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Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
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7:13 pm - More Kickstarter Projects to check out
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SPIKE-A Love Story Too: A one man video game production of a sequel to an excellent flash game with humor, cool graphics and ingenious ideas about gaming. The sequel promises to be bigger and better with an Atari mode, a Bob Ross mode and a Visual novel mode.
Cavegirl Fudge: A big part of my weight loss is finding new products that would allow me to enjoy the pleasure and still keep my weight down. These girls are making fudge I can eat. No sugar, fat free dairy... all that good stuff. New York is full of companies making healthy chocolate, but none of them are making FUDGE.
BEYOND-The Adventure Short: This could be one really interesting little film and the director's previous effort Paradox is great.
The Gills - Motor Running EP Release: Some good music and tons of charisma from a rock band of four brothers, well, two brothers and two brothers.
The Last Of McGuinness: A documentary of professional wrestling's Nigel McGuiness (Desmond Wolfe in TNA) final wrestling tour before retirement, he visited tons of wrestlers who like him had the talent, know how and skill, but was never given the ball in the big leagues. Stories, road trip, history, looks like a good one.
The Little Red Bird : A Multi lingual children's storybook designedd to be offered for free as an e-book, but also making limited edition traditional style book.
I've started looking at IndieGoGo as well for possibly interesting projects and here are two:
The Bret Braddock Adventures: An awesome web comic collection from Australia about the production of a ridiculous TV show. Great art work and really funny.
What is it Katy?: Another collection of a fascinating web comic that was done as an experiment and turned out excellent.
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4:17 pm - Nerd Notes (cross-posted from Pop-Culture Spectrum)
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All I got left is the frivolous.
The Act: An upcoming iPhone and Mac game which is basically an interactive 2D cartoon. Sort of like I'd say Dragon's Lair but at a much higher level of gaming and style of humor. Having better animation than Don Bluth would be asking too much, but The Act still looks like some high quality fun.
Katawa Shoujo: A Free Interactive Visual Novel based in bishojo, it had it's birth in 4Chan of all places. It's for a really niche market, but that a joke became a real project with good art and music after 5 years is amazing and, it's free, so don't complain.
YESTERDAY from Pendulo Studios: Most known for entertaining, funny and highly adventurous modern point n click games with awesome cartoon graphics, Pendulo goes a new route of horror and suspense. It's still a point n click and uses their usual art style, but it should be an interesting twist. Pendulo, Daedelic and Click Shake are the three best companies doing the point n click except for of course Double Fine who will be making hopefully the next big adventure game.
Drew Wise - Pixel Artist: An excellent artist who also makes greatly designed shirts based mostly in video games but with some pop-culture too. His Beetlejuice shirt design it awesome. I'm done with shirts after my Remus and Liam shirt and my eventual DFA shirt (and any shirts I might get as promos at a Comic-Con), but you should get it.
Jón Kristinsson-PointnClicking: Inspired by Double Fine's return to adventure game making, this artist started doing quality pieces based on his favorite classics.
High Vaultage: Simple controls, but awesome cute pixel graphics, cute music and addictive.
Jason Boyer: Great artist who dabbles in design, illustration, animation, pixel art and games.
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| Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
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4:12 pm - Hidden inside a SCAM e-mail offering me FREE Dr. Dre Beats Headphones
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I hit the reply button by accident on an obvious scam/pilfering e-mail...but look at this weirdness hidden inside the email. not shown on the main of it, only when I hit reply.
