AZM Ally Kensei Dave dug up this clip from the CW’s upcoming relaunch/remake/reimagining/regurgitation of “Nikita” starring Maggie Q which is the only reason I give two shits. Here she is getting her explosion on.
I love ‘splosions. I love Maggie Q. Two great tastes together equals instant win! I think. Of course, it is on the CW the same great network that brings us “America’s Next Top Hootchie” and “The Wussy Emo Shit Poor Excuse For Vampire Diaries” so I’m not getting my hopes up.
Dr. Mark Gasson embedded an RFID chip into his wrist and then infected it with a computer virus for “research purposes.” Of course, the cold eye of that Dalek looming behind him couldn’t have had anything to do with it. No. Nothing at all.
There’s High Grade Universal Century, Master Grade and Perfect Grade. Now Bandai is adding a new flavor, Real Grade, to their Gunpla lineup. The Real Grade line is 1/144 scale and features fully articulated torso, leg, and arm skeletal structures that are already assembled on the runners. All you gotta do is snap them out and you’ve got a fully bendable arm. I kind of always liked assembling the individual bits myself snipping out polycaps and all that. But the wide range of articulation is worth the streamlined construction. The detailing on the individual armor pieces is quite good, especially for a 1/144 scale. I mean, look at this photo! The shit looks like it’s a Master Grade kit!
You can check out more photos of the Real Grade RX-78 at HobbyLink Japan’s new blog site, HobbyLink.tv, as well as more photos from the Shizuoka Hobby Show where Bandai debuted a number of sexy new model kits. And of course, you can pre-order an RG RX-78 from HLJ for ¥2,500 (about $27.82USD). The kit will be released in July.
Dreaded Facebook Mech from my good friend Ross of The System comic. Go read it NOW!
There have been quite a few rumblings about privacy, social media, and your digital life in the past few weeks. Facebook’s “the default is social” mantra regarding your personal information has landed the site in a shit storm of media coverage from the usual tech blogs but also from mainstream media. There was also that report that indicated that social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook used the information they collected about you and sold it to third parties. At the same time people are complaining about privacy issues from social networking sites, people are also flocking in droves to web apps like Foursquare and Gowalla which track the locations you most frequent. Regardless of the protestations and threats of exodus, I believe our notions of privacy have changed dramatically with the rise of social media.
People should have ultimate control over what information they do and don’t share. And I don’t think it’s right for private companies to sell your information without your knowledge or to make their privacy settings so murky and convoluted that you end up sharing information that you never intended to. At the same time, I think people are getting used to sharing more about themselves than ever before. From twitter, to facebook, to personal blogs, people are sharing intimate details of their daily lives without much regard for their own personal privacy.
There’s an entire generation of people who have grown up with the internet and social media whose understanding of privacy is much different from generations who grew up with neither. They are the ones who will shape this new privacy. I kind of feel like I’m somewhere in the middle here. There are definitely certain things that I would never share with anyone outside my immediate family. But there’s also a crap ton of stuff about me that doesn’t terribly bother me.
So what do you think of this new privacy? Do you mind that your private facebook information is being used to sell you things that you might want? Do you care if random strangers know that you just took the best dump of your life? Does it frighten you that old friends you don’t remember from school suddenly know about your strange foot fungus? Or do you want to get off the grid entirely?
I never got into “Lost” which is strange because from everything I’ve ever heard about the show, it’s certainly the kind of screwy sci fi that I enjoy. The thing that fascinates me about “Lost” is how it hooked so many of my friends who would otherwise completely ignore sci fi. The thing that kind of kept me away from the show was that by the time I heard about it and how amazing it was, there was already this convoluted continuity that didn’t really seem like something you could just hop on in the middle and comprehend. Now that the show is over over and there’s an ending (well, depending on who you hear from), I’m more likely to pick it up with the Netflix and marathon the thing a season at a time.
If twitter, facebook rumblings, and this review are any indication, a good majority of “Lost” fans were not terribly pleased with the ending. Ah, that complete and utter let-down feeling you get when a show’s ending horribly disappoints you. I know it well. This begs the question, can any ending of serialized television really satisfy the faithful?
There have been a few endings that I didn’t really mind. Buffy’s last season was absolutely horrid but the very last episode did a lot to redeem the show in my eyes. Angel’s ending was a bit cliff hangery for me but word is that the comics have picked up nicely. Dollhouse’s ending didn’t hurt too bad. Star Trek TNG’s ending was satisfying and not entirely rage worthy. DS9′s ending made me want more, a television movie or something but it was decent enough.
And then there are the endings that send fans into a rage. BSG. The Sopranos. Seinfeld. Dallas. Various Kamen Rider endings that don’t make any fucking sense.
