I first heard of Laurell K. Hamilton and Anita Blake Vampire Hunter on a toy collector’s forum a few years ago from a fan of the series. I picked up Guilty Pleasures, the first book, and rather enjoyed. Now fast forward a few years. I just picked up the audio version of the book Incubus Dreams, which is book twelve in this series not having read the other ten books in between. So I had high expectations for this story.
I finally finished the audio version of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Incubus Dreams. Thank god I was listening to the abridged version (only 10 discs) instead of the unabridged version (24 discs). Twelve hours of this dribble was bad enough I don’t think I could have made it through thirty hours.
So what exactly did they cut out of this story for the abridged version? I thought perhaps major plot points were dropped. But according to the reviews I was reading about the book that might not be the case. So they must have cut out some of the sex or perhaps the sexual scenes had gone into much more graphic detail than what I was getting. I don’t know and I have no intentions of finding out.
I will read her earlier works (I loved Guilty Pleasures when I read that a few years ago and now in comic book form from Marvel), but I don’t think I will bother with any of the books beyond this one. Incubus Dreams is 12th in the Anita Blake series so I will have plenty to check out before I finally give up on this author.
If I wish to read (or in this case hear) pure Vampire/Werewolf erotic fantasy I will look for books like Deep Inside by Polly Frost. With Anita Blake I was hoping for a Vampire mystery with a little sex in the mix, not that the entire story would be filled with only sex. We lost the whole aspect of any mystery or case a few chapters into this storyline and never got it back again until the very end of the book. Everything in between was one sexual experience after another. We had characters come and go too easily without any story development. What happened to the Vampire servant Damian? Anita f—ks him and he has a complete vampiric break down only to drop out of the story completely without resolving the problems brought on by the encounter. That is only one of many, many flaws with this story. The story ends with what else, more sex and the mystery is left unresolved. Not that I will be picking up book 13 in the series any time soon to see if this author bothers to fill her readers in or not.
My suggestion is to stay away from this story. Go ahead and read the earlier works of this author but don’t bother with this book. Even better check out the comic book version of Anita Blake Vampire Hunter (at least she is actually hunting vampires, raising the dead and dealing with werewolves instead of just f—king them all).
As I said I was listening to this story. I did not yet mention the flaws in the audio version, which is published by Brilliance Audio and read by Cynthia Holloway. Cynthia does a good job of rendering the characters and keep our interest even if the story can’t. My biggest problem with the audio version is the production. The publishing company Brilliance Audio sees fit to add unneeded audio at the beginning and end of each disk. Most people today take their discs and turn them into MP3s, which is what I did and that is why I found the fade in/out music and notice to put in the next disk a real distraction. Combine that with the repeated two or three lines of text from the previous disc and the annoyance only compounded. So drop the unwanted extras from your audio discs and maybe they will be easier to listen, although even that would not have helped this story.
Justice League A New Frontier is a very entertaining animated film based on the graphic novel by the same name from Darwyn Cooke. The League is up against The Centre an evil of biblical proportions. Learn the origins of Martian Man Hunter and Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern. Set around he same time as the McCarthy era. Can the Justice League unite and save the world?
Animation is very good not overly anime-influenced like most animation these days. Voices are all very fitting with only one exception, the voice of Batman. Jeremy Sisto does the voice while I liked him in Six Feet Under his voice for a cartoon sounds more like a villain that of the Batman. All our other heroes had nice clear, crisp voices, but Bat’s was gravelly and sinister. Yes, he is the Dark Knight, but Sisto’s voice might have been too dark.
Lucy Lawless made a nice Amazon (once again) playing a Wonder Woman with a slightly twisted sense of justice.
Additional Cast: Phil Morris, Neil Patrick Harris, Lucy Lawless, Miguel Ferrer, David Boreanaz
The guys of Big Bang Theory buy the prop time machine from the film The Time Machine. Leonard jumps in and sets the machine to March 10, 1876 the date of the famous first phone call. They proceed to argue over the fact that they all want to go but they would not be able to all fit into the small lab and agree that they should travel into the future to get a cloaking device first. Here’s their conversation about the cloaking device.
Sheldon: First go into the future and obtain a cloaking device.
