Michael*
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Yeah, she's my second favorite character next to the hacker girl. Good summation of Abrams too
as well as the 'family friendly Fringe' description. I haven't read the comics as I'm not as well-read in Marvel as I am with some others.
I tried to post that top 100, but it said I reached the limit
. I did think about best intros independent of the song as well though. I think the cartoons would easily win that one. There's also a lot of shows like Spiral Zone, Extreme Dinosaurs, Iron Man and Mummies Alive that I haven't seen, but would have to be considered.
I believe there was in fact an Agents of SHIELD comic book at one point, but as far as I know, the show doesn't reference it in any way (other than occupying the Avengers universe, that is) - instead it feels more like an original TV show that Joss Whedon came up with, with the Marvel logo slapped on it. It seems to have become a bit of a bone of contention amongst fans, many of whom are giving up on it - which is a shame, as it's been steadily improving week by week. I agree that it took a while to find focus, but watching it evolve into more character-driven stuff has been really quite enjoyable so far.
It'd probably be a thankless task either way (there are so many great ones out there), but separating the list into kids and non-kids themes was an excellent idea. Eases the obvious problem of comparing totally different shows. 
Thanks for the description. I thought the flying flamethrower guy was amusing as well. The Copperhead fight reminded me of Ras Al Gul from the earlier games. If I tap my memory, the most memorable boss to me was probably Clayface. They also did a good job with Catwoman.
So the fake banes are his thugs...that's interesting. So this plot point connects to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City then. Out of curiosity, was there any backstory behind the 2 separated Russian clown twins? (each a giant, and each with only one arm and surprisingly well developed pecs...)
Yeah, it's essentially more of the same Arkham-style gameplay with a dash of cautious innovation thrown in. It doesn’t really offer anything genuinely new or different, which may prove mildly underwhelming for anyone with hopes of seeing the series driven forward in any significant way. If there’s one area where Origins does improve upon City though, it’s the boss battles. They’re handled really well (always seemingly a criticism of the previous games), and each one brings a different challenge that mixes up the rhythm of the fights. I really liked Bane, Joker, Deathstroke and Copperhead. The Firefly confrontation was pretty cool too (something about him gives me serious Metal Gear Solid vibes
After you come into contact with the first Bane lookalike at Blackgate, it transpires that they're actually test subjects for a new venom toxin Bane is working on to counter the unwanted side effects of the old one. The original compound, which is highly addictive and apparently affects Bane's memory, is jettisoned in favour of the new and improved one. At the end, he injects himself with the new stuff, but it only serves to make him worse. He becomes more brutish and animalistic, and makes increasingly poor decisions.
I believe there was in fact an Agents of SHIELD comic book at one point, but as far as I know, the show doesn't reference it in any way (other than occupying the Avengers universe, that is) - instead it feels more like an original TV show that Joss Whedon came up with, with the Marvel logo slapped on it. It seems to have become a bit of a bone of contention amongst fans, many of whom are giving up on it - which is a shame, as it's been steadily improving week by week. I agree that it took a while to find focus, but watching it evolve into more character-driven stuff has been really quite enjoyable so far.
It'd probably be a thankless task either way (there are so many great ones out there), but separating the list into kids and non-kids themes was an excellent idea. Eases the obvious problem of comparing totally different shows.
Ah yes, Thanksgiving! Hope it was a happy and fun one for you guys.
I actually stumbled across this video recently, detailing what the average Brit apparently knows about it (with apologies!)...
I'd probably call its accuracy into question slightly though, since the vast majority of US sitcoms are shown here in the UK, and almost all have Thanksgiving specials. You'd have to be practically oblivious to pop culture to know so little.
That vid sir is priceless 
What do we eat? Turkey (check). Lots of pie (check). Everything in the fridge (check). That segment had some good truth to it I admit But Civil War = Thanksgiving mix-up That one took the cake there but the comment on Abraham Lincoln was not far behind What do they do all day? "They watch company parades, one by McDonald's I believe". More priceless gems of commentary! Good gosh sir thank you so much for that share I need a good laugh
And oh it was a great Thanksgiving here. Food like it was the last supper and enough PIE to put a Brit to shame
Thanks for the description. I thought the flying flamethrower guy was amusing as well. The Copperhead fight reminded me of Ras Al Gul from the earlier games. If I tap my memory, the most memorable boss to me was probably Clayface. They also did a good job with Catwoman.
