One of the many reasons Amiee rocks. She just informed me that she picked up two tickets for the San Diego show of Trans-Siberian Orchestra! This is an annual thing that we have been doing for like the last four or five years. These (TSO) put on such an amazing show. Every year they have managed to up what they did the year before. So if they keep that trend, this show should be absolutely mind blowing. So if you live in San Diego I highly recommend checking out the show live. And if you don’t live in San Diego, check their tour dates and find out when they’re going to be play near you – and go to the show. I promise you, you will be amazed.
So Labor Day Weekend was pretty nice. I could have definitely used a break from work – and the additional day off and the short week (this week) is definitely allowing me to start this week fresh after a last couple of weeks just feeling like I was being kicked and beaten around.
It was pretty cool because Paul and Bethany came over – and on Saturday (or was it Sunday? It blurs when I have these long weekends) – we went to Dog Beach and had a really good time. Then the next day (or the day after – like I said, it all begins to blur) – we went to Balboa Park and just walked around, bringing Odin with us. Got some cool pictures (or Aim did anyway) while we were walking around. Bethany is learning to ride a bike so that was fun.
Paul and I also played Kane & Lynch: Dead Men which is perhaps one of the worse games, mechanically – like worse than Army of Two which we loved despite how glitchy it was (well I loved it – but I love Co-Op games that Paul and I can kick through). Anyway, K&L: DM is pretty damn odd… Although Paul’s character (Lynch) has some pretty bad ass side effects when he freaks out – everyone looks like cops – so I watched Paul kill innocent cowering people – who, on his screen looked like cops. I wasn’t innocent of not killing innocent people… I gunned down people that got in my way, even if they were cowering. The game is pretty insane, despite the odd mechanics of how everything works. Still manage to have a good time, because it really doesn’t matter about the game, it’s about the Co-Op’ness and the mocking of one another when we’re playing.
When Aim has her computer turned on, I will get on there and post some pictures.
There’s a slight delay in the development of the Neverending Nights Season 2 DVD (because of some data issues) – but also because Adam is going off to War.
No. Not the real war. He’s not going to Iraq.
No, he’s going to don on some weird looking armor. Get a sword made out of plastic and tape. And run around and bash other people.
In a sense, it’s LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) – but he and his “Posse” (Team Ravioli, or something like that) make it “cool” by calling it “War.”
But it’s still LARPing. But apparently there’s also excessive drinking and other … activities that happen.
Here’s a quick video of what it sort of looks like:
Yes, their hot chicks stand around and applaud their great performances.
So here’s hoping Adam and Team Ravioli have fun this coming weekend!
The count down has begun and the deadlines be fast approachin’ mateys!
But ye got nothin’ to fear! I will lead ye to the treasures that ye will be soon needin’! Talk Like A Pirate Day is rapidly approachin’ (Sept 19th for those of ye not savvy in the ways!) – and not everyone can always fully dress in Pirate Attire – but a Pirate T-Shirt can certainly make a statement for you!
And at PirateBooty.net we specialize in Pirates With Crass rather than Pirates With Class! The PirateBooty.net Store! Get your Pirate Tees And Wear’em on Sept 19th and show off that Pirate Pride! Yarr!
Yarr! Hell week continues at work! Systems crashing, re-images failing, upgrades not working! Yarr! Ever feel like you’re on a sinking ship and you realize it when the water is already three feet above your head?
Anyway! Aside from Hell Week at work (which continues its relentless assault since Monday) – some cool things.
I am not sure what it was – because Zak’s vocals always seem to rock – but on these two CDs… the emotion wasn’t there.
Well, he found the emotion and the band found their sound with their latest album. This album is definitely an amazing piece if you’re a fan of metal (and especially if you enjoyed Savatage). It’s got a Savatage sound on a lot of the songs, but the majority of them are definitely a unique sound to CircleIICircle that is really, at long last, a great set through and through. There’s no “Skip” for me on this CD. Every song I look forward to hearing.
You can download it on iTunes, or get it off Amazon (especially if you do the MP3 downloads, which is what I linked) – it’s cheaper than iTunes! Less than 9 bucks!
I also picked up Warrel Dane’s solo CD entitled Praises to the War Machine. If you’re not familiar with Warrel Dane’s vocals, he does the powerful vocals for Nevermore (which to many is an acquired taste). Warrel’s solo CD definitely has a flavor of Nevermore – but this CD is a lot more… personal. Far more passionate. You can tell there’s a lot here that Warrel’s dumped into the lyrics from his own personal life.
