Fumbles McStupid

Lamest Way Ever to go to Jail

2008-02-21T07:35:00.003-05:00

So, some jackass in Palm Beach County is probably gonna go away for a few years on grand theft charges for jacking a bunch of Star Wars Lego kits from Target. What did he do with all the kits once he got them home, you ask? Well, he resold them on eBay in his own name, of course. I mean, how could he possibly get caught?

Anyway, check out the Sun-Sentinel for the story.

Aside from jail just sucking in general, I don't imagine this guy'll have a particularly nice time explaining the object of his theft to all the armed robbers, burglars, and other 1st and 2nd degree felons.

WTF? - What the Frak?

2008-02-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

Totally badass Battlestar Galactica T-shirt from ThinkGeek.

I know I'm a loser, but I'm happy that way, so get frakked, you fraking frakker.

Oh, by the way, new episodes at the end of March.

Heh, there's also a hoodie.

Lost 4x01 - "The Beginnig of the End"

2008-02-05T22:17:00.001-05:00

So, after a year of not giving a shit, I feel like writing about Lost again. I don't know why I stopped, but this episode was good enough to get me started again. It probably had something to do with my first year of law school eating my soul, but I just wasn't in to it last year. Maybe I'll eventually do some write ups of season three, but, in all honesty, probably not. Most of the fun of these things is the speculation. And while there are still a lot of unanswered questions, most of the quirky shit that pops up in individual episodes gets solved shortly thereafter.

Anyway, without further adieu, "The Beginning of the End:"

Oh Hurley; a 2^nd gen camaro and a jean jacket? That’s just sad…
Looked like Jack’s dad was sitting in Jacob’s cabin. Weird that Hurley saw Christian rather than someone he, himself, knew. This seems to indicate that Jack’s dad might actually be there and still alive.

Of course, Hurley could simply be just another Lostie who coincidentally knows Jack’s dad. After all, Claire, Sawyer, and Anna Lucia all seemed to have met him.

Also, they eye that popped up and looked out at Hurley kinda looked to me like Desmond. I guess it could have been Jacob, though, as that seems to make more sense.
What’s the secret that their keeping?

That they left people behind?

That they lived on the island for a long time?

That there were other survivors?

Nice touch to see Anna Lucia’s partner back.
Abbadon, the lawyer guy from Oceanic, his name apparently means something along the lines of “land of the dead.”
The flashback is, again, a flash-forward, but apparently not as far forward as the last flash-forward.
Meaning, we know three of the six people who made it off the island; Jack, Kate, and Hurley. We also know that at least one of the 6 died, and the dead person was neither Jack nor Kate.
Also, sort of a note back to last season’s finale, where Jack is going on about his dad to both the new chief of surgery and the pharmacists; Jack talk’s about his dad as if he’s still alive. At the time, I assumed it was just evidence of Jack’s drug addiction and a means by which to disguise the flash-forward. Thinking about it now, though, particularly after the last little webisode, where Christian tells Vincent the Dog to go wake Jack right when the plane first crashed, and the scene in Jacob’s cabin; maybe Jack’s dad is still alive.
Even though I don’t particularly care that Charlie died, I do feel bad for Hurley. His character seems to have changed a bit. Instantly upon hearing about his friend’s death, Hurley ceased to be the jovial comic relief he’s been since the pilot. He threw the radio into the ocean and then sided with Locke.
Bit of surprise that Rose wanted to stay with Jack, and thus likely leave the island. Her past characterization would seem to lead to the conclusion that she would want to stay. Not a big surprise, though, that she doesn’t trust Locke. I think any normal person would, or should, have a real problem with Locke. He did, after all, throw a knife into a woman’s back without any obvious provocation.
When Hurley “willed” Charlie away at the mental hospital, I couldn’t help but think it was shot in such a way that Charlie could have simply gotten up and left Hurley’s field of view. Might just have been a shooting technique to save money, though, and otherwise meaningless. I think one of the other patient’s saw Charlie, too.
Not entirely sure, but I think the flash-forwards take place in 2007; bearded Jack from lasts season’s finale had a KRZR phone. Might just be a mistake, but if it’s not, I wonder if that means they’ve been back for a couple of years, or were actually missing for a couple of years.
The guy with the video camera filming Hurley’s arrest was the same guy that played both Hurley’s and Locke’s respective bosses. I wonder if it’s supposed to be the same character.
In Hurley’s hallucination, Charlie has “they need you” written on his hand.
I wonder if the Oceanic Six refers only to the plane crash survivors that were rescued. More specifically, I wonder if Juliet, Ben, Desmond, Alex, and the French Chick might have also made it off the island, but without the same fanfare.

Yeah... See ya next week, then.

Make Your iPod Suck Somewhat Less

2008-02-03T22:04:00.000-05:00

I hate Macs and, in general, all things Apple. Cutesy, trendy shit pisses me off. Add to that the utterly craptastic iTunes interface, and you've got one big god damned ball of new age faux hippie consumerist ass.

Anyway, aside from that, my only real problem with the iPod is the fact that it has what is essentially a standard, though miniaturized, hard drive. This, of course, means that it can get fucked in exactly the same way as any other spinning hard disc. And for a device that is supposedly designed for the bump and tumble of jogging and all-around portability, that can be a problem.

In comes this neat little mod from Instructables. Basically, this little "how-to" will take you through the steps of converting you 4th gen + iPod into a solid state device. In a nutshell, you'll need a compact flash drive, a cheap-ass Chinese converter board from eBay, and a little time and patience.

It apparently works quite nicely, and can bring a dead iPod back to the land of tragically trendy living. just be careful to read the entire Instructable, before you make an attempt, though. I mistakenly assumed that this would work on a 3rg gen to the tune of 30 waster dollars.

Best Comic Ever

2008-01-17T07:14:00.000-05:00

Well, it's certainly been a while. And while I can't promise that I'll actually keep up with this thing on a regular basis from now on, I will promise to maybe occasionally possibly post something new from time to time every so often.

Anyway, here's a nice Sheldon Comic that makes me all warm and frakking fuzzy inside. Ikea is awesome by itself, but the idea of it being run by a Mafia front out of Hoboken is even funnier.

Anywho, check it out: Sheldon - January 16, 2008.

Tags: Sheldon, Ikea

Will Ferrel Can't Poop Out a Mac. How Sad...

2006-08-29T21:05:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah, I have a blog.

Well, for your viewing pleasure, then, Will Ferrel on Macs.

Cya.

The Easter Bunny Hates You

2006-07-06T01:31:00.000-04:00


I always knew he was a son of a bitch. Probably the god damned funniest thing I've seen in a long time. I'm inspired to go put on an animal costume and beat the hell out of strangers.

Toe Shoes

2006-06-09T08:48:00.000-04:00

A company called Vibram is now making toe shoes. I would have thought that they could have spent their time on, well, anything else, but apparently there's some sort of muscular benefit to this shit, despite its complete and utter gheyity.

I remember the toe sock novelty from a few years ago and just how friggin awkward and uncomfortable those things were and I can only imagine that a shoe-thick version is even more so.

Whatever, though. A lot of people out there enjoy wasting their money on shit that makes them look stupid (Come on, an H2 in South Florida? What are you, fucking retarded?), so I'm sure these stupid things'll catch on somewhere.

Via Uncrate.

Technorati tags: Toe Shoes, Five Fingers, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Repair Your Remote Controls

2006-06-08T00:24:00.000-04:00

Here's a nice little "how-to" for ~~dumb fucks like me~~ people with anger issues who might occasionally take out their frustration on the closest, most flightworthy object at their disposal.

I only wish the walls and doors of my first apartment at UCF were so easily fixed with a toothbrush and a little soapy water.

Repair Your Remote Controls via Lifehacker.

Technorati tags: Gadgets, Do It Yourself, Learning to Live with My Short-sighted Temper

The Death Forecaster

2006-06-07T09:01:00.000-04:00

Oh, yes. Leave it to the almighty internet to bring the ~~chimp with darts~~ accuracy and reliability of weather forecasting into the emerging realm of end of life prediction.

DeathForecast.com is truly a marvel of modern technology that has predicted that my life will end at the ripe old age of 89. And do you know what means? Oh, yeah; that's right. I get to see the invention of warp drive, bitches!

Via LifeHacker.

Technorati tags: Death Forecast, Early Morning Morbidity

A Replacement For the Humvee?

2006-05-22T09:24:00.000-04:00

In case you hadn't noticed, the Humvee is a wholey inadequate means of protection against road-side explosives over in Iraq. As someone who lives right next to Walter Reed, every weekend I get a pretty intimate view of just how poorly armored these vehicles really are.

Well, in comes Force Protection, Inc., with a potential replacement for ailing jeep replacement.

The Cougar is nothing less than an armored, mil-spec monster truck that while still kind of cool-looking, doesn't seem all too realistic. One look at the size comparisson to the Humvee and you'll understand why. I mean, what real use does the Army have for a jeep that's bigger than a duce-and-a-half (2 1/2 ton truck)? The logistical support required to maintain these things as a Humvee replacement would be absurd.

Anyway, here's the description from the product site:

The Cougar is a family of medium mine-protected vehicles which can be supplied in 4X4 or 6X6 layout. It can be configured for a wide range of tasks including troop carrying (up to 14 in the 6X6), EOD (4 troops and a large EOD robot in the 4X4), command and control, artillery prime mover, recovery and ambulance duty. Cougar is in production.

Technorati tags: Cougar, Humvee, Military Technology

How To Forward Gmail Messages To Your Cell Phone

2006-05-20T11:53:00.000-04:00

From The Republic of Geektronica.

I found myself needing this today and just thought I'd share. It's pretty simple, actually. All you need to do is set up a Gmail filter to forward a certain message or messages to another email address. Then, just enter the address for your phone.

The phone address system seems to be pretty standardized and the following list should cover most services:

Verizon: 10digitphonenumber@vtext.com
Former AT&T customers: 10digitphonenumber@mmode.com
Sprint: 10digitphonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile: 10digitphonenumber@tmomail.net
Nextel: 10digitphonenumber@messaging.nextel.com
Cingular: 10digitphonenumber@cingularme.com
Virgin Mobile: 10digitphonenumber@vmobl.com
Alltel: 10digitphonenumber@alltelmessage.com OR
10digitphonenumber@message.alltel.com
CellularOne: 10digitphonenumber@mobile.celloneusa.com
Omnipoint: 10digitphonenumber@omnipointpcs.com
Qwest: 10digitphonenumber@qwestmp.com

There is a drawback, though. Text messaging apparently has about a 100 character limit, so depending on the length of the email, you're gonna get a bunch of messages. Not too big a deal if you're just getting a quick note, but it could add up if you abuse it.

Technorati tags: Gmail, Cell Phones, SMS

The Complete List of Lost Related Posts

2006-05-04T12:44:00.000-04:00

I'll be updating this list after every new Lost related post, so check out the sidebar under my profile info for a permalink.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Lost 2x20 - "Two for the Road"

2006-05-04T09:16:00.000-04:00

Well, that was some crazy shit. Refreshingly crazy, though. It's been a while since Lost gave me a good mind fuck moment.

And with that, on to the batshit insanity:

