Well, after some intense gaming sessions I polished off Broken Steel, hit the level 30 mark, and had a generally good time blasting the hell out Raiders, Muties, and the Enclave. I had a good time though I am kind of bummed out that there isn't any more Fallout until the next game.
The new DLC was enjoyable but I have two major problems:
1. The level thirty cap makes the game too easy even when I bumped up the difficulty to high. I was just kicking the shit out of the opposition. Sometimes that's fun but sometimes I want a challenge.
2. Lord have mercy but the DLC is buggy. I had a great number of freezes. Bethesda needs to add a patch ASAP.
Other than that the DLC is fun, lots of kick ass weapons, and the new enemies are fairly tough when you first encounter them.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
The People Under the Stairs (1991) Dir. Wes Craven
I don't know when the last time you watched The People Under the Stairs was but it might be time to watch it again. The last time I saw it - probably when it came out on VHS - it kind of weirded me out. Watching it now there's a lot of bizarre stuff going on in the movie. Everett McGill running around in full bondage gear with a shotgun is particularly odd. Everett McGill is one of my favorite, "hey it's that guy" actors. From Dune and Silver Bullet to his role as Big Ed Hurley in Twin Peaks he's just been a solid actor in whatever movie/tv show he's in.
The People Under the Stairs is not a good movie but it is enjoyable and if you can get past the fact that it's a Wes Craven movie - be honest, he only has four "good" movies. Personally I think Parents is a much better suburban cannibal movie.
edit:
Parents is unavailable on DVD. It was released but was discontinued. That needs to be remedied.
The People Under the Stairs is not a good movie but it is enjoyable and if you can get past the fact that it's a Wes Craven movie - be honest, he only has four "good" movies. Personally I think Parents is a much better suburban cannibal movie.
edit:
Parents is unavailable on DVD. It was released but was discontinued. That needs to be remedied.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Saturday, May 02, 2009
“The Color Line Has Reached the North.”
One of the strongest thematic undercurrents in Richard Wright’s Native Son is the concept of “proscribed space”[1]. From the squalid, rat infested, kitchenette in which the Thomas family dwells to the death row cell in which Bigger Thomas spends his final days, Wright repeats his themes of enclosure and constraint (both internal and external). The result is an unrelenting sense of claustrophobia that neither Bigger nor the reader can escape. In White Diaspora, Catherine Jurca explores the concept of space in Native Son and links Mary Dalton’s death directly, “to Bigger’s overcrowding and desire to lay claim to more space.”[2] To the average modern reader, Wright is simply using rhetorical techniques to convey the oppression and limitations Bigger contends with on a daily basis as a black urban youth. Wright’s contemporaries would have been familiar with these harsh realities of the living conditions, neighborhoods, and racial demarcation lines in Depression-era, post Great Migration urban areas, whether by experiencing it directly or second-hand, through family members. While literary interpretations are neither incorrect nor invalid, they do remove the novel from its settings’ historical contexts; the Great Migration of African-Americans from Southern states to Northern urban areas (Native Son is set in Chicago), de jure and de facto restrictions on African-American life, and racial tensions in the North. By recognizing these contexts the modern reader can better understand the scope of Native Son, rather than simply dismissing Wright’s work as a racially charged “tale of woe”.
The African-American Northern diaspora began before the Great Migrations of 1916-1970. “The first African American settlement in Chicago emerged around Lake and Kinzie streets in the 1830s and 1840s.”[3] By 1860 the African-American population had risen to one thousand. During, and following, Reconstruction (1865-1877) the influx of African-Americans increased from “approximately four thousand in 1870 to fifteen thousand in 1910.”[4] Just a few decades before Wright published Native Son; African-American populations skyrocketed in Northern cities. In Chicago alone, their demographic rose by an estimated fifty thousand in the space of four years (1916-1920).
The promises of new lives, job opportunities, and other “Push/Pull” issues that sent African-Americans migrating from the South were sold by Robert S. Abbott (who could be known, jokingly, as the black empresario of Chicago) in his newspaper Chicago Defender. Many of these articles were not entirely accurate in their depiction of the city. The simple amenities available to many African-Americans in Chicago were often severely lacking. Though segregation of schools and public accommodations in Chicago had been outlawed (in 1874 and 1885 respectively), de facto segregation was still entrenched. Newly arriving blacks faced competition for space and labor with other immigrants. Eastern and Southern Europeans had dominated most of the unskilled and bottom rung labor pool for decades. It was not until the sudden drop in European immigration during the First World War that the labor market significantly opened for African-Americans. Before that time, African-Americans were, “Allegedly incapable of regular, disciplined work, they were virtually excluded except as temporary strikebreakers, notably in the meatpacking industry in 1904.”[5]
By 1910, seventy-eight percent of African-Americans in Chicago lived on the South Side. By 1930 that percentage had increased to __. (Cite Black Metropolis)5. The development of Chicago’s Black Belt hinged on three major factors: the African-American population boom, the resultant housing shortage, and ingrained predjudice. What began as an enclave between Lake and Kinzie streets quickly grew along, “a narrow corridor extending from 22nd to 31st Streets along State Street, Chicago's South Side African American community expanded over the century until it stretched from 39th to 95th streets, the Dan Ryan Expressway [constructed 1953-1954] to Lake Michigan.”[6] The Black Belt was effectively cordoned off from the great majority of the city by ethnic neighborhoods (made up of Irish, Italians, Jews, and other Europeans) and, “in combination with zones of nonresidential use, almost wholly surrounded the African American residential districts of the period, cutting off corridors of extension.”[7] Several questionable real estate practices further limited African-American options for housing and property ownership.
“The Great Migration…combined with the exclusion of blacks from most neighborhoods to generate a persistent gap between the supply and demand of housing available for blacks. African Americans seeking housing became the main agents of neighborhood succession.”[8] Neighborhood succession “refers to a process by which one previously dominant ethnic, racial, religious, or socioeconomic group abandons a residential area. In late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Chicago, this process often involved the departure of descendants of Yankees or early European immigrants.”[9] Simply put, as previous tenants (including middle-class African-Americans) moved out of neighborhoods in and adjacent to the Black Belt, poor African-Americans moved in. Those who remained in the neighborhood fell victim to or perpetuated real-estate blockbusting (sometimes referred to as “panic peddling” ). Agents “sought to profit from white fears by encouraging black residents to settle on previously all-white blocks.”[10] The blockbuster (both black and white blockbusters existed) would play off the prejudices of white residents to sell their homes in order to avoid the supposedly impending drop in property value due to blacks moving into the neighborhood. After that, the vacated properties would be snatched up and rented to poor African-Americans at a grievously inflated price after being subdivided into kitchenettes (like the one the Thomas family finds themselves in).
The development of Restrictive Covenants further limited the space available to African-Americans in Chicago. From 1916 until the Supreme Court Case Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 US 1 (1948) proved, “that restrictive covenants were unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable.”[11], racially restrictive covenants were instituted to keep Chicago segregated. The Chicago Real Estate Board wrote, “legally binding covenants attached to parcels of land varying in size from city block to large subdivision prohibited African Americans from using, occupying, buying, leasing, or receiving property in those areas.”[12] This meant that poor African-Americans were often unable to directly escape the Black Belt. They were also prohibited from directly owning their own property. Restrictive Covenants became more prevalent after the Riot of 1919 which lasted from July 19 to August 1. A black teenager, Eugene Williams, was murdered by white beachgoers at the segregated 29th St beach when he accidently crossed an imaginary color line. John T. McCutcheon, editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune, drew black and white bathers facing off across a rope, the caption read, “The color line has reached the North.”[13] After the four days of rioting, the Chicago City Coucil attempted to ratify an ordinance which contained the following:
[T]hat a commission composed of members of both races be formed for the purpose of investigating the causes of recent riots and to ascertain if it is possible to equitably fix a zone or zones which shall be created for the purpose of limiting within its borders the residences to only colored or white persons.[14]
While the ordinance did not pass in 1919 it would strengthen the racial divisions (both emotionally and geographically) in Chicago. The proposed “fixed zones”and Restrictive Covenants would become Federally approved and expanded during the Great Depression.
Wright worked in Chicago during the Great Depression and the resultant New Deal, a period in which several Federal changes occurred. Though he does not blatantly mention these developments in Native Son (there are references to the Public Works Admin (PWA) and Federal relief) these Federal programs impacted the entire African-American community of Chicago. The development and enforcement of; the Home Owners Loan Act (HOLA) 1933, the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) 1933, the Federal Housing Act (FHA) 1934, and the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) 1937 all play subtle yet major roles in Native Son. These policies would have long-lasting catastrophic effects (the planning, construction, and devolution of projects such as Cabrini-Green will be addressed in a future paper) during the Depression and in the second half of the Twentieth Century.
The Federal policy of the Neighborhood Composition Rule (NCR) was developed by Harold L. Ickes, Sec. of the Interior (1933-1946) and Director of PWA. This meant “that no public housing project was permitted to alter the racial character of its surrounding neighborhood.”[15] One major clause of the NCR was “There had to be one employed breadwinner and the tenants had to behave according to the rules.”[16] In order to continue receiving Federal relief Bigger must take the job proffered by the Daltons and be the breadwinner for his family. “Yes, he could take the job at Dalton’s and be miserable, or he could refuse it and starve. It maddened him to think that he did not have a wider choice of action.”[17] This lack of options is an excellent example of Wright’s theme of internal constraint.
