Physics-Based Prizes

Had to run out briefly last night with Lego for some electrical cables, and, after checking out, I noticed I had a few quarters in my pocket, and, by god!, there was a claw machine that took quarters right by the exit.

You guessed it, bitches. Totally would've made Gordon Freeman proud, natch solving this physics-based puzzle off the break. (First try, for cereal.)


I think I may have gotten something out of a claw machine maybe once before, as a kid, in a bowling alley, after multiple tries. Don't know what possessed me to attempt this one, but, hell, it seemed relatively impressive at the time.

Awww, Doggums!

Big Sis Prinny has been bugging me for awhile to recruit Dogmeat in Fallout. I've been trying to avoid NPCs for the most part, as I'm really more of a lone wolf. However, in trying to establish a respectable energy weapons collection, I endeavored to add the unique Laser Pistol Smuggler's End to have 'longside A321's Plasma Rifle. Elder Lyons' safe contained the elusive weapon, and unfortunately this time through I lacked both the 100 level Lockpick or Science skill to crack it. A quick trip to Scrapyard and a fast travel to the Citadel later, I am in possession of the desired scifi sidearm. Now where's that Alien Blaster...


Damn, I'm looking good. Tesla Armor FTW. (Oh, btw, that's A321's Plasma Rifle pictured. This was still at Scrapyard.)

Relo

The decision came down to relocate the cabinet to the retro basement room (as opposed to the fluff and fold facility). Good a time as any to make a few mods, since the control panel and CRT had to come out to move it. The CPU and transcoder were placed inside the enclosure on a newly constructed shelf, and the lower front panel has been fabricated, with a fixed piece at the bottom, and an access door hinged to swing downwards. Oh, and the I-Pac has (hopefully) been chemically adhered in a more permanent fashion now, too. How many more finishing touches will happen before the New Year's? You may just have to show up to find out.

After putting everything back, I enlisted the ladies for some quality assurance. Worked perfect first time!


Aside: Afterwards, Lego and I tested the unit with some SF Alpha 3. That crafty bastard managed to find a way out of my corner trap, and stole the best of three with his vanilla Ryu. Grrr...

Put Me in the Pocket

From: Killa
Sent: 11:17 PM Sat, Dec 27
To: Legoman

P00000*00*000000000\000**0$0#
*0*00*000+00
0**000000$*\*000*00*0*

00
0000000*

From: Legoman
Sent: 11:18 PM Sat, Dec 27
To: Killa

WTF!

From: Legoman
Sent: 11:31 PM Sat, Dec 27
To: Killa

what the hell did that msg say. was that a binary solo?

From: Killa
Sent: 11:48 PM Sat, Dec 27
To: Legoman

Z

From: Keif
Sent: 1:18 AM Sat, Dec 27
To: Killa

Are u ok? u keep calling.

Dream Crusher

(I have a lot of FO3 stuff to discuss, this is just a tidbit.)

An interesting perk I missed out on: Dream Crusher. Ran across this while digging up Pipboy icon images for a cap I'm devising. I'm a big proponent of the Wasteland Survival Guide quest, but it turns out you get a pretty cool perk if you talk Moira out of the whole thing, too. Not only does this reduce an enemy's critical chance against you by half, but you get a 30% discount at Craterside and Moira's repair skill will be higher than if she was wasting her time writing the damn thing. Who knew?

Please be sure to weigh that against all the optional bonuses from the Survival Expert.

We're So Close

While I was off attending to other urgent matters (read: affection-hoarding), Pity and Lego got to work Sunday. They reinforced the monitor shelf for the newly donated CRT, mounted the control box, and installed some motherfucking badass hinges on the panel for easy maintenance and access to the keyboard. (I need to remove it at least once more to silicone the I-Pac permanently.) We had a guest from out of town last night that was oblivious to the project (obviously not a KB devotee), so to show off we ran power and reconnected all of the components. Leaving something looking a bit like this:


One issue arose, though. No sound. As much I wanted to blame my less than pristine speakers, there seemed to be something more complex afoot. After consulting with the Software Engineer (oddly enough the visitor's bro!), I pulled and reseated the soundcard, to no avail. Turns out I needed to disable the integrated sound on the PC's Bios which apparently had reset itself since the unit had been unpowered for a while during the recent transition. Apparently our mobo needs a new battery... Easy fix once determined, though.

