Remedial Comics
Sentimental Horde :: 89
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Extras
Here are some freebies / fluff items for general consumption. Enjoy!
Image Description

Remedy Wallpaper

The Past In The Present

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Remedy Wallpaper

Artur Siedleski Is Remedy

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Remedy Avatar Pack 1

A collection of Remedy avatar images. Pack includes 17 images - one 475 x 475 image with all avatars in one, plus 16 individual images. Get Some!!

Remedy Avatar Pack 1 (~123kb)
FAQ
If, for some odd reason, your question isn't in the below list, please post your question in the Remedial Comics forum.
Remedial Comics FAQ
Remedy FAQ
Sentimental Horde FAQ

Remedial Comics FAQ

Q: 'Sup?
A: Not much, what's up with you?

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Q: No, I mean what's up with your website?
A: Oh! Right. Well Remedial Comics is a website for online web comics. Right now we have "Remedy" and "Sentimental Horde" here for your entertainment. Later we may add other comics. Who knows what wacky things the future may bring.

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Q: OK, I've read your funnies. Is there anything else to do here or should I just shove off?
A: Well... Rob and the crew tend to blog along with the comics each time we release one. Sometimes that can be interesting.

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Q: Youre not exactly selling it.
A: ROB IS THE MOST INTERESTING GUY IN THE WORLD AND ALWAYS SAYS FASCINATING THINGS.

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Q: OK, anything else?
A: If you look at the blog content module you will see buttons to the left for things like movies and music. If you're interested in what the folks at RC are watching, playing, reading or listening to you can navigate through the buttons to find reviews, recommendations and opinions. We also have a feature called "Web" that highlights sites that offer content we really like.

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Q: RC?
A: Remedial Comics

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Q: Oh, right.
A: That's not a question.

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Q: Well what if I want to recommend a book or TV show to you?
A: Well that's why we set up the forum. There you can interact with the creative minds behind the comics and the folks who run the Remedial Comics site. Personally I can't wait to hear how crappy you thought Heroes Season 2 was and I'm looking forward to reading your Naruto slash fan fiction.

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Q: Really?
A: No. I already know about Heroes and your prose is never ending. You need to take a course in brevity. Seriously though, once you've looked over the things we like and you know of a band, movie or book you think we might like; we'd love to hear about it. We're always on the lookout for new and interesting stuff.

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Q: So what's this "Twits" thing?
A: Twitter is a service that allows folks to "follow" each other through text messaging to get updates from people and things they are interested in. Essentially you go to Twitter, sign up for an account, follow Rob, Jason, Chadm1n, or Curt (or anyone else here at RC, for that matter) that you find interesting and you will receive around-the-clock updates as to what type of toppings they like on their pizza and the funny things their pets/children/drunk friends are doing.

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Q: So it is like an RSS Feed?
A: Perhaps similar, but no. We have RSS as well. You can subscribe to our feed here and you will be alerted whenever the site updates. But Twitter is something that works with text messaging that allows us to interact with you by letting you know what's on our minds as we while out our time away on this little mud ball.

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Q: OK, I get the RSS thing; and I think I get the Twitter thing. But what's with all the other stuff? Digg, Reddit, Myspace, Facebook, and so on?
A: Ask your grandchildren pops. Or you can just click on the links and explore those other sites yourself. They are quite popular with large chunks of humanity or we wouldn't have a presence there. Someone your age probably has lots of free time.

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Q: Do you plan on attending my con/local event/birthday party?
A: We'd love to. We do plan on attending conventions. You can find the schedule of events we intend to attend here. If you run or organize a con and want to invite us to attend it you can send Rob an e-mail at rob AT remedialcomics DOT com

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Q: rob AT remedialcomics DOT com? Is that a real email address?
A: Seriously? C'mon.... Replace the AT with @, and DOT with . If you can't fugure it out, please just post in our forum.

