hungry vampires and Others who thought it was a good idea to let humans know they existed. Like the witch hunts, the burning times from before hadn't proven that was a bad idea. But, no, they thought a new, modern generation of humans could handle it.

THE BEST IN HORROR 2013

With just days before the end of 2013, it's time to reflect back on the best in horror this year. And as the Chicago Examiner's horror critic, I saw a lot and overall, it was a pretty good year. There were exceptional frighteners to be found on the big screen, the small screen, and yes, even on Smart phone screens. Here then, are my picks for the ten best of the genre this year.



"THE CONJURING"

being vegan in japan

when they find out I'm vegan, people always ask me what I eat or if it's difficult to be vegan in japan. to tell the truth, I eat a lot of different stuff, I mostly cook my food at home, and no it's not extremely difficult. in fact, for a couple of months I went SOY-FREE vegan because I thought I had developed an allergy to soy. (in the end, it was just high amounts of stress and long work hours that had caused me to develop a rash on my hands! luckily!) those two months were a real challenge and I basically ate almost nothing out, I had to make everything at home. but it was still feasible to have a good, balanced diet being soy-free vegan in japan.



so now I'd like to introduce you to some of the products I've found that are vegan here. most of them can be found at a regular supermarket or convenience stores (konbini), and I've found others at specialty stores. there are even some that are specifically made for vegetarians. evidently it is a quickly growing market. one disclaimer I'd like to add before beginning is that you should stick to the brands and items I've posted here, because anything else might have animal products in it. for example, Imuraya brand Azuki bar ice cream contains no dairy or soy, but many other brands of Azuki bars contain milk or dairy.Let's start off with soy products!

"Problems"

"Problems!" Michelle exclaimed as we stood in the nursery. She was pointing up at the new shelving unit I'd put in her room. "Problems!" she said again. She had been saying several two syllable words -- pretty, princess, running, towel, backwards, etc. She shocked me one day when she said my name out of the blue. "Ann Marie." Well it was more like "A-moo-ee" but I was impressed. Kids much older than her couldn't even say my name and I'd never even taught it to her. She'd heard my Mom and Dad and sister saying it so much I guess. "Mama Ann Marie," she added. It was cute. All she'd ever called me was Mama so it caught me off guard hearing her say my name. Then I thought I'd test her. "And what's YOUR name?" "Michelle," she replied perfectly with almost a French accent (Me-shell). "And what's Grampa's name?" "TONY!" she yelled, just like my Mom does. She even speaks in sentences: "I like it!" "Me want cheese." "More milk Mama." "Help me!" etc. Still I was a little surprised at her suddenly saying the word "problems." Maybe she'd heard me say it. Lord knows I've had enough. Life lately has been crazy. Michelle and I have been sick off and on. There's been a lot going on, things going wrong, the last couple of months certainly haven't been easy. I've been stressed to the max.



"Problems," she said again, starting to get frustrated that I wasn't getting it. Then I realized she was actually pointing at the photo albums on the top shelf. Pictures of Michelle as a newborn baby. I'd shown her a couple of times. "Oh," I said, finally understanding, "you mean PHOTO ALBUMS." She grinned from ear to ear. "PROBLEMS!" she shouted, as if I was a fool for not understanding her to begin with. Of course, Mama has lots of problems! Photography has always been a problem/addiction for me. I have this obsession with capturing every moment. For a while life has been so hectic that I haven't been able to take as many photos as usual but I definitely took a few (hundred!) at Christmas. I'm not sure why Michelle pronounces photo albums like "problems" though I guess it's pretty good for her first attempt. She does try to repeat almost everything she hears these days. And she comes up with words that astound me. I was trying to keep a list of the words she knows but I can't keep up. It seems to be 10 new words a day sometimes.

A Pro-Life Reflection on Suchen Christine Lim's "The transforming power of Ruth"

"In fact, Ruth appeared less deformed. No longer a being to be pitied. I could no longer describe her as a skeletal adult foetus. She was a human being. Like me. Thinking back to those silent days in the dining room of the monastery, I believe that Ruth's daily silent presence forced me to see beyond the physical body."- Suchen Christine Lim Is a person's life worth less because of her dependency upon others for survival?

