April 2006

Famous Birthday
Submitted Friday, April 28, 2006 - 4:19:05 PM by Klaitu

So, today isn't my birthday, but tomorrow is.. and since I probably won't post anything at all tomorrow, I figured I'd look up all the awesome stuff that happened on my birthday throughout the ages:

1672 - Franco-Dutch War: Louis XIV of France invades the Netherlands.
1770 - James Cook arrives at and names Botany Bay, Australia.
1854 - The Ashmun Institute is officially chartered, becoming the first college for African American students.
1861 - American Civil War: Maryland's House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union
1862 - American Civil War: New Orleans falls to Union forces under Admiral David Farragut.
1882 - The "Elektromote" – forerunner of the trolleybus – trialed by Ernst Werner von Siemens in Berlin.
1903 - A 30 million cubic-metre landslide kills 70 in Frank, Alberta, Canada.
1910 - Andrew Fisher becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the second time.
1916 - Easter Rebellion: Martial law in Ireland is lifted and the rebellion is officially over with the surrender of Irish nationalists to British authorities in Dublin.

Also, Famous folks born on my birthday:

1665 - James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, Irish statesman and soldier (d. 1745)
1863 - William Randolph Hearst, American publisher (d. 1951)
1879 - Sir Thomas Beecham, English conductor (d. 1961)
1899 - Duke Ellington, American jazz pianist and bandleader (d. 1974)
1901 - Hirohito, Emperor of Japan (d. 1989)
1951 - Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (d. 2001)
1954 - Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian
1955 - Kate Mulgrew, American actress
1957 - Daniel Day-Lewis, Irish actor
1958 - Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress
1970 - Andre Agassi, American tennis player
1970 - Uma Thurman, American actress

Additionally, my birthday is a holiday in Japan. They really love me there!

My birthday was also a holiday in the ancient Roman Empire, it was the second day of Floralia.

So, I wish everyone a Merry Greenery Day and a happy Floralia!

All the way home...
Submitted Friday, April 28, 2006 - 10:35:38 AM by Klaitu

You know the Nintendo Revolution console?

You know, the one that is both technically inferior to the other 2 upcoming consoles and the one with the worst controller and no games?

Now you can start calling it "Nintendo Wii".

That's right. Wii, as in "wee".

Maybe it means something better in Japanese...

The Godfather, Part 3
Submitted Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:04:21 PM by Klaitu

Everyone was telling me "Part 1 and 2 are awesome.. part 3 is just okay". Apparently the Academy agrees, as Godfather Parts 1 and 2 both won an academy award for best picture, while 3 did not (it lost to Dances with Wolves).

I disagree with all those people, I think that part 3 is the best of all the Godfathers.

Whereas Parts 1 and 2 took place in the 40's and 50's, part 3 takes place in the 70's and 80's. Michael Corleone is aged, and is still attempting to legitimize his family business. He's on the cusp of it, when events turn most foul.

Everytime Michael Corleone attempts to go legitimate, his underworld buddies manage to entangle him in a complicated network of "keeping the peace" between his family and other families.

I think the main detractor here is the performance of Sofia Coppola, who turns in a horrible performance as Michael Corleone's daughter. She might be an average actor, but the performance difference is definately noticable when she has scenes with Al Pacino, who acts her into nothingness.

The music here and picture quality are far superior to the previous two movies, probably because Part 3 was made some 16 years after the other 2 installments.

A fine addition to the Godfather franchise.

Overall Score: 8 of 10

Criminal Captains?
Submitted Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 9:48:14 PM by Klaitu

I was reading a Star Trek Message Board earlier today, and I got to thinking.. just how criminal WAS the original crew?

Original Crew
Charged with:

- Murder of Benjamin Fenney (Kirk)
Ben Finney faked his own death. Kirk was not guilty, and was acquited.

- Violation of the Prime Directive/General Order 1 (Kirk)
Kirk destroyed an oppressive computer on planet Archon, thus interfering in the natural development of that planet. He was never charged with a crime.

- Violation of the Prime Directive/General Order 1 (Kirk)
Kirk provided Starfleet weapons to a primitive society in an attempt to nullify the actions of the Klingons, who had previously done the exact same thing. This interfered with the planet's natural development. He was not charged with a crime.

- Violation of the Prime Directive/General Order 1 (Kirk)
Kirk destroyed the war simulation computer on Eminar 7 in order to prevent himself from destroying the entire planet in an attempt to retrieve his crew. This interfered with the planet's natural development. He was not charged with a crime.

