The Greatest Game Never Made, November 27, 2005

By 

L. Gray –

  

= Fun: 

Star Wars Galaxies had not only one of the most lucrative licenses ever (a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game set in the Star Wars Universe) but the game also had one of the most innovative and original foundations for a game that I had ever seen. Designed around the idea of a creating a true online community. The game was originally made with 32 separate professions. Commandos, Droid Engineers, even Entertainer Professions like Dancer whose purpose was to relieve Battle Fatigue, a form of shell shock that gradually wore down your character as you’re engaged in combat. To cure yourself, you would listen to a player Musician or a Player Dancer.

Since it launched, Galaxies has been changed and revamped in so many ways that it is almost unrecognizable from its original form. As I mentioned the original game was released in format designed where players would get their items, equipment, and healing all from other players. There were no NPC vendors, except for tickets between shuttles, and you could count on your community for whatever you needed. Unfortunately, most of the minds for this original amazing system left the game shortly after its launch, and the rest eventually followed, leaving the game unfinished. With its visionary creators missing, the developers were replaced by people whose only experience is with cookie cutter games, and had no experience with the game that was originally launched. Since its launch, the crafting and entertaining professions have been marginalized to the point where their just decorative. The original skill system was replaced with the overdone level system. The number of professions has been reduced from 32 to 9. (Excluding Pilot and Politician) The innovative skill tree system, and the ability to master, or even dabble in multiple professions has been removed; you’re now permanently locked into one profession. The scout and creature handler professions have been completely removed.

Even if you aren’t aware of the game’s painful history, there is still no reason to buy this game. Firstly there is no real feeling of Star Wars in this game. Though Star Wars Continuity always takes a beating in games based around it, this is by far worse then I’ve ever seen. The game is set between Episode IV: A New Hope, and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, however there’s dozens of Jedi, Player and even NPC in some places running about all over the place. Player Jedi are pitifully weak, and yet, still numerous. The game is set during a pivotal point in the Galactic Civil War, right after the first Death Star’s destruction, yet there’s no feeling of war or conflict. The Empire and Rebellion come off as competing fan clubs, rather then two factions at war with each other. There’s wookiees in Clone Armor, Ithorians with Guns and Armor, and Jedi running around everywhere. Feels like someone stuck a bunch of Star Wars Games, books, and movies into a blender and hit Puree.

Even if you’re not into the Star Wars thing, the game simply isn’t any fun. It also by far the most buggy, glitchy game I have ever played. All MMORPG’s start out fairly buggy, do to their complexity, however this game is 29 months old, not including the time it spent in development and beta. There are literally hundreds of bugs in this game, in every system, several of which have existed since beta testing. About half the specials throughout the combat professions do not work; there are tons of quests with busted links, and dead ends because of bugs. All weapons do the EXACT same damage. Currently the game is setup where you level decides your damage, you weapons stat honestly have no effect, good or bad, on the damage you do. Most of the stats, such as strength or agility have no effect on what you do. There’s tons of broken items, NPC’s and system’s left over from all the massive changes. Even today, almost two and half years later, it actually seems even more unfinished, laggy, and riddled with bugs then at launch.

The game itself has been made pitifully simple in this late date. You’re locked into one of nine Ionic professions from the start now. Jedi, Medic, Commando, Spy, Bounty Hunter, Officer, Entertainer, Trader. From there, there’s no way to go, but up, and that’s’ it. There’s literally no diversity amongst not only players of the same profession, but even several of the combat professions are painfully similar. If you’re a L90 Bounty Hunter, you have the exact same moves and abilities as another L90 Bounty hunter. There is no talent system to focus on certain aspects, there’s no choices to enhance certain abilities more then others. Combat itself is very simple. You click and hold the left until either it or you die. There are specials, but most of them don’t even work, and the one’s that do are usually not worth it.

