Last video I made before I quit playing a over a month ago, or so.
Song is the second half of “Pesticide – Swallow Your Own Shit!!!” By Disiplin.
Might post some more videos in the future, who knows.
Archive for the ‘Geek-Culture’ Category
CoD4 – Death Montage
Monday, September 28th, 2009
You need to have flashplayer enabled to view this YouTube video
The Big Bang Theory Quotation S01E12
Sunday, September 20th, 2009Ladies and gentlemen… honoured daughters… while Mr. Kim by virtue of his youth and naivete has fallen prey to the inexcplicable need for human contact, let me assure you that my research will go on uninterrupted.
And that social relationships will continue to baffle and repulse me.
- Dr. Sheldon Cooper, The Jerusalem Duality,
The Big Bang Theory
The Wire, Season 2 – A New Case Begins
Sunday, October 5th, 2008‘Black, white. What’s the difference, Nat? Until we get that canal dredged, we’re all niggers. Pardon my french.’
- Frank Sobotka, 7×12, The Wire
Season 1 blew my mind. And naturally, I was worried dead that season 2 would not live up to my incredibly high expectations. I hoped and I wished, and had I been iven remotely religious, I would have prayed.
It was almost with shaking hands that I inserted the newly bought Season 2 DVD, only a day after having finished season 1.
To my surprise season 2 lived up to every expectation, and more!
Allow me to elaborate.
Important Note: If you have not not finished season 1, then do NOT read further, as this review will contain spoilers of the previous season.
With Avon Barskdale incarcerated along with D’Angelo and Wee-Bey, the Barksdale Detail has accomplished its purpose and is effectively shut down.
McNulty is demoted to the marine unit, Greggs is working a desk job, Daniels has been re-assigned to evidence division, Lester is partnered up with Bunk in homicide division, and the rest have returned to their respective divisions.
The focus now shifts to the Baltimore docks, where union leader and treasurer Frank Sobotka has resorted to smuggling drugs and stolen goods through the port for a mysterious criminal organization known only as “The Greeks”, as a means to fund his political contributions and campaigning to maintain the prosperity of the docks.
However, a feud between Sobotka and the vindictive Major Valcheck results in the latter pressuring the newly made Acting Commissioner into assembling a detail dedicated to investigate Sobotka and the affairs on the Docks.
Despite the arrests and deaths of some of their best men, the Barksdale Organization is bruised, yet not broken. Avon continues to run the organization from prison through his second-in-command Stringer, while scheming for an early release. Stringer administrates the organization, and has to contend with the loss of their connections, dissention within the organization, as well as rival drug dealers eyeing their prized territory.
Bodie has been promoted to crew chief of the 221 Tower, while Poot has been given command over the Pit.
The second season of The Wire examines the struggles of the blue-collar working class, represented by the stevedores of the Baltimore port, and how easily the working class becomes victim to capitalism in modern America.
It portrays the betrayal of the working man, and how he must contend with a society that values maximum efficiancy at the expense of the working class.
With the addition of the Docks and the people working there, the ensemble of characters grows substantially, most notably among them, Frank Sobotka, as well as his reckless and and troubled son Ziggy, often paired with his more level-headed and intelligent cousin, Nick.
Also introduced are the mysterious “Greeks”, whose cunning are matched only by their ruthlessness.
The Barksdale Organization sees the addition of several new soldiers, but are not as notable, due to the Organization being featured less prominently this season.
Omar returns to Baltimore with his new boyfriend and picks up where he left.
Proposition Joe receives more screentime, and more plot involvement
Most of the original members of the Barksdale detail return in the second season, with many of them still suffering from their actions in the previous season. McNulty’s meddling yet again earns him the scorn of his superiors, but proves instrumental to the case.
Some of my favorite characters this season, were Frank, Nick and Ziggy Sobotka. I particularly liked how human they were protrayed, and how easy it was to sympathize with them. They are the perfect examples of ‘grey area’ characters.
Frank Sobotka, the struggling union leader resorting to desperate measures to preserve the jobs and futures of his fellow stevedores. Nick, whose frustration with the lack of working hours and a steady income, gets him involved in the smuggling business. The reckless and juvenile, Ziggy, offers both comic relief and tragedy the same time.
Omar is great as always, and delivers one of his most epic “Omar moments” this season.
Brother Mouzone was also pretty damn excellent.
Conclusion: Season 2 of The Wire is even better than the previous season. The pace is turned up, and characters that you get more emotionally invested in, as well as more character development.
Season 2 continues to to portray the city of Baltimore in a brutally honest way, depicting how an instituion’s failings affect the people living in the city, and how the port of Baltimore is connected to the the politicians and drug dealers of Baltimore.
