Marvel Collector Corps: Fall/October 2015 Villians Box

Yeah, I don't post much any more but I still get the itch to post something.  I'm also late to the Marvel Collector Corps scene.  I've gotten a few free boxes from Loot Crate but was always underwhelmed and never bothered to pay to re-up the subscriptions.  But with Collector Corps, I have a sense that I will get something that I will be interested in.

So here's the first subscription box I have received: the Fall / October 2015 VILLIANS themed box.

"Couldn't see me as Spider-Man but now I'm spittin' Venom" - Childish Gambino

I can't say that I have ever been a collector of badges or pins, but I must say that this Red Skull badge is seems pretty high quality.  Not sure what I'll do with the Green Goblin pin.

 As far as the vinyls, there's three in this delivery.  Not sure if everyone will get the same so YMMV.

These DORBZ are not my favorite style of vinyl, they are way too kawaii for me personally.

As for the Pop! Exclusive I got a character from Twilight.  Not going to lie, I had no idea who Morbius is until I Google'd him.  I wish it was a more well-known character (well, known to me): Mr. Sinister, Apocalypse, Omega-Red.

Also included was a Picket Pop! Keychain of Venom.  I feel like this themed box could have been called 'Spider-Man Villians.'








 And finally the item that I will get the most use out of the t-shirt:

 Pretty cool sketch style art, would have preferred it without all the extra text the character names and descriptions are distracting.  Man, why couldn't the Pop! figure have been a Thanos exclusive variant!?

The Rains of Castamere...

Some people seem to be all pissy about last Sunday's Game of Thrones episode.  How do you think all the readers felt reading that chapter line by line??  I'm glad I read the whole series last summer, I know what to expect and it still doesn't ruin the show for me.

It is nice to see how they translate the book to the show.  There are inconsistencies but they are minor enough that they do not ruin the whole experience.  Well, except for the part where Catelyn seems to have actually cared for Jon Snow.  I have come to really hate her character in the book and when the episode showed her talking about trying to like Snow, I had to instant message my friend and double check to see if that ever happened in the books.  It didn't and Catelyn is still a b.

I cannot believe that the last episode of the season is upon us already.  It's going to be an AWESOME episode!

Terra (Terrestrials #1) Book Report.

Oh no, not another dystopian young adult novel you say.  Well, I think it's better than those other dark YA novels.  You know the ones with the monochromatic covers, if there is any color involved, it usually involves a rose or flower of sorts.

Although I am not the best source for YA novels, I have read the The Hunger Games and Divergent series.  And they all seem to be built upon the same premise.

Here's the ingredient list for non-vampire related YA novels:
1 - a post-apocalyptic world
1 - structured caste system
1 - a "typical" teenage female who belongs in the lower rung of society
1 - male character who becomes the love interest
1 - strange set of circumstances which leads said female to become the heroine

There are a lot of structural similarities between these three novels, fortunately, Terra is able to distance itself well enough to keep my interest.  

I did have some questions after finishing the book.  These are not technically spoilers since the Amazon book description includes these details, but whatever, you've been warned.

My first question is, how high in the atmosphere are the skydwellers living?  This leads me to my second question, if they are as high as I assume they are from reading, wouldn't all the scraps the scavengers look for burn up in the atmosphere?

Overall, Terra is a quick and entertaining read.  If you are a fan of The Hunger Games or Divergent, you would definitely appreciate the Gretchen Powell's take on a dystopian world.  Now I am on to my next book: The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.  

The Best Google Nexus 7 Case Isn't Actually a Google Nexus 7 Case...

Yeah, went all philosophical on your asses with the title but it is true, the one and only case I would only recommend for Nexus 7 tablets is actually a case I used with one of my past tablets.

Poetic Nexus 7 Case

The first style case design is by Poetic.  It holds the tablet by sliding it in and securing it shut with the flap and velcro.  This makes it too bulky for my personal taste.  I also don't like the bezel being covered in this ugly pleather.  It also isn't very snug so the edges rise up a little, hopefully later variations of this case have fixed that issue.

Another reason I bought this case was it's rotating feature.  Landscape mode is great and all, but sometimes you need to put it in portrait mode to crush your friends in 'Words with Friends.'

 

 The way the case rests when in portrait mode isn't the most stable, you have to make sure you don't press on the tablet too hard or it will dislodge from the cases ridges and your tablet will do a trust-fall on your desk.  

This particular case doesn't have the auto sleep/awake feature, which isn't a deal breaker for me.  It also has holes for the speakers.  Unfortunately, the one main feature I was looking for, rotating view, is also one of it's biggest downfalls.  The case uses a thick metal swivel for the rotation feature and it bulges out.  It swivels very easily too, if you have the case wide open, laying flat on a table, you can spin the tablet like a spinner, like a Twister selector.  This kind of sucks when you're laying down in bed reading, and you loosen your grip for one instant and the tablet swings into your face

Clamp Style Case

 

Here's a real first-world dilemma, if I want a rotating Nexus case, I have to use a quite fugly, bulky looking case.  The other option is to forgo the rotating feature in place of a clamp style case.  It has a sturdy hand strap, but a really thin strap to secure the case when it is closed.

