First, I must apologize for the lack of updates this summer. Frankly, I've lacked inspiration in all but the barest forms. Being stuck on the couch with no forward progress in any medical conditions, let alone monetary ones, will do that to you. To write, what I really need is an obscure combination of overstimulation and severe boredom; to whit, what is found during school. I need caffeine, esoterics and the screaming need for an outlet. Catastrophic indolence is no recipe for originality.
This summer, I have played many video games. I have seen many movies. I have read many books. What I have not done is worked or really challenged myself, because the new drugs and the new treatments and my fucking foot have been enough of an obstacle all by their lonesome.
What I have garnered is essentially a series of reviews. 3D-dot game heroes is amazing. Scott Pilgrim in all of its forms is worth your time. The Expendables is so terrible that I would honestly rather watch New Moon again over it (there's a girl, okay?). In exchange for her reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I have agreed to suffer the egregious slings and arrows of the Twlight quote-unquote saga. It's crap in a hat, but worth it to expose someone who would have otherwise never touched the works of Douglas Adams to his inspiring brilliance. The man knows how to turn a phrase. Stephanie Meyers, on the other hand, reads so poorly that it impinges upon the freedom of the mind and the ephemeral nature of the soul to consume it. The very fact that she is now wealthy beyond all need by nature of what passes for her talent is a thing that chafes my very existence.
Back to the reviews, though:
- Ip Man is an entertaining romp through wing chun.
- The Star Wars prequels are still pretty, and still shitty.
- The first season of Fringe is spellbinding.
- True Blood is better than The Vampire Diaries, but that's not saying much; HBO/showtime's penchant for tits and ass mitigates much sub-par writing.
- Futurama is excellent in all of its forms; the new season being no exception.
- The Rockband Network has added much needed popular songs to the genre; the music nerds who choose the tunes need to face the fact that they're forcing people to kareoke obscure music, and that that makes it harder to introduce new people to the game. Seriously, one popular song for every great-but-unheard-of song. What are you, "differently abled"? Anywho, Rockband is still Rockband. Can't wait for v3.0 Keytar? Yes, please.
- DeathSpank is literally nothing but hack and slash fetch quests tied together by amazing dialogue and yet is completely worth your time.
- Earthworm Jim HD doesn't quite play like the SNES version of the game, but is close enough for crotch-based appreciation.
- Heroman is fun, yet.. still anime, which means that it bears little resemblance to North American culture, let alone reality. I still like it. It's no Cowboy Bebop, but hell, what is?
Oh hey, books!
- Hood is a great take on Robin Hood; much better than the new Russel Crowe flick.
- Battle Royale will leave you enraptured (which is worthy of awe, for a translation).
- Crooked Little Vein, like all Warren Ellis material, is perverted and dirty, disgusting yet facinating, full of cynically worthwhile appraisals of government and culture, and utterly spellbinding.
- Jesus or the Non-Religious is spiritually affirming, yet at the same time reassuring to the rational minded that not all dedicated Christians have their cranial space lodged up the nearest fecal-oriented orifice.
- Pygmy takes getting used to, but entertains on many levels, as does Rant, Snuff, Survivor and, of course, Fight Club. I like Chuck Pahlaniuk. His brand of dark-yet-informative lights my fire.
- Hitler's Scientists is dry, yet full of cool tidbits about the science of the 3rd reich.
- Shi Long Pang is an amazing webcomic, and the 1st hardcover volume is well worth your money.
- The NSFW crowd should check out Oglaf.com.
There is literally too much music to properly discuss. I must utterly recommend everything by Vampire Weekend. Just go, you'll thank me.
Twilight really is crap in a hat, though. I mean, I get the appeal: the books are written for any woman who has ever felt like an outcast, or at least not entirely accepted, for any reason whatsoever - and then several of the HOTTEST PEOPLE EVER fall head heels over for you, waiting for you to make a choice. The fact that Bella, the main character, is utterly unlikeable, coupled with the obviously high-school-abusive-relationship-you-put-up-with-because-you-don't-know-any-better nature of her romance with the male lead is irrelevant in the face of the fact that all the pretty people love her whiny ass because she is literally crack for their senses. Frankly, it fails on every level except consistent, lengthy narrative; which has led me to read shittier stuff. It is terrible, though.
Menh, I've been bored for four months in many ways, despite the company I've had and the work done on my motorcycle. School and tea/coffee will prompt many more updates. Stay Tuned.