HIYA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIGH PHYTO CHARGES WITH SILVERHILL. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY BATCH THEIR ORDERS TOGETHER AND ONLY PAY ONE PHYTO CHARGE FOR THE WHOLE SHIPMENT.IT GETS UNBUNDLED HERE IN THE STATES AND SENT ON.WAITING FOR AN ORDER RIGHT NOW YOU PAY SOMETHING BUT NOT MUCH. CHILTERN SEEDS IN ENGLAND WROTE ME A LETTER AND SAID THAT THERE IS SO MUCH COMMOTION ABOUT THE HUGE PHYTO CHARGES ON SEEDS THAT THE AGGIE IS DISCUSSING WAYS TO REDUCE THE IMPACT ON THOSE WHO IMPORT. IT MIGHT BE JUST FOR THE SAMLL GROWERS LIKE US. CGSince I have a bank account in South Africa I have no experience in paying from the States, where I'm living. But to add to the defence of my land, in the face of "SowthEfrikan"'s tirade about crime and corruption: I have never personally been the victim of any crime in South Africa, violent or petty, nor has my family (all of whom live there), with the exception of having a car stolen about 15 years ago. The Cape is one of the most beautiful areas in the world and has been, for those of my acquaintance, a wonderful place to live and raise families. Sure, there is crime, and it can be very violent. But that's just one side of the story.As for SA having a terrible reputation abroad..Hm. My brother owns one of the most prominent Safrican export companies specialising in fresh produce. His bottom line is not reflecting a market that views South Africa in a negative light. He's doing quite nicely, thank you.I shall now step off my soap box. Vrystaat!I am delighted to notice that we have several new posters posting and would like to say WELCOME ! We would love to hear about your garden, and which South African native plants and trees you grow ... and perhaps you have some growing or propagating tips to pass on?For the benefit of our new members, I'll volunteer some info about myself to kick this off. I garden in competition with deer since our arrival a year ago here in southwestern Oregon, so all my plants are in large tubs on the deck. I've had to ship out to new homes my Clivias and Melianthus (kruidjie-roer-my-nie) because our winters are too cold. Two proteas in tubs had survived 5 years of USDA Zone 8 in the Sierra Foothills but here they succumbed when sudden cold set in end October to plummet temps to 14 degrees F for 4 nights in a row. Sad. The agapanthus survived and bloomed well this past summer, as did the Homeria, the Watsonias, and the Cape fuchsia (phygelius capensis). The nerines are sending up a few scapes now, they had been disturbed earlier this year and are sulking. Had nice bloom from the ixias, sparaxis, babiana, and schizostylus. Perhaps in a few years, when i have more energy, I will start a real garden again inside a large fenced area. For now it's a pot garden for me. That's it from me, I hope you will all jump in and tell a little about yourself. DelinaHi, I'm interested in all kinds of South African plants, having visited SA three times between 1984 and 1993. I grow a lot inside, (species pelargoniums and oxalis, and many others) and am very curious about what can survive outside here just north of New York City. So far among the toughest that have made it through several winters (last one was really bad) are Artemesia afra, Eucomis bicolor, Gladiolus papilio, an unidentified sedge (Mariscus sp), Phygelius aequalis, and Galtonia candicans. Some persist as resowing annuals, but plants occasionally survive a really mild winter like the one two years ago--these include a white/palest pink species of Nemesia collected from Verlaterkloof in the Cape by Panayoti Kelaidis of the Denver Botanic Garden, Senecio inaequidens (I brought it back from SA), and a Hebenstrieta collected by PK from Natal. Of course, things like Gazanias and Ceratotheca triloba make easy annuals in our climate. In the future I hope to get a larger place to garden in, so I could have at least one all SA native plant garden! I've been a member of the Botanical Society of SA for years (highly recommended-a good source of seed and books) and have grown hundreds (maybe thousands) of different SA plants, mostly when I worked at a botanical garden (went back to teaching, more profitable).Hi frenchgirl2838You may want to try plants from the Highveld area of SA, eg. the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg area) and the Drakensberg, where the plants are adapted to cold, frosty winters, probably equivalent to a zone 6. In the Drakensberg it often snows in winter. These areas have some really beautiful bulbous plants.There is a new book out by Elsa Pooley on the wild flowers of the Kwazulu-Natal Drakensberg. I am not sure what the exact title is. There is also a book on plants of the Witwatersrand, "Field guide to the wild flowers of the Highveld" by Braam van Wyk & Sasa