Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 28
May 15, 2016
Virtual Tourist - Final Fantasy XIV 5/15/16
Morning!Final Fantasy XIV
Highbridge and Remembrance Day pics
Inclement weather - nicely detailed too!
Outside Highbridge. Love the cave entrance and cave windows!
The arches and tile work really spice up the place, no?
The true leader of Ul'dah during Remembrance Day. So cute!
Ul'dah's leader and her general
The Twins - they know a lot more than they tell. :P
More awesome tile work. The little windows are also fab!
Stage area in New Gridania
Cute waterfalls in New Gridania
Wasps and carnivorous plants. Eek!
Masked people in the middle of the forest - can't be good!Hope you have a fabulous day!
Highbridge and Remembrance Day pics
Inclement weather - nicely detailed too!
Outside Highbridge. Love the cave entrance and cave windows!
The arches and tile work really spice up the place, no?
The true leader of Ul'dah during Remembrance Day. So cute!
Ul'dah's leader and her general
The Twins - they know a lot more than they tell. :P
More awesome tile work. The little windows are also fab!
Stage area in New Gridania
Cute waterfalls in New Gridania
Wasps and carnivorous plants. Eek!
Masked people in the middle of the forest - can't be good!Hope you have a fabulous day!
May 13, 2016
Movie Review - Money Monster
Money Monster
Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Caitriona Balfe, Dominic West, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Denham, Lenny Venito, Chris Bauer, Dennis Boutsikaris, Condola Rashad, Emily Meade, Aaron Yoo, and more.Directed by: Jodie Foster Screenplay by: Jamie Linden, Alan DiFiore, Jim Kouf Story by: Alan DiFiore and Jim Kouf Cinematography by: Matthew Libatique Music by: Dominic LewisPremise: After a seeming computer glitch loses owners of Ibris stock 800 million dollars, an unhappy New Yorker decides to take a stand - he decides to hold a TV host on a stock show hostage, hoping to also snare one of his guests, so he can make them tell the world on live TV how it is that they cheated him and many others out of their money. (Rated R)Review:1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The film is filled with a lovely powerhouse of actors. George Clooney and Julia Roberts are pure magic as Lee Gates, the show's host, and Patty Fenn, the director of the TV show Money Monster. Jack O'Connell adds in a nice counterpoint of chaos to their otherwise predictable lives. All the characters, large and small, contributed something. Some lovely acting work all around.2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: While there are no giant explosions, alien invaders, or gigabytes of CGI, we still got a nice share of special effects in the film. The opening sequence showing the electronic workings of stocks was visually fun. Lots of lovely video effects for the show, even some great bits of what "normal" people would have made with regards to a piece of footage at the end. Too darn funny!3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: Hubby knows a lot about stocks, so I know if the premise and mystery had seemed to be out there he wouldn't be shy about saying so. But he enjoyed the film as much as I did. I've watched Mad Money with him at home, so we loved their taking Kramer's show one step to the side and three steps up - making it that much more fun. George Clooney can definitely ham it up. :)While the main plot of the film seems straightforward, there were still several unexpected and lovely surprises. The motivations and moves are well supported, even the ones that seem a little crazy. I loved that even while doing things in a way to make them seem bigger than life, reality kept asserting itself into the equation keeping it 'real' - whether the characters liked it or not. :) Multiple themes are explored - most centering around those caught in the middle of the madness. Friendship, leadership, the little things we hide from ourselves and others, taking things for granted. Trust - gaining it, respecting it, destroying it - was definitely a major theme in all manner of forms. Making human connections - even despite ourselves. Lots of great dynamics were involved.Loved the snide, soft glimpses into our lives and attention spans, and how much social media and our phones are a part of everything. The world gets smaller everyday.4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The story spans wide so we get all sorts of location shots from around the world. Also a lot circling around the small world of the studio and those who spend most of their lives creating entertainment for the masses. And how those self same masses will do anything if they feel it will be entertaining. :PConclusion: Money Monster is filled with layers and not all of them centered on the main problem at hand. Strong performances and unexpected surprises made it a very fun ride.Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again!)
Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Caitriona Balfe, Dominic West, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Denham, Lenny Venito, Chris Bauer, Dennis Boutsikaris, Condola Rashad, Emily Meade, Aaron Yoo, and more.Directed by: Jodie Foster Screenplay by: Jamie Linden, Alan DiFiore, Jim Kouf Story by: Alan DiFiore and Jim Kouf Cinematography by: Matthew Libatique Music by: Dominic LewisPremise: After a seeming computer glitch loses owners of Ibris stock 800 million dollars, an unhappy New Yorker decides to take a stand - he decides to hold a TV host on a stock show hostage, hoping to also snare one of his guests, so he can make them tell the world on live TV how it is that they cheated him and many others out of their money. (Rated R)Review:1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The film is filled with a lovely powerhouse of actors. George Clooney and Julia Roberts are pure magic as Lee Gates, the show's host, and Patty Fenn, the director of the TV show Money Monster. Jack O'Connell adds in a nice counterpoint of chaos to their otherwise predictable lives. All the characters, large and small, contributed something. Some lovely acting work all around.2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: While there are no giant explosions, alien invaders, or gigabytes of CGI, we still got a nice share of special effects in the film. The opening sequence showing the electronic workings of stocks was visually fun. Lots of lovely video effects for the show, even some great bits of what "normal" people would have made with regards to a piece of footage at the end. Too darn funny!3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: Hubby knows a lot about stocks, so I know if the premise and mystery had seemed to be out there he wouldn't be shy about saying so. But he enjoyed the film as much as I did. I've watched Mad Money with him at home, so we loved their taking Kramer's show one step to the side and three steps up - making it that much more fun. George Clooney can definitely ham it up. :)While the main plot of the film seems straightforward, there were still several unexpected and lovely surprises. The motivations and moves are well supported, even the ones that seem a little crazy. I loved that even while doing things in a way to make them seem bigger than life, reality kept asserting itself into the equation keeping it 'real' - whether the characters liked it or not. :) Multiple themes are explored - most centering around those caught in the middle of the madness. Friendship, leadership, the little things we hide from ourselves and others, taking things for granted. Trust - gaining it, respecting it, destroying it - was definitely a major theme in all manner of forms. Making human connections - even despite ourselves. Lots of great dynamics were involved.Loved the snide, soft glimpses into our lives and attention spans, and how much social media and our phones are a part of everything. The world gets smaller everyday.4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The story spans wide so we get all sorts of location shots from around the world. Also a lot circling around the small world of the studio and those who spend most of their lives creating entertainment for the masses. And how those self same masses will do anything if they feel it will be entertaining. :PConclusion: Money Monster is filled with layers and not all of them centered on the main problem at hand. Strong performances and unexpected surprises made it a very fun ride.Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again!)
May 10, 2016
Cover Reveal - Charity and Sacrifice
The final cover for Charity and Sacrifice has been approved! So that means I can now share it!
The 10K word novelette, which will be published by Uncial Press, will only be available as an ebook. The cover looks pretty snazzy though!
I love the big, fat X on the husband. Bwahahahaha!
They'll be sending the novelette out for reviews soon. So I will share those as well as they become available. Publish Date is still set for Oct 2016!
I've added the blurb and an excerpt again to keep the it fresh in your minds for the future. BWAHAHAHA!
Trapped in a loveless marriage, will Elizabeth’s sacrifice to regain Robert’s love be in vain?
All Elizabeth hoped to do was to rekindle the love in her marriage. Yet despite ignoring her social obligations and immersing herself in her husband’s important work, somehow this only made things worse.
Her last hope is her unborn child — a source of unrequited love to fill the void inside her. But that too is taken from her. How? Why?
Her doctor avoids her. Her husband berates her. And there are whispers — whispers telling of things that cannot be.
