Hereos Ep 4: Stepping on Too Many Butterflies
Thursday, October 9, 2008
So far the new season of Heroes is not disappointing! While last season had plenty of time travel and focus on how the heroes' need to change the future, there was so much focus on the new heroes' storylines, that we didn't get very far on the larger plot points.
Now this season, we're all over the issue of the future gone wrong as this episode, we caught up with Future Peter and Present Peter who went into the future and just as it was getting a little ridiculous to have Peter talking to Peter, bam! Claire shot Future Peter!
We discovered quickly that Claire was after Peter because he became a bit of a "bad guy," in that he was trying to stop people from continuing to spread powers from a formula that wasn't done right - by none other than our morphing Suresh.
Going along with this, Matt dreamed of the future while in Africa, which turned out to be all the paintings the African man made of Matt's future - Matt has a baby with Daphne, who also treat Molly as their own daughter, plus Daphne works with Claire and another guy in stopping Peter, and whatever else they're up to.
This led to some really awesome and intriguing moments as Present Peter went to see Sylar who in the future lives in the Bennett's old house with his son, Noah and he's going by Gabrielle because he's not Sylar anymore - he's gotten his powers under control and he's now spending his time being a papa and waffle maker... wow. Oh, and by the way, Present Peter, Sylar's your brother.
And then awesomeness ensued as Claire appeared to get Peter, leading to major smack down, ending with Noah smashed and assumed dead by Gabrielle, and so - welcome back Sylar! Sylar freaked out, causing a gigantic explosion which took out the whole city!
Oh and by the by, we found out from Present Peter's visit to Future Suresh to find out where Sylar was that Suresh's condition only worsened over the four years since he injected himself, and he hides in the shadows - and not in the sexy way one would hope.
So what went so wrong with the formula? And if it went so wrong, why does it seem so many people in the future have powers and are just fine? It seems the main issue is that so many people with powers won't use them for good and it's out of control in that version of the future, but it would seem there'd have to be more of an issue around the possibility of the formula going wrong for some.
As for our other heroes, we also got more of the Tracy story plus Hiro and Ando. For Tracy, we heard from the doctor she tracked down that she was a triplet whose parents died, so this guy separated the girls and did experiments of powers on them - creepy!
Hiro, on the other hand, found out that his alter-ego, Takezo Kensei, had to be resurrected - in the form of the other man who played the Kensei role, Adam Monroe.
And Adam Monroe's anger was only out shined this episode by that earlier moment of Sylar explosion!
There's so very much in all of this I can't wait to discover more about! Adam Monroe's return because he's apparently the key to all this should be really good stuff, and all the other situations of present vs. future just keep getting more interesting, so I can't wait to see what the next step is there!
Heroes 3.2: "The Butterfly Effect"
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The season premiere was all about setting up the plot threads for this third volume ("Villains"), regardless of how ridiculous some of the required plot acrobatics might have been. But sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice one episode's credibility in the hopes of breathing new life into a concept. With a little cribbing from the best stories of comic book history, the writers might have done just that.
Villains are always fun, and whenever a band of heroes is brought together, the bad guys follow suit. The Company's little dungeon, a fixture since the first season, is the site of a Sylar-induced breakout, and now some of the most powerful and socially repugnant metahumans are on the street, killing and pillaging without a care.
It takes some time to get there, and the theme of the episode is "unintended consequences". Future Peter tried to do the right thing by killing Nathan, but his actions set events in motion. Angela Petrelli is more than happy to blame him for everything, but as noted in the review for the premiere, the coming apocalypse seems to be the result of a convergence of several issues.
In particular, the breakout at the Company was the result of Elle's failure to stop Sylar. Sylar managed to get his hands on Claire, and subsequently, had the power to invade Level 5. Elle intervened, and the result was the breakout. That seems to be more an indictment of Elle's unusual upbringing and lack of judgment than anything Future Peter might have caused. And how exactly is Angela's decision to toss Elle out on her own going to work out well?
In an interesting twist, Sylar does not get away during the breakout, and Angela seems to have plans for him. Not only that, but according to her, it's a family issue; Sylar is apparently another Petrelli brother. At this rate, the Petrellis are going to be as large and dysfunctional as the Summers family from the "X-Men" books.