There was quite a bit of enjoyment had on the old beast last night, and a lot of very positive feedback from the uninitiated which is always very encouraging. I do believe we will have the unit completed before the New Year, especially with some significant distractions temporarily out of the picture. We need to tilt the monitor back to align with the cabinet's structure, and properly secure the angle. Though there is some talk of looking into a newer, and sharper CRT... Beyond that, we need to complete the monitor surround, properly mount the speakers in the over hang panel, and build the light box with whatever logo is chosen.

Additionally we need to construct a lower shelf for the CPU, and run a permanent power supply. Then affix the front door on some hinges, assure some ventilation to the inner goings on, and perchance build it a proper base. There originally was talk of locking casters, but, unexpectedly, the height feels perfect at this point. May need to reconsider...

Oh yeah, keep forgetting to say here and in person that Lego has really been all over the painting. The entire project has transpired without me ever having to pick up a roller, and for that I am forever in his debt. He's been so on top of it, I haven't even had to think about it.

And apparently, this is a popular game for some of you out there...


Double barrel jump, ftw. Anyways, we also need to decorate the bitch. As I mentioned we'll have to select some nice marquee art; I'm leaning towards XMvSF. Another popular suggestion is a Pac Man runner along the vertical elevation of the control panel, possibly with one character at each position and the requisite pellets filling in betwixt. Still a lot of ideas for the sides, too. Anybody know where to get cut vinyl?

Fail

Pac Man tattoos are almost always a good idea. But this one... no, no... not a good idea.


No one should love Ms. Pac Man this much...

The Very Definition of Inane

This thing, about which I am about to talk, is so specific that I will go ahead and tell you now that there is no point in reading it.

I'll be talking a little today about one of my custom stages in SSBB, which, for the record, are: Boxed In (the high percentage training ground/tribute to Sudden Death), Twin Towers (edge-centric homage to the One Plane Theory), Killadelphia and Killadelphia 1.1. Killadelphia began as an interpolation of Hyrule Temple, and 1.1 is a slight revision.

I believe this phenomenon occurred in the original Killadelphia in a match between myself (as Meta Knight) and Lego (as DK). KP has a horizontally moving platform very near the top of the playing area, mostly centered. Lego and I were battling it out in the lower "hallway" of the stage when I snagged the ugly ape in a grab dead center, directly below the chasm splitting the upper level.

(Btw, it would help if you were familiar with Meta or Kirby's up throw.)

Anyways, the up throw ended on the moving platform, and the resultant bounce sent DK off the top and careening into the background. It was actually very reminiscent of Lego's Bowser special grab set up on Corneria, if you're feeling me. Anyways, due to the size of KP, in a one-on-one match you would have to blindly attempt this kill, as you can not see said platform from the nether regions of the stage. Was gia-intense in the heat of the moment, anyways.

I'm pretty sure this was OG KP, as KP1.1 I don't believe has the necessary platform, though in general I greatly prefer the nuances of 1.1, specifcally the lower hallway dynamics, the left side edge overhang, and the especially quirky inability to edge grab the upper right ledge. I think I may devise a 1.2 with the platform, and the lower left edge built into a wall (if possible) to allow Lucario (and other wall grabbers) to return from the point of (otherwise) no return. (...)

Will see if I can snag a screenshot next time to illustrate, because I'm sure this is 99% gibberish to 99% of you. So, yeah, Lego, HC13, this one was mostly for you (and me).

Supervisors

From: Killa
Sent: 8:39 PM Fri, Dec 12
To: Legoman

Hey you getting any work done mofo?

From: Legoman
Sent: 9:12 PM Fri, Dec 12
To: Killa

im managment, i dont touch boxes i just give directions

Throwing Signs and Taking Names...

(...and some Carpentry)

Work continues! Pity (in the flesh) assisting us last night, his enthusiasm tangible. We've reinforced the back of the frame with some battens left over from last Sunday's show, and installed the monitor shelf. We also cut and began to assemble the control panel box. We haven't had any issues with the controls in a while, so I'm not too worried about sealing it up.

Gotta get a TV... Gotta get a TV...

Oh, and Keif, sorry about the dust!

FYI

From: Big Sis Prinny
Sent: Tue 12/09/08 12:06 PM
To: Killa

Sorry I keep bombarding you with e-mails today. Anyway, I was looking at Kotaku's annual gift guide, nothing much good on it this year, but it mentioned Udon's The Art of Capcom, which I gave you last year (I think). Check it out, it looks like it has appreciated in value. I just thought that was funny.

-BSP

Created a Monster..

