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Random Thoughts on Pacific Rim (Not a Review!)

As someone that grew up loving Godzilla movies and Shogun Warriors toys, Pacific Rim was an immensely satisfying summer blockbuster. It’s full of giant, glorious robots and giant, glorious monsters engaging in giant, glorious battles. It’s the summer movie that eight-year old me dreamed about. While it’s not the best movie I’ve seen this year (Star Trek still holds the top spot), I really enjoyed it. My friend Paul, who is also a Godzilla mark, had issues with it. Here are some random thoughts on the movie, along with a secondhand counter-perspective of Paul’s thoughts. Unlike most of my not-a-reviews, this one is spoiler-free.

Character Design: The robots in the movie were sci-fi cool, while the monsters were sci-fi scary. They were exactly how eight-year old me imagined they would be on the big screen. The monster designs were like updated versions of the kaiju used in Godzilla movies. They had some realistic features, but were exaggerated enough that you couldn’t imagine them being real. I greatly preferred this style over what the American version of Godzilla did — make things so realistic to the point they were boring and so unfamiliar to kaiju fans that they weren’t fun.

The different robots in the film were fantastic. Eight-year old me would have done all kinds of chores for toys of these robots. Hell, 2013 me would do your chores for toys of these robots. The robots featured designs that reflected the countries their pilots and (presumably) makers were from. For example, American mech Gipsy Danger was inspired by the Chrysler Building, while Russian Cherno Alpha looked like a Soviet tank. My favorite was China’s Crimson Typhoon, which looked like a red (duh) version of the Iron Giant, but with awesome buzz saws.

Special Effects and 3D: Just in case you didn’t know, similar to how WWE Undertaker isn’t actually dead, the giant robots and giant monsters in Pacific Rim aren’t real. The effects used to make them come alive on the big screen were tremendous — easily some of the best I’ve seen. Obviously the visuals are the movie’s main attraction. (If you’re seeing this movie for something other than the visuals then you’re doing it wrong.) Between the top-notch effects and Red Epic camerawork, this is a visually impressive movie.

The 3D really surprised me. As many of you know, I’m not a huge fan of 3D. Originally, director Guillermo Del Toro was against a 3D conversion, but changed his mind. I’m glad he did. Even though Pacific Rim’s 3D conversion allegedly took 40 weeks longer than most, I believe that the end result was worth the wait. While my friend Paul wasn’t impressed, I felt that the 3D added to the sense of scale. The robots and monsters felt bigger. They really popped off of the screen (especially in the first 20 minutes). Even a seen featuring the human lead made effective use of 3D during a scene on a scaffold. That bit actually had me a little bit queasy from the height. Cool.

So the robots are cool, the monsters are sweet, and the special effects are tremendous. That’s all you really need for this kind of movie, right? Well, that was the case for me. For Paul, not so much.

Weird Science: A lot of the science and logic in Pacific Rim bugged Paul. He didn’t like how the robots required multiple pilots sharing brain waves. He didn’t like that monster attacks seemed to follow a set schedule and that one of the scientists had a theory on the schedule. Me? I didn’t give a rat’s ass. It’s a movie about giant frickin’ monsters emerging from the Earth’s tectonic plates through an arcane portal. The questionable science behind Godzilla movies didn’t bother back in the day and the questionable science in Pacific Rim doesn’t bother me now.

Humans: Paul and I agree that some of the humans weren’t very good in the movie. I think it bothered him more than it bothered me. Again, I never cared about the humans in Godzilla, but unlike those cats, I didn’t mind watching the humans in Pacific Rim. Idris Elba is cool (though it was funny how his voice could go from a tender whisper to a stentorian roar in less than a second — dude must have a reverb switch on his neck), I always find Charlie Day entertaining, Rinko Kikuchi is super cute (especially with blue highlights), and Ron Perlman is always good for some scene-stealers.

