To all things...

Evening and, once again, well met to all of you. Well, the end of January is nigh and 1/12th of this new year is gone. With it goes the many, many (countless many, actually...) new years resolutions, failed or not, made by an untold amount of people across the globe. Why do I bring this up, you ask? This blog that you have all so graciously enjoy for a month was just that; a new years resolution. For longer than I can remember, there have been so many hobbies I have always said that I CAN do, but I then I don't actually do them. I've never felt the need to prove my ideas in that regard as I 'know' what I can (or should...) be able to do. For this, the year of our Lord 2011, I decided to actually prove my worth and do something that I said I could do but have never actually done...

So what did I learn from this experience? Well, first off, I don't think I have it in me to consistently post once a day, every weekday. Sometimes, I'm too busy with work and home life, I don't have time to churn out a QUALITY blog entry (therein lies the important distinction...). I do not want to get to the point where I am phoning in this blog and just make short posts about random crap I think of (far, far too easy and then what's the point...). For each post, I want to showcase something in my life that I have enjoyed or (at the very least...) caused some kind of emotional reaction within me (for good or for ill...). By using pop culture items I am interested in inherently, this prospect was made so much easier. But it was definitely a more difficult prospect that I realized at the outset...

Where we go from here is uncertain. My intention was to do this blog often enough that posting would become habit and I got close to that idea. While I did make enough posts for each weekday in January (yay...), what I more succeeded in doing was making myself anxious for something to blog about. Close enough, I suppose. However, I did promise to unveil my entire Ireland journal on this blog and we are still fairly early in the journey yet and I will attempt to continual daily blogging until the end of the travel log. I am hoping (cross your fingers...) that by continuing until that goal is complete, I will have gotten into a better groove and just keep going on and on until I tire of it. I have not grown tired yet, I am just tapping myself out too quickly and I need to find my blog voice or at least define it better than I have already. Maybe something will spring force as this blog evolves from its nascent state...

As a great man once said (you know him if you know me well enough...), 'Excelsior!'. I'll leave you with that...

We prere'd the crap out of that day...

Seems I missed a day again. This will have to count for last Friday (problematic at the very least...), which is kind of odd since what I will go over today happened on Sunday, so it wouldn't have been an issue then. Cop out? Perhaps, but it is a good topic none the less. So, Big Brian (yeah, I said it...) and I decided that, after such a long hiatus, it was time for us to blow some cash and have some geektacular fun, just the two of us. And we're off to Glen Burnie for the Mirrodin Besieged M:tG prerelease...

A little prere explanation: Before the official release of any Magic: the Gathering set, Wizards of the Coasts sends out a set number of booster pack boxes to locations across the country for the use of having a Limited tournament (a type of event where only the very most recent cards are allowed...). Each player is given six boosters with which to make a 40 card deck (lands are comp...) and then the players are paired off, standard elimination style. If you do well enough, you could win additional boosters as prizes. Usually, those who do the best are those who randomly receive the biggest bombs (REALLY good cards...) as well as factoring in proficiency at deck building. If the deck building skills are comparable between two players, the game is often decided which player pulled the better cards from the outset. Further, larger locations may also run booster drafts, which allow X players to pull-and-pass packs, taking a card one by one and then making a deck with their choices. At the end of the day, each player walks home with a promo card and (at least...) six booster packs worth of the current block sets, all for the cool price of 30 bucks for one sealed flight (drafts and additional flights cost extra...)...

This then brings us up to Mirrodin Besieged, the second set in the Scars of Mirrodin block (this block being a sequel block to the original Mirrodin block back in 2003...). When last we left Mirrodin (a metallic world where life is infused with metal [the trees, the people, everything...]...), the elf Glissa had saved the day, the green sun had been created, and the turmoil within that set had been (to one degree or another...) appropriately resolved. Fast forward 7ish years (real world time...) and enter Scars of Mirrodin/Mirrodin Besieged. Life progressed as normal on Mirrodin (whatever normal happens to be for metalish beings...). However, the once defeated Phyrexians (M:tG's overarching baddies...) have returned and insidiously invaded Mirrodin, right under the noses of the (un...)natural inhabitants. The Phyrexian forces have finagled their way into every aspect of Mirrodin life, which brings us to the end of Scars. Within Mirrodin Besieged, the Mirrans have noticed their planet being overtaken by the Phyrexians and fight back finally, splitting the planet into two warring factions (Mirrans vs. Phyrexians, if you hadn't guessed by now...). Mirrans favor the red/white philosophy (Mountains/Plains, attacking bonuses, cheap fast creatures, lots of removal spells, etc...) while green/black is the purview of the Phyrexians (Forest/Swamps, poison counters, regeneration, big stompy creatures, wither away forces and resources, etc...). Blue, then, is split in twain between the two factions, subtlely supporting both sides of the war(Islands, card drawing, charge counters, evasions, temporary removal, etc...)...

This prerelease was different than the others I have been to, specifically because the players had to pick which warring faction to play as. This affected the cards you would get (Mirrans got more red/white cards, Phyrexians got more green/black...) in each Besieged pack. Rather than getting a standard booster with a standard assortment, players received three Scars packs and three Besieged packs of their faction. I chose Phyrexian and Brian went with Mirran (we wanted to see how each side fared...). Brian did not pull cards that were so great, but I pulled decently. I built a very solid green/black/artifact deck and it played fairly well each game. My problem: no real bombs to speak of. Many solid cards, but nothing that was really game changing/ending (see: Blightsteel Colossus, Massacre Wurm, Creeping Corruption, etc...) so I had to rely on my deck building skills over just 'getting lucky'. I would be remiss if I did not mention that Brian is very integral to my continued deck building skills. He is great for bouncing ideas off of, though sometimes I feel I may use him as a crutch (though one of the few times he wasn't there, I won packs...)...

My first match was against a Mirran deck, but the guy didn't really seem to know what he was doing (at the very least, he was not a good deck builder...). I smoked him 2-0; he played very little cards and my efficient deck just ran him over (like a boss...). Second game, I got a beat down quite a bit (I went 1-2...). This guy played a Phyrexian deck like mine, but ended up pulling better cards from the get go. He was faster and his bombs were very bomb-y (the above Massacre Wurm made multiple appearances...). I was able to poison him out one game, but it was for naught. My last game (1-2 again...) was a beast to play. This guy was running multiple awesome cards (Venser, Black Sun Zenith, Sunblast Angel, etc...) in a strange (but effective...) black/white/blue combination, but my 'Little-Deck-That-Almost-Could' pushed through enough poison to end the game. That guy was pissed. However, game two I got mana screwed (not enough resources to cast my spells...) and then he just beat the crap out of me in game three. Good matches, even if I won no prizes...

Final thoughts regarding the prere: I have missed it and it was a lot of fun. However, I will say the overall match ups were a little dull(ish...) as you could almost guess what you would see once you figure which faction the opponent was playing. The variable of deck types were reduced a bit (I was very pleasantly surprised to see black/white/blue in round three...), but the game play itself was a delight. Brian and I hadn't played a prere since Lorwyn in 2007, so it was nice to get out and do it up right. This time, it was a local store rather than a big convention hall so it was a bit of a different experience (less of an event and more like a Friday Night Magic...). I am highly looking forward to the next prere tournament, but will satisfy my cravings with the occasional one on one draft that Brian and I do so well. Until next time, enjoy gaming folks, however you find it...

LOOK! You see? The Cliffs of Insanity!

Another day in (Irish...) paradise...

Day 2

Very tired this morning. Jet lag caught up to me big time. But after much poking and prodding from Tara, I was roused. After a light breakfast (one step in my weight loss plan...), we hopped into the car for the day to begin. First stop: Dunguaire Castle...

The castle was actually smallish from the outside and, since it cost for the tour, we decided to walk the grounds. We got some nice pictures and, all in all, it was a nice first stop. It got me ready for the next item: the Cliffs of Moher. Before the cliffs, we passed through some gorgeous scenery (though I am seeing very little that isn't gorgeous...) and drove on one of the worlds curviest roads; the aptly named Corkscrew Road. Anyways, onto to the cliffs...