- Violation of General Order 7 (Spock)
Spock programmed the Enterprise to visit Talos IV, which General Order 7 specifically forbade. The charge was forgotten about after an elaborate illusion of a court martial.

- Violation of General Order 12 (Kirk)
Kirk did not take defensive action when the USS Reliant approached without establishing communications. He was never charged.

- Conspiracy (Crew)
Kirk conspired to rescue Spock from planet Genesis. He was guilty. This charge was dropped after Kirk and crew rescued Earth from the Whale Probe.

- Assault on Federation Officers (Kirk, McCoy, Sulu, Uhura)
Kirk punched a security guard. McCoy attempted to neck-pinck a Starfleet Security officer. Sulu judo-flipped a security guard. Uhura forced "Mr. Adventure" into the closet at gunpoint. The charge was dropped after the Whale Probe incident.

- Theft of Federation Property (Kirk, McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, Uhura)
They all played a part in stealing the Enterprise from Spacedock. The charge was dropped after the Whale Probe incident.

- Sabotage of USS Excelsior (Scotty)
He removed parts from the main Transwarp Computer Bank aboard Excelsior. The charge was dropped after the Whale Probe incident.

- Willful Destruction of USS Enterprise (Kirk, Scotty, Chekov)
They destroyed the Enterprise after it had been disabled by the Klingon Captain Kruge in orbit of the Genesis planet. The charge was dropped after the Whale Probe incident.

- Disobeying Direct Orders of the Starfleet Commander (Kirk)
Kirk went to the Genesis planet after being ordered not to go to the Genesis planet. Kirk plead guilty and was demoted to the rank of Captain.

- Assassination of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (Kirk, McCoy)
Kirk and McCoy were charged, sentenced, and found guilty of this crime despite being entirely innocent.

Caprica?
Submitted Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:43:42 AM by Klaitu

I'm a big Battlestar fan, but I don't know if even *I* can take TWO Battlestar Series airing simultaneously. Here's the skinny:

Set more than 50 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica, Caprica takes place on the capital world of the Twelve Colonies. There humankind thrives, living in a peaceful society with the benefits of high technology. But the development of an advanced, robotic, artificial life form is about to change everything.

The show is in development by Galactica executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, 24 writer Remi Aubuchon, and NBC Universal Television Studio.

The people of the Twelve Colonies are at peace and living in a society not unlike our own, but where high-technology has changed the lives of virtually everyone for the better. But a startling breakthrough in robotics is about to occur, one that will bring to life the age-old dream of marrying artificial intelligence with a mechanical body to create the first living robot -- a Cylon. Following the lives of two families, the Graystones and the Adamas (the family of William Adama, who will one day become the commander of the Battlestar Galactica) Caprica weaves corporate intrigue, techno-action and sexual politics into television's first science fiction family saga.

The announcement comes as part of SCI FI's development slate of original scripted series, mini-series, reality shows, and new late-night programming, with no word on when Caprica might go into production or premiere on the cable channel. The development slate is a long-look ahead at what the network has planned and likely not a formal pick-up of the show -- and some series, for one reason or another, never see the light of day.

If the show receives an order to go into production, certainly don't expect to see it air this year.

Count on GateWorld to continue to follow developments as they happen. The third season of Battlestar Galactica premieres this October on SCI FI.

The Godfather, Part 2
Submitted Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 6:59:25 PM by Klaitu

It was my desire to do reviews of all 3 Godfather films, but they're freaking long. Exhibit A is this film, which clocks in at almost 4 hours long.

This is why video technology is so awesome, you can add your own intermission wherever you like.

The second Godfather picks up directly as the first one left off, however this one interestingly covers the rise of Vito Corleone in the early 20th century. I can't say enough about the wonderful period pieces in this film. They're put together excellently.. especially considering they were made in the 70's.

This time around, Michael Corleone is trying to put through a deal with a guy named Hyman Roth. Things tend to go south, and it's a cat and mouse game between the mob leader and the jewish money man. The US Senate gets involved, as is the Cuban revolution.

Meanwhile Vito rises to the ranks of mafioso by wits, chance, and luck in flashback scenes.

What else can I say, Godfather Part 2 is a movie that you can't refuse. Especially if you've seen the first one.

Overall Score: 8 of 10

The Godfather
Submitted Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 6:53:47 PM by Klaitu

"Leave the Gun, Take the Canole"

This is but one of the many plethora of gangster-ish quotes that make a whole lot more sense after you see The Godfather.

Yeah, you guys think it's strange that I've never seen the Godfather, especially considering it was released in the 1970's.