The other guys I wasn’t so hot on. Leading man Charlie Hunnam was kind of boring, his antagonistic Australian teammate (that might as well have been named Iceman) played by Robert Kazinsky was annoyingly angry, and aside from being super cute (and having blue highlights), Kikuchi was mostly dull. The bit characters were a bit stereotypical. The male from the Russian team was pretty much the lovechild of Zangief and Ivan Drago, while his female companion was Drago’s wife. While the Chinese guys had the coolest robot, they didn’t do anything aside from bad Yao Ming impersonations when they were outside of the mech.

So yeah, some of the acting was okay and some of it was bad. Again, if you’re seeing Pacific Rim for the acting then you’re doing it wrong.

Striker, I Hardly Know Her: The Australian robot’s name is Striker Eureka. Whenever its name was mentioned, I had flashbacks to Airplane! “Striker. Striker. Striker…Ted Striker?!?”

The Tone: While this is clearly one those big-dumb-fun summer movies, it wasn’t that dumb. Certainly it’s not as vapid as something like Transformers or Battleship. Between its (relative) smartness and feel-good vibe, Pacific Rim left me with a feeling similar to the one I had after I saw Independence Day in theaters. While that movie is obviously more meaningful to Americans, there are a lot of similarities — great special effects, sweet tech, creepy monsters, and humans that didn’t bother the hell out of me (and also Jeff Goldblum).

Bottom Line: Pacific Rim absolutely worked for me and delivered exactly what I wanted out of it. I was surprised that Paul had so many science-related and logic-related issues with it. None of that stuff mattered to me. Interspersed between mostly harmless acting are visually striking scenes featuring giant frickin’ robots fighting giant frickin’ monsters. Those fights made me want to start one of those WWE, “This is awesome!” *clap* *clap* *clapclapclap* chants. As I played with my Godzilla and Shogun Warriors toys as a kid, the most glorious version of the movie in my mind would have been exactly like Pacific Rim.

Vaping Diaries #76: Fancee Juice Review

Recently, I vaped three sweet e-liquids from Fancee Juice — Peppered ChocoMint, Pina Clouda, and MeeseTracks. The company claims that these juices are “hand crafted here in Michigan with USA made ingredients.” The juices I tried had a nice, moderate sweetness that let individual flavors and richness shine. As someone that dislikes cloying, in-your-face sweetness, I really appreciated Fancee Juice’s approach. These e-liquids are more “gourmet dessert” than “candy.”

In addition to serving up quality juices, Fancee Juice’s packaging is another extraordinary aspect of the company. The 30ml bottles in my order came in glass, the bottles were covered in cardboard tubes that were tied with string, and the box was lined with an artificial hay-like material. The packaging protects the bottles nicely and gives the goods a classy touch. As far as combining top-notch protection and charming presentation, Alice in Vapeland is the only vendor I’ve used that uses packaging comparable to Fancee Juice.

All three juices vaped cleanly, making them suitable for carto/tank, clearomizer, and dripping atomizer users. While I enjoyed the flavor and sweetness level of these juices, people that want more sweetness can opt for extra flavor. These e-liquids cost $19.99 for a 30ml bottle, making them slightly more expensive than most online vendors, but I think the price is worth it for many vapers. The juices are flavorful, well made, and come in fantastic packaging. Now onto the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Peppered ChocoMint: This is a blend of chocolate and peppermint. I’ve had a lot of bad chocolate e-liquids since I’ve been vaping; it’s one of those flavors that many vendors botch. The chocolate in this juice is really good — definitely one of the better ones I’ve tried. Combined with the peppermint, you get a flavor similar to an Andes Candies chocolate or a York Peppermint Patty. The blend was right in my wheelhouse, with plenty of flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. While the flavor combination is simple and straightforward, it would have been easy to mess up the mixture. For what I like, Fancee Juice did a good job the balance.

Pina Clouda: Based on the popular cocktail, this juice was more of a “pineapple and cream” than a “pina colada” to me. It’s certainly a tasty e-liquid, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. The pineapple and cream flavors dominate, while a little bit of coconut is in the background. I didn’t taste any rum at all. I would have preferred a little bit more coconut flavor and a nice rum kick. That said, I think a lot of people would enjoy this one, but to me it tasted more like Dole Whip than a pina colada cocktail.

