Monday Music - Sad Songs

Because I love a song that makes me depressed.

* Ben Folds - Brick
"She broke down and I broke down cause I was tired of lying."

* Fleetwood Mac - Beautiful Child
"I'm old enough to love you from afar... even I never hold you again."

* William Shatner - That's Me Trying
"See, if we never had a problem, then that's what life would be like."

* Ben Folds - Still Fightin' It
"You're so much like me... I'm sorry."

* Dido - Christmas Day
"And the last words I heard him say were the last words I ever heard him say"

* Joan Armatrading - The Weakness In Me
"And I need you... and... you."

* Bob Dylan - Most Of The Time
"Don't even remember what her lips felt like on mine... most of the time."

* Tom Waits - The Day After Tomorrow
"I'll be 21 today, I've been saving all my pay, and my plane will touch down on the day after tomorrow."

There are more, but this is what I have in my work playlist. So, what songs make you cry like a little girl?

3rd Year Anniversary

Today my wife and I celebrate our 3rd year anniversary.

We have known each other for 10 years, started dating 5 years ago, engaged 4 years ago for 1 year, married 3 years ago...

Wow. Time flies when you're having fun.

I'm Taking a Stand!

... and announcing my favorite albums... which is really hard for me to do.

**Top 3**
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Cure - Disintigration
Nick Drake - Pink Moon

**extended to Top 10**
They Might Be Giants - Flood
Sigur Ros - ( )
Dandy Warhols - 13 tales from Urban Bohemia
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet

Tag. You're it. What are yours?

Monday Myspace Music: Nick Drake

While he only released three albums, this artist really made some unforgettable music. He also suffered (like I do) from depression and it eventually got the best of him (he died from an overdose of antidepressants).

Please listen to this music and search out his albums. I have the last one he made (Pink Moon) and it has shot up in the one week I have owned it to one of the top three favorite albums.

Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Drake

Many great songs to listen to (Northern Sky being a great one!)
http://myspace.com/nickdrake


powered by ODEO


powered by ODEO

Friends of P

Was a moderate fan of this group (The Rentals)in 1996 when I heard the song "Friends of P" and, to tell you the truth I forgot about them. But I liked almost the whole album. Heavy MOOG and airy female vocals just really did it for me... besides the fact that the violin/viola player looked like Velma (well, you know...).

Well, I re-bought the album at the Entertainmart this past Saturday (for $3) and remembered why I liked them.

Today I saw that they're putting out a third album in August and their tour will be in Englewood on the 9th of August. $18. I'd like to go.

Friends of P


Waiting

Another Justin Carmical???

Yup, it's true. In Alabama, I have found another bloke named "Justin Carmical" same spelling and everything.

How cool is that? I mean, some people have very common first and last names. Until today I thought that MY family was the only ones who spelled it "Carmical" in lieu of the traditional Scottish "Carmichael".

Google is cool.

Tuesday Music

Some decent J-Pop/J-Rock this time

Ram Rider (electronica-pop)

GOT ITEM!

Yup, my hard puzzling work has paid off, and I have received my first two leitmarks!

You see when Season 1 of Perplex City was going on, the points you made from solving cards was added up. When you reached a certin amount of points, then they would send you a leitmark.

Well, even though Season 1 is over, they are still awarding these little tokens to people who complete the point requirement for season 1 cards. Cool, huh?

DIG IT!

What more need I say?

Perplex City... HUH???

Well, it seems that the game that I have been SO gung-ho about lately has had some troubles. They let several of the storyline writers 'go'. I have heard that this was for the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) and not for the card game.

I got into this game at the beginning of April, and was so excited about the Season 2 cards that I bought all of the red-purple Season 1 cards as well. I love puzzles and had subscribed to Games Magazine from 1981-1991. So I love Perplex City, but perhaps for a different reason than the British players in that I love the cards.

Being in the States I have a very small chance of winning any treasure hunt happening in Great Britain. So in all honesty, the ARG was not that important. In fact, it was really just a fun thing to watch... but the cards have always been the first factor for me.

I love having a story, I find the mini things on the backs of the cards of season 2 EXTREMELY fascinating and have come to care for the characters of Sente, Viloet and Caine (my favorite)... but the ARG means nothing to me or the friends and family that I have gotten into the cards.

I will buy the next waves as soon as I can to support the company and I will probably buy the kids puzzle-toys (which they are announcing) when they get made for my cousins Michaela, Jeremy, and Miranda... and for me. Because I love puzzles.

I hope the storyline does come back but if the Season 2 hunt/ARG is lost forever, then I will still support the company. They make good puzzles and that's good enough for me.

As for the last stories of Violet, Kurt, and Scarlet... they were sad indeed. Kurt's was truly touching (and many people have speculated that the Nicholas he talks about was Nicholas Hawksmoor.

For those of you in England who enjoyed the ARG, I really hope that you find other games. I really feel bad that the carpet has just been pulled from under you like it was.

But for those of you like me who like the puzzle cards just for being puzzles, then all I can say is: "See you for some trades in wave 2!"

