Archive for April, 2012

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Vacation Over: Back To Work = …?

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Games, Yankees on April 23, 2012 by slateman

OK, so my week off is over. I may say I hate vacations but I got to spend a full week waking up and hanging out with the boy and my sunshine (that’s Aiden and Kairi for the uninitiated). In any event, what’s the week to come to bring?

Module: Imagineering

First off, I’m kinda psyched that Module has released a new album. His Site has the full album…I should just buy it? The Shatter soundtrack is just about perfection. From what I’ve heard, I like this…I don’t love it. Oops…I was listening to samples from his first album. NP: The new one. OK, I more than like it.

What I DO love? The Yankees coming back from 9 down yesterday. I think the rain-out today is actually beneficial to the Sox. Let’s face it, they won’t be this bad forever. When we make this game up, likely sometime in September, they’ll win it. Mark my words.

I guess I miss my students a little bit. Sue me for loving my job so much.

The Windmill Cube is the bomb…BTW. So much fun.

To work in the AM. Bring it on!

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Portal 2 May Be The Most Brilliant Design Ever

Posted in Blog, Games, Portal on April 21, 2012 by slateman

Portal 2 - Brilliant!

OK, again, I never played the first portal, so I’m late to the game. However, in playing Portal 2 on the PS3 (and tinkering w/ the original on the PC), I’ve discovered something amazing. This is likely the most brilliant game I’ve ever played. Completing a level, using the pink and blue goo, discovering a solution…it is all outrageously well thought-out. In every new area I stand marveling at the utterly fantastic ideas being thrown my way. The humor is wonderful, the gameplay divine, I think this is the coolest thing ever. That’s all. Just had to share.

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Diablo III Beta? Sure, Why Not?

Posted in Blog, Games on April 20, 2012 by slateman

Diablo III

I’ve never played Diablo before, but since the 3rd game’s beta is open for all this weekend, I can see no reason not to try! Of course, I doubt I’ll get much time…but who cares? I’ve always wanted to try the series out and since there’s no immediate console version available, let’s see how it goes. I’m kinda excited!

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Wednesday Roundup

Posted in Cubing, Games, Ys with tags on April 19, 2012 by slateman

Oh vacation, how I loathe thee. I should love vacation but every time it is just full of suckage. BUT, rather than complain, let’s see what’s good.

First off, GameFly shipped me Portal 2. I played through a bunch last autumn but had to send it back to get something new (can’t recall what), and now it’s time to get back into it. I’ll say, this is a frustrating game. Like all puzzle games, if you’re stuck, it’s downright shit. However, when you do complete a level, it’s a very rewarding feeling.

Still playing Magic Piano (by Smule). It’s fun and somewhat relaxing. I need that during weeks like these.

Got two new Yankees shirts. \m/

Also got Beowulf finally. This translation is by Seamus Heaney and I nabbed the illustrated edition. It’s actually a cool edition and I look forward to finally reading it. Also on the to-read list, Catching Fire (Hunger Games book 2), Sigurd & Gudrun, Tolkien’s poem and Game Of Thrones. Let’s face it though, that last one is gonna take forever.

Oh, playing Ys: Oath In Felghana on the Vita. Sure, it’s a PSP game, but the ability to pause and run other apps is kinda cool. The game is fun but the difficulty ramps up ridiculously on boss battles. Meh.

Ahh, forgot to mention that I solved the megaminx and the windmill cube the other day each without algorithms. It’s a good step, makes me feel good about myself and only through this do I really count it as ‘solved’. I started a tutorial on the windmill cube. Editing takes 10x longer than the filming.

OK, that should be it. Need a vacation from the vacation!!!

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Mini-Review: JK Flesh – Posthuman – I Like!

Posted in Godflesh, Music, Reviews on April 14, 2012 by slateman

Posthuman

JK Flesh – Posthuman

I remember the day Pure came out back in April of 1992 and my fascination only grew from there. Through the two decades since, I’ve covered so many diverse projects on this site. If you’re reading this, I probably don’t need to list them. As I tore into the package containing Justin’s first solo record, it hit me; I have no clue what I expect this album to be like. Most of us know expectation is everything and can make or break any experience. Unsurprisingly, Posthuman didn’t fit my expectation.

I think I was expecting to be crushed. I was not. Perhaps I looked for the sequel to beautiful and haunting Skinner’s Black Laboratories tracks. This is nothing like that at all either. As the first tracks passed, I was greeted with so many familiar sounds. The noise-laden guitars from Grey Machine. Loud interludes a la early/mid-Techno Animal. D&B from the highly-prolific late-90s. There’s clearly Godflesh in here. But none of it sounds generic or redundant.

What we have here is pure Justin Broadrick and any fan of his varied catalog should recognize this instantly. The mostly-instrumental record truly covers his sprawling career by combining so many familiar sounds. When his voice is used, it is precisely what you expected it to be.

