Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Swtor podcast ...

Massively online has a great weekly podcast, and this week they tackled the Swtor beta.   The whole podcast isn't about it, but a good chunk is.   Very cool insight without the spoilers.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Finding the Republic

Over the last weekend I played the beta for Biowares upcoming MMO 'Knights of the Old Republic'.    I had a blast.    I can't say anything more than that because its still under the NDA (Non-Disclosure Act).    But it was fun times, and it caused me to get a little excited about it's upcoming release in December.  I'll talk about the good and bad in a future blog.

Because of my positive experience which I can't talk about, I FINALLY finished the novel by Sean Williams 'Star Wars the Old Republic: Fatal Alliance'   It was a good book that gives us a glimpse of the setting of the Old Republic.    I started this book in early summer, and got within the last 50 pages and left it alone.   I get this way sometimes when I read a decent novel, and don't want my favorite characters to get in way over their heads.   I picked it up this week (after what, a 4 month hiatis) and finished it.    So it isn't up there in terms of Awesomeness like some other novels, but the ending resolution of the characters make it enjoyable.   

Out this week is a more important novel in my view ... Revan.  What keeps Star Wars cool in my book isn't the movies, but the video games, in particular the classic pc game 'Knights of the Old Republic' ...which takes place around 2000 years before the movies (as all things Old republic)  



First of all this in my opinion is what storytelling in a game should be, and this is what brought Bioware to my attention (no, not Balder's Gate -- never did finish that game).   Secondly it brought a great character in the one called 'Revan', and now we get to learn more of this man.    Drew Karpyshyn is a great author, and also a founder of Bioware.  So I am definatly looking forward to getting this novel in the mail.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Farewell One-shots *sniff*

Massively.com is saying farewell to their 'one-shots' section.  Notice that one of their favorites is none other than yours truly!!  My burg going through Mirkwood.   Thanks Massively for the chance to share my adventure through middle-earth.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/01/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-pics-one-shots-favorites/

Friday, September 16, 2011

It is coming ...

What is coming??   Well the newest Theocracy CD of course.   I'm really looking forward to it, and found these two little 'prequels' that's on their main site, but also on youtube.    Enjoy.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Narnia + ReinXeen=Golden Resurection!

Ah, those swedes continue to rock my little heart out with their love of Christ, and a good heart pounding message.    Check out this cd from last year of the band 'Golden Resurection' ... a collaboration between the lead singer of Narnia, and the singer/guitarist extrordinaire ReinXeen.   Good stuff.



This cd is NOT the end, a new one is coming out this year.   Plus in June ReinXeed released a new album entitled '1912'.   These guys are staying busy, which is good for us.   Lovin' it.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Rocking out with Sinbreed ...

Itunes, you have brought me some more gold from across the seas.   Here's a cool CD from 'Sinbreed' a great German band.   Rock on  with some dust-to-dust.


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Some Theocracy Love.

I've been on an ITunes binge lately, because there's just so much good music out there, that you DON'T find in your local Christian bookstore.   One of my favorite new bands is 'Theocracy'.    This band was started by one man ... Matt Smith back in 2003.   You can check out their webpage for bio stuff here.  Their website also has a very active forum, free music, and video snippets of behind the scenes workings of their newest album.

Theocracy has fun, the band releases a new Christmas song every year, and a new full album of regular tunes is coming out this year.    For fun, on April first they pulled a prank on their fans, releasing a song 'Skeletor goes to Mars' saying that it will be on their upcoming album.  

I can't think of a band that has spent this amount of energy producing songs just for their fans, and for the sheer fun of it.  




Here's two of my favorite tunes from their 2008 'Mirror of Souls Album' ....




New Christmas songs each year ... So cool, even on hot summer days...





Theocracy is starting a tour in Europe this October, and I'm hoping that the new cd will be released by then.  Until then, I'll just keep rockin out to their old tunes, which are still new tunes to me.



Monday, August 8, 2011

New MMORPG Documentary ...

Check out this new MMORPG Documentary that I spotted on Massively.com .... interesting insight into gaming.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Gears of War Board Game.




I like co-operative play, and this doesn't look to bad at all.   Sounds like fun.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Beowulf --- oh how thou confused me.

Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (Bilingual Edition)I just finished reading through Beowulf for the first time.   It's a great struggle to get through, especially the version that came with my Kobo e-reader.   I think the version is not as concise as with new versions.   Part of the problem is that the glossary of terms and dictionary of the language is a pain to check out on a Kobo, as opposed to an actual book (should arrive soon).  By the time I finished reading BeowulfI could definately see some of the influence on Tolkiens work.

