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.

Trouble in the North ...

I just read this article in the Globe and Mail, about the suicide problem in the Ontario North.   It's a sad state of affairs, and I think personally it hits anyone involved in youth ministry like a brick.   It's heart wrenching, and an area that I think is hard for the Church to reach, but we are not called to do easy things are we?    Check out the article at:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/christie-blatchford/lifting-the-veil-on-native-youth-suicide/article1856501/singlepage/#articlecontent

This sort of goes in line with something that I'm thinking of doing, and basically it's my own little mission project that my mother (bless her soul) has opened my eyes to.   Basically getting items to send to northern Ontario in time for next Christmas.   Still trying to get some info. on resources aka.. who to send the stuff too, but I think it's a start.