Series #8: My love-hate relationship with Dr. Who

February 26, 2015

Hi Gang!
 Today, I'm going to talk about why I am four seasons behind on Dr. Who. When I first started Dr. Who, I loved it. It was such a cool interesting idea, a television program that had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't understand how so many knitters watched it and got projects done, I was at the edge of my seat on every episode. I would wake up early on days when I didn't have to do anything, scurry down to the television in the living room, with my comforter, and snacks, and watch Dr. Who, for hours.
 I binged the first season. Then the second. Then I came across a problem. All of the characters that I thoroughly enjoyed encountered issues. I didn't like the way the Companions were being treated. In fact, I started to have real issues with the way the Companions were just being used and tossed away when he was done with them. When he found Martha, I was overjoyed. BBC was good at having diverse extras, but very rarely are they lead characters, or even characters that were going to be around for the next couple of episodes.

- Martha has been the only companion that the Doctor has forgotten who he was and she was stuck as a slave/maid, until he recovered. As a woman of color, I saw a real issue with this, it took me about a month to start watching again.

- He invites Women to travel with him, and then when he tires of them, just drops them off in the spot where he found them. I feel like he kind of uses them, and then when he's done he tosses them away like an old newspaper.

- The way he just sent Rose off to a whole new dimension, and all that hard work for her to get back only to be sent back, with a copy of her doctor? 1/2 upset, 1/2 happy. I was very torn by the season 4 finale. Half happy that Rose gets to be with the "doctor", half upset, because she's basically getting a carbon copy. Even though, Rose ends up happy, I feel like she deserved better.

- I think my biggest pet peeve so far, has to be the way they treated Donna. By far, my absolute favorite Companion, and I feel like she got screwed the worse. She was the only companion that didn't fall in love with the Doctor, She was able to save the Tardis, and pretty much the world, and then her reward? She quickly becomes insane because of the amount of knowledge and has her mind erased? Which I guess, wouldn't have been so bad, but it was the way they left her. All Superficial and "clueless" like chatting away on her cell phone. It was like they gave her power, and realized it after the fact, and then stripped it away from her, leaving her a superficial stereotypical woman. It pissed me off so much, that I have not returned it.  I'm pretty sure they're on season 8 now right?

 50 years of the Doctor, he regenerates, but has not become a person of color, OR a woman? I am uncertain if I will return to the series, the way they did Donna, it just made me feel so helpless as a female watcher.

le Sigh,
Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel,
~Gabriella!~

10 Favorite Instagram Accounts

February 24, 2015

Hi Gang!
  When I'm not blogging, or on twitter, I spend the rest of the time on Instagram. I love it, I get to see and learn about new people, and I am so inspired by all the people I follow. I follow 1092 accounts but I'm going to put together a list of  my favorite accounts!

- @blobyblo: Tablo from Epik High. One of my favorite groups of all time, The Epik High crew, and  backstage photos of his thought processes, now granted, Instagram doesn't have a translate button, so I can't understand what he's saying, but that doesn't deter me from enjoying his photos!

- @bettyfelon: She writes for Comics Alliance, and runs Fashion Tips from Comic Strips, a fashion blog that denotes trends in Comic books, and dupes that can be found online. I've been following her since I found her on Tumblr in '11, She's one of my favorites, nice sense of humor, great style and a fan of Video Games, Batman and Comics, She's A-ok in my book.

- @saboteursuicide: A suicidegirl from Atlanta, and an amazing artist! I have such a huge girl crush on her, I adore all her art, and she recently started doing tarot cards, I hope she does an entire deck, I would totally buy them! She makes these kick ass painted Globes, and you can find them here.

- @captaindangerous: Dangerous Pixel's Photographer. Videogames, and ethereal woodland photography, she's awesome. I love the photos she does with Legend of Zelda Action figures and such. They are just so freaking adorable!

- @_picolo: An artist, whose drawings make me smile. Last year he did a 365 drawing, a new one everyday. His talent is impeccable. Definitely something for you to check out.

- @izzknit: Seamstress and knitwear designer. Her posting is sporadic, but every time she does pop up, I instantly read what she has to say. I adore her pieces, I wish I could knit like her.

