Watching Supernatural, Preferring Neil Gaiman's version of Osiris
I've finished reading The Hunger Games Trilogy, and I liked it overall (also cried like a baby at the end of the last book). I heard its plot was similar to Battle Royale, so I picked it up from my library (and ha, it took so long for the person who had it last to return it, I waited almost a month after its due-date before it was available!). It was very....gory.
I'm not really the sort of person who puts a book down unless she has other things to do (sometimes not even then; I've perfected the art of the single-handed multitasking). I also don't get squicked by descriptions, or acts taken by characters, or characters themselves. But this book made me put it down once. Not because of any of the gory scenes. But because of a certain character within, who practically reveled in making teenagers kill each other to the last student standing. His psychology made me ill.
So, I do recommend Battle Royale. Koushun Takami has a talent for making characters come alive, and while he doesn't skimp on the details in the killings, he doesn't glory in the deaths, if that makes sense. I also recommend the Hunger Games trilogy, if you want a slightly lighter take on the battle royale theme.
Eureka got canceled some time ago, but we'll still be getting a season 5. I'm just really, REALLY not liking ~SyFy's~ set-up for seasons. Why split up one season to 2 years? It makes no sense. Just call 3.5 season 4, season 4 #5, and 4.5 #6. Really. Also, I swear, if they replace Eureka with wrestling, or some other "reality" show, I may just have to put a suggestion out into the Internet that someone create a new network for sci-fi/fantasy television.
And what is up with all the websites of networks (TNT, ~SyFy~, I'm lookin' at you) making it ridiculous to watch their shows? TNT is the worst offender, I think, requiring people to go through so many hoops that are questionable in legality and web-safety. I'm sorry my family can't afford premium cable channels, but why are you making your shows so inaccessible?? /first-world problems
I'm playing Portal on my computer (I got it for free because they had some sort of freebie give-away going on). It's awesome, logic-based, physics-adhering fun with CREEPINESS ABOUNDING. AND CAKE. BUT THE CAKE IS A LIE!!!! I don't like playing it on the PC, though. The controls are awkward. It's a short game, because it originally came in a bundle pack with a bunch of other games. Portal 2 is reportedly even more awesome, but I'm waiting until it comes out as a Greatest Hits, because then it'd be about $20. Unfortunately, since it's a PS3 game and PS3s are so expensive, it's not reaching the benchmark for Greatest Hits as fast as some other games. But if you get a chance to play Portal, I highly, highly recommend it.
Now for a meme, because this entry isn't long enough already.
Pick six television shows and answer the questions below. No cheating (don't look at the questions first).
(1) Eureka
(2) Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(3) Doctor Who
(4) Leverage
(5) Stargate SG-1
(6) Sherlock
01. Who is your favorite character from #2?
I would have to say....Buffy. It's just nice that there is one character in television who is a role model for girls and women. She's not perfect, she has made mistakes, but I think that just makes her an even better role model: hey, kids of all ages, you don't have to be perfect to be a hero! But Giles gets a very, very close 2nd.
02. Who is your least favorite character from #4?
Um, um, um.....I haven't seen the entirety of season 4, so NO SPOILERS, but the arc villain for season 4 would probably be my least favorite, if only because he's trying to profit from the Leverage crew's endeavors.
03. What would a crossover between #1 and #5 include?
HAHAHA, what, you mean aside from all the SG-1 cast cameos in Eureka? But a crossover would probably entail SG-1 finding new technology, Global Dynamics getting their hands on it, and the reverse-engineered tech causing ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF DRAMA AND DAMAGE! Jack and Jack er, I mean, Jack and Carter er, Colonel O'Neill and Sheriff Carter would be in the thick of it, trying to shut the tech down, Sam and Henry would be arguing physics, Teal'c and Jo would have enormous delight in trying to take the other down, and Daniel and Nathan would be comparing deaths and Ph.D.s (because Stark totally came back from the dead, it's totally valid in the SG-1 universe).
04. What is your favorite ship from #6?
I don't think there really is any other ship than Sherlock/John? But I would have to say Sherlock/John regardless, no matter if you think it's platonic, brotherly, or UST, they're just made for each other.
05. If you were to set one person from #3 and one person from #6 on a blind date, who would they be?
Ooh, it would have to be the Doctor and Sherlock. With popcorn and a couch for John, Rose, and myself, because the epicness that would ensue should not be missed.