Progression through your profession from level one will be quite impossible to the final level…

Read more

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/star-wars-galaxies-starter-kit/894/#comment-626 Azaraphel Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:31:56 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/star-wars-galaxies-starter-kit/894/#comment-626

Boycott Sony Online Entertainment and Lucas Arts., November 22, 2005

= Fun: 

I have played Star Wars: Galaxies for 782 days according to the /getvet command. I have purchased all of the expansions out to date. I was considering creating a second account. As of 11-17-05 my account is cancelled. The New Game, also known as the Starter Kit, is the third version of SWG and it is riddled with bugs and incomplete. It is a far inferior product to its previous versions as well. The NG was released after being kept secret for an unknown period of time and allowing players only a two week notice of it being published. Even less time was devoted to it being tested by sources outside of SOE. Trials of Obi Wan and the NG were released in such a manner as to call into question SOE’s and LA’s ethics. As represented by the employees who post to the forums SOE and LA are uncarring, glib, and/or vastly out of touch with the player community.

Most of these are not new complaints. However, with the release of the NG these problems have escalted to such a degree that the game is no longer playable. While some are content to merely switch games I am not. Simply changing the direction of the flow of money to SOE and LA will not get their attention. I am boycotting all products created by Sony Online Entertainment and Lucas Arts. I encourage others to do the same.

I do not think my actions alone with effect SOE or LA one iota. In fact, I doubt anything will change their policies. The fan base for Star Wars and other properties is sufficiently numerous to mitigate any discontent portion. While some have predicted that the NG will cause the collapse of SWG I believe otherwise. It will lose many current players but those will be replaced by SOE’s and LA’s new target market. SOE and LA will later use the negative comments and future subscriptions numbers to prove that they were right all along and to dismiss anyone who opposes them as being knee jerk reactionaries who are against change just because they don’t like change. Because most likely the next expansion will also bring a new version of SWG as SOE and LA attempt to copy whichever game is doing better then.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/star-wars-galaxies-starter-kit/894/#comment-625 Steven M. Woodward Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:34:50 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/star-wars-galaxies-starter-kit/894/#comment-625

The Biggest Blunder of a Home Run Movie License, Ever, November 23, 2005

By 

Steven M. Woodward (Tallahassee, Florida) –

  

= Fun: 

The “Starter Kit” from Sony Online Entertainment and Lucas Arts is capable enough getting you started in the online world of Star Wars Galaxies.

The problem is once you get into that world you aren’t left with any compelling reasons to stay.

A brief history: Star Wars Galaxies has been out for more than two years. In that time the developers have fumbled around with unwanted game changes that have positively alienated their player base and fostered an amazing amount of ill will. Truly the players that continue to stick with this smoking dung heap have more creativity and love for the cannon than all of the developers put together. I have been with the game from beta through November 15th. It is an absolutely accurate statement to say this game has been in beta from 2003 and continues to be in beta. The game has gone through so many massive revisions and changes that what once was, has no bearing on what actually is.

On to the NGE (Starter Kit) itself. The “Starter Kit” a tool Sony and Lucas are using to lure new players in to a complete change in game play. The NGE (New Game Enhancements) has removed most of the depth of play. Most professions have been completely removed (from 32 to 9). If you were a player that perused one of the 23 now obsolete professions you were forced to “respec” into one of the nine “iconic” professions. Further, the remaining nine professions have zero individuality, with the exceptions of “Trader” (a crafting profession) and “Jedi”. The Jedi profession is self-explanatory. The crafting professions have been reduced to producing items that players don’t want, nor need. This, of course, begs the question “Why bother?” Most crafters are still trying that one out.

The User Interface has been completely gutted and replaced with a (in theory) simple to use interface. Simple does imply better as evidenced here. What veteran players (and new alike) are left with is a quirky, clumsy, poor executed interface that will have you reaching for the Advil in record time.

Game play has been reduced to a tunnel carple syndrome inducing click fest. Targeting is nearly impossible. To “attack” your target you must get the mark under the small reticule, follow it with the clumsy mouse movement and click away. What fun! Except that it isn’t! Ranged professions are vastly overpowered and the one remaining melee profession (Jedi) is reduced to chasing their targets with a mouse VIA clumsy implementation of the new UI, frantically clicking (most times) on thin air.

