Portal to Deviance

Portal became testing area . . . ehehehe

2009-06-09T15:56:00.002+08:00

I'm more active on my personal fandom blog (Expression of Deviance) and japanese fandom blog (Hyper Parfait) right now. With this collective, I've been using this more as a testing area ^^; Ehehehe. My reviews blog (Impression with Deviance) is beign neglected lately x_x And I even have a new journal at DreamWidth. Eeeepp . . .

I dunno how to manage this, and the last two journals yet, but will try to be active on them next time. Ehehe.

test image 3

2009-05-25T10:35:00.005+08:00

Thumbnail Example 1
Thumbnail Example 2

Thumbnail Example 3 (click)
Thumbnail Example 4 (click)

test image 2

2009-05-25T10:31:00.001+08:00

testing

2009-05-19T16:57:00.001+08:00

Type summary here

Type rest of post here

test image

2009-05-02T09:49:00.008+08:00

Dynamic Drive
Long sentence goes here
hahahahahhahahahahahaha
test more
Zoka Coffee
Zoka Coffee

Journal Status Talk

2009-03-12T10:01:00.001+08:00

I'll make an introduction entry once I'm done with many of the pages I plan for this site.

My fandom blog (Livejournal) is still active, but I have many comments to reply to. I also need to catch up many of the entries in my friends list x_x

My review blog (wordpress) is being updated everytime I finish something now. I still can't finalize my style there, so I keep on changing. One thing's for sure though, I'll be trying my best to avoid typos and emoticons on that blog. Ehehe. I still want it to be informal, but not as informal as my fandom blog. Hehe. But I still can't finalize the journal name. "Impressions with Deviance" . . . not that catchy to me x_x Hhhmm . . .

With this site however . . whoa . . there's so many work to do. I will need free time to organize the things I want here x_x

But in the meantime, I'll leave it as my collective. Yes, this is sort of the gateway to my other accounts and my favorite sites. Hehe. I benefit from this the most actually, for easy navigation of the websites I often go wherever I am. Haha!

Cartoons List

2009-01-30T14:19:00.002+08:00

This post contains the list of Cartoons that I have seen so far. I only included the ones I remember watching, because I believe I have missed many of them.

Avatar: The Last Airbender
All Grown-Up
Baby Looney Toons
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Danny Phantom
Dexter's Laboratory
Fairly Odd Parents
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Hey Arnold!
Kids Next Door
Kim Possible
Power Puff Girls
Rugrats
Scooby Doo
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic Underground
Spongebob Squarepants
Teen Titans
The Adventures of Johnny Quest
Tom & Jerry
Totally Spies
Xiaolin Showdown

Asia Drama List

2009-01-30T13:25:00.003+08:00

This post contains the list of Asian TV Series that I have seen so far. They are arranged alphabetically and categorized by nation for easier browsing. I only included the ones I remember watching, because I believe I have missed many of them.

CHINESE/TAIWANESE

Legend of the Condor Hero
Frog Prince
Meteor Garden
Meteor Garden 2

KOREAN

Beautiful Days
Coffee Prince
Full House
Goong
Lovers in Paris
My Girl
Nine Tailed Fox
Sassy Girl Chun-Hyang
Stained Glass
Stairway to Heaven
Sweet Eighteen
Wonderful Life

JAPANESE

Bloody Monday
Detective Conan
Gokusen
Hana Kimi
Nodame Cantabile
Liar Game

LEGEND:
- Personal Favorite
Italized - I saw only a few episodes long ago

Western TV Series

2009-01-30T12:59:00.002+08:00

This post contains the list of Western TV Series that I have seen so far.

Angel
Band of Brothers
Big Bang Theory
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Charmed
Chuck
Criminal Minds
CSI: Las Vegas
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Doctor Who
Gossip Girl
Greek
Heroes
Life
Merlin
Phil of the Future
Rome
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Smallville
Supernatural
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
The X-Files

LEGEND:
- Top Personal Favorite
- Personal Favorite
Italized - I saw only a few episode long ago but I liked it
Gray - Dropped

Daniel X: Alien Hunter by James Patterson

2009-01-20T09:37:00.006+08:00

I bought it because it's much cheaper compare to other western graphic novels that I see. (Graphic novels with illustrations like The Sandman (by Neil Gaiman) cost around or more than 700+ pesos and Western novels in manga style like Odd Thomas (by Dean Koontz) cost around 400+ pesos) so seeing this one, 300+ pesos, and it's even colored unlike Pendragon (art is much better too), I didn't think twice in buying it xD Besides, the plot caught my interest a lot. Come on, aliens? power of creation? I can't resist that xD Haha. This one had attracted me more than Ben-10 had.

Anyway, of course I'm done with it (read it since some time early last month actually). To be honest, it wasn't as good as I expected it to be, story-wise. Yes, the power of creation thing had been creative, and I like it that the main character isn't too perfect. I also get to like a certain character there (but he died, baaaw) But, somehow it still gave me the typical-young-superhero-story vibes x_x In other words, it was promising but it didn't meet my expectations.