On the other hand, it's building up the rivalry and parity between Peter and Sylar more than ever, and the writers have once again set things up to delay that inevitable confrontation. The real Peter is stuck with the villains; if Sylar goes after them, and eventually he will, then the two will battle. Future Peter is the wild card, but if Sylar is pursuing the villains, it's possible they'll be allies rather than foes for a time.
Claire, on the other hand, is well on her way to becoming a villain. Her ability to experience pain was a touchstone, however disturbing as that might sound. She could at least pretend, on some level, that she was human. One has to wonder if Sylar did something intentionally to set Claire on her current path. Whatever the case, she's losing perspective very, very quickly, and her descent seems assured.
Mohinder appears on the same path, but the state of his transformation might delay any true villainy. One would also imagine that it would delay the release of the metahuman serum long enough for the villains to expose the presence of the metahumans on their own. Future Peter may have changed the precise circumstances, but as Angela, Hiro, and Magical African Minority Man can attest, the future is still looking dark and dreary.
Speaking of Hiro, he's being ridiculous with Ando. Ando tosses out a few good explanations for what Hiro saw in the future, but Hiro is being rather stubborn with his own interpretation. Will it ever occur to him that his distrustful attitude might be the main reason why Ando eventually turns on him? It's a fairly old story, after all.
Still confusing, however, is this business with "Tracy". Not only does she claim not to be Nikki (or Jessica, for that matter), but she also has this unexpected freezing power. That power seemed to be a bit of a shock to her as well, actually, which just adds to the confusion. The mystery is more
Malig: Beware of Chinese milk, candies By Jun A. Malig
Friday, September 26, 2008
Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has found through its laboratory tests that the "White Rabbit Creamy Candy" from China is laced with melamine.
The agency has found two other China products to be contaminated with melamine: the "Yili Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavored Ice Confection" and the "Dutch Lady" strawberry-flavored milk.
The city-state is strictly implementing the ban of all milk products from China that include milk, ice-cream, yogurt, chocolates, biscuits and sweets -- as well as any other products containing milk from China as an ingredient.
Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer, which is fire resistant and heat tolerant. Uses for melamine include whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics, and commercial filters.
So why did some crooked Chinese traders decide to add melamine to their milk products? To fraudulently increase the volume of milk diluted with water, as melamine causes a false increase in protein measurement by increasing the nitrogen levels in the milk.
It was reported that about 20 percent of the dairy companies tested in China sell products laced with melamine.
Ingestion of melamine may lead to reproductive damage, or bladder or kidney stones that can lead to bladder cancer.
In our country, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) have advised the public against infant formula and milk from China. But I doubt that the government, with all its in-your-face inefficiencies, will be able to effectively control the entry, distribution and consumption of Chinese milk, milk products and candies.
Enterprising traders and racketeers seem to always find ways to circumvent rules and remain undetected in this part of the globe.
Perhaps concerned agencies should ensure that these dangerous products would not land into the hands of so enterprisingly unscrupulous local traders who can easily convert them into cheap powdered milk chocolate goods or candies that can be bought from sari-sari stores.
Last year, several schoolchildren fell ill in the Visayas after eating milk candies imported from China.
The sale of imported Chinese food products was later banned at school canteens in response to reports that the goods contained cancer-causing formaldehyde.
Among the products tested and found to contain formaldehyde were White Rabbit milk candies and Yong Kang Foods grape biscuits.
Formaldehyde is a chemical compound widely used in industrial manufacturing and a number of other industries.
Many folks are familiar with formaldehyde in the form of formalin, an aqueous solution of formaldehyde used as an embalming preservative. This chemical is toxic and known to cause cancer.
Last year, it was found out that White Rabbit milk candies were tainted with formaldehyde. This year it was discovered that the same are laced with melamine.
Should we expect other toxic ingredients from these Chinese candies in the future?
THE NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Heroes 3.1: "The Second Coming"
It's safe to say that the writers for "Heroes" had a tall order to fill coming into the third season. The second season was universally seen as a disappointment compared to the first season heights, relying more on repetition than innovation. To be honest, I only have the most vague recollection of the second season, and I have to wonder how many other fans feel the same way.