Other observations: The NGE was announced two weeks before it hit the live servers. Keep in mind this is a massive, complete change of every aspect of the game subscribers have been playing and paying for over two years. This massive, sweeping, dramatic change was developed in secret. To further aggravate the situation, the developers continued to talk of existing profession fixes and enhancements while knowing most of the discussed professions would no longer exist. Many of these professions have been utterly broken since launch. Most professions – many players’ characters have played these professions for their SWG tenure – were completely removed. The Jedi profession, before the NGE, was very, very time consuming to obtain. In the new system, it’s a starting “iconic” profession. Many players spent many months to be like Luke, only to have their time investment mitigated to a starting profession.

Conclusion: The Starter Kit is a nice piece of software in and of itself. However, what it’s introducing you to is not worth your time.

Other thoughts: SOE has developed a well-deserved hatred from many thousands of gamers. There is really nothing else like it on the web. I am convinced some of Blizzard’s success with WoW is due to their better community relations. That is, many players (this is not a small number) simply wont patronize a SOE game because of their history of maltreatment of paying customers. The SWG forums are in a state of utter riot. Moderators are removing posts as fast as they can. Many subscribers have been banned for voicing their (negative) opinions. Any criticism of the game is immediately removed, which leads to further outrage and more postings. SOE has gone so far as to prevent non-subscribers from accessing the forums in an attempt to control negative “press”.

This will go down as one of the biggest gaming blunders of all time. SOE will wear this around their neck for a long, long time.

They deserve it.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/stieg-larssons-millennium-trilogy-deluxe-boxed-set-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-the-girl-who-played-with-fire-the-girl-who-kicked-the-hornets-nest-plus-on-stieg-larsson/892/#comment-624 Mike Fazey Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:55:29 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/stieg-larssons-millennium-trilogy-deluxe-boxed-set-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-the-girl-who-played-with-fire-the-girl-who-kicked-the-hornets-nest-plus-on-stieg-larsson/892/#comment-624

A Moral Tale?, May 25, 2010

Like millions of people worldwide, I was absolutely captivated by these three books and their strange and utterly unconventional anti-heroine, Lisbeth Salander. That Larsson manages to evoke such sympathy for her, despite her anti-social nature and penchant for violence, is quite remarkable. Of course, we might feel differently if not for the monumental injustices she has suffered at the hands of a few corrupt individuals. She is a victim who has responded to her situation by becoming an outsider.

The story is certainly an intricate one, but Larsson manages to lead us through the maze without losing us along the way. In fact, one of the joys of the books is gradually realising that there are yet more levels of complexity to get your head around.

Thrilling as the storyline is, the thing I found most interesting about it was the moral dimension. Corruption in business and in government and the abuse of women are major themes, and Larsson’s position on them is crystal clear. However, both Salander herself and the crusading journalist Blomqvist also act outside the law. This gives a certain moral ambiguity to the story. In Salander’s case, her illegal acts take place within her own moral code – a code that is internally consistent but at odds with what we would ordinarily consider to be acceptable. In Blomqvist’s case, his acts (including turning a blind eye to Salander’s computer crimes) are informed by a desire to expose corruption and to achieve justice for Salander.

So, given Salander’s understandable antipathy towards the society that has treated her so appallingly, and Blomqvist’s laudable social justice objectives, is their own behaviour morally acceptable? Do the ends justify the means? Are the circumstances so extreme that ordinary moral arguments don’t apply? These are the questions that remained with me after I’d finished the final book, and still remain.

