I apologize that this is so late. To be honest I watched the midnight showing of Avengers on Thursday night. It was absolutely phenomenal and sadly cruel. There is no way I can make a review of this film without giving out SPOILERS. So take the jump to see my breakdown of it.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Moment of Shame
I shouldn't let others know of this but I realized it does fall in the nerdom realm. So yesterday we, hubby and I, had a friend over and while I was surfing the web the two of them decided to play a G.I. Joe episode. The episode ended and then one of those educational clips played at the end of the episode. I was familiar with it, in fact I wish modern cartoons would do this now. Then I heard the kids say, "and now we know," followed by the Joe's line, "and knowing is half the battle." The filter from my brain to my mouth was off and I said, "That's where that line comes from?" Before I realized what I said both men in the room said in unison, "You didn't know that?!" I tried to defend myself by informing them that I have never watched G.I. Joe but it was too late. There was no way I was living that down, especially now that I've posted it online.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Gamer Symphony Orchestra
So, as I mentioned in my previous post we went to Washington, D.C. for "The Art of Video Games" exhibit. We also, went to see the Gamer Symphony Orchestra perform in the Kogod Courtyard in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. After our, disappointing, visit to the exhibit we made our way down to the courtyard to enjoy a concert composed of video game music.
Truth, we didn't stick around for the entire performance. In fact we were only there for three songs. Now let me say this we didn't leave because the orchestra was bad. In fact, they were amazing. I have eight school band years under my belt I know when something doesn't sound good. They were great. Had a great array of musicians and very elegant pieces that they selected to perform. We stuck around long enough to hear the Sonic piece they played. They brought out their vocal performers just to do the "Sega" note the games use to play. Rather funny actually.
We didn't leave because of them we left because of the set up. This courtyard is massive and yet they didn't even fill it with chairs. The group is actually pretty local and there's this small group of people known as family of the performers that attend the shows. Needless to say nearly all the chairs were filled with the orchestra's family, people who have seen them perform. And since there wasn't enough chairs I found myself seated on a overgrown planter. Not comfortable. The room was packed every chair was filled and people were both standing and sitting on the floor. It really aggravates me some days when people underestimate the power of geek. The fact that I couldn't see the orchestra didn't bother me. It's music. I need to hear them, not see them. The only reason I like to see is to watch the composer make his/her funny expressions and over exaggerated motions. The issue was we were in a giant covered courtyard. The acoustics did not compliment the group at all. This was not their fault. We both were however impressed that we are planning to make a trip up to one of their future performances and hear them in a better environment.
Since I didn't really stick around for the whole thing I can't make an accurate opinion but the fact that I want to go watch them is a plus side. Now, onto a funny note. On our walk from the Metro station to the museum I ran into this lovely sign (left).
That's right, zombie coffee. I tried to google and find more info on it and I found this page on the Fro-Zen-Yo website. I drink coffee and almost never buy a cup at coffee places because they never do it right. For some reason the barristas I come across don't understand the words "fill the cup half with coffee and half with milk." Some places put cream. Others spin/stir the milk in, creating an obnoxious foam layer on top. Then I meet some that warm the milk up then pour it into the coffee. If I wanted to drink a beverage that resembles the feeling of lava on my tongue, I would. I ask for milk to drop the temperature of the HOT coffee so I can chug it in less than ten minutes. Not sip it like a child for an hour. Okay, I'll get off my high horse. If I lived in the area I would probably make an effort to get coffee here just because the thought of walking around with a cup labeled "Zombie Coffee" sounds awesome.
Truth, we didn't stick around for the entire performance. In fact we were only there for three songs. Now let me say this we didn't leave because the orchestra was bad. In fact, they were amazing. I have eight school band years under my belt I know when something doesn't sound good. They were great. Had a great array of musicians and very elegant pieces that they selected to perform. We stuck around long enough to hear the Sonic piece they played. They brought out their vocal performers just to do the "Sega" note the games use to play. Rather funny actually.
We didn't leave because of them we left because of the set up. This courtyard is massive and yet they didn't even fill it with chairs. The group is actually pretty local and there's this small group of people known as family of the performers that attend the shows. Needless to say nearly all the chairs were filled with the orchestra's family, people who have seen them perform. And since there wasn't enough chairs I found myself seated on a overgrown planter. Not comfortable. The room was packed every chair was filled and people were both standing and sitting on the floor. It really aggravates me some days when people underestimate the power of geek. The fact that I couldn't see the orchestra didn't bother me. It's music. I need to hear them, not see them. The only reason I like to see is to watch the composer make his/her funny expressions and over exaggerated motions. The issue was we were in a giant covered courtyard. The acoustics did not compliment the group at all. This was not their fault. We both were however impressed that we are planning to make a trip up to one of their future performances and hear them in a better environment.