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Q: Do you guys sell stuff?
A: Not just yet, but we are putting together an online store as you read this. When the store is online, that will be where we hock our snake oils. We hope to offer a whole bunch of items but if you have anything in particular in mind you would like, please request it in the forum. We can't guarantee you'll get what you want but if you don't ask your chances are substantially less. In the meantime, please consider making a huge donation to Remedical Comics via PayPal.

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Q: What if I want some original art or something drawn especially for me?
A: From time to time we will be selling original art from the strips on Ebay. Watch the blog for updates on things like that. Most likely we'll send out a Tweet as well. But if that isn't good enough for you, you can join our e-mail list here and receive e-mails whenever we add merchandise to the store or place items up for auction at Ebay. As for commissions; our artist will do commissions. However the price will be very subjective, based upon a number of factors like; what you want, how hard it will be to draw and how difficult we may think you will be to work with. It may also take some time to complete any commissioned art as we have to keep the comic running first and foremost. If you want to discuss a commission project please send an e-mail to commissions AT remedialcomics DOT com. If the email thing still isn't your speed, consider sending Rob a Private Message via the forum.

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Q: Well what if I just want to give you money? You know, support the arts and all that?
A: Oh my, that is so nice of you. Really? Man that, that's just... well we're speechless. If you want to help us with site and con expenses you can donate to us through PayPal (click the below PayPal image). Man. I knew that guy/gal was cool. Didn't I tell you he/she was cool?


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Q: What if I want to advertise on your site?
A: We offer a number of options for advertising on our site. You can find our ad policy here and if you have specific questions that aren't covered in the ad policy or you want to discuss rates for a specific campaign you can send an e-mail to: ads AT remedialcomics DOT com

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Q: Is that it?
A: For now, yes. If you have specific questions about the comics or the store we have FAQ's related to them at the top of the page. Thanks for stopping by.

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Remedy FAQ

Q: What is the Remedy?
A: Remedy is a web comic that follows the life and exploits of Artur Siedleski; a middle aged, single man who works in an office for a pharmaceutical company by day and is a vigilante at night.

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Q: He fights crime?
A: Yes.

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Q: Like Batman?
A: More like a Guardian Angel ... without the large organization. His villains are mostly muggers and gang members. He doesn't deal with anyone you might think of as a super villain or have anything so dramatic as an arch-nemesis. He mostly just tries to keep the people in his neighborhood safe and happy. He does have a partner though.

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Q: OK, I'll bite; who's his partner.
A: Artur's partner in battling crime is Ash; his cat.

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Q: A cat? You're serious?
A: Ash is no ordinary cat. He is super fast and strong, he knows how to fight and he can communicate, albeit somewhat simply, with people telepathically.

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Q: Finally! A cat you know understands you when you tell him to stop scratching the furniture! Where do I get one?
A: Ash is one of a kind I'm afraid. Someday we'll tell the story of how he got his powers. Until then, read the comic.

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Q: OK, well what about this Artur fellow; what's his story?
A: Artur is a combat veteran who decided to try and make a difference in his troubled community. He has worked for the same company for almost twenty years (since his departure from the U.S. Army). He is an office manager. He has an on again off again girlfriend who is a professional singer. She travels a lot. When she is home he and a few friends back her in a band at local bars and small venues. Artur plays piano. Mostly Artur is a simple man who, nearing middle age is starting to question some of the decisions he's made in his life.

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Q: So he's having a mid-life crisis?
A: Eh, maybe si maybe no. Artur may be a simple man but he's no ordinary man. So if he is having a mid-life crisis it won't be an ordinary one.

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Q: What's his girlfriend's name?
A: Man you're kind of nosy aren't you? Artur's girlfriend is Libitina Morrigan but she goes by Libby.

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Q: Does Artur have anyone else in his life?
A: Artur has a family just like most folks. His father went missing when he was very young and has since been declared dead but his mother lives close by and he tries to have dinner with her at least once a month; even if she does drive him crazy. He also has siblings. His sister, her husband and children will impact heavily in Artur's story; but we're not going to tell you about that yet.