The Cliffs of Moher (colloquially known to many Americans as 'THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY!!!'...) were very impressive and stretched for miles down the coastline. Despite being fairly touristy for a national natural monument (though I suppose no more so than any in the states...), the cliffs were a treat. I got to see my first puffins AND an honest to God raven in the wild. Tara and I spent a long while trying to decide where that bit in The Princess Bride was filmed; we think we narrowed it down to a couple sections. Got to try my first Irish soft serve there, too (delicious...)...

Lunch next, then it was off to the Burren. The Burren was an odd area, topographically speaking. The whole area is (mostly...) limestone, but due to time and erosion, the ground looks like this: Most of the ground was flat stone and the rain had grooved the land into an intricate rivulets that were dark and deep with hardy grasses growing in most of them. Very cool. The Burren also contained two man-made monuments: A ring fort and a grave marker (called a portal, I believe...). The grave marker resembled a part of Stonehenge, just thinner stones. They actually call the flat stone areas 'pavement'. Weird. Going back, the ring forts (scattered across the island...) are structures used, and later modified, since ancient times (BC...) up to the 15th - 16th centuries. Though each is different, it was quite unique and interesting to be within something so old and still around...

The rest of the evening was spent at camp. Tara and I walked a bit on the beach, ate some packed dinner, and bedded down for a drier night than the previous one. The itinerary tomorrow: The Aran Islands...

June 14, 2009
Nicholas C. Witte

Bonus - A cute picture of me and Tara at Moher...

Oops or Ba da BAA DAAA...

OH CRAP!!! MISSED A DAY!!! THE GOOD TIMES ARE OVER!!! Alright, calm down, take stock and rally. ::shakes head vigorously:: Brrrururrur. Ok, here we go. With Tara out of town, stuff crops up that I don't normally deal with and it crimps the free time with a vengeance (to say nothing of Dude Night...). So, to make up, I will have to do TWO posts today to catch up to my goal of one a day. So long as I can do this, I will still count it as a success and keep on going. By the by, I'm going with gaming today and a relatively new game to boot. No more foreplay: This is GoldenEye 007 for the Wii...

This particular game is a strange reboot/sequel/reimagining of an extremely popular and memorable game for the Nintendo 64, GoldenEye 007(f'n duh...). The 64 game was freaking fantastic. Beyond the storyline itself (I only played a handful of mission, but I was told that it was very faithful...), it is renowned for its replayability with multiplayer death matches. I cannot tell you how many countless camp hours I (and my Ware brethren...) spent shooting the crap out of each other, Bond style. We learned the layouts of each of the levels by heart and knew exactly the best sniper spots, the best location for proxy mines, and exactly where to find all the body armor. The graphics (now extremely dated...) were on par for that time in 64 gaming, but it was obvious that more time and effort was given to said level designs as well as weapon design diversity. Before GoldenEye, we would see this kind of FPS in PC games (like Doom and Duke Nukem...) almost exclusively and it was GoldenEye that proved it could be beyond successful on a console. I am not much of an FPS guy and I LOVE playing old school GoldenEye. It goes beyond nostalgia or the enjoyment of the Bond franchise. It was just a solid, fun game...

This brings us to the younger brother of the polygonized version of Bond. As far as graphics go, it is a delight. The settings and characters are very smooth and lifelike and (I'll say it...) on par with most FPS around. It may not reach Halo level of detail, but it's damn good. There are changes to the Classic levels and some are almost to the point where I didn't even recognize I was playing in the same level until much level. The designs of the levels remained similar, but the details and additions to the level skewed my perception to the point where you would have to convince me it was an old level. The 64 just didn't have the capabilities to do what the Wii does (also f'n duh...). I cannot honestly comment on the changes to the story as I haven't played any mission, but I've heard there are small changes to the overall story and it works well enough. Further, they brought the game play style in line with more modern FPSs (Halo, etc...) in that you get one main BIG gun and a smaller side arm. This is a significant departure from the past where each character had a Bag of Holding or access to Hammerspace to carry all the weapons. It's not necessarily a bad thing; it's just the changing of times...

Here's the biggest (subjectively...) change between the two games: they switched the Brosnen Bond with the Craig Bond (as well as some of the other characters to their more modern counterparts...]...). I am honestly not 100% sure on how I should feel about the change. On one hand, I feel the purist in me screaming 'FOUL!' and wants to see a slicker Brosnen sprite in this 'new' game. I mean, c'mon, it's GoldenEye! It's his movie, for the love of Pete! However, I can understand the desire to update it for a modern audience as Craig is the current Bond and GoldenEye came out over 15 years ago at this point. Also, FPSs aren't what they were in the mid-90's so if they were going to give it an overhaul, they probably figured why not just go all out instead of cherry picking the updates. Then again, maybe Pierce didn't want to do it at all. Who knows? I think at the end of the day, though, I would have wanted a more faithful character adaptation. It could be argued that I want it from a nostalgic standpoint, but that's what this part of the game should have been...

Final thoughts on the Wii version: Quite enjoyable, at least from a multiplayer stance. But that is why I (and many others...) really want to play GoldenEye. Die hard Bond fans might want it for the story, but the casual gamer (or even the casual Bond fan...) will pick it up for this reason. It's realistic, it's action packed and fast paced, and it never gets old (even when you think it does, you always come back to it...). The Wii controls took some getting used to, but I eventually got on par with more seasoned players (I'm looking at you, teeg...). Do I prefer it over the 64 version? Not really. They are almost separate beasts with the change in game play style, but since I don't own a 64 anymore, I would be more likely to pick up and play the newer version. I'm honestly not sure how the Virtual Console version compares yet; no one I know has it (does that tell you anything?). I am curious, though; Do you have any fond or interesting stories from playing GoldenEye, either the old or the new version. I'd love to hear them...

Bald Travolta?

I had quite the weekend with plenty to talk about. I enjoy having enough spare time on my days off to take in a movie or two (even if it's at home...), especially if the movie(s...) is just mindless fun. Guess what? That's exactly what I'm gonna talk about today (HUZZAH!). Most know I'm a fan of many over the top action movie, particularly those from the late 70's through the early 90's. I'm not sure if this one is supposed to be a throwback, a send up, an homage, or what, but it would have fit within this grouping say 15 years ago. Today, we're going to look at From Paris with Love...

This little gem stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as James Reese, a ladder climbing CIA agent who gets assigned with John Travolta as Charlie Wax, an over-the-top secret agent with an unorthodox style of getting the job done (fairly standard buddy cop setup...). Reese must prove his worth by helping Wax uncover a terrorist plot to mess up some kind of political summit, all the while dodging countless bullets, taking part in foot/car chases, discovering traitors and the like. Further, Wax's attitude and modus operandi (oh yes...) basically drag Reese from gun battle to gun battle, getting him into loads and loads of trouble. Luckily for Reese, Wax is also very good at getting him out of said trouble (think Mary and Pippin from LotR, but with guns...). I don't want to spoil this movie (in case you're a fan of this kind of flick...), but there is a bit of a twist in it, so I am holding back on plot details (for now...)...

All in all, this was a pretty good movie, even if it was a bit predictable. Standard action movie fare, for sure, but quite enjoyable (if you like to turn your brain off and watch some gun fights...). It was co-written by Luc Besson, who you might remember from such movies as The Fifth Element and Leon the Professional (two highly rated flicks by moi...) and his flair for film once again shows here, albeit a bit more polished that The Professional. Meyers plays the budding agent type fairly well; intense in a nubile kind of way (a departure from The Tudors...). Travolta (a more than seasoned actor at this point...) really looked like he was having fun with Charlie Wax. I think Travolta has played most kinds of characters by now and it was much fun seeing him as this particular kind of character; narcissistic to the core, brash and in-your-face along with a devil-may-care attitude. The character definitely harkens back to the roles of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Gibson and Lundgren during their heyday of being action stars and I love it for that...

My only complaint is that the movie could have been 'more'. I was expecting more slugfests from Travolta (say, with a rival/enemy agent who's as bad ass as Wax...) at some point and I didn't get my wish. Also, they could have made Reese tougher than he was. It kind of felt like Wax just kept dragging him by the collar from one scene to the next. But, would I recommend this movie? Sure would, just not to everybody I come across. This is definitely a dude movie, through and through. It's a sit down, veg out with a bag o' popcorn, and turn off the brain kind of show. From Paris with Love will certainly never win any awards (nor does it need to...), but it sure beats the hell out of Battlefield: Earth...