What's it about? Here we go:

Vito Corleone is the head of one of a handful of powerful mafia families located in the New York area. The year is 1945. Vito's son, Michael Corleone has returned from World War 2 where he served as a Marine.

The story is presented primarily from Michael's point of view. Michael loves his family, but isn't into the criminal portion of their doings. When his father's life is threatened, Michael must risk entering the criminal underworld in order to protect his father from rival syndicates.

The movie has a lot more coverage than just this summary. Auxiliary characters get fleshed out nicely. It's not neccessarily a "pleasant" plot, but it's consistant with itself and is rock solid.

The music here is understated, leaving a primarily visual experience. There's a great deal of exposition scenes, but it doesn't bog the movie down at all.

This is not a movie for stupid people. If you've not seen this movie before, and you're into the fluff movies they make these days, you're going to find the twisting plot hard to follow. If Mission Impossible 1 made your brain hurt, stay away.

Overall Score: 8 of 10

Bacon Levitation
Submitted Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 6:09:08 PM by Klaitu

POP QUIZ, McFly!

31) Which of the following has a basis in reality?

a) Pigs are flying.
b) Hell has frozen over.
c) The Pope is no longer Catholic.
d) Klaitu has joined myspace.

Bill Nye on the Rampage
Submitted Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 5:53:59 PM by Klaitu

Have you ever wanted to see a bloodthirsty Bill Nye take on Miss Cleo in a no-holds-barred cage match to the death?

I know I have! That William S. Nye is one crazy loco science guy when it comes to squelching the evils of astrology!

Okay, so maybe he's not that crazy, but it's interesting, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTtwlYnrBbk&search=%26quot%3Bbill%20nye%26quot%3B

The News Media
Submitted Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 1:37:37 PM by Klaitu

Carson sent me an interesting link that I will share for you all later in the article. It's called Epic 2014. I don't know how far it's gone around on the web, but it looks like it's somewhat obscure.

Epic is a sort of post-apocalyptic terminator-style "message from the future" that discusses the future of the media.. at least, according to the hippie point of view.

The Epic story essentially goes like this: Google and Amazon join forces and use their technological knowhow to generate news services that are completely based on the social networks and personal preferences. The idea becomes so popular that your ordinary news services are eclipsed in favor of the humorous sounding "Googlezon".

The flash is put together pretty well, and it's got a nice style to it, but entertainment value is about all it's worth. The flash gets kind of preachy near the end, and it becomes an obvious political tool.

There are several problems with the assumptions in the flash as I see them:

1. The switch of all pronouns from "he" (the correct pronoun for neutral gender) to "she" (a pronoun that is only female gender). The only people who I have ever seen do this are liberals, and they do it supposedly to promote gender equality.

I'm all for gender equality, but whenever I read or hear something with switched pronouns, the only thing I can think about is how stupid the author is for using incorrect grammar.

2. The assumption that "good citizens" keep abreast of the latest political news. This supposedly gives them a "world perspective" on events, and makes them "more responsible".

My personal take is that I can't have any perspective on anything that is not my own perspective. Sure, someone else can tell me how they see the news, but since people lie all the time, I have no way of knowing for sure what other's perspectives are.

I can't name the Supreme Court Justices. I couldn't tell you the name of the Speaker of the House. Secretary of the Treasury? Don't know. Furthermore, I don't care. Does this somehow make me a less responsible citizen, or does it just mean that I am unconcerned about what politicians are arguing about today?

3. The assumption that people are mindless cattle. The flash animation states that most people misuse the "Googlezon" and obtain a narrow world-view of the news. The only problem is that people already do this, they just don't do it with automation.

If I want to find the names of all those political bigwigs, I can look them up whenever I want to. I don't know what's going on in Iraq at the moment, but if I wanted to know, I could find out. The information is available to me right now. The reason I don't know is because I have chosen NOT to go look these things up, because I choose not to know in favor of knowing other things that are more helpful to me.

Does this meen I am grazing in a field?

4. That the collapse of the New York Times is a bad thing.

News Flash: Nobody reads the New York Times. Well, maybe New Yorkers do, and New Englanders and the like, but down here.. I don't believe I've ever even seen a copy of the New York times. It's unpopular where I live because IT'S A FREAKING NEWSPAPER! Nobody reads newspapers except political commentators and rival newspaper people. Add to that the fact that the NYT is a heavily liberal paper and I live in a conservative state, and you get a low readership.

If tomorrow the New York Times went away, my life would not alter in the slightest.

