They had a baby girl just after midnight this morning. Her name is Consuela Ortiz Falava Grace.
Or maybe it isn't... But she is a girl!
Congrats you two. Good luck explaining to Silas that babies don't go back to the hospital after you finish your week rental.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Welcome To The Future (of 2004)!
Well, this week has seen us rocketed into the year 2004, tech-wise.
First off, I got that iPod on Saturday. I'm so glad I picked up that little unit when I did as I was stuck in a hospital room overnight for two nights for work and listening to podcasts and watching some of the videos really helped me stay awake both nights, esp. since the room was pitch black both nights!
So hooray for the iPod and the ability to actually start to delve into the wonderful world of podcasts in earnest.
Secondly, we finally made the leap from VCR to DVR today. Well, we would have made it last week but Cogeco sent the new receiver to the wrong address (and it wasn't their fault, actually) so I didn't get it until yesterday. I set the thing up today and man, it's NICE.
I'm afraid I've moved into a new recording bracket. The fact that I can set the thing to record series and specify whether it's new or old is genius. I know it's not a new feature, but being able to automate it so it will record Colbert and The Daily Show every night will be so nice!
First off, I got that iPod on Saturday. I'm so glad I picked up that little unit when I did as I was stuck in a hospital room overnight for two nights for work and listening to podcasts and watching some of the videos really helped me stay awake both nights, esp. since the room was pitch black both nights!
So hooray for the iPod and the ability to actually start to delve into the wonderful world of podcasts in earnest.
Secondly, we finally made the leap from VCR to DVR today. Well, we would have made it last week but Cogeco sent the new receiver to the wrong address (and it wasn't their fault, actually) so I didn't get it until yesterday. I set the thing up today and man, it's NICE.
I'm afraid I've moved into a new recording bracket. The fact that I can set the thing to record series and specify whether it's new or old is genius. I know it's not a new feature, but being able to automate it so it will record Colbert and The Daily Show every night will be so nice!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
VGL Tickets
What are YOU doing March 13, 2009? Videogames Live is coming to the Center In The Square in Kitchener that day and I'm trying to gather a posse to go see it. If you're interested, let me know and I'll buy tickets. They range from $35-80/ticket.
I know that *I* am going. I'm not sure who else is, but if I have to go by myself, I'll be going by myself! I missed it last year due to it being too expensive down at the Hummingbird Center and I've heard nothing but great things about the experience from people who have seen it.
I know that *I* am going. I'm not sure who else is, but if I have to go by myself, I'll be going by myself! I missed it last year due to it being too expensive down at the Hummingbird Center and I've heard nothing but great things about the experience from people who have seen it.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Thus Spake The Blueberry
Interesting. I did a bit more digging and there's a whole write-up on the pitch for that Mr. Muffin ad. Bring on more creative ads like this, I say!
The fact that they did it all as CG but had to do all sorts of tricks to get it to look like traditional stop-motion animation is really cool.
The fact that they did it all as CG but had to do all sorts of tricks to get it to look like traditional stop-motion animation is really cool.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Mmmm... Muffins...
Speaking of the Olympics, I'm loving the Mr. Muffin ad that RBC has going. I'm already sick of 98% of the ads being run every 5 minutes but I'll stop what I'm doing to watch this one whenever it comes up.
It helps that the animation is top notch...
It helps that the animation is top notch...
Saturday, August 09, 2008
I Am In Awe
As far as I care, the Olympics are finished. Sure, they had a great opening ceremony and all, but I just watched the finale of the Men's 400m IM and I'm just flabbergasted by what I just witnessed.
In a good way, of course.
I used to swim Butterfly and IM back in high school and I know how draining a 200 IM is. To see someone do a 400IM and smash the world record by about 2 seconds and not be reduced to a quivering bowl of jelly is just something else. Phelps is just inhuman.
Now I would be interested in watching more if they combined the equestrian and high dive events...
In a good way, of course.
I used to swim Butterfly and IM back in high school and I know how draining a 200 IM is. To see someone do a 400IM and smash the world record by about 2 seconds and not be reduced to a quivering bowl of jelly is just something else. Phelps is just inhuman.
Now I would be interested in watching more if they combined the equestrian and high dive events...
iBrock: Ludditis Sufferer
Over the past few months, I've had this burning lust for an iPod nano. My current MP3 player (PSP aside) was a 512KB unit that I got for Christmas about 3-4 years ago (at least). It's a decent little unit but it just doesn't have the memory for even a single podcast, plus the interface on the song loader is incredibly clunky and archaic in this day and age.
Anyway, I've been able to quell the urges to get an iPod for a while and slowly socked money away for one. I finally broke down yesterday and picked up a 4GB nano at the pawn shop in Guelph as it was only $90 instead of the usual $145 or so that they go for at Futureshop or Walmart. It was a little scratched up and didn't have headphones, but that's ok... right?
Well, wrong.
I wasn't counting on coming down with a horrible case of Ludditis last night. Oh, sure, I was able to load up a bunch of songs and video podcasts and such on my new toy last night but that's about the easiest thing that I was able to pull off over the past 24 hours.
I was just trying to listen to a podcast when I went to bed and that's when the system started to get a little glitchy on the video side of things. Then it just locked up all together. This led to a lot of (silent) cursing and then a trip back downstairs to plumb the depths of the internet to see if I could figure out how to reset a frozen iPod. Then my computer lost mouse functionality when I restarted it to reinitialize the iTunes software.
Sigh.
At this point it was after 2am and I had to be up at 6 to go to work, so I just said, "Bugger it," and went to bed.
Then today, after I get home from work, I find that the keyboard was somehow locked on my computer so I couldn't get past the BIOS and then, once that was resolved, EVERYTHING RAN SUPER SLOOOOOOW....
I was not amused. Not only was my cheap iPod crapping out on me, my computer looked like it was dying.
The computer is doing just fine now and we took another trip to Guelph so I could get my money back from the Pawn Shop and we hit the WalMart and snagged a brand new 4GB nano. Woo. It kind of sucks that I had to spend the full amount that I'd saved instead of saving $60 or so but I have to say that the new unit looks a lot nicer when it's not looking like it went through a war zone. Plus it hasn't locked up yet!
The saddest part of this whole affair came a little while ago when I was trying to figure out the velcro strap on the armband/case thing I picked up tonight for the Nano. I spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out how the velcro could connect without having to twist the band. Julie came over, took one look at it and bent the end of the band over the buckle and voila! The armband was secure.
Sigh.
I'm tired. Leave me alone!
Anyway, I've been able to quell the urges to get an iPod for a while and slowly socked money away for one. I finally broke down yesterday and picked up a 4GB nano at the pawn shop in Guelph as it was only $90 instead of the usual $145 or so that they go for at Futureshop or Walmart. It was a little scratched up and didn't have headphones, but that's ok... right?
Well, wrong.
I wasn't counting on coming down with a horrible case of Ludditis last night. Oh, sure, I was able to load up a bunch of songs and video podcasts and such on my new toy last night but that's about the easiest thing that I was able to pull off over the past 24 hours.
I was just trying to listen to a podcast when I went to bed and that's when the system started to get a little glitchy on the video side of things. Then it just locked up all together. This led to a lot of (silent) cursing and then a trip back downstairs to plumb the depths of the internet to see if I could figure out how to reset a frozen iPod. Then my computer lost mouse functionality when I restarted it to reinitialize the iTunes software.
Sigh.
At this point it was after 2am and I had to be up at 6 to go to work, so I just said, "Bugger it," and went to bed.
Then today, after I get home from work, I find that the keyboard was somehow locked on my computer so I couldn't get past the BIOS and then, once that was resolved, EVERYTHING RAN SUPER SLOOOOOOW....
I was not amused. Not only was my cheap iPod crapping out on me, my computer looked like it was dying.
The computer is doing just fine now and we took another trip to Guelph so I could get my money back from the Pawn Shop and we hit the WalMart and snagged a brand new 4GB nano. Woo. It kind of sucks that I had to spend the full amount that I'd saved instead of saving $60 or so but I have to say that the new unit looks a lot nicer when it's not looking like it went through a war zone. Plus it hasn't locked up yet!
The saddest part of this whole affair came a little while ago when I was trying to figure out the velcro strap on the armband/case thing I picked up tonight for the Nano. I spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out how the velcro could connect without having to twist the band. Julie came over, took one look at it and bent the end of the band over the buckle and voila! The armband was secure.
Sigh.
I'm tired. Leave me alone!
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Phun @ The Phire Haul
The images you are about to view may be concidered disturbing for some viewers. Parental discretion advised.
What? That's not disturbing? How about...THIS!
Still not quivering in fear? Don't say I didn't warn you. Avert your gaze now before it's too late!
It's a shame his face is stuck like that...
Missives From The Kids
Most of these little updates/quotes didn't warrant an entire post of their own, so I'll just lump them all together.
----
We recently turned Kara's car seat around in the Mazda 5. We found out that, despite traveling the winding roads of Halton Hills for the past year or so with nary a complaint, Kara does NOT enjoy the roller coaster experience that such driving engenders when she can actually see the dips and dives. The last chunk of our drive home on Monday was pretty much a symphony of screams followed by silence as Kara looked out the window in bug-eyed terror at each turn in the road.
It was pretty funny, especially with Garrett egging her on by throwing his hands in the air at every hill and hollering in mock terror.
----
We were at the Early Year's Center this morning and Garrett was cutting some paper. I asked him what he was doing.
"Cutting out my name."
"Why?"
"I don't like it."
"You don't like Garrett?"
"Nope."
"What are you going to be called?"
"Lloyd Jameson."
"Ooookay...."
----
It was the annual trip to the Acton Fire Hall today. Due to me being the only dad in the group, I was drafted to play the role of Sparky The Fire Dog. If your recall from past trips to the Fire Hall, Sparky looked a bit like Sparky The Undead Fire Dog. The costume of yore has been retired and I got to wear a new Sparky outfit today. It was pretty fun to ham it up without having to say anything. Plus it's always interesting to see the kids' reactions. It alternates between pure joy to abject terror, sometimes with the same kid.
Kara, in particular, was vacillating between wanting to reach out to Sparky and bawling her eyes out whenever I turned the costume's giant head towards her. I'd hoped to get a picture of me (as Sparky) holding Kara but when I reached out to hold her, she just burst into tears and was shaking with fear. Oh well.
I did get a few pictures of the kids with the usual "Stand Back 150 Meters" sign and I'll upload them later tonight.
----
We recently turned Kara's car seat around in the Mazda 5. We found out that, despite traveling the winding roads of Halton Hills for the past year or so with nary a complaint, Kara does NOT enjoy the roller coaster experience that such driving engenders when she can actually see the dips and dives. The last chunk of our drive home on Monday was pretty much a symphony of screams followed by silence as Kara looked out the window in bug-eyed terror at each turn in the road.
