Yeah. So the birth of Santa happened a few days ago, and damn but it was kind to me. My desk is fast on its way to becomming all black and glowing blue, and that’s more than alright with me.

I got on hell of a monitor from the Fat Man. Its a 17″ LCD made my NEC, and lord but the color saturation is fantastic. I really love this thing. Ragnarok looks beautiful on it, and it gives me back a huge amount of desk space.

Then there was the Robot Legs which i am still playing with. I really need to get to programming a few things for it, as i’ve finished building a really badass tracked test platform and tried a few experiments with motor-chaining, and i think its time to see about getting more drives. And see about creating the wireless interface that this book outlines.

Also present are a fondue set (whoo hoo, time to recreate the Melting Pot in my own home), a really kickass chopstick set (already used to eat some Inakaya sushi i brought home), dragon sculpure from my brother, and the requisite calender and clothes. Christmas rules.

The woman got me the Matrix: Reloaded teaser with the holographics and the green numbering. I wish i could find a cheap lighted poster case to display it in. And she also got me a dragon oil lamp. And damn but that’s cool.

Then using the christmas cash from my grandparents and some of my own i scored a Netgear wireless access point/hub/router that currently occupies deskspace for $50 and $150 more in computer bits including this lighted keyboard and a swanky slot-loading DVD-Rom drive that is painted silver. Damn, i wish i had somebody to show this off to.

Comments Off

So yeah, i’ve moved into the new house, and i’ve got the computer hooked up. So basically civilization has been restored. The official date of the transfer is Friday, i may try to get the RR guy to add another outlet or three. That said i need to get the girl so we can finish the move (go get the slightly befuddled cats) and so forth. Who knows, i may get a digital camera this x-mas and be able to show you guy pictures of La Casa de Brooks.

Comments Off

I’m seeing Two Towers tonight. You’d better belive i’m taking tomorrow off work.

I’ve also had early comic book day, as i haven’t been to Silver City in a while, and they are so refreshingly free of all the Heroes-related drama. So i think i’ll talk about what i bought at the comic store.

First off, i bought an issue of Lone Wolf 2100 that managed to not piss me off. See, at best the book was a guilty pleasure. I did like the art, its demi-anime depressed metal look (you’d have to cract the book to know what i was driving at, but suffice to say that is actually a pretty accurate description), but the writing left more than a little to be desired, as atleast once per issue there is some truely crige-worthy exchange. However, Issue 5 changed all that: the little girl spent the whole issue in a radiation suit (and is mute anyway) and Itto said nothing at all. Add that to the visuals of destroyed Sungshan and you have a hell of an issue. Too bad it didn’t really connect with the rest of the series. I get the impression that there was an entire missing issue that they glossed over to get to the robot fight scene between number 4 (last issue) and number 5 (this issue).

I also got Powers #25, and if you aren’t reading Powers now, then what the hell is wrong with you? Powers is probably the best montly out there, bar none, in writing, ink, or colors. The only books i put even on the same level are Kabuki (not monthly) and Hellboy (on indefunate hiatus). Honestly, go get your ass a copy of “Who Killed Retro Girl” and start from the very beginning, but after that you only have “Roleplay” and “Little Deaths.” There have been nothing but amazing story arcs in this series, and nearly every issue finds a new way to portray either superheroes, cops, or the relations between superheroes and the public. In short you need to be reading this one.

I also bought some Warren Ellis book by the name of Mek, and i honestly wish i hadn’t. Why do i keep buying things by this guy? I never really enjoy them. Ah well, i’ll just chock this one up to disliking social commentary that tries to ram the fact that it is ment as social commentary down my throat. If you want to entertain me while making me see your point, do so. If you want to present to me a long-winded discussion of why drugs should be legalized in the guise of cybernetics, you can stuff it, windbag.

I also scored the Moriboto Type-2 robot from Jinki-Extend. I’ll be posting pictures later, but suffice to say its a Kaiyodo robot toy in all that that implys. The thing has nearly 30 points of articulation, no feeling that arms are about to fall off, comes with over five different weapons (one a spear that has multiple interchangable blades) and can stand on its own. Take that Todd McAssface!

