Greetings from LAX! More specifically, greetings from the bar at the United Club in terminal six. I have a crazy two days of flying ahead of me. First it’s LAX to HNL to GUM to MNL. Then I crash for a few hours at my parents’ condo in Fort Bonifacio before the MNL to CEB flight. Also, I didn’t sleep last night. While that will definitely help me conk out on the airplane, I fear that not sleeping…wasn’t the best decision. I’m going to pay for that latera.
I’m still going to post The Adventures of R.Pad and Z.Kitty. In a way, I’m kind of glad that parts of each chapter were cut off due to a 1Up redesign. I have no idea how each chapter was supposed to end. I’m sure it’s the same deal for Zoe and the chapters she wrote. It makes the whole thing more mysterious (and probably more interesting).
I definitely want to write something about Bernard Hopkins. He’s one of the most unique athletes I’ve ever seen. Most people are impressed that he’s winning boxing fights at 48, but I’m more impressed by his devotion to and mastery of boxing craft. His rings smarts and economy of movement are ridiculous.
Well, it’s almost time to board. If my flight arrives on time, I should have a brief layover in Hawaii. Aloha.
My excellent friend Brad tweeted this video yesterday and I can’t stop watching it. It’s that monstrous dunk by Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan set to a classic Jim Ross WWE call. Watch DJ throw down a Chris Paul lob for one of the most ferocious dunks of the NBA season to the classic sounds of JR calling the action for the Mankind vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell match from 1998. Continue reading “Jim Ross Calls DeAndre Jordan Dunk”
At the SXSW conference, Comixology and Marvel launched an amazing promotion that served up 700 comic books for free. As expected, millions of people attempted to download those issues on the Comixology web site and through the company’s apps. As expected, the service was overloaded and rendered useless since the promotion was announced. As of this writing, I’m still unable to download comics (including ones I’ve already paid for) through the app or view them on the web site.
It was bold initiative by Comixology and Marvel — a fantastic way to attract new customers to the wonderful world of digital comics. Unfortunately, the failure showed the dangers of digital content to creators and consumers alike. Comic book publishers have been unable to sell anything during the service outage; this is particularly painful for independent creators that only publish digitally. Existing Comixology customers have been unable to buy new books or download those in their digital lockers. The aggressive promo by Comixology and Marvel to nab new customers has resulted in a total failure to serve existing ones.
Comixology CEO David Steinberger wrote a blog post about the failure and the suspension of the promotion. Here’s an excerpt:
We expected a high degree of excitement for the Marvel initiative — and had believed ourselves prepared — but unfortunately we became overwhelmed by the immense response. We’re still struggling to keep our systems up.
The result is that you aren’t getting your comics when and where you want.
We don’t like letting you down. Our teams are working around the clock to resolve these issues so that you can have the experience you’ve come to expect.
Steinberger also posted a link where customers can sign up to be notified of when the promo will be active again. The link was dead for several hours after the post went up, but now appears to be working.
While I’m a huge fan of Comixology and digital media in general, this was a nice reminder of the dangers of relying on digital services. Computers crash. Servers fail. Paper, while having its own issues, is free from those problems. Having said that, this hiccup isn’t enough to make me buy physical comics again. The convenience is just fantastic. I love that I’ll have hundreds of comics on my tablet during my flight to the Philippines tomorrow. I love that I’ll be able to download new issues while I’m away.
Unfortunately, Comixology and Marvel have made digital comics look bad to new customers due to incompetence and a lack of preparation. First impressions are hugely important and this service outage has made Comixology look like chumps.
Here are a bunch of screens from Way of the Dogg starring Snoop Dogg/Lion/Potser. Since it stars a man with many names, the game is appropriately a mix of many genres. There’s fighting, rhythm, and music for you to deal with. While I’m still digging up information on whether this game is best played under herbal influences, here’s a lovely third-person quote from the D-O-Double-G himself:
Everyone knows that Snoop is down with the biggest and best video games whether it’s droppin’ my hits on the soundtrack or showing the world I can go toe-to-toe with the best fighters on the street but Way of the Dogg is the first true gamification of my music. It’s the way you live, it’s the way you do what you do and captures the beat, the rhythm and the spirit of my music. It’s not just about who you are or where you’ve been but where you are headed to. This game shows how we evolve as individuals and they’ve incorporated the journey of my own personal reincarnation as Snoop Lion into my character, the environments and the path that players have to follow.
