Aethramyr

aethramyr @ 2010-02-09T19:40:00

2010-02-10T00:40:00Z

My Unitarian Jihad name is...

Brother Rail Gun of Love and Mercy.

http://www.whump.com/dropbox/other/ujname.html

That is all.

Panic, Don't.

2009-10-23T21:36:01Z

So..I have book 6 of the Trilogy. And I'm pleasantly surprised. It's not DA, But neither is it someone trying and failing to be DA. I don't feel like someone is trying to milk the series, and I'm enjoying time with old friends again. The Guide is in there, It has the sense of Whimsy, and all and all I'm happy.

Grrr...

2009-10-07T20:11:44Z

Have an extra ticket for tonight's Psychadellic Furs Show at the Trocadero...and for some reason can't get someone to take it...

Why America is still the greatest...

2009-09-17T12:07:04Z

Because our President is a fuckin' JEDI!

http://gizmodo.com/5361303/galactic-truth-surfaces-as-president-obama-finally-reveals-himself-as-jedi-master

It can be Music Times?

2009-09-03T01:52:11Z

So, on a whim, grabbed Guitar Hero 5.
3 words:

Sultans of Swing.

Shakes off the dust of the LJ app

2009-08-19T17:15:09Z

good and bad today.

The bad - Need Root Canal therapy. People always wince when they hear that, But after having one before, I can say they havn't been that bad. it's why you need a root canal that's painful. But for me, it's frustration - After my first, I've been a ton more diligent about dental hygene; however, this occured UNDER a filling that's already in place - as in, a place you can't brush 'cause there's a filling in the way. can't even floss there. feh.

The Good - Downloaded Shadow Complex for the XBLA. Only had 20 minutes with it before my half-day expired and I had to go to work. But it is very well done, nicely polished (so far), and does match the descriptions I've read - Mostly, that it's an Updated Metroid for the NES / SNES. (Not the FPS of the Wii Cube). And it is. There's doors you can shoot to open, you can duck and crouch (although I can't "Ball"...but don't know if I can later). All set in a big, explorable map rendered with the Unreal 3 engine.

also...it's fun. I've been a bit starved for that in a game (I actually re-installed diablo 2...) so based on 20 minutes, I give it a thumbs up.

aethramyr @ 2009-06-01T14:59:00

2009-06-01T19:01:28Z

To be fair, SONY hasn't come to bat yet, but having Hideo Kojima announce a Metal Gear Solid title for the Xbox 360 in my opinion puts microsoft up several hundred runs already...

Microsoft stages a coup on stage.

2009-06-01T17:55:12Z

It's lunch, so I'm browsing the interwebs on my Ipod touch. It's E3, so a lot of the Video Game blogosphere is taken up by the press events, with Microsoft's having started 20 minutes ago or so. I can't get Kotaku on the computers at work, but can on my 'pod, and the live updates are comming pretty fast and furious for a text medium.

So what do I see?

Their big start was Rock Band: The beatles. Not a bad start, really, but it's not an XBOX only exclusive..but Having Paul M. and Ringo S. come out? Assuming it's MS and not Harmonix that brought them, that's going to trump pretty much every possible guest anyone else can have...

Been a week. answering the rest

2009-04-23T16:03:07Z

The Quiz stagnated even after the clues left in the comments. here's the rundown;
If you didn't see the clues and want to try 'em out first, stop now.

1. You need to be yourself. You can't be noone else. - Oaisis, "Supersonic"

2. Carrie had suggested we go for a ride in her new two door BMWcoop. In the parking lot we slipped into her bucket seats. Carrie tookover from there. - Poe, "Hey Pretty (Drive By 200x)"

3. Baby, don't you sign that paper tonight, she said, but I can't work in fast food all my life. Was correct - Reel Big Fish, "Sell Out".

4. Met a Girl, thought she was grand. Fell in love, found out first hand. Correct, "She Hates me" by puddle of mudd

5. When your world if full of strange arrangements, And gravity won't pull you through, You know your missing out on something. Correct - ABC, "The Look of love."