As mentioned earlier, it is not a crushing album; I think Justin is saving that for the impending Godflesh LP. It is also not very melodic, as we have that already in some Final material and a lot of what Jesu has turned out to be. There are some small but very unique portions of this album that expand on what Justin can do, but let’s face it, no one ever really thought there was a barrier. Any fan who stuck around through the Streetcleaner – Slavestate – Pure – Selfless years knows better. And however varied I’m making this sound, Posthuman is indeed one vision, one LP. It sounds so much like what you know but yet modern and new. It is not Justin’s best work, but then again, very few of us can agree on even a top-five list anyway.

This is a heavy record. It is noisy and it is powerful. It is dark and moody. Essentially it is why I gained interest in JKB more than 20 years ago and why I continue still.

[written for Crumbling Flesh]

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Marcus Aurelius: Genius

Posted in Blog, Reflection on April 11, 2012 by slateman

Genius

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Tuesday Rumblings

Posted in Blog, Cubing, Games, Music, Yankees on April 10, 2012 by slateman

I hate Tuesdays. They are the worst day of the week. The novelty feel of Monday has worn off. It’s not yet Wednesday. Hello Tuesday; I hate you.

OK, Today’s rumblings. First off, the Yankees won last night. It was nice seeing them string hits together and having that feel of certain victory. I don’t care that it came against the (3-0!) Baltimore Orioles. It’s a W. We started off 1998 0-3 as well.

Windmill Cube Solved! OK, that’s not news, but doing so without a guide is! I was using my
notes and algorithms but with so little to remember, I was kinda proud of getting it done myself. It’s a fun cube!

JKB’s Posthuman comes out soon and I hope to have a promo shortly. Definitely looking forward to this one. More over at Crumbling Flesh when it does arrive.

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NYY: 0-3…WTF?

Posted in Blog, Yankees on April 8, 2012 by slateman

NYY


I am never in a rush for the baseball season to arrive. While many others pay attention to spring training and the rosters to be, I don’t. I realize that when the season does come, it is a long spring/summer/early autumn until it’s over. That’s not bad, but it’s long. And when your team starts out 0-3…urgh.

So, opening day. Yeah, that one sucked. Mo blew it almost immediately and it just got ugly. 5 infielders? Then, after being down 8-2, Swish’s HR in the 9th was a beautiful thing. Yesterday, Kuroda was not looking good and Arod grounding out as the tying run was no better. I’ve learned not to expect much from him. However great he was/is, both last season (up TWICE with the bases loaded?) and this…I don’t expect him to come through in the clutch. Isn’t this his 10th season with us? He’s never been a true Yankee. We all know that. As for today, ugly. We couldn’t hit, we got swept. However, only 159 games left to go! ‘Tis a long season. At least Boston got swept too.

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Skyrim Music Video: So Awesome!

Posted in Games, Music, Skyrim, Video on April 5, 2012 by slateman

Apparently this could be considered cheesy. I don’t know how, it’s dripping with awesome sauce. So fantastic. Enjoy this Skyrim music video!



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Best Soundtracks Ever!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Music, Reviews on April 5, 2012 by slateman

A movie score can really help solidify a film’s power and overall epicness. I’ll collect movie soundtracks from time to time. These aren’t the bands featured in the movie, of course. I thought I’d share some of my favorite soundtracks and why they’re so phenomenal.

Passion


Passion
I can’t say precisely when I heard this album first, likely my freshman year of college. Peter Gabriel is a very talented musician, that’s simple, but stepping out of his normal role to put this out is an amazing achievement. Sweeping soundscapes from another world (to an American, at least), this soundtrack is an emotional journey. However cheesy that might sound, it is true. Though I saw this movie once an age ago, it is so powerful even without the film to guide it. The title track is amazing, a super example of how deep and compelling this style of music can be.

What Is Best In Life?


Conan The Barbarian
As a young boy, this type of movie is what made me love swords and sorcery. Arnold was the man. This defines my youth to an extent and to this day I love this movie and its accompanying soundtrack. It is powerful but has slower, softer parts as well. From the beginning “In the time when the oceans drank Atlantis…” to the peaceful Orphans Of Doom outro, it’s a marvelous journey of sword and steel. Riddle Of Steel/Riders Of Doom is what it’s all about. Horns, chants, booming drums. Fuck Yeah!!! Then, try if you will, try to listen to The Orgy and not hum that tune all day long. It’s not an emotional record like the other two entries on this list are, but it is the most powerful, just as a movie with Arnold and swords should be. \m/

HoFD


House Of Flying Daggers
For a while, I watched all the big movies coming out of China. There was simply nothing like it in the U.S. and the cultural difference shows in both the cinematography and the storytelling. This film is not my favorite of the bunch; it is more a love story after all. However, of all those films, this movie’s soundtrack is by far the best, and just very well be the best movie soundtrack of all time. I can listen to this at any time, whether I’m looking for an upbeat, strong drive or an emotionally powerful experience. The Lovers Theme is repeated in several forms and each is as amazing as the prior, culminating in the Mei And Jin version…it gives me chills it’s that good. Even the English version grew on me. Farewell No. 2 – Oh, so phenomenal. Listening to it as I write this solidifies my opinion…the best soundtrack ever.

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