MeeseTracks: This was my favorite of the bunch. I really enjoyed the delicious, Nutella-like flavor of this juice. Again, I’ve had lots of gnarly chocolate e-liquids in the past, so I really appreciated Fancee Juice’s chocolate flavor. Combined with the hazelnut flavor, MeeseTracks made for a rich and savory vape, with just the right amount of sweetness. Similar to Peppered ChocoMint, it would have been really easy to use the ingredients in this juice to create an unbalanced flavor that assaults your tastebuds with sweetness. Instead, Fancee Juice served up an e-liquid that lets you taste and enjoy the different flavors in the mix.

Steeping Notes
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method starting December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on. The bottles are shaken every day for at least two weeks before vaping.

Peppered ChocoMint
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Born On: March 2, 2013
Uncapped: March 9, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: May 24-31, 2013

Pina Clouda
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Born On: March 2, 2013
Uncapped: March 9, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: May 24-31, 2013

MeeseTracks
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Born On: March 2, 2013
Uncapped: March 9, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: May 24-31, 2013

Review Process (Updated February 17, 2013)
RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in an atomizer, a cartomizer/tank setup, and a clearomizer. The exception is naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) juice; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.

Vaping Diaries #75: Vapor Stands Pie Slice Review

A couple of months ago, I wrote about Vapor Stands, a new Californian company that makes handmade e-cigarette holders. For the last few weeks, I’ve been using the company’s Pie Slice stand. This is a custom job that can be made with your choice of cherrywood, oak, or walnut. It can hold up to six vaping devices, with holes cut for your specific mods. The Pie Slice covered in this review uses all three woods and has holes for five mods.

After the wood is cut, it’s sanded to a super-smooth finish. After that, it’s coated with three layers of polyurethane for glossiness, protection, and durability. The looks are gorgeous and the craftsmanship is fantastic. The Pie Slice looks great in an office, the living room, and anywhere else you vape. When people visit my office, it’s often the first thing that catches their eye. It’s an attractive piece of woodwork.

Four of the five holes on this particular Pie Slice were cut for fairly standard-sized mods. The other hole was cut specifically for an Alt Smoke Silver Bullet, which is larger than normal. Vapor Stands cut the holes perfectly and even contacted a few of the manufacturers to verify the proper size. The bottom of the holes are covered with felt, so that the mods have a soft base to sit on.

The Vapor Stands Pie Slice is a great American vaping product. It’s a gorgeous stand that’s extremely well made and backed by great customer service. $55 is a reasonable price for a custom handmade stand that’s crafted in the USA. If you appreciate woodwork and want a handsome stand for your vaping devices then I highly recommend this product.

Links: Vapor Stands Official Site

Vaping Diaries #73: Ahlusion Review V

Here’s a review of three dessert juices from one of my favorite e-liquid companies in the world, Ahlusion. In addition to making some of the best tobacco, fruit, beverage, and dessert e-liquids I’ve tried, Ahlusion’s customer service and packaging are top notch. While I really appreciate those aspects of the company, it all comes down to the juice and these three range from very good to great.

The flavors reviewed this time around are Pralines and Cream, Rick’s Request (rice pudding), and Maple Dream. All three are clean vapes that work fine with any juice delivery system. Two of them are very sweet, while one is moderately sweet. In general, I dislike overly sweet juices, unless they have complexity. These three juices definitely fit that bill. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Pralines and Cream: This is a really sweet juice based on the classic New Orleans praline recipe of pecans, sugar, and cream. At the time I ordered this juice, an almond option was available for those that prefer French pralines. I found the juice to be very sweet, but some of my friends thought it wasn’t quite sweet enough for a true NOLA pralines taste. I really enjoyed the blend of nuttiness, creaminess, and sweetness in this juice. While it wasn’t one of the best Ahlusion juices I’ve had, it was very good and much better than most juices out there. Unfortunately, this juice has been taken off the menu. I’m hoping that Ahlusion brings it back with an even better formula.