The Straits Times recently featured a short story written by Suchen Christine Lim, winner of the Singapore Literature Prize and the S.E.A. Write Award, titled "The transforming power of Ruth" (28 December 2013). THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF RUTHIn the story, Lim tells of how she met a 36 year-old woman named Ruth at a two-week silent meditation retreat in the Benedictine Monastery in Snowmass, set in in a high valley surrounded by forests and snow-covered hills. Ruth is first introduced to us as "a dark-haired, severely deformed skeletal woman, the size of a nine-year-old", and "lying curled like a foetus on the large trestle table".

Lim was "still seething with anger and resentment" when she went on the meditation retreat, where she had to maintain silence at all times inside the buildings. She was desperate to leave her "heartbreak" - apparently what seems to have been a rocky marriage with her husband Lawrence - behind her.

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

GOT 'IM

Taking a break from my Ys binge (plenty more of those later) to review the latest Disgaea game, Disgaea D2.Mostly.



I'm going to keep this one short-ish.This Disgaea game is a lot like the other Disgaea games, so I'll be focusing on its differences from past Disgaea titles.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Obscure Simulations Roundup: Metamorphosis Alpha

TODAY'S FATE SF POST IS OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE OBSCURE SIMULATIONS ROUNDUP, a community blog hop dedicated to forgotten or under-appreciated RPGs. As regular readers of FATE SF know, I have a forthcoming generation ship RPG of my own called . So it shouldn't be a big surprise that my OSR post is an appreciation for Jim Ward's original generation ship SF RPG, (TSR, 1976).



Metamorphosis Alpha isn't the most obscure or forgotten RPG. After all, was the first SF RPG to get published. It's not even out-of-print. You can buy Metamorphosis Alpha in PDF , or pick up a hard copy from Lulu .

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST



FIND OUT WHO WAS REALLY GOOD AT BEING BAD ON THE BIG SCREEN THIS YEAR.

Favorites of 2013

Trying to tell you of this year's favorites, mine, you understand, has nearly destroyed me but here it is, subject to never change. It's not some other guy's list, one that dutifully lauds INSIDE LLEWYN as a masterpiece andI'm glad the brothers Coen have found a muse in T-Bone Burnett and made themselves a Nashville Skyline of a MacDougal street freak-out but I liked it better when it was called O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU and everyone hated it, and I didn't like it too much at first. Repetition is kind to Coens. And 12 YEARS A SLAVE is I'm sure really great, but I'm still recovering from DJANGO and that at least had catharsis and finally let me move on emotionally from MANDINGO. Films in this list fit what I like, horror, comedy, subversion that's no unpleasant or negative. Films in this list resolve lingering burdens on my cinematic soul, they do it right and let me forgive the wrongs, so many wrongs.



So bear this in mind and look to more mainstream critics who have had to see almost everything as part of their jobs, and come to me only when exhausted by their endless stream of Art. Oh and FRANCES HA... I love the director and the star, so why is this movie so unbearable? Is it that the writer doesn't know his subject or that the subject doesn't know itself? There's no reason to believe girls in the city are this air headed and vapid. I've met them and some are, were, but most of them are total sharpies, not these crumpled bags blowing in the leafless tree type girls. And the black and white photography looks for the most part godawful. But maybe younger and older film critics think it's how life is.I hope that they are wrong, and that I will one day feel I'm wrong about FRANCES HA, but as of now it's this year's JUNO.

Max: The Curse Of Brotherhood Review

Like many older siblings, Max is easily annoyed by his younger brother, Felix. It's not just that he's loud and obnoxious, though; he's always ruining Max's things without thinking about the repercussions of his actions. Essentially, he's a young kid having fun, but that doesn't bode well with his brother, who's aged past that stage and has become a bit more mature. So, Max comes up with a plan and decides to wish away his younger sibling, without thinking that anything will actually happen. However, he makes a vital mistake by looking up and reading a strange spell from the Internet, which ends up sending Felix to another dimension, where he's put in terrible danger.



If the above-mentioned plot line for , Press Play's momentum-based, two-dimensional puzzle-platformer, makes you think of David Bowie's Labyrinth, then you're in the right ballpark. In fact, the two feel quite similar, and it quickly becomes apparent that the European developer is paying homage to the classic 80s film with its game. That's not a bad thing, per se, but it shows a lack of originality within what ends up being a relatively thin storyline. That is, as far as its depth (or lack thereof) goes. Still, concessions need to be made when looking at this aspect of the experience, because we are talking about a platformer after all.
Reading right now:""A Calamitous Chinese Killing" by Shamini Flint. This sixth book in the Inspector Singh Investigates series catapults Singh into the murky waters of Chinese politics. When asked to solve the murder at the Singapore Embassy in Beijing, Singh finds his way complicated by illegal organ harvesting, poverty, corruption, and much more. The first book in this series was "A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder" which came out in 2009.