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Q: All right. Fair enough. When does the comic update?
A: Ooh that's a good one. The comic updates three times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The blog will update at or around the same time and Rob will often discuss the story in the comic to give it a bit more depth. You don't have to read it but it does enrich the experience.

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Q: So who created Remedy?
A: The web comic Remedy, all the characters in it and the story were created by Robert C Tracy. Rob also writes the strips with help from the rest of the Remedial Comics Staff.

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Q: Who draws the art?
A: All of the art is created by Jason Kirckof. You can see some of his art at his Deviantart page. here.

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Q: So what's going to happen next?
A: Nope, that's it. Go away. No more FAQ's... if you want details, you will just have to read the comic.

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Sentimental Horde FAQ

Q: What is Sentimental Horde?
A: Sentimental Horde is a web comic set in a world of goblins and heroes.

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Q: Like Dungeons and Dragons or World of Warcraft?
A: Kind of. You have the right idea.

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Q: So what's the story?
A: Sentimental Horde doesn't have a specific storyline. Occasionally there may be small story arcs but generally Jason tries to write stand-alone comics that make him laugh and he thinks others will enjoy. He's usually right.

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Q: So who are the main characters?
A: Quiben and Gareck are two main characters. Quiben a goblin who tries his best just to survive and his best friend Gareck the friendly half-orc who loves beautiful women regardless what species they are. Other characters include Sarlack the evil lizard man commander and kobold wizard named Zerk.

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Q: Why are there so many Sentimental Horde comics already?
A: Sentimental Horde used to have its own website once upon a time. Jason updated periodically until he had amassed a significant back catalogue. But life got hectic as life does and he closed up shop.

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Q: So why is Sentimental Horde here?
A: Because it's great! Sentimental Horde didn't have a home anymore so we gave it one here.

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Q: Well are there going to be any new Sentimental Horde comics?
A: There are over a hundred Sentimental Horde comics in the archive. Jason wants to improve some of them before we make them available but we will be periodically adding blocks of the comic to the archive.

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Q: That really didn't answer my question.
A: Hold on I'm getting to it. Yes! There will be new Sentimental Horde comics here at the site.

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Q: OK. When?
A: Jason will update Sentimental Horde when Jason feels like updating Sentimental Horde. It is entirely his discretion. That said, our first priority is keeping the Remedy storyline moving. So the updates will have no set schedule. However if you subscribe to our RSS or Twitter feed you will be notified when updates arrive.

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Q: Cool.
A: Indeed.

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About Us
Want to know more about the team here at Remedial Comics? The please read our below bio's. If you have any questions, please check our FAQ or contact us via the Remedial Comics forum.

Rob Robert C Tracy was born and raised in Connecticut. He has lived most of his life there but may be released soon for time served. A former soldier and combat veteran Rob served in the U.S. Army Infantry and saw action in Korea, Iraq and Georgia (the state not the country). Since his end of service in 1992 Rob has worked in retail, firearms manufacturing, private security and most recently as a paralegal/office manager specializing in immigration law. Rob is currently unemployed. Rob is a huge videogame fan, reads a lot and loves movies. So basically, big nerd. He also sang in a band and owns a ton of home recording and video editing equipment. Techno-nerd. Rob has been a hobbyist writer for as long as he could write. Rob has been a professional web comic appreciator for many years. This is his first foray into creating one.

Chadm1n Chadm1n, who prefers to remain semi-anonymous for personal reasons, is a New England transplant who grew up in places west of the Mississippi. Chadm1n is married to the greatest woman on Earth and has two wonderful children. He is a licensed pilot, a former U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant (E-6), and currently works as a system anaylst. Chadm1n holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and is a RedHat Certified Engineer. If you have questions about technology, Chadm1n probably has the answer. (He doesn't do Photoshop!)


