Monday Happened To Me BEFORE Monday. No Fair!

Status

Bleh. So, last night I’m working on the laptop on a few things (some stuff to complete and post today) when I notice my battery indicator flashing while the laptop is plugged in. A quick check revealed the stupid power adapter/charger had a busted wire, which I didn’t notice and had me wondering what the heck happened. I figure it was someone in the library a few days back, either the kid running around who hit the table and knocked the power supply to the floor or the cranky lady with her own laptop that may have yanked out my cord and not hers by mistake when she was fumbling around packing up her crap. I was busy writing, but I heard some stuff being unplugged (she was using three of the four outlets under the table) and her mutter “sorry” to no one at some point, so I’m gathering it was me she was apologizing to for pulling something she shouldn’t have. Oh, quite you there in the back! Mind in the gutter, I say!

(thanks, stevensonjohn964!)

Anyway, I’m home of the chuggy connection, so updates will be slim to slimmer until the replacement adapter shows up. At least the GOOD news here is it only cost me about eleven dollars with shipping to replace the power supply, as prices have dropped on OEM parts for this old computer. About a year or so back, I was looking at paying almost four times as much for the same item. So perhaps I should thank Lady Cranky if I ever see her in the library again, but I think I’ll just sit somewhere else or else I’ll be needing to buy up a bunch of replacements and sticking them in a closet here…

Slow, Sleepy Sunday Soars…

Posted on April 13, 2014 by geelw

So, I saw The Wind Rises today and it’s quite a magnificent sendoff for Hayao Miyazaki (if this is indeed his final film), although it’s not quite a film for kids unless you want to be studying aviation history and a few other things afterward. It’s absolutely gorgeous to look at and while the grand dream sequences and a stunning interpretation of the massive 1923 Kanto earthquake here are amazing blends of that wonderful Studio Ghibli hand-drawn and CG animation, the film’s intentionally slow pace means some viewers might find themselves drifting off when the film is making it’s points. For a biographical film (animated or not) both the subject and subject matter call for post viewing brain expanding because unless you’re an aviation nut who knows names, places and anime faces really well, some parts of the film may seem hard to follow until you can place dates to some of the important events shown.

This isn’t a review at all, though. It’s a recommendation if you’re wanting to hit the theater near you, this is playing and your curious as to whether it’s worth the price of a ticket. The short and easy answer is a resounding yes. Okay, back to being bored as hell by Mad Men. Man, this show needs to end or hopefully get better. I missed it, but after such a damn long delay, I find I don’t care about it all that much now…

Random Art: I’ve Been Busy, But That’s A Lame Excuse.

Posted on April 12, 2014 by geelw

Well, not SO lame, as I’ve been busy working on trying to make some actual money (digital money really blows when you can’t feeling it taking up space in your pockets!). Anyway, this one’s kind of unfinished (what else is new?), but that won’t stop me from letting you be the judge on whether or not it’s actually complete. Eh, well… I can always do another piece at some point (hopefully without taking so long to post it once it’s “done”)…

Random Film of the Week(end): Nights of Cabiria

Posted on April 12, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, TrailerItaliano!)

The first time I saw Nights of Cabiria, I was wide awake and it was the middle of the afternoon, but I was so wrapped up in watching Giulietta Masina’s spectacular performance that I’d stopped reading the subtitles and missed a chink of the story. Of course, this being a Fellini film, the visuals and expressive acting spelled out most of what happened and Masina’s work as a happy go lucky hooker with a head of stone and dreams of finding love kept me entranced until the ending.

I’ve seen the film quite a few times since and have introduced it to friends with no explanation because how do you properly describe a film about prostitutes that manages to be funny and sad and human all at the same time without getting wrapped up in someone’s “Uh, so… it’s a movie about what?” eyebrow. Granted, you can always take the easy way out and make it a double feature night with Fellini’s La Strada first, as like this film, it won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and has Giulietta Masina giving another performance for the ages. That SHOULD wipe away any smudgy thoughts about pedigree and content.

Continue reading →

Tech Review: Color Cables

Posted on April 12, 2014 by geelw

Welcome to the easiest review I’ve ever done: Color Cables are AWESOME (The End!). Okay, there’s a bit more to write about, but the direct and simple nature of this cool, colorful luminous charge and sync cable makes this one a no-brainer replacement for any OEM charge cables thanks to a few fine features. Available in seven colors with 30-Pin, Lightning and Micro USB options with two length choices (3 or 6 feet, $15 and $20 respectively), Your iOS, Android or Windows phone or device gets a superior cable that’s well worth the price point.

As the cables are flat and extremely well made, they don’t tangle up while in your bag of choice and solid connections on both ends mean you’re not likely to see any splitting or fraying form general wear. The cool factor comes from the distinctive luminosity on display and yes, it’s pretty nifty to let your cable sit in the sun or under a light for a bit during the day and have them giving of that soft glow in the evening or night. If you grew up with stars on your walls and ceiling or had some toys that gave off that familiar greenish color, you’ll get a grin going every time you use your cable.

