So I guess we're doing videos now! Watch me talk about celebrities if I'm not too awkward.
31 January 2012
30 January 2012
From the Armory: Nerf Vortex Line Mods
In my last article I mentioned that the Nerf Nitron is a bit of a pointless gun out of the box. But I feel that it has mod potential. The beautiful thing about electrically powered weapons is that the easiest way to improve it is to up the voltage. For a gun like the Stampede, simply upping the voltage from 9v to 12v takes its rate of fire, with a stock spring, from 180 rounds per minute to a blistering 300 rounds per minute, almost double! The same principle can apply to the Nitron. Upping the voltage on the fly wheels will increase the already impressive range, and doing the same to the motor that feeds the disks will increase the rate of fire. Suddenly the gun becomes sounds a little more useful doesn’t it?
The Nitron, Vigilon, and Praxis are all powered by the same system: a long arm propelled by a torsion spring which simply whacks the disk in the back, pushing it out of the breach. The simplest way to modify the power system for greater range is to relocate spring hard point, which puts the spring under greater tension. Here’s a convenient photo to illustrate that.
Note the screw which holds the bottom portion of the spring in place. By moving that screw over to the hole that the arrow is pointing to and hooking the spring around it, you put more tension on the spring, so that when its pulled around, there is greater potential energy, and therefore more power when you fire it.
Now be warned, when up the tension on these springs, which are already pretty dern stiff, you have to reinforce the catch spring which holds the throwing arm back or the thing won’t catch, and the gun will fire as soon as you take your hand off the cocking mechanism. I did this mod on my Proton, which I bought as a plaything, and I’m STILL trying to balance the catch spring properly. When I have managed to get the thing to catch though, the performance is BRILLIANT. It goes up from around 40-50 ft. flat, to around 60, and that in a pump action weapon like the Praxis is just brilliant.
More detailed write ups to come.
The Nitron, Vigilon, and Praxis are all powered by the same system: a long arm propelled by a torsion spring which simply whacks the disk in the back, pushing it out of the breach. The simplest way to modify the power system for greater range is to relocate spring hard point, which puts the spring under greater tension. Here’s a convenient photo to illustrate that.
Note the screw which holds the bottom portion of the spring in place. By moving that screw over to the hole that the arrow is pointing to and hooking the spring around it, you put more tension on the spring, so that when its pulled around, there is greater potential energy, and therefore more power when you fire it.
Now be warned, when up the tension on these springs, which are already pretty dern stiff, you have to reinforce the catch spring which holds the throwing arm back or the thing won’t catch, and the gun will fire as soon as you take your hand off the cocking mechanism. I did this mod on my Proton, which I bought as a plaything, and I’m STILL trying to balance the catch spring properly. When I have managed to get the thing to catch though, the performance is BRILLIANT. It goes up from around 40-50 ft. flat, to around 60, and that in a pump action weapon like the Praxis is just brilliant.
More detailed write ups to come.
29 January 2012
28 January 2012
Sidewinder Sequel Secrets Spilled!
Matthew Ervin as Captain Sidewinder
I now have exciting new information about the upcoming Sidewinder sequel, Sidewinder 2: Ecstasy of Gold!
Here is a summary of the plot:
Sidewinder: The Ecstasy of Gold - Captain Sidewinder and his crew find themselves stranded on a new and dangerous planet. Sidewinder, in secret from his crew, is on the trail of a marvelous treasure map. But he's not the only one who wants it. A man named Carson with a dark past and darker motives is also out for the treasure. Caught between slavers and blackmail, the two join forces to achieve their goal. But with the threat of slavery looming over their heads, it is only a matter of time before the treasure hunt turns into a fight for survival.
This already sounds like an action-packed adventure/romp that I've been desperately wanting. Treasure hunts always make for swashbuckling fun.
BUT WAIT --- THERE'S MORE!
Taylor Browne - ROLE UNKNOWN
Taylor Browne, who played Jack in Sidewinder, is back in action in Ecstasy of Gold. We asked Director Nick Tanner what role he might be playing, since Jack died in the first installment:
Tanner: Taylor Browne is returning, but not quite playing the role of Jack.
Not quite? What could that mean? Is he a ghost? A flashback? A memory?
IS IT INCEPTION?!?!? (BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)
Who knows what the director's cryptic comment could entail for Captain Sidewinder, Bear, Jill, and Nikolai. But one thing's for sure. I want to see Ecstasy of Gold even more now. Treasure hunting and swashbuckling chaos, and Taylor Browne is back!
Stay tuned for more info and pictures from the upcoming blockbuster, Sidewinder 2: Ecstasy of Gold!
- JV -
27 January 2012
Red Shirt Podcast #11: Comics and Manga and Dinos, Oh My!
Hey everyone. Here's this week's podcast. In it, we discuss dinosaurs, theatre, comics, manga and so much more (well, at least a bit more. It's only a 40 minute podcast, after all :P). Enjoy!
Despicable Me Review
Hey guys! Here's my review of Despicable Me. Enjoy! :)
Not the most glamorous screenshot, is it?...
Not the most glamorous screenshot, is it?...
25 January 2012
On Names and Feeling Strongly About Them
One thing a lot of people don't know about me is that I'm a Names Nerd. Or something of that variety. I'm not actually sure what you would call somebody interested in names and the way that they sound and the things that they mean, but whatever kind of -phile it is, I am one.
I've been one since I was about five and I first discovered my mother's old name-your-baby books. Something about them excited me so much that I convinced her to let me borrow them -- all five of them, because it turned out my mother was also a name-o-phile -- and then I proceeded to read them so often they fell apart. Strangely she wasn't too pleased about this, but as my sister had already been born by this time, she didn't have any more children to name and therefore couldn't be too upset about my book-vandalism.
And, well, the books had a strange effect on me. I'd always liked to make up stories in my head -- I think that started around the same time as the names did (maybe a few months earlier, as four is the earliest I can remember doing it) -- but the names did something to my imagination. I became the kind of child who made long class lists of imaginary schoolchildren, attached appellations to things like pencil erasers and plastic cups, and made hundreds of handmade paper dolls mainly for the purpose of naming them and using those names to make up stories. Sometimes I could be just a little bit odd. ("I wanted to play stuffed animals with you, but you just wanted to line them up and tell me what their names were," sniffs my little sister to this day. "You shattered my childhood!")
"These paper dolls are triplets," I remember announcing to my mother and godfather grandly. "Their names are Sybil, Sicily and Salome Bacshanks. They have fourteen siblings and their parents are called Ethelfrida (she's not very nice) and Uriel. And these are their pets..."
They laughed at me, especially about Salome. That's still one of my most embarrassing memories. After that I got acquainted with some interesting Biblical stories and I'm pretty sure I crossed that name out in my copy of Beyond Jennifer and Jason, dying a terrible death of eight-year-old humiliation.
But the obsession didn't stop. Everything was alive, everything was interesting, and everything was nameable. Names gave imaginary people new dimensions, potential for personalities I'd never thought of before. I'm still not exactly sure how it works -- just that a name can put an image in your head, one that is somehow absolutely crystal-clear, and suddenly you have a person, a story, an idea, a powerful image. Names are still the first thing I look at when I'm trying to write something. Stories that don't give their main characters names have always bothered me just the slightest bit, because it's a whole aspect of their personality that I don't get to see as a reader, and that makes me feel cheated.
At any rate, after my obsessional childhood, I know a lot about names. I have opinions about them. I have names I like and names I don't. If I ever end up having children, they're either going to feel honored or sadly saddled.
(This is, as you might have guessed, from the Wonderful and Amazing Pickles.)
Libby likes: Bryony, Verity, Beatrix, Jessamine, Kerensa, Saskia, Saffron, Louisa, Saoirse, Ottilie, Romilly, Paloma, Cecily, Linus, Cadmus, Fabian, Digory, William, Edmund, Soren, Auberon, Peregrine, Miles, Hugo, Oliver, August. I tend to gravitate toward quirky British/Celtic-sounding things, I've noticed. Hmm.