Remedy :: 27
Remedy :: 89
Remedy :: 89
Remedy :: 88
Remedy :: 1
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Music
minusRob

I love music. I do everything to music. I bought a Creative Labs Jukebox Zen Xtra about four years ago and I am never far from it. My taste tends towards folk rock, older pop rock (when I say older I mean stuff that came out before the Britneys, Christina's and Hanson's claimed the term pop as their own) and good old rock and roll. I can get as hard as Queens of the Stone Age. I can go as country as the Eagles. The first album I ever bought with my own money was Billy Joel's Glass Houses and that's pretty much the majority of my sound. Singer/Songwriters and full bands. If you don't write your own music; if you can't play an instrument, if you lip sync your songs when in concert because you're dancing way too hard to sing, if you wear a cowboy hat or have the head of a dead pig on stage during your show then your music probably won't be to my taste. One warning I should give; I like what I like so you may hear me talking about the same bands more than once. It doesn't mean I'm not open to new things; but I can be picky.


minusChadm1n

I wanna rock! I love music, but I don't spend a lot of time getting into the nitty-gritty details. Mozart? Cool. Metallica? Awesome. Rush? Schweet! Queensryche is my favorite band of all-time, and if I had to pick a favorite genre, I would choose Classic Rock. I suppose the aging rock music resonates with my "inner rebel," which is a tad ironic since I have been a rule-follower my entire life.


Misadventures In Stereo (Jim Boggia)
November 08, 2009 :: By Rob


Jim Boggia is probably one of the greatest musicians most people have never heard of. For some examples of why I say that please, check out what he has to offer on YouTube.

He actually has his own channel with some unique stuff as well.

I'm telling you about the free stuff because I want you to see for yourself before I try and convince you to go out and buy his music. Because once you hear how good he is you won't be able to unhear it and you, like me, will crave his sound.

I was privileged to meet Jim when he opened up for Duncan Sheik and David Poe a few years ago. Just a regular, ordinary, plain old nice guy. That may be his problem with the music industry. Nice guys, in the world of business at least, most assuredly finish last and Jim is very nice. I don't mean to suggest that he should suddenly become a pretentious cock so his career options improve. I am suggesting that, in an industry where the most successful tend to be the most; malleable personalities, Jim might just be a bit too smart and good for their tastes.

In his latest offering "Misadventures In Stereo" Jim brings more of the great music he's been making for years. A shameless devotee of The Beatles his use of guitar and harmonies to convey more than the sum of its parts is an awesome thing to behold.

Jim has said that all the songs on "Misadventures In Stereo" deal with loss in one way or another, so even the more up tempo tunes tend to have an introspective, cerebral bend to their lyrics. The final song on the album, "Three Weeks Shy," about a young man whose brother is killed in Iraq, "Three Weeks Shy" of coming home for good is so sad and soulful I get misty every time I hear it.

The music is great. I highly recommend everything Jim has done. If you are checking out his YouTube channel I linked above you should definitely look at the version Jim and some friends did of the Beatles "Don't Let Me Down" around ten years ago on a rooftop in Philly; an amazing homage that in my opinion surpasses the original in some ways.

You can listen to clips of "Misadventures In Stereo" at Amazon.



21st Century Breakdown (Green Day)
November 08, 2009 :: By Rob


Rolling Stone wrote a review of "21st Century Breakdown" in which they stated that it was a better album than Green Day's previous effort "American Idiot." It isn't. But it is pretty good.

When I decided to write this review I had to look up the definition of Punk Rock. I wanted to speak intelligently about the genre Green Day is supposed to belong to. I've loved Green Day for years and I never really gave much thought to the "category" they are in. I just liked what I heard; good music, good lyrics.

So I was surprised to find that "Punk Rock" is defined largely by what the band sings about rather than a particular musical style. Anti-establishment lyrics are apparently the mainstay of punk.

Ok.

I'm going to have to go with Billy Joel here and just say "It's still rock and roll to me."