It was pretty funny, especially with Garrett egging her on by throwing his hands in the air at every hill and hollering in mock terror.
----
We were at the Early Year's Center this morning and Garrett was cutting some paper. I asked him what he was doing.
"Cutting out my name."
"Why?"
"I don't like it."
"You don't like Garrett?"
"Nope."
"What are you going to be called?"
"Lloyd Jameson."
"Ooookay...."
----
It was the annual trip to the Acton Fire Hall today. Due to me being the only dad in the group, I was drafted to play the role of Sparky The Fire Dog. If your recall from past trips to the Fire Hall, Sparky looked a bit like Sparky The Undead Fire Dog. The costume of yore has been retired and I got to wear a new Sparky outfit today. It was pretty fun to ham it up without having to say anything. Plus it's always interesting to see the kids' reactions. It alternates between pure joy to abject terror, sometimes with the same kid.
Kara, in particular, was vacillating between wanting to reach out to Sparky and bawling her eyes out whenever I turned the costume's giant head towards her. I'd hoped to get a picture of me (as Sparky) holding Kara but when I reached out to hold her, she just burst into tears and was shaking with fear. Oh well.
I did get a few pictures of the kids with the usual "Stand Back 150 Meters" sign and I'll upload them later tonight.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Freaka-Me, Freaka-You!
Not only do I get to watch all of the great WB superhero cartoons that I loved 10 years ago whenever I want, I also get to have the pleasure of introducing Garrett to the madness that is Freakazoid!
And it was only $22 for the set!
And it was only $22 for the set!
Cicada Killer Killer
We got back from our trip abroad (leaving the GTA feels like leaving the country, so there) to find that there were a couple of piles of dirt in our backyard where the patio stones connected. I thought they were just a few anthills until a couple of giant demon wasps emerged. I was able to kill one last night and after digging up the holes and filling the spaces in the stones, I ended up trapping the second one this morning.
I did a bit of research and it turns out that my unholy house guests are actually Eastern Cicada Killer wasps. Given that I really like Cicadas and can't stand wasps, I don't feel bad for smiting these two beasties.
At least they weren't a true threat to the kids or anything. I thought they were going to pick Kara up and fly her off to the swamp, they were that big...
I did a bit of research and it turns out that my unholy house guests are actually Eastern Cicada Killer wasps. Given that I really like Cicadas and can't stand wasps, I don't feel bad for smiting these two beasties.
At least they weren't a true threat to the kids or anything. I thought they were going to pick Kara up and fly her off to the swamp, they were that big...
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Please Stop Believin'
Ok. Gene over at Unshelved (the best library based webcomic around) either reads my blog, listens to the CBC or surfs on Evil Avatar or I've contributed to a new internet meme. I saw his post for today and it looks a lot like mine from a couple days ago.
Coincidence? I think not!
Coincidence? I think not!
It Is Finished!
After 10 years, it is finally over.
I've beaten Final Fantasy Tactics.
The original FFT was the first Playstation game I ever purchased. Oh, those were the days.
That was a good 10 years ago (or close to it) and I have always had the game on my list of things to beat. Unfortunately, it's one of the most difficult games available.
Well, I picked up the PSP version last fall and played it religiously until around Christmas, when I got to the same spot where I always get stuck and just stopped playing for about, oh, 7 months. I finally fired the game back up last month and worked on it pretty diligently until tonight, when I finally finished it.
Woo!
Now I can start playing games like, oh, Jeanne D'Arc. You know... the game I bought my PSP for!
Now to get to sleep so I can hit the garage sales tomorrow morning!
I've beaten Final Fantasy Tactics.
The original FFT was the first Playstation game I ever purchased. Oh, those were the days.
That was a good 10 years ago (or close to it) and I have always had the game on my list of things to beat. Unfortunately, it's one of the most difficult games available.
Well, I picked up the PSP version last fall and played it religiously until around Christmas, when I got to the same spot where I always get stuck and just stopped playing for about, oh, 7 months. I finally fired the game back up last month and worked on it pretty diligently until tonight, when I finally finished it.
Woo!
Now I can start playing games like, oh, Jeanne D'Arc. You know... the game I bought my PSP for!
Now to get to sleep so I can hit the garage sales tomorrow morning!
Friday, August 01, 2008
OMGWTFBBQ!?!
Dear Lord, please bring me a copy of Demigod ASAP. And a computer that will run it.
Thanks,
Brock
Seriously though, have you seen the trailer for Demigod? I don't know anything about it but the fact that it appears to be some kind of real-time strategy/diabloesque game where you control units that look like the Colossi from Shadow Of The Colossus is enough to get me drooling.
Thanks,
Brock
Seriously though, have you seen the trailer for Demigod? I don't know anything about it but the fact that it appears to be some kind of real-time strategy/diabloesque game where you control units that look like the Colossi from Shadow Of The Colossus is enough to get me drooling.
Mmm... Lard Dogs...
Here's a list of 5 hot dogs that will kill you. Seriously.
They're all rather unappealing, but this one is especially disgusting... and it's only #4 on the list.
The list was courtesy of the always awesome Bill Harris over at Dubious Quality and his Friday Links list.
They're all rather unappealing, but this one is especially disgusting... and it's only #4 on the list.
4. Paula Deen's Lard Dog
Serious Eats first uncovered Paula Deen's insidious plot to kill us all in 2007 with a deliciously deadly mix of butter, liquid cheese, deep-fried meat, and southern charm. However, they missed a 2005 meal that makes all the others look like health food. The Grim Reaper looms largely over Paula Deen's Lard Dog. Why bother with relish and mustard when you could top your hot dog with bacon, Velveeta, and lard? She may have mixed the lard with a few other ingredients in order to mask the flavor of death, but it really doesn't matter when you're six feet under. Read more about this hot dog here.
The list was courtesy of the always awesome Bill Harris over at Dubious Quality and his Friday Links list.
Where A Kid Can Be A Kid
We took the kids to the Children's Museum in London today. Garrett had a blast in the Dinosaur Caves and the Space Gallery. Heck, we had to go through the whole museum twice and I almost needed a crowbar to get him out of the space capsule.
I'll post some pics on Monday or Tuesday when I get the camera unloaded.
I'll post some pics on Monday or Tuesday when I get the camera unloaded.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Don't Stop Believin'... OR ELSE!
I was listening to The Vinyl Cafe today and they had a show all about various covers of songs, good, bad and ugly. The show led off with this tune and it knocked my socks off. I'm still not sure if I really like it or if I'm just drawn to it the way gawkers are drawn to a 30-car pile-up, but it's definately something to behold.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
I Hope Garrett Doesn't Learn To Read Before Christmas
Thanks to my good friends over at the Johnny Gigawatt site, I just saved myself a chunk of money.
Garrett (and I) really like the Warner animated series, esp. Teen Titans, the original Batman animated series stuff and the Justice League Unlimited series. Unfortunately, the cost of the Batman: TAS seasons is insane ($40-50 per season in most cases) so I've resisted buying them.
It turns out that, come November, the entire series will be available in this gorgeous box set and the price is actually quite reasonable... $75 at Amazon.com... Now to see if Amazon.ca will carry it.
I'm really glad I didn't pick up Season 1 yesterday while I was out. It was $30 at HMV (normally $55) and I came THIS close.
Now if only Batman Beyond came in a nice set like that...
Garrett (and I) really like the Warner animated series, esp. Teen Titans, the original Batman animated series stuff and the Justice League Unlimited series. Unfortunately, the cost of the Batman: TAS seasons is insane ($40-50 per season in most cases) so I've resisted buying them.
It turns out that, come November, the entire series will be available in this gorgeous box set and the price is actually quite reasonable... $75 at Amazon.com... Now to see if Amazon.ca will carry it.
I'm really glad I didn't pick up Season 1 yesterday while I was out. It was $30 at HMV (normally $55) and I came THIS close.
Now if only Batman Beyond came in a nice set like that...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
[Insert Awesome Headline Here]
I went out with some friends to see the late show of The Dark Knight on Monday.
Holy crap, (Batman), that was an awesome movie. Easily the best film I've seen this year, hands down. For once the hype was actually surpassed by the actual movie instead of letting us down.
I'm not going to spoil anything as I believe that the movie is best watched when you know as little about the plot as possible. I'll just say that Heath Ledger was as good as the critics have been making him out to be and has become the de facto Joker in my mind. Bye bye, Jack Nicholson!
My only complaint was that we didn't get out of the theatre until 1:10am and by the time I got home it was just after 2am... And then I had to chat with some friends about it, so by the time I finally crawled into bed it was around 3am. Suffice it to say, I spent most of yesterday just stumbling around at home and work! At least I got a good night sleep last night and am rarin' to go today.
I had a great headline that I thought up yesterday in my post-movie rush but for the life of me, I can't remember it. If I do, I'll amend this post title.
Holy crap, (Batman), that was an awesome movie. Easily the best film I've seen this year, hands down. For once the hype was actually surpassed by the actual movie instead of letting us down.
I'm not going to spoil anything as I believe that the movie is best watched when you know as little about the plot as possible. I'll just say that Heath Ledger was as good as the critics have been making him out to be and has become the de facto Joker in my mind. Bye bye, Jack Nicholson!
My only complaint was that we didn't get out of the theatre until 1:10am and by the time I got home it was just after 2am... And then I had to chat with some friends about it, so by the time I finally crawled into bed it was around 3am. Suffice it to say, I spent most of yesterday just stumbling around at home and work! At least I got a good night sleep last night and am rarin' to go today.
I had a great headline that I thought up yesterday in my post-movie rush but for the life of me, I can't remember it. If I do, I'll amend this post title.
Showing Some Dedication
On Sunday, Kara was dedicated at church. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures yet but we'll get some from one of the people who were there... HINT HINT!
A huge thanks goes to everyone who was able to make it out and, as bad as it sounds, a huge thanks also goes out to those who COULDN'T make it, as we had just enough people cancel or not come to our house afterwards to allow us to have the luncheon in our place without looking like a Tokyo subway car. It's a shame the weather was so crappy as we had planned a lovely picnic lunch but I think that the spread we put on in our cramped abode was enjoyable, if nothing else :)
At least I was able to show off our new comfy chair, that we got for FREE!
A huge thanks goes to everyone who was able to make it out and, as bad as it sounds, a huge thanks also goes out to those who COULDN'T make it, as we had just enough people cancel or not come to our house afterwards to allow us to have the luncheon in our place without looking like a Tokyo subway car. It's a shame the weather was so crappy as we had planned a lovely picnic lunch but I think that the spread we put on in our cramped abode was enjoyable, if nothing else :)
At least I was able to show off our new comfy chair, that we got for FREE!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
La De Mwahaha
Go check out Dr. Horrible, the sing-along blog starring Doogie Howser and written by Joss Whedon.
All three parts are up but they're getting pulled down on Sunday, so watch them while you can!