Starting from the basic wording of the land of the Geets and Danes = Mid-earth, too the Dragon at the end of the tale with his hoard of gold= Smaug.   There is much more as well. 

The story also has great reverance for God as well,  which was the biggest surprise to me.   Of course some of it may not be that theologically sound (Grendel and his mother were associated with the fall of Cain) but still, its pretty cool.  You won't find any positive mentions about Christianity in the movie versions of Beowulf, but here it is in black and white.   In fact the narrator laments as some people go back to the 'old gods' as it were.

Unlike the newest Beowulf animated movie, Beowulf does not get seduced by the mother of Grendel, he kills her right off with a giant sword.  -- oh, and the dragon is not Beowulf's bastard child.   Lots of discrepencies.   Glad I read through it once before my class starts in late August.   Now to get through the Lord of the Rings before then as well.    That, I know will be a better (easier) read.

  

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Back to School Again ....

Well, I did it.   After 18 years of no schooling, I applied to Mythgard Institute  Which is basically Tolkien studies.    Why?   Seemed like a fun way to get my MA in English Lit. by reading about elves, dragons, and strange wardrobes.   
 
My first course starts at the end of August, and alot of it is going to be online.    This is going to take copious amounts of reading, and writing, and who knows how much coffee.   It's great that I don't have a life, because I won't know what I'll miss --- besides arduous amounts of gaming.
 
The challenge:  going back to school after so long, and pull off unbeatable marks.    This should be interesting.   I'm hoping my brain doesn't get fried after the first month.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Anime Iron Man, coming at the end of July. Looks good.

 Hmm, Wolverine sounds alot like Keanu Reeves?  .. Whoa!!  Well, at least there's a Canadian connection :D

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ah, Holy Blood

I've been checking out the band 'Holy Blood', which has a nice Celtic/metal mix.   If your interested, I'd say check out the albums: Waves are Dancing and Shining Sun.    I picked up their album 'the Patriot', and still unsure about that one, as the last song is a remix, that is really not worth listening too, and a couple of their tunes sound too much like the same.

This band is a Christian band from Romania ... no english.  But their tunes are so good that it really doesn't matter.   You can google their lyrics if you like, and their pretty in-your-face with the message.

Waves are Dancing and Shining Sun are amazing, and cannot be passed up.

Their song 'Jerusalem'

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Pixar makes a bad movie?? The World has Gone CRAZY!!!

Rotten Tomatoes has Pixar's newest animated flick sitting at 33%     Funny thing is I was talking to a friend a few days ago who was looking forward to seeing Cars 2, and he mentioned (and I agreed) that Pixar always makes winning movies.  

I guess you can't always make awesomeness, still hope they come out with Incredibles 2 sometime :)

Friday, June 17, 2011

Nice cover

Occasionally a comic book cover just captures your eye.    I just love this one, not only because of Deadpool, but a great example of a whole story told in one image.   Great job.

Green Lantern -- The movie, the verdict. *Spoiler Alert*

I've loved green lantern since I was a kid, and though I never followed him regularly (Marvel fan for the most part), the character has always had a place in my heart.  Why?  Because of two things ... best costume in the DC Universe.. something about the green and black, just looks cool; and the variety of strange and wondrous aliens within the comic book.   I've always loved hard-core scifi, and in comics, you can't get more hardcore scifi than green lantern ... except maybe the micronauts, but that's another story.    Anyway, rambling on, I finally got to see the brand spank'n new Green Lantern movie, and I'm really glad I did.   Not because it's a perfect movie, because it's not, but more so because I see the potential in it's spin off, and I liked what it did right more than it did wrong.

First: what was NOT good about the movie:   - Music: There were times throughout the movie, where the music tried to force you into those superman moments, I mean note for note you can remember tunes from the original Donner movies.    For me, its an epic fail.   Superman is Superman, don't try to rip off the emotional undertones from that movie.

Also, space is a quiet place, and vast.    The music took away from the epicness of space.    You remember the scene from Galaxy Quest, where Tim Allen's character was in space?   He came to the realization that he REALLY was in space.    He was all alone on top of a spaceship, looking into the vast ...well vastness of space!  There was a sense of awe, and no matter what you thought of the movie, those silent few seconds you could put yourself into that character!   Well, that's what this movie needed more of.  Silence, a chance to see how cool space was.   A sense of awe.   I didn't get that.   In a movie where people can 'fly in space', you would think that there would be an expression of how cool space was/is.

