Carry On

I think I'm ready to carry on with my life.
I've been stuck in my own dysphoric disposition for so long and recent circumstances have seen the potential for a new chapter.
I think it's about time I picked up my pen and continued writing...

I Don't Need Your Civil War

23rd November, 2010. North Korea has fired an artillery barrage on a small island in South Korea.
Not a smart move. Where will it go from here? The main island of South Korea? Other Asian islands? Other allied countries?

South Korea had indeed returned fire when the missiles hit the small island.
The casualties include 2 civilians and 2 marines. The bombing injured 18 people and damaged many homes.

After recovering the debris, South Korea studied the artillery and believe that NK used what are called; 'Air-fuel bombs'. These bombs produce a longer lasting blast radius than generic bombs and creates fires which results in more damage and more casualties.

The bombing has resulted in the first civilian casualty since 1987 when North Korea bombed a South Korean air-liner.

The South Korean military is on full alert.

Now that it's started, what will happen next?

The United Nations will step in and try to calm everything down.
The US are pressuring China, "arguing that it has the greatest responsibility when it comes to the stability of the DPRK."

South Korea need to react in a strong and formidable way to show North Korea that they are taking this incident seriously. But they must be careful not to provoke more violence.

"What's so civil about war anyway?"

Pike River Mine Disaster

I'm sure you have all heard about the Pike River Mine disaster over in New Zealand.
31 miners were caught in an accident while at work on November 19, 2010.
There was an explosion caused by the methane gas and carbon monoxide present in the mine. This left all miners trapped. 2 emerged from the disaster but 29 miners are still trapped inside the mine.
The gasses present in the mine have left little chance of survival.

On November 24, at approximately 2:37pm NZDT, there was a second explosion which more than surely killed all miners.
Recovery of the bodies is said to potentially take months.

I made this post as a small tribute to the men that lost their lives and to their family and friends.
One of the miners was aged 17 and it was his first day on the job.

A Brand New Page, A Brand New Day

Tomorrow is a different day. I will take over the world. Just not today.

Google Instant

So there is this new Google called, Google Instant that basically carries out a 'Google search' as you are typing into the search bar. It updates in real time as you modify and add keywords to your search. This means you won't have to scroll or press the 'Enter' key when conducting a search.
Because y'know; having to scroll and press Enter is the main problem with Google, right?
But I would like to point out that that is quite possibly the laziest thing I have ever heard.

Google Instant hasn't been publicly released quite yet but it is being phased into those that have a Google Account over the next few days in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia that are using Chrome v5/6, Firefox v3, Safari v5 for Mac and Internet Explorer v8,

I'm not losing sleep over any excitement. I'm not sure about you, but I don't mind spending "more than 9 seconds to enter a search term" or being able to "save 2-5 seconds per search". It just doesn't classify as bragging nor excessive waste of time. I waste more time sitting at red lights waiting to turn left.

I will admit that it is a neat free feature but Google are giving this way too much hype. They're making me think they have cured cancer.
If Google is interested in saving time, they should put their money to better use.

Vanquish... the PC

Shinji Mikami and Platinum Games are soon to release a new game called Vanquish.
Vanquish was initially developed for PC but was later changed as PS3 became the game's primary focus. Not that any of us saw that coming.
So at at this current point in time, Vanquish is limited to console: PS3 and Xbox 360. Whether or not it will have a PC release is currently undecided.

"Obviously each console has its own unique requirements and limitations, but we feel if we can create a good enough presentation on PS3, we'll be off to a good start."
- Mikami

I saw some of the footage available for this upcoming sci-fi shooter and thought it looked pretty neat, but if this is "ported", it will just be yet another FPS/TPS thrown away and onto the scrap pile.

The story line looks basic as hell and somewhat slaps me in the face with spitting images of the all time classic film, Judgement Day. But nevertheless, the jet-boot-skootin', frontflip-shootin' and explosion filled atmosphere looks for some promising game-play. I am thinking of Ratchet & Clank right about now... Especially Gladiator.

The trailers look most impressive and that they may have spent some serious dollar making them. But teasers are often, as we are far too familiar with, deceptive.
But don't let this theory get you down. If you pre-order the game from Gamestop [ Click here! ] you get an exclusive 3 weapon download pack! I would assume this is for Multiplayer content. Or you could save yourself US$59.99 and wait for a sale at Electronics Boutique.

Check out the trailers:




I'm pretty sure the voice actor of the first dude is in Dawn of War II.

Hailstorm!

Raise your pints!

It is June, 2010 AD and Scottish Heavy Metal pirates ALESTORM embark across the seven seas to the lonesome island of Australia for their cleverly and very appropriately named, Plunder Down Under Tour. For Alestorm’s first time in Australia, the turn out at their first show in Perth was impressive, pulling in a very strong number of boozy metal fans. There was also a nice collaboration of people who dressed up as pirates for the night. It’s great to see people getting into the Pirate mood.