Grade: a solid B and the hope a sequel wouldn't suck...

An odd little review...

Hoo-ha, e'erbody! Certain things tickle my funny bone more than most; pratfalls, my ridiculous friends doing ridiculous things (I'm looking at you, Matt...), the comedic stylings of vintage Looney Tunes cartoons. But a web cartoon that capture my attention and keep it's funniness is rare to find. Lucky for me, I found one. I am an avid viewer of Homestarrunner.com (if you've never heard of it, allow me to introduce you to the interwebs. Interwebs, this is somebody who lives under a rock...) and have been since 2001. They build their comedy mostly on nostalgic pop culture references (which I dig...) and ridiculous antics from strange cartoon characters. However, one toon in particular found that perfect balance of homage, nostalgia, ridiculousness and humor. Enter: Shopping For Danger!...

A quick aside: Cheat Commandos are a 'toon-within-the-toon' in the Homestarrunner universe, much like Itchy and Scratchy in The Simpsons or Terrance & Philip in South Park. The 'show' itself parodies most 'boy' shows during the 80's into the 90's; i.e. a good of fighter/military/tough guys who fight a group with an over-the-top villain (read: G.I. Joe vs Cobra...). However, these guys take the parody to directly referencing what each show would do: Instead of inferring to buy action figures and the like, the slogan of the Cheat Commandos is literally 'Buy All Our Playsets and Toys' sung in a very patriotic manner. The concept alone is very cute, but it is this particular episode that has won my heart...

Herein lies the plot synopsis in case you do not care to watch the toon: We begin at the Cheat Commandos base playset, when a Blue Las-alert goes off, signifying that Blue Laser is up to no good! In reality, they are shopping at a grocery store and will save a lot of money. The over enthusiastic leader type (Gunhaver...) stirs the other Commandos into a frenzy, but leaves behind the dorky type (Reynold...). They try to prevent Blue Laser from checking out, but Reynold has accidentally set off a rocket launcher, destroying part of the base. The Commandos return, mistaking Reynold's mistake for a Blue Laser attack. It ends with Gunhaver cry vengeance in the next episode (literally...), while Blue Laser cleans grout as it is (apparently...) a key to defeating the Cheat Commandos...

It's the little things that make this episode near and dear to me. The plot itself is a parody of any ridiculous plot that you might find Cobra do in G.I. Joe, but beyond that, I found the adherence and the references to the little things from my childhood to be paramount. Example: when there'd be a jokey or uncomfortable scene, a 'dopey' piece of music would play. It feels very He-Man to me, but so many 80's cartoons used this trick, I can't say it's just from one show or another. Changing scenes by using the title logo is straight out of West-ian Batman show which was then used in countless kids shows since then. It's hard to pin point each and every reference and why they are great (to me...) since the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts in this case. The Brothers Chaps (creators of the H*R phenom...) out did themselves and showed there love for the genre in this short, but very sweet cartoon...

You can find the link to the toon itself here. If you give it a chance, and happen to love 80's cartoons like did (and still do...), I think you'll really dig what these guys did. While your at it, peruse the site and see what else Homestarrunner.com has to offer. There hasn't been as many updates as there has been in the past, but I still swear by the site...

The Hood vs The Cowl...

Comics today, but specifically the moving pictures variety. I had the opportunity to watch Batman: Under the Red Hood recently and I was very pleasantly surprised. Not that I actually had a much of an opinion one way or another (I have read the comic version already...), but I had been putting it off because I hadn't really heard much of anything about it at all. I am very glad I gave it a chance and here's hoping you will too...

A little back story: Semi-way back in comic book history, Dick Grayson retired as Robin to become Nightwing and a contender in his own right (a very acceptable and logical character move...), but Batman ended up needing a Robin to back him up. Enter Jason Todd: a spunky kid from the streets Batman took in to prevent him from entering a life of crime. However, it is shown very early on that, since Jason grew up hard on the streets, even at his young age, he did not have the remorseful drive that Grayson or Wayne has. He is far more reckless and got into more trouble than he solved. Flashforward many issues: The Joker kidnaps Jason in a building a beats him nearly to death with a crowbar (very brutal even by most Joker standards...), then leaves him to die in a warehouse that is about to explode. Here's the tricky part: the public voted on whether Jason Todd was to live or die (he was never as popular as the original Robin...). The public voted death, so the second Robin died in an exploding warehouse; just another ghost to follow Batman around...

SPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERSSPOILERS

Flashforward again: This time, we are very near the present and within the confines of the 'Red Hood' story. A new vigilante enters the scene, calling himself the Red Hood (side note: that was also the first 'moniker' of the Joker...). He runs amok within Gotham's criminal underbelly, but kills the bad guys rather than helping the police lock them up. Batman (with Nightwing in tow...) scour the city in search of this deadly hoodlum. Meanwhile, he kidnaps the Joker and severely beats him with a crowbar (Symbolism, thy name is...) but doesn't kill him. Chases upon chases abound when finally Batman has the Red Hood cornered. We then see who the Red Hood really is: a resurrected Jason Todd (a cosmic calamity brought him back; i.e. Superboy punched the multiverse [ugh...]...). The final showdown happens with Jason giving Batman the choice of either shooting the Joker or shooting his former (dead...) partner to save the Joker. Batman gets out of it, everybody lives, and the bad guys escape. Hey, it's a comic book...

As far as the movie is concerned, it actually a very, very faithful adaptation of the story. The violence level is about on par (some toning down is expected...), even if a lot of it is off screen. It isn't implied that Joker beats Jason with a crowbar; we here sound effects and see shadows of the act as well as more blood than usual. Similarly, one of the cyber-bad guys head explodes and another thug gets immolated on screen. A serious cartoon for a serious audience. The action is well paced and I would imagine it is more of an exciting surprise if you don't know Red Hood's secret (though the toon is self contained, rather than a decade’s long waiting period like in the books...). The voices are also a very solid addition, though I still wanted Kevin Conroy as the Batman. John DiMaggio did a really good job, even if I could tell he was kind of channeling Mark Hamill (check the laugh...) as the Joker. Even the comically frustrated Black Mask worked for me...

Even if you have no feelings toward the Jason Todd character or have little knowledge of who he is, the story itself should be compelling to most who want a little twist into the Batman mythos. Even Batman, who is often the most human of supers, can't seem to die. But to have an actual, on-screen death affects him directly and impacts him in a lasting, meaningful way (like his parents, but much more 'in your face'...), makes the character seem more fallible. And this is important to the continued intrigue of the character. He's not Superman who can shrug off everything and save the day. At the end of the night, Batman is still a man, and it's one of the reasons we dig him so much...

Grade: A+ and the wish that more animated comic book experiences were like this one...

Don't know when I'll be back again...

Here comes another entry from my Ireland journal; this time I wrote from a different country. Remember, these entries are verbatim and reflect my mindset at the time. Some of the opinions on these pages may have changed over the course of the trip. Enjoy...

Day 1

If moving from Ithaca the way I did was an experience, then getting to Ireland was a cluster fuck and a half. To be fair, I am still on the proper flight, but let me explain:
-First, I got little sleep on the first flight. No biggie; that happens to everybody...
-Then, customs went smooth with few questions. Bonus...
-Backtrack: the flight into Birmingham was quite painful, due to the fact my ear kept refusing to pop. Even in the air now, my left ear feels full. Bad start to the day...
-Next, the baggage claim. My info wasn't clear on if I transfer the luggage myself (that felt right since I was changing airlines...) or they do it automatically (this is the correct one...). Originally, no problem. I had like 40-45 minutes till the flight. Here's where is all went south...
-I first went to the wrong terminal. Stress builds...
-I find the proper terminal, however the Aer Lingus gate has closed for check in A HALF AN HOUR BEFORE THE FLIGHT. I'm screwed big time...
-Nearing tears (to be fair, it would leave me stranded IN ENGLAND...), I happen across a mother/daughter team who did the same things I did (It's an American thing. We screw up alot...)...
-We then go to rebook the flight (which would seriously crimp the budget...) and come to find out our boarding passes are at the US Airways gate. Frantic, adrenalized energy sets in...
-RUN!!!
-Jump the security check line. RUN!!!
-Boarding pass and passport checks out. RUN!!!
-Get on the plane and quiver with relief/terror/etc...

