Joker961's HQ

Morning Vent, 29 January 2012

2012-01-29T09:05:00.009-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Freudian Gungal^TM cools off her barrel...

If all goes well, I'll be already home to my Sweet Gal when this posts on the HQ. I planned a half-night at work, leaving around 1AM Sunday to nap till daylight, followed by a rocket-fast ride home to my beloved Effie!! Sadly, Junior's burpee-day party today, a bowling party, had to be postponed. Little brother Alex came down with an ear infection and had to be rushed to the emergency room yesterday morning with a high fever. He's on meds now and, pray the Lord, on the mend.
With January almost over, I really, really have to buckle down and get my Valentine's Day stuff in order. Have to ponder that over the days off and get it all sorted out in time for the day. Some chocolate is a given, lol. (It's a rule: 'You can never have enough chocolate!') I'm fond of giving jewelry, but my gal is hard to shop for since she's allergic to most metals used for jewelry.
No gaming news to speak of, since I've been on a very low energy mode all week. I played MoH: AA the one day, but never got back on to do any more missions. I've been thinking I should dig up my old copies of Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2 and replay them, once I finish Medal of Honor: Allied Assault off. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 29 January 2012

2012-01-29T09:01:00.056-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 10 January 2012 on rupert81192

Call of Duty Links:

[Modern Warfare 3] Five tips for 'Liberation' and 'Piazza' DLC maps on GamesRevolution.
[YouTube] Modern Warfare 3 pistols are now 1-2 shot kills - to the feet.
Call of Duty's zombie-fueled move to mobile devices.
[Interview] Sam Worthington talks, among other things, about his Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 trailer with Jonah Hill.

More Gaming Links:

Nintendo getting unified online system for 3DS and Wii U.
Nintendo predicts first annual loss ever. Also this: Nintendo considering name change for Wii U?
[YouTube] Mount and Gladius 250 person online match.
Electronic Arts spent almost $200 million building Star Wars: The Old Republic. Or is it half a billion dollars?
[Feature] An old Xbox reveals the secret lives of an old friend.
[Review/Op-Ed] Where Skyrim fails.
[Image] Skyrim versus real life. (Original image link credit: ostedog on Reddit Gaming.)
[Image Gallery] Master Sword and Shield of Hyrule birthday present.
[Image] Samus Aran power suit cosplay.

Non-Gaming Links:

[Not a direct link, lol] NASA releases 8000x8000 pixel image of the Earth from orbit.
Russia postpones two manned launches to the ISS.
Chemists find new material to remove radioactive gas from spent nuclear fuel.
Chemists take important step in creating artificial life.
[Op-Ed] Why the dream of space exploration is not dead.
[YouTube] ISS passes over stormy Africa with Milky Way.
Rodents exhibit empathy by freeing trapped comrades. Seen it a thousand times on Toontown, lol.
The $25 Raspberry Pi GPU beats Tegra 2, doubles iPhone 4S performance.
[YouTube] Cutting edge prosthetic arms.

PS.

Morning Vent, 28 January 2012

2012-01-28T09:05:00.005-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

IDF Gungal^TM about to doff her boonie hat...

    As this auto-posts on the HQ, the last work day is here, and it's scheduled to be a short night!! I plugged in a half-night vacation to rest up before driving home tomorrow morning. I'll be home tomorrow by the time my Sweet Gal gets up for her morning coffee!! Effie, honey, I love you!!! I'll be home tomorrow.
    I never gamed yesterday, as I was kinda in key low mode overall. My sweet Gamer Gal was a bit under the weather yesterday, but I'm hoping she feels better today after a good night's rest.
    In today's news links, there's a link to the countdown to the 1000 person FPS. That's one thousand players shooting it out online at the same time. It's amazing to even contemplate that many fraggers going at it when 16 players strains the console's capabilities. I recall playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on the PC, and with 32 players, maps made for consoles tended to be chaotic bloodbaths. It boggles my mind to think of 1000 players all gibbing each other over and over, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 28 January 2012

2012-01-28T09:01:00.045-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 22 January 2012 on youtubedude

Call of Duty Links:

[Modern Warfare 3] 'Liberation' and 'Piazza' DLC maps gameplay on GameSpot UK.
Imprisoned Megaluploads bigwig Kim Dotcom loses number one spot on Modern Warfare 3 free-for-all charts. Guess they don't have Xboxes in the slammer...

More Gaming Links:

[Countdown] The 1000 player FPS is supposed to take place tomorrow, 29 January 2012. I feel a great disturbance in the Force...
[YouTube] Street Fighter X Tekken cinematic trailer.
[Review] Zero Punctuation reviews Sonic Generations. (Not safe for work language as usual.)
Six player co-op for Resident Evil 6?
Resident Evil 6 is Capcoms biggest production ever.
Diablo 3 official system requirement announcement.
[Preview] Diablo 3 tweaks mean more waiting, but it's worth it.
[Feature] How Diablo saved the computer RPG.
Blizzard confirms no Blizzcon for 2012.
THQ to focus on core IPs; new games for Company of Heroes, Warhammer, Saints Row.
Real world violence blamed for increase in video game violence.
[YouTube] Left 4 Dead trailer with 28 Days Later soundtrack.
[Gallery] Street Fighter Tron.
[Image] Seras Victoria cosplay from Hellsing alongside pudgy zombie. Bonus pic: No zombie.

Non-Gaming Links:

[Feature] Apollo 1: The fire that shocked NASA.
Cancer vaccine trials begun.
Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life. But why? The worm turns, lol...
[Nano-news] PRINTed nano-particle delivers one-two punch to prostate cancer.
[Video] How military drones are changing war.
[Feature] The ten most (and least) accurate science fiction movies.
[YouTube] Archetype, home made $0 budget SFX trailer.

PS.

Morning Vent, 27 January 2012

2012-01-27T09:05:00.008-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Laurie Holden takes aim in Silent Hill...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, the second of four nights is over, and the countdown to kissing and hugging my beloved Effie is on!! Just three more nights (kinda) remain till I go home to her loving arms!!! Lord, I can't wait!! Effie, I love you, baby! I'll be home in just two more nights!
I did manage to play some Medal of Honor: Allied Assault on my Windows 7 travel laptop yesterday. Seems it runs just fine on the default 800x600 settings. The game might run at higher resolutions, but it may take some trial and error. I was surprised to find my initial mission failed when I got killed even tho I set the difficulty to 'Easy'. Not coincidentally, the game has a very 'Call of Duty' feel to it, especially the way enemies are only apparently killed, and then get up, all refreshed and perky, and put a dozen bullets in your ass. As noted in the wiki link above, members of 2015, Inc., who developed MoH: AA, went on to found Call of Duty creators Infinity Ward. I'm looking forward to playing the MoH: AA all the way through this time, instead of getting stuck due to an in-game cheat, lol.
I tried in vain to install the original Half-life on my travel laptop the other day. The old Sierra Games version of Half-life just hangs on installing. There may be some way to kludge it, but I haven't found it yet. I do have a copy of Half-life Source, somewhere. I've bought Half-life multiple times over the years, so I might be able to dig up my copy. I might cut to the chase and purchase it yet again on Steam, just to be able to finish that game, finally, after fourteen years, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 27 January 2012

2012-01-27T09:01:00.058-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 20 January 2012 on meandeef

Call of Duty Links:

Tour of the Modern Warfare 3 DLC maps on 1Up.
[Twitter] fourzerotwo: Fifty percent decrease in rate of fire for all akimbo weapons.
[Video] Call of Duty Elite trailer on EuroGamer.

More Gaming Links:

[PC Mods] Half-life Dreamcast available as a Half-life mod for PC.
Steam Android and iOS app goes live.
Mass Effect 3 DLC included with new art book.
[Video Feature] Star Wars: The Old Republic's dumbest glitches.
[Op-Ed] Curse of the mute and invisible protagonist.
[Image] Replica prop of Mehunes' Razor from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. (Image link credit: Scuurvy on Reddit Gaming.)
[Image] Zelda Master Sword replica prop.
[YouTube] Zombie bowling in Half-life 2's Ravenholm.
[YouTube] Princess Zelda model and Half-life 2.

No high heels, fully clothed and still awesome!