While I believe that Snoop is one of the people that’s allowed to refer to himself in the third person, I’m fairly certain that the word “gamification” isn’t in his vernacular…but that’s just conjecture. That aside, there’s something strangely alluring about a rhythm/fighting game starring Snoop Dogg. It appeals to me…and I don’t know why.
Way of the Dogg is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. It will be released in conjunction with Snoop’s Reincarnated movie and album, set for release on March 15, 2013 and April 23, 2013, respectively. Do any of you find the game appealing? Or have I been inhaling strange vapors?
The ad blocking issue is coming up again. In 2010 Ars-Technica founder Ken Fisher wrote a story on why blocking ads is devastating for web sites you enjoy. Recently, Destructoid founder Niero Gonzales wrote a story and stated that almost half of the site’s readers block ads. The use of ad blockers is particularly disheartening for videogame web sites and freelance writers. From the outside, it’s easy to see the number of gaming web sites that have shut down over the last few years. From the inside…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Mariano Rivera being a possible first-ballot hall-of-famer, the resurgent Los Angeles Lakers (see also: the choking Utah Jazz), or packing procrastination, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
The ad blocking issue is coming up again. In 2010 Ars-Technica founder Ken Fisher wrote a story on why blocking ads is devastating for web sites you enjoy. Recently, Destructoid founder Niero Gonzales wrote a story and stated that almost half of the site’s readers block ads. The use of ad blockers is particularly disheartening for videogame web sites and freelance writers. From the outside, it’s easy to see the number of gaming web sites that have shut down over the last few years. From the inside, the number of full-time jobs, the number of freelance gigs, and freelance rates have gone down.
Today I’d love to hear about your ad-blocking habits. I’m not judging. I’m just curious. Do you always use ad blockers? Do you disable ad-blocking plug-ins on sites you like? Please take the poll below and expand on your choice in the comments section.
[poll id=”178″]
As for me, I used to use AdBlock Plus all the time, but now I rarely use ad blocking of any kind. Part of it is that advertising has generally become more sophisticated and less obnoxious. Sure, there are still some garish ads out there, but for the most part I don’t see those kinds of spots on the sites I frequent. A bigger part of it was understanding the economics of operating a content-based site, especially as a small business owner. Making money with Internet content is getting harder and harder. I’m happy to allow ads on sites that I find mildly entertaining. For those that I truly enjoy, I will actively click on ads that interest me.
Yeah, I realize that very few Internet users try to support sites this way and many aren’t even aware of how blocking ads hurts the sites they enjoy. Just thinking about the fun gaming web sites that have shut down over the years and those that are in the process of shutting down makes me wonder if they’d still be around if their readers didn’t block ads.
Here’s a batch of new screens for the upcoming Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. When I saw the game last October, I was impressed by its art style, unique yet simple gameplay, and non-verbal storytelling. It reminded me of Ico, with a bit of Heavy Rain thrown in. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is coming to PC (via Steam), PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in Spring 2013. It will be available for $15 or 1,200 units of make-believe Xbox Live currency. Check out the screens below and let me know what you think (please!). Continue reading “Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Screens”
Volcano is one of the most visible e-cig brands in America. The company has several mall kiosks throughout the country and a pair of excellent vapor cafes. The company’s Lavatube line is one of the most popular mods out there. So how are Volcano’s e-liquids? I vaped Bonzai Banana, Lahaina Lychee, and Pipeline Peach to find out. The short version is that I can’t recommend any of these juices. One of them was passable, while the other two didn’t appeal to me at all. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.
Bonzai Banana: This juice has a very artificial and candy-like taste. My brother likes this one because it reminds him of banana taffy, but I couldn’t stand it. You know how a banana scratch-and-sniff sticker smells? That’s how this e-liquid tastes. Even though I prefer natural fruit flavors, I understand that some people enjoy candy-like e-liquids. That said, I honestly don’t see the appeal of this particular take on banana and think that my brother is a bit nuts for liking it (though to be fair, he’s only been vaping since December and hasn’t tried many “good” juices).
