Magic The Gathering: 2010 Core Set: Booster Pack

Magic 2010 is pretty nuts. Simply put this is the best core set ever printed, very reasonably balanced - but most importantly there is an incredible wealth of great rares to pull. Yesterday out of 11 packs, I was satisfied with my pulls from about seven on them, seeing two Planeswalkers, a duel land, and some other great cards.

Great set!

Bret Easton Ellis - American Psycho

The worst part of having read American Psycho is trying to bring it up in conversation. Inevitably every conversation I've had goes in the order of--

"Hey, did you ever read American Psycho?"
"Oh yeah, I saw that movie."
"No-- the book."
"Right, where he drops a chainsaw on that hooker. Crazy movie."

Point is, like most good things you should probably read the book at some point. American Psycho was written by Bret Easton Ellis, who is basically a crazy person himself. I can think of no other writer with the talent to write hundreds pages talking in absurd detail about various designer clothes and kitchen appliances and Huey Lewis & The News, alongside chapters of nothing but the brutal torture of some random victim, all treated with the same dry nonchalant attitude. I used to just pull the book off my shelf and skip around to the murders, aghast at how horrible they were.

C'mon! Serial murder as a metaphor for the excesses of 80s investment banking? Genius!

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Seasons 1 & 2

This is the best DVD deal I've ever found. And I mean ever. These days everyone wants to charge an arm and a leg for something half the kids are going to end up downloading, so what's the point. Here you get two complete seasons of the funniest show on television for only $20. I bought this as a Christmas gift for everyone I knew. No one was displeased.

Adventureland (2009)

You know that feeling you get when a good friend lies to your face? Knowing they've tried to play you for a fool, that they never valued your relationship enough to do good by you? That you can never trust them again.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Adventureland, the greatest lie of a movie in recent memory.

Remember the trailers? The ones that billed this as another fun comedy? From the director of Superbad they told us. A bunch of people goofing around in an amusement park, dealing with the dregs of crappy summer jobs and shilling corndogs. Instead what you get is an hour and a half of preppy rich kid problem drama. The main character's big disappointment is being unable to afford ivy league grad school, forced to fraternize (god forbid) with the working class. What a shame. The rest of the movie we follow this disaffected sullen brat as he bungles up meaningless romantic relationships with the dumb girl we're supposed to think is fun and deep, while Ryan Renolds and a majority of the rest of the cast refuse to make jokes.

The worst part is that the scenes at the carnival are actually quite funny, each time leaving you hoping that the movie is about to morph into the comedic masterpiece you were promised. Sadly no, just more meaningless indie nonsense.

Brian Vaughan - Ex-Machina

Probably the best comic being published right now, shame it doesn't get the kind of coverage overhyped schlock like Y: The Last Man but eh, what's trendy is trendy. Simply put though, the plot is absolutely phenomenal, featuring the same slow trickle of clues (akin to Lost) that keeps you hooked and loving every crazy moment. Mitchell Henderson is an engineer who gets damaged in a mysterious explosion, giving him the ability to talk to machines, issue them commands and control them. He uses these powers to become a superhero called the Great Machine. This is all well and good and would likely make a fun superhero book. Thing is this isn't a superhero book.

See, after safely guiding the second plane down during 9/11 and saving one of the towers - Mitchell Hundred became New York's greatest hero. He also became its mayor. What we have then is a politcal thriller, Hundred trying to restore order to a city; issues focusing around taking a stance on gay marriage, on decriminalizing marijuana, or finding a killer who's masquerading as FDNY. Of course, amidst all this is the constant references to his former life, the mystery of what made him who he is, and the struggle to remain sane with every electronic device in the city constantly calling out to him.

All I can tell you is, The Stars are Down

Wacom Intuos3 (PTZ-431W) Graphic Tablet

Graphics tablets are interesting beasts. To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect when I purchased the Intuos3 on a whim, but I guess I figured it'd at least be a fun toy. Surprisingly though, it is a rather useful tool. I bought it primarily to doodle, so I wouldn't have to scan my crappy drawings into my computer. After tweaking the settings a bit I was kind of worried, since I couldn't draw a straight line worth a damn. But then I replaced the useless pen nub for the included "stroke" nub, which has some sort of spring so it bends with the force you apply to it. Works great! After following some tutorials I'm recreating what looks like an actual pencil sketch. Still getting used to looking up at the screen while drawing on the tablet, though I'll learn.

I got this model in 4x6 (smallest size available and probably more than enough) for like $100 refubished. Great deal for jerk artists like myself. Haven't used it for any photo retouching yet - but it seems obvious this makes tasks like airbrushing and such much simpler.

