TheEvilEmpire

My Favorite Games of 2011

2011-12-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

Even though my list of favorite games for the year 2011 are posted on the left side of the screen, I wanted to write a few words about my five favorites:

5) inFAMOUS 2 - Loved the first and was looking forward to the continued story of Cole MacGrath. This will be a running theme in my list but it isn't often that I finish a game and restart it almost immediately. While I didn't exactly do that with this game, I had trouble staying away while attempting to play something else. Didn't last too long (about 2 weeks) before I was back doing an evil run through. I've never had so much fun being an asshole in a game. LOL.

4) Gears of War 3 - Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical after part 2 but the whole game was a major improvement from pacing to the addition of 4-player co-op. Horde Mode continues to be lots of fun and Beast Mode adds a nice twist.

3) Batman: Arkham City - This could easily be anywhere in my top 3 but lands here by the narrowest of margins. Having so many villains from Batman's universe was awesome and fit the story very well. Have yet to collect all of Riddler's trophies so I'm still roaming the streets and having a blast doing so.

2) Dead Space 2 - While not as creepy as the previous release, DP2 still had me at the edge of my seat. Stand outs for me were improved zero gravity gameplay mechanics, a backstory that actually intrigued me, huge action set pieces and no shooting of fucking meteors. The only downside for me was that the surrounds weren't utilized nearly as much as the previous version. While the game was still atmospheric, I wasn't as tense as I was in part 1 when the sound of a bottle rolling on the floor would just creep me the heck out. Also, the multi-player did nothing for me. With only just 2 games in the series thus far, I can't think of any other franchise, outside of Bioshock, where I look forward to another sequel more than Dead Space. I still plan to go back for a Hardcore run sometime in 2012. One of the few (until that point) games where I immediately jumped back into a new play through after finishing it, the sequel to my 2008 game of the year was narrowly beaten out by...

1) Portal 2 - As much as I loves me some Dead Space, for me there's something to be said about finishing a game and immediately wanting to jump back into that world for more. Oh wait, did I say that already? Well, with inFamous 2 I went back and started a replay after 2 weeks away. I started a replay of Dead Space 2 immediately after finishing but how about 2 replays? Counting co-op, Portal 2 is the only game I've ever played through on 3 consecutive runs. After my campaign run, I enjoyed many laugh-out-loud moments when I finished co-op runs with Thomas and Romier. I remember practically getting cursed out by Joey when Romier and I were playing because we wouldn't let him sleep back when we spent a weekend in Pennsylvania. Brilliant game mechanics, superbly-written witty dialogue and some of the best voice acting I've experienced in gaming, Portal 2 was immediately my "game of the year" to beat back in April when I first finished it. From the single player (Chell, GLaDOS, Wheatley (Stephen Merchant) and Cave Johnson (J.K. Simmons) to the co-op (Atlas and P-Body), no games cast of characters left such an indelible impression on me. I was grinning from beginning to end. Kudos to Valve.

Writing this, I just realized that all top 5 (and 7 of 10) games were sequels. But I must add that there were games released during the year that I either didn't pick up or picked up later in the year (black friday) and have yet to start and is the reason they weren't considered for the list. Games like...

Crysis 2 (never picked up)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (late pick up)
Ico/Shadow of the Colossus (late pick up)
Killzone 3 (never picked up)
Child of Eden (never picked up)
Battlefield 3 (never picked up)
Dead Island (late pick-up).

New York Comic Con 2011: Day 3

2011-11-28T09:30:00.001-05:00

Over a month later and I remembered that I hadn't posted a few words and pics from my third and final day at the Con. While there was still a fourth day to attend, I was too tired and broke to even consider making one more trip.

The day ended up being a mixed bag. While I was able to meet some creators and purchase some prints, I wasn't able to hook up with any of the guys. Cell service was horrendous while AT&T's 3G was practically non existent.

In addition to getting some cool prints, which I posted pics of in my previous post, I was able to meet some creators and celebrities while just seeing others as they signed for a looooong line of fans.

From the ones I remember:

Steve Ellis - artist on Box 13 signed and drew a sketch in my trade (see pic above).
Kody Chamberlain - writer and artist of mini-series Sweets signed my Sweets #1 issue.
Kevin Brown - plays Dot Com on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.
Greg Capullo - longtime artist on Spawn and currently drawing Batman.
Jason Aaron - longtime writer on Scalped and currently writing Incredible Hulk.
Olivier Coipel - artist on Marvel's Thor, Seige and House of M.
Tony Moore - co-creator and early artist of The Walking Dead, signed my TWD action figure.
Robert Kirkman - creator of The Walking Dead, signed my TWD action figure and dvd.
Leinil Yu - artist on Mark Millar's Superior, signed my Superior #1 issue.
Todd McFarlane - co-founder of Image Comics and creator of Spawn.
Justin Gray (writer), Jimmy Palmiotti (writer), Amanda Connor (artist) - have all collaborated on some of my favorite books. They were nice, engaging and gracious enough to sign quite a few of my books.
Terry Moore - can't go a day without stopping by to say hello to one of my favorite comic creators.

Overall, a good time though extremely tiring. Next year, I'll most likely spring for the VIP ticket so I can have somewhere to store my bag and have less to carry around.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

New York Comic Con 2011: Day 2

2011-10-19T19:08:00.000-04:00

After going unprepared on day 1 (Thursday), day 2 saw me headed back to the Javits Center with enthusiasm, determination and books in my backpack. One of the books was my Walking Dead Book One hardcover for a Robert Kirkman signature. Now, I debated whether I wanted to make this line again after being on line the previous day with nothing but a comic con pass. In my defense, I made the line that first day hoping that his staff would have the new "Rise of the Governor" hardcover available for sale to have signed but, though they were expected in, the books never arrived so I settled for having my pass signed instead with the thought that I'd just do the line again the next day. So, here I was on line again, enjoying a pleasant chat with a fan who made the trip from Pennsylvania. As it turned out, that chat really helped the hour-long wait go by pretty quickly. Finally, Kirkman signed my book along with my Walking Dead season 1 dvd slipcase and my "bloody" Rick Grimes Walking Dead action figure which, from what I understand, turned out to be a New York Comic Con exclusive. Afterwards, I was able to score a signature on my book and action figure by Tony Moore who drew the interior art on the first 6 issues of the comic and the cover art for the first 24 issues.

Another creator I revisited was Terry Moore. I really enjoy visiting Terry and his wife Robyn. Unlike most other creators who have to be pulled away for panels or can only been seen after long waits on line, Terry is an independent creator with his own booth and is almost always there and very approachable. It's quite common to see Terry and/or Robyn in conversation with customers about all things Strangers In Paradise or Echo. After having purchased the Echo hardcover book, which he signed, along with a Rachel Rising (his new series) t-shirt on Thursday, I went back on day 2 with my copy of the fabulous Mary Jane Loves Spider-Man 2nd volume hardcover book which he wrote. He signed it as we chatted about Echo and how it's been optioned for a movie with a screenwriter currently attached. I told him I'd see him again the next day with more books for him to sign and he graciously told me he'd look forward to it.

Also, I visited DC's hour long Batman panel where current creators Lee Bermejo (Batman: Noel), Chris Burnham (Batman Inc.), Tony Daniel (Detective Comics), Greg Capullo (Batman), David Finch (Batman: The Dark Knight), Kyle Higgins (Nightwing), Amy Reeder (Batwoman), Scott Snyder (Batman) and Peter J. Tomasi (Batman and Robin) all shared their views on their respective books and took time out to answer fan questions. It was an interesting panel but, more importantly, a nice hour break off my feet.

All in all, I had a great time but I'd be lying if I didn't say I got home with pain in my legs and back. Lots of walking, waiting on lines, and carrying a heavy backpack of books on the subway to and from Comic Con can take it's toll. But, when you're there taking it all in, meeting new people (fans AND creators alike) and enjoying all the wonderfully creative costumes and outfits being worn and shown at the show, all you can think of is.... I get to do this all over again tomorrow.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Comic Con Goodies

2011-10-16T20:10:00.000-04:00

While I decided to not attend NYCC on the final day, I do have more pictures from days 2 and 3 to post. I'm just extremely tired and need a day or so to reboot so I should have them up in a day or so. For now, here are the prints I purchased.

This one was from the great Amanda Connor. She personalized it for Angelise.

This Spider-Man print, which I gave to Angel, is one of 2 that I purchased from Greg Horn.

Here's the other Greg Horn print.

Here's a Walking Dead print from Tony Moore.

These final 2 are from Vinnie Tartamella.

Lastly, I purchased the bloody Rick Grimes Walking Dead action figure (a NYCC exclusive) and was fortunate (and patient) enough to have comic writer/creator Robert Kirkman and early series penciler Tony Moore both sign the packaging for me. Unfortunately, I didn't make it in early enough on Saturday to make the line for Todd McFarlane. He owns the company that produces the figures and would've been great having all 3 signatures. Dave, you lucky bastard! ;-)

Ok, I'm off to watch the season 2 premiere of The Walking Dead. Enjoy, my fellow dead-heads!

DVR REMINDER: After tonight's encore presentation will be the premiere of the Talking Dead live aftershow hosted by Chris Hardwick with guests Robert Kirkman, James Gunn and Patton Oswalt.

New York Comic Con 2011: Day 1

2011-10-13T23:26:00.004-04:00

Day 1 of New York Comic Con 2011, held at the Jacob Javits Center located on the west side of 34th Street in Manhattan, was only from 4pm to 7pm for VIP and 4-day pass ticket holders. While I had been looking forward to this years NYCC since purchasing my ticket way back in February, I almost didn't go due to low expectations on my behalf of anything remotely productive happening on this abbreviated first day. But I'm glad I did as the floor wasn't as crowded as it will definitely be during the rest of the weekend. I was able to cover lots of ground and take a good number of pictures without having to deal with passing crowds wandering in and out of my shots.

I was able to meet up with fellow LCVG members Dave, Joey, Phil and their friend Ruell. After having met up with Dave, I joined him on line to meet Walking Dead creator/writer Robert Kirkman. Not coming prepared to have anything signed, I asked Kirkman to sign my 4-day pass. Afterwards, Dave and I went over to the Abstract Studios booth to meet Strangers In Paradise (SiP), Echo, and Rachel Rising creator Terry Moore. Maria and I had met Moore at last years NYCC and purchased Echo and SiP t-shirts along with some prints of his. He was kind enough to sign quite a few of his books for me. Alot more than I had any business asking of him but he and his wife Robyn were more than happy to oblige. This year, I purchased the complete hardcover edition of Echo and a Rachel Rising t-shirt.

In addition, I was able to see and take pictures of some great looking action figures. Some figures that I saw and took pictures of were:

DC
Marvel
Metal Gear Solid
Ghostbusters
WWE Superstars
The Munsters
Street Fighter
Walking Dead
Universal Classic Horror Monsters.

There were some Gears Of War props and props used in movies. The ones I saw were:

Batman suit and miniature Tumbler from Batman Begins
the Joker's card deck from The Dark Knight
a newspaper, piece of Kryptonite and Clark Kent's glasses from Superman Returns
the Night Owl mask from Watchmen
the baby prop from The Hangover
the monkey prop and a severed finger prop from Hangover 2

And what would a comic con be without costumed fans? Day 1 didn't provide many since the floor was only open to ViP and 4-pass fans but there were a few around and tomorrow thru Sunday should see many cool and original costume designs.