Secondly, Acting:   When Ryan Renolds is the cornerstone of acting in this flick, you cringe.  Oh do you cringe.  Seriously, I think I've seen better acting in fan films.    Probably the worst of it came from the primary love interest of Blake Lively's character Carol Ferris.   She plays ...basically Hal Jordan's boss.   She has no strength in playing that role.   Also the development of their relationship was way to quick, even though you have a strong  hint that there was a history between the two.     There were a couple funny moment between them, but that's about it.    Ryan was a pretty good Green Lantern, and I also enjoyed the performance of Mark Strong (Sinestro), and Temuera Morrison (Abin Sur).    But the rest was 'meh'.

Thirdly, the city:  What is the name of the city?   I wish Hal did some saving of people in the city like most hero movies.   It just makes the city become more ... alive.

Despite these things, I still liked the movie.    It is a must see for comic book geeks.   Just don't expect it to blow you away.   I liked the training of Hal Jordan, and some of the ring effects were just really spot on.   Ryan Renolds did bring some great humor, and I think that his performance did bring it out of the mire.        I do hope that there is a sequel, that Warner Bros. does back it up, but I think that they need to find a Director that is willing to make the story and action bigger than this movie ended up being.    Someone who has the willpower to make Green Lantern reach its potential.

**Ed Note**  Ok, so I saw the movie twice now, and its growing on me bit by bit.   I'm appreciating the main villain more, though alot of people won't like him, I sort of get it .. and the end battle is probably better than most 1st hero movies.  

Friday, June 3, 2011

Fox Hits a Home Run with X-Men: First Class


X-Men: First Class ... Raising the bar on Superhero Movies!!!

I went to the theaters not sure what to expect, but from the first moments the screen filled with images of the first X-Men movie, to the final credits... this movie pushed the enevelop on the possibility of making a Smart hero movie, and giving the fans of the franchise enough to drool over, that you'll need to wear your rain boots to cover the pool o' drool on the floor in the theater.

Marvel produced Iron Man, and Thor, and Hulk ... but this movie surpasses all in not dumbing down the genre, but elevating the story and characters to new found heights. Seriously, it's that good. Fox has done a great job, and the people at Marvel and DC who are trying to keep their franchises 'in studio' need to take notes. Ok, the Dark Knight still beats this movie, but really .. this is well done.

Grab that popcorn and drink, sit down and enjoy the ride. I did, and nothing would make me happier than to take another trip on this track.

Also, to burst some people's bubble, and it was my only disappointment when I watched this movie... there is NOTHING after the credits. No special scenes or anything. Just an fyi.


Monday, May 16, 2011

New Comic's Continuum ep.



For the latest in comicbook news I always head to comics continuum.   I just realized that they have a weekly video series.  Take a gander at the latest news.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

My Classic Trek.

I've been busy playing Lord of the Rings Online, and I have been found neglecting my duties as a starfleet officer.   So I jumped back on this week (yippee lifetime account!!) and found out that Cryptic Studios has put a bundle of goodies into their store that makes any Original ST fan jump for joy.   They have packed in the original costumes for your character, shuttle craft, and a phaser that levels as you level.   The best of course is the new ship interior .. or old/new interior depending on how you look at it.   I can visit the med bay, conference room etc, and they look great.   Kudos for bringing these out.    I'm looking forward to seeing new missions use the interior of your ship .. it's going to be cool.   Anyway, after spending $18 on this pack (which is for ALL your characters ... take that Turbine!!) here are some pics o' my newly redesigned ship:

A Ferengi on the original Enterprise??  Oh yeah!

Geekiddy Geekiddy Geekiddy

Now where did I put that flux capacitor??


Come to my conference room, and lets discuss why you don't play Star Trek Online.


One of the most common rooms on the Enterprise... notice that red shirts don't make it to sick bay ;)

Now I really love playing in the realm of Middle-Earth, but when I do dip back into Star Trek Online there is a sense of ... 'Why haven't I been playing this more'?   It's a good thing to feel, and I'm happy that Cryptic continues to make STO a fun and enjoyable game to come back to again and again. 

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Lord of the Rings Prequel Movie .. Best .. Ever.

An awesome fan movie from Kate Madison.    This has great heart, good fights, and a really good story.    I'm always amazed at the passion of people that make these fan movies with little or no money, and no money in return.   At first when I was watching this, I was like "how hokey", but after 5 minutes I was drawn in.    Good stuff.