I dunno, maybe I'm an ignorant no-good red-stater. I just can't bring myself to care about the current scandalous murder trial, or the current reason we are hating Bush.. and since by default I don't care about Britney Spears baby or whoever is on a sex tape this week, I choose to keep the majority of the news out of my life.

That's why I pick and choose what news I want to read.

Anyways, if you want to see Epic 2014, here you go:
http://www.idorosen.com/mirrors/robinsloan.com/epic/

Trek Eggyolk
Submitted Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 10:21:10 PM by Klaitu

You all thought I had retured the old Trek logo over there, but suprise! A new day dawns for Trek!

There are many articles floating around, most of them quite speculative, but here are the FACTS:

- J.J. Abrams is involved somehow, most likely as a producer. You probably don't know it, but J.J. Abrams is responsible for Mission Impossible 3 (which is supposed to be good, but we'll find out later, won't we?)

- J.J. Abrams is NOT at present planning to direct the film, although Paramount has given him the OPTION to do so. The director decision has not yet been made.

- Rick Berman is not involved with the film project in any way. This is most welcome news.

- Involved with the writing of the show is J.J Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. All three of Mission Impossible 3 fame.

- Rick Berman had been working on a Trek film project with Eric Jendresen. The new Trek project has nothing to do with that.

- William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy have not been approached for the project.

- George Takei is all over it, but is not involved officially in any way.

- The rumor that the film is about Kirk and Spock's academy days is uncomfirmed. No plot details have been released at all.

- J.J. Abrams isn't revealing much of anything other than that he's involved. He does not rule out the possibility of TOS characters in the film, however.

So, here's the conclusion:

There will be a new Trek film. Mission Impossible people are involved.

That's all we know.

The Quest
Submitted Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 9:35:16 PM by Klaitu

If you didn't know already, today is new releases day in DVD world. It's the day when all the magical new movies come out on DVD, and also the day they go on sale. (Unlike the game industry, that releases games the day AFTER their release date).

Ordinarily, this "Super DVD Release Day" is ordinarily called "Tuesday" because nothing of importance is released. Today, however, was different. Today was Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children day.

Just to give you some context here, my very first article on Advent Children was way back on September 25, 2003. That's like 2 and a half years of waiting. Sure, they threw us a bone with the Japanese version, but I'm rearin for an english translation!

I don't know why, but my brain classifies Advent Children as "Obscure Japanese Anime" and so as I began my quest to purchase a copy, I went to Best Buy. Best Buy has a modest selection of anime titles.. the "big stuff" so I was confident that they would have it.

And I was right.. sort of.

The Best Buy I went to sold out of Advent Children within 15 minutes of the store opening. Furthermore, all Best Buys in my metro area were likewise sold out. Quite the news!

So, where would DVD's be if not Best Buy? Super Target! Turns out they were sold out as well. I asked them to check for other stores, but as it turns out, Target hasn't discovered computerized inventory yet.

At this point, I decided to let my fingers do the walkin. Blockbuster? Sold out. Wal Mart? Sold out. EB Games/Gamestop? Sold Out.

I think everyone pretty much underestimated the popularity of Advent Children. I mean, this baby is an across-the-board sellout, and I like in Oklahoma.. a state where the main industry is agriculture, and everyone listens to country music. If it's popular here, it must be crazy in the more urban places.

So, at long last I decided to go high tech. Amazon.com, baby. All the way. Sure, it was 6 bucks more to order it from Amazon, but at least I can rest assured that it's coming my way.

As a little aside that I found most hilarious, Best Buy was running an offer where you can buy both Advent Children and Spirits Within for 25 bucks. On the shelf, the area for Advent Children was empty. The area for Spirits Within was completely full.

Ironic, considering the reverse nature of the budgets.

Scary Movie 4
Submitted Tuesday, April 25, 2006 - 12:36:43 PM by Klaitu

How do I end up going to these things? I'm not "all about" the scary movie series, yet somehow I've seen every single one of them. I don't know how it happens.

The latest installment of the Scary Movie series riffs mainly off War of the Worlds, but there are also some Brokeback Mountain jokes, along with Cinderella Man, Saw, and a couple others that I didn't recognize.

Is it funny? It depends on how much you like to pay for funny. There are a few golden nuggets in here that are worth a chuckle, but most of the film is composed of jokes that take an eternity, but were never funny to begin with.

In example, Charlie Sheen is depressed so he tries to commit suicide by mixing some pills with a bunch of alcohol. He's groggy and picks up the wrong bottle, which is not suprisingly viagra. Charlie then proceeds to knock vases off desks and stuff off tables while his girlfriend is oblivious as she is talking on the phone. He falls off the balcony and plummets to his death, impaling himself on.. himself.