06. If you could meet one person from #4 and spend the day with them, who would it be, and what would you do?
I'd say....Sophie. Because I think Nate's too broody/intense for me, I'm not enough of a gamer/hacker to hang out with Hardison, Parker would probably try and go rappelling with me and that is JUST NOT OKAY WITH ME AND MY ACROPHOBIA, and Eliot probably has people to punch better things to do than hang out with me. And Sophie could help me improve my wardrobe, Y/Y?
7. If you could change one thing about #2's plot line, what would you change?
Hmmm. Hmmm. In retrospect, I actually don't like how Season 7 turned out for BtVS, but I hate Willow's magic and drug addiction parallelism even more, mostly because it turned out heavy-handed. So, I think I might change Season 6's plot.
8. Explain a relationship between two people (not necessarily romantic) from show #5, and why you like the relationship between them.
Jack and Sam's. From their professional relationship to their UST, they were friends through and through and (mostly) never let that get in the way of saving the Universe (which, y'know, I'm grateful for) or their respect for one another.
09. If the lead title characters (first name in the credits) from #1 and #3 were both drowning, and you could only save one, who would it be?
But...Jack was a US Marshall, so he probably knows how to swim! Same with the Doctor! But, I guess if they had lead weights tied to their feet or something, I'd save Jack, because at least the Doctor would regenerate (but then, you know, I'd have to go back down there and free the Doctor from those lead weights, or else it'd be an endless cycle of dying and regenerating, and that can't be fun).
10. If you could change the title characters' order in the credits for #4, what order would you choose?
At first I thought I might change it, because Nate/Timothy Hutton is really the leading character in the ensemble, but I remembered something from a fanfic: Nate is the last piece on the board, metaphorically. Once you get to him, you've gotten past everyone else in the crew. So it's fitting for him to be last. (Though I would change the credits entirely for Leverage; we really don't need these "Hitter-Hacker-Thief-Grifter-Brains" subtitles for everybody. And "brains"? Really? At least you could have gone with "Mastermind.")
11. If you were able to add a new character, any kind of character you wanted, to the storyline for #6, what would the character be like and what would their role be?
I would say...a supporting character for John. Because the Yard thinks John's kooky for hanging out with Sherlock, Sherlock is fascinated by him but has that pesky issue with empathy, and Mycroft is really just interested in keeping tabs on Sherlock. So I think John needs somebody to lean on for when he needs to get away from Sherlock, the Yard, and the prying eyes of the government (he wishes, at least).
12. What happens in your favorite episode of show #2?
This is really difficult, not the least because I do not believe I've seen every episode of Buffy, but also there are 7 FREAKING SEASONS!! But, but, I guess Hush is (at least) one of my favorites, since it stands out in my mind. The Gentlemen steal the voices of everyone in the city, so no one can speak. At all. So Buffy has to find a way to kill the Gentlemen, before they can kill more people. And some of the plot from the seasonal arc develops, but that's kind of secondary to how a whole city copes with being unable to speak. One of my favorite, non-spoilery, non-bloody bits is at the beginning, when they discover they can't speak, Buffy and Willow telephone Giles. And both parties realize after the hellos: Oh, wait. This won't work, =(. LOL.
13. If you could kill off one of the characters of #1, who would it be and how would you do it?
I don't want to kill anyone, though! I suppose, if I absolutely had to, I'd kill Zane (I just don't feel the love for the character that everyone in fandom has for him). But I would want him to die in a heroic fashion, that does his character justice (and maybe if he brought back Stark, I'd be even happier).
14. If you got the chance to visit the set for either show #3 or show #5, which would you choose?
Well....Stargate SG-1 is over, so I don't think there's a set left? So I'd chose Doctor Who. Also: I'd get to visit the UK, so I could do the tourist-y thing after the fact. YAY!
15. If you could date anyone from any of these shows, which show and which person?
Hmmm.....Jack Carter, from Eureka. He's the right side of normal enough, he's not evil (always a plus), he's not a criminal (no offense, Leverage crew!), and he lives in Oregon, which is just south of me, and so I'd live in my typical climate and also Portland, which I've heard is an awesome city.
Homemade cheesecake is muy delicioso (sa? I don't know if cheesecake is female in Spanish). But Diet Caffeine-Free Pepsi is BLEGH and NOT WORTH THE CALORIES YOU SAVE, if any. I also finally came up with a cheese-steak recipe that works for me. Woot!
Also: Spectacular Avengers Trailer is spectacular. WHY CAN'T IT BE MAY 4, 2012 YET??
"The Enrichment Center promises to always provide a safe testing environment. In dangerous testing environments, the Enrichment Center promises to always provide useful advice. For instance, the floor here will kill you. Try to avoid it."
