Fallout 3 (or, as expected, OCD in disk form)

I'm addicted again. Along with the 150plus hours I spent playing Oblivion, a fair few of which was spent arranging my magical swords and armour in my castle, I've got the collecting bug again. Fallout 3 is simply brilliant (also broken in many ways, but we'll ignore most of that) and has me traipsing around another online world collecting things.

(spoilers ahead - maybe)

I've played through once, saved the world and all that, so now starts the serious business of finding things, unique items, sets of armour and so on. Luckily (or perhaps not) the game is full of easter eggs, like the Rube Goldberg machine, the crashed alien spaceship and the dog to keep me going.

Having played through as goody two shoes (no really, someone in the game called me that), it seems to be much easier to just kill everyone and steal all the cool stuff, so that is what I am doing currently.

Still, I wince occasionally when I make it back to my flat in Tenpenny tower and look at all the loot I've accumulated (I've arranged it on the shelves...).

Ah well.

Books Etc...

I have a weakness. Tis well known by anyone that has seen my collection (and the two sets of removal men who have recently had to shift the whole lot across the channel.)

I like books.

Specifically, buying and owning books and keeping them on shelves in series order. Wheel of Time, 1-11, Farseer / LiveShip / Tawny Man Trilogies and so on.

Imagine my reaction then, when cycling down a lane this afternoon to stumble across this:

Picked up Children of Hurin for a very reasonable 50p (and also something by David Gemmell, as I only had a pound note* on me).

So I shall likely be in trouble, after all, my books are all currently in boxes as I have nowhere to put them, and I'm just adding to the problem. Oh well.

* Another good thing about Guernsey - pound notes, none of that heavy coinage round here thank you!

Unemployed!

Momentous day today. I'm not at work. I am in fact at home. And currently, I have no definite plans to return to work*.

There's an entirely rational explanation for this of course, Mrs Spacmonster and I are moving to Guernsey (my ancestral home and all that) and me being me, I don't have a job to go to. So, whilst the missus is busy working away already, earning a crust to support me in my joblessness, I'm still in London, packing up the flat.

Course, getting all of our gear into movable order, is pretty much the hardest day's work I've had in a while, in fact probably since the last time we moved house, and I haven't even had to move the giant piece of slate yet.

Still - I had time to do this, and I've nearly finished The Force Unleashed so it's not all bad...

* I am looking for a job. Honest.

What type of Gamer am I?

Apparently, according to www.mygamemug.com I am a Helping Hand. It says a lot (generally nice) things about me based on the answers I gave to about 30 questions.

Not sure I agree with all of it though. Seems to suggest I don't like FPS's. And that if I did end up playing one on line, I'd probably be all helpful and supportive. Course, anyone that's seen me play Call of Duty will know that I tend to charge screaming at the opposition as soon as the game starts - usually getting myself very killed in the process.

But - then again, perhaps Brigadier General Spacmonster's tendency to get himself killed very often because he's not watching where he's going very carefully means that I don't take the game at its competitive value, for me, it's fun, and if TrickyWooToo kills me 3 or 4 times in a row because I keep running at his hiding place (becuase I know he's there see...) before I figure out how to get him, it doesn't bother me.

So anyway perhaps it's not %100 reliable.


The Helping Hand

Deliberate Sociable Fun Veteran (DSFV)
Generous, helpful, kind...a few of many positive attributes people see in you, the Helping Hand. Nothing satisfies you more than helping your teammates or friends out in all the games that you play. You may even look to assist people in some cases if there is no one around asking for help. In fact, the enjoyment that you receive from helping people rivals that of solving a puzzle, winning a battle, or achieving a hard objective in a game.

Heavily social intensive games tend to be what you enjoy the most although you can probably find something to take pleasure in with most games. For instance, if you happen to find yourself in a competitive first person shooter, you'd probably take the support class. We recommend you stick to games (and crowds!) where people will appreciate you more; these include more casual gamers seeking fun and excitement from games rather than the serious competitive ones.

Home Alone

Sniff. I am all alone. Just don't know what to do with myself. Play some games? Make myself some sort of rudimentary snack?

I could re-enact Risky Business?

Anyway - any ideas welcome, got a couple of weeks to fill, before the big move.

