(courtesy of Ana's Lair)

Found this in my Wordpress feed and think it's both a good idea and a good way to get to know all your fellow bloggers.  Like Ice Buckets and Pokemon GO!- start with yourself, tag anyone else you'd like to join in and stand back.

How long have you been a blogger?

Off and on about ten years.  Started with MySpace (remember them?), but never really got into it.  After I started reviewing I picked up on Wordpress- which I like a lot.

At what point do you think you'll stop?

I guess when I lose interest, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  I enjoy doing it and have met a lot of interesting people... I haven't liked some of them, but they've been interesting.  ;p

What's the best thing?

Aside from what I've just mentioned, blogging in it's way is a reflection of the human condition.  Back when we only had penpals and party lines, contact and outreach was still severely limited.  Now everyone and everything is at our fingertips anytime we like (and we're still mostly look at cat pictures and porn).  The unlimited possibilites of connecting with each other and sharing information and ideas has never been so easy or unsettling.

What's the worst thing?  What do you do to make it ok?

I feel like I'm answering these questions before I even get to them.  The worst thing is the raw, unfiltered look at the underbelly of humanity.  Every ugly thought and deed is displayed, and deliberately so.  The desire to be noticed and in many cases, feted uponoverrides everything else- whatever's getting you attention (likes, upvoted), feted, or in some cases worshipped, is becoming more and more accepted as ok.

How long does it take you to create/find pictures to use?

Not long.  I'm pretty good at pinpointing my searches to find exactly what I need.

Who is your book crush?

When I was in high school it was the late, great Tanith Lee- if you've read any of her books, imagine reading them during puberty.  Don't have one nowadays- guess it's a sign of encroaching maturity.  lol

What author would you like to have on your blog?

So many- almost too many to mention- and for a variety of reasons.  We'll go with Anne Bishop, Sue Knott, Naomi Clark, Andrew Chapman, Matt Schiariti, Linda Hilton, Kevin Hearne, Christopher Stasheff, Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn, Sophia Stewart, Laurell Hamilton, Anne Rice, C.Dean Andersson for starters.

What do you wear when you write your blog posts?

Nothing. ;)

How long does it take you to prepare?

Depends upon the subject.  I'm sure most everyone would tell you some posts pretty much write themselves.  Others take some research and planning.

How do you feel about the book blogger community/culture?

Lovin' it.  Like I said- so many interesting and engaging people out there, so much to talk about and explore...  Just because a select few choose to piss in the pool doesn't change anything- you get that everywhere.

What do you think one should do to get a successful blog?

Be social, of course.  Post regularly, if not often; engage other bloggers on their blogs and comment on what you find interesting.  You'll find your equilibrium soon enough.

That's it from me; now it's time for a few of you to take a turn:

ObsidianBlue

Debbie's Spurts

Grimlock

Moonlight Reader

SpareAmmo

Because I am also jumping on the Grim Bandwagon. I haven't read everyone else's posts because my life is so boring I might steal everyone else's and claim it for my own.

1. I have been a Registered Nurse for over 20 years, although I haven't actually laid hands on a patient for nearly half of that. I now work with data to evaluate whether the care we are providing meets professional and regulatory standards of care, and to facilitate teams of clinicians and administrators in improving patient care processes and outcomes. It doesn't have the instant gratification of actually working with patients, but after several years of wearing 15 pounds of lead apron for 12 hours a day, my back gave out.

2. I've been married once, but I knew within 6 months of the wedding that it was a terrible mistake. I've never given myself the opportunity to repeat it.

3. In fact, I have an entire history of terrible choices in men.

4. I have two dogs. One is my little frankendoodle that I rescued from a kill shelter a little over a year ago. He's a real snuggler and a never-ending source of joy and laughter. The other is a little terrier that I adopted from a family member when she wasn't able to adjust to the evil interloping baby who invaded her home. Just kidding, he's an adorable baby, but The Ripper evidently didn't think so. Now she terrorizes everything that *might* be invading my house. Neighbors walking by, birds at the feeder, bunnies in the pansies, the ice maker when it drops cubes, the sprinkler system when it turns on, the vacuum cleaner, etc. I've gone through two brooms in six months. She doesn't snuggle, exactly, but she allows me to pet her, when she's in the mood.

5. My friends accuse me of being anal-retentive and of having control issues. I have no idea why.

6. I am a champion procrastinator, but I come by it honestly. One of my earliest memories is of my Mom, sisters, and I all loaded into the car for a road trip, waiting for my dad to finish piddling around and get in the car. He came out of the house, finally, then started washing the car, while we were sitting inside, waiting to go.

7. Babies and small children terrify me. I prefer humans who are capable of reasoned speech.

8. I wish they made Garanimals for adults. I hate figuring out what to wear in the morning. I organize my closet on Sundays so that every outfit for the work week is already assembled, even though most of them look alike. If I could still wear surgical scrubs to work instead of a suit, I definitely would. I didn't even own any shoes other than clogs and sneakers for the 12 years I did direct patient care.

9. I love to spend time in my yard, gardening. There's so much pleasure in nurturing growing things, and weed-pulling is a great way to work out frustrations. I wage a never-ending war against the Burmuda that invades my flower beds.

10. After more than 20 years out of school, I decided to go back to get an MSN. I was terrified when I started. I'm still a little terrified, but I'm halfway there and starting to think I might actually make it.

