No Friday Blogs

Well, not ever. But definitely more sporadic. Which probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who reads this place regularly as they've already been a bit spotty. Basically while I was a full-time writer, I had this place to take a break and write about sci-fi and games I wasn't being paid to write about, and everything was great. But bills were getting harder to pay and I had to get a job. This meant less time for writing, and I ended up using all that time just keeping here up to date. Which is the exact opposite of what this place is meant to be. This is meant to be me waxing lyrical about stuff I have to write about, not grinding an article for a deadline. More to the point I feel I wasn't doing a brilliant job of those I did publish. Not just missing posts, but the writing of some of them hasn't been up to the standard I expect of myself.

There's also one rather important fact, the one that really got me thinking. I haven't been finding the time to write fiction. The stuff I really want to write. So I sat down, and decided something had to give. It was the random Friday posts or Doctor Who that was on the chopping block. I'm keeping my jaunts through Time and Space because I'm really enjoying writing those, and there's very little chance of me falling behind as I've got so many banked. Plus Capaldi launches tomorrow night :D

So Friday becomes a non-update day. Or at least not a regular one. I'll still write about the big stuff like when the next Marvel movie comes out. But it's when the mood hits me now. Or at least till the writing starts paying the bills again.

Quick Shout Out

In order to make my posts a bit snappier, if I've got something to say I'm just gonna say it, rather than waiting till the end of the month (which I'm still gonna use as a general sum up).

First off, I've finally got off my arse and posted up links to some of my friend's blogs and the like.

Secondly, I've finally picked up last week's comics. In my pile the to read list was X-Factor (yes a week late but it's fantastic) and Iron Fist. I feel ashamed it's taken me this long to pick up Brubaker at Marvel, but now that I have his and Matt Fraction's story is fantastic. A quick read but brilliantly told. The advertising in Teen Titans was atrocious, and people have been complaining at Marvel? Also Wisdom was a bit of a let down. While it did feel like a proper British comic in the Marvel universe, it also felt like the story needed two issues to be told.

There Can Be Only One

I bet you're wondering where I've been? Well probably not but I like to pretend anyway. Well after my 3 week trip to Canada, which was great thank you. I just got home when work asked me to go to Cardiff to help look after the new people in that new office. They also gave me a semi-promotion, so I'm now looking after IS Support while someone gets round to actually advertising for the positions there properly.

So I'd been home a week when work sent me to Wales for another week, which has to be said was a great time as well. Anyway, I'd not had a huge amount of time to dedicate to the promise I made myself and to the good people at Heroic Images. That of getting my website back up and running once I got back from Canada. I got one night on it before going to Cardiff and we're nearly there and since I've got three days off from work I hope to get more down this weekend. Then I've just got the DNS to sort out and we should be ready to go.

Last night, having only slept for 2 hours on Thursday and traveling, I was shattered and in need of a film. So I watched Highlander: Endgame, against Chris' recommendation. Well his recommendation wasn't far off but it wasn't that bad. But as Chris put it I've watched quite a lot of the show and he hasn't. Which I feel is one of the main problems of the film. Its big thing was that we finally had Connor and Duncan together properly for the first time, and it was good for some of that, we got to see there history together, and why Connor wasn't about for the series. In other ways the film really didn't manage that.

The main villain, apart from being extremely cheesy and over the top, was someone that had been plaguing Connor for centuries but had nothing to do with Duncan, yet it was Duncan who had to take him out at the end. This seemed to be the problem for the film as a whole, they never managed to find someone who had real resonance for both of the MacLeods. That said, it's not like Christopher Lambert is in the modern day setting a huge amount, which is probably a good thing since how old he looks these days. Not really the nest thing for an immortal. Also some of the blue screen was absolutely shocking as well and all three people watching laughed out loud.

It's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination and unless you've watched the series you're probably going to disappointed.

GUNning it

Friday was an absolute quality night out, though Alex ruined the theme by getting back with his ex earlier in the week. Saturday, hung over to hell, I decided I needed some good shooting action, something not offered by any of the games I’m currently playing. What with actually having something to write about I decided I better fit another post in before the Canada trip.

