New Hotness: GoDanner "maxgokin"

A sigh and the anticipate was well worth it... here's my goody all the way from Hong Kong.
As you can see by the scale GoDannar in Twin Drive mode stand just about 10 inches tall (more if you count the simulated flames coming out of his head)... um... more than 18 inches if you count that impossibly long sword. D'ya suppose he's compensating for something?

Well warned from my friends at Robot Japan, I'll be extra careful. Apparently he has a very high plastic content in his insides that can break - plus the paint job is fairly delicate and prone to chipping.
In any case, I'm sad to report he'll be staying here with my folks for the summer since quite frankly I have to keep in mind that I'll be moving in a few short ...um... 7 months. Besides which, I'm just too lazy to try disassembling that sword again.

D.O.M.4? Not really...

I really don't have much to say about Nakazawa Yuko. Her claim to fame was being the oldest member of Morning Musume of her time (and remains a popular target for talkshow hosts even now)... in fact, she's older than I am by 3 years! Which, as an aside, makes this the only MoMusu post I'll ever make that doesn't make me feel like a "Dirty Old Man."

I stole this off someone's desktop image and cropped it down. It's definitely one of my favourite MoMusu portraits...

Wishlist: just'cuz

Because life is dull without something to want (besides wanting to love and to be loved, but that's another matter altogether).

1. Centre Channel speaker: I have my eye on the very affordable Yamaha 125-series centre unit... and managed to miss a 20% discount at Best Buy the other night. Argh!
   
2. Digital camera: Took some pics of the house (they haven't even dug out a foundation hole yet, but still)... came home and realized the photos sucked. At this point any camera is better than what I'm using: my cell phone.
   
3. A new CPU: Good luck finding an Athlon XP 3200+ since AMD doesn't make'em anymore. And Semprons just don't really compare (although Semprons for Socket-A are getting pretty rare too). Looks like it's time to scour eBay.
   
4. A video card ...any video card: not really a priority, but since we're on the subject of my PC - babou offered to sell me his 2-year-old card for only $80. I think I'll take him up on his offer.
   
5. The latest Twins concert DVD: it's been out forever. I half-seriously asked my parents to pick up a copy while they were in Hong Kong this month. They didn't mention it since getting back so I have a feeling they just forgot about it. Oh well. YesAsia.com to the rescue...
   
6. GBP-1S accessory set for my VF-1J: I've been putting this off and now I'm not so sure. I bought my VF-1J 1/48 scale model last fall thinking I'd get the matching armour parts, but it seems like such a hassle now that I'm carefully managing what I buy (to minimize the packing I'll do in 6 months). Hmm...
   

The wishlist is just that: particularly since my car is in sore need of a tune-up... I think I'll change my wheels this weekend and put the winters in storage. Then I'll look into a garage to who'll inspect my belts (since that inspection's overdue too), balance my tires (it's been a while for the summers), and replace the thermostat since the sensor seems to always think my engine is cold (even after a 2 hour drive; I mean, WTF?).

Score: CD-RW spindle

If you'd have asked me about this post a few years ago, I would've said the author had lost his mind... Rewind to February 2004.

At the time I had discovered that my CD burner was acting up and I thought, "they sure don't make'em like they used to). Fact was, I had really put that drive through the paces over 4 years or so. It was time to replace it... and DVD-R was the next new thing. And was it ever! I mean, you don't know until you use it for yourself how handy it is to store nearly 5Gb of data on a single disc - especially if you're like me and have downloaded gigabytes of fan-subtitled foreign film. I never looked back.

Until one day I realize that I need an audio CD to play in the car. Well, I don't want to burn a permanent CD-R for it... I want it temporary so I can swap MP3 files at my liesure. Where are my CD-RWs? Turns out that the ones I had were already expired - I'd rewritten them once too often. And good luck finding new ones affordably.