Remind me never to search for Big O Season 2 on WinMX ever again. As big a fan as i am of “Oops - Big tits bouce out of bra,” that really wasn’t what i was looking for. Unless season 2 makes some really odd character changes.

Comments Off

Well, i thought i was moving this week. Which is why i haven’t been able to do laundry, clean the catbox, or post to this webpage. However, i’ve been actually doing nothing but getting home from work and then trying to get people to actually live up to their commitments and help me box shit up and move furnature. My corrola isn’t exactly the best for moving 6 foot by 5 foot entertainment centers that don’t disassemble. Long story short, i wanted to be in the new house by tuesday, and now it is looking more like sunday. So i can take the time to do those three things i’ve been neglecting.

To answer your next question: No, this isn’t being typed on monday, it is actually being typed sometime thursday night. I’ve been thinking about/buying/watching a number of things, so via the magic of movable type i will be going back in time and writing this week’s posts all on thursday. Please, enjoy time travel week.

Comments Off

Ok, it seems that any communication that attempts to occut via this ‘blog (either asking somebody a question, or recieving one via comments) is immediately and simulltanously answered. Lord that’s odd. I ask when you guys are coming down, and you are, at that very moment, asking when to come down. You ask when i’m getting to Florence, and i’m knocking on your door.

Its like living in the future or something.

Comments Off

So yeah, apparently Marvel is coming out (double meaning?) with an openly gay cowboy charater with the not-at-all aptly named Rawhide Kid. And think i just have one thing to say: I don’t give a damn. Honestly. Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay or anything, but the only reason that sexuality enters into a comic is either to give the Green Goblin somebody to kidnap who has some connection to Spiderman, or to give teenage boys some tits to stare at. There is no body anywhere who has ever said “Oh sweet! The new Batman is out, and he’s got a new girlfriend! This is the best issue ever!”

I read Hellboy, Powers and Kabuki, and thank the gods but relationships should probably never darken those particular doors. Well, i think Kabuki and Akemi had a little fling-thing, but that was combined to two emotional headcase agents kissing in a bathtub. Both of whom, i think i should mention, were serving as each other’s sole confidants while they underwent extreme psychological torture and brainwashing.

Hellboy and Powers, however, will probably never (i say probably) delve into the whole ess-e-ecks thing, and that’s a good thing, because neither have anything to do with the issue. I read Powers for incredible writing and spot-on artwork, i read Hellboy because it is brilliant in a pulpy, madcap way. What i’m saying, really, is that if the focus of a comic is sex (or sexuality), the audience will be more than a little limited, to say nothing of the plot.

And yes, i do own a lesbian porno comic. I have no idea how i got it, but Amazon just shipped it to me one day. I also have no idea how to ship the damn thing back, because they have no record of me purchasing it, and i’m worried that returning it would put my name on a list somewhere. “People who buy comics about girls having sex with eachother” perhaps. And then i’d get even more porn spam. None telling me to “Knock down walls with my monster cock” however, which may be a good thing.

Well honestly, i haven’t bought a Marvel book since the X-Men: Onslaught thing just ruined my taste for garden-variety superhero books. I can say that i don’t miss X-Men a bit, and there’s a damn lot that Marvel would have to do to win me back. Starting off with promicing me i’ll never have to buy a copy of Thor or The Hulk to find out what the hell is going on with the damned X-Men. When i want to find out if Cyclops is dead or alive, i want to look for Uncanny X-Men number eighty-billion and five, not “This month’s Captain America!”

Ah well, that’s that then. And i think i’ve babbled enough.

I’ve hit a snag in Metroid: Fusion though. That damn security robot is back, and it’s whooping my ass. Its not the seeker missles, or the damn small window of time i have to hit the damn thing, but rather the fact that it seems content to just drop me in the middle of electrified water and then laugh at me. The fact that it continuously beats the daylights out of me, however, only serves to intensify the love i have for this game. I think its the finest game i’ve ever emulated without playing the console version first.

So when are you guys coming down here to see Equilibrium? (or are you even planning on doing so?) Just so i know not to try to start moving shit over to the new house. Speaking of new houses, my address is changing once again, and this means i’ll have to change the address on my Amazon wish list (i think it’s still 93 Miles, which could be a problem as my ‘rents moved out of there almost six months ago) and on Paypal. Lord getting a parking space is more annoying than it should be.

