Edward's August 2019 Mix

I hate to say it, but Google's Blogpost is being seriously stupid. I had a really difficult time trying to post this. The numbering system has gone completely bonkers. Everything changes. I get that. I ate lead paint as a kid, I rode in the back of pickup trucks, I waited in the car at the store while my parents shopped in the grocery store. I walked a mile from school in first grade. You can't do any of these things anymore. I understand. Change must occur and it's never for the better. We're all idiots and the powers that be know better than we do because we're stupid. Keep believing it, it's what they want. G. Orwell, I salute you. Rant over.

1.      Three Kings on Blu Ray: A compelling story involving three soldiers at the end of Operation: Desert Storm defying orders and going on an excursion to steal gold bullion owned by Saddam Hussein. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and O'Shea Jackson (aka Ice Cube) head the cast as the trio going after the gold, one Special Forces officer and two National Guardsmen. At first I thought this was going to be a comical farce like UP Periscope! or Kelly’s Heroes, and it is in some aspects, but as the story progresses the men face a moral dilemma of going for the gold or helping the Iraqi citizens that were coaxed into rebelling against Hussein suddenly abandoned by a withdrawing US Army, and left to the merciless remnants of Hussein’s army. Walberg takes the prize for best casting. There’s a torture scene involving him, bound and fixed with electrodes. To make the scene as realistic as possible Wahlberg actually asked for live electricity to surge through the electrodes so he could play the scene to the hilt. So, the scene isn’t just acting! Filmed documentary style, this is a gritty and stark depiction of something that could have authentically happened in Iraq in the early nineties.

2.      Body of Lies on Blu Ray: Ridley Scott in prime form. This is the story of an American operative working in the Middle East to thwart an Al Queda terrorist leader. Leonardo DiCaprio pulls this off magnificently with Russell Crowe being his stateside contact, the holder of the big picture. So compelling, I watched the movie and then watched it again with the creator commentary, which had Ridley Scott (worth the price of admission alone) paired with David Ignatius who wrote the original novel. You know the scenes in the movie depicting the satellites being able to zoom into a person’s face and read vehicle license plates? Well, according to Ignatius, who was a correspondent in the Middle East for decades, not only are these capabilities true, these satellites can also hear the change rattling in your pocket. To all my conspiracy theorist friends, you were right.

3.      Hitman: Codename 47 on PC: I hate admitting this. I really do. I’m using cheat codes to get through this whole game. As a veteran pc gamer this is like breaching a code of honor. I mean, yeah, there are hackers and crackers out there in the realm of gamers. There are griefers who are only in it to cheat others out of fun. These people are schadenfreuds at best. But I’ve always considered these types of people not gamers at all. Pariahs. But it would be impossible for me to have completed this game without cheating. It’s just that difficult. I suppose I’m taking the grand tour of the game simply because I’m intrigued by the series and I’d like to play the other games that succeed it. I just wish I didn’t have to cheat to start the ball rolling. Despite my insidious method for playing the game, I enjoyed the scenery. The developers took this game seriously, and it’s hilarious to take in the game’s dialogue and some of the set pieces. “We have a very nice room for you, sir. May I have your name?” “My name is Tobias Reiper.” Tell me that’s not funny, especially when you hear the titular assassin say it. Or watching him step out of a closet of a hotel dressed like a bellhop complete with a Shriner’s Murat hat with a dangling tassle. There is  some stuff in this game that is just ludicrous, even made moreso by the degree of seriousness the game implies. The graphics and the no-save mechanics are all par for the course: welcome to 2000. I “beat” the game in 29 hours, despite cheating and still having to look up let’s plays on YouTube. The game exacted a bit of revenge on me because I actually got motion sickness on the last few levels. Worst gaming experience of 2019.  

4.      Star Trek: The Animated Series on DVD: I finished this fine little one and a half series based on an unofficial fourth season of the original series we all know and love. D.C. Fontana actually declared it “the fourth season the fans didn’t get.” This aired as a Saturday morning cartoon (though the writers and producers never ever one time referred to it as a cartoon.) The LA Times declared this serial, “a Mercedes Benz in a Soap Bob Derby.” The series one an Emmy, the first of its kind. We were introduced to Spock’s home planet, and we also got the very first look at the Holodeck. If you’re really into Star Trek and its canon, you see, kids, this is why this is a must watch.

