Kitchen Nightmares III: Holding Patterns (and Who Can I Sue If I Drop Dead of Starvation?)…


 

So, the kitchen here still hasn’t been returned to its normal state, but the work is set to begin on December 5th. The stove can still be used, but once the sun goes down, you’re taking your life in your hands if you try to chop anything in the kitchen. Sure, I can sit in the living room and get all rustic with a cutting board in my lap or on the coffee table, but there’s something so odd about doing this (and yeah, one slip means I’ll be adding a body part to whatever I’m cooking). I’ll have to bug the management here about some sort of cooking/meal solution once the repair/rebuilding work gets underway. Once it starts, the kitchen will be off limits for at least four days straight and then a few days more after a weekend break. Bleh. I hope to hell they don’t think I’ll be ordering out or eating fast food for all that time, as that’s not a good idea for me for a few reasons.

(Thanks, SeriouslyDead!)
 

Feh, at this point I just want this long national nightmare to be over so I can go back to living like a normal person. Maybe I’ll slap on some zombie makeup and start groaning at the workmen when they show up to spur them to get the job done faster. Then again, the lack of craftsmanship and care here is pretty shocking. The team that removed the asbestos from the kitchen had a fat guy who busted the burners on the stove AND chipped the paint on the stove because he stood on them when he was doing the ceiling. Gyahhh. I despise that sort of idiocy. Okay, let me go lie down before I bust something.

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Impulse Power!

gift_guide_2014Can you believe it’s that time of year AGAIN? Well, I’ll be running a few of these guides over the next month that cover a few things from tech to games to food and anything else I can think of that won’t get me arrested. Read on and enjoy your consuming of mass quantities!

While big-ticket items are big business for plenty of manufacturers and retailers, it’s the small stuff you don’t usually think about that’s equally important. At least to my eyes. Sure, stuff like batteries, extra controllers and other no-brainer items are what most people think about (or don’t think about) when gifting a tech-related item. But some of the best products you may not have thought about at all are out there and sell themselves once seen and taken for a spin. Here’s a list of stuff I saw this year that’s practically guaranteed to get you reaching for your wallet whether you’re in line at a retailer or online in the comfort of your own home. Or office, as I know a lot of you shop when you’re supposed to be working (naughty, naughty!)…

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Hikari Black Friday! Free Spidey and Frankie For Two Lucky Winners!

Hikari logo HIkari Premium logo 

While some of you are out there shopping away and getting sore all over, smarty-smarts out there are doing it all online and hoping the also score big in the process. Funko wants to help you today by giving away two more awesome Hikari Sofubi figures, one standard and the other premium.

Metal Mix Spider-Man 

Metal Mix Spider-Man Premium Hikari Sofubi Figure is the first figure up for grabs. This one’s Premium and over eight inches tall (!) and #1 of 500. Remember, if you don’t win, still want one and don’t mind paying for it, you can hit up your favorite Funko retailer and bug them until they sell it to you. Trust me, it won’t take long for money to exchange hands.

Gemini Collectibles Exclusive Metallic Frankenstein Hikari Sofubi Figure 

The second figure is Gemini Collectibles Exclusive Metallic Frankenstein Hikari Sofubi Figure. Yeah, he’s a cutie, isn’t he? Okay, the gold eyes are creepy, but that metallic finish on his clothes make it look as if he’s wearing a sharkskin suit! Well, if you like Frankenstein’s Monster as depicted in the Universal Movies, that is. This one’s limited to 750 pieces (you’ll get #1 off the line) and if you miss out, you can grab your own over at the Gemini Collectibles website.

Those in the know know how to go about entering and potentially being the big winners. But once more with feeling for those new to all this stuff: Boogie on over to one of these social sites using your clicky-clicky hand skills:

Facebook!

Twitter!

Instagram @OriginalFunko

Enter and hope luck is on your side! You look as if you could use a little more luck today, I think.

Oh, It’s Black Friday? Go Buy Some Games!

Yikes. My inbox is PACKED with deals and more deals and on top of that, guess what? MORE DEALS! Here’s a boring list to click on as I’m in a bit of a crunch today catching up on too much stuff:

Humble Zen Studios BundleHumble Bundle/Humble StoreWhaaaaat? a new Zen Pinball 2 Bundle? YOU NEED THIS! And whaaaaat? MORE fantastic deals in the store? BUY SOME GAMES!

 

IndieGala Black FridayIndieGala – Too much to list here, but you get a free game if you drop $30 or more in the shop. BUY SOME GAMES!

 

gog.com topware saleGOG.com – Big TopWare Blowout! BUY SOME GAMES!

BS_Supernova SaleBundle Stars – BUY SOME GAMES (and get a crazy DOUBLE discount of 25% if you sign up for their newsletter!) BUY SOME GAMES!

 

IndieRoyale mystery bundle 2Indie Royale Hmmm. Ten games in a MYSTERY BUNDLE! Only four are revealed, but it’s ONLY $1.24 for all ten! BUY SOME GAMES!

I know I’m forgetting a few, but I’ll pop back in later and maybe add a few more. For now, also check out Steam and 505 Games’ sparkly *NEW* e-store for some incredible deals you won’t find elsewhere. Okay, my work here is DONE. Have a productive time running up your credit limit supporting charities and adding to your backlogs with these purchases!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser: Turning the Internet Into Hype-Our-Space…

Star Wars The Force Awakens TC 

Well, color me interested, but not quite yet convinced. This teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakened is too short, but it looks as if the effects teams have been hard at work with over a year to go. Or at least they’ve just done up scenes for this trailer that show they’re on the case and not planning to blow it:

(Thanks, Star Wars UK!) 