(Original link credit: nachow on Reddit Gaming)

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 26 January 2012

2012-01-26T09:05:00.013-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Range Gungal^TM has ambiguous trigger finger discipline...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, the first work night is done, and I'm getting ready to crash hard. The first night is always the roughest, and it's the one that seems bleakest being such a long way from home, away from my beloved Effie. But I'll be home in just three more nights!! I've requested a half night on Saturday, as Junior's birthday party is scheduled for noon on Sunday.
Still haven't gotten any further on Half-life 2, and I haven't taken Medal of Honor: Allied Assault out for a test drive yet. I might have to wait till I get home, tho it might be problematic. I've a strong suspicion that I'd need the play disc to run MoH: AA, and I like having my non-laptop keyboard for playing... That leaves me a USB port short for playing MoH: AA, as my laptop uses an external multi-drive, rather than an internal DVD-ROM. I suppose I'll have to track down a no-CD crack, lol, if it will run on Windows 7 at all, that is.
Guess the big news in the Call of Duty world is the release of the first Modern Warfare 3 downloadable content. I've included a link of El Presador's playthrough of a 'Liberation' map 'kill confirmed' match in the CoD news links below. Since I play MW3 on the Wii, I prolly won't have to worry about DLC for a looooooonnnnng time, if ever, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 26 January 2012

2012-01-26T09:01:00.057-05:00

Featured Call of Duty: Black Ops Video

Uploaded 22 January 2012 on ExplicitGamerz

Call of Duty Links:

Activision drops first downloadable content for Modern Warfare 3.
[YouTube] New 'Liberation' map DLC kill confirmed gameplay from the inimitable El Presador.
[YouTube] What Infinity Ward needs to fix on Modern Warfare 3. Pretty much what needed to be fixed in CoD4 and Modern Warfare 2...

More Gaming Links:

[Preview] 1Up's the top Wii and Wii U games of 2012.
[YouTube] Battlefield 3 on Playstation Vita using Remote Play.
[Rumor] Starfox on the Wii U? 'I can't let you do that, Starfox'.
[Rumor] Next-gen Xbox may not be used to play games, will introduce Kinect 2. O RLY? And one expert says the next Xbox will use Blu-Ray. More coverage on Forbes, and the rumor is, the new Xbox will block used games. Also covered on Wired.
[Feature] The fifty most unique firearms in video games.
[YouTube] Battlefield 3: Pilot's License Revoked.
[YouTube] Do-it-yourself Assassin's Creed arm blade prop.
[Image] Link and Vanille cosplay. (Image link credit: themateriakeeperon Reddit Gaming.)
[Images] Mai Shiranui cosplay.

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 25 January 2012

2012-01-25T09:05:00.002-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Uzi Gungal^TM should know smoking is bad for her, uh, lungs...

Back to work today for the ever-dreaded four night rotation. I'm hoping the week will go quickly for us, bringing my Sweet Gal and me back together on Sunday morning!! I already can't wait to come home to her again!!!
Junior was sick much of Monday night, but he seems to be a lot better now. His tummy was apparently upset by something he ate, making for a miserable night for him and his Mom and Dad.
On the gaming front, I installed Medal of Honor: Allied Assault on my travel laptop, tho I haven't had a chance to actually play it yet. I played MoH:AA a long, long time ago. As I recall, it was another instance of an in-game console cheat breaking the game narrative. I was in a 'sniperville' level, where literally any move in any direction resulted in taking a bullet in the ass. I used God mode to get thru it, and I broke the game, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 25 January 2012

2012-01-25T09:01:00.052-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 1 January 2012 on yomega260

Call of Duty Links:

[Twitter] From fourzerotwo: 'Shotguns buffed, Striker nerfed'.
[Image] New DLC 'Piazza' map overview image, plus Salma Hayek cleavage. (Original image link credit: vegasapril17 on Reddit MW3.
Activision stock price increase on strength of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 sales.

More Gaming Links:

Non-Gaming Links:

NASA publishes an 'Orbital Debris Quarterly' newsletter.
[Nano-news] British researchers develop method of separating carbon nano-tubes cheaply.
What happened to all the snow? Not missing it much...
Scientists engineer microbes that make biofuel out of brown seaweed. Also covered on Science News.
Scientists design solar cells that exceed traditional light-trapping limits.
Judge in Colorado rules you have to decrypt your laptop for the police.
[Life Hack] Cut open your oatmeal package upside down and it's a waterproof container you can eat directly out of. Except for scalding your fingertips, it's a pretty neat idea...

PS.

Morning Vent, 24 January 2012

2012-01-24T09:05:00.038-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Milla Jovovich takes aim in Resident Evil: Retribution...

My beloved Effie had to work yesterday afternoon (and she's off to work in the wee hours now till midday), and I got skunked on a trip back to the old HQ, as Reibo was tied up all day with odd jobs there. I took the opportunity of being on my own (with grandkids swarming all over me) to catch up on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on the Wii. Once again, I was impressed by how cheesy the movement is with the furshlugginer Wiimote. It's basically just reeling about like the proverbial drunken sailor until you happen to stumble in the right direction to make things happen. Not that you actually have to do much more than get from Point A to Point B in some cases. I reached some checkpoints literally without firing a shot in anger. (Tho, truth to tell, I often wanted to cut loose with some friendly fire on my dumbass AI team-mates.) In a very short amount of time, I learned to hate that floating 'Follow' button heartily. I found that enthusiastically butt-rubbing Captain Price when that dang 'Follow' button was illuminated over his mutton-chop sideburns was sometimes not enough to make him lead me in the direction a level wanted me to go. Another intensely annoying incident was a point where the NPCs were supposed to go ahead and clear a path. I wound up getting a little bit ahead of my squad for a bit for a change, and I spent a good ten minutes repeatedly hurling myself to my death from a ledge until I let one of them go first. I finally quit in disgust when I had to follow another NPC on a timed course through winding stairways... in the dark... without a light... Rather than let my blood pressure redline repeatedly, I quit while I was behind and went to update the blog and think about making some dinner, lol.
Besides vampires, zombies have been a long-time interest of mine. And it looks like there'll be another entry in the Resident Evil franchise coming up: Resident Evil: Retribution. Looking at the Internet Movie Database entry for the film, it appears a lot of favorites from the first two movies are making return appearances. Repeated gungal Michelle Rodriguez is back (somehow) as the ultra badass Rain Ocampo, and that certainly piques my interest, lol. Moving on...

Bonus Penny Mathis shot for Gul74 of 2Old2Play

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 24 January 2012

2012-01-24T09:01:00.035-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 16 January 2012 on FortyFiveFresh

Call of Duty Links:

[Preview] Modern Warfare 3 downloadable content on VentureBeat.
Activision recounts 'massive' Modern Warfare 3 leak during development.
[Image] Kim Dot Com had too many 'care packages'.

More Gaming Links:

Bioshock Infinite to have ultra-hard '1999' mode. Also covered on IGN.
[Preview] Resident Evil 6 on GameRanx.
Rockstar Games hiring developers for 'next-gen' titles.
Amazon announces the best-selling physical and downloadable games of 2011.
[Video] Mind-blowing physics engine demonstration.
[Op-ed] IGN's Wii U: The Apps We Want.
[Feature] A beginner's guide to Final Fantasy.
[Feature] Do game developers hate reviews? No, but they hate getting bad reviews...
[Feature] The twenty-five most violent video games.
[YouTube] One for one replica of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's world made in Minecraft.
[Image] Aperture Laboratories wall paper. (Image link credit: repostrandy on Reddit Gaming.)

Non-Gaming Links:

[Image] Apollo manned lunar landing poster. (Image link credit: rugg on Reddit Space.)
Strongest solar storm since 2005 hitting the Earth.
Russia talks moon base with US.
Scientists find critical speed below which birds - and drones - are sure to crash.
[Feature] CES 2012: Ten things we learned about the gadgets of the future. I have seen the future - and it has only a 90-day warranty...
US Supreme Court rules police can't plant a GPS on a car without a warrant.
[Humor] Eight things the internet completely ruined.
Director offers new details on Resident Evil: Retribution.

PS.

Morning Vent, 23 January 2012

2012-01-23T09:05:00.010-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis finishes off an admirer of her Shelby...

Wonderful to be back home with my Pretty Gal!! Effie and I braved the cold yesterday to do a bit of light shopping. We took a break from our regular routine and enjoyed some sinfully good pizza at Leo's. After the grandkids came home, we had some awesome birthday cuppie cakes that Nana made for Junior's birthday. My Sweet Gal and I wound up getting Junior a couple of Kinect games, Wipeout and Just Dance 2. He seemed to enjoy them quite a bit. They're both multiplayer games, so the whole family can play along.
On the gaming front, my Gamer Gal might be skunked on Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It looks like the dreaded game-breaking glitch might have happened to her! We had applied the Nintendo save game patch, but it might have already been too late! Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 23 January 2012

2012-01-23T09:01:00.052-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 16 January 2012 on EPiCGAM3Z

Call of Duty Links:

More Gaming Links:

[Review] Zero Punctuation reviews Super Mario 3D Land and Rayman Origins. Not safe for work language, as usual.
Mass Effect 3 system requirements revealed. Also covered on Kotaku, CinemaBlend.
[YouTube] Mass Effect 3 voice command demo.
Diablo 3 senior producer leaves Blizzard.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance playable at E3 2012.
'Valor' exploit causes player uproar in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Bioware bans Star Wars: The Old Republic player for internet meme.
Zumba Fitness for the Kinect release dated for 13 February 2012.
[Video] Mass Effect 3 multiplayer on GameTrailers.
[Feature] What to expect from Mass Effect 3 if you never finished Mass Effect 2. Confusion? One thing seems certain: You can only play it on PC by using the ultra-crappy Origin download service.