Ana Lucia was in Australia with Jack's dad. I'm not really sure what kind of explanation I was expecting as to how she got there, but it certainly wasn't that she met Christian in airport bar and, on a whim, decided to accept his invitation to accompany him half way around the world as his bodyguard.
And speaking of Christian, what a strange character. In every instance that we've seen him he has been so open and free with what he's feeling that I really can't figure out why he had such a problem talking to Jack. Maybe it was just the booze talking, but he seemed like the kind of guy that would have never hesitated to tell you what he was thinking. And the confidence on him, too. I mean, what kind of person just up and asks some chick half his age to come with him to another country? Those are some balls, right there. Really makes me wonder if there wasn't something more to the fallout between him and his son.
Ok, well I guess there was since we found out last night that the elder Sheppard fathered a daughter with some Australian chick. She looked familiar, but I could place her. Anyone know if she's appeared on the show before? She looked a lot like Claire, but was clearly old enough to be her mother. Could Jack and Claire be siblings?
Another flashback connection with Sawyer, there, out in front of the bar. Not so much a big deal that he ran into Jack's dad once again, but now we've seen that he's also run in to Ana.
So, Sawyer's running connection tally is: Jack's Dad, Kate's Mom, the lottery girl who pulled Hurley's winning numbers, Boone in the police station, and probably Locke's dad, who I am convinced is the real Sawyer.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Ana and Locke are alone in the hatch. Locke is asleep in one of the bunks, snoring away like a bastard, signaling to Ana that this would be the perfect time to go talk to the crazy jungle man they've been keeping locked up in a closet for the past week, you know, with only an unconscious cripple to back her up in case any goes wrong.
Henry Gale gives us a couple of choice little bits of information, though. 1) He knows that the survivors are responsible for the deaths of two of the Others and that Ana is the one that killed Goodwin. 2) Goodwin thought Ana could be saved. - Whether Henry was just screwing with Ana about the being saved part is up for debate, but after she claims that she killed Goodwin because he was going to kill her, Henry asks her if that was really the case.
Now, maybe this is all true and Goodwin really was trying save Ana, but he did kill that other taillie dude who Ana originally thought was an Other. So whether or not Goodwin was really out for Ana's blood isn't really the point. Everything he had done up to that point had been either overtly violent or subversive. That he was there to kill Ana or one of the other tallies was the logical conclusion. Oh, and didn't he throw the first punch when Ana called him on being an Other?
So, yeah, as if in on cue, Henry tries to kill Ana, only to be stopped at the last moment by a swift crutch to the head courtesy of John Locke, who, apparently, despite being sound asleep and somewhat immobile, manages to make it all the way across the bunker in mere seconds.
Later, when John goes in to talk to Henry about trying to kill Ana, Henry starts babbling again to screw a little more with Locke's mind. This time he goes on for a minute or two about how the leader of the Others is a great and visionary man, but that he's not very forgiving. Henry is apparently convinced that he's going to die no matter what because even if the Others agree to a prisoner exchange, once they get him back they're going to off him cause he failed his mission.
"What mission?" asks Locke. "Oh, the mission to wander over to the camp and kidnap you because you're a good person," responds Henry.
Enter Jack and Kate with the newly returned, but unconscious, Michael, abruptly ending Locke and Henry's happy little conversation.
Ok, so at this point, one of characters make the highly unusual leap to a logical conclusion. It's sort of ironic that it turns out being completely wrong, in the end, but what the hell? Ana asks Jack how they found Michael, to which he responds that after hours of sitting in the jungle screaming at the top of his lungs about prisoner exchange, Michael just happens to come wandering out of the jungle after a two week absence. Jack apparently realizes just how coincidental that sounds after Ana gives him an utter bullshit kinda look, but, in true Jack fashion, refuses to believe anything other than what he's already decided.
Ok, so at this point I should probably mention that Ana left the hatch in search of a gun after Henry tried to kill her, and wasn't present for Locke and Henry's little exchange, arriving a few minutes after Jack and Kate came back with Michael.
Well, she gets her gun, and gets it from Sawyer, too. How? By distracting him with sex. Somehow, this seems to fit in just fine with her character, what with the unnecessary revenge killing and spur of the moment globe trotting with strange, older men.
Anyway, Michael wakes up and starts talking. I knew something was wrong when he said that the Others were a primitive bunch that didn't even wear shoes. The pan to Kate at that moment was like a smack in the face. As we saw in the Claire episode a few weeks ago, the crazy jungle primitive thing is just an act. Michael was either tricked, or is lying for some reason.
Ok, he was lying. I've kinda get the feeling, based on his hesitancy at the very end of the episode, that he's under some sort of duress. Like maybe the Other's are making him do all this shit in exchange for Walt. I guess we'll find out, though.
So Jack, Kate, and Locke leave to hatch to get the guns from Sawyer, leaving Ana and Michael alone with Henry. Sawyer, of course, refuses after Jack burns the end of the manuscript he was reading (anyone catch the name of it, by the way?), so Jack pulls a gun on him. Sawyer reaches for his gun only to find out that it's gone.
Cut back to the hatch and Ana is about to shoot Henry, but doesn't. A short time afterward, Michael comes in and says he'll do it, but instead, apologizes to Ana and shoots her dead. And yeah, she's dead. Then Libby walks in, Michael freaks, and shoots her twice in the stomach. Still kinda freaked, Michael goes over and unlocks Henry's cell, stares at him for a moment, and then shoots himself in the right shoulder/heart area.
Yes, yes. I know. Holy shit, where the fuck did that come from?
Thinking about it after the fact, Ana had sex in this episode, so she had to die; just like Shannon. I guess that's how the writers avoid having to deal with a bunch of pregnant female castaways.
I dunno if Libby is dead, though. Two gunshot wounds to the stomach seem like something she would probably die from, but I have a hard believing that the show would introduce two new, regular characters and then kill them both off within a single season. Something to do with them both being involved in that DUI thing a few months back, maybe?
Still, since Hurley once again mentioned in this episode that he knew Libby from somewhere, I'm still not convinced she's gonna die.
And speaking of Libby and Hurley, when Libby got shot she seemed to be holding the blankets for their picnic. That's pretty sad. But at least it explains why she was in the hatch.
And about the picnic; that whole segment didn't really seem all too important at the time, but now I'm wondering. Aside from setting up Libby's reason for being down in the hatch and getting shot, were we supposed to get some other stuff out of this?
One of the things that jumps out at me is Sayid digging that hole. Why was he digging a hole? Also, when he told Hurley about the picnic spot over on that secluded beach, how is it that he knew about the beach? I know he said he took Shannon there once, but I assume he knew about the spot before hand. And what did happen to that radio they built? Where are they even keeping it?
And Jin is great. It's nice to see that even though he still doesn't speak English, he's got a pretty firm understanding of what's going on the island. The thumbs up and smirk to Hurley about being with Libby was a good bit of character work for him, even if it was ever so brief.
And here's a thought about the whole good person / bad person thing that the Others seem to keep throwing around: what's their basis for comparison here? If Henry was telling the truth and Ana was borderlined, does having killed someone not automatically disqualify you? That would seem to be the case considering that the Others have killed a number of people on the island and have seemingly assimilated Michael, who has now killed at least one person. But what are their other criteria? I can understand Locke being considered a good person; everything we've come to know about him indicates that he's been a victim all his life. It's hard to tell with the rest of the cast, though. Two survivors have been outright declared as not good people: Eko and that dude Goodwin killed. It's easy to understand Eko, even though he's been trying to make amends, but we don't know anything about the other guy. They also didn't seem to want Kate and were ready to ditch Claire after they got her baby. Now, children are automatically good people and I can understand not wanting Kate, but what's Claire done other than be terribly annoying? But what do we know about the rest? Are we to assume that all of the remaining taillies were not good people just because they hadn't been taken with all of the others? Then what happened to the flight attendant? And how is Bernard not a good person?
Jeez, I think I'm done for now. Only other thing I can think of is that Hanso Foundation commercial. Stupid thing snuck up on me and I didn't realize what it was until the end. I also missed the phone number. I've heard mixed things about it, though. Like that it's just a busy signal or that it's not in service. Still, I'd like to try for myself. Anyone catch it?

So, until next week, then.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Functional Lego Crossbow

2006-05-03T15:38:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing I love more than nifty little Lego contraptions, it's niftly little Lego contraptions that are also fully functional weapons.

Behold, the Lego Crossbow.

I can't imagine that the folks over at Lego would be all too thrilled that someone figured out how to make a lethal implement out of their happy little Sweedish architectural learning toys, but really, who cares? As some one who's spent days and days on end designing and building absurd scale models of various things out of the blocks, I can really appreciate just how god damned hard making this thing must have been.

Now all we need is a Duplo trebuchet and we could have ourselves a siege!

Via TechEBlog.

Technorati tags: Functional Lego Crossbow, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Apple - Trailers - Superman Returns

2006-05-03T15:27:00.000-04:00

Quicktime has the new Superman Returns trailer up and running and I've gotta say, bad ass. Bad ass, indeed.

Comic fanboy or not, if this and the teaser don't stir a little something deep down inside you, there's something wrong.

June 30th can't come fast enough.

Technorati tags: Superman Returns, Comics, Movies

Toilet Lid Sink

2006-04-28T12:43:00.000-04:00

This just seems like an extraordinarily bad idea. Granted, incoming water is just as "clean" as the stuff that comes from other taps, but still...

From the Real Goods product page:

With each flush of your commode, clean water that would otherwise go straight down the toilet is first routed up through a chrome gooseneck spigot to dispense pure water for hand washing. The Toilet Lid Sink installs easily without tools, is attractive for any bathroom and is a great space saver. Shuts off automatically. Porcelain-like white plastic replaces your existing tank top and adjusts to fit standard toilets up to 8in wide and 18-22in long. Built-in soap dish. Overhang varies up to 1.5in.

I dunno about you, but I'd rather just eat it and clutter up my bathroom with an actual sink. Can you imagine brushing your teeth at this thing? Kinda gives new meaning to the insult "eat shit and die."

Via Cool Tools.

Technorati tags: Toilet Lid Sink, Gadgets, Stupid Products

The USB Bra: Dork Chicks Rejoice!

2006-04-28T12:31:00.000-04:00

Not a hell of a lot to say about this one. It is, of course, retarded, but aside from that, it looks like a regular bra. In fact, I think the only thing that makes this waste of brain cells different from the standard bra is the use of USB connectors as a clasp.

Oh, but would it be great if the thing actually had some sort of functionality, though? Just imagine the level of stupidity required to buy a jump drive that requires the removal of your underwear with every use.

Oh, I'd love to see the type of marketing campaign that could sell that bad of an idea.

Via Gadget Review.

Technorati tags: USB Bra, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Superman Hates Smokers

2006-04-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

There are just soooooooooooooooo many things wrong with this commercial.

For starters, does Superman have some kind of Slavic accent, here, or is he just retarded?

Oh, and he fucking murders someone!!!!!

I guess the DC universe doesn't have much need for a tobacco control program, huh? Not when you get superheroes to though cigarette retailers into orbit.

Technorati Tags: Superman Hates Smoker, Comic Books, Entertainment, Secret Wars

Handy Capable: The Understatement of the Year

2006-04-25T15:24:00.000-04:00

Tank Chair is an all-terrain wheelchair that doesn't pull any punches. All it needs is some kind of enclosure and a gun turrent and it could be one of Dr. Mindbender's crazy-assed Cobra vehicles.

From TankChair.com:

Tank Chair is a Custom off-road wheelchair that can go anywhere outdoors. Conquers Streams, Mud, Snow, Sand, and Gravel, allowing you to get back to nature, and can also climb up and down stairs.

This almost beats Professor X's hover chair from the X-Men cartoon. Almost...

Via TechBlog.

Technorati tags: Tank Chair, Gadgets, Stupid Products

More Trek in 2008

2006-04-21T09:41:00.000-04:00

From CNN.com:

More than three years after the last "Star Trek" movie crashed at the box office, the venerable sci-fi franchise is being revived by the director of the upcoming "Mission: Impossible" sequel, Daily Variety reported in its Friday edition.

The as-yet-untitled "Star Trek" feature, the 11th since 1979, is aiming for a fall 2008 release through Paramount Pictures, the Viacom Inc. unit looking to restore its box-office luster under new management, the trade paper said.

The project will be directed by J.J. Abrams, whose Tom Cruise vehicle "Mission: Impossible III" will be released by Paramount on May 5. Abrams, famed for producing the TV shows "Alias" and "Lost," will also help write and produce.

Daily Variety said the action would center on the early days of "Star Trek" characters James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer-space mission.

Yay!

Star Trek is what turned me into a dork and, god damnit, things just haven't been the same since Enterprise got cancelled. Sure, there's the Stargates, Battlestar, Lost, and comics, but that's all just filler until Trek makes its way back.

Also, I dig the idea of revisiting the original characters. The Next Gen cast has had their day, I think, and none of the other shows really lend themselves too well to a theatrical release. Going to back to the early adventures of Kirk and Spock might be just what the franchise needs to raise it from the dead.

I gotta admit, though, it'll be a little weird to see an officially sanctioned version of Kirk that isn't The Shat. I do hope that they find some way to involve him and Nimoy in the new film. That is, if they're willing, of course. They seem to go back and forth on this kind of thing.

Anywho, this is good news. Let's just hope that Abrams checks that Alias shit at the door. I god damn hate that fucking show and would much rather see him channel his Lost energies into this project. He's gonna need that kind of wonky shit if he wants to use characters from that goofy, drug-indused haze that is the original Star Trek.

Technorati tags: Star Trek, JJ Abrams

My Future?

2006-04-19T22:38:00.000-04:00

Could this be my future? Re-enacting epic comic book battles with a big group of dork friends?

No. And here's why:

1. I'd bet real money that these guys are just a bunch of posers. The costumes suck way too much to have been made by any group of dorks dedicated enough to reenact the Secret Wars. Think I'm kidding, check out the League of Heroes.

2. For as long as I've been a dork (and trust me, it's been a reallly, really, long time), I've never had more than one or two friends that even remotely approached my level of dorkitude, let alone a whole group that would be reliable and self-seficient enough to pull this kind of thing off.

Now, that's not saying we never tried, though. There's a group in Florida that does this kind of stuff for parades and children's events, and if I were in good enough shape to wear spandex, I'd be all over that shit.

Anyway, got wind of this thing over at Monitor Duty.

Technorati Tags: Comic Reenactors, Comic Books, Entertainment, Secret Wars, Dorkitude

Comic Book Day - 04/19/06

2006-04-19T15:33:00.000-04:00

Ok, well I never got around to writing a comic post last week, so here's a double.

I think I'm actually going to stick to this format from now on; Mini-review of the previous week, buy list for the current.

Anywho, from last week:

Captain Atom: Armageddon #7 (of 9): I’m really enjoying this book and it’s introduction to the WildStorm universe. I’m a big fan of the darker side of superheroes and this series is really doing it for me. It’s also been a treat to see Atom portrayed as a real powerhouse for a change rather than a second-rate hold-over from a defunct comic company. I mean, we’re talking about a guy with the ability to absorb an almost infinite amount of raw energy and rechannel it into to almost any form. In this issue, for instance, Atom uses it to harmlessly neutralize an opponent by rearranging the atomic structure of her liquid nano armor, leaving her naked an unconscious. He also uses it to temporarily throw himself a week into the future by warping the space/time. That’s some crazy shit, right there, and much more interesting than simply shooting energy bolts from his hands.
Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Bludhaven #1 (of 6): This kinda sucked. I’m not even sure what it’s about, really. In Infinite Crisis, the Society (as in Secret Society of Super Villains) destroyed the city of Bludhaven by dropping some sort of living nuclear bomb dude on it. Jump ahead a year, and the government has had the place in lockdown, seemingly conducting genetic and nuclear experiments on some of the city’s survivors. Or was it some rogue group? Or the villains? I dunno. The art was kind pedestrian and the characters were ones I’ve only heard of in passing. It just didn’t hold my interest.
DMZ #6: As a little background on this book, it’s set in near future Manhattan during the second American Civil War. Most of the United States has been taken over by the Free States and the line dividing the sides has been drawn right through the middle of New York City. The main character is US journalist who has been embedded (read exploited, abandoned, and left for dead) in the Demilitarized zone that was once the borough of Manhattan. The book is somewhat political, but mostly in an abstract kind of way and seems to be speaking more to the situation in current war-ravaged regions rather than saying anything about the situation stateside. In this issue Matty, the journalist, is essentially kidnapped by the Free Staters and taken to New Jersey to identify a prisoner of theirs and report his new information back to his superiors. The story here is good, but it’s the little details about this book that make it great. I’m not really sure how to describe it, but it really does feel like New York, despite the completely unfamiliar circumstances of the setting. If your in the market for a self-contained book that’s got more to it than the usual spandex title bouts, I’d definitely recommend this one.
Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #24: I’m digging Firestorm. The book has a very light feel to it; it’s fun. And this issue was hilarious. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a comedy book, it’s just got some witty dialogue and goes places from which most DC titles tend to stay away. This issue, in particular, pounced pretty heavily on race relations and sex, with a laugh out loud line acting as a coda to the latter.
Nightwing #119: Dick Grayson as male model. ‘Nough said.
Superman #651: Third installment of the current cross-over arc with Action Comics, filling us in on Clark’s life now that he seems to have been without his powers for over a year. At the end of the last issue, Hal Jordan gave Clark a Green Lantern ring to help him get back in the game, so I was kinda hoping to see a big GL Supes tear-assing around Metropolis, but no, Clark tried it on and all we got was a green, floating Clark. Seems he doesn’t even think of himself as Supes anymore. A bit disappointing, but it certainly does make for an interesting and attractive direction for the rest of the story. Add that to the incredibly, refreshingly diabolical Lex Luthor running around collecting warehouses full of Kryptonite, and you’ve got a pretty decent issue. Oh, Hawkgirl and GL Hal Jordan kicking the asses of the Pranksters goofy creations and Toyman’s psychotically hilarious Operation (the children’s game) themed lab table for Luthor’s experiments on Metallo didn’t hurt either. Solid.
Amazing Adventures of the JLA: To be honest, I haven’t gotten around to reading this compilation book just yet. Probably do it tonight or tomorrow.

And as for what I’m wasting my money on Today, here’s my list:

And I might pick up Wolverine Origins #1, but only if I can follow the first couple of pages without any trouble. I know slightly more than dick about the current state of the regular Marvel Universe.

Picture via Superdickery.