- @fringesupplyco: A company that creates tools and accessories for knitters and crocheters. Their photos are so beautifully choreographed, I find myself looking at them for quite some time before I realize it.

- @andisatt: Andi runs the incredibly helpful knitting blog Untangling Knots, and her Instagram is an extension of that. Small helpful tips, when you are in a bind, full of knitting inspiration and it keeps you up to date when she releases new patterns.

- @steamedeggs: A cosplayer, whose costumes, I thoroughly enjoy. Her profile is full of  Work in Progress photos, plushie's she'd made, and differnt conventions she's been too. She's Definitelly on of my favorite to look through.

- @winklebeebee: There's at least new art every two days! Her art is so bright and vibrant, I adore them! I was actually in talks about getting a top secret commission done with her, that's how much I adore her stuff. I've just been so inspired by her art, it's made me wanna attempt some drawing as well, but we all know how piss poor that would be.

 Well there you have it! My top 10 favorite Instagram Accounts to "Stalk", I hope you guys find some people on here that you didn't know about and follow them, because they are all worth a link. While you're there, don't forget to follow me! Just a thought, Until Next time Gang.

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel,
~Gabriella!~

5 Internet Things I'm Grateful For.

February 19, 2015

Hi Gang!
  I'm back and today, I am going to write about things that the internet offers that most people take for granted that I am so grateful exist. This lists items such as memes and also people because my internet scouring usually includes bloggers, youtubers, photographers and gamers that interest me.

05. Google Translate. I browse the internet in Google Chrome, simply because I am a Blogger blogger and I love how easy it is for everything to be in one place. When I'm on my Ipad, I also attempt to browse in Google Chrome, even though it came with Safari. The Google Translate Function is automatic a good portion of the time, so much so that sometime's I don't even realize the blog is in another language until I attempt to bring it up/view it somewhere else. Without Google Translate, I wouldn't be able to enjoy kick ass blogs such as: LazyKat or We are Knitters!

04. Hulu/Netflix. I absolutely adore the fact that I can watch movies, Korean dramas, Super old television programs, cartoons and anime on Hulu/Netflix. I chose them both, because they have equally great qualities. Netflix, has great movies and full episodes of Tv Programs, like the Flash, Arrow, Pretty Little Liars (albeit a season behind.) Hulu, allows me to watch things that aren't easily found like Subtitled anime; Brother's Conflict, Assassination Classroom, Korean Dramas. Old television shows and cartoons like: Milton the Monster, Danger Mouse, and Ellery Queen.

03. Bloglovin. It allows me to keep all my blogs in one place. I come across and read so many blogs a day, that it is nearly impossible to keep up with, if I didn't have Bloglovin, my blog registry would just be a complete mess. Like the other day, I had come across Sewaholic and didn't bookmark it, then I tried to go back to it, and couldn't remember the name for the life of me. I was freaking out until I realized that it was on my Bloglovin, I was looking for that blog for a good two full days! Plus, Bloglovin, also helps my readers keep up with me, in one spot.

02. Twitter. Twitter is my morning newspaper, I get all the news I need from my amazing Twitter Feed, especially things that people don't wanna talk about on the regular news, like the NAACP building that got bombed a month or two ago. Or that some amazing person is covering up islamophobic signs with drawn designs of Ms. Marvel. I use twitter to be updated and keep everyone else updated as well. I'm on there almost every day. Especially, when I can't sleep. Follow me if you wanna: I'm @noiremenarie !

01. The free availability to information. There is a reason they call the internet the information highway! I love how easy it is to learn something new on the internet. When it was books, you had to at least be in the ballpark of what you wanted to obtain and then search for books related on the topic, Ugh, book research was so much more difficult than the ease we have now. I love that I can just hop on google for literally anything that I wanna know. That's why I browse with so many tabs open, because I literally found things that I want to learn more about on every page I visit.

P.S. Make sure to visit Nerdette at Large (My Youtube Channel) For a new Video Every FRIDAY!

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel,
~Gabriella!~


Au Revoir, Valentine's Day Weekend.