Malan. Another is "A field guide to the flora of the Natal Drakensberg" by Donald Killick. You will find info on these books at www.nbi.ac.za in the publications section.Silverhill Seeds (www.silverhillseeds.co.za) has a catalogue with the USDA zones included per species. Ask them to mail you the various catalogues they have. I have ordered seed from them and their service is excellent. I asked for 100 seeds of each and with fine seeds I got more like 1000 seeds. I would suggest ordering larger quantities of 100 at least since the seeds of most wild flowers germinate erratically and a germination success of 50% is considered good.From a South African on the Highveld CharlesI think we all may have more South African plants in our gardens than we realize. I discovered anomatheca some years back because a lady in CA sent me seeds, and it bloomed for the first time last year. I have lots more seedlings now coming along. I didn't realize that oxalis is a SA plant; I have bulbine (which I think is sometimes known as bulbinella), and other things. What I'm looking for is a plant or seed of polygala x dalmaisiana. Someone posted about this on Gardening in Texas and I'd like to find it - I was so taken with the picture. I now go to bed at night and read the Silverhilld Seeds catalog and go from that back and forth to my A to Z Gardening Encyclopedia to see what I am reading about.Charles, Thanks for that info. I have to admit...sheepishly... I did not know it snowed anywhere in South Africa. I knew it got cooler and there were definate seasonal changes, but I just didn't realize the temps. got that low. I've looked at Silverhill seeds recently and it looks like their site is more user friendly that it was last time. (I think it might have been my brower or something.) I'm going to take a closer look though. Thanks for the tip. I love my clivia though. It must be starting to get quite nice weather there right about now. It has been unseasonably warm the last week or so here in Connecticut but it seems to be getting cooler and more late fall like here. SebrinaHi SebrinaI think what I wrote above is not so clear. The highveld does not get as cold as a zone 6, probably more like a 8 or 9. What I meant to say was that some plants from the Highveld areas may survive in zone 6 areas. Use the Silverhill seeds catalogue as a guide. The catalogues can be downloaded from their site. Yes it does often snow in the higher lying areas of the Highveld particularly in the Drakensberg mountains. The mountain ranges in the Cape also often have snow. (There is even a snow resort in SA called Tiffendal). When that happens then we in Johanneburg know that we must prepare for a cold spell! But snow in Johannesburg is a rare occurrence. The last real snow we had here was around 1981. We did have black frost this last winter and some of my bushveld plants were damaged. However, all have survived and are recovering.The weather is fantastic at this time of year. We get our typical thundershowers and it gets hot. Great time for a barbeque (or braai as we call it with boerewors (beef sausage) and pap (maize porridge) - this is in fact a national past-time in SA!) and swimming.Charles
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| Monday, March 12th, 2012
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1:19 pm - Last night's dinner/today's lunch
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Over the weekend the roommate (that's what I call her sometimes) and I made a stop in at EATALY, the special grocery co-owned by Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich. We'd never been before so it was just a joy to walk around.
We picked up some special items. Tonight we'll be having some Osso Bucco. I haven't decided how I want to serve the very thick veal shank. It's not traditional veal shank where you have two. This is a pound and wquarter of of one huge shank. I'll be working nicely on that, but nothing new for me these days with cooking and trying to eat healthier.
Last night I made:
Sword Fish Filets (brushed with olive oil and finished with a seasoning mix of my own concocation (salt, pepper, corriander, cardamon, nutmeg, greek spices, chili powder)
Pre-Made Mussells (I didn't need to do anything special here, it's a product with all the work done, all you need to do is steam them and keep an eye on them... no cleaning, etc.)
A selection of special mushrooms with sage cooked in skim milk
Right now I am having:
a pure cudo beef mini burger
tofu steak (I call it that, I slice the tofu longways and cook it in the right seasonings that it practically tastes like steak)
steamed baby spinach with garlic
Yup... I'm eating good and losing weight. Actually woke up and had lost a pound since yesterday. Slimming down. Long ways to go... long ways, but slimming down.
