THE NEW HOME FOR "PAETER'S BRAIN"!

Paeter is no longer posting to this blog. His new reviews and thoughts on geek entertainment (including all those previously posted here!) can now be found conveniently organized and archived at The Spirit Blade Underground!

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

SB "Paeter's Brain" Archive

Here's the old thread of "Paeter's Brain" (Not to be confused with this weblog) when it was a small section of the Spirit Blade Weblog. So if you REALLY want to know EVERYTHING that's been on my mind since I started blogging, here it is...



Sweet, those sound fun.
Posted by: Dylan April 23, 2007 at 10:49 PM
That's way too cool, Dylan.I'll have to try that this week.I've also got a list here somewhere about how to be annoying that I should post sometime. Full of jacked-up stuff like...1. Always staples papers in the center of the sheet.
2. End every sentence with the phrase "in accordance with prophecy".
3. Begin every sentence with the phrase "ooh la la".
It's awesome. I'll see if I can find it and post it here if I do.
Posted by: Paeter April 23, 2007 at 10:31 PM
I know this isn't Paeter, but I have a funny story. Well, there's a joke where you tell people that you have dog jaw and ask them to touch the side of your jaw. Then, as they reach near your face, bite at them as a dog would. Now for the story... I played this trick on my mom and she took the joke to work. While she was showing this one dude, he said, "oh yeah, isn't that where your jaw gets all tight and stuff?" My mom responded saying, "no, not 'lock jaw', 'dog jaw'." To which he replied, "your barking up the wrong tree, man."
Posted by: Dylan April 23, 2007 at 05:04 PM
Found out on Wednesday that this "sore" on my throat is actually from strep! On antibiotics though, and starting to feel better. Solid food, here I come!
Posted by: Paeter April 14, 2007 at 12:24 AM
Doing a fair load of subbing next week, so the updates may be sparse. Meanwhile, I'm planning to make time to go through old fantasy novels and RPG books to find boy names to consider. Suggestions are always welcome!Criteria: A unique, preferably one-of-a-kind name that doesn't sound stupid or odd.
Posted by: Paeter April 05, 2007 at 03:27 PM
Put together a towering bookshelf in my office this week to make room for the nursery.Oh, didn't I mention?WE'RE PREGNANT!Actually, we have been for a little while. Baby is due in late August.And yes, we've factored the timing of our next release into that (as much as you can I suppose) and we should still be on track to have the sequel to "Spirit Blade" out by December '07.Hope you're having a great Spring Break!
Posted by: Paeter March 15, 2007 at 08:20 PM
Sorry I haven't posted all weekend. Holly and I were leading worship at our church's college retreat. It was a great weekend!Now I'm back in the saddle for another week of promoting and product development at Spirit Blade Productions!
Posted by: Paeter March 11, 2007 at 10:23 PM
Got my wisdom teeth out and everything seems to have gone great!Now I just neeed to run and grab a bunch of DVDs to veg out with!
Posted by: Paeter February 09, 2007 at 11:19 AM
Took a day off today since I worked straight through the weekend. It turns out video games are still fun. Isn't that great?
Posted by: Paeter February 06, 2007 at 09:29 PM
I rented "Crank" and "The Covenant" this weekend and I'm settling down for a long session of Final Fantasy 12 as well. I'm readin' some great books, and it's raining, too! How much better can this weekend possibly start out? I'll try to post a review of one or both movies soon.
Posted by: Paeter January 19, 2007 at 05:18 PM
hey Paeter! Don't forget to email me Michael Tully's email, and cell number or home or whatever, just so I can get a hold of him...my email again is mbcool91@aol.com
Thanks
Michael
ps-the kids really liked your subbing...haha i guess you are just that cool. haha
Posted by: Michael Bryce January 12, 2007 at 02:59 PM
Did some substitute teaching today and ran into Spirit Blade cast member, Michael Bryce Junior. It was great to get a chance to connect with him and see him doing well in music and school.Your voice is sounding great, Michael!
Posted by: Paeter January 11, 2007 at 05:45 PM
The stray cats in our neighborhood have been multiplying for quite some time now. Don't get me wrong. I like them. In fact, I spent about an hour sitting in the back yard with a high pressure water hose offering suprise superspeed baths to any cats that would like to come in our yard. I only had one taker, but he got the best, longest, high pressure shower I could give him.He must have had to hurry along to something else, though, based on the way he shot up our wall and into the neighbor's yard.But I'll be here should he or his friends ever require my services again.
