December 2009

2009 Best of the Year

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Tue, 2009-12-29 18:30

It's the end of another year and I think it would be a good time for me to recap my personal best of lists for 2009. In case you haven't noticed, much of this site is devoted to keeping track of all the media I digest. I review and rate just about every movie, game or book I finish.

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Mirror's Edge

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Mon, 2009-12-21 13:23
Platform: 
PC
Rating: 
9/10

Mirror's Edge

Mirror's Edge is another free-running inspired game like Assassin's Creed. But unlike Assassin's Creed, the acrobatic roof running is actually an integral part of the game mechanics and fun. With its puzzle-based level design, this game has much more in common with Portal than anything else.

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Chicks & Speed: Futurism

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Sat, 2009-12-19 10:43
Artist: 
Lead into Gold
Format: 
CD
Rating: 
6/10

Paul Barker's solo project is a slowed-down version of early ninties Ministry. Thankfully he avoids the metal-tinged side of that band. A bit repetitive, but isn't that the point of industrial music?

Posted in Record Reviews

The Last Temptation of Reid

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Sat, 2009-12-19 10:38
Artist: 
Lard
Format: 
CD
Rating: 
7/10

More Jello plus Ministry. Although it started to sound dated even within a few years of its release, this is not a bad album. The usual lefty paranoia from Jello with lots of forced lyrics and such and yet another album-closing audio endurance test.

Posted in Record Reviews

A Text-to-Movie for my Daughter

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Thu, 2009-12-17 20:21

Here's  a brief movie I made for my Daughter using xtra normal's text-to-movie web app. (click here if you are having trouble seeing the video)

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Power of Lard EP

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Wed, 2009-12-16 14:36
Artist: 
Lard
Format: 
CD
Rating: 
6/10

Jello Biafra and Ministry. The first song is great but the rest of the record is an endurance test.

Posted in Record Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Wed, 2009-12-09 18:10
Rating: 
8/10

The series chugs along. Number three is still the best movie of the series, but this one performs as expected. The kids in secondary roles are all growing up to be weird looking young adults who have yet to master their craft.

Posted in Movie Reviews

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Tue, 2009-12-08 22:05     Posted in My Reading Log
Author: 
C. S. Forrester
Rating: 
6/10

I was disappointed when I came to the realization that this was more of a collection of short stories rather than a full novel. The tales aren't bad, but I would have preferred a much more grandiose story arc to end of the Hornblower series.

Lord Hornblower

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Sat, 2009-12-05 11:36     Posted in My Reading Log
Author: 
C. S. Forrester
Rating: 
7/10

Starts out nicely with Hornblower sent off to deal with a mutinous crew and keeps up the pace for about half of the book. Things begin to slow down near the end when the war with the end of the Napoleonic wars. Although, the return of some old firends from previous books is a welcome turn. So far, the initial trilogy of Hornblower novels are looking like the high point in the series.

Commodore Hornblower

Submitted by Robert Gomez on Sat, 2009-12-05 11:27     Posted in My Reading Log
Author: 
C. S. Forrester
Rating: 
6/10

A disappointing follow-up to the last Hornblower novel. This one has Hornblower in Russia helping out during the siege of Riga. Maybe a little too much politics for my taste.