6. It ain't no joke, I'd like to buy the world a toke and teach the world to sing in perfect harmony Correct - Smash Mouth, "Walkin On the sun"

7. As soon as I get my head 'round you, I come around catching sparks off you. This one was probably the hard one. The Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head on".

8. Jump down the shelters, to get away. The boys are Cockin' up their guns. It's by Men at work. going to give Wizardru one last shot at redemption...

9. Floatin' down the river, with a saturated liver and I wish I could forgive her. Another correct one - The Monkees, "Goin' Down".

10. One Day you feel quite stable. And next your comin' off the wall. But I think that you should warn me, if you start heading for a fall. And correct - Saga's "On the Loose".

I'll explain the clues if anyone needs, but after knowing the songs you should be able to noodle them out.

aethramyr @ 2009-04-16T09:42:00

2009-04-16T14:37:51Z

Well, small break at work. Music shuffle! First line of a song, providing it doesn't actually have the title of the song in it, gimmie a title and artist

1. You need to be yourself. You can't be noone else.
2. Carrie had suggested we go for a ride in her new two door BMWcoop. In the parking lot we slipped into her bucket seats. Carrie tookover from there.
3. Baby, don't you sign that paper tonight, she said, but I can't work in fast food all my life.
4. Met a Girl, thought she was grand. Fell in love, found out first hand.
5. When your world if full of strange arrangements, And gravity won't pull you through, You know your missing out on something.
6. It ain't no joke, I'd like to buy the world a toke and teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
7. As soon as I get my head 'round you, I come around catching sparks off you.
8. Jump down the shelters, to get away. The boys are Cockin' up their guns.
9. Floatin' down the river, with a saturated liver and I wish I could forgive her.
10. One Day you feel quite stable. And next your comin' off the wall. But I think that you should warn me, if you start heading for a fall.

Well, 10 should be good. One destraction, have fun.

Beware the Ides of April.

2009-04-16T13:20:14Z

Yesterday was my Birthday. Yep, Income tax day. Today doesn't feel any different. Wierd.

Dinner with family, first time I had An entire lobster on my plate in decades, I think.

aethramyr @ 2009-03-27T09:21:00

2009-03-27T13:31:30Z

Car went and broke down on me Last sunday. To the point where it's given up the ghost. For an 11 year old car, it doesn't owe me anything anymore. But for the first time since '95, my car won't be a Neon. They don't make 'em anymore.

Currently looking at a Hyundai Elantra. I like the size, and it puts a lot of amenities in the space. We'll see. looked at a used cobalt, might have been that particular one, but it was so small in the cabin. I had less then an inch of headroom.

Any suggestions? opinions?

aethramyr @ 2009-03-08T23:36:00

2009-03-09T03:39:12Z

Dear Hollywood.

Great job on "Watchmen". Fantastic movie. One piece of advice: Avoid the FUCKING cliche of having someone scream "NOOOOOooooooo" in the face of a tragedy for 18 seconds like some south American soccer announcer announcing a goal. IT NEVER HELPS YOUR MOVIE. It makes the character look like a pussy. If you need to announce the drama in your movie, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

Oh, by the way. YOU DIDN'T DO IT WRONG with the watchmen. Just, delete it from any and all scripts, and work around it. You'll do better.

Thank you.

aethramyr @ 2009-03-08T23:33:00

2009-03-09T03:36:49Z

Wierd. this got lost in the bitstream, but apparently LJ was smart enough to save it. so here it is now:

So, I play World of Warcraft. Anyone who might read this already knows that. We're about 4 months into the expansion, "Wrath of the Lich King",and I've been very impressed so far. Yes, there's more "go kill x critters and come back" quests, but if you take the time to read the text, the stories are interesting, and do a lot to bring you into the world. And some of the "Kill x Creatures" quests are actually "Get on this HUGE dragon and burn them with it's fire breath" quests. Good times.

I'll get to the detail in a moment, but some quick hits:

- Death Knights. My first character to 80 was my Death Knight, the first "Hero" class in game. Area of Effect Melee fighting is FUN. Raising party members who fall in battle as Ghouls for 45 seconds is a riot. Sure, they can't use their normal abilities (healers can't heal as a ghoul), it's still amusing as all heck. They have an ability called "Army of the dead" that you start channeling a spell for 10 seconds, summoning 1 ghoul every second for that amount of time, who just go crazy attacking and taunting anything nearby for 30-45 seconds.