Two points of note this morning. One, if you arrive on one airline and will leave on another one, isn't it natural to assume your ticket will be picked up at the NEXT airline? Yes. Is that the reality of the situation? Hell no. At least, hell no in England/Europe. And what the crap is that 'closing check in early'? It doesn't leave any time for stragglers, late comers, or emergencies. Now, maybe it's my spoiled American ways, but it seems a little too...overly efficient, let's say...

And speaking of efficiency, number two; the British security check points. They are tight, efficient (I said that...), and a model for the rest of us. EXCEPT: They are quick almost to the point of careless (almost...). I didn't have to take off my shoes (American airlines only?) and I didn't even get an obligatory pat down. Maybe we should be taking a cue from them, albeit tightened up for good measure. I mean, who wants to copy the English, yes?

Seeing Tara made up for the crappy day in spades. I know it was only a couple of weeks being apart and all, but it was a stressful couple of weeks and I've gotten used to having her around. Though, I suppose it was good she wasn't around for the move. I needed all the space I had and then some...

The next part of the day was mostly uneventful. It was a long drive back to our campsite (it only FELT longer than its 4+ hours...), and I was quite drowsy. After some caffeinated beverages, we played catch up and got all kissy faced. Ireland DOES have some pretty country sides, by the way, even if some of it is a bit dull. You could see much of the same in Pennsylvania that you could see here. Dull aside, it is pretty neat to be here. A new place and all...

Our first city tour was in Galway, which I swear was like a modern themed, year long Ren Fest. All the shops were flush with the next and a wide variety of buskers and street merchants abounded. Tara's not much of a city girl, but I sure as heck am (...wait...)! Despite that, we took a walking tour of the town, went to St. Nicholas' cathedral (SUPER stained glass windows. Primo tops...), saw like seven couples making out, then we had dinner...

Since it was my first real meal off the plane, I went with a traditional Irish lamb stew with a Guinness and Tara went with haddock. The food was great, the ambiance was great, the service was ok. Three thumbs up!!!

Afterwards, there's little to tell. We got home, bedded down, got busy, and went to bed. It was a good first day. Tune in tomorrow for...The Cliffs of Moher!

June 13, 2009
Nicholas C. Witte
Guinness Count: 1

Sean Connery INNNNN SPAAAAAACE...

When most people think of space travel, they tend to veer towards the Star Wars/Star Trek spectrum (nothing wrong with that...). The flashing laser blasts, exotic worlds, creatures beyond out contemplation; all of it displayed for our viewing pleasure. But there is far more out there (movie-wise...) for us to enjoy, often times forgotten when there are most comfortable, flashy franchises to be had. Consider the first two Alien movies: very un-flashy, understated sci-fi flicks. No laser blasts or beam swords, no magical elements what so ever and a general grounding in futurealism (Dig it...). They gave us a dirty or 'used' universe, rather than the utopia of Star Trek. Even Star Wars has a certain utopia-esque feel to it, despite the conflict (everything felt very bright and clean, even on sandy Tatooine or murky Dagobah...). But I digress. The movie in question for today is a movie from 1981 starring Sean Connery called Outland...

Apparently (I found this out after seeing the movie...), the storyline is a variation on the western High Noon. I've never seen High Noon. However, I will say that the story is very much like many western movies you might have come across; a sheriff rolls into to town (Sean Connery as a Interplanetary Marshall on Io [a moon of Jupiter...]...), finds some shady business going down (the manager is dealing narcotics that causes mining workers to work harder but make them psychotic...), vows to stop it at all cost (his family does not approve and he could get killed...), has a big gun fight near the end (both hit men explode in the lack of atmosphere of space...), and basically shuts down the bad guys for the good of the land (The Marshall rejoins his family, mentioned in a space age post-movie scroll...). While very linear, the story is well paced and does keep the interest of the audience over the entire film. You want to see just how The Marshall will get out of this sticky situation...

Now, the way the film is shot and the setting that it takes place in would feel very comfortable within the confines of the Alien universe (at least up to the second movie...). The style of rooms, the overall grittiness of general setting, the lack of the fantastical elements in many other franchises, the reliance on fairly modern implements such as modified shotguns, florescent lights, and obviously clunky mechanical machines for jobs rather than streamlined...anything really. Also, the use of green computer displays and early 80's graphics and fonts lends itself to the idea of what space travel might have been like if we had not progressed beyond the technology of the 80's. Combined, it makes it an easy leap from this movie to Alien; I was halfway expecting to see something specifically related to the aforementioned franchise appear in the background...

Further, unlike some more modern sci-fi movies, we actually build an emotional attachment to the characters, as they are normal people (similar to Vasquez, Hicks, and Hudson...). Flawed, human, and actually complex. Connery is not some superman character who never misses and doesn't get hurt. He's an aging Marshall, he gets shot and bleeds, and he can't just take a hit and get over it. By the end, he's been put through the wringer and seems to win by sheer will alone. The lead 'heavy' is just a man who wants to control his colony and make a lot of money doing it. He's no sinister archvillain out to kill everyone; the stress of not being able to have business as usual and not being able to get rid of the Marshall takes a noticeable toll on the character. The Marshall's lieutenant is a corrupt cop, but wants to do right by the Marshall. He agrees to help the Marshall be a spy and even shows a decent amount of shame (at least before he gets bumped off...). Even the female doctor (Connery's foil who almost acts like a western deputy...), while wooden at times, actually manages to grow as a character by the end and realize that things don't need to be as they are...

Among the great many pieces of crap sci-fi movies of the 80's (I'm looking at you, Masters of the Universe, Earth Girls are Easy, and Howard the Duck...), I'd rank this one very high. It's not the epic that Star Wars is, nor is it the rip roaring action event that Aliens is; what it is a solid story built upon a simple concept and executed seriously. And therein lies the key; the entire staff of this film (the actors, the writers, the director, all of them...) treat this movie with a seriousness that occasionally seems lost to modern day film makers. The setting could be anywhere and I believe it would have been presented in a manner that I would find appealing. It seems that modern science fiction are two concerned with how much money to throw at the effects, rather than developing good stories and characters (I'm looking at you, Battlefield: Earth, Pandorum, and The Fountain...). Hollywood could take a page or ten from this oft forgotten sci-fi tale...

Grade: Solid A-

...And she don't care...

I love me some board games. This is as much a fact as my hair is brown or favorite color is green (most of the time...). Barring most 'children's' board games (Chutes & Ladders, Candyland, and the like...), I'll play anyone, anytime. Don't misread this statement; I'm not the King of Board Games. I have been known to lose give or take as much as I win. I just love to play. One particular board game of interest is a rather tricky one for me to get a handle on strategically. I rarely win at this one at all, but I still will jump in (lightly begrudging, of course...) when there are others who are better at it or enjoy it more than I. The game in question is: Ticket to Ride...

The setting is...set in the turn of the century America. The players represent a club of travelling tycoons with a wager on who could travel the furthest by rail (insert your favorite blustery, vaugely british/rich drivel...). The game play is very simple (almost deceptively so...): You pull your routes (Random 3, keep at least 2...), then you can do 1 of 2 things on your turn. Either draw train cards (only one that's face up if it's a locomotive/rainbow...) or play enough train cards to make a route (from 1 track up to 8...). You get different points per amount of trains played, as well as points for completed routes and if you have the longest continuous connected route. That was longer than I originally anticipated. But, once you get into the game it is crazy, crazy simple to play and replay...

I may have stumbled up why I am not as good at Ticket to Ride as I am at other games (partially thanks to my lovely wife Tara's insight...). Consider: I'm very damn good at Small World (another game for another day...). There are few games that I have played that have more player on player interaction than Small World. It holds the game together, at least for a guy like me. Now, back to Ticket to Ride; there is very little to no player on player interaction from game to game. What Ticket to Ride DOES have is great player on player TENSION, and this is important to making Ticket to Ride unique. In essence, TtR gives each player their own puzzle to complete and they must complete it faster than the other player else too many obstacles get in the way. However, one player cannot do anything PROactive about what the other players do (other than guessing what the other players will do next and taking the cards the other players might want [poker-type players might be quite good at TtR...]...), but must be REactive to the board state as it changes...

