These are some of my favorite panels of Starling, from the New 52 "Birds of Prey" run. She's totally new, but she has such a great personality. Can't wait to see more of her!!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Comic book movie news.
A couple of things have hit the web that I found interesting in regards to comic book movies.
- There was a rumor going around that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was in "serious talks" to play Batman in the new Justice League movie. Apparently his reps have flat out denied his involvement, which is sort of a relief to lots of fans. I really like JGL as an actor, but I feel like it would be strange to directly cross over Nolan-verse characters since there is absolutely no preternatural stuff in it. Also, I agree that it should really be Bruce Wayne under the cowl and not John Blake. I can't think of any other candidates for the role offhand, but I'm sure there's someone good out there.
- On the Star Trek front, the official synopsis has finally been released. Here it is:
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.
With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.- Also exciting is that Bryan Singer has announced that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will be reprising their roles as Professor X and Magneto respectively in X-Men: Days of Future Past. I imagine since he's announcing them, they'll be doing much more than a cameo in the film. Also confirmed are James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult.
- Promo art has been released for the upcoming Man of Steel. Looks good to me! I'm tentatively excited for this. I think Cavill will make a great Clark Kent/Kal-El, but am leery since the project is helmed by Zack Snyder.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
I Have Your Heart!
This little gem was produced thanks to Kickstarter. It's a beautiful little short film about a girl that receives a heart transplant from a stranger. Listen closely to the lyrics of the song, the sentiment for me was dead on.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Ideal Bookshelf
I heard about a book called "Ideal Bookshelf" that took book lists from a hundred or so notable figures, and created a print of those books. The books are ones that changed your life, that defined who you are, that you read again and again. I thought I would put together my own list and add to it as I thought of more. Most of mine I read when I was younger, but they all have a special place in my heart for various reasons. You can learn more at: idealbookshelf.com
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
- The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons
- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
- Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead
- Mythology by Edith Hamilton
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Capcom's "Remember Me"
I'm not necessarily a huge fan of Capcom, but a new title that they recently announced has me intrigued. As if I needed to spend more money on videogames (or anything else for that matter...)
It's an action-adventure title set in Neo Paris, which feels and looks a lot like Blade Runner to me. That's never a bad thing. This future for humanity has done away with secrets. Memories can be bought and sold. The protagonist, Nilin, was the best at manipulating people's memories but of course, her memory has now been wiped and she aims to find out why. Gameplay reminds me a lot of Prince of Persia. There is a lot of traversing environments with nimble acrobatics, but the most novel aspect is the "memory remixing". Similar to the use of time in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (it's a stretch but that's what it reminds me of), you enter the memory of a target with an objective and must complete it via different possible actions. Embedded below is an example of it. Even if this game ends up sucking, I found out that the Mass Effect universe will continue on in game form so I can't be all that upset.
Episode 7...
Will not be directed by Brad Bird.
I am a sad panda.
Instead he is working on a sci-fi film called "1952", with rumor saying it is about a man who makes contact with extraterrestrial life. Rumor also says George Clooney is in talks for the lead.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for someone awesome to direct. If it's Michael Bay or Brett Ratner someone will be hurt.
I am a sad panda.
Instead he is working on a sci-fi film called "1952", with rumor saying it is about a man who makes contact with extraterrestrial life. Rumor also says George Clooney is in talks for the lead.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for someone awesome to direct. If it's Michael Bay or Brett Ratner someone will be hurt.
Friday, November 16, 2012
The new Star Wars films.
It's practically old news by now that Disney has bought LucasFilm and intends to make more Star Wars films. So far, it seems safe to assume that Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford are being written in to the film. Billy Dee Williams has mentioned that he'd be interested but nothing is known officially yet (this is according to ScreenCrush and TheForce.net) And, here are two of my favorite guys talking about how they'd love to be involved.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
My thoughts on "Arrow"
At least, so far.
I find it funny, I had been recording it on our DVR since it started and apparently my mother stumbled on it. She finished watching it before me! First "Firefly" and now a show based on a DC comic book character. She's a little fledgling nerd!
Anyways, I'm coming into this series knowing very little about Green Arrow as a character. What experience I do have with him is from watching Justice League and Young Justice (the cartoons). He certainly wasn't my favorite, he came off as kind of arrogant and smarmy. And not in a charming way.
Here is the synopsis from IMDB: "After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he's become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow - a vigilante to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be - flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle - while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness."