Libby despises: Jayden/Hayden/Kayden/Brayden/Braedinn/Aydan/et al, Cannon/Gunner/Killer anything like that, Reagan/Newt/etc., blatantly male names for girls (i.e. Robert or Jefferson, not Harper or Ainsley), any name spelled any way other than the way it was originally spelled (though things like Kaitlyn are the exception as they have become the standard -- it's when the name is spelled Caytlynne that we have a problem.)
And, erm, I've told people these opinions, and sometimes they think I'm being a bit weird about it. Like last year when I was doing a write-in back at high school last year, and my friend Bridget told me about a little boy she'd met.
"His name is BRAYDEN! Isn't that cute?"
Devil on Libby's shoulder: No.
Angel of Libby's shoulder: Erm.
I don't remember what I said. That's probably a good thing.
I've really had to learn to be careful about the way I express my opinions about names and the like. I started surfing naming websites when I was quite young (some of the best are http://www.babynamewizard.com/, http://appellationmountain.net/articles/, and www.surnamedb.com), and sometimes Small Libby (or Bryony, which is my online alias, as it's my favorite girl's name and also a plant that can be poisonous if you eat it, hence a warning not to eat me!!!), was a wee bit judgmental. When I was embarrassingly old, I said something rude about the authors of the first-ever baby name book I'd read, because I was sour at them for disliking my mom's name, and that comment came back to bite me.
After being rather red-faced and sheepish, I eventually understood that everyone has different opinions on what sorts of monikers you bestow on your offspring, and perhaps they've all got a place in the world. Maybe I think Braden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqPmPA4Vn_U) is an ugly, invented, unisex, overly trendy, misspelled sort of name, but I'm sure little Braden's parents love him and his name both, and so does the author who called her protagonist that. And... I mellowed out a little bit. (This happened around the same time I mellowed about hating Kindles. Both were probably good things!) (Although Tallulah-Does-the-Hula-in-Hawaii is still a bit much for me, I regret to say.)
I'm not the only one who has felt this way. I think I was so fervent about it because I got addicted to names starting at such a young age, but somehow the topic of names is one of those special things that can inspire the kind of ferocity that's normally reserved for politics, unfunny jokes and bad campus food. Try and find a name forum somewhere online. Quite often you'll find a name war going on -- the Braydins versus the Benjamins versus the Barnabases, for the most part, and these people care! It's wonderful and terrible at the same time. I haven't got a side in that war except being (nowadays quietly) against the Braydins, but I still read their battles from time to time.
The most fascinating thing about names, though, is still what it has always been: the things they can inspire. People. Characters. Stories. That's why, in the end, I always come back to the name-your-baby books and the websites and the telephone books and textbook bibliographies and funny Finnish websites I can't understand, even though my friends laugh at me for calling characters things like Mungo and Araminta. Names spark imagination in a way that nothing else does. They inspire interesting, often hilarious conversations that can last hours. It's an obsession I can't shake, and I absolutely love it.
I've been one since I was about five and I first discovered my mother's old name-your-baby books. Something about them excited me so much that I convinced her to let me borrow them -- all five of them, because it turned out my mother was also a name-o-phile -- and then I proceeded to read them so often they fell apart. Strangely she wasn't too pleased about this, but as my sister had already been born by this time, she didn't have any more children to name and therefore couldn't be too upset about my book-vandalism.
And, well, the books had a strange effect on me. I'd always liked to make up stories in my head -- I think that started around the same time as the names did (maybe a few months earlier, as four is the earliest I can remember doing it) -- but the names did something to my imagination. I became the kind of child who made long class lists of imaginary schoolchildren, attached appellations to things like pencil erasers and plastic cups, and made hundreds of handmade paper dolls mainly for the purpose of naming them and using those names to make up stories. Sometimes I could be just a little bit odd. ("I wanted to play stuffed animals with you, but you just wanted to line them up and tell me what their names were," sniffs my little sister to this day. "You shattered my childhood!")
"These paper dolls are triplets," I remember announcing to my mother and godfather grandly. "Their names are Sybil, Sicily and Salome Bacshanks. They have fourteen siblings and their parents are called Ethelfrida (she's not very nice) and Uriel. And these are their pets..."
They laughed at me, especially about Salome. That's still one of my most embarrassing memories. After that I got acquainted with some interesting Biblical stories and I'm pretty sure I crossed that name out in my copy of Beyond Jennifer and Jason, dying a terrible death of eight-year-old humiliation.
But the obsession didn't stop. Everything was alive, everything was interesting, and everything was nameable. Names gave imaginary people new dimensions, potential for personalities I'd never thought of before. I'm still not exactly sure how it works -- just that a name can put an image in your head, one that is somehow absolutely crystal-clear, and suddenly you have a person, a story, an idea, a powerful image. Names are still the first thing I look at when I'm trying to write something. Stories that don't give their main characters names have always bothered me just the slightest bit, because it's a whole aspect of their personality that I don't get to see as a reader, and that makes me feel cheated.
At any rate, after my obsessional childhood, I know a lot about names. I have opinions about them. I have names I like and names I don't. If I ever end up having children, they're either going to feel honored or sadly saddled.
(This is, as you might have guessed, from the Wonderful and Amazing Pickles.)
Libby likes: Bryony, Verity, Beatrix, Jessamine, Kerensa, Saskia, Saffron, Louisa, Saoirse, Ottilie, Romilly, Paloma, Cecily, Linus, Cadmus, Fabian, Digory, William, Edmund, Soren, Auberon, Peregrine, Miles, Hugo, Oliver, August. I tend to gravitate toward quirky British/Celtic-sounding things, I've noticed. Hmm.
Libby despises: Jayden/Hayden/Kayden/Brayden/Braedinn/Aydan/et al, Cannon/Gunner/Killer anything like that, Reagan/Newt/etc., blatantly male names for girls (i.e. Robert or Jefferson, not Harper or Ainsley), any name spelled any way other than the way it was originally spelled (though things like Kaitlyn are the exception as they have become the standard -- it's when the name is spelled Caytlynne that we have a problem.)
And, erm, I've told people these opinions, and sometimes they think I'm being a bit weird about it. Like last year when I was doing a write-in back at high school last year, and my friend Bridget told me about a little boy she'd met.
"His name is BRAYDEN! Isn't that cute?"
Devil on Libby's shoulder: No.
Angel of Libby's shoulder: Erm.
I don't remember what I said. That's probably a good thing.
I've really had to learn to be careful about the way I express my opinions about names and the like. I started surfing naming websites when I was quite young (some of the best are http://www.babynamewizard.com/, http://appellationmountain.net/articles/, and www.surnamedb.com), and sometimes Small Libby (or Bryony, which is my online alias, as it's my favorite girl's name and also a plant that can be poisonous if you eat it, hence a warning not to eat me!!!), was a wee bit judgmental. When I was embarrassingly old, I said something rude about the authors of the first-ever baby name book I'd read, because I was sour at them for disliking my mom's name, and that comment came back to bite me.
After being rather red-faced and sheepish, I eventually understood that everyone has different opinions on what sorts of monikers you bestow on your offspring, and perhaps they've all got a place in the world. Maybe I think Braden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqPmPA4Vn_U) is an ugly, invented, unisex, overly trendy, misspelled sort of name, but I'm sure little Braden's parents love him and his name both, and so does the author who called her protagonist that. And... I mellowed out a little bit. (This happened around the same time I mellowed about hating Kindles. Both were probably good things!) (Although Tallulah-Does-the-Hula-in-Hawaii is still a bit much for me, I regret to say.)
