So Awesome!
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Pan’s Labyrinth Poster = Awesomeness!!!
Posted in Best / Worst, Movies with tags Movie Posters on May 17, 2012 by slatemanNew Cubing Record: 4×4 – 2:49.17
Posted in Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records with tags 4x4x4 on May 16, 2012 by slateman
After my record-setting run of yesterday I noticed a dilemma…I don’t think it was my record! I found an older time that would’ve been the true record! Alas, there is no real problem, just break it again! I quite enjoy my 4×4 but after Aiden chewed on it, the stickers are a mess. I need to buy more. I also need to re-tension it. However, for now it’s still great, and was good enough to help me break my record! Not bad!!!
New Cubing Record: 4×4 – 2:50.96
Posted in Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records with tags 4x4x4 on May 15, 2012 by slatemanI haven’t been speedcubing much lately but I decided to grab my 4×4 and give it a go. My living room was too stuffy, dark and hot so I went to the kitchen, turned the fan on and enjoyed a cool spring breeze. I have been frustrated as of late so it was so refreshing to see my record broken by a few seconds. My centers were really fast (sub-30 I believe) but my middle layers were horrible. At one point I just stared for several seconds, lost. I had a great final layer though, which was my saving grace. No parity and a lucky draw = a new record!!! 2:50.96!
What I’m Reading: May 2012 Edition
Posted in Blog, Books, Game Of Thrones on May 13, 2012 by slatemanI most certainly do not have time to read as much as I’d like. It’s quite sad, as I used to read a ton. In my Tolkien days, I was out of control. However, even with four children, I try to find time here and there. Currently I’m reading three books. None are coming along too quickly…
Spoiler Free BTW.
Book #2
The first Hunger Games book was enthralling. It was not well-written, but for what it was, I loved it! All my students were reading it and so I grabbed it. It took me just a few days to tear through the tale of Katniss and Peeta. It was a pretty basic story but was compelling and a fun romp. Katniss was a likeable character and the buildup to the final climax was quite exciting. The final decision made against the Capital was something I didn’t see coming and made a sequel possible. I’ve been hesitant about Catching Fire but my students swear it’s great and while I’m only a few pages in, I look forward to getting back into the swing of things.
An English Classic
I have always wanted to read Beowulf. In fact, I’m embarrassed that I never got around to it. Seeing as how it is a classic and a basis of so many modern tales, it is a must. That it was a great influence on Tolkien really doesn’t hurt. As with Catching Fire, I have barely started this, but it doesn’t look to be a very long read. The Heaney translation came highly recommended and the illustrated edition is actually quite cool. Culling from all sorts of medieval artifacts, it really adds depth to the reading and gives contextual visuals to a world that is oh-so-different from what is familiar.
Book #1
After watching season 1, I was sold. I went out and grabbed this book on sale back in August and only got 200 pages into it. Unlike The Hunger Games, this is HEAVY reading. Even being familiar with the character, it was a struggle sometimes. However, it adds so much depth that the show can never capture. More than halfway into season 2, I’m noticing how lacking the show is on details. It’s not a negative, it’s a necessary part of making a TV show out of such a magnum opus! If I can get through this first book, I will surely get A Clash Of Kings. Until then, I have a lot of reading to catch up on!!!
New Cubing Record: Megaminx – 7:52.85
Posted in Blog, Cubing, Cubing Records with tags Megaminx on May 13, 2012 by slateman
Megaminx
In the past month I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my Megaminx and Windmill Cube. They are fantastic additions to my puzzle collection and provide a reasonable challenge. I have done both for time but don’t have an official time for the Windmill Cube yet. It’s like 2:30 or so. However, I did go for a Megaminx time run twice. The first was better than the second, but both hovered around the 8-minute mark. I’ve updated both my Best Times Page and my Milestones Page. I’ll say…while I’ll never be good enough to even take part in competitions, I’ve come a long way since first solving a cube 15 months ago.