However, the way Stephen Amell has taken to the character makes him seem a lot more like Batman. Some of the parallels are obvious, such as being a billionaire playboy by day and fighting crime by night. Both have daddy issues, and what have you. Oliver has become very stoic and hellbent on his purpose since returning from the island. In the cartoons, Oliver is much more self-assured and cocky. Of course, this series is dedicated to Oliver and he is more of a supporting player in the cartoons. As the episodes go on, we see more of what happened to him on that island and it isn't pretty. I definitely feel for him. The guilt he carries from watching his father kill himself so that he could live, and the fact that Laurel's sister drowned as well is a lot for one man to carry. Thankfully, he was able to find someone to share his secret identity with: John Diggle, his bodyguard. So now, the two are working together. The main arc for this season consists of Oliver tracking down all of the people listed in his father's book, but the more interesting part is what actually happened to the Queen's Gambit (their boat). Walter, former CFO of the company and now married to Oliver's mother, followed up on missing money that his wife spent. He traced it to a warehouse and lo and behold, inside that warehouse, was the Queen's Gambit. We have seen glimpses of Oliver's mother conversing with sketchy types, so we know she is certainly in on whatever corruption has spread through Starling City. How much of a role does she have in it? Did she sabotage the boat herself? She does seem to genuinely care for her family. So right now, I find her to be very fascinating. Also piquing my interest is Oliver's sister Thea, mostly because they have nicknamed her "Speedy". Speedy is the name of two comic book characters who acted as sidekicks for Green Arrow. Is this foreshadowing or just a nod to the series?
I think the only real problem I have with this show is the character of Dinah "Laurel" Lance. One of my favorite characters of the DCU is Black Canary, a.k.a Dinah Lance. Right now, Laurel has no resemblance to the Black Canary I know and love. Yes, she fights for justice but she does so within the boundaries of the law as an attorney. She is a mostly likable character on her own, as Laurel (even if she does seem to hate most things). But if you are going to give a character the identity of an amazing superhero, you better do it right. I feel like they should not have given her that name at all, or since they did make her super in some way. Don't make it just a nod to people who have an acquaintance with DC characters. I know Black Canary & Green Arrow are on item in the comics, but it wouldn't have detracted from the series to have the love interest be someone totally new. Honestly, I'd rather see him get with the tech girl Felicity (with the super sweet frames). She's feisty, smart, and funny.
On a totally unrelated note, I think it's pretty hilarious that a deep hood and some eye shadow is enough to hide your identity.
And for the ladies, here's a beefcake shot of Mr. Amell.
I find it funny, I had been recording it on our DVR since it started and apparently my mother stumbled on it. She finished watching it before me! First "Firefly" and now a show based on a DC comic book character. She's a little fledgling nerd!
Anyways, I'm coming into this series knowing very little about Green Arrow as a character. What experience I do have with him is from watching Justice League and Young Justice (the cartoons). He certainly wasn't my favorite, he came off as kind of arrogant and smarmy. And not in a charming way.
Here is the synopsis from IMDB: "After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he's become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow - a vigilante to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be - flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle - while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness."
However, the way Stephen Amell has taken to the character makes him seem a lot more like Batman. Some of the parallels are obvious, such as being a billionaire playboy by day and fighting crime by night. Both have daddy issues, and what have you. Oliver has become very stoic and hellbent on his purpose since returning from the island. In the cartoons, Oliver is much more self-assured and cocky. Of course, this series is dedicated to Oliver and he is more of a supporting player in the cartoons. As the episodes go on, we see more of what happened to him on that island and it isn't pretty. I definitely feel for him. The guilt he carries from watching his father kill himself so that he could live, and the fact that Laurel's sister drowned as well is a lot for one man to carry. Thankfully, he was able to find someone to share his secret identity with: John Diggle, his bodyguard. So now, the two are working together. The main arc for this season consists of Oliver tracking down all of the people listed in his father's book, but the more interesting part is what actually happened to the Queen's Gambit (their boat). Walter, former CFO of the company and now married to Oliver's mother, followed up on missing money that his wife spent. He traced it to a warehouse and lo and behold, inside that warehouse, was the Queen's Gambit. We have seen glimpses of Oliver's mother conversing with sketchy types, so we know she is certainly in on whatever corruption has spread through Starling City. How much of a role does she have in it? Did she sabotage the boat herself? She does seem to genuinely care for her family. So right now, I find her to be very fascinating. Also piquing my interest is Oliver's sister Thea, mostly because they have nicknamed her "Speedy". Speedy is the name of two comic book characters who acted as sidekicks for Green Arrow. Is this foreshadowing or just a nod to the series?
I think the only real problem I have with this show is the character of Dinah "Laurel" Lance. One of my favorite characters of the DCU is Black Canary, a.k.a Dinah Lance. Right now, Laurel has no resemblance to the Black Canary I know and love. Yes, she fights for justice but she does so within the boundaries of the law as an attorney. She is a mostly likable character on her own, as Laurel (even if she does seem to hate most things). But if you are going to give a character the identity of an amazing superhero, you better do it right. I feel like they should not have given her that name at all, or since they did make her super in some way. Don't make it just a nod to people who have an acquaintance with DC characters. I know Black Canary & Green Arrow are on item in the comics, but it wouldn't have detracted from the series to have the love interest be someone totally new. Honestly, I'd rather see him get with the tech girl Felicity (with the super sweet frames). She's feisty, smart, and funny.