Monday, March 14, 2011

What keeps you Playing?

So my character made another costume change, and I think it has the proper 'Burgler' look.   (Never mind how hard it is to find the right pieces of clothing that takes color the way you want it too)This is part of what I really enjoy about Lord of the Rings Online.   Character customization.   Now there are other games that do it better, but Lotro has other things that keep me lovin this virtual world.   Between the story, the questing, and the fact that my buds are also playing this game .. it's a no-brainer.

There are times when I'm take a break from the game, but after a few days I have a hankering to tinker around in the land of Middle-Earth.   Even if its just to goof around and run on the fences in the shire, or grind out some rep just to get a new pony ... you can never have enough mounts!!

I just finished Volume 1 of the main storyline, and it was great.  Not the constant running around, but the story, which was so engaging.   It was a satisfying moment to not only finally finish the story of Volume 1, but to be a part of it.    Kudos to the writers, they did a great job.

Looking forward to finishing Volume 2, and do more grouping with my burg.   Until then, time to put in some 'Fringe' and eat some popcorn.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Time to Adjust



So I went to the movies, and had a chance to see 'The Adjustment Bureau', and was loving it.    There's great chemistry between Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon, a great scifi element, and just plain fun.   The movie is, in the wider scope of things, about the role of Free will.   Now, this isn't a movie that would be theologically correct in many ways, but it does make one think at the end of it, and I appreciate that.    There is the question of 'how hands off is God in the workings of the world'?   We say 'God is in control', but how much control given free will?   These are things that I think can be encouraged for people to talk about, for Christians and non-Christians alike.
Beyond that, this is just a great 'date' movie ... as I became increasingly aware of how alone I am *sigh*, but the action is great, considering that there is no real violence in the movie, and no bad language that my brain remember.   There is a love scene, but there's nothing to see, thanks to the camera work.

I love Emily Blunts character in this movie, but for a minute I though that she resembles Felicia Day (shown below), from 'The Guild (and many other web shows).   Strange, I know.     Anyway, this was a great movie ... maybe not theologically, but it will make you talk, and it's great to have an action movie that great for a couple.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Song O' the month .. Red:Who We Are

This is not only a great album, but the more and more I listen to it, it just keeps on getting better.
This song really relates to my blog at thenarthax.blogspot.com and the bible scriptures I've been looking at.  Talking about believe alive, and people of forever.   Anyway, very cool anthem, and its great to see this band start to get the recognition they deserve.

Unknown Movie

Unknown: A NovelWent to the movies last night, for the first time in a while (for me that's like 4 weeks), and saw 'Unknown' the latest movie with Liam Neeson.   My favorite movie of his will always be 'Taken' .. such a great flick, and I went into this expecting some cool action, and great story.    And for the most part it delivers, though it plays out more like a mystery more than a straight on action flick.

It doesn't have the emotional resonance of taken, or the cool moves, but when Liam Neeson's  character wakes up from a 4 day coma after a car accident, and finds everything he used to know become all twisted, it's a fun ride to see where this is heading.

In some ways the ending becomes cleaned up a bit to quick in the end, but really, this is a great movie some some nice twists.   You are still left with some questions at the end, and your still not sure how you got there, but I can definately see a sequel possibility out of this.    A great movie to catch, considering there's nothing else out there to watch (unless you count the King's Speech ... which is a must see flick).

Supes is Back on the menu boys!

All-Star Superman (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)Another release from Warner bros, but this time it's supes, and a fine adaption of the original comic series of the same name by Grant Morrison, and Frank Quietly.    I really enjoyed the movie, but as is the usual, not as much as the comics.    This is probably the best superman movie that you'll of seen in a long time, and if you do pick it up, you've gotta pick up the Blu-ray version, if anything, because of the extra's which include a lengthy interview with a passionate Grant Morrison.

The low down on the movie is this ... Superman is dying, thanks to the nefarious Lex Luthor, and the movie is filled with vignettes during the time Superman is dealing with this.    I'm not going to say anymore.

My main problem with this movie, is not the quality.   Not the voice acting, though Superman's voice seems a little "relaxed" or monotone ... but even that makes sense in context of its style.   Basically it's length.   Why would you cut down the movie to 75 minutes when there is so much more to tell?   Most notably missing is a 'Bizarro incident'.   I find this true with alot of animated movies, for some reason film studio's don't think the audience can handle a 100 min. or the unthinkable 120 minute animated film.  Strange.