Ultimately, this is what makes the Millennium Trilogy something more than your average crime thriller and worth investing the time and mental energy to read.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/stieg-larssons-millennium-trilogy-deluxe-boxed-set-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-the-girl-who-played-with-fire-the-girl-who-kicked-the-hornets-nest-plus-on-stieg-larsson/892/#comment-623 bOoKwOrM Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:30:01 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/stieg-larssons-millennium-trilogy-deluxe-boxed-set-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-the-girl-who-played-with-fire-the-girl-who-kicked-the-hornets-nest-plus-on-stieg-larsson/892/#comment-623

really, this is the perfect gift, December 2, 2010

By 

bOoKwOrM (usa) –

  

I got into the “Millenium Trilogy” kind of late, so having this boxset was perfect for catching up on Stieg Larsson’s literary phenomenon. I enjoyed the characters(how can you NOT love Lisbeth Salander?!), and the plot was intriguing and challenging too.

Now, on to the ‘deluxe boxed set’ itself. The three books(plus one collection of essays,etc.) are housed in a sturdy cardboard case. The case itself is very well made and over the glossy black color there are three golden symbols(a dragon, a hornet, and a fire). You have to see the boxset in person to appreciate how cool it looks.

The books themselves are different from the previous hardcover releases. First of all, the dust jacket covers are gone now. Instead you get them in clothbound form, with cool designs stamped in red(book 1), black(book 2), and dark blue(book 3). It all looks very cool, and I honestly prefer it over the previous releases. The books have the uneven ‘deckle’ edges, even the fourth volume.

So, if you have all previous hardcovers, there might not be enough here to ‘upgrade’ your collection. But if all you have are the softcover books(or even if you’re an uninitiated newbie to Stieg Larsson’s work and haven’t read a single word of the “Millenium Trilogy”), then this box set is the thing to get.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/nba-street/890/#comment-622 Satwant Sarai Sat, 16 Mar 2013 06:03:36 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/nba-street/890/#comment-622

NBA STREET vs. NBA 2k1, June 7, 2001

Bored with the run-of-the-mill hoops game? me, too. That’s why you should check out EA’s NBA Street, a totally new take on the street game that also happens to be one of the most fun basketball games we’ve ever played. If you thought NBA 2k1 was cool wait until you see this game. It looks like the game should offer a lot of extra incentive to play it solo. In addition to being able to unlock lots of codes and other secrets, the single player mode has a really cool arrangement where you get to steal a player from the roster of the team you beat and you face a boss-like team after beating a string of regular NBA-based teams. It sounds like a lot of fun and should make playing the game all by your lonesome much more rewarding than it would be without all the cool bonuses. NBA STREET RULESS CHECK IT!!

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/nba-street/890/#comment-621 Vincent S. Yeung Sat, 16 Mar 2013 05:21:37 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/nba-street/890/#comment-621

Truly Revolutionary, August 6, 2001

Remember NBA JAM? Remember how many hours you spent playing it until you were finally sickened by it? Are you thinking that this is just a JAM clone? WRONG!

NBA Street is nothing like before. It is a 3-on-3 street-ball, no rules and clock (except for a shot clock), style game. Like regular street ball, you play up to 21 by ones (2′s for long range shots) and you have to win by two, which makes it work like the “deuce” system of other sports. Here I will talk about each aspect of the game.

–Graphics

The graphics are not the best the PS2 has seen, but it certainly is awesome. The animations are really fluid and life-like. There is still some of the “plastic-ish” feel of EA Sports games, but that’s not really anything of importance.

–Sound

There’s Joe The Show talking mess the whole time, and it doesn’t get repetitive like most sports games either. The background music also suits the “Street” playing style a lot

–Control

This is where the game is awesome. There’s basically four turbo buttons, which are the four shoulder buttons L1 L2 R1 and R2. Using a combination of the shoulder buttons and the “trick” button will make players do different “tricks,” like slip-and-slide where a player rolls down while bouncing the ball. If a “trick” is done properly it can knock the opponent’s player down to clear a path. However, not all players can do these advanced tricks. If you have a player with low ball-handling ability (like Shaquille O’Neal), the player will lose the ball easily.

To perform dunks, you use a combination of the turbo buttons with the shoot buttons. There are a variety of dunks you can perform, but you need a good dunk rating to perform the advanced dunks. You get points for doing dunks.

