seamus2389

I don't think any of the other teams in the other regions are any better but if I am going to watch teams that have no chance of making it out of the group stages at worlds I like to see a bit of variety in where they come from. I also think the experience of playing against the likes of China and Korea will expose the teams to a level of play they can learn alot from which would improve the level of play in their regions. I do think LGD have a chance especially if their jungler continues to improve like he has in the playoffs so far. Fnatic will get destroyed at worlds against China and Korea who won't give them the chance to recover from the mistakes they make early game. I am hoping they realise that before then. I would say Fnatic could be 7/8th but I don't watch LMS (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macu) to know how good they are. I watched the quarter finals of China today and am currently watching the semi-finals in Europe and there is a gap there I don't see being closed anytime soon. NA and EU teams make far more mistakes compared to their Chinese and Korean counterparts at a similar level in their regional standings and Chinese and Korean teams will punish them for those mistakes.

Watching TI got me thinking about how important the baron buff that boosts minions a hero is in lane with minions in Lol is for breaking the enemy base (the boost to hero damage also helps). The lack of the that buff in Dota and the influence of the high ground drags out the matches compared to league with the sieging team being very cagey about taking towers and racks. The other thing that stood out to me was the roles being numbered in terms of need for gold v League's role of top,mid, adc, jungle and support. That and the higher mobility of the teams in dota with the boots of travel and teleport scrolls. Alot more chanes to got from a 1v1 to a 5v5 compared to League. I prefer how League displays information when you watch it with towers, kills and total gold on the top, a table of the all players items, KDA on the bottom and the portraits on the side with health,mana and utls. I find it alot easier to get a clear idea of who is winning. Dota does have the graphs for gold, exp and player worth that they show alot during the match but I like having it all there on the screen by default. I don't think the item part would work for dota though cause it has far more items with timers which would be harder to see in a League style table. I am looking forward to the majors for dota 2 just to watch it more than once a year and see how the meta and team rankings shift.

I also need to finish re-watching Deadwood and get round to re-watching the Sopranos after reading this. One of the guys just posted this article about the humanity of David Simon that is worth reading. HBO just announced they are in talks for a motherfucking cocksucking deadwood movie and I am tore between excitement and despair as I re-read this talk conversation. Also started watching Mr.Robot and the USA network was the last place I would have expected so unlike what else is on tv. In the last two week I was talking to people at 2 different birthday parties and both of them brought up this show as something I should watch and they were right. The way it is shoot in particular is so different and there is something about Rami Malek that has me hoping he wins an Emmy. My only concern is how long this show can keep this up but better a spectacular rise and fall than USA usual blandness. Also talking about USA I started watching Playing house since it's two leads are the main voices of the WOMP it up podcast and I love nothing better than to hear Jessica St.Clair and Lena Preham banter back and forth.

LGD - world champions 2015 beating Fnatic 3-1. Calling it now and will edit it later in case I am wrong. I was thinking today that I'd like to EU and NA lose a slot each for worlds cause neither have 3 world class teams (I would say NA at the moment have 0 and EU has 1 - Fnatic).The two slots could be used to bring in another two teams from outside the 5 main regions cause right now it's 7 regions (Turkey, Brazil, CIS, SE Asia, rest of Latin America, Japan and Austrailia) competing for two spots.