On hold right now:"The Midas Murders" by Pieter Aspe. Belgium author Pieter Aspe embarks on his second Inspector Van In novel. "The Square of Revenge" began the series and this new book shows Inspector Van In trying to thwart a series of terrorist plots.

My Top Films Of 2013

To be honest with you I don't think it's been a brilliant year for film. Last year was sensational. The "Best Picture" Oscar last year was impossible to call. Argo was of course the winner but with the epic Les Mis & Lincoln, the vital Zero Dark Thirty, the magical Life of Pi, the feel good hit Silver Linings Playbook, the indie hits Beasts of the Southern Wild & Amour and lastly the Tarantino western Django Unchained, it was an incredible year for film. This year I've struggled to put together a Top 10, and most of my picks won't get any nominations either.

I've yet to see Gravity & Captain Phillips which should get nominated and I'm sure they are incredible films. I've still to see the latest chapter of The Hobbit too and the Jackass hit Bad Grandpa, but other than that I've done my best to catch up on popular films. I haven't really found my indie hit of the year either, so please do recommend me some films I can catch up on if you feel I've missed some.


When Life Hands You Rum, Make Cookies

After many days inside with this cold, I finally made it out for brunch today with my wonderful friend Jonathan.He's one of those people that can instantly make you to believe in your career, where you're going in life, and the power of a $6 mimosa.As it naturally does, our conversation eventually took the turn towards our cycling frustration and confusion of whether we were pursuing our acting careers/living out lives "correctly".We happily came to the conclusion that these years are meant to be about figuring out that exact balance, and are right where we needed to be.Jonathan is off of another great tour and I'm planning a wedding!Cheers to that! Hooray brunch!



This is Jonathan, he is my favorite.

The PlayStation Vita is actually pretty darn cool

Sony's history with handheld consoles has always been an interesting one. The PlayStation Portable boasted much more power than Nintendo DS and had much stronger online, with full support for downloadable titles and an amazing account system, but Nintendo's DS sold far, far more than the PSP. The same situation is happening again with the current generation, with Nintendo's handheld being a sales juggernaut, leaving Sony's more powerful handheld behind. Of course, there are reasons for this - and one of the biggest concerns with the PlayStation Vita has been the lack of games worth buying a console for, whereas the Nintendo 3DS has a wealth of solid first party content (such as Fire Emblem: Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and of course, Pok mon). That was actually the main reason I held back on purchasing a Vita myself, because while there were a few titles that interested me, I couldn't justify the cost of a new system for the small amount there were (which is actually why I didn't buy a PlayStation 3 until earlier this year as well).



Then a few months ago, me and the other writers ofdecided to broaden our readership by writing about games for non-Nintendo platforms (hence the name of our "Nontendo" section). When writing for WiiUAndMii, I am arguably the website's main 3DS writer - being a huge enthusiast of their handheld console (although I do own and love the Wii U as well), so the decision for me to take a closer look at the PlayStation Vita was inevitable.

The Appeal of Darkness By Roxanne Rhoads

The Appeal of DarknessWhy are we drawn to the paranormal? Perhaps because it is the Other, it is the great unknown. The lure of the darkness that resides inside us all.



Are Others real? Are there really paranormal creatures that exist?

Never Be The Same

"And we are not what we seem

So we are all coming clean

All we have are broken dreams with no direction

The Mighty Thor Volume 2 Review

It's time to continue the Walter Simonson era with this collection! The plots start to come to a close with only one big plot continuing. The others have wrapped up nicely and this seems to be the end of an era for Thor. Could this comic surpass the first one thanks to the abundance of action or did Thor's underwhelming portrayal destroy its chances? Time to find out!



Well, the first part of the collection deals with Malekith as his plan goes into motion. He realizes that he cannot hope to defeat Thor in a battle of power so he decides to resort to trickery instead. After tricking Thor into drinking of the golden mead; it would seem that Malekith may have the upper hand in the battles to come as Thor starts to act irrationally. With only Roger Willis at his side, Thor infiltrates Malekith's home base and they begin their assault on the castle. Outnumbered hundreds to 2, Thor and Roger fight on and may get more than they bargained for when Algrim appears to join the fight.