Afterwards, I joined Joey, Phil and Ruell for a post-Con meal at a nearby Five Guys.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Captain America: The First Avenger

2011-07-25T14:44:00.004-04:00

Having seen the latest superhero movie, Captain America, I couldn't help but think what a great summer this has been for comic book fans at theaters. I say summer because the year started off by giving us the absolutely horrid Green Hornet. But the four that were released since (Thor, X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern and Captain America), were good to excellent. Even the weakest one, Green Lantern, was enjoyable and far better than the horrible Transformers 3.

I thought Captain America was well paced with some key character moments, bits of humor (which, thankfully, was not forced) and action sequences that weren't hard to follow (I'm looking at you Michael Bay). Excellent all-around job by director Joe Johnston and cast members Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci. This narrowly beat X-Men: First Class as my favorite superhero movie this year and, in my opinion, the best one since the first Iron Man.

I never read Captain America comic books growing up or now that I've gotten back into them so I don't know much behind his origin story other than what I just saw in the movie but, in addition to The Avengers, I hope to see more Captain America movies.

Stick around after the end credits for a sneak peak at some scenes from next summers Avengers movie.

The Walking Dead Season 2 Trailer

2011-07-22T22:49:00.003-04:00

For those of you that have borrowed my Walking Dead hardcovers, I'm sure the same thought went through your mind when you saw Rick carrying his son Carl to the farm owned by Hershel. Can't wait for October! :)

The Lonely Island

2011-05-19T18:25:00.007-04:00

I have to admit, I had never heard of Andy Samberg or his group, The Lonely Island. I hadn't watched SNL in many many years and, while I vaguely remember talk of an online video called "Dick in a Box" a few years ago, I had never heard the song before. It wasn't until one of my yearly trips to Pennsylvania earlier this year to hang with some online gaming friends that I was introduced to the hilarity that is Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island. Thanks Romier! :)

Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are the other 2 members of The Lonely Island and are writers at Saturday Night Live where Andy is currently a cast member. Before they released their albums, of which there are currently 2, the songs/videos would premiere on SNL's Digital Shorts, a segment written and produced by the group. Not only are the songs funny but the videos are well produced and have a who's who of celebrity cameos. Below, I have some of my favorites embedded from YouTube, Vimeo and Hulu. Enjoy!

You can read the rest of their story on their Wikipedia page.

Celebrity appearance: Justin Timberlake, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph

Celebrity appearance: Justin Timberlake, Susan Sarandon, Patricia Clarkson

Celebrity appearance: Rihanna

Celebrity appearance: Rihanna, Jon Hamm

Celebrity appearance: T-Pain

Celebrity appearance: Ryan Reynolds, Elijah Wood

Celebrity appearance: Molly Sims, Jaime-Lynn Sigler, Justin Timberlake

Celebrity appearance: Natalie Portman, Seth Myers, Chris Parnell

Celebrity appearance: Seth Rogan

Celebrity appearance: Akon, John McEnroe, Jessica Alba, Blake Lively

Celebrity appearance: Michael Bolton

Rock Band - "Swing Swing"

2011-04-10T19:42:00.001-04:00

It had been awhile since I played some Rock Band and Angelise asked if I wanted to play some "tunes" with her.

Catfish

2011-04-04T13:33:00.004-04:00

A documentary-style movie, Catfish tells the story of Yaniv "Nev", who strikes up a Facebook friendship with Abby, an 8-year old prodigy artist from Michigan who sees Nev's pictures online and decides to send him a painting of one of his pictures. Impressed with her talent, Nev urges her to do more and in the process becomes online friends with her, her mother Angela and her 19-year old sister Megan. Nev and Megan, an aspiring model/singer/dancer, continue to keep in touch and start developing feelings for one another over the course of 8 months. Nev, however, grows suspicious of Megan when mp3's that she sends him claiming to be her recordings are in fact of other people's performances on YouTube. When a job assignment takes Nev, his brother Ariel "Rel" and best friend/filmmaking partner Henry to nearby Vail, Colorado, Nev decides it's time to drop in on Megan and her "family". The results are quite surprising.

I highly recommend this documentary and urge those that do decide to see it, not to look into the details online as to not have the outcome spoiled.

Bad Teacher (R Rated Trailer)

2011-02-27T07:32:00.002-05:00

WARNING: R RATED TRAILER WITH ADULT LANGUAGE. DO NOT PLAY WITH KIDS NEARBY.

Starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake and The Office's Phyllis Smith.

Nemesis (Icon Comics)

2011-01-12T21:33:00.005-05:00

"What if Batman was the Joker?" That was the caption Mark Millar used to tease his new creator owned title at Marvel's Icon Comics division before it's release last March of 2010. He had a few other captions but his favorite was "What if Batman was a c*nt?" With a description like that, wouldn't that interest you? It definitely got me interested.

Nemesis has financial resources and combat skills similar to Batman but uses it for evil, making him the ultimate non-superpowered villian. Wealthy and cunning, Nemesis travels the world and informs the top cops in major cities that he's on his way and gunning for them. No amount of preparation on their behalf can prevent him from reaching his goal of getting his mark and leaving devastation in his wake.

Written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, Nemesis packs alot of action and mayhem in the 4-issue miniseries. Millar and McNiven also collaborated together on Marvel's Civil War and Wolverine: Old Man Logan. Two of Millar's previous books, Wanted and Kick-Ass, have already been made into movies. Nemesis becomes his 2nd book behind Kick-Ass to get picked up by Hollywood to be made into a movie, after only 2 issues.

I just got around to reading all 4 issues of Nemesis and enjoyed it enough that I ordered the hardcover to keep in my collection and share with my family and friends. I look forward to see what Millar has in store for Nemesis in the next volume.

How long has it been?!?

2011-01-10T13:55:00.004-05:00

June 2010. That was my last blog post. Hard to believe. While so much has happened in the last 7+ months, I've only "talked" about it via twitter. Although I don't have many, if any, currently following my blog, I do miss putting down my thoughts on topics that interest me. With many exciting things happening in 2011 in the world of baseball, graphic novels, home theater, movies, TV shows and video games, I'll drop by every now and again with my thoughts. Happy New Year everyone!

Puerto Rican Festival 2010

2010-06-12T19:48:00.004-04:00

After work, I headed over to the festival in spanish harlem and met up with Maria and Javier. It was the first time I've ever been there and had a pretty good time in the 2 hours we spent there. Managed to get a Monster Energy drink calendar signed by two of their beautiful models and have their picture taken with Maria. Pretty cool.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

2010-03-30T12:45:00.006-04:00

Another "comic book" (tpb) comes to the big screen. Looking forward to this one just as much as Kick-Ass. :)

Dead Space 2 In-Game Footage

2010-03-28T02:21:00.003-04:00

Oh my, this game can't get here soon enough. The sequel to my 2007 Game of the Year winner, Dead Space 2 is definitely my most anticipated game right now.

2010-03-15T09:21:00.001-04:00

Ever since getting back into comics last year, I've been enjoying many quality comics and graphic novels. One that I missed on was Kick-Ass. Having been released 4-5 months prior to me getting back into the hobby, the first few Kick-Ass comics had become hard-to-find collector's items that had been commanding a pretty penny on auction sites. Although I was anxious to read what all the hoopla was about, I decided to wait around for the inevitable graphic novel instead of dropping some serious coin on eBay for those first issues. But when the graphic novel finally released, the wait sure was worth it.

Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave Lizewski, a comic book loving high schooler and son to a single father. Dave wonders why no one has ever tried to become a real life super-hero and takes it upon himself to give it a try by purchasing a costume on eBay and roaming the rooftops in search of people in need while his dad works the overnight shift. While coming to the aid of a young man being mugged by a gang, Dave suffers a severe beating that requires numerous operations and months of physical rehabilitation. Before long, he's off crutches and back out roaming the rooftops. His next encounter proves more positive as he successfully defends someone in need and manages to catch the attention of a nearby passerby who records the action on his cellphone and uploads it to YouTube where Dave becomes an instant celebrity known as "Kick-Ass". I won't go further into the story as not to spoil it for those that may be interested in purchasing the book or seeing the film. Otherwise, check Wikipedia for more on the story. But please, if you can, buy the book. I highly recommend it.

WARNING: The following trailer is a Red Band trailer and contains violence and adult language. Do not view with children around.

"And the winner is..."

2010-03-14T00:41:00.006-05:00

Like most, I've never won any sort of contest before. That changed when I was contacted by the guys at gamerdeals.net on March 2nd. I've been following them on Twitter for about 6 months now and been sharing their deals on Twitter and Facebook for around half that time. About a month ago, they posted that they would be holding a contest for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. To enter, all that was needed was to follow them (which I already was doing) and retweet at least 2 of their tweets per day. I would only retweet deals that would interest me so although I didn't retweet everything they posted, there were days that I would retweet as many as 5 of their posts. That being the case, I never thought I would win. So when they contacted me via Twitter and then by email, I was skeptical at best. I just figured someone was having fun with me.

I was pleasantly surprised the next day to find a code in my email for $50 to the Amazon site. Pretty cool. I thanked them on Twitter and decided to go on their site to thank them again when I noticed that they had a podcast. They were only up to #3 at the time and at only around 20 minutes, I decided to give the latest one a listen which had been posted the previous night. To my surprise, they mention me by my online identity (EvilEmpire) around the 12 minute mark as having won their contest. That was pretty cool. To listen to the podcast, just click on the "podcasts" button on the top of their page and it'll take you to their podcasts page which currently has 4 as of the posting of this blog.

So I would like to thank the Gamerdeals.net team (Patrick, Carlos, Nick and Trevor) again for choosing me to win their contest and also for providing a cool site where us gamers can keep track of the best deals out there online and at B&M stores.

Upgrade complete.... for now.

2010-01-06T21:00:00.002-05:00

My latest series of home theater upgrades, which started November 2008, finally came to an end for me this past weekend with a couple of purchases. The purpose of this mission was to minimize cable clutter by doing away with component and optical cables for HDMI cables. So here goes.

BEFORE: My previous home theater signs that welcome visitors upon entering my living room.

By angelpagan, shot with C3040Z at 2009-04-11

NOW: My new sign. I no longer have HD-DVDs but I did for awhile and will keep the sign as is.

By angelpagan, shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2010-01-06

First thing you may notice is that the walls were pink. Maria deals with my home theater gear spending, I deal with her insane color choices. :)

BEFORE: Toshiba 50" RPTV showing a high-definition feed from DirecTV. Surrounding the monitor are Definitive Technology Pro-Cinema 80 front and center speakers

By angelpagan, shot with C3040Z at 2009-04-11

NOW: My new monitor is the Samsung 61" DLP HDTV. The front and center speakers remain the same, as does the sub. Notice the newer insane color choice.