Why four and a half stars when the last volume garnered a flat four?   Well, I didn't feel as much of the insane plots and metaphysical shit flying around, like in issue zero in which Rodimus becomes Rodimus Prime.   Or how Grimlock is resurrected.   Volume two had some really good plot twists I didn't see coming, but this took it a step further, partly because all those things - the grand, sweeping plans including and/or messed up by wonky science - just weren't there.   And I gotta admit, I love the craziness of those zany plots.   They just totally make Furman's work better!   

Why not five stars then?   Because, as I said before, Roberts and Barber do it with a little more: a little more flair, a little more humor, and it makes a little more sense to me in the end.   Just enough so that I enjoy them a bit more than Furman's work now, and thus the docking of a half star.   

But, really, if you're in for convoluted plots, with a writer who understands the G1 characters?   Furman is your go-to guy.   

Bludgeon vs. Rodimus Prime?   Rodimus going through time?  Grimlock cowing and leading a primordial army?   How do you not enjoy this?  It's fun, plain and simple, and I'm only happy that the Dinobots had a hefty role in this, and a significant one once again.  Very exciting!  

That being said, I will most definitely read the next volume.   I hope the science gets weirder, the plots get even more convoluted, and the characters are as magnificently in character as they are here.

PS - also hoping Galvatron gets his ass handed to him after what he did to Magnus.   Boo, Galvatron, boo!

PPS - Optimus Prime: "...the being we know as Galvatron.  Deep in my spark, I know... he is Megatron reborn."

Also, one of the Dinobots says of Grimlock: "Except we'd know.   If he was dead, that is.  We'd just know.  It's-"

The same thing as Optimus Prime has with Megatron, who is part of Prime and Prime dies a little when Megatron does?   Now try to convince me that the Dinobots aren't having orgies off panel. 

So.... Grimlock died at the end of last volume. 

I hadn't been planning on continuing with this volume knowing he might not come back, but I kinda was because I had to know.   I cheated.  I checked out an issue, saw how he was going to come back, and squealed.   

But the whole thing?   Way, way more epic than I expected. 

Wow.   I just forgot how much I loved this collection.   It's five issues, and they are, somewhat, standalone stories that pull into one cohesive whole.   Kinda.   Each character takes a heave role: issues four and five are about mostly about Ratchet, and the back cover says six is mostly about Rodimus - although I think it's more about Max, and seven and eight are another min-arc that involves the crew of the W.A.P., and involves Grimlock.   

However, I would argue that there are two arcs - the first three issues and the second half is two that don't really do that heavy continuation of the first three.   So, Ratchet, and everyone who got Fisitron's blogs, all reporting on the Wreckers, get one posthumously.  Ratchet figures out that it's coming from Delphi, and not only that, it's telling them all that something wrong is going on at the Autobot Delphi medical unit.   That is, half of the patients are dying.   

Two mind-blowing issues are Ratchet trying to figure out what's going on, including him, Drift, and others almost dying of a rust virus.   But the real kick is at the end - and how Drift gets Ratchet a nifty new pair of hands, since Ratchet's hands were getting locked up and making him useless as a medic.   (And thus useless - the one thing Ratchet is good for - according to himself, at least - is being a medic.)   I must say, Ratch is not normally my favorite character, although in Prime and IDW-Verse, he's amazing.   He's also at his cranky best here - and he gets to show that he is good for a hell of a lot more than being a medic.   He not only figures out how to get the antidote to the virus, he's also the one who figures out how it works, and he's the one who follows First Aid's explanation to these conclusions.   He's crazy smart, and he's devious to boot - he fucks Pharma over good.   And Pharma deserved everything he got, and a whole lot more. 

But it's First Aid who gets Fortress Maximus into the mix.   This is especially important because the third issue in this volume is the one where Max takes hostages.   I'd argue it's more his story, of why and how he was driven by a bitter realization - how long it took Prowl to get help to Garrus-9 - that is driving him over the edge of reason.   It's about decisions Rodimus has to make, too, but I'd argue that the focus is on Max.  I'm guessing, though, that they didn't want to say this on the back cover as you're not supposed to know about Max then?

The DJD issue is the one that holds my interest least.   It's clever as always, but even now, it's fading from memory.  The problem is that I don't really care about these particular Decepticons, and I'm not sure why.   They're full characters: full of life, full of weaknesses and flaws, and, yes, even goodness - such as their loyalty to one another - and of course sexiness.   But I just don't care about them that much.  I didn't find their particular backstories as interesting as being on the Lost Light.  

You do get one page of Grimlock, and then he plays a pretty big role - despite not having much page time - in issue eight.   And I have the same issue with eight as I do with seven. It's just not as interesting to me when Grimlock, or the crew of the Lost Light isn't there.  And I know it was all Dinobot month, but... jeez.   That's a shitty reason to have this story that has, up until now, not been heard of again.   (I'm up to volume 5 in this, too.   It's either a really, really long game, or this story was as pointless as I think.   If it's the latter, then maybe the fact that this doesn't come into play again is what's making me yawn...)

Still, fabulous, and it works as two separate stories.   It does tie in, especially with the bits of the Lost Light crew that you see in the last two episodes. And there is the fact that Max was beaten to death, and lobotomized by Overlord, and he is mentioned as being on the D.J.D. - Decepticon Justice Division - radar.   So there is more tie-in than it would seem at first.   Still... I was so hoping Grimlock would have more speech bubbles, and time in the comic.   Especially disappointing that he doesn't show up again.   Argh.