Been a while... I haven't been gaming much lately. Between catching up on work, sleep, and dealing with a mystery illness (possibly the start of an ear infection) that was causing balance and vertigo issues, I just haven't been terribly motivated to either game or blog. Anyhoo, here's what I've been up to:
Gaming: A little bit of Pinball Arcade up until today. Downloaded the demo for Child of Light this afternoon, and after playing through the chapter they give you, ended up buying it. It reminds me a lot of Dust: An Elysian Tale in terms of being a Metroidvania-styled game. The graphics are beautiful, with a water-color like style. The combat is fun, a combination of turn-based and active battle systems. I really like it, but your mileage may vary.
Reading: A fair bit of non-fiction, mostly field guides, giving myself a refresher course for giving nature programs. Also been reading the web comic Girl Genius.
Watching: Lots of different stuff. Current TV show finales - The Blacklist, NCIS, Agents of SHIELD, and The Amazing Race. Still watching Hell's Kitchen, I'm predicting Joy will be one of the final two when that episode finally comes around. Also watching Claymore, an anime series I started watching on Netflix, but they pulled it before I got to finish watching it, but is now on Hulu Plus. For movies, watched both animated Ultimate Avengers movies and am now watching The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Saw Cabin in the Woods (liked it), Roman Holiday (meh, really just not into most old black-and-white movies), some cheesy science fiction movie called Crossworlds (just ok), Disney's Atlantis (had more fun trying to name that voice than actually watching the movie), made Jason watch Lilo and Stitch (he liked it a lot), rewatched Romancing the Stone (hasn't aged all that well, but I still like it), and Star Trek: Into Darkness (I'm so glad I didn't waste my money going to see it at the theater. I can hear Gene Roddenberry spinning in his grave). Still soldiering my way through Supernatural, on season 6 now and started watching Prime Suspect. OK, looking at this now, I've really been a couch potato the past couple of weeks...
Listening: Current CD in my car is Anne Lister's A Flame in Avalon. I went to her house concert at my friends Fred and Julia's last week. She's a singer/songwriter/story teller from Great Britain and much of her work is turning myths into songs, or using her songs to tell stories. I have a couple of her other CDs that I've had for a while: Singing on the Wind has what is probably my favorite of her songs that I've heard so far, it's called Oisin (pronounced Osheen) and is about the Irish hero Oisin, son of Finn McCool. Look up the myth, it's pretty cool, and then give the song snippet a listen. Fave songs on A Flame in Avalon are May Morning, The Song of the Knife, and The Goddess and the Sea (based on Greek mythology, it's sung from the point of view of Achilles' mother).
Nature Stuff: We're up to at least four nesting pairs of ospreys in the park. All of them that we can see are currently sitting on eggs. While walking Bandit last weekend, I came across the largest patch of red trilliums I've ever seen in my life. No pics, it was starting to rain and most of them hadn't bloomed yet. Hoping I get back out there before they go by. We have a lone turkey that hangs out in the field. I don't let Bandit chase it, I keep hoping it might eat some of the ticks infesting the field and the woods. And Jason finally got to hear the coyote pack out back hunting. One of the most bone-chilling, blood-curdling sounds I've ever heard. Hopefully, it was one of the deer, there are far too many of them back there and coyotes are one of the few predators that will thin out the herd.
My laptop battery is running low and I'm running out of steam myself. Until next time!
Finn McCool? Is he related to the other Irish hero, John McAwesome? 
I haven't seen Romancing the Stone for many years. That would be a good remake.
The original Prime Suspect, with Helen Mirren? That stuff is hardcore.
I hope you are enjoying your job. It's getting pretty hot here and today the air conditioning was broken. I sat in the pool with some warm beer.
It's been a cool, wet spring here so far. The heat still comes on every so often, and we're still starting a fire in the wood stove at work every so often.
And absolutely the orginal Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren. It's streaming on Netflix along with everything else I mentioned, with the exception of the current TV shows and Claymore, those I'm watching on Hulu Plus.
You should check out the Fenian Cycle if you like mythology at all. McCool is the anglicization of Mac Cumhail (son of Cumhail).
I love mythology but havent done that area yet. In my space opera they eventually come to this planet of escaped druids and im going to do a lot of research on that stuff but im not there yet.
Did a few shots of wildlife around me last week. I saw some Canadian Geese with chicks, an American Bullfrog (actually many of them and they weren't as skittish as they usually are. I think it was a little cold that day and they were sluggish - cold blood and all), and a large Black (or Eastern) Rat Snake. I wish I could post them here, but Flickr is not letting me do it in the comments. They'll be on my Facebook page though.
That's cool, I'll have to check them out.
Hmm, wonder why it's not letting you post pics in the comments. Aha, they've just new and improved the site and it now takes two extra steps to get to the "view all sizes" page so you can grab the url. Go to the photo, then click the icon of the three dots, go to download all sizes, then click view all sizes when the window opens, then right-click on the size you want to put in your blog to get the URL.