It is here where I lose my game playing mojo. I am better (mayhaps even excel at times...) at games where I can pit my skills directly against another player(s...) skills and have sort of a battle of wits and wills during the game. But, in a game where you can do so little against the other players, my skills founder and it shows. I get frustrated that an area can get locked away by the other players and there is NOTHING to be done about it except adapt. Don't get me wrong, adapting strategies is cool with me. I find it to be a necessary skill for a good game player to have. But, when the only thing you can do to 'adapt' is just find a new route to your destination, adaptation doesn't help as much as it would in a game like Settlers of Catan...

Now, you may imagine that this is an overly scathing review of TtR, but I find it to be one of the most frustrating games I've ever played and still not figured out yet. It's the challenge that brings me back to it each time. It is so simple in execution; and that is the exact reason of my frustration. I'm at a point in my board gaming career (yeah, chew on that idea...) that a game such as this should be more easily beaten than the luck I've been having. But, this is a game for anyone who has, or wants to, venture out into the wide world of grown-up board games. It's simple to grasp, it's not cutesy, it appeals to many different kinds of people. I recommend this game highly; I just may not want to play it with you all the time...

Grade: A...

In brightest day\In blackest night...

The hobby of comic book collecting has been quite the passion of mine for many years now. In fact, I have deep, close friendships that haven't lasted as long as my love for comic books (scary...). The art, the stories, the characters, all of it; I can't get enough of the good stuff. In amongst my collection is an unremarkable issue of Tales of the Green Lantern Corps. It is not a number one issue, there was no new or breakthrough characters introduced (at least not for roughly two decades...); it's just a standard 80's comic and it's one of my most cherished. I've had it forever and it shows. Let's have a read...

Here we have it; Tales of the Green Lantern Corps No. 3 for a mere 50 cents 25 years (or so...) ago. Long before Paralax Hal Jordan, decades before Spectre Hal Jordan, we just had plain old GL Hal Jordan, an everyman leader of the GL Corps. He's a brave warrior who wants nothing more than to serve like the rest of the Corps (not original, but we buy it...). This was back when Hal walked the line between badass space warrior and silly hero who creates boxing gloves with his power ring. In this particular issue, there is definitely more of the badass Hal going on. We start with part of the Corps returning to Oa and finding the other half of the Corps recently trounced by an evil Gaurdian of the Universe and an army of pseudo-undead. After a short convalessence, the remaining Corps members (realizing they have very little of their 24 hour ring charge left...), fly off to fight their enemy head on...

Along with the evil Guardian, Krona, is a personification of death known as Nekron. He wants to enter the world of the living and make it more deathlike, I suppose (also not terribly new, but always a popular villain goal...). He returns the rogue Guardians mortal form to him and, in return, Krona leads the undead army into the land of the living in a bid to take over the universe. Here's the readers digest version (ask me to borrow the issue some time...): the Corps shows up to stop the undead army, some die in combat. Realizing that Nekron has near limitless forces to send out, Hal wants to shut down the portal to Nekron's realm, so the rest of the Corps charge Hal up with extra power and he jets into the dead realm. Instead of just blasting the crap out of Nekron (too easy a jump...), Hal reactivates all dead GLs in Nekron's realm, who distract him while the good Guardians finish shutting the portal. The spirit of Hal's ring's previous owner (wrap your head around that one...) pushes Hal out and the day is won...

This piece of a comic book is great. It's everything I want in most comic books, a clearly defined good and evil, virtuous heroes, dedicated villains, colorful art (a definite influence on my CosMick story...) and a generally happy ending. It's very contained within one or two issues and it doesn't cross over with any other books/characters needlessly. If you ever see my copy of it, the pages have grown slightly yellowed and soft due to years of reading over and over. It's a very solid issue and I never get tired of flipping through it...

Grade: A...

With all the convenience of the 80's...

It has been stated that I highly enjoy the preparing of foodstuffs. So it should be no surprise that I have a few choice cooking gadgets to aid in the process. Over Christmas, I added a vintage, brand new device to my repertoire; one I've been wanting since I was a kid (if you can believe that...). Thankfully, now I don't have to wait for my mother to die to get one. Ladies und Gentlemen, I give unto thee - The Kabob-It...

When I was a kid, my family would occasionally bust out the Kabob-It and have some bite sized food for dinner. As a kid, I thought the Kabob-It was way cool; not a whole lot has changed since then. Mom would cut up some meat and veggies, skewer them up, and each of us would get two sticks of food for dinner (plus some filler dish, like potatoes or rice...). It was a ball, at least for a kid growing up in the mid 80's through the mid 90's. We didn't use the Kabob-It that often, though. I imagine that it was because it was a little bulky and cumbersome and even too fragile to keep out on a regular basis. As I got older, I made Mom promise me that I would get the Kabob in the will (understand: I was a teenager telling a 30 something mother about what I wanted upon her demise...). She would laugh and usually say yes. I hadn't thought about the Kabob-It much in a long time, until...

My family is a huge fan of yard sales (future blog post...) and we have pretty good luck finding great deals on interesting items. I nearly bought a 5 foot iron wrench for 30 bucks cause I thought it was cool (Tara thanked me later by not not marrying me...). Occasionally, my family is also great at keeping secrets, especially around the holidays. For Christmas, I unwrapped a fairly big box that contained a mint condition Kabob-It. The skewers were still in the original plastic, the wire was tied together with the original twist tie, even the manual was cherry. I can only imagine someone received this as a wedding gift or a college present or something and didn't think they would ever use it. Suckers. Well, their loss is my gain and I am now the proud owner of a working Kabob-It in fantastic condition...

This very evening, I used the Kabob-It for the second time and made beef with pirate sauce and Italian peppers (my own concoctions...) for our standard Thursday night dinner with friends. Coupled with this was white rice and some red beans w/ rice (protein for the vegetarians...). We cracked some wine (a Riesling, a Tugboat Red, and the rest of the Rosa Regale...) and made a meal of it. It seemed to go over well. It did, however, enforce some facts about the Kabob-It; it is only really good for dinners for 4 max or hors devors (say it phonetically; it's fun...) for a party. There is too much prep to do for more than a 4 person dinner, especially breaking it up between vegetarians and carnivores. It'd just be quicker to use a skillet or grill. It certainly wouldn't be cooler, though. I highly recommend finding a Kabob-It or buying a modern day equivalent. I love using it, and I think you will too...

More money = More wins (usually...)...

It's no secret that I am a Magic the Gathering fan. I've been playing the game since middle school (read: mid-90's...), and have enjoyed the game on a variety of levels. It's great fantasy fodder, the game play is unique and has great variety to it, and it's easy to get into and teach (given enough time...). I applaud Richard Garfield for coming up with the bare bones of the game as well as the scores of MtG design teams who, 4ish times a year, give us new cards to play with. However, there is one aspect of the game I don't think I'll ever really become a part of: the Pro-Tour crowd. Let me explain...


I used to keep up on the most current sets of Magic. A new set would come out and I'd rush to any store that would sell them to crack open some new cards (and Oh! that new card smell...). It's part of the reason I have such a large collection. But after a while (say, post Mirrodin...), I stopped buying so many cards. Not surprising, really; about that time, I was in college for a while, no real job, no more allowance from Mom and Dad, then I started bouncing from place to place (don't ask...), so buying Magic cards had to take a back seat until I got my act together. In fact, I really didn't start purchasing cards again until Time Spiral came out, and did I love the ever-loving hell out of that set/block. But even then, I have never gotten back to my old buying habits. In the end, it's probably for the best...