Having recently done a re-watch of season 1, I really notice the difference in pace and characters, between season 1 and 2. Season 2 gets a lot more personal, and the pace is – as mentioned a few lines ago – faster.
So, if slow pace, and poor characterization were your main gripes with season 1, then I think you’ll find season 2 more to your liking.
Zero Coordination – On the n00b effect
Friday, September 5th, 2008
You need to have flashplayer enabled to view this YouTube video
The opening of the Pure Pwnage episode “Just the Guys PT 1″, and is a parody of Zero Punctuation
I for one found it hilarious.
The Wire, Season 1 – Listen Carefully
Monday, September 1st, 2008The Wire takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the most dangerous cities in the US, and is nicknamed ‘Bodymore, Murdaland’.
A city plagued by poverty, crime and corruption. The drug trade is flourishing, and everyone wants a piece of the action, whether they be gangsters, politicians, stevedores, businessmen, or even the police.
It’s harsh, gritty and almost painfully honest in its depiction of a city where, murder, violence, drugs and corruption is part of a normal day.
And all of this is part of what can only be described as one of the absolute best TV-Series on Earth.
Now sit back, relax, and allow me to educate you.
Despite being almost virtually unknown to the police, Avon Barksdale reigns as the undisputed kingpin of the West Baltimore drug scene. But when his nephew D’Angelo is found not guilty of murder as a result of obvious corruption, Avon’s name is brought to the attention of Judge Phelan, who as a result pressures the Baltimore police into assembling a detail devoted to bringing down the Barksdale Organisation.
This is the premise of the first seaon of The Wire. It focuses on both the criminals and the police as they build a case against Barksdale.
Sounds simple? It’s really not. Because this is case is something of a Pandora’s Box, that if solved, could create a maelstrom that would not only mean the end of the Barksdale, but could drag lawyers, politicians and even police officers and brass down with its fury. And thus, the Barksdale Detail begins its work, with little to go on, and with the brass watching their every move.
The Barksdale detail is lead by the ambitious LT. Daniels, and consists of Jimmy McNulty, disillusioned and hated by the bosses for leaking the inforation about Barksdale to Judge Phelan, the level-headed Kima Greggs, torn between her devotion to police work and her worrying girlfriend, the smooth and quiet Lester Freamon, unafraid of disobeying his superiors, the hot headed duo, Herc and Carver, the clutz of a policemen Prez, and the more talented Sydnor. Jimmy’s old homicide partner Bunk Moreland also assists the detail, while the career-minded Deputy Commissioner Burrel keeps a watchful eye on them, and Rawls, leader of the homicide divison and a asshole of the first class seeks to hamper Jimmy’s every move.
The Barksdale Organization is lead by the soldier Avon Barksdale, with his best friend Stringer as his second i command, and the rock of a soldier Wee-Bey as his most loyal lieutenant who along with Stinkum ran the high-rise towers . Avon’s nephew D’Angelo, torn between his family’s expectations of him and his own conscience, runs the “Pit”, with the young’uns Poot, Bodie and Wallace working for him.
Also on the streets are legendary stickup man, Omar Little, a constant thorn to the drug dealers of west Baltimore, and Bubbles, a drug fiend and personal informant of Kima Greggs, usually paired with his protege Johnny Weeks.
Written mostly by Baltimore journalist, David Simon and ex-cop-turned-school-teacher, Ed Burns the Wire possesses a depth that is unlike almost anything I have ever seen, all while maintaining a stunning realism and captivating plot. Many of the minor characters are actually played by reformed Baltimore gangsters, and some of the policemen are played by actual Baltimore cops.
The characters definitely come alive, possessing an uncanny complexity. No 2D characters in The Wire, the characters are portrayed in a very human way, where everyone, whether they are policemen or criminals, are capable of good and bad deeds.
My favorite characters of season 1 are Omar Little, I just love the ‘coolness’ of this characters, and his sexuality and his strict adherence to his code makes him one of the most interesting characters I have seen on TV. I also very much liked D’Angelo, because of his diversity and the emotional conflict he brought. Stringer is also great, and I loved the way he and Avon ruled the Organization, much the same way I imagine Marc Antony and Octavian would rule Rome, had they been able to cooperate.
Conclusion: ll in all, The Wire is not really a cop and robber show, but a show about the city of Baltimore. It’s about what happens when an institution fails, and its repercussions for the rest of the city. Because everything is connected, if one institution fails, its repercussions can cause another to fail as well. Season 1 focuses especially to the vicious cycle of police, criminals and politicians, and how it affects society.
