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Sitepal When I go to Technorati , I almost always encounter a creepy little female face staring back at me, each time different yet in the same style. They call them sitepals, but they're not any pals of mine. You can type something and a robotic female voice will say what you typed into the space. What always Disturbs me are those damn lifeless eyes looking into my soul, looking through my screen. I don't trust you, Sitepal. So, make like a tree and get out of here. (It's make like a tree and leave, you sound like a Butthead when you say that. Note: for those not up on pop culture, that was a Back to Future 2 remark.) If there isn't a secret code to get your clothes off, I don't want you to be my pal, Sitepal.

Square has always had great intro to their games, and one of my favorites is the opening to Chrono Cross. Here it is, http://youtube.com/watch?v=GDnPYoGzW78 The music and the CGI work were edited together nicely for this introduction. ______________________________ And here’s a fan playing one of the songs from the game http://youtube.com/watch?v=zgeCqwxW4eM&mode=related&search = Comment: He does a pretty good job too. ___________________________________________ Someone edited together Kingdom Hearts to Chrono Cross’s intro music http://youtube.com/watch?v=5biGk8jmn8w&mode=related&search = Comment: This one is pretty good, using a lot of in-game models.

“Strike when the iron is hot…or on fire.” Ironing my clothes is one of the few things I enjoy doing, while I watch movies. There’s just something calming about pressing off my clothes. Well, as I was ironing my clothes today, while watching my new Star Trek Klingon Collective DVD, I noticed that the power light on my Iron began to flicker on and off. I lifted up the iron and studied it for moment. The flickering subsided, and I went on to ironing again. Later, I noticed a sharp electrical smell coming from my Iron. I looked down and saw that wire connecting to the iron was on fire with blue and white sparks shooting out. I was freaking out, as the sparks grew in size. I did the only logical thing open to me; I blew on the flame like it was a harmless candle instead of a growing flame with sparks flying out. And not surprising, the blowing did nothing to the fire. So, I just watched the as black smoke streamed out of the wire and the fire died out. What was l...

Identity Crisis (review and thoughts) Part 1 It’s no secret that I’m a bigger fan of DC comics than Marvel. Yet, I have to give Marvel Comics credit for becoming a company that turned a profit during this decade, when they were going bankrupt during the 90s. The Marvel movies helped bring Marvel out of its financial hole, and this in turn jolted the writers in Marvel Comics to push the limits of their universe as far as they could. Their gamble worked, and Marvel ended up back on top, forcing DC to second place. Of course, DC didn’t like this, so the company needed to make some major changes to its universe. DC knew they needed to shake things up and reshape their universe like they once did in the 80’s with Crisis on Infinite Earths . The beginning of these changes came with Identity Crisis (IC). This seven-issue comic story was the beginning of the end of the Justice League. I always found it interesting that villains couldn’t tear DC’s most powerful team down,...

Rush Limbaugh vs. Michael J. Fox http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/actor-outfoxes-election-ad-critics/2006/10/27/1161749314680.html http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w061023&s=cottle102706 Comment: There are times when people go too far with their antics, and Limbaugh sort of crossed that line. There’s just something wrong about making fun of a person with Parkinson's Disease, no matter how you feel about the ad Fox made. I have to say Limbaugh truly has no heart. Agree or disagree with someone’s issues, but to make fun of their illness is just down right shitty. Limbaugh should know this considering that he’s a recovering drug abuser. Here’s the Rush video, http://youtube.com/watch?v=dniczRs4a1w I also found a video on Fox discussing the ad. I have to say that he’s in pretty bad shape, and he has trouble talking. I feel really bad for him. http://youtube.com/watch?v=o8lsjfjgAA8 Screw you, Rush. I hope you live a lonely life in your old age, li...