The previous paragraph was for the following statement: Pro-Tour players buy specific, powerful cards to make specific, powerful decks to compete against specific, powerful decks. Despite previous dreams to the contrary, I have never been nor will I ever be amongst this group of Magic players. I have neither the time nor the resources nor the desire anymore to become that obsessed with Magic. To win at the tournaments, you gotta have the best strategies and the best deck with the best cards, regardless of cost. I love the game, don't get me wrong. But I don't love the game like this. Case and point: when I go to prereleases (the only Magic tournament I ever frequent...), I look out for the dollar rare box for fun and exciting cards to round out my collection or to make a quirky deck idea I've been kicking around. I will not spend dealer price for Magic cards (150.00 dollars for a Bird of Paradise [a couple years ago] is just ridiculous...). Once I saw a guy trade a huge stack (probably well over 100...) of cards AND drop 30 bucks for one card. In this game, I'll always take quantity over quality, thank you very much...

BUT (there is always a but...), I would be remiss if I did not mention a moment in my life that I did indeed pay merchant price for an individual card. The card in question is pictured: Force of Nature. As a youngling, I felt a very visceral reaction to the card itself; The name is killer, he looks like the Hulk with a Predator head, he's a huge trampling creature with a unique cost (I'm a sucker for huge uniqeness...). In the late 90's, I paid 8.00 dollars American for that piece of cardboard. I doubt I've even played with it 10 times because the actual execution of the card in game is not so good. He requires too much dedication in a deck that I don't normally build. I keep the card, though, as a reminder: Don't waste your money on cards with little practical application. Magic, in the end, is merely a game and you have to get more out of it than what you pay for it. Buy the Force of Nature is one of the few times I can say that I have not gotten what I've paid for. Lesson learned...

You take the high road and I'll take the low road...

Verily and well met, ye travelers. I had the unique opportunity a while back to take a trip to a place I'd always wanted to see someday. For graduation from Cornell, Tara's parents funded her a trip to Ireland and decided to have me join her part of the way through (I think it was a security measure in the end...). We had a blast and a half in those green hills, let me tell you. Actually, I will do just that. While over there, I kept a journal (a classy gift from TJ...) of what we did and saw each day I was there. So, now it's 2011 and once a week I'll be posting one day of my journal on this blog as well as some choice pictures. So...

Day 0

Flight day! Finally, the stress is ending, at least for the moment. Moving was...an experience. Despite the fact that nothing felt right about it and there were set backs aplenty, it was all completed with relatively few hitches. It also proved what stellar friends I have, especially Jon. I honestly could not have done it without him in every sense of the word. Props to Nick & Kate too. They really made up for the past (don't ask...). But if it weren't for Brian & Tj, Jon would be a best man. Bar none. I owe him BIG after this...

As far as the rest of the day(s...) went, a paraphrase will suffice: Load the cars, do the last errands, drive down, switch the cars, drive again, unload the truck, sleep, unload part of Tara's, (re..)pack, drive to Philly, and here we are. As I write this, the plane is trafficking on the runway and we will be on our way to Birmingham; stop 1 of this magical mystery tour...

(Shortly later...)

Something needs to be said still. Those two bottles of wine for Tara? Yeah, I semi-forgot to mention their existence. No duty was levied even if they were discovered. So, that leaves us with the following:
-The wine was NOT discovered in the process of loading the baggage, meaning no duty AND raises concerns about the security of Philly International...
-The wine WAS discovered, but has no duty attached for whatever reason (This is preferable...)...
-The wine WAS discovered, but no one really cared to do anything about it. Troublesome...
-The wine WAS discovered and subsequently taken out of my bag, for any one of multiple reasons, pre-boarding. Disappointing, but understandable...

This raises a concern (potentially...) about the safety of shipped goods. If the win was indeed not found, then it falls into the category of the wine I sent Mom for Mother's Day. Wrapped in a folded beach towel, the USPS were none the wiser. Hopefully, that is not the case with US Airways. Otherwise, yours' truly could in Biiig trouble ::shudder, shudder::. Don't dwell on it, don't dwell on it, damn it! Ok, good...

The time has come to sign off Day 0. Take off has commenced and I've unloaded all that I wish (for now...). Shortly, I shall ascend and be graced with England's shores. It's my first time so I'm stoked. Journalling will be regular, if haphazardly timed. Ah, there we go. Engines are at maximum thrust as of ..................(it was a fake out...)...............................(we are so going to be late...).......................................................(bunch of assholes...)......Screw it. I'm reading Skymall. See you in the UK!

June 12, 2009
Nicholas C. Witte

Mashups and a surpise guest...

Good morning, music lovers. Originally, this post was going to only feature two artists and explore the pros and cons of each. Turns out there is a third entry to this particular interest of mine that needs exploring. The interest in question is the lovely and complicated art of the mash-up. For those not in the know, doing a mash-up involves taking two or more songs and editting them together to form something new and different. Some of them are good; others, not so much. I myself have even attempted a mash-up or two (don't ask; they were awful...). But the following breakdowns will explore three such artists who (in my most humblest of opinions...) are truly great at the mash-up style...

First up is the guy that caused me to realize just how much power and versility mash-ups could have (TJ introduced me to this artist first, so mad props to him too...). This guy goes by the moniker Girl Talk. His style of mash-ups is definitely more chaotic and frenetic, but he manages to find pieces of music that fit together in ways you would never have imagined. His albums are designed to be listened to as a whole (as he is more of a DJ and thus give the full club experience...), which is interesting because I find him to be a master of epic moments. His type of mash-ups contain a heavy use of rap and r&b (not for everybody...), but add a nice dose of classic rock, metal, and alternative for the rock kids to enjoy. I find his songs to be very freeformed and flowing, with each piece of a recognizable song either meshing with or crashing into the next. This method of creating a mash-up also tends to lead to less cohesion between tracks, which presents less of a full story per album, but just a hodgepodge of interesting blends of styles and songs. Click here and here to see just some of GT at work. Keep your eye out for the Kanye West/Blackstreet moment and Busta Ryhmes/The Police moment(NSFW...)...

We move from the chaotic to the coherent and take a look at a gentleman who goes by the name DJ Earworm. A California-based DJ, he has come into a certain amount of fame by taking the 25 top pop songs of the year and creating a new song with bits and pieces of them. Not just a song, mind you, but a piece of music where the lyrics and music line up to tell a different story than any of the artists may have originally intended. He brands the project 'The United States of Pop' and it is an appropriate title. Each USofP is a slice of our year long interest into pop music. If Girl Talk is the indy, ecclectic friend that spends most of the time living in the basement, then DJ Earworm is his more social acceptable brother that his parents are more visably proud of. Not that it makes him better or worse than GT; it is, however, different. DJ Earworm's focus on songwriting within a mash-up allows him to create music that actually shows an interesting psychological insight to our musical taste from one year to the next. Recurring themes (such as putting your hands up, dancing, etc...) show what we wanted to hear for that particular year in pop music. Beyond the enjoyment of the mash-up, this insight to the American music consumer was fascinating to me. Click here and here for the 2010 and 2008 for the better (to me...) mixes that DJ Earworm has given unto us...


And finally, a recent (and awesome...)find for me: Rock Sugar. I cannot stop listening to what these four guys are creating. These dudes take 80's pop music and 80's rock/metal and fuse them into glorious, powerful songs that would never had occurred to the normal among us. Largely parodic (seeing as the lead singer is the voice of Wakko from the Animaniacs...), I am affectionately going to refer to them as a spiritual successor to Spinal Tap in what they do and how they are doing it. Even though the band has a false background (they were stranded on a desert island with nothing but a 13 year old's cd collection from the 80's and tons of batteries [true story...]...), the musicians involved with this little crazy project have some serious chops. What I like about these guys, almost more so than Earworm or GT, is that they do this stuff live rather than take samples and make something new of them. They needed to actually sit down, figure out chord progressions, assemble the lyrics to match parts of the songs, and probably tons of other details that I don't understand (being that I am relatively less than a musician...). I am absolutely purchasing the cd from Amazon the moment it goes down from 100.00. Click here and here for a little taste of Rock Sugar...

It's elementary...

I recently watched the newest version of Sherlock Holmes with my lovely wife, Tara, who hadn't seen it yet. We both enjoyed it very much and I doubly enjoyed watching it with her since I got to see her reaction to it and discuss the movie with her finally. I find it to be a delightful interpretation of this very old franchise and it definitely is a Holmes for a newer generation. I shall digress below...