Technorati Tags: Comics, Comic Books, Entertainment, Infinite Crisis, Superdickery

Google Calendar

2006-04-18T13:50:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this is a week or so old, but I've got nothing better to do than blog about it.

Google has taken yet another step towards world domination with the release of Google Calendar.

There's nothing too terribly special about it, really. It's got the same clean, ad-free interface that's so endearing about their other products, easy integration with Gmail, and the ability to import and export iCal and Outlook appointments.

Overall, a nice effort on their part. I just wish it had a task list.

Anywho, check it out.

Technorati tags: Google Calendar, Computers and Internet

"Lost" Wiki

2006-04-17T15:56:00.000-04:00

Found a Lost Wiki that might be of interest to some of you. It's not terribly well written or anything, but if you're looking for something to kill some time, it's perfect.

It even had a few little tidbits I'd missed despite having watched a good number of the episodes frame by frame. Check out the "Other Features" pages for some of that stuff.

Also, here's a crazy-ass detailed transcription of that creepy blast door map from a few weeks ago via Lost 4 8 15 16 23 42. The rest of the site is pretty good, too.

And with that, I'm gonna go back to ignoring the blog a little more.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Fix Firefox's Memory Leak

2006-04-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

If any of you use Firefox's tabbed browsing function, you might have noticed that the more tabs you have open, the slower shit seems to load. Well, apparently that's because Firefox stores a seperate history set for each tab in the computer's active memory, something it really doesn't need to do. This little fix attempts to remedy that problem.

Now, keep in mind that this isn't really a proper fix as much as it is a temporary hack. Areal fix is only likely to come as part of some future version of the program.

Oh, and one more thing. You may not see any noticeable difference in the speed of the browser after perfoming this fix. Essentially,the fix takes the inidividual tabs' histories out of active memory and caches them to the hard drive. My guess is that if you're running a machine with a good amount of ram, the results here are going to be a lot less severe than if you're running some old ass shitbox.

Personally, this seems to have had no effect on my superbox at home, but on my work machine, it's like night and day.

Anyway, here's the actual fix:

Open Firefox and go to the Address Bar. Type in about:config and then press Enter.
Right Click in the page and select New -> Boolean.
In the box that pops up enter config.trim_on_minimize. Press Enter.
Now select True and then press Enter.
Restart Firefox.

Via Cybernet.

Technorati tags: Firefox, Tabbed Browsing, Memory Leak, Computers and Internet

Lost 2x19 - "S.O.S."

2006-04-13T09:25:00.000-04:00

Oooo, flashbacks on "new" characters. This was a nice change of pace with some interesting revelations.

So, Bernard and Rose are newlyweds and were in Australia on their honeymoon.
Bernard was a bachelor until he was 56? Man, a 56 year old bachelor dentist. That's almost frightening. I wonder what kept him single for so long.
Ok, so they weren't there just for the honeymoon. Rose is (was?) apparently dying of cancer and Bernard decided on OZ for their honeymoon so he could get her in to see some sort of faith healer.
Bernard has some control issues. He's one of those people who needs to be fixing something or at least working toward a fix or keeping busy. His idea to build a giant sign wasn't a bad one, his motivation was just a little out of focus.
I mean, building a giant sign probably wouldn't have done much good. If a plane dropped those supplies, it would have been hard for them to not see the firelight from the camp on the beach. It's a pretty fair bet that the suppliers know that there are people stranded down there, but can either do nothing about it, or don't care. And the chances of a satellite happening along that one remote island in the middle of the Pacific are so small that it shouldn't even be a consideration. Sure, a keyhole satellite could easily see the sign and even count how many people are on the beach, but it has to know where to look. They are, after all, called "keyholes" for a reason.
Oh, yeah, the reason that it wasn't necessarily a bad idea to build the sign is that these people really do need something to do. Even if it is an ultimately fruitless endeavor, it's gotta be hard to keep occupied. Cause really, what have these people been doing for the past two months?
Is Jack the leader of the group? It certainly seems likely that he's the soft-of defacto leader of the main characters, but I hadn't really thought of how the rest of the survivors see him. A little less than half of them refused to move to the caves and he's always being challenged in front of everyone by Sawyer and some of the other heavies. Is Jack seen as the leader simply because he's usually the only one throwing out ideas?
I bring this up because Bernard seemed (at the beginning, at least) to hold at least as much organizational power as Jack when he decided to organize the sign thing. With Rose being the only one to bring up the idea of consulting Jack (for her own reasons, as we find out later), it occurs to me that maybe there really isn't any clear chain of command amongst the group as a whole.
A baby doll lying so conveniently close to a path in the middle of the creepy jungle? Kate, you're a fucking idiot.
Being stuck in a net with you isn't an entirely unpleasant thought, though.
Oh, and thanks for finally telling some one about the others and their costumes. I can see why you might have waited for so long, though. You know, cause it's not like that information could be, in any way, useful.
Heh, I was right. Eko and Charlie are, in fact, building a church. Bernard seemed particularly upset by this. I wonder if that was just because he felt that they had given up on being rescued, or because he's got some problem with religion.
Kinda split on that one. On the one hand, I can see Bernard being bitter and pissed at god for giving his wife, the woman it took him 56 years to find, cancer and cutting their time so short. But, on the other hand, he did shell out 10 grand and fly all the way to Australia to bring her to a faith healer.
Eh, whatever the case, his comment about liking Eko better when all he did was hit people with his stick was quite entertaining. I dig Bernard as a character. His seemingly unique background and this cynical wit he seems to have make him fun to watch.
Has the faith healer shown up on the show before? I recognize the actor from Farscape, but his familiarity seemed to be connected to the show, some how.
And staying with the faith healer for a moment; Harnessing energy, huh? Magnetic fields, huh? Not the right place to cure her, huh? You hinting at something, guy?
And speaking of such Bernard again, the scene where he proposed to Rose at Niagara Falls was done really well. I can't imagine that they actually flew all the way out from Hawaii to film on location, but it certainly did look like they were actually there.
I think Jin is picking up more and more English everyday. Seemed like he understood pretty well that Bernard was only doing what he was doing and acting the way he was acting for Rose. I think Jin also understood that on an emotional level too, and his departing apology in English seemed to reinforce that.
So Rose has been cured by the island. Big surprise there... Knowing that she had a terminal disease before the crash almost makes it a certainly that she has somehow been cured by the island. After Locke's legs, Charlie's amazingly easy and successful heroin withdrawal, and now Jin's apparently miraculous fertility, the island really seems to have a knack for healing old wounds. Too bad it doesn't work quite as well on the fresh ones. The marshall, Boone, Shannon, Scott, and the two others could have really used a little help.
Oh, and Rose knows about Locke! I'm really surprised that she's the only one, but it really is nice to see that at least one of these losers was even moderately observant of their surroundings. I mean, Locke was sitting directly behind Rose and Bernard, Jack was across the isle from Rose, and Boone and Shannon were in the row behind Locke and only one of them noticed that the old bald guy in the blue checked shirt had to be carried to his seat by one of the air crew?
And in keeping with Rose and Locke, it's nice to see that these two characters have acknowledged their mutual view of the island. Even if Locke doesn't remember picking up Rose's medication or know that the island seems to have cured her, it seemed pretty obvious that two of them had an understanding.
And another thing about Locke; he really does heal pretty fast. I seem to remember him being gorged by a boar in one of the early episodes. Here it is, only a month and a half later, maybe, and that may as well have never even happened for all the trouble it's been causing him.
Ah, and what discussion of Locke would be complete without mention of the button. He seems to have lost the will to press it, needing a nudge from Jack after nearly letting the timer hit zero and then later up and disappearing from the hatch, leaving the job to Anna Lucia. I think he really does believe that Henry didn't enter the numbers, but is too consumed with fear [that the island might rescind its gifts] to actually let it go.
And I really don't think the button does anything. Henry was obviously enjoying the fact that Locke was seeking reassurance about the thing. I think it's just an experiment of some sort; just to see if (and for how long) they can get people to keep pressing this thing.
So Jack and Kate sat in the jungle for a while waiting for a sign from the others. Then, all of a sudden, Michael pops out of the middle of nowhere after being gone for so long that I was starting to think he was off the show. I've got two theories here; either the others have acknowledged and accepted the idea of a prisoner exchange without feeling the need to so explicitly state it, or Michael is part of some sort of trap. His participation could be willing, though even in that regard, there's still a little murkiness (e.g. Henry Gale is obviously a willing Other that seems to be in on at least part of their plan, but his enthusiasm seems to be aimed more at pleasing the higher-ups than in any real belief in their cause). Or, he could be participating under some form of duress. The first thing that comes to mind in this regard is that they're holding Walt over his head.

I guess we'll just have to see. Feel free to comment. I'm sure I missed something, but I'm getting tired of typing.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Behold: Simply Google

2006-04-12T09:45:00.000-04:00

Simply Google is meta-page composite of all of Google's different search functions and services.

It's quite the bad ass, so check it out.

Via Download Squad.

Technorati tags: Simply Google, Google, Computers and Internet

Lost 2x18 - "Dave"

2006-04-06T10:21:00.000-04:00

This was a fun episode. I really like Hurley's character and the way the actor delivers his lines; it's quite natural. While many of the other characters seem to make a concerted effort to convey their personalities, Hurely is just himself. Now, whether that's intended to be part of the characters' premises or simply an indication of their acting skills, I'm not sure. But it does give the show a little something extra.

Anywho, observation/question/rant/witticism time:

Yes, Hurely, we know you have a problem with food, but did you have to destroy all of it? I mean, you (and 40 or so other people) have been stranded on a creepy, inexplicably uncharted island for the past two months with seemingly now hope of rescue and very few supplies, you dick.
And did all of those other survivors just run past Libby and Hurley and not notice the tremendous amount of wasted food all over the place? Supply pallet or not, WTF?
And another thing, 5 gallon drums of salad dressing and mayonnaise? Jeez Hurley, I can understand the peanut butter, I think, but what the hell were you gonna do with all that mayonnaise? That's just wrong.
So, the supply drop seems to be a somewhat regular occurrence. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about that. I mean, yeah, giving the characters food saves us all from having to endure episodes about food shortages and other mundane shit like that, but I can't help but feel that having some sort of spooky corporation dropping a steady stream supplies takes some of surreal allure away from the island. Granted, it raises its own questions and mysteries, but I think I would have almost preferred the show leave things slightly more supernatural, or at least ambiguous.
No one seems to have seen or heard the plane(?) that dropped the supplies. If that's true, then from where did they come? Something to do with the giant electro-magnet, maybe?
Ok, we got a fairly large question answered in this one: Why was Hurley in a mental hospital? Well, he was in a mental hospital because he had a breakdown and developed an eating disorder. This was brought on because he feels responsible for a fatal accident in which a deck collapse claimed the lives of 2 people. The deck, which was already overburdened (built for 8, was holding 23), gave way soon after Hurley walked on to it. His mother had him committed when she realized he had a problem.
It seems that Hurley also developed an imaginary friend, Dave, as a manifestation of his guilt. See, Hurley subconsciously decided that the punishment for his perceived crime should be to gain even more weight as a means of assuring that he would 1) be eternally unhappy with his physical appearance and 2) be constantly reminded by that appearance of what he had caused. Dave's role in this was to assure Hurley that his current behavior was perfectly acceptable, therefore continuing the implementations of his self-imposed punishment.
Yeah, I know, it's complicated, and I'm sure my explanation sucks, but, I promise, it made pretty good sense in the show.
Ok, so the show is not a dream or an hallucination. If it is, the writers are a bunch of dicks for having Dave just reappear and tell us like that.
Hurley sure did beat the hell out of Sawyer. Everyone's reaction to it was great, too; Jin just laughing, especially.
It's both very sad and very funny that Hurley had convinced himself that he was hallucinating based on the fact that a pretty girl like Libby had the hots for him. Definitely some of the most telling insight into the character.
Ok, so Henry's been lying, and tries to keep lying, but gets caught in it and then seems to have a bit of a breakdown.
Henry really did seem scared shitless of talking about the Others. It was almost as if he believed that they would somehow know that he had betrayed them. More credence to my remote viewing theory, eh?
When Sayid was about to shoot him, Henry had a look of disbelief on his face when he said "but I'm not a bad person." More evidence of his connection to the Others, or at least the group that attacked the Tailies, if they're not one in the same.
Do you think Sayid and Fiesty McBitch planned the shooting thing? Good cop, bad cop, maybe? I've heard the idea floating around, but I'd have to see the scene again to really form an opinion.
The others seem to be directly responsible for the real Henry Gale's death via a broken neck.
"Zeke," the bearded guy who we've seen as the others' leader, is apparently just some middle management schlump who answers to an even scarier figure; someone to whom they seem to refer as "Him."
And if Henry is to be believed, the dead man's switch is just one big mind fuck. He didn't enter the code and everything reset back to normal, except before it did, the big electro-magnet spurred up for some reason. I kinda get the feeling that something similar happened to Desmond right before the crash and that the activation of the magnet is what brought the plane down.
Henry might still be playing everyone, though. He dodged Locke's question about his real name.
And poor Locke, he almost ended up back in that wheel chair. Good thing they just happened to have a set of crutches with then, huh?
But one more thing about Henry; his comment about how God has no idea how long he's been on the island or even where the island is really makes me believe that, no matter how involved he is now, Henry Gale is not, or at was not originally, a willing participant in the Others' plan. Couple that with Alex helping Claire escape and I really gotta wonder how many of their number are being forced in to these actions.
As hokey as it might seem, I think Eko is building a church. And I think Charlie kinda gets that feeling, too. He's helping Eko with the church as some sort of subconscious means of atoning for his sins.
So Libby was a patient at the same hospital as Hurley. I was expecting her to be one of the doctors that was treating him rather than a fellow nutball (and from the looks of it, she was, in fact, a nutball). Did she claim to be a psychologist or a psychiatrist when we were first introduced to her? I suppose she could actually be either of those two things and still haven ended up in an asylum, but it kind of defies logic. In any event, I get the feeling that this purpose of this episode was as much a means of setting Libby's story up as it was of further explaining Hurley's.
Speaking of past character connections, I wonder if the real Henry Gale has shown up on any of the previous episodes. We know what he looks like from the driver's license photo. Maybe he'll show up in the future.
And on a final note, I'm left with the interesting possibility that Dave's appearance on the island is not actually Hurley experiencing a psychotic break, but rather the most recent occurrence of the same affliction that has been haunting some of the other characters since the beginning of the show. Jack's dad, Locke's visions of the plane and his mother, Charlie with the baby, Boone's vision of Shannon's death, the visions of Walt, and even the black horse and the polar bears, to some degree. Is the island conjuring these things? Are they getting the sickness?

With that, see ya next week.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Comic Book Day - 04/05/06

2006-04-05T15:48:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I know it's been a while since I've done my weekly broadcasts of how I waste my money, but what can I say? I got bored with it.