Gun was one of those games that when it was released had intrigued me, the adverts looked great and when was the last time a decent western game was made? Anyway, Smith had warned me at the time that while it was supposed to be good it was also very short. However, seeing at £10 and on Buy One Get One Free you can’t really go wrong, unless you decide the latest Leisure Suit Larry or Lula game would be a good purchase.

Anyway, Gun is a brilliant game but, as Smith warned, it is rather short. I completed it in a weekend, though admittedly it did take two hardcore sessions. The game starts off rather hard to control but as your stats improve and you buy upgrades for your weapons it gets a lot easier, and a lot cooler. In no time at all I was picking bandits off their horses with my rifle and taking arrows and dynamite out of the air with my pistol.

The storyline is great and has a fantastic Western feel, with kind hearted whores, dirty business men, history with Indians and Civil War veterans looking to right wrongs. Also it managed to throw quite a few curve balls into the story, something which is quite unique in action games.

That’s not to say the game isn’t with its faults. I had one total crash and a fall through floor moment. The physical gestures during in game speech were quite often comical, and once or twice a model’s hands got mangled up during those gestures and I once saw a mission specific target walk through a wall. Also the game does a GTA and lets you keep playing after the storyline, and the more complete the game is the more fun stuff you get. Thing is, it’s not that hard to complete the side missions, once they’re done there’s not much to do, making the two best items in the game practically pointless.

All said, a great game, that was well worth the £10 charged, even better when you think I only paid a fiver.

Cheered up and Inadequacies

Like Smith, I promised myself I'd not using this as a diary but felt I really needed to today.

Well I feel a whole lot better. I’ve been pretty down recently for various reasons and been trying various things to cheer me up, none of which have been working. It’s amazing what a quiet night in the pub will do for you. After the initial quick bitching session and catch up, we had a very long and very geeky conversation with both of us cracking the other up. We even managed to fit in a quick rant about women in. Thanks a lot mate ;)

Also figured I'd talk about why my comic has not been updating for over a month now. See in interviews with professionals they go on about how good a storyteller their artist is and how they pass on so much through the imagery. Due to a total lack of artistic talent I use sprites, so fixed camera angles and no real expression. Plus I don't make my own sprites, Alex makes them for me (which I am eternally grateful for), therefore I've got a set of sprites to pick from and if I do need a new one I have to give Alex a weeks warning. All in all these leads to a very frustrated writer. I'm not saying I've stopped. I needed a break, I reckon it should be back soon. I determined to get to the next few storylines where I've got people interested in doing guest arcs. In the very least I'll give me time to seethe over the inadequacies of my chosen format. Anyone fancy drawing it?

When Dick met Chris

I was given the 'Batman and Robin' toy as a present from Drew a few years ago, when I bought the Nightwing toy and I saw them next to each other, this was the first thing that popped into my head.

Trojan

A new brand of condom here in the UK, though I know it's quite big in the US. First thing when Smithy, Jason and myself saw the name was pretty much the joke above. What a really STUPID name for a condom.

Smoke Machines

Ok, let’s be fair, smoke machines were great… in the 90’s. I imagine they were perfect during those heady days of raving, happy hardcore and all the rest of the stuff we’ve thankfully left behind as bad ides. But now? Crap idea. You see, a club here in Dundee, used to be the local dive, had a major refurbishment and is now considered the best in town. Lots of fun was had by me and my friends. Then two weeks ago Chris, Barry, Mark and myself were stood at the bar next to the dance floor admiring the ladies shaking their booties when a plume of white smoke came flying out of the sides and we could see bugger all. Later on when we were dancing and the smoke machine went off you couldn’t see a foot in front of you and that’s no exaggeration. When you tried to find someone on the dance floor even when the smoke wasn’t there all you got now was a bunch of light reflections off the remains of the smoke.

I wouldn’t even had realised this if the club hadn’t operated for two months without one and it had perfect lighting and ambience. Now it’s spoilt by a device I think has had its day.

Except when it comes to dramatic moments, nothing scarier (in a I’m gonna to kick seven shades of shit out of you kinda way) or cooler than someone or something coming out of a plume of smoke. Not really something you want in a club that though is it.