LOST Season 2 Soundtrack If there ever was a new composer that’s ever impressed me of late, it is Michael Giacchino. In his early days, he captured listeners with his videogame scores. His Medal of Honor series is the reason he got the job on Alias, which in turn got him the job on Lost . Many have stated that Giacchino style lends itself to John Williams (of the 70s and 80s). However, Lost , on the other hand, reveals a completely different side to his work. On the show, he's moved away from his brassy marches that made him famous with his videogame scores, uses more of larger string section in his TV work. With season 2, Giacchino shows off a warmer side to his work. I couldn't believe how many nice relaxing pieces there were on the CD compared to Season 1. Some of the work on this CD is really touching and warm. Toward the end, there are some darker tracks that will send chills down your spine, some of it sounding very tribal. The CD also sounds crisper, each sound st...

Porkins (please stay on target) I remembered watching Star Wars when I was younger and remembering the extremely fat Rebel Pilot named Porkins. I always thought, Man, the rebels must be really hard up for Pilots, if they got this guy. He looks like the kind of guy that’ll get really angry when he has to stand in line at a Fast-food joint. I’m sure Porkins joined the Rebel Alliance to get the free meals. He didn’t die from enemy fire, but mistakenly hit the self-destruct switch while reaching for a hamburger. Don’t get me wrong I like Porkins. I like how he has a name that actually fits his appearance. I personally think the new Star Wars TV show should be about him…finding food. “Did they open a KFC on the Death Star?” _____________________________________________ “Copy that, I’ve found them. Red 4, you want a wing and mashed potatoes?” ________________________________________________________ “Porkins, think about the future!” BAM! Detective Prokins killed b...

Ryan Leslie decides to tell his side of the story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoHr2QmB2Mo He decided to tell his side with a prepared speech. Man, this guy is full of himself. Then again, he’s in the music business. This could have happened to him like he said, but I don't know Here’s a funny bit with a user’s video about the subject. http://www3.youtube.com/watch?v=_SfEOHDkgU4

A newer Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFgy1v_2TJU Comment: This one confirms that Harry Gregson-Williams is in fact scoring MGS4. Here are some things to look for in this trailer. ~You now hear one of the main scoring themes in this trailer, and it’s completely different than the other MGS scores. ~You will see Snake actually play dead among the bodies in the road. His stealth suit changes his face to make it seem like it’s been wounded. It should be noted that his suit also shows fake gunshot wounds on his body as well. This was really cool. ~There’s a really cool shot of a Middle Eastern Soldier with fear on his face. He trembles as gunfire pass over his head. ~Instead of a Cardboard box, Snake uses a fuel drum. Here’s the shocker…he can use it as a weapon. He knocks out three or four guards with it. ~The trailer also shows that Snake can pick sides in the battle as long as he is dressed in that side’s outfits. ~...

“So, they removed me from the top of the list...” There are some interesting things happening around Youtube.com http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/10/producer_ryan_leslie_accused_of_creating_youtube_accounts/ Comment: I always think it is funny when Internet scams get outed. It looks like there are some famous people who are using dummy accounts to boost their ranking on youtube.com. You better believe it's not the actual famous people who are doing this, but their marketing people. ((A furious YouTube community is outraged at super producer Ryan Leslie , the man behind MySpace super-star/Bad Boy protégé Cassie , who has allegedly fraudulently created YouTube accounts to garner page views for his channel, RyanLeslie TV. )) I didn't even know who Ryan Leslie was until this story broke. I guess his stupid marketing worked. ((The controversy emerged following a video entry made on October 19, 2006, by a YouTube member who’s screen-name is BOH3M3, which ...

Tanker Chapter (thoughts) ~The first demo had part of the tanker chapter on it. It ends with the Olga Gurlukovich fight. The music in the last scene on the demo is different. I always liked hanging off the ship when I fight her. She makes fun of you. ~When Snake jumps off the bridge, I believe it was one of the best ways to open up a videogame. Listen to the music during this part, it’s very cool. ~Saving in the tanker chapter can be very humorous. Listening to Otacon screw up every quote is just funny. After the thirteenth quote, Snake will get pissed. ~This is when Mei Ling shows up and saves your data. I thought they used a different voice actor, but it’s actually the same woman that did the voice in Metal Gear Solid. Kim Mai Guest is her name. She just sounds different in MGS2. It’s a cute scene. BTW, it looks like she will be back for MGS4

Foxy Brown receives probation http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003287301 Now, I’ve always found Foxy Brown more attractive than Lil Kim. I like her dark smooth skin and those lips…uh, never mind. But, like Kim, she can’t keep out of trouble it seems. ((Foxy Brown was sentenced today (Oct. 24) to three years' probation for a fight with two nail salon employees, finally ending an assault case that dragged on for more than two years. Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, tried to withdraw her guilty plea but a judge said the agreement was legitimate and imposed the sentence.)) What the hell? You got in a fight with people who paint your nails?

