Where pop culture meets geek culture and they make out a little.
Archive for June, 2009
Because every battle needs a soundtrack
3950 days
by Tengu
in Gadgetry/Gear
When playing pen and paper RPG’s or tabletop wargames, I’ve always run into the dilemma of finding a suitable delivery system for background music. Most of the areas I’ve gamed at (back patios, garages, side rooms) do not have either the space or equipment to provide the proper “ambiance.” Let’s face it, I would have been more excited when my trollslayers were taking down Unknown Suavo’s bone giant with this soundtrack playing in the background.
Thus, began my quest for a portable speaker system for my IPod. After looking at this, this and this one, I finally discovered these from Pacific Rim
Technologies. Initially I was put off by the low, low price of $9.99. I thought, “Really, can I get quality construction, sound and portability for just over $10 (after shipping)?” For all of you Normalinauts reading this, the answer is a resounding, “YES!” Now, please understand, you aren’t going to be bumping
these at a party or a wedding in lieu of a full stereo system. But if you want some music at your gaming table with a minimal footprint on the gaming surface (always in short supply) or you want to share your favorite speedmetal band with your cubicle mate then these bad boys fit the bill.
For the portability aspect, they fit nicely in a coat pocket or in the confines of your favorite messenger bag. They are powered by 4 AAA batteries, but also co
me with an AC adaptor. For battery run time, I’ve been able to squeeze about 16 hours out of them. Now, my 2nd Gen Nano won’t fit in the docking station that is provided with the speakers. I have mine using the onboard jack built into the rear of the unit. It’s not as aesthetically pleasing like the full size IPod on the website, but that doesn’t bug me.
The construction material is a white plastic that has a gloss finish and it blends well with IPods/MP3 players of various colors. The speakers are on a very durable spring hinge that survived a couple encounters with my 2 year old. Battery installation is a breeze with a latch system that is easily manipulated.
I highly recommend these for those that are budget minded and need portability for their musical needs.
Na Na Na-Theresa Andersson
Legacy of the Force Reviewed…Finally
0954 days
by Jezmon_degyte
in Books
I started out thinking I would just do a review for every book in this series. The problem was that as I went along, that prospect seemed to make less and less sense. This series really is just one long story covering many perspectives, characters, and locations, so breaking a review into many pieces wouldn’t do justice to what the authors have accomplished.
My Personal Hell — Reading Lauren (LC) Conrad’s L.A. Candy Day 1…and 2
8963 days
by kilian
in Random Normality
I picked up the book while in the mines yesterday and looked it over. It looks like this in case you’re interested.
My initial response, I believe, would be the standard one from any right thinking person: complete scorn.
Review: Batman and Robin
0963 days
by Stoker
in Comics (General)
I am a fan of Grant Morrison’s work. I thought his run on X-Men a few years back was exceptional. In essence, he took a book that was becoming somewhat derivative of itself and turned everything on its head, he made something old, new again. I did not, however, care for his recent run on Batman in the least bit. Batman R.I.P. was a story line that just simply didn’t resonate with me. It seemed contrived to some extent like it was simply going through the paces to get Batman dead. The Aftermath however is something completely different.
Review: “Gunpowder” by Joe Hill
0Ok, so here we go.
As mentioned by Kilian in one of his June 15th posts, we all have our little penchants for various authors and types of work. I too am a fan of the works of Powers and Blaylock (and am in the same lucky club as Killian having also worked with the two of them) but I am not here to talk about them today. I am sure that all of you have noticed I have become intrigued with the work of Joe Hill. This is my ninth article on the site and the third that deals with Hill’s work. I think that my interest is born from my respect for Hill’s father, Stephen King, which was the real reason why I purchased a copy of “Heart Shaped Box.” While I was impressed with “Heart Shaped Box” I have been astounded by “Locke and Key”. I feel fortunate that I have found Hill early in his career because now I get the chance to see his work change and grow, a joy I missed with his father since I was born in the eighties.
A Small Piece of My Childhood Will Soon Be Nothing More Than a Steaming Pile of Crap
5965 days
by kilian
in General Nerdom
Some time ago I mentioned that I was guardedly optimistic about the upcoming GI Joe film. The time has come, though, to quash the optimism and just call a spade a spade. The film will be bad. How bad? Remember Dungeons and Dragons? It too had a certain actor with a certain name that rhymed with Maynes…
Still not convinced that GI Joe will GI blow? See what I did there? I’m hysterical. Anyway, if you need further proof of its undeniable suckage, check out this poster:
Has the Brave New World Begun Yet?
1965 days
by kilian
in General Nerdom
I came across this story thanks to Neil Gaiman’s twitter.
Brief side question: at what point do we fall over (as a society) from too many information channels?
Anyway, the basic gist of the article is
a group of Christians in Wisconsin has launched a legal claim demanding the right to publicly burn a copy of a book for teenagers which they deem to be “explicitly vulgar, racial [sic], and anti-Christian”.