I'm not the only one who has felt this way. I think I was so fervent about it because I got addicted to names starting at such a young age, but somehow the topic of names is one of those special things that can inspire the kind of ferocity that's normally reserved for politics, unfunny jokes and bad campus food. Try and find a name forum somewhere online. Quite often you'll find a name war going on -- the Braydins versus the Benjamins versus the Barnabases, for the most part, and these people care! It's wonderful and terrible at the same time. I haven't got a side in that war except being (nowadays quietly) against the Braydins, but I still read their battles from time to time.
The most fascinating thing about names, though, is still what it has always been: the things they can inspire. People. Characters. Stories. That's why, in the end, I always come back to the name-your-baby books and the websites and the telephone books and textbook bibliographies and funny Finnish websites I can't understand, even though my friends laugh at me for calling characters things like Mungo and Araminta. Names spark imagination in a way that nothing else does. They inspire interesting, often hilarious conversations that can last hours. It's an obsession I can't shake, and I absolutely love it.
24 January 2012
Oscar Noms!
This morning all of the Oscar nomination for 2012 were announced, and so I sat a breakfast this morning eagerly purusing the internet on my phone to figure out who had gotten nominated. And you know what, I was genreally pleased with the results! Although it would have been cute for the last Harry Potter movie to be nominated for Best Picture, we all knew that wasn't going to happen, but aside from that and a few other dream nominees (Ryan Gosling anyone? For any of the three awesome parts he played this year) I didn't have many problems with the nominees, and thought they were well deserved (for the films I've seen thus far).
First of all, let's start with Best Picture. Thanks to some new rules, any number between 5 and 10 movies can be nominated, and we ended up with nine. Most of them were pretty predictable, such as "The Help," "Hugo," "Mightnight in Paris," "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Moneyball," and "War Horse." "Tree of Life" managed to sneak in there, which I think is pretty cool since I don't think many people saw that movie (and indie flick by Terrence Malick that's really artsy) and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which, besides "War Horse," is the only other film in this category I have yet to see. However, this movie has garnered only mixed reviews, so I question how it got in there. I'll make my judgement on that after I see the film. So it was easy to tell who would come out with noms in this category, though I thought it might be seven films, not nine.
For Best Actor there were definitely some surprises (and a glaring snub; the main problem I have with the nominations). George Clooney, Brad Pitt, And Jean Dujardin were all shoo-ins, though there were two spots that could be any number of people. At first there was an idea that Leonardo DiCaprio would get one for "J. Edgar," but there wasn't a lot of momentum behind it. There were some indie standouts like Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter," but I can't think of a single place where that movie is playing. What I was really hoping for was a nom for Michael Fassbender in "Shame," but the Academy TOTALLY overlooked him. I thought whoever would win this category would either be Fassbender or Dujardin, and Fassbender isn't even nominated! The horror! However, the Academy took notice of Gary Oldman's stellar performance in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," which I approve of. The fifth spot was taken by Demian Birchir from "A Better Life," and I've never even heard of this movie, so I guess I need to do some more research.
In the Best Actress category there was only one surprise. Meryl, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, and Glenn Close (WM alumni!) were all nominated as predicted, but the fifth spot was nabbed by Rooney Mara from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which totally made my day! I really think she deserved this nomination, but I think it was a bit of an upset because Tilda Swinton in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" was supposed to be the other frontrunner. I haven't seen that one so I can't accurately judge, but hallelujah Rooney Mara! I don't think she has a chance of winning, but to be in the leagues of Meryl Streep for your first major film? Not bad at all.
Best Supporting Actor also had some surprises. One frontrunner appeared to be Albert Brooks for his performance in "Drive," but the likes of Nick Nolte from "Warrior," and Max Von Sydow from "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" snuck in there, taking away two spots. Favorites such as Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Kenneth Branagh ("My Week With Marilyn") earned their predicted spots, and usual funny-man, Jonah Hill managed to get a spot in this category too for his performance in "Moneyball." Who would have guessed back in the days of "Superbad" that he would be nominated for an Oscar someday? Pretty cool.
Hurrah! No Shailene Woodley in the Best Supporting Actress category! I was worried the Academy might give her an edge since "The Descendants" has been widely seen and acclaimed, but comedic princess Melissa McCarthy from "Bridesmaids" stole that coveted fifth spot. And how awesome is that? I know it's not the same kind of performance that Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, or Berenice Bejo gave (all other nominees) but I think it's so cool that the Academy is giving some credit to those with comedic chops and less people who play less serious roles. It doesn't mean McCarthy is any less talented then those other ladies. Good job, Academy.
Lastly (since I'm only covering the six major categories) for Best Director, Alexander Payne, Martin Scorsese, Michel Hazavanicius, and Woody Allen earned top honors along with Terrence Malick. A pretty diverse group of directors, though I think it would be cool for someone like Hazavanicius or Malick to go home with the award since their work stood out amongst the others (black and white silent film, and a cinematographic masterpiece, respectively). Though this one could be a toss up.
One thing I will say, though, is that I am appaled that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross weren't nominated for Best Score for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." That score was fabulous. It deserved a nomination!
Anyway, I can't wait for the big Oscar day woohoo!
Happy Tuesday!
First of all, let's start with Best Picture. Thanks to some new rules, any number between 5 and 10 movies can be nominated, and we ended up with nine. Most of them were pretty predictable, such as "The Help," "Hugo," "Mightnight in Paris," "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Moneyball," and "War Horse." "Tree of Life" managed to sneak in there, which I think is pretty cool since I don't think many people saw that movie (and indie flick by Terrence Malick that's really artsy) and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which, besides "War Horse," is the only other film in this category I have yet to see. However, this movie has garnered only mixed reviews, so I question how it got in there. I'll make my judgement on that after I see the film. So it was easy to tell who would come out with noms in this category, though I thought it might be seven films, not nine.
For Best Actor there were definitely some surprises (and a glaring snub; the main problem I have with the nominations). George Clooney, Brad Pitt, And Jean Dujardin were all shoo-ins, though there were two spots that could be any number of people. At first there was an idea that Leonardo DiCaprio would get one for "J. Edgar," but there wasn't a lot of momentum behind it. There were some indie standouts like Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter," but I can't think of a single place where that movie is playing. What I was really hoping for was a nom for Michael Fassbender in "Shame," but the Academy TOTALLY overlooked him. I thought whoever would win this category would either be Fassbender or Dujardin, and Fassbender isn't even nominated! The horror! However, the Academy took notice of Gary Oldman's stellar performance in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," which I approve of. The fifth spot was taken by Demian Birchir from "A Better Life," and I've never even heard of this movie, so I guess I need to do some more research.
In the Best Actress category there was only one surprise. Meryl, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, and Glenn Close (WM alumni!) were all nominated as predicted, but the fifth spot was nabbed by Rooney Mara from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" which totally made my day! I really think she deserved this nomination, but I think it was a bit of an upset because Tilda Swinton in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" was supposed to be the other frontrunner. I haven't seen that one so I can't accurately judge, but hallelujah Rooney Mara! I don't think she has a chance of winning, but to be in the leagues of Meryl Streep for your first major film? Not bad at all.
Best Supporting Actor also had some surprises. One frontrunner appeared to be Albert Brooks for his performance in "Drive," but the likes of Nick Nolte from "Warrior," and Max Von Sydow from "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" snuck in there, taking away two spots. Favorites such as Christopher Plummer ("Beginners") and Kenneth Branagh ("My Week With Marilyn") earned their predicted spots, and usual funny-man, Jonah Hill managed to get a spot in this category too for his performance in "Moneyball." Who would have guessed back in the days of "Superbad" that he would be nominated for an Oscar someday? Pretty cool.
Hurrah! No Shailene Woodley in the Best Supporting Actress category! I was worried the Academy might give her an edge since "The Descendants" has been widely seen and acclaimed, but comedic princess Melissa McCarthy from "Bridesmaids" stole that coveted fifth spot. And how awesome is that? I know it's not the same kind of performance that Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, or Berenice Bejo gave (all other nominees) but I think it's so cool that the Academy is giving some credit to those with comedic chops and less people who play less serious roles. It doesn't mean McCarthy is any less talented then those other ladies. Good job, Academy.
