Monday, August 25, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Bionic Chainsaw Pogo Gorilla Review
You can find the game on Adult Swim here: http://games.adultswim.com/bionic-chainsaw-pogo-gorilla-action-online-game.html
Roger Barr of I-Mockery has done it again with cartoony violence and old school gaming sensibilities. BCPG is about an ordinary gorilla who was captured and experimented upon by an evil corporate guy who transformed him into a bionic mockery of nature. Our hero breaks free and it's time to rampage.
The funnest part of the game is that you unlock different parts that you can pick and mix for your gorilla. Head, body, each arm, and bottom can be changed for truly wacky creations.
Your basic movement is a pogo bounce so plan accordingly with your jumps. You can jump, swing your arms in a death circle (if you hold down the button it will be continuous) and your arms will stretch forward on sinews for a ranged rebounding attack with the push of a different button. There are power ups, and negative pickups as well! The gameplay is fast-paced and over-the-top enemy designs add to it for a feeling of manic violent glee.
The animation is fluid and detailed. The music and sounds are absolutely top-notch. It is a challenging and fun game. I give it 4.5 out of 5. Give it a go.
Roger Barr of I-Mockery has done it again with cartoony violence and old school gaming sensibilities. BCPG is about an ordinary gorilla who was captured and experimented upon by an evil corporate guy who transformed him into a bionic mockery of nature. Our hero breaks free and it's time to rampage.
The funnest part of the game is that you unlock different parts that you can pick and mix for your gorilla. Head, body, each arm, and bottom can be changed for truly wacky creations.
Your basic movement is a pogo bounce so plan accordingly with your jumps. You can jump, swing your arms in a death circle (if you hold down the button it will be continuous) and your arms will stretch forward on sinews for a ranged rebounding attack with the push of a different button. There are power ups, and negative pickups as well! The gameplay is fast-paced and over-the-top enemy designs add to it for a feeling of manic violent glee.
The animation is fluid and detailed. The music and sounds are absolutely top-notch. It is a challenging and fun game. I give it 4.5 out of 5. Give it a go.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
My Take on the Friendzone
I'm going to talk about something that people are very emotional about. It's understandable since emotions are at the core of it. The friendzone. The friendzone is a concept spoken of mostly by men who have been rejected by a female friend that they were attracted to. The others who speak of it are usually angry women.
I understand both sides. A woman is not a sex machine fueled by kindness, and nor is she to be expected to have sex with every man who is nice to her. A woman should not be treated harshly for not having romantic feelings for a male friend. That's why he is her friend. She values his friendship and companionship, but has no desire for romance with him.
With that said, here also is a more reasoned explanation of the views of the friend zone recipient. I myself was often cast into this mythical place. I have many female friends, and some of them I had strong attractions to. I would be frustrated by my single life and being there to comfort my friends who were mistreated again and again by the guys they dated. Or at least according to my friends' accounts, who I had no reason to doubt. Often I would be told, "you are so sweet, you should have a girlfriend." I would reply, "Well, I would like a girlfriend, but no one seems to want me."
This isn't really about me though. The reason that a man would want to date a ladyfriend is just that. She's already his friend. There is already an established trust and known common interests. He doesn't have to go through the getting to know you phase. He knows you. He knows he cares about you. Is it really a crime that he wants more from your relationship? Is he not justified for having hurt feelings for being rejected? He may rant to others about how "the bitch" doesn't care about his feelings and that his loyalty means nothing, but most of the time, he will still be there to be her friend. This anger is usually a temporary thing.
I think everyone needs to just mellow out and recognize that sometimes what seems like a good match is partly an imaginary construct in the mind of a lonely person who really doesn't want to be alone anymore and yearns for love. And really, love is something we all need. Men, understand that the women in your life should not be rated according to your chances of romance with them and also that you should not expect it by virtue of kindness. Understand also that not all women like jerks. Women, understand that if a guyfriend likes you that way, you should take is as a compliment that you have qualities that your friend desires. You are not obligated to date him if your don't want to, but please, please don't give us the friend speech.