- The new architecture is STUNNING to say the least. When I first arrived in an area called Howling Fijord, The Boat winds through a canyon towards the Alliance base. Strung up between the walls of the Canyon, hung there by chains stretching across the gap, is a Ship. a Ship that is ON FIRE. Another area is made almost entirely of Snowy Peaks, where the Flying mounts are so Necissary that when you DIE, your Ghost has a flying mount to get you back to your corpse, and built into these peaks are ancient ruins, where battles over their unknown treasures are still being fought.

- There is a area where a battle between Dwarves and giants was being fought, until some unknown event Froze them all in place. There are dwarves with Axes ready, giants in mid-swing with their clubs, Bears charging to the front, all frozen in an erie silence. One giant has smashed his club into the ground, sending several dwarves flying until the event froze them all in place, some mysteriously hanging in mid air.

So a few quick hits. The detail of the post is next.

One of the things WotLK has done, and in my opinion the best thing it's done, is it's given players the feeling of being Heroes of the story and not just one more person fighting monsters. In a single player game, you can program the story so that your Avatar's actions effect the world around them. If I kill the Leader of the Foozle tribe, he stays dead. Not so much in a Massivly multiplayer game - If you kill the leader of the foozle tribe, he'll respawn so the next player can kill him. Any changes you make in the environment are gone the next time you walk through the area. Without that sense of being able to change your envronment, your characters don't seem important to the world. They're just grunts.

That changes, however, in Wrath of the Lich King. Blizzard (the makers of World of Warcraft) has found a way to make "Outdoor Instances" - Areas of the map that are Instanced for your Character, and that he can effect. The transition to an instanced area is seemless (for the most part - some mobs near the border will suddenly appear next to you when you cross over, but Blizzard keeps the mobs in the instance away from the borders for that reason, and they'd only be there if they chased you to the border, so the illusion is well maintained.)

For example, there is an area that the Alliance is trying to establish a foothold to use as a staging area against the Scourge's forces (who are led by the Lich King of the title). It starts out where there is a lone scout, who is your quest giver, who sends you out against the undead who are guarding the area. After a few fights, he sends against a few Lieutenants, who you need to use a MacGuffin on to convert them to your side, and then use them against the Big Bad Evil Guy. Up until then, you've been in one instance of the area where the Scourge are in Control. Once you kill the BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy), however, it's now under your forces control (in this case, the forces of the Ebon Hold, the Death Knights) There's now a Flight Path, Several vendors, and Many More quest givers. It gives the impression that you made a difference, and are helping turn the tide of battle, rather than just being a temporary change.

There's another area that's a good example of what they have done with this technology, but it's a bit spoiler-ish. What I can say, is that when you complete this quest, you not only get treated to a fully-rendered cutscene, but also whenever you go back, the entire place has burned down, and in some spots still on fire. What was a location of a skirmish where the Alliance and the Horde are fighting the forces of the lich king, is now showing the aftermath of a huge battle, that you had a hand in creating.

I think what makes it different than any other MMRPG is how it doesn't matter how many players - and there are literally Millions playing wow - Did the quests before you, It changed because YOU did something. YOU killed the BBEG. YOU convinced the faction to join in the fight you get to be a hero again, something MMRPG's have been lacking.

Havn't posted. Throwing out a meme just for practice.

2008-12-15T16:33:23Z

Bold: Done it.
Plain: Not done it.
Italics: Wanna do it.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (but not a rock band)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (implicit in this is having the talent to do so)
11. Bungee-jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (all the way to the torch, bitches)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (for the love of pity, Lancaster is 25 minutes from my door)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

In a world without Don LaFontaine, can the movie industry survive...

2008-09-02T18:42:11Z

As it was my Major in College, this is kind of a dissappointment:

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/27765714.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUqEiaDUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

aethramyr @ 2008-08-29T07:40:00

2008-08-29T11:43:23Z

Behold! Painting the Mona Lisa:

Something about an analogy between letting CPU draw your graphics and a dedicated graphics card or something. It's the Mythbusters, too, so bonus points.