"The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Companion Cube cannot speak. In the event that the Companion Cube does speak, the Enrichment Center urges you to disregard its advice." --GLaDOS, Portal
I'm not really the sort of person who puts a book down unless she has other things to do (sometimes not even then; I've perfected the art of the single-handed multitasking). I also don't get squicked by descriptions, or acts taken by characters, or characters themselves. But this book made me put it down once. Not because of any of the gory scenes. But because of a certain character within, who practically reveled in making teenagers kill each other to the last student standing. His psychology made me ill.
So, I do recommend Battle Royale. Koushun Takami has a talent for making characters come alive, and while he doesn't skimp on the details in the killings, he doesn't glory in the deaths, if that makes sense. I also recommend the Hunger Games trilogy, if you want a slightly lighter take on the battle royale theme.
Eureka got canceled some time ago, but we'll still be getting a season 5. I'm just really, REALLY not liking ~SyFy's~ set-up for seasons. Why split up one season to 2 years? It makes no sense. Just call 3.5 season 4, season 4 #5, and 4.5 #6. Really. Also, I swear, if they replace Eureka with wrestling, or some other "reality" show, I may just have to put a suggestion out into the Internet that someone create a new network for sci-fi/fantasy television.
And what is up with all the websites of networks (TNT, ~SyFy~, I'm lookin' at you) making it ridiculous to watch their shows? TNT is the worst offender, I think, requiring people to go through so many hoops that are questionable in legality and web-safety. I'm sorry my family can't afford premium cable channels, but why are you making your shows so inaccessible?? /first-world problems
I'm playing Portal on my computer (I got it for free because they had some sort of freebie give-away going on). It's awesome, logic-based, physics-adhering fun with CREEPINESS ABOUNDING. AND CAKE. BUT THE CAKE IS A LIE!!!! I don't like playing it on the PC, though. The controls are awkward. It's a short game, because it originally came in a bundle pack with a bunch of other games. Portal 2 is reportedly even more awesome, but I'm waiting until it comes out as a Greatest Hits, because then it'd be about $20. Unfortunately, since it's a PS3 game and PS3s are so expensive, it's not reaching the benchmark for Greatest Hits as fast as some other games. But if you get a chance to play Portal, I highly, highly recommend it.
Now for a meme, because this entry isn't long enough already.
Pick six television shows and answer the questions below. No cheating (don't look at the questions first).
(1) Eureka
(2) Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(3) Doctor Who
(4) Leverage
(5) Stargate SG-1
(6) Sherlock
01. Who is your favorite character from #2?
I would have to say....Buffy. It's just nice that there is one character in television who is a role model for girls and women. She's not perfect, she has made mistakes, but I think that just makes her an even better role model: hey, kids of all ages, you don't have to be perfect to be a hero! But Giles gets a very, very close 2nd.
02. Who is your least favorite character from #4?
Um, um, um.....I haven't seen the entirety of season 4, so NO SPOILERS, but the arc villain for season 4 would probably be my least favorite, if only because he's trying to profit from the Leverage crew's endeavors.
03. What would a crossover between #1 and #5 include?
HAHAHA, what, you mean aside from all the SG-1 cast cameos in Eureka? But a crossover would probably entail SG-1 finding new technology, Global Dynamics getting their hands on it, and the reverse-engineered tech causing ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF DRAMA AND DAMAGE! Jack and Jack er, I mean, Jack and Carter er, Colonel O'Neill and Sheriff Carter would be in the thick of it, trying to shut the tech down, Sam and Henry would be arguing physics, Teal'c and Jo would have enormous delight in trying to take the other down, and Daniel and Nathan would be comparing deaths and Ph.D.s (because Stark totally came back from the dead, it's totally valid in the SG-1 universe).
04. What is your favorite ship from #6?
I don't think there really is any other ship than Sherlock/John? But I would have to say Sherlock/John regardless, no matter if you think it's platonic, brotherly, or UST, they're just made for each other.
05. If you were to set one person from #3 and one person from #6 on a blind date, who would they be?
Ooh, it would have to be the Doctor and Sherlock. With popcorn and a couch for John, Rose, and myself, because the epicness that would ensue should not be missed.
06. If you could meet one person from #4 and spend the day with them, who would it be, and what would you do?
I'd say....Sophie. Because I think Nate's too broody/intense for me, I'm not enough of a gamer/hacker to hang out with Hardison, Parker would probably try and go rappelling with me and that is JUST NOT OKAY WITH ME AND MY ACROPHOBIA, and Eliot probably has people to punch better things to do than hang out with me. And Sophie could help me improve my wardrobe, Y/Y?