Another Federal creation, the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC), had dire consequences for the Black Belt. The Home Owners Loan Act (1933) created the HOLC in order to combat the number of homes going into foreclosure. In order to “prioritize” loans to home and business owners in areas of potential growth and “categorize lending and insurance risks”[18] the HOLC consulted a number “realtors, lenders, and housing experts”[19] and surveyed two hundred and eighty nine cities across the United States. The HOLC then created Residential Security Maps with “four classifications: First (A), Second (B), Third (C) and Fourth (D) that corresponded to color grades: A-Green, B-Blue, C-Yellow, and D-Red.” [20] The expanding suburbs of Chicago and other areas of proposed growth were deemed to have positive growth potential. These areas were marked green and mortgage relief poured into them. Blue areas were safe bets, encouraging lending. Yellow was considered a risky investment. Finally, Red zones were considered to be blighted, older neighborhoods and were ignored. Many of the Red zones fell within the Black Belt and other poor areas in Chicago. These areas became a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Banks and insurers soon adopted the HOLC's maps and practices to guide lending and underwriting decisions”[21] thus poor neighborhoods received no funding. If no funding would be available for improvements, “redlined” areas could not become elevated to Green, Blue, or Yellow. The neighborhoods would fall further and further into neglect, disrepair, as would the residents.
In Native Son, Bigger Thomas and his family live at 3721 Indiana Avenue, near the center of the Black Belt, in a tenement owned by Mr. Dalton via the South Side Real Estate Company.[22] the Daltons live at 4605 Drexel Blvd[23] in Hyde Park - Kenwood, a neighborhood that was part of exclusive property close Lake Michigan. A distance of less than two miles separates the families.[24] Both Wright and his protagonist Bigger arrived in Chicago while in their teens. Wright moved from Jackson, Tennessee in 1927 to the Black Belt with an aunt, at the age of nineteen. In 1929, he and his family (another Aunt moved in that year) moved into a four room apartment “at 4831 Vincennes Avenue”[25]. This home was less than a mile from where Wright places the Daltons. These distances are shockingly close but when one reads Native Son the space between the neighborhoods is, and continous to be today, a vast gulf in all socio-economic respects.
Works Cited:
[1] Native Son. Wright, Richard. Pg
[2] White Diaspora. Jurca, Catherine. Pg 108
[3] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/878.html
[4] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/27.html
[5] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/545.html
[6] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/140.html
[7] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1761.html
[8] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/880.html
[9] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/880.html
[10] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/880.html
[11] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/931.html
[12] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1761.html
[13] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/332.html
[14] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/332.html
[15] Making the Second Ghetto Alan Richard Hirsch pg 179
[16] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/253.html
[17] Natve Son. Wright, Richard. Pg 12
[18] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1050.html
[19] http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=cplan_papers pg 214 -221
[20] http://www.blackcommentator.com/273/273_sm_birth_of_redlining.html
[21] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1050.html
[22]Native Son pg 48
[23] Native Son pg 32
[24] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/689.html
[25] Native Son pg 467
The African-American Northern diaspora began before the Great Migrations of 1916-1970. “The first African American settlement in Chicago emerged around Lake and Kinzie streets in the 1830s and 1840s.”[3] By 1860 the African-American population had risen to one thousand. During, and following, Reconstruction (1865-1877) the influx of African-Americans increased from “approximately four thousand in 1870 to fifteen thousand in 1910.”[4] Just a few decades before Wright published Native Son; African-American populations skyrocketed in Northern cities. In Chicago alone, their demographic rose by an estimated fifty thousand in the space of four years (1916-1920).
The promises of new lives, job opportunities, and other “Push/Pull” issues that sent African-Americans migrating from the South were sold by Robert S. Abbott (who could be known, jokingly, as the black empresario of Chicago) in his newspaper Chicago Defender. Many of these articles were not entirely accurate in their depiction of the city. The simple amenities available to many African-Americans in Chicago were often severely lacking. Though segregation of schools and public accommodations in Chicago had been outlawed (in 1874 and 1885 respectively), de facto segregation was still entrenched. Newly arriving blacks faced competition for space and labor with other immigrants. Eastern and Southern Europeans had dominated most of the unskilled and bottom rung labor pool for decades. It was not until the sudden drop in European immigration during the First World War that the labor market significantly opened for African-Americans. Before that time, African-Americans were, “Allegedly incapable of regular, disciplined work, they were virtually excluded except as temporary strikebreakers, notably in the meatpacking industry in 1904.”[5]
By 1910, seventy-eight percent of African-Americans in Chicago lived on the South Side. By 1930 that percentage had increased to __. (Cite Black Metropolis)5. The development of Chicago’s Black Belt hinged on three major factors: the African-American population boom, the resultant housing shortage, and ingrained predjudice. What began as an enclave between Lake and Kinzie streets quickly grew along, “a narrow corridor extending from 22nd to 31st Streets along State Street, Chicago's South Side African American community expanded over the century until it stretched from 39th to 95th streets, the Dan Ryan Expressway [constructed 1953-1954] to Lake Michigan.”[6] The Black Belt was effectively cordoned off from the great majority of the city by ethnic neighborhoods (made up of Irish, Italians, Jews, and other Europeans) and, “in combination with zones of nonresidential use, almost wholly surrounded the African American residential districts of the period, cutting off corridors of extension.”[7] Several questionable real estate practices further limited African-American options for housing and property ownership.
“The Great Migration…combined with the exclusion of blacks from most neighborhoods to generate a persistent gap between the supply and demand of housing available for blacks. African Americans seeking housing became the main agents of neighborhood succession.”[8] Neighborhood succession “refers to a process by which one previously dominant ethnic, racial, religious, or socioeconomic group abandons a residential area. In late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Chicago, this process often involved the departure of descendants of Yankees or early European immigrants.”[9] Simply put, as previous tenants (including middle-class African-Americans) moved out of neighborhoods in and adjacent to the Black Belt, poor African-Americans moved in. Those who remained in the neighborhood fell victim to or perpetuated real-estate blockbusting (sometimes referred to as “panic peddling” ). Agents “sought to profit from white fears by encouraging black residents to settle on previously all-white blocks.”[10] The blockbuster (both black and white blockbusters existed) would play off the prejudices of white residents to sell their homes in order to avoid the supposedly impending drop in property value due to blacks moving into the neighborhood. After that, the vacated properties would be snatched up and rented to poor African-Americans at a grievously inflated price after being subdivided into kitchenettes (like the one the Thomas family finds themselves in).
The development of Restrictive Covenants further limited the space available to African-Americans in Chicago. From 1916 until the Supreme Court Case Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 US 1 (1948) proved, “that restrictive covenants were unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable.”[11], racially restrictive covenants were instituted to keep Chicago segregated. The Chicago Real Estate Board wrote, “legally binding covenants attached to parcels of land varying in size from city block to large subdivision prohibited African Americans from using, occupying, buying, leasing, or receiving property in those areas.”[12] This meant that poor African-Americans were often unable to directly escape the Black Belt. They were also prohibited from directly owning their own property. Restrictive Covenants became more prevalent after the Riot of 1919 which lasted from July 19 to August 1. A black teenager, Eugene Williams, was murdered by white beachgoers at the segregated 29th St beach when he accidently crossed an imaginary color line. John T. McCutcheon, editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune, drew black and white bathers facing off across a rope, the caption read, “The color line has reached the North.”[13] After the four days of rioting, the Chicago City Coucil attempted to ratify an ordinance which contained the following:
[T]hat a commission composed of members of both races be formed for the purpose of investigating the causes of recent riots and to ascertain if it is possible to equitably fix a zone or zones which shall be created for the purpose of limiting within its borders the residences to only colored or white persons.[14]
While the ordinance did not pass in 1919 it would strengthen the racial divisions (both emotionally and geographically) in Chicago. The proposed “fixed zones”and Restrictive Covenants would become Federally approved and expanded during the Great Depression.
Wright worked in Chicago during the Great Depression and the resultant New Deal, a period in which several Federal changes occurred. Though he does not blatantly mention these developments in Native Son (there are references to the Public Works Admin (PWA) and Federal relief) these Federal programs impacted the entire African-American community of Chicago. The development and enforcement of; the Home Owners Loan Act (HOLA) 1933, the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) 1933, the Federal Housing Act (FHA) 1934, and the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) 1937 all play subtle yet major roles in Native Son. These policies would have long-lasting catastrophic effects (the planning, construction, and devolution of projects such as Cabrini-Green will be addressed in a future paper) during the Depression and in the second half of the Twentieth Century.
The Federal policy of the Neighborhood Composition Rule (NCR) was developed by Harold L. Ickes, Sec. of the Interior (1933-1946) and Director of PWA. This meant “that no public housing project was permitted to alter the racial character of its surrounding neighborhood.”[15] One major clause of the NCR was “There had to be one employed breadwinner and the tenants had to behave according to the rules.”[16] In order to continue receiving Federal relief Bigger must take the job proffered by the Daltons and be the breadwinner for his family. “Yes, he could take the job at Dalton’s and be miserable, or he could refuse it and starve. It maddened him to think that he did not have a wider choice of action.”[17] This lack of options is an excellent example of Wright’s theme of internal constraint.
Another Federal creation, the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC), had dire consequences for the Black Belt. The Home Owners Loan Act (1933) created the HOLC in order to combat the number of homes going into foreclosure. In order to “prioritize” loans to home and business owners in areas of potential growth and “categorize lending and insurance risks”[18] the HOLC consulted a number “realtors, lenders, and housing experts”[19] and surveyed two hundred and eighty nine cities across the United States. The HOLC then created Residential Security Maps with “four classifications: First (A), Second (B), Third (C) and Fourth (D) that corresponded to color grades: A-Green, B-Blue, C-Yellow, and D-Red.” [20] The expanding suburbs of Chicago and other areas of proposed growth were deemed to have positive growth potential. These areas were marked green and mortgage relief poured into them. Blue areas were safe bets, encouraging lending. Yellow was considered a risky investment. Finally, Red zones were considered to be blighted, older neighborhoods and were ignored. Many of the Red zones fell within the Black Belt and other poor areas in Chicago. These areas became a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Banks and insurers soon adopted the HOLC's maps and practices to guide lending and underwriting decisions”[21] thus poor neighborhoods received no funding. If no funding would be available for improvements, “redlined” areas could not become elevated to Green, Blue, or Yellow. The neighborhoods would fall further and further into neglect, disrepair, as would the residents.