All three parts are up but they're getting pulled down on Sunday, so watch them while you can!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Deep Sea Blogger
I think this may be the second time I've linked to the Dark Roasted Blend blog, but given my reluctance to delve into photoblogs, this one is simply awesome for the quality and variety of pictures.
This list of gorgeous ocean creatures is a must-see. I had this one up on my desktop
but I think it would scare Julie, so I put a cute snail up there instead.
This list of gorgeous ocean creatures is a must-see. I had this one up on my desktop
but I think it would scare Julie, so I put a cute snail up there instead.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Appendix Of The Car
I took the day off today to both take my car in for an operation and to get a doctor's appointment done. I figured it would be worth it to take care of both things on the same day AND I got a day off with the house to myself. WoO!
Doctor's appointment went fine. I swung by the shop to pick up my car on the way home only to find out that the part that Saturn had shipped to the local garage WAS THE WRONG PART!
So they took the air intake regulator out of my car and are letting me drive around without one for a few days until I take it in on Friday (which is when the proper part should be in).
Which begs the question: If I can drive around without this part in my car, why am I paying ~$350 to replace it?
Doctor's appointment went fine. I swung by the shop to pick up my car on the way home only to find out that the part that Saturn had shipped to the local garage WAS THE WRONG PART!
So they took the air intake regulator out of my car and are letting me drive around without one for a few days until I take it in on Friday (which is when the proper part should be in).
Which begs the question: If I can drive around without this part in my car, why am I paying ~$350 to replace it?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Garrett: Movie Psychic
Sometimes I worry about my kid.
For whatever reason, Garrett started saying, "Uncle Buck. Uncle Buck. Uncle Buck..."
I gave him a look and said, "Uncle Buck?"
"Uncle Buck makes pancakes for the kids. Uncle Buck makes pancakes for the kids."
"Where did you watch Uncle Buck? At the babysitter's?"
"No. I didn't watch it there."
"Well, where did you watch it then?"
"Nowhere!"
"You must have seen it somewhere."
"No. I didn't see it. Nobody made pancakes for the kids."
And that was that.
Garrett is strange.
For whatever reason, Garrett started saying, "Uncle Buck. Uncle Buck. Uncle Buck..."
I gave him a look and said, "Uncle Buck?"
"Uncle Buck makes pancakes for the kids. Uncle Buck makes pancakes for the kids."
"Where did you watch Uncle Buck? At the babysitter's?"
"No. I didn't watch it there."
"Well, where did you watch it then?"
"Nowhere!"
"You must have seen it somewhere."
"No. I didn't see it. Nobody made pancakes for the kids."
And that was that.
Garrett is strange.
12 Years Till Doomsday
I traded in my copy of Ratchet & Clank: Tools Of Destruction for the PS3 today as I beat it a few days ago and the likelihood of replaying it isn't going to happen any time soon. The upside was that I was able to pick up a copy of Motorstorm for about a dollar. Woo!
Garrett has spent more time playing it this afternoon than I have though. He just lays on the horn, fires up the boost and rams his bike/car/semi into the nearest cliff and cackles as it smashes to pieces.
I'm never letting him drive my car...
Garrett has spent more time playing it this afternoon than I have though. He just lays on the horn, fires up the boost and rams his bike/car/semi into the nearest cliff and cackles as it smashes to pieces.
I'm never letting him drive my car...
Sunday, July 13, 2008
We Survived The Journey
Not to sound like too much of a shill, but holy smokes, Journey To The Center Of The Earth was probably the most fun I've had at the movies this summer. Best movie of the summer? No. But it was definately the most fun.
Garrett had a goofy grin on his face the whole time and I know I saw him jump at least two or three times, though he swears that nothing in the movie scared him, not even the dinosaur or the giant fish with the pointy teeth that ALMOST LANDED IN HIS LAP!
If you have kids and want to give them the ride of their summer without standing in line in the hot sun, get them to see this movie. But make sure that you see it in 3D on a Real3D theatre screen. Garrett actually kept his 3D glasses on for almost the whole movie, which is a feat in itself. The few times he took them off, all it took was a "if you don't put them back on, the dinosaur won't come" and voila! He was wearing his glasses again.
I knew it must have been a hit when he talked about all the cool parts on the way out of the theatre... and then in the car... and then when we got home... and then when I was reading him stories at bedtime. Well worth the extra few bucks to see it in 3D.
Of course, it probably wasn't as awesome as this...
Garrett had a goofy grin on his face the whole time and I know I saw him jump at least two or three times, though he swears that nothing in the movie scared him, not even the dinosaur or the giant fish with the pointy teeth that ALMOST LANDED IN HIS LAP!
If you have kids and want to give them the ride of their summer without standing in line in the hot sun, get them to see this movie. But make sure that you see it in 3D on a Real3D theatre screen. Garrett actually kept his 3D glasses on for almost the whole movie, which is a feat in itself. The few times he took them off, all it took was a "if you don't put them back on, the dinosaur won't come" and voila! He was wearing his glasses again.
I knew it must have been a hit when he talked about all the cool parts on the way out of the theatre... and then in the car... and then when we got home... and then when I was reading him stories at bedtime. Well worth the extra few bucks to see it in 3D.
Of course, it probably wasn't as awesome as this...
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Journey To The Center Of The Theatre
I'll be taking Garrett to see Journey To The Center Of The Earth (IN 3D!) tomorrow afternoon in Guelph if anyone wants to join us. We'll be seeing the 5pm show.
See you there... or not. I'm cool with just seeing it with Garrett.
See you there... or not. I'm cool with just seeing it with Garrett.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Don't Start Your Door-To-Door Salesman Career Here
This is a very cool list of 20 abandoned cities from around the world. Sadly, neither Chernobyl or Centralia are on the list, but there are a lot of other cool cities that deserve their time in this very depressing spotlight.
That's One Stop Crossed Off The List
We're taking some time off at the end of the month while our babysitter is on vacation. I have been thinking about going to Niagara Falls and taking Garrett to the Marvel Superheroes Adventure City thing for a while and decided to check into it last night.
Well, I'm sure glad I looked into it before we made the trip down there. It turns out that Marvel has pulled the licensing (or the hotel that ran the attraction dumped it) and it's now just Adventure City, with most of the Marvel likenesses just gone.
You've gotta love the chutzpah of a place that renames the Spidey & Friends Playground as the Spikey & Friends Playground.
Granted, lots of these images are now old, but why not at least spring for a few extra dollars and put a new sign up instead of just blanking out the Daredevil in the Daredevil Obstacle Course?
I'm also glad I looked into this as it seems that it was an extraordinarily overpriced and crappy arcade that happened to have some Marvel licensing attached.
Now to invest that money on a trip to the ROM!
Well, I'm sure glad I looked into it before we made the trip down there. It turns out that Marvel has pulled the licensing (or the hotel that ran the attraction dumped it) and it's now just Adventure City, with most of the Marvel likenesses just gone.
You've gotta love the chutzpah of a place that renames the Spidey & Friends Playground as the Spikey & Friends Playground.
Granted, lots of these images are now old, but why not at least spring for a few extra dollars and put a new sign up instead of just blanking out the Daredevil in the Daredevil Obstacle Course?
I'm also glad I looked into this as it seems that it was an extraordinarily overpriced and crappy arcade that happened to have some Marvel licensing attached.
Now to invest that money on a trip to the ROM!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Shirt Shopping
I need some new t-shirts.
I was poking around on Cafepress.com and they have some awesome shirts. Then I saw this and wished that I'd found it about a year ago...
I found a few shirts that I'm thinking about getting but I don't want to have to pay the international shipping. I'm trying to remember the name of the company that operated out of Quebec and does shirts for some of the webcomics that I read... Grr...
I was poking around on Cafepress.com and they have some awesome shirts. Then I saw this and wished that I'd found it about a year ago...
I found a few shirts that I'm thinking about getting but I don't want to have to pay the international shipping. I'm trying to remember the name of the company that operated out of Quebec and does shirts for some of the webcomics that I read... Grr...
Smells Like Fun
I found a very cute, very funny and very smelly game on the internet today. Puzzle Farter.
Yup. Puzzle Farter.
It's actually a great little puzzle/platforming game (in flash) and the little fart noises never get old. I'm going to show it to Garrett in the morning. I bet he'll laugh his head off for hours.
Yup. Puzzle Farter.
It's actually a great little puzzle/platforming game (in flash) and the little fart noises never get old. I'm going to show it to Garrett in the morning. I bet he'll laugh his head off for hours.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Soup Du What?
On Sunday evening, we managed to finagle a babysitter and Julie & I went out to Kitchener (ptooey!) for her father's retirement dinner. It was a very nice evening and the food was top notch.
The only thing that was strange was the soup. Given that we had a choice of three appetizers, two of which were salad, I knew I was going to end up with the soup du jour. I prayed and wished that it would be something like Potato Leek or Beef Barley and figured that I'd end up having to order Cream Of Broccoli or some such foul concoction.
Then the waiter (yes, we ate somewhere fancy enough to have waiters, not servers) announced that the soup of the day was... wait for it...
Cold watermelon soup.
I think the sound of a table full of necks cracking as they did a double-take drowned out all conversation for a few seconds.
After I regained my composure at being blindsided with the strangest soup I had ever heard of, I decided to chance it. Not being a fan of cold soup in general (I usually would stick it back in the microwave, thanks), I didn't know what to expect. Imagine my surprise when the soup was actually very good! I think it had some mint in there somewhere and it was overall a very pleasant bowl of, well, puréed watermelon and a few mystery spices.
So happy retirement Ralph, and may you have many bowls of cold watermelon soup now that you're finished working!
The only thing that was strange was the soup. Given that we had a choice of three appetizers, two of which were salad, I knew I was going to end up with the soup du jour. I prayed and wished that it would be something like Potato Leek or Beef Barley and figured that I'd end up having to order Cream Of Broccoli or some such foul concoction.
Then the waiter (yes, we ate somewhere fancy enough to have waiters, not servers) announced that the soup of the day was... wait for it...
Cold watermelon soup.
I think the sound of a table full of necks cracking as they did a double-take drowned out all conversation for a few seconds.
After I regained my composure at being blindsided with the strangest soup I had ever heard of, I decided to chance it. Not being a fan of cold soup in general (I usually would stick it back in the microwave, thanks), I didn't know what to expect. Imagine my surprise when the soup was actually very good! I think it had some mint in there somewhere and it was overall a very pleasant bowl of, well, puréed watermelon and a few mystery spices.
So happy retirement Ralph, and may you have many bowls of cold watermelon soup now that you're finished working!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
More Batmo-fun
I was just reading Garrett a Justice League Adventures comic at bedtime and he pointed at the Batsignal and said, "Look! The Batmomoon!"
"No, Garrett. That's not the Batmomoon. It's the Batmosignal."
"Ohhhh..."
I'm evil...
"No, Garrett. That's not the Batmomoon. It's the Batmosignal."
"Ohhhh..."