The funny thing, though, is that I've now become bored with not doing. More so, in fact, than I ever was doing it.

And now that you're thoroughly confused, here's my pull list:

Batman and the Monster Men #6 (of 6) - Finally. I've not enjoyed this too terribly much, but kept buying it just to finish out the series. The art just isn't to my liking and Hugo Strange is just about my least favorite Bat-Villain. It's mostly just the art, though.
Detective Comics #818 - I dig the whole One Year Later thing, and the first two installments of this arc were good (DC #817 & Bats #651) but the prospect of Two Face being some sort of central plot point kind of sours me a bit to the rest of the story. The old Rogues are just that; old. I'd like to see more of how Jason Todd is integrating himself back into the Bat-family.
Infinite Crisis #6 (of 7) - Yay! The last issue felt a bit rushed, but was otherwise awesome. The two Supes fighting each other made the whole series worth it, in my opinion. Superboy Prime comes back in this issue, though. And after how effortlessly and butally he killed all of those D-list heroes in his last appearance, this issue might actually top the last.
JSA #84 - The second installment of the OYL Gentleman Ghost arc. To be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the first part of the story, but I like the JSA heroes and their team dynamic, so it's still worth my time (and money).
Outsiders #35 - I just like the way Winick writes the team. It's an entertaining book even if the it doesn't always make the most sense.
The OMAC Project Infinite Crisis Special - A follow-up to the OMAC Project and a tie-in to Inifinite Crisis. Need I say more? Well, yes, actually. This is supposed to lead in to the new ongoing Checkmate series, of which I'm not terribly interested. We'll see how it goes, though.
Teen Titans #34 - The start of the Titan's OYL arc. I really like this book. The team seems to have been tredding water for the past several months, and this issue sounds like it'll actually advance their story some. Plus, the variant cover features a memorial to Superboy (Conner Kent), so I'm interested to see what that's all about.

And with that, I'm done.

Picture via Superdickery.

Technorati Tags: Comics, Comic Books, Entertainment, Infinite Crisis, Superdickery

U.S. Focus on Abstinence Weakens AIDS Fight, Agency Finds

2006-04-05T09:09:00.000-04:00

From The New York Times:

Insistence by Republican Congressional leaders that American money to fight the spread of AIDS globally be used to emphasize abstinence and fidelity is undercutting comprehensive and widely accepted aid models, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Tuesday.

The report by the G.A.O., an investigative arm of Congress, examines the effect of a mandate from Congress that at least a third of United States money to prevent the spread of AIDS worldwide be devoted to sexual abstinence and fidelity programs.

It found that the provision had limited the reach of broader strategies to fight AIDS that include the use of condoms — a conclusion strongly contested by a senior Bush administration official.

The report also said the requirement had meant that officials in some countries have had to reduce spending on programs to prevent the transmission of H.I.V. from women to their newborn babies, as well as other prevention strategies.

That bunch of fuckers.

What's the moral here, folks? Vote Republican and a substantially higher number of men, women, and children in Africa will contract AIDS and die a slow, agonizing death.

Via AMERICAblog.

Technorati tags: AIDS, Abstinence, Africa, GOP, Bullshit

EULAlyzer: The End User License Agreement Analyzer

2006-04-03T14:37:00.000-04:00

Technology is wonderful.

Here's a little program that'll scan through the End User License Agreement of a given installation program and flag any suspicious language that might lead to some kind of security concern.

Why is it important to know what's in an EULA, you ask? Well, because as hard as it might be to believe, randomly appearing porn sites can sometimes be something of an inconvenience.

From the EULAlyzer website:

ULAlyzer can analyze license agreements in seconds, and provide a detailed listing of potentially interesting words and phrases. Discover if the software you're about to install displays pop-up ads, transmits personally identifiable information, uses unique identifiers to track you, or much much more.

The Benefits
Discover potentially hidden behavior about the software youÂre going to install
Pick up on things you missed when reading license agreements
Keep a saved database of the license agreements you view
Instant results - super-fast analysis in just a second
And with additional features like the EULA Research Center, which optionally allows users to anonymously submit license agreements they scan to help us to further improve the program, everyone can be a part of the effort to make something that used to be so tedious, so easy.

Via Lifehacker.

Technorati tags: EULAlyzer, End User License Agreements, Computers and Internet, Spyware, Malware

Desktop Earth 2.0

2006-04-03T10:49:00.000-04:00

Here's something interesting that serves almost no real purpose, whatsoever: Desktop Earth 2.0 from CodeFromThe70s.org.

Basically, it's a Windows active desktop module that displays, in real-time, a map of the Earth and the position of the sun.

It's got a bunch of settings that let you control everything from refresh rate to cloud positions and is, generally, just a neat little thing at which to stare whilst zoning out at work.

Check it out.

Via Download Squad.

Technorati tags: Desktop Earth 2.0, Computers and Internet, Wastes of Time

Lost 2x17- "Lockdown"

2006-03-31T23:58:00.000-05:00

Lost make Matt happy.

Ok, so absolutely no time has passed between this episode and the last. That's kind of neat, I guess. Though it doesn't really help advance the story all that much.
What kind of reaction did Henry Gale expect from his little scenario? Anyone who was really fearing for their life wouldn't be making such of color jokes.
So Jack goes topside to find out where Anna Lucia ran off, and ends up playing poker? I realize he got distracted with the whole doctor thing, but it kinda seems like he shouldn't have just given up so easily on finding Anna, Sayid, and Charlie.
Jack spent some time in Thailand. I wonder how that'll figure in to the rest of the story. Too much time was spent on it for it to mean nothing.
Also, Sawyer knowing that the city Jack mentioned was in Thailand is going to figure in to something bigger too. Just not sure what.
Locke is a building inspector now? Man, this guy burns through careers like Ethiopian food through my colon. Regional Sales Manager for a box company, toy store clerk, seemingly unemployed psycho, and now, building inspector. Bit of an odd mix, don't you think?
The woman for whom Locke inspected the house was Nadia, Sayid's long lost love from his first flashback (this one thanks to Lexatron and The Girl - went right over my head).
Locke's dad faked his own death to pull off another con, huh? I'm really with The Girl on this one; Locke's dad is the real Sawyer.
Speaking of such, did Locke walk away with $200k at the end of this flash back?
Not that that really mattered to him at the time, though. Sucks about Helen, but it was Locke's own fault. There was no reason not to tell her about what was going on. Again, my biggest problem with this show: no one knows how to communicate. Ugh...
Anna, Sayid, and Charlie find the balloon and grave, and Sayid's first thought is too dig up the body? That's pretty fucked up. He didn't even wait a few minutes.
I guess it paid off, though, since the real Henry Gale was the one in the ground. Fake Henry sure did know an awful lot about that damn balloon, though. I wonder if was actually on it with the real Gale, or if they met after the crash. Did the real Gale volunteer the information, or was it extracted by force?
I think the bunker went in to lockdown mode in preparation for the supply drop. Seems like too much of a coincidence to be otherwise.
Oh, yeah, and the lockdown itself... that's some creepy shit, right there. Why, oh why, would someone design a lockdown system comprised of blast doors and blacklights? What purpose would the blacklight serve other than illuminate the very obviously non-OEM secret writing on the back of the door.
And about that writing; here are some screenshots: DoorMap1, DoorMap2, DoorMap3, DoorMap4
I'll let you decipher all the scribble, but here are a couple of things that I've noticed:
1. the medical bunker appears to be in the 10 o'clock position,
2. the Arrow bunker the tailies found looks to be at the 1 o'clock position,
3. this drawing appears to be some sort of map, with terrain features and paths clearly marked between bunker designations,
4. all but one of the bunkers seem to be connected by a system of lines,
5. all of the bunkers appear to have some of their internal structure mapped out, all with tunnels heading off toward the center position,
6. the Swan bunker seems to have several chambers and tunnels mapped out, one of which appears to be marked as broken or blocked.
Locke's flashback was kind of disappointing. It wasn't boring or anything, but every time we see more of Locke's past, I keep waiting for some kind of horrible attack or accident to happen that puts him in the wheelchair. I thought we might see it in this one with those two goons following him around, but nothing.
Locke did get himself squished, though, which I'm sure will factor in heavily to the rest of the season.

And with that, I'm done for now.

I didn't catch the preview for next week. Anyone got a link? I'm too lazy to find it myself.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Alan Kistler's Profile On: Firestorm

2006-03-31T07:33:00.000-05:00

Monitor Duty has posted another awesome Alan Kistler article, this time profiling Firestorm.

And yes, I know; he's got a horrible costume. Also probably doesn't help that I found just about the gheyest cover imaginable, either.

I promise you, though, he's actually a cool superhero despite his horrible fashion sense.

But if you still don't believe me, think of it this way: at least he doesnt have to be moist to use his powers...

Technorati tags: Firestorm, Comics, Infinite Crisis

Lost 2x16 - "The Whole Truth"

2006-03-24T10:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, then. This week's episode was quite good. It didn't really advance the plot all that much or give us any huge, new twists to think about, but I really liked it. I think it might have something to do with the focus characters; I really like Sun and Jin. They have a very strange relationship that, despite the extraordinary and fantastical circumstances of their lives, feels very real.

And, with that, here's my random list of observations:

Henry Gale is definitely an other. I'm just not sure what the hell he's playing at. FRom the previews for next week's episode, Anna, Sayid, and Charlie obviously find the balloon, so his little speech about the trap wasn't some kind of big reveal. Misdirection, maybe? Directed toward us (the viewers) or the characters, though?
So Sun is pregnant; that's interesting, but somewhat predictable. There's no reason to doubt her claim that she hasn't slept with anyone else since they've been on the island, but if she did, we'll find out eventually, I suppose. I've seen that some people think the she got knocked up by the hotel owner's son, but doesn't seem very likely. For one thing, in a work of fiction, we have to take the characters at their word unless we are shown something that directly contradicts the dialogue (i.e. she claims not have slept with him, but they showed us the sex scene). Otherwise, how can we assume that anything a character says is true? Without that qualifier, you simply can't tell a story. And for another thing, they've been on that island coming up on 60 days. Even if she did do the hotel owner's son, and even if she did him the day before the crash (it would have had to have been at least the day before since the flashbacks were in South Korea and the doomed flight took off from Australia - two countries seperated by a hemisphere, two continents, and a distance of roughly 5200 miles), she wouldn't just now be feeling the first signed of pregnancy two months later. Nah, either Jin can, in fact, have children, or someone did something to her without her knowledge.
And with that thought; who might have had that opportunity? Charlie is the only one of whom I can think, but, from what I remember, he didn't really have enough time to do that. Sun screemed; people came running; she was found. Couldn't have been more than a few minutes and she was still fully dressed when they found her.
Speaking of Charlie, he was sort of back to his old self in this episode. Not entirely, but he wasn't the same evil little hobbit of the last story arc. He has changed, though. Even in a more laid back and "fun" mode, he was acting kinda creepy.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of creepy; what the fuck, Sayid? Just sitting there watching Anne Lucia sleep? I don't like her much either, but that's just not healthy.
Like the last episode with Claire, something new happened with the flashbacks this week; someone other than the focus character got to know what was going on! Yeah, someone on the island actually communicated with another castaway!!!!! Kind of ironic that two of the most private and isolated people on the island are the only ones that can manage to have a meaningful conversation.
In the first flashback, I was surprised that Jin was so open with Sun about the type of work he did for her father. From what we've seen of them before, it didn't seem like they talked much about that.
This episode made me sympathize with Henry a bit. Well, a lot, actually, until the very end. I still think he's an other because of his name, but I'll admit the possibility that I'm wrong.
If I am wrong, though, he's an idiot. Why on Earth would he be antognizing his captors like that? He seems to want to live, but shit like that ain't gonna help him.
Nice to see that someone, even if it was Henry, has brought up the question as to how the food gets there.
Dharma rice crispies make me smile...
As does the Sun/Hurley scene in the jungle.
Heh, we know where Sun learned English, now. I was kind of hoping there was something more to it than that, though. So she wanted a friend because Jin was becoming distant; that's pretty pedestrian, I think.
Waaa, waaa! Nobody likes Anna Lucia. Good. She shot and killed an innocent teen-aged girl. Oh, and she's a total fucking bitch. What's not to like?
Henry seemed genuinely surprised that Anna managed to walk all the way across the island to link up with the other survivors. Not sure what the means, but I think it means something.
Very interesting that the fertility doctor was so frieghtened of telling Jin that he wasn't able to have children. After Jin's outburst at hearing it was his wife, though, I completely understand why, but still. Also, are fertility clinics that popular in South Korea? From what I know of the place, isn't it a rather crowded country?
Sun really shouldn't have been out in the garden by herself. Jin was totally right in his motivation, if not his actions. For all they know, the others might still be after her. Her now being pregnant would certainly strengthen that argument. After all, only the viewers, Sawyer, and Charlie know that Charlie was the one that attacked her.
The pregnancy test that Sun used a product of Widmore Labs, which, I think, is where Michael used to work.
Bernanrd forgot Rose's birthday. Well, ok, he didn't forget her birthday, he just lost his concept of time. Brings up a good point as to how they're all keeping track of time and all. I guess it's pretty reasonable that someone would have a calendar with them or a watch or something that displayed the date, but I'm with Bernard on this one. I would totally lose track of time.
Locke seemd a bit more like his old self again, too. He was decisive and direct and seemed completely unphased by Henry's little shpeel at the end of the ep; almost like he know exactly what Gale was trying to pull. I hope Locke stays like this.

I'm sure there's more I could write, but, despite my obsession, I "lost" interest for the moment...

Yeah. I know. I'm a loser...

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Private bookmarks for del.icio.us

2006-03-20T13:13:00.000-05:00

So, del.icio.us finally got itself some privacy features.

Now, you can bookmark a website without having it broadcast into the service's link agregator for all to browse and search.

It's a nice feature that's long overdue. So if you haven't already tried del.icio.us, now's a great time to go ahead and give it a whirl.

Via Download Squad.

Technorati tags: del.icio.us, Social Bookmarking, Computers and Internet

Power Girl: The Classifieds

2006-03-16T13:13:00.000-05:00

It's been a while and I've all but given up on this thing, but I just had to share this. Power Girl: The Classifieds is a fan film about, you guessed it, Power Girl.

In the film, Superman makes Power Girl take a break from the hero bizz to get a grip on her malfunctioning powers. Out of boredome, she's forced to find a day job with the expected results.

For a little backstory on PG, check out her Wikipedia entry.

Technorati tags: Comics, Powergirl, Fan Films

Lost 2x15 - "Maternity Leave"

2006-03-02T11:05:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't updated this thing in a while, but I know that there are a bunch of people that read my Lost posts. So, here I am. It's a long post, so be warned. And feel free to comment.