The night started at about 8pm when local vegan beat down band BORN INTO SUFFERING opened up the stage. I was in the lounge at the time, but the chugging riffs and fast paced drums that make BIS could be heard comfortably through the PA system. The only kink in the sounds all night was halfway through their anti Sam Neil song which resulted in a short intermission.

Up next was another local act; the almighty warriors, CLAIM THE THRONE. The Viking themed Folk Metal band is definitely the most suitable support act for Alestorm imaginable. Claim The Throne are an excellent live show. They chug down beer (ale, sorry) through funnels mid song, have ridiculous song concepts, (“This song is about a Minstrel. He was really short, lived a long time ago, committed suicide and turned into a lake.”) and have a powerful stage presence aided by their chainmail, blood and croaky voices. Lord Jim never seemed to stop milling.
The biggest cheers came from the track, Set Sail On Ail as the crowd raised their pints before consuming. The crowd interaction received created an immense atmosphere with shouting “HEY”, drinking and plenty of headbanging. Claim The Throne’s new drummer, Oscarius impressed me with his lightning fast double kicks. Last time I saw CTT live (several years ago I might add), it was with their previous drummer and I have also noticed the band as a whole tune up very neatly.
Make sure you check those guys out!

And at about 10pm, the fearless scallywags ALESTORM came on stage to an epic composition of the Pirates of The Caribbean theme tune. Very fitting! The band opened with The Quest which immediately set the mood for the rest of the night. The yelling from the track’s chorus coming from the crowd was intense even if it was a little bit drunken.
During the whole set, there were shiploads of downing ale, headbanging, yelling and raising of horns into the air.
Alestorm’s set consisted of a very satisfying balance between both albums, with each album showing equal delight from the excited crowd.
Several stand-outs of the night included;
Wenches & Mead with the chorus blaring from every single person’s lung in the room and quite possibly the loudest set of “HEY! HEY!” ’s in live concert history.
Nancy The Tavern Wench which slowed the pace down due it’s more melodic (drunk pub song) style music. There was plenty of beers going down during this track.
Black Sails At Midnight with it’s plenty of headbanging.
Over The Seas. Need I say more?
Set Sail And Conquer had plenty of drunk mosh and a huge cheer during the drum solo, which Peter extended quite nicely.
Keelhauled had a very nice response with it’s chant-based chorus. Not to mention Chris’ introduction to the track: “This song is about drinking beer, fucking girls and slaying sea monsters!”
Leviathan as being one of the latest tracks, 99% of the crowd was completely smashed. How was the mosh? Well, image lots of hairy metal heads in a pub singing, headbanging and raising their fists in the air… A lot of fun!
Black Sails At Midnight had a wall of death. Or at least an attempt. The drunk crowd made it extremely uncoordinated, but I jumped in and it was a good laugh.

Come to think of it, there wasn’t a single song on the set list that didn’t satisfy.
Chris’ vocals stayed sharp and his comments in between songs earned laughs, cheers and pints.
“You are all my friends. Especially if you have breasts.”
“Do you guys call this Winter? Do you guys call this cold? You would freeze your tits off if you went to Scotland.”
“PERTH! We are Alestorm! (Slight pause) From Perth!”
“Can we stay here?”
“Who wants to get drunk with us after the show? Stick around!”
“There is only a limited number of songs we can remember. The alcohol. It does things.”

Chris’ Keytar skills never failed as he played amazing solos and very piratey melodies.
But the real shredder was Dani Evans with his face-melting licks raising horns and pints all throughout the night.

The set was played really tight, very organised and co-ordinated. Which was impressive considering the amount of alcohol consumption that was going on.
The stage presence remained intense throughout the whole night and nobody really wanted the night to end.

They closed with Wolves of The Sea and as the track finished, the crowd broke out into a “ALESTORM! ALESTORM!…” chant in the hopes for an encore. But unfortunately, the 90 minute show had to suffice as the Amplifier staff played Lady Gaga through the PA.

All in all, it was a great show. Definitely the most chilled metal concert I have ever been to.
I hope they return to our warm waters soon!

Look out Fiddy Cent!

One of my mate's showed me a video clip of a song by an upcoming rapper called Bangs. It was called 'Take U To Da Movies'. And WOW IT WAS AMAZING!

Bang's real name is Ajak Chol and was born in Sudan in 1990.
Bangs moved to Egypt when he was little and then arrived in Melbourne after emigrating from Egypt in 2003.
He started his new life with a hard passion for music and a wild dream to take over the world with his music.
At the point of me discovering this 19 year old rapper, his debut album entitled HARD TO BE UP was still in the recording process.
When the album was released, I had to get my hands on a copy.
The CD is so emotional lyrically, catchy and powerful musically and overall has a very unique feel.
His topics range from courting to ranting about the Australian Immigration system. (Trollolol)
His hit single TAKE U TO DA MOVIES put his name in lights practically overnight.
A video clip has been filmed of Bangs' singing in front of a green screen showing various pictures of Lamborghinis and city skylines.
I reccomend EVERYONE buy this CD. You won't be wasting your time.
Bangs is an inspiration to everyone and should find a place in everyone's heart.