Though the story and some of the characters didn't impress me much, I have no regrets because the art was pretty cool. And there was a pretty blue butterfly! Kyaaaa! And it had been an enjoyable read.But I don't think I'll plan on reading the novel version, but I might have second thoughts if there'll be another graphic novel. I'm definitely watching the movie version if it turned out nice xD (yes, I've heard it's really gonna be having a movie, like James Patterson's other young adult book: Maximum Ride)

Rating:

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

2009-01-20T09:27:00.005+08:00

To be honest, I hurried in reading this because I wanted to read my new novels as soon as possible xD I didn't have high expectations on it anymore because Lecter wasn't the main villain ^^; But I guess my expectations had become too low, because it's actually pretty good ^_^ I wasn't that satisfied with the ending but I admit that it had taken me by surprise xD (thrillers that can surprise me are good, imo, haha). I prefer to read the novels focused on Lecter next, but it seems that I need to read the sequel first in order to be able to relate on the later books in case it'll make references x_x

But . . . from spoilers, it seems that the Silence of the Lambs (the sequel) is the same with Red Dragon, only that there's a different cop for a main character and villain x_x That lost my motivation to read more Lecter novels x_x
Besides, there are many novels I want to read ^^; I guess I'll put Thomas Harris' books in lower priority for now. But if ever I'll be able to watch the movie versions of the Thomas Harris books I haven't read yet and they turned out to be bloody awesome, then I might change my mind xD Hehe.

Rating:

[ NOVEL ] The Alienist by Caleb Carr

2009-01-20T08:38:00.004+08:00

The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.

The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology-- amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before. and will kill again before the hunt is over.

Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, couldhave unexpected and mortal consequences.

Source: Barnes & Noble

Looking for a good historical crime novel? I highly recommend to you Caleb Carr's The Alienist. This book isn't just set in the past, but it has actual historical references (streets, establishments, etc.) and figures (Roosevelt, etc.). It had criminal investigations, but it's not limited to observing corpses, rather they also make use of advanced science (it's something new during those times, like fingerprint scanning) and psychology/psychiatry (by criminal profiling; understand the criminal's background and personality to figure out where he is now; that's something new before as well).

I believe what made this novel so awesome are the themes and issues that it tackles. First, there's the idea of what is sane and insane. As well as the nature of evil. Also modernization, like new investigation methods. Discrimination is also tackled here: sexual and social status (rich & poor). There are mature themes too, like extreme violence (from the murders, how gruesome) and sexual ones because of the prostitue victims (no actual sex/f*cking, fortunately). Other issues involved here too include politics, religion, and so forth. I really love it when a novel talks about the filths and hypocrites in society, like bastardly cops, selfish religious leaders, etc. It's very rich in themes that I'm afraid I don't think I can mention all of them!

The characters in this novel are fantastic! The novel's narrated in first person, by John Moore the Times journalist. Having it narrated by a journalist enables us to read a well written narrative, and with his knowledge with what's going on and his close relations to many of the characters makes it easy for us to understand the others better too. All characters are geniuses in their own ways for they aren't limited to police work because they have different specialties/professions (from psychology to medical/forensic and more). Some side characters are also great. There are servants with criminal records but they also get to do some action and are actually useful. Some characters are annoying from beginning to end; while some annoying ones turned out to be pretty cool later. Most of the characters, if not all, have been really interesting.

It's hard not to love some of the characters, because they are so colorful! Haha! Especially the main cast, because they're not flat nor totally boring. There are times where they do badass and amusing things too. I believe that I've also become attached to the characters because tragic deaths of several of them made me sad so much.The author had been cruel and amazing at the same time for doing such tragedies!

If there's something that I must mention that I didn't appreciate much in this novel, it will be the beginning and the ending. I don't like the beginning because . . .I totally can't connect it with the rest of the story. As for the ending . . . it made me go "That's it?!". But if I ignore those parts, almost everything in the novel had been so excellent. It was a page-turner! It had been difficult for me to let it down. That's why I had fnished it earlier than I plan to. Hehe.

I'm a lover of different genres and themes. The more genres a story has mixed in it, the more I love it. This novel has mystery, horror, tragedy, and a little of comedy and action. It involves issues concerning psychology, psychiatry, sociology, religion, politics, homosexuality, discrimination, etc. The Alienist had all these things mixed magnificently, so of course there's no surprise that I've loved the novel so much.

I don't know if I could consider this as the best thriller of all times (I usually read thrillers but I haven't read that many) but I'm definitely counting this as one of my top favorites!

Rating:

First Things First

2009-01-19T18:40:00.000+08:00

I've actually been a blogger for several years already, but I'm more active at LiveJournal. My first blog entries though were actually from here, Blogger.

Recently I've finally decided to become active here as well since many of the blogs I come across with are from Blogger. So here I am.

My LiveJournal account is still my main journal though, but I'll do my best to be active in this one as well.

>> PLANS FOR THIS BLOG
For the meantime I will make this as my Book Blog. So all stuff related to novels, graphic novels, and other reading materials aside from Manga or Japanese comics will fall under here.

I will also be trying my very best to lessen my typographical and grammatical errors on this one. My retarded and crazy personality will still be applied in my entries here of course, haha, but I'll try my best to behave better because I want this to sound more . . .errr . . .professional than my other blog. Haha! But like the other one, I'll still make my entries informal. Just not that rich in emoticons.

I also plan to make my entries here as short as I can, since Blogger doesn't have a "Cut" feature unlike LiveJournal and Wordpress. This will be a problem to me since I'm incredibly . . . typative. Haha! But this is helpful in a way too because it will help me avoid mentioning unecessary stuff.

>> THE LAYOUT
I am very very lazy to design my own layout, so I just picked a template from the existing ones. This one caught my attention because of the colors: Blue and Silver (or Gray rather). That's my favorite color combination, so it was perfect! Hehe.

>> TITLE PROBLEM
The title of my main journal is "Expression of Deviance", so I wanted this to be something similar. Like having it start with the words "Expression of . . . " too. Titles that came to my mind were "Expression of Delight", "Expression of Delirium", and "Expression of Ecstacy".

Or perhaps I should name it with something completely different. Titles like "Mystical Delusions", "Wicked Passions", "Abnormal Realm", and "Labyrinth of Insanity" came to my mind.

For now, I'll name it "Expression of Deviance" too until I've finally decided on the title.