In Native Son, Bigger Thomas and his family live at 3721 Indiana Avenue, near the center of the Black Belt, in a tenement owned by Mr. Dalton via the South Side Real Estate Company.[22] the Daltons live at 4605 Drexel Blvd[23] in Hyde Park - Kenwood, a neighborhood that was part of exclusive property close Lake Michigan. A distance of less than two miles separates the families.[24] Both Wright and his protagonist Bigger arrived in Chicago while in their teens. Wright moved from Jackson, Tennessee in 1927 to the Black Belt with an aunt, at the age of nineteen. In 1929, he and his family (another Aunt moved in that year) moved into a four room apartment “at 4831 Vincennes Avenue”[25]. This home was less than a mile from where Wright places the Daltons. These distances are shockingly close but when one reads Native Son the space between the neighborhoods is, and continous to be today, a vast gulf in all socio-economic respects.
Works Cited:
[1] Native Son. Wright, Richard. Pg
[2] White Diaspora. Jurca, Catherine. Pg 108
[3] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/878.html
[4] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/27.html
[5] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/545.html
[6] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/140.html
[7] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1761.html
[8] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/880.html
[9] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/880.html
[10] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/880.html
[11] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/931.html
[12] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1761.html
[13] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/332.html
[14] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/332.html
[15] Making the Second Ghetto Alan Richard Hirsch pg 179
[16] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/253.html
[17] Natve Son. Wright, Richard. Pg 12
[18] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1050.html
[19] http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=cplan_papers pg 214 -221
[20] http://www.blackcommentator.com/273/273_sm_birth_of_redlining.html
[21] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1050.html
[22]Native Son pg 48
[23] Native Son pg 32
[24] http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/689.html
[25] Native Son pg 467
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Creating my new character in "Fallout 3"
I am going to create my neutral character and have juggled numbers and perks/skills and this is what I've come up with:
S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
Strength: 7
Perception: 7
Endurance: 4
Charisma: 3
Intelligence: 7
Agility: 6
Luck: 6
Skills:
Small Guns
Lockpick
Repair
Perks:
Black Widow/Lady Killer (lvl 2)
Intense Training (lvl 3)
Entomologist (INT 4, SCI 40)
Comprehension (lvl 5)
Gunslinger (lvl 6)
Bloody Mess (lvl 7)
Commando (lvl 8)
Impartial Mediation (lvl 9)
Animal Friend (lvl 10)
Finesse (lvl 11)
Sniper (lvl 12)
Silent Running or Fast Metabolism (lvl 13)
Adamantium Skeleton (lvl 14)
Light Step (lvl 15)
Action Boy (lvl 16)
Better Criticals (lvl 17)
Concentrated Fire (lvl 18)
Mysterious Stranger (lvl 19)
Grim Reaper's Sprint (lvl 20)
Quests after leaving Vault 101:
Securing a home in Megaton.
Operation: Alaska
Seek out all possible Bobbleheads.
Helpful Hints?
Operation: Alaska is a really easy set of missions, even for an early level character - it is supposed to be a VR training mission after all. The major bonus of completing this mission ASAP is power armor that does not degrade in quality, stealth armor - nice but eventually useless at higher levels, and my personal favorite the Degauss Rifle. The Degauss is a solid sniper rifle that will knock most targets (Deathclaws in particular) on their ass.
Securing a base at Megaton rather than Tenpenny Tower allows, not only better karma, but a more central home base. The sooner you save Megaton the better - allowing you to complete the Wastelander's Handbook and get a shit ton of XP in the process.
Bobbleheads:
First thing - DO NOT max your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. or Skills. Your stats do not go past 10 or 100 so use your points where actually needed. I suggest tracking down all the Bobbleheads you can from the get go. It may be tough and you might actually, gasp, die every once in awhile but it's totally worth it in the long run.
If you do plan on destroying Megaton get the bobblehead from the Sheriff's house first. There's another in the Enclave fortress that you can't miss, rather shouldn't.
Okay,
Now that Broken Steel is coming out I would suggest starting a new character and holding off on The Pitt. Apparently Broken Steel boosts the level limit from twenty to thirty so you need all the XP you can get.
S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
Strength: 7
Perception: 7
Endurance: 4
Charisma: 3
Intelligence: 7
Agility: 6
Luck: 6
Skills:
Small Guns
Lockpick
Repair
Perks:
Black Widow/Lady Killer (lvl 2)
Intense Training (lvl 3)
Entomologist (INT 4, SCI 40)
Comprehension (lvl 5)
Gunslinger (lvl 6)
Bloody Mess (lvl 7)
Commando (lvl 8)
Impartial Mediation (lvl 9)
Animal Friend (lvl 10)
Finesse (lvl 11)
Sniper (lvl 12)
Silent Running or Fast Metabolism (lvl 13)
Adamantium Skeleton (lvl 14)
Light Step (lvl 15)
Action Boy (lvl 16)
Better Criticals (lvl 17)
Concentrated Fire (lvl 18)
Mysterious Stranger (lvl 19)
Grim Reaper's Sprint (lvl 20)
Quests after leaving Vault 101:
Securing a home in Megaton.
Operation: Alaska
Seek out all possible Bobbleheads.
Helpful Hints?
Operation: Alaska is a really easy set of missions, even for an early level character - it is supposed to be a VR training mission after all. The major bonus of completing this mission ASAP is power armor that does not degrade in quality, stealth armor - nice but eventually useless at higher levels, and my personal favorite the Degauss Rifle. The Degauss is a solid sniper rifle that will knock most targets (Deathclaws in particular) on their ass.
Securing a base at Megaton rather than Tenpenny Tower allows, not only better karma, but a more central home base. The sooner you save Megaton the better - allowing you to complete the Wastelander's Handbook and get a shit ton of XP in the process.
Bobbleheads:
First thing - DO NOT max your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. or Skills. Your stats do not go past 10 or 100 so use your points where actually needed. I suggest tracking down all the Bobbleheads you can from the get go. It may be tough and you might actually, gasp, die every once in awhile but it's totally worth it in the long run.
If you do plan on destroying Megaton get the bobblehead from the Sheriff's house first. There's another in the Enclave fortress that you can't miss, rather shouldn't.
Okay,
Now that Broken Steel is coming out I would suggest starting a new character and holding off on The Pitt. Apparently Broken Steel boosts the level limit from twenty to thirty so you need all the XP you can get.
Pending reviews and assorted good stuff:
There should be a few more movie reviews coming down the pike pretty soon. I haven't played anything new to really jump up and down about. Pretty much kicked the hell out of Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and went back to playing Fallout 3.
By the by:
NEW DOWNLOADABLE MEGA-CONTENT FOR FALLOUT 3: BROKEN STEEL COMES OUT MAY 5TH.
I am very excited. Very, very excited. I might even have to start yet another character (It will only be my third character, I have one good and one evil right now). Happy dance!
Oh suck. I have finals right after it is released. Stoopid skool.
Amusing Fallout 3 story: My "evil" character has gunned down, bludgeoned, or incinerated almost every character in the game. In particular - Three Dog. I never really liked Three Dog. Loud mouthed jerk.
By the by:
NEW DOWNLOADABLE MEGA-CONTENT FOR FALLOUT 3: BROKEN STEEL COMES OUT MAY 5TH.
I am very excited. Very, very excited. I might even have to start yet another character (It will only be my third character, I have one good and one evil right now). Happy dance!
Oh suck. I have finals right after it is released. Stoopid skool.
Amusing Fallout 3 story: My "evil" character has gunned down, bludgeoned, or incinerated almost every character in the game. In particular - Three Dog. I never really liked Three Dog. Loud mouthed jerk.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Let the Right One In (2008) Dir. Tomas Alfredson
Let the Right One In is, quite possibly, one of the best vampire movies ever made. I imagine it will be remade with Zac Ephron or some motherfucker from The Suite Life in a few years and it will be completely ruined.
Tomas Alfredson and John Ajvide Lindqvist have put together a well made, well written, and at times genuinely creepy vampire/coming of age/revenge movie. There's a lot going on in Let the Right One In and to go into any of it would ruin the impact of the movie.
This is available on Netflix download so most of you fine folks have absolutely have no excuse to miss this movie.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Of Cooks and Kung Fu (1979) Dir. Chung Ting
It's been a long time since I watched an old skool kung fu movie. That's mainly because Tarantino loves them. If I have to explain it to you then you'll never understand.
That being said Of Cooks and Kung Fu was one of the best late 70s kung-fu movies I think I've ever seen. It's pretty much 75% chop socky and 25% story (and the story was pretty standard but suprisingly good). Oh yeah...
IT HAS COOKING KUNG FU!
Seriously, Fried Rice style could fuck your day up.
The end fight is pretty awesome too.
What's really bizarre about this movie is the soundtrack. Tarantino wishes his soundtracks were this awesome. Of Cooks and Kung Fu has a totally insane soundtrack, I think the high point is the cover of the Beatles' "Blackbird" done by...I don't know how to describe it. Imagine an evil Casio played by the insane Korean Christian yelling lady who used to preach on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the late 90s. I shit you not.
That being said Of Cooks and Kung Fu was one of the best late 70s kung-fu movies I think I've ever seen. It's pretty much 75% chop socky and 25% story (and the story was pretty standard but suprisingly good). Oh yeah...
IT HAS COOKING KUNG FU!
Seriously, Fried Rice style could fuck your day up.
The end fight is pretty awesome too.
What's really bizarre about this movie is the soundtrack. Tarantino wishes his soundtracks were this awesome. Of Cooks and Kung Fu has a totally insane soundtrack, I think the high point is the cover of the Beatles' "Blackbird" done by...I don't know how to describe it. Imagine an evil Casio played by the insane Korean Christian yelling lady who used to preach on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the late 90s. I shit you not.
Dead Ringers (1988) Dir. David Cronenberg
Amanda and I decided to watch this because, well, sometimes a David Cronenberg movie just kind of hits the spot. Personally, I'm a Videodrome kind of guy but I figured what the hell.
If you've never seen Dead Ringers here's the plot summary from imdb:
If you've never seen Dead Ringers here's the plot summary from imdb:
The Mantle brothers are both doctors - both gynecologists - and identical twins.