I'm evil...
A Mind Is A Terribl(y fun) Thing To Warp
A week or two ago we went to some garage sales in the area. At one of them was a pristine Batman on the Batcycle that we picked up for Garrett for $2. That's when the fun started.
You know how there's the Batmobile? Well, now, thanks to my careful ministrations, Garrett calls all of the various Batman vehicles using the following nomenclature:
Batmobile
Batmo-sub
Batmo-plane
Batmo-cycle
Batmo-blimp...
The list goes on, but he is convinced that Batmo-whatever is the proper prefix for a Batman vehicle.
Mwahahahahaha...
You know how there's the Batmobile? Well, now, thanks to my careful ministrations, Garrett calls all of the various Batman vehicles using the following nomenclature:
Batmobile
Batmo-sub
Batmo-plane
Batmo-cycle
Batmo-blimp...
The list goes on, but he is convinced that Batmo-whatever is the proper prefix for a Batman vehicle.
Mwahahahahaha...
Friday, July 04, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
When Good Deeds Go Bad
We got home from our walk around town this afternoon (I had to take the Saturn into the shop to see if they could extricate the weasel that has wrapped itself around my engine) and Garrett wanted to play in the backyard.
No problem, I thought...
The basketball net in the backyard had tipped over so I tried to stand it up. When I did so, I noticed that there was a wasp flying around near where the kids would be playing. Not wanting my wee ones to get stung, I took off my hat and gave it a swat.
That's when the screaming started.
It turns out that my well-intentioned swatting ended up sending the wasp on a trajectory right into the collar of Garrett's shirt. It took far too long to figure out a) why he was screaming and b) where the wasp was. We eventually got the wasp out but by then Garrett had been stung not once, not twice, but six times.
Poor guy. At least I know he's not allergic to wasp stings! I figure that since he's running around and being his usual self and the fact that the sting areas aren't swelling very much means he'll be fine.
No problem, I thought...
The basketball net in the backyard had tipped over so I tried to stand it up. When I did so, I noticed that there was a wasp flying around near where the kids would be playing. Not wanting my wee ones to get stung, I took off my hat and gave it a swat.
That's when the screaming started.
It turns out that my well-intentioned swatting ended up sending the wasp on a trajectory right into the collar of Garrett's shirt. It took far too long to figure out a) why he was screaming and b) where the wasp was. We eventually got the wasp out but by then Garrett had been stung not once, not twice, but six times.
Poor guy. At least I know he's not allergic to wasp stings! I figure that since he's running around and being his usual self and the fact that the sting areas aren't swelling very much means he'll be fine.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Happy Canada Day!
I wonder how many gamerpoints that's worth?
We went out and had breakfast first thing this morning. Unfortunately, Smitty's was closed (doh!) but we stopped at this little family restaurant in Georgetown that was open and had a yummy breakfast. It's kind of strange to be out and about and back home before 9:30am...
Spent the morning attempting to start one of the various lawnmowers in the board shed so I could do some yardwork on the common areas. After about half an hour of yanking on the pull-cords of various yard implements, I gave up and just used my push mower to mow our own front lawn. I also did a lot of weeding (those triffids won't take over my yard!) and put our fancy new solar lights up in the front of the house.
Julie took care of rearranging a large portion of the house while I was outside getting mad at small engines. It's amazing how much difference it makes when you move a few (large) pieces of furniture around and get the toys all arranged in one spot!
Happy Canada Day everyone! May it not rain long enough for you to be able to see some fancy fireworks.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Don't Play This Game!
This game is evil and addictive. I should be working on the final act of Metal Gear Solid 4 but nooo... I'm trying to land a cute bear on a bus in the middle of rush hour.
My record so far is 53 cars with a score of 2320. I'm sure I could get higher than that, but then I'll be playing all night...
My record so far is 53 cars with a score of 2320. I'm sure I could get higher than that, but then I'll be playing all night...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
START THE CAR!
We went to Ikea today and got a few new things for the house. My favourite purchase was the Poang footstool which is a perfect compliment to the Poang chair that I sit in while gaming.
I also snagged a little stool for using when I play the drums on Rock Band. I think it was only $3.99 which is a much better price than the 'Rock Throne' drum stool I've seen at EB for $29.99!
We also got another Benno shelf so I can get some of the DVDs and games off the floor and other stacks. And, in what I hope will be the cure to the incessant mess that consumes our living room, we got this funky storage unit.
Hopefully this'll help.
Oh, and I made sure we came home with a stuffed pillbug. How could I resist?
The best part about the trip was that Garrett was finally able to play in the ball room. He couldn't when we went there before Kara was born but he got his fill today!
By the way, we would never have been able to get home with our stuff in the Kia. I love the new car.
I also snagged a little stool for using when I play the drums on Rock Band. I think it was only $3.99 which is a much better price than the 'Rock Throne' drum stool I've seen at EB for $29.99!
We also got another Benno shelf so I can get some of the DVDs and games off the floor and other stacks. And, in what I hope will be the cure to the incessant mess that consumes our living room, we got this funky storage unit.
Hopefully this'll help.
Oh, and I made sure we came home with a stuffed pillbug. How could I resist?
The best part about the trip was that Garrett was finally able to play in the ball room. He couldn't when we went there before Kara was born but he got his fill today!
By the way, we would never have been able to get home with our stuff in the Kia. I love the new car.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Never Ask What Colour The Sky Is In His World
Garrett was outside looking at a grasshopper and informed us that it was, and I quote, "Indigo green."
Part of me is VERY curious about what that would look like. Hmm... according to dictionary.com, it's "a green derived from indigo".
Part of me is VERY curious about what that would look like. Hmm... according to dictionary.com, it's "a green derived from indigo".
Seperated At Birth
I knew I played too much Mega Man back in the day. It's spilling over, genetically.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Let's Dance...
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
So, Tim... I hope you have something similar for us after your trip around Europe!
Spoiled By The Rat
Garrett & I went to see Wall-E today. It is a good movie especially concidering that the first third of the movie is almost dialogue free. Unfortunately, I think I've been spoiled by Ratatouille. That movie was just so beyond awesome that no matter how good Wall-E was, it just fell short of the mark I've set in my head.
When Wall-E is good, it is VERY, VERY good. The love story part of the movie is absolutely phenomenal. Unfortunately, it falls a little flat when Wall-E leaves Earth and meets up with the remnants of humanity. It's not bad, but it's nowhere near as good as the robot love story part of the film.
That said, the animation is gorgeous (probably the nicest looking Pixar movie to date) and Wall-E and EVA are awesome characters. Unfortunately, there just aren't a lot of other characters in the movie that I cared about, though the crazy robot gang was funny.
The "Presto" short film that aired before Wall-E was probably my favourite Pixar short film to date. It was absolutely hilarious.
Oh, one other thing. There was a trailer for a movie called "Fly Me To The Moon" before the movie started. It's some CGI movie that's done in 3D. Here's a word of advice: If you have a computer animated movie that looks like something a 15 year old would cobble together on a Mac in his basement, it's probably not a great idea to show the trailer before a Pixar movie. Seriously, it looked like something made in 1998.
When Wall-E is good, it is VERY, VERY good. The love story part of the movie is absolutely phenomenal. Unfortunately, it falls a little flat when Wall-E leaves Earth and meets up with the remnants of humanity. It's not bad, but it's nowhere near as good as the robot love story part of the film.
That said, the animation is gorgeous (probably the nicest looking Pixar movie to date) and Wall-E and EVA are awesome characters. Unfortunately, there just aren't a lot of other characters in the movie that I cared about, though the crazy robot gang was funny.
The "Presto" short film that aired before Wall-E was probably my favourite Pixar short film to date. It was absolutely hilarious.
Oh, one other thing. There was a trailer for a movie called "Fly Me To The Moon" before the movie started. It's some CGI movie that's done in 3D. Here's a word of advice: If you have a computer animated movie that looks like something a 15 year old would cobble together on a Mac in his basement, it's probably not a great idea to show the trailer before a Pixar movie. Seriously, it looked like something made in 1998.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sleeping Like A Login
Ok... that's odd.
I just got a little "blorp" on my computer telling me that Julie had just logged into MSN Messenger.
Which is strange, since she's sleeping upstairs RIGHT NOW!
I think she's a victim of identity theft. I wonder what I have to call her now...
I just got a little "blorp" on my computer telling me that Julie had just logged into MSN Messenger.
Which is strange, since she's sleeping upstairs RIGHT NOW!
I think she's a victim of identity theft. I wonder what I have to call her now...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Spore: The Next Generation
On Friday I downloaded the Spore Creature Creator trial. Garrett and I tinkered around with it a bit on Saturday morning before his party and had a lot of fun with it.
Here's Sammy, our first creation.
Then we made this... thing... I call it the CrocoCrab, but I forget its true name.
Dave was over on Saturday and made this thing that I call the Reverse Elephant With Eyes On Its Butt.
And today, Garrett made a monster all by himself. He calls it Randall.
This is the thing I made today with the full version of the Creature Creator.
Here's Sammy, our first creation.
Then we made this... thing... I call it the CrocoCrab, but I forget its true name.
Dave was over on Saturday and made this thing that I call the Reverse Elephant With Eyes On Its Butt.
And today, Garrett made a monster all by himself. He calls it Randall.
This is the thing I made today with the full version of the Creature Creator.
Happy 4th Birthday Garrett!
It's Garrett's 4th birthday today... yeesh... I can't believe he's already old enough to sign up for Kindergarten this fall.
We had a McDonald's birthday party this weekend for him. It was pretty fun and all that was missing was a visit from Ronald McDonald himself (I guess Ron was out choosing prime Scotsmen for the Angus burgers) but it was good nonetheless.
Garrett and his crew are rollin' into Playland, McHomie style.
The gang digs into the birthday feast.
Queen Kara enjoys the feast from her lavish throne.
Garrett got a pile of Hot Wheels tracks from everyone and he's been spending the last few days playing with them all. Good times.
Today's his actual birthday and his friend (who couldn't make it to the party on the weekend) is taking him to McDonald's for supper, so don't be surprised if the next picture I take of Garrett is of a giant chicken mcnugget wearing his clothes.
We had a McDonald's birthday party this weekend for him. It was pretty fun and all that was missing was a visit from Ronald McDonald himself (I guess Ron was out choosing prime Scotsmen for the Angus burgers) but it was good nonetheless.
Garrett got a pile of Hot Wheels tracks from everyone and he's been spending the last few days playing with them all. Good times.
Today's his actual birthday and his friend (who couldn't make it to the party on the weekend) is taking him to McDonald's for supper, so don't be surprised if the next picture I take of Garrett is of a giant chicken mcnugget wearing his clothes.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Is It A Car? A Van? A Can?