Not funny, just boring.

However, the Saw guy has trapped Shaq and Dr. Phil in a room and released a deadly nerve gas. This part IS funny.

Oh, that Dr. Phil.

Anyway, I wouldn't pay money for it, even though I did.. I paid freakin 8.50 for it. Your mileage may vary.

Overall Score: 3 of 10

Tender Kiss? Chuck Norris.
Submitted Friday, April 21, 2006 - 10:26:30 PM by Klaitu

BEHOLD!

The ballad of Young Chuck Norris!

Legend has it he walks among us even now
A dreamer alone in a world between dreams and reality
Was he always a fighter, was he always a hero
What do we make of the young Chuck Norris

Norris used his hands and his feet
And he kicked and he punched with his hands and his feet
And he kicked and he punched with mr. Bruce Lee
On master of kara-ta-ta-tee
And he kicks and he spins some more
Back to Vietnam to settle the score
Don't forget Walker, Texas Ranger
When he kicked and he punched his way from danger

But hey let's turn back time to younger days
Before all of the fame and mind games
His deeds were no less strengthened
A man among other men
The legend of young Chuck Norris yeah

Young Norris used his hands and his feet
And he kicked and he punched with his hands and his feet
He also ran and he jumped in the air
He was younger so he didn't even care
Way before his Hollywood fame
He slapped and punched and he saw the famed name and he was known as Master Chuck
His last name was Norris and his first name was Chuck

Round house kick (Chuck Norris)
Death hold grip (Chuck Norris)
Mustache lip (Chuck Norris)
Tender kiss (Chuck Norris)

Fathers let your daughters know
Dreams may come and dreams may go
But a man like Norris never dies
He lives forever in the children's eyes

Young Chuck Norris this is my tribute to thee
Live on great warrior into eternity

The Busy Post(TM)
Submitted Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 2:16:09 PM by Klaitu

So, why haven't I been posting here a lot?

Because i've been freaking busy, that's why.

And it's unfortunate, because I really don't like being busy all that much.

Anyway, in the grand tradition of blogging everywhere, I will now resort to the old standard: writing about what's going on in my life. I know, nobody really cares.. and yet, I'm going to do it anyway!

Last week, my dad comes home from his newish job with a memo. "Get a job at Hertz, dial this number". After considering it for awhile, I decided to go for it, so last Monday, I gave them a call.

"Come on in on Wednesday" they said. So I did. Two Wednesdays ago it was 102 outside, and wearing office-type clothes in 102 degree weather makes me feel like butter in a skillet. At any rate, I filled out an application and took a typing test.

As you could imagine since you're reading words that I have typed.. the typing test was no problem. The minimum was 20, I did 54. The woman next to me was pretty stressed out because this was her third year taking the test, and the previous 2 years she had scored only 19. Poor lass. This time, she made a 20, though.

So anyway, I went through all that business, glad to have it done. The next day I got a call "Come in on Friday for an interview". I was still pretty sure I didn't have a chance, so once again, I put on my officey-type clothes and sweated myself over to the Hertz building and did my interview.

Interviews are the breeze part of the job-getting process. I've gotten plenty of practice over the years, and so this is probably the least-stressful point in the hiring process. The interview went well, the lady seemed personable, and it probably helped that I was older than she was..

And that's just weird in itself, but I digress..

Anyways, they sent me home with the standard "Don't call us, we'll call you" speech. I pretty much wrote it off.

The next day I get a message "hey, come in on Wednesday for a second Interview" Second Interview? This is unknown territory. It was no sweat though, I figured they were calling me in so that my first interviewer could point out how goofy I looked to all the other HR people.

But as it turns out, it wasn't a second interview at all, it was a "fill out forms" session because they decided to hire me. Yeah, I dunno what they're thinking either, but I'll go with it.

I filled out about 11 jillion forms, which is also not difficult for me, as I have much practice repeating things like my mothers maiden name, social security number, and "all the addresses you have lived at for the past 7 years".

Then it was time for the drug test, because apparently people just love their drugs. Durin the "getting a job" process, the Drug Test is the very last in the sequence, so I've only done it maybe 4 times. What is the drug testing etiquette?

I dunno what it is, but when I arrived at the drug testing place (which was a bathroom with an office attached to it) the receptionist.. I'll call her "olga" was not in a good mood. I did some more paperwork, and finally the time came for me to pee in a cup. Left alone in the "donation room" (it said that on the door) I examined the pee receptacle.