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

12 Days of Meditations #4: How I delude myself into not dropping shows (feat. Kyoukai no Kanata)

Dropping anime is usually unpleasant. There's always an element of sacrifice involved: be it bandwidth or money or a favor from a friend who lent you the discs. And of course, the constant one is time. Accept it or not, you've spent time with a show-it could be a minute, or ten episodes' worth-and then you decide not to watch it anymore.



Some people drop anime without much difficulty. I envy them. I can't be the same-there's always a niggling voice in my head that tells me things, that:

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

Box Office Movies Coming Out in January

Based on information provided by the Box Office Mojo, Dark Horizons and some internet research, here are just some of the movies you can expect to see in the movie theatres in January:



THE BEST OFFER

Get Watching! Netflix Will Be Removing Tons Of Movies & TV Shows In The Next Few Days

Ok, folks, time to be couch potatoes. Netflix has decided to do a little Spring cleaning and remove a ton of items from their service. But there's good news, they'll also be adding a few new ones in the new year.



A news posted the following list of removals:

La mujer murci lago [The Batwoman]

The Batwoman



Original title: La mujer murci lago

But Trouble Looks For Me

This year, for a change, the winners of the MMT ANNUAL AWARD THINGS are displayed in alphabetical order by winner rather than category. That way it's even more of a random cavalcade of items I have thrilled to during this last complete orbital period.



MOMENT OF THE YEARStood on the headland at sunset, ABERYSTWYTH CASTLE. The last night of study school in April, and everything stretching out before me. Including the sea. Swallows sweeping in flocks like black sheets caught on the breeze. (Though I must admit it did feel a bit special seeing hundreds of people nodding along to the Phil Sky Experience on the Main Stage at the Waterside too!)

AT THE MOVIES: QUO VADIS

THIS YEAR IN the movies, we were treated with many an example of brilliantly crafted, intelligent, well-acted, engaging stories. From stellar, big-ticket items such as "Lincoln" and "Django Unchained" to smaller, sparkling gems such as "Blue Jasmine" "Frances Ha" and "Nebraska". The best of 2013 did what we'd expect all great movies to do: they were immersive and engaging, suspending our disbelief thru nuanced, nicely written characters, realized by extraordinary actors; with flawless production values that perfectly matched their narratives: stories that offered human insight and philosophical depth.



And they managed to escape the dramatic influences that seem to be shaping much of movie making over the last few years. For we're seeing two big trends, which are affecting how movie-makers - or the men with the money - are viewing their business: the decline in ticket sales and the lessening importance of the US market.

Christmas Sale!

Here are 31 more reasons to $ave on this after-Christmas $ale! Thirty-one ebooks for 99each. They will be on sale from December 24, 2013 through Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Click the links below the graphic to "look inside" each book on Amazon and download your digital copies!



CHILDREN'S BOOKS

How to get rid of Spider Mite with organic methods

Green Light



Unit 4

Listen to Your Heart's Wisdom

Dr. Stewart Bitkoff, Contributor



While we are living in unsettled times, it seems that many periods in human history have been that way. Consider this famous quote from by Charles Dickens, authored in 1859.

Catching Up

Deck The Halls With Boughs of Meh



It's Boxing Day, and I have posted not of late, so:

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST



FIND OUT WHO WAS REALLY GOOD AT BEING BAD ON THE BIG SCREEN THIS YEAR.

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

Ironman Skin Pack Mods

GTA SAN ANDREAS IRON MAN SKIN PACK



The Iron man skin pack from Iron man 3 The Movie

Tiger And Bunny Skin Pack Mods

GTA SAN ANDREAS TIGER AND BUNNY SKIN PACK



The Tiger and Bunny skin pack from Tiger and Bunny Anime Series

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST



FIND OUT WHO WAS REALLY GOOD AT BEING BAD ON THE BIG SCREEN THIS YEAR.

Because the Night by Kristen Strassel excerpt

Title: Because the Night Author: Kristen StrasselSeries: Night Song's Collection Series (#1)Genre: NA Paranormal Romance Publisher: Foreword Literary Release Date: Nov 5 2013Edition/Formats It Will Be Available In: eBookmargin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:158.25pt;height:105pt; z-index:2;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt; mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left; mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:top; mso-position-vertical-relative:text'>