My shopping tip for the week: look in your everyday office supply store. For me it was the local Grand&Toy. I picked up a spindle of 25 for "only" $35. That's right - I paid a buck forty apiece and liked it. Truth: it's getting harder and harder to find CD-RW. The average Canadian retail price works out to be OVER two bucks apiece! That'd be a 5-pack of Verbatim I found at The Source/Circuit City for $14.99... and next best was $19.99 for a 10-pack of Maxell at Staples. I mean, what the hell is going on?

DVD-R are nowhere near that expensive. This sh*t is insane, I say!

New hotness: front columns

Yup - the box is as big as it looks in the photo: on end it comes right up to my shoulders. ^_^;


I don't care if they're being discontinued or something (Futureshop's web site doesn't even list Yamaha product anymore). All I know is that the deal was too good when I spotted 60% off retail. I snagged this pair of NS-125FP front column speakers for a sweat $160 plus sales tax. And they do sound good.

Just gave a few action scenes from X2: X-Men United a spin and the dialogue was crisp and clearer than I recall. I think all this time I simply hadn't tweaked my setup properly. The front speakers used to be a set of multi-directionals loaned to me from my father - and the surrounds were loaners from a friend. With the new columns, I moved the multis to the back and got rid of my friends' loaners. Now my surround effects have a wider ambiant range (for stuff like cricket noises and whatnot) while the tighter new speakers in the front can concentrate on dialogue and higher frequency sounds ...I had to make some further tweaking to my sub-woofer's crossover but I dare say things haven't sounded this good before.

Hmm... Maybe I ought to get rid of that loaner centre channel as well... Just waiting for the right price.

Video: Sakura Mankai

I don't know why I never thought to post links to videos before, but I do watch them all the time...

I have a new favourite song - even if it's a little mushy... *sigh* I'm hopeless.

In mid 2003 the Morning Musume crew had grown to an impossible 15 members. Their management figure they could play smaller venues if they split up into teams... one of the mini-groups was a team of 8 they called "Sakura Gumi" (translates to "Cherry-blossom Group"). Among the members were a few of my personal favourites. Although they all sing lead vocal at one point, Takahashi Ai caught my eye first (she's the one with her feet in a tub)...

Sakura Gumi - Sakura Mankai

You may notice by the way that somebody thoughtfully subtitled the lyrics ...but not in English! So here's a decent translation of the entire song done by some fans.

Pointless Sunday Update

In short nothing really happened today - I took a nice afternoon nap between watching the latest Godannar disc and playing Guitar Hero (one song to go in Hard difficulty!).

I feel special because Futureshop thinks I'm a "friend" or "family" - granted it's like Canada's worst-kept secret since people tend to post messages on Red Flag Deals whenever somebody gets an email announcing these suprise sale events... but I like to think I'm special so shut up and let me have my moment.

I ordered a set of floor-standing speakers to replace the loaners my co-worker handed me like 2 years ago. I got the Yamaha slim ones for only $160 plus sales tax. Sweet. I wonder when they'll be delivered. I hope the box won't be too big - good thing I have an elevator. ^_^;

Should go to bed now. I'm sleepy again. But first a glass of milk.

Ridiculous Saturday

A few short items from yesterday...

1 - I realized that I was being charged 15 cents per automated text message from the Weather Network... but when I tried to unsubscribe, I couldn't find the link! Telus did it to me again - changing the web site around on me. I had to call the client-care hotline to get myself unsubscribed (like they didn't even acknowledge the fact that I was basically screwed - they did it for me through their internal computer system).

2 - Speaking of my cell phone, I got a really dramatic shot with the camera function of a crowd of protestors marching through downtown yesterday... and subsequently deleted it by accident before I got to downloading it to my PC. I'm an idiot. On the other hand, demonstrations, protests, and marches seem to be a semi-regular occurrance in the Nation's Capital ...I'll have another chance, I'm sure.

3 - DC's shipping schedule is all out whack again. After checking not one but two local shops, neither had the two-week-old issue of Legion. Since it ties into the big Infinite Crisis plot, the title was supposed to switch over to "Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes" for a few issues... both stores had the sample cover on display under "coming next week." Uh... yeah. Whatever.

