moonwalker

So yeah, one evening while the wife was watching Korean TV dramas online (mysoju.com is excellent for this), I was left to my own devices.

With my laptop (on my lap) I decided to play a couple games. I had MAME installed and fired it up. Nothing was holding my attention, but Michael Jackson's Moonwalker totally did.

Apparently the game came out in 1990, and 19 years later (wow, I feel old), it is still a weird game.

The reasons for this be three (plus one):

1. You play as Michael Jackson, and fight against ninja and robot enemies by shooting some kind of magic fire from your hands.

2. You run around levels rescuing tied up little children.

3. Your special "clear all bad guys" attack is the "moonwalk" button, and so you start dancing and all the bad guys start dancing too then blow up.

4. If you find michael's pet monkey, 'bubbles', and touch him, then you turn into a Michael Jackson terminator robot and your arms turn into guns for maximum long-range blastination of your enemies.

I got tired of it around half-way through level 3. I guess some of the intrigue is gone when you just need to hit the "5" key instead of pumping quarters into a machine.

Worth a look if you are some reason:

1. missing 1990
2. missing Michael Jackson
3. missing turning into a robo-killing machine after touching a monkey

on software lock-in

I dislike growing to be dependent on something (software-wise).

Splash ID is one program that I have grown to appreciate and keep using, and "need to have it" on whatever PC/Mac/mobile phone that I use.

Scriviner might be the next one. It's OS X only, but I am seriously loving it. It's not really a word processor, but more of a way to organize & compose outlines & notes & drafts. I do not want to go back to using just word or open office or whatever - this works better for me.

(I  had been on the fence about what to replace my aging but still functional iBook G4 with...but this is kind of making me lean "another mac" for now).

Clearchannel modern rock

So, seriously, apparently 1991 -era pearl jam, nirvana, alice in
chains, Soundgarden, and Bush are still so vital that their music
needs to be in hourly rotation 18 years later?

I appreciate the contributions by those respective bands (whom, except
Bush, were influential to me when I was in junior high), but come
on...they should get migrated over to the classic rock station and the
"modern" rock station should get a refresh.

And yet the suits behind the RIAA can't fathom why people are
rejecting their old, tired business model?

Count it Off!

The Saturday Knights - "Count It Off" from Lincoln Leopard Films on Vimeo.

I was thrilled to see this video from one of my favorite Seattle bands, The Saturday Knights.

Very well done video. I really hope these guys make it big nationwide. Fun music, and they are musically solid. The whole album is good.

Their other big hit was "45". It got a lot of college radio airplay last summer/fall; I'm glad that they are still working it.

New prince record

The cover of "crimson and clover" is pretty sweet.

Nothing else super special. I'm usually pretty forgiving to prince's
90's and later musical efforts. But I want my 11.98 back.

Guilty pleasure

From the circa 1998 chef aid album: "nowhere to run". Featuring DMX,
Ozzy Ozbourne, and Ol Dirty Bastard (while he was in his "Big Baby
Jesus" phase).

This should have been a throw away track, but it is still super
enjoyable & fresh sounding to me.

the curious case of benjamin button???

Had heard that this movie sucked.

I was pleasantly surprised. Although, perhaps a little slow, I thought it was pretty interesting. Well done.

Juxtaposition of age opposite of one's life experiences provided interesting contrast to exploration of the human condition.

Will probably think about this movie for a while afterward.