AUTHOR LINKS

The Arkansas Connection by David Evans Excerpt and giveaway

TITLE: THE ARKANSAS CONNECTION



AUTHOR NAME: DAVID EVANS

and we're offin a cloud of dustjust down the road

now, don't get me wrong



i am NOT a good packer. I am victim of the tardis effectwhere all bags are in fact bigger on the inside and therefore are capable of carrying any manner of junkin fact, the bigger the bag you give me, the more junk i will suddenly find that i absolutely, positively just have to take (i will need it all, of course) so a road trip with a rather sizeable boot was tempting fate to begin with . then you add the trailer and we are bound to have some hilarity! and thusas plans were hatched to undertake the grand trek across Australia's deserts into the great outback the sense of packing forboding began to tingle and what few remaining senses i have left

Friday, December 27, 2013

Pacific Rimshot

SPOILER ALERT. As in, if you liked it and don't want that spoiled for you, you shouldn't read this. Also, I have lots of plot spoilers. Finally, I didn't even try to be funny here; if anything, this movie left me angry.



I'm finally getting around to posting this because so many people seems to think Pacific Rim was a good movie, and it wasn't. Rotten Tomatoes reviews gave it a healthy 72%/78% rating. said it cleared his "threshold of awesome".

War News Updates

Posted: 27 Dec 2013 06:49 AM PST I will be traveling Friday morning. Blogging will return Friday night.



Posted: 26 Dec 2013 04:00 PM PST The flag of the al-Qaeda linked Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, at the entrance to al-Raqqa. (c) REUTERS/Nour Fourat

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

I Couldn't Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job.: Episode 12

I Couldn't Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job. features a young man named Raul Chaser, who was working to pass his Hero Exam. Unfortunately, before he could become a hero, the hero program was suspended; the Demon Lord is gone and the demon empire has collapsed, so it's decided there's no longer a need for the program. Raul is now working at an electronics store called the Leon Magic Shop, and during the first episode he gets a new co-worker: Fino, the daughter of the Demon Lord.



This is another episode of the series that Crunchyroll has designated being appropriate for viewers 18 years of age and older due to content, and will require you to log in to view it. There was a couple of instances in this episode that I could see warranting this rating.

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

[BEST & WORST '13] Lonmonster's 5 Worst Horror Films of 2013

It's no secret that there are a lot of bad horror movies, but I prefer not to shit all over beginning filmmakers or those who are still learning the tricks of the trade. So for my "worst" list, I focus on filmmakers who really should know better. These are definitely not the worst horror movies of the year, but they are some of the most disappointing.



MR. DISGUSTING (Best/Indie) | EVAN DICKSON () | THE WOLFMAN () | PATRICK COOPER (Best)

[BEST & WORST '13] Lonmonster's Top 10 Horror Films of 2013!

In retrospect 2013 was spectacular for horror, proving that the genre continues to progress in both the independent and studio worlds. We were treated to some instant classics that delivered conventional horror, while others explored new territory and challenged the concept of what it means to be a "horror" movie. I keep hearing people say, "film is dead," and I cannot disagree more. Genre cinema has always thrived off of passionate filmmakers, and every film on my list bleed with passion and love from its creators.



Narrowing down a best-of-the-year list is a trite exercise, as is ordering them in some sort of countdown, but the ten films listed below left a mark on me in 2013. Each film stuck with me for one reason or another throughout the year, and I imagine they will stay with me for a long time to come.

TC Book Review & Interview: Ian Rogers Combines Two of Dark Fiction's Best-Suited Genres in Aptly Named 'SuperNOIRtural Tales'

Some things just go together.Peanut butter and chocolate.Lowell and Hardy.Salt and vinegar.Noir and the Supernatural.



As for the latter, I mean, why not?Noir often (mostly?) centers on investigations of something unexplained, something dark and deadly.These are the exact same concepts which anchor Supernatural Fiction.As such, "Paranormal Investigators" have proliferated for years in various media, from television, film, to dozens and dozens of books. What sets ' collection () apart isn't the genre, but it's what he does with it, how deftly he handles it, and most importantly, where he takes it, which is to the Black Lands.

Kissing 2013 Goodbye

With 2014 fast-approaching, we all often reflect and review our year. We think of all it has brought and taught us. We pick and choose what will be kept and what will be left behind as we enter the new year full of hope. This is my first year in which I've really, really reflected on all that has happened in not just this current year, but the ones which preceded it. This is the first year I am making a list of the things I will be kissing goodbye. The list will serve as a reminder in the years to come. In 2013, I made mistakes and know I'll make plenty more in 2014, but it's okay. The lessons learned are invaluable and ones I cannot regret despite the hardships.