Mentally however, one of them is more confident than the other, and always
manages to seduce the women he meets. When he's tired of his current partner,
she is passed on to the other brother - without her knowing. Everything runs
smoothly, until an actress visits their clinic, and the shy brother is the first
to fall in love. Will they be able to 'share' her ?
Okay. Hmmm. Yeah. Well maybe there won't be a grotesque birth/licking scene like in The Brood right? Yeah.
I don't know if I can really recommend Dead Ringers. To anyone. Ever. It's not bad, per se, it's just kind of aimless and less Cronenberg-y than his other movies. Stick with Videodrome, at least Debbie Harry gets naked in that.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easy Star All-Stars remix "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
Found this over at skablahblah.com. I am a fan of their Dubside of the Moon but not a fan of Radiodread. This might be cool but I'm not 100% sold. Cool advert though.
Steampunk bands that "love the machine but hate the factory".
There seems to me to be two schools of Steampunk music, though there are probably many more than that:
- A cocktail of Brechtian punk, squeezebox, plinky racket, and morbidly humourous lyrics a la The Dresden Dolls, The Decemberists, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Thomas Truax, and Tom Waits circa The Black Rider. Not exactly my favorite sound in the world but I know quite a few people who enjoy it.
- Good old fashioned - no pun intended - dark wave/electronica/trance/techno/IDM/70s score inspired/"World Beat" for flying to Mars in your brass and wood space faring craft. This is defnitely much more my style though I am not such a fan of the noodly stuff, y'know nine minute tracks with no beats or hook. Two bands that fall into this school are Abney Park and Hopeful Machines. See also: Barry Adamson, Greg Edmonson, David Newman, and Damon Albarn & Michael Nyman's Ravenous score.
I personally lean towards the second school but then again I'm a score/soundscape kind of guy. Check them out, see what you think, etc. etc. etc.
"I say Waddington, those rogues are absconding with our dirigible!"
So we saw a new show on G4TV this evening hosted by Morgan Webb Underground. Apparently the show features documentaries about fringe culture a la current.com, only on a smaller level. The first segment focused on "urban spelunking" - a.k.a. wandering around urban environments and the second focused on Steampunk and featured the band Abney Park. Steampunk is a subculture based on a "vision of a future that never was": where dirigibles sail through skyscrapers, Victorian style abounds, and the imaginations of Wells, Burroughs, and Haggard have become flesh.
I have to admit I was a bit confused. I had noticed some stuff on the Internet - Macs modded into typerwriter cases, steam engine contraptions, and assorted weirdness - over the last year or so. Bart's passed a lot of this information along. Thanks Bart! However, I didn't think a subculture was building.
The first time I heard of Steampunk it was in regards to manga - Kia Asamiya's Steam Detectives comes to mind. In 2004, Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy came out. It wasn't bad but really didn't do much for me. A new Vampire Hunter D movie came out around that same time.
Side note: I remember a sci-fi/fantasy/Victorian series of books back in the late 80s/early 90s (19 not 18) called Philip Jose Farmer's The Dungeon. The books featured British guys with mustaches commiting acts of derring-do. Actually the books were awesome and I'd like to reread them.
I suppose in the early/mid-00's there were several other pop culture releases: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, del Toro's Hellboy, Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Firefly, the reprinting of Robert E. Howard novels, and some other items that escape my memory.
Oh yeah and there was the absinthe craze too.
I kind of dig the current style of Steampunk but I don't know what exactly to think. A snarky part of me scoffs and thinks that it's a sepia-toned neo-Goth/Victorian shake & bake movement that's a knock-off of Harajuku fashion. Maybe it's just an excuse to wear Abe Sapien goggles. The not so snarky part of me thinks Steampunk fashion and it's brass gewgaws are pretty fucking darn cool. I have to admit that if I could get away with dressing like an aeronaut and waving around a steam-powered repeating firearm I would be pretty happy.
There's definitely more to Steampunk and I'm going to look into it. There's a sensibility beyond the fashion that is appealing that I can't quite put my finger on yet.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Gladiators vs Werewolves?
Thanks for the guys over at dreadcentral.com for bringing this to my attention:
Rob Green - director of The Bunker - is set to direct Gladiators Vs. Werewolves.
Okay, undead Nazis may be cool but dude, seriously, I think Gladiators vs werewolves is cooler. The only way it could be cooler if there were time-travelling undead Nazis.
I'll keep an ear out for this one.
Rob Green - director of The Bunker - is set to direct Gladiators Vs. Werewolves.
Okay, undead Nazis may be cool but dude, seriously, I think Gladiators vs werewolves is cooler. The only way it could be cooler if there were time-travelling undead Nazis.
I'll keep an ear out for this one.
Mein Gott! Der Todt! (A supernatural Nazi double feature)
Now that I have Netflix downloaded to my XBOX I am watching a lot more movies. One of the things I love is I can watch a few mintutes of something and then if I don't like it I can just stop watching it guilt free and watch something else.
Last night I watched a movie I had been wanting to see for quite some time, Outpost (2008) dir Steve Barker. Here's why I wanted to watch it: Mercenaries vs Undead Nazis. Need I say more? It was actually a pretty solid little movie. Sure it wasn't Cherry Orchard but I wasn't really expecting or wanting much. Outpost was more along the quality lines of a really good episode of Tales From the Crypt. Very satisfactory.
I remembered another movie, The Bunker (2001) dir Rob Green, that I saw many moons ago. This time it's a period piece (1944), German soldiers vs things that go bump in the night. It was actually a solid movie - granted Englishmen play Germans again - but The Bunker is one of those movies I've always wished I owned.
Last night I watched a movie I had been wanting to see for quite some time, Outpost (2008) dir Steve Barker. Here's why I wanted to watch it: Mercenaries vs Undead Nazis. Need I say more? It was actually a pretty solid little movie. Sure it wasn't Cherry Orchard but I wasn't really expecting or wanting much. Outpost was more along the quality lines of a really good episode of Tales From the Crypt. Very satisfactory.
I remembered another movie, The Bunker (2001) dir Rob Green, that I saw many moons ago. This time it's a period piece (1944), German soldiers vs things that go bump in the night. It was actually a solid movie - granted Englishmen play Germans again - but The Bunker is one of those movies I've always wished I owned.
These two movies would be a top notch double feature if any of you are so inclined.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (XBOX Live Arcade) available tomorrow!
AWESOME! Finally after much dilly-dallying Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is going to be available for download tomorrow (04-08-09). This makes me very happy. I am tired of going snowblind while squinting at my DSLite. Of course I'm probably not supposed to marathon game on the DS.
Asylum (2008) dir. David R. Ellis
Asylum was a straight-to-video C level teen horror movie. It wasn't absolutely wretched - it had gore, nudity, a fairly decent villian, and had a higher production quality than most horror rap * cough Hatchet cough* I've seen lately. If you're looking for something to stare at vacantly at 2am on a Saturday morning then Asylum is a good bet.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Ahmad ibn Fadlan: The Historical Roots of "The 13th Warrior"
Ever since I was a child I have loved ripping yarns and tales of adventures in far off, forbidding lands. One of my favorite tales early on was Robert Nye’s classic Beowulf. When my Aunt learned of this she lent me her dog-eared copy of Michael Crichton’s Eaters of the Dead. What imprinted itself upon my young mind was that the book was not simply a work of high fantasy, but based in fact. Crichton based his novel upon the rihla (an Arabic term for a travel narrative [Dunn x-xi]) of Ahmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rašīd ibn Hammād, commonly referred to as ibn Fadlan. I could scarcely believe that an Arab emissary from Baghdad travelled up the Volga River, met Vikings, and then went off to fight cannibalistic Neanderthals.
More than a decade later (c. fall 1997) I saw the teaser trailer for director John McTiernan’s screen adaptation of Eaters of the Dead. I was ecstatic; one of my favorite action movie directors was helming one of my favorite childhood books. A few days later I picked my own copy of Eaters and tore through it one lager filled afternoon. This time reading it I was fascinated by the time and research Crichton had put into the book. I felt compelled to track down information about the Vikings, the Age of Classical Islam, and revisited Beowulf all in the efforts to prepare myself for what would surely be one of the great sword swinging movies to be released. I waited eagerly for Eaters to be released but it had seemed to have dropped off the radar. Nearly a year later I saw an extended preview for the movie and was confused to say the least. The rip-roaring title Eaters of the Dead had been replaced by the milquetoast The 13th Warrior. The rousing piece of classic music that had been used in the teaser trailer had been replaced by ethereal European electronic music. What had happened to the tour-de-force I had been promised? Sullenly, I packed away my copy of Eaters of the Dead, my reference books and hopes for a rousing Hollywood period piece.
Disappointed as I was by the failure of Eaters of the Dead to appear when I wanted it to, I did not come away empty handed. As I had dug further into the history of ibn Fadlan, I learned that while the man did not join a hearty band of adventurers and battle Neanderthals he did have a fascinating tale of his own. On June 21, 921 AD (11 Safar 309 H) ibn Fadlan set forth from Baghdad on a diplomatic mission regarding a funding request from Almish, king of the Volga Bulgars (though Almish was a vassal king under the Khazar), to the Abbasid Caliph al-Muktadir of Baghdad in order to build a mosque and a new fortress. In exchange, Almish offered to convert to Islam and to, “enter into a formal subordinate alliance to the caliph, political ruler of the Islamic Empire” (Gordon 21). While ibn Fadlan was not in command of the mission (according to P.H. Sawyer the leader “was a eunuch called Susan al-Rassi” [Sawyer 27]) he did play a vital role as presenter of gifts and the Caliph’s letter and was, “to supervise the lawyers who had been sent to teach the Bulghars Islamic law”(Sawyer 27).