I been reading a decent amount of non fiction recently. The highlights would be : Russia against Napolen, the battle for Europe which covers the war from the events leading up to Napoleons invasion of Russia to Russian army marching into Paris. This is a part of history I had very little knowledge of (part of which was war and peace which the author has some problems with in it's portrayal of the war particularly the german generals in the russian army). This book covers everything from the major figures to how Russia recruited, trained organised and supplied it's armies and the role of diplomacy in regards to the creation of the final coalition. One of the facets I found particularly interesting was how the culture of Russian nobility/militray played in how command what armies and whether those command were obeyed which had a major impact in different battles. It reminded me of another book I re-read called soldiers and ghosts which looks at the what influenced ancient greek and roman soldiers conception of what the honourable/right method of fighting was and how it changed over time. The book's focus on how the tension in the roman armies between discipline and the desire for individual honour and how that informs the type of formation the romans used over time was very interesting. Continuing books on war I will finish with the 30 years war : Europe Tragedy which covers the 30 years war which was a period of history I knew next to nothing (bar the change military organisation and tactics) about which meant this book had a very high new information to page especially in the start when there is an overview of Europe before the wars begin. The complexity of the holy roman empire and how it effected the ability of the various Emperors to wage wars and deal with the Protestant nobility is something I could read a whole book on. I also gained a better idea of the nature of the relationship between the Spanish and Austrian Hasburgs. The tension between the two over how involved each would be in the others conflicts was fascinating. I came away from the book thinking the 30 years wars would be a better description of the subject matter since the book chronicles a parade of various non-german kingdoms getting involved for different reasons whom without which is would have lasted a lot less and involved a lot less death. If you are interested in the history of south Asia since partition or how Italy went from a collection of different states to a single country Midnight's Descendants and the Pursuit of Italy are both worth checking out. Next up are books dealing the Irish war and independence and civil war's in particular counties of which there is alot of books from all over the country.

You might want to check the searchers : making of an american legend a book about the movie. It starts looking at the events the book were based on and the lives of Cynthia Ann and Quanah. Most of the book looks at the book and film as well as the careers of John Ford and Wayne. Definitely worth checking out if you like the movie and have an interest in the persona of John Wayne the western character. The Lamar series of western history might also be worth your while.

I just finished watching season 2 of the 100 and that show's focus on putting characters in sitiuation where they have to make dubious moral choices with no time to think about it reminds me of the best parts of the Shield and BSG. In particular it reminded me of the first two season of Battlestar Galatica when the focus was on the fucked up moral choices leaders have to make to ensure the survival of their people and I actually think it surpassed BSG in this in some respects cause BSG in season two found ways for characters not have to either make such choices or execute on their choice which this show does not do. I think the 100 is more focused on the Clarke above everyone else unlike BSG which had an equal focus on Adama and Rosilin. Clarke and her mother and their arguments over what to do is Adama and Rosilin all over again but with the added dimension of the mother-daughter relationship. Tore thought rick and morty over the week and that show is amazing. It it funny and bleak but also somewhat optimistic in a way that is right up my ally while also doing an excellent job of taking well wore sci-fi concepts and taking them in wonderfully messed up directions. Someone pointed out the show can be seen as a critique of the doctor who idea of genius takes random person on adventures cause the random person (Morty) goes through alot of fucked up shit the effects of which the show does not shy away from while also using one particular experience to positive effects.

I just played through rise of the samurai as one of the Fujiwara clans and geshiaish character ability to halt an army's movement for a turn was something I found really important when dealing with multiple enemy armies moving to attack a certain settlement or army. I also liked the influence system which was handy to grab a couple provinces in the early game when it was easy to get one to pledge allegiance than attack the other one. The roster was light and I found cavalry pretty useless (by the end out of the game I had produced 4 cavalry units compared to 200+ infantry). I noticed this in rise where most of the provinces I took over had no upgraded main building which was a problem cause that meant they had no defences which meant it was impossible for me to defeat armies twice my defending armies. That is where having came in handy cause it took 3 turns to get upgraded to a single wall. I think Shogun 2 is the most interesting one I have played for a military geography point of view. Between playing the Mori and Oda in the main game and with Fujiwara the in rise I have found that line of settlements for Echizen to North/South Shino to Kai and Sagami has been a important part of the game. As the Mori the lands to the north were the last I conquered. As the Oda I stayed on the defensive while I expanded to the south where I bypassed Kyoto for ages cause I couldn't afford the loss of troops it would take to conquer. As the Fujiwara it was the line I held for many turns as I defeated my sister clan and built forces after the emperor declared was on me. Also as the Mori I remember conquering some extra provinces on my way to Kyoto earlier than I planned cause I needed to expand far enough to have another pass between the mountains dividing the east and west of the island. In my rise game the one of the taira clans had 22 provinces to my fifteen when the emperor declared war on me which annoyed me greatly. Same game I came across the agent prevent army attacking siege problem as well. I must pick up the Otomo and Ikki Ikki next time they are on sale. The sound very interesting.