Don't mind me, I'm just a Cardboard Box taking a walk. As I play through Metal Gear Solid 2, I figured I'd point some things out in a few posts on my blog. I've found 2 trailers from the game. A trailer made from a nearly final version of the game http://youtube.com/watch?v=1HwixCQGYiU This trailer has some establishing shots for locations that aren't in the game. There's one shot of water pouring into the corridors of the tanker that's not in the final game as well. This trailer shows only parting shots of Raiden, but you can hear his voice. 8 minute trailer (early-middle development) http://youtube.com/watch?v=_eF1YEGYpgw&mode=related&search = This is the famous trailer that was shown around the world and got standing ovations everywhere. It's all in Japanese with English subtitles. Since this trailer was made during mid-way point of MGS2's development, there are a few things different from the actual game. ~The guards ...

Random Thoughts ~Man, I feel like total shit today, and it’s my entire fault. I overslept and now my head and back hurt. Sleeping is usually fun, but just don’t oversleep. ~The weekend was extremely boring. ~Lately, I’ve been playing some old games on my PS2. Tekken Tag, MG2, and SSX. ~This orange soda is bad. ~I don’t exactly know when I became so withdrawn from human contact, but it has gotten worst. I’ve always been a loner, but now I just don’t even want to say hello to people. ~I am hearing a lot of good things about the design of the PS3, for real. There have been some good reports on the hardware. http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/10/23/24things/index.php

Spock sings! http://rantocracy.blogspot.com/2006/10/week-23-pageant-of-transmundane.html#links Well, the new award to Pageant of the Transmundane is out, and it goes to a blogger that posted a video to Leonard Nimoy’s Bilbo Song. Yes, Spock sung a song just like his Captain. Please head over to the site to check it out. In the meantime, here’s William Shatner’s ‘Rocket Man’ http://youtube.com/watch?v=QLZly2yIGlo&mode=related&search = And, here is Stewie Griffin’s version of that terrible song http://youtube.com/watch?v=w95eCmyLl6U&mode=related&search =

Kingdom Hearts II (Timeless River) Kingdom Hearts 2 has many charming worlds within the game, but one of the most unique worlds is the one named Timeless River. Square decided to throw the heroes into Disney’s past with the first Mickey Mouse Cartoon Steamboat Willie . Timeless River is almost completely based on Steamboat Willie, right down to the simpler designs of Donald and Goofy. Voice and music is in mono and there’s the hum of a projector rolling in the background to give a 1920’s feel. The entire world is in black and white, and the enemies are designed to look like they were drawn in the 20’s. The music has an old Disney feel to it as well. The whole point to Timeless River is to observe Captain Pete’s past and witness the beginning of the Disney Castle. We learn that the current Pete wasn’t always a villain, but more of a goofy character in the beginning. Hell, you get to fight both versions of Captain Pete on this world. Mickey Mouse also shows up in...

http://newgrounds.com/portal/view/333341 Here’s a newer episode of Miss Dynamite. Sirkowski has tried a newer style of animation in this cartoon episode; some of it works well, while some of it is okay. I still find the Transformer episode better. He should get credit for trying something different, plus I really liked the song during the load screen.