/sarcasm.
Or was I serious?
Choose for yourself.

BANGS - TAKE U TO DA MOVIES (Offical Video)

It's like COD, but with bow 'n arrows.

Okay, so you've all played Paradox Interactive's Mount & Blade, right?
If not, here is a brief review.

Mount & Blade is a sandbox Hack-n-slash RPG. You create a character, kill people, complete quests, get more money, get better equipment, get more badass and get more control.
The game's primary aspect is to create a 'party'. As you get better, your troops increase in skill and quantity.
It does not contain a story-line and does not have any fantasy elements like that found in most RPG's such as Elder Scrolls and Neverwinter Nights.

But the game truly shines in it's battle sequences.
The graphics are impressive, the combat is good fun and the battles range from your character vs 3 outlaws to massive full scale battles and sieges with up to 6 different factions.
The player has a choice to join one of 5 kingdoms or can choose to go neutral.
Each kingdom has it's Pros and Cons and are all based on real-life Dark Ages communities. For example; Nords, Mongolians and Arabians.
As you progress, if riding under a banner, you can become a Lord and own your own castle and villages. But if you ride under a banner, expect to be under pursuit from enemy factions.
The game has a huge array of weapons, clothing and attributes which can be mix and matched to create unique and devastating combinations.



That is enough, I am here to discuss the latest expansion pack; Mount & Blade: Warband.
The expansion pack brought Multiplayer to the single player RPG, which sounds like a great addition. But when I sat down and joined a server of high latency, I quickly drew the conclusion that it is quite horrible.
Paradox claimed that the graphics were increased from it's predecessor, but I actually see a downfall is visuals.

But that is not what irritated me. What made me quit after about 15 minutes of play was that the game heavily resembled COD (oh no...) in that vast majority of players assume the role of archers. The resemblance to Call Of Duty (Modern Warfare 1 and 2 obviously because heaven forbid playing any of the earlier games) is the 'snipers pitching tents' aspect.
The archers sit on top of a hill and shoot arrows all day without being a man and charging in with an axe and slicing the enemies' heads in half. Which, to me, sounds like much more fun than standing in one spot clicking endlessly and shooting arrows.

In terms of kits, it is kind of like Battlefield where there are preset kits, but having the option to customise.
You choose a fighter type and spend your cash (say 1500 gold pieces) which is earned by stacking up kills and winning rounds to buy different weapons and armour.
The fighter type you choose limits the options available. So choose an axe based character if you want a axe. Pretty basic stuff.
And there is an option to mount a horse.

In conclusion, the Multiplayer isn't so great but the Singleplayer is hours and hours of fun and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys RPGs.

My first and last experience with Games for Windows Live

On the weekend I bought Red Faction: Guerrilla, finally, after hearing alot of positive feedback from it's destruction system and general good fun.

But what makes this game a waste of time is the absolute joke system 'Games for Windows Live' (GfWL).
Basically, the system means you MUST create a profile to obtain the simple task of saving and loading your game.
What the fuck?!
So when I went to start a new game, it asked me to create an account.
It took me to the Xbox website (wait, what?) to create an Xbox gamer tag.
Okay so I HAVE to make an XBOX account JUST to save and load my game?
I should have stopped there.
After pissing around for an hour and a half I eventually got the shoddy system to log me in.
I then played the game...

Fuck it is actually alot of fun.
Being able to blow up everything basically made me jizz on my screen.
The story line is extremely unoriginal and the combat system is unrealistic and shoddy (typical 3rd person shooter). But albeit it's very entertaining.
Throwing remote charges on a bridge and blowing them up and watching the rubble crush thine enemies is fucking fun.

But anyway, I digress.
I played the game for a fair while in one session.
I then saved and quit the game. To my suprise, no worries: It approved and let me quit.

Later, I went to play the game again.
So I attempted to sign in. This took bloody forever.
When I finally signed in, my save games were deleted.
O_o and my god what a surprise it won't let me sign in the next day to start a new game.
Fuck. What a joke and an absolute waste of time.

NEVER buy anything that has 'Games for Windows Live' on it. EVER.
Save yourself the pain.
Fuck you THQ. Take some lessons from Valve.
Actually no, just leave the industry to those who know what they are doing.

/rant.

Ohai guise

I have decided to enter the world of web logging.
So whenever something not-so-significant occurs, I can ramble on about it :D
When I eventually stack up a few posts, I hope you enjoy a bit of a read.

I will expect my blog to consist of:
Reviews of many things; (Games, movies, albums, hardware etc.)
Youtube videos worth watching,
Random websites you should look at,
Advertising of gigs to go to,
And general rubbish that will result in you avoiding to do stuff yourself you lazy bitches :)

But anyway.
That was my lovely introduction.
I think I am going to like blogging. :)