Yet the more Elizabeth ignores the rumors, the more they press on her to seek the truth, so she concocts a plan to find it. To find it and hopefully exonerate both Robert and herself. To discover the reason she’s lost all that’s dear to her. And she will do it, even if she must venture into Whitechapel to do it.
Excerpt
“Dear, you have to eat something. Don’t you want to get better?” Ada once more offered a spoonful of porridge.
Propped up with hard pillows, Elizabeth could sit at an angle. Millie, her personal maid, had come by earlier and brought her a proper dressing gown as well as a brush and pins. The proprieties must be maintained despite the tragedy. She knew Robert would expect it. And it was the only armor left to her at present.
Chastised, she opened her mouth to take the offered food, though she wasn’t hungry and felt mortified to be treated like a child. A child…
Elizabeth’s eyes teared up but she refused to be embarrassed further by her own weakness.
“Has he been to see you yet?” The nurse’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“To whom do you refer?” She suspected, but she wouldn’t help feed the rumor mill any more than necessary.
“Lord Stainton, your husband.”
Elizabeth refused to meet her gaze. “I’ve been sleeping a lot, but I am sure he’s come. He wouldn’t wake me, knowing I need the rest.”
Ada’s eyes widened with feigned surprise. “Oh, that could be it, couldn’t it?” She fed Elizabeth another spoonful.
“He’s a very busy man.” Elizabeth wanted to bite her own tongue, knowing the excuse for what it was, and well aware the nurse did as well. “I’ve had enough, thank you.”
“Are you sure, dear?” Ada leaned forward as if to feed her again, except she left the spoon in the bowl. She stared intently at Elizabeth, her next words voiced in a whisper. “There are things you should know that you’ve not been told.”
Elizabeth’s eye twitched. The hollow hole inside her pulsed with need and apprehension. She presumed he was receiving news of her condition from the nurses as well as using them to pass on his orders.
Her gently worded requests for him to visit were just as gently denied. The suspicion something was being hidden from her had hardened into solid fact. Yet she still possessed no information.
To be forced to gain it from the likes of Ada … Everything that ever poured from the woman’s mouth was suspect. She’d watched her long enough to learn that much.
But how else was she to even glean a hint as to what was being kept from her? “Is that so?”
Ada leaned forward a little more. “I could get in trouble sharing what I know.” The nurse smiled at her, expectation tightening the lines on her face. “But a token, a valuable token, would go a long way toward easing my concerns. Think of it as a bit of charity to someone less fortunate than yourself.”
Charity? Extortion was more like it. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to grab her bowl and shove its contents in the old hag’s face. Yet something in the back of her mind niggled at the word. It had been used in her presence recently… “I might have something at home which would satisfy you. I’ll have it brought for the morrow.”
Ada stood up to go. “My old heart bleeds with gratitude, milady. I’ll be sure to tell you all I know, once your charity has been received.”
Elizabeth clutched her blanket until her hands went numb, sure the nurse was laughing at her as she bowed her way out.
Coming Soon!
The 10K word novelette, which will be published by Uncial Press, will only be available as an ebook. The cover looks pretty snazzy though!
I love the big, fat X on the husband. Bwahahahaha!
They'll be sending the novelette out for reviews soon. So I will share those as well as they become available. Publish Date is still set for Oct 2016!
I've added the blurb and an excerpt again to keep the it fresh in your minds for the future. BWAHAHAHA!
Trapped in a loveless marriage, will Elizabeth’s sacrifice to regain Robert’s love be in vain?
All Elizabeth hoped to do was to rekindle the love in her marriage. Yet despite ignoring her social obligations and immersing herself in her husband’s important work, somehow this only made things worse.
Her last hope is her unborn child — a source of unrequited love to fill the void inside her. But that too is taken from her. How? Why?
Her doctor avoids her. Her husband berates her. And there are whispers — whispers telling of things that cannot be.
Yet the more Elizabeth ignores the rumors, the more they press on her to seek the truth, so she concocts a plan to find it. To find it and hopefully exonerate both Robert and herself. To discover the reason she’s lost all that’s dear to her. And she will do it, even if she must venture into Whitechapel to do it.