Halo Movie gets gutted http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4638&ref=y Well, it looks like two of the major studios that supported M$'s movie have pulled their funding from the movie based on the popular Videogame. ((One of the main rumors floating around as to why the companies withdrew was due to the film's growing cost, which has now reportedly surpassed its $135 million. The filmmakers, however, claim that they both tried to get filmmakers and Microsoft to reduce their profit participation – a move that apparently was declined. Universal and Fox made the demand on October 15, the day that Microsoft was supposed to receive a $5 million advance.)) Part of me loves when Microsoft has these things happen. I can't stand Bill Gate$

I’ve been catching up with the 3 rd season of LOST online, thanks to ABC.com. I’m really digging the season so far. One of things I caught was the funny line from Dominic Monaghan when he’s talking to a mute Locke in the episode Further Instructions. Charlie: Talk to the trees? I heard they were good conversationalists. Yep, this was a Lord of the Rings joke thrown in by the writers, and it would’ve only worked with Monaghan. That was very clever.

Lost Season 2 After ending the first season with a bang, the Lost writers found an interesting way to open up Season 2. They showed us what happened inside the Hatch when the survivors blew it open. Desmond was found living inside, and it was neat to see him live his life as normal as one could live in a hatch. The Hatch ended up becoming the central point to Season 2, answering some major questions along the way. Yet, the hatch also brought new questions to the table. The Hatch also represented the main theme of Lost in the 2 nd season, and that theme was Faith. Each character in some way had to deal with their faith. Mr. Eko and Locke were the main characters that were forced put their beliefs to the test throughout the season. Jack early on was forced to realize he could not fix everything and everyone around him. Good stuff here. The show also got rid one of their worst characters on the show, Shannon. While I can’t stand Hurley as a character, Maggi...

Star Trek Borg Way back in 1996, there was a game released for the PC and Mac called Star Trek Borg. STB was a choose your path sort of game. The game would give you a choice and you would have to make a decision. Most of the decisions were wrong, and you would end up dead. The game used live actors to play the scenes. The game really did feel like an lost episode of Star Trek TNG. Here's the main story to the game, from IMDB "At 08:00 during the Battle of Wolf 359, the USS Righteous was struck by a Borg weapons discharge of unknown origin and vaporized." You play the role of Starfleet Cadet Furlong. Your father, the helmsman of the Righteous Lt. Ralph Furlong was killed during the Battle of Wolf 359, when you were but a boy. Ten years have past. The Borg have returned, this time sending 2 heavily armed assault ships. Your ship is on her way to join the fleet forming to make a stand, but your request to not be EVAC is denied. Your chance to avenge your father is...

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2780406 On The Wire, this character says this word all the time, and someone decided it would be funny to extend it. You won’t get it unless you watch the show _________ Stupid Comedian gets punked out by two women http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2779135 This guys was so lame, I’m surprised other people didn’t beat the crap out of him. He makes racist comments, and two women come on stage and scare him.

The hardest working man in jail James Brown's crazy interview James Brown does an interview high as a plane. I love the fact he doesn't answer any of the questions, and just randomly shouts out some of his song titles. This one is a classic. So, why did he end up in jail? Shooting his wife's car, and threating her with a steel pipe. Way to go, Mr. Brown. With scandals like this, he should run for office.

Oh, no How to Keep Trick or Treaters Off Your Doorstep. If you're like me, you hate Halloween. No matter what you do, those little trick-or-treaters still knock at your door, demanding candy. I've decided to come up with some interesting ways to get rid of these treaters. 1 Circle your home in a wall of flames : Nothing says 'keep out' like a wall of fire. If anyone gets past this fiery wall, they deserve some candy, damn it. 2 Build a trap door under your welcome rug : When they ring the doorbell, they fall into a pit. 3 Buy a Mark Foley Mask : Hide behind a large bush, and when a group of Trick/treaters come around, jump out with the Mark Foley mask on. This should have all the treaters running for their lives. 4 Get rid of your unwanted can goods : Instead of giving out candy, simply hand out your unwanted can goods, you know the ones that have been sitting in your house for ages. Nothing is better than giving out canned tuna to complete stranger...

Spam never tasted better. Freaking Stupid Spammer, I haven't been getting them like I used to. Anonymous said... Hi, i was looking over your blog and didn't quite find what I was looking for. I'm looking for different ways to earn money... I did find this though... a place where you can make some nice extra cash secret shopping. I made over $900 last month having fun! Link removed. (Because Anonymous is a butthead) So, you didn't find what you were looking for, but you decided to spam my blog anyway? Thank you so F'ing much. It's not like we are bombarded with ads and marketing ploys throughout our daily lives. You know there's a special place in Hell for the people who created these Spambots.

