gdp's Comments

Mark Reads : Mark Reads 'Bloodhound': Part 22

Mon, 7 Jul 2014 19:49:50 +0000

Zloty is kind of the Polish equivalent of dollars/pounds/euros. Grosz are the equivalent of cents/pence. So maybe the title is referring to the bigger denomination, rather than gold specifically?

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:12:28 +0000

This movie is perfect. It never even crossed my mind to consider it a bad movie.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:42:38 +0000

Way too many. I have a soft spot for bad movies. But the first one that pops into my head is Grease 2. There's spelling in song and the girl wins a talent contest by sitting down in the middle of another song and singing a duet with a ghost...who presumably can be heard by the entire audience. There's also a song dedicated to bowling. What's not to love?

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Sun, 16 Mar 2014 22:20:49 +0000

When did you start reading Mark's site/s? Either when Mark was reading Goblet of Fire or Order of the Phoenix. A friend told me about him. As Mark started posting several reviews a day, we would text each other when a new one went up. I'm the only one who really kept going in the community after HP. How many of his reviews do you read? I read a lot of them months later, but I'm up to date on Tortall, Veronica Mars and The West Wing. Turns out I don't really enjoy reading along (only managed it with The Book Thief) and prefer to read his thoughts on books I already love - the pace doesn't work for me. I either speed right through or I lose interest, though I will often go back and read books he's already done at some point. I do enjoy watching along though. I watched along with BSG, Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse, all for the first time, which made it easier to stay on pace. I keep falling behind on shows I've already seen and am constantly needing to marathon to catch up. How many videos? I only listen to his Tortall books. It's like an audiobook with commentary so I can be doing other stuff and have it on in the background. Plus, this makes it easier for me to keep pace. I just watch all of the week's Tortall videos on Sunday and keep going with my life. Have you met Mark? Not exactly. I went to his first New York event but I had to run out as soon as it was done because I had other plans, so I didn't get to meet him or anybody else who was there. Wish I had. Do your friends/roommates/family/coworkers know who Mark is now? My mom does and I've mentioned him to some friends/coworkers who enjoy reading fantasy, but I don't think they get it. How often do you comment? Almost never anymore, I just don't have the time and I work weird hours. But I commented a bunch during Hunger Games, His Dark Materials, BSG, and all of Whedon's work - mostly because I had a lot to say about Angel's wardrobe.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Sun, 9 Mar 2014 22:12:19 +0000

My phone is dead. Or, more accurately, my battery is useless. It started on Friday when it stopped charging, now it is losing power when it's plugged in. And I need a phone because I work wonky hours, so trains mess up a lot and I need to keep people updated on when I'm arriving so I don't lose my job or have somebody waiting around for 20 minutes to pick me up when I'm stuck a few towns over. I ordered a new battery but it won't be here for 1-2 weeks. So I am borrowing my grandmother's flip phone. On the plus side, I don't have to worry about recharging it for quite a while. But I haven't had a flip phone since...2002. And I took the phone of an elderly woman who may need it for emergency purposes. =/

Mark Watches : Mark Watches 'Veronica Mars': S03E13 - Postgame Mortem

Wed, 5 Mar 2014 02:54:49 +0000

She was also in Fired Up! as the sassy younger sister I think.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Mon, 3 Feb 2014 15:45:36 +0000

Football bores me. I may have enjoyed it more if I wasn't forced to watch games in high school for marching band (which I was also forced to join if I wanted to be in concert band). I love sports movies a lot (actually wrote a whole paper on themes prevalent in most American sports movies for one of my classes in college - got an A, woo!) but I don't want to be watching a show about football every week. I got the whole "it's about so much more than football" lecture and a friend made me watch the first episode...and I was hooked. I still don't like football but I adored the way it was used in the show. There were actually times I thought it could have used more football. And it helped me understand the rules of the game, which is helpful since I still watch from time to time.