I am not a perfect person. None of us ever are. We are ever-learning and ever-changing. In life we make a constant effort to improve ourselves and move forward. It is all we can do sometimes. But life is and will always be about finding ourselves, creating ourselves and loving ourselves. We cannot be who we are without first learning exactly who it is we are. Each ending of one year brings on the self-discovery of another and it is a continuous, brave and heroic journey. This adventure is an extraordinary, beautiful one.

2013 Book Roundup

Started off the year doing something I don't know that I've done before, reading through an author's body of work, then reading their biography. Richard Brautigan isn't someone I've ever had a particular interest in, but William Hjortsberg's biography of him intrigued me, and I'm not inclined to read a literary biography without first being familiar with the author's work. Brautigan certainly didn't become one of my favorites, and the biography came from a questionable angle (given that Hjortsberg was a friend of Brautigan's, he inevitably shows up in the narrative and refers to himself in third person), but the whole thing overall was a fun ride. There's always a greater sense of completion when you read not just the author's work, but their life story and how their famous projects came together.

Elsewhere in my fiction pursuits, I attempted a lot of "series" type things, which seems like a bad idea, given my aversion to multiple books about the same characters/stories. I enjoy Game of Thrones on TV well enough, but the books are atrociously written, and if I have to see Martin's laughably ridiculous, "I've always considered women to be people," quote one more time, I might bash my head open on a sharp rock. I believe the line you're looking for, Mr. Martin, is, "I've always considered women to be cleanly-stenciled, irritating archetypes."

I attempted to finish out Margaret Atwood's post-apocalyptic trilogy with MaddAddam and, sadly, just couldn't do it. She remains a favorite writer of mine, but I'm just not as into her science fiction as I am her other writing. My big project was Proust's In Search of Lost Time. I'm one volume in and loving it, just having trouble creating an atmosphere of little distraction in which to read and absorb it.

ComiXology All Over The World

Timothy Carson writes:



So, was wrong; The Walking Dead did not return to the top of the charts this week. According to ComiXology sales last week taken from iOS in-app purchase charts, Forever Evil and the Saga series battled for supremacy across the globe. Well, there goes my fantasy of becoming the next .

State of Broadcast Networks

Hey guys!



Here I am for a new article! However, because we've finished our first look at all the broadcast shows that are currently airing that are up for renewal (we'll revisit them in the future), today's article will be a bit different. Today I've decided to shut up a bit more than usual and simply present you with a bunch of statistics that I thought could be interesting. I will present three different sets of stats: first we'll see the ranking of shows per category (Drama or Comedy within Network X) in relative terms, then the overall ranking of shows in the broadcasts in absolute terms and then, finally, the performance of returning shows compared to their performance a year ago.

Review: Angelbound by Christina Bauer

AngelboundAuthor:Release Date: December 17, 2013Publisher: Ink Monster LLC Book #1ISBN13:9780989405003Genre: Young AdultReview Copy Source: Netgalley

Eighteen year old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She's not your every day quasi-demon, half-demon and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory's arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she hasn't lost a battle yet.


Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

Clown pants

Mom: You exude the coldness of a know-it-all. [Pause.] Come visit more often.



This proceeded a fight over a pair of size-8 jeans that mom dug up and deemed to be "unique" and valuable.

Gungrave [Animated Series]

This is a series I need to find time to rewatch as it has a constant dark presence over your typical quiet hero protagonist. It is similar to Berserk as far as personality and the theme it aims for. From the creators of Trigun I can see their style in some of the concept design. A worthwhile series that stands well on its own separate from Trigun.



Brandon Heat and his friend Harry are orphans on the streets surviving by thieving and other means. They soon gain the attention of high rise gangsters and gradually move up the chain of command. Throughout the series we see their friendship tested and evolve to become something neither of them truly saw coming. Betrayal is the main theme, but the series also includes survival through gaining power and the question of how long before it finally corrupts.

Wii U, 3DS eShops will go offline for 12 hours of maintenance starting later today

Nintendo



Nintendo's 3DS eShop.

'Hobbit 2' Ekes Past 'Wolf'; John Miller Exits CBS News for NYPD; 'Believe' Director on Bieber's Challenging Year; 2013's Most Pirated TV Shows

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'That Dragon, Cancer,' 'Silent Enemy': Game designers to watch in 2014

An early image from the video game "That Dragon, Cancer." (Media Greenhouse)



The Times asked its reporters and critics to who will be making news in 2014. Todd Martens focused on a few video game designers who could have gamers talking in the new year.