On a totally unrelated note, I think it's pretty hilarious that a deep hood and some eye shadow is enough to hide your identity.
And for the ladies, here's a beefcake shot of Mr. Amell.
Friday, November 9, 2012
A slow Friday
Let me begin by saying Wednesday night into Thursday morning, I did not sleep at all. I made a huge mistake and had some regular Diet Pepsi around 3pm for lunch, and later on forgot to make my latte decaf. I did not sleep the entire night and then went to my biology lab for three hours. I did take a short nap afterwards but was still exhausted last night. I ended up sleeping in til around 1pm. It felt goooooood.
Now, I wish I had friends that lived within a 20 minute radius. I want to just hang out on some comfy chairs, with a hot beverage, maybe watch some movies and indulge in some bullshitting.
WTB closer friends.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
A life update.
Skimming through my past blog entries, I realize I haven't said much about my life in general. The original purpose of this blog was to inform people about my kidney failure (thankfully, a past problem). So if any of you reading this are curious as to how I am, read on. If not, carry on.
Let's start with medical business.
I forget the exact dates, but within the last year the cardiologist has found signs of transplant coronary artery disease. It is sometimes referred to as chronic rejection. It is the leading cause of death in transplant patients. As you (may or may not) know, transplant recipients have to be on immunosuppressive drugs for their entire life. Even with these drugs however, the body can still reject the heart. Transplant coronary artery disease (which I'll refer to as TCAD) can happen at any time, but is generally found years after transplantation. TCAD is different than the coronary artery disease that forms in non-transplanted hearts. The symptoms of TCAD are pruning of the heart cells, thickening of the walls and lesions can form in the arteries. As of now, I do have a lesion but so far it hasn't caused any serious harm. As a result, I have to go in for more "annual" procedures.
When I talk about an annual, it is referring to a procedure that includes a heart catheterization, where they take samples of my heart tissue, and angiogram. An angiogram is where they inject dye into the femoral artery and view how well the blood flows in the heart. It is a decent way of detecting lesions, though not perfect.
I have an annual coming up in December, and I'm not looking forward to it to say the least. The last time I went in (in June, I believe) wasn't pleasant. Less pleasant than usual, I should say. They performed an extra test to get a better sense of what is happening in the arteries. I believe it was called IVUS, an intravenous way of viewing the lesion(s). So, the procedure took longer than normal and the numbing medication I had taken was wearing off. Needless to say, I was definitely feeling it when they were stitching up the artery in my groin. Ow. I tend to think I have a decent pain tolerance, but it was enough pain that the nurse actually offered to give me pain medication. Sweet, blessed relief. Of course after that, I have to lay prone for six hours. Joy!
I am scared that the disease will have accelerated.
I am scared that I will have to replace this heart that I have had for over 24 years. It is MINE.
I am terrified that my quality of life will suffer greatly. For the most part, my life has been fairly normal (so far as I can tell). I can count on one hand the friends I have with heart transplants. Two of them are dead. One is currently battling lymphoma, and the other has nearly constant struggles of some sort. I am ashamed to say I have taken for granted my good luck. I do not want things to change.
In the meantime, I wait. We shall see what comes my way.
The good news is that there have been no issues with my new kidney. Cletus is as happy as a....happy kidney.
Now, let's talk about school. Brace yourselves.
I am currently taking two courses. One psychology course at SCSU called Research Methods and an introductory biology course at a local community college. The biology course got off to a rough start. I got a 66 on my first exam because I was cocky and didn't study as much as I should have. Fast forward to the next test, and I got an 86. That's more like it.
Unfortunately with the psychology course, I have fallen behind. I missed a number of classes when I had an upper respiratory infection and more recently to what seems to be a stomach virus. I made bad decisions, and slacked on telling my professor what was happening with me. So now I have missed an exam, an introductory draft, and a number of small homework assignments. I made a list of my make-up work and it is much longer than I'd like it to be. I could pound it out over a weekend if feeling well and properly motivated. I'm scared though that my teacher will just call it quits on me and make me withdraw. Meaning I won't graduate in December.
I also have three Incompletes that need finishing. A mathematics course, a Spanish course (all I need is one test) and statistics course. I have been flailing about most of this semester and haven't accomplished those. So this month I need to buckle down and get things done. I hope that with some understanding and patience from these professors I can manage to make my December graduation happen.