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12:33 pm - A new documentary short
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Getting more and more serious about these with painstaking editing and late nights to create some enjoyable, educational and historically capturing. This one features art show at Brooklyn art gallery Pandemic and features art by Cassius Fouler, NohjColey, Jenna Hicock, Peter Bird, Jesse Edwards, Destroy & Rebuild, and more and has commentary from Peter Bird and AVOne of D&R discusssing their pieces and music from indepedent hip-hop group RAP GANG, a collective of various New York City writers/street artists who appeared in the art show.
Here's a link just in case the embed doesn't work.
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| Saturday, March 10th, 2012
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11:36 am - Of Friends and Idols
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We all die, it's a part of life tragic or not.
This morning I heard of the pasing of Jean Gireaud AKA Moebius. From Blueberry to Arzach to his work with Alejandro Jodorowsky, The Incal I have long admired, respected and appreciated Moebius. He had working until his death on new works as well. I always getting a joy of looking at his work for the unfinished DUNE film and his work for FIFTH ELEMENT as well.
Yesterday I went into the Bronx for the wake/viewing of ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1) popfiend's wife Lisa. I already wrote my views, feelings, thoughts in a comment I wrote yesterday, so here's that:
It was a very subdued but nice event. I am not sure who showed up after I had left (I was there for approx an hour from 4:30-5:30) but I sent hugs to O via people I know we had in common who would not be able to come. It was overwhelming as an experience. I've only been to one wake/remembrance before this that I recall and there was no body at that or it was a closed coffin. This was fully open. I was uncomfortable, but stayed best on my feet as I could wanting to support the Hawk. I was grateful to see so many of O's friends there including Keith and Jay (who I had not met before this) and his entire office came out to support. I wish I had been able to stay for the entire thing, but I knew my limitations and while I feel guilty for not staying, I hope O. understood and it helped me knowing I was not the only one who made a short appearance of support before heading to more lightening, happy moments.
In my case it was to FOUNTAIN ART FAIR with my mother, as I enjoy sharing that world with her. We picked up weekend passes so we'll get to truly see the entire show. We only got to see about half last night. As we were leaving the place was loud as hell with the DJ going and crowded like a madhouse turning it from an art exhibit into a party party. If I wasn't with ,my mother and didn't have awesome plans today I would've stayed out late and partied. There was some really amazing art on display. I was particularly impressed with the Body Painting work and the way it was displayed. They printed photos on canvas and the way this body painting was done you'd never know there was a human underneath in some of the work.
Today I get to see a play, more art and enjoy the sun.
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| Friday, March 9th, 2012
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2:27 pm - Things I write
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Life is what happens when you're sitting on the toilet lost in a world of space battles, superheroes, noir or maybe just erotica.
It's a fact. I'm a bit unusual even when I try to be normal. I wouldn't have it any other way.
and here's a photo for you:
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12:32 am - Rethinking my weekend
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I am looking within myself and who I am and who I want to be in trying to rearrange my schedule for this weekend.
My Saturday was already pretty booked as I am seeing PAINTING CHURCHES starring my friend Kathleen Chalfant, tickets I picked up weeks ago and we are having drinks with her after. That evening a bunch of my friends are in an art show in Ridgewood including comics Rick Parker.
I then realized that the FOUNTAIN ART FAIR is taking place this weekend as well and I want to check that out. I've made plans to go to opening night and get a weekend pass so if I haven't really gotten to appreciate it all by Saturday, I'll have Sunday.
More importantly though I something that means far greater to me to do on Friday and while it won't be easy to get there, it is actually very viable and I am glad I was able to center myself to get the energy, strength and confidence to go. It took a woman to open my eyes that I had to be there even though in my soul I knew I did. I don't expect for my presence shall add or detract from O. but I want him to know that I really am there for him, I'm not just being empty with words. The thought and concept of what he's been going through and will be going through has weighed heavier on me than I expected (obviously never anywhere near him EVER). I shall be honored just to be able to be there with him for a short while as he does his "good bye".
I will be quite grateful though that I shall have these very entertaining and exciting distractions of what might actually be considered beyond normal, but I guess in my life are more the norm than the abnormal.
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| Thursday, March 8th, 2012
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9:53 pm - Stuff, Things, Yes and...