Lastly (since I'm only covering the six major categories) for Best Director, Alexander Payne, Martin Scorsese, Michel Hazavanicius, and Woody Allen earned top honors along with Terrence Malick. A pretty diverse group of directors, though I think it would be cool for someone like Hazavanicius or Malick to go home with the award since their work stood out amongst the others (black and white silent film, and a cinematographic masterpiece, respectively). Though this one could be a toss up.
One thing I will say, though, is that I am appaled that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross weren't nominated for Best Score for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." That score was fabulous. It deserved a nomination!
Anyway, I can't wait for the big Oscar day woohoo!
Happy Tuesday!
Tetris!
¡Hola, Viajeros! Eres bienvenido a mi blog. I'm back in the swing of things, travelers. I'm not dead, I was travelling (ah, meta...), so you can stop flooding my inbox with your heartwarming emails of worry. On to business!
Mass Effect 3!! Masa Efecto Tres, baby. It's been on each and every one of your minds, and mine too. Whether you want to knock it (mira: la videocast), or sing the praises of the lovely BioWare hallmarks (mira: la videocast), I promise its release will be a significant event for all. I myself am looking forward to finishing Masa Efecto Dos...
Tetris!! I love Tetris. I've got a little bit of a competetive Tetris addiction, of which I encourage you all to partake. Battle 2P is an hyper-accessible, fast-paced, thrill-giving, skill-oriented, hyphen-crazy cousin of the original Tetris game, and rewards those who put some serious hours into it with mad skillz. TetrisFriends has many classic, new, and awesome Tetris modes for you to try out free of charge, so check it out.
LoL News!! This is the Summoners only part of the article. I love free RP. It just reminds everybody how much money Riot has, that they have so much they can throw it at their loyal customers (moochers) with only financial windfall as a result. Basically, they're pump priming their customers (moochers) to become legitimate customers by giving them a taste of the goodness that comes to those who buy Riot Points (RP). Also, they need to placate hordes of trolls angrier and more adolescent than a terrible, hideous fusion of the WoW community and YouTube commenters (we speak in hushed whispers of its terrible power... 4chan). So, everybody wins, as long as having fun for free is your thing and you have a LoL account. Enjoy your trollzy reign, vlads and trynds, I smell nerfs in the air...
Pues, has venido al fin del mi blog. Espero lo disfrutó el artÃculo, y vuelva pronto!
Mass Effect 3!! Masa Efecto Tres, baby. It's been on each and every one of your minds, and mine too. Whether you want to knock it (mira: la videocast), or sing the praises of the lovely BioWare hallmarks (mira: la videocast), I promise its release will be a significant event for all. I myself am looking forward to finishing Masa Efecto Dos...
Tetris!! I love Tetris. I've got a little bit of a competetive Tetris addiction, of which I encourage you all to partake. Battle 2P is an hyper-accessible, fast-paced, thrill-giving, skill-oriented, hyphen-crazy cousin of the original Tetris game, and rewards those who put some serious hours into it with mad skillz. TetrisFriends has many classic, new, and awesome Tetris modes for you to try out free of charge, so check it out.
LoL News!! This is the Summoners only part of the article. I love free RP. It just reminds everybody how much money Riot has, that they have so much they can throw it at their loyal customers (moochers) with only financial windfall as a result. Basically, they're pump priming their customers (moochers) to become legitimate customers by giving them a taste of the goodness that comes to those who buy Riot Points (RP). Also, they need to placate hordes of trolls angrier and more adolescent than a terrible, hideous fusion of the WoW community and YouTube commenters (we speak in hushed whispers of its terrible power... 4chan). So, everybody wins, as long as having fun for free is your thing and you have a LoL account. Enjoy your trollzy reign, vlads and trynds, I smell nerfs in the air...
Pues, has venido al fin del mi blog. Espero lo disfrutó el artÃculo, y vuelva pronto!
23 January 2012
From the Armory: Arsenal Building Guide
AAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL RIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!
So, we’ve had a few chats about new guns and quite a bit of information was imparted about the various advantages and disadvantages of various weapons. But some of you are probably wondering, “What does it all mean?” “How does this apply to me?” Well here’s a little guide to choosing the right weapons for you.
Part 1: How do you fight?
One of my fencing coaches always was telling me to fight my fight, nobody else’s, and the same applies to Nerf. I tend to think about Nerfing in terms of “commando stereotypes.”
They are:
Sniper
Scout
Anti-Personnel and Suppressive Fire
Commander/General
Your sniper trains up on long range weapons, modified Long Strikes, Long Shots, Blowguns, and Nite Finders. They’re roll is to provide precision fire at long range. Since they make more precise shots, they can get away with carrying less ammo than most others, often only expending about 30 rounds in a typical game (15 minutes).
The scout focuses on maneuverability and lightness, rolling with pistols and light carbines like Nite Finders and Fury Fires. Their job is to move quickly and scout out an area, and engage the position until the rest of the squad can show, or sneak up and take out enemies with stealth tactics. A scout needs to carry quite a bit of ammo, probably around 60 rounds.
The anti-personnel and suppressive fire guy rolls with the rapid-fire weapons and shot guns. Their job, kills as many people as possibly in the least amount of time. They’re going to want to roll with Stampedes, Rapid-Fire 20's, and Buzzbee Berzerkers. Their job is to roll into to battle and mow down folks, break rushes, and provide covering fire for a tactical retreat. You’ve got to go heavy on the ammo if you fight in this class, probably over 100 rounds.
The commander/general is a bit of a jack of all trades. He generally caries multiple guns which fill multiple roles. Blowguns are a good weapon for the commander, because they are light and provide good range. Slam fire guns like the Raider and Alpha-Trooper with multiple clips are also good for the commander to keep around. You’re probably going to want about 70 rounds.
Now the purpose of these guys are archetypes, almost nobody actually outfits themselves to fit only one of these roles, or fills these roles all the time. Usually one picks two depending upon their strengths. The key to being a good sniper is patience and accuracy. If you like to take aim and bean a quarter at 40 feet, sniper is the appropriate role for you to fill. Scouts have to be able to move, dodging is key to this roll, so if you can jump around all night, scouting is a good option. Anti-personnel folks need to be able to move as well, though less so than the scout, but if you like spraying fire all over the place while shouting like Schwarzenager, this is your role.
Part 2: The Guns
Sniping Weapons
When you’re sniping, you want the double whammy of range and accuracy. When modding a Nerf gun, increased range and accuracy generally go hand in hand. Your barrel material is CPVC. This gives a tight seal against the dart, though you have to twist the dart into the barrel. This decreases your rate of fire. But for a sniper, this is almost a good thing, because it trains you to time your shots, to line them up, and to make each round count.
Nite-Finders modified with the spring out of a Tek Six and a CPVC barrel is called a sniper pistol. This has increased range and, assuming the barrel is aligned properly, incredibly accurate. In my games, shots on the gun count as a kill, and a Nite Finger used properly can almost send darts up the barrel of the your opponents weapon. If you are of a Vortex disposition, the Proton is a good alternative, though it is less accurate, it has good range out of the box, and con be modified for greater range.
Blow guns are made from ½ in. PVC piping cut to length. Each gun is customized to the individual player by placing the pipe in the mouth, extending the arm out and cutting the pipe off about six inches in front of the finger tips. A dart is loaded into the back, and then a swift puff of air sends the dart out to distances up to 70 ft flat very straight. For a weapon that is this light, it’s very light, and easy to carry.