4 - the rerelease of Macross was supposed to continue last week - it hasn't. I've been going around to various forums and sites... while every one lists the second DVD as being available March 8... nobody anywhere says they actually found it to purchase.

Dirty Old Man 3

Ishikawa Rika is the one (former) member of Morning Musume who doesn't actually make me feel like I'm a total pervert - mostly because she always looked somewhat more mature than she actually was (but in truth she actually only turned 21 this year). And in fact she's actually become one of my favourite members in Momusu history.
Easily the most photogenic of her time, she joined the Morning Musume gang at the same time as Yossie, had a decent singing voice, had the dance moves, and in general carried herself delicately yet confidently like a pop-idol should... and without the overbearing attitude you might expect from a diva.

Comic talk: more HoM and Ms.Marvel

Catching up on Marvel Comics... Life kinda distracted me for a little while.

As I was saying to The Walrus Himself in one of my previous comment lists, the Fantastic Four/Iron Man House of M specials weren't anything to write home about. Or as I like to put it, "for fans only." Go ahead and give the main HoM limited series a read and then decide if you're interested in this alternate universe. Here's a quick rundown:

**Warning: may contain spoilers**

Fantastic Four/Iron Man: House of M
Both titles were given 3-part mini-series during to tie-into the big House of M event at Marvel Comics in the summer of 2005. What does that mean for guys who took the "wait for the trade" attitude? It means neither of the stories are thick enough to make itself into a collected edition. Marvel solves that problem by including all 6 issues into this volume.

The F4 are hardly recognizable in their HoM incarnation and instead of being Richards et al, it's Dr.Doom and several characters that sort of touch on versions of supporting cast from the regular Marvel Universe. For instance Kristoff is back - this time as a version of Human Torch. The only character who's pretty much the same guy (except uglier, if that's possible) was the Thing. And Doom himself, in a twist of irony, actually has a metallic body taken right out of the live-action Fanstic Four movie of the same year. Ugh.

Now considering all the "alternate universe" stories I've read in my lifetime (and I've been a comics fan for most of that life time), I'm prepare to let a bit of ridiculousness slide. What I cannot tolerate is a comic that talks down to me. It seems to me that the script intentionally set to allow for upwards of a month to pass by between each issue. Character dialogue practically introduced every character repetively every 22 pages. It made me feel extremely stupid. Worse: the proof of how dull this story was - despite being constantly reminded of who everyone was, I still can't remember what their names were.

The Iron Man half was slightly better. It deals with Tony Stark and how he is known as the most HoM world's most successful human. He's got money and basically runs around being the same guy he is in the normal Marvel Universe: but with a lot less responsibility. You like big mecha battles? You guessed it, Pat Lee of the short-lived Transformers comics revival is back and does a stellar job on the crazy redesigns for the Iron Man tech. I still have a problem with his anime-wannabe humans, but nobody can touch his 'bots.

As for the story itself - it rather ties-in nicely... you feel like it actually contributes something to the HoM world (since it does introduce their version of Iron Man) whereas the Fantastic Four tie-in seemed to go nowhere fast. That is, the ending leaves Doom pretty much in the same place he was (powerless against Magneto) as when the story started. It's a damn shame that Marvel didn't capitalize on this fact: Tony is one of those Avengers who doesn't remember the alternate reality. A little bit of editorial coordination could've changed that dramatically.


Bonus review:
Ms Marvel #1
She's been a second stringer in the Marvel Universe for an eternity. Most people could've even tell you who she was. In general, think of her as Marvel's version of Supergirl... even though it seeems they can't even seem to get that right thanks to all the revamps she's gotten over the years.

Well, during House of M, our heroine gets a taste of the big time. She's pretty much the only non-mutant hero operatining in HoM New York. Coming back to normal Marvel Universe, and being one of the few who remember the "other" world, Carol Danvers decides it's high time that she "be all she be." Cue Marvel to publish her first solo book in decades.