Rick’s Request: This is a rice pudding e-liquid that was named after an Ahlusion customer. It’s a very rich and creamy juice that’s probably the most polarizing of the three in this review. Some of my friends loved it, while some thought it was too perfumey or had a taste reminiscent of potpourri. I really enjoyed this one. It didn’t quite taste like rice pudding to me — more like several elements of rice pudding. It’s a delicious blend of cream, cinnamon, and a moderately sweet raisin flavor. It’s definitely one of the more unique juices I’ve tried this year. One thing to keep in mind is that Rick’s Request should get a long steep. The smell started to change at the five-week mark and my dripping tests showed that the flavor started to bloom (for me) shortly after that. Some people I know let this juice steep for four months before enjoying it.

Maple Dream: Unsurprisingly, this was my favorite juice of the bunch. I’ve enjoyed Ahlusion’s maple flavoring in Maple House Blend and I’m currently enjoying it in Maple Burley. This is a sweet and bright juice, with a nice, creamy undertone. When a lot of people hear maple, they think of maple syrup. That’s not what you’re getting here. This is a natural and flavorful maple sugar flavor. For me, this wasn’t quite as sweet as Pralines and Cream, but sweeter than Rick’s Request. As I’m partial to Ahlusion’s unique maple flavor, I found this juice to be delicious.

Pralines & Cream
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 12, 2013 2:50PM
Vaped: May 16-23, 2013

Rick’s Request
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 12, 2013 2:50PM
Vaped: May 16-23, 2013

Maple Dream
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 12, 2013 2:50PM
Vaped: May 16-23, 2013

Vaping Diaries #72: Innokin iTaste VV 3.0 Review

Innokin is back with the third version of the iTaste VV. Gone is the pen-cap cover, which some people loved and some people hated. The finicky magnet adapters have been dropped in favor of an eGo-threaded 510 connection. Battery life has been slightly improved too. The two big additions are a resistance (ohms) meter and variable-wattage performance.

The iTaste VV 3.0 competes with products like the eGo Twist and the KGO VV. Those products offer similar form factors and battery life, as well as variable-voltage versatility. The iTaste trumps them by offering both variable-voltage and variable-wattage performance. This is a big deal. As far as I know, Innokin is the only vendor that offers a relatively small e-cigarette with variable-wattage. On features alone, this is a best-in-class product, but how is its performance and value? Read on to find out.

What’s in the Kit: The iTaste VV 3.0 comes in a Full Kit and Express Kit. The Full Kit (pictured above) includes a battery, five iClear 16 clearomizers, a retractable Micro USB cable, a wall adapter, a detailed instruction manual for the device, and a leaflet for clearomizer instructions. The Express Kit comes with a battery and a retractable cable sans wall adapter.

Construction and Build Quality: The build quality of the device is good, but not great. Since it’s aimed towards newer vapers or heavy vapers looking for a secondary device, top-of-the-line materials aren’t used, which is totally expected. Most of the device is inexpensive metal (copper, aluminum, and zinc), while the accents and buttons are plastic. Like the other Innokin devices I’ve reviewed, this one features a bright and clear LCD display.

For a device this small and light, it feels solid…until you move it. This is a minor nitpick, but I didn’t like how the buttons rattled when the device was moved. The rattling adds a sense of cheapness to an otherwise solid device.

Ergonomics and Design: Unlike most of its competitors, the iTaste VV 3.0 features a square design. I love the look of the device; the lines are clean and the device is generally handsome. The squareness is practical too, since it won’t roll off of surfaces like round devices. The device is comfortable to hold and the buttons are accurate. There isn’t much you can do with vaping devices of this style, but Innokin’s design stands out.

Operation: The instruction manual does a great job of explaining the iTaste VV 3.0’s functions. It’s easy to switch between variable-wattage and variable-voltage mode, check atomizer resistance, and change voltage or wattage. The device can be adjusted from 3.3 to 5.0 volts in 0.1-volt increments, as well as 6.0 to 11.0 watts in 0.5-watt increments. The only thing I didn’t like on the operation side is that you’re forced to see the puff counter before you can adjust voltage or wattage. While I understand that the puff counter is a popular feature in some regions, most American vapers don’t care about it.