Story wise, it was very linear but still very intriguing (potential SPOILERS...): We begin with Holmes and Watson concluding a case against a man, Lord Blackwood, about to sacrifice a woman for some sort of nefarious purpose. He is caught and sent to prison. Here's where we actually begin to learn more about the person that is Holmes, rather than the character (if that makes any sense...). We find he is a sad and lonely genius with little social tact (or just ignores it, dealers choice...), while Watson is shockingly normal, about to become married, but is still impressed, intimidated and fascinated by Holmes. So much so that he runs around London with Holmes, disregarding plans with his fiancé to help solve an even bigger case. Lord Blackwood is scheduled to be executed, but mysteriously survives the execution, despite Watson verifying his 'death'. Holmes is eventually contacted by a secret society that believes in magic and is afraid of Lord Blackwood, who practices 'dark arts'. Further added into this mix is Irene Adler, a former romantic interest and female rogue who constantly vexes Holmes. Without giving any more away, Holmes and Watson run about London, getting in and out of danger, look for clues and eventually figure out Blackwood’s endgame scheme and prevent it from occurring...

Robert Downey Jr. is very excellent in this role, especially since it is a Sherlock we are not used to seeing. In the past, we have seen Holmes as a tall, thin English gentleman with a penchant for the violin and a high class demeanor. However, RDJ gives us an extremely disheveled, abrasive Holmes who is not afraid of throwing his incredible knowledge about. This Holmes is actually a lot like a Victorian version of House, M.D. in this manner. Instead of the typical hunting for clues and putting the pieces together in relative safety, this Holmes gets into the fray, gets into fights (and takes his hits like a man...), and is a much more hands on version of the detective. It is very much like they took equal parts James Bond, Batman, and a dash of Tony Stark and came up with a delightful riff on the stuffier version given to us in the past...

The portrayal of Watson by Jude Law also deserves lauding. The old way we have seen Watson (in some of the more memorable versions...) is the fat, bumbling version that misidentifies clues, to which Holmes then corrects him and informs the reader/viewer what's REALLY going on. Law's Watson is much like a more stable but less risky version of Holmes himself; he loves the adventurousness of Holmes' life, but without Holmes, Watson may well have turned into just another doctor. Watson may not know as much about 'everything' as Holmes seems to, but never comes across as bumbling or foolish, nor does Holmes treat him in this manner. Law's Watson can hold his own in a fight and comes across more of Holmes' equal instead of a mere sidekick and glory-spewer. The way Jude played Watson is more along what we would see from the old Holmes (perfect posture, sharp looks, respectful, and EXTREMELY English...), but used this character type to balance the kind of Holmes played by Downey...

To condense the rest into a paragraph does not do it justice, but I will try my best. The side characters (Lord Blackwood, Irene Adler, the Chief Inspector, even the thugs...) are all very dynamic, even if they are all completely original. I will say that none of their performances are stale, wooden, or otherwise unenjoyable. This shows great choices by the director, Guy Ritchie, and his casting team, as well as the script that was used. The story itself was definitely your standard mystery, but was very fun to watch it play out. 'Whodunits' have been, and are always, very popular over the decades we've seen them, and this is no exception. It keeps you interested to see just how Holmes and Watson are going solve the case and just how far the villains (and even the heroes...) are willing to go to meet their goals. The setting is fantastic and even trendy, as Steam Punk-esque settings and scenarios are certain at least on the verge on being IN right now. Victorian-era ANYTHING seems to be very popular as it lends itself to a certain kind of class not seen in other eras...

I cannot think of anyone I would not recommend this movie to. It has appeal on so many levels that you would honestly just have to hate watching movies to not like something in it. The characters are great, the story is fun, the action is believable AND dynamic; it's all around good time. I especially appreciate the work that Robert Downey Jr. has been giving us as of late. It's nice to see that, despite his troubled past, he still has the ability to entertain...

Grade: A+ and waiting patiently for the sequel...

Food for thought (and your belly...)...

How's about a recipe? One of my favorite things to do is cook, especially for those I am closest to (you know who you are...). I try to make all sorts of delights to tantalize taste buds for others. If the food were just for me, I'd make it super damn simple. However, I might as well use all those classes and years of experience and give of myself to those I love. The following is one of my favorite full meals to make and do so quite often...

Caribbean Cola Chicken

Ingredients/amounts:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - 1 per person...
Bacon, thick-cut - 1 to 2 strips per breast...
Mushrooms, sliced - 2 - 4 slices per breast...
Monterey Jack cheese - 2 - 3 slices per breast (about 3 in. long and less than 1/4 in. thick...)...
Ham, deli/thin-sliced - 2 - 3 pieces per breast...
Two liter bottle of Coca-Cola...
Garlic, salt, pepper...

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees...
2) Spray a 9X9 pan with non-stick coating (good for 4 to 5 people...)...
3) Filet the breasts and open like a book. Tenderize with a meat hammer...
4) Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic to taste...
5) Wrap mushrooms and cheese in the ham slices. Place at the top of the breast...
6) Roll up the chicken breast and tuck the ends underneath. Seal with bacon...
7) Place each roll-up in the pan. Pour the Coca-Cola over the breasts until the tops are just covered...
8) Bake for 40 minutes. Done when the edges of the bacon are just crispy black. The cola in the pan will become translucent...
9) Lift out with tongs and enjoy...

Two nice dishes for this extravagance range from simple to slightly complex. The easy: purchase some fresh green beans, cut off the stems and steam. The flavor and texture give a nice counter point to the main dish as well as the following other side dish...

Coconut Pineapple Rice with Lemon Grass

Ingredients/amounts:
Coconut milk - 2 cups...
Jasmine rice - 1 cups...
Lemon grass - 1 to 2 stalks...
Pineapple, chunked - Half a can, drained...
Coconut, shredded - Optional...

1) Lightly smash the lemon grass with a rolling pin or other heavy object...
2) Place in the pan with the coconut milk and rice and bring the mixture to a boil...
3) Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer gently.
4) After 15 minutes, check to see if the liquid has been absorbed. Check every 5 minutes until you have the desired consistency...
5) Remove from heat and fluff the rice with a fork...
6) Remove the lemon grass and add pineapple. Let sit for a few minutes before serving
7) Serve with the shredded coconut on top if desired...

Finally, to top off the meal with just a dash of sophistication, I like to serve a crisp, tart white wine with the meal. My preference: The Blues from the Lucas vineyard in Ithaca, NY. The citrusy tartness and clean aftertaste allow the flavors of the food to mingle together with the wine without being overwhelmed or underwhelmed. The Blues is one of my favorite wines of all time, so it should not be a surprise I like it with one of my favorite meals to both prepare and serve. There is no adequate desert to accompany this meal; the foods are so rich and heavy that by the time I'm done eating, I am far too full to think about any sweet treats.

If you choose to use these recipes and have a delightful evening with someone (or some ones...) special, let me know. The art of making food for friends and family is something I hold near and dear to me and sharing the wealth with others, strangers or otherwise, only increases my enjoyment. Until next time, food lovers...

I am a Dreamland Champion...

For today, I'm going over my thoughts on one of my favorite original NES games: Kirby's Adventure. Long before I beat Super Mario Bros., Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (my family is a bunch of Disney-philes...), or any other one player game (M.U.L.E. doesn't count...), I distinctly remember beating Kirby. My buddy Brian got it for Christmas one year and we played the hell out of it. It was awesome. Let's get started...

In a nutshell, you play as Kirby: a light pink roundyman with flippers and dark pink shoes. You can fly, suck up enemies, and take their powers (if they have any...) for yourself. The mission: play through multiple levels to find the boss and retrieve the pieces of the Star Rod. After you defeat King Dedede for the last piece and you think you're done, out pops the villain Nightmare for a showdown in space. Once Nightmare has been defeated, all is returned to normal in Dreamland....

This game absolutely rocks all the way around and back again. It is easily one of the tops games to be released for the NES and it was also one of the last. The SNES had already been released, so Nintendo had to up their game (literally and figuratively...) to get as much life out of the NES they could. The graphics are top notch, containing all the elements that made 8-bit gaming great, while hinting at what 16-bit games were then doing. The music was as advanced as the NES could muster, containing complex melodies and beats that never grew tired. The render of all the different animation levels put many NES games to shame...