Anyway, this is a great movie, 8 outta 10, and is my favorite supes film ever with lex luthor in it.   There is a reason that Luthor is the best villain for superman, because he embodies the worst things about us, while superman is the kind of person that we would like to think we are.


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Thor and Green Lantern animated movies.

Thor: Tales of Asgard.  Release Date: May 17th



Looks to be a fun way to introduce the family to Thor.  Release: May 17th

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights trailer Release date: June 7th


Looks fantastic, looking forward to the focus on the corps.  A crazy fun year for comic book movies.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Album of the Night

Played 2 games of Shadows over Camelot I found myself snow stayed in Hanover.   Thanks to my bud Dave for putting up with me!!   Played Civilization V most of the day then made it home.  So, tonight I'm working on my sermon with limited amounts of sleep.   Nothing unusual really.    So the album of choice during this sermon is yup, picked it up yesterday (sorry Amazon).    So far a pretty decent album, though Chris August  is waiting in the wings.   So glad the driveway isn't filled with too much snow, really didn't want to blow it out in the morning.

ROTTEN TOMATOES: Weekly Ketchup: Captain America Sequel Already In the Works

ROTTEN TOMATOES: Weekly Ketchup: Captain America Sequel Already In the Works

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Hidden Gem

I picked up Chris August's cd up in December, thought I might need some new praise music, as my music usually includes growling, jazz, blues, but lacking in the inspirational.   I hardly listened to it in the car, and plain forgot about it.

Long story short, I found it in the car, stuck it onto my comp, and I'm really digging the grooves.   No matter how bad a day can get, nothing like a little praise music to lift up one's spirits.    It worked for David in the Psalms, and works for us today.

I find alot of praise and worship music to be high on energy, but really lacking in the vocal department.   Chris has a great voice, and good energy.  This is a great addition to my library.






Tuesday, February 8, 2011

New STOked ep.

I always enjoy Jupiterbroadcasting.com's video blogs about Startrek Online.   Here's Episode 69 of STOked, and if your one of those who play Star Trek Online, I'm sure you'll enjoy this episode.


Brave and Bold Cartoon. Funny stuff.

Monday, February 7, 2011

From the Foundry ...

Just a note for those Star Trek Online fans, while the episodic content is pretty amazing stuff, don't forget to check your mission log, and enjoy 3 missions that were made in the Foundry.   These are not only great stories, but will also get your creative juices flowing for making your own episodes!!   I played two of the stories: The Longing ... a love affair gone wrong, especially when the Borg are involved; and the Syndicate Extraction ... Ferengi, Orion's oh my!

There are endless missions and stories coming when the Foundry is actually released on game servers, but if you want to dabble in it now, you can head to the test server (Tribble).

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Snow, Cellphones, and Other silliness

The cell phone is toast!!  All hail no cellphone!   It's been a long time since I didn't have a cellphone, at least 8 years or something like that.   It feels good to be free from the mechanical menace that dares to dictate the decisions and designs of my days.   I'll be sending my Blackberry away on Friday to get fixed.   Considering the efficiency of Bell I'll probably have it back and fixed by Spring.   I consider that this will be my sacrifice for Lent, though it isn't my choice, so I don't know if it really counts... but considering that I never give up anything for Lent, I'll consider it a step in the right direction.

My car underwent an expensive repair last week, I had to replace and doohickey, that was supposed to be attached to my thingymajig .. there goes $875.   It's a strange thing to have your paycheck handed to you, and then just hand it right to the mechanic.    I do have to credit the Lord for a) giving me a job b) enabling me to have the money to finish said repairs.   So finances are tight this month, but I'm thankful that everything worked out.  Still gotta find a nice day to clean out the car.

It snowed alot on Wednesday, and we had to get someone to blow out the 5+ft. high drift that I encountered outside my front door.   It was a job greater than the ability of my snow blower.    On the positive, I was home, safe and sound during the storm.   Made the work week alot shorter.   Very nice.

Tonight Green Bay beat Pittsburgh 31-25  Good for Cheeseheads.

Working through the Psalms in my main blog: thenarthax.blogspot.com  Still thinking of going through Acts or Romans.   The Psalms are good, but it's always nice to balance it with a NT scripture.


Super 8 trailer.

Superbowl Captain America Trailer!