Posted by: Paeter January 09, 2007 at 08:55 PM
Tonight I'm gonna head out to Wal-mart between midnight and 2am to try and get some hassle free Christmas shopping done.Hopefully I won't run into any wild-eyed mothers who got stuck shopping for everyone.
Posted by: Paeter December 17, 2006 at 10:49 PM
We drew names in my family for exchanging gifts this year, but my person hasn't given me the wish list that she was supposed to yet! Time is running out! So if you're reading this, and you're in my family(and you're a female, since I gave that much away), SEND ME YOUR LIST!!!
Posted by: Paeter December 08, 2006 at 11:13 PM
"Spellfire" by Ed Greenwood is turning out pretty good! I'm not halfway through it yet, but for the most part I'm enjoying the style and his characters. And let's not forget that there's lots of magic being thrown around! That's the best part. Especially since he somehow keeps you from getting numb to the concept of magic. It's still mysterious and dangerous, sometimes especially for the one USING magic.We'll see where it goes, but for now "Spellfire" gets my vote!
Posted by: Paeter December 04, 2006 at 10:22 PM
Discovered a new author this week that may be a future favorite: Michael Moorcock and his "Elric Saga". So far, so good!And even better, he's written several fantasy series', so if I like him there's plenty where the first book came from!I can't tell you how frustrating it is to love an author, but then catch up with his writing schedule and be stuck waiting for his next book to come out!My next book to be put to the test is "Spellfire" by Ed Greenwood. Hopefully that will be good too. I at least really like the first chapter!
Posted by: Paeter December 02, 2006 at 07:56 PM
Just made an unsuccessful midnight run to two different Wal-marts, hoping to get my hands on the "Ultimate Superman DVD Collection". Failure. None available. Guess I'll have to try and sleep tonight and buy mine tomorrow with all the "normal" people. (Sigh)
Posted by: Paeter November 27, 2006 at 11:48 PM
Well, I may not get a chance to post tomorrow (Thanksgiving), since I'll be busy with family all day and Mark is coming over for a late night of "Descent". But keep an eye out this weekend for an addition to the downloads! And have a great Thanksgiving!
Posted by: Paeter November 22, 2006 at 10:40 PM
On the subject of video games:I've changed my mind after careful review reading and clip viewing regarding Final Fantasy 12. I've not played it yet, but have added it to my Christmas list. I was less than impressed by Final Fantasy 10, and have much MORE enjoyed the first two Shadow Hearts games. (The third, alas being a dissapointment for straying too far from the formula.)I've been so hardcore into action RPGs in the absence of a great standard, epic RPG, that I'd forgotten how wonderful and complex they can be. I was reminded of this by a video review for FF12, although it remains to be seen if the game will hold up. Still, I'm very optimistic.'Till then, I've returned for a second play through of Shadow Hearts, hoping that if Final Fantasy doesn't pull through, Rogue Galaxy in January, will.
Posted by: Paeter November 21, 2006 at 10:02 PM
Holly and I had a great lunch and afternoon today. We schedule a lunch once a week to have a little extra time set aside to talk about what's going on. In addition, we read through a book together and usually talk about one or two chapters each week. Our current book is called "Essential Truths Of The Christian Faith" by R.C. Sproul. We're diggin' it.I've also just started a classic book, "What The Bible Is All About" by Dr. Henrietta Mears. So far so good, and additionally, both books are designed to keep you in the Bible as well. Nothing much lamer than reading a bunch of books ABOUT the Bible, but not actually reading the Bible. That's my two cents anyway.
Posted by: Paeter November 20, 2006 at 07:09 PM
This weekend I've tackled the pet project of converting old tapes of my family singing to a digital format for preservation. Wow, these songs are old. Lots of fun, though.
Posted by: Paeter November 18, 2006 at 12:10 AM
Got my wife, Holly, hooked on Battlestar. It's a beautiful thing. First my spouse... and then the world! Bwahahahaa!!
Posted by: Paeter November 12, 2006 at 10:00 PM
Just got back from camping and we are in recovery mode.Some walking this afternoon resulted in more details being cooked up for a scene in "SB2" that will leave the main characters shattered and putting the fragments back together until the end of the "Spirit Blade" saga.It's a horrifying development that I've had in mind as early as outlining the story for the first chapter of "Spirit Blade", so it will be a long time in coming. Get ready. It's going to get alot worse before it gets better.
Posted by: Paeter November 11, 2006 at 06:32 PM
Going camping this weekend, so unfortunate;y no updates 'till at least Saturday night.Also, Just bought Marvel: Ultimate Alliance for PS2 today! GREAT game!