(Read the article)

Comments Off

I’ll post more tomorrow or something. My girl is working tomorrow night and Sunday morning and we all know what that means… i may be annoying you kids up in Florence. You doing anything between seven tomorrow and five sunday? Ah well. I saw a movie tonight that you guys may just have to see.

If “Equilibrium” is anywhere near you (and you are reading this webpage) then i will personally make sure that you see it this weekend. Well, if you are Chatty, you will have to catch it on your own… the drive is a wee bit much i’m afraid. However i have to say that it is one hell of a movie. I mean if my girl saw an action movie and enjoyed it, then it is one hell of an action movie. Seriously. I’m not going to tell you anything about it except that its in an Orwellian alternate future and the gun fu is probably the best i’ve ever seen. I’m being honest when i say that. It makes both “Blade 2″ and “Minority Report” look like so much ass. I’ll put it in the same category as “The Matrix” and “Boondock Saints” for sheer badassery. I’ll let you go into it like it did though, and not know a damn thing that’s about to happen. I could describe scene after scene, but that would only give you a checklist of things to watch for; i went in completely blind and found it to be the most rewarding movie experience of the last few months.

Well, movie experience that i’d never heard of. I think “Chamber of Secrets” was very good, as expected. I almost just checked it off in an “Oh, there, ‘Chamber,’ gotcha.” sence. “Equilibrium” just came out of nowhere and made me its bitch. And i enjoyed this fact.

And about emulation: i bought a gamepad a few weeks ago. I have to say that i found this to be the main reason that the emulation thing has stuck this time. Having to play Metroid Fusion stationary is alright when i can do it with a distict console flair. For the best bang for the buck, i reccomend the Logitech Wingman Rumblepack. I mean i’m sure you can pay twice as much and get the wireless version, but i’m waiting for the low-cost universal wireless solution that connects my mouse, keyboard, joystick, and anything else i want to one simple port interface.

Finally, i’ve gotten what i think will be my server’s crown jewel today, and i’ll be sure to flash it around Florence tomorrow just for the “Aaah!’s” that i’ll insist people make when they see it. Lets just say that its an Intel server nic with a fiber optic port as well as the standard cat5, and it has an onboard processor to handle all incoming data and migrate that load off the server’s processor. Sweet no? And its about the size of an aircraft carrier, so it will make shoehorning this thing into a 2u case even more of an accomplishment. Anybody ever had a good experience with the compaq combo video card/SCSI adapter? I think that may be the next thing i hunt down.

Well, get back to me about the plausability of me crashing on you guys’s couch (Am i inviting myself too often? I still owe you a plate Jason sorry about that little incident with my clip. And yes, we can go to Golden Corral this time.)

Comments Off

Well, before i go to bed, i’ll toss a few links at you, designed to help those new to the emulation “scene” so to speak.

Anything beyond this i’d reccomend google, but then i always reccomend google.

I’ll post more when the sun comes up, as i’ve got work tomorrow i should really be getting to bed.

(Read the article)

Comments Off

Errr, yeah. my playstation and 15 games for only $100? Sorry about that, but that’s completely screwing me. Its nothing personal, but two of those games are going to be Lunar: Silver Star Story and Valkyrie profile, both of which i payed upwards of $30. I mean i never payed less than $20 for any playstation game ever, making the 15 worth atleast $300, then the PSX itself is probably worthless, it not even being a PS1, but still. Add in the $50 extra i’m paying to make up the difference and i’m getting the shaft to the tune of $250. Even if you cut that in half i’m still losing $75. Again, nothing against ya Martin but your store’s promo sucks dog nuts.

In other game related news, i’ve started stealing, i mean playing, emulators again. My victim of choice this time? The ever-esteemable Gameboy Advance. I have to say that this is a rather solid platform. If i thought that i could reliably play anything on it without dropping $70+ on a platform and then $35 for an Afterburner, then soldering the damn thing, then i’d buy one. As of now the only thing i’m lacking is the ability to play Metroid on the can. I never ride anywhere as a passenger except when i’m in Florence, and i’m usually talking to people there, so no GBA for me.