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| Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
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1:52 pm - Just a photo of beauty to brighten the world
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Took this from a sand dune on Rockaway Beach on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 with an iPhone 4
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| Monday, March 5th, 2012
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11:53 pm - Distractions are a necessity of survival
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As most of the LJ community that I feel myself to be part of with so many mutual friends, we're all dealing with the most starling and depressing news we've had to deal with on a personal level in a long time. I didn't see the news until early this afternoon just as I was doing my catching up and getting ready to leave the house. I luckily ended up having a really fun and interesting time despite the brutal brutal cold.
On Saturday for St. Patty's Day I headed out to the Rockaways to hang out with my best bud Nick and some other folks. Somehow I ended up leaving my bag with the book I'm reading (WINTER TOWN by Stephen Edmond) and a couple of other items I need for daily life behind. So I made plans to meet Nick in the city to grab it, hang out and then walk around a bit. We grabbed a little bite to eat, on this diet it gets so hard to eat out, but I ended up having a simple burger and lettuce... and just a burger. No cheese, no fries and not even a bun. I used the lettuce as bread.
After Nick and I were done hanging I headed over to Barnes N Noble and saw TOO much to get so I settled on nothing. Seriously I saw like 20 books I wanted to get, Sarah Vowell, Patton Oswalt, Carl Hiassen, Joyce Carol Oates, etc., etc. So instead I went to Academy where I knew I'd find something cool and weird or nothing at all.
The answer would be the former. I got 3 DVDs, two older and one brand new. All three are things that are only on DVD and probably won't make it to blu-ray. I've wanted to own Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star for years. This movie is one of those films that needs to be defended, but that's fine, I'll defend it. The concept itself is excellent. The poker game with Frank Stallone, Corey Feldman, Dustin Diamond, etc. is awesome. The Rob Reiner portion, awesome and freaking hell, the hottie mommy is IN PLAIN SIGHT star Mary McCormack. The other DVDs were TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL Season One, this is a Canadian show which airs on FearNet in the US. I've never seen it but it stars a bevy of Canadian stars and also Jason "Jay" Mewes. The DVD includes the original short which featured Degrassi's John Bregar and Shane Kippel. Finally was a collection of the six episodes of HALF PINT BRAWLERS, the show that aired on SPIKE TV and preceded truTV's Hulk Hogan's Micro Championship Wrestling (and if you watch HPB before MCW you really see how much bullshit can go into a reality show, especially on one that airs on TRUTV).
After I went to Academy I followed up with a visit to Trader Joe's to grab a few items that I can only seem to get at some places like non-fat cottage cheese.
Then I passed by Staples and I've been missing Photoshop a lot. I mean A LOT. I've been struggling with GIMP, missing the much more intuitive Photoshop. Problem was all my old version didn't work anymore. Not a single one. I had a 5.5 and an 8 and neither would work. I tried getting a hacked copy (I know, I know), but as I read what needed to be done to hack (shutting off your internet, changing code in your registry, rewriting ini files, making sure the program never tried to online) I gave up. I finally buckled and said "Fuck it, I'll go into debt...I have to live for the now".
So I have Photoshop.
That'll provide hours of distraction.
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2:24 pm - Another recent photo of me
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2:11 pm - Some Kickstarter Projects You Can Join In that Caught My Eye
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I started working on this last night and just wanted to finish it off because right now I'm just not feeling it. It's a good distraction from the whole world, but it is still about money and stuff... and more about money than stuff... still, we need distractions.
Batton Lash's Wolff & Byrd is preparing for a printing of a volume 6 collecting issues #30, 34-37 and more. Wolff & Byrd is an awesome comic and this is basically like pre-ordering. Kickstarting a book, pre-ordering a book, same thing in the new world.
GAME OVER: Insert More Quarters is an anthology of a bunch of very talented young comics makers, they had some amazingly cool rewards at the %50-$75 but those are gone, BUT if some super rich folks can do the $100 or a bunch of folks go for the $25 pledge it'll bring us to FINAL BOSS level meaning even more rewards for the same pledges. On the page they have links to most of the contributors and I checked all their pages, these are a talented group of folks who if they weren't doing this project would probably get discovered by Kazu Kibishi for FLIGHT or something like that.