Posted by: Paeter November 09, 2006 at 10:04 PM
Is anyone else wetting their pants in anticipation of the Ultimate Superman DVD set coming out on November 28th? I can't stop thinking about it!!!
Posted by: Paeter November 08, 2006 at 08:38 PM
Justice League Heroes..... best.... game ever.....Must....save....universe...
Posted by: Paeter October 25, 2006 at 10:30 PM
Holly and I came down with colds today. We're both feeling okay but are mooooviiiing sloooowwly.
Posted by: Paeter October 23, 2006 at 10:42 PM
After a week visiting Holly's family in Pennsylvania we are back and with serious jetlag after a VERY early flight this morning. But I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and continuing development for "Spirit Blade 2" in addition to some other cool things. Jump over to the updates section to hear more!Meanwhile, I just got "Justice League Heroes" for PS2, and I think it's the game I've been waiting my whole life to play! It's AWESOME!!
Posted by: Paeter October 22, 2006 at 09:40 PM
It was an amazing weekend! And I'm sorry to say....I lost for the first time. Yes, the mighty heroes fell and the sinister Overlord trimuphed, but only for a brief moment as I came right back in on the next turn and destroyed the Overlord with one blow. It was definitely the most challenging gaming I've faced yet. I found myself actually using the special artifacts and weapons that I picked up just to survive. Well done Paeter!I'm looking forward to the next challenge so clear a night over Thanksgiving for mighty Landrec will return! (The bravest son of *beep* I ever knew!)
Posted by: Mark October 11, 2006 at 08:19 PM
Finally back after an AWESOME weekend of boardgaming! Mark did pretty well, although these were easily the most intensely challenging quests he's had to face consecutively. And I'm EXHAUSTED! Better sleep soon so I can get up and tackle the world of "Spirit Blade" again!
Posted by: Paeter October 08, 2006 at 09:25 PM
I'm off to California for a weekend of playing "Descent", so you'll next hear from me on Sunday or Monday, unless I can find a way and some time to post before then. In the meantime, don't forget about the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica this Friday on the Sci-fi channel, and if you're new to the show the "catch-up" special airing just before it! See ya!
Posted by: Paeter October 05, 2006 at 03:52 PM
I considered entering "Spirit Blade" in a script competition that Holly heard about on K-Love Radio today. It's not run by K-Love, they just advertised it.The problem is, they're looking for "wholesome, inspirational and spiritually uplifting" scripts that give us "a greater view of the one true Creator God."Well, I certainly think we need more of the latter, but as I looked deeper into the competition criteria, it looks like they think the solution to changing America through film will be found in fluffy, "Full House" type story-telling without violence or bad language.Good luck telling stories about real people.The criteria went on and on, further narrowing the kind of scripts they'll accept. In short, they're trying to reach the world by making movies that only Christians will be willing to suffer through. THIS is EXACTLY the kind of thinking that perpetuates a Christian life that is out of touch with reality or relevance to the common man.By their criteria, films like "The Passion" or "Luther" would never be made. Yet these two films have arguably had the most impact for Biblical truth on secular culture than any film in the last two decades.I implore Christian Artists of all kinds, everywhere, who wish to reach our culture for Christ, to create art that is both honoring to God, and relatable to those in the secular culture.If you're targeting Christians with your art, great. We need encouragement. We need inspiration. But if you're targeting a culture that doesn't give any quarter to Biblical Christianity, than be prepared to chnage your tactics(though not the message) to reach THEM. Anything less is at best futility and at worst an embarrassment that sabotages your very goal.
Posted by: Paeter October 04, 2006 at 12:04 AM
Anybody else watching "Heroes" on NBC? Show's got some real potential! Can't wait to see what they do with it!Meanwhile, the new season of Battlestar Galactica starts this Friday on the Sci-fi channel! Woohoo!!
Posted by: Paeter October 03, 2006 at 05:42 PM
Hear ye! Hear ye!Let it be known far and wide that my arch-nemesis, "Mark", will suffer the beatdown of a lifetime this coming weekend! I shall traverse to the distant land of California, wherein we shall clash steel and magic in a duel to the death!!Hear that, Mark? Yer goin' DOOWWNN!!
(For more info, check out "Descent" at the Fantasy Flight Games website.)
Posted by: Paeter October 01, 2006 at 11:31 PM
Holly and I are going up to a cabin this weekend, so you won't hear from me again 'till Sunday or Monday. But when you do, "Spirit Blade" will be available to purchase at the website! Talk to you later!