There wasn't any fill line, nor any kind of markings, nor were there instructions regarding hoe much pee was just enough pee. I decided to be on the safe side, and I filled that baby to the brim!

The joke was on me, because once I had finished.. "donating", olga merely dumped part of the cup into a laboratory tube thing, and dumped the rest in the sink. All that work, down the drain!

Once she.. certified that it was warm (maybe I know now why olga was in a bad mood) I sat back and relaxed.

Now I don't have any stupid "gotta be somewhere" business until May 1. I am looking forward to sleep, and my birthday. What can I say, I'm a simple guy.

More Who
Submitted Monday, April 17, 2006 - 10:39:38 PM by Klaitu

I recently took another look at Doctor Who, and I decided to write up a revised review. The score hasn't changed, though. it's still 4 of 10. Here's the article:

I've heard of Doctor Who for most of my life.. most of the time it was whispered in conversations between nerds at the comic book store. Sometimes, it was displayed on overpriced collectors booklets or overpriced tardis model kits.

I really didn't (and still don't) know much about the Doctor Who universe, other than it was from the UK, it was about Time Travel, and it was apparently on PBS at some point.

So, with the recent airing on the Sci-Fi channel, I decided to check it out.

Overall, I liked Doctor Who in a general sense. I categorize it in the same level of sci-fi as Andromeda, which is to say "extreme cheese" level.

I like the general premise of the show. Time Travel, a chick that tags along, a little quirkiness, but I feel that at times the show goes a little too far.

Trashcans eating people because they're living plastic. Humans stretched out into blanket-width skins. Aliens that can't stop farting.. it's all just on the far side of "too cheesy" and stops me from fully appreciating the show.

There are lots of fun moments in Doctor Who that I do like, however, and these do a pretty efficient job of cancelling out the random "we just picked something" nature of the show. Things like the music choices for the "ipod" at the end of the world.

Doctor Who strikes me as one of those cult films like Buckaroo Bonzai, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It's not really my style, but it's ages ahead of the trend of reality television and vampire shows.

Hmm
Submitted Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 10:05:17 PM by Klaitu

"Make him bald" he says.

Okay, I did!

Kinda..

Sometimes it's better not to ask questions.

Victory!
Submitted Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 4:47:45 PM by Klaitu

They said it couldn't be done. They said it was impossible, but I did it! I BEAT World of Warcraft!

This message is being sent to confirm that all credit card information has been removed from the World of Warcraft account **********, effectively cancelling its recurring subscription as of April 11, 2006 9:24 PM UTC. The account will not bill or renew any further unless new payment information (credit card or game card) is manually entered in.

My 2 cents
Submitted Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 7:56:18 AM by Dana

Don't EVER WTF Boston.

that is all ;)

Birthday Party!
Submitted Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:56:08 PM by Klaitu

This month is my birthday month, and I'm celebrating with a wacky gif background! Hooray for me! Please, readers, enjoy the festivities!

Guitar Hero
Submitted Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 1:49:43 PM by Klaitu

Every now and then, someone comes up with a new spin on an old concept. Sometimes the spin works, and sometimes the spin doesn't. Guitar Hero is one of the ones that works. It really really works!

You've probably heard of Guitar Hero by now, it's been around since December, but it's been hyped since the 2005 E3. In case you haven't, Guitar Hero is a music rhythm game in the vein of Dance Dance Revolution, Space Channel 5, or Bust-A-Groove. Guitar Hero adds a twist, though.. an actual guitar!

Okay, well it's not an actual guitar, it's a guitar-shaped PS2 controller. I know that sounds a little dorky, but once you get over the initial "wow, that's way nerdy" it's actually quite cool. You play the Guitar controller similarly to how you play a guitar. Your finger position on the fret determines what notes come out when you hit the strumbar.

So, how do you know what fret to push when? That's where the game comes in. Colored notes come flying at you on the screen, and all you have to do is match your fingers to the colors. It's not as easy as it looks. There are 5 fret buttons, and the easy mode uses only 3 of them.. and you'll still find yourself missing a lot of them. Normal mode uses 4 of the buttons, and hard mode uses all 5. All I know is that I'm barely good enough for normal mode.

It's not just the game that's awesome, though. Every detail of the game oozes with awesome rock-tivity. Little things like being able to choose your on-screen character and gie him or her an actual guitar. I personally picked the Gibson Flying V, because that's just how I roll.

As you progress through the game in career mode, you can unlock new venues, guitars, and guitar heroes. You even get to unlock new music.