It’s nice to see them revisit the scratches Claire gave Rousseau.
Claire is amazingly annoying. Why, oh why didn’t someone just slap her and tell her to calm the fuck down? Rousseau should have hit her with the rifle again.
This is an island full of idiots. Rousseau mentions an infection; the find a hatch that says quarantine on the inside; Jack sees that Desmond has been injecting himself with some kind of medicine; Desmond leaves most of the medicine behind; the baby seems to get some sort of mysterious illness; So, of course, the logical conclusion would be to go traipsing about the extremely dangerous and spooky jungle in search of medicine that they could logically assume they already have. Brilliant!
And yes, it was the same, exact medicine that Desmond was taking. Had the numbers on the label and everything.
So, Jack and Locke have switched sides in regard to Henry Gale, eh? WTF? One minute Locke is conspiring with Sayid to imprison and torture the guy to Jack’s overwhelming opposition, and the next Locke’s trying to talk Jack into letting the guy go? Did I miss something, or did some one fuck something up?
The young girl from the boat last season does, in fact, seem to have been Alex. What’s more, she seems to be working against the rest of the others and helped Claire escape. Neat oh.
Ethan didn’t seem like such a bad guy in this episode. I kinda felt sorry for him.
Zeke’s beard is fake, as was the whole “dirty, savage island people” look all of the other have been sporting lately. It seems as though they’re much more sophisticated and organized than they want the crash survivors to believe. Really, though, that could have been inferred by the fact that they had a frickin’ motor-boat out in the middle of nowhere at the end of the last season.
The others sure did abandon that medical bunker rather quickly. Could have been more than a month since Claire had been taken, but that place looked like it hadn’t been used in years.
I’ve seen some theories that suggest the medical bunker was abandoned because the time hit zero in the last episode. I’m not that digs with what we saw of the bunker. It wasn’t just abandoned, it was cleaned out. That takes some time and organization and doesn’t happen in the few moments you might have to escape some kind of cataclysmic event. Also, because the costumes and stuff were very neatly stored, I think the bunker might actually still be in use in some sort of limited capacity. After all, costumes are just that: costumes. It’s pretty obvious that the Others only don them for encounters with the survivors. If an encounter isn’t expected, why would they be dressed up?
Also seems like they should have hung around a bit more. I mean, how often do you get the chance to freely explore an enemy stronghold? They should have at least taken some of the costumes and not just that damned booty.
Again, speaking of Claire and her flashbacks; I know she was being drugged and all, but she was still really fucking annoying. Her and Charlie really are my least favorite characters.
Also, this episode marks the first time that all of the flashbacks occur after the crash. They were nice sequences because they gave a hell of a lot of information, but I think I prefer the flashbacks that show us what the characters were like before they got to the island. Especially when their pasts are connected in some strange and obscure way.
The nursery was creepy. And I mean really creepy. The little planes on the baby mobile were Oceanic airliners and looked strikingly similar to that little plane to which Kate seems so attached. Anyone know what song the thing was playing, though?
And I’ve gotta wonder if the Others used the same nursery for Alex when they took her.
The hallway opposite the nursery in the medical bunker was labeled “escape hatch.”
Were they actually going to kill Claire and take the baby? That doesn’t seem to jive with the treatment they were giving her and the relationship Ethan seemed to be forming with her. Also, the Others are some crazy bastards, but they don’t seem to be sadistic. Claire had willingly agreed to give the child up to them. There would be no reason to kill her and take it.
Henry Gale is definitely an Other. If the stuff from his initial appearance didn’t confirm it, his reaction to the Eko’s confession and his (successful?) attempt to breed some discontent between to Locke and Jack really sealed the deal.
Also, speaking of Eko, what the hell is he making with the trees? I bet it’s a cross, though, I guess it could be a giant “Jesus” trebuchet. If you don’t know what that means, look it up. It’s funny, I promise.
And also speaking of Locke, what the hell is up with him lately? The Locke from season one would never have been so easily manipulated by Henry Gale’s very obvious attempt to play his captors against each other.
Completely unrelated to anything above, Sawyer’s reaction to the baby being sick was interesting. He seemed genuinely concerned and sincere when he said that he had medicine. I just can’t figure out if that concern was for the baby or just for Kate to not go into the jungle.
Libby is a clinical psychiatrist; and, apparently, a pretty decent one. Coincidentally, she’s also got a pretty decent ass.
Was Ethan an actual doctor? Seems rather strange that they would have a whole medical facility set up and have a guy who isn’t a physician working on their only patient.
I’m pretty sure that the Others are somehow responsible for the crash. At the very least, they had some sort of foreknowledge of it. It’s pretty clear, now, that they had a definitive plan to infiltrate and abduct the survivors. Ethan’s conversation with Zeke all but confirms this. The fact that Ethan and the Peace Corps guy that Anna Lucia killed were all dressed and ready to go the instant the wreckage hit the ground really shows that they knew exactly what was going on.

Until the next episode, then.

Actuall, I'll probably post some crap between now and then. To be honest, I'd kind of lost interest in this thing, but I think I might feel some ambition boiling up again.

Cya!

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Lost 2x14 "One of Them"

2006-02-19T00:46:00.000-05:00

Alright, here goes another one. I've actually had this written since Thursday, but I made the mistake of first putting it down on paper instead of just typing it out. And since procrastination is one of the few things at which I truly excel, here's the post early Sunday morning.

Overall, a very good episode, I thought. It felt very much like the more mysterious and enchanting episodes of the first season. It didn't drag, the flashbacks were relevant, and the mysteries and interpersonal connections of the characters were furthered. I couldn't have really asked for anything more. Ok, anything more except answers. But getting strung along is a weird sort of fun in and of itself.

Anywho, on to my little list of observations:

The American military commander is Kate's dad. Well, stepdad, I guess. But it's him. When they're all riding in the truck at the end of the episode, he's looking at a picture of Kate as a child.
The US Army apparently took an interest in Sayid because he spoke such good English. That's fine, it makes sense. But where did he learn such good English? I'm no expertologist, but I don't imagine very many Republican Guardsman in the early 1990s had the benefit of a Western education.
Hurley stealing food? Not cool. But, at least it's not as wasteful as using it for target practice. Besides, looks like all he really had were condiments.
I'm pretty positively convinced that Henry Gale is an "Other." His name and story seem like a rather overt reference to the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy's last name was Gale, she had an Uncle Henry, and a hot air balloon played an integral part in the story.
Sawyer's a dick, but only because he's really working hard at it. Too hard, I think. The frog kinda proved that to me. I think he's gonna snap one day and just have a breakdown.
Since when would Locke actively aide in the torturing of another human being? He's been doing some dramatically uncharacteristic shit lately. Is this supposed to be the true basis of the character? Complete and utter unpredictability? If so, that's kinda scary.
So, zero is the absolute end count on the dead-man's-switch. Those glyphs looked to be some sort of buffer between fucking up and really fucking up. I kinda get the feeling that had Locke not put the numbers in right when he did, those blast doors would have come shooting down and some crazy kind of badness would have happened. It's a shame that we'll probably have to wait until next season to find out. Oh, and here's a picture of the glyphs.
Ok, so what was the CIA officer's reason for using Sayid? From the end of the episode, it's pretty obvious that the guy spoke fluent Arabic, so why count one captive enemy soldier to interrogate another? I guess he could have just had Sayid do it because torture is technically illegal, but since he wasn't doing anything to stop it, that reason doesn't seem likely. Was he trying erode Sayid's loyalty? Maybe; that did seem to be something they talked about an awful lot. But for what purpose? It just seemed odd. I wouldn't be surprised if the CIA guy shows up again at some point.
Here's another thing about the end of the ep that kinda irked me: what the hell was Sayid up to for the next 12 years? I'm assuming the plane crashed on the date that the pilot was aired, but the flashback, here, took place during Operation Desert Storm way back in 1991. With his new "skill set," was Sayid still working for Saddam for all of those years? I think the obvious answer is no, since he seems to have already gotten out by the time the current war began, but they don't really offer any explanation. The only little clue that might be out there is that footage of him on the TV in the background of Kate's dad's recruiting office in "What Kate Did;" not really a hell of a lot there, though.
Also, didn't anyone wonder how and why Sayid could be wandering in from the desert with at least $1000 USD on him? I don't recall that being in the SOP for the processing and release of prisoners of war.
Speaking vaguely of military stuff, I'm quite impressed that the producers of the show got the Desert Storm era desert uniforms right. That particular pattern of camouflage (6 color) was phased out and retired soon after the war. The US Army has been using a simpler (3 color) design since at least 1993. Would have been an easy thing to overlook, but instead goes to show just how much thought and attention to detail really does go in to Lost.

Anywho, that's it for now. Leave a comment if you've got anything to add or refute.

Cya!

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Crisis Counseling - 02/13/06

2006-02-14T20:42:00.000-05:00

New Crisis Counseling up over at DC.

So, I'm a little confused with some of the shit that went down last week.

First, in Supes #226, why was the DCU Supes getting flashes Earth-2 Supes life? It looked like DCU Supes was fighting E2 Supes, but the whole "someone else's life flashing before" his eyes thing doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I guess it's for the reader's benefit, but I think it would have been better if something else happened when the two of them got together.

Second, a Phantom Zone arrow? Why in the god damned blue fuck would Superman ever put the doorway to an interdimensional prison in an arrowhead? Just so speedy could steel it from the Fortress of Solitude? Furthermore, how the hell did Speedy manage to steel anything from the Fortress of Solitude while on a tour guided by Superman, himself? That's one big damned pile of bullshit, right there.

Third, what the hell is going on with the JSA timeline? Shouldn't Powergirl be hooked up to a giant, dimension splitting machine made out of the rotting space corpse of a 70 foot tall supervillain? Even if this issue is a little out of whack with the rest of the Crisis goings on, Powergirl taking the journal of E2 Lois back to JSA headquarters still doesn't make any sense. Where did she find the time to do that before getting captured and hooked up the aforementioned rotting space corpse? I didn't think she left the bad guy base at all after the big Earth-2 reveal.

Eh, I don't even know what to say about Dick Grayson asking Barbara Gordon to marry him. I was pretty sure he had something going on with Starfire. Oh, and then there was that thing with Donna Troy, and all that flirting he did with Supergirl... Ok, maybe that does make sense, then. Nightwing's just a player.

Whatever; new stuff tomorrow. Yay!

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Cheney Shoots Fellow Hunter

2006-02-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

From the Washington Post:

Vice President Cheney accidentally sprayed a companion with birdshot while hunting quail on a private Texas ranch, injuring the man in the face, neck and chest, the vice president's office confirmed yesterday after a Texas newspaper reported the incident.

The shooting occurred late Saturday afternoon while Cheney was hunting with Harry Whittington, 78, a prominent Austin lawyer, on the Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. Hearing a covey of birds, Cheney shot at one, not realizing that Whittington had startled the quail and that he was in the line of fire.

I guess puppies just aren't enough anymore...

Technorati tags: Dick Cheney, Harry Whittington, News and Politics, Puppy Killers

Lost 2x13 - "The Long Con"

2006-02-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

Well, it's nice to see that the last episode wasn't the beginning of some kind of downward spiral.

Sure, it's nice that they flesh out all of the characters, but all of that business with Charlie was just painfully stupid.

Anywho, on to this week:

Charlie is a schmuck, but at least he didn’t take the heroin.
His logic is pretty fucking bad, though. Hurt Sun to get to Locke? At least if he was still doped up he’d have an excuse for being such an idiot.
Bernard’s a dentist, huh? That might come in handy down the line.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra thing was a little weird. The announcer had a perfect American accent. I somehow seriously doubt that an American oldies station playing Glenn Miller would have the proper signal strength to make it all the way to the other side of the world. Radio signals bounce and all, but I just don’t buy that.
Nice to see the writers having a little fun with their audience. Hurley’s line about the radio signal traveling through time was a hoot.
Oh, by the way, Glenn Miller died in a plane crash. Ok, well, the plane vanished in some fog never to be seen again. So it might not have actually “crashed.” Wikipedia Reference.
I understand that it might be hard for non-criminal television writers to come up with ways for Sawyer to con people, but the gold necklace thing was just stupid. Pretty amazing coincidence that those two morons had all that cash on them, huh? Cause, you know, I can’t imagine that anyone stupid enough to buy a gold chain from some seedy-looking guy out in front of a gas station would even have that kind of cash on them in the first place.
In the restaurant, Kate’s mother was waiting on Sawyer and his partner.
I don’t think Locke was really alphabetizing those books. He seemed to be flipping through all of them looking for more pieces of the film.
The book he was holding when Sawyer interrupted him was “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” It’s a short story about a condemned man about to be hanged. It’s a good read. Check it out to see why it’s worth mentioning.

Ok, that’s all I got for right now. I’m anxious for next week, though. Looks like the Losties get to play with an Other. We apparently also get to see what happens when the timer hits zero, but since it was in the preview, I’m guessing that it doesn’t actually happen at all.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Comic Book Day - 02/08/06

2006-02-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

So, it's comics time again. I would have posted yesterday, but I, uh, didn't.

Anywho, I added a new book to my list this month; Robert Kirkman's Invincible. Why, you ask? Two words: wicked 'stache (see below).

Alright, then; the list:

Oh, and here's a picture of Omni-Man:

Alright, then.

Cya.

Picture via Superdickery.

Technorati Tags: Comics, Comic Books, Entertainment, Infinite Crisis, Superdickery

Oh, Hey, Stormtroopers...

2006-02-07T09:31:00.000-05:00

Here's some facial armor from MTek Weapon Systems.

As a purely academic principle, extremely well-armored soldiers are a good thing and face-masks would seem like a fair bit of common sense. Problem is, even though this thing offers some pretty impressive protection (it'll stop a .44 magnum slug), it's yet another hot and heavy piece of equipment that's gonna decrease the stamina and mobility of the troops that choose to wear it.

Also, it's kinda scary-looking. American soldiers fighting in lesser developed foreign countries already look like aliens or robots to the local populations. Adding armored plates to hide their faces isn't going to do much to help that.

Apart from its complete and total lack of practicality, though, the FAST G1 is kinda neat. It's just too bad they couldn't have made it out of transparent aluminum.

Via DefenseTech.

Technorati tags: FAST G1, Facial Armor, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Crisis Counseling - 02/06/06

2006-02-06T18:33:00.000-05:00

New Crisis Counseling up over at DC.

The Rann/Thanagar War IC Special was a little underwhelming. I'd say that I'm goingto miss Jade, but she's not really around often enough to really miss. Too bad for Alan Scott, though. He leaves his daughter alone for five minutes, and she ends up smeared all over Kyle Rayner's face.

Speaking of which, Ion's "spooky" dark matter mask is stupid. I'm sorry, but I just can't get behind a book who's main character looks like a contestant in a pie-eating contest.