The friend speech goes something like this: "I love you, but not like that. I don't want to ruin our friendship. I don't want to date you, but I want to be your friend forever." I know that such statements are well-meant, and on some level, most other men do too. The thing is, it's a good chance he has heard them many a time with varying degrees of sincerity and it begins to sound like a rehearsed thing that disregards his feelings entirely. Please, find a different way to turn him down while not being mean or trying to hard to assuage his feelings. If you tell him that he is a great guy, he will think "Clearly not good enough, since I'm not worthy of you." It's a hard thing, I know.
If you truly do value his friendship, then it is worth it to take the time and effort to work through this development with both of you coming out of it without having lost respect. I know that women have to deal with romantic advances a lot, and it must get annoying, but this isn't some random jerk, this is a friend.
So, a girl isn't a monster for not wanting to date you, and a guy isn't a monster for wanting to date you. Let's agree on this and try to maintain our composure and deal with the situation using grace.
I understand both sides. A woman is not a sex machine fueled by kindness, and nor is she to be expected to have sex with every man who is nice to her. A woman should not be treated harshly for not having romantic feelings for a male friend. That's why he is her friend. She values his friendship and companionship, but has no desire for romance with him.
With that said, here also is a more reasoned explanation of the views of the friend zone recipient. I myself was often cast into this mythical place. I have many female friends, and some of them I had strong attractions to. I would be frustrated by my single life and being there to comfort my friends who were mistreated again and again by the guys they dated. Or at least according to my friends' accounts, who I had no reason to doubt. Often I would be told, "you are so sweet, you should have a girlfriend." I would reply, "Well, I would like a girlfriend, but no one seems to want me."
This isn't really about me though. The reason that a man would want to date a ladyfriend is just that. She's already his friend. There is already an established trust and known common interests. He doesn't have to go through the getting to know you phase. He knows you. He knows he cares about you. Is it really a crime that he wants more from your relationship? Is he not justified for having hurt feelings for being rejected? He may rant to others about how "the bitch" doesn't care about his feelings and that his loyalty means nothing, but most of the time, he will still be there to be her friend. This anger is usually a temporary thing.
I think everyone needs to just mellow out and recognize that sometimes what seems like a good match is partly an imaginary construct in the mind of a lonely person who really doesn't want to be alone anymore and yearns for love. And really, love is something we all need. Men, understand that the women in your life should not be rated according to your chances of romance with them and also that you should not expect it by virtue of kindness. Understand also that not all women like jerks. Women, understand that if a guyfriend likes you that way, you should take is as a compliment that you have qualities that your friend desires. You are not obligated to date him if your don't want to, but please, please don't give us the friend speech.
The friend speech goes something like this: "I love you, but not like that. I don't want to ruin our friendship. I don't want to date you, but I want to be your friend forever." I know that such statements are well-meant, and on some level, most other men do too. The thing is, it's a good chance he has heard them many a time with varying degrees of sincerity and it begins to sound like a rehearsed thing that disregards his feelings entirely. Please, find a different way to turn him down while not being mean or trying to hard to assuage his feelings. If you tell him that he is a great guy, he will think "Clearly not good enough, since I'm not worthy of you." It's a hard thing, I know.
If you truly do value his friendship, then it is worth it to take the time and effort to work through this development with both of you coming out of it without having lost respect. I know that women have to deal with romantic advances a lot, and it must get annoying, but this isn't some random jerk, this is a friend.
So, a girl isn't a monster for not wanting to date you, and a guy isn't a monster for wanting to date you. Let's agree on this and try to maintain our composure and deal with the situation using grace.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Cinemasochist
I want to take a moment to talk about a reviewer who I also call a friend. His name is Petar Gagic and goes by The Cinemasochist. He specializes in Z-grade cinema. This guy takes his reviews from a true place of affection for his subjects and has a great on camera presence and humor. Give his Youtube or Blip a look. Here: http://blip.tv/cmgagic
I especially like how he wraps up a review. I'm sure you'll enjoy his work too.