As it stands though, Metroid Fusion is a really really cool game. You can pretty much see where it is going from the get-go, but still i find it enjoyable. The SA-X is a great addition too, it turns the game into Metroid: Nemesis, and i really enjoy that. I’m at a bit where you have to run from the thing now, and i’m damn bad at that.

I’ve also started noodling around with Megaman Zero, and i have to say that i both enjoy the gameplay and the plot. I mean the controls and all are vintage MMX, but the actual enemies are hard as hell. I like that. I flew through MMX like a warm knife through butter, and thusly have never really felt like playing through it again. The plot too really kicks ass. I like the “discarded Zero fighting against a paranoid and Frank Miller-esque X.” thing. The darkness is a nice touch.

After that i’m going to play though Harmony of Dissonance, Tactics Ogre, Megaman Battle Network 1 and 2, and Zone of Enders. I think i have alot on my plate regarding gaming, so don’t really need a Gamecube. I think i’d feel better awaiting more news about Biohazard 4 anyway, so as i can find out what it will be. If its Devil May Cry 3 then i may be a little annoyed. Infinate ammo would really remove the omnipresent fear that you may just run out of shotgun shells when you are about to run into a Drain Diemos or somesuch. Or the fucking Nemesis. God i love the omnipresent fear thing.

I do hear that when you connect completed Metroid Fusion to Metroid Prime you “unlock” the original Metroid, and if you connect completed Prime to Fusion then you get the insane bio-mechanical Fusion suit.

Update, i got the Varia suit, and said insane suit is now pulsating… should i be worried?

Comments Off

So yeah, i beat Resident Evil 3 Friday night. I’ve never felt such an amazing surge of accomplishment. Well, ok, there was that “degree” thing, but no game has ever made me feel that good about my gaming ability. Though realistically, after beating that huge worm in the graveyard, the rest of the game is gravy. The only time i died in the Dead Factory is when i was a complete moron, and when i tried to kill the Nemesis without going for the finesse points and hitting him with the acid.

But seriously, once you beat the Godforsaken Worm, its smooth sailing. The first room is a save room (if you jump off the bridge like my chicken-ass did), and said save room is full of more ink ribbons, a first aid spray, three A and three B gunpowders. I mean they might as well have given me 24 magum rounds, because that is certainly what i made out of them. I regretted the loss of some shotgun rounds, but then i found two cases of the things in the next room (full of naked zombies, but the bastards learned to fear my Western Custom). Yes, i love the Custom Shotgun all to pieces, now if they had kept the “Add-on parts” thing from RE2 i’d be even happier.

I got the Jill Epilogue when i beat the thing and i’m glad to see that she put some damn pants on. I mean a tubetop and miniskirt may be fine for some people, but for a female in a piece of media created by the Japanese, pants are pretty much a good idea. Especially when a big guy with a tentacle attack appears quite frequently.

A T-Virus outbreak of my own was successfully dodged as well, as i cleaned out my fridge. Some forgotten lunchmeat had managed to mutate into a Bio-Organic Weapon of sorts while hiding behind the milk. Luckily i have my own version of the Linear Launcher, the Pitch Down the Trash Chute.

Sadly, this may be the end of my Resident Evil Rambling for the forseeable future. I heard about a campaign that Electronics Boutique is running to allow people to trade in their playstations and ten games for some ungodly amount of cash. Really the only bit i remember is getting $30 for the PSX instead of the normal $5 or somesuch. The crux of my questioning is that i know where i can get a few slightly scratch-and-dent PSX’s for pretty damn cheap. Any way i could get the $30 on more than one Playstation at a time? That would really pave my way to getting a PS2 and a GC really.

I’m still playing Vantage Master though i really should stop. It is raising my blood pressure something fierce. I believe that i may just be learning strategy bit by bloody bit, though so that is something. Suffice to say that if i was ever to meet that Savage class Master that fights underground (the one you can win the Headband of Whatever from) in a dark alley, he would certainly feel the fury of my Kung Fu.

(Read the article)

Comments Off