More to come shortly. This post is to keep google from deleting this account.
-wes
Friday, April 18, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
WTF Wednesday- Dwarf Dance Party
-Wes
Monday, September 3, 2012
Michael Clarke Duncan Passes Away At 54
I was going to write a succinct review on the Season 7 premiere of "Doctor Who", but I now have an inability to write very much on that subject for today. Instead I would like to express my sadness for a man who was one of the most enjoyable actors I've ever seen. Many of you may know him from The Green Mile, but to my memory I first noticed him in either Married With Children as a bouncer, or the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as the character Tiny. He had various other roles in the Weird Science television series, The Jamie Foxx Show, and the Wayans Brothers Show before hitting the big screen in various movies. Bulworth (as a bouncer), Armageddon, Night At The Roxbury (oh hey bouncer) before landing the role of John Coffey in The Green Mile. My favorite role of his was that of Cleon Salmon from The Slammin' Salmon, especially when he purposely broke character and said, "Who turned out the lights?! Haven't you seen Green Mile?! You know I'm afraid of the dark!" He also happened to be one of the only good things about the Green Lantern movie, lending his voice to Kilowog, which was perfect casting. I am quite dejected, and I'm sorry for being a let down.
-OneOfMany
-OneOfMany
Selected Reading
The idea here is not to rate anything, but to say, "You should read this and that, because these are the comics I care for." However, if I receive requests for other comics, outside of my personal reading, I will oblige and give you my opinion of the material.
First up I have Before Watchmen: Minutemen #3. This issue tackles the aftermath of the Comedian's attack of Silk Spectre, as well as delves into the background of the Silhouette some more. This issue is fantastic, and I've been hardpressed to find anything remotely offensive to the Alan Moore vision of Watchmen. Darwyn Cooke does a fantastic job as writer and penciller. I have a bit of bias for his art i.e. I fucking love it, but that doesn't make it any less a joy. Seeing the Comedian adopt an all leather version of his costume was particularly enjoyable. His writing is also well thought out, and personally I'd rather focus on the Comedian day in and day out, but the fact that this is a representation of the "Under The Hood" novel, there is a firm focus on Hollis Mason. Which is all well and good, seeing as how the majority focuses on the Silhouette saving a little girl and Nite-Owl's reasoning for breaking the law time and again. The right thing isn't always legal.
Next up is Uncanny X-force #30. I miss Warren. Probably as much as Betty wants to. He's always been my favorite X-man(unless you want to count Deadpool, in all his Marvel-Girl glory). Rick Remender has put out an amazing 29 issues, and I am inclined to believe he will continue to do so. His grasp of each member of X-Force is fantastic. Sadly, this issue doesn't see any of the team, except a flashback with Fantomex and a subsequently funny cameo by him later. Well it was funny to me, anyway. The issue is mostly about Evan, and a new Brotherhood popping up. I get the roadtrip idea, and behind it is a far more sinister reasoning, but all in all I don't care for it. Why should you read this issue? Cheese puffs.
Lastly is Winter Soldier #9. As it may have been firmly established, I read things that I obviously care about. Bucky is awesome. He's the best resurrected character I've read. Winter Soldier is an excellent series. Ed Brubaker is the masterful storyteller as always, and Michael Lark's art is giving me all sorts of espionage glory to drool over. This is what spy books should look like. I imagine how Bucky is dealing with Black Widow and the emotions he's going through to be quite similar to hers when he first popped up as the Winter Soldier. Sitwell is the Velma of the group, but he shows that he can hold his own in a fight. In the end, Bucky must choose between "saving" Natasha and capturing Novokov. Of course he chooses the girl.
Till next time,
OneOfMany
Next up is Uncanny X-force #30. I miss Warren. Probably as much as Betty wants to. He's always been my favorite X-man(unless you want to count Deadpool, in all his Marvel-Girl glory). Rick Remender has put out an amazing 29 issues, and I am inclined to believe he will continue to do so. His grasp of each member of X-Force is fantastic. Sadly, this issue doesn't see any of the team, except a flashback with Fantomex and a subsequently funny cameo by him later. Well it was funny to me, anyway. The issue is mostly about Evan, and a new Brotherhood popping up. I get the roadtrip idea, and behind it is a far more sinister reasoning, but all in all I don't care for it. Why should you read this issue? Cheese puffs.
Lastly is Winter Soldier #9. As it may have been firmly established, I read things that I obviously care about. Bucky is awesome. He's the best resurrected character I've read. Winter Soldier is an excellent series. Ed Brubaker is the masterful storyteller as always, and Michael Lark's art is giving me all sorts of espionage glory to drool over. This is what spy books should look like. I imagine how Bucky is dealing with Black Widow and the emotions he's going through to be quite similar to hers when he first popped up as the Winter Soldier. Sitwell is the Velma of the group, but he shows that he can hold his own in a fight. In the end, Bucky must choose between "saving" Natasha and capturing Novokov. Of course he chooses the girl.