Ahmad ibn Fadlan’s journey to the court of Almish would range over 5000 miles through Central Asia. The caravan was made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of camels and extended for miles along the ancient trade route. By fall 921 AD they had crossed the river Amu Darya and reached Bukhara (now in modern Uzbekistan), a major trade city on the Silk Road with a fascinating history that will have to await further investigation by this author. In Bukhara, ibn Fadlan learned that what lay ahead in his journey was roughly 2000 miles of desolate grassy steppes and a fast approaching winter. A decision was made to return to the Amu Darya and travel north (approximately 400 miles) to the city of Khwarizm (site of modern day Khorezmskaya). Ibn Fadlan writes about this part of the journey being so cold that they were only able to travel part of the day (Gordon 27). By the time the caravan reached Jurjaniyah (on the Southeastern edge of the Aral Sea from which the Amu Darya feeds) it was cold enough for ibn Fadlan to have ice in his beard in the time it took him to walk from the public bath to his abode. The mission wintered in Jurjaniyah and when the thaw came in February ibn Fadlan found that he had to go on alone. The rest of the diplomats had been told by the emir of Jurjaniyah that civilization stopped there (civilization meaning Islamic influence) and that between Jurjaniyah and Almish was filled with infidels, bandits, and Allah knows what else.
Ibn Fadlan continued his journey, joining a caravan heading north. Over the next few months he bribed, coerced, and occasionally escaped death by the skin of his teeth across 3000 miles of steppes. He forded the Ural River and finally reached Almish’s camp May 12, 922 (12 Muharram 310 H), “at the three lakes of the Volga north of the Samara bend” (Muslim Heritage). While ibn Fadlan received a warm welcome from Almish at first, the King’s mood soured when he found out ibn Fadlan had not been able to bring any of the requested money with him. The diplomatic mission was a complete failure.
Ibn Fadlan’s journey was not a total loss. As Stewart Gordon writes in When Asia Was the World:
It is the section of ibn Fadlan’s memoir that describes the Rus which has drawn the most academic attention and debate in regards to the Normanist Controversy. James E. Montgomery sums up the Normanist Controversy neatly, “the principal, but by no means the only, controversy concerns the extent of Viking involvement in the Viking involvement in the creation of Russia” (Montgomery 1). To some Normanist scholars it is “a remarkably valuable source of information about one of the areas of Scandinavian activity in the early tenth century” (Sawyer 28). For anti-Normanist (those who support the Slavic development of Russia) views about ibn Fadlan’s memoir, most works on the subject are unavailable in English. Regardless of which side of the Normanist Controversy may be correct, ibn Fadlan’s memoir remains a central text, “for the history, ethno genesis and polity formation of a number of tribes and people who populated Inner Asia”(Montgomery 1).
In ibn Fadlan’s description of the Rus he paints a picture of a noble savage. He says he has never seen more perfect physiques, tattooed, and richly adorned. Then again, he calls them “the filthiest of all Allah’s creatures: they do not clean themselves after excreting or urinating or wash themselves when in a state of ritual impurity (i.e. after coitus) and do not even wash their hands after food.” He goes on to describe (at length) their trading habits, social habits, love of strong drink, and most interestingly ibn Fadlan is privy to a chieftain’s funerary rites (complete with human sacrifice).
Of ibn Fadlan’s return to Baghdad, he luckily survived the trip to pen his memoirs, and his later life there is sparse information. A large section of his manuscript (of which a complete copy was found in 1923 however; this manuscript was dated around the 13th Century AD [Muslim Heritage]) has disappeared or has been destroyed. It is doubtful the missing sections involve ibn Fadlan fighting Neanderthals.
Works Cited:
Crichton, Michael. The Eaters of the Dead. New York: Random House, 1988.
Dunn, Ross E. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta. University of California Press, 1986.
Gordon, Stewart. When Asia was the World. Da Capo Press, 2007. http://books.google.com/books?id=qiOEpXRRFfQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ibn+fadlan#PPA21,M1
Montgomery, James E. “Ibn Fadlan and the Rusiyyah”. Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies 3 (2000) http://www.uib.no/jais/v003ht/03-001-025Montgom1.html
FTSC Limited, “Ahmad ibn Fadlan in Northern Europe: A Survey of his Account of Russian Vikings in the 10th Century.” Muslim Heritage.03-04-08
http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=911
Sawyer, P.H. Kings & Vikings: Scandinavia and Europe AD 700-1100. New York: Methuen & Co, 1982.
More than a decade later (c. fall 1997) I saw the teaser trailer for director John McTiernan’s screen adaptation of Eaters of the Dead. I was ecstatic; one of my favorite action movie directors was helming one of my favorite childhood books. A few days later I picked my own copy of Eaters and tore through it one lager filled afternoon. This time reading it I was fascinated by the time and research Crichton had put into the book. I felt compelled to track down information about the Vikings, the Age of Classical Islam, and revisited Beowulf all in the efforts to prepare myself for what would surely be one of the great sword swinging movies to be released. I waited eagerly for Eaters to be released but it had seemed to have dropped off the radar. Nearly a year later I saw an extended preview for the movie and was confused to say the least. The rip-roaring title Eaters of the Dead had been replaced by the milquetoast The 13th Warrior. The rousing piece of classic music that had been used in the teaser trailer had been replaced by ethereal European electronic music. What had happened to the tour-de-force I had been promised? Sullenly, I packed away my copy of Eaters of the Dead, my reference books and hopes for a rousing Hollywood period piece.
Disappointed as I was by the failure of Eaters of the Dead to appear when I wanted it to, I did not come away empty handed. As I had dug further into the history of ibn Fadlan, I learned that while the man did not join a hearty band of adventurers and battle Neanderthals he did have a fascinating tale of his own. On June 21, 921 AD (11 Safar 309 H) ibn Fadlan set forth from Baghdad on a diplomatic mission regarding a funding request from Almish, king of the Volga Bulgars (though Almish was a vassal king under the Khazar), to the Abbasid Caliph al-Muktadir of Baghdad in order to build a mosque and a new fortress. In exchange, Almish offered to convert to Islam and to, “enter into a formal subordinate alliance to the caliph, political ruler of the Islamic Empire” (Gordon 21). While ibn Fadlan was not in command of the mission (according to P.H. Sawyer the leader “was a eunuch called Susan al-Rassi” [Sawyer 27]) he did play a vital role as presenter of gifts and the Caliph’s letter and was, “to supervise the lawyers who had been sent to teach the Bulghars Islamic law”(Sawyer 27).
Ahmad ibn Fadlan’s journey to the court of Almish would range over 5000 miles through Central Asia. The caravan was made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of camels and extended for miles along the ancient trade route. By fall 921 AD they had crossed the river Amu Darya and reached Bukhara (now in modern Uzbekistan), a major trade city on the Silk Road with a fascinating history that will have to await further investigation by this author. In Bukhara, ibn Fadlan learned that what lay ahead in his journey was roughly 2000 miles of desolate grassy steppes and a fast approaching winter. A decision was made to return to the Amu Darya and travel north (approximately 400 miles) to the city of Khwarizm (site of modern day Khorezmskaya). Ibn Fadlan writes about this part of the journey being so cold that they were only able to travel part of the day (Gordon 27). By the time the caravan reached Jurjaniyah (on the Southeastern edge of the Aral Sea from which the Amu Darya feeds) it was cold enough for ibn Fadlan to have ice in his beard in the time it took him to walk from the public bath to his abode. The mission wintered in Jurjaniyah and when the thaw came in February ibn Fadlan found that he had to go on alone. The rest of the diplomats had been told by the emir of Jurjaniyah that civilization stopped there (civilization meaning Islamic influence) and that between Jurjaniyah and Almish was filled with infidels, bandits, and Allah knows what else.
Ibn Fadlan continued his journey, joining a caravan heading north. Over the next few months he bribed, coerced, and occasionally escaped death by the skin of his teeth across 3000 miles of steppes. He forded the Ural River and finally reached Almish’s camp May 12, 922 (12 Muharram 310 H), “at the three lakes of the Volga north of the Samara bend” (Muslim Heritage). While ibn Fadlan received a warm welcome from Almish at first, the King’s mood soured when he found out ibn Fadlan had not been able to bring any of the requested money with him. The diplomatic mission was a complete failure.
Ibn Fadlan’s journey was not a total loss. As Stewart Gordon writes in When Asia Was the World:
Ibn Fadlan remained a keen observer of everything around him: clouds, snakes,
local fruits and cuisine, clothing, and the complexities of the five required
daily Muslim prayers during long summer days. The later portion of the memoir
includes an account a people he terms the Rus (probably Norse, though the issue
has been debated by scholars for more than a century) when they arrived to trade
at Almish’s capital. (Gordon 30)
It is the section of ibn Fadlan’s memoir that describes the Rus which has drawn the most academic attention and debate in regards to the Normanist Controversy. James E. Montgomery sums up the Normanist Controversy neatly, “the principal, but by no means the only, controversy concerns the extent of Viking involvement in the Viking involvement in the creation of Russia” (Montgomery 1). To some Normanist scholars it is “a remarkably valuable source of information about one of the areas of Scandinavian activity in the early tenth century” (Sawyer 28). For anti-Normanist (those who support the Slavic development of Russia) views about ibn Fadlan’s memoir, most works on the subject are unavailable in English. Regardless of which side of the Normanist Controversy may be correct, ibn Fadlan’s memoir remains a central text, “for the history, ethno genesis and polity formation of a number of tribes and people who populated Inner Asia”(Montgomery 1).
In ibn Fadlan’s description of the Rus he paints a picture of a noble savage. He says he has never seen more perfect physiques, tattooed, and richly adorned. Then again, he calls them “the filthiest of all Allah’s creatures: they do not clean themselves after excreting or urinating or wash themselves when in a state of ritual impurity (i.e. after coitus) and do not even wash their hands after food.” He goes on to describe (at length) their trading habits, social habits, love of strong drink, and most interestingly ibn Fadlan is privy to a chieftain’s funerary rites (complete with human sacrifice).
Of ibn Fadlan’s return to Baghdad, he luckily survived the trip to pen his memoirs, and his later life there is sparse information. A large section of his manuscript (of which a complete copy was found in 1923 however; this manuscript was dated around the 13th Century AD [Muslim Heritage]) has disappeared or has been destroyed. It is doubtful the missing sections involve ibn Fadlan fighting Neanderthals.