The total war series would be my number one.Probably the series I have played the most and also for the longest starting back with the original medieval. I just reinstalled Shogun 2 to play rise of the samurai and a mod for Rome called Europa Barborum to finally get a campaign going as the romans. Besides that - Company of heroes 2 multiplayer (although I uninstalled it to make space for Shogun), Crusader kings 2 and Mount and Blade. Used to play a lot of League of Legends but now I prefer to watch it. The worlds ends with you, sins of a solar empire and ai: war command are possibles.

EU governments are now one of Greece's biggest creditors and none of them want to write off greek debt cause they will be raked over the coals come election time as to why they cost their voters hundreds of millions to billions of euros to a country known for it's political corruption, joke of a tax collection system and a recent finance minister who thought calling people Nazis is a good way to conduct negotiations. Instead they will continue to kick the bucket down the road till Greece leaves the euro.

There has been an explosion of history podcasts in the last few years. Search for the history of rome podcast on itunes and the related podcasts is a good place to start. In particular there has been a lot of history of x country podcasts starting up in the last couple years covering the topic in chronological order. There is a history of Japan and history of the Ottoman Empire that has a similar structure the ones you described with the focus being on certain topics as opposed to a chronological telling of the history. State of the re:union is a podcast that just finished which focused on different parts/communities in the US. Very interesting looks at parts of the US you woudln't see in media. Also the Newstalk radio show Talking history has a weekly podcast that covers a particular historical topic. In our time on BBC4 might be up your alley as well.

At the Austin Film festival this year there was a live reading of the first episode of Dawson's creek with the genders flipped with Mae Whitman (carrying a framed photo of Tim Riggins with her onto the stage) playing Dawson and it is fantastic. Has also reminded me to watch the first season of that show after reading somewhere this year that it still holds up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=843&v=b0nij5sC0zY

Read on the av club that Paul F Thomkins is no longer doing the dead authors podcast. Not sure if that means it's finished or someone(s) else will replace him.

Yous should check out the season 6 episode the french mistake for it's comdeic metaness

Virginai Woolf,Gertude Stein, Maggie Nelson for non-genre. For sci-fi and fantasy - Jonanna Russ - the female man, we who are about to and how to supress women's writing. James Triptree (aka Alice Sheldon) - the women men don't see and Houston, Houston do you read? Samuel R Delany - He has wrote a lot over the last 50 years. Dhalgern is his most famous work. Through the valley of the nest of spiders is his most recent work. Has some pretty graphic sex scenes which is true of a fair amount of his writing. Benjanun Sriduangkaew and Athena Andreadis are more recent short story writers. Lightspeed magazine put out special issue called Queers destroy sci-fiction, which is short stories by written, edited and featuring LGBTQ+ people. Also Melissa Scott, Elizabeth Lynn, Seanan McGuire. Allison Bechtel,Diance Obomsawin for comics. I found this talking about David Foster Wallace and his legacy in light of the movie about him coming out pretty interesting.

I started listening to You must remember this which is a podcast about the history of Hollywood. Currently it is covering Charles Manson and his family which is a part of history I was aware of without actually knowing anything. Before that it covered hollywood stars during the war, the one I listened looked at John Wayne and why he never actually joined the army in spite of him playing the exact kind of person who would. Also people looking for a ridiculous and fun improv podcast should check out Womp it out which is a spin-off of comdey bang bang hosted by former CBB intern Marissa Wompler (Jessica St clair) and her teacher (Lenna Preham). It started a couple months ago and the two hosts are great as are the guests they have had on so far. This week episode opened with her singing about stuffing a pizza in her vagina and having it filled with a dick covered in cream cheese.