The writers don't bother with much of a recap; they jump right into the story by explaining the assassination attempt on Nathan Petrelli. I like the idea of Future Peter taking out his own brother to prevent the "hero holocaust", but it’s another instance of repetition that could have gone badly. The difference is that Future Peter is still around as an active character, and an unusual one at that. Future Peter is actually a bit of a screw-up, which is a nice touch. He's apparently not smart enough to realize that he has a lot more power than Nathan, and killing him privately would have been a lot easier than killing him publicly!
Conceptually, the story is very familiar, especially to comic book fans. Future Peter's side of the storyline is very similar to the "Days of Future Past" arc of "X-Men" fame, in terms of his plan to jump into the past to prevent an apocalyptic future. It's also very reminiscent of elements of the series "The 4400". So it may seem fresh to some, but overly familiar to longtime genre fans.
Future Peter's arrival is just one element that sets a chaotic state of affairs in motion. Other elements were already in the process of unfolding. Hiro's bizarre decision to ignore his father's instructions, thereby making it possible for the wrong people to get their hands on that hidden half of "the formula", is just plain silly. It was a blatant plot convenience, and even acknowledging that Hiro is often cast as the comic relief, I can't believe he'd be that stupid.
The revelation regarding Ando is a lot more interesting, because it's not necessarily what it seems. Everything in that glimpse of the future is designed to make Ando look evil for wanting the formula. But who's to say that Hiro isn't the one who goes rogue in the future? An awful lot of context is missing. One thing, however, seems clear: those without powers in the first two seasons don't look to stay that way for long.
That said, Mohinder's decision to inject himself with the adrenaline-laced version of the metahuman serum (promicin, anyone?) was reckless, to say the least. It does propel Mohinder on a very different path, but why would he toss caution to the wind in such cavalier fashion? It felt like another instance of plot convenience. (Never mind that Mohinder is now drooling all over Maya, who is less annoying than in the second season, but still seems like cannon fodder. Besides, what would Matt Parkman think of this development?)
That said, it is interesting to know that the coming apocalypse is not just due to Nathan's decision to "out" the metahumans. It's the combination of several pieces of the same puzzle. One might argue that even had Nathan died, Hiro would have still released the formula and Mohinder would still have created the metahuman serum. Had Future Peter successfully killed Nathan, would it have been even more of a disaster? Given the endless warnings of Earth-shattering peril, maybe not so much!
Sylar was billed as the ultimate villain in the first season, and his return was portentous in the second. How ironic that "saving the cheerleader", the stated goal of the first season, is rendered completely moot in the third season premiere? Way to undercut your best season, folks! We finally get confirmation that Sylar is not, in fact, eating brains, but rather studying how the metahuman brains work (something I've been saying for quite some time). I'm actually more in
The Irish Sex Fairy
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Irish Sex Fairy Be sure to read the warning at the bottom. I didn’t change a word! I’m not messing with the Irish Sex Fairy!
1. Sex is a beauty treatment. Scientific tests find that when women make love they produce amounts of the hormone estrogen, which makes hair shine and skin smooth.
2. Gentle, relaxed lovemaking reduces your chances of suffering dermatitis, skin rashes and blemishes. The sweat produced cleanses the pores and makes your skin glow.
3. Lovemaking can burn up those calories you piled on during that romantic dinner.
4. Sex is one of the safest sports you can take up. It stretches and tones up just about every muscle in the body. It’s more enjoyable than swimming 20 laps, or jogging 20 blocks and you don’t need special sneakers!
5. Sex is an instant cure for mild depression. It releases endorphins into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and leaving you with a feeling of well-being.
6. The more sex you have, the more you will be offered. The sexually active body gives off greater quantities of chemicals called pheromones. These subtle sex perfumes drive the opposite sex crazy!
7 . Sex is the safest tranquilizer in the world. IT IS 10 TIMES MORE EFFECTIVE THAN VALIUM.
8. Kissing each day will keep the dentist away. Kissing encourages saliva to wash food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay, preventing plaque build-up.
9. Sex actually relieves headaches. A lovemaking session can release the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain.
10. A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever.
This message has been sent to you for good luck in sex. The original is in a room in the basement of the Dwight House Pub. It has been sent around the world nine times.
Now sex has been sent to you. The ‘Irish Sex Fairy’ will visit you within four days of receiving this message, provided you, in turn, send it on.
Please Vote
Saturday, June 7, 2008