Yes, after minutes of painstaking research, we decided to buy a Mazda 5 on Monday. Today was the day we got to say, "Sayonara!" to the Korean Monstrosity that was Julie's Kia Spectra and say, "Bonjour!" to the oh-so-delightful (and spacious) Mazda 5. We're still trying to come up with a name for it... As far as Garrett's concerned, it's the Car With No Name...
If nothing else, it's nice to have a vehicle that you can actually store and ship things in. The fact that it doesn't sound like it's about to rattle apart whenever you're idling is quite a bonus too.
I Am Proteus The Invincible!
With the recent release of Dungeons & Dragons: 4th Edition, I've had a real jonesing to find my dice and roll up a character or three. I've done my level best to not buy the DM Guide and Player's Handbook over the past week, but it's hard. Even though I know I won't be playing any games anytime soon and that I haven't really played a game of D&D in about, oh, 10 years, I can't stop picking up sourcebooks here and there and reading them for fun.
Of course, I did that back when I actually played D&D too, so I'm just skipping the awkward interpersonal stuff.
Now to wait for Garrett to get old enough that I can turn him into a social reject :)
Of course, I did that back when I actually played D&D too, so I'm just skipping the awkward interpersonal stuff.
Now to wait for Garrett to get old enough that I can turn him into a social reject :)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Almost All Growed Up
Garrett has his Kindergarten orientation meeting tomorrow. I think that's the day when his victim, er, teacher gets to meet him and then spend the next few months curled up in a ball, dreading the first day of school :)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Buggy Like A Fox
So... there's a new version of Firefox out.
I"m using it right now and suffice it to say, it's going to need a teeeny bit of tweaking. Just trying to make this post (and embed links) means I have to go back to writing tags by hand. Blarg.
Hopefully everything will get ironed out over the next couple of days. If I have to resort to using Internet Explorer I'll shoot myself.
I"m using it right now and suffice it to say, it's going to need a teeeny bit of tweaking. Just trying to make this post (and embed links) means I have to go back to writing tags by hand. Blarg.
Hopefully everything will get ironed out over the next couple of days. If I have to resort to using Internet Explorer I'll shoot myself.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Bothers Day
We were calling Father's Day Bothers Day at work today because it seemed like everyone was doing their best to bother everyone else :)
Garrett had some interesting one-liners lately. When I came home from work, I walked into the kitchen to see that he had all of his super hero toys arrayed in formation to fight his Mark 1 Iron Man toy. Of course, he wanted ME to be Mark 1.... I wonder if that means something.
Last night at bed time, we could hear Garrett's voice coming in from the backyard, which meant that he was standing on his bed and yelling out his window. I went up to give him a talk about the dangers of leaning against window screens and that he had to be careful otherwise he might fall out and hurt himself.
A thoughtful look passed across his face and he said, "But if I fall out, I can just flap my wings and fly."
As much as I like to encourage a healthy imagination and fantasy life in Garrett's noggin, I had to lay a bit of reality down on him this time as I don't really want him taking swan dives out of his second story window.
Garrett has also coined a term for what I hope is NOT his sport of choice. He was out in the back yard and we weren't sure whether he was saying that he is ready for biking or fighting... It turns out he was ready for both, as he was going 'fiking'.
Garrett had some interesting one-liners lately. When I came home from work, I walked into the kitchen to see that he had all of his super hero toys arrayed in formation to fight his Mark 1 Iron Man toy. Of course, he wanted ME to be Mark 1.... I wonder if that means something.
Last night at bed time, we could hear Garrett's voice coming in from the backyard, which meant that he was standing on his bed and yelling out his window. I went up to give him a talk about the dangers of leaning against window screens and that he had to be careful otherwise he might fall out and hurt himself.
A thoughtful look passed across his face and he said, "But if I fall out, I can just flap my wings and fly."
As much as I like to encourage a healthy imagination and fantasy life in Garrett's noggin, I had to lay a bit of reality down on him this time as I don't really want him taking swan dives out of his second story window.
Garrett has also coined a term for what I hope is NOT his sport of choice. He was out in the back yard and we weren't sure whether he was saying that he is ready for biking or fighting... It turns out he was ready for both, as he was going 'fiking'.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Hungry...
I went to see The Incredible Hulk today with a couple guys from work. Fun times.
If you liked Iron Man, you'll probably enjoy the new Hulk movie. It's a vast improvement over the snooze-fest that was the Ang Lee version. Just the right amount of smashing, talking and running for me.
And they do you the favour of not forcing you to wait through the credits to see the funky secret footage.
If you liked Iron Man, you'll probably enjoy the new Hulk movie. It's a vast improvement over the snooze-fest that was the Ang Lee version. Just the right amount of smashing, talking and running for me.
And they do you the favour of not forcing you to wait through the credits to see the funky secret footage.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Quick Hits
It's been a long week so here's rundown of what's been going on around here.
Sunday
Went fishing with Garrett and a few of his friends and their dads at the local conservation area in Rockwood. Pictures to come.
Monday
Worked far too long on not enough sleep.
Tuesday
Was still waaay too tired to think while at work and to top things off, it appeared as though the game selector that I use was on the fritz. What should have been a quick replacement job was like the search for the holy grail (and about as fruitful).
Wednesday
Got my oil changed and stayed home from work sick. I shouldn't have been as tired on Wednesday as I was on Monday. Thankfully, a few naps and a relaxing evening helped somewhat. Oh, and I beat Grand Theft Auto 4.
Today
Still feeling a bit under the weather. My TV is still showing the faint vertically scrolling band but it's barely noticable right now. I'm not sure what is causing this. It seems that every time I think I've fixed whatever the issue is with my TV/Selector/whatever, it ends up manifesting as something else shortly thereafter. I'm convinced it's gnomes.
I also took the kids down to Springridge Farm for my free coffee this morning before picking up Metal Gear Solid 4 and dropping them off at the babysitter. Nothing like a fresh (and awesome) game and a quiet house to help replenish my waning energy stocks :)
If I can get as good a night sleep tonight as I did last night, I should be right as rain. Tomorrow should be a fun day with the kids.
Sunday
Went fishing with Garrett and a few of his friends and their dads at the local conservation area in Rockwood. Pictures to come.
Monday
Worked far too long on not enough sleep.
Tuesday
Was still waaay too tired to think while at work and to top things off, it appeared as though the game selector that I use was on the fritz. What should have been a quick replacement job was like the search for the holy grail (and about as fruitful).
Wednesday
Got my oil changed and stayed home from work sick. I shouldn't have been as tired on Wednesday as I was on Monday. Thankfully, a few naps and a relaxing evening helped somewhat. Oh, and I beat Grand Theft Auto 4.
Today
Still feeling a bit under the weather. My TV is still showing the faint vertically scrolling band but it's barely noticable right now. I'm not sure what is causing this. It seems that every time I think I've fixed whatever the issue is with my TV/Selector/whatever, it ends up manifesting as something else shortly thereafter. I'm convinced it's gnomes.
I also took the kids down to Springridge Farm for my free coffee this morning before picking up Metal Gear Solid 4 and dropping them off at the babysitter. Nothing like a fresh (and awesome) game and a quiet house to help replenish my waning energy stocks :)
If I can get as good a night sleep tonight as I did last night, I should be right as rain. Tomorrow should be a fun day with the kids.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Ska-Boosh!
Garrett & I went to take in a matinee of Kung Fu Panda this afternoon (hooray for air conditioned theatres!) and you know what? It is a great movie!
I figured it would be a little silly and goofy but otherwise on par with something like Shrek 3. You know, ok, but nothing special.
I absolutely loved it. Garrett had a huge grin on his face for the whole movie and he actually sat still for most of it!
I don't want to get heretical and start to compare it to Ratatouille, but it's up there.
Of course, a lot of the charm of the movie is the fact that it takes itself seriously as a kung fu movie instead of trying to be some kind of witty pop culture satire piece. The animation also looks fantastic and the fight scenes are well choreographed and for the most part, very funny.
And yes, Jack Black is the main character but he's not nearly as annoying as usual (and when he is annoying, it's for a good reason and other animals in the movie call him on it).
So go see Kung Fu Panda if you like CGI movies, kung fu and need a good laugh!
I almost forgot to mention: I can't wait for Wall-E and the new Star Wars movie. This summer is shaping up to be a great one if you like either superhero movies or awesome animated stuff.
I figured it would be a little silly and goofy but otherwise on par with something like Shrek 3. You know, ok, but nothing special.
I absolutely loved it. Garrett had a huge grin on his face for the whole movie and he actually sat still for most of it!
I don't want to get heretical and start to compare it to Ratatouille, but it's up there.
Of course, a lot of the charm of the movie is the fact that it takes itself seriously as a kung fu movie instead of trying to be some kind of witty pop culture satire piece. The animation also looks fantastic and the fight scenes are well choreographed and for the most part, very funny.
And yes, Jack Black is the main character but he's not nearly as annoying as usual (and when he is annoying, it's for a good reason and other animals in the movie call him on it).
So go see Kung Fu Panda if you like CGI movies, kung fu and need a good laugh!
I almost forgot to mention: I can't wait for Wall-E and the new Star Wars movie. This summer is shaping up to be a great one if you like either superhero movies or awesome animated stuff.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Dudley Do-Right - He's Our Man!
On Tuesday, we went out to see the RCMP Musical Ride in Fergus. We were lucky that it didn't rain while we were there and thankfully it had dried up enough by the time the show started that things weren't too damp.
The only complaint we had was that there was a frisbee dog pre-show that felt like it lasted a good hour compared to the Musical Ride. By the time the Mounties showed up to do their thing, the kids were getting pretty restless.
Anyway, on with the pictures!
If this guy doesn't fit the quintessential Mountie stereotype, nobody does.
Garrett (and Scowly McGee in the background) seem to like the horses.
The Musical Ride lines up.
The Newfie Firing Squad: Live In Fergus
The only complaint we had was that there was a frisbee dog pre-show that felt like it lasted a good hour compared to the Musical Ride. By the time the Mounties showed up to do their thing, the kids were getting pretty restless.
Anyway, on with the pictures!
Garrett (and Scowly McGee in the background) seem to like the horses.
The Musical Ride lines up.
The Newfie Firing Squad: Live In Fergus
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Police Brutality To The XTREEEEME!
I can't believe things like this still happen in North America.
That's just wrong...
...Residents say that their confidence in the Liberty City police force—low in the best of times—has eroded almost completely.
"I was buying a hot dog from a street vendor in Hove Beach yesterday when I saw someone run a red light, barrel down the sidewalk, careen into a garbage truck, exit his vehicle, steal a nearby convertible, and drive away," one Broker resident reported. "A nearby police car didn't even react. But when the car behind him nicked his fender, the officer shot the driver through the windshield and walked away."
"That is not the kind of law enforcement we want for our community," he added.
That's just wrong...
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Don't Click On That Link!
Don't click on this link. Don't say I didn't warn you!
It's waaaay too addictive.
By the way, I got 218 on my first attempt. A couple of stumpers, sadly.
It's waaaay too addictive.
