Monthly Archives: May 2010

Mastered the Markers

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Even after trekking through the Cavern back and forth, to and fro, here and anon, over and over, searching for markers, I can still stop and appreciate the beauty of D’ni. (Pic on left)

The marker missions are done. I did the yellow and red Great Zero marker missions, and then I did all of the calibration marker missions. I’m almost back to where I was when the Cavern was closed off to us a few years back. Still, though it was cool, once again, to get in-cavern location numbers showing up on my KI, it was a disappointment when the other two doors – the ones with the Great Zero insignia – didn’t open. (Pic on right) I remember having an insatiable curiosity about what these doors hid the last time, and I have to admit that it’s the same this time around.

The graph from last time is gone, replaced with the pulsing image of a Great Zero marker. So, if it had a purpose, it no longer does.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2

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I can stop any time I want. Really, I can quit. I don’t have the title sequence nearly memorized. I don’t sit there with my mouth gaping wide open as flashes of the elemental katas are displayed over and over.

Nor do I hang on plot development cliffhangers, scratching my arms until I can click on the blue “Play” button near the next episode. I definitely didn’t squee when I recognized the voice actor of one of the Earth Nation’s capital city officials, and noted that he also plays in Carnivale. Also, I didn’t make a sad-face when I realized that this must have been one of the first entries made available for live streaming, due to all of the compression artifacts that show up through this series, but not others.

Nor am I giving it five stars. Definitely not.

Carnivale: Season 1, The Island, and Space Cowboys

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had recommended this one to me a while back. He’d had me watch an episode way back when I had HBO, and while I was definitely intrigued, I wasn’t much into watching TV at that point. So, when I started up Netflix, I figured it belonged in the queue. And I was right.

Like most HBO series, it doesn’t shirk from adult themes, violence, or nudity. It also recognizes that these are tools for plot and story, and not things to be used for shock value or for titillation. We’re taken to the dark side of a mystic carnival, and it reminds me a bit of this .

There’s no flinching from the evil deeds of people, and there’s no flinching from the good reasons for it. Five stars.

One of ‘s picks, this one kept me entertained throughout. I especially liked the originals’ reaction to their insurance policies, as well as the very last scene. A whole lot of come-uppance going on wrapped in a sci-fi wrapper without too much shiny.

Three stars.

Another one of ‘s picks. I’ve seen this one on TV countless times, and it’s a classic. So many great actors and actresses, so many old fart characters. I felt right at home.

Four stars.

Call and answer

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DC: *insert random irreverent comment here*
WG: *witty rejoinder*
DC: *mock expression of surprise at your skill with wit followed up with congratulations on progress with the same*
WG: *continuation of sharp commentary, with a sly bit self mockery*
DC: *complete failure to keep up, hasty substitution with gurgling noise*
WG: *chuckling indulgently*
DC: *overused catch phrase*
WG: *expected response to catch phrase, with return catch phrase*
DC: *quote from recently-watched movie and/or TV series*
WG: *laughing hysterically, fond exasperation at said quote*

Won’t you be my neighbor?

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So, I get the last of my red markers, seen below in a strangely squished screenshot. Last &*^@ red marker. I’m let into the back room of the Great Zero Machine, and what do I find? Yeah, more marker hunts. These ones are a bit different, and a bit more fun, but I needed a bit of a break, so I logged off there.

Today, I picked it up again. See, I’d wondered if I should hop back on Yeesha’s path right away, instead of doing these timed marker hunts. When I finish these hunts, my KI will be upgraded with some neat position marking, IIRC, but I could never figure out what that was really good for. Especially from Age to Age. Another option was to try and find people to accompany me to the garden Ages so that I could finish something I’d never finished in my previous stint in the Cavern. Then I got to thinking how despite my sporadic visits, I’m the only one in my neighborhood that’s seemed to log on.

The Great Zero Machine is neighborhood instanced, which means that your neighborhood shares a unique version of that Age. Nobody else can get in there with you. I can share images and such of my accomplishments in my Neighborhood, but if I’m the only one left in it, why bother? Neighbors would be great to log on with and run through the garden Ages with.

Myst Online: Uru Live is free now, to play. No monies. So, here’s my pitch to recruit my friends into my particular version of online crack. Won’t you be my neighbor?


Post-Penguicon

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My two panels went off pretty well. Saturday’s was standing room only, and Sunday morning’s actually had attendees. I sold a couple of books, got a bunch of badge ribbons, and ran into a crazy amount of friends that I hadn’t seen in forever. All of the webcomic flyers got picked up, and 90% of the badge ribbons are gone. Not to mention that I sold some books!

I uploaded the new pics to my Penguicon gallery.

The writery site has a new WP theme (which you already know if you’re reading this there), which I think is much more clean, crisp, and readable than the last. Feel free to let me know what you think.

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