Then there’s blocking. While this wasn’t important in other b-ball games, in NBA Street, knowing how to block is essential and very fun. With a tall player, you can have lots of fun swatting shots, but it requires timing and skill.

Besides tricks, dunks, and blocks, you also get points for other stuff like steals and picks, and doing combos and alley-oops add even more points. But what are points good for? There is a “Gamebreaker” bar for each team. It fills as you have more trick points. When the gamebreaker meter is filled, you have a limited period of time to shoot or dunk the ball, and if you make it (usually you will since gamebreakers make your shooting and dunking ability much higher), not only do you get your point (or two points for a long shot), you also TAKE OFF the same amount of points from the score of the other team. Gamebreakers are very cool, especially near the end of a match when the score is close, a 2-point gamebreaker can create a 4-point difference.

–Gameplay

There are two modes in NBA Street. First, there is a city circuit mode. In it, you tour through all the NBA teams and 6 “Street Legends.” You start out with one NBA team of 5 players and a created player. When you beat an NBA team, you can choose one of their 5 players or you can choose to get points to enhance your created player (note: you only get one created player per user ID). You can increase his/her height, weight, and different skills (2-point, 3-point, dunks, power, blocks, steals, handling, and quickness). At the very end of the circuit you play Michael Jordan, who can be quite a challenge. Then you get to pick a player from a secret team. You can go through the circuit again for created player points and NBA players you didn’t get the first time through (for example if you want to get both Shaq and Kobe, then you have to play twice to get them if you didn’t start with the Lakers).

The second mode is the “Hold the Court” mode. In it, you play on courts you have unlocked in the city circuit mode and have to get a certain winning streak and total number of trick points in each to clear the court and earn new create player clothes, faces, shoes, and points. You can also play with TWO-PLAYERs on opposing teams in this mode.

A lot of people complain that Street is too easy. This is actually not true. The game sets the default on easy (there’s easy, medium, and hard), which is very easy. But once you play on medium or hard, the game is quite challenging. But as you get monster sized players (like 7’11″ or 8′), the game becomes less difficult since you have super blockers. This tells you to start fresh with a new ID and starting team and work towards another winning squad!

–Value/Replayability

Playing the circuit alone warrants 30+ games. The Hold the Court mode requires another 40+ games. Finally, there is infinite replayability for two-player mode.

In sum, this is a must-buy. GET NBA-Street NOW!

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/ggsell-king-horse-body-painting-tattoo-stickers-waterproof-male-and-female-sexy-phoenix-peony/886/#comment-620 Anonymous Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:11:46 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/ggsell-king-horse-body-painting-tattoo-stickers-waterproof-male-and-female-sexy-phoenix-peony/886/#comment-620

tatuaje, October 15, 2012

= Durability:  = Fun:  = Educational: 

I love this tatto looks pretty nice on skin and it lasted a good time. I got some for my nieces and myself too

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/rose-tattoo-nice-boys/884/#comment-619 MusicFreakFL Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:33:07 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/rose-tattoo-nice-boys/884/#comment-619

A rare chance to see the best, May 27, 2011

The picture and sound quality are indeed poor – however this cannot be allowed to overshadow a 1st class performance from the greatest of all australian bands. Classic line-up with a performance to match; the chemistry among these is a marvel to behold. If you like RT you’ll love this!

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tv-show-king-party/882/#comment-618 Mc Flyjo Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:52:30 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tv-show-king-party/882/#comment-618

Awesome fun for the family and individual play., November 3, 2008

= Fun: 

TV Show King is an excellent game that i play with my 10 yr old non stop since i bought it.
We had alot of fun with this game.
Graphics are good for this type of game, and nothing offensive.
The questions are challenging, but fun at the same time.

Very good game on the family-orientated Wii console. My child had no trouble at all using the Wii-mote in the various ways. Great design to keep the little ones interested in playing.