Posted by: Paeter September 29, 2006 at 01:38 PM
Paeter,
I am glad this turned out so cool. I hope it can really flourish, as I know it will. And also, dang my voice is high, but hey what can you do. haha Well Let me know when we are going to all go and sign CD's at the selling party, just kidding haha but ya this feels like I originated a role, like on Broadway, and now it is like becoming known haha This is cool...
In years to come people will be like modeling David after my rendition of it! haha! lets hope so!
Thanks a million
Michael
Posted by: Michael Bryce September 27, 2006 at 11:24 PM
Tomorrow I jump back into the wild world of substitute teaching! First up, High School Band! No marching, thank goodness. Me leading a marching band rehearsal would probably be disaster waiting to happen...
Posted by: Paeter September 27, 2006 at 09:29 PM
I got tired of Playing Champions: Return to Arms, so Holly and I will be looking for a new game to play together. Maybe Lego Star Wars? I've heard good things, so we'll see!On the flip side, I started to go through Baldur's gate again and THAT game's still a blast to play!
Posted by: Paeter September 16, 2006 at 10:30 PM
Passing some time with the Alien Quadrilogy this weekend. More job searching on the agenda for tomorrow, too. (Boy, I wish those CDs had come on time.)Oh well. Birk is about to get it and before long the Queen will be making her appearance. It's go time, Ripley!
Posted by: Paeter September 14, 2006 at 11:27 PM
In my very last Pastor/Elder meeting tonight, one of the Elders prayed regarding the impact of 9/11, and how it was an event that shook us all to our core.Maybe you remember, but there was a lot of talk about God for awhile there. A spike in nation-wide church attendence...that dropped off pretty quickly.Once again, people became content to be "Spiritual" without really defining what that was. As America felt more comfortable and secure again, specific, definitive talk of God became diminished once more, and pursuit of the greatest knowledge in the universe was categorized as an individual journey.I have to wonder, though. Were we on to something there, in the months after 9/11, when we more readily and openly talked about this mysterious "God" out there, sharing differing, even conflicting opinions and beliefs, in an effort to discover the truth?Mankind's greatest scientific achievements gained some ground quickly through a FEW individuals. But the realization of those individual's dreams was carried out because MANY people joined the dialogue. Various theories came and went, and new discoveries tossed aside "facts" once taken for granted.Though heated debate and no doubt some hateful anger arose between those with differing viewpoints, the end result has been the advancement of technology and a way of life not even DREAMED of a few hundred years ago.I wonder what would happen if we applied the same principle to our pursuit of theology. The study of God. No doubt, arguments would turn ugly, as they have in the past. But with a continued willingness to re-examine the data, who knows what might result? I can't help but think we would more quickly find the answers to questions that have plagued mankind for thousands of years.Who am I? What am I here for? Is there a God? If so, what is God like?Are the belief's I've always had, really the truth? And if not, what are the ramifications?Regardless of where you're at, or what you believe, I'd invite you to take this kind of journey... and don't do it alone.
Posted by: Paeter September 11, 2006 at 08:09 PM
DANCE FACTORY REVIEW
Okay, so we've had "Dance Factory" for the PS2 for almost a week now and here's my thoughts.Pretty good, but not great.The biggest selling point on this game was its ability to make dance tracks to any CD that you put in your PS2, and it fell a little short. Sometimes the dance patterns it creates for your music seem to lose track of where the beat falls. And this happens even on songs driven very hard and consistantly by a loud bass beat. It's not so bad that you can't still dance and get a workout with the music you like, you just won't feel the same sense of accomplishment at getting the moves right, since you sometimes CAN'T if you choose to dance in time with the music.The upside is that you can create your own tracks in a record mode where you hit buttons on your hand-held controller that correspond to the dance pad squares. You do this while your song is played and the game makes note of when you press the buttons, thereby creating a dance sequence based on your timing and choices. So for someone like me that enjoys "composing" or "creating" and has a good sense of rhythm, the process of making tracks is fun. And even when I make mistakes in entering the sequence, the game allows a little more liberty from the dancers when using a home-made sequence. (whew!) So in the final analysis, if you like the idea of playing rhythm patterns on your hand-held controller to create dance patterns to use later with the pad, than grab this game and you'll have a blast challenging yourself and others to dance to your music and your moves! Otherwise, if you like the music on the DDR games well enough, stick to them.
