We report on The Rock’s casting as Black Adam in the upcoming “Shazam” film from the DC Cinematic Universe.
We approve.
Seen:
We all discuss “The Desolation of Smaug” It’s bloated and silly but Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of Smaug is fantastic and the Dragon himself is amazing.
Chris discusses “Homeland”, we all recall our love of “Band of Brothers”.
Patrick and Christopher find this new “Doctor Who” interesting and is glad for the new direction
Read:
Batman Eternal #22 and the series as a whole is discussed.
Andrew reads a NON YA book. “The Queen of the Tearling”.
Patrick finishes “A Feast For Crows”. He is spent.
Christopher continues to enjoy “Iron Fist: The Living Weapon”
Played:
Christopher kicks Andrew’s tail in “Mario Kart 8”. Andrew needs more track time.
Patrick and Christopher play “Diablo” for the Xbox360 and PC respectively. Their love for the game is strong and not at all excessive.
Destiny arrives on 9-9-2014 All rejoice.
Trivia. Total minutes of running time for Original Theatrical “Lord of the Rings” films
We discuss the record $3.2 million dollar sale at Ebay auction of “Action Comics #1”. We are not Collector Geeks but if we had a billion dollars…. still probably not.
Seen:
“True Blood” Series Finale is decent and discussion of the series as a whole ensues. It stayed too long at the party.
“The Leftovers” is TREMENDOUS. We find it really really hard not to spoilerize it. But we didn’t.
Patrick hopes for another season of “Legend of Korra”. Don’t cancel it Nickelodeon!
Read:
Andrew gives his honest opinion on Batman Eternal #20.
Christopher is digging on Book#1 of the “Powder Mage” trilogy.
Patrick will rest his brain and heart for a while after he finishes “A Feast For Crows”.
Played:
Andrew is thoughtful and plays nothing so Patrick can speak at length about “Diablo III: Reaper of Souls” for the Xbox 360
Chris plays lots of games. He’s a gamer.
EPL update:
Chris’s Tottenham Hotspur are top of the table… for now.
Trivia:
The Boys are challenged to name two of the four “Outstanding Drama Series” with four wins.
They succeed!
“Hill Street Blues” “LA Law” “the West Wing” and “Mad Men” are the answers
“The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.”
That is a quote focused on, and slightly puzzled over, in the most recent tremendous episode of The Leftovers. This will be a spoiler free comment, so if you are behind in watching the show, no worries. I was struck by this quote and its usage in this current episode, and its commentary on the show as a whole.
So let’s examine the quote first. It suggests that a thing isn’t aware of itself except in relation to something else. Going further, it offers the viewpoint that the thing, namely “the foot,” needs feedback from an outside force or resistance in order to be that thing. This concept seems totally contrary to the “I think, therefore I am” classical philosophical proposition by Descartes. Or is it? The fascinating use of the “foot” quote in the context of this show continues the show’s deep exploration of emptiness, loss, and the meaning of existence.
How does it do that? IMO, the whole show to this point has been a close examination of the people who remain, and their response to the void that is created (it too remains) when they have lost someone to this unexplained event. It is the existential crisis of all existential crises. A person (or multiple people) that helped define who you are abruptly vanish. The serious theme being examined here is that the people who have lost loved ones (via the event, or because of it in its aftermath) are struggling to come to grips with themselves. The absence of their familial feedback has set them adrift. That void, contradictorily enough, provides strong feedback too. Is the absence of the “ground” also feedback for the foot, when it expects feedback from the ground, or “remembers” the feedback?
“I think, therefore I am” is about knowledge, awareness. It isn’t about feeling/being/living. Knowing you exist and existing are 2 very different things. The show continues to effectively explore that difference. But to what point? Navel gazing for its own sake is a feedback loop to nothing. The payoff is in growth – we’ll see if The Leftovers manages to communicate growth for some or all of the characters by the end of this season.
We remember the great Robin Williams, “Mork and Mindy”, “Aladdin”, ‘Dead Poets Society”, “Good Will Hunting” and “Jumanji” all showed us his wild genius
Seen:
Christopher discusses lighter fair this week, he has started “Legend of Korra” as he has realized how dark most of his viewing choices are.
