June 2010

  • Gerrit Cole & Jackie Bradley Jr.

    By Spectator on 6/28/10 2:09pm
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    I noted in the comments that other day that two guys likely to be in the vacinity of where the Ms will draft have been advancing in the College World Series, and it turns out they will meet in the finals starting tonight.


    UCLA RHP Gerrit Cole will get the start for the Bruins in the opening game of the best-of-three final.  In his earlier start, he whiffed 13 in 8.0 IP, and earned an interview with Erin Andrews (yes, there are baseball highlights on there, too): http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5313322


    Cole is a big guy who can crank it up to 98 and also has two solid offspeed offerings.  Reportedly was throwing 97 in the 8th inning the other day.  He was a first-round prep pick by the Yankees in 08, but opted for UCLA.

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  • Weekly Reading Pile: Week of 6/23/10 Pt1

    By wrathamon on 6/27/10 5:59pm
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    Superman #700- The first story by Straczynski was alright, just sort of a quickie to catch up on Lois and Clark’s relationship post War of the Supermen. The middle story by Jurgens was cute, but a random thing to be included in this issue. The final story, well let’s say if it’s an indication of the type of stories we will be forced to read by Straczynski then I’m going to be less than pleased with the direction of this title. Seriously, we’ve had enough of ‘needing to ground the heroes with the people they save’. And that whole scene with the woman complaining that Superman wasn’t there to save her husband WHILE HE WAS BUSY SAVING THE WORLD is more than old hand and lazy plotting, it’s obnoxious and annoying. I can see why the Plutionan over on Irredeemable went insane. B-


     

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  • U.S. - Slovenia Bag Job (3)

    By jemanji on 6/21/10 2:08am
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    === Who's the Man Behind the Curtain?, cont. ===

     ... What is the influence in the World Cup, though?  You had an American team playing a European team, with an African ref.  What does FIFA care whether the U.S. advances over Slovenia?  The U.S. TV market is like 150 times Slovenia's.  Is it that (1) FIFA is trying to grease England's skids to the knockout round?

    Or, perish the thought, (2) DO gamblers influence refs in the World Cup?   Is that what happened, was that the African ref was threatened and bribed so that crime bosses could profit?

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  • Weekly Reading Pile

    By wrathamon on 6/18/10 12:05am
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    Atlas #2- Parker knows how to deliver a fun comic and considering I never really gave a crap about Triathlon (now 3-D man) I actually really like what’s being done with the character here. Hardman’s art is a great fit for the series, and the back-up stories have been great so far. Well worth jumping on and trying out. A-

     

     

    DC Universe Legacies #2- Same deal as last issue, I’m not really sure we need to spend $3.99 for basically DC’s version of Busiek’s Marvels. The Kubert art is great, and the Seven Soldiers by JH Williams in the back is fun. Maybe this will read better as a trade, but overall just feels unnecessary. B-

     

     

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  • Batman: Arkham Asylum vs. Superman 64- The Best and Worst Super Hero Games

    By msarko on 6/16/10 11:33pm
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    Video games are designed to entertain, but what does that exactly mean? What makes the little interactive stories and puzzles of games fun? Well, in most cases it's all about simulating an experience, especially one that the player will never actually have in real life. Some games manage to create a truly immersive simulation while others seem to miss the point entirely. The most important thing a game designer has to remember is that a game is best when it is designed around the thing being simulated rather than plopping that thing into a series of designs and mechanics that don't have anything to do with the fantasy the game is supposed to be playing out. This is the major distinction between, say, two of the most memorable super hero games in history, Superman 64 and last year's Batman: Arkham Asylum. The latter represents the best case scenario for a video game about an iconic comic book hero while the former has long been Exhibit A in the ongoing case for how not to design a game.



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  • Slayer: "World Painted Blood" video

    By MichaelP03 on 6/16/10 1:17pm
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    As thrash metal legends Slayer prepare to play the historic Big Four festivals in Europe (before co-headlining the American and Canadian Carnage tours), fans in the rest of the world can see animated versions of Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo, Kerry King and Tom Araya in the band's latest music video, "World Painted Blood". It's the title track and opening song on World Painted Blood, Slayer's tenth studio album, and the second video after "Beauty Through Order".



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  • Why I Dislike the Facebook Like Button

    By sparklyscotty on 6/14/10 5:58am
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    There is more to life than LikeThere is more to life than LikeI'm not sure I have ever been so ambivalent about anything as I am about the Facebook Like button, and the irony of that statement is not lost on me. From a cultural point of view, the Like button represents mass thinking; anonymity (to a degree) and discourages independent thought and expression.  It seems like an easy way out of digesting web content and then commenting on it from a unique viewpoint.  No more "Oh, I can totally relate to that because..." or "Wow, that has really opened my eyes."  Just click, Like.

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  • Inventor: The First Five Levels

    By erika on 6/10/10 11:37am
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    Inventor is, like Ghost Hunter, a profession that comes with the Ambitions expansion pack.  This means that you are basically self-employed, although you have to register with the city.  The city apparently is also what evaluates your progress and grants you promotions, in case you were wondering how you get promoted when you're self-employed!


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