Non-Gaming Links:

Astronomy Picture of the Day: The Witch Head Nebula.
Rethinking an alien world.
Scientists identify a dwarf galaxy 10 billion light years away which appears made of dark matter.
[YouTube] The incredible journey of Apollo 12.
Microsoft introduces new 'resilient file system' for Windows Server 8. Also covered on ZDNet.
Microsoft locks out Linux on ARM systems shipping with Windows 8.
Headphone use linked to pedestrian injuries, deaths.
New Facebook app allows users to compose final (posthumous) message in advance.
[Ummmmm, cake...] Life-size Stormtrooper cake.

PS.

Morning Vent, 22 January 2012

2012-01-22T09:05:00.007-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis dispatched an admirer - of her Shelby...

    It's wonderful to be home again with my beloved Effie!! The snowstorm yesterday did slow me down quite a bit on the way home. It took me an hour longer to get back home than it usually does. The thruway wasn't too bad, but the side roads were pretty dang slippery. I had to shift it into 4x4 on the last three or four miles to get home in one piece. After a pretty scary wipeout (luckily with just me on the road!), I put it into 4x4 low to get through.
    Today is also a special day, as it's Chris, Jr.'s burpee-day!! He's already played with the legendary Gameboy, and he loves playing different games with the Kinect, too. Little Chris shows all of his Granma's and Daddy's gamer gene, looking on with rapt fascination as Granma Eppy puts Link through his Skyward Sword paces! Happy birthday, Jay!!!
    An interesting news link today examines the phenomenon of the female-led action flick. Long-time readers of the blog will have noted that the Alien, Resident Evil,and Underworld film franchises have all been featured prominently here. It's not that the male-centered action flick is dead... it's that women are just as competent in most lead roles. And, of course, they're a lot easier on the eyes, my man crushes notwithstanding, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 22 January 2012

2012-01-22T09:01:00.059-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 15 January 2012 on Hojie7

Call of Duty Links:

[YouTube] 'Sexy and I know it' song parody.

More Gaming Links:

[Analysis] Resident Evil 6 trailer on GamingBolt.
[Preview Video] Max Payne 3 targeting and weapon system on ActionTrip.
Max Payne 3 delayed - again.
[Rumor] Nintendo working on two new Zelda games for the Nintendo 3DS.
[Rumor] Valve developing Steam client for Linux.
[Video] Half-life 2 mod about being stuck in an elevator.
[Resources] The Half-life wikia. Your online resource for all Half-life related information...
Boy severs own arms after playing video game.
[Image] Cortana cosplay. 'Nuff said.

Non-Gaming Links:

Say hello to the 'oozing exoplanet'.
[Video] Vasimr engine: Going to Mars from two years to five months? Get your ass to Mars!!
UK scientists find 'lost' Darwin fossils.
[Nano-news] IBM shrinks bit size to a mere 12 atoms, 100 times denser than current memory storage.
[Nano-news] New 'chaos sensing' system puts a path on nano-particles.
Blood test for human form of 'Mad Cow Disease'.
World's smallest, largest, and thinnest at CES 2012.
George Lucas reported to be ready to retire from blockbuster filmmaking, ready to do 'personal movies'. But does that mean he's through destroying our childhood movies, tho?
[Feature] The rise of the female-led action film.
Crispin Glover explains why he wasn't in the Back to the Future sequels. Because he's a major flake?
[Cracked] Six realities of teleportation Star Trek didn't warn us about.
R.I.P., Etta James.

PS.

Morning Vent, 21 January 2012

2012-01-21T09:05:00.010-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis found a gun - well, two of them, lol...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, assuming the forecast snowstorm hasn't delayed my trip South, I should be home or just minutes from home!! I'll be holding my Sweet Gal tight again, seeing her pretty face and sweet smile for four days!! Awesome!!!

Still no gaming news for me, as I refrained from playing this work week. I got up more tired than I expected yesterday, as I have all week long. I've slept pretty poorly this week for whatever reason, and I'm going to try and rest up Saturday and Sunday, weather and events at home permitting. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 21 January 2012

2012-01-21T09:01:00.061-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 13 January 2012 on WayneWexford

Call of Duty Links:

[Preview] Modern Warfare 3 DLC video.
Call of Duty lined up for Playstation Vita.

More Gaming Links:

[YouTube] Resident Evil 6 official trailer.
Resident Evil 6 trailer first impressions on 1Up.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is getting Guild Banks because Bioware is listening. Just not when you want to cancel your membership...
[Report] Electronic Arts stock sliding due to Star Wars: The Old Republic fumbles.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 1.4 patch and creation kit details.
[Video] The 1000 player first person shooter, scheduled for 29 January 2012. You will feel a great disturbance in the Force... Oh, it's just laaaaaaaaagggggg...
[Op-ed] Seven things you didn't know about the Playstation Vita.
New 3DS accessory makes handheld console less portable.
Electronic Arts digital revenues surpass $1 billion in 2011.
Skyward Sword fan art explosion. And also this: Sixty pages of amazing Skyward Sword art from Hyrule Historia.

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 20 January 2012

2012-01-20T09:05:00.008-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis has apparently mislaid her guns... Or, maybe not, lol...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, the second work night is done, and I'm really, really anticipating going home to my honey!! My Pretty Gal and I got to chat only for a few scant minutes on Skype yesterday before technical difficulties forced us to disconnect. Still, now only one night is left, and we'll be together again!! Effie, I love you, baby!! I'll be home tomorrow!!
Still no gaming this week, as work as wiped me out a little bit. I slept pretty poorly yesterday, waking up a bunch of times. Luckily, the second night is done. I can coast by on fumes tonight, knowing I get to go home to my Sweet Gal tomorrow. When the blog posts on Saturday morning on the HQ, I'll be minutes from her sweet smile and loving arms!! Awesome!!
I updated the What does Joker Eat? page once again. Still not quite satisfied with it, but it - like me - is a wrk in progress, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 20 January 2012

2012-01-20T09:01:00.044-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 29 December 2011 on interactiveTodd

Call of Duty Links:

[Forum] Reddit discussion on Xbox Live Modern Warfare 3 lag compensation. The associated YouTube video is here. (Not safe for work language in the forum thread, lol.)
[Forum Post] CoD4 PC exploit results in DDOS attacks on game servers.

More Gaming Links:

Diablo 3 system changes on Battlenet Blog.
[Preview] Kinect Rush: More than child's play.
[Feature] The top Xbox 360 games of 2012.
Bioware apparently hiding the 'Cancel' button at the end of the Star Wars: The Old Republic one-month free period. And, if this image is correct, they are also banning forumers who post the work-around to find the cancellation option online. (Image link credit: Drum2DaBass on Reddit Gaming.)
[Feature] An interpretation of Majora's Mask as the five stages of grief.
[Cracked] Seven classic video games that are older than you think.

Non-Gaming Links:

Scientists prepare to image the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way.
[YouTube] Curiosity Tweaks Course to Mars.
Scientists confirm that rocks that landed in Morocco are fragments of Mars.
One step closer to nuclear fusion power.
[YouTube] Samsung 'Smart Window' display at CES 2012.
Authorities Say Murder Suspect Had Gun In Body Cavity.
[Movies] New image shows the other side of Bilbo Baggins.
[Audio] Time traveler, who came back after 74 years, died at the age of 31. Intriguing, but known to be an urban legend/hoax.

PS.

Morning Vent, 19 January 2012

2012-01-19T09:05:00.003-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis has put her gun away for a bit...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, the first of three work nights is done, and I'm in my jams, getting ready for some shuteye. I miss my Sweet Wife, but it's only two more nights, and I'll be back home with her, holding her tight again!! Nothing is more awesome than seeing her lovely face and sweet smile! She just glows when she first sees me, and it makes me happier than anything come home to the woman I love!! I love you, my honey!! I'll be home in just two more nights!!
My Gamer Gal made some impressive progress on Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword this week, getting past two hard segments, including two exceedingly difficult flying segments. I've had very, very bad luck with flying/driving segments in games over the years, so I was as impressed with her determination to complete the game as with her gaming skills. As it happened, I never got to play any more Half-life 2 during the weekend. I got stuck again, this time on Highway 17 being stung to death by antlions. On the plus side, I am farther along in the game than ever before, so that's pretty awesome all on its own, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 19 January 2012

2012-01-19T09:01:00.041-05:00

Featured MW3 Booster Buster Video

Uploaded 12 January 2012 on OperatorPerry

Call of Duty Links:

[Rumor] Infinity Ward crafting 'next-gen' Call of Duty? Great... Photo-realistic spawn camping, coming up.
[Op-ed] The philosophy of Battlefield and Modern Warfare: Chess and Checkers.