Sure, there are similar colored cables out there for less that don’t have that funky glow thing going for them, but the smarter of you out there know you get what you pay for and often “cheap” refers to both price and quality. Color Cables are a nicer (and still affordable) solution that take care of a few problems as well as making for a great gift for that phone or device user you know who wants something to stand out from the crowd when they need a recharge at home or away.

– Greg Wilcox

Old Stuff Resurfaces – My Photobucket Account Lives!

Posted on April 11, 2014 by geelw

Yikes. I’d almost forgotten about Photobucket until I was digging through some debug console games to rephotograph and recalled I have a kind of inactive account there. “Thanks” to facebook’s nosy ass “Hey, you can and SHOULD connect to EVERYTHING so we can place ads all in your face in your feed that you KNOW you want to see!” (Oh, kill me now. Or them, preferably), I’m now reconnected to my old crap in photo form and it’s nice to see some of that old stuff without having to dig through the stacks.I think I’ve presented this stuff previously, but nostalgia is good for you, I say.

Anyway, that’s Rent-A-Hero #1 and Dinosaur Hunting for the Xbox (two games that never got an official western release) along with Stolen, an interesting and ambitious game that killed the developer that made it after it tanked at retail and among critics. The last image is Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers along with the “action” figure I got with the debug builds. It seems to look just like ex-President George W. Bush (as some who’ve seen it up close and personal have commented, usually while chuckling a bit). I’ve got a bunch more stuff here, but need more time to write about it, a helper monkey to do stuff so I have more time to write and yeah, a better camera to take better photos with…

Game of Thrones Fans? Think Geek Has You WELL Covered (Not In Blood, Though)…

Posted on April 11, 2014 by geelw

You may have not thought you needed a House of Stark, Lannister or Targaryen pillow, a TOO cute Dire Wolf Plush, a Fabled Axe Tea Infuser or a set of Wax Seal Coasters, but the folks at Think Geek think otherwise and have very wisely gathered up a load of interesting (and even some exclusive) Game of Thrones goodies on their site just for you. And you, too. And you over there on the left who still needs to play catch up with the series because you FINALLY got HBO and don’t yet realize that includes HBO On Demand which just so happens to be running the first three seasons along with episodes from THIS season after they premiere each Sunday.

See, you learned something today and you weren’t even expecting it! Now go buy one of those goodies above or perhaps that Dragon Egg Pendant or a replica of Jon Snow’s Longclaw Sword are more up your alley? There’s FREE shipping on orders over $75, so knock yourself out and brighten (or darken) up your space with some neat swag!

How Come No One Told Me There’s a Gauntlet Remake On The Way?

Posted on April 11, 2014 by geelw

Well, thanks to whomever is handling PR for WB Games these days, grrr! Anyway, the fine folks at Arrowhead Game Studios (makers of the fun Magika games) are busy bee-ing it as they whip up this digital only (and so far, PC only, boo) solo, co-op and online Gauntlet reboot that actually looks as if it will a as fun as the 1985 arcade classic. Sure, this update gets a bit squishy with the blood effects, but that classic top-down viewpoint, simple but challenging gameplay and loads of loot to grab are all intact and that’s a good thing. This one’s coming this summer via Steam (I’d bet it’s one of their big summer game releases) and I hope it does well so Arrowhead can get to porting it to consoles, as there’s no reason this shouldn’t be on anything that can run it. In other words, I’d LOVE to see a Vita and Wii U version at some point down the road…

Load up on Atari & Kalypso PC Games On gog.com The Weekend!

Posted on April 11, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, N0irceuil!)

Yeah, yeah, I know spring has sprung and all that good stuff, but somewhere in the world, it’s going to be a rainy mess of a weekend or there will be some other weather event that forces you to hang around at home or some other spot with nothing thrilling to do. To that I say 60% off is quite a deal for these classics, so whether you’ve played them ages ago or are just getting around to discovering how spectacular Master of Magic, Powerslide, or Independence War (and a bunch of the other titles on that list) are, you’re sure to find a great deal for you or someone else.

Wait. Orphan Black Won A Peabody Award? How Great Is That?

Posted on April 10, 2014 by geelw

Okay, it’s MORE than cool. I’m pleased to see all that hard work is getting noticed, although poor Tatiana Maslany not getting that Emmy was a shame, as she definitely deserved it. Granted, try telling that to people who still don’t watch the show or who think network dramas are as good as what this show has done in less time and you’re in for a fight of some sort. Me, I’m a lover, not a fighter at all, so I say check out Season One of Orphan Black before Season Two drops in about nine days and see for yourself. Um, that’s all I have to say, but it looks like OB will have a post show show just like The Walking Dead does.