Posted by: Paeter September 04, 2006 at 09:42 PM
Holly and I just watched a documentary on Discovery Channel about 9/11.I've not heard good reviews about the movie "World Trade Center", and although I haven't seen it myself, I wonder why Hollywood hasn't theatrically released a documentary about 9/11. It was so much more powerful hearing first hand from survivors on this doc. than I think it could ever be from actors.Anyway, I think it was called "Inside The Twin Towers". If you get a chance I would definately recommend watching it. It's only been about five years, but I know I'm guilty of forgetting the impact of that event. This documentary reminded me of it again in a way that was healthy and renewed my perspective on the important things in life.
Posted by: Paeter September 03, 2006 at 11:36 PM
My dad's coming over tomorrow and we're gonna play "Doom: The Boardgame"! Can't wait!!
Posted by: Paeter September 01, 2006 at 01:29 AM
Tomorrow a game for the PS2 called "Dance Factory" comes out that lets you dance to any song you have on CD using your DDR dance pad! Holly and I are very excited to check it out. Now she can dance to "Shane and Shane" or "Caedmon's Call" and I can get a workout with "Andy Hunter", "Ultrabeat", "Echoing Green" or "Red"! Can't wait!!After I've gotten my hands on it, I'll post a review of the video game for any other PS2 DDR fans out there.See ya!
Posted by: Paeter August 29, 2006 at 08:48 PM
I've sensed lately that God really wants me to deepen my relationship with him. Specifically to spend more time with only him, and for that time to be more meaningful. I'll be upgrading my personal scripture reading habits as well as my time spent in prayer and worship. It means hitting the reset button on a few things as I recalibrate myself, so if you'd like to pray for me, I'd sure appreciate it!At the same time, I'd encourage you to spend some time in prayer and see how God may be calling you to develop your spiritual life more fully. We can go on this journey together!If you've developed any new spiritual practices lately, I'd love to hear about them! You can post your thoughts here anytime!
Posted by: Paeter August 29, 2006 at 12:28 AM
Just started into Mark E. Rogers' "Blood of the Lamb: The Expected One", and so far so good! Some very interesting biblical parallels that will be worth watching to see how they flesh themselves out. And so far the danger is real, the action is intense and magic is cool! And I still haven't read a single comic that I bought this Wednesday. I've got my work cut out for me!
Posted by: Paeter August 25, 2006 at 02:43 PM
Tonight I finished reading Terry Goodkind's latest book in the epic "Sword Of Truth" series, and it was great! He seemed to get a little off track with the last one, but that proved to be a fluke. His next book will be the final installment of this 11 book series. And now, "Spiderman" movie director Sam Raimi is going to produce a number of t.v. mini-series events that will chronicle the sword of truth book series!Development will begin in 2007! I'm a happy man!
Posted by: Paeter August 25, 2006 at 12:47 AM
QUICK GAME REVIEWSSo in my quest to find a new game to play, I gave 15-20 minutes of my time to each of the 9 games I tried out today.Thought I'd write my thoughts down to remind myself for future reference, what I thought of these games in case I forget and am curious again. And since it's just as easy to cut and paste them on my blog, I decided to throw them on here to share with you!So here's the quick and sloppy on all these games for the PS2 based on 20 minutes of play each:
Summoner- Really early game for PS2 and it shows. ALMOST an action RPG. Fight animation is slow and boring. Frame rate is jumpy, graphics are bland. Primitive by today's standards.
Summoner 2- Not the prettiest game I've seen, but a HUGE improvement over the first. This is a REAL action RPG! The intro fight is pretty tough, but the mechanic seems pretty solid. And for the $5.99 price tag, this one is almost definately a keeper!
Demon Stone: Forgotten Realms- A BEAUTIFUL game! The action is so fast and furious that you unfortunately can't give your attention to the active, living world around you! There's so much going on! As mentioned, this is an action game at heart. It has some small level building, but I'd rather play "Path of Neo" if I'm going to play a game that's this far tilted into the action game genre. Maybe I'll come back to it someday, though.
Magna Carta: Tears of Blood- A serious looking RPG with creative character design. (Just my thing!) The battle system I'm not so sure about. Not very intuitive at all. It DID have a strike system similar to the Shadow Hearts games, but added more details that make the rest pretty complex. It will undoubtedly take some time to figure out and be comfortable with. Too bad, because the world seems very interesting.
Stella Deus: I can see myself coming back to this near re-make of Final Fantasy Tactics. Great looking game in many respects. I'm just not in the mood for a strategy game right now. But when I am, I'll be coming back to this one for sure!
Lord of the Rings: The Third Age- RPG based on the LOTR trilogy. I already had a game save for this one. It's a great game, somewhat low on story-telling (unless you count lots of movie clips as story-telling) and it was hard for me to jump back in where I'd left off over a year ago. Otherwise a cool RPG with good graphics and gameplay.