More Gaming Links:

Star Wars: The Old Republic 'Rakghouls' update goes live.
GameRanx Star Wars: The Old Republic beginner's guide.
Strange, yet cool concept art for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's Ghirahim. If you know this guy, you already hate him...
[YouTube] Left 4 Dead 2 downloadable content preview.
The Just Dance franchise has sold 25 million copies.
Just Dance winning over the hardcore. Uh, no... It isn't.
[Feature] Seventeen retro games you can run on modern PCs.
[Semi-NSFW Feature] The top ten nicest asses in video games.

Non-Gaming Links:

[YouTube] 2012 ESA space mission preview video.
[Made in China] China's pollution is so insane it's visible from space.
Yahoo co-founder Jerry Wang resigns.
Zappos (an online retailer) has 24 million customer accounts compromised.
[Life-hack] How can I find out why my email account spammed my friends and family? Magic Eight-ball says...
[Movies] Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins on the set of Dark Shadows movie.
The Stargate gang: Where are they now? (Thanks, Matt!!)

PS.

Morning Vent, 18 January 2012

2012-01-18T09:05:00.005-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis really doesn't like folks messing with her Shelby...

It's back to work tonight for a short 3 night rotation!! I've loved being with my Sweet Gal this weekend, but bills have to be paid, so off to work I go!! Luckily, it's only a three night work week, so it will go quick for us. Effie, honey, I love you!! I'll be home on Saturday!!
I solved my Call of Duty: Black Ops problem in a matter of speaking: My laptop, as you can see from the SystemLab test results in the news links below, simply doesn't have enough CPU to run it. It's a puzzlement since the distinctly underpowered Xbox 360 runs it just fine. Why can't game developers have an 'Xbox 360' mode on their game ports, so those of us with humble laptops can play the PC versions? Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 18 January 2012

2012-01-18T09:01:00.067-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 13 January 2012 on yomega260

Call of Duty Links:

Modern Warfare 3 tops December and 2011 NPD charts.

Can my laptop run Call of Duty: Black Ops?

In a word - No.

More Gaming Links:

[Preview] Silent Hill: Downpour on VG247.
[Screenshots] Silent Hill: Downpour on ActionTrip. Also covered on Joystiq.
UbiSoft DRM wants you to pay for your game every time you get a new video card.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PS3 lag getting addressed this month.
Want to play Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on a tablet? There's an app for that.
Sixty-five year old mom tweets her reactions to play Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
The ten best Skyrim PC mods.
[Image] Another reason to love Skyrim on the PC. (Image link credit: KBrot on Reddit Skyrim.

Non-Gaming Links:

Space station to move to dodge 'space junk'. No tractor beam yet...
Swedish surgeons replace cancerous windpipe with lab-grown one.
[Nano-news] Physicists develop nano-level sound detectors.
Crap gadgets: Engadgets 'Best of the Worst' from CES 2012.
Unusual honeybee die-offs becoming more severe, threatening many crops dependent on them for pollination.
Avatar 2 release pushed back to 2016. If they still have movie theaters by then...
[Movies] Criminally Under-rated: Jackie Brown.

PS.

Morning Vent, 17 January 2012

2012-01-17T09:05:00.003-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis says 'Look, but don't touch'...

Wonderful weekend at home with my beloved Effie!! We marked our 3 month milestone quietly at home, lol, but with full contentment, enjoying my Sweet Gal's miraculous makeover of left-over pork chops into a Oriental rice concoction that was just awesome.
My beloved was called to work today, as I updated this blog entry, I received her text that she got through OK. (There's an ice storm on in the Mid-Hudson Valley, tho it doesn't seem too bad from my wife's first text.) Today, I've got a few chores to do at the old HQ bunker if all the stars align and weather permits. I've got some paperwork to print out that I'll need, plus I still have a boatload of junk that needs sorting and tossing out. I'm hoping I can get all the disposal taken care of before Summer.
Long-time readers of the blog will be familiar with my fascination with all things zombie. During my ~~forced vacation~~ unemployment, I read a number of zombie novels, including The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, by Max Brooks (incidentally the son of director Mel Brooks). Included in today's news links, is the XX Day Series, a series of graphics that tell a very similar story. It was curious indeed that news events (items about wacky people biting each other) helped create the story arc for the series. I haven't scanned every image yet, but the ones I've seen are extremely well designed, effectively telling the story. It's a work of art in the truest sense. Check it out. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 17 January 2012

2012-01-17T09:01:00.047-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 12January 2012 on FearCrads

Call of Duty Links:

[YouTube] Custom built 'China Lake' airsoft gun.

More Gaming Links:

[YouTube] Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City trailer.
Witcher 2 dev stops pursuing pirates.
[Preview] Razer 'Fiona' hand-held PC hands on. Also, this: Razer accuses PC industry of not taking risks. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
[Preview] A look at the Wii U 'hidden demo'.
Minecraft hits 20 million registered users.
[Interview] Details on Star Wars: The Old Republic 's first free downloadable content.
[YouTube] Star Wars: The Old Republic 'space zombies'.
Mass Effect 3 PC won't be on Steam.
[Image Gallery] Bioware gives its Mass Effect statue a breast reduction.
[YouTube] Operation: Airpain.

Online gaming...

(Image link credit: Lurknasty22 on Reddit Gaming)

Non-Gaming Links:

[Info-graphic] The crash of the Mars Phobos Grunt space probe.
New Orion deep space capsule passes NASA chief's inspection.
Snorting a brain chemical could replace sleep.
Zombie ants: When ants become the walking dead.
Interview with Paul Barrett, author of The Glock Story: The Rise of America's Gun.
Aliens-style electronic round counter for firearms. And here's a video of the working M41-A pulse rifle prop from the movie Aliens.
[Image Gallery] The complete XX Day Series, a viral zombie graphic novel, started 1 January 2012. (Image credit: VidZilla on Reddit Zombies.) Check it out. It's done better than most movies about zombies...

PS.

Morning Vent, 16 January 2012

2012-01-16T09:05:00.010-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Penny Mathis wants you to look at her car...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, my gal and I are taking a day off. I'm scheduled off every Monday due to my rotational work schedule, and she didn't ask for any hours today, taking advantage of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As it happens, it's also an anniversary of sorts, as my wife and I mark three months of married life together!! Time moves swiftly, and I can truly say I've never been happier than with my Sweet Effie!!! I love you, my honey!! It's good to be home!!
I like to have the blog prepped and set to auto-post days in advance. It's a convenient way to arrange things, tho it means some juggling back and forth of links, as I like to group related topics together to maximize their entertainment value. It's occurred to me (usually in the dark, when I wake up in the middle of the night) that organizing things this way means the blog will outlive me by a few days. If I should shuffle off this mortal coil, my thoughts will briefly live on here. Thank you for taking the time to read them, whether here on the HQ or over on my 2Old2Play blog.
I did play just a bit of Half-life 2 single player yesterday, unwinding a bit before savoring the pork chops my Gamer Gal made. I got past where I was stuck, tho I admit I cheated to give myself some more ammo, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 16 January 2012

2012-01-16T09:01:00.029-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 12 January 2012 on XboxAhoy

Call of Duty Links:

[YouTube] Attempting to make sense of Modern Warfare 3 DLC deployment plans.

More Gaming Links:

[Review] Serious Sam 3: BFE on 1Up.
Sony encouraged by strong Nintendo 3DS sales. Wait, what? And there's also this: Sony: UK Playstation 3 Move sales should have been better in 2011.
Report: Microsoft or Sony leaving the next-gen console race.
Analyst: 'Zero chance' of PlayStation 4 at E3.
[Video] Bodycount dev details 'unlawful' working conditions, Codemasters responds.
[YouTube] Operation: Hammertime.
[Image] Pour-tal. (Image link credit: speedyreedy on Reddit Gaming.)

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 15 January 2012

2012-01-15T09:05:00.002-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Alison Carol kicks it as Lara Croft...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, I should be minutes from home and minutes from holding my Pretty Gal in my arms. It's been a long, long work week, but everything will be right with the world again in just a few minutes. It's the most wonderful thing in the world to be home with my beloved wife. But it's almost as wonderful to be on the way home to her sweet smile and loving arms!! Effie, honey, I love you!! I'll be home in a few minutes!!
No news on the gaming front, as I was too pooped this week to do any gaming at the Albany apartment. I was generally just too tired this week. I got skunked on shopping till Saturday morning, too, but I wisely made a stop on the way up to work and got the essentials for the work week, so all was well, after all. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 15 January 2012

2012-01-15T09:01:00.043-05:00

Featured MW3 Booster Buster Video

Uploaded 10 January 2012 on WayneWexford

Call of Duty Links:

[Review] Call of Duty Elite iOS app on CVG.