Speaking of the music, it's no knock-off job. All the hits are here. Don't believe me?

I Love Rock & Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Thunder Kiss 65 - White Zombie
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
Infected - Bad Religion
Iron Man - Black Sabbath
More Than A Feeling - Boston
You Got Another Thing Comin' - Judas Priest
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
Killer Queen - Queen
Hey You - The Exies
Stellar - Incubus
Heart Full of Black - Burning Brides
Symphony Of Destruction - Megadeth
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
Fat Lip - Sum 41
Cochise - Audioslave
Take It Off - The Donnas
Unsung - Helmet
Spanish Castle Magic - Jimi Hendrix
Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers
No One Knows - Queens of the Stone Age
Ace Of Spades - Motorhead
Crossroads - Cream
Godzilla - Blue Oyster Cult
Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Frankenstein - The Edgar Winter Group
Cowboys From Hell - Pantera
Bark at the Moon - Ozzy Osbourne
Fire It Up - Black Label Society
Cheat on the Church - Graveyard BBQ
Caveman Rejoice - The Bags
Eureka I've Found Love - Boston's Upper Crust
All of This - Shaimus
Behind The Mask - Anarchy Club
The Breaking Wheel - Artillery
Callout - The Acro-brats
Decontrol - Drist
Even Rats - The Slip
Farewell Myth - Made in Mexico
Fly On The Wall - Din
Get Ready 2 Rokk - Freezepop
Guitar Hero - Monkey Steals the Peach
Hey - Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
Sail Your Ship By - Count Zero
Story of My Love - The Model Sons

Random Conversations
Submitted Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 4:19:14 PM by Klaitu

You know, some interesting things crop up from time to time when I talk to my online buddies via a smattering of IM clients. Observe today's conversation:

GabeCarson: I gotta dress up schnazy today. Michael Dell is coming to town. So we better watch out! We better not cry!
Klaitu: wow, Michael Dell
GabeCarson: Indeed.
Klaitu: He's the kinda guy who could wear normal clothes, and nobody would know who he is
GabeCarson: They sent out an e-mail saying you can't walk up or talk to him or anything.
GabeCarson: You get fired if ya do
GabeCarson: weird
Klaitu: Wow, you work at Nazi Dell
Klaitu: How dare you speak to our glorious leader!
Klaitu: To the gulag with you!
GabeCarson: Oooh, can't say that! Mr Dell is a jew. BAD KLAITU!
Klaitu: wow, thats even more funnier than I intended
GabeCarson: indeed

white assimilation? bingo. (the midi bud foot lard)
Submitted Tuesday, April 4, 2006 - 11:36:41 PM by Klaitu

So, I was trying to find information about a Korean song I heard, and I came up with the official website for the album. Check this out:

The nose bedspread thay this time 7 it picks up, there is music of anti- multi style.
The existing nose bedspread thay with contents of the record a lot all lu position it is not but multi music it begins the music which hits at winter and there are. To public morals it does a winter atmosphere, ' white assimilation, bingo ' the same May to come dance music and the typical nose bedspread thay seniority in age khey the E which it does to love your dance music ' walks with tyu eys the foot lard and the midi bud foot lard ' slowly, the blood virus do ' and it fixes in winter atmosphere and khay there are music of roll medley back back multi style.

Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Submitted Tuesday, April 4, 2006 - 5:07:19 PM by Klaitu

Everyone's been telling me how great Elder Scrolls 4 is. "Oh, look at the screenshots" they say. I suspected that this game was mostly hype, so I decided to check it out.. after all, those screenshots are impressive.

The game is graphically powerful, particularly regarding textures. They're not quite next-gen, but they blow the pants off current generation graphics. The game looks beautiful.. so long as nothing moves.

Looking great in a screenshot is one thing, but animation is totally and completely different. Walking and running appear to be hand animated, and the fighting animations immediately reminded me of Hexen, or perhaps Jedi Knight 1.

The music is suprisingly good for a game that blew its budget on the graphics. It's all synth work, but it's put together on an average level, it matches the mood of the game nicely.

Voice acting is your run-of-the-mill variety, with the exception of Patrick Stewart who is in the game for about 10 minutes.

And then there's the gameplay. Did you ever play Ultima 9? They're pretty much the same game, except Ultima 9 did it better (and it was 6 years ago!) You can choose from third person and first person views, and you run around clicking on stuff until it dies.

ES4 suffers from pretty much all the problems that this style of game presents, including a confusing menu layout, constantly bad camera angles, and inaccuracy in targeting.

