Author Archives: The Geek Curmudgeon

Star Trek: The Original Series – The Complete Second Season

Posted on by
Reply

My wife Brandy and I were lucky enough to review the remastered second season.

Quote:
Initially, their efforts centered primarily on digitally remastering the original show’s negatives. As worked progressed, they re-recorded the scores in 5.1 surround stereo. Perhaps most dramatically, the production team re-imagined and re-shot all the special effects. Despite these changes, the episodes retain every story element and piece of dialogue from the originally-aired viewings, staying faithful to the intent of the creators. This is no Star Wars, where Lucas added additional scenes, reinterpreted, and often changed the intent of the original stories. These new versions are both vintage and fresh.

Quote:
The fundamental element of Star Trek’s success, the relationship between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, fully blossoms during the second season. So when the alternate reality events of the fourth episode ("Mirror, Mirror") unfold, we respond with proper shock at the mirror world incarnations of the established characters. When Kirk and McCoy convince the bearded, alternate Spock of the logic of allowing them to return to their own dimension — much like the behavior of the established Spock, we are also unsurprised.

If you haven’t had the chance to see these re-mastered gems, I recommend it highly.

(BONUS: A comparison of the original and remastered "Mirror, Mirror.")

My review of the Roku Netflix Movie Player

Posted on by
Reply

This excerpted review of the Roku player appears in its entirety at Moving Pictures.

Quote:
The small, innocuous-looking device (roughly paperback book-size) takes less than ten minutes to set up. Clear and concise instructions assume little or no technical expertise. The player connects to almost any television either directly or through an RF modulator, which is readily available at most electronics retailers. The videos can be accessed by a direct ethernet or wi-fi connection. Depending on your Internet access speed, the video will play at VHS (tested at 384/kbps) or DVD (8.0 Mbps) quality.

Quote:
The Roku’s main strength comes primarily from the extensive and varied Netflix library and the player’s ease of use. Although numerous, many of the Netflix selections resemble the dredges found in Wal-Mart dollar bins: long-forgotten TV shows, inferior 1980s John Hughes knockoffs, third-tier chop sockey and made-for-cable documentaries. Among the detritus, however, several gems emerge, including Oscar winners, recent feature films, classic comedies, quality kids fare and popular television shows, both U.S. and British. These videos contain none of the DVD extras or commentaries and, surprisingly, lack closed-captioning. The interface allows for rewind/fast forward and scene selection, and remembers where the viewer stopped watching, even days or weeks later.

Quote:
While not perfect, the $99 Roku Netflix Movie Player grants a tantalizing glimpse of television’s future: viewer-controlled content. Buoyed by the persistent Internet rumors of Roku including Hulu.com and YouTube connections by the end of the year, this affordable option presents one of the most exciting advancements in home entertainment since the advent of the DVD.

Why do these things happen when I am broke?

Posted on by
Reply

[ Very Sad Mood: Very Sad ]
THE AUSTIN BOOKS LABOR DAY SALE IS HERE!

The long wait is over. Starting tonight at 8pm (until 11pm), and running through Monday 7pm, take advantage of the Austin Books & Comics Annual Labor Day Sale!

Sale Hours:

Thursday 8pm-11pm
Friday 11am-7pm
Saturday 10am-7pm
Sunday 12pm-6pm
Monday 11am-7pm

Two Locations For the Sale

Each section will have its own checkout location.

The main store will have all of the discounted tpbs, manga, bagged sets and showcase comics.

The back store (outside and around the corner) will host the back issues, $3 posters, Marvel DVD-Roms and discount toys / statues.

WHAT’S ON SALE?

In the Back Store:

Half Off Backstock Comics — over 200,000 back issue comics bagged & boarded and priced $10 and less.

Toy and Statue Clearance — Save big on dozens of statues and hundreds of toys.

Posters: $3 each — Select posters featuring really solid images from Marvel and DC (and Vertigo).

Marvel DVD ROMS — Buy One, Get One (of equal or lesser value) Free in the ANNEX LOCATION ONLY! I stress only in the back area because only our overstock is available for this savings. Choose from Spider-Man, FF, Ghost Rider, Avengers, X-Men and Hulk.

In the Front (main) Store:

Manga Sale — Huge amounts of manga at crazy discounts will be in the main store. The beginning of the alphabet is located by the front counter with the rest available towards the back of the store. Save big! BUY ONE MANGA, GET ONE (of equal or lesser value) FREE. Better yet, BUY FOUR MANGA, GET FIVE (of equal or lesser value) FREE. And the best value; BUY TEN MANGA, GET FIFTEEN (of equal or lesser value) FREE!