Tales. Souls. That other thing. Swords, why not?

2008-07-30T19:22:55Z

So most of the people who know me know I like Fighting Games. The Street Fighter type games. Technique & Strategy boiled down to 1 on 1 combat. This week, Soul Calibur 4 hit the shelves, Probably my fave series for fighters. So, thought run-down:

1. Gameplay - It's soul calibur at it's heart. Well-balanced, as always. Control is tight. The 4th in this series doesn't stray from what has worked in the past, and in a case like fighting games, I consider that a plus.

2. New Gameplay - After having Said that, there is a new element - destructable armor. Block too much, or get hit in the same place too many times with too strong attacks, and your soul gage (a colored gem representation of your ability to defend) depletes. If it runs out, a strong hit some of your armor is destroyed, along with appropriate damage to your Clothing / Armor model. Too much damage again, and you're stunned and your opponent can unleash a ultimate move. I've not seen any yet, however, so what these entail is unknown, but probably a simple cut-scene destruction of your opponent. Since it takes a bit of effort to get someone in the state where where the armor / soul gage is depleted, you might not have the opportunity to do it in most fights.

3. Character Customization - Woah Nelly. There's a LOT of costume parts, apparently. And some of them give STAT bonuses. some might be armor pieces that take more damage before destruction. your character can also get special abilities like hitting the three attack buttons and get limited invisibility. or some of your health back. or maybe the chance to rescue yourself from a ring out...or...or....Good god, there's tons. Fashon time in the Soul Calibur universe. Yes, you can scale back body parts so the women don't look like their smuggling watermelons under their shirts.

4. New Characters - Haven't tried out Hilda. But as a 360 owner, I get Yoda. I think it's a plus over Darth Vader. His small stature makes him different from any other character, as high attacks sail clear over him, and I havn't seen him thrown yet, so throws might go right over him as well. most of his attacks have him leaping up to hit his opponent, and he flips and can combo as well. My complaint about him is probably pretty minor - He doesn't seem to do what I would call "Make the most use of the force". He has a defense, and can keep himself aloft with flips and tricky jumps in the air, but that's about it. I can understand that Seeing Yoda with Force Lightning or Chokeing someone would be out of character. Luckily, however, we also have....

"The Apprentice". Darth Vader's Apprentice, from the upcomming "Force Unleashed" game. Only just unlocked him, so don't have a feel for him, but Lightning! FORCE LIGHTNING! He feels like a Jedi, albiet from the Dark Side. So I can accept Yoda not being flashy in the force, since we have another character to pick up the slack.

A number of "new" characters are different models but have the same move lists as others. a little bonus, but it might be a stretch to market them as new characters - which I've not seen that they have officially, but there's a few Boneheads on the internets who feel the need to complain bitterly, so I thought i'd make mention.

5. New arenas - Normally wouldn't mean much, but some of them have interactive elements (One his a row of shield-soldiers as a wall, and every so often they take a step in...) There's also the new adventure mode, where you try and take a tower by fighting people on the different floors. you can even bring custom characters in, with different weapons, stats, and special abilities.

6. Tag-team matches. I played story mode with a character Shuna, a dual-Katana wielding Cervantes clone. after one of the fights, a little message appeared that said "Senseing a powerful warrior, the Shadow is now folowing you". Thereafter, I had a character I can switch to in the middle of combat and pick up the fight with that character. There's a delay before you can switch again, and can't switch to escape a combo or while in mid-air, but otherwise you can swap out any number of times. another fun gee-gaw thrown in.

Sum up -

I'm really happy about SCIV. It's good to get back to what works, and works well. You can play it straight up, or with all the crazy skills / stats / costumes or mix and match. Something appears and says "you've unlocked So-and-so's Technique level X" or some such. still don't know what it is. but having fun finding out.

SUMMON! AWESOME! FORCES!

2008-07-25T21:25:32Z

http://tv.boingboing.net/2008/07/25/aquabats-supershow-s.html

And they'll be in PHILLY in november. the awesomeness cannot be stopped!

Music Clean-up

2008-07-16T15:47:33Z

Let's just get the answers out now...