The Bard's Tale- Would have been great fun except that I couldn't adjust the way I control the camera, like you can with most games of this variety. I was suprised at the effect that had on my ability to enjoy the game. I'm a big fan of Baldur's Gate and the "Champions" games, so I was dissapointed that this ended up not being as enjoyable as I'd hoped.
Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits- superficial characters, bland and boring graphics, combat animation and (strategic grid) combat system. Bleh.
Grandia 3- I almost kept this one. The execution of the story plays a little like a Disney animated movie (the music swells and almost makes you think they'll all start singing), but that is my only major complaint. (I tend to like a darker story) The battle mechanics are fast moving with great graphics and animation. It was fairly exciting to play the battles at first, which is VITAL to RPGs. But the charm quickly wore off when surrounded by the other Disneyesque qualities.
FINAL VERDICT: Summoner 2-I've taken all the games back now, and Summoner 2, which only cost me $5.99, is easily the best of the bunch. What an action filled, yet strategic and fun RPG with a story that so far has me very interested! Woohoo!
Posted by: Paeter August 18, 2006 at 11:23 AM
I was at it all night. I've been doing it on and off my whole life, and it just keeps getting easier!Last night I spent most of the time dreaming of flying.I kept thinking to myself, "This has become so easy to me over the years, why haven't I called 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not' yet?"Telling people seemed like such an obvious choice, but instead I chose to show them.I was back at the RPG convention I attended a few weeks ago. I just took a few purposeful steps forward and then launched myself into the air, soaring through the convention center, around empty ballrooms, flying down hotel hallways and shooting up empty elevator shafts.Eventaully I made it outside, where I could REALLY cut loose! I was freakin' FAST! Turns out I had one or two other powers up my sleeve as well, but I won't bore you with the details. Maybe it will make its way into another "Spirit Blade" story!See ya!
Posted by: Paeter August 18, 2006 at 11:15 AM
Got it!
Posted by: Brad August 17, 2006 at 10:42 AM
Hey Brad!I just copied yours and my comments on this to the new "Movies" thread! You seem to hang out on the front lines of info, so anytime you hear some cool movie gossip, I'd love to hear about it there! Thanks, man!
Posted by: Paeter August 16, 2006 at 04:05 PM
Actually, I'm really not planning to see Snakes On A Plane at this point. But time will tell.As for Batman, I have my doubts about hunky "Heath-bar" pulling off The Joker. But again, time will tell us if he's got some more versatility than we've seen so far. He'll need it! The Joker is all ABOUT versatility!I hope the title "The Dark Knight" sticks, or is at least used as the sub-title-"Batman: Dark Knight"I've wanted them to use that as a Batman title for years, and I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking it's cool. It's also a way to assure movie-goers that yes, this is still going to be the dark and gritty Batman we know and love from "Begins".Just be on the lookout if there are any rumors about a "Caped Crusader" movie.Yikes.
Posted by: Paeter August 16, 2006 at 03:48 PM
Batman stuff
I know that this is a bit premature, but how do you think the new sequel to Batman Begins is going? Heath Ledger as the Joker? Do you think that the title The Dark Knight is going to stick?
Posted by: Brad August 16, 2006 at 10:21 AM
The biggest movie of the summer... Snakes on a Plane! Yeah baby!!! OK, seriously, what is hollywood thinking?
(sarcastically)I know that you're going to go see it Paeter. Don't tell you that you aren't; I know you man!
Posted by: Brad August 16, 2006 at 09:37 AM
Kung fu...Kung fuuuuu...That's fun to say, isn't it?
Kuuuunnng...
Fuuuuuuuuuu...
Posted by: Paeter August 15, 2006 at 10:11 PM
SEARCHING FOR A GAMEWell, I finished the video game I'm currently working on, which means I'll need to find another one soon, or suffer the effects of cold-turkey cut off. (Not good.)I've compiled a list of games and their review ratings to take with me to Gamestop and Bookman's tomorrow. Both places have an unconditional return policy on their used video games, meaning I have 7 days to try out any used games I buy, with the option of returning it in that time for a no questions asked, full refund. Usually, that's enough to help me find a good game among several, but not always.Meanwhile, I still have to watch Ultimate Avengers 2, which I picked up on Tuesday. A little bit of Spirit Blade to do tomorrow as well, but not so much that it will consume my day.It's gonna be a good Saturday!