Excerpt
“Dear, you have to eat something. Don’t you want to get better?” Ada once more offered a spoonful of porridge.
Propped up with hard pillows, Elizabeth could sit at an angle. Millie, her personal maid, had come by earlier and brought her a proper dressing gown as well as a brush and pins. The proprieties must be maintained despite the tragedy. She knew Robert would expect it. And it was the only armor left to her at present.
Chastised, she opened her mouth to take the offered food, though she wasn’t hungry and felt mortified to be treated like a child. A child…
Elizabeth’s eyes teared up but she refused to be embarrassed further by her own weakness.
“Has he been to see you yet?” The nurse’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“To whom do you refer?” She suspected, but she wouldn’t help feed the rumor mill any more than necessary.
“Lord Stainton, your husband.”
Elizabeth refused to meet her gaze. “I’ve been sleeping a lot, but I am sure he’s come. He wouldn’t wake me, knowing I need the rest.”
Ada’s eyes widened with feigned surprise. “Oh, that could be it, couldn’t it?” She fed Elizabeth another spoonful.
“He’s a very busy man.” Elizabeth wanted to bite her own tongue, knowing the excuse for what it was, and well aware the nurse did as well. “I’ve had enough, thank you.”
“Are you sure, dear?” Ada leaned forward as if to feed her again, except she left the spoon in the bowl. She stared intently at Elizabeth, her next words voiced in a whisper. “There are things you should know that you’ve not been told.”
Elizabeth’s eye twitched. The hollow hole inside her pulsed with need and apprehension. She presumed he was receiving news of her condition from the nurses as well as using them to pass on his orders.
Her gently worded requests for him to visit were just as gently denied. The suspicion something was being hidden from her had hardened into solid fact. Yet she still possessed no information.
To be forced to gain it from the likes of Ada … Everything that ever poured from the woman’s mouth was suspect. She’d watched her long enough to learn that much.
But how else was she to even glean a hint as to what was being kept from her? “Is that so?”
Ada leaned forward a little more. “I could get in trouble sharing what I know.” The nurse smiled at her, expectation tightening the lines on her face. “But a token, a valuable token, would go a long way toward easing my concerns. Think of it as a bit of charity to someone less fortunate than yourself.”
Charity? Extortion was more like it. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to grab her bowl and shove its contents in the old hag’s face. Yet something in the back of her mind niggled at the word. It had been used in her presence recently… “I might have something at home which would satisfy you. I’ll have it brought for the morrow.”
Ada stood up to go. “My old heart bleeds with gratitude, milady. I’ll be sure to tell you all I know, once your charity has been received.”
Elizabeth clutched her blanket until her hands went numb, sure the nurse was laughing at her as she bowed her way out.
Coming Soon!
May 9, 2016
Mind Sieve 5/9/16
Morning!
Fan Fun
ANDRON Official Trailer - Hunger Games meets Reality TV? :P
Kill Command Official International Trailer - Uh oh!
Tulip Fever Official Trailer - looks interesting. Just who is playing with whom? :P
Social Media/Author PlatformSocial Media Visuals: How to Easily Create Visuals Without a Designer article by Michael Stelzner at the SocialMedia Examiner. Some neat stuff, but "earier" is relative. :P
Cool photo resource named Unsplash! Some truly gorgeous stuff in here.
Writing AdviceThe Lessons of 400 Posts by John Adamus. Nice advice in here!
What’s the Difference between Plot and Story? by Jami Gold.
Have a great one!
Fan Fun
ANDRON Official Trailer - Hunger Games meets Reality TV? :P
Kill Command Official International Trailer - Uh oh!
Tulip Fever Official Trailer - looks interesting. Just who is playing with whom? :P
Social Media/Author PlatformSocial Media Visuals: How to Easily Create Visuals Without a Designer article by Michael Stelzner at the SocialMedia Examiner. Some neat stuff, but "earier" is relative. :P
Cool photo resource named Unsplash! Some truly gorgeous stuff in here.