Mark Reads : Mark Reads 'Trickster's Queen': Chapter 16

Mon, 3 Feb 2014 15:29:59 +0000

The Trickster books were my introduction to the Tortallverse (I actually received TQ as a present and was considering returning it when I decided to just read TC first instead - never looked back). And this was the chapter where I learned never to trust Tamora Pierce with my favorite characters. In TC, I was sad Mequen died, but he was an adult and he was refusing to listen to Aly's excellent warnings. Not that he deserved to die, but it didn't affect me the way this chapter did. I didn't even have strong feelings about Dunevon or Elsren except sympathy and a vague feeling of liking them. But if Pierce can hurt me this way by killing secondary or even tertiary characters I don't feel particularly attached to, imagine what she can do with my favorite characters. Now whenever I think of Elsren, I get two images: him being super proud to carry in a small basket of his toys in Tenair when his sister was having a tantrum and him being terrified in the sea. Excuse me, brb sobbing. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/GeH8DgO.jpg">

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Sun, 2 Feb 2014 19:37:32 +0000

I'm almost caught up on a bunch of the things Mark is reviewing! Since December, I work PST hours even though I live and work in EST, so I've been having trouble finding a balance. But it's winter and I have no desire to be outside during the winter, so I've been catching up! I'm current with West Wing, Trickster's Queen, and Ella Enchanted (omg so may feelings - I've never read this before). And I'm 5 episodes into Season 2 of Veronica Mars - talk about an emotional roller coaster, so glad I'm watching this show. And...I've seen the first 10 episodes of Supernatural. Well, something had to slip. Soooooooo many emotions. And squealing, lots of that too.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Mon, 20 Jan 2014 21:30:25 +0000

Matt Saracen. He won me over from the start and I just want good things for him. <img src="http://i.imgur.com/eOkaZL2.jpg" width="150"> Shout out to Smash.

Mark Reads : Mark Reads 'Trickster's Choice': Chapter 14

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:34:43 +0000

This is what comes to mind for me too. At work we do these things called "pivot calls" (just calls that we use pivot tables for in excel) and I always think of that scene. Passed it around to my coworkers as well and they're on board. <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhcsxzXSJX1qh17feo1_400.gif">

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 04:24:39 +0000

It probably would have helped if I had chosen the correct version of whose vs. who's. But I like your sci fi reading of it so I'm glad I messed up.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Wed, 11 Dec 2013 04:23:14 +0000

I did! I actually first saw it on this ridiculous Buzzfeed list of cute puppies. I admit, I actually lost an hour of sleep because I was too busy watching every video last night. Totally worth it.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Tue, 10 Dec 2013 22:02:42 +0000

I'm a month into my new job (tomorrow is my one month anniversary!) which is why I've been so completely absent from everything. Highlight I need to share: I called the North Pole. The North Pole. And I spoke to a girl who's dad "works up North" as she put it and legit looks like Santa. Also, this is a thing that exists and is irrelevant. <img src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/1/25/17/anigif_enhanced-buzz-16604-1359151316-0.gif">

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Wed, 4 Dec 2013 03:27:55 +0000

I wrote some fanfic back in middle and high school. I tended to stick with canon couples but I liked one offs to fill in the blanks and longer fics to mess with their lives. Anne of Green Gables: Anne/Gilbert, Walter/Una (but that was more friendship), and just a Walter fic Emily of New Moon: Emily/Teddy (I think, it's been a long time) Witch of Blackbird Pond: Kit/Nat Gilmore Girls: Rory/Jess (must specify, it was going to become a future fic, but I gave up pretty early on)

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Wed, 4 Dec 2013 03:19:59 +0000

You have a living snake!hat in that first one! Also, I have that shirt. And I think that sweater. Possibly those jeans.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Tue, 5 Nov 2013 21:29:43 +0000

Jurassic Park is actually in Brooklyn! And T-Rex travels in herds, herds of one! http://improveverywhere.com/2013/11/05/jurassic-p...

Mark Reads : Mark Reads 'Trickster's Choice': Prologue / Chapter 1

Tue, 5 Nov 2013 14:44:27 +0000

This chapter was the first I ever read by Tamora Pierce. I think you can figure out how I got hooked so quickly. This is chapter one? I'm in. Kel is my forever girl and I maintain that PotS is one of the best written fantasy series out there, but I do enjoy the Trickster books and they will always hold a special place in my heart for being my introduction to the world of Tamora Pierce. It's interesting, having read this series in order now (instead of Trickster, PotS, SotL, Immortals, Doggy books) to see how differently each character interacts with Alanna. To Daine, she was similar to the cool, ass-kicking aunt. To Kel, she's a hero. To Aly, she's the absent mother she loves but can't really relate to because she doesn't see her often enough. We saw way back in Wild Magic how much Alanna's kids loved and missed her. The 4-year old twins and 6-year old Thom (are those the right ages?) raced to greet her when she came back and they were constantly worried about her and her fights against the buge enemies. But time passes and kids become teenagers and they're brats in the way teenagers can be. Alanna being gone all the time certainly doesn't help. Doesn't mean they love each other any less though.

