The Bad Influence Speaks

*Updated* Giveaway: Gail Carriger's Blameless

Finally, I've found the time to set this up. If readers remember, I posted a review of Soulless by Gail Carriger a few months back. Blameless is the third in Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series.

Alexia, facing shame and social ruin (not that she really cares) after being thrown out by her husband (who I still say is an ass), leaves for a trip to Italy to speak with the Templars about their research into her condition. Along the way she faces multiple attempts on her life but has a trusty companion in Madame Lefoux.

 

As a gift for Carriger readers, I'll be giving away a paperpack copy of Blameless to a lucky commenter.

All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite steampunk project, author, series or clothing (links are very welcome) by 8 pm on Thursday evening, June 2nd. I'll post the winner later that night.

 All right. Our winner of this copy of Blameless by Gail Carriger is Goodolfun.

Thanks everyone for participating.

 

Goodolfun, your email address is coming up as "unshared." If you email me your mailing address by Monday, June 6th, I'll get the book sent to you. You can email me at badinfluencespeaks (at) live (dot) com.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

 

Sue and Reed have planned their dream wedding but disaster always overtakes them.  During the rooftop ceremony, they are interrupted by a new menace which causes some changes to Johnny's powers. The Fantastic Four must stop this new threat in order to save the planet.

Cast:
Reed Richards........Ioan Gruffudd
Sue Storm...............Jessica Alba
Johnny Storm............Chris Evans
Ben Grimm...........Michael Chiklis
Victor von Doom...Julian McMahon
General Hager......Andre Braugher
Silver Surfer.............Doug Jones
and
Voice of the Silver Surfer...Laurence Fishburne

Quotes:

 

Johnny: What do you have against capitalism?

 

Johnny: You know, I've always been both impressed and disgusted by that.

 

Johnny: Sue finds out, you're going to get an invisible kick in the nuts.

 

Johnny: Question for you though. How do you guys...uh....
Ben: That's none of your business.
Johnny: Okay. All right. I'm just concerned. I'd hate to wake up one morning and find she was killed in a rock slide.
Ben: I'll show you a rock slide.

 

Sue: *scream* Reed! *scream* Help! I'm on fire!
Reed: Sue? Sue! What's going on?
Sue: I'm on fire!
Reed: You're on fire!
Sue: Ya think!

 

Ben: I like the part where he knocks you on your ass.

 

Johnny: How do you fight something that can eat planets?

 

Ben: Okay. We're now officially enemies of the United States of America, Victor is out there somewhere with unlimited power, and we've got a gigantic, intergalactic force that's about to destroy our planet in less than 24 hours. Did I miss anything?

Surfer/Noren: Treasure each moment with her and tell her she was right. We do have a choice.

 

Pictures:

Note: All rights to the above photos and quotes belong to Marvel, Marvel Studios, the producers, and creators of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Hump Day Quote: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Why is it when you want the ground to swallow you whole, it decides to stop trying?

-Sherrilyn Kenyon, No Mercy

Hawaii Five-0: Oia'i'o

Season 1, Episode 24

 

Everything starts to fall apart for the Five-0 as they start getting close to Wo Fat. Kelly Hu guest stars.

Steve: Ah, ah, ah. I will shoot you in the face. Put it down.

 

Danny: Out of the top 10 dopiest suggestion you've had, this is number 1 with a bullet.

 

Steve: The rest of you are forgetting the Five-0 isn't a democracy. It's a benevolent dictatorship.

Hawaii Five-0 Quotes Main Page

X-Men

 

Mutantkind comes to the forefront of public interest as Congress takes notice. Mutants take side to either convert or protect humanity.

Cast:
Professor Xavier....Patrick Stewart
Magneto.................Ian McKellen
Wolverine.............Hugh Jackman
Rogue....................Anna Paquin
Cyclops...............James Marsden
Jean Gray.............Famke Janssen
Storm......................Halle Berry
Mystique............Rebecca Romijn

Quotes:

 

Magneto: We are the future, Charles, not them. They no longer matter.

 

Rogue: When they come out, does it hurt?
Wolverine: Every time.

 

Mystique: You know, people like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child.

 

Wolverine: So. Couldn't wait to get my shirt off again, huh?

 

Senator Kelly: Do you hate normal people?
Storm: Sometimes.
Senator Kelly: Why?
Storm: I suppose I'm afraid of them.

 

Rogue: Are you going to kill me?
Magneto: Yes.
Rogue: Why?
Magneto: Because there is no land of tolerance, there is no peace, not here or anywhere else. Women and whole families killed because they were different from those in power. After tonight, the world's powerful will be just like us. They will return home as brothers, as mutants. Our cause will be theirs. Your sacrifice will mean our survival. I'll understand if that comes as small consolation.

 

Wolverine: You actually go outside in these things?
Cyclops: What would you prefer? Yellow spandex?

 

Wolverine: There's someone here.
Cyclops: Where?
Wolverine: I don't know. Keep your eye open.