Peanut Butter

Anyone who knows me, will know I have a penchant* for butter of the peanut variety. Especially, it has to be said the freshly squeezed variety. I first experienced the amazingness of freshly made peanut butter on a visit to the states, where my sister took me to Wholefoods in Pittsburgh.

There they had a machine, where you put peanuts (or cashews, or macadamia nuts or any nuts) in to the top, flicked a switch and watched as yummy peanut butter came out the bottom into a waiting container (or straight into my mouth...)

I was stunningly happy when Wholefoods announce they were opening in Kensington (near where I currently live), and that they brought their peanut butter machines with them. (Seriously, go their and try it, its the ultimate in nutty buttery goodness.)

So - about to move away from London, and away from the source of peanut heaven, you can imagine that I've been feeling glum.

Until today.

Step forward the Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Machine...

Wants it so badly. Look at the peanut butter, glarghrlghrglgglgrrrrrrrhrhrhllglhgr.....

* Some may say unhealthy obsession.

Found on Boing Boing Gadgets

Face Your Manga

Been having a play - what do you reckon:



Pretty shiny eh?

Face Your Manga

My xbox is not happy...

Speaking of green - I guess this is what I get for going away for a while and ignoring it!


As long as it leaves the axe alone, I suppose I'll be happy. Should probably get round to playing Braid though.

Green!

Got bored of orange. Green is also a much better colour for Guernsey. More on that in due course!

Viva Pinata: Believe

Okay so this is one of the funniest things I have seen in bloody ages.



It helps if, like me, you think that Horstachios are cooler than Master Chief I suppose. Makes me want to go and hang out with my Cinnamonkeys again after too much time spent chasing strippers around Liberty City.

WALL:E - best film I've seen in a good while...

Ah Pixar. When they make a film for adults, they can't be beat. I loved the Incredibles - it just had so much going on, on many a level, with great acting and some top superhero jokes appealing to my beloved geekery. Unfortunately they also make films for kids, and sometimes forget about me and my needs, so I've never really got on board with films like Cars.

WALL:E - as you can imagine, made me hopeful. It's a film about a robot, which puts it in line with some others of my all time favourites, Silent Runnning*, Short Circuit, Iron Giant, and the rest, with the human cast reduced (literally) to bags of mostly water.

It's also, sort of, post-apocalyptic, hitting my second geekery button full-on, delivering a stunning vision of earth; rusted and overrun with discarded technology. There's a scene focusing on the rotting hulls of several huge ships - which can't help but bring to mind ship breaking in the developing world.

And, in the ultimate test - I now want my own WALL:E. Where did I leave my Gamecube...

* No it is not about Bruce Dern. Or trees. It's all about the drones.

Carpet Smell

We've just had new carpet put down on the stairs in our house. Random thing to write about you might think, but for me, it's a bit Proustian.

Ahhh, 'Carpet Smell'. A bit like the fact that new cars and books have their own special smell, so does carpet. And it triggers happy memories of childhood trips to B&Q, and rolling through the giant carpet pyramid things.

Especially the ones really close together that squeezed you a bit like a mangle.

CC Image from Marc E Marc.

Creedence Clearwater Revival Revival

Rocking a bit of Creedence on the way to work today, inspired by Die Hard 4.0* of all things. Fortunate Son has got to be one of the greatest songs ever? No?

I think Barack Obama could do worse for a campaign theme song:

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war,
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more!

It aint me, it aint me, I aint no military son,
It aint me, it aint me; I aint no fortunate one.

And many more like that!

Top tune for a summer day...

* Actually quite enjoyed Die Hard 4.0, until the bit with the plane. Even the cod internet science, which seemed to owe quite a lot to the LOLCats, with lots of government 'cyber' officials running around shouting 'Oh Noes - they in ur internets, hacking ur freedoms/cheezburgers'.

Borrowed the image from - www.creedence-online.net

George W Bush

I saw GW yesterday morning. Apparently he's in town to 'hold talks' or something, but really I think he's here for a jolly, making the most of his last few months on the presidential expense account. I mean, how else can you account for his proximity to top tourist destination Madame Tussauds?


