War Rocket Ajax

[  Mood: Sick ]
Halo, Halo, Halo.

I’m a big Halo fan, evinced here, for those who missed it.

As I write this I’m wearing one of my Halo hats…like this one, but cooler, because I got mine direct from Bungie (makers of all things Halo until they broke free of Microsoft’s silky bondage to forge their own path). Getting direct from the makers of the game sadly, is no longer an option, since their webstore has closed. This doubly pisses me off, as the cool keychain I had (a gift from my wife, THE sweetest woman in the world) broke, leaving me to use an old McDonald’s keychain I found in a thrift store.

I’d very much like that webstore to reopen, so I can continue opening my wallet for the boys and girls at Bungie to plunder it. I’m going to need new mugs soon, dammit! Like the one you can find here, but better, because Actual Halo artists worked on the products, and the art wasn’t pasted on a regular mug, Cafe Press-style. The mugs I have are colored blue (first set, circa 2003) and orange (gaudy but great, circa 2007), and satisfy a Grunty thirst, for those few readers who may be familiar with this Halo easter egg.

Today is a sad day, though. I’ve learned that Marvel has done something I’m having a hard time excusing. Those fine fellows who entertained me with X-Men, Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man movies; who showed surprising cojones in hiring pulp writer Charlie Huston to resuscitate the Moon Knight franchise; who’ve partnered with Bungie on the brilliant Halo Graphic Novel; what have they done now?

This.

I guess it makes perfect sense. Marvel couldn’t finish the first series of Halo comics, meant to bridge the gap between the games Halo 2 and Halo 3 (the fourth and final issue of that series is due…this year? We’ll see), so why not start not one, but TWO new Halo comic series? That’ll take those Halo fans’ minds off the horrendous gaffe! I’ll say this for them: Brian Michael Bendis isn’t attached, so perhaps they have a chance of releasing on time…

I won’t know, though, because Marvel has soured me so much on the Halo comic book front, with the repeatedly promised and delayed "bridge" comic between Halo 2 and 3, and the horrific realization that, when those issues did arrive (the first over a month AFTER Halo 3 came out), they weren’t worth the paper they were written on, let alone my hard earned cash. Bendis concentrates (present tense, because at this rate, this four issue series may never end) on the story of two humans caught in the invasion of Earth by Covenant forces. Excellent angle. With Michael Bay producing, I believe it could have been AWESOME. With Bendis at the helm, we get crappy dialogue and a convoluted plot about a hotel concierge who meets and falls in love with a Madonna(the pop star)-like character who rings about as true as a dinner fork with busted tines.

The new Halo series may be good simply because Bendis won’t be involved. Hell, they may even be on time! But each time I consider the news of these new series, I can’t help but hear the gentle refrains of The Who…

[  Mood: Evil ]
[  Currently: Watching Attack of the Show! ]
Those brilliant words, uttered in the final scenes of the classic 1972 blaxploitation film, "Blacula," had me rolling on the floor.

It’s one of the only films I enjoy seeing William Marshall in. I mean, seeing his turn as Doctor Richard Daystrom, praising the attributes of his amazing M5 computer (voiced by James Doohan! Forgive me this aside, I never knew the voice-work side of Scotty!), I was put off by Marshall’s acting style for (almost) all time. Same way I reacted to the overblown scene-chewing Commodore (another computer? Sadly, no) Matthew Decker as portrayed by William Windom.

I’ve had trouble watching Windom in everything he’s appeared in since. Shame he never did a good cheesy film like Blacula.

I have a problem with that poster, though. SPOILER ALERT!: Blacula doesn’t get staked! Yet another lie perpetuated by the Movie Industry!

Oh, Blacula, you didn’ trip when you saw the police closing in with stake in hand. Damned shame about your woman, there, though, Blacula. I understand why you’d wanna trudge out into the morning sun after seeing your old lady spiked to the bottom of your coffin. Those fools didn’t even let her ripen into a complete vampire bride before stickin’ her!

Watch for the hilariously appropriately placed "No Smoking" sign as Blacula struggles up the stairs to commence doing exactly that…

[  Mood: Scared ]
A new study, from Brigham Young University, disparages video game playing as "bad."

I’m being intentionally vague here, as the original article was.

But wait, that’s the article Science Daily printed, which, they claim, was "Adapted from materials provided by BYU."

Here’s the real article, identical except for the intro. Really cute, Science Daily. Plagiarize much?

I’d like to see the actual numbers. Guess I’ll have to buy the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

[  Mood: Angry ]
OK, THAT is IT!

I have had enough of the coolest people in the world dying this year!

First, Donald Westlake passed away. OK, that was technically the last day of last year, but when it happened, it was 2009 in Australia, so I’m counting it.

Next, my beloved cat of the last nine years died unexpectedly Tuesday of kidney failure (well, he would have, but we put him down to relieve his suffering).

Then Ricardo Montalban dies this morning, and now I hear Patrick McGoohan is gone?!? WTF?!? Is God gathering actors and writers and awesome cats for a new t.v. show in heaven? Jesus!

[  Mood: Neutral ]
[  Currently: Working  ]
Uuuhhhh…

I feel very much like the zombies I look forward to killing in the game Left 4 Dead when it comes out tomorrow.

See, I’ve been working everyday, at least two, and often more than ten, hours per day since October 27th. I haven’t quite broken my record of 36 days in a row, but that record was set over six years ago, so adjusting for inflation and aging…I’m feeling zombified.

After realizing I’ve been staying up too late (ten or eleven at night) and having to get up early (5 am) to get to work on time at 6, I’ve instituted the daily nap. Getting to bed early isn’t in the equation, because that would mean I’d have to cut into the time I get to spend with my wife and our t.v. enjoyment time. I suppose if Pushing Daisies is cancelled, I’ll have more free time! But I’ll be sad, too.