Next up for the collection? I made a To-Buy List but I’m leaning towards a Gigaminx. They’re expensive though. I’ve seen the larger ShengShou cubes and I’ll have to say they look solid. I never use my V-Cube 6 any more because it’s so annoying. The 8×8 and larger will have to be purchased…but we’re talking big bucks. However, I’m thinking a Gigaminx might be fun. Anyways…it’ll all have to wait for now. Oh…and I seem to have lost my 2×2. I’m not happy about that.
Jeter: #18
Posted in Blog, Yankees on May 13, 2012 by slateman
Jete!
Who precisely is next?
Yount
Waner
Brett
Ripken
Lajoie
Murray
Mays
Collins
Molitor
Yastrzemski
Wagner
Anson
Speaker
Musial
Aaron
Cobb
Rose
Know the most amazing thing about this list? I remember Yount, Brett, Ripken, Murray and Rose all playing. 5 of the top 17 players were in my lifetime. Beyond that, Lajoie? Wagner? Anson, Speaker…these names are legendary! Yastrzemski was the last triple crown winner 45 years ago. With 129 games left this year, I’m looking forward to a healthy Jeter. If he can keep up a decent average, a safe estimate of another 150 hits is not outrageous. With that, he’d pass even Willie Mays and sit at #11 all-time. I know people talk about him being 37…but I remember seeing Pete Rose play towards the end of his career. He just kept going. Not saying Jete is as good as Rose, but even with the last two ‘poor’ seasons, he still had 341 hits total. Let’s say he takes the option for another year. If he gets to 3,200 this summer and could match his 2010/2011 totals of 340 hits over the 2013 and 2014 seasons, he could be sitting at ~3,650. That would pass Stan Musial and place him beneath Aaron, Cobb and Rose. Legendary.
Yogi & Guidry (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
OK, speaking of legends…Yogi is the man. The other day I talked about Jete being top 5 Yankees ever, and the more I thought about it, and the more I looked at the stats, how can I possibly not include Yogi? The Babe, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Yogi, Mantle, Jete. If I had to pick 5, that would be hard and maybe Jete doesn’t make the cut. Today was Yogi’s 87th birthday and they had a big celebration. I’ve seen a lot of Old Timer’s games, and the legends are becoming fewer. When Scooter died a few years ago, it really hit me hard. Yogi is another one. *Ahem* 3 MVP Awards, 10 WS titles (in 14 appearances), a lifetime .285 hitter, 2,150 hits, 358 HRs, 1,430 RBIs and 1,175 Runs. His postseason stats, all World Series games, mind you, consist of 75 Games and 39 RBIs. Between ’55 and ’57, his BA in those WS were: .429, .417, .360 and .320. I could go on and on…but I fear the day when Yogi’s gone. Not to be morbid, but if Jete is the man, then Yogi is the fucking man. Let’s not forget he’s been married to the same woman for 63 years. He is a legend.
Sorry for the long rant…
Portal 2: Again!
Posted in Blog, Games, Portal on May 13, 2012 by slateman
I <3 Portal
To reiterate, Portal 2 is just about the best shit I’ve ever played. I couldn’t help myself…I purchased it on sale from Steam. Working through the campaign, particularly now that I’ve completed the first Portal is even more revealing. I know I should’ve done it in the proper order before. It matters not, this is the bomb. The co-op modes should be fantastic and I can’t wait to test out the community levels too. This may be the first time I actually paid for a PC game as well. Granted, it was only $6.67, and I got the first Portal for free, so I shouldn’t flaunt that fact.
So, yeah. Portal 2 is likely in my top-10 ever list. Come to think of it, I should make that list…
Mariano Rivera – Oh No
Posted in Blog, Reflection, Yankees on May 5, 2012 by slateman
GOAT Indeed (Al Bello/Getty Images)
I avoided the typical pun headline although I did think about using one. This one has taken some time to settle in. No Mo? No Jorge? Andy isn’t back yet. The Core 4 is now just Jete. And…let me take a moment to say that Jete is the fucking man right now. It is so much fun watching him hit lately. Let’s hope he can keep this going. Shut those naysayers up.