2013 Media Year in Review

Well, I finally pulled the plug on cable this summer while the kids were at camp. It's a sign of how little anyone watches 'live' TV that the kids didn't notice until they'd been back almost a week. But that didn't mean I stopped watching TV, just that now I'm more aggressively pursuing the "catch up to it later" strategy. (I did buy the final season of Breaking Bad on Amazon Prime).



So, TV Series:

The Mighty Thor Volume 1 Review

Thor is one of the original Avengers and he has had hundreds of comics over the years. This is the start of the Walter Simonson run so it's a solid way for the graphic novel to begin. Thor is a character that can be difficult to write properly since writers make sometimes make him appear to be a slow minded thinker who just punches until his opponent goes down while others make him out to be a solid thinker, but with strength that cannot come close to matching that of the Hulk's. I am glad to say that Thor looks very good in this collection and it's the best incarnation of him that I've seen in quite a while. (The pre Bendis days after all)



This comic has a lot of plots that occur within its pages and also starts a lot of plots that do not conclude in this volume. The collection definitely has undertones of despair and dread in it as you know that something sinister is about to befall Asgard, but there is nothing that the heroes can do about it. They do not know who the ultimate adversary is and they can only wait for him to strike. Thor is essentially on his own because the rest of the heroes on the planet are basically absent the entire time with only Jarvis making a cameo.

Books to buy next year...

This last year was a change for me in terms of purchasing books. I really made an effort to stop buying so many books... Next year will be better. I must gain some sense and think that spending 100 in books per month it's too much. I will try to reduce to around 50.This will give me a average of 5/6 books per month which it's quite good.



Hardbooks only and handful will be bought and from black library I will stop buying audiobooks (ebooks never bought and will never buy) and hardback special editions will also be cutted down to the minimium. Only if a book really interest me I will buy it... but for 50 a piece is too much... Well...

Kayarath's Adventures In Horizons

"CURSES! I HAVE SIX VIDEO GAME WRITERS AND NONE OF THEM HAVE TIME TO WRITE ABOUT ALTEIL HORIZONS!" KANA EXCLAIMED FRUSTRATINGLY. "I'll write about it" Kayarath responded, volunteering himself for the cause. Glad to finally have someone perform the task, she quickly gave Kayarath a pre-alpha key and told him to write a first impressions article, posthaste.



MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS COMPLETELY OFF AS I THOUGHT ALTEIL HORIZONS WAS A COMPLETELY NEW GAME. In actuality, it's a reboot of an existing game called Alteil. Like many online games, it eventually came to an end, but the developers loved it so much they bought the license, slapped another word on the title, and set about resurrecting it. They went to to raise the needed funds but canceled it halfway through because it wasn't working out. While they were disappointed, they were not deterred and succeeded the around with a lower goal and better marketing.

Author Spotlight/Interview: Tori L. Ridgewood

Bio. After her first heartbreak, Tori found solace in two things: reading romance novels and listening to an after-dark radio program called Lovers and Other Strangers. Throughout the summer and fall of 1990, the new kid in town found reading fiction and writing her own short stories gave her a much needed creative outlet. Determined to become a published author, Tori amassed stacks of notebooks and boxes of filed-away stories, most only half-finished before another idea would overtake her and demand to be written down. Then, while on parental leave with her second baby, one story formed and refused to be packed away. Between teaching full-time, parenting, and life in general, it would take almost seven years before the first novel in her first trilogy would be completed. In the process, Tori finally found her stride as a writer.

At present, on her off-time, Tori not only enjoys reading, but also listening to an eclectic mix of music as she walks the family dog (Skittles), attempts to turn her thumb green, or makes needlework gifts for her friends and family members. She loves to travel, collect and make miniature furniture, and a good cup of tea during a thunderstorm or a blizzard. Under it all, she is always intrigued by history, the supernatural, vampire and shapeshifter mythology, romance, and other dangers.

Follow Tori: , ,

Dear sallycarcid.syra 70% OFF!

Congregational College of Canada, which was affiliated with McGill University. Bardiche Assault in Zanber form. For instance, a man named Hashim and his wife, Anisa, have a daughter named Sheila. Because of the fall in the platinum prices the mine has almost completely ceased productivity. Senado de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

From 1992 through 2000, he took drum lessons and learned many techniques from many different teachers. I can see a lot of people wanting that functionality for their own wikis. Canada is nearly universal. Dependent on the buyer and extent of renovation, there can be a wide variation in the progress of works.Still occasionally built steam engines. Home to the Night Slythers, horrible monsters with mouths on each hand. The film had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 1998. They called it Teleguide, and their terminals were built by IBM. The essay is not scored but is used as a tiebreaker for individual competition.