Performance and Battery Life: I was surprised and impressed by the device’s performance. Output was generally consistent over the numerous voltage and wattage settings I tried. The iTaste VV 3.0 delivered a satisfying vape with the various clearomizers, carto/tanks, and dripping atomizers I used with it. Vapers accustomed to large and powerful mods that are looking for a backup or stealth device will be happy with what this device delivers.

The iTaste VV 3.0’s battery capacity is rated at 800 mAh. This is enough for casual vapers to get through the day, but not nearly enough for heavy vapers. On the days that I used the iTaste VV 3.0 as my sole vaping device, I used around three full battery charges, which was inline with my expectations. The device does offer Micro USB passthrough, enabling simultaneous charging and vaping. If you’re a frequent vaper that’s looking to use this as your only device then I’d suggest getting two batteries.

Verdict: The Innokin iTaste VV 3.0 is the best small vaping device I’ve ever used. It performs well, delivers the battery life you’d expect from a device this size, and offers variable-wattage performance. As far as I know, it’s the only device this size that offers variable wattage, which adds nice convenience and great versatility for beginning vapers or those that don’t have the Ohm’s law vaping chart memorized.

The iTaste VV 3.0 Express Kit has a retail price of $49.99, while the Full Kit lists for $69.99. I’ve seen the former for as low as $25 and the latter for as low as $40. At those prices, both kits are fantastic values. The Full Kit is a great choice for people starting out with vaping or those upgrading from cig-alike products. The Express Kit works well for experienced vapers looking for a backup or stealth device. As of this writing, I believe that the iTaste VV 3.0 is the best vaping device in its category.

Vaping Diaries #71: Want2Vape Signature Blends Review

The three Want2Vape Signature Blends I recently vaped — Louisville, London, and Paris — are among the richest, most flavorful, and most authentic tobacco e-liquids I’ve had. All three are made with naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) and I highly recommend them to vapers that are serious about tobacco flavor. For those that have only tried or are accustomed to juices made with synthetic tobacco, the Signature Blends will probably be intimidating — these e-liquids are far more striking and complex compared to what most vendors push as “tobacco.” As a fan of tobacco e-liquids, especially NET juices, I was dazzled by the true tobacco flavor these juices bring to the table.

As much as I enjoyed vaping Louisville, London, and Paris, these e-liquids come with a couple of caveats. First, they’re very harsh on equipment. They’re among the heaviest NETs I’ve had and they gunk up coils faster than the vast majority of juices I’ve vaped. Using them in a carto/tank is a waste of time, in my opinion; you’ll probably gunk up the cartomizer after vaping a milliliter or two. These juices are best for dripping, but a clearomizer will work well too (rinsing the clearo out after every fill and giving the coils a dry burn). While this might seem inconvenient to some people, I believe that the incredible tobacco flavors these juices deliver are worth it. Second, at $19 for a 30ml, these juices are slightly expensive. Ahlusion has e-liquids similar to two of the Signature Blend juices reviewed here and Mountain Oak Vapors has one; both companies are a bit cheaper than Want2Vape.

Vapers that love genuine tobacco flavor or those that complain about e-liquids not tasting like tobacco should give Want2Vape’s Signature Blends a shot. These are top-notch juices that deliver phenomenal tobacco flavor. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Louisville Blend: This juice is based on burley tobacco, which is one of my favorites. It’s the brightest of the three, serving up a rich tobacco taste with a slight sweetness. When I say sweetness, it’s all relative. My friend (and NET connoisseur) Jeremy said it best, “Louisville has practically no sweetness in comparison to most liquids, but in a W2V stash, it is one that has more brightness than the rest and that slight touch of sweet. Honestly, I don’t see most vapers being able to get that touch of sweet in Louisville, but it’s in there.” The sweet notes were especially pronounced when I vaped this juice in a Kanger T3 clearomizer. Since I’m a mark for burley, this juice was my favorite of the three.