More Gaming Links:

[Review] Star Wars: The Old Republic for PC on 1Up, ActionTrip.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is alive and may actually be released. Also covered on GiantBomb.
Killzone coming to Playstation Network. Also covered on GameSpot.
OnLive integration coming to all GoogleTV devices. Also, see this, tho not gaming-related: GoogleTV back, with friends.
[Hardware] Mad Catz releases customizable (and expensive) Xbox 360 controller.
Three Silent Hill game releases dated for March 2012.
[Images] Kindergarten Cop movie references in Silent Hill 1.
[Feature] The art of Xcom: Enemy Unknown.
[YouTube] Mongoose driving, level 99.
[Cracked] Six reasons modern gaming doesn't suck.

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 14 January 2012

2012-01-14T09:05:00.002-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM does Lilith cosplay from Borderlands...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, the third of four work nights is done, the weekend is upon us, and the countdown to coming home to my Sweet Gal is really, really on!! Thank the Good Lord, it's the last night tonight, and tomorrow morning, I can go home to my beloved Effie!! Effie, honey, I love you!!!! I'll be home tomorrow!!
I failed to note in yesterday's blog that it was Friday the 13th. If you've got the stupid-stition about that day of the week/date combo, 2012 is going to be a bad year, as this year there are three rather than the normal two Friday the 13ths. What's even worse is that they are exactly 13 weeks apart! Never mind. Friday the 13th has always been lucky for me, and this year is no exception: I'm the luckiest guy on Earth, married to the Love of my Life!! Can't get any better than that!!
I noted in yesterday's news links that a sequel to Medal of Honor was rumored for 2012. I really enjoyed the single player for the 2010 Medal of Honor 'reboot', thinking it was a lot more understandable and logical than Modern Warfare 2's incomprehensible, if entertaining, single player. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 14 January 2012

2012-01-14T09:01:00.049-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 11 January 2012 on J4Sz

Call of Duty Links:

Modern Warfare 3 tops 2011 UK game charts.

More Gaming Links:

[Preview] Hitman: Absolution on GamesRadar.
Zero Punctuation's Top (and Bottom) Five Games of 2011. (Not safe for work language, as usual.)
Diablo 3 dated for 1 February 2012 release? Get ready to point and click...
Id Software confirms layoffs, development continues.
[Feature] The thirty best PC game soundtracks of all time.
[Image] Colors in games, specifically, Gears of War 3. (Image link credit: zakislam on Reddit Gaming.)
[Image] Notch apologizes for trolling Cliffy B (above).

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 13 January 2012

2012-01-13T09:05:00.019-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Lindsay Lohan shows little trigger discipline in Machete...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, the second of four nights is over, and I'm already starting the countdown to going home to my beloved Effie!! We sure were spoiled during the Holidays, and it's making this week tougher than most. But come Sunday morning, I'll be on my way home to her as soon as the work night is done!! I love you, honey!! I'll be home on Sunday!!
On the gaming front, I haven't resolved my Call of Duty: Black Ops laptop start up problem yet. I didn't venture forth into Ravenholm on Wednesday or Thursday, either, tho I did some maintenance on the laptop in an effort to get Black Ops to run on it. No success yet, lol, so it may be a lost cause, after all. I'm pondering whether I should retrieve the Xbox 360 from the HQ bunker, after all. Truly, tho, there isn't all that much time for gaming, whether on my work days or when chilling at home. The prospect of hauling an Xbox all over Hell's creation isn't appealing, either. Gaming bud Matt64 has a nifty Xbox 360 carrying case, but I already haul around a laptop to keep in touch with my Effie. I'm reluctant to add an oh-so-delicate gaming console to the number of things I lug back and forth between home and points North, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 13 January 2012

2012-01-13T09:01:00.052-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 8 January 2012 on EclipseJewel

Call of Duty Links:

More Black Ops 2 news and rumors on Forbes and Joystiq.
Activision announces nine months of Modern Warfare 3 DLC. O RLY? Here's the YouTube trailer.

More Gaming Links:

Diablo 3 console release confirmed.
Vita shooter Unit 13 dated for 6 March 2012.
[Rumor] Medal of Honor sequel for 2012. Also covered on Kotaku.
Razer shows off concept hybrid PC gaming tablet. Also covered on Tom's Hardware.
Nyko Power Grip could solve Vita battery life problem.
Playstation Vita is locked to AT and T.
Microsoft justifies PC Kinect price.
[Feature] Ten Star Wars PC games every fan should have played.
Game developer faces death sentence for 'espionage' in Iran.
[YouTube] Battlefield 3 panic attack! Lol.

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 12 January 2012

2012-01-12T09:05:00.001-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM does her Portal Chell cosplay right...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, the first of four long work nights is over, and I'm crawling into bed for some much needed shuteye. I usually start the countdown to going home a bit later, but I was missing my beloved Effie almost before I left yesterday!! The trip up North is usually pretty grim, as we're facing half a week or more away from each other. But it's all good come Sunday morning, because I'll be on my way home to her loving arms as soon as the work night is done!! I love you, honey!! I'll be home on Sunday morning!!
One of the news links today features sales figures for the Xbox 360 and the Kinect. After seeing how much fun the grandkids had with the Kinect, it's not hard to see why it has sold well, tho I definitely had my doubts about it early on. Will it be a serious gaming device? Well, not for the games I play, I think. There's far too much imput lag on it for it to be practical for 'twitch' games like first person shooters. The standard console controller is already lousy for shooters compared to the Excalibur of FPS gaming, the mouse and keyboard. Throw in the flailing inaccuracy of the Kinect, and you've got a losing combination, as far as shooters are concerned anyway. But if you're going to dance, play with a tiger cub, or otherwise just mess around, it's not a bad deal. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 12 January 2012

2012-01-12T09:01:00.064-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 7 January 2012 on TheAwfulGamerVids

Call of Duty Links:

Details of the Modern Warfare 3 24 January 2012 DLC. Also covered on LoudMouthedGames.
[YouTube] Updated Modern Warfare 3 'spawn logic'.
[Op-ed] The most overpowered weapon in Modern Warfare 3 is...

More Gaming Links:

Max Payne 3 preview on The Guardian.
[YouTube] Black Mesa: Source still in progress.
[Rumor] Sony says no 'Playstation 4' intro at E3 this year.
Mass suicide threatened at Xbox, Apple component plant.
Kinect PC due next month.
Xbox 360 sales reach 66 million, Kinect 18 million.
[Image] Female Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim cosplay. (Image link credit: tgrdem on Reddit Gaming.)

Non-Gaming Links:

Russia hints at foul play in its space failures.
Oil may be more toxic than initially believed.
[Feature] Scrunch time: The peculiar physics of crumpled paper.
[Image] What does 200 calories (10% of the US RDA for an adult) look like? Looks like a snack...
[Movies] Lee Child's Jack Reacher reaches the big screen with a small star.
[Humor] Center for Disease Control Zombie Pandemic Preparedness Guide.

PS.

Morning Vent, 11 January 2012

2012-01-11T09:05:00.003-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Bikini Gungal^TM is ready to rock and roll...

Back to work tonight as I start a four night rotation. I always dread the start of the long work week, as I miss my beloved Effie so so much!! But in just four nights, I'll be back home with my Sweet Gal once again!! Come Sunday morning, I'll be joining her for coffee, and all will be right with the world again!! Effie, I love you, honey!! I'll be back on Sunday!!
On the gaming front, I never did go back to Ravenholm, lol. But maybe I can go there before work tonight... Tho, of course, it'll be already dahrk outside when I head off for work. I'll have to keep an eye out for the fast zombies, lol. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 11 January 2012

2012-01-11T09:01:00.042-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 6 January 2012 on iFlyILLINI

Call of Duty Links:

[Inevitable] Activision secures 'Black Ops 2' domain name.
[YouTube] Modern Warfare 3: Stuck with the laptop out.

More Gaming Links:

Custom painted Nunchuck controller

(Image link credit: alycenwonderland on Reddit Gaming)

Non-Gaming Links:

Scientists refute claim that genetically modified corn caused new insect pest.
Gene that regulates body weight discovered.
MIT develops a body suit that lets you feel what it's like to be a 75 year old. All I need is to miss a few hours sleep and I feel at least 75 years old...
Air battery to let electric cars outlast gas guzzlers.
[Resources] The Internet Movie Firearms Database. No, really...
[Images] Imgur's best images of 2011.

PS.

Morning Vent, 10 January 2012

2012-01-10T09:05:00.001-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Vampiric Gungal^TM Kate Beckinsale takes a solid akimbo stance in Underworld: Awakening...