The Wire is not for everyone, of course. I can imagine that some people have a problem with its slow pace, and the fact that it requires your full attention, much like Deadwood. The Wire also possesses a ruthless, unyielding honesty that can be off-putting to some.
In style it can be compared to The Sopranos and Oz.
Anyway, I absolutely love everything about this show, and I consider it to be among the finest television ever made, along with Deadwood, The Sopranos and Battlestar Galactica. I recommend this to anyone who can handle a little grittiness, and enjoy shows with a certain edge. If you liked The Sopranos, Deadwood or Oz, then I’m confident you’ll like The Wire as well.
10/10
Veronica Mars, Season 1 – “Buffy Meets Bogart”
Tuesday, July 8th, 2008They said it was good, but I refused to believe. I paid little heed to its praise, and discarded it as nothing but a “teen drama meets cheesy Nancy Drew detective” show. I eventually grew interested enough, but lacked the courage to actually give it a chance. I need a little extra incentive. And so, when Loki whole.heartedly recommended it to me, I finally gave in, and decided to check out Veronica Mars. And a wise choice it was, because Veronica owns!
The show centers on Veronica Mars – Captain Obvious to the rescue! – , a 17 year old social outcast in the fictional city of Neptune, California, working part-time for her father – a private detective -, officially as an assistant, but unofficially as a investigator.
But hold on, we’re forgetting something important here, namely the background story! Because the background story practically defines the plot of the first season.
Six months prior to the premiere, Veronica Mars’ life collapsed when her best friend and daughter of the most powerful man in Neptune, is found brutally murdered. Keith Mars – local sheriff and Veronica’s father – accuses Lilly’s father of the deed, resulting in the Mars family’s near destruction. Veronica’s mother abandons them, Keith loses his job and Veronica loses her friends.
Fast-forward to present day, the supposed murderer – Abel Koontz – awaits his fate on death row, Veronica is a constant target for abuse and ridicule, and the remainders of the Mars family continues to be friendless.
Neptune appears to have moved on from the Lily Kane tragedy, but there is something rotten in the city of Neptune! New evidence begin to surface that casts doubt on the guilt of Abel Koontz. Naturally, Veronica take interest in the case, and begins to unravel all the dirty little secrets.
This is the premise of the first season of Veronica Mars.
The show focuses on Veronica’s struggles and social life at Neptune high, her investigations at her behest of her father’s, or – what remains – of – her friends, and the Lilly Kane murder mystery. The show follows a 1 case per episode pattern, with every episode – as far as I remember – tying into the overall season plot.
I compared the show’s structure to “Dexter” in this post, a comparison I still stand by. Though Veronica’s narrations are unquestionably lighter than Dexter’s.
The show can also be compared to “Buffy” – as evident from the title of this post -, in terms of main character, humour, style and dialogue.
Both shows maintains a witty dialogue, as well as a similar, very geeky humour – which I absolutely love – . Also, I somehow felt there was a tad similar dynamic amongst both main characters’ circle of friends.
The show features several interesting character, especially Veronica Mars played by Kristen Bell, who practically makes this show, and is reason enough to watch the series. She’s funny, smart, attractive and she’s got an iron will.
But don’t worry, there are other as well, such as Keith Mars portrayed by Enrico Colantoni, who – in my opinion – fits perfectly in the role of Veronica’s father. Logan Echolls is also a funny character, despite the fact that he’s a complete douche. Weevil was pretty cool as well.
I liked the concept of the medicated Duncan Kane, through the other aspects of the character was mediocre at best.
Clarence Wiedman was also pretty interesting, despite his limited screen-time.
I think the show’s main strengths is its main character, dialogue and its fast paced, often geeky humour – Which I, again, absolutely love – . That, and a strong season plot, interlinked with individual cases for each episodes.
Veronica Mars is very well produced, featuring a decent score and an intro that really got stuck in my head. Seeing as this is public television, there is no profanity, nudity or graphic violence, but these are not things I missed from this show – well, perhaps the profanity.
My main gripes with this show is my disagreement with the execution of some of the content, and a season finale that – in my opinion – somewhat that failed to satisfy.
The finale does not not weigh the show down much, though, as Veronica mars does not rely as much on the murder mystery as, say, “Dexter”. And the overall quality of the show remains very solid.
Anyway, that concludes my attempt at a review of this superb TV-show. I apologise for delaying this post, mys only excuse is that I’m a slacker of th worst sort.
