3DS

I got a 3DS the other morning since I was off work at an appropriate hour to do so.

To make a long story short, this thing has exceeded my expectations already. So very, very cool.

The 3D effect is pretty stunning and really adds to the visuals in the two games I got. I've never been huge on 3D films, but for games, it seems like a great fit. That extra bit of depths goes a long way in something like Pilotwings.

I'm also blown away by some of the built in features including face raiders, which has you scan people's faces and then play a mini game using the camera. So you're actually moving all around the room aiming at people and shooting them, all the while the background is getting torn up and cracked. Pretty cool.

The AR (Augmented Reality) cards blew me away completely. You place a card on a surface, scan it with the camera and out pops a bunch of crazy shit, like targets you can shoot.

I had it on the kitchen table and it actually morphs it into weird landscapes and shit and the effect is pretty crazy. What really blew my mind was having to stand up and look down INTO a hole in the table it made to shoot a target. I was giddy.

Then there's the pedometer which tracks your steps/earns you coins to spend on unlocking stuff in games.

Also Streetpass. If you have your 3DS sleeping and walk past another person with one they exchange mii data automatically, so you can walk around collecting them and they show up in your plaza with bits of info about where they came from and then you can us them in other games.

It's also integrated into certain games like Ridge Racer, so it scans ghost/time data and you can have streetpass duels.

MADNESS!

I'm extremely impressed with this thing. I was kind of undecided about it for a long time since portable gaming is usually really hit or miss with me, but this thing kind of rekindled the magic.

I guess it's a combination of better visuals/new games/A GODDAMN ANALOG PAD that got to me.

And hey, a new fucking Pilotwings game. It's only been, what? 14 fucking years?

PS. I waited too long to cancel my Amazon Pre-order, so if anyone wants a black model when I get it I'll sell it to you for what it cost minus the shipping ($262)

I don't know how hard they are to find or whatever. But if anyone is interested, let me know, otherwise I'll just return it and get a refund.

Kindle

I guess I should update this thing despite not really having anything at all to say.

I got a Kindle using some of the birthday money I received, because I'd been interested in one for a while.

Despite there now being more alternatives to the Amazon make these days, from what I've seen and read, you'd be hard pressed to top the newer models.

All I knew is that I didn't want something like the Nook Colour, because what's the point? if you're looking to read books on something resembling a tablet, buy a tablet.

And for that reason I knew I wanted an E ink display and is the first time I've ever seen one in person and it is absolutely gorgeous.

...Maybe that's a real weird thing to say about a screen such as this, but I was pretty blown away by how precisely it looks like a printed book. It's fucking dead on and crisp as hell. No glare or any of that shit.


Also surprising (despite reading all the info) is just how small and thin the thing is. Great design.

I guess I mainly wanted one in order to boost the time I spend reading, and also much like digital music or any other digital media, it's just incredibly handy and cool to have an entire collection of goods you bought at your fingertips.

I'm also not huge on owning stacks of books which, once read, really just take up space. There are obviously exceptions like sweet ass art books and other photo filled things.

Of course it now means that since buying a new book is a few clicks away, that I'll probably amass an even larger backlog of shit I am interested in, but seem to have no time for...damn you, instant gratification.

It's almost too easy to browse and buy shit, and (again surprisingly to me) incredibly fast. I always thought Ebook files would be larger in size, but they are tiny and took like 5 seconds to download.

I also have this sick urge to double dip and buy some books I own (but haven't read) so I can have them on this thing. What's that about?

I think I'll make a rule from here to not buy anymore until I finish whatever one I am currently reading.

I've got three novels right now, but the first I downloaded was Neuromancer, a book I've always wanted to read because it has inspired so many other forms of media and just sounded so damn cool.

It's fucking great so far.

Anyway, I'm in love with the Kindle. great purchase.

Nothing else to say, really.

Everything needs to fuck off.

I've spent the last two days in bed pretty much in and out of sleep the entire time and it hasn't been pleasant.

the other night at work I got hit with a terrible headache and those body shakes you get when you KNOW you're about to puke or pass out.