I’ll probably use the free time to sleep.

[  Mood: Confused ]
How the hell does an actor playing a jackass make that much money?

Why not pay it to someone much more deserving?

[  Mood: Neutral ]
[  Currently: Working a job I like a lot… ]

This week has seen my wife and I moved into a house we’ll be renting for six months before we buy it and live there a long time. That’s the good in a nutshell.

In the past three days, we’ve seen our black and white cat (my wife’s for six years before I met her, and mine since then–what can I say? The cat chose me) grow lethargic, lose her appetite, more details I will withhold, but if you’ve had a pet get sick, you have an idea what I may be going through without me providing details.

This silky-coated cat stole my heart from the day we met. She stalked me in her one bedroom apartment, sneaking up on me and glaring, then freezing in place with her eyes glued to me when I happened to notice her. She froze, looking daggers at me, saying with her huge, yellow-rimmed black eyes, "You can’t see me. I’m standing still. Go about your business. I’ll continue stalking you momentarily." It never failed to bring me to teary laughter.

She liked to get onto whatever furniture might have a book, remote control, or magazine left on it–especially on an arm–so she could poke it with a paw until it dropped off to crash onto the floor. At this point, as if she had no clue what would happen, she’d look wide-eyed at the nearest human, "Did you drop that? Did you know it was going to hit the floor so hard? You really shouldn’t leave things on the arms of chairs, you know." My wife has never been enamored of this behavior, as it saw a signed Ray Bradbury novel dropped into a bathtub once…

My kitty has five favorite things.

First, hiding under covers. She’s a spelunker. The darker the hole leading under the blankets, the better. Finding a lump under the conforter when I entered the bedroom? Hilarious.

Second, the sun. Preferably the hottest afternoon sun available, through the thinnest glass window, so more heat could be absorbed by the black in her coat.

Third, her toy. One of those "gone fishin’" contraptions made by Hartz. Hers has no bell–a popular feature on the newer models. Hers need only the rod and a long string, with a ribbon tied to the end. That ribbon has been through hell, mainly at her paws and teeth. She’ll attack it with the ferocity of a starved panther. She’ll drag it around in her mouth if she feels ignored.

Fourth, sleeping above my head in the bed, preferably on my pajamas.

Last, she loves licking the salty sweat off my forehead. Evidence here.

Now she’s facing a bug that her veterinarian can’t seem to pin down, at a time when my wife and I have no fiscal space to play with in our budget, and my dear, sweet kitty is in pain and I am depressed and sad and confused.

UPDATE: Word from home is, kitty seems to be acting herself again. Perhaps the bug is turning from the antibiotics we’ve administered in the past few days.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Working against the boredom! ]
The last few weeks have seen me working like a fiend at the little radio/tv station I returned to this year.

Between on-air shifts, promotions, and my new oh-dark-thirty shift as assistant to the producer of the morning news, I’ve had little time to sleep, let alone write or play (and play has been a bigger priority than anything else).

Many of my posts here at RevSF have come in the little downtime I have between shifts, so at least I’ve been able to keep up on the forums.

Next week, my wife and I finally move into a home of our own, so I may be disconnected a bit while we secure a new ‘net connection and settle in.

Wish us luck on our move!

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
Today my 360 will arrive in Texas for repairs.

It seems like a long time, but in reality, I called the "helpful" Microsoft Xbox "helpline" just last week.

FIVE TIMES.

I didn’t talk to anyone in the call center depicted above. Know how I know that? The people above look HAPPY. Like they’re models, posing for a call center ad.

Five employees and three supervisors later, I got a supervisor who actually backed up her claim to help me with a service number that not only showed up on my Xbox.com repair page, but also provided a tracking number for the repair box I was sent.

Come Tuesday morning, the Fedex man delivers my overnight box (I demanded it for the phone hassles, and I got it).

On my porch sat two empty Fedex shipping boxes. TWO.

And I thought the call center employees were confused.

To be safe as possible in this situation, I decided to send my broken 360 back in the box with the same tracking number on it that I’d seen online.

I’m not terribly happy about all the confusion, and the potential for more before this is over, but at least the process has begun.

I’m trying to be zen about it, like this fellow.

Meanwhile, does anyone need an empty box for a broken 360?

[  Mood: Distorted ]
[  Currently: Listening to the ringing in my ear… ]

Oh my lord.

I am a big fan of Fox’s t.v. show, The Shield.

Shawn Ryan’s writing staff and vision for this series has enthralled and satisfied me with every season.

The cast’s acting is phenomenal, from Michael Chiklis’ determined and vicious Vic Mackey to the supporting cast, who provide in their brief moments on screen some of the most powerful performances to grace the small screen. Each episode is an exercise in excellent, if sometimes unorthodox or downright disturbing television.

Which is why my wife and I decided, in light of September 2nd’s airing of the final season, to begin at the beginning.

Five minutes into the first episode of season one, though, my Xbox 360 got different ideas.

The dvd drive on my 360 dropped out of the game in March of 2007, but I never got the red ring of death. Instead, the console decided that, as I played Crackdown, it would simply drop some of my visuals, willy nilly.

For example, instead of this…

I’d see something like this:

Microsoft, with my extended warranty, took swift care of my 360, sending me a "repaired" or "refusbished" model. Presumably, my original box was irreparable. No biggie. The one they sent me got me through the Halo 3 Beta test, numerous plays in Oblivion, Fable, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Halo 3, the aforementioned Crackdown, and over 40 Xbox Live Arcade titles. Good times.

But the good times are on pause for the next three weeks or so, folks. Maybe this will spur me to change my lackadaisical writing ways.

That, or my wife will make good on her threat to get me a Nintendo DS to play with for the next few weeks…