Eh. On to next week.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

My New Philosophy in Life

2006-02-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

A Sheldon comic from Comics.com.

Finally, a way to put my Bat'leth to use...

Technorati tags: Sheldon, Comic Strips, Star Trek, WWAKD?

50 Rounds per Second is a Little Much, Don't You Think?

2006-02-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

From CNN.com.

LIVERMORE, California (AP) -- Officials at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have added a new weapon to their armory: a high-powered machine gun that can fire more than 50 rounds per second.

Yes, because the obvious security solution for suburban office complex, National Labratory or not, is a 6-barrel, 7.62x51mm mini-gun capable of shooting off 3000 rounds per minute. Think about that for a second; 3000 rounds per minute is a hell of a lot bullets hurling through the air. At 7.62mms, this thing is easily capable of shredding an armored vehicle, let alone any kind of civillian type it's more likely to encounter.

Now, don't get me wrong; this is an awesome gun. I just can't help but feel that they may have taken this a bit too far.

What was wrong with the Browning .50 cal? Did it not kill things dead enough?

Technorati tags: Dillon Aero M134D, Machine Gun, Defense Technology

Comic Book Day - 02/01/06

2006-02-02T10:46:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know I'm late, but you can bite my ass. The comic posts are just dork filler, anyway.

Yesterday was a pretty good day; two Supreme Power books and another issue of Green Lantern make for some good reading. I was a little disappointed by the lack of Superman, though. I dig all the other superheroes, but he's still the coolest.

Anywho, my list:

I also picked up the December issues of Green Arrow and Hawkman. I missed those two some how.

Picture via Superdickery.

Technorati Tags: Comics, Comic Books, Entertainment, Infinite Crisis, Superdickery

Going Postal

2006-01-31T09:07:00.000-05:00

From CNN.com:

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A female former employee opened fire at a 24-hour postal service sorting facility in Goleta, California, killing six people and critically wounding another, before turning the gun on herself, authorities said early Tuesday.

I'm glad my dad is retiring finally. When I was a kid, I remember him being a supervisor for a short time, then going back to being a regular letter carrier. I think this kind of shit is the reason why.

On another note, I've been waiting for some Postal Service related news to post this picture. Yay...

Also at The Washington Post.

Technorati tags: Postal Shooting, News and Politics

Crisis Counseling - 01/30/06

2006-01-31T00:02:00.000-05:00

New Crisis Counseling up over at DC.

Anyone else kinda feel like this second to last issue of Wonder Woman was unnecessarily drawn out?

I mean, jeez, that Lady Pallas chick is one wordy bitch. Yeah, we get it, you failed her and yourselves; gods are petty and cruel; yadda yadda yadda. Just shut up already and let Diana smash something.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Assless Chaps, Anyone?

2006-01-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Man, for months I've been dieing to use "Assless Chaps" in blog post. I guess I can die happy now.

Anywho, Rainlegs are windbreakers for your thighs. As someone who grew up in South Florida riding a bike to school everyday, I can definitely see a use for these things. Often did I arrive home from a hard day of ~~desk napping~~ learning completely soaked (well, except for my crotch) by our daily 3pm monsoons.

That being said, I still have a hard time beleiving that a set of these things is really worth 43 bucks. I could make my own out of garbage bags and duct tape for under 5.

Via Treehugger.

Technorati tags: Rainlegs, Gadgets, Stupid Product

Light Transmitting Concrete

2006-01-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

Light Transmitting Concrete is exactly what you'd imagine: concrete through which light can pass. The picture pretty much explains its function.

The stuff is made by mixing concrete with glass fiber optical strands, resulting in a partially translucent rock.

I'd imagine this stuff would be good for public buildings and such where natural, low-cost lighting would be a plus.

Looks like a German by the name of Andreas Bittis came up with the stuff. His site just looks like an internet business card, though.

You know, concrete is nice and all, but they really need to get cracking on transparent aluminum. How cool would it be to a windshield made of metal?

Via Ubergizmo with the full article at Gizmag.

Technorati tags: LiTraCon, Light Transmitting Concrete, Gadgets

Lost 2x12 - "Fire + Water"

2006-01-30T14:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven’t gotten to this earlier, but last week’s episode was kind of bland. I’m not a big fan of the Charlie character and his current storyline is probably my least favorite aspect of the show. Add to that the fact that there really wasn’t any sort of resolution to the storyline or redemption for the character, and I’m almost at a loss for words in my review.

Almost:

So, Charlie’s flashbacks seem to mark a new occurrence on the show in that they were also hallucinations of some kind. I wonder if this is going to be something that only happens to Charlie, or if the other characters are going to start seeing their memories manifest in reality. I guess this already sorta happened with Kate and the horse, but not quite at the same level as with Charlie.
Sadly, I think the Voltron cameo was my favorite part of this episode. And it was in such good condition, too. I wish I still had my Voltron…
Nice to see Sawyer not being such a total dick anymore. Kinda strange that, of all people available to him on the island, Hurley decides to ask Sawyer for advice about Libby. I guess he could have been asking Kate the first time, but since Sawyer answered and then later drew Libby’s attention for him, I’m inclined to think he just meant to ask Sawyer.
Not a total lack of dickery, though. Sawyer still called Hurley “Jabba.” Didn’t seem to faze him, though.
Continuing with Hurley some more, the shot of him dressed in biblical costume was pretty amusing. Let’s have more of that.
The stuff with Libby is turning out to be fairly interesting too. I’m convinced that she was a doctor in the mental hospital at which Hurley used to be a patient. Hurley recognized her and called her on it, and she was pretty obviously lying with her answer. At the very lest, she was holding back the truth.
Her comment about the washer/dryer caught my ear, too. It really doesn’t seem to fit in with anything else. The implication here seems to be that the island and the bunker facilities get restocked every-so-often. Gotta wonder why they haven’t updated their music collection, though.
Anna Lucia is endearing herself to me a bit. Nice to see that someone on the island is finally calling Jack on the fucked-upedness of his relationship with Kate. If either of them were normal people, their hot/cold attitudes toward each other could probably be most easily explained by some sort of foolhardy romantic relationship brought on by the disparity of their situation. They’re not normal, though.
The main plot of this episode seemed lacking to me. Like I said earlier, I don’t find Charlie very interesting. He, so far, has no past connection to any of the other characters and, while interesting as a character building exercise, this episode didn’t really seem to further the plot any. The whole idea of needing a Baptism kinda irked me, too. I don’t much care for that kind of hell-bound talk in my entertainment. I understand that Catholicism is part of Charlie’s character, but there’s no need to be preachy. Shit, Eko’s backstory is all about him becoming a priest and there wasn’t an ounce of preachiness in it.
Ugh, speaking things I don’t like, what’s with Locke being such a dick all of a sudden. Well, I guess he was always a bit of a dick, but he used to be a mildly creepy, mysterious dick. Now he’s just your average, logic confounding, refuses to listen, punches for no reason dick. Bad move there.
Now, I don’t mean to say that Charlie didn’t deserve to get hit. In fact, I think they probably should’ve beat him up a long time ago. His actions in this episode really do warrant some kind of punishment, but Locke hit him after the situation was already resolved. There just wasn’t a need.
Kate was kinda bitchy in this one, too. Where does she get the right to try to stop Charlie from talking to Claire?
And Charlie was right, everyone on that island has seen some crazy shit and people just believe them. But when the guy who used to have drug problem says the same thing, it’s all of a sudden outside the realm of possibility.
One last thing: What the fuck kind of rock band does a diaper commercial? Even washed-up has-beens have their dignity.

Ok, that’s it for now. Hopefully the next episode will be better.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Comic Book Day - 01/25/06

2006-01-25T15:29:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Comic Book Day again, and I'm finally all caught up with everything.

I'm kinda bored now, though, so it's a good thing some new stuff comes out today.

Anywho, here's what I'm picking up:

Might pick up the Serenity trade too, since I missed issues two and three. Catwoman probably ain't worth buying again. I'm interested in what "secret" she's gonna tell Bats, but I just don't like the book; no idea why.

Oh, and then there's the new issue of Wizard, which is a confusing subject for me. I got a subscription for Festivus and ended up with 2 copies last month because I wasn't sure when it gets delivered. Anyone out there know if it usualy comes in the mail the same day it's released in the stores?

Picture via Superdickery.

Technorati Tags: Comics, Comic Books, Entertainment, Infinite Crisis, Superdickery

How to Foil Search Engine Snoops

2006-01-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

Wired News is running a piece that works as nice follow-up to my earlier post about illegal government surveilence.

It's a little light on how to actually foil the searches, though, focusing instead on explaining for what purposes this information might one day be used. Still, it's worth a read.

Technorati tags: Search Engine Records, News and Politics, Computer Security

If You're Not Breaking the Law, Whatcha Worried About?

2006-01-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Badness.

For years, it's already been my assumption that the government did this type of thing anyway, but doing it so openly and without hesitation worries me. Call me old fashioned, but I've grown rather fond of the 4th Amendment and would prefer to not find myself on my knees in the corner of my apartment, hands bound behind my back with those plastic zip-tie cuffs, eyes burning and ears ringing from the recently detonated flashbang, while a team of masked FBI agents rummage through everything I own because I decided to follow a link to Aljazeera(go on, click it; I dare you).

Anyway, here's a New York Times article about it. From the article:

...the Justice Department had asked a federal judge to compel Google to turn over records on millions of its users' search queries. Google is resisting the request, but three of its competitors - Yahoo, MSN and America Online - have turned over similar information.

The government and the cooperating companies say the search queries cannot be traced to their source, and therefore no personal information about users is being given up. But the government's move is one of several recent episodes that have caused some people to think twice about the information they type into a search engine, or the opinions they express in an e-mail message.

The government has been more aggressive recently in its efforts to obtain data on Internet activity, invoking the fight against terrorism and the prosecution of online crime. A surveillance program in which the National Security Agency intercepted certain international phone calls and e-mail in the United States without court-approved warrants prompted an outcry among civil libertarians. And under the antiterrorism USA Patriot Act, the Justice Department has demanded records on library patrons' Internet use.

Via AmericaBlog.

Technorati tags: Invasion of Privacy, Computers and Internet, Illegal Domestic Spying, News and Politics

The West Wing: Cancelled

2006-01-24T15:55:00.000-05:00

From the Washington Post.

NBC's fantasy White House drama "The West Wing" will end its seven-season run on May 14 with the inauguration of the new president, executive producer John Wells told television critics Sunday.

This sucks some major ass. I like Command in Chief and all, but it ain't no West Wing. Call me spoiled, but I have no interest in following the day to day exploits of a White House senior staff that doesn't speak in a constant string of witty dialogue overly saturated with poignant and scathing, yet somehow also loving and optomistic, critiques of American political culture.

In comparrison, everything else is just kind of bland.

Technorati tags: The West Wing, Television, Entertainment

UPN, WB to Combine to Form New Network

2006-01-24T12:50:00.000-05:00

From Yahoo! News:

NEW YORK - Two small, struggling television networks, UPN and WB, will merge to form a new network called The CW, executives from the companies that own them said Tuesday.

The announcement was made by executives from CBS Corp., which owns UPN, and Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc., which owns WB.

Both UPN and WB had struggled to compete against larger rivals in the broadcast TV business, including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, News Corp.'s Fox, General Electric Co.'s NBC and CBS Corp.'s CBS.

I hope this doesn't affect Smallville. I'd hate to see that get tossed cause these dipshits don't know how to run a TV network.

Technorati tags: UPN, The WB, Television

US Destroyer Chases Down Pirate Ship

2006-01-23T16:54:00.000-05:00

Here's something you don't read about every day; the US Navy chasing down and boarding a pirate ship in international waters.

From CNN.com:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The U.S. Navy boarded an apparent pirate ship in the Indian Ocean and detained 26 men for questioning, the Navy said Sunday.

The 16 Indians and 10 Somali men were aboard a traditional dhow that was chased and seized Saturday by the guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill, said Lt. Leslie Hull-Ryde of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain.

The dhow stopped fleeing after the Churchill twice fired warning shots during the chase, which ended 87 kilometers (54 miles) off the coast of Somalia, the Navy said. U.S. sailors boarded the dhow and seized a cache of small arms.

That's some crazy shit, right there.

The Navy is apparently patrolling the area in some sort of support role related to the Iraq war. They were lead into this encounter through reports of a Bahamian-flagged bulk carrier ship taking fire while passing through the area.

From the article, though, I kinda get the feeling that this type of shit happens pretty often. In fact, I think the only reason we don't hear more about pirates these days is because the government just ends up calling them "terrorists" most of the time.

Whatever, though. It's still pretty amusing.

Technorati tags: US Navy, Pirates, News and Politics

Crisis Counseling - 01/23/06

2006-01-23T16:03:00.000-05:00

The new Crisis Counseling is up over at DC, and man, last week was pretty rough.

I'm still reeling a bit from IC#4, but all of their Crisis related titles were great.

Speaking of great, All-Star Superman #2 was pretty freaking awesome too. This book has everything I love about Superman in it. I may post more about this later, but for right now, just get yourself a copy.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Infinite Crisis #4: Fucking Insanity

2006-01-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh!

Oh my god, that was freaking crazy.

Superboy Prime went god damned apeshit and killed a bunch of former Teen Titans.

To quote Newsarama, here's what happened:

Page 19:
Q: Fight! Who gets her block knocked off?
A: Pantha.
Q: And this is whereÂ
A: It gets kinda sad. Superboy is totally out of control.

Page 20:
Q: Who got the punch through the chest?
A: Wildebeest. A former Teen Titan.
Q: And frozen?
A: Red Star. Again, former Teen Titan.
Q: And disarmed?
A: Risk. Former Teen Titan.
Q: And cut in two?
A: Bushido.
Q: Who?
A: Yeah, he was in two comics prior to this, so donÂt worry.

Yeah, that's right, Superboy Prime, a younger Kal-El/Clark Kent from a long destroyed alternate reality, ran around decapitating, dismembering, impaling (with his fist), freezing (with the arctic breath), and burning (with his heat vision) the Titans, Doom Patrol, and JSA. He also beat the god damned living hell out of the Kon-El/Conner Kent Superboy and may have killed Krypto (yeah, the "Super Dog").

It also kinda looks like the Flash (Wally West) may have died, though I somehow doubt it since even Barry Allen (Silver Age Flash who died in the last Crisis) seems to pop up from time to time. Oh, and Earth 2 is back, bi-yatch!

Damn. So much more happened that has just blown my mind. Do yourself a favor and go out and buy one of the best comics published in a long time.

Via Newsarama.

Technorati tags: Infinite Crisis, Comics, Superboy

Gmail Gets a Delete Button

2006-01-20T11:20:00.000-05:00

Nothing huge, but Gmail got another little update. A "delete" button, this time.

It makes things easier.

Now all they need is a calendar or a task manager.

Via Download Squad.