View Larger Map

Anyway - having peacefully cycled most of the way to work, traffic was quite rudely interrupted by a Policeman on a motorbike, with a whistle. Very hi-tech, yes. Anyway, having transformed the junction of Marylebone Road and Gloucester Place into a one man techno party of flashing lights, luminous vests and loud whistling, he settled us in to wait as GW rolled past in a limo. Follwed by another limo with some other people in. Then an armoured Land Rover with a tooled up SWAT team in. Then some soldiers in a truck, another limo, a minibus (WTF?), two police vans full of Met officers, about six more motorbikes (with whistles), more four-by-fours with secret service suits in and a couple more limos for good measure.

This took all of about ten minutes to unfold during which time I was frantically racking my limited brains for something hilarious to do to protest about war, or oil, or buying elections, or playing golf while the world burns, but unfortunately, without anything much to hand - a bike, a bike helmet, a packed lunch? I had to sit quietly at the lights while whistly police man glared at me, whistling occasionally to stop people from going about their normal business.

Missed opportunity - if only I had a banner, or even an FCUK BSUH* T-shirt to wear...

Ah well. A friend tells me that the insane entourage is not unusual and when Bill CLinton visited his (entourage) was just as big, and we all liked him, apparently.

* That's a Mark Thomas joke by the way - I'm not claiming credit for it!

France and French Things

I should get round to writing more about all of these (and there will be many pictures to illustrate soon) but for now - here are some 'observations'.

1. Wine that costs 1 euro a litre and comes in a plastic barrel is really really nice.
2. Cassoulet is the best food in the world, and is even better with confit of duck on top.
3. Stansted is the arse-end of all airports.
4. Villages in gorges are cool.
5. Naming new species of insects must be really difficult.
6. Cheese for breakfast is brilliant.
7. The desire to drive old wooden boats down canals increases the longer you spend in the vicinity of the Canal du Midi.

Did I mention wine in a plastic barrel?

Lego Indy

Is out this weekend, but I managed to get a sneaky go last night up in Nottingham.

As definitely expected it looks like it's going to be bags (definitely satchel man bags a la Indy) of fun.

First impressions were good I played through most of the Well of Souls level and there is definitely more emphasis on team play than in the Lego Star Wars titles.

For example Indy has a whip to swing across gaps, but can't jump half as high as Marion can (but then as I've explained before - Indy was never the most athletic of action heroes...)

As ever the humour is pretty irreverrent, as you might expect Indy is pretty terrified of snakes, and in the section I played - naturally titled 'Why does it always have to be snakes?' the game gets a lot of mileage out of it, and not just in the cut scenes, Indy's fear of snakes gets into the gameplay as well, needing more of that co-operation stuff to get by the scary things.

Will have to wait though - off to France tomorrow, so any more Indy gaming is postponed till next week.

Image: Lego Indiana Jones from Flickr User Dunechaser

New Bag...

I'm rocking a new bag today - freshly picked up from the bike shop. Alright - I got it at cycle surgery in Selfridges so the missus has a big old yellow bag to show off with now...

It's great and satisfies my geekish need for things that are gadgetified. So no ordinary rucksack then?

Hyper Air 14 + 3
weight: Air: 870 g / Vent: 960 g
metrics: 43 x 25 x 13 cm

equipment:

• comes with the Vent-tex or the Aeroflex suspension system
• anatomical shoulder straps made from breathable 3D mesh
• shoulder straps with the innovative F.L.A.S.H. adjustment system
• front outer pocket with mesh organiser
• hydration system compatible
• expandable volume
• strobe light holder
• individually adjustable chest harness and hip belt
• removable zip coin compartment
• reflective elements
• Raincover included

It's got fancy mesh suspension bit to stop my back from getting sweaty (worked really well this morning), a whole bunch of pockets and clips and things, and a raincover hidden away in a secret pocket.

In all - geeky bag heaven.

I can haz cheez?

I can haz cheez?
Originally uploaded by Spacmonster

Aah - Fondue. A right old cheese feast. Have felt slightly sick ever since but - I do love cheese.

We got the fondue set (in very fetching orange) as a wedding gift, but, for some reason we haven't used it very often. Probably because eating that much cheese makes you feel a bit sick...

Anyway, fondue set was out, fridge was full of cheese so there was only one logical conclusion.

