"I don't know what that means."

[fishpatrol]

1) I didn't like calculus the first time around, and now, four years later (read: four years without touching any form of math -- stats doesn't count), I'm trying to speed!learn university level calculus with limited success. When I see something like this "You observe that ∂x/∂α > 0, ∂p/∂α < 0, ∂q/∂α > 0, and |∂p/∂α| > |∂q/∂α|. You have a theory

Comments

[ex_trolleys]

I second the Gunshy rec like whoa. <3

Shows to possibly check out:
-Leverage
-Fringe
-Dollhouse
-Stargate Universe
-Generation Kill

There, I fixed it for you! *lol shameless*

Oh and if you watch Dollhouse, stick with it even if it starts off shakily. The arc build-up is AWESOME. And Leverage is like Psych - utter fluff but enjoyable.

[fishpatrol]

Haha, so what's Generation Kill all about? I heard there's a book by the same name (the show is based on the book, or...?) and that it's super angsty. I wouldn't be surprised if I get pulled into Generation Kill -- after all, I blame you for enabling my Super Junior phase and my current SPN obsession. ;)

[ex_trolleys]

Yep, it's a 7-part miniseries based on the book, about the first 40 days of the Iraq invasion as experienced by a platoon of First Recon Marines (aka one of the most elite military units). GK is always a hard sell bcause of the subject matter BUT it's not your standard war series. It's not that violent either, not compared to Saving Private Ryan or whatever (though the violence -is- integral to the story it's never gratuitous) It's more character-driven and focuses on the relationship between the Marines, and how they deal with incompetent superiors and their mission becoming progressively FUBAR. I guess it's angsty in that sense, but there's A LOT of humor too, like, I was simultaneously cringing and loling quite often. A friend described it perfectly in saying that the -characters- shocked her more than the violence, because the show goes to great lengths to portray Marine culture accurately and not as sanitized heroes... so yeah, it's not always pretty, but it makes for a compelling watch, and you end up -caring- for these men

[ex_trolleys]

P.S.! If you feel somewhat disoriented watching GK, it's perfectly normal! I honestly didn't pick up on everything until like, the fourth viewing, heh. If you want I can hook you up with the glossary and charts breaking down the platoon... oh dear, I'm probably scaring you off ;p

[fishpatrol]

Haha, okay, link me? I'll have a window open with the glossary to reference when I watch. XD

[ex_trolleys]

GK Glossary - you probably shouldn't rely TOO heavily on this the first time around, otherwise you will be pausing every other second, heh. It's best used w/ multiple viewings; it's more more fun to learn incrementally imo. :)

This site breaks down the platoon nicely. You don't have to read everything, however I think the Chain of Command chart and the Humvee rosters are really helpful (Humvee #1 is the main POV for the series)

[ex_trolleys]

it's more more fun to learn incrementally

*headdesk* Sometimes I really miss the edit feature. :p

[fishpatrol]

haha, i get all tl;dr when I'm in GK Pimp Mode so I'll shut up now

No, no, it's good! I like knowing what other people think of shows rather than simply reading the cut-and-dry Wikipedia version. :D

I'm not big on wartime shows and movies -- Blackhawk Down squicked me out a lot -- but if it's not focused on the violence and is minimal on the gore (though I find that I'm becoming desensitized to blood and gore due to SPN and Bones XD) then I'll give this series a shot. I love character-driven stories -- and really, you had me at the "the actors are HOT". ;)

I'm thinking of streaming on youku.com, but sometimes the quality is really grainy, so if you could point me to DL links as well, that'd be great. :D

See? When have I steered you wrong, baybee??

Hee, you're a terrible influence on me, but you always know where the pretty boys are, so I can't complain. ;)

[ex_trolleys]

Yay!!! \o/ Oh dude I wasn't big on wartime shows and movies either, but GK is a totally different animal I assure you. It actually led me to watch stuff I wouldn't have before, like Band of Brothers and The Hurt Locker - idk, it definitely made me appreciate the genre more!

I shall PM you the DL links. :D