For the first one:

1. moving in stereo, the Cars
2. Kiss me deadly. The version that appeared was by Reel Big Fish, most famous (that I know of) by Joan Jet, written by Lita Ford
3. Kiss, by Prince. While the Art of Noise version is also on my Ipod, random kicked up this one.
4. Fiesta, Pietasters
5. Screen Kiss, Thomas Dolby. My Fave song by him.
6. Here come cowboys Psychadellic Furs
7. Florida (Modest Mouse)
8. Hot summer nights the aquabats. (Correction: THE AQUABATS!)
9. Higher Ground. Red Hot Chili Peppers covering the Stevie Wonder hit. (which, if you didn't know, explains who "Stevie" is when the RHCP say "an Stevie knows that, uh, no-bodys gonna bring me down.")
10. Dear Sergio, Obviously, the Streetlight Manifesto version for my Ipod, but points if you said "Catch 22".
11. From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea) The decemberists. This and number 4 are LAN's fault.
12. Flirtin' with disaster by Molly Hatchet. Needed so I could fumble through the Rock Band version.
13. Blinded me with Science. More Thomas Dolby
14. Hypersonic, Janes Addiction. SSX3 Soundtrack was lots of fun.
15. Future's so bright....Timbuk 3.

Second list:

1. London Calling, The Clash.
2. Gonna buy me a dog, The Monkees. Too funny a song not to have.
3. Flood II, Sisters of Mercy.
4. Only a Lad, Oingo Boingo. The Farewell tour CD is an AWESOME live album, and the concert DVD is amazing as well.
5. Love my Way, Psychadellic furs. Grimmbear was correct.
6. Stand and Deliver, Adam Ant. What happened to him, anyway? he was on Northern Exposure once, I know that.
7. "Beer" Reel Big Fish. good god, that band is FUN.
8. Poor Leno, Röyksopp. Another song I heard on the SSX3 soundtrack, but Melody A.M. is a wonderfuly trippy album.
9. White and Nerdy, Wierd Al Yankovik. gotta have some Al on there.
10. Teenagers, My Chemical Romance. Give "The Black Parade" album a chance, there's some good stuff on there, although it's all rather dark.

anyway, I'll throw another one up sometime.

Wanted: $25,257.94

2008-07-16T15:27:39Z

For THIS.

It's the Typewriter used by Douglas Adams when writing "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy", Signed by the author, and including a Good condition, First-edition of the book. It's an amazing piece of Sci-Fi history. (Oh, and it's shipped in the box that originally shipped "Starship Titanic".)

I love me some HHGttG. I've all the books. had them in paper back, graduated them to a hard cover compilation. Bought the 4th and 5th book in the trilogy in hardback directly. Have the Radio Broadcast in Record form. Yes, Vynil. And I have nothing to actually play it on. Recorded the TV Series when it was on PBS some time ago, made obsolete by a DVD purchase of same. And the DVD of the movie with Mos Def as Ford...Which I liked.

Yes, I liked it. Anyone Complaining that it didn't follow the book needs to learn that the radio series, TV Series, and Books don't match half the time anyway. So get over it.

So I was looking up a few things on the inter webs regarding DNA (Douglas Noel Adams, not the biological constructor) and found one of the more interesting hidden Messages.

During Life, The Universe, and Everything, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect manage to Escape pre-historic earth by jumping onto a couch falling through the Eddy's in the space-time continuum, which neatly drops them off at Lord's Cricket ground during a match.

The Commentators, very matter-of-factly, discuss this sudden appearance, with lines like "I don't think they meant any harm, they've been very good natured about it", and the like. One thing they mention they mention is there Havn't been any mysterious appearances since "Edgbaston 1932".

Apparently, while the description of the Edgbaston appearance was "A man chasing an alligator", it seems that DNA was poking fun at an episode of Dr Who, "The Daleks' Master Plan", 1965-1966. with his rather unflappable broadcasters:

(In the radio commentary box, two commentators, Trevor and Scott, are watching England play a test match against Australia.)