I made it through that night and pretty much plopped myself onto the bed and have been here ever since. Feeling on the verge of vomitting all my innards out a great deal of that time.

I'd say I certainly feel better than I did, but can't seem to shake this headache or the groggy feeling that comes with it.

I don't know, I think I may actually hit up the doctor tomorrow if there's a chance I can get in without an appointment/waiting for four hours, cause advil really isn't cutting it at this point.

So I've certainly felt out of the loop. It's not a good feeling to wake up and wonder what day it is. I don't like it.

Apparently I'm off work again completely this week, or so the schedule would have me believe, since my name was nowhere to be found, which is odd, because even with zero hours a few weeks ago, my name was at least on it.

Whatever. I mentioned it and nobody seemed particularily interested in explaining to me what is going on, so I'll wait until they (without fail) call me in the middle of the night asking where I am/telling me when to come back.

The lack of communication between workers and anybody else there is disturbing.

I fully expect them to pull a "you were supposed to be here. look at the schedule" type of move, where they indeed have put me back up there...but while I was off and had no idea of knowing.

That's how things work, I guess.

Idiots.

Now, I think I might move to the couch for a little bit and take in some full house re-runs.

I dunno. Random stuff.

I guess in order to break the posts about games streak, I should talk about the new Mogwai album.

Upon first listening I thought it was great. I've since listened to it several more times and now hold it an even higher esteem. In fact, I consider it a far better album than "The hawk is howling" and "Mr. Beast". easily.

Obviously that's just my opinion, but I've read a few mixed comments (just browsing the Last FM page) and I don't quite understand. This shit is dialed in.

I would agree that the mastering/mixing seems different than previous efforts, but I'm not a HUGE audiophile, so whatever. You get used to it.

Favourites for me include Mexican grand prix, Rano Pano, How to be a werewolf and George square thatcher death party....but really I could just list them all.

Mexican grand prix for having a bit of a different sound. Play it as loud as possible at all times.

Rano Pano is quite honestly musical perfection to me. When those drums kick in? forget about it. Crunchy, heavy and loud. Turn that shit up too, your ears will thank me. Almost my number one Mogwai song, for real.

So yeah. They continue to make incredible music, which isn't surprising. Just awesome.

The other day I got "Sucker Punch: The art of the film" from Amazon, since I had a gift card, and it was on sale for cheap if you pre-ordered.

It's basically a huge hardcover book with over 250 high quality pages of INRCREDIBLE sketches, renders, costumes, set design layout and photos (and beautiful women) that is just an absolute marvel to flip through.

I'm constantly blown away by how much work goes into the things I love, most of it to probably never truly be appreciated, and that's why I love books like this. To help appreciate those things.

Maybe it's just me. I love looking at this kind of shit and could probably sit there soaking it all in for a good amount of time, and I'm sure I will.

You might think it kind of odd that I got it before the film is even out, but come on, one thing I knew after watching 20 seconds of the trailer is that if nothing else, this movie is going to be an absolute feast for the eyes.

The shitty part is that the package was damaged on the way to me, and so is the book (you can even see it in the first photo) and that really chaps my ass. A replacement is on the way, but it still makes me mad how Amazon thinks their job of wrapping a bit of thin cardboard around a huge and HEAVY hardcover book is sufficient. Fuckin'...some asshole off ebay would have packaged it better than that, you chumps.

It's alright for smaller books and DVD's, but come on, grow a fucking brain.

I'm back at work, or at least...sort of.

They are scheduling me for really odd shifts. I seem to work a night, get one off, work another, get another off.

That bothers me. It throws my schedule out of whack and I feel like a bag of shit already. I think they do a great deal (including scheduling me on restricted shifts) just to piss me off, and I really can't understand why.

Even in my hatred (which comes and goes) toward the job, I do it well and I show up all the time. Why I'm the asshole, I have no idea.

We'll see where it goes from here.

I have nothing else to say.