Till next time,
OneOfMany
It is Labor Day and since I have the day off from my actual work I'd like to share some updates. First, a new segment called "Dim Sum and Geekdom" will be happening where The Every-Geek and I will be interviewing various people over a meal of dim sum. I actually had a chance to set up such an interview in the future with indie rock band A Silent Film, whenever they happen to be in the area again. Later I will be posting selected readings, and the season premiere review of Doctor Who. And then, if i find anything noteworthy, I'll probably post that as well.
-OneOfMany
-OneOfMany
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
A New Challenger Approaches
Good day, vagabonds of the internet. In time I hope you find an enjoyable commentary on the exciting field of geekery. In the coming months I hope to share some reviews of things I enjoy, as well as some I don't. Topics shall include music, movies, comics, literature, alcohol, video games, gadgets, tools, and other wondrous sundries. Till then I leave you with this:
Sincerely,
OneOfMany
Sincerely,
OneOfMany
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Bang Bang- Boys and their toy guns
When I was a child my mother forbade my father from buying me any kind of toy gun. I assume it was out of fear that a cap gun would make me grow up to be a professional killer (I wish, they make some serious cash I hear and have alot of travel). This annoyed my father as he grew up in the 50s when cowboys, gumshoe detectives, and there gun totting brethren ruled the media.
I was a boy, and as such, I was naturally attracted to the idea of playing games involving less then real guns. My mother finally gave in when she caught me shooting my brother with a puzzle piece in the shape of Florida (educational toys have some fun uses.)
I have yet to kill a man, nor has my cap gun toting father. I say let boys be boys, and understand that play is play.
any way a video that illustrates just how much times have changed is below. (look at the criminal- I think sheriff Andy Taylor will be very upset with Otis if he saw this).
I was a boy, and as such, I was naturally attracted to the idea of playing games involving less then real guns. My mother finally gave in when she caught me shooting my brother with a puzzle piece in the shape of Florida (educational toys have some fun uses.)
I have yet to kill a man, nor has my cap gun toting father. I say let boys be boys, and understand that play is play.
any way a video that illustrates just how much times have changed is below. (look at the criminal- I think sheriff Andy Taylor will be very upset with Otis if he saw this).
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Garage Projects- LCD monitor fixes part 1
Truth be told, It has been over a month since I first intended to do this project. But with the school year (or two different ones I am involved with) coming to an end, slowly finding and acquiring the needed supplies (de-soldering wick beats the de-soldering pump's ass btw), and having a car parked in my workshop for 2 weeks solid (I can only really work in it while my house mate is at work due to space limitations) this project has been slow to start.
I have to monitors that are in need of repair- my second desktop monitor (20inch veiwsonic) and a "trash" monitor my mother was about to throw away after it stoped working on he desktop (17inch Dell). They both had similar problems- they would briefly flash an image after being turned on and then would go black in less then a second. If it was turned off then on again you would get another flash of the screen. After a little research I found that the cause might me some bad capacitors and proceeded to do what I learned was the most fun solution as a child- take shit apart and see whats inside.
=>aside=>
I was a quiet child and was horribly socially awkward. I would rather have spent my days in front of a TV, video game system, computer, or playing with the large quantity of action figures in my possession (you can't buy love, but my mother never stoped trying). This is not to say I was a quiet child by any means. I was always ridding couch cushions down the grand foyer stairs and crashing with a bang into the wall at the end, searching anything I could find for some random detail I had not noticed before (The fact that my elder sisters never killed me still astounds me), and (shrug) taking things apart to see what was inside. I admit it. I tended to only take things apart I was sure I could get back together or were already destined to be discarded- but that is not to say there were never bounds overstepped in this regard.
After a bit of this, disasibly was tagged as my MO and any future findings of dysasimbly were subsequently blamed on me (parents of 4 children have to find short cuts to the family legal system to keep control). Despite my claims of innocence all findings of dysmantament (or perceived dysmantalment) were blamed on me. If the top was found to have fallen off of a cheap $1 flashlight it was blamed on me.
A problem eventually emerged- things I never took a single screw driver to started mysteriously falling to pieces all over the place. This was a mystery to only me, as the forgone conclusion was that I was responsible and a lier for claiming otherwise (some thing I greatly resent in retrospect). Though I don't know for sure who the culprit was, I do have my theories, for next me on the games systems, behind me sliding down the stairs, and often next to me poking at the magical innards of devise was my equally, if not more so, socially awkward little brother. I think most of those dysasimblies I was blamed for were his (as I was crafty enough to avoid getting caught).
=>But back to the main plot=>
After opening my old Viewsonic I found a couple of capacitors that seemed to be bulged and one of which was leaking a brownish "who let the magic smoke out?" liquid. I decided this was the problem and placed the bulky parts to be reassembled later of in a corner till I had some free time and the right tools on hand.
Today the parts of the puzzle all came together. My garage was free, I finally got my de-soldering wick in the mail and I was bored. So it was "Working-on-that-thing-I-have-been-meaning-to-do-for-a-really-long-time Day".
So I did what any respectable material hacker wanna-be would do=> I layed out my materials, tools, a lexan wine glass, and a bottle of 3-Buck-Chuck.