But the ultimate sniper’s play toy combines a blowgun with some kind of air tank to create a small air canon. These can be easily sourced from the Buzzbee Berzerker or Ultimate Missile Blast. Cutting off the existing barrel and attaching a blowgun barrel of about 6-8 in. long renders a breach loading weapon which can reach out to 80, 90, and even 100 ft. Add a longer barrel and you can break 100 ft., though once you get past about two feet of barrel, the aerodynamic restrictions of the darts themselves prevents much greater range, and once you get up to 80 or so feet, most darts will begin to weave in the air and loose accuracy. This weapon also has a slow rate of fire, as the barrel must be removed and a dart loaded, then the air tank must be pumped between five and eight times to full pressure, and then its ready to aim and fire. But its worth is because no other Nerf gun has this one’s muzzle velocity and range. To get much better you’d have to use either a custom high pressure air tank or a CO2 canister, both of which would shred stock darts, so you’d have to build your own. Since these are illegal in my games, this is essentially the ultimate sniping weapon.
Scouting Weapons
When you’re rolling as a Scout, lightness is everything. Basically you’ve got to be ready for a 100 yard dash at a moment’s notice, so you can’t be weighed down by large guns and a load of magazines. So light weapons are the Scout’s best friend.
A Nite-Finder is a great choice for the scout. Modified with a Tek Six spring and a Roseart barrel renders a gun which reloads quickly, while still having good range an accuracy. Rolling with two of these gives the Scout plenty of firepower, while still remaining light. The Proton is the Vortex equivalent.
Blowguns are a nice light weapon, but the long one’s suitable for snipers are a bit bulky to carry around. But the lovely thing about CPVC pipe is they can be cut. A two foot blow gun will still deliver good range and accuracy, while being compact enough to not impede easy movement.
The Maverick.
BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
No no, now hold on! A stock Maverick is essentially a jam waiting to happen, but with a little TLC it can work. It has several advantages as a weapon system. Its light for one thing, and compact, about as deep as a stock Nite-Finder, and only a few inches longer, so its very compact and maneuverable. It uses a six shot revolving turret, and an inverse plunger system, cocked by a back slide. Stock the ranges are somewhat poor generally, many have trouble making it to 20 ft, and the components are so weak, that often as not the weapon either misfires or jams. But given a few mods and tweaks, the range is upped to around 30-40 ft and reliability becomes much improved. If you would prefer to use discs, the Vigilon is a good substitute. It uses a six internal magazine, and the same back slide cocking system as the Maverick, with the great range of the Vortex line. It is, however somewhat bulkier than the Maverick, though it is better built, and still small enough to not impede mobility overly much.
If you want something with a little bit higher rate of fire, the Fury Fire is the way to go for scouts. It’s a good compromise between the larger rifles and pistols, about a foot and a half in length, it is a pump action weapon with a ten round turret. Out of the box it delivers a decent 20 ft. range, and can be modified for ranges up to about 35 ft. The ten round, pump action system gives a great rate and volume of fire for such a small package. If you need to lay down fire until your buddies arrive? This is the gun to do it. If you are of a Vortex disposition, the Praxis is a great choice for this, same mag size, same pump action layout, with ranges reaching out to 50-60 ft. The ten shot clips and small and light, and give a good rapid reload. It’s a bit bulkier than the Fury Fire, but still compact enough to not impede maneuverability.
Anti-Personnel/Suppressive Fire Weapons
Rate of fire is key for this type of fighting, so fully automatic weapons are Johnny on the spot.
The most popular full auto these days by far is the Stampede, and that’s because it works. Out of the box it fires out to about 25-30 ft. and has a rate of fire about 180 rounds per minute, from 18 round clips, with the ability to take the 6 round clip, and 18 and 36 round drums. It has a high rate of fire, a rapid reload, and good name, so what if its not the most accurate gun in the world? It doesn’t use a fly wheel, and it feels good to shoot. Its an excellent weapon for suppression and aggression. If its Vortex you want, you want the fully automatic Nitron.
The Rapid-Fire 20 is the old man on the block, still sold at Target, but for how long? I couldn’t tell you, so if you want one, get one now! This gun takes a bit of TLC to get it to shoot. Each of the twenty rounds must be loaded into the turret, then it must be pumped about forty times. But once its ready for fire, you get 300 rounds per minute, almost twice that of the stampede, and a range of about 30 ft, so about the same as that of the Stampede. It’s a bit slower to reload, but that rate of fire can’t be matched, nor can the psychological factor of all of those round blasting at you.
The Raider and Alpha-Trooper are both cut from the same cloth. They make use of essentially the same internals at the Long Strike, but have a system called Slamfire. This is a rapid fire system where one can hold down the trigger and pull the cocking handle back and forth quickly to cause the weapon to shoot rapidly, one shot for each cycling of the cocking mechanism for a rate of fire about 240 rounds per minute. Stock ranges are poor, between 15 and 20 ft, but this can be improved by knocking the air restrictor out and putting a second spring in the detachable stock (after cutting the back of the gun out), this gets it up to about 35-40 ft, possibly further if you are using completely fresh darts. They have the ability to take the 6 and 18 round clips, as well as the 18 and 36 round drums, so there is no shortage of large magazines. One disadvantage is that as the cocking mechanism is on the front of both of these weapons, cycling it quickly back and forth causes the nose to judder about, throwing off the aim, so its not the most accurate weapon in the world.
I’m an example of a Commander/General type of fighter, I specialize in scout weapons but I carry several of them, so weight class I’m in with the heavies. I also carry two sniping weapons, and a Rapid 20, so I’ve got a gun that fits most every situation, which uses the same ammo type, of which I have a lot, around 200 rounds.
Part 3: The Gear
Now that you have your guns you have to figure out how to carry them and all the ammo you have for them. Many folks often as not carry in their hands one or two guns and put ammo in their pants pocket, but there are many things you can do otherwise.
First of all, its often helpful for pistols to make belt holsters for them, or buy some that fit your guns a military surplus shops. This helps you carry more guns without impeding mobility. For a larger gun, make a back strap, called a sling, and swing it over your shoulder. Similarly you might want to make a bag that hangs from your belt to carry all your darts. Nerf used to make mesh bags which happily carried about thirty rounds with a belt clip, so if you can dig up one of those, you’ll make good use of them.
This is what you want to do if you’re on a budget, but if you want to spend a bit more, you can always go military. Surplus shops these days will sell you a myriad of holsters, pouches, and accessories which can be easily adapted to Nerf. The sexiest accessory you can get is the Tactical Assault Vest (TAV) which makes use of straps, called M.O.L.L.I.E, which can be used to mount everything from holsters to pouches. They often come with integrated belt loops, so you can attach a gun belt directly to it. One can completely customize where everything goes on the vest so that you can tell by feel where everything is, and have everything easily accessible. The one disadvantage to this type of gear is that it can get a bit heavy, but it is designed to distribute the weight so it doesn’t impede motion.
I personally use a system which is custom made of denim, and is designed to mimic the military system. Its much lighter and has integrated ammo pouches, which holds more ammo than most comparable pouches for a TAV. It’s a good system, though it is expensive, and doesn’t hold up nearly as well as the mil-spec stuff.
So there you have it, a simple three step thought process to go through when choosing your guns. There are many more guns out there than what I have listed, so shop around, play around, and fiddle around until you get your arsenal right. And remember, play your game, nobody else’s.
Me:
Weapons:
2 Roseart Nite-Finders
1 CPVC Nite-Finder
1 Two Foot Blowgun
1 Custom Shotgun
1 Fury Fire
2 CPVC Tech Targets
1 Rapid-Fire 20
Primary role:
Sniper
Gear:
Custom denim TAV with integrated ammo pouches
approx. 200 rounds, mix of Taggers, Sonics, and Micros
So, we’ve had a few chats about new guns and quite a bit of information was imparted about the various advantages and disadvantages of various weapons. But some of you are probably wondering, “What does it all mean?” “How does this apply to me?” Well here’s a little guide to choosing the right weapons for you.