Monday Music A Day Late

Heard this on the way into work today and it just stuck in my head! Proving, once again, that KEPC is the best station in Colorado Springs.

Stars - Elevator Love Letters

powered by ODEO

Soup of the evening... beautiful soup

So Jen and I were watching the 1999 Hallmark/Jim Henson version of "Alice in Wonderland" tonight and I began to think of the many versions we own and which characters were my favorites. I must say that my favorite characters all come from (almost) the same version of the film: Through The Looking Glass done in 1998 by the BBC.

This version is by far the most accurate in that it keeps almost all of the words from the story and adapts the whole very well onto the screen. This version has my favorite renditions of the Tweedles, of the White Queen (although I hold Carol Channing dear in my heart), the Jabberwocky poem (where a young boy in cardboard armour is truly the vision of true youth), and of Alice (Kate Beckensale... even though she's older than 7 1/2). But my favorite character from this version must be the White Knight played by Ian Holm.

In this veersion he recites a poem I had never heard before entitled "A-Sitting On A Gate". I must say that the poem is not the best poem I have heard but it is indeed the way that he recites it that pulls at my heart. It is deep and meaningful and the visual of him as a Charlie Chaplin-ish character makes it even more meaningful and artistic. I tear-up every time I hear his reading of "A-Sitting On A Gate".

If you are interested, you can find this DVD in Entertainmart for fairly cheap. I would highly suggest it as it stays true to the book and even adds in the "missing chapter" of "A Wasp In A Wig".

On a side-note, I have contacted the good people at Mind Candy (the makers of Perplex City) and they are sending me some swag to share with my friends. If you haven't started playing Perplex City, then expect to get some cards from me very soon. (smile)

On a more personal level, I am currently ranked 138th out of 2500+ people in the world in the game.

Majora's Mask: FAIL

Ok. I can't finish it. I can't. I have tried to kill this boss made of bats (his name doesn't even respect mentioning). I know I have to shoot the green orb and then hit him with my sword, but he turns on the scythe of pain and hits me into death every time. So, I'm done. 6 (yes six) hours spent trying to kill him is enough for me.

GAWD I hate failing this game. I was really enjoying it until this damn mini-boss in the stone temple. So, I really hope that I can get some sort of hint and re-visit it so that I don't feel like I lost this game. This is really my favorite game even above Ocarina of Time.

So, I start on the next game in the series: Oracle of Seasons. I have had a much better average with the handhelds... so here we go.

So I know what you all are saying to yourselves...

Justin, where have you been?
Been here. Playing Zelda. Playing Perplex City. Reading the second Dresden Files book 'FOOL MOON' by Jim Butcher. You?

Why haven't you been posting?
Well, I have been busy at work and just haven't had much to say.

How are you doing on the Zelda games?
I'll write more about that tomorrow (Saturday), but I think I have failed on Majora's Mask... I just can't beat this one mini-boss. I know I'm near the end... but I just can't beat him.

Where's our Little Poet picture for this Friday?
Well, Jen and I haven't been thinking about her as of late. I'd like to do some more, but I need poems from her... and I can't ask for poems from her... I guess they have to be "inspired" (laughs). I'll try to get one for next week.

Who the hell is the guy in the picture below and to the side of your side-bar?
That is Satoshi. He's somewhere in the world. Remember that card game that I'm going on and on and on about? Well, this is one of the cards from last season's game... but he still hasn't been found/solved, so the offer is still up. Whoever finds him will get $1,000. It's a six-degrees-of-separation thing. A billion to one chance of finding him. So, how good are YOUR contacts? Can you find him? The picture-link on the sidebar has more info.

Peace iss Vonderful

Remember hearing about those cartoons that the animation studios made for the soldiers in WWII? Here are a few. Watch 'em while theys crazy, man!

Now, remember that these were made in the 1940's when America was gong-ho for the war. They were trying to make fun of the enemy. Now, we're friends with all three countries now. I post these not to insult, but to keep these cartoons alive. They're a history of sort (as poor taste as they may be now).

Gawd daym... GAWD DAYM the Pusher!

So I have been accused of being a "pusher". That is, a person who gives a 'taste' of something so people get addicted and want more. But, there's a reason... you see, I like to believe that I have good taste in some things. Not all... but some.

So a year ago (about) my good friend (and Gamer's Haven store owner) Rob showed me a game that was kind of interesting. It was a collectible card game called Perplex City, but you did not "play" the game against other people... you played against yourself.

See, each card had a puzzle on it. A mind bender. The red-bordered cards were common and easy. Then, like in the colours of the rainbow, they got rarer and more difficult with purple, black and then silver being the hardest.

I just last night picked up my first 3 packs at the store... and these two easy cards got me hooked.

(Click on the images for bigger pics)


When you think that you have the correct answer for the card then you scratch-off this silver area at the top of the card and go online. There, you enter the code and then give the computer your 'answer'. If you're right, then you get points for that card. Supposedly you can win things with a lot of points.



