Sunday 30 November 2008

Quantum of Solace

I've been failing to visit my niece and nephew for a couple of weeks now.  I tried to set something up this weekend, and it didn't work out yesterday.  Today I was to go shopping in the city and take a friend to see Quantum of Solace, so I did.  I stopped at the Bulk Barn and bought a self-indulgent handfull of candy I've repeatedly heard referenced in British TV shows, movies and comedy routines, which we can't normally get here (Curly Wurleys, Minstrels, Jelly Babies, Caramel Logs, Polo Mints, and Galaxy, Milky Way and Milky Bars).  

My sister happened to be there, so I saw my niece and nephew in the car, but my nephew was strapped in, so all I could do was squeeze his little hand, and my niece was having a tearful meltdown, so had nothing to say to me either.  Then into the city for various things (including a further self-indulgent book purchase, after having bought a giant armload of used paperbacks at the used store not two weeks ago.  Today I picked up Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the book which the TV series Dexter is based on, failed to get the first Sookie Stackhouse book that the TV series True Blood is based on, and grabbed a Harry Dresden graphic novel, as I've been reading the text novels and saw all the episodes of the TV show The Dresden Files also).

It was all very nice.  We saw the latest Bond, and I'm no Bond fan, but liked it OK.  It had a lot of real acting, and dialogue and intrigue, once all the silly running,  jumping, crashing and noise of the beginning was over with.  Craig's the man.  Also, quite a lot of restraint was shown in not making absolutely everything explode three times.  Most of the explosions were saved for the end.  It was nice.  I hadn't eaten anything but candy since breakfast, normally a recipe to feel sick and headachey and perhaps get the shakes, but I was OK in time to leave the Bond movie, with its final scene of falling snow, to walk out into falling snow and get a pizza with shrimp on it, and a beer.  It was nice.

I bought a cheap persian style rug.  I think it really ties my room together.  I'm tempted to buy a more authentic one.

More Gaming Nerdosity

This weekend's nerdly activities involve capturing bits and pieces of video footage for the video console documentary I'm making.  I'm getting some PC game stuff too, to use for comparison.  I got an Atari 7800 emulator going, and got some 7800 games.  I got some more Colecovision ROMs and got some more Coleco game captures.  Then I started into the PC stuff.  I got Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, Myst, Loom, Maniac Mansion and others.  I'm still installing some of them and messing about with the software.  

So far, I haven't figured out how to DOSBox the D&D games so the fighting takes place at a reasonable speed.  I also haven't got sound working for Loom, which is a game all about music.

 Wolfenstein 3D really pulled me in.  It's so simple and fast and easy.  The D&D ones were far too complex and old-school looking to draw me in casually. They require a commitment.

Sunday 9 November 2008

Some Atariing


Spent some time this grey afternoon and chilly evening at Troy's, getting footage of each of the consoles in his huge collection, and videotaping some Vanna-ing of them, including loading cartridges.  The above video (now removed) is a rough edit to give me some idea of how this will look.