A very interesting month
indeed, this one. My heart, which has been broken for a while now has finally
been repaired. I went to see the wizard and got another ablation completed. It
really took a lot out of me. And it was my first experience with a urinary
catheter. All was fine and dandy until they removed it. Not fun. But on the
brightside they informed me all is well now. I should be feeling much better.
Other than that, this may be the shortest mix I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t
do much, but what I did was intense.
1. Assetto Corsa on
PC: 505 Studio/Kunos Simulazioni released this racing sim in December of 2014,
and up to that time it was the most realistic racing simulation there was. It
was one of the first games I bought into Early Release, which can sometimes be
a burn if you buy into a game the developers stop developing. This one,
fortunately, turned out okay. With laser scanned race tracks and real time
wheel wear physics, this truly is as real as it gets sitting in a chair racing
in your pajamas. I even had a buddy sit down to it and learn to drive a
manual transmission playing this game. It doesn’t get more authentic than that!
The only thing missing: rain races and night races, but what this sim does it
does exceedingly well.
2. Assetto
Corsa Competizione on PC: It’s been said one must walk before he or she runs. This
simulation is the successor to the above aforementioned Assetto
Corsa.
And to be honest, the only reason I went back to the original was to compare it
to this new one. Not surprisingly, the old one is now easier to play because of
the fierce difficulty of this one. A friend convinced me to pick this one up,
lauding its extreme difficulty. And I’ve always been a glutton for punishment
so it made perfect sense. He told me I wouldn’t even have to choose a fast set
up, simply choose “safe set up” and hop into a car. Turns out he was right. The
sim hosts GT3 and GT4 cars and it’s all I can do to get a car around a lap
intact. I’ve been watching YouTube videos now to learn how to drive. Turns out
after 30 years of racing sims, I’ve been doing it wrong. Doh! Braking too soon,
throttling too hard, ignoring racing lines to name a few. I’ve turned a 2:08
lap at Silverstone, my favorite circuit. Some of these YouTubers turn 1:56. I
have some room for improvement.
3.
Type O Negative World
Coming Down on CD: I didn’t like it. I hate to say that, being I’m a Type O fan,
but this album, the band’s 5th studio release was just too slow and
too dark. Maybe it’s me. 1996’s October Rust set the bar pretty high for me. This album was
just so disappointingly different in comparison. The album dealt with numerous
deaths frontman, Peter Steele was going through at the time. (Hey, they don’t
call the band the Drab Four for nothing.) I can’t say it’s a bad album, it’s
just that
October Rust was so good, despite Metal Hammer Magazine christened this album one of the best metal albums
of 1999.
4.
Rush in Rio on
DVD: Loaned this by my good friend and guitar mentor, Michael Stevens, this was
truly enjoyable. And it’s caused me to find a new favorite Rush song, “The
Pass” on the Presto album. These guys are truly proficient with their
instruments and it’s sheer fun just to watch them having fun with their
instruments on the stage. It’s truly appreciated by the live audience in Rio
because one would think they had just won the soccer world cup. I never did see
Rush live and it’s been a big regret. At least with this remarkable DVD I’m
getting a semblance of it.
5. Thrustmaster
TX RW Leather Edition Wheel/TH8A Shifter: I used a Logitech G27
Wheel/paddle set for my racing games/sims for the past five years and it served
me quite well. That set has always been considered the ultimate beginner wheel.
I figured it was time for an upgrade, so I went with the intermediate
Thrustmaster set. There is a noticeable difference. The wheel is stouter and
the shifter, being made of metal, has all of the girth and feel of the real
deal. (You can actually remove the shift knob and replace it with an authentic
one of your choosing.) If you roll over a curb or run over the apex on a track
you’re going to feel it with this wheel.
6.
Blue Oyster Cult Cult
Classic on Hi-Res FLAC: A really good greatest
hits album. And a great score on the loudness wars site. I sang this album’s
high praises a few mixes back, but I keep coming back to it. It’s probably one
of the greatest greatest hits albums I’ve ever listened to. If you want to hear
some delightfully charming solo guitar work that will put a grand smile on your
face, look up “Buck’s Boogie.” The last time I heard it I was in the middle of
doing something and I was so taken aback I stopped what I was doing and simply
stood there listening. I love when a song has that effect on me.