This link, which I got from following your directions, just brings up a broken image when i put it in the Insert/Edit Image button. Grrrr.
I have no idea what you're doing wrong.
I right clicked the size and then selected "copy link address" then pasted that in the Insert/Edit Image button. Nothing but broken image icon shows up.
like this.
That's just weird. I have no idea why it works for me and not for you.
Got it!!!
I needed to right click the image instead of the size. Thanks for your help. I'm so happy now.
YAY!
Mr. Bill?!
That's what the dog is chewing on.
Whatever, I loved Into Darkness and that movie deserved every penny it earned at the box office, including mine. I did like Cabin in the Woods as well, though it wasn't the amazing movie I had hyped to me.
How big is Bandit? I've noticed that dogs here in L.A. are HUGE and I'm curious.
We're both entitled to our vastly different opinions. I didn't like the earlier Star Trek reboot, either, for the same reasons.
Bandit is a medium-sized mutt, around 55 pounds.
Indeed we are. I mean, I get why you don't like it, I'm sure if I thought about it, it's incredibly effing stupid, but I enjoyed it.
And I think some of the dogs here are heavier than I am, so Bandit being mid-sized is good.
When I was little, I got ear infections all the time until they put tubes in my ears. It must be hereditary because all my brothers on my dad's side had ear infections, too. They really hurt!
I just got a review code for Child of Light. I haven't played it yet, but I will soon.
I've only had one other ear infection, about 16 years ago, but it was both ears, one severe, one moderate. Gave me a whole new appreciation for what my little sister went through as a little kid. She had tubes put in her ears, too.
I think you'll really like Child of Light.
There's nothing wrong with black and white films, dear. Especially the old/classic ones.
I suspect it may have been the subject.
I like Hell's Kitchen and always joke with my friend that the chefs are so bad they burn sushi. I don't have a favorite to win this year but I'd like to see Chef Ramsay cut the guys side and just let the women fight for the job. When they don't fight with each other, they get things done, while the guys all have giant egos, but usually can't back it up.
It's pretty bad when Gordon has to send in the girls twice in one season to finish for the guys and the guys throw hissy fits and then Gordon has to chuck them out of the kitchen.
I am beginning to question what I think about the newer Star Trek films. There is one good thing that has come from them... I did go back and watch all the classic films and a majority of The Original Series.
If I'd never watched Star Trek before, I might like them, but they're all action and explosions and lens flare and absolutely no substance beyond that. In the originals, there were always philosophical questions being asked, and boundaries being subtly pushed, like the first on-screen interracial kiss.
I didn't really notice the lense flair until the second film. Whenever somebody had something profound to say... lense flair covered their face.
Claymore is one of those series that they had to make an anime original ending for. (I'm still collecting and reading the manga... which keeps plugging along.)
Ear infections are no fun. Stay healthy!
I've really been enjoying watching it. I think there is a movie, too?
I have a feeling I will be at the doctor's on Tuesday, because things don't seem to be getting better.
I stopped watching Hell's Kitchen a couple of seasons ago.
My wife puts it on if there's nothing else to watch but as I've said to her it's basically the same show every season, just different people.
They all start off as culinary idiots and somehow in the course of a matter of weeks 2 of them turn into great chefs. Along the way many orders of risotto, scallops and beef wellington are turned back at the pass. I couldn't stand another season of "Touch that! it's stone cold" or " it's fuckin' raw!" or the shocking episode in which Gordon storms out of Hell's Kitchen after kicking a garbage can.
The whole thing is so scripted. Shut it down you donkeys!
Peter, I know it's scripted. I just love watching Gordon's zany antics and all the in-fighting and back-biting that goes on. Reminds me of why I refuse to work in the food service industry.
Yes the way Ramsey behaves on the show he should be having a heart attack or a stroke or something.
Jason says he's like an angry, foul-mouthed muppet. Guy Smiley on meth, maybe?
I must be a trekkie blasphemer because I liked Into Darkness. lol. Certainly there are certain things I prefer about "Wrath Of Kahn" but overall I've been pretty happy with the rebooted myhos.
I'm glad you are alright,Tami! I know for awhile you were going through some hard times. How much are you enjoying Agents Of Shield overall? Right now it's one of my favorite shows! It's cool you know someone who wrote an episode!
Oh, I'll let you like it, I just don't have to think it's cat's meow. Personally, I think Kirk and Spock come off as assholes, Scotty's just there for comic relief, Uhura is all sharp edges, Sulu is more window dressing than anything else, and Chekov reminds me of a golden retriever puppy. Only one they got right is Bones, and I have a feeling that's because the actor actually gives a shit. In the words of Sheldon Cooper: "it's the wrong Spock".
I love Agents of SHIELD! And Harmony didn't write the episode, she was the First Assistant Director of the first unit. She actually worked on a couple of episodes. I'm friends with her parents, I remember her from when she was a little kid.
I've suffered from ear infections quite a lot, so I know how far removed from fun they are. Get well soon.
Roddenberry spinning in his grave?!?!? That's harsh.