The first issue is spent fleshing out her character. It rehashes a bit of older material but it's all concise and fairly quick even for older readers. Carol is having coffee with Jessica Drew (the original Spider-Woman from the 70's) and moaning over how inadequate she's been feeling. Flashbacks include a battle with Stiltman (I'm not kidding) and a visit with a prospective publicist (I'm still not kidding). And it tops off with a great cliffhanger featuring a new threat to Earth we haven't seen in quite some time - it involves a certain alien race we've seen before... very cool.

Y'know - in my younger years I would've bitched a little about the artwork. Ms.Marvel's costume just screams sexy to the fanboy crowd (if not for Jim Lee's current exclusive with DC, I'd complain to Marvel for not signing him for this title). But in all honesty, I've gotten beyond that and Roberto de la Torre has a decent way with montage work suitable for quiet scenes like the coffee shop talk. His action scenes are a little on the blocky side but that might be the inking more than the actual pencils. I don't know. It's not ugly, and that's all that really matters at the moment. We'll see if issue 2 can lighten it up a little. I give this one a thumbs up - has lots of potential for a new series starting up.

Dirty old man part 2

Her name is Takahashi Ai ...and although she was a mere child when she first joined Morning Musume, is turning 20 this year. o I don't feel so bad. But I should still, I think.And to think that the girl in this photo is also portrayed as a giggling school-girl when she's on stage singing and dancing and playing in variety-game-shows, etc... Those Japanese can't seem to make up their minds on what makes for good entertainment. I'm not complaining ...just so you know.

Google Mars

You may have missed this if you're currently living under a rock or something. Google is has a feature "article" on Mars including a relief-map similar to what you get when you look at Google Earth (albiet on a larger scale (that is, slightly smaller image)).

Check it out here!!

Pics: random junk

I just had the urge to post a couple of pics since I've been silent for a few days. Those keeping up with my "life" blog will know I've been dealing with my brother for a while and he came over to see me to help himself decompress his stress. He left a little while ago... I might see him next weekend...

Here's the Asuka in "gothic lolita dress" figure he picked up. I like her; she's cute. However she doesn't actually fit in with the rest of my collection. He asked me to give her a good home for the next few weeks while he goes house hunting over in Montreal. I'll probably pack her back into her box since I really don't have the room for her.

Here's a snap shot of a typical Star Wars Minis game I'm always talking about. To be honest, this is actually a staged shot since it was pretty dark when we got around to playing so the pictures didn't turn out. In this "fake" game, I've set up a team of Rebels defending Echo Base from an Imperial AT-AT (yeah, the one I picked up last weekend). Not particularly visible in the photo is that the map actually has artwork depicting the Echo Base shield generator and other terrain features the characters must deal with (like trenches or doors, etc).

"Rainbows!" moment

In an old episode of South Park, Eric Cartman refuses to admit he's an idiot during some conversation after going way off on a tangent that had nothing to do with anything...

Cartman: "I hate rainbows... I hate how I'm just sitting
around minding my own business and then crawl up the back of my leg and
then bite the inside of my ass..."
Kyle: "Dude, what are you talking about? Rainbows are those
bright colours in the sky after it rains!"
C: "Oh Rain-BOWS! Rainbows are cool, I like
those."
K: "Wait, what were you talking about?"
C:" Nothing."
Stan: "No, Cartman, what crawls up your leg and bites the
inside of your ass?"
C: "NOTHING!!"

So I'm sitting in my living room this morning with several minutes to spare... I pick up the latest copy of my AT-AT manual (the special rules that go with that "bigature" I bought last weekend). It mentions that rather than making an "attack" like normal characters, the walker may "activate" its cannons once per ROUND. Huh? What do they mean "Round?"
Go back to the original rulebook for Star Wars Minis... the game is divided into "rounds" and "phases" and each character gets what is known as a "turn."

Oh crap... all this time I've been playing the game wrong.

The rulebook went onto explain with an example using one of the Jedi with special powers. In the example, the Jedi uses the Force once per turn - she runs extra fast so her playing piece moves farther along the board than normal. But that's her one power for her turn. But then, in the same "round" the opposing player begins their "phase" and decides to attack... Since it is an another character's "turn", the Jedi now has the chance to protect herself with another Force ability.
All this time I thought a "Turn" meant all the characters had to have their moves resolved (that's actually the whole round).