5.      Rush Rush on FLAC: CDs are created at 44.1kHz/16 bits. As you know I’m a fan of high resolution music. I picked this up on HDTracks. Recorded at 124kHz/24 bits, this album sounds incredible. Rush’s debut album released in 1974 runs the gamut of influences, or maybe it’s the other way around, maybe the bands coming to mind got their inspiration from Rush. I’m hearing traces of Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, and a whole lot of Joe Perry/Aerosmith and a little bit of David Gilmoure-ish Pink Floyd. (“In the Mood” sounds like a direct steal of a Ted Nugent tune in an alternate universe.) I guess this is no surprise most of these bands started around this time period. I’ve met a few Rush fans over the years who only liked their early stuff. I can see why now. These songs are about youthful angst and mad love. This is pre-Neil Peart. Peart was an avid reader of all books. He penned the band’s (usually philisophical) deep lyrics. This record is far different than any other Rush I’ve heard, and of course it’s the first album I’ve heard sans Neil Peart. Geddy Lee’s vocals are unbridled and throaty. He’s far more growly than his later high pitched vocal sound. Alex Lifeson is searingly raw on this album, yet his nascent style is there. The back and forth clock pendulum rhythm of “Working Man” is a testament. This album absolutely will rock your socks off. High resolution files are pricey, but man, is this album worth it. Like the site’s tagline says, You can hear the difference.

6.      Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin:  It's obvious James McLaughlin has married his MFA with his talent for fictioneering. His descriptive passages of the woods in which this book takes place were so engrossing I felt as if I were there, feeling the crunch of dead leaves under my boots, the fecund smell of the forest and even the far distant sounds of a dog barking. McLaughlin's characters were finely drawn to where I began to know them as real people. The plot was a little jarring at times, but I was always able to find my way. This is a really good book and an exceptional first novel. Don't be surprised if two years from now you see this in the trailers of your local movie theater.

7.      Driving Blind by Ray Bradbury: Consider this a collection of songs that would be labled as B sides, outtakes and other rarities. I imagine these are stories Bradbury got rejected from the mainstream rags back in the early days. That said, however, there are some real gems in this book. “Someone in the Rain.”  It concerns a man taking his wife to a vacation cabin his family frequented when he was a kid. It’s raining, his wife is miserable, and he’s seeking something, one thing, anything, that will rekindle his fond boyhood memories. And when he eventually sees it for one fleeting moment, well, I’m just glad nobody was around when I read it. That story has become my new favorite. If you’re a fan of Bradbury, it would be remiss of you to pass this one up.

8.      Doom (2016) on PC: I’m trying to hang onto both handrails as I’m making my way through this fast and fierce dark adventure ride. The game is definitely what to Doom 3 was that Doom II was to the original Doom. Some of my friends think the game is just too over the top and miss the more eerie backdrop presented in Doom 3. And I definitely get that. This one is much more a test of one’s reflexes, but the main star of this show is Mars itself. As Mars seques into Hell I can’t help but marvel. The weapons pack a wonderfully fun punch and discovering secrets which award upgrades and perks make exploring a compelling activity. At 10 hours in I’m probably ¾ of the way through. There’s a chance to play on Nightmare Difficulty once the game is beat. I just may attempt it.  

Edward's June 2019 Mix

Summer shutdown. Yay! Elation! Actually, I feel like as pressured as I do at work. There are things I MUST accomplish in this time frame. I spend too much time being lackadaisacal, but isn’t that what vacation is supposed to be about? I did spend time at the Sweetwater Gearfest 2109 which was a mini vacation in itself. (Sorry if you don’t live in Indiana!—it’s so worth it!) This one might be one for the record books: a total of eleven items! 

When the Legends Die by Hal Borland. I remember seeing this book in my high school library, but always passed it up. It’s about an Native American kid wrested from his parents into the great white world. He becomes a rodeo star. Here is my review, shamelessly plagiarized from my very own Goodreads.com review: “A gritty tail of a Ute Indian being torn from his native ways by having his braids cut, being forcibly introduced to the white man's way of school, and growing up to be a rodeo star. As his native ways erode and he embraces his life as a rodeo star, christened Killer Tom Black because of his reputation for riding rodeo broncs to death, in all out revenge for his seduction into the white man's world, in a twist of fate brought on by injuries in the ring, he begins to wrestle with the man he has become, estranged from his Indian ways, and his desire to return to them. This is a book I passed on in high school where I first saw it. I recently rediscovered it, and realize now it would have been remiss had I missed it.”