Scarlett Johansson will attempt to sing With the army of Emo-Myspacers marching on our lands, we received another sign of the end of the world, Scarlett Johansson wants to sing. Hey, I really have no problem with her singing, because of this!

I just got a letter today, saying I'm in good standing with UofL admissions. This basically means I am now a student in UofL. This also means I can go into the school of communications there. Yep, now I'm part of a huge University. I guess this cause for some celebration. Now, I know I'm going into communications, but I was thinking about getting back into music too. I am not sure I still have the chops to play music anymore. We'll see. While I'm not showing it, I am happy about this.

Battle Royale Okay, because there wasn't anything else to watch, a few friends of mine decided to view this Japanese movie called BR. It's mostly in Japanese with subtitles. (There are some English words on computer screens.) The basic storyline is that a group of middle school students get kidnapped and placed on a island. On the island, they have to kill each other all the way down to one student. This one student is then the Champion of BR. I'm not making this up. So, the movie is about students killing each other to get off the island. The movie is extremely violent, but the sheer goofiness of the plot will keep you from ever taking it seriously. I laughed the entire time during the film. The acting is over the top, and the plot totally mindless. The movie is so bad that it's good. As long as you can keep that in mind, give this movie a guarded try. Grade B BTW, there is talk of an American remake. Sorry, but it won't work. Look familiar?...

New Terms coming at ya! From http://www.urbandictionary.com/ break the seal: The point at which you first piss after you have been drinking your favorite alcoholic beverage and at this point you will be pissing every ten minutes Comment: I have never heard of this term before. This is certainly a first for me. I feel the need to 'break the seal' at this very moment. Be right back. gangsta lean: A common driving position in which the driver holds the wheel with his left hand while leaning to his right toward the passenger seat, usually bobbing his head or bumpin' with the beat. It's a pretty badass way to drive. This move works best in a Chevy Caprice or any pimp-style car with a 3-person front seat. Comment: Hmm, I'm usually doing the 'gangsta lean' when I'm reaching for the box of French fries I just got from the drive-thru. I guess that makes me gangsta right? Reup: A term used in the drug culture to restock on supplies. Com...

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2777106 Man, K-Fed had a cameo on CSI for no apparent reason other than to boost ratings. To no one's surprise, Mr. Spears' acting was pretty bad (not in the good=bad way). I did enjoy the fact that one of the cops gave K-Fed a blow to the gut. I think everyone has wanted to punch K-Fed at one point in their lives, including Britney Spears . I just love the terrible lines like this: “You're not weak, you're a joke.” Those words coming out of K-Fed's mouth just seem ironic.

So Long and Thanks For all the Fish http://youtube.com/watch?v=bG6b3V2MNxQ This is the intro to the Hitchhikers' guide to Galaxy. The movie based on the book. On the planet Earth, there are three intelligent races. The Least smartest are the humans, then the Dolphins, and the smartest being the mice. Yes, mice. Well, the Dolphins tried to give the humans a final warning of their impending doom, but the dolphin signs were mistaken for water tricks, think Seaworld. The clip above is their final warning in a form of a song, So long and thanks for all the fish . Listen closely to the words, because they are pretty funny.

Transformers the Movie Pictures Prime's head http://www.flickr.com/photos/roninkengo/235191640/in/pool-transformersmovie/ This photo shows Prime's head. In the movie, the characters change head shapes depending on if they're in battle or not. I'm not liking the design at all. Megatron 2 http://www.flickr.com/photos/roninkengo/223726884/in/pool-transformersmovie/ This one is listed as Megatron 2, and I'm not really sure why it is named 2. For some reason, they felt a need to change Megatron to this jumbled mess. Frank Welker reprises his role in this movie as Megatron. Prime's design http://www.flickr.com/photos/roninkengo/218983034/in/pool-transformersmovie/ Okay, this one is more like the original than the rest of them. I actually like this design. Peter Cullen reprises his role as Prime. Transformers' sheet music http://www.flickr.com/photos/suzanneandsimon/169720347/in/pool-transformersmovie/ Well, Steve Jablonsky (one o...