Writing AdviceThe Lessons of 400 Posts by John Adamus. Nice advice in here!
What’s the Difference between Plot and Story? by Jami Gold.
Have a great one!
May 8, 2016
Virtual Tourist - Grim Fandango 5/8/16
Morning! And Happy Mother's Day!Grim Fandango
Rubacava
Year 1
Famous racing cat! Big sucker, no?
Lowest level of the coliseum tower.
Long view of the dock and blimp. Cool stone engravings.
End of the dock. Staring out to see. Oh, Meche!
Tattoo parlor down the way. Weird setup, no? :P
Finally get to pump security for info. :)
The Blue Casket joint. Isn't the poster just too cool?
Interior of the Blue Casket. Very bohemian. :P Also full of revolutionaries.
The owner reciting poetry.
Back at Manny's bar pumping an old client for info. Note the awesome mural. Why did I not take a better picture of that? Huh huh huh?
Not sure what happened here. Though it appears I am taking the elevator.
A more lively area of the docks. Worker bees trying to keep warm.
I got them riled up with revolutionary rhetoric but unfortunately the cops clamped down on the main bee. Boo!
Lovely lighthouse at the end of the bay.Have a great day!
Rubacava
Year 1
Famous racing cat! Big sucker, no?
Lowest level of the coliseum tower.
Long view of the dock and blimp. Cool stone engravings.
End of the dock. Staring out to see. Oh, Meche!
Tattoo parlor down the way. Weird setup, no? :P
Finally get to pump security for info. :)
The Blue Casket joint. Isn't the poster just too cool?
Interior of the Blue Casket. Very bohemian. :P Also full of revolutionaries.
The owner reciting poetry.
Back at Manny's bar pumping an old client for info. Note the awesome mural. Why did I not take a better picture of that? Huh huh huh?
Not sure what happened here. Though it appears I am taking the elevator.
A more lively area of the docks. Worker bees trying to keep warm.
I got them riled up with revolutionary rhetoric but unfortunately the cops clamped down on the main bee. Boo!
Lovely lighthouse at the end of the bay.Have a great day!
May 6, 2016
Movie Review - Captain America: Civil War
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, and more.
Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Screenplay by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Comic Book by: Mark Millar Based on Characters Created by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Music by: Henry Jackman
Premise: The United Nations has introduced a measure to make the Avengers missions fall under an oversight committee. Split on whether this would be a good thing or not, the team suffers a further rift when a bomb explodes during the UN meeting to ratify the measure and a grainy picture of someone resembling Bucky is caught on camera. The UN puts out a find and kill order, but Cap wants to try to bring him in alive. But there's more going on than any of them realize. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of our favorite people are back and we meet some new ones as well. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are great together as their characters' strong wills clash even as they desperately try to cling to their friendship. Scarlett Johansson can speak volumes with a raised eyebrow! Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa was a great choice. And loved to see Martin Freeman thrown into the mix as well. (Especially since his partner Sherlock will be the next Dr. Strange!)
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots to love from the special effects department! The sequence with Tony Stark as an eighteen year old looked just like him! Amazing work.
All the mix of tech and super powers in mass battle looked awesome. Especially with Antman's couple of surprises at the airport. Talk about a battle! Ant-man playing inside Tony's armor? Priceless.
The russian lab and the underwater supermax prison were very cool. Both look super tough. And all of Falcon's awesome toys - I want them! Drool.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I'd worried a bit about the plot from what I'd seen in the previews. But overall it wasn't as bad as I'd feared it might be and they did have several surprises. As usual, though, the devil is in the details - and the details tend to be the first thing ignored when it gets in the way of causing trouble. One grainy photo and no one bothers to do actual research and police work? Please. Later it happens, but not where it should have. Most won't notice the oversight as the non-stop action goes at super speed.