Guardian of Forever

Whilst posting about Star Trek Online, I'll just add a pic I made of my Tactical Captain 'Yoti' that I made while finishing the quest line of the 'Guardian of Forever' ... a great ode to a classic episode.   I didn't intend to, but I like the pic of the landing in the background.

New STO Episodic content ...

This weekend introduced us Star Trek Online Players to a new episode series "Cloaked Intentions", and I just finished the first episode in this series called  "The Vault".   Basically checking out a Romulan Starbase, the one that Nero constructed his ship in (Nero from the newest Star Trek movie).   Very cool episode, in which you take a shuttle into this huge station and unravel a cool story point involving the Reman.   Anyway, here are a few pics of my journey.   Funny enough, doing this episode reminded me of the Old Atari game 'Defender'.

My Delta Flyer shooting its lazers!!
The station, now (apparently) abandoned, is a city unto itself..
the size of a small moon (or like a certain Death Star)
Romulan's have been experimenting on a Borg Sphere
In the middle of the station, looking below.
The C-Store in STO had a Delta Flyer for sale, so I bought it, and it worked great on this mission.   Nice new ride, leather seating... all good.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Ode to Haggis ... belated happy Robbie Burns day.

Ok, I don't eat haggis, and I'm not scottish, but poetry about haggis .. why not.  Enjoy.  BTW belated happy Robbie Burns day (internationally celebrated Scots poet.)

Address to a Haggis

FAIR fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin was help to mend a mill
In time o’need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin’, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckles as wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ blody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ hands will sned,
Like taps o’ trissle.

Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer
Gie her a haggis!
Robert Burns

Monday, January 24, 2011

Star Wars Uncut...

Star Wars: A New Hope as done in 15 second clips by different people and individuals.   Some is really poor, some is really fantastic.  Check out the entire movie here:  http://www.starwarsuncut.com/watch

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Hello STO, nice to meet you again :)

Ah Star Trek Online, the game that keeps me logging in.   I've been doing some DC Universe Online recently, which is nice and all, but there is something about STO that keeps drawing me in.  This time it was advancing my character 'Pojoh' to the Rang of Rear Admiral upperclass ...So close to Vice Admiral I can almost taste it.   There are some cool quests that you can look forward too, like meeting up with Q (Pictured above), and then there's some Undine action in Fluidic space.    I would love to do some big taskforce missions with other players, but my internet can't handle too much.    Today I was rescuing a Romulan vessel from the Borg, and my internet crashed on me.

On the DCU front, things are going well, but I'm surprised how many people have already hit the lvl 30 lvl cap.   I'm thinking that Sony has underestimated the power gaming of people.   Personally I'm thinking in should of been just a stand-alone game .... If you can reach the end game after a week of gameplay, good luck keeping the people years down the road.   Again, it's a very cool superhero game, but I don't think it's going to have the legs to stand the test of time.   I could be wrong, and I hope I am.


In Lotro, lots of lotteries happening, I'm winning a few of them, but really, nothing decent.   Would like the chance to win a new horse, but meh, its all good.    Downtime happening tomorrow for a new patch, I hear that Radiance is going to be eliminated when the patch is done.   On one hand I like not having to grind for Radiance gear anymore, but on the other hand, Radiance made sense to me from a story point of view.   Instead of Radiance being on 'gear' I do think that it should be another character stat, or virtue even. .. Maybe a progression on how much evil you've defeated in Middle earth.  


On my blog: thenarthax.blogspot.com  I'm doing a few bible study sessions on the Psalms, mixing it with some music.    Not sure yet how far I'll go into the Psalms, but so far so good.

Work is going well, did lots of walking about last week.   which is good, though I think I overcompensated with eating things that are not good for me.   Ug, gotta do better this week.   Have to get car repaired in the next week or two, need some new ball joints ($540) ... *sigh* so much for getting a new mattress.

Saw two movies with two different friends.  Watched Yogi Bear ... fun stuff, much like the cartoon, not uproariously funny, but not 'finger in throat' bad either.   Fun stuff.   I also saw 'Green Hornet' which turned out to be a really fun ride.   Not a fan of Seth Rogen, he's neither a superhero figure, nor an actor that can ...well act.   But he seemed to fit the part pretty good , though when he tries to act 'serious' it just seems to hard to believe.   Still, the movie has some nice action, some funny moments and Jay Chou does a great Kato.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Having fun in DCU

'COOL CAT' just hanging out in Metropolis.


