# posted by Another Click in the Hall @ 10:26 PM
 
Something tells me that Carl is involved.

Our three favorite side dishes wreaked havok upon the city of Boston today, halting both the T and traffic on I-93 in an alleged bomb scare. If you haven't heard of this fiasco, you can read more about it here.

There are two angles one can take away from this. One can assert that this is just a harmless viral marketing campaign to disguise graffiti as advertisement. There's no harm in some flashy lights fashioned after cartoon characters. Lord knows that Sony's done it.

On the other hand, if this incident was a bomb plant or a terrorist attack, nine other cities didn't notice: New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia.

We can then conclude one of two things. One: the Northeast is nerved up about terrorism after the events of 9/11.

Two: everyone west of New England is a fan of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I personally endorse this conclusion.  0 comments links to this post   

# posted by Another Click in the Hall @ 9:15 PM
 
You may not realize it, but working as a stock trader is life threatening. Horror stories exist of spontaneous human combustion and human-crane transformation. The following are actual photos of actual people in actual situations on a trading floor. One can only assume that, as the ticker rolls faster, basic human survival instincts take over.



SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.



The only appropriate action when encountering a stock trader is to flee. Run as fast as you can to the nearest toilet paper commodity pit; you'll be safe there. Conversely, should you happen to read any passage from Rousseau's The Social Contract, they will wither and die. Your choice.  1 comments links to this post   

# posted by Chronodin @ 2:17 PM
 
Fret not, my minions, for my absence has come to an end! You may rest assured that the updating schedule will be returning to normal now, that being... uh... often.

Maybe.

Surely by now you've heard about Apple's iPhone, yes? If, by some horrendous chance, you have not, allow me to enlighten you.



I don't think I need to explain to you why I'm excited for this. There are questions about why Apple's products have become so popular in the past few years, particularly among its rabid die-hard fans. Words such as "hypnosis" and "brainwashing" tend to come up in these discussions. I don't believe it's either of those, though. I think there are three reasons why Apple hits the nail on the head more often than not these days.

1. It's different. Just look at that thing. Have you seen a phone like that before? I submit that you have not. Maybe having some similarities, but not quite like that. Apple's got a certain style anymore, and they're running full-steam with it. And people like that style. OS X, the iPod and now this. Which leads me to my next point...
   
2. It's cool. C'mon, admit it, you naysayers... you know I'm right. There's just something slick about these things, and the iPhone is nothing short of cool. It's futuristic-looking, which is very appealing, and actually looks... my god... easy to navigate. In fact, that brings us to point number three...
3. It's GOOD. And this is what I think really has been helping Apple recently. They really haven't done much that new or innovative. Yeah, OS X has some handy new features, and the iPod can play games, show videos, etc. But what keeps people coming back is that much of what Apple does, Apple does well. The iPhone doesn't just look cool, it looks useful. It looks, as I said earlier, easy to navigate, and can ANYONE say they have a phone that's easy to navigate? You may say it's easy now, but that's probably because you're used to it. How many times have you thought, "This would be so much easier to use if..." Personally, this is the first cell phone I've seen that looks intuitive, easy to use, easy to navigate... and just plain cool, darn it.

So, that having been said, why am I not buying one when they come out? That blasted word that continues to be my bane... exclusivity. You may imagine the Geico gecko saying that, it'll probably add to the effect. It's Cingular-only. I currently have Verizon Wireless, and my contract with them will continue until next... February I think. Somewhere around there. I can't afford to have two cell phones, nor can I afford to pay the hefty early termination fee Verizon charges AND get a new phone that, admittedly, isn't cheap (we're looking $400-$500 I think, though with a contract it might be lower).

Another problem is that Verizon has more coverage around here than Cingular does. I'm HOPING that, come the end of my contract with Verizon, the iPhone will have boosted Cingular's sales to help them extend their network, or at least be in the process of doing so... enough to warrant me switching over, to which I'm not completely opposed. Verizon's okay, but I'm not crazy about some of their dealings. For example, they're very limiting on the features on their cell phone. My cell phone has Bluetooth capabilities, and it SHOULD be able to send data to and from my laptop, act as a modem, etc. However, because Verizon has imposed limitations on its software, all it can do is sync my contacts list (maybe events as well, never tried) and use Bluetooth earpieces. Why is the file transfer cut-off? The same reason they disabled my ability to transfer files from the memory card I bought for the phone to the phone itself: they don't want me uploading my own ringtones. They want me purchasing them from their service, which, I might add, costs more than buying the whole song in CD quality from the iTunes Store.

Well, that was a soapbox I didn't originally intend on climbing, but there you have it. iPhone = awesome, and I hope I'll have one someday. Someday indeed...

.:[ Gaming Links ]:.