By angelpagan, shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2010-01-06

BEFORE: My equipment from top to bottom: Harman Kardon AVR 430 Receiver, Parasound 855a Amplifier,

Panasonic RP56 DVD Player, Pioneer 510 DVD Recorder, DirecTV High Definition TiVo/Receiver,

GameCube and Xbox consoles, Def Tech sub to the right with D-Link bridge for Xbox Live

By angelpagan, shot with C3040Z at 2009-04-11

NOW: My equipment clockwise from upper left shelf: Onkyo TX-SR607 Receiver, Def Tech Center Speaker,

TiVoHD Receiver, Xbox 360, Western Digitial 1TB My DVR Expander, Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3

By angelpagan, shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2010-01-06

BEFORE: Home Theater Master Universal Remote

By angelpagan, shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2010-01-06

NOW: Harmony One Universal Remote

By angelpagan, shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2010-01-06

BEFORE: Left Surround Speaker

By angelpagan, shot with C3040Z at 2009-04-11

BEFORE: Right Surround Speaker

By angelpagan, shot with C3040Z at 2010-01-06

I'll add the NOW pictures of the surround speakers shortly after taking down our Christmas tree.

Fallen Comrades

2009-12-23T21:52:00.005-05:00

Today, I received the shocking news that another member of my gaming community has passed away. Anthony Galante, also known as Quicksand on Xbox Live, passed away today. He was only 35. I had the pleasure of meeting Anthony last year when I visited Dave C (Wetwork) and Todd (Union Carbine) for a weekend hang-out that I blogged about. Most of the time I played alongside/against Anthony were in Rainbow Six Vegas matches which always ended up being pretty intense as Anthony was a very skilled player. Just this morning, like all other mornings, I logged onto Facebook and saw a message on the right side of the screen suggesting I send Anthony a message since I hadn't communicated with him over FB in some time. I decided to do just that to tell Anthony about getting together for some Resident Evil 4 co-op play, something he and I had previously discussed doing. I am totally devastated by this shocking news. My heartfelt condolences to the Galante family. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

This comes after forum member James (Covak on Xbox Live) passed away on November 19. He was just 30. While I didn't know James as well as Anthony, we played together on occasion and chatted up all things videogames.

Athough they are avatars on my computer/tv screen and voices in my headset, they are also passionate forum members that share the same interests that I do. And even when I don't have anything to add when I visit the forum, I always take great pleasure in reading what the guys had to say and share. James and Anthony will truly be missed.

RIP James

RIP Anthony

Trying out a new toy

2009-11-27T23:20:00.002-05:00

Short 37-second clip of my brother Jorge and I goofing around with my new Kodak Zi8 HD video recorder. I'll try and post a review at some point once I put more time into it. For now, just total idiocy. :)

Bioshock 2 Special Edition

2009-11-21T20:42:00.011-05:00

As far back as August when I first submitted my pre-order, I've been anticipating my return to Rapture. But this time, it will be as a Big Daddy.

With a street date announcement of February 9, 2K Games' Bioshock 2: Sea Of Dreams will release simultaneously worldwide. I was equally excited and disappointed. Excited because I've been waiting for 2 years for the follow-up to my 2007 Game of the Year selection. I finished Bioshock twice and still own it in hopes of playing it once more before the sequel debuts. But I was disappointed because a special edition hadn't been announced and I was worried one wouldn't or if one did eventually get announced, it wouldn't be as cool as the previous one.

The special edition of the first Bioshock game came with a making-of DVD, and a soundtrack CD (with 3 tracks from the game). But the prized possession in the collector's special edition was a 6 inch, 1.5 pound Big Daddy figurine. Unfortunately, due to the figurine's weight and poor packaging, most Big Daddy's arrived severely damaged. I missed out on the Xbox 360 version of the SE and I wasn't too disappointed by it since they were all just about damaged but when I learned that 2K Games would issue replacements, I feverishly set out to hunt down a copy by any means. I managed to find a Gamestop that had one final copy of the PC version.

Even though the figurine was badly damaged and the game was for a platform I didn't own, I purchased it anyway for the chance to get a replacement figurine. It ended up working out great. I sold the PC game on eBay and was able to get a replacement figurine from 2K Games. Additionally, they sent out a softcover book "Bioshock: Breaking The Mold" filled with artwork from the game for all those that had received a damaged Big Daddy figurine. Pretty cool.

Just last week, Amazon made Bioshock 2: Sea Of Dreams Special Edition available for pre-order. This time around, the special edition will bring the following:

Bioshock 2 game
Bioshock 2 hardcover art book (164 pages)
3 vintage Rapture advertisement posters (rolled)
audio CD with Bioshock 2 orchestral score
vinyl 180g LP with Bioshock 1 orchestral score

So, while it packs quite a bit of goodies, it's strangely missing what everyone was hoping for: a figurine of the central character, a Big Sister. I guess the big grab in this special edition is the LP. For those too young to know what an LP is, google it. :)

I can't wait for February to get here as I'm anxiously looking forward to going back to Rapture.

2009 World Series Champions

2009-11-07T21:14:00.003-05:00

Haven't posted anything lately because of trouble I've been having with my blog HTML settings. Nothing I can add to the outcome of the 2009 World Series that hasn't already been covered hundreds of times so I'll just add this cool video I found on YouTube.

Enjoy

My thoughts on the 2009 Yankees chances vs the Phillies in WS

2009-10-28T13:57:00.013-04:00

What is shaping up as the best match-up in recent World Series history, the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies are looking to do something that hasn't been done in 30 years: repeat as World Series champions coming out of the National League. The last NL team to do so was the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds. Since then, the American League has seen the Toronto Blue Jays (1992-93) and the Yankees (1998, 99, 00) have the privilege to repeat in winning the Fall Classic.

Before I give my prediction, here's how the Yankees and Phillies matched up the 3 times they met earlier this year:

Game 1: Friday May 22nd - Philadephia visits Yankee Stadium on what some figured could be a preview of the World Series. A.J. Burnett gave up 5 runs in 6 innings. Chien-Ming Wang gave up 3 runs in 3 innings of relief. Phillies' Myers held the Yankees to 3 runs in 8 innings. Notable contributions for Yankees: Jeter, Teixeira, Arod HR off of Myers. Contributions for Phillies: Rollins, Ruiz, Werth HR off of Burnett, Ibanez HR off of Wang. Final: 7-3 Phillies.

Game 2: Saturday May 23rd - Yankees won in walk-off fashion when they entered the 9th inning down 4-2. Damon's walk preceded Arod's game-tying HR. Cano singles, steals second and scores on Melky's hit for the 5-4 come-from-behind win. One of many during the season, especially in the month of May. In this game, Pettitte gave up 4 runs over 6 innings while the Phillies' starter Happ gave up 2 runs over 6 innings. Phils closer Lidge gave up the 3 runs in the Yanks 9th. Notable contributions for Phillies: Ibanez and Mayberry homer of Pettitte. For Yankees: Jeter HR off of Happ, Arod HR off of Lidge. Final: 5-4 Yankees.

Game 3: Sunday May 24th - Phillies' Hamels holds the Yankees to 2 runs over 6 innings while Sabathia yields 3 runs in 8 innings. Lidge blows another save opportunity when he allows Melky to tie the game in the 9th. Phillies score one in the 11th but the Yanks can't stage another comeback. Notable Yankees contributions: Teixeira HR off of Hamels, Jeter and Melky each get 3 hits. Contributions for the Phillies: Victorino and Ruiz each get 3 hits. Final: 4-3 Phillies.

So here's my view. First half of the season, Yankees fall to the Phillies 2 out of 3 games. This is also the same half that sees the Yankees losing the first 8 games to the Red Sox and going 2-4 against the Angels. Somewhere along the way, they managed to lose 2 out of 3 to the lowly Nationals. The way the Yankees were playing, it didn't surprise me. And going into the All-Star break, the Yankees were swept by the Angels in Anaheim ending the first half with a 51-37 record. To say they needed that break is an understatement. When they returned, however, they were a different team.

They won 8 in row and ended up going 52-22 the rest of the way including 9-1 versus Boston and 3-1 versus the Angels. Also impressive is that they went 31-8 at home and 21-14 on the road over that span. Now, I'm not saying that the Phillies aren't good or that they can't hang with the Yankees. Hell, they're in the WS so they're definitely good but they were consistently good all year. My point is that this Yankees team isn't the same that faced the Phillies in May. They're on another level since the All-Star break and have carried it over into the play-offs. The Phillies, outside of Lidge, are the basically just as good as they had been earlier in the season.

In reading and listening to all the media since the Phillies won the Pennant over the Dodgers last week, I've been in agreement with all of the comments regarding how great this WS can be having two powerhouse teams facing each other. One comment, however, has me confused. It's been said that the Yankees will be facing a NL team with an AL line-up particularly in the power department. I'm not disagreeing with this so much as why anyone would think this would be a conundrum for the Yankees. So the Yankees have to face a team with a potent line-up. An AL-type of lineup. Um, ok. Hey people, guess where the Yankees come from.... the American League. The Yankees have been facing AL line-ups all year. Have the Phillies? I think not. Some stats to support this are:

Out of the top teams leading the ML in batting average, the Dodgers (#5) were the only NL team in the top 5. The Yankees ranked #2 behind the Angels with a .283 average. The Phillies ranked #23 with a .258 average.

Out of the top teams leading the ML in homeruns, the Phillies (#3) were the only NL team in the top 5. They had 224. Yankees ranked #1 with 244.

Out of the top teams leading the ML in runs batted in, the Phillies (#4) were the only NL team in the top 5 with 788. Yankees were ranked #1 with 881.

Out of the top teams leading the ML in total hits, the Dodgers (#5) were the only NL team in the top 5. Yankees were tied for #1 with the Angels with 1604 hits. The Phillies ranked #15 with 1439 hits.

Out of the top teams leading the ML in total bases, the Phillies (#4) were the only NL team in the top 5. They had 2493 total bases. The Yankees ranked #1 with 2703.

Out of the top teams leading the ML in on-base percentage, the Dodgers (#4) were the only NL team in the top 5. Phillies ranked #14 with .334 OBP while the Yankees ranked #1 with a .362 OBP.

So all this talk of the Yankees having to deal with an AL-style power-hitting team. They've been doing that all year whenever they faced the likes of the Red Sox, Rangers, Blue Jays, Tigers, White Sox, etc. The Phillies have not had to face many teams of that ilk. And definitely none as potent as the Yankees.

When it comes to everything else, they match up pretty closely:

Stolen Bases: Phillies 119, Yankees 111

Slugging: Phillies .447, Yankees .478

Team ERA: Phillies 4.16, Yankees 4.26

Hits Allowed: Phillies 1479, Yankees 1386

HR Allowed: Phillies 189, Yankees 181

Runs Allowed: Phillies 709, Yankees 753 (the biggest difference of all the non-offensive stats)

Strikeouts: Phillies 1153, Yankees 1260

Saves: Phillies 44, Yankees 51

Fielding PCT: Phillies .987, Yankees .985

The biggest difference in the match-up, and where the Phillies have an advantage, is in the managers. Neither Girardi or any of his coaches are experienced in the post-season. Before this year, of course. :)

Also, I don't want to ignore the importance of Cliff Lee. While Lee has a lifetime record of 4-4 with a 5.02 ERA in 9 career starts versus the Yankees, he is 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in his last three against them included a 10-2 victory in the opening of the new Yankee Stadium on April 16 this year while still a member of the Cleveland Indians. Sabathia will have to match up with Lee and hope the Yankees can get into Philadelphia's bullpen.

I want to add that the Yankees have added Eric Hinske and Brian Bruney to the roster and have left Cervelli and Guzman off. With no DH in the NL park, adding Hinske will prove invaluable when the Yanks need pinch hitters coming off the bench when the pitchers spot comes up in the lineup.