Early MGS demo This is an early trailer for Metal Gear Solid. In this trailer, you will see differences from the final game. Snake ends up in Meryl's cell, and there's a scene with Meryl and Snake firing guns side by side. The Snake model has a simple appearance in this clip. The confrontation between Snake and the Ninja is a little different as well.

I was reading the latest entry from DB Cooper . I got a kick out of the fact that his wife was fully aware that he had a blog. It got me thinking about my own blog. I really haven't told anyone in my family about my personal blog. However, ever since I got involved in that whole murder investigation thing, many of them know I do something on the Internet. Certain family members I hope never see my blog, because I've said some things they wouldn't like. So I was wondering, do people keep their blogs secret from their loved ones like me?

Random Thoughts ~Today, while making a trip to downtown Louisville, I was standing near street waiting for the signal to turn. Across to the other side, there was a grown black man riding a girl's pink bicycle! The Bicycle was pink! I don't think anyone can come off looking hard riding that thing, not even Mr. T. ~During those heavy storms, I nearly killed myself. I drove in the storm, the one that rained for two days, and there were flash flood warnings. I drove down this old street and when I noticed the road lines disappeared. I found out it was replaced by a huge river of rushing brown water. I slammed on my brakes and stopped mere feet away from the flood. The entire road was submerged in water, and my car nearly became a boat. ~I like popcorn, and I am eating some right now. ~I haven't had a cup of coffee in like ten years, not that means anything. ~I've been in sort of a blue funk of late, and I am not sure why. ~Not everything from Mys...

Friday the 13 th Wow, now I'm freaked out. No, I'm not, because I don't believe in the whole Friday 13 th superstition. Here are some useless bits of info about Friday 13 th from Answers.com ((The origin of the Friday the 13th superstition has been linked to the belief that there were 13 people at The Last Supper of Jesus , who was crucified on Good Friday , but no evidence has been found that Friday 13th was considered especially unlucky until the 19th century. The number 13, however, has a long history of association with ill-luck. It has been linked to the fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years , while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year. )) ((In the Spanish -speaking world, it is Tuesday the 13th (as well as Tuesdays in general) that brings bad luck; a proverb runs En martes, ni te cases ni te embarques (on Tuesday, neither get married nor start a journey). )) Tupac Shakur ...

LOST info I loved the season opener. It was neat to see the plane break apart from a different point of view. Good news, Firefly star Nathan Fillion will guest star on LOST. http://whedon.info/article.php3?id_article=18402 from the site, ((Sources confirm to me that Nathan Fillion (Buffy, Firefly) has been cast on Lost! He starts filming the show next week in Hawaii, and will guest star in at least two episodes this season, from what I hear.)) Neat FX

Here's a random picture that has nothing to do with the post. At work, a young lady said this to me, “James, you're so random.” “Thank you,” I said with a nod and a grin. Finally someone understands me! A year ago, another young lady at work said this about me. “James, you're so weird.” “Thank you, it only took you three months to figure that out.” BTW, she was a blond.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9x_WUX4CSWY Family Guy spoofs The Naked Gun. I always enjoyed those crazy intros in the Naked Gun movies. In that intro, the Family Guy makers did an excellent job recapturing that opening. Stewie even runs over the Song of Music lady! But the best part is the last portion of the intro, because he runs over Homer Simpson. Peter comes out and looks down at the body of Homer and says, “How the hell is that?” This is part of the running feud between The Simpsons and The Family guy. They each take swipes at each other. ((The Simpsons staff have taken shots at Family Guy several times, including: In " Missionary: Impossible ", a television is shown bearing the Family Guy logo before being turned off. In " The Italian Bob ", a book contains an image of Peter Griffin, above the caption "Plagarismo". A second image in the sequence shows Stan Smith from American Dad! , with the ca...