7. If you could change one thing about #2's plot line, what would you change?
Hmmm. Hmmm. In retrospect, I actually don't like how Season 7 turned out for BtVS, but I hate Willow's magic and drug addiction parallelism even more, mostly because it turned out heavy-handed. So, I think I might change Season 6's plot.
8. Explain a relationship between two people (not necessarily romantic) from show #5, and why you like the relationship between them.
Jack and Sam's. From their professional relationship to their UST, they were friends through and through and (mostly) never let that get in the way of saving the Universe (which, y'know, I'm grateful for) or their respect for one another.
09. If the lead title characters (first name in the credits) from #1 and #3 were both drowning, and you could only save one, who would it be?
But...Jack was a US Marshall, so he probably knows how to swim! Same with the Doctor! But, I guess if they had lead weights tied to their feet or something, I'd save Jack, because at least the Doctor would regenerate (but then, you know, I'd have to go back down there and free the Doctor from those lead weights, or else it'd be an endless cycle of dying and regenerating, and that can't be fun).
10. If you could change the title characters' order in the credits for #4, what order would you choose?
At first I thought I might change it, because Nate/Timothy Hutton is really the leading character in the ensemble, but I remembered something from a fanfic: Nate is the last piece on the board, metaphorically. Once you get to him, you've gotten past everyone else in the crew. So it's fitting for him to be last. (Though I would change the credits entirely for Leverage; we really don't need these "Hitter-Hacker-Thief-Grifter-Brains" subtitles for everybody. And "brains"? Really? At least you could have gone with "Mastermind.")
11. If you were able to add a new character, any kind of character you wanted, to the storyline for #6, what would the character be like and what would their role be?
I would say...a supporting character for John. Because the Yard thinks John's kooky for hanging out with Sherlock, Sherlock is fascinated by him but has that pesky issue with empathy, and Mycroft is really just interested in keeping tabs on Sherlock. So I think John needs somebody to lean on for when he needs to get away from Sherlock, the Yard, and the prying eyes of the government (he wishes, at least).
12. What happens in your favorite episode of show #2?
This is really difficult, not the least because I do not believe I've seen every episode of Buffy, but also there are 7 FREAKING SEASONS!! But, but, I guess Hush is (at least) one of my favorites, since it stands out in my mind. The Gentlemen steal the voices of everyone in the city, so no one can speak. At all. So Buffy has to find a way to kill the Gentlemen, before they can kill more people. And some of the plot from the seasonal arc develops, but that's kind of secondary to how a whole city copes with being unable to speak. One of my favorite, non-spoilery, non-bloody bits is at the beginning, when they discover they can't speak, Buffy and Willow telephone Giles. And both parties realize after the hellos: Oh, wait. This won't work, =(. LOL.
13. If you could kill off one of the characters of #1, who would it be and how would you do it?
I don't want to kill anyone, though! I suppose, if I absolutely had to, I'd kill Zane (I just don't feel the love for the character that everyone in fandom has for him). But I would want him to die in a heroic fashion, that does his character justice (and maybe if he brought back Stark, I'd be even happier).
14. If you got the chance to visit the set for either show #3 or show #5, which would you choose?
Well....Stargate SG-1 is over, so I don't think there's a set left? So I'd chose Doctor Who. Also: I'd get to visit the UK, so I could do the tourist-y thing after the fact. YAY!
15. If you could date anyone from any of these shows, which show and which person?
Hmmm.....Jack Carter, from Eureka. He's the right side of normal enough, he's not evil (always a plus), he's not a criminal (no offense, Leverage crew!), and he lives in Oregon, which is just south of me, and so I'd live in my typical climate and also Portland, which I've heard is an awesome city.
Homemade cheesecake is muy delicioso (sa? I don't know if cheesecake is female in Spanish). But Diet Caffeine-Free Pepsi is BLEGH and NOT WORTH THE CALORIES YOU SAVE, if any. I also finally came up with a cheese-steak recipe that works for me. Woot!
Also: Spectacular Avengers Trailer is spectacular. WHY CAN'T IT BE MAY 4, 2012 YET??
"The Enrichment Center promises to always provide a safe testing environment. In dangerous testing environments, the Enrichment Center promises to always provide useful advice. For instance, the floor here will kill you. Try to avoid it."
"The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Companion Cube cannot speak. In the event that the Companion Cube does speak, the Enrichment Center urges you to disregard its advice." --GLaDOS, Portal