I will admit I haven't posted in a while (and I doubt many people actually read this blog but thanks if you do) but not much has happened so nothing to really write about. I am writing today because of two things I have gotten recently and am really excited about. The first was the passing of my b-day. I got alot of Batman items (huge Batman fan since Batman: the Animated series hit tv) and one of my favorite gifts was a copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum. I got the Game of the year edition and I have to say that it has become my favorite console game of all time. I am crazy about 3d so of course I played it from start-to-end in it. Overall, it was very impressive but not for people who want a ton of stuff popping into their faces. It also makes the scarecrow levels creepier too. I own a ps3 so I also got to try out the Joker challenges. I have to say this, he is a ton of fun in the beat-up fights but a real drag in the stealth challenges. As far as I am concerned, if you want stealth, go with the b-man. I admit I haven't played the game in hard mode but I have enjoyed both the easy and normal modes. I really like the challenges as well though my preferences change depending on which character I am playing. I love the stealth challenges with Batman while Joker is just a riot in the wave fights. I wish they had given him a grappling hook or something though. I am not a game designer but I can think of a dozen ways to give him a matching hook so that he can sneak around as well as the Batman! Any rate, that was the first thing I wanted to talk about.

The second thing is a slight confession. I am a huge Batman fan but, prior to today, I had not read any of the comics. I had read some excerpts from The Dark Knight Returns, All Star-Batman, and random comic strips found on cereal boxes now-and-then but never really picked up any of the collected works nor various graphic novels around. All my Batman interest came from the Animated series, the live action movies (the 1989 one is my favorite with the Dark Knight a close second) and reruns of the 1960's tv show. I also visit the Batman Wiki for more information on story lines and such. I felt though that, as a fan, I should try and read at least one of the many comics and great graphic novels that inspired the Batman that I, a fan of the shows and movies, know and love. Based on ratings, I decided on The Killing Joke and I don't regret it. The artwork was fantastic and the storyline was intriguing. I also liked getting a look into the mind of the Joker. I didn't pick this book due to any fondness for the Joker (I don't view him as my favorite villain but I can't help finding the stories involving Batman taking him down delightful) but I found this book interesting despite the lack of Batman during most of the work. I don't know what to make of the ending though with the "good" man debating about what bad thing he should do and deciding to kill Batman. It does tie into the theme of the book so I will chalk my dislike up to personal taste. I did enjoy the book though so I plan to add more Batman books to my wishlists. I am debating which should be the next one, The Dark Knight Returns or Batman & Dracula: Red Rain. The Dark Knight because of how highly rated it is and the Dracula book because I am fond of that movie monster. Either way, I will try to pepper in more of the literature since I find the Batman mythos intriguing and more movies today are taking more and more from the comics. An example is Batman: Under the Red Hood which was both educational and interesting for me. Before that movie, I hadn't even heard of Jason Todd thanks to him not being included in any of the movies or tv series. Now, I can't help wanting to learn what I can about this comic-exclusive character.

Any rate, that is all really for now. I will be resuming classes soon so I don't think I will have much to write about for a while (though if I do anything interesting this Halloween, I will write about it). To anyone reading this, thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed reading what I had to say.

How To Train Your Dragon Widget

Been busy working on games for class. when I haven't been doing that, I have been reading more books from the dragonology series. If anyone reads this blog, I recommend them to anyone who loves dragons. Have a nice day.

well, thanks to some cash left over from renewing my temps, I got myself a copy of the latest veggie tale christmas dvd. Really like it though I do not recommend it for anyone who wants a serious telling of the story of Saint Nicolas. It has a great message though and it is very cute. It is almost christmas so all I need to do is wait for christmas eve so that I can track Santa via google earth. I wish they would offer the tracker file sooner so I could just turn on google earth and track him but I lost the original file and they will not offer it any sooner then the 24th. Oh well, it is still fun to watch Santa even though I am too old for him to visit me anymore. I still try to behave for the sake of doing so. Happy Holidays to anyone reading.

thanks to a giftcard that I got as an early christmas present and luck, I now can enjoy veggie tales again. I still find it stupid that Dad gave away his collection without checking to see if any of us wanted any first but it can't be helped. With my giftcard, I got 2 of the dvds (An Easter Carol and The star of Christmas) and one of the cds (A very veggie christmas). I also got lucky and found a videotape of The Toy who Saved Christmas at my local dollar tree. Seriously, that has become my favorite store since you can find some amazing stuff there. I would have preferred a dvd since we have only one working vcr at our house but, at a buck, I will gladly take a videotape over not having the movie at all.

well, I finally decorated my door for christmas and I like it alot. My family love to comment on how "cluttered" it is though. What can I say? I had alot of personal christmas ornaments that I used to put onto my room's mini tree which broke last year that I wanted to use and my bare door struck me as the perfect place. Oh well, the house is now completely decorated and I am dealing with mom starting her christmas baking. I love her christmas cookies which is both good and bad. Good because it means I enjoy the smell of them baking in the house. Bad because I am still on my diet and can't eat as much as I want. Mom keeps talking about putting up some decorations outside but the windstorms have been really nasty lately and I don't want to lose the few outdoor decorations we have. I know we will need to put them up eventually but I am not in a rush. I am also amusing my family by alternating between my christmas music playlist and a cd of Hanukkah music I borrowed. I am not Jewish but I love the music created for Hanukkah (not in vast supply but very well-made). I also recently bought a small set of wooden dreidels in hopes that they would spin better then my cheapo plastic ones from the drugstore (I am a sucker for tops). The irony is that although the wooden dreidels are nicer then the plastic one, the plastic dreidel is better balanced and spins longer then the top-heavy wood ones. Oh well, they still look nice and I only paid $3 for them. Considering I had great difficulty finding dreidels last year anywhere (prices and shipping costs for them are obscene.), I find that situation hilarious. Oh well, I still love the holidays despite some of the stresses that come with the time.

Happy holidays to anyone reading this.

We have a new tree which we have decorated. I also set up the nativity set and some of the other decorations for Christmas. I haven't removed the halloween stuff from my door though and won't until I decide what Christmasy stuff to put in its place. I hate bare doors. I also need to put up some lights and garland around the house but I haven't gotten around to it due to lack of energy. Finals being next week doesn't help much. At least the house is beginning to look christmasy and I have some nice things to enjoy on the side. I strongly recommend gingerbread tea if you are a tea drinker, it is perfect for this time of year.