Works Cited:
Crichton, Michael. The Eaters of the Dead. New York: Random House, 1988.
Dunn, Ross E. The Adventures of Ibn Battuta. University of California Press, 1986.
Gordon, Stewart. When Asia was the World. Da Capo Press, 2007. http://books.google.com/books?id=qiOEpXRRFfQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ibn+fadlan#PPA21,M1
Montgomery, James E. “Ibn Fadlan and the Rusiyyah”. Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies 3 (2000) http://www.uib.no/jais/v003ht/03-001-025Montgom1.html
FTSC Limited, “Ahmad ibn Fadlan in Northern Europe: A Survey of his Account of Russian Vikings in the 10th Century.” Muslim Heritage.03-04-08
http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=911
Sawyer, P.H. Kings & Vikings: Scandinavia and Europe AD 700-1100. New York: Methuen & Co, 1982.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Fallout 3: The Pitt (XBOX 360 DLC) 03/24/09
Fallout 3: The Pitt is the new DLC available. It's pretty solid, actually I enjoyed it quite a bit though there were one or two points where I got turned around on the maps. It's definitely worth the 800 points for more Fallout 3 play.
I think it is a better set of DLC than Operation Anchorage - I was more interested in the story and setting, plus I managed to get much more gameplay out of The Pitt than the previous DLC.
One thing I was pleased about was The Pitt played very nicely - RPG wise - with my new evil character. My original character was pretty much a "look out for the little guy" type. My new alcoholic, sociopathic, cannibal plays a little differently to say the least.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (2009) DS Lite
GTA: Chinatown Wars is completely and totally awesome. I don't know what kind of mumbo jumbo Rockstar Leeds wove to get Liberty City crammed into the DS Lite but damn it, they did it. I could totally goob out about the game and how it's a masterpiece of the DS and OMG it is soooooo awesome but you guys know how much I love Rockstar games.
Two things I do have to say:
Two things I do have to say:
- Liberty City - the current GTA IV incarnation - has been perfectly scaled down to the DS. All the parts of the city - except for Alderney - are in the game. Having spent *cough* a few hundred hours driving around L.C. on the XBOX 360 has made finding my way around in GTA: CW quite a bit easier.
- GTA:CW is intuitively interactive. The DS is an excellent format for this game. Zipping through the PDA, searching for information, and simply tooling around the "mini-games".
GTA:CW is great. If I didn't have GTAIV: TLAD and Puzzle Quest: Galactrix to take up my time I'd be playing GTA: CW right now. Of course there's this whole going to work and school thing and tests I should be focusing on.
By the by:
You heard it here first: I bet you that GTA:CW is going to be the template for the new DLC for GTA IV. Yeah, it's that expansive.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Honeymoon 3: Turistas
I figured a slide show would be a lot simpler than posting a jillion photos. It was a good trip: beautiful weather, both of us were in good spirits - even though we were both sick, we got a lot of walking around the French Quarter done, we spent a lot of time at the aquarium, and much fun was had. We're exhausted and need a few more days just to decompress and get ready for school but that is not to be.
Honeymoon in New Orleans Part 2 - The Drunkening.
There were only three places we went exclusively to drink though we always seemed to been either drunk or hungover or both.
- Chart Room, 300 Chartres St. Great bar, decent jukebox, cash only. Miller High Life on draught which definitely makes a world of difference in drinkability - $2.50 for a big frosty mug doesn't hurt either. Small and pretty low key the Chart Room seems like a good chunk of the patrons are restaurant and hotel staff. All in all a great time. Beware the tea infused vodka. Ask Amanda how they were.
- Ye Olde Original Dungeon, 738 Toulouse St. We were looking forward to finding a bar/club that played old industrial and goth. We found an awesome bar with kick ass drinks, wicked, hella bitchin' atmosphere, fucking awesome staff, and a galactic wizard asston of Metal. Metal played at very high decibels. Pretty solid jukebox downstairs though. We ended up there most nights. Unfortunately we spent most of the night before we were going to leave NOLA at the Dungeon, let's put it this way - those of you who know me will get this joke - I got singing drunk. Amanda and I were not in the greatest of shape Friday morning.
- One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St. A music venue in the French Quarter. We just sat in the front and hung out bullshitting with the bartender most nights while waiting for The Dungeon to open. Nice quiet spot to lay low. Solid jukebox.
Oh yeah - you can smoke in fucking bars in New Orleans. Yeah, it was like Heaven to sit at a bar and smoke...of course it was Hell the next day. OMG, so totally worth it though.
The Honeymoon in New Orleans Dining and Feeding Megapost Extravapalooza!
I tried to keep notes but somehow when I take notes about a restaurant on a scrap piece of paper and then put my seventh Abita Amber on my notes...well...they kind of fell apart. So I'm working on receipts and memory.
- French Market Restaurant, 1001 Decatur St. This place was expensive (our big blow out meal of the trip) but it really wasn't that bad considering the amount of food we (I) ate and the quality of the oysters and crawfish. The oysters were local and hardly had any grit to them. The mudbugs were just shy of too spicy and had chunks of lemon in the boil. The hush puppies were solid and plentiful. I think the French Market was our best meal in NOLA. Plus the staff was cool and even though they were short handed they didn't drag ass or act like dicks.
- Acme Oyster House, 724 Iberville St. Acme Oyster House can suck it. The oysters were extra gritty and bland. The chargrilled oysters were decent - Amanda didn't like them because she has an aversion to charred food. The "craw puppies" were okay, nothin' to write home about. Personally I hated the atmosphere. We were in the back section of the restaurant and it was wall-to-wall neon, mirrors, and ugly, noisy tourists. With so many options for oysters within walking distance I recommend skipping Acme.
- Cafe Fleur-de-lis, 307 Chartres St. A small breakfast place that was pretty good. It was breakfast. In all honesty, I was so fucking hungry when we went there I would eaten a nutria raw and enjoyed it.
- The Alpine, 620 Chartres St. This is the first place we ate when we landed Monday night. It was open, we were hungry. It wasn't bad. Their "signature" BBQ shrimp was good but too thyme-y. The corn & crab bisque was pretty good, not worth seven bucks for a bowl but it didn't make me angry.
- Coop's Place, 1109 Decatur St. We were wandering down the street, being cranky because we were hungry and couldn't agree on a place to eat. When we checked the menu and saw rabbit on the menu we were sold. The rabbit was in a jambalaya and therefore didn't stand out against the rest of the dish. Our meals were still damned tasty - except for their fried chicken. The fried chicken was, I don't know, off somehow. It was just texturally and flavorally skewed. I take fried chicken very seriously so this was a major disappointment.
- Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St. I wish I had known that this place was open 24 hours after we - ahem - gracefully made our exit from a lovely watering hole into the balmy evening. Clover was awesome. It's the kind of place I would eat if I lived in the neighbourhood. Burgers were solid, fries were piping hot, and my strawberry shake was just the right consistency. Word of advice - don't waste your time with a Lucky Dog - get your hot dog fix at Clover's. Big beef dogs, no fuss, no muss. Damn I wish I could eat there now.
- Evelyn's Place, 139 Chartres St. This was another great place that we just kind of walked past. We went the day after St. Paddy's. I had the corned beef on french bread and Amanda had a muffaletta. Both were awesome. What was best was the old guy taking orders. Another couple came in after we had been situated. When they ordered the couple asked, "What can you tell me about the corned beef sandwich?". The old guy started in on a bullshit history of corned beef and then said, "What the hell do you mean? It's a corned beef sandwich." Another place I would eat if I lived in the area.
- Country Flame, 620 Iberville St. A Cuban/Mexican/Spanish joint. I wanted a Cuban sandwich, I got a Cuban sandwich. Amanda got some chicken in red sauce. It was prefectly reasonable. Bland but perfectly reasonable.
- Cafe du Monde, 813 Decatur St. The one, the only, the much touted Cafe du Monde. You know what? I shut the fuck up once I had a couple of beignet and a large black coffee. I normally don't go in for pastries or sweets but these hit the spot. Here is a picture of me not enjoying my beignet.
- Lucky Dog vendor, corner of Bourbon & Toulouse Sts. I hate to say this because the vendor was such a nice guy but I know hot dogs Lucky Dog and you sir are a poor example of a hot dog. Sure it was a massive dog but bleh, tasteless, blanched, blech. No wonder they are slathered in crap - i.e. chili, pickles, etc., etc. - they need something to cover up the fact their dogs are weak. Get a dog from Clover Grill - they taste better and are cheaper.
That's the long and short of the matter. I had a massive list of places to eat but we just kind of wandered and ate where we felt like stopping. New Orleans is a good town for food but I have to admit I left a little disappointed - like I missed some crucial feeding experience.
Coming soon...reviews for the bars we went to.
Stumbled across an excellent Jamaican music site:
Been spending the morning catching up on the Internet and found JJ Loy's skablahblah.com. It's a top notch site re: Ska, new Ska, podcasts, well written essays about the history of Jamaican music, and all sorts of good stuff - including a piece about Cadence St. John (NSFW).
It's definitely a site worth checking out - especially if you're getting into Ska for the first time. I've been enjoying it but have yet to check out the podcasts - though I plan to ASAP.
Check it out.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Massive posts pending:
Just a quick heads up - there will be a couple of mega posts on the way. We're digging through pictures and I have to organize my notes about where and what we ate. Yes, I took notes about where and what we ate.
Would like to thank everyone for their support and best wishes and etc., etc., etc. It made us feel all squishy and filled with emotions that are the opposite of the way we (I) feel.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I retract my previously positive review of "No Line On the Horizon".
While No Line On the Horizon is a solid album - for any other band that is not U2 - it's a disappointment.
Let me just say that I think that U2 hit their stride not with Boy, War, Achtung Baby, or Rattle & Hum but with Zooropa and Pop. What can I say? I heard Joshua Tree too many times on the radio growing up. When I blasted - on my Sony Walkman - Zooropa stomping around the streets of D.C. I felt that album was made for me.
Years have passed. I'm sixty pounds heavier than I was nearly a decade ago. U2 is a band I had given up on. All That You Can't Leave Behind was a tragic disappointment.