Posted by: Paeter August 12, 2006 at 01:44 AM
LETTING GOThat's what I'm training myself to do these days, it seems. I've been getting such positive and excited feedback from those who have listened to Spirit Blade, and yet the visionary perfectionist in me will always find those little flaws.Likewise, as I prepare to step away from leading the Worship Ministry at RMCC, I see things that I would LOVE to accomplish before my last Sunday.I believe one of the wonders of eternity with God will be the ability to perfectly realize every creative vision I'm given. Until then, like so many artists, I will strive after the wind of perfection catching an occasional glimpse, but always ending empty handed, except for the promise of something more.But God has a way of using our short-comings to remind us of who he is. He's been energizing this project since the beginning. So although it will be far from perfect, I know God's involved, and that's plenty enough for me.(Although that doesn't rule out "revisiting" Spirit Blade again when I'm older and wiser. If Lucas can, what's stopping me, right?)
Posted by: Paeter August 10, 2006 at 07:14 PM
Picked up "Ultimate Avengers 2" today. Haven't watched it yet, but if it's like the first it should be fun!First I have to finish listening to the new commentary track on the Farscape DVD I bought today. And I still have "Comic Book Day" to look forward to tomorrow!Yep, life is pretty freakin' fantastic. ;)
Posted by: Paeter August 08, 2006 at 11:21 PM
Hey Kris!Yeah, being a player character was way cool. Even so, it got me itchin' to GM again, so we'll see, come October/November, if I don't go find or start up a gaming group. I'm pretty sure I'll do one, the other, or both.
Posted by: Paeter August 04, 2006 at 07:11 PM
Gaming convention, nice. I know that having the chance to play the roleplaying games is something you wanted to do, since mostly you have game mastered. I'm glad you got the chance.
Posted by: Kristan August 04, 2006 at 11:54 AM
WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO?Okay, I had my doubts about this reality show on the Sci-fi channel, but tonight's second episode had a great twist!Two heroes per episode are eliminated for not being heroic, and tonight, a guy who NEVER seemed right to be a hero was finally canned. But on his way off the studio lot, Stan Lee asked him to stay on the show... as a Supervillan!Perfect!In dramatic fashion he was given a new costume and more evil version of his former Superhero name.This show really feels like a recreation of classic, old-school comic books. Without the built in back-stabbing element of other reality shows, it's still competitive, but alot more good natured and fun. You may have your favorites, but you're mostly rooting for everyone. I almost missed it tonight, so after the episode, I set my VCR for next week. I'm not missing ANY of this one!
Posted by: Paeter August 04, 2006 at 02:12 AM
Just got a book I ordered in the mail today, called "The Blood of the Lamb: The Expected One", by Mark E. Rogers. It's the first of a dark fantasy trilogy that's been out for a long time. It's supposedly based on Christian Theology, but at the same time takes place in a world of gruesome violence and terrifying magic. Just my kinda thing! I'm excited to get going on it, but first I have to finish "Amber and Ashes" by Margaret Weis, and then "Phantom" by Terry Goodkind. So many good fantasy books!Good thing I'm a freak for reading. Now I just have to find the time!
Posted by: Paeter July 31, 2006 at 11:39 PM
RPG CONVENTION, DAY 2 and 3
On my second day, I didn't do much more at the convention during the day besides browse the retailer's merchandise. Not a huge selection or fantastic pricing, but then for years I've been spoiled by primarily spending my money on out of print games with much lower costs.After the re-launch night at RMCC (2 and a half hours of non-stop DDR, Guitar Hero, Name that Tune, and Bible Trivia Elimination!!) I spent 2 hours recovering at home before going back to the convention for another RPG from midnight to 4am. This was a "World of Darkness" game where we played normal kids at an abnormal orphanage. (Formerly a prison.)Of the pre-made characters available, I volunteered to play "The Fat Kid", and gave him the classic name of "Chunk" from the movie "Goonies" while playing him like an adolescent Chris Farley. I was a happy camper.The one down side of the evening was that the group got off topic quite a bit and we didn't progres through the game very fast.With more to come back for Saturday after lunch, I opted to leave at the scheduled finishing time of 4am, rather than stay to finish the game.