Highly reccomended.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tv-show-king-party/882/#comment-617 K. Gray Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:07:10 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tv-show-king-party/882/#comment-617

Good Party Fun, November 28, 2008

By 

K. Gray (Maryland United States) –

  

= Fun: 

This game was fun, but everyone’s answers are shown as the game is being played, so if you don’t know the answer you can just follow everyone else’s lead. Also, in the mode we played (not sure what it was called) nothing mattered until the final round. The point value was so astronomical, it didn’t matter what the score was until that point. However, as a party game, it was fun. My husband really liked that you could see all the answer choices before committing as opposed to another trivia game we often play on Wii.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tv-show-king-party/882/#comment-616 Gamer123 "GB" Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:47:01 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tv-show-king-party/882/#comment-616

Awesome – extremely fun – a very social party game for all ages -, November 23, 2008

= Fun: 

We had a great time with this game. Extremely fun with multiple players. Good graphics, questions, gameplay. Surprised to see how much fun it was for people of all ages. My parents had just as much with this game as little kids – great family trivia game for the holidays. Very inviting. Kind of like a modern board game. Very fun, very social. Good icebreaker for parties also.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/deaths-angel-a-novel-of-the-lost-angels/880/#comment-615 Simona Bertolotti Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:45:36 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/deaths-angel-a-novel-of-the-lost-angels/880/#comment-615

Simply amazing, January 1, 2013

I simply loved this, book, something new in the urban paranormal romance world. I like the characters, with so many shades, I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!!!

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/deaths-angel-a-novel-of-the-lost-angels/880/#comment-614 Poppet "Poppet" Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:46:00 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/deaths-angel-a-novel-of-the-lost-angels/880/#comment-614

This author surpasses, another fantastic read!, December 31, 2012

It’s so horribly sad when I pondered this review, because I realized that I’ve come to expect impeccable vocabulary, impressive metaphors, and an exceptional flexing of the imagination to unknown territory when it comes to Heather Killough-Walden’s work.

She is so impressive that the vast scope of her work a reader who reads many of her books can become blasé about. And I’m utterly appalled that a book so incredible I can think, this is normal.

No, it’s not normal, it’s damn impressive compared to other authors, it’s only normal when you speak of this particular author. And yet I know Heather must have dug so deep to get the tones and shades just right, she must have been so pleased when she invented shadow walking and the magical creatures littered in this novel.

It’s such a gem of author ingenuity that to be blasé about it would be a gross insult to the author.

This book is simply outstanding. It’s a given to say I loved every second of it, that the world faded away as I stuck to the pages with a force beyond my control and was verily compelled to read it from start to finish with the only pause being for sleep – because that’s what I’ve come to expect from this author’s worlds.

As contemporary as this book is, Heather makes it all SO plausible, so real, so everyday, that it doesn’t feel like a stretch of the imagination to believe these creatures are all around us and this battle is in fact going on in the darkness of the night, in realms and locations we’re ignorant about.

It’s utterly believable – but more than this, this story of Sophie coming to love an archangel is beautiful, mesmerizing, and very emotive.

It moves your emotions because it’s the grittiest of the angel series so far. It boldly steps into the darkness of humanity and it strikes a cord – over and over again. It’s so sad and bitter in places that you are moved to tears – I found the issue of the step-father really hit a nerve with me and it made me wish for a world where children are cherished and that men and their desires left young girls the heck alone and out of their sordid disgusting paws.

It’s a feat of a novel, it’s jam packed with drama and action and attraction and desperation. There are threads here that linger. For an author to move the reader’s emotions to such a degree means they are really very good at what they do. This author is a guarantee that you will be moved around the emotional chess board – completely covering it – in each and every one of her novels, but with each new release she seems to be sewing these emotions deeper into the reader, leaving a stamp on your spine like the flag on the moon that declares *I’ve been here*.

Well done Heather K-W, your work never ceases to impress me. I apologize for taking your talent so horrifically for granted, because truly this book surpasses any expectation a normal sane reader would have. I love that you paint novels with light, dark, rainbows and nightmares, breaching the apathy of this world with your art.