So, here it is. My prediction. I predicted Yankees in 4 over the Twins. They won in 3. I had the Yankees in 6 over the Angels, so did the Yankees. :)

Yankees in 6.

First Day Of School '09

2009-09-09T12:50:00.000-04:00

The one day a year all parents stick their heads out of their windows and yell at the top of their lungs "AMEN"!!! Or, at least, they should. Before heading out for the first day, Angel and Angelise pose for the camera.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Fall TV Season '09

2009-09-09T08:43:00.025-04:00

Are you like me? Looking forward to some of your favorite shows returning this fall? Well, September is here and so are some of our favorite shows. Here is a list of some of the shows airing soon. New shows are in bold while the shows with an asterisk (*) are ones I'll definitely be watching. Some of the new shows I may take a look at (~).

Week of Sept 6

90210 (CW) Sept 8 Tuesday 8pm
So You Think You Can Dance (FOX) Sept 9 Tuesday 8pm
Glee (FOX) Sept 9 Wednesday 9pm
Melrose Place (CW) Sept 8 Tuesday 9pm
*Sons Of Anarchy (FX) Sept 8 Tuesday 10pm
America's Next Top Model (CW) Sept 9 Wednesday 8pm
~The Vampire Diaries (CW) Sept 10 Thursday 8pm
Supernatural (CW) Sept 10 Thursday 9pm

Week of Sept 13

One Tree Hill (CW) Sept 14 Monday 8pm
Gossip Girl (CW) Sept 14 Monday 9pm
The Jay Leno Show (NBC) 10pm - starts Sept 14 every weeknight
The Biggest Loser (NBC) Sept 15 Tuesday 8pm
The Beautiful Life (CW) Sept 16 Wednesday 9pm
*The Ultimate Fighter (SPIKE) Sept 16 Wednesday 10pm
*Bones (FOX) Sept 17 Thursday 8pm
*Fringe (FOX) Sept 17 Thursday 9pm
Survivor (CBS) Sept 17 Thursday 8pm
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update (NBC) Sept 17 Thursday 8pm
Parks and Recreation (NBC) Sept 17 Thursday 830pm
*The Office (NBC) Sept 17 Thursday 9pm
Community (NBC) Sept 17 Thursday 930pm
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX) Sept 17 Thursday 10pm
Brothers (FOX) Sept 18 Friday 8pm
Til Death (FOX) Sept 18 Friday 830pm

Week of Sept 20

*Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Sept 20 Sunday 9pm
~Bored To Death (HBO) Sept 20 Sunday 930pm
Heroes (NBC) Sept 21 Monday 8pm
*House (FOX) Sept 21 Monday 8pm
Dancing With The Stars (ABC) Sept 21 Monday 8pm
How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Sept 21 Monday 8pm
Accidentally On Purpose (CBS) Sept 21 Monday 830pm
Two and a Half Men (CBS) Sept 21 Monday 9pm
Big Bang Theory (CBS) Sept 21 Monday 930pm
Castle (ABC) Sept 21 Monday 10pm
CSI Miami (CBS) Sept 21 Monday 10pm
NCIS (CBS) Sept 22 Tuesday 8pm
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) Sept 22 Tuesday 9pm
~The Forgotten (ABC) Sept 22 Tuesday 10pm
~The Good Wife (CBS) Sept 22 Tuesday 10pm
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) Sept 23 Wednesday 8pm
Mercy (NBC) Sept 23 Wednesday 8pm
Gary Unmarried (CBS) Sept 23 Wednesday 830pm
~Modern Family (ABC) Sept 23 Wednesday 9pm
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) Sept 23 Wednesday 9pm
Criminal Minds (CBS) Sept 23 Wednesday 9pm
Cougartown (ABC) Sept 23 Wednesday 930pm
CSI NY (CBS) Sept 23 Wednesday 10pm
Eastwood (ABC) Sept 23 Wednesday 10pm
*Flash Forward (ABC) Sept 24 Thursday 8pm
CSI (CBS) Sept 24 Thurdsday 9pm
Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Sept 24 Thursday 9pm
*The Mentalist (CBS) Sept 24 Thursday 10pm
*Smallville (CW) Sept 25 Friday 8pm
Ghost Whisperer (CBS) Sept 25 Friday 8pm
Law & Order (NBC) Sept 25 Friday 8pm
*Dollhouse (FOX) Sept 25 Friday 9pm
Medium (CBS) Sept 25 Friday 9pm
Numb3rs (CBS) Sept 25 Friday 10pm
Dateline Saturday (NBC) Sept 26 Saturday 8pm
48 Hour Mystery (CBS) Sept 26 Saturday 10pm

Week of Sept 27

60 Minutes (CBS) Sept 27 Sunday 7pm
Amazing Race (CBS) Sept 27 Sunday 8pm
The Simpsons (FOX) Sept 27 Sunday 8pm
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) Sept 27 Sunday 8pm
The Cleveland Show (FOX) Sept 27 Sunday 830pm
Family Guy (FOX) Sept 27 Sunday 9pm
Desperate Housewives (ABC) Sept 27 Sunday 9pm
*Dexter (SHO) Sept 27 Sunday9pm
American Dad (FOX) Sept 27 Sunday 930pm
Cold Case (CBS) Sept 27 Sunday10pm
Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sept 27 Sunday 10pm
*Californication (SHO) Sept 27 Sunday 10pm
*Lie To Me (FOX) Sept 28 Monday 9pm
~Trauma (NBC) Sept 28 Monday 9pm
Hank (ABC) Sept 30 Wednesday 8pm
The Middle (ABC) Sept 30 Wednesday 830pm
Private Practice (ABC) Oct 1 Thursday 10pm
Stargate Universe (SYFY) Oct 2 Friday 9pm

Week of Oct 4

America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) Oct 4 Sunday 7pm
Scare Tactics (SYFY) Oct 6 Tuesday 9pm
Mythbusters (DISC) Oct 7 Wednesday 9pm
South Park (COM) Oct 7 Wednesday 10pm
Ugly Betty (ABC) Oct 9 Friday 9pm
Three Rivers (CBS) Oct 4 Sunday 9pm
Community (NBC) Oct 8 Thursday 8pm (change)
Sanctuary (SYFY) Oct 9 Friday 10pm

Week of Oct 11

*Nip/Tuck (FX) Oct 14 Wednesday 10pm
*30 Rock (NBC) Oct 15 Thursday 930pm
Supernanny (ABC) Oct 16 Friday 8pm

Week of Oct 18

Living With Ed (PG) Oct 21 Wednesday 9pm
Southland (NBC) Oct 23 Friday 9pm

Week of Oct 25

NOTHING

Week of Nov 1

*V (ABC) Nov 3 Tuesday 8pm
Legend of the Seeker (SYND) Nov 7 Saturday 12am
The Wanda Sykes Show (FOX) Nov

Some shows not returning until 2010 are:

*24
American Idol
The Apprentice
*Better Off Ted
*Big Love
*Breaking Bad
Burn Notice
Chuck
*Damages
Deadliest Catch
*Eastbound and Down
Flashpoint
Futurama
Hawthorne
I Get That Alot
In Plain Sight
Kitchen Nightmares
*Lost
*Nurse Jackie
Paranormal State
Rescue Me
Royal Pains
Saving Grace
Scrubs
Tudors
The United States Of Tara
*Weeds
Wife Swap

[List thanks to newsposter from tivocommunity.com]

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

2009-09-08T01:08:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, it's been awhile. I've been meaning to get back into blogging (damn you Twitter and Facebook) but was waiting for the perfect event to bring me back and I think I've found it. With the return of autumn once again upon us, we look forward to a few annual constants: cool fall weather, kids going back to school (Amen!) and the return of our favorite tv shows. But today I want to talk about what I hope will be another annual constant.

Last year, my good friend Jeanette participated in the 2008 Cure To Walk Diabetes. While Jeanette received support from family and friends, she also received support from some of my friends and followers of this blog and in doing so, she was able to meet her goal she set for herself and the charity.

This year, Jeanette will be taking part in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event being held on October 18 in the Bronx. I know there is only a little over a month to go and with economic times being what they are, I'm hoping I can turn to my friends for this worthy cause. Any amount will go along way in helping to fight breast cancer.

If you would like to make a donation, please visit Jeanette's American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraising page.

Thank you.

Sing-Along Sunday

2009-02-23T06:26:00.003-05:00

Last night was a night filled with musical numbers and brow-raising singing. No, I'm not talking about the Oscars but another Rock Band session with friends. Eusebio (Jr), a childhood friend, and his family came over for dinner and some humbling shenanigans. While Jr and I were part of a group of friends that hung out alot in the mid to late 80s, we sorta went our separate ways (which happens too often unfortunately). Thankfully, after almost 2 decades, we recently hooked up for a boys night and had a great time reminiscing over old tales over dinner and, a few months later, over billiards.

Finally, I was able to have him and his lovely family over for dinner. Of course, filling their bellies was all part of my master plan to shove a mic in front of their faces. :)

Jr, Deborah, Amanda and Matthew, casual gamers at best, were great sports and had a fun time rocking out on Rock Band 2 then singing on Lips. Deborah really got into singing, which she did quite well and even got into a singing duel with Amanda. We capped the night off with some trivia fun on Buzz!

Next time, I'll break out the DDR pad since Amanda said she loves playing that. Looking forward to having them over again.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Comic-Con 2009

2009-02-09T22:45:00.005-05:00

Well, here I am almost 2 months since my last post with something to blog about. Heck, I wish I could blog more often but what do you call it when a non-writer gets writers block? Anyway, went to the Jacob Javitz Center where the New York Comic-Con was making it's annual appearance. I had purchased a ticket for Angel and myself for Sunday back in December and had been highly anticipating it as I've never been to one. I would've liked to have purchased a whole weekend pass but I couldn't take off 2 days since I had already done so the previous week for my trip to Pennsylvania. (more on that later)

From 10am to 5pm, Angel and I walked the floor taking pictures, trying demos to upcoming games and checking out all the great outfits many showed up in. I even got a chance to meet up with Dave and his daughter Nicole. It was a great time and am looking forward to attending again next year. Who knows, maybe I'll make the trip to Chicago (never been) and check them out over there. Enjoy the pictures but you've been warned: there are 102 of them. :)

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

December 12, 2008 LCVG Meet

2008-12-17T06:49:00.008-05:00

Met up with some members of LCVG, the online gaming community I participate in, over the weekend. Dave's (Wetwork) family were traveling so he invited a few of us to spend the weekend at his place in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Only three of us made it but a fun time was had regardless. Todd (Union Carbine), who I've hung out with before at some movie meets and even played handball with, spent the entire weekend. Anthony (Quicksand), who we all met for the first time and apparently lives about 10 minutes away, arrived sometime after Dave and Todd and would leave to go sleep and return the next day.

I went home Friday after work and readied a bag to sleep over along with some videogames, Guitar Hero guitars, my controller and Xbox 360 memory unit card. I went prepared to stay over but originally I was planning on returning home since I had to be at work at 8am the next day. Good thing I took my pillow and tooth brush. After watching the blu-ray version of The Dark Knight on Dave's impressive home theater, we played some games (Scene It, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, etc) all while chatting about various movie and videogame topics. Before I knew it, it was 4am so I set my cell phone alarm for 6am and went to sleep. Took me 15 minutes from the moment my alarm went off until I was in my car and ready for the drive back to NYC and straight to work. But not before gassing up. Was amazed that gas was down to $1.55 per gallon in Old Bridge (still $1.95 in the Bronx) so took advantage. With my tank on empty, was able to fill her up for only $26. At one point in the summer, it took $78 to fill her up. Nice.