From: Hardcore13
Sent: Thu 12/11/08 2:00 PM
To: Killa

I KICKED ASS IN SMASH BROS LAST NIGHT.
More specifically, you and [Legoman]'s asses.

::victory dance::

-HC13

Crazy Delicious

+

We're getting there... Proof of concept, now a framework... Completion is imminent!

Srsly?

So, yeah, just saw this glowing review for a dryer power cord.

Product Reviews

Overall Rating: 5/5

Sweet Dryer Cord, May 14, 2008
By boredatwork from Cuba, New Mexico

"Sears has done it again!!! This dryer cord is the best dryer cord I have ever owned. Where other cords come short, this 4' cord stretches to meet the demand. I cannot get over the amazing craftsmanship that Sears put into making this dryer cord a reality. Great job Sears. Have a pat on the back."

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
(Report Inappropriate Review)

Like, omg, are you for cereal? I mean, either it works or it doesn't. "Stretches to meet the demand"? Is it four feet or not? I mean, wtf? No, this review was not helpful to me. I think boredatwork from Cuba, NM may have an alternating current fetish or something...

Closer

I came home the other day to find this in the basement.


This, and a very cross Legoman with an ultimatum, to get some stuff done on the next phase of the Mame cabinet, or else. I began to inquire or else what, and was subsequently threatened with a knife.

Beginning to feel the gravity of the situation, I enlisted the aid of the Software Engineer, who regrettably has the least fun pseudonym of any of my usual cohorts. After deeming the first prospective box too archaic (read: coal-burning) to be used reliably even with a new HDD, we cannibalized the recently unemployed box which it turns out uses IDE anyways. My consultant then began to unleash a brand of Technologic far and beyond my own software comprehension, flying through screen after screen of terminal text while I merely sat idly by and chatted up Mojo about the bailouts.

(Btw, Mojo thinks the automakers should go suck a dick.)

Casual recollection aside, Josh (aka the Software Engineer) installed Ubuntu Linux on the new drive, grabbed a bunch of Mame and frontend apps (eventually AdvanceMame and AdvanceMenu), as well as a few items to help us map the controls. We snagged my rom collection from the old drive and dragged it over as well. We then relocated the machine to the basement. Ooh, and then we had Angelico's!

By the end of Sunday, we were here:


The Debugging stage. Yes, we have most of the pieces working together properly. The arcade controls are running through the I-Pac, into the computer, which is outputting through the transcoder to a CRT we happened to have already, and then throughputting to the LCD you see next to the control panel. And, yes, you can play games on it, which we did solely for debugging purposes. Player 3's and Player 4's fourth button isn't functioning, so I'm going to borrow a multimeter to check out those terminals. We had to make sure we switched the joysticks from four way to eight way for proper fighter operation as well.

We've still got some control issues to resolve, a CRT to procure, and a cabinet to build, but we are definitely past the proof of concept stage.

How you like me now, bitches?

Far Out

(Always with the Engrish puns...)

So, yeah. Bandwagon or not, I'm calling it: Fallout is Game of the Year.

I haven't played LBP, or Fable 2, granted. And yes, in my heart of hearts (read: aorta) I really liked Guns of the Patriots more. But sometimes you just know. I don't know my playtime off the top of my head, but I've barely begun to scratch the surface.

I didn't play Oblivion, though I did watch Big Sis Prinny play it a bit, so comparisons are not completely lost on me. Yes, it is very similar to that game, but, to me, it feels exactly like something else. It feels exactly like the original Fallout. All the little gameplay nuances, character interaction, inventory management, quest structure, the perks... I think they could remake the first game with this modern tech and do it proud.

Every time I sit down to play I just want to keep playing longer. Go check out that next location, go finish that next quest. I just keep wanting to go do stuff. My current karma ranking is the positive Urban Avenger, not due to some intrinsic want to do good in the Capital Wasteland, but just from the way I see quests through to their logical conclusions. Sure, I'll blow up Megaton, but only after I complete every single last motherfucking mission and steal everything that isn't bolted down in that shithole crater.

I get the feeling I'll be playing this one for a long time... Might still be playing it when it sweeps the various GotY contests.

HL2Ep3 Concept Wallpaper for Mobiles

Slow day...

Put together a nifty wallpaper for the Instinct with one of the scant pieces of Half-Life 2: Episode 3 concept art featuring ApSci's frozen research vessel Borealis. What say you, critical masses?


Oh, and since I'm the only motherfucker with an Instinct, here's a 480x320 version for you iPhone and G1 users. You're welcome.

Strong and Natural

Anybody else seen this Red Bull Cola?