Technorati tags: Gmail, Google, Computers and Internet

Skull Toilet Brush: Why?

2006-01-19T19:10:00.000-05:00

Here's the Skull Toilet Brush from BlueLips.com.

Aside from being just a smidge on the odd side, I can't imagine any sort of market for this thing. Anyone who might go through this much trouble to decorate their bathroom probably wouldn't be the type of person to do so with this kind of morbit shit.

It is impressive, though. They really didn't skimp on the paint job, there.

My only criticism is that any skull in such condition where the bone has been dmaged and discolored to that extent would probably have a set of teeth in much worse condition.

Whatever, though. Not Imma buy one.

Via Strange New Products.

Technorati tags: Skull Toilet Brush, Stupid Products

Lost 2x11 - "The Hunting Party"

2006-01-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Another great episode.

I guess they're all great, actually. Eh, whatever.

Comments, observations, and questions, ahoy!

Jack's got a reputation amongst the medical community, huh? That's interesting. It must have been at least a couple of years between the surgery and the end of his marriage, then.
Looks like his dad is either jealous or annoyed by what the Italian chick is saying. Probably both.
Michael took Locke out pretty easily, it seems. I guess Locke just wasn't expecting it. Either way, proves just how determined Michael is to get Walt back.
Still, though, I like how Jack immediately realized that Michael wasn't prepared to shoot any of the survivors, himself included. Michael's threatening to destroy the computer, instead, was a nice touch. Shows just how frightened of that thing they've all become.
Why did Jack throw such a fit about Kate coming along?
Kinda funny how casually he threw out that thing about Sawyer being in love with Kate. Sawyer's reaction was seemed pretty spot on for the character, too. I guess he does love Kate, eh?
Speaking of Sawyer, looks like his real name might be James Ford. I have my doubts, though. If I was a con-man and professional criminal on my way to a foreign country with the intention of committing murder, I somehow doubt I would make a plane reservation in my own name.
Jin and Sun seem to have reached something of an understanding with each about the state of their marriage. It was nice to see that Jin was willing to once again risk his life for Michael and Walt, but equally so that he was willing not to for the sake of Sun and his marriage. Do I smell character growth?
Somewhat related, I like how the producers keep the dialogue unintelligable when we're supposed to be hearing things from Jin's point of view. Helps identify with the character a bit more.
The bearded due from the boat is back. I like Sawyer's nickname for him. He does, in fact, look like a Zeke.
Anyway, Zeke sure did seem to know an awful lot about the survivors. That was kinda creepy.
I can't decide what I saw in Zeke's reaction to Jack's comment about Ethan, though. Part of me wants to say that he seemed concerned about the idea that they had found Ethan out, part of me wants to say that he was suprised to here where Ethan had run off to, and another part of me wants to say that he had no idea what Jack was talking about. The third part of me likes itself the best, I think, because that goes along with my theory that there are two seperate groups of "others" roaming around on the island.
The group, though, seems to be a definite "group," in that they seem to be emplying some pretty sophisticated communication, strategy, and organizational techniques. The wandering group that we saw fucking with the tailies seems to be more of the feral, crazy type.
Anywho, Zeke's choice of handgun was rather interesting. Looked to me like a P-08 Luger, which is a pretty difficult weapon by which to come. It coulda been a P-38, but I'm leaning toward the Luger. Little strange that the others would have vintage WWI and II German weaponry, eh?
Ok, so they can't go beyond that point on the island. If the others are really only "letting" them live in the island, why haven't they made themselves known sooner? Where's the justification for being pissed about someone invading your space if you don't make it know that it is, in fact, your space?
So, Jack's wife left him. He seemed pretty upset about it, but she didn't. How did Jack's need to fix things make it alright for her to cheat on him? I can see why Jack doesn't talk about her much. I wouldn't.
Jack also didn't seem to have his tatooes in this flashback. It was pretty obvious that they were covered with make-up since tatooes are really the actor's own that were worked in to the plot, but I wonder if that means that we'll be seeing his reasons for getting them, now. It is kinda strange for someone who is apparently a world renowned surgeon to have such strange and large body art.
Hehe, I just remembered that Sawyer seems to have gotten shot once again. Ok, well myabe not shot, exactly, but grazed, at least. Those crazy boat people are some good marksmen.
Nice work getting everyone caught, Kate. I'm not sure what other option Jack was gonna choose, but you didn't help matter very much. You're still hot, though, so I'll forgive you for now.
Zeke said "Bring her out, Alex," in reference to Kate. Alex, people. Yes, it looks like the French chick's daughter might chillin' with the Dharma folk. Speaking of, where the hell has Roussaeu benn lately? Same with Desmond, I guess.
And finally, for now anyway cause I'm tired of typing, it looks like Jack intends to build an army to confront The Others. I hope they include Eko and his Jesus Stick.

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves.

Technorati Tags: Television, ABC, Lost, Entertainment

Comic Book Day - 01/18/06

2006-01-18T23:19:00.000-05:00

I'm finally caught up. Yay for me. Only got about 20 pages left on It's Superman, too.

Anywho, here's what I picked up today:

By the way, I think Flash #230 is the last issue of the book for a while. And while I have no doubt that DC will the chartacter back before the end of 2006, they might consider letting it pass.

Here's why: If the Flash was just hanging out with Supes and the rest of the JLA, why the hell is he trying to stop a giant asteroid from destroying the Earth all by himself? Sure, he's got aging speedster Jay Garrick (the original Flash from the "Golden Age") and Kid Flash along with him, but jesus fucking christ, he's best friends with an invicible flying man who can single handedly alter the orbit of planets and destabalize the gravitational balance of a star. Learn some humilty and pick up the god damned phone, Wally.

Damn.

Picture via Superdickery.

Technorati Tags: Comics, Comic Books, Entertainment, Infinite Crisis, Superdickery

Crisis Counseling - 01/16/06

2006-01-17T14:19:00.000-05:00

Here is this week's Crisis Counseling over at DC.

And just so you know, I've only got three books left on the backlog and only about a chapter or two left of It's Superman!

Woo for me...

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

D.C. May Limit Parking Permits

2006-01-17T13:55:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post is running a story on how DC Mayor Anthony Williams wants to limit parking permits.

I think it's a good idea. I hate street parking. Where is the sense in having a 4 lane road (cough, cough, 16th Street, cough) reduced by half just so some jackass can park his H3 closer to his mutli-million dollar home?

Fuck 'im. Let the son of a bitch build a driveway like the rest of civilized society.

Speaking of such things, though, I think the mayor should take this a step further and raise the price of permits for SUVs and other types of vehicles people have no business driving in a god damned city.

Ugh, I gotta stop thinking about this. The traffic in this town is gonna give me a friggin' aneurysm.

Technorati tags: Washington DC, Parking, News and Politics

Sci Fi Channel to Air New 'Doctor Who'

2006-01-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

According to theWashington Post, SciFi Channel is gonna start airing the new Doctor Who series currently in production over in Britain.

I've never seen Dr. Who, but I hear good things.

I'll check it out if for no other reason than to see if SciFi tries to pass it off as one of their own "Original Series."

Technorati tags: Dr. Who, SciFi, Television, Dorkery

Lost 2x10 - "The 23rd Psalm"

2006-01-14T08:07:00.000-05:00

Yay, Lost is back!

I would have posted sooner, but I've been busy.

Anyway, on with the comments, observations, questions...

The kid playing young Eko had a really good resemblence to the older actor.
What was the purpose of the little incursion at the beginning? Were they just recruiting? And, if so, for what purpose? Were they some kind of anti-government rebels or just thugs out terrorizing the countryside?
I didn't think it was possible, but Eko looked even more badass all thugged out with the corn rows and that sleeveless trench coat.
He also didn't seem to take very well that comment about not having a soul. Some indication of guilt, maybe?
Nice knife work, by the way.
So Charlie had the statue; big deal. It wasn't broken and the drugs were still inside. I think he was keeping it around to prove to himself that he could live without the shit even though it was readily available. I kinda get the feeling that that's why he's hoarding all of the other ones too.
I also think Claire overreacted. So he used to be a drug addict; woopty-fucking-do. She was on her way to another country to give her unborn baby up for adoption because of what a psychic told her. Charlie can at least be excused by the addiction; Claire's just an idiot.
So, it seems that Eko's regular business was not drug smuggling. What did he do, then? Was he just a general purpose thug? He had better not have been one of those damned email scammers that I'm always hearing about. I really hate those fuckers...
Teaching Michael how to shoot a gun doesn't really seem like a great idea. But using a perfectly good jar of salad dressing for target practice when you're stranded, indefinitely, on a creepy island in the middle of nowhere with no hope of resupply or rescue seems like an even worse one. All you gotta do is slop that shit on some leaves and bam, instant salad.
Morons...
It was a big jar, too.
Why didn't Michael say anything about talking to Walt on the computer? Why didn't Charlie tell everyone else about Eko staring down the Smoke/Monster thing? You know, a bunch of people surviving an unsurvivable plane crash on a spooky island, I can handle. I can even handle the fact that everyone who happened to survive has some sort of weird or overly coincidental connection to both the island and the other survivors, but the idea that none of these people ever talk to each other about some of the crazy-ass shit that goes on around them just ruins my suspension of disbelief. Otherwise normal people in extraordinary circumstances is what most forms of fictional drama are about, but none of these characters are normal people. Hell, even Hurley, who is arguably the most "normal" of the group, keeps way too much shit to himself. If it was me, or anyone else I have ever met in my entire life, for that matter, stranded on that island, you had better god damned bet that if any of that shit happened to me, the first thing out of my mouth after running my ass back to camp would be "Dudes, guess what I just fucking saw."
Speaking of such, the black smoke thing: WTF? I seem to remember reading an article that quoted the producers as saying that their show was not science fiction and that all the wierd shit that happens on the island can be explained through plausible modern science. Now, I'm no scientician, but that smoke thing seemed decidedly supernatural, at least given our (Earth's?) current level of technology.
And yes, yes, the images that kept popping up in the cloud. Apparently they were images from Eko's backstory. Here's a link.
I think it's got something to do with all that mention of remote viewing from the Dharma Initiative. That, combined with all of the crazy telepathic and psionic shit that seems to regularly occurr on this fucked up island, leads me to belive that the cloud of smoke is the collective consciousness of all those participating in the experiment. I've got no theory as to their purpose, though.
The term "Jesus Stick" has now made its way in to my daily vocabulary.
It seems that we now know why Eko was not initially taken by The Others. If we are to believe Goodwin in his claim that they only took the "good" people, it should be pretty obvious now that, even though Eko is clearly not the same man he used to be, he still ain't quite "good" yet.
And about the priest thing; is he really a priest? Is a signature on ordination papers all you really "need" to become a priest? As someone raised Catholic, I have no idea. In any case, though, he seems to have really embraced it. I wonder if he was practicing during that tween time after his backstory and before the island.
For that matter, why the fuck was Eko in Austrailia? Was he looking for his brother? Judging by the decomposition of the bodies, the condition of the plane, and how much Eko seems to have changed, I'd have to guess that is been at least two or three years since the events in his flashback.

Ok, that's it for now. Feel free to comment.

Technorati Tags: Television * ABC * Lost * Entertainment

Shop24: The Fully-Automated Convenience Store

2006-01-12T16:23:00.000-05:00

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this.

I things to always be open. Too many times have I wanted milk or bread or the latest issue of Marie Claire in the middle of the night and been left to suffer.

I just don't know how I feel about robot convenience stores, though. It's bad enough that robots are learning tai-chi and have already taken over Lego's, now they have to take our KwikieMarts too?

This is bad, I tells ya, bad.

And it's all because we made them our slaves. Will humanity ever learn?

Via Gizmag.

Technorati tags: Shop24, Automated Convenience Stores, Gadgets

The Atech Toilet Paper Dispenser iPod Dock

2006-01-12T16:09:00.000-05:00

I think this is even dumber than the iPod underwear from last month.

I swear to almighty God that this kind of frivolous shit should be some kind of sin.

At the very least, the government should levy some sort of idiot tax on anyone who buys this thing.

Via Engadget.

Technorati tags: Atech Toilet Paper Dispenser iPod Dock, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Comic Book Day - 01/11/06

2006-01-11T23:51:00.000-05:00

Well, it's comic book day again and I couldn't be happier. Not so much about the comics, as I still haven't made my way through the stack, but Lost comes back tonight.

Oh, I wonder what I would ever do without TV.

Heh, I guess I'd just read my comics, eh? Good thing they don't take a mid-season break.

Anywho, here's my list:

I'm not too interested in Hawkman, but the art looked decent and I already bought the first issue in this storyline last month. I certainly hope it doesn't suck again.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Comic Books * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

The GeigerPod

2006-01-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

Another installment in my series of stupid iPod related crap.

I can't figure out if the GeigerPod is an actual, functioning Geiger Counter made to look like an iPod, or just an iPod modded to look like a Geiger Counter.

Either way it's stupid and we should all be ashamed for having looked at it.

Via Engadget.

Technorati tags: GeigerPod, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Bill Clinton is Awesome

2006-01-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

CNN.com has a fun little story running about former President Clinton greeting some troops arriving home from Iraq.

Mr. Clinton was apparently delayed with mechanical diffulties after his plane landed for fuel and instead of just going about his business as usual, he took the opportunity to help welcome home some soldiers who just happened to be coming in through the same airport.

Pretty stand-up guy, if you ask me.

Technorati tags: Bill Clinton, News and Politics

The Tunebuckle

2006-01-10T19:13:00.000-05:00

Here's some more stupid iPod crap.

The Tunebuckle is an iPod Nano belt buckle.

Yes, yes. Stupid and ugly.

Via OhGizmo!.

Technorati tags: Tunebuckle, Gadgets, Stupid Products

The Drawerbox

2006-01-10T16:13:00.000-05:00

I think this might be the first design improvement in comic book storage since someone thought to make the standard long box out of pvc rather than cardboard.

These things are still cardboard, but rather than closing with a detachable lid, the box part slides into a large piece like a drawer.

Pretty simple, but pretty cool.

Check it out: The Collection Drawer Co.

For a more complete idea of how these things work, check out the Pipeline column over at Comic Book Resources.

Via Monitor Duty.

Technorati tags: Collection Drawer, Comics, Gadgets

The KNG iPod DJ Dock

2006-01-10T16:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know what I hate more; the iPod or the stupid-ass shit it's spawned.

Case in point, the KNG DJ Dock.

I haven't decided what I hate about it exactly. I think it's the rather overt attempt at trendiness.

Ugh...

That's what happens when you let frat boys have engineering degrees.

Via Engadget.

Technorati tags: KNG iPod DJ Dock, Gadgets, Stupid Products

The Thumbthing

2006-01-09T15:31:00.000-05:00

I like books; they're fun and don't need batteries. They can be annoying, though. Especially the heavy ones that don't hold their place well. I can't even count how many times I've lost my page trying to hold a ginormous book one handed.