The clamps do a good job of keeping the case secure, but in order to use the tablet in landscape mode, you have to disengage the bottom two clamps.  I can't see these two clamps maintaining their grip when you're constantly moving the tablet in and out of these two clamps.

The case is thin and clean looking.  It has holes for the speakers and the auto awake/sleep mode. 

Rotating HTC Flyer/View 4G Case

Thankfully, I had an extra rotating case from one of my last tablets, the HTC View (Flyer).  The HTC View is actually thicker than the Nexus 7, but otherwise it has the same dimensions. 

The tablet fits snugly and is very secure. Quite frankly, it looks much cleaner than the previous clamp style.

It doesn't wobble when you use your tablet in portrait or landscape mode.

The case has a perfect cut out for the micro-USB slot, even the slot for the Nexus 7 power button and volume rocker is in the same spot as the HTC View's volume buttons.  Unfortunately, you do have to cut the case to get better access to the Nexus' volume button and I did not have much finesse when I did this, but it works and the case isn't falling apart.  There aren't any holes in the case for the Nexus' speaker, and I didn't want to ruin the structural integrity of the case by doing so.  You can still hear the speaker pretty well and it's not like you're using this tablet because it has a "rocking sound system," so this isn't really a big deal.

The swivel motion is fluid but there is enough friction in the movement, that the tablet won't swing on its on. Sorry if the pictures and text show up all wonky, multiple picture and Blogger don't get along. So in the end, the best case for the Google Nexus 7 tablet is actually a case made for the HTC View/Flyer. With a little modification for the volume buttons, this case delivers.

Ruby Sparks Minus the Spark... "This is not a love story."

Last night after work, I met up with my library friends to watch "Ruby Sparks."  To be honest, I only ended up watching it because of peer pressure.  The trailers for it did not catch my interest at all.

Looking at all of the reviews popping up, a lot of them mentioned "500 Days of Summer," a movie I really enjoyed.  So I figured, what the hell, you never know, I might actually enjoy it.  Yeah, whoever mentions the two films in the same regard should never be trusted when it comes to movie reviews or anything at all.

I was so disappointed with the movie, that I had to watch "500 Days of Summer" today.  I can see why people could mention the two.  Ruby is a wannabe of Zooey's character Summer.  They share so many similar physical qualities.  I liked Ruby a lot more than Paul Dano's main character, Calvin.  I wanted to reach out and punch Calvin through the screen so many times.  Within the first few minutes into the movie, I knew I hated him.  He doesn't come off as a likeable guy, something you kind of need in a so-called "romantic" movie.  Other small similarities: both main characters drive an old BMW and the use of French music in the soundtrack.

My second regret of last night, after wasting money on this movie, was not having a third Long Island Ice Tea before watching it.

What Not to Wear...

I'm not going to lie, I'm a fan of TLC's "What Not to Wear."  I used to watch it on the regular back in the day.  My favorite part of the show is when they have that one person who swears up and down that they dress perfectly fine, but when they step into that 360 mirror, you see them begin to question their own judgement.   My librarian friends and I have been conspiring for awhile now about putting  a coworker, (or two, okay, a couple) up for the show.  It seems like the best way to meet Stacy London or Clinton Kelly.

IMPOSTERS!

So when I came across this title during my weeding report, I was more than disappointed to not see that Stacy nor Clinton were on the cover.  Let's take a look at what these charlatans have to offer.

Yes, this does say you "don't want to fuss too much with my clothes," which is why you just wear a jacket and nothing under it. 
These two have nothing on my Stacy and Clinton.

My Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

Like a Boss.. a bra-less boss.

So in conclusion, the number #1 style tip from  What Not To Wear for Every Occasion: Le Brassiere...

Google Nexus 7 Tablet: First Impression...

Bibliotecher Tablet Count: #6 & #7...

This morning I was able to find the Nexus 7, N7, available at a local store.  Needless to say, it took me all of 10 seconds before I had two in my cart for in-store pick up.  The hustler in me wanted to buy more but I restrained myself, funny thing, because when I went to the counter to pick mine up, I saw 6 tablets reserved for one person.  With such a high demand, I'm surprised the store didn't have a "1 per customer" limitation.

The packaging is clean and it comes with a quick start guide, a wall charger, and a ridiculously short USB cable.  From tip to top the USB cable measures ~38.5 inches.  That just good enough to plug into the surge protector on my floor and reach my bedside table, unfortunately, it won't extend to where I can use it in bed.  Also, I have a multiport USB charger that has worked with both of my phones, HTC Inspire 4G and Samsung S2, as well 3 different tablets: HTC Flyer, HTC View, HP Touchpad.  For some reason the Nexus will not charge at all.  The multiport charger is rated at 2.1A while the bundled Asus one at 2.0A. I'm going to have to do more research on other multiport USB chargers.