Part 1: How do you fight?
One of my fencing coaches always was telling me to fight my fight, nobody else’s, and the same applies to Nerf. I tend to think about Nerfing in terms of “commando stereotypes.”
They are:
Sniper
Scout
Anti-Personnel and Suppressive Fire
Commander/General
Your sniper trains up on long range weapons, modified Long Strikes, Long Shots, Blowguns, and Nite Finders. They’re roll is to provide precision fire at long range. Since they make more precise shots, they can get away with carrying less ammo than most others, often only expending about 30 rounds in a typical game (15 minutes).
The scout focuses on maneuverability and lightness, rolling with pistols and light carbines like Nite Finders and Fury Fires. Their job is to move quickly and scout out an area, and engage the position until the rest of the squad can show, or sneak up and take out enemies with stealth tactics. A scout needs to carry quite a bit of ammo, probably around 60 rounds.
The anti-personnel and suppressive fire guy rolls with the rapid-fire weapons and shot guns. Their job, kills as many people as possibly in the least amount of time. They’re going to want to roll with Stampedes, Rapid-Fire 20's, and Buzzbee Berzerkers. Their job is to roll into to battle and mow down folks, break rushes, and provide covering fire for a tactical retreat. You’ve got to go heavy on the ammo if you fight in this class, probably over 100 rounds.
The commander/general is a bit of a jack of all trades. He generally caries multiple guns which fill multiple roles. Blowguns are a good weapon for the commander, because they are light and provide good range. Slam fire guns like the Raider and Alpha-Trooper with multiple clips are also good for the commander to keep around. You’re probably going to want about 70 rounds.
Now the purpose of these guys are archetypes, almost nobody actually outfits themselves to fit only one of these roles, or fills these roles all the time. Usually one picks two depending upon their strengths. The key to being a good sniper is patience and accuracy. If you like to take aim and bean a quarter at 40 feet, sniper is the appropriate role for you to fill. Scouts have to be able to move, dodging is key to this roll, so if you can jump around all night, scouting is a good option. Anti-personnel folks need to be able to move as well, though less so than the scout, but if you like spraying fire all over the place while shouting like Schwarzenager, this is your role.
Part 2: The Guns
Sniping Weapons
When you’re sniping, you want the double whammy of range and accuracy. When modding a Nerf gun, increased range and accuracy generally go hand in hand. Your barrel material is CPVC. This gives a tight seal against the dart, though you have to twist the dart into the barrel. This decreases your rate of fire. But for a sniper, this is almost a good thing, because it trains you to time your shots, to line them up, and to make each round count.
Nite-Finders modified with the spring out of a Tek Six and a CPVC barrel is called a sniper pistol. This has increased range and, assuming the barrel is aligned properly, incredibly accurate. In my games, shots on the gun count as a kill, and a Nite Finger used properly can almost send darts up the barrel of the your opponents weapon. If you are of a Vortex disposition, the Proton is a good alternative, though it is less accurate, it has good range out of the box, and con be modified for greater range.
Blow guns are made from ½ in. PVC piping cut to length. Each gun is customized to the individual player by placing the pipe in the mouth, extending the arm out and cutting the pipe off about six inches in front of the finger tips. A dart is loaded into the back, and then a swift puff of air sends the dart out to distances up to 70 ft flat very straight. For a weapon that is this light, it’s very light, and easy to carry.
But the ultimate sniper’s play toy combines a blowgun with some kind of air tank to create a small air canon. These can be easily sourced from the Buzzbee Berzerker or Ultimate Missile Blast. Cutting off the existing barrel and attaching a blowgun barrel of about 6-8 in. long renders a breach loading weapon which can reach out to 80, 90, and even 100 ft. Add a longer barrel and you can break 100 ft., though once you get past about two feet of barrel, the aerodynamic restrictions of the darts themselves prevents much greater range, and once you get up to 80 or so feet, most darts will begin to weave in the air and loose accuracy. This weapon also has a slow rate of fire, as the barrel must be removed and a dart loaded, then the air tank must be pumped between five and eight times to full pressure, and then its ready to aim and fire. But its worth is because no other Nerf gun has this one’s muzzle velocity and range. To get much better you’d have to use either a custom high pressure air tank or a CO2 canister, both of which would shred stock darts, so you’d have to build your own. Since these are illegal in my games, this is essentially the ultimate sniping weapon.
Scouting Weapons
When you’re rolling as a Scout, lightness is everything. Basically you’ve got to be ready for a 100 yard dash at a moment’s notice, so you can’t be weighed down by large guns and a load of magazines. So light weapons are the Scout’s best friend.
A Nite-Finder is a great choice for the scout. Modified with a Tek Six spring and a Roseart barrel renders a gun which reloads quickly, while still having good range an accuracy. Rolling with two of these gives the Scout plenty of firepower, while still remaining light. The Proton is the Vortex equivalent.
Blowguns are a nice light weapon, but the long one’s suitable for snipers are a bit bulky to carry around. But the lovely thing about CPVC pipe is they can be cut. A two foot blow gun will still deliver good range and accuracy, while being compact enough to not impede easy movement.
The Maverick.
BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
No no, now hold on! A stock Maverick is essentially a jam waiting to happen, but with a little TLC it can work. It has several advantages as a weapon system. Its light for one thing, and compact, about as deep as a stock Nite-Finder, and only a few inches longer, so its very compact and maneuverable. It uses a six shot revolving turret, and an inverse plunger system, cocked by a back slide. Stock the ranges are somewhat poor generally, many have trouble making it to 20 ft, and the components are so weak, that often as not the weapon either misfires or jams. But given a few mods and tweaks, the range is upped to around 30-40 ft and reliability becomes much improved. If you would prefer to use discs, the Vigilon is a good substitute. It uses a six internal magazine, and the same back slide cocking system as the Maverick, with the great range of the Vortex line. It is, however somewhat bulkier than the Maverick, though it is better built, and still small enough to not impede mobility overly much.
If you want something with a little bit higher rate of fire, the Fury Fire is the way to go for scouts. It’s a good compromise between the larger rifles and pistols, about a foot and a half in length, it is a pump action weapon with a ten round turret. Out of the box it delivers a decent 20 ft. range, and can be modified for ranges up to about 35 ft. The ten round, pump action system gives a great rate and volume of fire for such a small package. If you need to lay down fire until your buddies arrive? This is the gun to do it. If you are of a Vortex disposition, the Praxis is a great choice for this, same mag size, same pump action layout, with ranges reaching out to 50-60 ft. The ten shot clips and small and light, and give a good rapid reload. It’s a bit bulkier than the Fury Fire, but still compact enough to not impede maneuverability.
Anti-Personnel/Suppressive Fire Weapons
Rate of fire is key for this type of fighting, so fully automatic weapons are Johnny on the spot.
The most popular full auto these days by far is the Stampede, and that’s because it works. Out of the box it fires out to about 25-30 ft. and has a rate of fire about 180 rounds per minute, from 18 round clips, with the ability to take the 6 round clip, and 18 and 36 round drums. It has a high rate of fire, a rapid reload, and good name, so what if its not the most accurate gun in the world? It doesn’t use a fly wheel, and it feels good to shoot. Its an excellent weapon for suppression and aggression. If its Vortex you want, you want the fully automatic Nitron.
The Rapid-Fire 20 is the old man on the block, still sold at Target, but for how long? I couldn’t tell you, so if you want one, get one now! This gun takes a bit of TLC to get it to shoot. Each of the twenty rounds must be loaded into the turret, then it must be pumped about forty times. But once its ready for fire, you get 300 rounds per minute, almost twice that of the stampede, and a range of about 30 ft, so about the same as that of the Stampede. It’s a bit slower to reload, but that rate of fire can’t be matched, nor can the psychological factor of all of those round blasting at you.