Ok, So I've been having a Blast with DC Universe Online, and its surprising how much fun it is compared to the beta.   The game still needs to work on its chat ability for the PC, and as well as add more rpg elements (eg. adding Character background stories, a dedicated rp server etc.), and the targeting need improvement.  Overall though, I'm impressed with its launch.   Now not all was perfect with the launch of DCU (server issues), but it has been alot better than most MMO launches.  I enjoy the game on the PC, though I do think that there should be a way to make keybinds for certain attacks.   I'm sure there will be something coming down the line to help with 'mouse cramping'.

I still have trouble believing that Sony will bring out timely updates to the game for the PC and the PS3, but we'll see down the line.

Probably the best feature of the MMO is the amount of detail of the environment, Gotham City, and Metropolis looks fantastic, and the voice over work is really well done for the most part.   This game does make one feel like a part of a living superhero world, and I think this is a real boost to the DC Universe.  So much so that I wouldn't be surprised if the Marvel MMO gets an extra kick to get going.   

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Ah, DCU Online


So I made my superhero in DCU, White Squirrel.  Actually it's always been my main character since the City of Heroes game.

I will say, the game is addictive, and Sony has done a great job since I played the beta.   In this picture I'm fighting an Hallucination from an attack by Scarecrow.   If any of you are on, look me up on 'Brave new World' (server).  The DC universe is a fun playground to throttle evil in ... at least for my 30 day subscription that came with the game.  

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Cape

Ok, so there's a new superhero on tv, and his name is "the Cape", and he uses his .... er Cape to fight crime.    Ok, so here is the good news.     It has lots of action, and pretty good special effects.   The bad news ... er.. the script, and the pacing.   Talk about rushing the first episode.    So much happens, that you can't look away for a minute.    Usually I like that, but this was ridiculous.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cape_(2011_TV_series) check out that link for a quick plot update.

I'll give this series some time to develop, but I really wish that they would of used an established Comic book world.   It may of cost NBC more money, but they would of garnered a better response than what this probably will.  Summer Glau is still the best thing about this series.





Mystery Men, the TV series that NBC should of done.   THE SPLEEN!!!!!!

Cosmic Cube in Captain America Movie!!

The famed 'Cosmic Cube' from Marvel comics, the ultimate power object in the Marvel Universe, makes and apperance in the new Captain America movie!



Check out more here ..

DCU Online --- Coming tomorrow!!

As a guy who got into the closed beta, I will say that the DC Universe online game is a sweet looking game.   The world is cool, the chance to do some neat missions with your favorite DC universe characters is nice.   But truth be told, I wasn't going to pick up the game.   I'm still looking for the Superhero MMO that has a strong RPG element.   This one doesn't have one.    It's an action MMO that will require much button mashing.   If you pick up the PC version of the game, make sure you plug in a controller from either PS3 or XBOX 360 ... otherwise your mouse hands are going to get a little sore, especially once you unlock some combos.

I pre-ordered the collector's edition back in September I think, and I really wasn't going to pick it up .. but I changed my mind.   Why?   Because I geeked out on the Very COOL Batman figurine.


Probably the best statuette of Batman in quite awhile.   Oh, yeah, and the game will be a nice diversion for the next month.  Like most mmo releases, you might want to give it a day or so before you get online, just so Sony will have time to work out the bugs.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Week in Review ...

It's been painful .. literally. I had my teeth cleaned at the dentist for the first time in like 12 years. Needless to say, there was some blood, and yucky scraping sounds. My teeth weren't too bad considering, must be my constant brushing or something. Still, it was painful enough,and I have to go back in a couple weeks to get my pearly white polished, and some fine cleaning to be done .. because there was too much bleeding to finish the job. yeah .. yucky


I'm still going to the physiotherapist for my Eachelle's tendon. This time she did some acupuncture ....I hate needles, and it cramped up my Calv's more than helped my Eachelle's. Still painful.


I made made three substantial purchases this week. New Balance running shoes, hoping they help with my Eachelle's, then I picked up a KOBO e-book reader -- hope this will make my book purchases less expensive, as well as leave me more shelf space. I also picked up Shadows over Camelot. Trouble is that I need at least 3 people to play, so far I count only one, but I have a feeling it won't be hard to find others to join in the game. It's great to have a co-operative board game, it eliminates some competitive angst.

I picked up the Alice Cooper 'Brutal Planet' on itunes. Great album, and it really shows off Alice's gift of writing.


I spent too much money, though most of it was bought with Christmas/Birthday money. Still, I better slow down, need to save up for some holidays this year.