London Blend: This blend is a mix of Virginia, Oriental, and Latakia tobacco that replicates the taste of English pipe tobacco. If you’re looking for a straight-up, no-nonsense tobacco taste without any sweetness then this is the juice for you. It’s bold and flavorful. According to my tastebuds, it’s the most complex juice of the three. It’s similar to Ahlusion’s Devil Dog! and Mountain Oak Vapor’s Apache, but in my opinion is far more approachable than the former (which puts hairs on your chest) and a bit more approchable than the latter.

Paris Blend: This juice was the most surprising of the bunch. There aren’t many e-liquids that deliver the taste of a cigarette, but this is one of them. Want2Vape compares the flavor to European cigarettes like Gauloises, but to me it tastes like the Du Maurier cigarettes that are popular in ~~Canadia~~ Canada. So yes, this is one of those rare juices that tastes like a cigarette, but a very specific cigarette taste. I was surprised and impressed by the flavor — definitely one of the most unique NETs I’ve tried. This juice also stands out for using an unusual 5/95 PG/VG ratio. This is a wonderful juice that makes me want to wear a beret and sleep with married women (that’s what French people do, no?).

Louisville
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:58PM
Vaped: May 5-15, 2013

London
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:58PM
Vaped: May 5-15, 2013

Paris
5/95 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:58PM
Vaped: May 5-15, 2013

Vaping Diaries #69: Ovale USA eVic Replacement Tubes Review

Ovale USA has released three replacement tubes for the popular eVic vaping device. The tubes are available in black, white, and glossy chrome. The tubes currently cost $11.99 and are a great way to spruce up your eVic.

The replacement tubes are made from the same material as the original tube, so they maintain the eVic’s thin-and-light feel. Some people love how light the eVic is, while others believe that the thin metal tube feels a bit cheap. Yes, there are third-party tubes made from stainless steel and aircraft aluminum, but they’re much more expensive than these tubes. For the price, I think these are a great way to give your eVic a different look.

All three colors look great. Personally, I like the white model best, closely followed by the black one. The black and white tubes have a matte finish that feels good in your hand and resists fingerprints. While the glossy chrome finish looks sweet, it’s a fingerprint magnet (totally expected). Those that are anal with their mods will probably spend a lot of time wiping prints off the glossy chrome tube.

Even though I wish my eVic had more heft (I was particularly envious of my friend Andrew’s stainless steel eVic tubes by Kir Fanis), I’m a fan of these Ovale USA replacement parts. They’re inexpensive and a nice way to change your eVic’s aesthetics. They’re especially nice for people that like accessorize or mix-and-match.

Vaping Diaries #68: American eLiquid Review

If you’re a vaper that enjoys 0mg nicotine juices or someone that’s looking to eventually reach 0mg then you should give American eLiquid a look. The company sells juices that are made in the USA, using American-sourced ingredients. One unique American eLiquid practice is that its 0mg juices cost less than ones with nicotine — $10 less than 36mg juices and $5 less than juices at lower nicotine levels. A company rep told me that this was a “job well done” reward for 0mg vapers.

I recently vaped three of the company’s juices: Pineapple, English Toffee, and X1. While none of them blew me away, I enjoyed two of the juices and was surprised by the uniqueness of the third. Read on for the breakdowns and steeping notes.

Pineapple: This is a simple and straightforward flavor that I enjoyed. When vaped in a carto/tank or clearomizer, it tastes like grocery store pineapple juice. When dripped directly into an atomizer, it tastes closer to a fresh pineapple, though not quite. Flavor strength and sweetness are moderate, making it suitable for all-day vaping.

English Toffee: This was my favorite of the three e-liquids. It has a moderate sweetness and decent complexity. The caramelized sugar is complemented nicely by a buttery savoriness. Candy heads might find the sweetness lacking, but to me, toffee isn’t supposed to be overly sweet the way that children’s candy tends to be. I believe the company got the sweetness level just right — sweet enough that you can taste it, but not so much that it overshadows the buttery richness.