• Halo DS Existed? - Matt from IGN says it did.
• Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 will have new content! - And new songs!
• Castlevania sprite history - Kind of like the Sonic one. Also a good read!
• A ton of Mii's - This is a video some guy made while showing off all the Mii's he's made on his Wii. Some very good ones in there. He has 100 total, which apparently is the limit.
• How to win at Wii Tennis... at any cost - Not for the fragile or pacifists.
• Zelda: Twilight Calculator - This will let you figure out just how much of Twilight Princess you've actually completed. I did it the best I could remember and came up with about 13% completed. Dang. It IS a long game.
• Nintendo's sales leave Sony in the dust - Not that we didn't already kinda know this, but here are some numbers to back it up.
• Mario Galaxy to be released on April 1? - I know, sure looks like a hoax, considering that IS April Fool's Day, but those jokes usually happen ON that day. It's still just a rumor, but here's hopin'.
• Symphony of the Night for XBLA will break download size limit - Kinda has to... I'd be surprised if they could fit the game into 50mb or less.
• Nyko Wii accessories announced - Some things that I think people could be quite interested in... a Wii-mote Charge Station (Something I think everyone should get), a wireless sensor bar (Not everyone will need it, but some definitely will) and HD Component cables (considering you can't find ANY for less than $50...). I couldn't find any info yet as to when these will be released. UPDATE: And here's a video for some of the accessories. Actually, the DS Lite handles are pretty appealing to me.
• Nintendo release dates - I'm excited for Wario Ware: Smooth Moves and... yes, of course... Final Fantasy VI Advance. UPDATE: Between the time when I typed this up and actually posted it I've gotten Wario Ware, and it is, as predicted, awesome.
  
• MapWii - Good way to find other people near you with a Wii.
• Three Things the Wii Needs for Success - You know me, I'm a hardcore Nintendo fan, but this article's pretty good... they ARE things that I'm worried Nintendo will drop the ball on that they really need to do.
• Lost Planet VS Suit made into Legos - I don't know much about Lost Planet, but that's some pretty impressive Lego'ing.
• Guitar Hero II: 80's Edition - Insert my normal fanboy ramblings regarding anything Guitar Hero-related here. Add a few exclamation points, too.
• Upcoming Wii/Virtual Console games - Not an official list, though.
• Best game endings ever - I'm not so sure how much I agree with this list, but interesting anyway. Like... I kinda thought Halo's ending sucked. *ducks*
  
• God of War II videos - The first God of War was an excellent game, so I'm looking forward to this one.
• "Shadows of Lylat" Fan-made Starfox game - This is a total conversion of Freespace 2, and it looks pretty decent. Most Starfox fans agree that we haven't had any "real" Starfox game since Starfox 64 (and why isn't that out on Virtual Console yet? Hmm??), so this is a breath of fresh air.
• Halo 3 Gameplay Clips? - Unconfirmed, but it looks legit, although the quality is pretty bad... probably taken from a cell phone.
• Lose weight with Wii Sports! - Not that the guy was in bad shape before he started this exercise... grumble...
• Final Fantasy XIII details - I'm looking forward to hearing more about this game. I just wish it wasn't on the PS3! *grinds teeth*
  

.:[ Other Links ]:.

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End publicity photos - Very cool! Be mindful, though... if you haven't seen Dead Man's Chest, there is kind of a spoiler in these. And if you haven't seen it yet, why the heck not??
• Charlie goes to Candy Mountain - This video is... interesting. Some of you... many of you... will probably think it's stupid, but I have to admit, I didn't see the ending coming.
• Need a good painter? - This guy paints walls and such to make them appear like 3d scenes and structures... pretty amazing.
• Guy designs suit for the military - He even admits he looked at Star Wars and Halo when designing it, and it shows... it is pretty cool though.

Remix of the Day: "Final Panic" by Tweek, from Tetris Attack

Sorry not too many non-gaming links today, haven't gotten a chance to really dig through my news reader, but there are a lot of unreads that will produce some interesting links for next time.

-Chronodin  2 comments links to this post   

# posted by Another Click in the Hall @ 8:57 PM
 


 1 comments links to this post   

# posted by Another Click in the Hall @ 5:14 PM
 
Mr. Chronodin has a unique knack for finding interesting links in the dark annals of the Interweb. When I'm not fighting crime (read: MySpace pedophiles) on the Webernet, I have a unique knack for finding absurdly weird pictures. Thus, a new tradition is born here at NerdCentral, a tradition that will stand the test of time. And by time I mean the approximate shelf life of peanut butter. I'm hungry. I'm going to go make a sandwich.





Yes, these are real people in real hats mingling with The Royalty of England. Princey must have done something to anger the netherworld. Should the lady in red (center) have to sneeze, she would take out the entire Royal Family of England with the San Francisco skyline. This has not been attempted since circa 1430, when Joan of Arc invented emo.