Picked it up last night for the commute in this morning. Not bad at all. I, of course, didn't notice any stimulant effect, but it had a pretty distinct taste for a cola. All natural ingredients. Why, take a look at the list yourself:

Coca Leaf, Kola Nut, Lemon, Lime, Clove, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pine, Corn mint, Galangal, Vanilla, Ginger, Mace, Cocoa, Licorice, Orange, Mustard Seeds, and Caffeine from Coffee beans.

Damn, yo. I highly recommend it. I bet it would be good with some Jack...

Saturday Night

From: Big Sis Prinny
Sent: Sun 11/16/08 7:42 AM
To: Killa

Went out to Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring with Josh and some of his friends (and Grace, I believe she texted you). Drank a cup of grog and six Jaegerbombs. Went back to Josh's house and drank three glasses of champagne. Then proceeded to score 1 million points in Rock Band 2 singing "Give It Away" on expert.

We went on to play Don't Fear the Reaper.

"OMG GUYS SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP COWBELL SOLO"

donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk
donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk
donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk
donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk donk

"WOOOOOOOO"

Just wanted to share.

(The group of us ran up like a $300 bar tab, though to be fair that included some meals. I'd be hanging my head this morning, if it weren't for the awesome RBII score.)

-BSP

Dis Killa. Teh K.I.L. Initial.

Left 4 Demo

Played the Left 4 Dead Demo last night, the single player portion anyways. Very fun. My keyboard and mouse skills are still clearly not up to snuff, but I managed. The demo encompasses two areas that the survivors must traverse, and this area appeared to contain approximately a kabillion fucking zombies.

And, man, when that spitting zombie spits on you and the sputum, or whatever, attracts the horde, as they call it, wow. Fucking zombies everywhere, yo. The large zombie boss known as the Tank made for a really exciting moment as well. I go to head up an escalator in the subway station with my team, and immediately start backpedaling as he rushed down on us. Intensity.

And the opening video is really fucking cool, too.

(How's that for articulate?)

Only 9 hours left to vote in the Ice Climbers poll!!! Let the world know how you feel!

Wiring and Retiring

Yes, we even began wiring tonight. Here we begin the common ground.


Here we have finished wiring. That's Technologic at work.


(Hey Szmajda.) You better get ready. This project has an avalanche of momentum now. Nothing can stop us!

Sleep now. zzz

Cabinet Lee

After a slow start to the day, I arrived back at J Casa to commence work on the Cabinet. Pity and I began work almost immediately.


We wrapped up the cutting and sanding just as we ran out of daylight (Damn you, DST!!) and moved on to installing the controls. We've opted to give 3P and 4P four buttons, as, gosh darnit, we have no idea what game needs four players with six each. Note the Infinity Gauntlet t-shirt Lego is rocking.


Next step is to review the info at Build a MAME Cabinet in 24 Hours and then Get Equipped with Wire Strippers.


I'll keep you posted on how far we get tonight.

Over the Line

I will forewarn you, this is about to be over the line of accepted commentary. Perhaps cryptic haiku will be somehow less offensive.

A Celebration:
Those of all abilities
Nay, a mockery

Celebrating not
The wide range of human skills
Semantic bullshit

Negativity
I am experiencing
Is it, My own fears?

How frail this, my husk
Detesting their weaknesses
Is it hating mine?

W00t! George Sears/James Johnson FTW!

Anyone else standing in a line right now?

Christmas Morning on a November Night

Guess what I'm blogging from, bitches!

Err, Guess from what I'm blogging, scoundrels!

Crysis is on its way via Steam as I type this on my wireless keyboard.

Sorry, sorry. I'll stop.

Kilitical Discussion

Anybody think the Bradley effect is going to show up on Tuesday? I know it's been considered immaterial in modern elections, but we're talking about Pennsyltucky, the Heartland, yo. A lot of rubes out there can be highly susceptible to social desirability bias. And mange for that matter.

If you don't know about wtf I'm talking, go read yourself some Wikipedia and then stop back to comment.

Speaking of polls, don't forget to voice your opinion on Nana and Popo at right.

Lego's Jack-o-Lantern

Now all I need to do is track down his Boo from last year. Mad props, Lego Man. Mad props.

I promise any praise left in comments will reach the creator.

HeBe GB 10/26

Up now! W00t. Go download HeBe GB's set on Dirtbox from Sunday. Special note to the Cali Curse breakdown. It's like I always say, "Dangerous. Motherfucker lives in hell."

