Archive: February 2008
- ⇒ Instapaper (link from Feb 1, 2008)
This is an insanely useful little webapp that allows you to look at a website and say, "I wanna read this later, but I don't want to bookmark it or add it to del.icio.us, because it's not that big a deal."
Iron Man Superbowl ad - February 4, 2008 3:11 PM
Ever since they announced Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, I've been excited about this movie. Did you see this commercial during the Superbowl? It's the first time we've seen the modern armor in action, doing anything other than flying....
Accepted & one less thing - February 4, 2008 11:00 PM
Saturday, I got the Big Envelope from UK Law. I am now a bona fide future law student at the University of Kentucky. I have 203 days until the start of classes, and 186 days until my last day of...
TF Universe (Classics II) in the TF Club magazine - February 5, 2008 8:28 AM
Remember the e-mail I got a few days ago, warning me not to post pictures of the painted Universe figures in the coming magazine? Surely you remember - it was the e-mail with the atrocious grammatical and formatting errors, and...
Running log, week 1: 1/27/08 - 2/2/08 - February 6, 2008 11:47 AM
I'm finally settling back into a regular running routine. I'd been running intermittently, mostly on YMCA treadmills, since just before Christmas, when I realized that I'd squandered away half my year and now only had six months to get back...
- ⇒ They never give up. They stay 'til the fight is won. (link from Feb 6, 2008)
Sideshow Collectibles. Scarlett is hot. Yo Joe.
A law school update & practicing for the LSAT - February 7, 2008 12:29 AM
I mentioned in Monday's post that not only have I finally gotten my acceptance letter to UK, but I've also been offered a merit scholarship. As if that wasn't wonderful enough, today I got an e-mail from the associate dean...
- ⇒ My Own Kind of Freedom (link from Feb 7, 2008)
Steven Brust, author of the Vlad Taltos series, has written a full-on Firefly novel, and has posted it for free. I'm about two-thirds of the way through, and plan on writing up a bit more about it when I finish, but it is excellent.
What books are on your bedside table? - February 8, 2008 10:16 PM
I work at a library. As a staff member, I don't pay fines. I check out lots of books, and I tend to keep them until I actually either get them read or decide that I'm actually never going to...
Running log, week 2: 2/3/08 - 2/9/08 - February 9, 2008 3:23 PM
With today's run out of the way, this week is over. This was a good week: I stuck to the plan I decided on at the beginning of the week, except for switching Friday's planned rest day to Thursday to...
- ⇒ Spongebob Voice-Overs (link from Feb 11, 2008)
The cast of Spongebob Squarepants (Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence and Bill Fagerbakke), produced this beautiful voiceover for the Annie Awards, apparently to prove they shouldn't be stereotyped as their Spongebob characters. We Transformers fans don't think that Tom Kenny is typecast; he also plays a fantastic Starscream. Oh, wait.
Star Convoy (Reissue) - February 12, 2008 2:30 PM
Star Convoy was one of the rarer Japanese pieces, until Takara released a reissue of it in 2005. It's one of the few larger-scale toys released in Takara's Battlestars: The Return of Convoy line, as the majority of the figures...
- ⇒ Botcon "Shattered Glass" Optimus Prime revealed (link from Feb 12, 2008)
I'm glad I didn't pay two hundred someodd dollars for this Optimus Prime repaint. I collect the evil Optimus figures as well as the regular ones, but this is one I won't need for my collection. Here's why: Optimus Prime is often depicted with the broken windows and battle damage, which he's received from protecting the innocent, etc. An evil, mirror-image Optimus Prime would never wear such scars; he'd be immaculate at all times, just like Megatron. Let's think these concepts through, folks.
- ⇒ Chris Eccleston Joins 'G.I.Joe' Movie As Destro (link from Feb 13, 2008)
Need I even say it? FANTASTIC.
Veronica dances - February 13, 2008 7:40 PM
We took Veronica to the aquarium in Newport today, and by the time we ate lunch, it was 3:00, and deep into what is normally her nap time. She spent the whole lunch either lounged out in the booth: Or...
- ⇒ Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull teaser trailer (link from Feb 14, 2008)
Yes, everyone on the internet has linked to this. Yes, I also am linking to it. Live with it.
Hulu: legitimate streaming TV - February 15, 2008 10:11 AM
So the other day, I discovered Hulu, which is apparently a legit streaming TV service. A little digging around on the site verifies that it is "an online video joint venture of News Corp and NBC Universal." Essentially, it's an...