Still, the idea of the game is excellent. There's a story to follow, or you can go out and steal stuff from everyone, or murder everyone, or you can be a righteous bastion of valor and save the world. It's all up to you. The real problem here is that while it's not common for a game to be this freeform, the few games that do practice freeform do it better.

Another strange quirk comes from the game's physics engine, which apparently doesn't calculate the physics in realtime. The physics engine is great for when you blow up a badguy and he goes flying with limbs flailing about.. or when you kill someone on the edge of a hill, and their body rolls lifelessly down to the bottom.. but what about when you're walking around?

If you walk down a hill, it's likely that you'll walk yourself into mid-air and then just fall. This is especially messy if you're running, because often you will fall and take damage, even though you shouldn't have left the ground. The whole thing makes your character seem floaty and immaterial.

The enviornments are excellent looking, but most of them are the dank indoors of a sewer, dungeon, prison, jail, castle, or crypt and are a complete waste of time. This game is heavy on the dungeon crawl, and light on adventure. The cycle of "horde all loot" and "sell loot" and then "horde loot some more" is most vicious here.

So, here's the nutshell:

Pros:
- Excellent texturing
- Little or no slowdown
- Decent sound design
- Interesting story
- Enjoyable music
- Freeform gameplay
- Excellent Character customization

Cons:
- Beastly System Requirements
- Atrocious character animations
- Clumsy Controls
- Bad Camera Angles
- Poorly designed menu system
- Poor navigation system
- Emphasis on dungeon crawling and loot hording

Elder Scrolls 4 isn't a bad game, but it's not revolutionary either. There's nothing here that some other game doesn't do better. The game is a rather large time investment, an investment that just doesn't pay off in the end.

Overall Score: 5 of 10

Kingdom Hearts 2
Submitted Sunday, April 2, 2006 - 4:33:12 PM by Klaitu

I've taken a lot of ribbing for my flagrant love for the Kingdom Hearts series. It's true, the game is a little chidish, but I say that's perfectly alright.

There is no game that has ever been made that has a higher production value than Kindgom Hearts.. unless it's Kingdom Hearts 2. The attention to every little detail of the game is mindboggling.

The most obvious thing that stands out to me in my mind is the voice talent. Disney has assembled some serious big guns for the english version. Names you've heard of before. Names Like Christopher Lee, James Earl Jones, Pat Norita, Ming-Na, James Arnold Taylor, Rachael Leigh Cook, Angela Lansbury, James Woods, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Bruce Boxleitner, and Will Friedle.. and that's just a few of them. There are probably 40 or 50 voice actors altogether.. a cast this size is practically unheard of in video games.

I guess it stands to reason that the voice acting would be excellent, and it is, with one lone exception: Aeris. Aeris is voiced by Mena Suvari, and apparently Mena Suvari can't act worth a crap because her performance is atrocious.. even noticably more so when directly compared to the rest of the cast. In particular, Rachael Leigh Cook's Tifa upstages her in every scene they share.

But it's not just about voice acting, there's also the visual elements as well. Especially in a game like this, that visits places you've seen in movies. When you visit Beast's Castle, for instance, the accuracy to the movie is readily apparent.. particularly in the showcase rooms like Beast's Chambers and the Ballroom (check out the chandelier!). The game does make some sacrifice for the sake of gameplay, but overall the representations of the world are recognizable and fun.

Sound design is not super-great, but it's consistant throughout. They made some odd choices sometimes. For instance, the footstep sounds in TRON's world sound like the movie, but when you kill something in that world, the death does not sound like it did in the movie.

Unfortunately, Kingdom Hearts has three weak points.

1. The Music. Granted, there are a few inspired themes here that work great.. but most of the music is horribly bland and it gets old really, really fast. Must of the music is simple, being in only 2 or 3 voices, and it sounds like it's been drummed out on a casio keyboard. For a game of this quality and scope, I expected more from the soundtrack. Many of the world themes don't even resemble the movie themes in the slightest.. in particular the Lion King's world.

2. The gameplay. The gameplay here is alright, the controls are reponsive, and you can effectively do what you need to do in the game. KH2 has basically inherited much of the gameplay from the first game, so if you've played that one, you know what to expect. the menu system is the main complaint, it's hard to operate while under fire.

3. Time limited battles. They're not commonplace, but there are instances where you have to kill "10 enemies in 10 seconds" which is just unneccessary, not fun, and frustrating.

The story? Well, I won't spoil it for you. If you enjoyed the first game, this one is pretty much in the same vein.

Overall Score: 8 of 10