Curse of the Merch Girl is a diverse multimedia project from hip-hop artist MURS and comics creator Josh Blaylock. It'll be a music video, a comic book and a 10 track cd. The 10 songs are designed to be listened to while reading the graphic novel. This is one of the projects I really am excited for. It hasn't reached full funding yet and it really is one of those that shouldn't be stuck. If I had $2500, I'd totally do that pledge.
Kiko The Brave Little Bat, so if you have $150 to spare I want one of the complete kits of book, DVD and plush, reannon wants one too and then the third is for you. I really can't bring myself to spend $50 for a plush doll and a children's book even though I want it. $25 for a very mature graphic novel and CD as in the above, yes... but $50 for a kid's thing? No...not really, but if I had a child? Hell yeah!
Man of God-The Death of John Morris: This comic featuring art by Yvel Guichet is actually available in the current March Previews and seems interesting enough to pre-order. If you're into variant covers and the such I suggest hopping on the kickstarter though.
Zach Meets The Zombie is a great looking children's book. You might be aware that I am not much of a zombie fan. I like about 2-3 things in the zombie genre, and if this book is as good as the pitch is, this would become the 4th.
Feeble's Fable: This is no DOUBLE FINE ADVENTURE, but for a small independent adventure production and design it is definitely a worthwhile project. I'm still confused why their pitch videos outside of game footage look they were shot on cheapo cameras in 1991 though. Despite that, Feeble is adorable.
Riddikulus 2012 - A Rolling Wizard Rock Festival: I know for a fact a bunch of you are Potterphiles. I'm more an admirer and I never got into Wizard Rock heavily. ![[info]](http://l-files.livejournal.net/userhead/330?v=1321200470) yaytime and goraina's promotion and marketing for some of them is closest I've gotten, but as I listened to these bands and look at the rewards I support this project and considering what venue they hit in NYC I'll go.
Gnombre the hispanic Garden gnome: I was really on board for the bobblehead 7inch version here for $20, but they want an extra $10 for shipping now. That's unfortunate. I still think this thing looks awesome and if you have a home with a lawn, the 13 inch is worth even $50.
Suspect Device 2 is a comic featuring some amazing folks using an awesome idea. Panel 1 is from Jim Davis' Garfield, the final Panel is from Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy, and in between some of the wildest, craziest and funniest cartoonists in the world create a story that connects the two panels. Josh got a great selection of folks on board for this one. This is gonna be an awesome book.
Gastrophobia Volume 2-Amazon Attacked: I loved Vol 1 of David McGuire's series, he's got a fantastic storytelling sensibility and awesome art style. It's actually sitting on my desk right now just to re-enjoy in the meantime.
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| Sunday, March 4th, 2012
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6:18 pm - Oh HAI There!
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So I once again have neglected Livejournal and yet lots has been going on.
I cut off my long hair for the first time since 2002 or is it 2005? Anyways, it's been a long time since I've had short hair, but this will be it forever. I'm not going to ever grow it long again unless it's for an acting role. Other than I'm going to keep it short. I like it more, it's more manageable, I look better...
I've also gotten serious about losing weight. Maybe you didn't notice but I was fat. I was tipping the scales. A healthy, normal weight for me (unless you're an idiot who believes the BMI) is about 241, I was no where near that...but only some people seemed to notice how huge I was. Still I'm, I'm 8.8% bone. I am a big dude, thin or fat, I am a big dude. My shoulder is a 52, I have an 18 inch neck, I have like a 90 inch reach, but I'm only 5'9. I've got a good 15-20 pounds before I'm where I want to be and it isn't going to be easy, but I found a diet that's working for me to lose it but not kill myself in trying to. So 235-241 is my ideal and I'm getting there.
The place I noticed my weight loss immediately was in my crotch. As my legs and crotch itself got thinner, between my legs got "larger" or at least just that you could tell how large it was. I know, I know... TMI...for SOME of you (wink, wink 1_rhiannon_1, sirenity, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/user_ontd.gif?v=92.1) bunnykissd, ivorygrace7, etc.)