So the fake banes are his thugs...that's interesting. So this plot point connects to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City then. Out of curiosity, was there any backstory behind the 2 separated Russian clown twins? (each a giant, and each with only one arm and surprisingly well developed pecs...)
Hmm, not sure actually, I don't recall them being given a great deal of backstory, other than being conjoined twins from the Soviet Union who were separated, with one brother joining The Joker’s ranks, the other The Penguin’s. I may be wrong on that though, as it’s been quite a while since I last played ‘City’. I don’t think they were mentioned in ‘Origins’ in any way either, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they turned up in the next-gen Arkham game. 
Just wondering what you thought of Was It Something I Said? if you saw it? I think it took a little while to find its feet, but it got quite good by the end. David Mitchell seemed a little out of place in the hosting chair, but again I think he got more comfortable as it went on.. or maybe I just got used to it
This summer/fall, I dramatically increased my personal library on the war in the USSR and my understanding of it has increased slowly but steadily as well. Through this, I have also learned a little more about Soviet society, state, and people and I am more fully realizing that the seeds of the subsequent Cold war were planted on these battlefields. It also helps that I have received help from a Colonel and others who are experts on these affairs.
I bought the Colonel's book recently: Red Army Armored Commanders: The Armored Guards.
Don't know if you'd be interested, but a few new books I acquired recently that covers the mysteries of this massive war:
'Bloody Triangle, the Defeat of Soviet Armor in the Ukraine'- written from the Soviet view and covers the huge armored warfare (4,000 tanks) that took place before the Nazis took over the country. (late July- August)
Kiev 1941. This summarizes a lot of the most modern research on the first stage of the war.
Unfortunately, these are the military aspects of the situation, and the mass murders and social upheaval must be found elsewhere.
'Masters of Death'- which is a classic on the German SS Death squads- covers the killings of 1941 where, (IIRC) 1. 6 million people were systematically gathered together and executed. Many of these kills were done in Kiev and the Ukraine but this may be 'before' the timeframe of your soccer players. I haven't read the book in ten years but I think they eventually disbanded the gas vans and so forth and went with full blown death camps at around early 1942.
The other possibility is that your soccer players could have been worked to death in the countless construction projects in the Eastern theater. The bulk of labor utilized was local civilians There was a line of defensive fortifications along the Mius River that formed up the gateway into the Ukraine.
I may give some of these a look at some point. Incidentally, I've just been given a WWII-related book to read called 'The Real Great Escape' by Guy Walters - I'm about one third of the way through so far and it's not bad, although there's a distinct lack of motorbikes and Steve McQueen . The central character is Roger Bushell (played by Richard Attenborough as 'Roger Bartlett' in the movie). He and his fellow prisoners face daily dilemmas on whether to sit tight and see out the war as POWs or 'do their duty' by trying to escape and thus, occupying German troops and contributing to the allies' war effort, which makes for a pretty interesting read.
Out of curiosity, any new movies you've been interested in?
Of the movies around at the moment, there are very few I'd consider 'must-sees', but I'm looking forward to seeing 'Desolation of Smaug'. Apparently, it's pretty action-packed and unlike 'Unexpected Journey', it's free of half-hour scenes of the hobbits doing the washing up.
I'm also rather excited about the new Wes Anderson movie 'The Grand Budapest Hotel', though it won't be landing until February.
How about yourself? 
Just wondering what you thought of Was It Something I Said? if you saw it? I think it took a little while to find its feet, but it got quite good by the end. David Mitchell seemed a little out of place in the hosting chair, but again I think he got more comfortable as it went on.. or maybe I just got used to it
Afternoon Don, I trust all's well? 
I must say, I didn’t particularly care for the first episode of 'WISIS', but by the end of the series I’d really grown to like it. Anything with David Mitchell and Richard Ayoade in tandem is almost certainly worthy of anyone’s attention. I thought the latest run of ‘8 Out Of 10 Cats’ was pretty decent too – I was never the biggest Jimmy Carr fan in the world, but I've always enjoyed both Sean Lock and Jon Richardson.
On a slightly different note, I was wondering if you were familiar with Courtney Barnett, a recent musical discovery of mine. I believe she's from your side of the pond...