After working Saturday, went home to freshen up and get a change of clothing. After spending a little time with the family, made my way back to Old Bridge to meet up with Dave, Todd and Anthony for some dinner at Damon's and then back to Dave's for The Ultimate Finale on Spike TV. Afterwards, I threw on Rock Band and played a bit while Todd and Dave watched. They didn't take to the rhythm game so instead settled on choosing the tracks for me to play. I should've brought over my drums and mic so we all could've played co-op. :)

Ended the night attempting to watch The Proposition but ultimately called it a night around 2:30am as I needed to be in NY at 6am. Spent the rest of Sunday shopping but mostly remember the day being in a fog as I was running on fumes from only getting 2 and 2 and a half hours of sleeps the previous 2 nights. Throw in an 8 hour work day and I don't know how I did it. I tell you though, Red Bull works for me.

It was good meeting up with Dave and Todd once again and look forward to doing it all over again real soon. As for Anthony, it was good meeting him and talking to him the brief time he was conscious. :D

Montefiore Children's Hospital (MCH) Child's Play Charity

2008-12-15T14:54:00.004-05:00

I've been invited to participate in a charity to help kids get toys/videos/videogames for the holidays. I'm posting this here with hopes of finding one or two others to join me. I know economic times are hard but any little amount will help in purchasing something fun for a kid this holiday season. Currently there are 3 different ways to participate:

Call Of Duty: World At War - Do you have Call Of Duty: World At War for the Xbox 360 and $20? Then join me this Wednesday night at approximately 9pm for a CoD:WaW charity game night. Your $20 donation will go towards the purchase of one or two Nintendo DS's and games for kids at MCH. The event will be approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Look for me online, gamertag TheEvilEmpire. $20 CoD:WaW game night donation can be made via Paypal to captds9e@nyc.rr.com and is due Wednesday. In the message box, you can mention that you're a friend of Angel or TheEvilEmpire for you XBL gamers out there.
Paypal donation - Don't have CoD:WaW? Maybe you do but don't want to play or have the time. $20 a bit much at the moment? Whatever the case, you can still make a donation of any amount via Paypal. Any amount would be greatly appreciated and can be made to captds9e@nyc.rr.com and is due by this weekend. Again, any amount. $10, $5, even $1 will be added to the game night donation total and will go towards MCH Child's Play Charity.
Amazon wishlist - Gaming not your thing? Maybe you want to be more involved in the toy/games chosen for the kids. If that's the case, you can make a purchase on Amazon that will get delivered directly to the hospital via the wishlist set up by MCH.

MCH was chosen since most taking part in the CoD gaming event are from NYC so Montefiore was chosen. If you want to donate a gift by making a purchase to a hospital closer to your region, there is a list of hospitals on the left side of the page.

Thank you.

Back in the day

2008-12-10T19:54:00.006-05:00

For awhile now, I've been promising to put up some photos I had found of my friends and I from the late 80s. Well, I finally got around to it and decided to not only put them up here on the blog but also on my Facebook page. Enjoy. :)

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Here I go again

2008-12-02T20:26:00.004-05:00

Wow, can't believe a whole month has passed since my last post. Matter of fact, can't believe December is here already. By the way, doesn't it seem the older we get, the faster time goes by. Sheeesh! Let's see, what has happened since I last posted?

Video Games

Finished Dead Space, twice. I really really enjoy a good survival horror game. And Dead Space was more than good. Part Doom 3, part Alien, with some resemblance to Event Horizon... Dead Space worked effectively well for me since I'm one that really invests my attention and emotion to the experience. Very tense and parts creepy, I was on the edge of my proverbial seat many times. Heck, once on my first time through the game, I spun around and damn near unloaded a whole clip on a can that was rolling on the floor. Freaked me out, yet had me laughing all the same. :)

I finished Gears Of War 2 on my second day of owning it. Great game with an even better multiplayer mode (Horde). Wish I could say the same for Call Of Duty: World At War. Multiplayer has some issues which need to get patched while co-op was good but not great. Don't like being one of four in a squad that gets assistance from a dozen other AI-controlled Allied soldiers. And what's with being sent back to the lobby after every mission. Weird. Tried and loved the Mirror's Edge demo. Didn't pick it up though as I've vowed to not pick up anymore games until Christmas. So Mirror's Edge goes on the holiday wishlist along with Left 4 Dead. The L4D demo, which is no longer available for download, lets 1 offline (or 2-4 online) players run through 2 levels of pure zombie mayhem. Another definite for me. Plus I still need to pick up Guitar Hero World Tour.

Reunions

Thanks to Facebook, I was fortunate enough to come across some of my buddies I grew up with. Ray, Junior and I have been constantly keeping in touch and we've even had a "guys night out" about 2 weeks ago where we met up with my brother Jorge for some dinner and to reminisce on old times. Another buddy I grew up with, David, came from Florida to visit his family for the Thanksgiving holiday and we too spend some time bringing up the past with Jorge. Funny, funny tales we have.

TV Shows

One of my guilty pleasures, Dirty Sexy Money, was cancelled by ABC. Bummer. Meanwhile, True Blood and Sons Of Anarchy completed their first seasons on high notes. Two great shows that I hope get picked up for another season. I'm watching so many shows and loving most of them but Dexter has got to be the one with the most build up of tension. This season will most definitely end with an explosive conclusion between Dex and Miguel. November saw the return of Jack Bauer but, alas, I have yet to watch 24: Redemption as I'm busy catching up on old shows. Hopefully, this weekend.

High Definition Gear

We were fortunate enough to have received a free 32" Sony LCD HDTV thanks to Maria achieving top sales honors at her job, her second such accomplishment since the summer. First one earned her a Nintendo Wii. Upon receiving the Sony, I went out and picked up a hi-def DVR from our local cable company (Cablevision). Although HD channels only output 1080i and the TV is only 720p, it can upconvert to 1080p. Looks pretty damn good considering it only has a 2000:1 constrast ratio. :)

My home theater is getting ready for a make-over. Ever since dropping DirecTV (No TiVo, no sale), I jumped back over to Cablevision's IO service. Pretty good quality but ho-hum hi-def DVR. One month was enough of that shit before I jumped on the TiVo HD DVR this past weekend. So far, loving it. Nothing like going back to an old friend. I'll soon be picking up a second unit and installing a 1TB hard drive to up the capacity from 20 hours to 145 hours of high definition goodness thanks to WeaKnees.com! That one will find permanent in my home theater while Maria gets the 20 hour unit. Thanks to the TiVo Wireless G USB Network Adapter, I'll be able to stream high definition programming on a TiVo other than the one it was recorded on. Picked one up today from Amazon for only $40 but will still need another one. Will get it with the second TiVo.

In addition, I was able to take advantage of a Black Friday deal where I picked up the Sony BDP-S350 blu-ray player from PC Richards for only $180. Not a Sony fan personally, I was doing homework on both this and the Panasonic DMP-BD35K which has been hovering around $250. But, with that black friday deal, I just couldn't pass up. Hooked it up to the bedroom 32" LCD, i was stunned at how gorgeous Wall-E looked at 1080p resolution. I decided to have the s350 take the place of my Playstation 3 in my living room home theater while the PS3 got demoted to the bedroom LCD. With very little games that interest me on it and basically just a blu-ray player at this point, I relegated the George Foreman grille-looking behemoth to the bedroom. :)

I now have my eyes on the Pioneer VSX-1018AH-K receiver, which I should've already purchased had Best Buy gone and price-matched J&R's online price of $429. When they refused, I decided to go to J&R that weekend but I ended up using some of the money on the TiVo HD when a $100 off deal suddenly materialized. I'll should have the Pio 1018 in my clutches by Christmas. That now leaves upgrading my rear projection. Hopefully, Santa will see how good I've been this year and put the Samsung HL61a750 under my tree. Or, at least the receipt since that bitch is big.

Hope this made up for the month-long absence. Looking forward to reading some replies.

Cheers. :D

Turtle Beach X3 Wireless Headset - Afterthought

2008-11-03T08:40:00.002-05:00

So after a week of putting the X3 wireless headset through it's paces, here is my impression: While I don't play much multiplayer, I do enjoy playing co-op online so having independent volume control for in-game audio AND online chat was definitely a plus when choosing this headset. I used the headset this week with Dead Space (no chat), just yesterday with Scene It? Box Office Smash (online chat) and movies/tv (more on that later). While it doesn't do wireless 5.1, (that's the $200 X4), it has a "stereo expander" option via a switch on the headset to expand the sound. More info on that feature and others, check here.

The headset has nice weight to it. Not too heavy to the point where you get tired of wearing it nor too light that you would forget you have them on after awhile. Deep ear cup cushion was very welcome but i'm someone that only wears in-ear headphone buds when listening to my ipod so having my ears pressed against my head takes getting used to for me. The mic is adjusts to move closer or farther from your mouth or have it pointed straight up away from your face if you're not going to use it. I was impressed with the sound when playing Dead Space as the little creepy sounds from the game were transmitted quite impressively. I can just imagine how the X4 would sound with 5.1. It does, however, leave you totally oblivious to your surroundings. I was playing Dead Space last Monday with a mostly empty apartment. Everyone but my daughter Angelise was gone for the day. She stayed home sick and was sleeping while I fired up a round with the headset so as not to disrupt her sleep. While crawling along a corrider, tense as all hell, here comes Angelise, bolting from her room. Didn't hear her coming and scared the bejesus out of me.

Another impressive feature is microphone monitoring. Ever have headphones on while listening to music and talk to someone very loudly, only because you can't hear your own voice giving you the assumption that the person you're talking to doesn't either? Well, the boom mic on this headset allows a small amount of your voice volume in so you actually hear yourself in the headset when you chat. A nice feature considering the people you're chatting with don't have to hear the audio from your game. Pretty cool.

The headset isn't without it's drawbacks. When connected, I get a faint hissing sound which I can only imagine is feedback. It's all dependent on where I place myself in my home theater room. It's not obtrusive as it's mostly audible when there isn't any audio coming through the headset, but it's there. While chatting during my Scene It? session last night, the chat wasn't as good as the xbox 360 wireless controller. I was told I sounded ok but the other party sounded too muffled. I didn't think about it at the time but I should've told my opponent (who has the same headset) to pull his boom mic away from his mouth to see if that would clear up the audio. I'll test it out more this week as I plan on getting in some Vegas action with my brother Jorge and friend Junior. They'll let me know.

Finally, since I have all audio from my hd-dvd player, ps3/blu-ray and dvr pumping into my receiver AND the IR transmitter is connected to my receivers headphone jack, I can now enjoy late night movie and tv marathons without disturbing the family.

One last thing, the headset isn't wireless in the truest sense of the word. Unlike the Xbox 360 wireless headset, which connects wirelessly with the console, the X3 needs to connect to the 360's controller in order to chat, similar to the original headset that comes with the 360. But that's only if you want to chat. The cable that plugs into the controller can be detached from the headset in addition to the controller for it to be truly wireless. No chat, no cable needed.