The recipe then - in case you want to emulate our cheesiness:

1. A whole bunch of cheese - we used Leerdammer and Cheddar, you're supposed to use gruyere, but we didn't have any. We stopped short of using the really stinky Camembert that is currently honking in the fridge.
2. Some garlic. A teaspoon of 'very lazy' garlic in this case, but otherwise probably a small clove or so.
3. A splash of wine.
4. Teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a tiny bit of water.

Bung it all in a saucepan until its melted and thick and gloopy. (Too thick? Add a bit more wine. Too thin? Add some more cornflour.)

Salt and Pepper.

Then into the magic fondue badger. Ours burns meths, which reminds me of DofE. Serve with - bread, olive fougasse, boiled potatoes and broccoli.


Yummy.

Nintendo DS

Some things, are just great. I've recently come into possession of a Nintendo DS and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. I'm a huuuuuge Zelda fan having lost many a long hour to the series.

However, as I didn't really get into it until it turned 3D (having done most of my gaming on the Amiga rather than a NES/SNES) I've, wait for the shock, never actually played a 2D Zelda before.

Phantom Hourglass, is, admittedly, more of a top down isometric style view, but the game play has more in common with the old style 2D stuff than with the others I've played.

This is reassuring to me on many levels - firstly, I've already happily whiled away a lengthy train journey exploring dungeons etc, only mildly embarassed by blowing at the DS and talking to it when the game requires.

Secondly, it reconfirms my belief that I like innovative interesting puzzle games the most (after having gotten into Call of Duty and its ilk on my Xbox) and am therefore an interesting and suitably geeky gamer that doesn't value HD gun fests above interesting puzzles.

Thirdly - It's gotten the missus interested. She's probably spent as much time on it as I have (but hasn't got as far - ha!).

So all that's needed now is to find her a nice blonde friend and a couple of green outfits and I'm away.

Mario Kart next.

Indiana Jones and the Killer Ants...

Would have been a better title I think. Course - Indy IV has opened up a whole can of worms. I know people that liked it. People that loved it, and people that have started compiling lists of all the things they hated about it...

Personally, I thought it was great. Not without its flaws, which I won't go into in any great detail, in case there is anyone left who hasn't seen it, but the fridge, the monkeys and the tenuous justification for swordfighting were three.

I loved other bits though - including the ants - did I mention the ants. Killer ants are always great, one of my favourite episodes of MacGuyver ever is based on killer ants, and is totally awesome...



MacGuyver rocks.

So anyway, back to Indy IV, all in all, pretty pleasing, very silly and very cleverly adapts to a 65 year old action hero without any Roger Moore style stunts. Harrison Ford was never all that co-ordinated or athletic a runner to begin with so there's no loss of continuity when he tries to run - interestingly, in one of many nods to the previous films - Indy isn't so good at outrunning Indians anymore...

Anyway - I've started giving away plot details now so I'd better stop - my advice? Go see it and decide for yourself, it's definitely one of those films.

Little Monsters

Need to find something fantastic to do with these little monsters. Mothra, always my favourite...



You can download them as individual icons as well: www.cinemarcade.com

Cycling Again

Ahhhh - Back on my trusty aluminium steed for the first time in what seems like ages. Even better - it's shorts and T-shirt weather. I'd gotten thoroughly sick of the tube in the two weeks I've been using it everyday, especially as work stuff has meant dealing with the central line again. Not Fun.

So yesterday and today saw me flying along Bayswater Road in bright sunshine, dodging the odd errant bus and dealing with a total nonce who tried to clothesline me by pretending to hail a cab. I've been pleaseantly suprised by my speed, thought I'd be wheezing my way up Notting Hill after a couple of weeks off sick, but no, it's been OK.

Next up - some clipless pedals I think. I had toe clips, but couldn't use them, mainly starting on corners - with the toeclip on the underside of the pedals it would catch on the tarmac, which is pretty dangerous...

Overhaul needs an Overhaul

So what do you think of the redesign. Orange is good at the moment. I'm liking it. Tweaked the sidebar a bit and used a stretchy template which meant a bit of fiddling with the header image. Reckon its worked.

Still can't get the 'posted by' to link to the profile though. Just doesn't like the code.

Ray approves.