By the way, I got 218 on my first attempt. A couple of stumpers, sadly.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Giant Bags Of Beans
I want one of these Sumo-Sacs so badly but they're not cheap. I'm also concerned that Kara would sit on it and be completely consumed by it.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Sunday, June 01, 2008
What's In The Bowl?
Forgotten science experiment found in the back of the fridge or delicious marinade?
Saturday, May 31, 2008
The Future Of TV Is Teleportation!
Garrett and I were watching the Saturday night movie on Teletoon tonight before bed and a Burger King commercial came on. They've got some cool Indiana Jones toys with their kids meals and I mentioned that those were cool toys.
Garrett looked at me and said, "Maybe next time we can get those toys."
"Sorry pal. There aren't any Burger Kings near us."
A thoughtful look crossed his face and a moment later he comes up with this gem.
"Maybe next time we can turn invisible and go inside the TV and then we can get those toys."
I couldn't stop laughing.
Garrett looked at me and said, "Maybe next time we can get those toys."
"Sorry pal. There aren't any Burger Kings near us."
A thoughtful look crossed his face and a moment later he comes up with this gem.
"Maybe next time we can turn invisible and go inside the TV and then we can get those toys."
I couldn't stop laughing.
Friday, May 30, 2008
A Member Of The Playstation Underground (Literally, Once Julie Gets Through With Me)
So...
I picked up a PS2 today that can play PS3 games and Blu-Ray discs.
I now can say that I have EVERY system. EVERY SYSTEM.
The local indie game shop, Geekdom, had a used 60 GB PS3 in the store when I stopped in there yesterday with a guy from work. It was going for $360 (which is a little lower than the usual price on Ebay) and given that it's the only model of PS3 available that has the PS2 hardware onboard for backwards compatibility (and the fact that they don't make the 60 GB model any more), I had a very hard time NOT picking it up right then and there.
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and I came home to mull it over. This morning, I gathered up a LOT of my older games that have been gathering dust and $300 in trade-ins later (and $100 out of my pocket), I was on my way home with a pretty snazzy new movie player.
Now I need to rent a Blu-Ray movie to convince Julie that the thing is actually a good value. Concidering that I was going to drop $150-200 on a new screen for that busted laptop (which isn't happening), $100 for a Blu-Ray player that also happens to play some PS3 and PS2 games isn't a bad value! REALLY!
I don't have any PS3 games right now but Metal Gear Solid 4 is out in about 2 weeks and I shall christen the system with it, if I don't get some PS3 titles from GetGames in the meantime.
Funny little postscript to this story: After my first visit to Geekdom yesterday, I then stopped off at EB. While I was there, I chatted with the clerk about seeing this rare 60 PS3 at Geekdom. He mentioned that there had been a guy in at EB earlier in the week trying to trade in a 60 GB PS3 but when he couldn't get cash, he left. Shortly after the guy's visit, the cops called to say that there had been a break-in recently and that one of the items stolen was a 60 GB PS3 and to be on the look out for anyone trying to offload one.
So I was concerned that the PS3 might be hot and called Geekdom to fill them in. Thankfully, they got the serial numbers off of the guy at EB and they're not the same, so I'm not worried about the cops busting my door down once I go online with the thing. Still...
The other downside is that I've been reformatting the drive for the past 4 hours. I think it's almost ready to go though, so I'm going to fire up Shadow Of The Colossus or something to see how they look upscaled.
Oh, did I mention you can also cook on the thing?
I picked up a PS2 today that can play PS3 games and Blu-Ray discs.
I now can say that I have EVERY system. EVERY SYSTEM.
The local indie game shop, Geekdom, had a used 60 GB PS3 in the store when I stopped in there yesterday with a guy from work. It was going for $360 (which is a little lower than the usual price on Ebay) and given that it's the only model of PS3 available that has the PS2 hardware onboard for backwards compatibility (and the fact that they don't make the 60 GB model any more), I had a very hard time NOT picking it up right then and there.
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and I came home to mull it over. This morning, I gathered up a LOT of my older games that have been gathering dust and $300 in trade-ins later (and $100 out of my pocket), I was on my way home with a pretty snazzy new movie player.
Now I need to rent a Blu-Ray movie to convince Julie that the thing is actually a good value. Concidering that I was going to drop $150-200 on a new screen for that busted laptop (which isn't happening), $100 for a Blu-Ray player that also happens to play some PS3 and PS2 games isn't a bad value! REALLY!
I don't have any PS3 games right now but Metal Gear Solid 4 is out in about 2 weeks and I shall christen the system with it, if I don't get some PS3 titles from GetGames in the meantime.
Funny little postscript to this story: After my first visit to Geekdom yesterday, I then stopped off at EB. While I was there, I chatted with the clerk about seeing this rare 60 PS3 at Geekdom. He mentioned that there had been a guy in at EB earlier in the week trying to trade in a 60 GB PS3 but when he couldn't get cash, he left. Shortly after the guy's visit, the cops called to say that there had been a break-in recently and that one of the items stolen was a 60 GB PS3 and to be on the look out for anyone trying to offload one.
So I was concerned that the PS3 might be hot and called Geekdom to fill them in. Thankfully, they got the serial numbers off of the guy at EB and they're not the same, so I'm not worried about the cops busting my door down once I go online with the thing. Still...
The other downside is that I've been reformatting the drive for the past 4 hours. I think it's almost ready to go though, so I'm going to fire up Shadow Of The Colossus or something to see how they look upscaled.
Oh, did I mention you can also cook on the thing?
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Begone Foul Washer!
As it was written (on the manifest), Zellers FINALLY picked up the dishwasher today. It's frightening how much room we have in our kitchen now that the dishwasher is finally gone.
The sad thing is that tomorrow (the 29th) is 2 months from the day we bought the stupid thing. Sigh.
On a sidenote, I took the broken laptop into the local computer store to see how much it would cost to repair it. It seems as though that particular laptop can only support one particular screen and it's almost $400 to replace it, plus tax.
Bah. I'll just save up for a true lappy.
The sad thing is that tomorrow (the 29th) is 2 months from the day we bought the stupid thing. Sigh.
On a sidenote, I took the broken laptop into the local computer store to see how much it would cost to repair it. It seems as though that particular laptop can only support one particular screen and it's almost $400 to replace it, plus tax.
Bah. I'll just save up for a true lappy.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Bells Of Steel
You've got to give the telemarketers a bit of credit for being so persistent. I got a call from Primus/Aeroplan today offering me a gazillion points if I switched. I just hung up on the guy.
Not 5 minutes later and the phone rang and it was Primus/Aeroplan trying to sell me on the same deal. I told the lady that I had just hung up on them a couple minutes earlier and that usually signifies that I AM NOT INTERESTED!
Gotta give them points for trying though.
Not 5 minutes later and the phone rang and it was Primus/Aeroplan trying to sell me on the same deal. I told the lady that I had just hung up on them a couple minutes earlier and that usually signifies that I AM NOT INTERESTED!
Gotta give them points for trying though.
Ballooning 101
So...
Did you hear about the French guy who was trying to set a skydiving record by jumping out of a balloon (which cost about 200,000 Euros) and forgot to attach the balloon to his gondola?
Whoops.
The best line from the botched launch: "There was this horrible deflating moment."
Did you hear about the French guy who was trying to set a skydiving record by jumping out of a balloon (which cost about 200,000 Euros) and forgot to attach the balloon to his gondola?
Whoops.
The best line from the botched launch: "There was this horrible deflating moment."
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Frightening Stuff
I double dog dare you to watch this video. I'm truly frightened by its subject matter, moreso than the actual content. Well, aside from the dancing. That's pretty scary too.
Friday, May 23, 2008
I Think The Penguin Thought It Was In Darvaz...
Bill over at Dubious Quality always has great links on Friday that run the gamut from games to science to strange sociology happenings and this week has been a great one.
There were two links that I had to put on here.
The first is a link about Darvaz - THE DOOR TO HELL!
It really reminds me of the cool pictures from Centralia (the town in Pennsylvania that was the inspiration for Silent Hill).
The second link... well... let me just put an excerpt from the news story.
Poor Pingu.
There were two links that I had to put on here.
The first is a link about Darvaz - THE DOOR TO HELL!
It really reminds me of the cool pictures from Centralia (the town in Pennsylvania that was the inspiration for Silent Hill).
The second link... well... let me just put an excerpt from the news story.
One summer morning, scientists observing elephant seals on a beach on Marion Island near the Antarctic spotted a young male Antarctic fur seal subduing a king penguin.
"At first we thought it was hunting the penguin, but then it became clear that his intentions were rather more amorous," de Bruyn recalled today via email.
The roughly 240-pound seal subdued the 30-pound adult penguin by lying on it. The hapless bird of unknown sex struggled, rapidly flapping its flippers and attempting to stand and flee, without luck.
Poor Pingu.
Good Things Happen To Bad People 2: The Enrichening
I called Zellers today and after spending about 20 minutes on the phone browbeating the guy on the other end of the phone (and threatening to retell the whole dishwasher saga for the third time) I was able to secure a $50 gift card from Zellers for all of the hassles we have had to go through!
Woo!
It wasn't a free PS3 like I'd hoped, but it's better than a kick in the shin. They tried to use the whole, "Well, you returned the dishwasher and we only give compensation to people who keep the product," routine, but I didn't let him get away with that!
No sirree bob!
Woo!
It wasn't a free PS3 like I'd hoped, but it's better than a kick in the shin. They tried to use the whole, "Well, you returned the dishwasher and we only give compensation to people who keep the product," routine, but I didn't let him get away with that!
No sirree bob!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
KHAAAAAN!
Kara went to see the doctor at the walk-in clinic tonight because her eye has been kind of goopy for the last couple days and she's been waking up every two hours at night for far longer than I can remember (probably for a week now).
Turns out that she's got an ear infection. I knew I shouldn't have shown Garrett that scene from Star Trek 2...
The nice thing is that the meds she's on seem to have helped her settle down tonight. We'll see if I'm jumping the gun or not but it's nice to know that there's a reason she's been so cranky for the past while (and why we've been getting so little sleep).
Turns out that she's got an ear infection. I knew I shouldn't have shown Garrett that scene from Star Trek 2...
The nice thing is that the meds she's on seem to have helped her settle down tonight. We'll see if I'm jumping the gun or not but it's nice to know that there's a reason she's been so cranky for the past while (and why we've been getting so little sleep).
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
I Have Offended The Ghost Of William Howard Livens
I am so livid right now.
I sat around all day today waiting for these idiots to show up and take my broken dishwasher away. They were supposed to come between noon and 6pm. I even called before the 6pm time to make sure they were coming.
"Yes sir, they have you on the list. You'll have to wait until after 6pm before I can call the driver."
I wait until 6:01pm. After spending 15 minutes on hold waiting for them to track down the driver, they hang up on me.