If someone wants me to post pics, let me know.

Coming up short...

2008-11-01T23:50:00.004-04:00

10 movies. TEN MOVIES!!! That's all I could muster for this years HTF Scary Movie Challenge. I used to watch that many in a week. Oh well, don't have as much time as I used to. Besides, I have a Halloween themed excuse: After 10 chapters, I've put 16 hours (and counting) into Dead Space. Hey, that counts for something... right?

RIGHT?!?

Anyway, here's the list so critique away:

First time viewings are in bold.

The Thing (1982) [HD-DVD]
Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) [DVD] 1/2
The Wolf Man (1941) [DVD]
An American Werewolf In London (1981) [HD-DVD)
Wolf Creek (2005) [HD-DVD]
Hostel: Part II (2007) [Blu-ray] 1/2
Fright Night (1985) [DVD]
Rest Stop (2006) [Blu-ray] 1/2
The Happening (2008) [Blu-ray]
Prom Night (2008) [Blu-ray] 1/2

I did go to the movies with Jeanette tonight and caught Saw V (enjoyed it although I still haven't seen IV) and could've added it to the list but didn't want to "pad" the list by being dishonest. :)

Guitar Hero World Tour

2008-10-26T18:43:00.003-04:00

Still busy playing Dead Space but my pre-order for Guitar Hero World Tour has come in. Now, Rock Band has become my go-to music game of choice so Guitar Hero really has to innovate to pull me from RB but here's hoping. In the meantime, here's a commercial for GHWT starring Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant, Tony Hawk and Michael Phelps.

Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

2008-10-24T23:26:00.004-04:00

I've been taking part in the Home Theater Forum's annual October Scary Movie Challenge since 2003. With the exception of last year, which I didn't participate in, I've done just ok and have to admit that I'm not the movie fiend I used to be. The rules are pretty simple: watch as many horror movies (tv shows are excluded) as you can in the month, list them on the forum and maybe even write a few words about them. When I first heard of it, I though... eh, why not. Although geeky by nature, it was a fun way to interact and discuss with other forum members who share a common love of horror movies. What I really like about it is that, by reading what others have been watching, I'm introduced to some movies that I haven't heard of before with the intention of someday getting around to watching said movie(s). So every year, a group of members stock pile a bunch of horror movies to watch during the month. The goal is to watch a minimum of 13 (unlucky, get it?) movies either theatrically, on cable/satellite or any form of dvd. Averaging 1 per day gets you into the exclusive "Splatterhead" club. I've only cracked 31 once but have managed at least 13 every year that I've participated.

Last October was an unusually busy one for me with a handful of some great new tv shows that I got hooked into in addition to the favorite returning ones. On top of that, September through November is usually when the best games are released so, being an avid gamer, I was consumed with some great games. This year, I'm not doing so well as, again, I'm being consumed with great tv shows and games that are too good to put down. With just 2 more days until the end of the month, I'm still 4 short of my goal. Let's see how it goes.

I'll post a follow-up this weekend.

Turtle Beach X3 Wireless Gaming Headphones

2008-10-24T22:45:00.003-04:00

I picked up the X3 today after reading some online reviews and a resounding recommendation from fellow LCVGer Joey. The X3 is replacing the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset which was a very good headset but died a very mysterious death. I've had the headset about a year and never had any issues with it other than an occasional annoying buzz sound within the first few months of purchase which was eliminated upon an update sent my Microsoft.

One day, can't remember when, I plugged the headset in to charge to have it ready for my next online adventure. That was the last time the headset was operational as it never turned on after that. Normally, that wouldn't deter me from picking up another since I was quite fond of my wireless friend but since it had happened three times to my godson Brian, I decided that once was enough for me. For the next few months, I used an old wired Nokia headset while I looked online for a replacement. It worked but the quality and convenience wasn't the same. I had seen the X3 mentioned around but thought the $100 price tag to be quite steep. Well, after reading many positive reviews online, I finally took the leap. I'll return with some opinions on the headset after putting a few hours into it this weekend. In the meantime, here's one of the reviews I read online that finally sold me on the product.

Currently playing: Dead Space

2008-10-23T19:29:00.006-04:00

Dead Space is a third-person survival horror-action game. Set in the distant future, Dead Space revolves around Isaac Clarke, a space engineer who works for the Concordance Extraction Corporation (C.E.C.), a company that operates giant mining ships throughout the galaxy. When the C.E.C. receives a distress call from the USG Ishimura, a "Planet Cracker"-class ship that destroys planets in order to extract valuable ore, Isaac and four other C.E.C. employees set out to rendezvous with the Ishimura in orbit, all the while assuming that a mechanical failure is the only problem. At the same time, Isaac repeatedly watches a video sent to him by his girlfriend who is currently onboard the Ishimura, along with about one thousand other residents/workers. What Isaac and his crew find instead is a stricken mining ship infested with Necromorphs, a hostile virus with the ability to reanimate the bodies of the dead, turning them into grotesque monstrosities. Source: Wikipedia

What I love about this game is how atmospheric it is. I've played scary games before: Doom 3, the Resident Evil 4 and even BioShock had it's fair share of scare moments. Dead Space has them all beat in the tense department. Being a fan of horror movies growing up, you would think that I wouldn't find a video game scary. But what a game does better than a movie is that you're put in the situation where your every action (and reaction) is the determining factor in your survival. I can watch a movie and get scared but mostly it's of the cheap variety. In a game like Dead Space, I'm not watching as this character makes his way through the unknown but controlling him. I ask myself how many times I've watched a horror movie and said "I wouldn't go there if it was me" so when playing these games, you can actually choose to not take certain paths until you feel more readily capable of handling whatever situation may rise.

This game is unique in that the character you play, Isaac Clarke, is not this super soldier with all the necessary firepower to handle the extreme conditions he's about to be thrown in. No, Isaac Clarke is only an engineer assigned with task of repairing a mining ship. So, guess what, all he has to defend himself with are mining repair tools. Mind you, they get the job done but they're not your typical shotgun/rifle/rocket launcher variety.

Another thing that is unique about this game is the combat. Where most shooters are basically about getting the most powerful weapon and getting that "headshot" to take the enemy down. In Dead Space, getting a headshot is about the worse thing you can do as all it will do is piss off the creatures. "Strategic dismemberment" is the method used to achieve success in battling the Necromorphs. Trying the conventional method will only have them adopt new stances and tactics, eventually sprouting new limbs and even giving birth to more creatures in the process. The limbs need to be individually severed in order to have a chance at defeating them.

I'm currently sitting in chapter 7, half way through the game and have had numerous "creep out" moments. Playing late at night with the lights out and the 5.1 surround turned up is the only way to play this game.

There are more games coming out between now and the end of the year but Dead Space, although not through with it yet, already has Game of the Year written all over it.

Available for the X-Box 360, Playstation 3 and PC, I can't recommend this game enough.

Cutting costs

2008-10-23T19:11:00.002-04:00

In a move to help our economic situation, I no longer park my car in a private lot. I'm now at the mercy of vandalism which I've experienced a few times before. Also, I canceled my account with Storage Deluxe and have started to bring everything that I'll be keeping over to the apartment. I gave my 10-day notice and will have everything out by Halloween. Wow but we sure have alot of junk stored away.

Eliminating the parking and storage will save us $300 a month. :)

Finally...

2008-10-22T22:45:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a couple of hectic months with all the overtime I've been putting in but am happy it's over. Lots to write about and am looking forward to sharing some thoughts with my friends. Also want to thank those of you that helped Jeanette out with the 2008 Walk To Cure Cancer Charity. Your help was appreciated. :)

October is here and it can only mean one thing.... well, ok, two. Halloween is almost upon us but more importantly, for us gamers, the top titles are releasing in time for the holidays so there seems to be a solid game coming out just about every week. I already picked up and started Dead Space and am absolutely loving it. I've been wanting a Doom-style game to hit the next-gen consoles and Dead Space is it. Don't want to spoil it for those that want to play it but will get into it more at a later date.

Already pre-ordered are Guitar Hero: World Tour, Call Of Duty: World At War, Left 4 Dead, Gears Of War 2, Mirror's Edge, Scene It and Prince Of Persia. Yes, I'll be doing alot of gaming in the weeks to come. :)

Can anyone believe the Tampa Bay Rays? Last I blogged, the Yanks were trying to stay close to the Red Sox while the Mets were sitting pretty in 1st place. I stopped blogging and the baseball world stopped spinning on it's axis. No need to recap how the season and play-offs turned out but the Rays are something special. To say that all of NY would be pulling for them is an understatement. Mets fans should want the Phillies to lose the Series while Yankees fans should want the Rays to win it all as a thank you for taking down the hated Sox, even if the Rays themselves are division rivals.

Been trying to keep up with lots of TV and am really liking some of the new shows while old favorites (Shield, Smallville, Prison Break, Bones, House, Dexter, Entourage) and 2nd year offerings (Life, Dirty Sexy Money, Californication) are still holding my interest. New to my TiVo season pass this year are True Blood, The Mentalist, Fringe and Sons Of Anarchy. Can't say there's a bad show in the bunch.

2008 Walk to Cure Diabetes

2008-09-14T09:05:00.002-04:00

What's up everyone? I know I haven't been on in awhile and I'll start throwing some blog posts in the coming days to bring up the things that have been going on but I just wanted to come on and let everyone know that my good friend Jeanette is taking part in the 2008 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes. Some of you know from last year that Jeanette has been doing this for a few years now and this year continues to do so with one-half million other walkers across the country. Please help fund research for a cure to type 1 diabetes by making a donation. Any amount will go a long way in helping.

If you would like to make a donation, please visit Jeanette's Walk To Cure Diabetes Fundraising page.

Thank you.

Sweet and Sour Weekend

2008-07-28T16:34:00.007-04:00

Just a few words to follow up on some topics I touched on in my last post.

For the most part, it was a good (sweet) weekend. The Yankees won 2 out of 3 over at Fenway Park, and I'm ecstatic about that, but it's hard to not want to take all three after winning the first two. I went to the movies with my good friend Jeanette on Saturday to see The X-Files movie and, while I enjoyed it, felt it could've worked as a movie by any other title. The film was very light in the paranormal department but made up for it by putting the spotlight on the relationship between Mulder and Scully and their respective inner struggles. I'll be looking for this when it releases on blu-ray later this year along with Fight The Future.

I worked overtime on Sunday and am happy to have some extra cash coming in real soon.

To put a cap on the sweet weekend is finding out how The Dark Knight continues to dominate at the box office. As of today, it owns or shares 30 records in it's 11 days of release. Amazing. But this brings me to the one sour note for me: the box office take for the X-Files movie. I so wanted this movie to do well so the franchise can continue on the big screen. As a matter of fact, I previously stated that it would "be lucky to make more than $25 million" and "I wouldn't be surprised if the new Will Ferrell movie Step Brothers does better". Well, both happened. Final weekend tally for X-Files: I Want To Believe? $10 million. Even Step Brothers made $30 million so it wasn't all about The Dark Knight. Heck, Mamma Mia made $30 million last weekend in direct competition with TDK. I want to believe that the X-Files franchise isn't dead but I'm afraid it is. RIP X-Files. You'll forever live in my dvd collection. :(

On a lighter note: after much thought process, I figured out who would be ideal to follow Heath Ledger should the suits over at Warner Brothers decide to bring the character back. Actually, I have two candidates as I can't chose one over the other. I'll let you decide:

WB would be foolish not to seek out these clowns. :D

A few thoughts...