As far as gameplay goes, the word 'versitile' does not do it justice. The standard game play has you flying, running, swimming, jumping, getting new powers every other minute, spitting out bad guys, looking for secret doors and puzzles. On top of that, it gives you dexterity games for extra lives(the Claw Game, a western Shoot-Out, and an Egg Swallowing game...), warp zones, a museum and an arena for easier access to certain powers. And the powers! You can grow spikes, spew fire, make ice cubes, turn into a stone, get a UFO, explode across the screen, turn into a wheel, scream into the mike; the list goes on and on. And you may think playing a cute pink blob would be emasculating. It's not at all. Everything about this game is enticing, addicting and all around a good time...

If you have never played this Kirby game (I can't comment on the others...), you are missing out on a truly great experience. Beyond the love of Nintendo, beyond nostalgia itself even, Kirby's Adventure stands out amongst it's peers of the 8-bit era like a king. Few games have given me as much pleasure (or even continued pleasure...) as this game does. I never thought I'd utter these words: I love that cute pink blob thingy...

Grade: A+ and fingers crossed for the Megaman 9 treatment for Kirby...

It can be truly said, that I have a bat in my belfry...

Day 2 and a late one at that. For this post, I have decided to compare the performances of the Joker given to us by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Mark Hamill (I honestly give little thought to the late great Caesar Romero...). Each actor has given us his own unique spin on the Clown Prince of Crime and each has seemed fresh and has been a delight to watch, time and time again. Seeing each on the screen, big or small, causes us to watch the film (or tv series as the case may be...) over and over...

First up, good old Jack Nicholson from the 1989 Batman film. Mr. Nicholson started the role as a on-the-edge gangster and became the Joker after a toxic accident involving the Dark Knight (very close to the Joker's actual origin...). In this version, a younger pre-Joker killed Batman's parents, in effect causing him to become the Joker X-ty years later (not exactly meshing with the books, but I'll take it. Jack plays the Joker closer to the Silver Age version of the comic character (with a bit of the sinister borrowed from the Bronze Age...) what with the outlandish get-ups, the sadistic joke props, and the lethally playful nature his exhibits when destroying the world around him. His every delight is to make the world around him as mad and terrifying as he is and will sacrifice everything, from objects of his affections to his henchmen to the entire populace of Gotham itself, to reach this end. He's obsessive, psychotic, deranged, and suitably warped and I love it. Jack Nicholson, while not a suprising choice for the role (he DOES do crazy well...), was a more than appropriate choice for the role and it's a large reason I keep this film near the top of my favorite lists. If only they hadn't killed him at the end of the movie (DAMN YOU AND THE PRECEDENT YOU SET, TIM BURTON!)...

Now for the oddly wonderful performance by Mark Hamill in the 90's animated Batman series, as well as the occasional cameo in film and video games. Of all the actors to take on the role, Mark has done it the longest and in more things than anyone else. To be honest, I didn't learn that the Joker was Luke Skywalker until the animated series was on the decline and I caught his credit in Mask of the Phantasm (it's a pretty damn good movie, animated or not...). Up until this point, I always wondered what Mark managed to do after Star Wars and I'm glad it ended up being something that comes close to the pop culture appeal of Skywalker. Mark added something to the Joker that both Nicholson and Romero were missing (to one degree or another...): that large dash of anarchist crazy the Joker should always have. Sure, he had more of the gimmicks of previous incarnations, but he was just as happy blowing up buildings for no reason than following some plan. And that ever changing laugh! Jack was good but he was no Mark Hamill in this department. Further, each time they ask Mark to do the Joker in a video game, it's always a delight to hear that voice again (it's a generational thing...). If I could get one voice down pat, it'd be Mark's Joker (Lord knows I've tried...).

Last (but certainly not least...) is the late Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight. I'll admit it (even if you won't..) that I was nervous when I heard that the dude from Roar and A Knight's Tale was going to be The Joker. No way that was going to work out good for anyone. We were all wrong. Ledger turned Joker from the Clown Prince of Crime to a serial force of anarchy whose only goal is to destroy. He managed to channel pieces of past Joker performances (Jack's affinity for gangsters and chemicals, Mark's ever changing laugh, some of the gaudiness of Romero...) and keep the role fresh and new. Despite Heath's passing, it is this role that kept (and still keeps..) the audience coming back for more. Watching the Joker just bring Gotham down around Batman's ears is beyond a delight. Like any good Batman media piece, the villain (in the end...) is always more interesting and fun than the hero himself. Me, I was sold after the 'magic trick' (That Was AWESOME...) on the fact that this was going to be one hell of a ride, all the way to the end. My hat's off to Mr. Ledger and it's a shame that he passed before we could see more of what he could do with the Joker...

So who wins? Who takes the cake with the poison Joker gas inside? It's a tough one objectively; each actor gave something to the role that each other could not give. Do I stick with the older, crazed gangster clown who 'created' The Batman? Or should it be the animated criminal with the higher body count than his other cartoon brethren? Perhaps it should be the mutilated chaos bringer with a knack for bombs? As I write this, the Jack Joker just shot Bruce in Vicki's apartment and left as a plane farting, so it's hard to be completely detached. Let's do this: The 'Most Faithful Award' goes to Mark Hamill as he embodied all aspects of the comic version at one time or another. The 'Crazy but Effective Award' goes to Heath for dismantling the mob, blowing up banks and hospitals, and creating Two-Face (also not true to the comics, but whatever...). Finally, Jack gets the 'Mastermind Award' for, despite being dropped into toxic waste, took over the mob, created elaborate schemes to kill everyone in Gotham (twice...), and his awesome henchmen (I'm looking at you ninja blade feet, bald guy with a boombox, and Bob...). Did I pick a favorite? Nope. Will I ever? Doubt it. I'm strangely comfortable with that fact...

Welcome back\Your dreams were your ticket out...

How lovely a new year. It's like new fallen snow, just waiting for my man-sized feet to slog through the pristine countryside. Ahhhh. That's right, folks: It's 2011 and time for another serious crack at the blog-o-sphere. Only this time, it's personal. Last year, I resigned myself to two posts a month as a doable amount of personal blogging. I was generally happy with the results. However, the wedding got in the way about mid-year and then I didn't pick it back up post-October (so sad for my fans...). But, with the advent of a new year, it seemed appropriate to give it another shot and try to be the writer I claim to be...

Now, the way this is going to work (boldly, I might add...) is that, for as long as I can, I will blog 5 days a week. It goes without saying that this is a bit more than 1 every 15 days (give or take a month...). However, by giving myself a task of this magnitude, I am requiring myself to not become complacent with the status of things and actually do something constructive/productive on a daily basis. Here's how it will break down:
- One day for something music related...
- One day for something movie related...
- One day for something game related...
- One day for something comic related...
- One free day...
This will give me enough leeway to explore my interests and not let the blog get stale and dull (well, dullER at any rate...). So, without further ado, I'll take Music for 100, Alex...


Now, I will review Tron: Legacy in a future post (mayhap even on the morrow...), but because I have been listening to the soundtrack since I received it (and thanks to my long-time reader, Brian, for the gift...), it seemed more appropriate to start with the soundtrack rather than the movie itself. If you don't like it, stop reading here...

I love Daft Punk, so it comes as no surprise that I love the album. Daft Punk was asked to score the movie soundtrack and I can think of no one better suited to the task of creating all the music for a movie based on a digital world. These guys are masters of electronic beats and have used all their skills to craft a score that is beyond appropriate for the movie. They have blended orchestral music (an 85 piece orchestra no less...) with the electronica stylings they are known so well for to form a composition that merges seamlessly with the film...

My one and only complaint: Many of the tracks are too short for me. Now, in terms of film music pieces, these pieces seem fine while they are backed by action sequences, moving landscapes, and your general film goings-on. However, as stand along tunes, I could use a little extension. However, despite the shortness, each track is filled with so much awesome that I feel the need to go and see Tron again just to have that experience all over again. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Tron, Daft Punk, or just digs the electronica scene...

Grade: a solid A and a prayer for a new Daft Punk album, just to keep the vibe going...