Lahaina Lychee: I was really looking forward to this one because lychee is an uncommon e-liquid and most popular vendors don’t offer this flavor. I absolutely love the fruit — both fresh and canned. This juice has a mild lychee taste, but it’s also accompanied by some bitterness and a pungent aroma. Additionally, it doesn’t have the sweetness I expect from lychee. While it wasn’t as bad as its banana brother, I thought that this juice was mediocre at best — the lychee flavor wasn’t strong enough and too many other characteristics spoil the overall taste. I have a bottle of Ahlusion’s Boba Tea with Lychee that I’ll be reviewing in the future; the lychee flavor in Ahlusion’s juice is exponentially better than the one in Volcano’s.
Pipeline Peach: This is a pretty average peach juice with a candy flavor. It reminded me of Haribo Gummi Peaches. Again, I prefer natural fruit flavors — especially when it comes to peach — but I can see how some people would like this juice. That said, it’s pretty average. If you’re looking for a candied peach taste then I recommend Backwoods Brew’s Peach; it’s much better and a little bit cheaper than Volcano’s juice. While this juice was “pretty average,” as I mentioned earlier, that also makes it the best of the three.
Steeping Notes
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method starting December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on. The bottles are shaken every day for at least two weeks before vaping.
Bonzai Banana
80/20 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine (PG/VG ratio not listed on the bottle, this is what I was told by a store clerk)
Uncapped: December 28, 2012 3:40PM
Vaped: March 5, 2013 – March 9, 2013
Lahaina Lychee
80/20 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine (PG/VG ratio not listed on the bottle, this is what I was told by a store clerk)
Uncapped: December 28, 2012 3:40PM
Vaped: March 5, 2013 – March 9, 2013
Pipeline Peach
80/20 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine (PG/VG ratio not listed on the bottle, this is what I was told by a store clerk)
Uncapped: December 28, 2012 3:40PM
Vaped: March 5, 2013 – March 9, 2013
Review Process (Updated February 17, 2013) RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in an atomizer, a cartomizer/tank setup, and a clearomizer. The exception is naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) juices; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.
Xi3 Corporation has announced that its Piston Console will start at $999.99 and arrive during the Holiday 2013 season. According to Kotaku, this “unofficial” Steam Box is being partially financed by Valve. Curiously, the “Valve” and “Steam” brands aren’t mentioned in the Piston Console’s press release. The system is available for pre-order with a $100 discount that’s good until March 17, 2013 at 11:59PM CST.
The pre-order page shows that the Piston Console packs an AMD R464 quad-core processor listed at 3.2GHz, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. A 256GB SSD can be added for an additional $340 while a 512GB SSD can be added for an additional $750. According to CPU World, the AMD R464 has a standard frequency of 2.3GHz and a “Turbo” frequency of 3.2GHz.
I know that RPadholic smartguy is anxious for a Steam Box. Are any of you interested in Xi3’s Piston Console? Will you take advantage of the pre-order savings? Or are you going to wait for more choices? What do you think of the Piston Console’s looks and price?
The wonderful Comixology service has introduced a self-publishing program for independent creators called Comixology Submit. The service allows creators to publish digital comics for free and receive “50% of the gross sale after credit card fees are taken out.” Arists and authors retain the rights to any works submitted to Comixology. This is a potentially huge opportunity for creators to take advantage of the largest digital distribution service for comic books.
The service has me thinking about comic books that I’ve scripted. I was working with an artist 11 years ago on a comic, but it never progressed beyond rough plots. Since I suck at art, perhaps one of you would like to take a nab at bringing a comic book to life? If so, I’d love to use something silly that Zoe Flower and I wrote nine years ago called The Adventures of R.Pad and Z.Kitty. It’s a fantasy tale that’s full of inside jokes about our friendship. While I don’t expect to sell many (any) issues, I’d love to have one ready for her 40th birthday in July. I’ll publish the (really) rough text of the fiction next week while I’m away in the Philippines.
So I have two questions for you today. First, are any of you interested in submitting to Comixology Submit or browsing through new independent comics through the service? Secondly, who wants to help me bring The Adventures of R.Pad and Z.Kitty to life?
The boys head back to Las Vegas for more adventures and misfortunes in The Hangover Part III. According to IMDB, Mike Tyson, Mr. Chow, Black Doug, and Stripper Jade will be returning. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what’s in store for final chapter of The Hangover series. Highlights include an implied giraffe decapitation, Alan having a seductive moment with a woman causing Stu to retch, and Mr. Chow choking a chicken.
Are you ready for another raunchy romp with Alan, Phil, and Stu? Or have you had enough of this franchise?
