Edward's February 2016 Mix

It’s the beginning of a new year which usually designates changes. Out with the old and in with the new, right? Upgrades, improvements? Dips into the bucket filled with life challenges? If that is truly the case, my life is undergoing a sea change. I’m poised for a big promotion at work; the biggest promotion I’ve ever had at any job at any time in my life. And my beautiful three year old PC baby has been upgraded this month. I used to use the wonderful website, www.shelfari.com, and they, being owned by Amazon, have been consumed by www.goodreads.com which is also owned by Amazon. I had to do some tweaking to get my book collection over, but I think it’s a good change. Someone said change is the only constant. Hmmm . . . maybe that person was onto something.

1. Def Leppard: Pyromania on CD: I had this on tape cassette back in 1983 and I used to walk the streets of Yokosuka, Japan and jam to it on my Sony Walkman. Def Leppard as a band was young and raw. I think they got better with each successive album, but this is the album where I discovered them. Mutt Lange produced this album which was a great move on Def Leppard’s part, and he produced their seminal “Hysteria,” which played like a greatest hits album. I found this one recently on CD. I’d not heard it for years. Listening to it took me back 30 years.

2. Nvidia GTX 970 FTW/ Corsair Dominator Platinum 16 GB RAM: I upgraded my personal computer this month. I took out my aging Nvidia Geforce GTX 670 and replaced it with a GTX 970. I figured I’d max out the settings on Grand Theft Auto V and that would make it sweat a little. No such luck, and that’s a great thing! I can’t get the fans to spin up for anything. Seems like I did good. I’ve been running 8 gigabytes of RAM in my PC since its inception 3 years ago. It has served me well. I just added 8 more gigs for a total of 16 gigabytes. The difference isn’t night and day, but it’s substantial. Game load levels, start up times, etc. This was a nice upgrade. I think it future proofed me for another 18 months at least.

3. No One Lives Forever OST on CD: I was lucky enough to score a boxed GOTY edition of this wonderful game. I played it way back in 2001, but ended up giving it away or selling it on eBay when  I finished it. Anyway, I picked up a copy of this hella fun game and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack. It’s reminiscent of fast jazz melting into 1960’s rock music. There’s even a hint of 8 bit Nintendo type music that erupts into sparkling trumpets that evokes chase scenes in 1960’s comedy spy films (Our Man Flint). There’s the stair stepping slinky stand up bass tunes as well. This soundtrack is as if Henry Mancini’s twin brother created his own spy soundtrack in the next room while Henry concocted the theme music for “The Pink Panther.”  

4. The Martian by Andy Weir: I was introduced to this novel by my old shipmate, Howard King. I’m about 75 pages from the ending. It’s a good read from a contemporary standpoint. Pro reviews laud it for its humor. “I’m a space pirate” I’m just not getting it, but then I find most American media comedy just plain not funny enough to laugh at. The novel is interesting, and compelling simply because I want to see whether or not the main character survives. Weir seems to know his stuff. He presents Mars as we’re discovering its attributes on a fun digestible scale that makes me feel as if I’m learning facts while reading fiction. It’s the same vein as Michael Crichton. And the main character, not a fan. I think he’s a butthead. NASA opens communications with him and they state something he doesn’t agree with. He tells the liaison he communicates to, “Tell NASA their sisters are prostitutes, and their mothers too.” This, the organization pouring millions of dollars into saving his life.

5. T-Model Tommy by Stephen W. Meader: I’m about to confess something I’ve not before to you kind readers. I read books aloud. I read them aloud to my parents. And they love it. We sit around with cups of coffee and I while away Sunday evenings sharing time with them and a good book. We recently finished this book written in 1938 about a young man, recently graduated from high school who goes from a slapped together Model T Ford to build a trucking business. Meader’s books were popular for young boys back in the 1950’s and he wrote a lot of them, but this one happened to be my stepfather’s favorite book of all time. I was so happy to have been able to obtain it and present it to him as a birthday present last year.

6. Assetto Corsa on PC: I play this game daily. It’s the game I boot up every day after work. And it sucks, because I’m going to head toward the end of the year not having finished very many games because of this one. It can be a real mother. I’m still in the Intermediate Class Level 2 driving the Mercedes AMG SLS. I have one track left, Monza, to reach Level 3. I keep trying. I’ve moved from 18% game completion (last month) to 21% this month; I guess that’s some progress, yeah? The AI in the game still needs work. It’s frustrating as hell to get one lap to completion, and get bumped by an AI car. You both spin out, he immediately finds his way back on track, and you are suddenly in last place. Not fun.  

7. Romeo and Juliette (1996) on Blu-Ray: I like to brag about how much I hate musicals. But in a sense I’m a liar. I established this paradigm watching MGM’s Oklahoma! Back when I was a kid and I fell asleep watching it. But then I watched Meet me in St. Louis. I loved it! And then I watched Baz Luhrmann’s modern take on Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliette. The movie looks brilliant on Blu Ray with its larger than life colors and cinematography. I really don’t want to like Leonardo Dicaprio, but I do, and mostly because of this movie. And Claire Danes who plays Juliette, she reminds me of my oldest daughter. So yes, in the chapel scene where she’s lying there infected with the temporary poison that makes her look dead got to me. Then there was the ending; we all know how it ends, but still it was heart rending for me. If you can find the Blu-Ray pick it up, it will make your Ultra HD TV and sound system shine.

8. Platoon (1986) on Blu-Ray: I’ve probably talked about this movie on here before, albeit the DVD version. All aforementioned statements apply herein, but that said, the Blu-Ray version is mucho better. Colors are clearer, the picture is more vibrant and the sound is improved on the Blu-Ray version. Charlie Sheen is great in his role, and this long before he became the Hollywood tabloid poster child. Willam Defoe is brilliant as the “good” sergeant, but the main appeal is Tom Berenger as the “bad” sergeant not because he’s so bad, but because he’s truly in his element (as manifested by the scars on his face.) He’s the kind of guy you follow because you know if you do you’ll stay alive. He’s intolerant of bullshit, and he even in subordinates his lieutenant, and the lieutenant doesn’t even have the courage to stand up to him. He’s drinking Jack Daniels while his opposing counterparts are smoking weed. He was my favorite character in the movie, despite his wickedness.