2008-07-25T21:35:00.002-04:00

Weather

Can this weather get any more miserable? New York has been mired in a mini heat wave of late with temperatures barely getting under 90, and when it has, the humidity has been uncomfortably high. At least it was comfortable today but upper 80s/low 90s is what's in the forecast for the foreseeable future.

Baseball

What a difference a month makes. Not too long ago, the Mets were the talk around baseball with the badly handled firing of Willie Randolph as the the team stumbled along the NL East while the Yankees basically underachieved with a sub-.500 record. As of this writing, the Mets are currently in 1st place after beating the Phillies in the 1st of a 3-game weekend series. Meanwhile, the Yankees are 12 games over .500 and have moved to within 2 games of the 2nd place Red-Sox after beating them 1-0 in the 1st game of the 3-game weekend series.

Movies

The Dark Knight juggernaut continues as the movie has basically broken every record held for biggest box-office earnings on a daily basis. What I mean by this is that there's a record holder for highest box-office earning after 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, etc. It's currently on pace to break the record for fastest movie to $300 million previously held by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest which did it in 16 days. TDK should reach the triple digit century mark on Sunday, it's 10th day in release. Wow!

I'm real happy that it's doing well since it's up there with Iron Man as my favorite movie this year but it doesn't bode well for the new X-Files movie which has received mostly negative reviews and has been marketed very poorly by Fox Studios. Commercials have been seen sparingly at best and most people that aren't faithful X-Files franchise fans didn't even know this movie was coming out. I wouldn't be surprised if the new Will Ferrell movie "Step Brothers" does better this weekend. With The Dark Knight continuing it's box-office domination due to positive word of mouth and multiple repeat business, the X-Files will most definitely get creamed in it's release weekend. Which is a shame since creator/director Chris Carter basically said that any possibility for future X-Files movies will rely on how "I Want To Believe" performs commercially. Translation: This will be the last X-Files movie released theatrically. Bummer as I believe there are still good stories to tell in the X-Files universe.

Man, August isn't even here yet and I'm already looking forward to September and having my favorite shows back on the air. Shows I'm looking forward this fall season are:

Monday, September 1

Prison Break (FOX) 4th Season Premiere [2-hour]

Tuesday, September 2

The Shield (FX) 7th and final Season Premiere

Wednesday, September 3

Bones (FOX) 4th Season Premiere [2-hour]

Sunday, September 7

True Blood (HBO) Series Premiere
Entourage (HBO) 5th Season Premiere

Monday, September 8

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX) 2nd Season Premiere

Tuesday, September 16

House (FOX) 5th Season Premiere
Fringe (FOX) Series Premiere

Wednesday, September 17

The Ultimate Fighter (SPIKE) 8th Season Premiere

Thursday, September 18

Smallville (CW) 8th Season Premiere

Monday, September 22

Heroes (NBC) 3rd Season Premiere [2-hour]

Wednesday, September 24

Knight Rider (NBC) Series Premiere

Sunday, September 28

Dexter (SHO) 3rd Season Premiere
Family Guy (FOX) 7th Season Premiere
Californication (SHO) 2nd Season Premiere

Monday, September 29

Life (NBC) 2nd Season Premiere

Wednesday, October 1

Dirty Sexy Money (NBC) 2nd Season Premiere

There will be more shows that will be premiering this fall season that I may look into but I usually wait to base my decisions when Entertainment Weekly releases their Fall TV Issue. I believe Lost and 24 won't return until sometime in January. Shows also returning next year that I'm anticipating are Reaper (CW), Big Love (HBO), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Damages (FX), Nip/Tuck (FX), Rescue Me (FX) and In Treatment (HBO).

I realize that most won't share my taste in TV shows but, other than The Ultimate Fighter, I stay away from reality TV shows like the plague. :)

Mirror's Edge (videogame trailer)

2008-07-22T22:46:00.006-04:00

Scheduled for release later this year, Mirror's Edge is a first-person action game similar in gameplay mechanics to Breakdown in which the whole game is viewed from the main character's perspective.

"The story follows Faith and her struggle to free her sister from a corrupt government. Her parents were killed while protesting against the government and she was forced to grow up on the street, later becoming a runner. Faith was taught not to rely on modern forms of communication, partially because the ruthless police state prefers eavesdropping every chance they get. As Faith attempts to rescue her sister, while running messages for the criminal underworld, she gets caught up in a series of events which lead to her being pursued by the government".

"Though set in a seemingly utopian city environment with low crime, clean streets, and sterile architecture, it is ruled by a totalitarian government regime that conducts unbridled levels of surveillance on citizens. In this world of communications monitoring, the only way to deliver confidential information between parties is to employ couriers (called runners) to physically deliver the information". Source: Wikipedia

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this game turns out.

Box Office Gold

2008-07-22T19:42:00.008-04:00

In my July 4th blog, I posted that The Dark Knight was expected to break some box office records. That was an understatement as TDK has currently shattered 9 records including biggest midnight preview gross (of which I was a part of), single day and 3-day weekend grosses. Source: BoxOfficeMojo.com

And it's not done as it's probably going to break 4-day, 5-day, 6-day, etc. records as repeat business due to excellent word of mouth amid stellar reviews will push this film into the record books. I'll be doing my part as I plan on taking in another screening but on the highly recommended IMAX format.

This Friday, the new X-Files movie debuts in what I think is a head-scratching move by Fox Studios. Instead of releasing this earlier in the summer or in mid-August, X-Files: I Want To Believe will try and get moviegoers away from The Dark Knight. Something I think will be very difficult with the little marketing I've seen from Fox Studios and the fact that it's been a few years since the X-Files tv series has been off the air. Not to mention repeat business for TDK, I think the X-Files movie will be lucky to make more than $25 million, which will probably be less than half what TDK pulls in. As an avid X-Files fan and someone that's waited years for this latest film, I'm hoping it's at least entertaining and makes enough money to warrant the creators (Chris Carter in specific) to seriously consider making more X-Files films.

I Am Alive (videogame trailer)

2008-07-17T16:53:00.004-04:00

They've got my attention. :)

I'm Back

2008-07-16T18:52:00.009-04:00

After dealing with internet connection issues for the last 2 days, I'm finally back up and roaming. First things first, updated pics on my site (which you can get to from link on lower right) and will have a few things to share here about events that went on the last few days soon enough.

The Mighty Rays

2008-07-11T10:24:00.008-04:00

My brother was able to get 5 tickets from a tenant at his job for the July 9th game between the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays and asked me to find 3 friends to go with us. After a whole day of back and forth texting amongst friends from all boroughs, we finally were able to get Todd, Ulises and my cousin Javier to join us for the 1pm game. We were all looking forward to the game for various reasons: the tickets were free, it's the last season at the current Yankee Stadium and it was the Rays. I understand this last reason may be a head scratcher.

As of this writing, the Rays have the best record in baseball and are a major surprise among baseball fans everywhere. Since their inception in 1998, the Rays have always been the doormats for the rest of the American League as opposing teams have always looked forward to playing the "Devil Rays" in an attempt to pad their division lead or gain ground on opposing teams. Not only have they never had a winning season but they have finished dead last in every season but one AND are the only team left in the major leagues to have never been to the play-offs. The one season they didn't finish in last, 2004, saw them reach a franchise high in wins when they ended the season 70-91, good for 4th place.

With help from some key trades, rare free agent signings and excellent farm system, the Rays are on pace to win 95 games this year and ensuring that, whatever happens the rest of the way, their manager Joe Maddon will be in serious consideration for manager-of-the-year honors. Outside of my team, I have no problem rooting for the Rays to make the play-offs.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Good Weekend

2008-07-07T21:35:00.012-04:00

After a boring first week on vacation, I finally had a good time worth talking about. On Saturday, fellow LCVGer Phil and his girlfriend Diana came over to watch the UFC pay-per-view. Although the PPV in general was mediocre, the main event between Forrest Griffin and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was edge-of-your-seat excitement and worth the price all on it's own. It ended a fun night which started with Phil and I sharing funny stories, playing some Rock Band and feasting on home cooked spanish food. But the fun didn't end there. Oh no.

The next day, Maria and I took the kids with us to Queens to meet up with Phil and Diana where Phil and I played some handball while the ladies went shopping. Phil played pretty good for someone who claims to not have played in a good while. We played one close game against each other in which I was able to squeak out a victory with a score of about 21-17. We were going to play another singles game but thought we should ask the young kids (they looked like they were in their late teens) on the other court if they wanted to play us. Hadn't been watching them play or practice so I didn't know how good they would be. But I thought we were in for a long game when they agreed and proceeded to take the court each with a cigarette in one hand. I thought, if these guys are gonna play with just one hand, either they're dumb or they're gonna smoke us (pun intended). Well, it ended up being the former and not the latter. Once they saw we were serious, all hands were on deck for them but it wouldn't be enough as Phil and I beat up on them 21-11. They agreed to a rematch to which they asked for the game to only be limited to 15 points. Don't know if this was because they had to be somewhere else or they foreshadowed a beatdown based on how dominantly we put them away towards the end of the previous game. I'd like to say it was the latter as Phil and I steamrolled over them 15-1. I take great pleasure in beating on opponents that are about half my age. :)

I'm sore as I type this but, as you can imagine, with a big ass grin on my face. Need to get back on the handball court this week to get the soreness out.

The Day The Earth Stood Still

2008-07-04T23:53:00.010-04:00

Trailers. I absolutely love them. Also known as movie previews, trailers (and teaser trailers) get audiences worked up and helps word-of-mouth spread for a movie that is probably still a few months off. One of the best cases of this was when Transformers was released in summer 2007. A trailer for a movie came on that didn't have any known actors or a hint of what was going on other than a city under attack. Towards the end of that fantastic piece of screen tease, all that was shown was the name of executive producer JJ Abrams and the date: 1-18-08. That was the release date for Cloverfield. Like the trailer before it, I absolutely loved the Cloverfield movie. But even people who didn't like the Blair Witch shaky-cam style of film making in Cloverfield admitted that the teaser trailer was extremely well done and the main reason why they went to see the film. This brings me to The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Before the screening for Hancock on Tuesday, we were shown a trailer for The Day The Earth Stood Still. Starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates, DTESS is a remake of the 1951 black and white film of the same name. I've never seen the movie but have heard about it many times and how it "tells the story of a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to warn it's leaders not to take their conflicts into space, or they will face devastating consequences." Source: Wikipedia

Being a big fan of alien invasion films, the trailer has me very anxious

to see this one. The original is currently sitting on the top of my

Netflix queue. It should arrive by mid-week. Can't wait.

The Dark Knight: Ticket Purchased!

2008-07-04T22:15:00.011-04:00

Batman Begins was an excellent reboot to a franchise that was in desperate need of one. Seeing that Marvel Comics (now Marvel Studios) was having much success with their superhero characters on the big screen, Warner Brothers decided to bring back their vigilante hero with the creepy mask. But how do you do that and get the bad taste of the Joel Schumacher films out of everyone's mouth? Quite easily, actually. Hire Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige) to direct and work on the screenplay with David S. Goyer (the Blade films, Dark City). Then surround yourself with talented actors such as Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. Even second hand villians were played by excellent actors Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy. The only questionable hires were Katie Holmes and Rutger Hauer although they both held their own, IMO. Although a critical success, I was always surprised Batman Begins didn't make more than the $200 million it made. Although $200 million is nothing to sneeze at, it didn't make as much as other vastly inferior superhero movies. Hopefully, The Dark Knight will make up for this.