- ⇒ Transformers Classics at WizardUniverse (link from Feb 16, 2008)
Now these look superb. Each figure is incredibly posed, and they all scream buy me. Are you looking at this, Transformers Fan Club magazine photo person? Because this is how it's done.
Even though we should have expected it, particularly in a line called Universe, I'm kind of sad to see recycled Cybertron figures. Particularly Blaster, because that means we won't get a new Classics-ized mold of one of my favorite characters. The Cybertron Soundwave mold is not one of my favorites; ergo, I'll not be purchasing Blaster.
By the way, the New York Toy Fair is starting, so look for more links in the coming days to new toys. Of course, if you're the type who's coming here looking for links to Toyfair coverage, you're only looking because you're idly curious, not because you actually care about new toys introduced this week. That's okay with me.
Really? I can do this? - February 16, 2008 7:35 PM
So, if I get this right, Hulu is gonna let me embed, say, the whole damn first episode of Firefly into my blog? - Video removed, see explanation below. Oh, that's just cool. Out of curiosity, let me know if...
Transformers Toyfair Roundup - February 16, 2008 9:40 PM
I certainly don't miss going to Toyfair. Sitting at home and letting people bring news to me is so much more relaxing and nice than having to chase all over Manhattan at the whims of these companies. So far, the...
Running log, week 3: 2/10/08 - 2/17/08 - February 17, 2008 10:56 PM
My milage rose again this week, by about half a mile, and I did it in a little less time than I spent running last week. I paid for pushing a bit too hard, though. Saturday's run really, really hurt...
Optimus Prime: A Commentary Series - February 19, 2008 12:34 PM
“The wisdom of the ages — it’s lost.” “No, not lost. We’re all a little wiser now.” “But the matrix is empty!” “It’s up to all of us to fill it again, with the wisdom we accumulate from this...
General Toyfair Roundup - February 19, 2008 1:45 PM
There just doesn't seem to be a lot of new stuff that I give a crap about at the New York Toy Fair this year. We've already seem the majority of the items in solicitations. I already did a roundup...
- ⇒ Late artists crackdown at DC? (link from Feb 19, 2008)
This is the rumor I've been waiting for. God, I hope it's true. According to the rumor, DC is now requiring all artists (except those with prior arrangements) to turn in 22 pages of art every four weeks. Not every month, but every four weeks.
Also, it basically says that artists who are unable to meet this commitment will be pulled from their books, and won't get as much work in the future.
I say hooray! DC's scheduling is already so much better than Marvel's, and this shows that they are listening to fans' main gripes with the state of the industry. I mean, they already signed Mark Bagley to an exclusive contract, what more evidence do you need that they're committed to getting books out on time?
And finally, can you imagine if Marvel made the same policy? Except for the fact that only 25% of their artists would still have a job, it would be awesome for everyone!
Thanks for the heads up, Nick!
- ⇒ Full Lunar eclipse tonight (link from Feb 20, 2008)
What do you think, internet? Should I keep Veronica (my two year old) awake 2 hours past her bedtime so she can see a rare astronomical event? We spent about 15 minutes last night before bedtime staring at the Moon through her bedroom window - she's fascinated by it.
Movie Voyager Optimus Prime - February 21, 2008 11:57 AM
Of the myriad versions of Optimus Prime to be released in conjunction with the 2007 Transformers movie, this one is simply the best. Granted, it isn't the most accurate to the film (the Leader-class figure can claim that distinction), but...
Running log, week 4: 2/17/08 - 2/23/08 - February 24, 2008 9:09 PM
This was my first week on the Hal Higdon 5K training plan, and since I pushed it pretty hard in the three weeks leading up to this, I took two days off before starting, which means I missed my long...
- ⇒ Shockwave and Ultra Magnus Revoltech customs from Wonderfest (link from Feb 25, 2008)
Takara-Tomy featured two custom Revoltech figures in their booth at Wonderfest: Ultra Magnus (linked above) and Shockwave, both of which I would purchase in an instant if they were actual retail products. This is extremely similar, if not the same one as, the Shockwave custom Revoltech figure that showed up at Botcon last year.
For more about the Transformers exhibit at Wonderfest, check out the Wonderfest image gallery at TNI, and this discussion at the Allspark with some folks who were actually at the show.
Yet another exclusive Iron Man trailer - February 29, 2008 2:33 PM
Every trailer they release makes me pine for this movie more:...