That'll learn me to read the rules more carefully. oops... luckily I've only been playing in the privacy of my own home and haven't had a chance to embarrass myself. ^_^

Technobabble

Stolen from the blogosphere... of course.

1. Do you remember when you saw your first computer? When did you actually use one? What about having your own? Do you own a laptop? (PC or Mac?) Have you gone wireless at home yet?
The first computer I saw must've been a prop on Star Trek... But the first time I ever used computer that was not a video game console was probably in junior high - a Commodore 64. Shortly thereafter I got the white "64C" at home. I don't own a laptop. I've owned several PCs since 1993. I set up a wireless router for my folks but since I live in an appartment, I never bothered with wireless.

2. When did you first go online and/or use email? Who did you email back then? How did the internet change your life? When did you discover blogging? What about your home internet connection - is it dial-up, DSL, cable?
My first online experience was in 1995 when I installed my first 14.4 modem into my 486 (it was a loaner from a friend). I logged into a local BBS - it wasn't "email" like we have today, but I was able to post public messages and stuff. Later I tried the first iteration of MSN (it was like AOL back then). I got into "Internet" in university (1996). It changed the way I think about sharing information and communication.I discovered blogging just over a year or so ago. I have ADSL at home and have never looked back. I couldn't live without broadband now.

3. Do you remember your first VCR? What about a video camera (there were some bulky ones back in the 80s and 90s) and home videos?
The first VCR I used belonged to my dad and he paid like a couple thousand dollars for it... a top-loading contraption that had a wired remote control. It lasted FOREVER.My father had a video camera and made home movies when I was little. He stopped playing with it at one point.

4. When did you switch from VCR to DVD? How did it change your video viewing experience? Do you use TiVo or any such "contraption" to tape TV shows? Do you use Netflix or some other internet-based DVD "renting" service?
A few months after I bought my car I realized I was no longer bound to the limitations of carrying stuff home in my backpack on foot... I bought a DVD player that Christmas (2000). The upside of the switch is that since I'm a huge fan of anime and foreign films, I now get to watch the same film twice - once dubbed in English and once subtitled. I don't rent or tapes stuff much.

5. What about music? Did you enjoy listening favorite music in Long Plays or did you prefer cassette tapes? When did you buy your fist CD player and switched to CDs? Did you abandon them (and turned to downloaded music) for MP3 players or Ipods or do you still buy CDs?
What about it? I always preferred the convenience of cassettes. I bought a CD player in 1993 when I finished high school. it was a self-indulgent gift to myself. I never bought that many CDs... but I jumped to MP3 when I felt it was technologically acceptable (the early portables were self-defeating because you could only store about a cassette's worth of music at a time; I saw no reason to replace a perfectly good walkman.

6. Do you own and use a cell phone? Do you think it's useful or just annoying?(Did you always have a telephone in your house growing up? Did you have a phone in your own room?)
Now that I'm all over the place - driving from Sherbrooke to Montreal to Ottawa (and sometimes to Toronto) I do like having a cell-phone. It comes in handy but I don't use it that often. Very few people have my cell number. Yes, I had a phone in my bedroom growing up.

7. When did you first buy a digital camera? What kind was it (3.2, 4.0, 5.0 mega-pixels or better)? Did you start taking more pictures or were you a photo aficionado before then? What about a digital video camera?
My first digital camera was a 1.3 megapixel by HP. I've slowly taken less and less pictures over the years. The only digital video I have is the aweful little thing built into my cell phone.

8. What about televisions? Have you already embraced the new technologies, such as HDTV, plasma, and flat screen? (On the other hand, you wouldn't remember black & white TVs, would you?)
I've been putting off a flat-panel television forever even though I know I CAN afford one and should upgrade to widescreen. I never had a B&W - the earliest I remember my parents owning was a small (19"?) colour Citizen set with the dials (but we used a cable convertor on it).