X1: This is one of the most unique juices I’ve tried this year, but it’s also not for me. It’s a tobacco juice mixed with various sweet flavors and a noticeable kick of anise. There’s a bit of cocoa (not chocolate) that’s well done too. The end result, for my tastebuds anyway, is a funky RY4 laced with anise. While I enjoy small amounts of anise in e-liquid, X1 had too much for me. I’m glad I tried the juice and I recommend giving it a shot if you’re looking for something different, but it just wasn’t my thing.

Pineapple
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 25, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: April 28 – May 4, 2013

English Toffee
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 25, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: April 28 – May 4, 2013

X1
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 25, 2013 5:33PM
Vaped: April 28 – May 4, 2013

Random Thoughts on Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness is easily the best movie I’ve seen in theaters this year. Granted, the other films I’ve seen for review were Iron Man 3, Pain & Gain, Oblivion, and GI Joe: Retaliation (hardly a cinematic murderers’ row). I loved the movie and can’t wait to see it again, but I understand why certain people have issues with it. As a summer blockbuster, it has everything you could want — thrilling action, fantastic special effects, witty dialogue, and half-naked Alice Eve. If you’re looking for high-budget filmic fun then it doesn’t get any better than this.

That said, there are two types of moviegoers will have problems with this film. First are the hardcore Trekkers that hate the changes JJ Abrams introduced in Star Trek. They’ll have even more to hate in the new film. Additionally, the movie has several nods, references, and parallels to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. While they’re meant as a tribute to that great movie, some fans feel that Abrams was trying to be too clever at best and flat-out copying at worst. While I’ve enjoyed numerous Star Trek movies and TV shows, I’m not a stringent Trekker and I’ve enjoyed Abrams’ take on the franchise, but understand why some fans dislike it.

Then there are people looking for great sci-fi. Star Trek Into Darkness is more space-action-opera than science-fiction. The heady science that can be found in numerous Star Trek movies and episodes isn’t in this movie. Instead, there are several instances of fictionalized science that don’t make much sense. This criticism I understand more than obstinate Trekkers refusing to enjoy something new, but it’s sadly what Hollywood has become and what the majority of moviegoers want.

Like I said, I’m not a Star Trek or sci-fi purist. With that in mind, I loved this movie’s action, effects, writing, and half-naked Alice Eve. Here are some random thoughts on Star Trek Into Darkness. Spoiler shields on!

The Crew: As expected, the movie focuses on the Kirk/Spock bromance, but the other crew members get some time to shine. Scotty and Bones had a bit more time than the others, and they made the most out of it. Scotty had a few scenes that completely owned, while Bones had several lines that killed. Sulu had one bad-ass scene that almost made me forget that he was the uptight stoner from Harold and Kumar. His scenes also foreshadowed his eventual captaincy. Uhura’s moments were slightly disappointing; some of her scenes made her seem like Spock’s emotional accessory, while one action sequence required the boys to bail her out. As far as I can tell, Chekhov exists to frantically run around while frazzled and to mispronounce the letter V.

Khan II: As many of you have learned, Khan Noonien Singh is this movie’s baddy. I thought that Benjamin Cumberbatch did a great job as Khan and was a fantastic villain — much better than Eric Bana’s Nero from the first film. To me, Cumberbatch was smart and intimidating. I felt a sense of danger every time he was onscreen. The character’s weakness had more to do with the writing than the performance. I know that Khan is supposed to kick all kinds of ass, but those unfamiliar with the character probably didn’t get the full sense of his badassery due to limited backstory.

The Pace: The movie’s runtime is 132 minutes, but it’s likely the zippiest 132-minute movie you’ll ever see. The vast majority of the movie is fast. Conversations, space chases, foot chases, and fight sequences happen at a mercurial pace. Many moviegoers will love the constant edge-of-your-seat excitement, but I understand people that feel that the movie could have used a few more breathers. There is such a thing as action fatigue and the movie could have used a bit more backstory for newcomers.

The Effects: This movie has so much eye candy. The special effects are glorious. I was particularly fond of the new warp sequence. I loved how the shape of the ship distorts prior to warp. I loved the new “warp line” effects. I loved the trail of star dust (at least, that’s what I think it is) left by ships post-warp. The sequence happened a few times in the movie and I marked out every time. The set pieces were phenomenal and the aliens looked fantastic. The 3D was good, but not great. From what I understand, Abrams wanted to shoot in anamorphic, which doesn’t allow 3D filming, so the 3D effects were tacked on in post production.