Sure I get that Green Day doesn't like the government or the corporations. Or at least that's their message. But it's a little hard to take them seriously when they are one of the biggest music acts in the world. It's a little like throwing rocks at your own windows. Can you really claim to hate the machine when you are part of it?

"21st Century Breakdown" proves you can.

What's most surprising about Green Day is how good they are twenty years into their careers. So many of the bands I listened to in my twenties are just gone. Or they limp along as shadows of themselves, appearing as multiple headliners at local casinos.

Green Day retains the fire in their belly. You feel the anger and frustration in their lyrics; just as you feel their admiration for those who still fight on.

What the fight is about exactly has always been my blind spot with Punk Rock. Criticism without any kind of suggested solution to the issue, at least to my mind is the height of gasbaggery. That said, this is entertainment not network news. And as entertainment it succeeds on a grand scale.

Where "American Idiot" was a surprise (in many ways it seemed like a surprise to the band as much as it was to the rest of us) "21st Century Breakdown" was a planned, theme album. Each song is designed to tell a little bit of the story of Christian and Gloria, their fight against the establishment and their doomed relationship. The story is a little vague. This isn't "Kilroy Was Here." But the liner notes help get the message across.

My personal favorites, "Peacemaker" and "Last of the American Girls." I may not agree with Green Day's message but they do make great music that's a blast to listen to.


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Movies
minusRob

I love a good film. It's a shame there are so few of them. I spent two years as a manager for a large, nationally known video store. While in their employ I took advantage of my employment arrangements to watch as many movies as I possibly could; sometimes fast forwarding through as many as 20-25 a week. So I’ve seen many. I’m the guy who people used to ask "do you have that movie with that guy who was on that show that ended last month?" and could find the flick they were looking for. If I recommend it it's probably pretty good. But I don't have a lot of patience for crap so I can be pretty cruel to movies that don't deliver. I don't actually go to the theater much anymore. But I still watch a lot of movies on DVD.


minusChadm1n

I like a variety of movies, with no particular genre preference. Fantasy, sci-fi, comedy, romance, whatever. To me, movies are purely for entertainement, and I don't get too wrapped up in trivial plot issues. The last movie I saw was "Marly and Me." I am married, doing the suburban Dad thing, and I have a Labrador Retriever named Megan. According to my wife, Jennifer Aniston is on my "list" so the movie was a no-brainer. My favorites are: Get Shorty, The Matrix, When Harry Met Sally, The Kid, and Stardust.


District 9
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


I've been a fan of director Neill Blomkamp since he directed the Halo short film "Landfall."

Since the deal for the Halo movie fell apart Blomkamp was out in the cold. Producer Peter Jackson ("King Kong", "Lord of the Rings") presumably felt bad for getting Blomkamp into such a bad situation and used his considerable clout to get another project underway for Blomkamp in short order.

I've seen quite a few movies this summer. District 9 is by far the best. For a fraction of the budget (30 Million) Blomkamp has made a better sci-fi movie than both Michael Bay ("Transformers" = 200 Million) and Stephen Sommers ("G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" = 170 Million).

What struck me most about "District 9" was how real it was. Shockingly, horribly, in your face real. The movie can be disturbing at times. Not once was I pulled out of the story by special effects that didn't seamlessly blend with the live action. But what really fed the realism is the story. The more I thought about it the more I realized how true the behavior of the humans was.

And I'm not talking about great acting here. If "District 9" has one flaw it is that the acting could be better. The main cast does a decent job but you can feel the uneasiness in the performance whenever a supporting actor takes center stage.

A mixture of "Independence Day", "Blade Runner", a little "V For Vendetta" and a unique style that is all Blomkamp "District 9" doesn't have a message: it has no politics: it isn't trying to teach you anything. Blomkamp simply holds a mirror up to our faces and says "look at what you did. This is how you behaved when confronted with adversity. Live with it." And it is hard to argue.