Oh and if I don't somehow manage to fuck it up.
Ergh.
Let's start with medical business.
I forget the exact dates, but within the last year the cardiologist has found signs of transplant coronary artery disease. It is sometimes referred to as chronic rejection. It is the leading cause of death in transplant patients. As you (may or may not) know, transplant recipients have to be on immunosuppressive drugs for their entire life. Even with these drugs however, the body can still reject the heart. Transplant coronary artery disease (which I'll refer to as TCAD) can happen at any time, but is generally found years after transplantation. TCAD is different than the coronary artery disease that forms in non-transplanted hearts. The symptoms of TCAD are pruning of the heart cells, thickening of the walls and lesions can form in the arteries. As of now, I do have a lesion but so far it hasn't caused any serious harm. As a result, I have to go in for more "annual" procedures.
When I talk about an annual, it is referring to a procedure that includes a heart catheterization, where they take samples of my heart tissue, and angiogram. An angiogram is where they inject dye into the femoral artery and view how well the blood flows in the heart. It is a decent way of detecting lesions, though not perfect.
I have an annual coming up in December, and I'm not looking forward to it to say the least. The last time I went in (in June, I believe) wasn't pleasant. Less pleasant than usual, I should say. They performed an extra test to get a better sense of what is happening in the arteries. I believe it was called IVUS, an intravenous way of viewing the lesion(s). So, the procedure took longer than normal and the numbing medication I had taken was wearing off. Needless to say, I was definitely feeling it when they were stitching up the artery in my groin. Ow. I tend to think I have a decent pain tolerance, but it was enough pain that the nurse actually offered to give me pain medication. Sweet, blessed relief. Of course after that, I have to lay prone for six hours. Joy!
I am scared that the disease will have accelerated.
I am scared that I will have to replace this heart that I have had for over 24 years. It is MINE.
I am terrified that my quality of life will suffer greatly. For the most part, my life has been fairly normal (so far as I can tell). I can count on one hand the friends I have with heart transplants. Two of them are dead. One is currently battling lymphoma, and the other has nearly constant struggles of some sort. I am ashamed to say I have taken for granted my good luck. I do not want things to change.
In the meantime, I wait. We shall see what comes my way.
The good news is that there have been no issues with my new kidney. Cletus is as happy as a....happy kidney.
Now, let's talk about school. Brace yourselves.
I am currently taking two courses. One psychology course at SCSU called Research Methods and an introductory biology course at a local community college. The biology course got off to a rough start. I got a 66 on my first exam because I was cocky and didn't study as much as I should have. Fast forward to the next test, and I got an 86. That's more like it.
Unfortunately with the psychology course, I have fallen behind. I missed a number of classes when I had an upper respiratory infection and more recently to what seems to be a stomach virus. I made bad decisions, and slacked on telling my professor what was happening with me. So now I have missed an exam, an introductory draft, and a number of small homework assignments. I made a list of my make-up work and it is much longer than I'd like it to be. I could pound it out over a weekend if feeling well and properly motivated. I'm scared though that my teacher will just call it quits on me and make me withdraw. Meaning I won't graduate in December.
I also have three Incompletes that need finishing. A mathematics course, a Spanish course (all I need is one test) and statistics course. I have been flailing about most of this semester and haven't accomplished those. So this month I need to buckle down and get things done. I hope that with some understanding and patience from these professors I can manage to make my December graduation happen.
Oh and if I don't somehow manage to fuck it up.
Ergh.
You're writing your autobiography. What's your opening sentence?
I would open it with this quote from Nora Ephron: "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim."
Or simply the word, "Persist". Because that is what my life is all about.
I'm awesome!
Hmmmm. Food for thought indeed. It took me about five solid minutes of staring for me to think of something (feeling a bit low).
Oh, and the prompt was: "Tell us three things that you absolutely love about yourself."
1) I genuinely want to give my friends and family the world.
2) I am always on a quest for personal growth, to become the best possible self that I can be. And I want to help others make that journey, too.
3) If properly motivated/inspired, I am tireless in attaining a goal.
1) I genuinely want to give my friends and family the world.
2) I am always on a quest for personal growth, to become the best possible self that I can be. And I want to help others make that journey, too.
3) If properly motivated/inspired, I am tireless in attaining a goal.
My End of Year Goal
My goal is to have finished my Bachelor's degree. It has been a long, windy, and rough road and I will be glad to have it over with so I can move on with my life. I feel like my life is in stasis until it is complete. I can't really find a career/job or go to graduate school without it.
The mechanics of human compassion
A really fascinating TED talk by David DeSteno about what drives human compassion.
Quote of the Day
"My imagination is a monastery and I am its monk." - John Keats, poet
Just feeling thoughtful right now.
Just feeling thoughtful right now.
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