February 16, 2015

Hi Gang!
 I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day whether you spent it with the love of your life, a group of friends, or even just yourself and random movies on Netflix. This Valentine's day was a mish-mash of sorts. Dinner out, Saw a ballet, and copious amounts of Scary movies from the local movie rental place. I originally picked up the scary movies on the 11th, so we could watch them for the 13th, but then I got pulled into an extra shift at work, and the scary movies had to wait until Saturday.
 Saturday, We went downtown with my mother to the Aronoff to see a matinee of Alice (in Wonderland) I enjoyed it, but it wasn't nearly as good as last year, and as a matinee it was almost a lazy reproduction of what we've come to expect at the Cincinnati Ballet. Getting over that, it was a fun experience shared with love ones. There were no dancers to meet, unlike with Wicked, and no merch to be scored. I was rather unimpressed. We skipped across the street to have lunch at Penn Station, and there I scored 1 1/2 Large Fries, my secret weakness.
 The weather was absolutely abysmal and it was so windy, that while waiting for the light to turn green, The truck was shaking something terrible! I was really worried that we were going to be swept away before we could make it to the parking. I don't understand why they want to make downtown the hub of the town, but don't want to provide numerous, safe and affordable places to park! My mother and I had to pay 20 bucks to park! People who parked in a garage only had to pay 7, but they were also waiting in the freezing cold to get their car, even after we had talked for a bit and finished lunch.
 Alex and I had dinner at the Outback, one of our favorite places. We must go there pretty often, the bartender recognized us, and didn't card for our drinks. I got the Filet and Lobster tail, with a side of Shrimp Scampi, Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes, and the Wallaby Darned. It's kind of their take on a Peach Bellini, the first time I'd had it was really good, very peachy. This time, it was kind of lack luster, but Alex tells me that it probably had more alcohol in it this time, for most people I'm sure that was nice, but the next time, I'll definitely ask for more peach.
 I received red velvet Pancake Batter, and Strawberry Sauce, A new Super soft cyan skein of yarn, and the most adorable card ever! It was a great Valentine's Day, even without the gifts! I wore a Strapless Peplum top from Charlotte Russe, and a Pair of Faded Glory Platano Pants and Chocolate Chuck Taylors.

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel
Until Next Time,
~Gabriella!~

Comics Roundup #5: Ten Comics to add to my Pull List

February 12, 2015

Hi Gang!
  The last couple of days have been rife with comic book news! With Convergence and End of Days so near both DC and Marvel have been practically bursting with new additions, and since New 52 is ending, I will definitely need to find something new to read. A lot of the titles that they are introducing sound great, and since I was a bit behind, it will be good to get the continuing titles that I was missing. Thanks to my amazing twitter feed, I've come across a bunch of new comics that I didn't even know was in existence. If you are on twitter Make sure you follow #blackcomicsmonth and #28daysofBlackcosplay !

http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/6/7992463/all-female-avengers-a-force-marvel
https://twitter.com/anniew
http://marvel.wikia.com/Cindy_Moon_(Earth-616)
- Watson and Holmes published by New Paradigm Studios and Written by Karl Boilers. This is a reimagining of Doyle's classic characters, as African-American, in a more urban setting solving unique crimes. The cool thing about this is Holmes doesn't have the run of the show, they equally share the limelight, and the art looks so cool, I'm kind of really excited to read it, Comixology has #1 for 1.99, I'm going to invest, and so should you!


- Black Canary by Brenden Fletcher + Annie Wu. First, this is automatically in my list just because Black Canary is my favorite Heroine, she's getting a "fresh" start in her own solo, and it's written by the awesome man who gave me the New Batgirl and Gotham Academy with Babs Tarr and Becky loonan respectively. I am so stocked for this, why is June so far away?

- Silk #1 by Robbi Thompson + Stacey Lee. This is the perfect opportunity for me, to start fresh with the VAST Spiderman Universe! The art by lee looks amazing, and I really loved the art in Steed and Mrs. Peel, Which I will be picking up later as Well. Silk launches on the 18th of February.

- Spider-Gwen by Jason Latour + Robbi Rodriguez,  Gwen has always been one of my favoirte characters and it will be fun to see her not dead, and saving the world on her own! Plus, I totally dig the art, it's kinda futuristic but still reminds me of the 60's, and it's super colorful, all the things that bring me to a comic in the first place! Sometime this Febraury, I'll be picking it up, I haven't really heard a finitive date.