TREVOR: Well, the English batsmen are really fighting against the clock now, Scott.
SCOTT: My word, yes. Seventy eight runs in forty five minutes to win.
TREVOR: It really has been an exciting game, hasn't it, Scott?
SCOTT: Very exciting.
TREVOR: Well, let's have a look at the scoreboard, shall we?

(The TARDIS materialises on the outfield.)

TREVOR: Now, you'll see... Goodness me, take a look at that, Scott.
SCOTT: Take a look at what, Trev?
TREVOR: There's a Police Telephone Box on the pitch.
SCOTT: My word, yes.
TREVOR: Well this really is extraordinary. You don't remember anything like this happening before, do you, Scott?
SCOTT: No. (pauses to think) No.
TREVOR: (looks behind him to where a researcher is hastily poring over cricketing manuals) Well, anyway, Ross is looking through the record books and if there has been anything like it before, I'm sure he'll find it for us.
SCOTT: You know, Trev, this puts a new light on the game.
TREVOR: What light's that, Scott?
SCOTT: Well, I know your ground staff are excellent, but even assuming they get rid of it in say, ten minutes, England will still have to get their seventy eight runs in... thirty five minutes.
TREVOR: Yes; yes well I think we can safely say this has been a very bad break for England.
SCOTT: A very bad break. Especially as the weather's been holding off so well.
TREVOR: Yes it has, hasn't it. Been holding off remarkably well. Well, let's have another look at the scoreboard shall we, although not very much has been happening these last few...
SCOTT: It's making a funny noise.
TREVOR: What's that, Scott?
SCOTT: A funny noise coming from the Police Box.

(The TARDIS dematerialises.)

SCOTT: It's gone again, Trev.
TREVOR: Yes, so it has. Well that wasn't too bad was it, Scott?
SCOTT: Two and a half minutes, I make it, Trev.
TREVOR: Yes, well there's the position. England wanting seventy eight runs in forty two and a half minutes to win.

aethramyr @ 2008-07-04T01:45:00

2008-07-04T06:19:56Z

it's late, I'm bored, I'm gonna put the 'pod on shuffle again. I'll skip the more esoteric ones this time, but it's still my collection...I'll throw in a blank if the title is being included, but only ONE blank for the whole title (so if it's multiple words, it's still only one blank. No help from that...)

1. _________ To the faraway towns. Now war is declared.
2. You know my girl just called me up. And she woke me from my sleep. You should've heard the things she said. You know she hurt my feelings deep.
3. And her hallway, Moves...Like the ocean, Moves.
4. Johnny was bad, even as a child, everybody could tell.
5. It's an Army on the Dance floor, it's a fashion with a gun my love.
6. I'm the dandy highwayman who you're too scared to mention. I spend my cash on looking flash and grabbing your attention
7. She called me late last night, to say she loved me so. It didn't matter any more. I say she never cared and that she never will; I'd do it all again, I guess I'll have to wait until then.
8. ________, Where you'll be, I'll go. Where You'll be, I'll know. Where you'll be, I'll find you.
9. They see me mowin' My front lawn. I know they're all thinking I'm so ____________
10. They're gonna clean up your look, with all the lies in the books, to make a citizen out of you.

Ten this time, no notes for some reason. oh well. Have fun.

Magazine (web or otherwise) Stupidity...

2008-07-02T20:06:33Z

Game Radar posted an article "50 Skills that every gamer should master".

And you'd think there'd be some actual, oh, I don't know, Gaming skills there. there's a few In there I'll agree with. but It starts (as in, the NUMBER 1 SKILL) with "Give a game a review score without playing it". Uh....

Why would EVERY GAMER need to know how to do that? Hell, why would 5 percent of them need to know that? Most gamers I know posess the skill to say "I've never played it". Why would they need to give it a review score. You want a score? How about "4"? as in...

Anyway, skipping to

9. Play driving games without 'steering' the controller.

I'd be willing to give them this one. Perfectly willing. That is, until they added their little snarky comment of "Unless you're a girl. Then you can't help it".

Mysogony does not make you clever. make a note. Or how about "perform tea-bagging like a pro"? or "Master Bladder Controll"?
I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm dissappointed. They had a chance with the article for a few smart things, and really, they blew it.