The Raider and Alpha-Trooper are both cut from the same cloth. They make use of essentially the same internals at the Long Strike, but have a system called Slamfire. This is a rapid fire system where one can hold down the trigger and pull the cocking handle back and forth quickly to cause the weapon to shoot rapidly, one shot for each cycling of the cocking mechanism for a rate of fire about 240 rounds per minute. Stock ranges are poor, between 15 and 20 ft, but this can be improved by knocking the air restrictor out and putting a second spring in the detachable stock (after cutting the back of the gun out), this gets it up to about 35-40 ft, possibly further if you are using completely fresh darts. They have the ability to take the 6 and 18 round clips, as well as the 18 and 36 round drums, so there is no shortage of large magazines. One disadvantage is that as the cocking mechanism is on the front of both of these weapons, cycling it quickly back and forth causes the nose to judder about, throwing off the aim, so its not the most accurate weapon in the world.
I’m an example of a Commander/General type of fighter, I specialize in scout weapons but I carry several of them, so weight class I’m in with the heavies. I also carry two sniping weapons, and a Rapid 20, so I’ve got a gun that fits most every situation, which uses the same ammo type, of which I have a lot, around 200 rounds.
Part 3: The Gear
Now that you have your guns you have to figure out how to carry them and all the ammo you have for them. Many folks often as not carry in their hands one or two guns and put ammo in their pants pocket, but there are many things you can do otherwise.
First of all, its often helpful for pistols to make belt holsters for them, or buy some that fit your guns a military surplus shops. This helps you carry more guns without impeding mobility. For a larger gun, make a back strap, called a sling, and swing it over your shoulder. Similarly you might want to make a bag that hangs from your belt to carry all your darts. Nerf used to make mesh bags which happily carried about thirty rounds with a belt clip, so if you can dig up one of those, you’ll make good use of them.
This is what you want to do if you’re on a budget, but if you want to spend a bit more, you can always go military. Surplus shops these days will sell you a myriad of holsters, pouches, and accessories which can be easily adapted to Nerf. The sexiest accessory you can get is the Tactical Assault Vest (TAV) which makes use of straps, called M.O.L.L.I.E, which can be used to mount everything from holsters to pouches. They often come with integrated belt loops, so you can attach a gun belt directly to it. One can completely customize where everything goes on the vest so that you can tell by feel where everything is, and have everything easily accessible. The one disadvantage to this type of gear is that it can get a bit heavy, but it is designed to distribute the weight so it doesn’t impede motion.
I personally use a system which is custom made of denim, and is designed to mimic the military system. Its much lighter and has integrated ammo pouches, which holds more ammo than most comparable pouches for a TAV. It’s a good system, though it is expensive, and doesn’t hold up nearly as well as the mil-spec stuff.
So there you have it, a simple three step thought process to go through when choosing your guns. There are many more guns out there than what I have listed, so shop around, play around, and fiddle around until you get your arsenal right. And remember, play your game, nobody else’s.
Me:
Weapons:
2 Roseart Nite-Finders
1 CPVC Nite-Finder
1 Two Foot Blowgun
1 Custom Shotgun
1 Fury Fire
2 CPVC Tech Targets
1 Rapid-Fire 20
Primary role:
Sniper
Gear:
Custom denim TAV with integrated ammo pouches
approx. 200 rounds, mix of Taggers, Sonics, and Micros
20 January 2012
Red Shirt VIDCAST #1!!! Featuring the Lesbian Alien Sex Song
Hey guys. Remember those podcasts we used to do, but couldn't when winter break happened? Well, we're back in a big way. To signify our shift into providing more video content, we've decided to make video podcasts instead (also, Jason and Andy made it look like so much fun). So, here's our first attempt. You'll have to excuse the fact that we seem so far away; the room in which we wanted to film was unusable, and we had to improvise. Enjoy!
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Review
Some of you may be wondering where the hell I've been for the last two weeks, and honestly, I do feel as if I owe you guys an explanation. See, a very close friend of mine (more of a second mother, which is sometimes the best kind of friend), passed away right after my computer got hit with the bug that wiped my original Cloudy review. That combined with the stress of leaving my girlfriend (who I do not get to see nearly enough) caused me to slack off in my duties here at the site. If you've been missing my weekly reviews, I sincerely apologize, and I'll be sure to be more diligent in my work ethic in the future.
Now that all that not-fun stuff is out of the way, I have a new review for you! I finally reshot my Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Review, and now you can see why I feel so incredibly "Meh" about it.
Oh, and I have a surprise for you guys coming up shortly. Get excited :P
Now that all that not-fun stuff is out of the way, I have a new review for you! I finally reshot my Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Review, and now you can see why I feel so incredibly "Meh" about it.
19 January 2012
Sidewinder Update
As you know, the sequel to Sidewinder is currently in the works. So this is a post to show you a bit of what's in store for the intrepid space travelers.
The script for the Sidewinder sequel, titled Sidewinder 2: Ecstasy of Gold, was finished in October. Since then, it has gone through pre-production and is currently being filmed.
The scope of the sequel is much larger than the original, with a much larger cast list. However, the main characters all return, played by stars Matthew Ervin (Captain Sidewinder), Melissa Lyttle (Bear), Jessica Shanks (Jill), and Nicholas Timmerman as the Russian cyborg, Nikolai.
The films are both directed by Nicholas Tanner, who also plays a part in the upcoming sequel.
Here are some beautiful stills from Sidewinder 2: Ecstasy of Gold, for you to gaze longingly at:
Matthew Ervin as Captain Sidewinder
Nicholas Tanner as Dr. Manuel Octavian
Harrison Wilkie (role unknown)
Nicholas Timmerman and Melissa Lyttle as Nikolai and Bear
Kaitlin Forsman as D22
Matthew Ervin and Jessica Shanks as Captain Sidewinder and Jill
Sarah Wilhelm (role unknown)
As you can see, there's plenty of exciting new faces, along with all the fondly remembered ones. More sneak peeks of Sidewinder 2: Ecstasy of Gold, headed your way soon. Stay tuned!
- Junior Varsity -
MIIKE SNOW
just put out another single from their forthcoming album, Happy To You. It's called "Paddling Out," and it's about as fun as the single "Devil's Work" they gave us in December. Listen to both:
"Paddling Out"
"Devil's Work"
And here's a bit of a recap, if you don't know anything about Miike Snow. Their debut album, Miike Snow, came out in 2009: you might've heard the single "Animal":
Miike Snow is Swedish. Or majority Swedish – it's two Swedish guys and one American. Also, and more significantly / interestingly, ⅔ of the members (the Swedes) are a pop music production team responsible for a number of hits by, among others, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Girls Generation (of all people), but in my opinion Miike Snow's sound is way better than any of the above. Random fun fact: the two-i "Miike" is a reference to the Japanese film director Takashi Miike, whose films are notoriously disturbing and really quite cool, and I think I'll write about him one of these days too. But I digress. Back to Miike Snow – they've also remixed a bunch of other songs (their version of Passion Pit's "The Reeling" is my favorite of these) and get remixed even more often (see Mark Ronson's "Animal" remix, I love this). In short, these guys know what they're doing, and I'm pretty damn excited to hear the rest of this album; Happy To You is due out in late March.
17 January 2012
Golden Globes Recap (Movies)
I will admit that the legitimacy of the Golden Globes is nowhere near that of the Academy Awards, but, most of the people who win at the Golden Globes win at the Academy Awards (if nominated). So it can sometimes be a good predictor, as long as Johnny Depp isn't nominated for both Alice and Wonderland and The Tourist (ahem, last year's deubachery). And this year's nominees were pretty solid.
For Best Motion Picture-Drama, the favorite to win, The Descendants, took home the top prize. While this was pretty much a shoo-in for this category, I was really hoping Moneyball or The Help would pull through. After seeing Hugo yesterday, I would have rooted for that too if I had seen it earlier. The Descendants was good and worth seeing, but I think these other choices were more interesting and had more creative storylines/better performances.