Another minor issue is lack of communication - even amongst willful guys. It was yet another convenient item left out until too late - no one even tried saying Bucky didn't do it even after he told Cap as much. They were busy, but not that busy. And no one even tried to prove it one way or the other.
A lot of the driving force on the plot is the first initial rift with regards to the UN and the perceived lack of caring by the Avengers. While all these items kept getting brought up about how people were killed and things were destroyed, not once did anyone even try to point out how many more would have died had Wanda done nothing, or how many thousands would have been hurt or killed if they'd let the bad guys run off with the infectious disease they stole. Ultron or the aliens - hundreds of thousands to millions of dead if gone unchecked. While I grieve, and so do the heroes, for the deaths of the innocents, how many more would there have been if the Avengers did nothing? Reality bites, but the facts should not be ignored either.
Aside from that, the driving emotions and personalities seemed pretty spot on. Though the fact they wait to the very end for someone to finally mention Bucky is a VICTIM was yet another omission for convenience. So while I understood Tony's rage, I couldn't quite see that he'd go as far as he did because he knew about Bucky's brainwashing. But for whatever reason friends against friends seem to be the thing in all the plots lately.
Ton of fun moments! Ton of awesome one liners! Great introduction for the Black Panther! Lots of fun interaction between the characters. And I loved Cap's note to Tony at the end and Tony's indirect, yet totally meaningful response.
Oh, and Spidey's suggestion from that "old movie" and them doing it? Awesome!
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Between the hand-to-hand combat, car chases, stairwell chases, air chases, and more - there is a ton to love from the stunt department. Real and imagined. :)
5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Lovely job on the cinematography. Cool angles and some lovely sweeping scenes so we could enjoy the action from any number of vantage points. Nice!
Conclusion: "Captain America: Civil War" is filled with awesome CGI work and magnificent battles and chases. A few bits were a little contrived, but they were in the minority and there were definitely unexpected surprises. This was a fun ride! (Two extra scenes so stay all the way through the credits!)
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again!)
May 4, 2016
Picture Kaleidoscope 5/4/16
Morning!
The weather here has been flip flopping like mad. But it has made for some gorgeous sunrises! :)
Like melting butter!
Building storms. Wind's been pretty strong.
Sky blanket! (Windows are dirty. :( )
An even fluffier blanket!
Love the color layers. (Window still dirty. Come on guys! Clean this thing!)
Roiling cloud bank! Like for an alien invasion? :P
Storms are a coming!
As darkness falls....
Love the way the light shifts all over the place.
Alright, I'll quit torturing you now. :P Have a great day!
The weather here has been flip flopping like mad. But it has made for some gorgeous sunrises! :)
Like melting butter!
Building storms. Wind's been pretty strong.
Sky blanket! (Windows are dirty. :( )
An even fluffier blanket!
Love the color layers. (Window still dirty. Come on guys! Clean this thing!)
Roiling cloud bank! Like for an alien invasion? :P
Storms are a coming!
As darkness falls....
Love the way the light shifts all over the place. Alright, I'll quit torturing you now. :P Have a great day!
May 2, 2016
Mind Sieve 5/2/16
Happy Monday!
Fan Fun
Approaching the Unknown Official Trailer #1 - more space movies! Yay!
X-Men Apocalypse Final Trailer - it's going to be messy! :P
A Monster Calls Official Trailer #2 - this looks awesome!
Social Media/Author PlatformGoogle AMP: What Bloggers Need to Know by Michael Stelzner at the SocialMedia Examiner. Oh! This is like - IMPORTANT! Eek!
Writing AdviceHow Strong is Your Dialogue? How to Fix Common Dialogue Problems by Alex Limberg at Kristen Lamb's blog.
Brain Science: How Do You Imagine? by Jami Gold. A totally fascinating topic! Thanks for sharing this, Jami!
May you have a calm and easy week! (I'm not - so you need to have one for me! Heh heh.)
Fan Fun
Approaching the Unknown Official Trailer #1 - more space movies! Yay!
X-Men Apocalypse Final Trailer - it's going to be messy! :P
A Monster Calls Official Trailer #2 - this looks awesome!