Rajesh: How far into the future?
Sheldon: If I remember correctly Captain Kirk will steal a cloaking device from the Romulans on stardate 5027.3, which will be January 10th 2328 by pre-Federation reckoning.
As a collector and a fan that plays with their toys the scene that followed was hilarious with the four guys acting out the high speed action that goes on around Leonard while traveling in the time machine. Penny comes in to tell them all how pathetic they all are for still playing with toys. Leonard then goes on to re-evaluate his life, his maturity and his collection. (Bad Penny.)
The Nerdvana that Leonard has created is disappearing as he is packing up his collection to sell to the comic book guy down the street. All his friends want to buy it off of him but he refuses saying it will hurt their friendship if he sells his stuff to one over the others. They try to stop him and he pulls out a Playmates Star trek figures and threatens to open it.
Sheldon: No I can’t let you do this.
Leonard: Sheldon, get out of my way.
Sheldon: (Grabbing a sword from Leonard’s box) None shall pass.
Leonard: Okay. I did not want to do this, but…I have here the rare mint condition production error Star Trek: The Next Generation Geordi Laforge without his visor in the original packaging. If you do not get out of my way I will open it.
Howard: Okay, man be cool. We’re all friends here.
Penny comes out and Sheldon lets her have it.
Sheldon: You hypocrite.
Penny: What?
Sheldon: Little miss grown-ups don’t play with toys. If I went in to that apartment right now would I not find Beanie Babies? Are you not an accumulator of Care Bears and My Little Ponies? And who is that Japanese feline I see frolicking on your shorts. Hello Hello Kitty.
Penny then apologizes to Leonard about the day before and he just about asks her out when a hunky guy comes up and goes into her apartment with her. Leonard grabs his toys and heads back into the apartment saying, “My turn on the time machine”.
Earlier this week I wrote about all the Star Trek references in Monday’s episode of The Big Bang Theory but I had missed the first few minutes of the show. Thanks to CBS.com for posting full episodes I was able to see the rest of the show and get you all the following transcripts of the stuff I missed on Monday.
Howard: Yo, more details about the new Star Trek film. There’s going to be a scene depicting Spock’s birth.
Rajesh: I’d be more interested in a scene depicting Spock’s conception.
Sheldon: Oh, please. For Vulcans mating or if you will , Pon Far is an extremely private matter.
Leonard: Still I would like to know the details. His mother was human and his father was Vulcan they couldn’t just conceive.
Howard: Maybe they had to go to a clinic. Imagine Spock’s dad in a little room with a copy of Pointy Ears & Shapely Rears.
Rajesh: How come on Star Trek everybody’s private parts are the same? No alien lady ever told Captain Kirk, ‘Hey get your thing out of my nose’.
Sheldon: You want me to use my intelligence in a tawdry competition? Would you ask Picasso to play Pictionary? Would you ask Noah Webster to play Boggle? Would you ask Jacque Cousteau to play Go Fish?Leonard: Come on you need a four person team. We’re for people.Sheldon: By that reasoning we should also play bridge, hold up a huppa and enter the Olympic bobsled competition.
Penny: Tickets to that please.
Leonard: Sheldon. What, do I have to quote Spock’s dying words to you?
Sheldon: No. Don’t.
Leonard: The needs of the many…
Howard: Out weigh the needs of the few…
Sheldon: Or the one. Damn it I’ll do it. (Holds up the Vulcan salute.)
A few weeks ago on my way to work I noticed a bit of graffiti on a bridge I go under every day. I tried for a few weeks now to get a piture of it one that was clear enough to bother posting. I think this one will do. The top image is a cropped detail shot of just the graffiti the bottom image is a little wider so you can get a better idea of the entire scene.
It actually took me two days of driving by this to actually confirm that it was a cool Batman graffiti that I saw and not just your ordinary everyday tag on a bridge.
Someone took the time to paint a large white rectangle then come back and fill in the red and blue campaign banner for Harvey Dent. I have been trying to stay away from too much info on The Dark Knight, don’t want to ruin the film for myself, you know. I do know Harvey Dent is mentioned on the official site and I have seen online campaign posters for him, but this is the first real world example I have seen.