The fuselage was flat sided and hexagonal in cross section. A partial discount for whatever payment the buyer makes helps the seller's cash flow partially. The Raiders gained just one first down in the second half and committed eight penalties. Jordan enlists Bryana and her friends to help him sell a product. Following a treacherous rescue mission high in the freezing Alps, James Bond is preparing for life back at Eton.

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

Our 2013

Last few days have been tough. First Samaira had a stomach bug. She had it for 48 hours and then she was beginning to get fine. Literally as soon as she stopped throwing up, Rehan started throwing up and showing signs of the stomach bug that Sammy had. His lasted for a day, I think. He seemed to have recovered remarkably in that much time. And just as Rehan had begun to get better Siddharth started to show signs of illness. The hope is that it will all be ok before soon and I can still do my after Christmas shopping just fine :).Anyway, with just a few more days to go before 2014 begins, I get flashes of my 2013, in a totally filmi way. I sometimes have music playing in my head too. Not kidding. Seriously. I like drama that way.

I love to write. So I miss writing. I write plenty in my head. Moments happen whether or not I write them down. I try to capture it all in my memory. Sometimes I try to capture things in my memory with the intention of recalling them later. There are two things that I like to really enjoy from the past - moments & pictures. Therefore I like to document them both.

It has been a beautiful year. This year was filled with so many specials. It is like a lot of things I had hoped for our family got packaged into one single year. I figured the best way to end 2013 was to package all my memories into one place.

CAPTAIN'S LOG 26 DECEMBER 2013 THE BIG FLIGHT

NO LAUGHING MATTER



WELL I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE BUILDING A NEW TRANSPORTATION MODULE

A Final Fantasy Survey

(originally posted via , 10/26/2012)



1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

Gungrave, Black Heaven

GUNGRAVE



The only cool thing about this anime is this picture.

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Top 25 Holiday Movies and Specials (Holiday reviews, sorry this is a bit late)

Now that Christmas is over, I've had a chance to look over some classic holiday films, so I've decided to compile a list of the best.



Criteria:

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Day Three Hundred and Sixty

As the first of Matt Smith's seasons draws to a close, it's relatively fun (and sometimes mildly annoying) to watch he and Karen Gillan (and Arthur Darvill) fend off beasties and cease to exist only to come back from the brink in typical Deus Ex Whovian fashion. There's something so much more appealing about Smith's goofy charisma and Gillan's self-assured rawr-factor. Of the spread, as much as nostalgia dictates I should pick Baker or angsty aggression says I should pick Tennant, Matt Smith's run has definitely been the most pleasing to me so far.



Anyways, onwards through the episodes... gotta chug away if I'm going to make the end of Series 6 by New Year's.

Guest Post: Book Deals

Here are 32 more reasons to $ave on this after-Christmas $ale! Thirty-one ebooks for 99each. They will be on sale from December 24, 2013 through Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Click the links below the graphic to "look inside" each book on Amazon and download your digital copies!



CHILDREN'S BOOKS

TOP TELEVISION PROGRAMS of 2013...900 POSTS!!!

My top 5 tv shows pretty much stayed the same - only the rankings have changed plus one major mover!



#5 GAME OF THRONES. Season Three.

Whew!

The days after Lil's birthday were hectic and chaotic and I found myself racing around trying to do fifteen things at once.Friday was spent taking my neighbor in for surgery and babysitting her little guy.A procedure that was supposed to start at noon and take twenty minutes didn't take place until 2:00 and she wasn't ready to go home until almost 4:15.Eek!I had to be at Christmas Pageant dress rehearsal by six and had told a friend I would stop by her place to pick up her two guys and take them with me since she didn't get off work until six.My church and the hospital are on the opposite side of town from me.I had to go to the hospital, come home to get Lil off the bus, race back across town to pick up Alicia and back here to drop her off, race to the house to pick up Lil's costume and hit the road back across town once more.Oy!



Saturday was glorious (and I need to get the photos uploaded)--think mid-70's--so we headed west to the Blue Ridge Mountains and took a hike.It was so good to be out and hiking and spending time with my family.Bean made it the entire way.I was really proud of her.We stopped by IHOP for dinner (haven't been there in ages) and made it home in time to CRASH.