The creative team behind the first film return with some familiar faces. Bale, Oldman, Freeman, Caine and Murphy all return and are now joined by Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckart and Maggie Gyllenhall who steps in to replace Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. Buzz around the intrawebs suggest that The Dark Knight is poised to break some records. Which ones? Remains to be seen but apparently advance ticket sales have been through the roof and most of the tickets for opening weekend in major cities have been sold out. "As of June 27th, Dark Knight has sold eight times as many tickets on MovieTickets.com as Spider-Man 3 at the same point in the sales cycle - 21 days from the films official release." Source: FirstShowing.net

For those that don't know, Spider-Man 3 currently holds the record for biggest 3-day opening weekend with $151 million and sits 3rd for overall grosses on the superhero genre list with $336 million. The only negative thing I can say about this upcoming release is that it's quite unfortunate that the late Heath Ledger won't be around to bask in the glory of the films obvious success and potential oscar nomination that he most certainly deserves. That being said, ticket for the Friday July 18, 12:01 am showing has been purchased. I'll get to work later that day running on fumes but a happy camper. :)

Vacant Vacation

2008-07-03T10:26:00.012-04:00

Vacation time finally comes around and it finds me in a rut. Normally, I'd have a travel plan mapped out where we would visit a friend or family member we hadn't visited in awhile. My preferred mode of transportation is driving but with the escalating cost of gasoline (which doesn't bode well for airline tickets either), vacation travel this year has been postponed.

Haven't done much of anything lately and that includes playing handball or videogames. The only thing that I've actually gotten around to doing is finally watching some movies. So I thought I'd finally update this blog with my thoughts on the movies I've recently seen.

On the big screen:

Hancock Will Smith stars as a superhero with amnesia and serious character flaws. Also stars Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman (who's great in just about everything he's in). 1st act of the movie was great while the 2nd and 3rd acts go in totally different directions. Comedy was great while action sequences including the special effects were hit and miss. These problems notwithstanding, I quite enjoyed Hancock as I'm a huge Will Smith fan and the dialogue in the 1st act were golden. Not his best film but far from his worst (Wild Wild West and Bad Boys franchise). Looking forward to his next film titled Seven Pounds with Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson scheduled for December 12, 2008.
WALL•E What can I say about Pixar that hasn't already been said? These guys keep bringing out exceptional movie entertainment with every release. Won't get into the story only to say that it's not toddlers since there is practically no dialogue for the first 30 minutes. I'm a big fan of the Pixar films and have to go way back to A Bug's Life in 1998 for the last time I thought one of their movies was just ok. Since then, Toy Story 2, Monster's Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars and Ratatouille have all gone to huge commercial success and become some of my favorite animated films. Even their animated shorts that play in front of the feature films are great. Looking forward to their next projects, Up releasing in 2009 and Toy Story 3 scheduled for 2010.
Wanted James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie star in this over-the-top action film with elements of The Matrix sprinkled in. Morgan Freeman and Terance Stamp (in his 2nd "bad guy" role this summer behind Get Smart) co-star in this hugely entertaining film loosely based on the comic book miniseries by Mark Miller.
Get Smart Although I haven't watched all the episodes of the TV show, I was always a fan of the show when I was fortunate enough to catch them on reruns. So, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that a big screen version was being readied and that Steve Carell would play the bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart. Also starring Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin, Get Smart is a very enjoyable summer movie.
The Incredible Hulk Following the disappointing box-office of Ang Lee's Hulk in 2003, Marvel Studios decided that Hulk was too big of an IP (intellectual property) to just die under the bad reviews of that film. So, a reboot was in order and out comes this summer's 2nd (behind the awesome Iron Man) excellent superhero flick. Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt, this iteration of the Hulk does right what the previous version fails at. Where the 2003 version was basically a drama with action sequences sprinkled about, this one is action with drama sequences mixed in.

On the small screen:

Juno A charming movie about a teen (played by Ellen Page best known for Hard Candy), who gets pregnant after her first sexual experience, decides to give the baby up for adoption to a couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who have been having problems conceiving children of their own. Film also stars Michael Cera (SuperBad) as her boyfriend and J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Oz) as her father. Rainn Wilson (The Office) has a small amusing part as a store clerk during the opening scene in the movie.
The Girl Next Door Not to be confused with 2004 comedy of the same name which starred Elisha Cuthbert of 24 fame, this documentary (filmed over the course of 2 years) chronicles the life of Oklahoma housewife Stacy Baker and how, on a dare from her then-husband, submitted a topless photo to Hustler magazine. The photo won her top honors and helped launch her career in the adult industry as Stacy Valentine. An interesting look into how working in the "porn" industry has affected and changed her personal life.
28 Weeks Later Sequel to the very popular 28 Days Later about a virus that turns the population in the UK into blood-crazed psychopaths bent on destroying the uninfected. I enjoyed this very much but wished that filmmakers would abandon the "MTV-style" camera work where they think getting an intense scene to work means the need to film up close and with nauseating abandon. Makes me wonder if the director himself was infected with the "rage" virus.
Michael Clayton George Clooney headlines an excellent cast of actors in this boring thriller about a "fixer" who must retrieve a colleague that has suffered a mental breakdown after getting off his meds and comes to realize that he may have vital information that can jeopardize the firms 3-billion dollar, 6 year class-action lawsuit that he's been working on. Also stars Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and the late Sydney Pollack.
Untraceable Diane Lane stars in this thriller as an FBI agent within the cybercrime division that is tasked with trying to find a killer that is using his website to display live executions where the number of visitors to his site factors in the amount of time the victim has left to live. The murders are quite imaginative ala Saw. Although a bit predictable, hard for me not to like a movie with Ms. Lane involved. Also stars Tom Hanks son, Colin Hanks of Roswell fame.
Rambo After the very successful and entertaining Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone reprises his role as one of the 80s most iconic characters, Vietnam veteran John Rambo. Living in Thailand, Rambo joins up with mercenaries to rescue a group of Christian aid workers kidnapped by a ruthless local infantry unit. Very violent yet enjoyable. Also stars Julie Benz (of Dexter fame) and long-time TV actor Paul Schulze (of 24 fame).

Christmas Lights

2008-06-21T20:44:00.001-04:00

Happy Holidays.... in June. :)

Evolution of Dance

2008-06-21T20:36:00.001-04:00

A funny 6-minute dance sequence.

What a trooper

2008-06-21T20:16:00.004-04:00

I like that even after planting his face into the floor, he still attempts to complete his nunchuk demonstration. :)

Can anyone spare $400 million?

2008-06-21T17:48:00.005-04:00

I remember getting excited when the Yankees (and the Mets, for that matter) announced plans for new stadiums. Although I'll miss the current Yankee Stadium, the chance of a domed stadium to better enjoy the games during the brutal weather conditions here in New York had me thinking I just may want to attend more games (even if it meant slightly higher ticket prices). Unfortunately, the plans for a domed stadium never came to fruition but I was optimistic the stadium would still be state-of-the-art.

A recent article in the NY Daily News claimed the Yankees are seeking an additional $400 million in public funding to help complete construction of the new stadium. Yankees president Randy Levine refutes this claim by assuring the completion of the stadium regardless of whether the funds are granted or not. On August 16, 2006, Yankees officially broke ground on the New Yankee Stadium (November 13, 2006 for the Mets' Citi Field). I've seen video of the Mets new facility and although having construction begun some 3 months after the Yankees "park" broke ground, the stadium in Queens looks farther along than the one in the Bronx. Both stadiums are slated to be ready for opening day April 2009.

The following pictures were taken aboard the south bound #4 train just last week.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Internet problems resolved!

2008-06-20T21:30:00.003-04:00

A few things have caught my attention since my service went down late last week. I should have some thoughts to share tomorrow.

Internet Woes!!!

2008-06-16T12:50:00.001-04:00

I've been experiencing problems with my ISP but hope to have everything resolved by this weekend. See you all then.

Six Flags Great Adventure

2008-06-11T17:01:00.005-04:00

What is it about wanting to be hurtled through space through loops and corkscrews at eye drying speeds that makes us scream, "Woooo!"? I asked myself this as I waited on line to ride Kingda Ka this past Monday when I went with my brother and a friend (who was about to partake in his first ever roller coaster ride) to Six Flags Great Adventure. Monday was a hot, humid, basically miserable day to be outdoors. Yet, we put are collective brains together and came up with the brilliant idea of going to Jackson, NJ to ride the coasters. We were able to enjoy all the major rides which was, quite frankly, an achievement I'd love to take credit for. You see, it isn't out of the question to expect 1 or 2 of the major rides to be shut down due to weather related concerns or mechanical problems, which can be very disappointing after having paid the entrance fee. Their website makes no mention of which rides are running, or not running for that matter, on any given day.

Although not my favorite, that honor goes to El Toro, Kingda Ka is a kick-ass albeit over-too-soon experience and is right up there with El Toro and Nitro as my top 3 favorites at the amusement park. As we're making our way on the line, we get to wait it out near the location where the roller coaster sits before being slingshot on it's way. Having already been on the ride twice (prior to Mondays visit), I knew what to expect. But seeing it get launched from 0 to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds (as the claim goes) brought out a nervous excitement in me all over again.

Finally, we make our way into the station and board our coffin, er... coaster. I couldn't help but remember back to my first experience on the ride and how I had wondered what the heck I was thinking. Although, everyone had enjoyed a successful albeit raucous return, I couldn't help but wonder "with my luck..."! As always, I tried to time the hissing of the brake release to when the launch would happen but I'm always caught somewhat by surprise when it begins. It's during this acceleration, which is needed to get up and over the 456 ft high main top hat tower, that my left and right cheeks have their yearly meeting at the back of my head.

Needless to say, with heart firmly held in throat and eyes totally void of moisture, we scream our way up, over and back down (via a 270-degree spiral, thank you very much) on our way to the station. Ride duration: approx 28 seconds.

Following video I took with my digital camera (sorry for the quality) from the line about 15 minutes before it was our turn.

As previously mentioned, we were able to enjoy all the major rides except for the new Dark Knight coaster. Line was too long for the amount of heat one had to endure while waiting so... next time. The list of coasters we rode were El Toro, Medusa, Batman: The Ride, Nitro, Great American Scream Machine and Superman: Ultimate Flight. The older I get, the more protective of my ribs I become so I passed on Rolling Thunder for now. Hell, we even rode on the Sky Way transportation ride to enjoy the scenery and take pictures. I wanted to get on the tea cups ride but didn't think my friend could handle it since he was already complaining of dizzyness from the Batman ride.

So, what's the best thing about hanging with family and/or friends, eating Churros and riding roller coasters? That it all took place on a Monday. :)

Rockland Lake State Park

2008-06-10T22:33:00.001-04:00

Having family over from Puerto Rico until the end of June, we decided to take them to Rockland Lake State Park on Sunday for some BBQ and swimming pool goodness. Lightning storm almost ruined our day but luckily it didn't arrive until later in the day so we were able to have a good time before the clouds provided us with a visual warning.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.