Tuesday, and it turned out to be another rare as hen's teeth workday for my Effie!! Both of us ventured forth early this AM. My lovely Gamer Gal out to work for a few hours and me to run a couple of errands and then to wait for her to come home. Had a rare bit of insomnia last night myself, but finally slept pretty good before the alarm rudely interrupted my slumber, lol.
One the gaming front, I never got back on to play any Half-life 2, tho I'm hoping to get on for a bit this AM, time permitting. I really want to get past the Ravenholm section. I haven't done any trouble-shooting of the Call of Duty: Black Ops problem on my laptop. It seems to hang on the intro screen, so I guess I should try googling that. If I recall the PC install on my late, lamented gaming PC had the exact same problem, and it took some finagling around to get it to run - just barely, in slideshow fashion - on my desktop. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 10 January 2012

2012-01-10T09:01:00.035-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 6 January 2012 on NormalDifficulty

Call of Duty Links:

[Review] Modern Warfare 3 on CollectiveReview.

More Gaming Links:

Mass Effect 3 screenshots on ActionTrip.
[Feature] A history of Mass Effect.
Most played Xbox 360 games of 2011.
Next Xbox and Playstation consoles to be announced this year. Also covered on 1Up.
Nintendo 3DS breaks Japanese sales records.
New study shows mobile gaming outpacing consoles and PCs.
[Feature] Eight trendy game features that are older than you think.

Non-Gaming Links:

[YouTube] Apollo 10 'earthrise' footage.
First Kepler SETI signal data received.
No, SETI has not detected a signal from an alien civilization in the Kepler probe data.
Tech tips for the new year.
What went wrong with video on the new Xbox Live dashboard? If it ain't broke, we'll fix it...
The five worst 'as seen on TV' products.
[Images] Ten most shocking photographs of 2011.
[Cracked] Twenty-two internet memes that will baffle future historians.

PS.

Morning Vent, 9 January 2012

2012-01-09T09:05:00.016-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Vampiric Gungal^TM Kate Beckinsale gets ready to do the akimbo thing in Underworld: Awakening...

Wonderful weekend with my Sweet Effie!! She made some awesome chicken-fried steak last night, so I was pretty dang happy!! Monday means back to work for once for my beloved Effie!! She had to get up so early in the morning (as in like 0330!) in order to drive up for her job today!! We both set our alarms so we could get up in time to get her off in plenty of time, well before the buttcrack of dawn!! For my part, I'm going to try and work up som mojo and get some stuff moved from the old HQ bunker.
In Half-life 2, I made it as far as the 'fast zombies', and I relived some of the terror of my first playthru on the game. The sound of those creepy zombies as they gallop towards you in the dark is pretty dang intimidating. Right now, I'm wandering aimlessly around, trying to find my way out of the current section of the game. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 9 January 2012

2012-01-09T09:01:00.040-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 2 January 2012 on CoDShotOfTheDay

Call of Duty Links:

[Review] Modern Warfare 3 on OMGN.
[Image] Zombies on the Moon? (Image link credit: PhantomRenegade on Reddit Funny.)

More Gaming Links:

[Preview] X-Com: Enemy Unknown on NowGamer.
Valve press release shows user base doubled in 2011, big picture mode coming soon.
Valve's Gabe Newell: 'Do not focus on anyone but your customers'.
[Image] Gabe Newell really is the best boss in the Universe. (Image link credit: amazingmaximo on Reddit Gaming.)
[Gaming resources] Half-life wikia, including a whole section on the dreaded Ravenholm.
[YouTube] Top game fails of 2011.
[Feature] Five reasons I'm nervous about Mass Effect 3, and Five reasons I'm totally not nervous about Mass Effect 3.
[Feature] Cosplay photoshopping makes me sad.

And remember what Scotty always said...

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 8 January 2012

2012-01-08T09:05:00.000-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Vampiric Gungal^TM Kate Beckinsale wards off lycans in Underworld...

Back home with my beloved Effie, and it's the weekend. It was pretty awesome being able to come home early on Friday!! I got to get up in the morning and have coffee with my honey!! It was wonderful!!
On the gaming front, I advanced to Ravenholm in Half-life 2... That extraordinarily creepy section of the game is where... I... stopped... playing... The section creeped me out like nobody's business when I first played it about eight years ago, lol. I distinctly recall the panic I felt when I encountered the first 'poison headcrab' on my very first run through on the game!! I was like, 'Holy cow!! I'm gonna die!!' Still think Half-life 2 is the greatest single player game ever made... Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 8 January 2012

2012-01-08T09:01:00.076-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 5 January 2012 on yomega260

Call of Duty Links:

[Feature] How to get banned playing Modern Warfare 3 (and what a ban actually looks like). What a ban actually looks like... Hmmm, I'm thinking like this:

More Gaming Links:

Resident Evil: Revelations demo announced.
Microsoft Flight Simulator coming back soon. The official website of the free-to-play flight sim is here.
[YouTube] Worst Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim auto-save ever.
[Feature] Online gaming and the death of the analog friend. Not enough games with 'couch co-op'.
Child's Play charity raises $3.5 million in 2011.
[Info-graphic] What you probably didn't know about Nintendo. (Image link credit: man_in_the_mirra on Reddit Gaming.)

Non-Gaming Links:

Astronomy Picture of the Day: Milky Way over Mauna Kea.
Buzz Aldrin: Why and how we must go to Mars.
Why WWII spy planes used pink camouflage.
Eight more reasons why being bald is brilliant.
Netflix subscribers watched more than 2 billion hours of streaming video in the 4th quarter of 2011. I think I slept through about that many...
Pet cat blamed for inferno that gutted 2 UK homes.
[Cracked] The five creepiest unsolved crimes no one can explain.

PS.

Morning Vent, 7 January 2012

2012-01-07T09:05:00.011-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Sharon Stone aims down range in The Quick and the Dead...

As this auto-posts on the HQ, I'm home. I got approved finally for a night off, and I was home last night in time for my beloved Effie's bedtime tea!! How awesome is that?!? Pretty dang awesome!!
Played a little more Half-life 2 single player on Thursday and Friday, plowing on through the interminable airboat level. I'm playing on the lowest difficulty level, not to put too fine a point on it. It's basically just sight-seeing, and that's just fine with me. I'm not proud, lol.
And let me take this opportunity to plug a fellow blogger, Centranthus. Please visit Une Cachette Pour La Couer (that's French for 'a hiding place for the heart', BTW) and enjoy the pretty pictures and graceful prose. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 7 January 2012

2012-01-07T09:01:00.031-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 3 January 2012 on OnlyTheBestCodClips

Call of Duty Links:

Activison still plans constant updates for Modern Warfare 3.

More Gaming Links:

The Firefly MMO is dead.
Zen Pinball coming to Nintendo 3DS.
Star Wars: The Old Republic falls 20 spots on UK sales charts.
Star Wars: The Old Republic player bans were for 'gold-farming', not visiting Ilum.
[Feature] The twenty worst games of all time.
[Feature] Evil choices in video games.
[Image] What Gordon Freeman really looks like... (Image link credit: GothicFighter on Reddit Gaming.)

Non-Gaming Links:

First four exoplanets of 2012 discovered.
Space pictures of 2011.
Lost city of Cahokia, a 'sprawling metropolis' from 1000-1300 AD, located near present day East Saint Louis.
In ancient Pompei, trash and tombs went hand in hand.
Nutrition labels proposed for alcohol. Hey, it's alcohol, dumbasses.
[Feature] Ten reasons to root your Android device.
[Gallery] Eleven intriguing missing persons cases of 2011. Update: The last case, Dawna Natzke, sadly has turned out to be a homicide.
[Cracked] The six most baffling serial crimes.
The eight least anticipated films of 2012.

(Image link credit: ehudros on Reddit Funny)

PS.

Morning Vent, 6 January 2012

2012-01-06T09:05:00.022-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Vampiric Gungal^TM Kate Beckinsale does the akimbo thing in Underworld: Awakening...

As this posts on the HQ, the second work night is over, and in just 24 hours, I'll be back home with my lovely Effie!! It's always rough to be away from home, and this week has been more trying than most. We were really spoiled by being together so many days in a row, and it was hard as heck to be away from her sweet smile and loving arms. But tomorrow, Good Lord willing, I'll be holding her tight, and everything will be OK again!! Effie, I love you, baby!! I'll be home tomorrow!!
Long time readers of the blog will know of my life-long fascination with vampires. While surfing for links to feature on the blog, I came across news on the upcoming (as in this month) premiere of the latest entry in the Underworld franchise, Underworld: Awakening. Today's Gungal is a nod to that longtime interest, and the trailer promises some really great-looking 3D fight scenes. (The YouTube trailer is embedded in the blog news links below.) Though horror flicks aren't my Pretty Gal's cup of tea at all, I'll see whether she'd like to go see this one when it opens up on 20 January 2012. Interestingly, Kate Beckinsale, today's Gungal^TM, shares a link of sorts with Sharon Stone, tomorrow's Gungal^TM. Beckinsale is also playing Stone's part in the remake of Total Recall, slated for a 3 August 2012 release. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 6 January 2012

2012-01-06T09:01:00.069-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 2 January 2012 on Lazyfire

Call of Duty Links:

[Twitter] Fourzerotwo: Modern Warfare 3 'spawn logic' updated 6 January 2012 at 2AM Pacific Time. Did it work? Time will tell... But the odds aren't good.
Modern Warfare 3 DLC to land 24 January 2012.
Related to today's featured vid: [YouTube] XBL audio message: Why Xbox Live needs a device to administer a real-life boot in the ass to 12 year old dumbasses.