Afternoon Don, I trust all's well?
I must say, I didn’t particularly care for the first episode of 'WISIS', but by the end of the series I’d really grown to like it. Anything with David Mitchell and Richard Ayoade in tandem is almost certainly worthy of anyone’s attention.
On a slightly different note, I was wondering if you were familiar with Courtney Barnett, a recent musical discovery of mine. I believe she's from your side of the pond...
IndeedAfternoon Don, I trust all's well?
I must say, I didn’t particularly care for the first episode of 'WISIS', but by the end of the series I’d really grown to like it. Anything with David Mitchell and Richard Ayoade in tandem is almost certainly worthy of anyone’s attention.
On a slightly different note, I was wondering if you were familiar with Courtney Barnett, a recent musical discovery of mine. I believe she's from your side of the pond...
I don't mind Jimmy Carr actually - I think he has his moments. I've never seen his stand-up, nor do I think I'd particularly like it, but in the context of panel shows (be it hosting or as a guest) he can be quite funny, and a good counterbalance to the other people there. And like it or not, his weirdo laugh always adds something to proceedings
His 'moment' with Richard in the first episode of WISIS was one of the most memorable of the series actually 
Yeah, I know of Courtney to an extent, but I haven't listened to a whole lot of her. Her song Lance Jr. was played here quite a lot last year. I was meant to see her a few months back actually, supporting Big Scary, but I ended up missing the gig 
Fair point, actually. He's rather witty in the sense that he can fire back at anything that's thrown at him. His laugh is really quite fun to imitate too, I can see why he does it with such regularity.
I've been quite taken with Courtney's EP 'A Sea Of Split Peas' as of late. Her style of music is pretty familiar, but her lyrics have a uniquely charming, freewheeling quality to them, which I really like. Looking forward to hearing the full-length album. What else are you listening to these days?
Just want to very quickly wish everyone health, happiness, peace and wealth for the season and for the new year. A very Merry Christmas to one and all! 
^Yes Miranda, the classic Australian carol "Santa Baby".. 
Fair point, actually. He's rather witty in the sense that he can fire back at anything that's thrown at him. His laugh is really quite fun to imitate too, I can see why he does it with such regularity.
I've been quite taken with Courtney's EP 'A Sea Of Split Peas' as of late. Her style of music is pretty familiar, but her lyrics have a uniquely charming, freewheeling quality to them, which I really like. Looking forward to hearing the full-length album. What else are you listening to these days?
^Yes Miranda, the classic Australian carol "Santa Baby"..
I seem to remember Kylie Minogue doing a version of the song about five or six years ago, but I wasn’t aware she’d claimed it for Australia in the process.
One of the few times he's actually laughed like a normal person:
I've seen Courtney interviewed before, and her lyrical style is quite a reflection of her personality, as you'd expect. I've been a little out of touch in recent months with new music.. I've been revisiting some older stuff. For some reason I've been smashing Noah & The Whale's back catalogue in particular - especially their debut (Laura
). Also been listening to a few other releases from earlier in the year which I overlooked at the time, like the latest ones from She & Him and James Blake. How about yourself?
With regard to new music, I'm playing a bit of catch-up at the moment too; in the last month or so, I've gotten into the latest MGMT effort and Parquet Courts' 'Light Up Gold' in major ways (both of which I was a slight latecomer to) and I've yet to make good on mental notes to check out the latest work by Arcade Fire, Connan Mockasin, MIA and The Knife. Any gigs lined up for you?
dont think I forgot, I had to go eat dinner damn it 
I hope you have a happy holidays!
Merry Christmas,Michael.Hope all went well this year long for you.
Not for a little while - I've got a ticket to Arctic Monkeys, but that's not 'til May. And there's Laneway Festival in Feb, which should be good (Haim, Chvrches, Lorde, Warpaint, ...)With regard to new music, I'm playing a bit of catch-up at the moment too; in the last month or so, I've gotten into the latest MGMT effort and Parquet Courts' 'Light Up Gold' in major ways (both of which I was a slight latecomer to) and I've yet to make good on mental notes to check out the latest work by Arcade Fire, Connan Mockasin, MIA and The Knife. Any gigs lined up for you?
How about you?
dont think I forgot, I had to go eat dinner damn it
Why thank you! How was your Christmas?