Mark Reads : Mark Reads 'Lady Knight': Epilogue / Prediction Wrap-Up

Fri, 1 Nov 2013 12:33:39 +0000

I love this series so much. And this chapter ends on another way that makes me so happy: Kel ends her tale single and happy <3 Sure, she's ready to go get her flirt on with Dom (and I wholly approve of this plan) but they aren't together yet and it's not like she's missing part of her soul or whatever, which most books make it seem when the female protagonist isn't married or in a serious relationship. Don't get me wrong, I adore Alanna and George but we need more books in the world where females are happily single. Kel being my favorite protagonist just makes it better. If I were her, I'd be happy hanging out with my awesome self as well. I would just like to thank Tamora Pierce for writing this series. As much as I liked Alanna and Daine, I could never relate to them the way I did to Kel. Her strength, persistence, loyalty, sense of humor - I needed to see these things when I was younger. And the loyalty she inspires in others? Ugh, I can't, I have no words. These books were instrumental to me in my teenage years and I still go back and reread them a couple times a year. I don't know that I would have picked up on the destruction of Haven as a parallel to September 11th without reading the afterword but I know it resonated with me. And most of all, I appreciate the grounding in reality this series had, despite the magic and Immortals, which allowed me to feel connected to it in a way that Alanna retrieving the Dominion Jewel couldn't. As Alanna said in Squire, Kel is real, bless her. And she'll always be my forever fictional heroine. <3 Alanna and Daine keep popping up, I hope Kel does in all future Tortall books. I don't know what she's going to do in her life but I'd love to see her journey continue - taking on a squire of her own, becoming training mistress, eventually getting with Dom, being godsmother to Neal's daughter (!), etc. - whatever else the road may have in store for her. I'm ready.

Mark Reads : Mark Reads 'Lady Knight': Chapter 18

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:44:25 +0000

That showdown with Blayce was a little anticlimactic - and I love it for that. Blayce is a common little shit. He doesn't deserve an epic showdown. He's just a disgusting asshole who unfortunately had power but he really is a Nothing Man. My friend who I lent these books to was disappointed with this conclusion. She wanted something grander (she also wanted Joren to be the main antagonist for the entire series). But I love the way Tamora Pierce grounds this series in reality. Most people who dislike you are not going to be a "big bad" like Ozorne - they're just passing obstacles who you focus on in the moment but then they're gone, to be replaced by another jerk. I wouldn't want this series any other way. (Plus we got a big physical battle with Stenmun just before this. I'm all set.) Kel and the Chamber are so sassy to one another. I love it so much. RIP Gil, Connac, Fulcher, Morun, Lofren, Happy, Shepherd, and the other unnamed men and animals. I think Pierce did a fantastic job making me care for these characters so quickly. I knew next to nothing about Fulcher, but I'm still heartbroken that he died. And I thought Connac had been saved when he was sent back with the adult refugees and Merric but somehow he and his men ended up here. They must have traveled with Faleron but since they didn't have his invisibility cloak, they were more at risk. I really like the distinction Kel makes between Blayce's Scanrans and the Scanrans she's been fighting in Tortall. Had she been ordered to attack a castle on Scanran land as a military objective, you know she would have given the Scanran dead some sign of respect. But she doesn't feel these men deserve any, so she gives them to the Stormwings who she now understands aren't evil (she would have come to this conclusion much earlier had she known Rikash). Wyldon gave Kel a kiss on her forehead <3 I just adore the character growth of Wyldon. And this is actually the second time he and Neal have agreed in just this book - although they were both upset by it then as well. I can't believe we only have the epilogue left. I've been waiting to get to this series for a year and now it's almost over. Ugh, I'm not ready to leave Kel behind yet.