More Gaming Links:

God of War IV confirmed by composer.
[Review] Zero Punctuation reviews Serious Sam 3: BFE. Not safe for work language, as usual.
Valve's Steam tops 5 million concurrent users.
[Feature] Five changes the Xbox 360 needs in 2012. Like a change into the Xbox 720...
Top ten most wanted games of 2012.
Gary Oldman shows what it's like to record video game voiceovers.
[Feature] Learning from the masters: Level design in The Legend of Zelda.
[Image] Awesome Portal 2 cosplay. (Image link credit: xraymaster on Digg Gaming.

Non-Gaming Links:

AVIATR: An airplane mission for Titan.
Lost world discovered under Antarctic ice.
Study finds musicians cannot tell the difference between notes from a Stradivarius violin and a normal violin.
2012 pictures: Six 2012 apocalypse myths debunked. And also: NASA: No doomsday in 2012.
Droid 3 reportedly end-of-lifed, high-lighting poor carrier behavior.
[Cracked] Five characters who totally missed the moral of their own movie.
[Interview] Interview with Underworld: Awakening directors. You can visit the Underworld: Awakening official site here.

PS.

Morning Vent, 5 January 2012

2012-01-05T09:05:00.003-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM Rachel Ticotin looks stern in Total Recall...

As this posts on the HQ, the first work night is over, the second work day is here, and I'm crawling into the sack for some shut-eye. This week is harder than most, considering how spoiled my loving wife and I have been lately. We've been lucky to be together almost every day between the end of December and today, with barely a day of work in between!! It's been so awesome!! But come Saturday morning I'll be home again with my Effie!! I'll be holding her tight, and everything will be right with the world again! I love you, honey!! I can't wait to come home!
I forgot to mention that I'd been reading science fiction again. My beloved had told me about Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. Since she had all three books already, I started reading the first, Red Mars, and I really, really like it. I always had a thing for hard SF, and the first book also has a crackerjack storyline, for sure. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 5 January 2012

2012-01-05T09:01:00.050-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 17 December 2011 on yomega260

Call of Duty Links:

More Gaming Links:

Epic Mickey 2 development leaked by Disney newsletter.
Kinect demo for Rise of Nightmares on Xbox Live.
Bethesda, Interplay reportedly settle Fallout MMO lawsuit.
Kinect and Wii help this robot pet a cat.
IGN's thirty most anticipated games of 2012.
[Image] The future of gaming. Made me think of wireheads from the SF stories by Larry Niven. (Image link credit: MakersFart on Reddit Gaming.

Non-Gaming Links:

Galactic weather alert: Huge hydrogen gas cloud to collide with Milky Way Galaxy - in 20-40 million years.
[Feature] What is global warming? Besides a political football, that is...
This Apple TV runs full screen iPad apps. Meanwhile, Xbox Live apparently couldn't handle the viewership load of a live UFC match broadcast.
A wearable LED TV.
[Op-ed] Richard Stallman was right all along.
[Cracked] Six insane last resort surgeries that actually worked.

PS.

Morning Vent, 4 January 2012

2012-01-04T09:05:00.011-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Glock Gungal^TM shows her guns, sort of...

Back to work today for a three night rotation, and I'm finishing up my coffee with my Sweet Gal before driving up North. Despite being sick for much of it, the holiday break was wonderful, and I hate having to leave, even for just three nights!! But it will all be all right in just three days. On Saturday morning, rain or shine, snow or not, I'll be on my way home to her loving arms!! Effie, I love you, honey!! I'll be home in just three nights!!
I forgot to mention yesterday that I cracked open one of the Christmas presents my beloved Effie gave me: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare [Reflex]. It's the Wii version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It was a bit daunting to try the cargo ship killhouse with the Wii controllers, and I got it on the second try at a very sloppy 52 seconds. (For purposes of comparison and pure boasting, I made that CoD4 run in just 20 seconds on the PC and Xbox, with the accuracy bonuses.) Still, I did make it through the initial cargo ship mission in one try, not counting encounters with the usual Call of Duty 'Olympic grenade tossing' teams, lol. It appears that I'm getting a bit more used to moving with the flipping Wii controllers, finally. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 4 January 2012

2012-01-04T09:01:00.050-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 12 December 2011 on qp7225

Call of Duty Links:

Microsoft begins online Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 competition.

More Gaming Links:

Nintendo 3DS clears 4 million in US sales.
New rumor pins Wii U as an e-reader.
The Zelda timeline has now been fixed.
Bioware explains the recent surge in bans on Star Wars: the Old Republic.
Sonic 4's physics reworked for Episode II.
Twenty-five games that will make you take the iOS platform seriously. Just not seriously enough to buy an iPad or iPhone, sorry...

Non-Gaming Links:

PS.

Morning Vent, 3 January 2012

2012-01-03T09:05:00.009-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Angelic Gungal^TM takes aim with her shorty AR...

Back to work tomorrow for a three night rotation, and I'm dreading it a little, as my Sweet Gal and I have surely been spoiled by all the holiday time spent together. Even being sick for half the holidays, it was still wonderful to be home together. Still, bills have to be paid, so it's off to work we go, lol.
On New Year's Day, we did manage to have a bit of my family's old traditions: My beloved Effie and I shared Asturian sidra and turron with our son and his missus after everyone went off to bed. It was wonderful, and I was glad that my Effie enjoyed the traditional Spanish nougat candy I'd loved as a boy.
As it happens, I'm temporarily on my own this AM, as my Sweet Effie got called in for a few hours at work. So, I'm missing her tremendously right now, and I'm counting the hours till she gets home!! Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 3 January 2012

2012-01-03T09:01:00.042-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 31 December 2011 on iFlyILLINI

Call of Duty Links:

[Review] Modern Warfare 3 on ComputerInteractive.

More Gaming Links:

Non-Gaming Links:

New clues to why older people are losing their memories. And a diet rich in fish and vitamins may slow brain shrinkage.
Study shows senior citizens can be just as fast at brain tasks as young people and slowness is a choice favoring accuracy over speed.
If modern humans are so smart, why are our brains shrinking? Two words: Spongebob Squarepants.
[Feature] Banishing consciousness: The mystery of anesthesia.

PS.

Morning Vent, 2 January 2012

2012-01-02T09:05:00.005-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Angelic Gungal^TM needs to work on her 'port arms'...

A quiet New Year's Day at home, as Nan and Effie whipped up a really nice turkey dinner for us. We didn't stay up much longer after watching the ball fall on New Year's Eve, lol. My Gamer Gal and I passed the time with some Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword until it was bedtime. I never cease to be amazed at how good looking the game looks, despite being only 480p. It's just awesome looking. My beloved Effie is an ace with the Wiimote, too!! She makes some amazing moves with Link's sword in that game, and it's as much fun to watch her play as it is to play!! Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 2 January 2012

2012-01-02T09:01:00.027-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 29 December 2011 on interactiveTodd

Call of Duty Links:

Analyst: Grand Theft Auto V will be bigger than Call of Duty in 2012. O RLY?

More Gaming Links:

Blizzard makes #26 million on World of Warcraft 'aunthenticators'.
Playstation Vita's poor hardware, software sales.
Forbes: Sony in 'big trouble' with Playstation Vita.
Best of 1Up 2011 Reviews.
Top ten most pirated games of 2011.
[Feature] Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Complete Rules for Games. I remember one of the coolest things in the original Half-life was that the soda machines in the game worked: If you pressed the button, a can of soda would come out. Even cooler was that it also gave you one health point back when you drank it...
[How-to] Build a $2000 gaming PC. First, get $2000...
UK Ministry of Defense military simulations updated to keep up with popular Xbox titles.

Non-Gaming Links:

[Made in China] China launches rival to GPS satellite system.
Astronomy Picture of the Day: Comet Lovejoy over Paranal.
[YouTube] The story behind one of the most famous pictures in astronomy.
Patient with world's first dual leg transplant takes first steps.
LG Ultra high def 84" 3840 x 2160 widescreen TV.
The fifty most torrented things on the internet in 2011.
The ten worst films of 2011.

PS.

Happy New Year, 1 January 2012

2012-01-01T00:03:00.014-05:00

Happy New Year!!

