January 2009

I‘m always mentioning NetFlix in my posts.  What can I say…I just love it.  I think their system works so well and they have a great selection.  Most of all, it’s the convenience that really does it for me.  Being a huge NetFlix fan, I often read the official blog or Hacking NetFlix.  Well, now I’ve discovered a fun website that lets me totally geek out over my NetFlix viewing habits.  It’s called FeedFlix and it’s like a tiny accountant that goes through your NetFlix account and instantly comes back to you with spiffy charts and interesting information.

Once you link your NetFlix account with FeedFlix, you’ll have cool graphs which show you your relative cost per movie, your average time to return DVD’s and your DVD returns by week.  Geek Sugar has some pictures of what these look like in their write-up if you’re curious.  But it doesn’t stop at a few charts…you get a plethora of NetFlix info.  It will show you such stats as what percent of FeedFlix users pay less than you per movie, your total number of DVD’s returned and how many films you see per month.  It even takes into account your Instant Watch movies but it also breaks things down so you can see how much you are paying per film with or without the Instant Watch titles.  The page it creates for you is also an easy way to see what films are next in your queue, what Instant Watch movies you have seen and so on.  You can even see all of your movie reviews on one page if you like.

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Remember when you were young(er), playing those games that you thought were so awesome? Have you ever gone back to those games later in life to realize that they aren’t quite as awesome as you remembered?

It’s okay, you can admit to it, we’ve all done it! I’m sure I have spent more than my fair share of money on those Wii Virtual Console games only to realize I don’t even like the game and will probably never play it ever again. Such is life…

To help you out in your search for nostalgia (or even just introducing you to games you may have missed on), over my next few articles, I’m going to go over a few old games that still kick ass, in no particular order.

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I was browsing around YouTube when I discovered this clip.  It’s not exactly new…it was filmed in 1988 to be precise.  But I promise, it’s entertaining as heck, especially if you had as much fun with your C64 back in the day as I did.  The video is a clip from Computer Chronicles, which was a very cool show focusing on all things computer related that started way back in 1982.  This particular clip focuses on the awesome power of the Commodore 64…and I do mean awesome!  Sure, it can run spreadsheets, databases and even desktop publishing programs.  But, wow, this thing can even run programs that freaking help you make sweaters!  I’m not kidding…just check about 6 minutes into this vid.  Can your fancy new computer help you make sweaters?  I doubt it.

Man, I love watching these Computer Chronicles videos because they’re such an awesome trip down nostalgia lane.  It’s really a great resource for learning more about the fascinating history of computers and seeing some of the pioneers of the computer world.   And there’s plenty more than just that one video out there.  Part 2 of the C64 series teaches us not only how to use a computer to purchase alcohol but shows us the classic Skate or Die!  Remember that one?  But, hey, perhaps you want something more modern!  Well, how about Jay Leno at the Windows 95 launch?

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My review of The Beast with A Billion Backs was somewhat negative as I was disappointed in the film and thought the Futurama folks could have done better.  But I was encouraged to see the third DVD, Bender’s Game, by fans who thought it was a better film.  Well, I’m glad I listened, because I definitely did enjoy this movie.

As the film begins, prices for dark matter are rising rapidly as Mom makes the most of her monopoly on the substance to rack up record profits.  Meanwhile, Bender attempts to play Dungeons & Dragons with Cubert and the other kids but is having trouble releasing his imagination.  Slight spoilers ahead (though obvious from the trailer): These storylines meet as Bender’s tale becomes a Mazes and Monsters parody and the Futurama crew is thrown into a fantasy realm.  Be aware though, it takes quite some time to get to the point where Fry and the gang are actually in a fantasy world.

Let me mention a few of the negatives first.  Some of the side plots are not really resolved in the usual effective manner.  I would say Bender’s Big Score had a more tightly woven plot driving the film.  I also think some of the slapping jokes with Mom and the three kids get old fast.  There are a few other comedic misfires (including the very last scene of the movie which I didn’t find that funny). But…

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Hey, folks, it’s Karnatos here with the usual Friday post.  It was pretty much a typical week: lots of bacon, chopping down trees to start a bonfire, watching hockey, coffee from Tim Horton’s and, um, basically being really cold.  Yep, just a typical week in Canada.  As usual, here is some of the really cool stuff I managed to discover in my internet ramblings as posted on my tumblog…

Okay, wait a minute, I can’t do this.  It’s actually your favorite New Yorker Aggro here, not some crazy Canuck.  When Karn told me he was going to be away and unable to do his usual Friday post (probably at a Twilight convention or something), my first thought was, “Anski - prepare to go tumbling down the rabbit hole!”  But Anski said something about just getting engaged and not wanting to risk his life on a journey through the internet.  So matters fell to me…only I have no idea how Karn finds this weird stuff.

Let’s see, I’ll try to get into his mindset.  Buffy, Buffy, Buffy.  Okay, I got that over with, but now what?  Well, I will chug a bottle of maple syrup.  Yes, yes, I can feel it running through my veins and my mind is expanding.  Now to surf the interwebs!  Or rather to haxxor the interwebs?  Yes, Hacking Tools Loading…and where else to begin but YouTube?

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One night last week I found myself at the local cinema-plex, sipping on my ice cold pop, licking the fake butter off my fingers… and waiting for my sanity to return. I was getting ready to watch Twilight for the first time.

On the car ride to the theater, I was really uncertain what I was about to get myself into. I’m a recent Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan… and in my mind, nothing vampire-related could compare to that which is Buffy. I’d seen the slew of rabid Buffy fans crying that Twilight pales in comparison to Buffy, that the show was a mushy romance that just happened to have vampires in it, that the whole book series was craptastic and that people should just do themselves a favor and pass on this whole Twilight hype.

And despite all these thoughts running through my head, here I was, sitting in the dark, sipping away on my drink.

(… and no worries, I’ll stay away from spoilers)

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