Magician by Raymond E. Feist: Each time I open my Amazon Kindle and immerse myself in this novel, I lose contact with the phenomenal world. Memorable characters and a plot as compelling as superglue binding two fingers together, this is some truly fun reading. This marks the beginning of a series that spans almost two dozen books. And yes, I’m probably in it for the long haul. 

Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 on PC: Who would have thought a wrench turning simulator would be so addictive, but alas! It is! Pretty simple concept, a customer brings in his or her vehicle for a repair, listen to their complaint, write up a complaint, and fix the problem. Take their remuneration and upgrade your tools, garage, etc. It’s tedious, but addicting. (But hey, at least you don't get busted knuckles and lose your tools.)

Kards on PC: An addictive free to play WWII collectible card game. Reviews on Steam are good for the most part, but I am starting to see some pay to win shenanigans. Still. I’m hooked. And did I say, it’s Free to play? A team of alienists must have conspired to create this one because it’s got my addictive personality on fire.  

   

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol on Blu Ray: This one has us visiting magnificent locales as The Kremlin and the Birj Khalifa in Dubai. We see Cruise perform his own stunts with hang wires and harnesses outside of the Birj. There must be a method to Cruise’s arrogance because I know in my heart of hearts there’s no way I could do my own stunt were it to come to scenes like this. The man definitely has my admiration and respect. Action scenes notwithstanding, this movie is full of the typical twisty, windy plot, the gadgetry and the high level bling of any other movie in the series. This one, directed by Brad Bird, who we know and love from The Iron Giant. And every bit as over the top.  

Dragon Age II on PC: I just hit 60 hours, and like a great novel I can feel it beginning to wind down. I’m at level 18 and I feel like I’ve risen from an underling to champion of the world. It’s been a good ride, but I’m ready for it to end. I still have a few sidequests and companion quests left. I’ve helped Isabella finagle her way into owning a trader ship, and she’s asked me to be her first mate. When things are finally settled in Kirkwall, perhaps I’ll take her up on that, forever chasing the horizon.

  

Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent & Sara Vladic: This book tells one of the worst stories I’ve ever encountered. The aftermath of the sinking of one of the US Navy’s finest cruisers in July of 1945, and the aftermath of the survivors who weren’t rescued for four days afterward. I’m well into the ship’s captain, Charles McVay’s court martial, which in typical Navy fashion seems contrived and totally unnecessary. Words like “fall guy,” and “scapegoat” seem to be the order of the day.  The book fast forwards to the mid 1990s in which a congressional investigation was opened into the case with some new light shed on the facts and new admissions from the US Navy that they aren’t the perfect embodiment of justice, prone to error like any other entity and an exoneration of Charles McVay, long after the fact that McVay ended his life by suicide (as did more than a dozen of the ship’s survivors over the years.) 

The Natural on 4K Blu Ray: This was the first movie made by TriStar Pictures who went on to be a major player in the world of movies. Starring Robert Redford as an aging walk on rookie in the major leagues in the 1930s with an almost divine ability to play the game, this has been regarded as one of the best sports films of all time. I hadn’t seen this since its release back in 1984, and I remember it being impactful. It was every bit as impactful as it was back then. Based on a novel by Russian immigrant, Bernard Malamud, he once stated after watching his novelization on the screen come to life,  “Now I’m an American writer. Robert Redford and Barry Levinson (director) made me an American.” The film was nominated for numerous Academy Awards, including best picture but only garnered one: Best Original Score. (Which I’m not a Randy Newman fan – too happy go lucky music in his films, but this one is a humdinger for sure. The 4K resolution was beautiful; I’ve not seen it compared to the DVD, but there was no graininess anywhere to be found. Interestingly, they producers asked Fenway Park if they could use their field to film this movie. Fenway Park said nope. Remember that, baseball fans! 

Sid Meier’s Railroads! on PC: I finished this way back in 2006 when it made its debut, again in 2013 and again last year in 2018. And here I go again for a fourth play through. I just can’t seem to get enough of it. I’ve always loved Sid’s Railroad Tycoon strategy games. This one was a big departure from his Railroad Tycoon 3 released in 2003. Many fans hated the new iteration, but with its cartoony graphics and light on trading sim aspects, I loved it. The only thing I hate is there doesn’t seem to be a Railroad Tycoon 4 anywhere in sight. There are a few contenders on Steam, but nothing that actually compares. I think it’s safe to say this is my favorite strategy game of all time with Relic’s venerable Company of Heroes running a close second place. 