In the Best Motion Picture-Comedy category, The Artist came through with the win. A well deserved win, though in the Oscar race it won't be separated from The Descendants and these two will probably battle it out for Best Picture (as well as between George Clooney and Jean Dujardin who both won Best Actor accolades in separate categories at the Globes). The Artist definitely deserved the Globe, easily one of the most impressive movies of the year (silent and black and white!). And Dujardin's performance was more affecting and stood out more thanks to his mastery of both comedy and drama (not to mention his super effective charm).
Meryl Streep won in the Best Actress-Drama category. I haven't seen the film yet, but I'm sure Meryl is as wonderful as she normally is. I was rooting for Viola Davis from The Help, though, and I would have been happy with Rooney Mara winning for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, though I know that one is a longshot. Hopefully Davis can nab the Oscar.
For Best Actress in a Comedy, Michelle Williams was awarded for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn. While she gave a great performance, I'm still wondereding why they entered this movie as a comedy, because it's more of a drama. In any case, I'm glad she won, though she'll have a harder time earning top nods in the Oscar race since she won't be in a separate category.
Octavia Spencer of The Help walked away with Best Supporting Actress, which I think was a good pick. The supporting actress pool was pretty strong in my opinion (except for the inclusion of Shailene Woodley from The Descendants) and it was hard for me to tell who might win the award. I was betting on Berenice Bejo from The Artist, but Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer could come through as well. (Here's hoping to an Oscar nod for Melissa McCarthy from Bridesmaids. Who says comedies can't be nominated?)
Supporting Actor went to Christopher Plummer of Beginners who plays a widower that comes out as gay after his wife dies. I've heard the movie is good and that he gives a great performance, but since it isn't in theatres anymore I haven't gotten around to seeing it yet, thought I am planning on it. He was flanked by others such as Jonah Hill from Moneyball and Kenneth Branagh from My Week With Marilyn. Expect to see Plummer take home the Oscar in February, though Albert Brooks from Drive could be his main competition. (Here's my secret hope that Ryan Gosling gets a nomination for Crazy, Stupid, Love. Oh well.)
Director was awarded to Martin Scorsese for Hugo, which, after seeing the movie, I think was well deserved, though I do think that Steve McQueen's direction for Shame (which wasn't even nominated) was completely overlooked, as well as Terrence Malick for Tree of Life. Those these movies might have been polarizing due to their strange or innapropriate content, I think that the directing choices were very clear and added quite a lot to the movie (in the case of Shame, making it feel more theatrical).
I was content with all of the screenplay nominations (and Midnight in Paris as the winner) but I wish that Win-Win (the Paul Giamatti wrestling dramedy) got some recognition. Hopefully it will fare better in the Oscar race with two separate pools for adapted and original screenplays.
All in all, I was pleased with the winners, but I think some films were overlooked in terms of nominations, and I would have liked to see some lesser known actors with superb performances such as Michael Fassbender.
Anyway, happy Tuesday! (Classes start tomorrow ahhh!)
For Best Motion Picture-Drama, the favorite to win, The Descendants, took home the top prize. While this was pretty much a shoo-in for this category, I was really hoping Moneyball or The Help would pull through. After seeing Hugo yesterday, I would have rooted for that too if I had seen it earlier. The Descendants was good and worth seeing, but I think these other choices were more interesting and had more creative storylines/better performances.
In the Best Motion Picture-Comedy category, The Artist came through with the win. A well deserved win, though in the Oscar race it won't be separated from The Descendants and these two will probably battle it out for Best Picture (as well as between George Clooney and Jean Dujardin who both won Best Actor accolades in separate categories at the Globes). The Artist definitely deserved the Globe, easily one of the most impressive movies of the year (silent and black and white!). And Dujardin's performance was more affecting and stood out more thanks to his mastery of both comedy and drama (not to mention his super effective charm).
Meryl Streep won in the Best Actress-Drama category. I haven't seen the film yet, but I'm sure Meryl is as wonderful as she normally is. I was rooting for Viola Davis from The Help, though, and I would have been happy with Rooney Mara winning for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, though I know that one is a longshot. Hopefully Davis can nab the Oscar.
For Best Actress in a Comedy, Michelle Williams was awarded for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn. While she gave a great performance, I'm still wondereding why they entered this movie as a comedy, because it's more of a drama. In any case, I'm glad she won, though she'll have a harder time earning top nods in the Oscar race since she won't be in a separate category.
Octavia Spencer of The Help walked away with Best Supporting Actress, which I think was a good pick. The supporting actress pool was pretty strong in my opinion (except for the inclusion of Shailene Woodley from The Descendants) and it was hard for me to tell who might win the award. I was betting on Berenice Bejo from The Artist, but Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer could come through as well. (Here's hoping to an Oscar nod for Melissa McCarthy from Bridesmaids. Who says comedies can't be nominated?)
Supporting Actor went to Christopher Plummer of Beginners who plays a widower that comes out as gay after his wife dies. I've heard the movie is good and that he gives a great performance, but since it isn't in theatres anymore I haven't gotten around to seeing it yet, thought I am planning on it. He was flanked by others such as Jonah Hill from Moneyball and Kenneth Branagh from My Week With Marilyn. Expect to see Plummer take home the Oscar in February, though Albert Brooks from Drive could be his main competition. (Here's my secret hope that Ryan Gosling gets a nomination for Crazy, Stupid, Love. Oh well.)
Director was awarded to Martin Scorsese for Hugo, which, after seeing the movie, I think was well deserved, though I do think that Steve McQueen's direction for Shame (which wasn't even nominated) was completely overlooked, as well as Terrence Malick for Tree of Life. Those these movies might have been polarizing due to their strange or innapropriate content, I think that the directing choices were very clear and added quite a lot to the movie (in the case of Shame, making it feel more theatrical).
I was content with all of the screenplay nominations (and Midnight in Paris as the winner) but I wish that Win-Win (the Paul Giamatti wrestling dramedy) got some recognition. Hopefully it will fare better in the Oscar race with two separate pools for adapted and original screenplays.
All in all, I was pleased with the winners, but I think some films were overlooked in terms of nominations, and I would have liked to see some lesser known actors with superb performances such as Michael Fassbender.
Anyway, happy Tuesday! (Classes start tomorrow ahhh!)
14 January 2012
A Game of Thrones, and why you should play it
Hey, so I just thought I'd fill you in on this amazing series.
Game of Thrones is the first novel in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, which is now five books long (though he's still writing more). It came to my attention when HBO announced that they would be doing a TV show based on it, and I saw that it was a book.
So naturally, I had to read the books before I saw the TV series. The books are fantastic, set in a fantasy world with knights and lords (etc). There is magic, but only very rarely, as magic has gone out of the world with the last of the dragons. But the real clincher for this series is the political intrigue. Assassinations and scandals abound, and the royal family is only the tip of the iceberg.
Providing the reader with multiple perspectives, Martin draws you in to each character with incredible details and stunning reveals. Also, one thing you should be aware of, he's not shy about killing off main characters either.
The novels are fantastic, and from the first season of the show (which has already aired, last spring), I can tell you that it definitely lives up to the novels.
Some minor things may have been trimmed here and there, but the majority of the story translated beautifully to screen. HBO of course, is a quality network. And while they did spice some things up a bit with a little extra sexiness, the story itself remains remarkably true to the novels.
The first season's beginning and ending matched up with the first novel, so one presumes that the show will continue to produce at the rate of one book per season. If this is true, I hope the sixth book comes out soon.
But it's alright. The cast is amazing, including Sean Bean (pictured above) as Ned Stark.
Both on paper and on screen, this is a remarkable story filled with action, intrigue, love, and jealousy. One thing's for sure, it's a dangerous game to play. And not everyone can win.
- Junior Varsity -
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