The N7 is a little over 4 grams lighter than my HTC Evo View 4G, it may not sound like much but when it comes to this tablet size, you can feel the difference.  I like the 7" tablet size for bedside reading.  It's thinner than my HTC Evo View, but then again, the HTC has a rear facing camera.  But then again, I only have used it once, same with the front facing camera.

I am a little disappointed that there is not MicroSD card support with the N7.  Seems that everyone is using "the cloud" for their files.  The screen resolution is worlds better than the HTC.  Everything is so much crisper.  Playing videos through the YouTube app is nice and clear, the speaker is decent, it's not going to rock the house but you have to keep your expectations grounded. 

Everything about the N7 is quick and smooth, I cannot wait to use this daily.  I'm really digging it and I am getting ready to transfer all my games and files over from my HTC Evo View to sell it.  It took less than 12 hours to find a buyer and make a transaction for the other N7 I bought.  Maybe I should have bought more, now I just need to get my hands on an Asus Infinity TF700!

I Don't Always Buy Books for Myself...

But when I do, it's usually something stupid/silly that I enjoy.

Over the weekend while getting drunk with a bunch of librarian-friends, one of them told me that earlier in the day, she "bought a book that would make me jealous."  My response was, "The Archer book?"  At first she was surprised, then she realized that her shock was unfounded.  I'm not always one of the first to catch a great TV series from it's beginning (Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Development) with the exception of Community, Modern Family, and Archer.

I haven't read a book that made me laugh so much since Bossypants.  Then again, I'm pretty sure that The Art of Racing in the Rain and Unbroken weren't meant to be funny or I have completely let down all of my past English teachers by completely misinterpreting "the author's hidden message."

My friend also looked for an audio-version but alas, you can't have it all.  I just had to read it in the characters' voices.  If anyone out there can get an audio-version produced, I will forever be grateful.  It would be a guaranteed cash-cow. I mean, have you listened to Samuel L. Jackson's reading of "Go the F*ck to Sleep"???  He put that book in the DDDDAAAANNNGGGGEEEERRR ZZZZZOOOOONNNNEEEEE...

Top Gear Review: Stuck in Neutral...

I am grateful for all things British: fish and chips, The Office, and Aston Martins to name a few.

But the American-ized 'Top Gear' is pure rubbish. I am not even halfway through watching the premier episode and I am utterly ashamed. I love the o'g BBC Top Gear and this one is a disgrace.

The scenes and editing are just not as slick as the BBC version. Bring on the fish eye lenses.

The hosts have no personality. The show could use some attitude a la Anthony Bourdain, some balls like Andrew Zimmerman, and some humor like Mike Rowe (sorry for the Travel Channel references but its the best I could do).

And for a character that doesn't say anything, I feel like they've ruined The Stig. Don't ask me how, but the U.S. Stig sucks.

For being the country that brought automobiles to the masses, this show is the Model-T version compared to the BBC's DB9.

P.S.
To the wardrobe department, enough with the plaid, good grief, the rest of the world will think Americans dress like the Brawny guy.

'This Book is Overdue ?'

Okay, so I got suckered into reading this book.  And like other books in the past that I don't like, I made myself suffer through it.

This was recommended by a few of my MLIS professors (shocker right?).  I always enjoyed reading books recommended by my business professors (The World is Flat, Superfreakonomics).  So I figured I might as well see what all this talk is about.

I placed myself on the somewhat long holds list, thinking that, okay, if there are this many holds, it must be a decent read right?

WRONG!  After I checked this awfully disappointing book back in, I took a look at the holds list.  EVERYONE on the list either was either a library employee, retiree, or a volunteer.

The whole thing read like some ALA-produced propaganda, "Libraries are great, Librarians are the best...etc."  I would have been okay with it, but there was a lack of support for these statements.  Not only that, but this was exclusively aimed at the public library, what about the rest of the "Superhero Librarians?"  No love for Academic Librarians, or any of the various Embedded Librarians?  She also has some strange fascination that there are librarians who cuss and have tattoos and who overall do not fit into the stereotype. 



My number one argument about why this book completely sucks is that there is one whole chapter on Second Life.  Seriously, I am sick of hearing about librarians on Second Life like it's the savior of the career.  Okay, so I understand from the few MLIS classes I have taken that librarians, in general, were not the quickest to jump onto the Google ship, which is now a huge regret they have, besides the fact that librarians should have created Google.  And for some reason, some librarians heard about Second Life and jumped on that bandwagon in the hopes that it would be the next biggest thing.  I'm sorry, but I personally only know one person who is one Second Life and she had to join because it was required for one of her MLIS classes.  She quickly deleted her account once the semester was over.

The only people saying that Second Life is the next future front for librarianship are LIBRARIANS.  You cannot justify that it is relevant because the only people Second Life librarians are helping are OTHER librarians on SL.


This book is utterly disappointing, thank goodness I didn't pay for it, LIBRARIES ROCK! : \