 |
| Cream, sugar, brains? |
That's right, zombie coffee. I tried to google and find more info on it and I found this page on the Fro-Zen-Yo website. I drink coffee and almost never buy a cup at coffee places because they never do it right. For some reason the barristas I come across don't understand the words "fill the cup half with coffee and half with milk." Some places put cream. Others spin/stir the milk in, creating an obnoxious foam layer on top. Then I meet some that warm the milk up then pour it into the coffee. If I wanted to drink a beverage that resembles the feeling of lava on my tongue, I would. I ask for milk to drop the temperature of the HOT coffee so I can chug it in less than ten minutes. Not sip it like a child for an hour. Okay, I'll get off my high horse. If I lived in the area I would probably make an effort to get coffee here just because the thought of walking around with a cup labeled "Zombie Coffee" sounds awesome.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Art of Video Games
So this past Sunday hubby and I went to Washington, D.C. to check out "The Art of Video Games" exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. I'm going to be dead honest, I was underwhelmed. I was expecting to attend a museum floor of portrait, images, sketches, concept designs, alternative costumes, full landscapes, detailed maps, evolution of characters through the games and so on. Instead, what I got was a few rooms of video game history. A few rooms, this didn't even make up a third of the floor.
The thing started out great actually. Right as you get there you're welcomed by this wall.
Cool note, I saw on the wall the words "Photography Permitted." It's rare for me to ever see such a thing in a museum. It made it something for me to look forward to. Then...we ended up in a room with a wall filled with television screens playing what I could only fathom as a rejected 80's music video. I quickly passed to the next room. Here, I found twenty small pieces of video game art. For some reason the only video game I can remember is Epic Mickey. There was about ten things in display cases. Saw a sketch of that hot alien chick from Starcraft. (Remember, I don't really play video games. Moving on.)
Next room, four to five giant projector screens of games from different years and the devices to play them. Of course, the first one you come across was Pac Man. The other game I remember was something called Flower, never heard of it before but it actually looked like a game I might like. (And I have terrible eye-thumb coordination.)
The last room was the most disappointing. Here were displays about twice my height with a gaming console and controller (boxed in) with four categories (Action, Adventure, Tactic, Target) and one big/ideal/memorable/popular game of that category for that console. I saw in the cases an Atari, Dreamcast, SNES, NES, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Play Station, PS2, PS3, Sega Genesis, Game Cube, N64, and about five others that I've never seen before nor recall the names of. At each system there was a phone receiver with four buttons to let you hear "something" for each game selected for the four categories. It was crowded I didn't get near a phone. Plus, I am mildly germophobic.
That was it. That was all it was. Let me borrow my husband's line, "it wasn't the art of video games it was video games as an art form." I really wanted to just walked through a bunch of rooms and see amazing details of popular characters, original concept designs, and super detail work of the environments of the games. What I got instead was a history of videos game consoles and a mini arcade room. Like I said, I was totally underwhelmed.
Upside, bought The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect by Chris Melissinos and Patrick O'Rourke at the gift store. This, this had what I was expecting but, in a book format. At least we got something cool out of the experience.
Additional upside. Since the exhibit was smaller than we anticipated we wandered into one of the other exhibits in the museum and I got to see this massive portrait of Christopher Reeves. It was rather epic.
The thing started out great actually. Right as you get there you're welcomed by this wall.
Next room, four to five giant projector screens of games from different years and the devices to play them. Of course, the first one you come across was Pac Man. The other game I remember was something called Flower, never heard of it before but it actually looked like a game I might like. (And I have terrible eye-thumb coordination.)
The last room was the most disappointing. Here were displays about twice my height with a gaming console and controller (boxed in) with four categories (Action, Adventure, Tactic, Target) and one big/ideal/memorable/popular game of that category for that console. I saw in the cases an Atari, Dreamcast, SNES, NES, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Play Station, PS2, PS3, Sega Genesis, Game Cube, N64, and about five others that I've never seen before nor recall the names of. At each system there was a phone receiver with four buttons to let you hear "something" for each game selected for the four categories. It was crowded I didn't get near a phone. Plus, I am mildly germophobic.
That was it. That was all it was. Let me borrow my husband's line, "it wasn't the art of video games it was video games as an art form." I really wanted to just walked through a bunch of rooms and see amazing details of popular characters, original concept designs, and super detail work of the environments of the games. What I got instead was a history of videos game consoles and a mini arcade room. Like I said, I was totally underwhelmed.
Upside, bought The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect by Chris Melissinos and Patrick O'Rourke at the gift store. This, this had what I was expecting but, in a book format. At least we got something cool out of the experience.
Additional upside. Since the exhibit was smaller than we anticipated we wandered into one of the other exhibits in the museum and I got to see this massive portrait of Christopher Reeves. It was rather epic.
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