Michael A. Stackpole Presentation
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Monthly Archives: November 2007
New Cloverfield Trailer – More 1-18-08 News from the Beowulf Lines
For those of you enjoying (or not enjoying, as my friend Jason told me that not only is it anti-Jesus (doing away with heroes) but also there is a distinct lack of “beating you to death with your own severed arm”) the Beowulf rendition by Zemeckis, there’s a new Cloverfield trailer attached to the front.
Here’s the video.
More handicam fun and more pictures of the destruction.
Robert Hopkins leaves a message for someone else who knows what’s up, and some shots from the polaroids are lived out.
Convenience store being thrashed, national guard firing tracers into the sky, and…
They actually list Cloverfield as the title. (Dreadfully mysterious!)
The message displayed on the screen:
Multiple sightings of case designate “Cloverfield” camera retrieved at incident site U.S. 447 Area formally known as “Central Park”
Is that an iPhone Robert holds up to the mirror?
His recorded message:
My name is Robert Hopkins. And possibly seven hours ago something attacked the city. If you found this and you’re watching it then you know more about it than I do.
People evacuating and then guy on phone:
Hello? Beth? Where are you?
People running. Woman yells, “Do not go into the middle of the city!”
“Whatever it is, it’s winning.”
“People are gonna wanna know how it all went down.”
Those soldiers are firing up at something big.
And what monster movie doesn’t have a headless Statue of Liberty and a mass transit vehicle getting jacked?
Bumpin’ Party
The Haiku
You know the party’s
bumpin’ when the companions
come for the luau.
Wii Lego Star Wars Rocks
The Haiku
Gamorrean guards
rock out on their axes to
a metal Imp March.
Wii Remote Covers – Commence Nerd Weekend – Picture Included!
Wonder of wonders, see Stackpole, watch a tumbling bus, and now this! This will definitely help me (mii?) create a good pilgrim Mii.
I will give you the play-by-play of another free Nintendo toy (like Check Mii Out).
1. Kinda chintzy looking, like those jelli sandals from Wal-Greens.
2. Easy to install, once I figured out just how much to bend it based on the picture.
3. Dude, just made it a lot heavier (not the smooth, light white plastic, but also not the big chunk of foam that the original promotional materials made them look to be).
4. Time to try mine out. My daughter is playing Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
5. A little tough to get nunchuck going.
6. Awkward getting used to swinging a lightsaber.
Final verdict: Meh. It’s free, but don’t stress if yours doesn’t come in. Maybe it’ll benefit my 3 year-old daughter later on. Check back in a…whatever. Are these built standard on the new controllers?
Another nerd post – Mythbusters: The Taxi, The Bus, and The Sharks
Jeremy just showed me Wednesday’s super-size episode where the jumbo jet meets the taxi and the bus. Definitely stick around for the bus. (And for Grant’s Keanu impersonation.)
Also, they had a flipping rad foam dolphin (yes, Jamie is a genius…the tail does move, even if it used to be a sofa) that scared away sharks. I’m going to try to find some video. Here’s the wiki.
Sci Fi Dream Come True
The Haiku
Clouds are gathering
And I met Michael Stackpole -
Today was surreal
(I will put up the audio from Stackpole’s presentation (he was totally cool with it) when I have time to make it sound good.)
Adam Monroe = Khan
“As long as I have
breath, everything you love I
will lay to waste.” …Dude.
(The alternative ending word:
)
AZLA Handouts
The Handouts
The Haiku
‘Pages’ in iWork
make me look cooler than in
Stick Guy ‘Publisher’
Heroes is like Snickers
The Haiku
“Four Months Ago” was
satisfying. I was stoked
to see the Big Boom.
Check Mii Out!
Woo! New free WiiWare. Gotta love it. I, indeed, am influenced by the blue glow.
Not only is Super Mario 3 (Raccoon Edition) on Virtual Console, but now the Hot or Not or Miis was released today. I love that there are going to be contests based on themes, not just a meat market.
Heroes – Hot or Not
I find it interesting that my previous article was about the division of East/West Germany and now it’s spiraled to Hot or Not. Well, this Heroes obsession is funny since last week I had no idea that a baby was on the way (okay, so I had some clue). I am intrigued to see what Master Predictor thinks will happen this Monday.
Tell me – Who is Hot or Not?
Who is hotter, West (Claire’s Flying Boy) or Peter (Irish girl’s future protector)
A battle between brothers. Who is hotter, Peter Petrelli (nurse) or Nathan Petrelli (senator)?
Who is hotter, washed-up Nathan or jacked-up Nathan?
Who is blech-ier, Nightmareman Parkman or Heebyjeebyman Sylar?
Who is pluckier, Hiro, Ando, or the Archaeologist?
Who creates more Olsen-esque “You got it, dude!” vibe, Baby Parkman, Molly, or Micah?
Who is a more complex anti-hero, Bob or Adam Monroe (Drunk Kensei)?
Ultimate Showdown
Who is the hottest guy on Heroes, Suresh, Peter, or Alejandro’s Warden?
Yes, Alison, I write this to entertain you.
The Haiku
No, I am not so
obsessed with the whole Hot/Not;
I laugh at myself.