Thought I first saw the posters or a link to them on the official site. Now the official site links to a Heath Ledger Memorial Page. But there is always the online campaign headquarters for Harvey Dent with posters, stickers etc for you to download and use in your support of Mr. Dent. You can then upload your images and videos, but I don’t think they meant for you to vandalize bridges. Then again maybe they did. I am not going through the hundreds of uploads looking for this piece of work any who.
There is a fan trailer for The Dark Knight on YouTube that shows a Two-Face coin being flipped. If WB does have Dent turn into Two Face in the film I hope it is not until the end. If we learned nothing from the third and fourth films from their past attempts on this franchise it was not to cloud the film with multiple villains.
Wolverine and the Xmen
Writer: Greg Johnson
Director: Boyd Kirkland
Producer: First Serve Toonz in association with Marvel
Synopsis: When an explosive event shatters the lives of the X-Men and takes away their mentor, the beaten heroes walk away from it all.
But then they’re given a rare glimpse into the future, and see a world in utter ruin, ruled by giant destructive robots. A world that spiraled out of control because the X-Men had given up.
So now the most legendary of all X-Men takes the lead - Wolverine! Reuniting these broken heroes, Wolverine embarks on the ultimate mission - to prevent de world’s destruction.
To rescue us from ourselves. To save the future.
From what I have seen through the trailer [which by the way is only available via YouTube these days] the show looks pretty good. I sincerely hope that this stupid lawsuit will not stop it from airing. I really want to see this show. We need more good animation on TV [like The Batman, League of Superheroes and now Spider-man (more on Spidey later)].
Apparently this was announced by Marvel way back in 2005. Looks like it was supposed to air last year. There is no current information on when or if this cartoon will be airing in the US.
You can view offending trailer for Wolverine and the Xmen here [for now].
The foo fighters are suing Marvel Comics for using one or two of their Songs in a promo for the new X-men cartoon.
I for one think it is ridiculous. How can they claim damages when no one even remembers who the foo fighters are?
Heck, I would think they should be happy with the free publicity and exposure. Although that does bring me back to who remembers them and would even know those were their songs.
Apparently they have a new album coming out. Maybe that is the reason for the lawsuit against Marvel in the first place. Perhaps they are suing The comic book giant to drum up publicity for the band and the new CD.
I can’t believe a big production company like Marvel wouldn’t have gotten the proper permissions. Most likely they had several trailers prepared and accidentally sent the wrong one out to the TV stations.
I for one will not be buying any foo fighters music but I will be watching the Marvel Wolverine and the X-men cartoon. So I guess that Marvel wins this battle [at least in my case they do].
Here is the offending trailer to the new Marvel cartoon Wolverine and the Xmen [most likely we’ll never get this cartoon since these guys are being buttheads about the use of their music….as if it is hurting them any having it used here].
In honor of Easter being so early this year [it is the earliest Easter in 90 years] I am sharing my love of a certain cartoon bunny rabbit that I grew up watching and loving — Bugs Bunny. Here is my top ten list of the bestest Bugs cartoons.