But it didn't stop there. There are sometimes puzzles within the puzzles. Glossy clear paints over the large 4 1/2" x 5" cards that have clues for something bigger, perhaps some writing on the back, or even a map... more devious... a TREASURE HUNT (and you all know how much I LOOOVE treasure hunts even though I don't win them!) This time, there's $200,000 offered for a "missing cube". Solve the puzzle within the puzzles, and win the prize. Or you can, like me, just enjoy the cards.



There is a board game of Perplex City that has a lot more of these mind-puzzling games and it too is offering a separate prize of $200,000 on the side for the game within the game! Or you can just enjoy the board game as it is. So interesting!

Great googaly moogally! I am so hooked right now. So, if you like the three cards above... and think you can figure them out for yourself... give this game a shot. It's ~$3.99 for a pack of 7 cards... and they're a fun time.

Consider these three cards your 'taste'.

Jen's new hair-style (large files)

Because I'm too busy here at work to re-size the damn things... here's 4 pictures of Jen's new "doo". Don't you think she looks European? Italian or Greek?

HERE, AND HERE, HERE AGAIN, AND THE LAST

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Weekend Goodness

Well my wife has been a bit down on herself lately, and it's been a very tough couple of weeks. This week was a difficult one as well.

So, my mom came down to go to tea with us and to a Sky Sox baseball game, but my mom was concerned about the weather (with the HUGE gray clouds rolling in) and didn't want to go see the ball game. Little did I know that THAT hit Jen really hard... but she, being the sweetie she is, didn't tell me so that we could have a good day.

When my mom left at 5:20pm (the game started at 5:05pm) she really got sad. I finally got her to tell me what was wrong (like pulling teeth, I tell you), and she said how sad she was to not see the game. So, letting her know that we didn't miss much and trying to boost her up, I got her in the car and we took off for Sky Sox stadium to see the game ourselves.

We had (as per usual) a great time. We only missed the first three innings and still had plenty of game to enjoy. It didn't rain, and was quite fun (Sox won 7-1).

Sunday we went out to get my hair cut and she wanted a change herself. So, she got a perm. I haven't seen her so happy for (literally) MONTHS! What a change it did for her own happiness. And here I thought that she couldn't possibly look any more beautiful... but here she is! MAN! She looks like she's from Italy or Greece. Gorgeous!

On a personal note (not that my wife isn't the most personal person in my life) I finally got the USB/NES and USB/SNES adapters I ordered from RetroZone... and they look and work like a charm. Well worth the wait. With these two beauties and my new camcorder... that project shall be getting off the ground shortly.

Then, even better, I got this email from Cliff Johnson:

Justin,
Next year, I'll finally be able to do another April Fool's day contest — congratulations again on your 4th place win.

And... I truly appreciate your show of support in pre-ordering this game — thank you!

A quick recap, I’ve tracked down the Macromedia Director/Flash memory bug and I am in the process of re-wiring/re-working the couple dozen Flash programs. Then, a final beta test. And then DONE!

This April, or thereabouts,
I shall ship your copy of The Fool and his Money.

Your name shall be immortalized in the Compendium of True Believers inside the game as:

Justin Carmical — see a preview of your name.

This weekend Jen and I have been going over his game "Three in 3" again (since I didn't finish it the first time). She seems to be enjoying the puzzles and (most of the time) is faster on the draw to figure them out than I am.

I love her so much... and I'm SO glad she's happy again.

Little Poet

Who's the more foolish: The fool, or the fool who follows him?

So I just made a BIG decision today: I will wait on a bigger TV.

Why? Well, one Jen and I really need to save for our trip to England next year. A big TV would be fun... but I can't afford it. So I'll save... but it'll still be a while.

And two................ um... I bought a game. Not a Wii, DS, PS2, or any console game... but a Mac game. A Fool And His Money.



Lemme explain my reasoning behind this almost $50 purchase.

So I love puzzle/logic/cryptogram games almost more than anything else. Really. I love them. I started when I got my first issue of Games Magazine, and I never looked back. Hell, I even made my own Meta-puzzle game for here in Colorado (which nobody has won yet). I was the first person to crack the language of the little alien Prospero in the comic PS-238 and one of only 14 people to decrypt the Legend of the 5 Rings RPG Hare Clan adventure's puzzle.

I discovered "A Fool's Errand" when I was living with Collin (along with the great title "Heaven & Earth"). I didn't play it until I moved in with Jen in 2002/2003. WOW! What a great game! I immediately jumped into his other classic game "3 in Three" and STILL haven't finished it. Man, that one's tough.

So for years, now, I have been waiting for Cliff Johnson's sequel to The Fool's Errand... and waiting and waiting and waiting (for 3 years... as it is pushed further and further back). I have refused to pre-order because I always expected it to be a hoax (hence the name)... but deep in my heart I knew it was "real".

So, with that game in mind, I went to the site and just decided to go through with it. Hopefully it ships this month. If it's HALF as good as Fool's Errand was, or even three-quarters as intense as his 2005 April Fool's Day Challenge was (in which Jen and I placed Fourth Place by a mere 5 hours... there's a GREAT story to go with that as well) I'll be satisfied with this purchase.

You can download "Fool's Errand" and "3 In Three" for free from his website HERE. Please play them. They're MARVELOUS games and WELL worth the play.