Split Iraq and East/West Germany
I just saw Obama on ‘Meet the Press’ and I got thinking about similarities between a split Iraq and a split Germany after World War II.
- Sanctions broke down
At the end of World War I, sanctions against Germany broke down and led to animosity/blame/fuel for a madman. These sanctions were meant to limit/control Germany. In Iraq it’s a war of ideals, not just economics. Pocketbooks don’t matter as much (something we may forget in our comfort). - The dictator factor
- A now free people that’s not really free
- Yes, now I can live my life how I want to.
- No, life was better how I was used to.
- Woo! Waa! That feels good; let’s go crazy!
- The rules of not discussing religion and politics at dinner
- Let’s not add legitimacy
Crazy people should not be running a country. No matter how Hobbit-ish I may think Ross Perot looks (even if Hobbits have a simpler heart to withstand the temptation of The One Ring), crazy people are not good at making decisions that benefit the whole. Hussein would still be in power if not for the Iraq war; Hitler (if not assassinated) would still be in power in Germany if not for World War II.
The Soviet Union moved right in, as well as the U.S., French, and British forces. A people who have been held down by a “supreme” figure then having that thumb lifted off of them react in a couple of different ways:
I would like to pause right now to wonder what it would be like if we had not joined with France and the U.K. A French side of the Berlin wall… [insert French joke here]
If we divided by religious trends, it might look like this.
Yes, there are people dying to preserve democracy, but religions in general create more martyrs. Fighting to protect your communist side is a little different than securing your eternal whatever. But both Germany and Iraq have strong beliefs coursing through their veins
Ideas fighting ideas is at the core, but when it’s just neighborhoods/regions it’s deplorable. When it’s country versus country, it’s an official act of congress/leadership. Us versus Them takes on the face of national pride.
I’ll be interested to see if a wall gets built or not. I’m also interested at how involved the U.S. is openly versus covertly and the resulting effect.
Great toys
Jeremy passed on some Peter sites to me:
40 Free (Actually Stylish) Fonts
and
Pixels-to-Vectors – Now I can make giant murals without any image loss.
Uglies: The Movie
Some exciting news if you are a fan of Scott Westerfeld.
MSG Your Quotes Away
I find it funny that I did some Internet research for my wife’s grandma (who’s staying with us) to figure out menu ingredients and I end up finding unnecessary quotes on Charleston’s ‘Ribs “N” Chicken Combo’ (for $16.99).
For your information: If you are allergic to MSG or any “oxylyzed/hydroligyzed/yomamalized” products, a grilled chicken breast is better than an oven roasted chicken. Whole chickens are more at risk for being pumped with steroids on the farm versus chickens raised just for their breasts (a sentence I’ve never typed before).
The Haiku
Charleston’s tempura
and the blackening seasons
contain MSG.
Unnecessary Quotation Marks
It comes full circle. While reading Moby’s online journal, I ran across Peter’s favorite site.
Moby and his Free License music for indie film makers
The musician Moby has just released free music to use in independent and student films (like, oh, an iMovie). At the site http://www.mobygratis.com/film-music.html
you have a chance to log in to access the music. If you ever start to make money from your film projects, there’s an easy royalty plan where you donate some money to the Humane Society. Kinda cool!
Reese’s Whipped
My friend Mike’s mother-in-law is in advertising for Reese’s new product, Reese’s whipped. Now, awkward “Whipped and proud of it!” mother-in-law-given shirt aside, I intend to give you a heads up on the new candy.
Bar is most like…
in shape: Snickers. This isn’t your cup anymore, Toto. Fat bar, comin’ up!
in smell:Baby Ruth. I know, weird, but I think the funky materials used to make it are the same ones that Funky Ruth packages are made from.
in gimmick: Nasty Potato Chips. “40% less fat”? Oh, thank you advertising firm! Thank you for finally making a slab of chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter that is so healthy for me! Mike used to lecture me on my eating habits of dipping Twizzlers into a 5 lb. tub of peanut butter stored on the top of my dorm room closet. Not a good “right before bedtime” snack, says the once and future wrestler, but I come to find out the 40% is comparing it to Milky Way.
in Pokemon:
Swellow. Because he’s of the wind and this candy uses air attacks. And it tastes like a jacked-up marshmallow. Mellow Swellow…Jello?
in essence:Milky Way. Soft nouget (not Lance-related) with caramel and all that.
This time, though, instead of a nouget you get a frothy peanut butter hybrid. It actually tastes pretty good. It’s lighter than Milky Way and, even though it’s probably contrary, does taste not-quite-as-deadly/manufactured as a Milky Way.
Where Milky Way Wins
1. Any reference to outer space/bounty hunters is better to being controlled by your wife/slavery
2. Trusted taste that won’t remind you of Easter candy left by El Conejito
Where Whipped Wins
1. If you are a fan of Devo
2. If you want a light candy bar that is hip and trendy
in Haiku:
For a tasty treat
Put the Reese’s Whipped in the
for crunchy snacks
Massive Haikus
I realize that
when you have had haikus for
most of the mornings
it may be scary
when you don’t see a blog since
Sunday Booyor might
have perished in an
asteroid attack or a
wild wampa stampede
But you need not fear.
No, Underdog is not here;
instead there’s a new
baby in the house.
What is different this time?
Sleep already left.