Dusting this place off and kicking the vagabonds out

Man this place is filthy. I haven't touched it in a year and half or so. So why now? I dunno. I feel like it. Maybe I need an outlet to think and write to this will be it. Read at your own risk.

Music: Why is it any album I find that I really want is never out right then? Case in point: Two Steps From Hell. I love this group. Two guys who make epic music for movie trailers. Sadly much of their stuff isn't released to the public, but what they do release I listed too constantly. Right now I'm listening to the music off a Youtube video that features some music from their forthcoming public album, Skyworld.

The video is pretty good too, nicely edited together, but its the music that I want. If you'd like to hear more of their music including some that isn't on public release albums, check out this Youtube video.

And since I'm posting music videos here is one that I find absolutely fascinating to watch. It just gets crazier as the video goes.

Video Gaming: Umm... Borderlands 2. Or how to utterly consume all my free time when the kids are asleep. What can I say, if you liked the first you've already bought the second and have been playing it a lot the last few weeks. For those that never played Borderlands I have only one thing to ask, "What is Wrong With You?"

Miniature Gaming: So I have begun my quest to build myself a Necron army. It'll be a little slow going, but I'm doing it. My first wave of models to get me to 1000 points is on its way right now. I can't wait to get started on them. I intend to post up pictures of my modeling and painting progress as I go. I haven't my models yet to start figuring out a paint scheme, but I'm mulling over using grey, rust red, and off-white. While I've planned out my first 1000 points I'm struggling trying to decide what to get next to take me to 1500 points. So many good options...

Home Sweet Home

Its been a while since I posted anything. Life has been a crazy whirl-wind of events. My father's lung cancer has been identified, targeted, and treatment begins this week or next. Five weeks of radiation M-F, and chemo once a week. My father told me the stuff they are going to give him is so nasty that it will blister the skin on contact. That is some seriously nasty stuff they are dumping into his veins. My Dad is determined to beat this so I take heart in that.

In much happier news the family has been moved into our new home. We are still unpacking and likely will be doing so for some time, but we are moved in and we have cleaned out our old place. We have managed to unpack quite a few rooms of the house, but the living room and man-cave are still disaster areas. My wife insists it is an office, but its my man-cave. I have my little toy soldiers, a TV, and video games in there. Its my man-cave dammit. Speaking of manly things, I now have a plot of dirt to defend and call my own. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to landscape it, but its my dirt and I shall defend it. My friend suggested a 20' concrete wall which I thought sounded like a good idea. The wife shot it down, but if she isn't here some weekend to stop me...

Of late I've been tinkering with my Infinity models. I blame my friend Dusty for reminding me of another potential money suck I had been avoiding of late.  Damn Corvus Belli and their damn sexy Infinity models. Serious, its got sexy anime ladies kicking ass, cool looking mecha, aliens, and ninja. I don't think you can legitimately get much better than that. I mean Ninjas. Enough said.

I already have plenty of Infinity models, but that didn't stop me from starting another small sectorial force, the Shasvastii Expeditionary Force. Its time for Humanity to experience the horror of the alien menace!

Introspection

These last couple of weeks have been a true roller coaster of ups and downs. On the positive side of the spectrum my wife and I are moving forward to purchase our very first house. We are positively giddy with anticipation, although that first mortgage payment will likely give me fits. However, for all the positive personal news there has been some truly negative personal news as well.

This last weekend has been extremely hard for me. My father who is 58 discovered on Friday that he has a mass in his right and left lungs. Given his smoking history and symptoms it seems likely we as a family are looking down the barrel of Lung Cancer. To be suddenly hit with the issue of your parent's mortality and cancer is hard, especially when you never thought it would be an issue for decades. My grandparents are still alive, surely they would go first I always thought. While we as a family have not given up hope, the waiting for answers is gnawing at all of us. Quietly I think we are all hoping it proves to be something that can be dealt with and my father will have many good years ahead of him. I hope our wishes are fulfilled.

I've known many people who didn't have positive relationships with their fathers, but for me, my Dad is the best man I know and he is an even better Grandfather to my children. To think he may not get to see my kids grow up and become adults themselves is killing me on the inside. He has always been there for me, but now... he may not be any longer. I have led a blessed life up to this point, I have known precious little grief in my life, but God this is hard.

The Guitar

This is slightly off the usual beaten path of music I traveled, but I stumbled on to this music due to the band's reported attachment to the Pirates of the Caribbean 4 sound track; courtesy of Ain't It Cool News. So I want to present Rodrigo y Gabriela:

Singularity

This is an interesting read and introduction to the idea of Singularity can be found here. Being of a scientific mind the idea of Singularity interests me a great deal. It will be very interesting to see where mankind takes itself. Do we have a Singularity event coming in our lifetime? Or will our own hubris as a species keep such a thing from happening? Periodically I do wonder when we will manage to blow ourselves to kingdom come.

If RPGs and Signularity interest you I encourage you to check out Eclipse Phase. Its a really cool table top RPG that takes the idea that the Singularity event occurred and lets you play in a universe that really asks a lot of interesting and thought provoking questions about humanity, transhumanity, the soul, death, religion, and destiny as a species. I haven't the faintest idea how to run a decent Eclipse Phase campaign, but I do enjoy reading the books and pondering the questions it raises.

The Cap is Back

I am a dedicated movie follower. No, I don't watch what the Sundance says is the best film of the year and while I enjoy an occasionally thought provoking or moving movie, that isn't why I watch them. I watch movies to be entertained and to see the fantastic made real before my eyes. Now I could quickly jump into a rant of CGI effects very Practical effects, but I'll save that for an occasion when I feel fired up over the topic (summary, I miss practical effects and think they should be used as much as possible unless impossible which is where CGI comes in). So with an eye towards entertainment I am really looking forward to this:

 Yes, Captain America. I have always had a soft spot for the Captain. I don't read comics a whole lot, but I do occasionally dip my toe in the vast ocean that is comic mythology. Few characters resonate or truly grab my interest, but the Cap is one of them. Perhaps the values he stood was built on seem antiquated today, but that he is still a reminder of them makes me smile. So after being blown away by Iron Man a few years ago I have waited with baited breath for this picture and it is finally almost here. I enjoy most of the Marvel movies, but this one is what I have been waiting for.

Preorder... Away!

So I just sat through the GameTrailer's review of Killzone 3.

I think it is official, I must preorder it. Of course the next question is do I really need to drop the coin for the special edition? I mean, who need the Helghast Bust and Cloaking Helghast figure? I think I might, oh how weak willed I am on cool video game swag. The part I am most excited about is coop play. Its only local, but since I prefer local coop that suits me just fine. Yes Sorine, if you are reading this prepare to get roped into playing Killzone 3 coop with me. Huzzah!