Now these guys always seemed to be into LSD (they make enough references in their older stuff that you couldn’t help but notice – with songs like Long Since Dark, Timothy Leary, among others…
But apparently Nevermore “cleaned up” (note: didn’t come clean, simply cleaned up) – and Warrel Dane did an interview while discussing his new CD, and he mentions that people destroyed by drugs are a waste and shame (or something to that degree)…
He’s scarey looking, yes – but check these out - WARREL DANE INTERVIEW #1:
WARREL DANE INTERVIEW #2:
So when I finally left today – traffic on the freeway was horrible and I figured it was an accident. And it turned out to be something far more interesting.
What’s that I see in the distance?
Is that… water?
Seriously… that looks like water?
Um, those most definitely water…
Yes… Yes it is.
So yeah that was at least interesting. No one appeared to be hurt (could see the cops on the otherside), which is nice (since an accident, someone’s usually hurt). I am guessing someone hit a fire thingie. (Yes, that’s the technical term in case you didn’t know).
So anyway – that wraps it up. Check out CircleIICircle and Warrel Dane!
We are in desperate need of a team builder… Speaking of that – Check out the 2007 Team Builder at Dave & Busters.
And because I love The Crow here’s two videos I did…
And to lighten the mood (Gods, I need a laugh)…
And this one makes me laugh. We were going to make a comedy series called “PC vs Console” but we only managed to make one episode. What cracks me up is the people in the comments section actually debating what’s better – PC or Console…!
And this one’s amusing – because at a Christmas Party for a previous company Paul and I worked at – we did a blue screen thing for Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”…
Here’s the normal version (we still laugh at the backgrounds happening because it has nothing to do with the song!)
And then here’s the “Insane Chipmunk Mode” I did post edit…
Got to appreciate the weekends. Even though Saturday started off as what I like to call an “Epic Fail” – it later turned out all right. For example, Alm was kind enough to purchase Pan’s Labyrinth for me. However, another movie that Aim ordered (one of those disposable DVDs… weird… anyway…) had come in called The Orphanage (although, little did we know the irony it’s made by the same company who made Pan’s Labyrinth – so it’s also in Spanish with American Sub-titles). It was a good movie, if not somewhat predictable (once it start closing in towards the end). As a matter of fact – Tomas, from The Orphanage – is on the Pan’s Labyrinth website – which leads to their official site, if you want to check out the trailer.
Anyway, Sunday was nice. We went and saw Tropic Thunder, which went on to prove my dislike of 99% things Ben Stiller and more so Jack Black. However, Robert Downey Jr. stole the show – he had all the best lines. After that, we took Odin and went biking at Fiesta Island. Then had dinner at San Filipos in La Mesa and Poppy joined us – which was nice. (Even if she was on a two beer buzz).
So yesterday I got off work at 3:30pm and dashed home. Got changed, grabbed Odin and the bike and headed out to Fiesta Island to do some riding. Odin and I did two mini-laps around the dog park area before calling it. As we were leaving there was a pit bull that Odin suddenly felt inclined to play with – so I let him take off – and of course, he chased the pit bull right into the water. The two of them played in the water for about 10 minutes, before Odin was done and tired and came back to me.
I don’t know why but sometimes that water really stinks… And when Odin came out – he was stinky and very, very muddy.
As you can see…
But it was a fun time. I came home and he and I showered – then Aim came home after 4 days of being away at a Toyfair for work. Odin was very, very, very happy to see her.
He knocked out on the couch though and settled down after a bit. I think this whole Fiesta Island thing is working out.
The downside is the gas. Driving an XTERRA is not very gas friendly. And Fiesta Island is a good distance from my house. But it’s worth it I suppose for Odin and I. Sort of like a monthly fee to a gym is how I look at it.
So the other thing – this morning when I got up and dressed and crawled out of the house – I noticed something…
You ever do that thing where you jab some sticks through a potato and then put it above a glass of water and watch it grow roots? Well I had done that with two potatos – one did not do well (it essentially turned to smelly moosh) – the second grew roots out of control. So finally I took it out, got some soil, shoved it in a pot – and buried it – thinking, “I have never grown a potato… no idea what’s going to happen – if anything.” I was sure it was going to die.
Well the other day I saw some parts poking out – to my amazement. Then today – it’s like tripled it’s size and there’s a mess of other tiny ones now – so the potato is clearly growing in the sand – but I have no idea what to expect…
Those were taken with my cell phone. So then I walked out to my car – and I don’t know what it is with the spiders around our house but they apparently have big plans to capture a human in their webs one day.
It reminds me of that Farside comic strip.
Anyway – when I walked out there was a HUGE, complex web by my car (not attached to my car – but to the plants) – with a spider boldly waiting in the middle. You can’t really see it (because again, it was with my cell phone).