So I call back, get a nice lady who only has me on hold for about 5 minutes... only to inform me that I wasn't on the list for pick-ups today.
Oh, and did I mention that they called last night night to confirm that they were coming... TWICE!
GRRR...
Oh, and they only do pick-ups on Wednesday, which means that now I have to wait until NEXT Wednesday for this bloody dishwasher to be removed from our sight. I moaned, I kvetched, I grumbled, I even asked if there was someone else for me to yell at and it all came down to the same thing.
"They only do pick-ups and deliveries on Wednesdays. You'll have to reschedule."
Even my (admittedly hollow) threats of hauling it out to the curb for garbage day tomorrow were met with unusually serious replies of, "You can't do that sir. It's scheduled to go back to the warehouse."
To which I said, "BUT THEY DIDN'T COME TO TAKE IT BACK THERE, NOW, DID THEY?!"
*deep breaths Brock... deep breaths*
To make matters worse, I tried to call the store to see if I could at least yell at the slugs in the appliance section who have been the only humans I've been able to deal with in this whole process and, of course, both of the appliance people that we've dealt with aren't in until tomorrow, by which time my rage will likely have subsided.
I seriously want to just lug this stupid dishwasher out to the curb for garbage pick-up tomorrow. Or say, "Fine, you don't want it? I'm keeping it for free."
I'm usually pretty calm, cool and collected, but I just want to start putting my fist through a few walls right now. Or that dishwasher...
Hmm...
It IS already pretty dented... :)
The people at the call center did offer me compensation so I'm going to mention that tomorrow when I call and yell at the people at Zellers.
Lesson learned: Never buy an appliance at Zellers.
The sad thing is that if the dishwasher hadn't arrived all destroyed and such, I'd have been more than happy to recommend them. This whole scenario since we found the dents has been an exercise in near zen-like patience on our part, and I've finally had it.
I sat around all day today waiting for these idiots to show up and take my broken dishwasher away. They were supposed to come between noon and 6pm. I even called before the 6pm time to make sure they were coming.
"Yes sir, they have you on the list. You'll have to wait until after 6pm before I can call the driver."
I wait until 6:01pm. After spending 15 minutes on hold waiting for them to track down the driver, they hang up on me.
So I call back, get a nice lady who only has me on hold for about 5 minutes... only to inform me that I wasn't on the list for pick-ups today.
Oh, and did I mention that they called last night night to confirm that they were coming... TWICE!
GRRR...
Oh, and they only do pick-ups on Wednesday, which means that now I have to wait until NEXT Wednesday for this bloody dishwasher to be removed from our sight. I moaned, I kvetched, I grumbled, I even asked if there was someone else for me to yell at and it all came down to the same thing.
"They only do pick-ups and deliveries on Wednesdays. You'll have to reschedule."
Even my (admittedly hollow) threats of hauling it out to the curb for garbage day tomorrow were met with unusually serious replies of, "You can't do that sir. It's scheduled to go back to the warehouse."
To which I said, "BUT THEY DIDN'T COME TO TAKE IT BACK THERE, NOW, DID THEY?!"
*deep breaths Brock... deep breaths*
To make matters worse, I tried to call the store to see if I could at least yell at the slugs in the appliance section who have been the only humans I've been able to deal with in this whole process and, of course, both of the appliance people that we've dealt with aren't in until tomorrow, by which time my rage will likely have subsided.
I seriously want to just lug this stupid dishwasher out to the curb for garbage pick-up tomorrow. Or say, "Fine, you don't want it? I'm keeping it for free."
I'm usually pretty calm, cool and collected, but I just want to start putting my fist through a few walls right now. Or that dishwasher...
Hmm...
It IS already pretty dented... :)
The people at the call center did offer me compensation so I'm going to mention that tomorrow when I call and yell at the people at Zellers.
Lesson learned: Never buy an appliance at Zellers.
The sad thing is that if the dishwasher hadn't arrived all destroyed and such, I'd have been more than happy to recommend them. This whole scenario since we found the dents has been an exercise in near zen-like patience on our part, and I've finally had it.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Would You Kindly Read This Post?
This is kind of neat. A guy is basically trying to bring the premise of Bioshock to life with a series of water-borne cities. I just hope things turn out better for him than they did for Andrew Ryan.
My Poor Retinas!
So I took Garrett out to be tested to see if he's susceptible to photo-sensitive epileptic seizures... by which I mean I took him to see Speed Racer. I'm happy to say that he made it through the movie with nary a twitch.
This is one of the quieter, more subdued scenes in the movie...
It was a fun movie but it's by no means perfect. Almost the whole first hour is take up by people talking... and talking... and talking some more. We invited one of Garrett's friends (and his dad) to come with us and they ended up leaving the movie after about 45 minutes to an hour of the blather... which is a shame, given that almost right after they left, the driving started in earnest.
The latter half of the movie was an exercise in mind-numbing, over-the-top driving coupled with absolutely insane stunts and a monkey driving a car. Seriously. I honestly think that most of the racing sequences are what Garrett must see in his head whenever he plays with his cars. It's like the most mind-bendingly elaborate Hot Wheels play set brought to life with a background of colours lifted from a fever dream on acid. I think they actually invented colours for this movie.
All in all, Garrett seemed to really like it (he was seen playing in some laundry hampers tonight and being Speed Racer, plus he was chasing Kara around the play set tonight for his 'race') and that's what matters. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have kids (and skip the first hour of the movie) or are a HUGE Speed Racer fan though.
My head has been hurting for the past few hours... I think it wasn't until about an hour after the movie that my eyes could properly register the images that were imprinted on them and the slow process of sending all of that visual stimulation to my brain has done a number on my head.
This is one of the quieter, more subdued scenes in the movie...
It was a fun movie but it's by no means perfect. Almost the whole first hour is take up by people talking... and talking... and talking some more. We invited one of Garrett's friends (and his dad) to come with us and they ended up leaving the movie after about 45 minutes to an hour of the blather... which is a shame, given that almost right after they left, the driving started in earnest.
The latter half of the movie was an exercise in mind-numbing, over-the-top driving coupled with absolutely insane stunts and a monkey driving a car. Seriously. I honestly think that most of the racing sequences are what Garrett must see in his head whenever he plays with his cars. It's like the most mind-bendingly elaborate Hot Wheels play set brought to life with a background of colours lifted from a fever dream on acid. I think they actually invented colours for this movie.
All in all, Garrett seemed to really like it (he was seen playing in some laundry hampers tonight and being Speed Racer, plus he was chasing Kara around the play set tonight for his 'race') and that's what matters. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have kids (and skip the first hour of the movie) or are a HUGE Speed Racer fan though.
My head has been hurting for the past few hours... I think it wasn't until about an hour after the movie that my eyes could properly register the images that were imprinted on them and the slow process of sending all of that visual stimulation to my brain has done a number on my head.
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Manliest Post Ever
Alright guys. Esquire has a list of the 75 skills all men should have.
How'd you score?
Also, Michael Chabon has a great article in The New Yorker about superheroes. I really need to start reading "The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay".
Also, how can a manly post end without linking to this story, which has the best headline in the history of headlines :)
How'd you score?
Also, Michael Chabon has a great article in The New Yorker about superheroes. I really need to start reading "The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay".
Also, how can a manly post end without linking to this story, which has the best headline in the history of headlines :)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Good Things Do Happen To Bad People!
I was at Tim's today grabbing a bagel & coffee for lunch (I'm making a huge thing of Pad Thai at work for supper, so I'm eating light until then).
Anyway, the person in front of me ordered something, waited, then drove off before they got to the pay window.
I arrived and the lady asked me if the person in front had left. I said that they had. I noticed that she then put a box of TimBits off to the side.
When she handed me my coffee, I said, "Hey, I'll take their TimBits if you don't want them."
And she handed me the box of TimBits! For free!
I guess that they would have had to throw them out as they'd been handled when being put in the box. Better me than the garbage, I always say. Suffice it to say, the people at work will be happy with free TimBits.
Anyway, the person in front of me ordered something, waited, then drove off before they got to the pay window.
I arrived and the lady asked me if the person in front had left. I said that they had. I noticed that she then put a box of TimBits off to the side.
When she handed me my coffee, I said, "Hey, I'll take their TimBits if you don't want them."
And she handed me the box of TimBits! For free!
I guess that they would have had to throw them out as they'd been handled when being put in the box. Better me than the garbage, I always say. Suffice it to say, the people at work will be happy with free TimBits.
Almost As Dangerous As A Drive To Brampton...
Ralph sent me this video of a segment of the Camino del Rey in Spain. From the site:
It actually reminds me a lot of the new footage for Mirror's Edge, now that I think about it... only with a lot less shooting and cops :)
Some parts of the walkway have completely collapsed and have been replaced by a beam and a metallic wire on the wall. Many people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years. After four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed the entrances. However, adventurous tourists still find their way into the walkway.
It actually reminds me a lot of the new footage for Mirror's Edge, now that I think about it... only with a lot less shooting and cops :)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Resistance Is Therapeutic...
FYI, my dad made it through his surgery on Monday in one piece. Unfortunately, I believe that he is now forced to wear something like this for the next 6 weeks.
At least, that's what I picture when my mom described the healing process to me.
The upside is that he can't wander too far from the house because of those pneumatic tubes in the back. Get 5 feet from the compressor and you'll fall right on your face!
At least, that's what I picture when my mom described the healing process to me.
The upside is that he can't wander too far from the house because of those pneumatic tubes in the back. Get 5 feet from the compressor and you'll fall right on your face!
Liberty City Or New York?
This is a pretty neat flikr set that compares scenes from GTA IV and photos of New York. There are a few of them where it's hard to tell which is the game and which is real life!
Exhibit A
Which side is Times Square and which is Star Junction?
Exhibit B
Which is the Manhattan Bridge and which is the Algonquin Bridge?
Exhibit A
Which side is Times Square and which is Star Junction?
Exhibit B
Which is the Manhattan Bridge and which is the Algonquin Bridge?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The $600 Dad
My dad's going in for shoulder surgery tomorrow. His rotator cuffs have been pretty much shot for a good year now so tomorrow is the beginning of a new day in heavy lifting and wrench turning!
I wonder if he'll be getting one of these... I doubt it though...
I wonder if he'll be getting one of these... I doubt it though...
Don't Leave The House For Mother's Day!
First off, I hope everyone had a good Mother's Day today.
I've noticed that today seems to be the strangest Mother's Day I've experienced. It seems like if things can go wrong today, they will. Maybe Murphy didn't get his mom a card :)
We were on our way to church this morning and were about a block and a half away when Garrett blew chunks all over the backseat... 2-3 times in a row.
We got him cleaned up, stopped off at church long enough for me to make sure that the multimedia stuff was up and running and then headed home to clean him and the car up properly.
Garrett has been running a fever since last night (ranging between 99-101F). You can tell he's sick because he has actually slept at times during the last few days and isn't bouncing around nearly as much as usual. Hopefully he'll kick this bug soon!