Odds and Ends, Proto Edition

On top of what I have just stated in the last post, it's very hard to make progress on the Backloggery when I keep booting up Mega Man 9. Proto Man Mode has gotten significantly more daunting now that the realization has hit me that I need to beat all four Wily stages in one run without the aid of the Shop. The only plausible way of doing this is to start playing through, retaining every E-Tank I come across, stockpiling them until the final run through. I suppose I could forage through the stages I've already beaten, but practicing the Fortress run should make things go more smoothly.

Both polls have closed, and the people have spoken. A chick dressed as Old Snake with Raiden face camo can be hot, and in respect to the minority, yes, it is also pretty complicated. Also, I will retain my PS2 MvC2 copy in the face of an impending downloadable release, though that would have happened regardless of how you voted.

I went to a Dirtbox Radio broadcast on Sunday and saw the illustrious HeBe GB throw down a hot set, littered with some of my old faves. I'll be sure to post the link when the MP3 is available later this week. Of special note is (what I believe to be) the Loxy and Dylan remix of California Curse. I know I'll be rocking that in the S in the very near future. Catching the set did whet my appetite for the old habit, and GB has invited me to practice up and throw down a tag set at some point. An enticing offer I am sure I will take him up on sooner or later.


And after a dominant performance in my awesome absence, I return to AwkSi tonight for hopefully another win over ▲ Force. Four of my core players held it down last week so I could enjoy an extremely successful Happy Hour, so I owe it to them to pull out all the knowledge stops this time. We seem to have a pretty tight stranglehold on first place for our location, barring any trouncings in the coming weeks.

I think that's all. Oh yeah, save yourself $10 and don't see Saw V.

Cabinet Fever

So, yeah. Slow goes it on the Mame cabinet. Lego and I have taken some preparatory steps, but there is not a lot of free time betwixt now and All Saints. Realistically it would be at least another week before we could actually have it functionally running, and likely another week of polish to have the entire piece solid.

You can tell this is our first cabinet, and actually first large scale project of this nature. We've gone with 1/2" MDF, as opposed to the 5/8" and 3/4" specified in a few plans. This is due to availability and the probability that we will not be too hard on the unit. Reinforcing the monitor shelf should alleviate any structural issues, as nothing else in the cabinet should compare to the heft of a CRT.

There is such a flood of other games into the market at the moment, I find myself very distracted from the project. Fallout 3 drops today, and I've been following the media far too closely over the last six months to not pick it up first day. Penny Arcade Adventures finally lands on PSN Thursday as well, and likewise I am too big a fan to hesitate for long. The new PC should be arriving late this week or early next, and that, of course, will be followed by a quick Steam-powered acquisition of Cryzzisis to really evaluate the 9800GX2. Still need to play Bioshock as well; I've been lucky thus far not to have the twist ruined.

These bright shiny new gaming experiences are the competition for the classic Mame action. I know as soon as it is up and operable, a few marathons sessions of Konami's X-Men will be unstoppable. I then will try to steer Keif towards some cooperative Metal Slug. But until I rock the shit out of somebody with a V-ism Custom Combo in Street Fighter Zero 3, it will not have been truly played.

Forgot to mention, MM9 Proto Man Mode, apparently shop disabled. No screws to collect.

Commercial Crossover Equity Crisis

Now there really is a financial crisis with which to be concerned.

Apparently the ESRB has rated Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for release on XBLA and PSN. This forces one to wonder, what will happen to the value of my PS2 version? A quick check on eBay shows the game valued around $90 USD, though a year or two ago it was not uncommon to see a mint copy for $150. Could the general decline in the fighting genre be to blame?

Oddly enough the Dreamcast version (the only arcade perfect port) is running closer to its original price, in the neighborhood of $50. Perhaps the scarcity of the hardware has impacted the popularity of the superior version... Hmm...

Anyways, should I try to sell my copy of MvC2 now? Poll to the right.

Get Equipped with Downloadable Content

Thanks, Downloadable Man!

Despite my comments regarding finishing GTAIV and then attacking Proto Man Mode, I jumped in last night on a whim. I burned through Galaxy Man's planetarium and defeated him without a fatality, but soon ran into the notoriously difficult boulder miniboss en route to Jewel Man.

I've since beaten Jewel Man, which is very convenient considering how much I love Jewel Satellite for Plug Man's stage, but, speaking of stages, what the fuck is up with some of these stages? Sure, Magma Man in a geothermal power plant, I get that. But where the fuck is Concrete Man, a zoo?