I especially like how he wraps up a review. I'm sure you'll enjoy his work too.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
KDrama Chronicles
I'm going to give my "Every Soldier Has a Story to Tell" a rest for a moment and discuss Korean TV Dramas. I hate American Soap Operas and TV Dramas. I watched the first season of Melrose Place and even Beverly Hills 90210. Both of those shows got weird and terrible as time went on.
I think the inherent weakness of American dramas is that the network executives insist on driving the show until it dies. In other countries, they for the most part tell the story and let the story end. I think that is important. Every story must end. Remember 24 and Prison Break? Both of those shows were supposed to be special event mini-series. They both went on and on, and wore out their welcomes.
Today I want to talk about the first KDrama I ever saw. It's called My Girlfriend is a Gumiho and I watched it on Netflix with my wife. My wife is really interested in foxes and mystical foxes from folklore and mythology. This show seemed a natural fit.
This show features the very beautiful and energetic actress Shin Min-a as the gumiho (nine tailed fox) from the title and Seung-gi Lee as the protagonist, Cha Dae Woong. Other important characters are Dae Woong's aunt and his best friends and a movie director who is also his lady friend's father. The main antagonist is a man named Park Dong Joo who knew the gumiho centuries ago.
This show is entertaining because it is filled with humor, mystery, action and very charming and likable characters. The acting is very good and the translation was done in a way to help with understanding cultural phrases and slang as well as illustrating terms of address and endearment. I recommend this show as a starter for men like me who like fantasy and humor but don't mind a little romance here and there. I give this Korean Drama 4 out of 5 stars.
I think the inherent weakness of American dramas is that the network executives insist on driving the show until it dies. In other countries, they for the most part tell the story and let the story end. I think that is important. Every story must end. Remember 24 and Prison Break? Both of those shows were supposed to be special event mini-series. They both went on and on, and wore out their welcomes.
Today I want to talk about the first KDrama I ever saw. It's called My Girlfriend is a Gumiho and I watched it on Netflix with my wife. My wife is really interested in foxes and mystical foxes from folklore and mythology. This show seemed a natural fit.
This show features the very beautiful and energetic actress Shin Min-a as the gumiho (nine tailed fox) from the title and Seung-gi Lee as the protagonist, Cha Dae Woong. Other important characters are Dae Woong's aunt and his best friends and a movie director who is also his lady friend's father. The main antagonist is a man named Park Dong Joo who knew the gumiho centuries ago.
This show is entertaining because it is filled with humor, mystery, action and very charming and likable characters. The acting is very good and the translation was done in a way to help with understanding cultural phrases and slang as well as illustrating terms of address and endearment. I recommend this show as a starter for men like me who like fantasy and humor but don't mind a little romance here and there. I give this Korean Drama 4 out of 5 stars.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The Camp Lejeune Adventure Part One
I was walking home from work at the Salt Palace Convention Center when the tones of "I Ran" by A Flock of Seagulls emanated from my pocket. I answered and my squad leader Sgt. Henley's voice queried, "When are you going to arrive for AT?"
"ASAP? Maybe an hour including travel time?"
"You were supposed to report to the drill hall last night, White."
"I didn't get the letter Sarn't. I'll call my dad and we'll head down ASAP."
"Move."
"Out."
That's really how the conversation went.
So, after a very hurried packing and assembling of my uniforms and sundry gear I had stashed at my apartment, my father and I set out to get our soldier on. Now, as has been mentioned before, my father was in the motor pool as a mechanic so he was no where near my chain of command, so no nepotism, got it?
Later that night we were at the Salt Lake International airport, in our civilian clothes. There was a problem with our flight so we had to stay the night in the terminal(!)