And, in an attempt to rate:
9/10
And There Was Much Rejoicing
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008Over 20 years ago, the Priests of Morloth convened within the the chambers of the Temple of the Damned, to discuss and interpret these recent signs and portents. Some suggested that Morloth would finally emerge to claim the world that was rightfully His. Others feared that Thyrn, God of Light, would descend upon the earth to lay His Judgement upon the Damned.
But by the end of the day, when the light of the Sun crept back, they all agreed. Something terrible was Born. And so, the Priests of Morloth knew that they balanced upon the edge of a blade, a blade that would mean either Doom or Salvation.
As the clouds parted, the earth trembled and the sky opened up, threatening to unleash a furious light, the Priests of Morloth huddled in darkened corners, chanting their incantations, praying that Morloth’s Salvation would come at last. Then… there was silence.
Dramatic nonsense aside, It’s actually my birthday today. Getting older is no picnic, I – and almost everyone else – can tell you that.
Becoming 20 was great, it’s a round number, and for some reason it is considered the ideal age. But becoming 21? Well, you realise it’s only going one way from here on out. It’s all downhill from here, folks!
On the other hand, it feels great! Who the hell wants to be 20 forever? Apart from those really sad middle-aged people you see hanging out at the trendy clubs. Or people who never dares to stop drinking or partying, because it’s the only thing they have left to cover up the fact that they are a just a complete douche.
No, getting older feels good. Despite the fact that society has a lot of expectations of me, and that I don’t fulfill any of them, I still feel pretty good.
My birthday wishes are these: That the Kimbo inside me remains strong.
That I will soon get my hands on a proper PC.
That part 1 of the 4th season of “Battlestar Galactica” will hit the shelves as soon as possible, and that I’ll love it.
That Sci-Fi channel picks up “Firefly”.
That Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis and Neil Gaiman never stops writing. T
hat season 4 of “Lost” will hit the shelves soon, and that they don’t ruin the mystery.
That Diablo III will be great.
That McCain will lose the November election.
And that I will always have a book to read, a show to watch, and a game to play.
I’m not much of a celebrator, so today will be relatively quiet, save for my brother and perhaps a few friends visiting.
Hopefully someone will give me a pretty good movie to watch. The Movie-Ghost has been kind lately, and blessed me with good films such as “Juno” and “Charlie Wilson’s War”. Something along those standards would be pretty neat for a present.
And with that, I conclude this self-glorifying birthday post, and leave you to your affairs.
Oh, and by the way, next post will be about a TV-series. I swear!
The Lord of Terror Has Risen
Saturday, June 28th, 2008
You need to have flashplayer enabled to view this YouTube videoYou need to have flashplayer enabled to view this YouTube video
I will have to direct your attention to this earlier blog post of mine Because these recent news just confirm my theories and everything I wrote there.
What am I talking about, you ask? Well, simply This: Blizzard has officially announced today that a sequel to the award winning and critically and commercially acclaimed Diablo II is currently in development!
Official site can be found here.
Here is the official cinematic teaser:
So far only two character classes has been confirmed, namely the Barbarian and the Witch Doctor. The Barbarian should be known to players of the previous installment. The Witch Doctor, however, is more of a mystery.
Here’s a sample of Barbarian gameplay. As in the previous installment, the Barbarian relies on cold steal and physical prowess to survive in combat. As evident from the video, the Barbarian has several Area of Effect attacks in his repertoire, such as a jump attack that covers a lot of distance, as well as annihilates a group of enemies. It’s slightly similar to Charge or Intercept from World of Warcraft only 50 times cooler.
A shockwave attack that deals damage to enemy targets in a line.
A cleaving attack similar to Cleave from World of Warcraft, that does damage to at least 2 enemies per swipe. This ability may be passive, rather than active.
A ground stomp, that disarms enemies of their shields.
And a whirlwind attack similar to, well.. Whirlwind from World of Warcraft.
Here’s a sample of Witch Doctor gameplay. Not much is known to me about this class, except for a few abilities he possesses. One of them is the ability to summon pets, as well as amplifying their strengths.
As evident in the video, the Witch Doctor also appears to possess magical melee and Area of Effect attacks.
It also seems he has a few debuffs up his sleeves, such as curses and/or diseases Which makes sense, I mean he is a Witch Doctor.
As with the previous installment, online gaming will take place on battle.net
Take a gander at a few official screenshots here:
The atmosphere of the previous installments remains intact in Diablo III
A Bridge Too Far
The Witch Doctor making house calls
As I said, Diablo III appears to maintain the much-loved “Diablo atmosphere”, and it’ll be interesting to see how the story evolves, and how well it connects with the already-very-solid mythology. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a lot of new books expanding upon the Diablo universe. It’s simply the Blizzard way.