While I was at church, I talked briefly to the worship leader and he was telling me that he hit a deer on the way down to church first thing this morning. Thankfully there was just some cosmetic damage to his car (though it sounds like the deer will be feeding the vultures soon) as it could have been much worse for him.
I was also talking to my mom this afternoon and she was telling me about a whole confluence of events at their church that threatened to derail the service. Their organist got hurt and couldn't make it in, the choir couldn't sing because they didn't know what they were singing, the sound system didn't work... CRAZY!
Things seem to be calming down now though. Hopefully everyone who was hurt or sick today will get over it and be a-ok soon!
I've noticed that today seems to be the strangest Mother's Day I've experienced. It seems like if things can go wrong today, they will. Maybe Murphy didn't get his mom a card :)
We were on our way to church this morning and were about a block and a half away when Garrett blew chunks all over the backseat... 2-3 times in a row.
We got him cleaned up, stopped off at church long enough for me to make sure that the multimedia stuff was up and running and then headed home to clean him and the car up properly.
Garrett has been running a fever since last night (ranging between 99-101F). You can tell he's sick because he has actually slept at times during the last few days and isn't bouncing around nearly as much as usual. Hopefully he'll kick this bug soon!
While I was at church, I talked briefly to the worship leader and he was telling me that he hit a deer on the way down to church first thing this morning. Thankfully there was just some cosmetic damage to his car (though it sounds like the deer will be feeding the vultures soon) as it could have been much worse for him.
I was also talking to my mom this afternoon and she was telling me about a whole confluence of events at their church that threatened to derail the service. Their organist got hurt and couldn't make it in, the choir couldn't sing because they didn't know what they were singing, the sound system didn't work... CRAZY!
Things seem to be calming down now though. Hopefully everyone who was hurt or sick today will get over it and be a-ok soon!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Super Hero Squad, UNITE!
This is sort of an addendum to the previous post.
Ah, I'll just let the news release say it all.
I'm not sure who would be more excited about the comic/game/cartoon... Garrett or me.
Ah, I'll just let the news release say it all.
"Officials from THQ and Marvel Entertainment have announced that the two companies have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement to create games based on the child focused Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.
The multi-year agreement grants THQ the exclusive worldwide rights to publish content for all current and next-generation consoles, handheld systems, and the PC. The first game resulting from the agreement is scheduled to appear in autumn 2009.
The franchise began as an action figure line of two-inch-high toys created by Hasbro, featuring stylized versions of various Marvel Comic superheroes and villains. The designs are similar to the Japanese concept of 'super deformed' caricatures, with an animated series and accompanying comic book also planned for 2009."
I'm not sure who would be more excited about the comic/game/cartoon... Garrett or me.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
This Post Is Off The Nerd Charts...
I was out with the kids today and Garrett found some of the new Marvel Superhero Squad figurines. I've been getting them for him every few weeks because, well, they're really cool. They're also very sturdy (they take a beating and barely get scuffed, let alone scratched) and are pretty cheap (~$7-8 for two figures).
They're also great as Garrett has been having all sorts of adventures with them in the house. I got him a Symbiote Spider-Man and Doc Ock figure today and he was having Doc Ock sing a song and Spidey was getting mad because he didn't like the song.
Yeah, Garrett's got a good imagination :)
Anyway, I almost didn't get Garrett the figurines today because I've been trying to cut back on them except that he found the one figure I've been trying to find for my own collection.
Behold: Tiny Deadpool!
I wish it had come with Cable but I'm just happy to have finally found the Deadpool figure. He's now hanging out on top of my monitor with my Elebit and Cthulhu plushie.
Edit: Eek. I just found that there is a checklist online. Oh lordy...
They're also great as Garrett has been having all sorts of adventures with them in the house. I got him a Symbiote Spider-Man and Doc Ock figure today and he was having Doc Ock sing a song and Spidey was getting mad because he didn't like the song.
Yeah, Garrett's got a good imagination :)
Anyway, I almost didn't get Garrett the figurines today because I've been trying to cut back on them except that he found the one figure I've been trying to find for my own collection.
Behold: Tiny Deadpool!
I wish it had come with Cable but I'm just happy to have finally found the Deadpool figure. He's now hanging out on top of my monitor with my Elebit and Cthulhu plushie.
Edit: Eek. I just found that there is a checklist online. Oh lordy...
Monday, May 05, 2008
It's Like Watching A Young Rowan Atkinson
A little birdy pointed me in the direction of Karaoke For The Deaf yesterday. Well, that has (re)introduced me to the wonderful world of interpretive mime.
First off, we have the regular version of Torn.
Next, feast upon the extravaganza that is the ULTIMATE version of Torn.
And last, but not least, watch David Armand, er, Johann Lippovitz, do his interpretation of Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis.
Funny, funny stuff.
First off, we have the regular version of Torn.
Next, feast upon the extravaganza that is the ULTIMATE version of Torn.
And last, but not least, watch David Armand, er, Johann Lippovitz, do his interpretation of Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis.
Funny, funny stuff.
Hooray For Spring!
When we got home from church yesterday, I got the bug to go out and slay some dandelions. I dug out the +1 Vorpal Prong of Weeding from the bowels of the shed (no small feat) and got a surprising amount of dandelions extracted from our front and back lawns.
Well, I don't know if I should call our front yard a lawn. There is some grass there, but 3-4 tufts of grass don't really constitute a lawn. What we do have is an overabundance of moss. I mean it. If you step on our front yard, it's almost springy, that's how much moss there is out there. What infuriates me is that I wanted to have moss in the cracks in the paving stones in the back yard and all that grows there is grass. If I could somehow convince the moss in the front yard to trade places with the grass in the back, I'd be a happy guy.
While I was digging for the weeding prong, I ended up pulling out the trampoline and the climbing fort so that got set up yesterday too. The nice thing is that there's actually somewhere for the kids to play in the backyard now and they spent most of today (when we weren't at the early year's center) out back exploring and fiddling with the toys.
It's funny to watch Kara try to do what Garrett does. When he was bouncing on the trampoline, she'd stand on the patio stones and bend her knees like she was bouncing :)
Well, I don't know if I should call our front yard a lawn. There is some grass there, but 3-4 tufts of grass don't really constitute a lawn. What we do have is an overabundance of moss. I mean it. If you step on our front yard, it's almost springy, that's how much moss there is out there. What infuriates me is that I wanted to have moss in the cracks in the paving stones in the back yard and all that grows there is grass. If I could somehow convince the moss in the front yard to trade places with the grass in the back, I'd be a happy guy.
While I was digging for the weeding prong, I ended up pulling out the trampoline and the climbing fort so that got set up yesterday too. The nice thing is that there's actually somewhere for the kids to play in the backyard now and they spent most of today (when we weren't at the early year's center) out back exploring and fiddling with the toys.
It's funny to watch Kara try to do what Garrett does. When he was bouncing on the trampoline, she'd stand on the patio stones and bend her knees like she was bouncing :)
Friday, May 02, 2008
Smashy Smashy
'Tis the summer of awesome superhero movies.
We've got Iron Man, The Dark Knight and now a new trailer for the new Hulk movie (which, thankfully, doesn't have anything to do with the Ang Lee version).
We've got Iron Man, The Dark Knight and now a new trailer for the new Hulk movie (which, thankfully, doesn't have anything to do with the Ang Lee version).
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Stark Raving AWESOME!
I love my job sometimes.
I got to take one of the guys out to see Iron Man tonight at a preview screening and it was AWESOME!
I'm on the cusp about saying it was better than Spider-Man. It is different in tone and content, of course, and it's a lot more grounded in reality than Spidey, but all of that aside it was fantastic.
It was a good thing I saw it before I took Garrett though. It's not that it's overwhelmingly violent or gory or anything. It's just that there is a lot of character development that, while really good for us grown-ups, would put Garrett to sleep.
I'll have to wait until the DVD comes out and just skip to the robot fights, which rock.
I got to take one of the guys out to see Iron Man tonight at a preview screening and it was AWESOME!
I'm on the cusp about saying it was better than Spider-Man. It is different in tone and content, of course, and it's a lot more grounded in reality than Spidey, but all of that aside it was fantastic.
It was a good thing I saw it before I took Garrett though. It's not that it's overwhelmingly violent or gory or anything. It's just that there is a lot of character development that, while really good for us grown-ups, would put Garrett to sleep.
I'll have to wait until the DVD comes out and just skip to the robot fights, which rock.
Speaking Of Grand Theft Auto
You have to check out this story and the video that goes with it. It is too funny.
Some 7-year old stole his grandmother's SUV and went on a joy-ride through Tampa. Nobody got hurt but he sure did smash a lot of property.
The grandmother is priceless.
"If I thought they wouldn't take me to jail, I'd whip his behind."
And at least the kid has his priorities straight...
Cop: "Do you think you should be punished?"
Kid: "A little bit, maybe no video games for a whole weekend."
THIS is what happens when you take your kids to the midnight launch of GTAIV!
Some 7-year old stole his grandmother's SUV and went on a joy-ride through Tampa. Nobody got hurt but he sure did smash a lot of property.
The grandmother is priceless.
"If I thought they wouldn't take me to jail, I'd whip his behind."
And at least the kid has his priorities straight...
Cop: "Do you think you should be punished?"
Kid: "A little bit, maybe no video games for a whole weekend."
THIS is what happens when you take your kids to the midnight launch of GTAIV!
Emergent Gameplay FTW!
I've put a bit of time into GTA IV now and while there is some very good stuff in there, it's the stuff that happens on its own that is the neatest to watch.
My favourite thing that has happened so far was something that wasn't scripted. I was walking my character down the street and decided to steal this guy's car. I walked up to his door and pulled him out. I didn't get in the car right away though so he started to punch me. The cops showed up and instead of arresting me, they arrested him instead. I just sauntered away and faded into the shadows while they took him away in the cop car :)
It was just so totally unexpected that I couldn't help but laugh at the poor guy's plight.
My favourite thing that has happened so far was something that wasn't scripted. I was walking my character down the street and decided to steal this guy's car. I walked up to his door and pulled him out. I didn't get in the car right away though so he started to punch me. The cops showed up and instead of arresting me, they arrested him instead. I just sauntered away and faded into the shadows while they took him away in the cop car :)
It was just so totally unexpected that I couldn't help but laugh at the poor guy's plight.
Why I Don't Use Facebook
Yes, I'm one of the few and the proud who has resisted the siren's call of Facebook. My philosophy is that if I haven't at least attempted to talk to you since High School, I probably don't want to, or at least don't care to.
Thankfully, there's a video that sums up my feelings on the subject quite well.
Of course, I got this from Julie who got it from Greg via HIS facebook page. Go figure.
Thankfully, there's a video that sums up my feelings on the subject quite well.
Of course, I got this from Julie who got it from Greg via HIS facebook page. Go figure.
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