Patrick and Andrew talk “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, decide its just stupid fun.
Read:
Andrew is current with “Batman Eternal” and “Invincible”.
Christopher is finishing “The Strain” Book One.
We encourage Patrick to finish “A Feast for Crows” simply because “A Dance with Dragons” is so good.
Played:
Christopher geeks out and builds a car from a crap movie on “Forza 5”
Patrick plays “Diablo” with his buddies
Andrew plays more Spartan Ops. All agree crushing crawlers with a Mantis foot is good clean fun.
Barclay’s Premier League returns this weekend. Patrick’s Manchester City is defending League and Schmaltz Cup Champions.
Trivia.
Boys attempt to name the top 5 Animated films in terms of Box Office. They get very close.
Chris and Andrew report on San Diego Comic Con International 2014
First impressions and most memorable experiences after being away for five years.
Chris and Andrew discuss Comic-Con Masquerade.
We debate the “Cult of Personality” aspects of Comic-Con.
Huge shout out to Samurai Comics from the hook up for Badges this year.
Seen:
The Leftovers
Batman: Assault on Arkham watched at Comic Con by Chris and Andrew.
True Blood, Extant, The Strain
Read:
A Feast for Crows ,Storm Front
Superman Doomed #1 Chris downloads on Comixology app at Con while attending Superman comics panel at Con. Andrew will start on Jon Romita Jr. and Geoff Johns’s run on the title.
Played:
Divinity is beloved by Christopher but tech issues persist. He also watched DoTA 2 tournament. Discussion ensues on Noob Channel aspect of experience and how DoTA has a high “penetration point”
Andrew plays nothing and is lame.
Destiny Beta played by Patrick. Patrick wants to have its babies he loves it so much. Normal beta bugs exist but gameplay is wonderful. Patrick is salivating to play more.
Andrew presents Hercules 12 Labors trivia question in honor of the Rock’s fun, goofy movie. Patrick and Chris earn partial credit for nearly achieving the required 6 answers.
Let me establish from the outset that I am not a fan of “cop shows”. And, of course, there are exceptions to the rule, I love Castle (for Fillion), I very much enjoyed SouthLAnd, and the short lived but excellent The Chicago Code. I do not enjoy “cop shows” because they tend to demand so little from the viewer. The CSIs and NCIS’s and Blue Bloods’s (which I admit I have never really watched but seems to be cut from the same cloth as its on CBS and stars a well-known, handsome male lead in his late 50s or early 60s who is competent, straight forward and very handsome) all appeal to the lowest common denominator. Tune in, watch a 42 minute mystery that is always the same. The heroes do their thing, are very smart and attractive and the killer gets caught in time for helpful wrap-up scene.
Penny Dreadful is not a “cop show”. It is a Historical/Supernatural/Mystery/Family Drama. This show not only requires an engaged viewership willing to endure the emotionally wrenching trials of the characters but a working knowledge of Classic English Language Victorian Horror Literature. The characters of Victor Frankenstein, his Creation(s), Dorian Gray, Abraham Van Helsing, Dracula all are included to varying degrees in this intriguing Showtime drama. To crib Aaron Sorkin, “this is Advanced Television Viewing”. Not easy but demanding is part of the point.
I came to this show late and binge watched which made for immediate pay off. I am normally an Event Watcher. I pay for HBO so I can watch Game of Thrones every Sunday, and True Blood and the Newsroom (I’m a life long Sorkin fan). I will watch The Walking Dead and Mad Men every week when they return. Penny Dreadful in season 2 will become Event Viewing for me. I will revel in the 7 days between episodes to talk about and theorize over the episodes. This show demands and deserves that kind of attention. I am happy to pay that price.