 

Thin Lizzy “Dedication: The Very Best of” on CD: I’ve always enjoyed this band from when I was a kid listening to “The Boys are Back.” Fronted by Dublin, Ireland bassist, Phil Lynott, this band pioneered more than a few things. It was one of the first bands to make popular the idea of two main guitarists. It was a band formed with Irishmen from different social classes, and Lynott was the first black Irishman to make it big in the rock scene. They took their influences straight up from Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix. And in turn, they were one of Metallica’s inspirations. This album scored high marks on the dr.loudness-war site I frequent, meaning no dynamic range compressing remastering bullcrap! I had no idea before listening to this album that Thin Lizzy did the song, “Whiskey in the Jar,” and Metallica only covered it. 

Sweetwater GearFest 2019! Ft. Wayne, Indiana: This is a sort of mini NAMM Show promoted by northern Indiana’s premiere music store, Sweetwater. There is much to see and do. I can see why local hotels bear No Vacancy signs. There are tents galore filled with factory representatives from Fender, Gibson, Paul Reed Smith, Orange, Yamaha and Roland just to name a few. I got to meet Stan Cotey, the designer/builder of Fender effects pedals. He shook my hand and through talking to him I was convinced to pick up two new pedals, a chorus pedal and a distortion pedal. I’ll probably never use my Boss DS-1 ever again. I had watched numerous YouTube demo vids of Cotey accompanied by former Oak Ridge Boys guitarist Don Carr and it was like meeting a celebrity. I don’t know if this will become a yearly ritual for me, but I am definitely returning next year! 

Edward's May 2019 Mix

This one is a long one which is surprising that summer’s here and I spend more time outside. It appears I really can spin plates on outstretched fingers as good as any circus clown. I’m still much involved with my guitar, putting in time each day. I’m looking to pick up a chorus pedal. I have to get that Robert Smith The Cure sound, and what better way than a Boss Super Chorus pedal? 

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot: I’m about 4/5 of the way through this 19^th century tome. It concerns the plight of a girl, Maggie Tulliver, whose father a local miller for a small English village loses everything to bankruptcy. Our protagonist, Maggie, has a well above average intellect, but is denied going through advanced education because she’s a girl, meanwhile, her brother, Tom, who would rather be out fishing and chasing things through the woods is forced to attend higher education in such things as Greek and Latin. Eliot’s writing is somewhat stilted. (I have to use the dictionary to ascertain the meaning of some disused and archaic words—but this is a good thing!) She’s a bit windy in this one, taking several pages to describe something a modern writer would execute in a paragraph. This is one of those books, however, I’ll be glad to say I have read when it’s done.

Star Trek: The Animated Series on DVD: Produced in 1973, I remember watching these on Saturday mornings and finding them rather dry. Now that I’m seeing them again, they are compelling episodes voiced by the cast of the original series. Though they may not fit into the perfect Star Trek canon, D.C., and the animation is nothing to write home about, but those stories! Wow! Good stuff. Some of the episodes are even continual story lines from previous episodes of the classic series. Mudd, from the “Mudd’s Women” episode makes an appearance, as does the Tribbles, and there’s even a revisit to the rest and relaxation planet in which Dr. McCoy was near mortally wounded by a knight on horseback. This is well worth watching if you’re a fan of the original series. D.C. Fontana, famed Star Trek writer, including some of these episodes, said it best: “This is the fourth season the fans didn’t get.”

Magician by Raymond E. Feist: Many thank yous to my good friend, David Tidwell, for turning me onto this book. He always tells me the story of how he was in Operation Desert Storm and they were marching through the Middle Eastern dunes. Their officer in charge would call for a break, and he would set his pack down and use it as a chair, eagerly pulling his copy of this novel out of his side desert camo fatigue pocket and lose himself in a different world for ten minutes. I can understand that, reading this book about a young lad taken into apprenticeship by the castle royalty’s official magician. The main character, Pug, suffers a lack of confidence and a multitude of frustration as he attempts to learn his craft amid enduring a crush by the castle Duke’s spoiled princess daughter. This is not  in-depth as George R. R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice series, but definitely not as laborious to read.

Battletech on PC: When I recently found this on PC Gamer Magazines list of the best real time strategy games to play I decided it was time for a revisit. I had initially started it last year but got lost along the way. I was so lost coming back to it that I simply started over. It was a bit more smoothly sailing because I somewhat knew what to expect. I got caught up quickly. I didn’t know much about the famous Battletech or Mechwarrior series, and that’s okay. You don’t need to have prior knowledge of the legacy game/novel series to enjoy this. Actually, I could see this being a springboard into the whole world of Mechwarrior.

Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific on PC: I embarked on a campaign over two years ago and pretty much shelved the game. I decided to pick up where I left off. I was doing well, sinking my share of Japanese merchant ships. And then I got swooped by two Japanese zeros that left my hull in a state of disrepair and killed several of my sailors. I immediately quick saved, thinking I could ride it out. I sunk. So I reloaded my quick save, and immediately perished. Doh! And as luck would have it, this was the only save I had. Will I ever learn my lesson? Saving in the middle of a death is probably the worst thing that can happen in a PC game. I ate my crow pie, and started over. I just finished my first campaign and earned a medal for my troubles. For what it is, piloting a death bringing weapon of war, this is a glamorous simulation of World War II American submarine warfare. Despite its 2007 release, the game still looks amazing at 1440p and the undulating waves are still capable of inducing seasickness, a malady I knew well from experience. 

Industry Stranger to Stranger on cassette: Who would have thought I’d be writing a mix about a cassette tape? My daughter has a cheap cassette player I recently discovered and I popped in this cassette because it had been almost 30 years since I’d heard it. Industry was a band utilizing heavy synth (super 1980ish) and  similar to Duran Duran without all of the fanfare (or the fame.) I discovered their album in the Philippines. It was almost eerie listening to this cassette and becoming nostalgic. Cassette tapes are trying to make a sort of resurgence. I’m not seeing it, myself. CD technology usurped it for a reason. 44.1 kHz/16 bit CDs still continue to be my favorite medium and probably will be for some time. 

Star Wars: A New Hope on Blu Ray: I watched this a few years ago on DVD and swore it couldn’t get any better. Now that I’ve seen it on Blu Ray I beg to differ. The storybook edition I have is the collector’s edition to have, as it’s filled with extra features and is complete with the first six movies. The Blu Ray edition is sparkling pristine. I’m seeing dents and blemishes on C3PO’s exterior I’d never noticed before. Oddly, after having seen this so many times I’m starting to see things probably better left unseen. Mark Hamill’s acting is amateurish in some scenes to the point it seems he’s emitting lines as if he’s in a high school play. Indeed, his performances improved with time. 

Dragon Age II on PC: I’m still having fun with this one. From what my workmates say, I’m about 2/3 of the way through. I’m knocking out a lot of side quests, trying to level up for the main story. In typical Bioware fashion I’m getting a real kick out of the characters and their bantering with each other. There are a few “FedEx” quests, going out to retrieve items, but even these are interesting to do. Several reviewers hated the “consolitis” that seemed to infect this game, but I actually like being able to click on a city on the map and have it list what quests need to be completed there. Such a mechanic saves a lot of unnecessary footwork.

Indianapolis by Lynn Vincent & Sara Vladic: This book tells one of the worst stories I’ve ever encountered. The aftermath of the sinking of one of the US Navy’s finest cruisers in July of 1945, and the aftermath of the survivors who weren’t rescued for four days afterward. After the third day, the life jackets of the single survivors became so waterlogged the men were up to their chins in the sea. And then the sharks came. They came so thick that they didn’t even have to tread water. They could simply stand on the backs of the sharks to keep afloat. I’ve read Dan Kurzman’s famous Fatal Voyage which was well researched at the time (1990) but Indianapolis goes into more detail with the repercussions and the aftermath of the Navy’s cover up. (No surprise there!) Recently the US Navy had to answer for a rash of incidents involving ships collisions. It was revealed the sailors weren’t getting enough sleep. They weren’t allowed to. This sounds like the Navy I remember. The poor sailors aboard the USS Indianapolis, when rescued were not allowed to tell anybody their ship had sunk, nor were they allowed to correspond to anybody the location of the hospital they were in.

Third Eye Blind “Third Eye Blind” on CD: It’s been years since I’ve listened to this. I’m surprised how good it is. This really is an amazing album! It plays like a greatest hits album; there are no B-side songs on it whatsoever

. Incidentally, the band’s first album holds a one time record of being given the most money by a recording label given to an unsigned band. It’s a shame that every subsequent album after gained a little less traction than the one before it, but I read they are still touring/recording. Then of course there was the odious underhanded trick that Stephan Jenkins did to co-founder Kevin Cadagon. The two men founded the band together, but Jenkins covertly registered the name of the band under his name alone so he would get all royalties and entitlements. And then of course, Cadagon was dismissed from the band. I may not add anymore of their albums to my catalog, but this one is a fine listen worthy of anybody’s collection.