All the elements for a successful U2 album are present in No Line On the Horizon. Bono's plaintive cries, Adam and Larry's pulsating heartbeat intertwined bass'n'drums, and the Edge's soaring riffs are where they need to be...
But damn it, there's no...there's no heart in this album. Maybe U2 found their breaking point. I dunno what that is supposed to mean but there's no thunder, no dance beats, no anthem, no drift off into afternoon smoke, and no trouble maker involved with No Line On the Horizon.
I would give their latest release another (another) chance but I figure I might just dig out an album when U2 gave a shit.
A Better Tomorrow 2 (1987) dir. John Woo
This is quite possibly one of the greatest action movies ever made - if not the greatest action sequence. I first saw a clip of it in True Romance many, many moons ago. Mike showed me the light.
Exile (2007) dir. Johnnie To
It's been awhile since I sat down and watched a Hong Kong (HK) bullet drama that wasn't Bullet in the Head or Better Tomorrow II. Since I'm kind of going beserk with downloading stuff on Netflix and catching up on a stack of movies I figured I might as well try Johnnie To's Exile. Okay so a big selling point for me was Simon Yam - an HK actor I've loved since Bullet in the Head.
Exile is not a masterpiece of HK cinema - however it hits all the right marks and is a genuinely enjoyable experience. The cast is solid, the story is familiar, the directing and gun battles are all sharp. Let's put it this way, if you're hankering for an HK fix then watch Exile. If you could care less about HK movies then don't bother.
Exile is not a masterpiece of HK cinema - however it hits all the right marks and is a genuinely enjoyable experience. The cast is solid, the story is familiar, the directing and gun battles are all sharp. Let's put it this way, if you're hankering for an HK fix then watch Exile. If you could care less about HK movies then don't bother.
Paprika (2006) dir. Satoshi Kon
Satoshi Kon is my favorite anime director - Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers are all in my top ten favorite anime. I had been pretty disappointed about missing Paprika but finally sat down and watched it last night. Paprika is an excellent anime, on the par with Kon's other works and far superior to other releases I've seen in the last few years.
It's difficult to sum up Paprika - the official press kit synopsis reads:
That's the long and short. Paprika is typical of Kon's work - you can analyze his movies until you don't know which way is up or you can simply enjoy the spectacle. The animation is top notch and Kon's art design is as strong as ever. Susumu Hirasawa's score is exceptional - a blend of atmospheric electronics, classical elements, and some bizarre techno-layering that gives Daft Punk a run for their money.
It's difficult to sum up Paprika - the official press kit synopsis reads:
Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a genius scientist by day, and a kick-ass dream warrior
named PAPRIKA by night. In this psychedelic sci-fi adventure, it will take the
skills of both women to save the world...
In the near future, a revolutionary new psychotherapy treatment called PT has been invented. Through a device called the "DC Mini" it is able to act as a "dream detective" to enter into people’s dreams and explore their unconscious thoughts. Before the government can pass a bill authorizing the use of such advanced psychiatric technology, one of the prototypes is stolen, sending the research facility into an uproar. In the wrong hands, the potential misuse of the devise could be
devastating, allowing the user to completely annihilate a dreamer’s personality
while they are asleep. Renowned scientist, Dr. Atsuko Chiba, enters the dream
world under her exotic alter-ego, code name "PAPRIKA," in an attempt to discover
who is behind the plot to undermine the new invention.
That's the long and short. Paprika is typical of Kon's work - you can analyze his movies until you don't know which way is up or you can simply enjoy the spectacle. The animation is top notch and Kon's art design is as strong as ever. Susumu Hirasawa's score is exceptional - a blend of atmospheric electronics, classical elements, and some bizarre techno-layering that gives Daft Punk a run for their money.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Kinfolks Restaurant
Kinfolks Restaurant
4817 NW Stallings Dr
Nacogdoches TX
75964
936-569-2422
I have three words to review this restaurant: CHICKEN FRIED BACON.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Body of Lies (2008) dir Ridley Scott
Holy shit, Ridley Scott made a good movie again. Now before you get all hot and flustered by that statement you have to take into account that Ridley Scott has made some suck movies over the last twenty years. I am reserving judgment on American Gangster - aka the movie we've rented about a dozen times and never watched - but that's about it.
I wasn't expecting much of anything from Body of Lies - I downloaded it because I figured it would be better than Bangkok Dangerous. Lo, Body of Lies was a perfectly reasonable CIA thriller. There were some twists and turns and some shit blowing up. I liked the non "USA! USA! FUCK YEAH! USA!" feeling of the movie - there was a good amount of character development that involved differing Middle Eastern views and opinions.
I like DiCaprio as a grown-up. He plays a fairly decent thriller/action guy. It's nice to see that he moved out from River Phoenix's shadow. Russell Crowe is Russell Crowe but he has a weird American accent that made me think - where are you from again? Texatuckyginiaolina?
Body of Lies definitely worth watching, downloading, or buying out of the trunk of a car.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Sharpie Pens rule!
Dear Sharpie,
Thank you making awesome pens.
xoxoxo
Joshua
As nerdy as it may seem I have a hard time finding pens I really like. I'm not a fan of ballpoint. Lately I've been taking so many notes in class pens just have a way of running out of ink very quickly. I've given the new Sharpie Pen a trial run and really like them.
Thank you making awesome pens.
xoxoxo
Joshua
As nerdy as it may seem I have a hard time finding pens I really like. I'm not a fan of ballpoint. Lately I've been taking so many notes in class pens just have a way of running out of ink very quickly. I've given the new Sharpie Pen a trial run and really like them.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
I don't know where to begin...
This question and answer from chow.com's Table Manners kind of seriously pisses me off to no end. I'm exactly sure why - maybe it's because I've been without my meds for a couple of days - but poster Fear of Frosting's question brings out my inner Al Swearengen.
Minor edits to layout and a kind of neat widget addition:
I plugged in a Facebook widget and reshuffled the RSS button and few other fun things - new additions to blogs I am following as well.
Have fun checking out the new links and assorted goodness. Remember to tip your bartenders generously.
Have fun checking out the new links and assorted goodness. Remember to tip your bartenders generously.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Sunday, March 01, 2009
"We're gonna grab 'em by the nose and kick 'em in the ass!"
Okay folks here's a preliminary list of potential feeding locations on Amanda and my honeymoon. Any suggestions/recommendations/ideas/warnings/etc are welcome and appreciated:
- Voodoo BBQ
- French Market Farmer's Market
- Bennachin
- Creole Creamery
- Casamento's
- Tommy's Cuisine
- Parasol's
- Joey K's
- The Joint
- West Indies Cafe
- Boswell's
- ACME Oyster House
- Cafe Du Monde
- Mother's Restaurant
- Deanie's Seafood
- The Rusty Nail
- Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
- Aunt Tiki's
- Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery
- Clementine's
- Kim Son
- Pho Quang
- The Red Sea
- Verti Marte
- Praline Connection
- Jamila's
- Galatoire's
Friday, February 27, 2009
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (DS) 2009
If I hadn't of wiped out the battery on my DS I'd still be playing Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. The original incarnation of Puzzle Quest is still an amazing game but Galactrix is double plus good amazing.
I would write more of a review but I think I'm just gonna play more Galactrix.
I would write more of a review but I think I'm just gonna play more Galactrix.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned (XBOX360 DLC 2009)
While I wasn't as wet my pants enthused about the new downloadable content (DLC) for GTA IV - due to disappointing DLC for pretty much any game except for Elder Scrolls: Oblivion - I was looking forward to the possibility of playing something new on the 360.
Boy, I was wrong in not being wet my pants excited. GTA IV: The Lost and Damned (TLAD) sets the bar for what DLC should be like. TLAD is not just a new pair of pants and a couple of crummy missions - it could be it's own game. Rockstar could have charged a lot more than $20 for this release. New characters, new storyline, improved physics on bike handling, new vehicles, new weapons, new music, new missions, and a slew of other stuff. I haven't checked out the online play because well, a lot of the players online aren't all that grand.
TLAD revolves around Jon - VP of "The Lost" biker gang - and his dealings with the gang and his less than wonderful life. The story - chronologically - runs parallel to Nico's. I like the two story lines running this way. There are occasionally news bulletins about what's going on in Nico's storyline - i.e. Arson in Firefly Island. I'm trying to take my time and not just tear through the story.
There's all kinds of GTA goodness to be had in this download. I haven't found any faults yet but I will report them when I do - pending final impressions review.
Oh yeah, if you haven't heard, there's full frontal male nudity in TLAD. M-O-O-N that spells exposed tackle. If that bothers you don't watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall either.
Boy, I was wrong in not being wet my pants excited. GTA IV: The Lost and Damned (TLAD) sets the bar for what DLC should be like. TLAD is not just a new pair of pants and a couple of crummy missions - it could be it's own game. Rockstar could have charged a lot more than $20 for this release. New characters, new storyline, improved physics on bike handling, new vehicles, new weapons, new music, new missions, and a slew of other stuff. I haven't checked out the online play because well, a lot of the players online aren't all that grand.
TLAD revolves around Jon - VP of "The Lost" biker gang - and his dealings with the gang and his less than wonderful life. The story - chronologically - runs parallel to Nico's. I like the two story lines running this way. There are occasionally news bulletins about what's going on in Nico's storyline - i.e. Arson in Firefly Island. I'm trying to take my time and not just tear through the story.
There's all kinds of GTA goodness to be had in this download. I haven't found any faults yet but I will report them when I do - pending final impressions review.
Oh yeah, if you haven't heard, there's full frontal male nudity in TLAD. M-O-O-N that spells exposed tackle. If that bothers you don't watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall either.
Need some feedback from you folks:
What do you folks think of me posting cooking videos? Since I was tinkering with the camera and shooting video yesterday and editing it I thought, "Huh, I wonder if I could do a cooking video?" Before I bother let me know if it's worth the trouble. Don't worry, if I do make videos I will wear pants.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Warning to the City of New Orleans:
I am coming to visit and I am going to feed.