 

Wolverine: Hey, hey, it's me.
Cyclops: Prove it.
Wolverine: You're a dick.
Cyclops: Okay.

 

Xavier: Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer?

Pictures:

Note: All rights to the above photos and quotes belong to Marvel, Marvel Studios, the producers, and creators of X-Men.

Being Human: I Want You Back (From the Dead)

Season 1, Episode 9

 

Josh flounders in his relationship with Nora as Aidan deals with the complications of his friendship with Benny. Sally meets a friendly ghost whom she knew in the past.

Nick: Are you dead?
Sally: I like to think of it as forever 23.

 

Nora: You are such a nerd.
Josh: Yes, but I'm a sexy nerd so I'm like a living oxymoron.

 

Josh: You know, you're a ghost talking to a werewolf making an egg salad sandwich. I no longer compute what's weird.

 

Sally: I'm like a serial monogamist without the serial part.
Josh: Me too. It's like an undiagnosed disease.

 

Nora: You know, you're surprisingly Neanderthal for someone so young.

Being Human Season 1 Quotes

Hump Day Quote: Doctor Who

If you must know, I was tracking a hole through the fabric of reality. Call it a hobby.

-10th Doctor (David Tennant), Doctor Who (Planet of the Dead)

Fantastic Four

When an experiment in space goes awry, the team members are exposed to cosmic radiation. They all develop superpowers, but will their backer, who was also exposed, be fighting for the forces of right? Based on the Marvel comic.

Cast:
Reed Richards........Ioan Gruffudd
Sue Storm...............Jessica Alba
Johnny Storm............Chris Evans
Ben Grimm...........Michael Chiklis
Victor von Doom...Julian McMahon

Quotes:

 

Ben: No. I cannot take orders from the underwear model. That wingnut washed out of NASA for sneaking 2 Victoria's Secret wannabes into a flight simulator.

 

Johnny: Digital camera: $254. Memory stick: $59. The look on your hardass former CO's face when he finds out he's your junior officer: priceless.

 

Nurse: You're on fire.
Johnny: Thanks. You're pretty good too.
Nurse: No. You're on fire.

 

Reed: Not only could you kill yourself, but you could set fire to the earth's atmosphere and destroy all human life as we know it.

 

Sue: Johnny, it's too dangerous for you to be in public.
Johnny: You've been saying that for years.

 

Johnny: I got an idea.
Sue: Don't even think about it.
Johnny: Never do.

 

Ben: No, Vic, it's clobberin' time.

 

Reed: Johnny. Supernova.
Johnny: I thought we agreed that was a bad.
Reed: Now.

Pictures:

Note: All rights to the above photos and quotes belong to Marvel, Marvel Studios, the producers, and creators of the Fantastic Four.

Hawaii Five-0: Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau

Season 1, Episode 23

When raiding a safe house to find Wo Fat, the team is surprised to find Seng Min in his place. Danny is exposed to sarin during the chase and the team must find the poisoner.

Steve: Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a car attached to you?
Kaye: Oh? Weird.

 

Danny: Feels like my head is going to explode. Like the worst hangover I ever had.
Gracie: What's a hangover?
Danny: Oh, you'll figure it out. You'll find it one day when you're 35.
Steve: 35. 16.
Danny: 40 years old.

 

Steve: What's that called?
Chin: Quid pro quo?
Steve: No, I was thinking of something else: conspiracy to commit murder.

 

Chin: My oh my. Aren't you the opportunistic one?

 

Steve: One near death experience and you go all warm and cuddly on me.

Hawaii Five-0 Quotes Main Page

BIS Book Review: Zoo Story

Life in the Gargen of Captives

by Thomas French

 

French takes us behind the scenes at the Lowry Zoo in Tampa, Florida, and provides an intimate look into the lives of the animals and their keepers.  Along the way you meet a chimp who loves blondes, a tiger who takes no crap and 4 elephants acquired from a game preserve in Africa.

 

 

I grabbed this off the shelf at the library on a whim. I know a person through a message board that used to work at a zoo and her stories about it are interesting. Thomas French takes this behind the scenes look and makes it personal. The stories the keepers tell about 'their' animals are touching and demonstrate just how intelligent and soulful they really are. You also hear from the keepers about the struggles they face on a daily basis from disagreements between animals, to managing with limited resources, to dealing with public controversy over zoo policies and actions. An example of this comes from the zoo purchasing 4 wild elephants that were due to be culled from their herd on an African game preserve. Even after all the paperwork was finished, it still took months to bring the elephants over because of lawsuits and threats of violence from animal rights groups.

I had a hard time putting down this book (to the point where I completely forgot about a load of laundry that ended up not getting put in the dryer until 11:30 pm). French pulls you into the relationships between the animals and their keepers. With some talk about artificial insemination and mating, this isn't a book for young kids but I think teens and up will be engrossed.

 

BIS Rating: 5 flashlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

 

Zoo Story by Thomas French on Amazon.com

You can find more book reviews at BIS Book Review