The company commander and first sergeant slept in a hotel room and invited the youngest private to join them. The rest of us were left to our own devices because the USO office was closed and none of us were authorized to leave. This made us reasonably unhappy.
Boyz II Men was there at the airport that night and several of my buddies went to see them. This was 2005 by the way. The first concert I ever went to was Boyz II Men back in '94. My buddies returned angry and crestfallen. They were told they would have to pay $50.00 for autographs, even though they were soldiers. Fuck Boyz II Men.
Our armorer, Specialist Leigh, was the first to sleep. He managed to get comfortable laying down on some chairs and covered himself with newspapers like a hobo. He had earned the nickname "Hobo Leigh" some years before, and I never did learn the story of how he earned the nickname.
No way was I going to be able to sleep on one of those airport chairs. I lay myself down on the floor and used my gym bag as a pillow. I couldn't sleep. In fact, most of us were awake the whole night. We sort of just wandered around aimlessly half-awake. We were the walking dead and we were in some sort of nightmarish limbo.
After the dawn of the new day began and regular customers began to trickle in, I wonder how we must have looked, we somnambulist soldiers.
The pilot made an announcement honoring us for flying with his crew that day and it made me feel pretty good but I was not alert enough to fully appreciate it. The most exciting thing was my game of "Spot the Air Marshall" with my battle-buddy Smitty. We also listened to stories from the veterans about serving in the first and second waves of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
That day was the first time I slept on an airplane. I still have the airport blankets. We touched down in Raleigh, NC on our way to Camp Lejeune to learn how the Marine Corps combat engineers did things. They called in "Operation Joint Essayons".
"ASAP? Maybe an hour including travel time?"
"You were supposed to report to the drill hall last night, White."
"I didn't get the letter Sarn't. I'll call my dad and we'll head down ASAP."
"Move."
"Out."
That's really how the conversation went.
So, after a very hurried packing and assembling of my uniforms and sundry gear I had stashed at my apartment, my father and I set out to get our soldier on. Now, as has been mentioned before, my father was in the motor pool as a mechanic so he was no where near my chain of command, so no nepotism, got it?
Later that night we were at the Salt Lake International airport, in our civilian clothes. There was a problem with our flight so we had to stay the night in the terminal(!)
The company commander and first sergeant slept in a hotel room and invited the youngest private to join them. The rest of us were left to our own devices because the USO office was closed and none of us were authorized to leave. This made us reasonably unhappy.
Boyz II Men was there at the airport that night and several of my buddies went to see them. This was 2005 by the way. The first concert I ever went to was Boyz II Men back in '94. My buddies returned angry and crestfallen. They were told they would have to pay $50.00 for autographs, even though they were soldiers. Fuck Boyz II Men.
Our armorer, Specialist Leigh, was the first to sleep. He managed to get comfortable laying down on some chairs and covered himself with newspapers like a hobo. He had earned the nickname "Hobo Leigh" some years before, and I never did learn the story of how he earned the nickname.
No way was I going to be able to sleep on one of those airport chairs. I lay myself down on the floor and used my gym bag as a pillow. I couldn't sleep. In fact, most of us were awake the whole night. We sort of just wandered around aimlessly half-awake. We were the walking dead and we were in some sort of nightmarish limbo.
After the dawn of the new day began and regular customers began to trickle in, I wonder how we must have looked, we somnambulist soldiers.
The pilot made an announcement honoring us for flying with his crew that day and it made me feel pretty good but I was not alert enough to fully appreciate it. The most exciting thing was my game of "Spot the Air Marshall" with my battle-buddy Smitty. We also listened to stories from the veterans about serving in the first and second waves of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
That day was the first time I slept on an airplane. I still have the airport blankets. We touched down in Raleigh, NC on our way to Camp Lejeune to learn how the Marine Corps combat engineers did things. They called in "Operation Joint Essayons".
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