TOP TEN BUGS BUNNY CARTOONS
1. Water Water Every Hare [An interesting monster with an interesting hairdo.]
2. What’s Opera Doc? [Kill the wabbit…]
3. Falling Hare [Gremlins]
4. Easter Yeggs [I wanna easter egg! You broke my little arm!]
5. Bugs and Thugs [You might rabbit. You might.]
6. Haredevil Hare [Bugs goes to the moon and meets Marvin the Martian.]
7. Duck, Rabbit, Duck [Duck Season! Rabbit Season!]
8. Bunny Hugged [The CRUSHER!]
9. The Big Snooze [The rabbits are coming hooray, hooray.]
10. Broomstick Bunny [Witch Hazel and her amazing hair pins.]
Just imagine curling up in bed next to the cartoon girl of your dreams each night. This truly is a fan boy’s [or girl’s] dream come true. Get yours today at JBox.com
Here is an explanation as to what these pillow covers are in Japan from JList.com: Dakimakura are ‘hugging pillows’ or ‘hug pillows’ (sometimes referred to as a ‘love pillow’ or ‘Dutch wife’, although this may be referring to a more adult-type item) illustrated with anime characters or real-life film stars, and a distinctively otaku item. This is a high quality printed ‘hug pillow’ cover with a zipper, designed for a long body pillow available from many sources. While many fans hang their dakimakura covers on their walls or use them as curtains, customers who want to have the full-size hug pillow experience have several options. First, you can buy pillow stuffing material from any home center and stuff the pillow yourself. Also, pre-made body pillows may be available in stores near you . These pillows can also be found online … They recommend the Bodymate Body Pillow from Bed, Bath and Beyond
Heath Ledger died today in a Manhattan apartment said to be owned by Mary-Kate Olsen [this is most likely not true]. According to CNN.com he was pronounced dead at 3:30. We still don’t know the actual cause of death as of yet, but police say it may be a drug overdose as over the counter sleeping pills were found next to the body. He was only 28 years old. He will be missed. We will get a chance to see his last finished film later this summer. He played the Joker in the film Batman: The Dark Knight.
He will live on in his many films like Brokeback Mountain, Monsters Ball, The Order, A Knights Tale and the upcoming Dark Knight to name but a few.
Update [sort of]: This is what you get for going with the first news source. Bad, incomplete and wrong information. Apparently it was his appartment and the pills were perscription. Most likely an accidental death. And the rumors abound. May his family find comfort in knowing their son was loved by the American public even if though the weirdos out there are louder than the rest of us. What’s up with the “heath ledger mind control victim” rumor that’s going around any way?
Watching V for Vendetta again. Agent Smith from The Matrix (you know him as Hugo Weaving) makes a great masked vigilante known only as V. Man he has a very distinct voice. Natalie Portman gives an excellent performance and she doesn’t look half bad with a baldhead. (Unfortunately for this film Britney Spears had to have her break down causing me to see her instead of Ms. Portman during that scene in the film.)
This film has a strong message about intolerance and of the government taking away our rights and freedoms. Freedoms we often take for granted. If we don’t want a bleak future like the ones the films V for Vendetta and 1984 portray we must take the necessary actions to avoid them now. With 2008 being an election year now is the time to ensure we continue to enjoy the freedoms we do have and to make sure we extend those same freedoms to all human beings no matter their gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Here’s hoping we make the right choice for all our futures.
After hearing about Batwoman being a Lesbian in the 52 comics way back in 2006 I could not wait for the first issue to hit the stands. Even though she did not appear until issue 11. The idea that finally a main character was going to be portrayed as a strong lesbian had me reeling. Heck, she was the only reason I ever even picked up the first issue let alone all 52.
I was disappointed that we did not get to see more of her and Renee Montoya through out the series. But by the end of the story I had fallen in love with the character. I really wanted more. I still do. Both of these characters are strong enough to continue their stories outside of 52.
I only recently read that the proposed new Batwoman books were cancelled and it broke my heart.
Since DC has tried to bury the Kate Kane storyline and only keep it within the pages of 52 while releasing several of the other boys from the series, which is a big shame. We need more strong female characters. And what better to keep fan boys reading it than the typical lesbian fantasy.
Please DC bring her back out of the bat closet.
Renee as the Question is also a VERY good story that needs to be told, and perhaps the one place you can try giving us back Kate Kane even if only as a periodic guest in a new Question book.
Comics have not been for kids for a very long time. Kids comics are still out there fear not. But the majority of the comics are geared toward adults so the demoralization of our nations children cannot be the issue here. So what is DC comics so afraid of?
The character was popular enough for you to make an action figure out of it. Why not keep it going. Don’t tell me the Christian right is in control of the comics industry. They can’t be or we wouldn’t have any comics on the shelves. What are you afraid of? A little press? I thought there was no such thing as bad press. Any press is good press, right? I have been reading through some of the garbage written by some of the moral majority and I cannot believe the crap they are spewing forth. As if one lesbian superhero is going to make all the good little boys and girls turn gay. Hell, if it does we better ALL get toaster ovens for that.
I finally finished the audio version of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Incubus Dreams. Thank god I was listening to the abridged version (only 10 discs) instead of the unabridged version (24 discs). Twelve hours of this dribble was bad enough I don’t think I could have made it through thirty hours.
and get to watching.