- A-Force by G. Willow Wilson +  Marguerite Bennet.  Again, I'm in love with the art, and the fact that it's the first all female Avenger's team, GO MARVEL! It gathers Great Marvel women from all over the UNIVERSE! I saw Storm, She Hulk, Jubilee, Rouge, Wasp just to name a few! It launches in may, I guess I'll just have to keep reading X-men, until it comes out.

- Storm by Greg Pak + Victor Ibanez
. I can't believe I just heard about it, it's already on issue 5! It is a must have, I hear the writing is good and the art that I've seen looks good to me. Plus, I am a fan and a woman of Color, I feel like it is my civic duty to read Storm's first Solo run! To me that is so HUGE! It's already on shelves, Grab it from your local, or Comixology!

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel,
Until Next Time,
~Gabriella!~

The Conversation Continues on Twitter! What #comics are you looking forward to?

Handheld Mistress #30: The World Ends With You

February 6, 2015

 Hi Gang!
  So fresh off my Puzzle Fighter High, I decided to switch consoles, and try out the World Ends with you on my 3DS. If this game seems familiar, I actually bought it a year ago, but due to carelessness, I would up leaving it, and a group of games, I played frequently in an old apartment. After getting over the initial depression and disappointment, I decided that I needed to just suck it up and get new copies.
  I couldn't sleep the other night, so I booted it up. A collaboration between Jupiter and Square Enix, it definitely deserves a playthrough. The music is catchy, and it is one of the few games that I play with the sound on. The characters vaguely remind me of  Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, which is actually one of the reasons I was so interested in picking it up in the first place.
  You start as Neku, a boy, with spiky hair and large headphones that wakes up in the middle of Shibuya with a timer etched into his hand, and a cellphone with the mission, Make it to 104 before time runs out or you will be erased. Neku, Shiki, Beat Rhyme and other players have been thrust into the Reaper's Game, to survive one week, completing different missions, before the time runs out and the Reaper's erase them.
  I made it to Day Four this morning, and am thoroughly enjoying the game, I don't think I have mastered it because there are still times, when my battle score is a D or lower, but I am moving through pretty quickly with a fairly low amount of restarts, and issues. I'm in love with the game play, and the ability to melee attack the Noise, instead of Final Fantasy's Tried and True Turned base Battle System.
  Aint Nobody got time for that. It is one of the reasons, I am starting to like this game so much more than Final Fantasy. I'm sure, that maybe now that I am older, and have a bit more patience I might attempt, and maybe even enjoy a Final Fantasy Game from beginning to end, but when it was super Popular, I just didn't have the will power to sit still for that long.
  Noise the monsters that show up in Shibuya UG, have the ability to give pins ( new skills for attacks) or Possess someone, they come in all different shapes, sizes and strengths, and I honestly can't wait to conquer them all. (See what I did there?) All in all, I highly recommend it to anyone with the ability to swipe across there touch screen with a stylus. Since I only have 4 Days of the Week left, I look forward to writing up a finished Post about it soon!

See Ya next Time,
Same Bat Time Same Bat Channel,
~Gabriella!~

Handheld Mistress #29: First Finished Game of the year!

February 3, 2015

Hi Gang!
 I've been playing video games again! The other night, I purchased Puzzle Fighter Turbo II  HD Remix on PSN! If you have a PSN, my gamertag is Shadoette, we should totally play some time. I've been itching to play someone other than Alex and the computer! I've only had the game for two days, and I completed the whole thing! Now it's not like it is the most involved video game, it is a simple puzzler with like 9 levels per difficulty, but I completed each difficulty including EXPERT, with three different characters, I feel like that should be bragged about. Now onto my other games, that haven't even been touched. I'm coming for ya, and posts will be coming up soon!! In the mean time, Enjoy Puzzle Fighter, it really just makes me smile. I am hoping to do a lot more of these posts for the year!! I am hoping that I can start cleaning out my gamer cache and start getting new games.

As Always, the conversation continues on twitter, What games fill up your backlogs?

Until Next Time,
~Gabriella!~

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