A great film and a mark for originality. The originality alone is worth supporting but you get the added benefit of something that is both thought provoking and entertaining. I disagree with Roger Ebert (who did give the movie a positive review but had some issues with the film) that the third act disintegrates into a shoot 'em up. I found it to be understated and, like so much of the film, very real.

If you have a great home theater you could wait for this one on DVD but if not you should really see it in the theater. The effects and performance deserve the big screen. Blomkamp simply understands how to direct film in this digital CGI age better than most of the big names out there today.


G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


Like most movies that have 6 different people involved in creating it (3 for the screenplay, 3 for the "story" and one for the comic although one dude made the screenplay and got credit for the story) this movie is rife with plot holes and inconsistencies.

There are serious problems with the motivations of some of the characters and once again, like the Transformers, the good guys hold back almost every time, allowing the bad guys to run roughshod over them.

At no time did I think this movie was in any way plausible and I had to completely disable my bullshit meter because after the first 5 minutes it was already on overload.

The special effects were in some places impressive (the accelerator suits come to mind) and in other places not so much. Actually most places not so much. They had a real problem blending the effects in this movie and the sense that things were "fake" was an ever present companion for me during this film.

I have to just sort of smile and chuckle as I find myself longing for the days of "The Rock" or "Independence Day": movies that were considered long on effects and short on plot in their time. At least back then they were trying. There used to be a saying that "if there is a gun on the table in act one it must go off in act 3" in storytelling. Nowadays it's more like "if there's a gun on the table in act one it must go off every 40 seconds or we will lose the audience."

All of that said: this is fairly standard "Summer Blockbuster" fare. If you can shut your brain off and enjoyed any of the other big movies this summer (Terminator, Transformers) you will probably like GI Joe just fine. It's essentially the same movie so you might want to save yourself a few bucks and just think about the ones you already saw but that's up to you.

GI Joe does a few things better than the second Transformers movie. The acting is much better and there is a significant decrease in silly one liners. It also does a few things worse, the blending of effects I mentioned for instance.

Overall it's not terrible. And I really wish someone would give Dennis Quaid a decent job. But I can't recommend it any more than I recommended "Terminator: Salvation" or "Transformers."

It would make a fine Netflix rental.


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The Tube
minusRob

I don't really watch all that much TV. I used to; but ever since Buffy and the Star Trek shows went off the air I just started to find myself less and less interested. And I found that the less TV I watched the more I could read, write and the more responsive my imagination was. Now that I'm free of the siren song of the tube (for the most part) I plan on keeping it that way.


minusChadm1n

I have a love-hate relationship with my televsion. I don't care much for sitcoms, drama, and reality shows. Don't Forget the Lyrics was fun once in a while. I prefer shows like Cash Cab (trivia), Modern marvels, and How Its Made. I used to love watching Discovery Wings, but I rarely tune it in since it became the Military Channel. I also like the Nasa channel, but Comcast doesn't offer it in our area.


The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


Jon Stewart is in a rare place right now. Although he loathes to admit it, he might just be the single most powerful man in the news business today. Gone are the days of the Cronkite's, Brokaw's and Rather's. "20/20" is something that grandmothers and shut-ins watch. Network news is largely a local matter now and stands more as a recap of the area police blotter than anything else.

In these days of "news osmosis" (Jon Stewart's words) more and more people are getting their news from multiple sources. I know from personal experience that I am a mix of local small papers (skimmed at best), a daily trip through the AP and Reuters on the internet, an occasional news channel visit if something big is happening and of course, "The Daily Show."

The main reason that Stewart would loath to admit that he is a "news" man or that people get their news from his show is because of his respect for journalistic integrity and journalistic requirements. He goes out of his way in every interview to point out that his show is a comedy show; not the news.

So why do better than two million people a night tune in to get news from him? I can't say, but my own personal opinion is that while "The Daily Show" makes a point of their lack of journalistic integrity it is the hypocrisy in the supposed "news" today that breeds such contempt for those who purport to uphold those standards.