This novel is just stupendous and definitely leaves a lingering impression. Well done! This is truly an incredibly original novel. You’ve never read anything like it, and I dare say she’ll start a new trend in paranormal romances.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/deaths-angel-a-novel-of-the-lost-angels/880/#comment-613 Mary Moritz Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:58:03 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/deaths-angel-a-novel-of-the-lost-angels/880/#comment-613

Death’s Angel – The Love Story of Azrael and Sophie, December 31, 2012

By 

Mary Moritz (Chicago) –

  

“Death’s Angel,” the third novel in the Lost Angels series by Heather Killough-Walden, tells the love story of the archangel Azrael, former Angel of Death, and his recently discovered archess, the beautiful Sophie Bryce. I have read the previous books of the Lost Angel series and enjoyed them immensely, but this story, particularly the relationship between Sophie and Az, raises the series to a new emotional level. Az and Sophie each carry scars that they try to ignore but which influence them throughout their lives. Sophie lost her parents as a small child – in fact, a week before her sixth birthday. They were everything to her and whenever she speaks of them or participates in the little rituals they shared, it’s heartbreaking. Once orphaned she was raised in foster care, experiencing much trauma, some of which she has completely blocked out. Sophie has one person she is really close to, her best friend Juliette. However, Juliette is newly married to archangel Gabriel and residing in Scotland mostly while Sophie has committed to plans that will move her to San Francisco. She finds herself without Juliette and mostly alone.

The prologue to “Death’s Angel,” powerfully depicts the beginning of Azrael’s suffering, 2,000 years earlier when the four favored first came down to earth. Az is changed like none of his brothers. Many of the souls he led away, as was his job as the Angel of Death, seem to have held a grudge against him and all of their ill will has cursed him and turned him into a vampire, a creature that never even existed before. Suddenly he is fighting to feed off Michael each night, ripping into his neck to make his own horrid agony go away. Azrael is filled with self-loathing, begging Michael to kill him and fantasizing about walking into the sun, now caustic to him. He sees himself as a monster. It’s a gut-wrenching scene, vividly depicted and beautifully written.

Try as I might, I can’t do justice to the relationship between Az and Sophie. Heather Killough-Walden has taken her story of the Lost Angels and split it wide open. She has taken complicated, painful feelings and wounded lives and created a complicated, nurturing relationship that is both magical and gutsy real at the same time. And so passionate. Az and Sophie do make love like two people who have found each other after a lifetime of longing. Sophie and Az have a love that does seem to have waited for them, and it seems less like the Old Man created Sophie for Az, and more like they’re parts of each other. They heal each other as well as themselves. There are lots of other happenings in this book, but I don’t want to spoil the story. Suffice it to say that the monsters get more colorful and new allegiances are formed.

Sometimes I get the sense that an author has reached out her hand and caught fairy dust, or dragon’s breath, or the whispers of bards long gone to deliver the magic of story. What I mean to say is that there are times reading when it seems magic happens: I bond with a character, or empathize so deeply and achingly that I can’t easily shake the feeling. It’s like crossing to another world. I know that’s what reading is supposed to be about but some authors touch the magic more than others. Heather Killough-Walden is one of those.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/richard-scarrys-best-learning-songs-video-ever/878/#comment-612 Anonymous Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:25:22 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/richard-scarrys-best-learning-songs-video-ever/878/#comment-612

This really is the Best learning video ever!, October 4, 2000

My two year old son has lots of videos and I hesitated to get a Richard Scarry video because my son seemed to prefer real life children as opposed to animation. He’s not into Barney (thank goodness) and really doesn’t watch any of the “educational” children’s T.V. programs so I’m always trying to find videos that he can learn something from and enjoy. Well I was thrilled when we watched this video for the first time. The children’s voices are very clear and they enunciate everything very well and they just couldn’t be any more precious. My son loves this video and actually has tried to sing some of the songs along with the video which is great because up til now he hasn’t done much talking. The songs are very cute and easy to learn and they are not annoying at all like some children’s videos. They teach so many things, including ABC’, counting to 10, shapes, manners, opposites. I can’t say enough good things about this video. If you’re looking for a video that your child will love, and learn from without even realizing it, this is the one video you must get. I wish I had gotten it sooner, instead of spending my money on other so called learning videos that my son only watches twice and then gets bored. This is a must have video!