Back to Mariano. Oh man…now, he says he’ll be back. Initially I figured he was done. DONE. However, there’s always been something about Mo. I’ve never seen a player so cool. He could blow a 3-run lead and it wouldn’t bother him a bit. He’d come back the next day all chill. Will he be back? I don’t know the severity of the injury but the more I think about it, maybe I’m wrong. He’s not done. If he comes back, can he be as dominating? I think this guy is a machine, a term we’ve used repeatedly over the past 17 years. And if he has the drive, which he appears to, I see no reason why he wouldn’t come back. Of course, my dreams of another World Series are maybe a little romantic, but now THAT would be the way to end it. Andy->Mo, Jorge throwing out the first pitch, a 4-for-4 day for Jete? OK, now I’m getting a little exaggerated.
I’m 36 years old. I have been watching the Yankees, and remember watching them, for almost 30 years now. I have no plans on stopping. For fans like that, seeing a player like Mo go down is a big deal. It means a lot for our playoff aspirations. It means a lot for Robertson (= awesome) and whoever ends up being the 7th-inning man. But it means a lot for the face of NY, for who we are. I may attribute too much weight to things like this but the few of you reading, if you are a fan…you know precisely what I’m talking about. And don’t get me started on the day Jete retires. That will be a day unlike any other since…Mattingly? I can say now, without a doubt, Jete is the biggest Yankee player since Mantle. DiMaggio before him. Gehrig and Ruth before him. Stats aside, with leadership, durability, confidence…if Jete is not top-5, you need to rethink stuff. (Who would be in the final spot? Yogi? Whitey? Mo???) He’s been the face of the Yankees for a long time. Oh, and I probably mentioned, he’s the fucking man. (batting .404 as of this writing)
R.I.P. – Adam Yauch
Posted in Blog, Music, Reflection on May 5, 2012 by slateman
R.I.P. - MCA
Maybe that’s absurd, but hear me out. Back in ’86 when I was in elementary school, a friend lent me License To Ill. An impressionable youth, I loved the attitude and lyrical nonsense of the album. It is the soundtrack of 5th and 6th grade, really. As the years passed, the band grew stronger, and their musicianship stood out on Check Your Head and particularly on Ill Communication. Just listen to M.C.A.’s bass on Futterman’s Rule. They were no longer just rappers; Beastie Boys matured into something so much more. Their efforts outside the studio and stage reflect this. And of the three members, I felt a strange ‘camaraderie’ with MCA. That probably makes no sense, but as I listened to the Beastie Boys, I was MCA, rapping alongside Ad-Rock and Mike D. Now, this is no stalker strangeness…it’s no different than reading a book and feeling like YOU are Frodo or Lestat or Katniss. I just identified with his words more, his style more.
Just a few weeks ago I busted out those two albums and listened on the way to work. I remember every word of Get It Together even after almost 20 years. It had been a while since I listened to those discs. And after Ill Communication I lost interest. Hello Nasty didn’t feel like a progression to me, rather the opposite. Now, 15 years after that album, I haven’t followed them in quite some time. However, as they were a big part of both my elementary school years as well as my college years, it truly saddens me to lose such an instrumental member of my memories. To his family, friends, fans and supporters, you will be missed.
R.I.P. MCA…Your shit be cookin’.
Skyrim: Dawnguard!!!
Posted in Blog, Games, Skyrim on May 1, 2012 by slateman
Dawnguard!
OK, timed exclusive…that sucks, but still! I actually haven’t beaten Skyrim yet…so I suppose I shouldn’t get too excited. However, this may give me the kick in the ass to get it all finished, right? I’m guessing a $15 DLC or will it be a more expensive expansion? Dunno, but it’s an almost-certain purchase. It’s not a bad time to be a gamer. Tho…I kinda do wish I played PC games more. Portal was an awful lot of fun. Perhaps when the kids are older. Ah well. More Skyrim!!!