I have no questions as of yet other than wondering who’s flying the Millennium Falcon in that short clip and why that yet to be revealed dark Jedi has the second most impractical lightsaber I’ve ever seen. But I can wait for that reveal in some other trailer. I’m gathering this one movie will have the most teasers and trailers released for it of anything coming in 2015 just because Disney wants to show that the Star Wars license is in good hands. I didn’t think so when I heard the news and soon enough, saw Mickey ears on a Darth Vader helmet (wtf?) and I think Goofy dressed up as Darth as a plush doll (yikes!). But I’ll pay less attention to the licensing on this film because there will be THOUSANDS of new products coming to rake in the dough from the rubes and all I want to see is a decent new film in this series.

December 2015 will be here sooner than you think, given the way time has flown this year. I may be too ancient to fall for marketing and merchandising tactics, but I’ll see this if it’s as entertaining as the original was. I’m also holding out for the trailer where J.J. has people jumping off something high, as next to lens flare overuse it’s a trademark in all his films for some oddball reason. As usual, we shall see, right?

The Order: 1886 Update: A Little Right Music For Turkey Day…

Fun fact that’s got nothing to do with actual history: Nikola Tesla has been in at least two videogames this century. Airtight Games’ fun but flawed Dark Void, published by Capcom back in 2010 and now, Ready at Dawn’s upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive, The Order: 1886. Anyway, here’s a look and listen with some of the soundtrack and a nice interview to go with that moody music. If you’re in a Tryptophan haze after gobbing down your turkey dinner, this music may induce some interesting dreams. Hey, at least you had dinner. My kitchen is still a wreck and although some cooking can be done, you certainly wouldn’t want to be here waiting for something to pop out of the oven. Feh. Well, about eight days or so next month will take care of that, so my kitchen nightmare continues into December.

Okay, enough grumbling from me – go back to your celebrating, shopping and whatever else you were doing. I’ll be back tomorrow with a few more interesting posts…

I’m Not Quite Awake Yet…

(Thanks, TV Toy Memories!) 

Yeah, yeah. Typos fix-ed. Hey, I woke up at 4:44 this morning for some reason and couldn’t get back to sleep. I had a small cup of coffee at around 6:57am and after dinking around bumping into stuff, I finally got out of the house to take care of some minor shopping before heading out to try and get some work done. I need a better coffeemaker and a stronger brew methinks. My current setup just isn’t doing it anymore. Well, that’s my holiday gift to myself, I suppose. I’ve tried those single cup “brewers” and it’s like drinking hot water with a drop of brown ink in it. Especially if one prefers a LARGE cup of coffee. Anyway, let me stop here before I need to run out and buy a cup from that place that shall remain nameless that sells cheap coffee (and overpriced fast food that’s bad for you) but they won’t let you put in your own milk and sugar for some maddening, bizarre reason. What, they think they’re Apple selling tech that they’ll never let you touch when you need to change the damn battery? Bleh. I’m a self-made man and a stable adult, you guys. I can do loads of stuff on my own, including failing miserably at anything I want to.

Flyhunter Origins: Bugging Off, In The Most Fun Way Possible…

Flyhunter Origins logo_nobackground 


 

Zak_Pose4Busy mobile-plus publisher Ripstone is at it again with the fun old-school games, so I have to chime in with a grin at Steel Wool Games‘ upcoming platformer Flyhunter Origins, is headed to PC, PS Vita, Mac, Android and Tegra-powered devices this December. Sure, it’s not anything revolutionary at all and don’t expect “evolutionary” if you look to every new game you’re interested in as “innovative.”

What you see is what you get with this one: a solid and engaging platformer that plays like a mix of old and new genre classics. For an old goat like me, I’ll take fun and engaging over all-out trying to be the best new kid on the block any day of the week with a title like this. Now, that doesn’t mean I despise developers who break out of the box with surprising new games that do it all differently. Far from it, folks. I love seeing studios stretch their wings and fly like the breeze with new and cool ideas.

zak-home-1 There’s just something to be said for honest to goodness reliability and no-nonsense plop down your money and play enjoyment. Especially in a game such as this where you know you’re getting what you pay for and can show it off to others who appreciate the same thing. Flyhunter Origins is going to land on a device near you soon. Don’t reach for that Raid or comically over-sized swatter, kids – you’ve got some buggy buddies to rescue!

FlyhunterOrigins_Preview_1 FlyhunterOrigins_Preview_2 FlyhunterOrigins_Preview_3

 

Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Thy Wow Be Done (and Then Some)…

So, I’ll probably need to buy a new PC after all thanks to Polish developer Warhorse Studios and their incredible-looking (and still in development) game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance. That trailer below says and shows it all and the “Dungeons… and No Dragons” tagline made me laugh out loud because I thought of it as I was watching the footage and picking my jaw up off the floor. Crytek’s versatile CryEngine 3 is really getting a workout here and that realistic medieval setting is even more intriguing. The game was a successful Kickstarter project that got a great deal of attention and over $1.7 million in pledges. The game is still being funded by new backers on the official site and to date, almost $2.2 million has been raised, meaning people REALLY want to see this game come to a PC or next-gen console near them next year…

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Jurassic World Trailer: Pre-Hysterical Projections Incoming…

Well, I guess Universal Studios and Legendary Pictures couldn’t wait after all. Or they very wisely figured out that at 9am PST or Noon Eastern time, people would either be on the way to grandma’s, sticking their heads in ovens to take out turkeys and pies or whatever, or passed out cold on a sofa from that big breakfast they’ve eaten before the bigger feast coming that would put them in a deeper temporary coma. Anyway, this first Jurassic World trailer hits all the proper notes. Which means I need to make fun of it in my own inimitable manner…

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