My beloved Effie and I want to wish each and every one of you a very happy and healthy New Year!! May the Good Lord bless each of you and keep you in the year to come.

Enjoy the New Year's blog below... Effie and I are off to bed to ring in the new year with some snoozing, lol. Moving on...

Morning Vent, 1 January 2012 (New Year's Day)

2012-01-01T00:02:00.005-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Santa's Helper Gungal^TM likes her 'Long Tom' magnum...

Today is the first day of January, the first day of the year 2012. The month of January, as you can read in the Wiki link, is named after the Roman god, Janus, the god of the doorway (i.e., the door to the new year). Janus is the god with two faces: one looks back and one looks forward. As is often the case with major holidays, it's appropriate at the New Year to look back at the years past and forward to the year and years to come.
When I began the blog a few years back, I could never have suspected that I'd be where I am today: I'm married to the Love of my Life, my wonderful Effie, and I'm healthier than I've been since I was in my 20s. That, friends, is a miracle!! Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 1 January 2012

2012-01-01T00:00:00.009-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 28 December 2011 on xizlea

Call of Duty Links:

[Video] More spawn camping in Modern Warfare 3. Original YouTube link is here. Complaining about spawn camping in Call of Duty is like complaining that Indy 500 drivers go too fast...

More Gaming Links:

Top ten brand new video game franchises of 2012.
UGO Video Game of the Year Awards for 2011.
CNN's top gaming stories of 2011.
Interview, photos, and video give behind-the-scenes look at fan-made Left 4 Dead film.
[Feature] Twelve innovations we want from the 'PS4' and the 'Xbox 720'.
[A fool and his money] Gamer spends $16,000 on virtual sword for an unreleased game.
[Image] Master Sword wallpaper. (Image link credit: Visk on Reddit Zelda.)

Non-Gaming Links:

Should we terraform Mars? Get your ass to Mars!!
Scientists list 2011's most fascinating discoveries.
Forgetting is the key to a healthy mind.
[Cracked] The six weirdest things that are ruining your memory.
[Feature] 2011: The year intellectual property trumped civil liberties.
[YouTube] How sci-fi fans made one campus safe for free speech.

PS.

Morning Vent, 31 December 2011 (New Year's Eve)

2011-12-31T09:05:00.006-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Angelic Gungal^TM covers up one of her guns...

Another year comes to a close, and my beloved Effie and I wish all of you a wonderful, safe New Year's Eve!! The countdown to 2012 is already on, and my loving Gamer Gal and I hope to ring it in quietly at home with no muss and no fuss. We have no festivities planned, per se, tho I'm planning a toast of Asturian cider, which Effie and I were lucky enough to find at our local grocery store, lol. We got together with Mama and Papa Joker and my older brother Rick yesterday for dinner, and Effie and I had an awesome Italian feast. It's eighteen hours later now, and I still feel full, lol.

Happy New Year to every one of you who follow the HQ, as well as the 2Old2Play version!! God bless and keep you in the year to come. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 31 December 2011

2011-12-31T09:01:00.018-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 28 December 2011 on WiPeZzOuTz

Call of Duty Links:

[Video] Modern Warfare 3 76 killstreak in under one minute.

More Gaming Links:

Non-Gaming Links:

NASA: Climate change may flip 40% of the Earth's major eco-systems this century. Soylent Green is people!
Major historical trend predicts recession in 2012.
[Video] Never seen before footage from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
Ten Things you didn't know about Stanley Kubrick.
[Op-ed] Roger Ebert's take on why movie revenues are falling.
Most memorable secrets from Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve.
[Gallery] A sneak peek at the 2012 New Year's Eve ball.

PS.

Morning Vent, 30 December 2011

2011-12-30T09:05:00.007-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Angelic Gungal^TM spreads her wings...

Back home with my beloved Effie! I got an unexpected break to get out early as a safety class convened early and let out even earlier!! As this posts on the HQ, I'm having morning coffee with my lovely missus!! We have to get ready for our New Year's Eve festivities, but it won't require much preparation, lol. I'm thinking they'll consist of the same as last year's: Waiting for the ball to drop and then kissing and smooching for a bit before going to sleep. Of course, now I only have to accompany the Missus to the bedroom to go to sleep, rather than making the long, dark drive to the former HQ bunker, lol.
On the gaming front, I advanced in Half-life 2's single player to the point where I got myself stuck over a year ago, lol. We'll see whether I get stuck there for another year this time. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 30 December 2011

2011-12-30T09:01:00.042-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 28 December 2011 on Wolfengene

Call of Duty Links:

Den Kirson boards: Everything you always wanted to know about Modern Warfare 3 weapon sway.

More Gaming Links:

IGN's Complete Guide to games in 2011.
Five gaming stories to watch in 2012.
[Feature] How retail games are made.
[Feature] Chastened gaming rep responds to internet infamy. Still hasn't learned his lesson, apparently... And among his attributes is a penchant for domestic violence.
[Image] Electronic Arts responds to Ocean Marketing. (Image link credit: DogToggleSwitch on Reddit Gaming.)

Non-Gaming Links:

NASA probe snaps amazing photos of Saturn's moons.
Bird flu researchers fear government block may stall scientific progress.
A five megabyte hard drive in 1956.
Mythbusters banned from talking about RFID chips by credit card companies.
[Article] More and more women embracing gun ownership. With bonus 'poor trigger finger discipline' picture....
Anti-theft chair recognizes the unique imprint of your rear end.
Related? Sci-fi themed brothel opening in Nevada.
The fifty sexiest female comic characters.
The twenty awesomest photos of guys busted staring.

PS.

Morning Vent, 29 December 2011

2011-12-29T09:05:00.002-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Gungal^TM has some holey camouflage...

    As this auto-posts on the HQ, the first (and last) work night is over. I have only a safety class to attend later tonight, and that should be over around 2300 hours or so. I should be home with my Sweet Effie, Lord willing, around the Witching Hour.
    Got a wonderful piece of good news yesterday: My beloved Effie texted that our son sold his first car over at the Barton-Birk's autopark!! Congrats, Chris!! Awesome work!!
    Not much in terms of gaming news this week, as the Holiday has occupied most of our attention. The Kinect Xbox 360 and the Wii my gal and I gave th grandkids were both huge hits. Even the adults got in on the Kinect action, hopping and side-stepping like mad on the Kinect Adventures whitewater rafting games. I skipped the gaming due to sickness and just lack of time this past week. I concentrated on resting up and getting well. My beloved Gamer Gal, tho, has made steady progress on Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It's a blast watching her whup ass with her Wiimote controlling Link's sword!! Once I got up to Albany yesterday, I did play a little Half-life 2 single player, working through its puzzles as best I could. I'm currently on the infamous (and seemingly endless) airboat level. While I napped, I downloaded Black Ops, which I'd previously added to my Steam library on my now dead gaming desktop, but I couldn't get the dang thing to launch without hanging the laptop. I might give that a try again tomorrow, if I can figure out what's causing the hang-up on the game. Moving on...

Call of Duty and Gaming Links, 29 December 2011

2011-12-29T09:01:00.034-05:00

Featured Modern Warfare 3 Video

Uploaded 25 December 2011 on Machinima

Call of Duty Links:

Griefing: Broken spawn kills ruining Modern Warfare 3? Just like every other Call of Duty game ever...

More Gaming Links:

GiantBomb's Game of the Year Awards, day one.
GamingBolt's Ten Worst Games of 2011.
IGN's Console showdown, 2011.
Playstation Vita first impressions on IGN, GameSpot (video).
Valve's Chet Falizek puts an end to Half-life 3 speculation.
[Kotaku Gallery] Top Ten moving Video game moments of 2011.

Non-Gaming Links:

Sony, Samsung dissolve liquid crystal display panel joint venture.
Apple HDTV production to start soon.
How the iPad 2 became my favorite computer. Because you don't require much from your computers?
[Captain Obvious reports] Netflix is 2011's biggest loser in customer satisfaction.
Consequences, shmonsequences: Netflix cuts CEO stock options in half.
Back to the Future DeLorean time machine sells for $541k.
R.I.P., 'Cheetah' from the Tarzan movies. Yes, the chimp outlived everyone...
[Cracked] The twenty-five most popular Cracked articles of 2011.

PS.

Morning Vent, 28 December 2011

2011-12-28T09:05:00.009-05:00

Gungal^TM of the Day

Kel-Tec Gungal^TM wears fashionably ripped jeans...

Back to work tonight for a short rotation, as my lovely Effie and I get ready to greet the New Year as husband and wife!! We're together, happy, and healthy, so we have a lot to be thankful for as 2011 bows out and a brand spanking new year of 2012 is born. Just one night and a few hours from now, I'll be back home with my honey, getting ready to greet the New Year together!! Awesome!! Moving on...