The Writing: As many of you know, I gravitate towards writers of comics, TV shows, and movies. I enjoyed what Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman did with the script from the first movie. The two, along with Damon Lindelof, did a stellar job with the dialogue in Star Trek Into Darkness. I really love the new versions of the classic Star Trek characters these guys created and especially love how they interact with each other. The conversations are fast, funny, and full of heart. When I think of fast-paced dialogue with heart, Aaron Sorkin and Kevin Smith come to mind. The former is probably the best known writer of this style, while the latter has been called a dumber and raunchier version of Sorkin. I guess Orci and Kurtzman combine to form Nerd Sorkin. That totally works for me.

Alice Eve: Honestly, Alice Eve’s character didn’t do much in this movie, but she had a scene that will definitely be one of the most remembered because she’s half naked! I’ve always adored this woman. Obviously she’s extremely attractive on a physical level. More importantly, she’s crazy smart (Oxford educated). Most importantly, she has heterochromia iridium, which is incredibly sexy (see Yuna). Any movie that features a gorgeous half-naked women with heterochromia iridium and a St. Catz education should win an award. Dozens really.

Bottom Line: This movie is super-nerd fun, as long as you’re not on the extreme fringes of nerdom. Normals will love the action, special effects, and half-naked Alice Eve. Light to moderate nerds will love all of those things too, as well as the dialogue. The people that are bashing the movie are hardcore Star Trek and sci-fi fans, and while I understand their issues, I think they’re preventing themselves from enjoying one of the most entertaining films released in 2013.

Vaping Diaries #61: E-Juice Plus Review II

Last year, Raina and I reviewed three e-liquids from E-Juice Plus. These relatively inexpensive juices were unique in that they had ganoderma extract. Ganoderma is a mushroom used in Eastern medicine for a variety of ailments. While I can’t make any claims about the health benefits (or lack thereof) of ganoderma, what I can say for sure is that it alters the taste of e-liquids. It adds an earthiness that can complement certain flavors and mute others.

A few things have changed since my last E-Juice Plus review. The base price for a 60ml bottle has increased to $22.45 (currently on sale for $19.98), while the ganoderma option has lowered to $3. While the standard price is slightly higher than it was before, the sale price is actually lower. Additionally, the company has switched from flip-top bottles to dripper bottles. I like the new bottles much, much better.

This time around, I chose E-Juice Plus’ Caramel, Tiramisu, and Vanilla to review. These flavors have a mild to moderate sweetness. In two of the cases, I enjoyed what ganoderma brought to the overall experience. In the other, the addition was to the juice’s detriment. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.

Caramel: A mild and enjoyable caramel flavor is given some “oomph” from the ganoderma earthiness. The end result is something similar to salted caramel (which was the dessert rage here in Los Angeles from 2011-2012). Vapers with a sweet tooth will probably find the overall flavor lacking, but those that enjoy mild to moderate flavors will likely dig this juice. Subjectively, this was my favorite of the bunch, since I’m a sucker for salted caramel.

Tiramisu: This juice had the strongest flavor of the three, but still relatively moderate compared to other e-liquids I’ve tried. The ganoderma’s presence was slight. The overall flavor was very much like the popular dessert, but with a touch of earthiness. Objectively, this flavor was the best of the three. I’d recommend this one over the other two, even though I vaped more Caramel.

Vanilla: This juice was the only disappointment of the lot. There’s a nice vanilla flavor there, but there’s not enough of it. It was way too mild for my tastes and I’m someone that can appreciate mild e-liquids. I’m not sure if it was because of a lack of flavor in the recipe or the ganoderma overshadowing the flavor (probably both), but the end result was something that tasted like a watered down milkshake.

E-Juice Plus Juice Formula
10% Basic juice
15% PG
45% VG
10% Ganoderma
20% Flavor (50/50 VG/PG)

Caramel
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013

Tiramisu
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013

Vanilla
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013