In comes the Thumthing, ever so arduously named, to save the day.

Now, unlike the other gadgets and shit I post, I actually think this thing is a good idea. If you couldn't already tell from the picture, the Thumbthing is just a wedgie-mo-dongle that allows the reader to keep a book open and secured using only one hand. It's held in place by the thumb and, when not in use, can double as either a bookmark or the reticle of the wearer's rubberband handgun.

Looks like Thumbthing has an msrp of about 4 bucks and is should be available for purchase at most bookstores.

Just remember to mind your thumb size, though. This point seems to pretty important to the people who made the product site. Anywho, it comes in small, medium, large and extra-large and should be available in a variety of ugly, translucent colors.

Via OhGizmo!

Technorati tags: Thumbthing, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Ultimate Avengers Online

2006-01-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

Looks like the official website of the new Ultimate Avengers movie is online.

The movie comes out on DVD February 21st and looks to be a pretty acurate animated port of the first several issues of Marvel's The Ultimates.

From what I can tell, the animation is quite nice and the cast of voice actors is top notch. I'm really looking forward to checking this out.

This film will probably be one of the few DVDs I actually buy this year.

Technorati tags: Ultimate Avengers, Comics, Marvel

Crisis Counseling - 01/09/06

2006-01-09T11:37:00.000-05:00

A new Crisis Counseling is up over at DC, but, as if you might not have guessed, I'm still backlogged.

Why, you ask?

Well, it's not for a lack of dorkery. I've been reading a novel by Tom De Haven call It's Superman! that's been taking up most of my down time. It's quite good and I whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who has even a moderate interest in the "Man of Steel."

Here's a quick description from Amazon:

De Haven's Derby Dugan trilogy--Funny Papers, 1988; Derby Dugan's Depression FunniesDugan under Ground, 2001--presaged Michael Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (2000) and outdid it by encompassing the history of comics from early newspaper strips to the undergrounds of the sixties. De Haven now undertakes an authorized re-imagining of the early years of Superman. De Haven convincingly and touchingly depicts the young Clark Kent's apprehensions and insecurities as he comes to terms with his extraordinary abilities in 1930s rural Kansas. Concurrently, he tracks Lois Lane's beginnings in journalism and the plotting for power of New York City political boss Lex Luthor (no "Metropolis" masquerade here). While hewing to the basic outline of the venerable Superman mythos--his intergalactic background, his straight-arrow upbringing in Smallville, and his blue-and-red costume--De Haven finds ways to make even its more outlandish elements work. If it doesn't quite transcend its origins, De Haven's novel shows that, nearly 70 years after his creation, the Man of Steel still has plenty to offer.

Anywho, until later, peace, yo.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Lego Robots

2006-01-06T15:09:00.000-05:00

CNET News has a neat article up on some new Lego offerings unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Lego's Mindstorms NXT is nothing less than a full function robot constructed from various Lego bricks and pieces; and a pretty impressive one at that. Some of its features include:

Full range of bipedal movement.
Four different types of sensors: ultrasonics that act as eyes, as well as those that react to light, sound, and touch.
Bluetooth functionality so that each unit can be controlled by, or take control of, any Bluetooth device.

There's a starter kit that comes out in August for about 250 bucks. That's pretty cheap considering larger Lego kits that don't include sophisticated electronic components often reach somewhere in the $200 range.

My only concern is that some day, someone will build a Bluetooth enable sentry gun or something. Then we'll all be bowing down to our Lego Robot masters...

Technorati tags: Lego Mindstorm, Robotics, Gadgets

Battlstar Galactica Back Tonight!

2006-01-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

Battlestar Galactica continues its second season tonight at 10pm EST on SciFi.

I know where I'll be.

If you don't watch this show yet, you're a loser. So get your shit together and tune in, byiatch!

Technorati tags: Battlestar Galactica, SciFi Friday, Television

Pat Robertson Suggests God Smote Sharon

2006-01-05T23:26:00.000-05:00

Biggest. Dick. Ever.

CNN.com

Technorati tags: Pat Robertson, Fucking Jackass

Comic Book Day - 01/05/06

2006-01-05T15:57:00.000-05:00

My dorkularity has really been impeded upon of late. Not only am I still not through the stack of books from the past few weeks, but this is the second week in a row that Comic Book Day has fallen on a Thursday. Ugh...

At least Battlestar is coming back this Friday and I'll have something to live for again.

Comics; right. On with it, then:

That's it, I think. I may splurge and pick up the Ultimates 2 trade, but only if I decide to ignore the fact that I've got four or five unread trades sitting next to my stack of backlogged comics.

Stupid holidays. Happy fucking New Year.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Comic Books * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

No Pictures

2006-01-05T15:53:00.000-05:00

Blogger's being a big, giant cock baron and not letting me upload pictures.

Imma go through some past posts and see if any of my old imagery fits with the shit I slapped up today, but I ain't promising anything.

I'll update all these posts later when the problem gets fixed.

Until then, Blogger slurps ass.

Sweet Zombie Jesus!

2006-01-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

According to Yahoo! News, Futurama might be coming back.

I'd heard about the proposed direct-to-DVD movie, but this article seems to indicate that the show may go back in to regular production.

From the article:

Following the hugely successful resurrection of Family Guy, Fox execs are reportedly in talks to bring Futurama back from the dead.

The studio has begun talks to revive the Emmy-winning animated series and produce a limited number of new episodes, thanks to a resurgence in the show's popularity on DVD and in reruns, Variety reports.

Reps for 20th Century Fox have declined to comment on the news, but Variety says initial negotiations have begun.

If revived, it's unclear exactly which network would air the new episodes. While Fox housed the original series, the show found new life once reruns began showing on the Cartoon Network. Comedy Central subsequently snapped up the off-air rights and will exclusively air the repeats beginning in 2008.

I'd rather see the show on either Cartoon Network or Comedy Central. They'd at least give it a consistent timeslot, I bet.

Here's hoping.

Technorati tags: Futurama, Television, Fox Sucks Ass

Jon Stewart to Host Academy Awards

2006-01-05T15:25:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post is reporting that Jon Stewart has been tapped to host the telecast of the Academy Awards this year.

I still don't really give a shit about which pile of crap gets an Oscar this year, but I might now tune in for a bit just to see what Jonny boy is up to.

On a related note, BitTorrent, away!

Technorati tags: Jon Stewart, Academy Awards, News and Politics

Mooning is Legal in Maryland

2006-01-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

Good to see my adopted home state has something of a sense of humor.

According to the Washington Post, from which I've been jacking quite a bit of content, lately, public "Mooning" is perfectly legal.

From the article:

Acquitting a Germantown man who exposed his buttocks during an argument with a neighbor, a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday that mooning, while distasteful, is not illegal in Maryland.
"If exposure of half of the buttock constituted indecent exposure, any woman wearing a thong at the beach at Ocean City would be guilty," Judge John W. Debelius III said after the bench trial, reversing the ruling of a District Court judge.

What the hell was this guy and his neighbor arguing about? I gotten in to plenty of verbal disagreements, but I've never once encountered a conflict who's resolution involved exposing my hairy, white ass.

But you know what? Maybe I'll try it now. It is legal, after all.

As a side note, I'll be in Ocean City the first weekend in May.

Technorati tags: Mooning, News and Politics, Maryland

Topless Sandals

2006-01-04T13:17:00.000-05:00

This isn't so much a gadget as it is some other kind of stupid thing, but it's worth mentioning because of its novelty.

Now, generally, I'm not one to wear flip-flops or, for that matter, any other kind of sandal. I prefer work boots or some other form of sturdy shoe that completely and totally encases my foot. As I see it, only hilbillies, hippies, and lazy college students walk around a city in anything other than a proper shoe. So, as you might imagine, I'd be even less inclined to wear footwear that has no latching device whatsoever.

I really gotta wonder how these things work, though. From the description at Topless-Sandal.com:

Topless Sandals defined: Topless sandals - also called "down unders" - simulate walking barefoot while protecting your feet. Topless sandals stick to the bottom of your feet, but leave no residue on your feet when you take them off. The "stick" is guaranteed for a year, which is the typical life span of a flip flop.

Check it out if you like. Only you know if you dumb enough to fall for such a thing.

Via Strange New Products.

Technorati tags: Topless Sandals, Gadgets, Stupid Products

Marion Barry Robbed at Gunpoint

2006-01-04T01:19:00.000-05:00

Man, DC is a rough place.

The Washington Post is reporting that former Mayor and current City Councilman Marion Barry was robbed at gun-point in his kitchen by a couple of teenagers who had just helped him bring up some groceries.

It looks like he lives over in Anacostia, which is a part of town to which I NEVER go. I'd say that I'm glad to see my distaste of the area is rightly founded, but dude, that's pretty fucked up right there.

Anywho, Barry seems to want to help the kids more than punish them, which is a nice change of pace. That part of DC is one of the poorest places in the country and everyone over there could use a little help.

I'd make an effort, but I'm not fan of getting shot.

Technorati tags: Marion Barry, News and Politics, Crime

Miniaim: The Tiniest of AIM Clients

2006-01-03T11:03:00.000-05:00

Miniaim is exactly that; a miniature AIM client. At under 75kb and executable without installation, Miniaim is a great option for cube jockeys without admin priveleges on their work boxes.

You can get the basic gist of what the program looks like from the picture, but what seems to really set it apart from other AIM clients is that the chat windows are permenately attached to the buddy list through a tab system.

Overall, it works pretty well. My only complaint is that the "buddy info" option doesn't seem to work. It looks like it's set up to use your system's default web browser to display the info, but I just keep getting 404 errors.

Still, though, it's pretty neat and maybe even a viable replacement for Gaim.

Via Download Squad.

Technorati tags: Miniaim, AIM, Instant Messenging, Computers and Internet

Woot! Random Crap Sale

2006-01-03T09:09:00.000-05:00

Woot! is having a random crap sale today. Because of what Woot! is, though, that's not really news or even moderately noteworthy. What is, however, is that the random crap sale is labeled as such.

Looks like someone over in Woot!ville got a good price on a ton of random 2006 calendars and has decided to pass that great fortune on to us, the ~~desk-bound wage slave~~ eConsumer.

The best thing about Woot!, though, is the way the sell their product. Check them out an have a laugh.

Technorati Tags: Woot! * Shopping * Cyber Community

Crisis Counseling - 01/02/05

2006-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

I still haven't made it through all my backed comics, but here's the new Crisis Counseling anyway. Not like it really matters, though. I suspect that anyone who relies on this blog for Crisis updates has very little actual interest in Infinite Crisis itself. I really gotta wonder why you bother to check back, then.

Anywho, even though I didn't get through all of the stuff I bought, I did read Catwoman in the store. Meh. Like I said in my last Comic Book Day post, I was less than impressed. I just don't really dig the character. Maybe the One Year Later storyline will be more interesting.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Tropical Storm Zeta forms in Atlantic Ocean

2005-12-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

The Sun Sentinel is reporting that yet another tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic.

And no, this isn't old news.

This one is called Zeta, which, again, is the furthest we've ever gotten. Another named storm is unlikely, so I don't think it'll be an issue, but what the hell do we name them after we run out of letters? They can't give them numbers, can they? I thought that's what they did for depressions and such.

I think they should start naming them things that describe the circumstances of the storm. For instance, using my system, Zeta would be called "Holy Fucking Shit: A December 30th Tropical Storm."

Seems like that would grab the right amount of attention, eh?

Technorati tags: Tropical Storm Zeta, Hurricane Season, Florida

Crisis Counseling - 12/26/05

2005-12-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

I haven't even gotten to the stack referenced in this post, so I've got nothing to really say about it.

I was quite happy with the number of books they published this week, though. I'd really like to see more of that.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Comic Book Day - 12/29/05

2005-12-30T10:04:00.000-05:00

Comic Book day was late this week on account of Christmas and all. Normally, I'd be a little upset about something like that, but since I'm still working my way through the shit that came out on the 14th, I'm not too terribly concerned.

Anywho, not much came out this week. I only picked up these three:

I also checked out All-Star Batman and Robin #3 and Catwoman #50 in the store. Frank Miller has one crazy-ass story going on there. It's funny as hell, but I kinda get the feeling that that's not necessarily intentional. As for Catwoman, it was fairly predictable. I don't usually read this book, but the back and forth between her and Zatanna peeked my interest and it was pretty neat to see all of her old costumes. I kinda wonder where exactly they're heading with this storyline, though. I've read the solicitations for the "One Year Later" thing and have heard all of the hints that DC has dropped, but I just don't see the point unless it ties in more with the rest of the Bat-books. Maybe it's just that I'm not too terribly keen on the character.

Anyway, until next week, then.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Comic Books * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

I'm Back

2005-12-30T09:51:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it's been a while, but I'm back. My ten days in Florida weren't nearly as bad as a I had expected. Yes, it was boring, I had limited access to a computer, and all of my shit was 1200 miles away in DC, but the weather was pretty nice. I go home for Christmas every year and this last trip was the first time in about 10 years that I wasn't sweating my ass off on Christmas day.

Anywho, I'll get back to posting today. I'll probably start with the Crisis Counseling and Comic Book Day posts and then start throwing up some of the other shit I've been hoarding.

Untill then, see ya, losers.

Comic Book Day - 12/21/05

2005-12-22T18:49:00.000-05:00

Sorry I'm only getting around to this now, my schedule's been a little screwy down in the heatbox.

Anyway, one of the good things about being back home is that I'm able to get my weekly fix from Tate's Comics. Yeah, home is only a few blocks from that place and the last time I made the trip, I ended up there three times in four days. It really is an awesome place for dorkery.

Right, then; on with the list:

Yeah, it was a pretty big week. I'm not complaining, though. With the hour-long delay I had on the flight down, I could have used the extra reading material. At least I'll be prepared for the trip back up.

Technorati Tags: Comics * Comic Books * Entertainment * Infinite Crisis

Martian Manhunter in Smallville?

2005-12-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

Looks like Manhunter might end up on Smallville this season. Sweet!

From KryptonSite:

The Martian Manhunter In Smallville?
An answer from Executive Producer Miles Millar in issue #12 of the official Smallville magazine offers a hint as to another DC Comics character who may be coming in the show's future.

In an interview with Ian Spelling, Millar is asked about other classic DC Comics characters who may be showing up on the series. Here was his answer:

"One character we may bring to the show is the Martian Manhunter. There's always the possibility of having characters back, like the Flash or Mxyzptlk. If we find the story and it's organic, not forced, we love to do that."

The next confirmed DC character appearance on Smallville will be Cyborg in episode #15 of the current season.

Issue #12 of the official Smallville magazine is now hitting newsstands.

Awesimo 5000, yo!

Technorati tags: Smallville, Martian Manhunter, Television, Comics, Superman