Anyways, I've been shooting videos, going to events and parties and movies.
Here's me with writer/director/actor Taika Waititi... if his movie BOY shows up in a theater near you, GO SEE IT! It's just now starting a US tour which I very little helped with, but I'm trying.
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| Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
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4:48 pm - Cool cartoons
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Somehow through some weird coincidence io9 and myself discovered the same cartoon on the same day. That cartoon was ELECTROSHOCK. Cartoon Brew discovered the toon back in September of 2011 and that's where I saw it. io9 seems to have found it on Youtube, but not sure where. I'm linking to the Vimeo.
As I was reading an old comic (well, 2007, which by now is "old") and saw an ad for a toon that aired on ABC Family called Slacker Cats. Research on it brought me to animator Seth Kearsley and came across this pitch he worked on for a Thor cartoon (not based in Marvel) that looked like it could've been really cool.
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3:01 pm - Will Tirando
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I don't understand enough Spanish to really appreciate and enjoy this cartoonist, Will Leiite, but his art style is quite eye catching and infectious.
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| Monday, January 9th, 2012
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3:12 pm - Creating space and reorganization, tips need/appreciated
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My comics collection, as well as my book collection has gotten a bit out of hand. In terms of books I'm actually getting rid of a lot. In terms of comics I'd be willing to do the same thing, but first I need to have them in a way that's easier to organize and put away so that when it's all settled I can have a place to put new comics as they come in.
I was going to just order a ton of the Drawer Boxes, BUT I'd love to find a sexier, cooler, better, more interesting idea.
I've been hunting for a reasonable idea that isn't file cabinet, but nothing so far.
The dimensions I'm working with are 9" wide, 11" high, 28 foot long.
I am also looking to replace one of two bookshelves though as one of the pieces I have it a good size, but has awkward shelf seperation as has NO backing and because of the apartments design nothing can go flush against a wall. The dimensions I have to work with are 60" wide, 75" High and and 16 deep.
If you can point me in any direction I'd really appreciate it.
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2:05 pm - I expect these two films to be the surprise sleepers on 2012
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One of these should probably be remembered by the time Oscars 2013 roll around. No guarantee, but the pedigrees on the film along with the fact they look like good films definitely helps.
THIN ICE: From Jill Sprecher, who's two films are the award winning, critically acclaimed Clockwatchers and Thirteen Conversations about one thing, has made a movie very different than her last works (with the last film coming out over 10 years ago). Greg Kinnear and Billy Cruddup are the mainline stars, with Lea Thompson and Alan Arkin on supporting. Parts of this remind me of THE BIG WHITE, a dark comedy with Woody Harrelson, Robin Williams, Holly Hunter and Gionni Ribisi, but there's plenty different and Jill is a much different kind of writer than Collin Friesen and a way different type of director than Mylod.
SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN: A romantic comedy based on a popular in the UK book by Paul Torday, adapted by Simon Beaufoy and directed by Lasse Hallström who are both masters of the novel as visual adaptation separately with Chocolat, The Shipping News, 127 Hours, Slumlord Millionaire, and many more under their credits. Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt star with Kristin Scott Thomas and Amr Waked co-star. The romantic comedy element seems almost like a separate film than the dramatic political commentary, but I must assume the book made it work and that these all star film makers working together made it all work cohesively.
Just like my 2011 list of films I haven't seen yet, these could land in that slot in 2013, but along with list of films I do want to see, these are easy additions. I just like knowing that there's still movies and TV to watch that actually seem worthwhile. Especially with there being plenty horror remakes, pointless blockbusters and more superhero movies than you can shake a stick at which can sink or swim still on the horizon.
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12:37 pm - FAVORITE CONSOLE GAMES of 2011
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Back to the Future-The Game: With Bob Gale along as a supervisor, Mike Stemmle and Andy Hartzell, a fourth Back to the Future movie was realized. One just needs to completely ignore most of Back to the Future: The cartoon to enjoy it. It's a very easy game, making it much more an interactive story than an adventure game, but that seems to be what TellTale is going for these days based on Law & Order: Legacies which is really well done, but very easy. What makes BTTF: The Game so special of course is Christopher Lloyd. His inclusion on voicing Doc takes this from a fun detour into a real project worthy of favorite.