I have been listening to A feast for Crows, the fourth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, or the upcoming season Five of Game of thrones. As I have been listening something popped into my head, these people are “humans”. So why are they so horrible to one another? I mean Earth humans are pretty horrible to one another, but we do not rape and murder like these guys do. Maybe we do, but not as much anymore or not in modern civilized society. Westeros recorded history has been about 12000 years old. They have had the technology to forge and create hard metals, like Valyrian steel for at least that long. They have had the concept of construction and engineering for at least the last 4000 years. So why has their society not advanced past where they are now? I hate to say this but, the missing element might be Christianity. From what I have seen, none of the religions in Westeros teach love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, or give a promise of heaven after death. Sacrificing yourself is a key term in christianity also, which most people seem kind of selfish or want revenge after some act done against them.
I am not saying that all christians follow these ideals, or that Christians have not killed millions of people over the years, just that the idea of helping others is the foundation of the religion. In the past 2000 years, Christians have reshaped how people treat each other. Sure there were some growing pains, the Crusades, and Spanish Inquisition, but humans have come to understand one another and go toward a civilized idea of looking at our fellow man. I think much in part to christianity, and the promise of going to heaven.
The closest religion in Westeros, looks to be, the Lord of Light religion “one true God”, and Stannis, seems to be the chosen one of this religion. This makes me think of Constantine the Great. Beric Dondarrion ( leader of Brother without Banners) has even been brought back to life, by the Lord of Light’s power. A resurrection of sorts. Blood plays a central role in the Red Priestess’ power magic. Magic is a funny part of this equation. People perform magic given to them by some Deity, and people will follow this religion, because they have seen the power of the god, or so they think. Stannis might not be seeing the power of the Lord of Light, but seeing magic performed by Melisandre, and saying it is him showing Stannis the future. Is this true? or just using Stannis’ faith to manipulate him, to Melisandre’s ends? Wouldn’t be first time in history a priest used religion to manipulate a man of power.
This is just a theory, but I am curious about the “what if” elements of this idea. Would the promise of an afterlife affect the world of Westeros? I am sure there would be wars of this new religion, and not everyone would convert at once. Would Christianity make Westeros a better place to live? Maybe if they stop killing each other for one second, they would make advances in technology and peoples rights. Most people would probably say that Earth is horrible place, and I would ask, Do you think its just as bad as Westeros? Would Jesus Christ’s message go on deaf ears in Westeros? It’s no doubt that his fate would ultimately be the same in both worlds.
Here I am back to Skyrim. Sometimes I just get a hankering for some Role Playing, and I have to play something. All roads lead back to Skyrim I have played it 200 hours already and beaten everything there is to beat. My character was maxed out, or so I thought. I read somewhere that you can “Legendary” skills that are 100 and they reset to 15 and you get the skill points back, and you will level up more. Well that sucks and is awesome. I have been running around all this time not really leveling when I could have and now there isn’t much left to do. Except find EVERY dungeon, and do EVERY side quest.
I really do love this game. I thought about starting a new character and then I realized that I would just make the same character I had now. You can really get ALL the classes in one character. Warrior, heavy armor and two handed weapon. Sneaky archer, leather armor with bows and sneaky skills. All skills can be improved just by switching your equipment. Then there is the magic, which is broken in my book. You get to a point where weapon damage ei, sword, bow, hammer, axe, far out deal the magic damage. Why you ask? Two enchants to armor that make you deal more weapon damage and decrease spell magic cost. An example of this is having an enchant that will increase weapon damage by 20% on your chest piece. In combination of enchanting and Black Smithing and alchemy you can increase this number. But you can not increase spell damage.
There is no Spell Damage Increase. Sure in the Dragonborn expansion, they added enchants to some special items that increase the damage to fire spells. (Ahzidal Mask) You can’t take this enchant off and apply it to all your armor, actually leveling the playing field between weapon damage and magic, so in my mind it is still broken. Side gripe, you put so much enchants on your armor at one point that spells effectively cost you nothing to cast. ( -100% destruction spell cost) Then what the hell was the point of putting points into Magic when I leveled up?! I could have put those points into Health and stamina, and not wasted them. True in the beginning you need them until your enchanting is high enough, but this just makes those points spent useless, and gone forever.
My character is so powerful now that it doesn’t really matter. I can one shot most things, and have enchanted rings and necklaces that make it so depending on what enemy I am fighting they won’t hurt me. I will go into greater detail about my Skyrim Characters Stats another time. (Note playing on Xbox 360)