Marrakech Express

Being an extremely dutiful husband, and it being a year to the day that we actually got married (blimey time flies and all that) I thought it only fitting to whisk the little lady of somewhere suitably glamourous. We plumped for Marrakech for a couple of reasons, one - never been there before, and two - we wanted a 'not beach holiday'.

The place is completely mad, people, mopeds and donkeys everywhere and you run the risk of getting run over about every 10 seconds.

It's a great place to get lost in, we managed it about twice every day, but because the Medina is relatively small, it's hard to stay lost for long. Plus, there are always little kids around ready to relieve you of ice-cream money in return for taking you back to where you thought you were.

We discovered that Ray is good at haggling*, and the guys in the souk will let you walk for about 20 metres before chasing you down to accept the last price you offered, no matter how low it is.

One of the funniest things I heard was a stallholder offering me 'T-shirts - very cheap - ASDA price...' showing that advertising definitely works. He didn't turn around and pat his back pocket though, which is good, because otherwise I would have laughed.

Anyway - We took a lot of pictures:




spacmonster's Marrakech photoset

Would recommend a visit to anyone that doesn't mind a bit of craziness. Particularly because you can escape it all by lounging in a Riad, or, spending a few hours at the Bains de Marrakech (thanks for the tip off TW) being alternately buffed, pummelled, steamed and doused with cold water out of a bucket by brusque Moroccan women.

The Belly Dancers were good fun as well. Just a shame I didn't have any small notes with me at the time...

* I'm not, because I generally don't like buying things, so would have given up most times and left with nothing...

Wail!

Wail!
Originally uploaded by spacmonster

Deader than a dead thing what is very dead. In warranty though. Hopefully Microsoft's wonderful customer service will see me right.*

Ah well, at least I still have my gamecube - Wind Waker anyone?

* What? - they might be monitoring the interweb for references to RROD...

The enforcer...

This thing is totally awesome and what appears to be a favourite toy of the Hammersmith Police. They had one brought round specially to bash in my neighbours door to fix a washing machine leak.

The sergeant pulled rank and did it himself - smashy smashy.

The enforcer - yours for only £328.99

My New Bike...

This is my new bike. It is very very shiny and I am very excited...

Its very pretty...

Ms Cubo

Cubo
Originally uploaded by spacmonster

My new favourite thing is to wander off and leave ms cubo on my desktop looking around at things. This is really, really cool and a completely useful use of my time. I recommend everyone has a look!

Ask for a refund

Ask for a refund
Originally uploaded by spacmonster

Tfl make me laugh sometimes (when they're not making me cry.) Here's what happens when you search their website for a refund...
EDIT: I should probably mention now that having given up on the interweb and phoned them, they've given me my 4 quid back. So nice people really.

Memories...

Crikey, just been thinking about old games (hey - what else is there to do at 2.30 on a work day) and reminding my younger colleagues of the days when games consoles were made of wood...

Many a happy hour spent on this lovely thing on an old black and white portable telly.

The fireman one was my favourite.

Babies

Sage sticking his tongue out
Originally uploaded by spacmonster

Babies, Babies everywhere, and not a one to eat. So hungry. But seriously, they are everywhere at the moment, especially in Southampton where we spent the weekend. This is Sage, Laura and Dave's eldest (he's 5 weeks old...).

Still didn't make me feel as old as trying to play pub golf with a bunch of students. I'm fairly sure Mike is glad that I don't have any pictures of that to show Mother...

Shameless Plug

Regular readers of this blog (ha! the self delusion...) who appreciate my wry wit and incisive commentary on current affairs will be pleased to know that I have joined the world of official bloggers and will be holding forth on all things skills, animation and games related over at my brand new work blog.

Why don't you head over there and boost our hit counter...

Sensible World of Soccer

Aah - memories. Winning the European Cup with Stenhousemuir in their awesome purple shirts, signing Matt Le Tissier who could score from literally everywhere, Signing the same five cheap, speedy players for every club you manage (Valentine? Thomas Lagerlof anyone?)



Yep - I got Sensible Soccer off of XBLA and it feels like I'm twelve again, when footie games only used one button and were slightly more interesting than girls.*

Happy days.

* Alright - that last bit isn't true - more easily accessible than girls is probably more likely. In fact, just plain accessible is more likely, being that girls didn't like talking to me when I was twelve - probably because I talked about Sensible Soccer all the time...