Silent Hill 2 for PlayStation 2

When I first played through Silent Hill 2 I was a bit confused. The action had been competent when compared to standbys such as the Resident Evil series, and the puzzle solving even more so. But what really left me wondering was that strange ball of plot I had never been able to unwravel. Doing some research of my own it finally hit me, and I realized just what a masterpiece of modern psychological horror Silent Hill 2 really is. I don't want to spoil it but all those strange little pieces, the crazy fat man with the pistol and the smirking little girl. The beautiful woman and the hideous Pyramid Headed monster. One of the most incredible plotlines I've ever experienced in a game, and something truly worthy of consideration. The town of Silent Hill lies deserted, and its up to you to discover the secrets and the beautiful horror that is the human psyche.

There was a hole here. it's gone now.

Polarium for DS

Polarium at first glance is a quick and simple puzzle game. The object is to reverse the polarity of the puzzle presented, so as to match the opposing pattern presented on the top screen. In order to do this, one must create a single unbroken path through the grid, that when activated will correctly reverse the right tiles. It's a task that starts off as rather easy, though in the end turns into a surprisingly in-depth challenge; always feeling so close to the answer and yet feeling the sting of disappointment every time you just can't figure it through. The touch controls are great, and its a fine way to waste some time. Not the most entertaining thing I've ever played, but a solid brain teaser.

Apocalypse Now Redux

Let's be frank, Apocalypse Now is a great movie and Apocalypse Now Redux is the definitive director's cut of a great movie. My real gripe is that this movie is long, a three hour runtime that is worth sitting through - but is really nothing I'd ever want to watch again. The second time I watched this one I was at a friend's house, and realized it's really impossible to try and stomach all the psychological drama after you've already made your way through this bulky material. In the end though, a must watch if you haven't seen it already. Heart of Darkness set in Vietnam, a truly bizarre look at the new decade of war seen through the eyes of madness.

I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

Neon Genesis Evangelion - The Perfect Collection Box Set

Though it's not a perfect show, and the drama can get a bit confusing and overly melodramatic at times; Evangelion is still one of the most influential and important animes out there; and well worth your time. The draw here is the odd mix of Christian mythology and giant robot lore, something which will keep you wondering as to what the hell is going on; the kind of thing that you have to watch till the end. Unfortunately, the last two episodes end on a super psychological cliffhanger; and you'll need to purchase the movie to really feel satisfied. But overall, you aren't an anime fan until you've seen this one through.

Robo Rally

This game has the distinction of being the first game designed by the creator of Magic the Gathering, Richard Garfield PH.D. If you remember however, Magic the Gathering is a game that was full of flaws when it was first released, and was only perfected after years of testing and revising. Robo Rally is a game that has not been exposed to that treatment. The game is like an obstetrical course, which each player trying to maneuver his oddly moving robot to the goal. However the game seems rather luck dependent, with victory seeming more like the various traps have rolled in your favor rather than you've really constructed a competent strategy.

Alright play for multiple players, but definitely in need of some work.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion - Part. 1

I assumed I would hate this show, something that looked like any other generic anime show on the market. Let's just say I was wrong. Now Code Geass is not perfect; the animation quality seems noticeably low (though the budget seems to have picked up for the second season) and the interplay between the serious sections of the show and the comical sections of everyday school life don't really meld as well as I'd hope. Though ignoring all that we have quite a show, the story of a young Prince- expelled from the kingdom, who gains the power of Geass - able to issue one direct command to someone and have them follow it to the letter; never able to affect them again. This concept sets up most of the show, seeing how Lelouch uses this power to start the rebellion; attempting to overthrow his father; the emperor of Britannia.

And of course, giant robot fights. What else do you want?

Pokemon Diamond for DS

Don't get me wrong, Pokemon Diamond is a solid game with a lot of competent design elements. The real problem is that the game has evolved so little from the original. Despite the bevy of new features, various mini games and updated graphics - at the core is a game experience that really seems lacking. The combat is still a rather repetitive turn based affair, the world still recognizably 8-bit in nature, and after several iterations of the series they are noticeably running out of Pokemon designs (90% of the new entrys can be summed up as retarded versions of real life animals. Bidoof for example).

It's great for kids, and the connectivity and trading aspects are great fun (Online even, something Pokemon has been waiting for). I just can't help but feel there's a much more enjoyable game waiting under the surface, if they'd just put a bit more effort into it.

Metal Gear Acid for PSP

I'll admit firsthand that I'm a huge Metal Gear fanatic, and I'll probably buy anything with the name on it. Though I do have to say that I found a lot to like about Metal Gear Ac!d. It's a very interesting fusion of a traditional strategy RPG, though everything - from movement to attacking - is controlled by a system based on collectible cards, akin to Magic or Yu-Gi-Oh. There's a lot of fun in buying new packs between rounds, and building a deck to best suit the mission ahead. The one problem is that the game drags quite a bit, with some missions lasting about 30 minutes and failure resulting in sending you back to where you started. Though still, its a fun game with a lot to like. Great for any fans of collectable card games, Metal Gear, or tactical strategy games in general.