Trade Paperback Sale — Save 50-90% on thousands of trade paperbacks and graphic novels. How many? Almost 5000. Seriously, it took me three days just to make the stickers. We have over 700 different volumes to choose from. These are located in the front section of the store along the north wall. Each book is marked with the sale price.

Showcase Comics (selected): 50% off — We’ve pulled 5 long boxes of our high-end collectible comics available for half-off the graded value. They are separated from the other stock and specially marked on the Showcase Comics counter (where the variant covers are normally).

Bagged Sets — Over 20 long boxes of comics marked down from true value for huge savings! These are complete sets often including one-shots, annuals and even bonus series! Each is clearly marked with the true value, our price and the books included. Find these in the front alcove by the right windows.

The Space Cube Arrives

Posted on by
Reply

The PC Pro Blog ruminates about the world’s smallest functional computer, The Space Cube, that measures around two inches square:

Quote:
There’s a surprisingly capable CPU packed away in the tiny chassis with a top clock speed of 300MHz. It’s arrived with us clocked at a slightly more modest 200MHz,but a simple jumper built in to the case enable the processor to be clocked up to either 250MHz or the full 300MHz that it’s capable of.

It’s fair to say that the Space Cube isn’t overloaded with storage space, either. Sixteen megabytes of flash memory is included on-board, and the OS – a version of Red Hat, the popular Linux operating system – runs off a 1GB CompactFlash card that slots into the side of the Space Cube. There’s also 64MB of DDR SDRAM that, admittedly, doesn’t even match up to the lowliest of netbooks – let alone a desktop PC.

Sweet…

Quote:
Most intriguing, though, is the Space Wire port. It may sound like a mere science fiction fantasy, but this incredibly thin socket is a crucial part of the Space Cube’s armoury. That’s because it’s a type of proprietary interface use by the ESA, NASA and JAXA when the Cube actually goes into space. It’s useful for connecting various sensors and processing units to the Space Cube, as well as the complicated-sounding Downlink Telementary Sub-Systems, which sounds like something more akin to Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars than anything used in real life. It turns out that Space Wire is also used as a common interface for linking together modules and electronics that are often designed in different institutions.

Wonder if it comes with tiny Borg?

Hopefully the most absurd rumor ever!

Posted on by
Reply

From the August 24 Telegraph:

Quote:
Cher ‘to play Catwoman’ in next Batman film

The 62-year-old singer and actress is reported to be in talks to play Catwoman opposite Christian Bale in the third Batman film from British director Christopher Nolan.

We’ve gone from Lee Meriwether, Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Halle Berry to Cher?!?!?



The article goes on to claim:

Quote:
A studio executive said: "Cher is Nolan’s first choice to play Catwoman. He wants to her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years.

"The new Catwoman will be the absolute opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry’s purring creations."

This is absurd!

The piece further claims that Johnny Depp as been cast as The Riddler.

This is the first I’ve seen or heard of either of these rumors. Let’s hope at least the Cher one is false.

Why My Mother-in-law Cannot Have Email

Posted on by
Reply

She already gets into far too much trouble with the Home Shopping Network.

Quote:
29% of Internet Users have Purchased from Spam, According to New Research from Marshal

London, 19 August, 2008 – 29 percent of internet users have purchased goods from spam emails, according to new research by Internet security company Marshal. The most commonly purchased items include sexual enhancement pills, software, adult material and luxury items such as watches, jewellery and clothing.

Hugo Award for Graphic Novels

Posted on by
Reply

This comes from ICv2:

Quote:
The World Science Fiction Society, which sponsors the Hugo Awards (and the annual World Science Fiction Convention), has added a category for Best Graphic Story to the awards. “Any science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form appearing for the first time in the previous calendar year” will be eligible.

SWEET! It’s about time.

Beyond the Strip: Inside the World of Comics

Posted on by
Reply

On Thursday night, I am moderating this panel for the Writers’ League of Texas:

Beyond the Strip: Inside the World of Comics, Manga, & Graphic Novels

One of the hottest areas in publishing is comics, graphic novels, and manga. Paul Benjamin heads up a panel of writers and artists in the field to offer an insider’s look at the popular art form and the creative process. Panelists include Scott Kolins, Alan Porter, Tony Salvaggio, and Matt Sturges, and "Geeks With Books" columnist Rick Klaw will moderate.

August 21, 2008 7:30PM
Spiderhouse
2908 Fruth, Austin, TX

Hope to see everyone in the Austin area there!