Now that I gave up on the stupid vacuum de-soldering pump and got the wick it only took me about 15 min to remove the 2 offending capacitors from the first board (bearing in mind I had never done anything like this before, so I would say that was a pretty fast). I placed the capacitors to one side to order replacements later.
With that out of the way I decided I might as well crack one the Dell and do all the part ordering at once.
Opening the Dell was a bit tricky as I was expecting more screws and a more apparent way to get into the body. But it turns out that it has four screw the look like they are all part of the stand, that need to be removed and from there it is all a matter of prying it open "Conan the Barbarian" Style with a screw driver (I always hate this kinda thing, I am in constant fear I am going to shank some vital part and jack the thing I am trying to fix up).
I managed to get into the screen, and find the power board where the problem should have been (drinking wine all the while), but when I got there I found this=>
A full set of capacitors that are not bulged, leaking a witches brew of techno death, or any other apparent problems. I am stumped.
------Spelling does not count------May fix later
- Wes
I have to monitors that are in need of repair- my second desktop monitor (20inch veiwsonic) and a "trash" monitor my mother was about to throw away after it stoped working on he desktop (17inch Dell). They both had similar problems- they would briefly flash an image after being turned on and then would go black in less then a second. If it was turned off then on again you would get another flash of the screen. After a little research I found that the cause might me some bad capacitors and proceeded to do what I learned was the most fun solution as a child- take shit apart and see whats inside.
=>aside=>
I was a quiet child and was horribly socially awkward. I would rather have spent my days in front of a TV, video game system, computer, or playing with the large quantity of action figures in my possession (you can't buy love, but my mother never stoped trying). This is not to say I was a quiet child by any means. I was always ridding couch cushions down the grand foyer stairs and crashing with a bang into the wall at the end, searching anything I could find for some random detail I had not noticed before (The fact that my elder sisters never killed me still astounds me), and (shrug) taking things apart to see what was inside. I admit it. I tended to only take things apart I was sure I could get back together or were already destined to be discarded- but that is not to say there were never bounds overstepped in this regard.
After a bit of this, disasibly was tagged as my MO and any future findings of dysasimbly were subsequently blamed on me (parents of 4 children have to find short cuts to the family legal system to keep control). Despite my claims of innocence all findings of dysmantament (or perceived dysmantalment) were blamed on me. If the top was found to have fallen off of a cheap $1 flashlight it was blamed on me.
A problem eventually emerged- things I never took a single screw driver to started mysteriously falling to pieces all over the place. This was a mystery to only me, as the forgone conclusion was that I was responsible and a lier for claiming otherwise (some thing I greatly resent in retrospect). Though I don't know for sure who the culprit was, I do have my theories, for next me on the games systems, behind me sliding down the stairs, and often next to me poking at the magical innards of devise was my equally, if not more so, socially awkward little brother. I think most of those dysasimblies I was blamed for were his (as I was crafty enough to avoid getting caught).
=>But back to the main plot=>
After opening my old Viewsonic I found a couple of capacitors that seemed to be bulged and one of which was leaking a brownish "who let the magic smoke out?" liquid. I decided this was the problem and placed the bulky parts to be reassembled later of in a corner till I had some free time and the right tools on hand.
Today the parts of the puzzle all came together. My garage was free, I finally got my de-soldering wick in the mail and I was bored. So it was "Working-on-that-thing-I-have-been-meaning-to-do-for-a-really-long-time Day".
Now that I gave up on the stupid vacuum de-soldering pump and got the wick it only took me about 15 min to remove the 2 offending capacitors from the first board (bearing in mind I had never done anything like this before, so I would say that was a pretty fast). I placed the capacitors to one side to order replacements later.
With that out of the way I decided I might as well crack one the Dell and do all the part ordering at once.
Opening the Dell was a bit tricky as I was expecting more screws and a more apparent way to get into the body. But it turns out that it has four screw the look like they are all part of the stand, that need to be removed and from there it is all a matter of prying it open "Conan the Barbarian" Style with a screw driver (I always hate this kinda thing, I am in constant fear I am going to shank some vital part and jack the thing I am trying to fix up).
A full set of capacitors that are not bulged, leaking a witches brew of techno death, or any other apparent problems. I am stumped.
------Spelling does not count------May fix later
- Wes
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Clockwork- Art in Motion
I have always had a Jones for anything that denotes order and elegance in funtion and eficancy- that is possibly why I had always been drawn to taking apart mecahnical devices (getting them back together has proven problematic). Sure I love the flow of electrons as much as the next guy, but they some how lack the art of gears, worm-screws, and cranks. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this amusing clock work scene on the interwebs =>
"Epiphany" 2010 from Tom Haney on Vimeo.
Once I get some more free time to surf the net I think I might poke around more and see what is out there in this vein.
-Like long and Lobster.
"Epiphany" 2010 from Tom Haney on Vimeo.
Once I get some more free time to surf the net I think I might poke around more and see what is out there in this vein.
-Like long and Lobster.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)