I'm getting closer to finishing the book of Mark in my blog at The Narthax I'm going to miss the journey I had while writing it, and just how God opened up my eyes to so many things. The next step is for me to find the next book. I could do the Psalms, or Romans ... but, seriously, everyone does Romans hehe.


I've gotta preach this Sunday at First Baptist in Owen Sound, and I'm thinking of using a lesson from Mark 14:43-65 (today's lesson actually), but it feels overwhelming emotionally because of what Christ experienced ... it's very powerful, and hope that I give it the attention it deserves.

Trying out the DragonSpell book from Donita K. Paul.  So far a pretty decent read.  The world is pretty cool, and it will appeal to any fantasy aficionado.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

On a more positive note .. here's Stryper's newest offering ...

Here is Stryper's rendering of 'Carry On Wayward Son' by Kansas.  Totally rocks.  A great cover tune.   Now go to itunes and grab the single!!  These guys need the support.   Woot Stryper!!




Hinn the Sith ... had to share this youtube vid. :)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Racism alive and well in Middle-Earth /slapface


Ok, one of things when I game that I like to do, is make a character that is the least to me as possible.  Why?  because that's part of the experience.   I experience me 24/7/365, the point of going to a movie is to immerse yourself in a different world for 2 hours.  Same in Gaming.    So, what's the farthest thing for me to make?  A black slender woman .. so I created one.   Now this character (Nyota) has been around for a while, at like lvl 12.   One day I decided to put more time into this character, and I joined a kinship (guild).   One day I logged on to my computer, and one of the guildmates said .. "Hello N***R"   ... Even though I'm as Caucasian as you can get, this (and rightly so) deeply offended me.  I reported him, and as far as I know, he's no longer on lotro.   The worst part is that there were other guildmates on, and no one spoke up!  Be it as it may, I left the kin, and got into a better one.

Now, that was the only incident so far, but I was looking around the game world, and really, it's hard to even find a black character around, though it's not like it's really easy to make a black character in the game, you have to choose 'Human' and then a 'Gondor' character, and only then will it work.    Nonetheless, it was an eye-opener and a sad thing to see in-game .. too much of it happens out-of-game.

I count this as an interesting social experiment.   This incident has also spurred me on to playing this character more, and to level her up more than I normally would.

On to other useless news ...
I've been neglecting Star Trek Online.   I really need to get back into that game.

..and ... once more...

I picked up Vork #1 at the local comic shop.   Halarious stuff, and a good little insight into the Vork character.   Hmm, Vork's dad is like really crazy though, wondering if they over did it.   Otherwise, a good addition to your 'the guild' library.


And... yes, I'm doing 3 postings in one day, just realized my 'The narthax' blog is catching up to these postings.

Also, check out my Buddy's blog The Nerd and the Word.   I'm jealous that he though up that title ;)   He's a great guy and a fellow geek.

Pojoh the burg, in his awesomeness ...



Ok, I'm very conceited when it comes to my characters .. I love them, because I took the time to design them, and watched them rise from the mediocrity of lvl 1, to the raw power of 65.  Alright, that's a little over-doing it, but I'm enjoying the experience.    Anywhoo here's my burg, and in an attempt to make him more akin to J.R.R.'s vision, dressed him in this lovely elven robe, with a dye of yellow.    Apparently Hobbits favor the color yellow the most (yes, I'm reading the Fellowship of the Ring ... and that stood out for me).   The trouble is finding the right hat for a burg that shows up as 'bright' yellow.   One of the troubles with the dye-ing system in Lord of the Rings Online, is that it is REALLY rare that you can dye anything a bright white, or bright yellow.   Chances are that you'll only make a brown hat less brown, instead of BRIGHT.    LOTRO also has dreadful hats for the most part.   If anyone can find a decent hat for my li'l burg, let me know. :)

Other than that, my burg really isn't that uber, as I haven't really been playing the game that often (now that the Christmas celebrates are a thing of the past) and he's lacking in some stat stuff, but the game still draws me in.

Recently I have been playing Mass Effect 2 way too much.  Finished the game the second time through, and now playing it with a different character a third time.    The game has such a great story, superb characterization, and I think it rivals ANY other scifi video game ... ever.   Bold words ... true :)

I think the Mass Effect movie is still going ahead, that should be fun, but I think it'll be hard to match the game.

Reading wise, I'm taking on Donita K. Paul's 'Dragonspell' on my Kobo ... a great e-novel so far.    I still need to continue my 'Fellowship of the Ring'  .... so many books so little time.