By the way, the entirety of the San Francisco skyline is a hat. A massive, 20-25 foot long hat. I wonder how she rides the T wearing that beast. Or how she doesn't have a degenerative spinal column.  1 comments links to this post   

# posted by Another Click in the Hall @ 10:46 AM
 
I was perusing the Interweb and found this troupe of shameless Germans. You might've already seen it, but ladies and gentlemen, I bring you Dschinghis Khan.






There are two female singers hidden in this video. Try to find them.  2 comments links to this post   

# posted by Chronodin @ 5:53 PM
 
Well folks, tomorrow I'm moving.

I know, probably doesn't mean much to many of you, but hey, it does to me. It's my first big step out into the real world on my own, without my parents to lean on. Sure, I've lived on my own before... in college, in my own apartment during student teaching, etc. But this is the first permanent move, so it's kind of a big deal.

So how exactly does this pertain to you? I'm glad you asked. It means that I won't have internet access in my house until Thursday, so no posts from me at least until then. Maybe my wonderful and responsible colleague Rick will be oh so kind as to provide you with entertainment in my stead... eh? *hint hint*

Until then... well, watch this.



It's more or less long enough to last you until I get back. "But it's only 40 minutes long!" you exclaim. Fine, you have a point. It's still pretty darn impressive, and if you've ever played any Final Fantasy games, you'll appreciate it that much more.

.:[ Gaming Links ]:.

• Japanese not too fond of DS Dragon Quest - Or, more specifically, the idea of it having action-based battles.
• The decline of the PS3 grey market - Looks like people on eBay just aren't as interested in the PS3 anymore...
• Plenty o' PS3s but no takers - ...or in the stores, either.
• The SNES that never was - Let's be glad they went with the one they did.
• Game Oldies - Did I link to this before? I can't remember. In any case, you can play something like 8 trillion classic NES games on this site... maybe some other old systems, I'm not sure, it's a little hard to browse because it was recently on the front page of Digg.com, and if you're familiar with Digg, you know what being on the front page does to a site.
• PSPBoy - Heh, neat image... the idea is kind of terrifying, as is the control scheme it would apparently entail, but interesting concept regardless.
• A Sonic the Hedgehog Sprite History - I'm not sure what would possess someone to even do the research necessary for this type of thing. Interesting read anyway.
• Xbox 360 Upscaling: "ANA" - A brief overview of the 360's upscalining chip, which is another reason why it's better than the PS3, and why I want one.
• DS iPod clone - Have a DS? Don't have an iPod? Want one?

.:[ Other Links ]:.

• Time Magazine's Best Photos of 2006 - Take note: some of these are a bit graphic. Interesting, but also interesting are...
• MSNBC's Year in Pictures - More interesting pictures.
• Street Fighter: The Later Years, part 3 - The plot thickens! (and if you missed them, here's part 1 and part 2)
• Oh dear lord! BEES! - Ugh... *cringe*
• 50 Things We Know Now (That We Didn't Know This Time Last Year) - There are some surprising things in there.
• Keyboard Kraziness - The Best and Worst Keyboards of 2006. If you're interested in the Best and Worst Mice of 2006, well, look no further, my friend.
• From the Frames - Tired of the view from your window? Check out the views from OTHER people's windows.
• Kongregate - A very nice collection of online web games.
• Dice Wars - Interesting game... takes a little bit to get used to, though.
• Mathias Verhasselt concept art - Tons of really cool pieces of concept art this guy has done. Some of these will probably look familiar to you.
• George Lucas talks about Star Wars TV show - I have to admit... I'm excited for this! But not until 2009, alas.
• Tickle Me Elmo on fire - This is one part hilarious and one part disturbing.
• Drift flash game - It's really an advertisement for Mercedes, but it's kind of neat, although I suck at it.
• 925 things Mr. Welch can no longer do during an RPG - I don't know who Mr. Welch is, but if you've ever played a paper RPG or know anything about them, you'll appreciate this... extensive list. I haven't even come close to reading them all.

Remix of the Day: "Dear Power" by Txai, from Super Metroid

And with that, I'll see you all on Thursday or later... be good!

-Chronodin  0 comments links to this post   

# posted by Chronodin @ 4:54 PM
 
And to make things even easier for you to buy a copy of Rebirth, I've made a convenient little "Buy Now!" button off to your left, just below the archives.

Aren't I swell? :D

Update coming soon!

-Chronodin  0 comments links to this post   

# posted by Chronodin @ 2:15 PM
 


Ladies and gentlemen... my remix CD, entitled "Rebirth", is now completely finished! The tracklist is as follows:

 0 comments links to this post   

# posted by Another Click in the Hall @ 12:13 AM
 
Happy New Year from NerdCentral, the only blog with up to the minute coverage on the occurence of 2007. Look out, as it may strike from anywhere.

(Editor's Note: I had to fight several drunk people wanting to message their MySpace friends for access to a computer.)

-Rick  1 comments links to this post