Want something every gamer should master? how about this one:

1. Perform Ken or Ryu's fireball consistantly. Not every gamer is a fighting game player, sure, but most will pull a fighting game out every now and then, and this joystick move / button combo is a STAPLE of any fighting game. it is a USEFULL skill. (See the difference, Game Radar?)

Another Freebie:

2. Learn how to shoot at something just off-screen, and Follow your projectile so it hits the target JUST as it comes into view. You learned how to do this real quick back when Gauntlet came out. (1985, folks!). And it's useful in games like Diablo today. it's a good skill to know for video games.

So list 'em up folks! add yours into the mix. I don't know if there's 50 quality ones we can find, but that just means there's less filler like

"Have a selection of "I only lost because..." excuses prepared and rehearsed in the event of defeat"
I wish I were kidding. that was number 19.

Second Meme

2008-06-20T17:54:18Z

So I missed this one when it came around, but it was fun enough so I'm going back to it: Put the Ipod on "Shuffle" enter the first line from the first 15 songs, see who can guess 'em. Since it's a relativly new / unread LJ, I'm doubtful as to anyone actually reading, but what the heck:

1. Life's the Same, (Note: Any further and I'm typing the Title, which is why this is so short. but it's on "Random" so here it is.)

2. I went to a party last saturday night. (Again, Note: on the I-pod, it's a cover. and the most famous version is also a cover. So I'll take any of the three artists: The writer, the artist who made it famous, or the artist on my I-Pod)

3. You don't have to be beautiful to turn me on (Note: Original artist, this time. although a cover is also on the 'pod.)

4. I am Francesco Vasquez Garcia I am welcome to Almeria. (Note: I'm really only expecting one of you to know this one.)

5. Miller Time at the bar where all the English Meet. (Note for this one: Originally a different song on random, "Good times roll", by The Cars. I'd only be able to type "Let" before typing in the name of the song...)

6. There are colors flashing. People wearing Stars and stuff. (Note: maybe just me on this song. Somewhat well known band, less known song.)

7. Although we often wondered. It was no thing of wonder. The s**t that flew from our minds. (Note: Curious if it has much play, but it's a popular album so someone should get it.)

8. I saw you there with your pretty blondeish hair. Eating a breakfast burrito you seemed so neato so we took the bus down to the pier. (Note: another esoteric band, but I know some of my friends heard it)

9. People - Keep on Learnin'. Soldiers - Keep on warrin'. World - keep on Turnin' Cause it won't be too long. (Note: Should be easy. Original artist, or popular, your choice. Skipped a few instrumental tunes, here.)

10. Run, run, run, all you do is [F-word]-ing run but you never run away from your self. (Note: Either band here).

11. Four score years Living down in this rain swept town. Sea salt tears Swimming round as the rain comes down (Note: More esoteric, probably more so then the ones so far. Might even be unfair, so maybe I'll post the list of top rated instead of Completely random sometime)

12. I'm travelin' Down the Road, I'm..." (Note: At the title again.)

13. It's Poetry in Motion. She turned her tender Eyes to me. (Note: No hints, should be easy for most people who would read this.)

14. Yeah, I got a ticket to ride for two, I'm going up to the wild blue I keep the surface ultra cooled And all my fuel can be renewed (Note: Part of the best video game soundtrack I've heard).

15. I study Nuclear science, I love my classes. I got a crazy teacher he wears dark glasses. (Note: Last one! Should be known by enough of you).

Well, that's 15. Have fun.

The Meme

2008-06-17T19:36:33Z

Da Meme is, apparently, the 7 songs of summer. No particular order:

1. Modest Mouse "Dashboard" - We were dead before the Ship even sank
2. Men at Work "Dr. HeHekyll & Mr. Jive" - Brazil
3. Reel Big Fish "Beer" - Our live album is better then your Live album
4. The Crystal Method "Born to Slow" - Legion of Boom
5. The Decemberists "The Mariner's Revenge Song" - Picaresque
6. The Psychadellic Furs "President Gas" - Should God Forget: A retrospective
7. Streetlight Manifesto "Would you be Impressed?" - Somewhere in the Between

Shameless plug for #7 - the band deserves all the fans it can get.
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=191598327