I think the success of a show isn’t in how it ends, but how its remembered. And in the end, I think the positives of Lost will ultimately overshadow its ending. It’s certainly made a major dent in pop culture. And because of Lost, more television shows are willing to take convoluted continuity risks.
So what do you guys thinks? Did Lost’s ending completely ruin the show for you? Did it wrap up all the loose ends to your satisfaction? Was it better or worse than the BSG finale? Do you think Jack Bauer will survive tonight’s 24 finale? How would you have ended Lost?
I’m kind of baffled that in the new damn Millennium we’re still talking about the Civil Rights Act. The danger here is that this Rand Paul guy will probably be branded as racist or bigoted and that really misses the entire point. The real issue here is the rights of private business versus government regulation or interference or whatever the fuck they call it.
Businesses discriminate all the time. Night clubs only let certain people in. Bars don’t serve alcohol to anyone under 21. Can’t get into a strip club unless you’re 18 in some places. Can’t ride a roller coaster if you’re too damn short. And for the most part, these examples of discrimination are fairly reasonable. Well, except the night clubs. But those are douchey places anyway so fuck em. The point is that some businesses do choose to serve some people and not others.
However, we as a nation have determined that discrimination based on race or gender is wrong. And if it takes government intervention to sometimes remind businesses of this, I’m perfectly fine with that.
I don’t think Rand Paul is racist. But I think his ideas about small/non-existent government in favor of private business self determination don’t work out in the long run. We’ve seen the dangers of banking industry free from regulation. The idea that the market will work to preserve itself is government stays out of its way completely ignores human greed. In theory businesses care about market stability. But in reality, all they really give a shit about is making more money quicker. Someone has to step in to reign them in once in a while because they sure as shit won’t regulate themselves.
Anyway, I think this argument will horribly skewed because of the Civil Rights Act angle. So if you do decide that this Rand Paul guys is a useless wanker, I’m not a huge fan, make sure it’s for the right reasons.
It’s been a while since I posted anything about climbing but this short film by Big Up Productions is just so awesome I had to share. I kind of feel like a fake since I’ve only ever climbed in a gym. I’ve done a few bouldering comps here and there and have even done some illustration work for Earthtreks. But the fact that I have yet to hit some real, outdoor, nature made, real goddamn rocks has given me a kind of weird sort of complex. I sincerely want to get outside, but my weekends have been filled with Art Fights and comics and family and friends and moves and all sorts of shit. So I haven’t really had time to get outside much.
I’m really glad that Big Up made this wonderful film because it helps me kind of get over my stupid indoor gym rat shame. Whether it’s pulling on plastic or crushing granite, climbing is climbing. And if you’re having fun, you’re doing it right. See you bitches in the gym!
Here’s the opening credits to the latest television remix, “Hawaii Five-O,” which actually plays like a really nice tribute to the original:
The original “Hawaii Five-O” was the longest running crime drama until “Law & Order” made short work of that record. It aired from 1968 to 1980 which means while I remember watching episodes as a little kid, I don’t remember any details except for the opening and the famous line, “Book ‘em, Danno.” As a general rule, I’m rarely excited for any remake of anything. But this show has Grace Park. And she’s awesome. So if it’s good enough for a toaster, it’s good enough for me.
Oh man, this is the best Gundam Wednesday we’ve had in a while! Angry Zen Minion Charles Gulotta returns with news of a Gundam cell phone! The Sharp 12.1 mega-pix OLED Gunpla cell phone comes bundled with a 1/100 scale Master Grade Gundam kit which looks like the 30th anniversary MG version. The Gunpla cell phone bundle is exclusive to Japanese carrier Softbank (which sucks because I have Sprint) and is limited to one per customer (so I could even pay a super Gundam otaku to pick up an extra one for me).
Actually, it’s probably for the best. I’d probably rack up a wicked huge bill finding any excuse to use it throughout the day and call absolutely everyone I know ON AN AWESOME GODDAMN GUNDAM PHONE!
Is it sick of me to admit that even if I weren’t married I’d be much more likely to hug the Gundam than the girl standing next to it?
Angry Zen Minion Charles Gulotta sent along this pic of a new 1/12 scale RX-78-2 Gundam which is based off a previous 1/12 scale version released in 2006. I’ve actually seen the 2006 version at a con once and was very tempted to elope with it. The 30th anniversary Hyper Hybrid Model 1/12 scale Gundam comes with Beam Rifle, Beam Saber, Shield, and decals and be custom ordered through Bandai for $3,400 USD.
Someday when I have a house there will be a Gundam shrine–nay–a Gundam room! And this HY2M 1/12 scale RX-78-2 shall be its center piece!!!
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