Anyways, Proto has the chargeable Proto Buster which is quite handy (which MM didn't have in 9, and originally didn't get until MM4), the evasive slide (which first appeared in MM3), and to my surprise the ability to reflect or absorb projectiles with his shield, which makes dispatching Metools a breeze once you get the timing.

Can't imagine this run through will take me all that long. Knowing the order and all speeds things up quite a bit. I'll let you know how it goes.

Gray Fox

My new haircut from the masterful barbers of Seabrook has left me looking especially dashing in the left temple. Make sure to compliment me next time you see me.

HeBe GB 10/10

Best reprazent. HeBe GB - Dirtbox Radio - October 10th. Check out what you missed.

Cosplay of teh Year

Damn dis bitch is good at dressing up.

I ran into this awesome sauce Old Snake with Raiden Face Camo MGS4 Cosplay over at the House Crescente Built. Lil' Twin and myself both marveled at it, and she was able to confirm it is actually the world's greatest cosplayer Omi Zombie.

Our original debate was whether this was a Raiden cosplay as Kotaku stated, or Old Snake cosplay with aforementioned Raiden Face Camo. (If this doesn't make any fucking sense to you, go play MGS4.) I sided with Kotaku, as when Raiden first shows up in South America Act II, he is donning a trench coat, which he then tosses onto the radome module of one of the Gekkos he decimates.

Bis Sis Prinny turned out to be correct, however, as was evidenced by her own description of the costume. Upon closer inspection, a shirt and tie can be seen as well, which is part of Old Snake's Eastern European disguise.

Definitely check out the rest of her cosplays. Tons of great MGS, especially the Boss, both in her fatigues (with the Sorrow) and in her Sneaking Suit. Teh Awesome. Nice Eva, too. Way better than the skank I got a shot with at PAX. (Sorry, Skank.)


But it begs the question, can a chick dressed as Old Snake or Raiden be hot? Answers to the right, pls.

MM9 Boss Sequence

For anyone that didn't catch this abomination on Final Form, here is my horrendous rendering of the boss order for MM9.

A few additional notes:

Jewel Satellite is teh shit. It's great in Plug Man's stage, and makes the first room of Concrete Man's stage a breeze.

Black Hole Bomb is the weapon of choice against the Magma Dragon Mini Boss, the absolute best way to damage the boss of the third Fortress stage, and very handy against Wily's second form.

I took out both Splash Woman and Jewel Man with just the Mega Buster, but I recommend Galaxy or Hornet for your first target as they are painfully easy to avoid.

(I think as soon as I finish GTAIV, I'm going to purchase/download Proto Man Mode.)

Financial, Crysis

Got a WaMu credit card application in the mail the other day. This other day being the day after WaMu folded/got pwned. The collapse is understandable, though, you know. A big company like that is bound to run into some financial difficulties. I mean, what did they know about managing money, anyways? ... Funny is all, that I would get a credit card application from a company that had gone out of business while the correspondence was in transit. That's the credit crunch for ya, (I guess).

So anyways, as tempting as it was to try and get a Visa branded with a failed bank, I chose to skip the middle man and apply for a Chase card. The primary goals being the acquisition of a new gaming PC to replace the old rig, and the enjoyment of an introductory 0% APR with which to spread out the financial hurt. And when I say "old rig" I mean the POS, totally hijacked, functionally worthless desktop that I haven't turned on in a month.

I haven't even really been a real PC gamer for quite some time, and you can find much more eloquent articles on the idiosyncracies of the modern PC gaming market elsewhere if you're not in the know. Oddly, the game that has been the greatest impetus for obtaining a state-of-the-art system is notorious for being one of the worst culprits in the performance one up-manship racket. That game being Crysis.

That, Left 4 Dead (which doesn't appear to be coming to my console anywhere in the foreseeable future, if ever), and maybe even Starcraft II have whet my appetite for a new box. Here's hoping a Geforce 9800GX2 has what it takes. I can't sell myself on shelling out to crossfire two GX2's, though the option is always out there.

Anyways, I expect to get my Chase card any day now. Let's see how much credit will be afforded to a refusenik such as myself...

New Blog+

It's like starting a new blog, but I get to keep all the experience gained from the last blog!

This is in no way meant as an affront to Final Form, much in the same way as Final Form was not meant as an affront to KMWL. Gaming is still going to be on the front burner, but Killa Blog will have more room set aside for other things that comprise my existence, such as venue anectdotes, MAME cabinet construction, internet memes, and disdain.

Stay tuned!