Here’s 10 minutes worth of gameplay footage:
As you can see, Diablo III also maintains the essence of the Hack & Slash, action role-playing game that was Diablo II. The overview camera, the very similar, yet improved interface, the dungeons, the combat and the overall gameplay all appears to contain the Diablo essence.
I’m looking forward to learning more about the new features, as the already revealed additions such as weapon enchants and environment interaction, sounds promising.
Watching the Barbarian slaughter his way through the tombs with such prowess and mobility, feeds the Kimbo inside me!
I find myself looking enormously forward to this game, and will await further information with great anticipation. It’s been at least four years since I played Diablo 2 properly, maybe it’s time to re-install and level a character? Perhaps say.. Barbarian?
Kimbo laughs with malevolent glee
You see what I mean? These only lend further proofs to my theories, and validates everything I wrote In this post! It’s all there! It’s all there, I tell you!
Anyway, with that being said, I conclude this mad ramble and leave you to your sanity.
By the way, I originally intended this as a “Veronica Mars” or “Eating my own Words” post, but decided to postpone t a day or so, after Blizzard made their announcement today.
“This place is thick with the stench of ghouls“.
Penny Arcade Quotation
Thursday, June 5th, 2008“Mr. Devil: You are hereby ordered to cease and desist the use of Blizzard trademarks Diablo, Hell and Evil in promoting your damned realm of eternal suffering”
-Letter
“Great. Now I have to print all new business cards”
-Satan, Prince of Darkness, First of the Fallen, Lord of All Things Unholy.. you get the idea. 
The Boondocks, Season 1
Saturday, May 24th, 2008When Robert Jebediah Freeman decides to move to the predominantly white suburbia of Woodcrest, to live out his twilight years in peace and quiet, his grandsons, Huey and Riley are somewhat less than enthusiastic.
This is the basis for the animated series based on the comic of the same name, by Aaron McGruder.
Huey, the 10 year old revolutionary activist, is distraught to live so far away from the “real struggle”, among rich white people, who usually proves to be ignorant in regards to racial matters. With a perceptive eye and a venomous toungue, he serves as the main narrator of the series.
The 8 year old Riley, on the other hand, is the complete opposite, caring nothing for his brother’s revolutionary ideals, valuing in stead the ideals of “thug life”, and idolizing Tony “Scarface” Montana and various gangsta rappers.
Granddad is a former civil rights activist, and has been affiliated with prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks. However, he has left his days of activism behind, wishing only to fit in, and along with Riley merely scoffs at Huey’s activism.
Other characters include their black neighbor Tom DuBois, his white wife, Sarah and their bi-racial daughter, Jazmine. Ed Wuncler Sr, a capitalist who’d give Ebenezer Scrooge a run for his money, Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy, two gun-loving “wiggas” (And a parody of George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld.), and Uncle Ruckus, a self-loathing African-American, with nothing but contempt for the black man, and admiration for the white man.
The Boondocks is a highly satirical and politically incorrect show, that raises issues like racism, discrimination, social structure and foreign politics without mercy. Though you would think that the show would be most critical against whites, and “white culture”, the most venomous of criticism is actually directed at modern African-American culture. Aaron McGruder does not shy away from the most controversial topics, keeps the show up to date to counter his own critics.
The show features numerous references which may or may not be known to you. One of the reasons (I think) for why the strip stopped running in the Norwegian issue of Gary Larson’s Far Side, was the staggering amount of footnotes, which was a result of American politics and popular culture references unknown to most non-Americans. However, this has been lessened in the series, and most references should hit home.
If you are a fan of the comic strip, you will note that there are some differences in the series. Some of the main differences are the exclusion of Huey’s best friend, Caeser (Although, there are rumors of his introduction in a third season) the more prominent focus on Riley and Granddad, the inclusion of characters such as Uncle Ruckus, Ed Wuncler Sr, Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy, and the lack of focus on Jazmine’s struggle with racial identity.
The Boondocks avoids the “moral at the end” syndrome (Where everyone “gets it”, or everything “works out” at the end) that plagues so many shows these days. It refrains from the childishness that is unfortunately prominent in shows like “South Park” and “The Simpsons”.
These elements, combined with an excellent soundtrack, and superb animations, partially inspired by Japanese anime (But without the childish over-exaggeration that taints many anime shows), makes The Boondocks the best animated show. Ever.
Among my favorite episodes are “Return of the King”, “Granddad’s Fight” and “The Trial of R. Kelly”.
Anyway, I can whole-heartedly recommend this show, along with the comic strip, and I assure you it will be worth your while. The books can be found at Outland (At least the one in Bergen).
Free Jolly Jenkins!