Soul Food. Seafood. Po'boys. Oysters. African. Caribbean. Korean. Jamaican. Ribs.
If any of you folks have suggestions, recommendations, etc., etc., please let me know.
Soul Food. Seafood. Po'boys. Oysters. African. Caribbean. Korean. Jamaican. Ribs.
If any of you folks have suggestions, recommendations, etc., etc., please let me know.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday Dinner: tasty stuffed peppers.
 |
| From Blogger Pictures |
Well, it's been a little while since I made a Sunday Dinner with plans for leftovers. I love stuffed peppers, chile relleno, Stouffer's, and everything inbetween. I didn't intend for these stuffed peppers to come out the way they did but I am happier with the results than my normal generic stuffed peppers. Just to let you know I kind of made this recipe up as I went with stuff I just had in my kitchen.
Joshua's Texican Stuffed Peppers:
Filling:
- 1/2 package of chorizo
- 1/2 lb of ground chuck
- 1 yellow onion
- 1/4 cup Zatarain's Dehydrated Sweet Bell Peppers
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro - chopped
- 2 tablespoons of Joshua's Spice Mix - order now!
- punch of salt
- 1 10oz can of Rotel
- 1 10 can of regular gringo diced tomatoes
- 1 small box/can of tomato sauce
- 1 diced Bell Pepper
- 1 cup uncooked short grain rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
4 big Bell Peppers
1 bag of shredded "Mexican" cheese
Slapping it all together:
- Get a pot, not huge but big enough for you to make a big batch of meat and sauce in. Start heating up the pan - medium heat. I didn't bother using any oil or butter.
- Slice up the onion nice and thin. Brown.
- Add chorizo. Brown.
- Add ground chuck. Brown.
- Throw in Joshua's Spice Mix, Dehydrated Sweet Bell Peppers, chopped cilantro. Cook everything - keep the mess moving, don't let it burn.
- Open cans of tomatoes and sauce. Pour all that in the pot. Mix. Lower the heat and keep stirring now and then.
- Start prepping the bell peppers. Dice one for the mix and throw that in. Take the other peppers, chop just the tops off and 86 them. We don't need them.
- Brown the uncooked rice in another pan, like the one you make rice in. If you don't want to brown the rice, well...don't. Hell, use whatever kind of rice you want.
- Keep the meat and stuff at low low heat. Make your rice. Preheat the oven to 350.
- When the rice is done mix it all in with the rest of the filling.
- Fill the bell peppers with the mix. Leave just enough room at the top for a layer of cheese.
- Layer on a bunch of cheese. Don't be scairt of the cheese.
- Put the peppers in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Eat.
- Put away leftovers. There will be a lot of leftovers of the mix. That is good.
If try this out let me know what you think or what you changed. I think the next time I make this I will use red or yellow peppers as well as green.
Friday, February 13, 2009
DS Reviews! Chrono Trigger (2008) & Age of Empires: Mythologies (2009)
Chrono Trigger was originally released in the way back times of 1995 for the Super Nintendo. I never played that version for some reason, probably because I was loose on the streets causing trouble. Fortunately the game has been rereleased for the DS and it's a pretty solid JRPG. It's got a - now - pretty standard travel through time to stop the destruction of the world plot. There's not much grinding to do - in all honesty it's not a particularly difficult game. There are a few tough/tricky boss fights but nothing that will make you gouge out your eyes.
The gameplay and graphics etc etc etc are solid, the music is awesome, and all in all is a great release for the DS. It's kind of funny that RPGs are the main thing I play on the DS but I'm glad I can still my RPG fix.
Age of Empires: Mythologies is a very satisfying turn based strategy game - especially for $20. You can select the Egyptians, Norse, or Greeks with which to wage war. Then you can invoke the powers of the gods to smite your foes. I'm enjoying it though I haven't played it for too long. The gameplay is solid, for such a dense game it's really easy to navigate the map and the units and all the good stuff. Resource management is pretty straight forward as well. It's quite surprising at how user friendly the game is. I'm gonna get some more game in but it's definitely worth the money.
The gameplay and graphics etc etc etc are solid, the music is awesome, and all in all is a great release for the DS. It's kind of funny that RPGs are the main thing I play on the DS but I'm glad I can still my RPG fix.
Age of Empires: Mythologies is a very satisfying turn based strategy game - especially for $20. You can select the Egyptians, Norse, or Greeks with which to wage war. Then you can invoke the powers of the gods to smite your foes. I'm enjoying it though I haven't played it for too long. The gameplay is solid, for such a dense game it's really easy to navigate the map and the units and all the good stuff. Resource management is pretty straight forward as well. It's quite surprising at how user friendly the game is. I'm gonna get some more game in but it's definitely worth the money.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad: XBOX 360 D3 Publisher
Huh. Well...uh...apparently this game was popular in Japan. For some reason...
Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage
Yeah, even if with a completely level one character Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage is easy and not a particularly ripping diversion. It's pretty much just a rail shooter but when all is said and done it's just a training vehicle.
On the upside:
On the upside:
- It's a great place to very quickly level a starter character.
- Having immediate access to a mountain of powerful equipment. The T-51b power armor is instantly wearable. Plus the Guass Rifle and Chinese Stealth Armor are helpful.
- It's an excuse to play Fallout 3.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
A few brief comments about "The Harder They Come".
I first learned of Jimmy Cliff from the Ska All Over the World compilation - the rerelease not the original LP - and I first learned of The Clash from Combat Rock. I wish that Dad had been cool enough to have London Calling but, well, all he had was Combat Rock on cassette. Come to think of it he probably stole it from my Aunt.
I was dicking around in cyberspace - I have come to the decision I am going to call "The Internet" cyberspace - and listening to The Clash's cover of The Maytals' "Pressure Drop". Now don't get me wrong I love The Clash version but The Maytals version has a sound that stirs up the good stuff from the pot of nostalgia stew. I had a moment of confusion finding the album "Pressure Drop" featured on - The Harder They Come. Did I put it in soundtracks or with other Jimmy Cliff albums?
I was just going to listen to "Pressure Drop" but the album started playing auto. I had almost forgetten how good this soundtrack was. This was the soundtrack that made Jamaican music blow up - internationally - in 1972.
I'm digging through a few books and liner notes at the moment but should come up with something solid in a few shakes of lamb's tail.
I was dicking around in cyberspace - I have come to the decision I am going to call "The Internet" cyberspace - and listening to The Clash's cover of The Maytals' "Pressure Drop". Now don't get me wrong I love The Clash version but The Maytals version has a sound that stirs up the good stuff from the pot of nostalgia stew. I had a moment of confusion finding the album "Pressure Drop" featured on - The Harder They Come. Did I put it in soundtracks or with other Jimmy Cliff albums?
I was just going to listen to "Pressure Drop" but the album started playing auto. I had almost forgetten how good this soundtrack was. This was the soundtrack that made Jamaican music blow up - internationally - in 1972.
I'm digging through a few books and liner notes at the moment but should come up with something solid in a few shakes of lamb's tail.
A half hearted review and an upcoming review...
College. (2008) dir. Deb Hagan. I was bored and didn't have the brains to play Fallout 3 or Persona 4. I downloaded College watched it and can say don't bother. While it wasn't worse than most of the piece of shit 80s teen sex comedies. There were boobies. There were one or two parts that made me laugh. There were boobies. The mean frat-boys get what's coming to them. There were boobies. A kid barfs on the Dean's car. A kid get shot in the crotch with a paint-ball gun. There were boobies.
On the upside I also downloaded:
Tokyo Gore Police (2008). dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura. If you haven't heard of this then that's okay. I haven't been keeping up with my Japanese films either. As many of you may know for quite some time I was addicted to Asian cinema - Japanese in particular. I guess I just reached a saturation point and gave up on looking for stuff to watch. The J-Horror/American remakes probably had something to do with my waning interest as well. God forbid I like something popular.
In any case I saw the trailer for Tokyo Gore Police and was/am genuinely intrigued. It looks like one of those apeshit over the top, horrorshow, ultra-violent, "Holy Shit, am I watching this?" inducing, Japanese lunacy movies. I looked up Yoshihiro Nishimura and he was: Art Director, Production Designer, Special Effects mold maker, and Special Effects Make-Up for one of my favorite twisted Japanese movies of the early aughts - Jisatsu Saakuru a.k.a. Suicide Club (2002) dir Sion Sono. Based on that information I am pretty excited to see Tokyo Gore Police tonight. I will have a review up for it ASAP.
A friend of mine reviewed Tokyo Gore Police pretty succinctly on his site.
On the upside I also downloaded:
Tokyo Gore Police (2008). dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura. If you haven't heard of this then that's okay. I haven't been keeping up with my Japanese films either. As many of you may know for quite some time I was addicted to Asian cinema - Japanese in particular. I guess I just reached a saturation point and gave up on looking for stuff to watch. The J-Horror/American remakes probably had something to do with my waning interest as well. God forbid I like something popular.
In any case I saw the trailer for Tokyo Gore Police and was/am genuinely intrigued. It looks like one of those apeshit over the top, horrorshow, ultra-violent, "Holy Shit, am I watching this?" inducing, Japanese lunacy movies. I looked up Yoshihiro Nishimura and he was: Art Director, Production Designer, Special Effects mold maker, and Special Effects Make-Up for one of my favorite twisted Japanese movies of the early aughts - Jisatsu Saakuru a.k.a. Suicide Club (2002) dir Sion Sono. Based on that information I am pretty excited to see Tokyo Gore Police tonight. I will have a review up for it ASAP.
A friend of mine reviewed Tokyo Gore Police pretty succinctly on his site.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
The Lilies
Tattoo Ballad
Torrents of electrons
Find vent in steel
Flickering magnetic
Bonds clapping
Open, closed
Fast as hummingbird hearts
Drive the needles’
Staccato plunge
Viscous metals
Pigments spreading
Find homes in skin
Cells accommodate
Microscopic inkblots
Permanently etched in
Slow weeping
Surface wounds
This is how I remember you.
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