Social Media/Author PlatformGoogle AMP: What Bloggers Need to Know by Michael Stelzner at the SocialMedia Examiner. Oh! This is like - IMPORTANT! Eek!
Writing AdviceHow Strong is Your Dialogue? How to Fix Common Dialogue Problems by Alex Limberg at Kristen Lamb's blog.
Brain Science: How Do You Imagine? by Jami Gold. A totally fascinating topic! Thanks for sharing this, Jami!
May you have a calm and easy week! (I'm not - so you need to have one for me! Heh heh.)
May 1, 2016
Virtual Tourist - FF XIV 5/1/16
Morning all!Final Fantasy XIV
Eastern Thanalan
Main Storyline - Primal Ifrit
Temugg Zoh is not happy my brain was not fried upon seeing his god. Hah!
Standing my ground!
Someone is angry!
Tarrah defiant!
Crystal Affinity GO!
Livia sas Junius - evil watcher of events. One of the ones responsible for current affairs. Boo!
Ifrit sent home! Bwahahaha!Eastern Thanalan
Highbridge
Some really cool ruins at Highbridge. Easily missed, but awesome if you see them!
An even better view! I wanna go down there! But you can't. :(
Is this a weird scarecrow or what?
Weirdest looking sheep ever, no? :P
Nice little outpost too! Love the windmill. I believe that is Ul'dah in the distance?Have an awesome Sunday!
Eastern Thanalan
Main Storyline - Primal Ifrit
Temugg Zoh is not happy my brain was not fried upon seeing his god. Hah!
Standing my ground!
Someone is angry!
Tarrah defiant!
Crystal Affinity GO!
Livia sas Junius - evil watcher of events. One of the ones responsible for current affairs. Boo!
Ifrit sent home! Bwahahaha!Eastern ThanalanHighbridge
Some really cool ruins at Highbridge. Easily missed, but awesome if you see them!
An even better view! I wanna go down there! But you can't. :(
Is this a weird scarecrow or what?Weirdest looking sheep ever, no? :P
Nice little outpost too! Love the windmill. I believe that is Ul'dah in the distance?Have an awesome Sunday!
April 29, 2016
Movie Review - Ratchet and Crank
Ratchet and Clank
Starring: James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward, Rosario Dawson, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Dean Redman, Armin Shimerman, Sylvester Stallone, Alessandro Juliani and more.Directed by: Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland Written by: T.J. Fixman, Kevin Munroe, and Gerry Swallow Cinematography by: Anthony Di Ninno Music by: Evan WisePremise: Ratchet has admired the Galactic Rangers since he was little. So when a chance pops up to try and join during a recruitment campaign in his backwater world, he's eager to go. His carefree past, however, proves a giant stumbling block. At least until he makes the unexpected acquaintance of a small defective robot he calls Clank. Suddenly, Ratchet finds himself dumped in the path of one of the biggest threats to the Galaxy and another chance at his dream. (Rated PG)Review:1.Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Loads of great voice talents for this one. Loved Paul Giamatti as Chairman Drek - so ruthless and so dense. Heh heh. Armin Shimerman brought some nice lunacy into evil Dr. Nefarious. Sylvester Stallone was too fun as Victor Von Ion. Rosario Dawson did great as Elaris - just a touch of manic in there for flavor. Jim Ward, James Arnold Taylor, and David Kaye meshed quite nicely together as our three principal characters!2. Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: We saw the film in 3D - CGI always converts quite nicely to the medium. They had some cool 3D moments and used it to good effect. The space shots were lovely! The 3D also made for some fast moves down a narrow canyon. The animation was quite detailed and came across very well. Ratchet's fur looked fluffy and soft while Captain Qwark looked as superficial as his personality. :P Elaris' horns/hair were very reminiscent of Galaxy Quest. :)Some lovely color palettes used to good effect especially for subtext. Blues and Greens were for good, reds and oranges for bad. This placed Ratchet somewhat in the middle before joining the Rangers, which was rather apt with his tendency to get into trouble. 3. Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The Ratchet and Clank film is based on a PlayStation game from 2003 (and has had several sequel games). As such, the film is filled with tons of lovely snark. They even do a countdown at the beginning to the evil speech. :P Several themes are used/explored in the film - belonging, responsibility, big dreams, that friendship runs both ways, as well as the fickleness of fame and addiction to it. Best of all, the little biases that can cause so much harm to others. The plot is pretty straight forward with a few small surprises and lots of subtext and snark. They even make fun of the Wilhelm scream. lol. Chairman Drek was both brilliant and dense - and his minions are social media fools! lol. Dr. Nefarious is so insane he actually made mad science work! (Loved the Sheep-i-nator!)A couple of items are a little far fetched (rust takes time guys!), but it is enough fun it's easily overlooked. Once the film shows the voice actors names at the end, there's a bit more (and more snark) then one last bit after all the credits. Well worth it. Heh heh.Conclusion: Ratchet and Clank is a fun ride full of snark and cute little moments. The lovely animation made the cool gadgets, guns, spaceships and space look awesome.Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward, Rosario Dawson, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Dean Redman, Armin Shimerman, Sylvester Stallone, Alessandro Juliani and more.Directed by: Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland Written by: T.J. Fixman, Kevin Munroe, and Gerry Swallow Cinematography by: Anthony Di Ninno Music by: Evan WisePremise: Ratchet has admired the Galactic Rangers since he was little. So when a chance pops up to try and join during a recruitment campaign in his backwater world, he's eager to go. His carefree past, however, proves a giant stumbling block. At least until he makes the unexpected acquaintance of a small defective robot he calls Clank. Suddenly, Ratchet finds himself dumped in the path of one of the biggest threats to the Galaxy and another chance at his dream. (Rated PG)Review:1.Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Loads of great voice talents for this one. Loved Paul Giamatti as Chairman Drek - so ruthless and so dense. Heh heh. Armin Shimerman brought some nice lunacy into evil Dr. Nefarious. Sylvester Stallone was too fun as Victor Von Ion. Rosario Dawson did great as Elaris - just a touch of manic in there for flavor. Jim Ward, James Arnold Taylor, and David Kaye meshed quite nicely together as our three principal characters!2. Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: We saw the film in 3D - CGI always converts quite nicely to the medium. They had some cool 3D moments and used it to good effect. The space shots were lovely! The 3D also made for some fast moves down a narrow canyon. The animation was quite detailed and came across very well. Ratchet's fur looked fluffy and soft while Captain Qwark looked as superficial as his personality. :P Elaris' horns/hair were very reminiscent of Galaxy Quest. :)Some lovely color palettes used to good effect especially for subtext. Blues and Greens were for good, reds and oranges for bad. This placed Ratchet somewhat in the middle before joining the Rangers, which was rather apt with his tendency to get into trouble. 3. Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The Ratchet and Clank film is based on a PlayStation game from 2003 (and has had several sequel games). As such, the film is filled with tons of lovely snark. They even do a countdown at the beginning to the evil speech. :P Several themes are used/explored in the film - belonging, responsibility, big dreams, that friendship runs both ways, as well as the fickleness of fame and addiction to it. Best of all, the little biases that can cause so much harm to others. The plot is pretty straight forward with a few small surprises and lots of subtext and snark. They even make fun of the Wilhelm scream. lol. Chairman Drek was both brilliant and dense - and his minions are social media fools! lol. Dr. Nefarious is so insane he actually made mad science work! (Loved the Sheep-i-nator!)A couple of items are a little far fetched (rust takes time guys!), but it is enough fun it's easily overlooked. Once the film shows the voice actors names at the end, there's a bit more (and more snark) then one last bit after all the credits. Well worth it. Heh heh.Conclusion: Ratchet and Clank is a fun ride full of snark and cute little moments. The lovely animation made the cool gadgets, guns, spaceships and space look awesome.Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