Catherine: This Japanese Tetris like game has a lot going for it. While the majority of the gameplay is simply a hardcore variation on Tetris, Bejeweld, etc. it has an overlapping story with adventure game elements holding it together. Combined with absolutely stunning anime sequences produced by Studio 4°C (who incidentally did the anime sequences for one of my favorite games of all time Rogue Galaxy) and soundtrack of classical tunes remixed by Shoji Meguro, it is an amazing entry into video gaming and a game changer of what is capable in terms of basic being innovated.
Fight Night Champion: I have gotten to play the Champion mode of this game (by choice), but as a compelling original boxing tale with awesome combat controls it was one of the best experiences I have had with a video game. As a movie with interactive elements its actually on top as that, with a great script from Oscar nominated Will Rokos, good voice acting including video game veteran and popular actress Elisha Dushko, really quality realistic animation and the fact that's its based in boxing really gives it an edge and I can see myself coming back to it even in years to come.
Infamous 2: Between Uncharted 3, Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Skyrim it seems like the second chapter of Sucker Punch's two games in one super hero saga has been forgotten. In the second game we get an even more realized and cooler world in a New Orleans-esque town. Cooler enemies with the zombie vampire like swamp creature horde and a more intriguing story with continuations of the first game but giving us now two protagonists, two sides to choose from and your special sidekick. Infamous 2 was everything Infamous was and more. Throwing in the ability to create your own levels or play user created levels, a first for a third person action adventure game on a console where the developer actually approved and helps distribute the mods, it was a gem among the horde.
L.A. Noire: The story in L.A. Noire and the acting is top notch, as is the clue gathering, the conversations. It's a great conceptual answer to an interactive version of a 1940's cop film with as much accuracy as allowed, with some intriguing twists of inaccuracy, because really... a fully realized game would probably be boring. The characters are fully realized, not just by the performances that the technology developed for the game allows, but by the actual writing itself. Alongside Quantic Dream's David Cage, I see former Team Bondi's Brendan McNamara one of those videogame writer/director's who will create very few, but very powerful, interesting, critically popular games full of strong script, concept and final product. L.A. Noire was the Heavy Rain of 2011 and more people got to play it, since Heavy Rain was a PS3 exclusive and still is.
Yakuza 4: The latest iteration of the Yakuza series before they went “Kill Zombies” in the next game lost some of its flavor by telling four different stories from four different characters instead of just focusing on The Dragon, but it gained another flavor and various techniques of intrigue. Four characters means four fighting styles, four different personalities and four different side missions. Some of them are huge side missions which I have to believe you can work on when you beat the whole thing, because I have not got that far yet. This is a huge epic game with more options of things to even more so than Yakuza 3. Training fighters, bowling tournaments, parkour challenges, fishing, more food to learn about, more drinks to discover, fishing, bating cages with better technique, and just so much more, more, more.
BONUS iOS
Jetpack Joyride: Hardcore addicting and adorable, the most recent Barry Steakfries game which is probably a prequel has no ending, you just keep playing, then you die and you try again. I don't think there's an end at least. Maybe there's a way you can reach the super end if you unlock everything and spend extra money to get coins... I don't know. I do know it's super addictive and really fun. It's currently still free so if you an iPhone or iPad I'd go grab it.
Where's My Water?: Disney Mobile's first original game and the game that actually beat out Angry Birds for top selling iTunes App Store game may be considered a cheap choice especially with my console favorite choices, but in terms of iOS games compared to video games, sales do generally mean quality and proof of concept. Some of my favortie games of all time in all history were definitely not the best selling, or even critically best, but they are my favorites. Swampy is adorable, he's so adorable he's getting an original web series in a couple days.
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| Friday, January 6th, 2012
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10:37 pm - The Grim Reaper was on an Irish Mountain
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