On Saturday, I was introduced to the game mechanics of the classic RPG, "Dungeons and Dragons".This game was a lot of fun!Mostly because the Game Master was VERY animated and enjoyed what he was doing. He encouraged role-playing quite a bit, and hammed it up himself much of the time. His descriptions of our surrounding betrayed his 30 years of experience running this game. A GREAT storyteller.I played the group's fighter. Normally a little too mundane of a choice for my tastes, but the group needed a fighter, and I figured the rules would be less complex for a simple character like that.It was a great way to learn how to play, and although I didn't always roll fantastic, I rolled well enough and often enough to be the primary monster killer of the group.The downside of this game was its focus on using miniature figures. For me, miniatures can tend to bog the game down in mechanics a little too much for an RPG. And as someone who tends to be the GM of games, it makes the prospect of running a D&D game intimidating both mentally and financially. That said, I'd really enjoy PLAYING a regular game of D&D in the right group with the right GM.After that I wolfed down some taco bell and came back for the boardgame "Descent", which I own, but have always been the "Game Master" for and never the hero.This boardgame is a blast!I chose to go with an all magic character with really weak defense. But I drew the right cards to be an offensive powerhouse, and to keep bad-guys away at the same time. ( I had TWO abilites that allowed me to do automatic damage to bad guys if they even just stood next to me!)After a great day of gaming, I opted to withdraw from the boardgame I'd signed up for today. Mostly because between the miniatures of D&D and Descent, I felt a little board-gamed out, and there were no other RPGs to play in today.So instead, I took a nice long nap this afternoon and then played some more Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2, and am now about to spend some time playing Adventure Quest, a "Flash" based RPG online that's free! (You don't compete against other players.) It's a ton of fun! Check it out at:http://www.battleon.com/
See ya!
Posted by: Paeter July 30, 2006 at 06:37 PM
RPG CONVENTION, DAY 1
Just finished my first day/night attending my first RPG convention! We played a Super-hero RPG and had a great time! The Game Master was a lot of fun and the other players were cool, too, which makes all the difference in this kind of thing.I played a superspeed character, although my rolls sucked alot resulting in some pretty "un-super" moments. But screwing things up was half of the fun!We got done early and so I came home and am now in the mood to dig out my Superhero RPG stuff.I'm looking forward to having the time to do some role-playing again once I step down from my Worship Pastor position. Who knows what adventures and danger await in the world of my own twisted imagination?
Posted by: Paeter July 28, 2006 at 12:25 AM
This weekend is going to be way busy but extremely fun for me! For the first time ever, I will be attending a Role-Playing Game Convention! It's right here in Mesa this Thursday through Sunday. Not only that, but we're having a big party for the people in my ministry at the church this Friday night, with lots of food and games set up around the room. The college band at our church will be leading the worship this Sunday, so although I'll be present all morning, I don't have to carry my usual responsibilities.So basically, from Thursday at 7pm until Sunday at 6pm, if I'm not eating, sleeping or attending Sunday morning services, I'm playing games and eating junk food non-stop! Awesome!!If possible, I'll give reports at the end of each convention day so you can take some of the journey with me.Right now I'm getting ready for the weekend by reviewing some rules for one of the boardgames("Descent") I'll be playing at the convention this Saturday night. And tomorrow I'm planning to check out a local game store I just heard about and see what the possibilities are to get connected with a regular game of D&D after I learn how to play it again this weekend.That's all for now!
Posted by: Paeter July 25, 2006 at 11:07 PM
Right on the nose, bro. It's one thing to write about OTHERS adventuring through nature, but me? Not so much...
Posted by: Paeter July 25, 2006 at 01:30 AM
Hey Paeter!
Sounds like fun. I'm suprised to hear that the master of all ghouls and monsters can't handle a few bugs! I'm about to embark on an adventure myself that takes me backpacking across Catalina Island. We've done the trip for the last two years and it just keeps getting better. You would be miserable though, so don't worry, I won't ask you to do it! Alright bro, gotta hit the sack. I'll write more later!
Mark
Posted by: Mark July 24, 2006 at 11:02 PM
Well the church camping retreat went well, although I HATE bugs. Yes, I'm a huge wimp, but I can't STAND bugs! Not a big fan of nature in general, although I LOVE rain, which we got a fair amount of! That part was GREAT!
Posted by: Paeter July 24, 2006 at 07:43 PM
Just finished playing some "Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance 2" for PS2. REALLY fun game. The same company will be making a "Champions of Norrath" style Justice League game in the fall. I MAY just wet my pants.
Posted by: Paeter July 19, 2006 at 11:47 PM
Holly and I are going up to church camp this weekend. It will be a nice break away from the norm, but I pretty much hate nature and bugs and...well camping. But I'm bringing some good books (Terry Goodkind's latest!) and some cool boardgames like "Doom", "Runebound" and "Descent". We'll also lead worship on Sunday morning and spend time hanging out with friends, so it should be a fun weekend.
Posted by: Paeter July 18, 2006 at 09:30 PM

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