That was also his plan for taking over Morocco and Rhodesia as well. Also the best thing about founding a religion is you don't have to pay your employees minimum wage.

The critical distance podcast did an interview with the guy who wrote that book and is also the creator/editor of the boss fight series that is worth checking out if you are interested in reading other books in that series.

She has a sequel out covering her relationship with her mother including after fun home was published. If I am remembering it right Woolf and Freud are mentioned a fair amount. Also psychoanalysis of her dreams as she was writing the comic. It's called are you my mother? He had a magazine at one stage where he drew a strip of anthropomorphic penises living their lives.

I use bi over pan for that reason but pan acknowledges the existence of intersex people or those who don't identify as male or female.

100% on the raid 2 not having the momentum of the first one. The first is an hour and a half of well shoot Indonesian martial artists beating the shit out of each other while the second is really a undercover cop /crime drama with really good action scenes. I think it was a smart decision cause I am not sure is the raid something you can do a sequel of that will be as good. I think there is a suprise factor that is hard to repeat with the raid and Dredd between one seeming to come out of nowhere and Dredd overcoming low expectations. In the comments of av club reviews of RAW and NXT I see alot of praise for Lucha and I have seen some clips but I am only capable of staying current with one tv show a week which is NXT for now. Now that gay marriage is legal in both the US and Ireland I have decided it is my quest in life to marry Finn Balor after seeing he builds lego in his spare time while wearing an Finn from Adventure time t-shirt.

It only being an hour is part of why I like it. My friend whose account I use said it mostly down to Triple H running it and wanting to make WWE Ring of Honour. I didn't even know who Dusty Rhodes was but I did tear up when his son's were presenting him with a hall of fame award. Is Finn bad on the mic and what are their shows like in person? Also just watched the Rise and Fall of ECW and so wrestlers I remember from the WWE Attitude era were in it with Stone Cold having hair looking so weird to me.

Anyone here watch WWE NXT? Started watching it last month and liking it so far. I think the last time I actually watched WWE was probably 2003/4 and between listening to the Bombcast, a friend of mine and the woman who started reviewing NXT on the av club NXT is meant to be a lot better than the 3 hour endurance test that is RAW these days (3 hours a week seems like utter madness to me). Kinda weird but also very cool to see two Irish wrestlers as top cards in the NXT. I am going to miss Kevin Owens when he goes to RAW for good though, such a good heel. Also started re-watching community and I had forgotten how heavily the Jeff-Britta romance was featured, I had mostly forgotten about it since originally seeing it.

I stumbled across the axe of the blood god which is Kat Bailey's current RPG podcast on US gamer. Listening to it I realised how much I missed her and Jason Wilson talking about RPGs.

Who knows they that they wouldn't be just as capable to do so without having read said books? I liked to see some large number of schools make it optimal at say 13 age (after having to study it for 2/3 years) and see the long term effects of not continuing to study English to see if it does have the effect you mention with students who if given the option would not longer study English versus those who have no choice in the matter (and versus those if given the option would continue to study English). I don't think knowing Shakespeare really matters for most modern media consumption/enjoyment unless as a reference someone makes in it which someone can look up on the internet if they are wondering about it. I think the odds that a majority of a group of people most of whom don't read fiction for leisure are going to care about a book you think they will like or should read cause it is important is pretty low. I really liked Roll of thunder hear my cry and went and read the rest of book in the series outside of school when I was 14 but I had been reading as a passtime for 4 years at that stage. I finished reading I am error which is part of MIT's platform studies focusing on the NES. Really interesting deep dive into the hardware, software, marketing and everything else. The parts I really liked was reading about how Nintendo figured out what kind of control inputs to have and about a graphic text adventure called Port Utopia which Enix developed that had you play the role of a detective solving a crime influenced their development of Dragon Quest.