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/richard-scarrys-best-learning-songs-video-ever/878/#comment-611 Louis Rios Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:53:53 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/richard-scarrys-best-learning-songs-video-ever/878/#comment-611

A sweet video that enchants toddlers, October 28, 2002

By 

Louis Rios (Kansas City, MO USA) –

  

First of all, it’s useful to know that there are two sets of “Richard Scarry” videos available, each produced by a different company: Cinar/Polygram/USA Films offers a video series called “The Busy World of Richard Scarry”, and Sony/Random House has a set of videos named like “Richard Scarry’s Best (fill in the blank) Video Ever”. There are notable differences between them.

The “Busy World of….” series consists of episodes from an actual television series, although I don’t know what network originally carried it. It’s kind of bland and generic kids TV, and it sorely lacks the Richard Scarry charm. Not recommended.

Our family much prefers the “Best…Video Ever” home video series. This series features simple storylines and really sweet, catchy songs that both preschoolers and parents enjoy even after multiple viewings. “Best Learning Songs” is probably our favorite because it covers such a variety of subjects. The story is extremely simple: Huckle and friends put on a show in their backyard. Their show consists of gently educational songs about the alphabet, counting, shapes, opposites, common courtesy, etc.

On the downside, the animation is pretty primitive, the image quality doesn’t improve from VHS to DVD (we now own both), and the price could be better for a 30-minute program. But those charming, educational songs really carry the day, and both of our kids were completely entranced by this series of videos while they were preschoolers.

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/carver-tattoo-kit-4-machine-guns-power-supplies-2-rotary-machines-2-coil-machines-15-ink-lcd-power-supply-50-needles-plus-accessories/874/#comment-610 Maria Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:12:08 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/carver-tattoo-kit-4-machine-guns-power-supplies-2-rotary-machines-2-coil-machines-15-ink-lcd-power-supply-50-needles-plus-accessories/874/#comment-610

Good Kit, but had machinery problems., August 1, 2012

I receive this package perfectly fine, however One of the guns was broken from the start, my husband didn’t informed me til now, when the another gun just stop working along with the power supply. It’s barely been only a month. I am not satisfied to know that these guns are not lasting long enough to even complete an artwork. Is there anything that you can do to help me with this issue, please?

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/carver-tattoo-kit-4-machine-guns-power-supplies-2-rotary-machines-2-coil-machines-15-ink-lcd-power-supply-50-needles-plus-accessories/874/#comment-609 kevin Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:48:01 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/carver-tattoo-kit-4-machine-guns-power-supplies-2-rotary-machines-2-coil-machines-15-ink-lcd-power-supply-50-needles-plus-accessories/874/#comment-609

tattoo kit, August 3, 2012

this product came with ink that was contaminated and caused blistering on a client as well as myself, discarded all the ink and purchased new. power supply is inconsistant, along with one of the rotary guns already showing signs of wear, only used approximately 20 hours. over all the kit is a decent kit for starters, but the ink needs to be addressed. Would not recommend this product

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]]> http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tattoo-foot-pedal/872/#comment-608 Denise M Yocom Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:56:06 +0000 http://www.jeffsmorbidthoughts.com/tattoo-foot-pedal/872/#comment-608

good but need more info on buying page, June 9, 2012

the pedal itself is good but the cord for it is only 3′ LONG!!!! wtf, my old pedal, same design, had an 8′ cord. They need to say excatly how long the cord is. Even the picture shows the cord being longer. 3′ of cord will barely even reach the floor from my workstation. I am disappointed in the product, but I will still order from the company, good prices, good shipping time/rates. They just need to go into detail a little more about their products.

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