In short, if the guys who are supposed to be reporting the news are biased, have an agenda and flout the most common and time honored rules of journalism at least I can change the channel to "The Daily Show" and get news where the only agenda is to be funny.

The real problem with the news is something for a full blog some time. To summarize my feelings they did it to themselves when they started worrying about ratings and competing with each other instead of just reporting the news. The people who make news learned very quickly that they had options when it came to their public face. They could go with the honest reporter who will check his facts and ask the hard questions or they could guy with the guy who wants the ratings so bad that he's willing to softball the interview and make the subject look good.

Once ratings became king in the news game all hell broke loose and now we are lucky if we get any real news anymore. But I digress.

"The Daily Show" is funny. It is informative in its way. The interviews may not be the hardest hitting in the world but they are both entertaining and often more true to the subject than the prepared interviews you will see on news networks. And they interview authors; something that is very rare on television these days (I don't watch "Oprah") and scores big marks in my book. I wish they did a little fiction to mix in there with the history and politics books but hey, nothing's perfect. "The Daily Show" is just, close.


Leverage (TNT)
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


"Leverage" is fun. The premise is shaky, the acting is sketchy and the stories are stock standard; but as I said, it's fun.

Watching Timothy Hutton chew scenery can be painful. I remember when he was a fairly serious actor in fairly serious roles so there are moments, usually when the fourth wall becomes in serious danger of being broken, where I feel the need to turn away. But he has the range to handle the dramatic parts of the series, like the death of his son and recovery from alcoholism better than most.

Another old friend is Christian Kane. I've always enjoyed his tough guy performances. He was on "Angel" for years and it's good to see him back in action.

The rest of the cast I'm unfamiliar with but they handle the roles competently.

Leverage is, in short, a modern day blending of "Mission: Impossible", "Ocean's Eleven" and "The A Team." If you liked any of these shows then you will find something to enjoy with "Leverage."

There are some really bad moments, for example when Aldis Hodge's "Hardison" hacks an airplanes' electrical system and computer, via another character's cell phone, from thousands of miles away. Stuff like that really sets of my bullshit alarm and smacks of dues ex machina.

Then there are some really cool moments. "Leverage" is at its best when the plan is working and everyone is very slickly doing their part without whining or problems. There are a lot of these moments.

In the second season the show has moved more towards being character driven with, sadly, more whining and more blown plans and less plot. I'm hoping the pendulum swings back a bit but it's apparent that the actors are having fun with the roles. Hopefully the writing staff can start firing stuff that's a bit more complex than the corporate investor who stole from the shelter that they've done about four times now.

But as their plots usually involve money in some way (or why else would four mercenary thieves want to get involved I guess) I doubt it. I had a mechanic charge me $400 bucks once for essentially breaking my car worse than it was when I brought it to him. I could have used the Leverage team.

The first season was a hoot and I can recommend it. The second season less so but it was still enjoyable. The absance of Sophie (the actress who plays Sophie was off on maternity leave) was felt, but the time the show spent dwelling on it made it worse. The entrance of Jeri Ryan as her (short term I guess? I don't think anyone knows for sure and the producers aren't telling) replacement I saw coming a mile away. I enjoyed her (what hetero male didn't?) in "Star Trek Voyager" so hopefully her presence will usher in a good third season.


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Books
minusRob

I read between ten and twenty novels a year. I wish could read more but that's life. In between I've been known to sneak in graphic novels, periodicals and of course I do tons of reading on the web. My tastes tend to lean towards sci-fi, military, fantasy and horror. I read everything Stephen King writes. Heinlein, Ringo, Koontz and Knight are my regular yearly purchases. My big pet peeve is character development and plotting. I can forgive typos I can forgive predictability; but if I don't care about your characters or your plot is so convoluted or preposterous that you are breaking the rules you established at the beginning of the book then you've lost me. If your book ends with anything resembling Deus Ex Machina I will scorn you for all time.


minusChadm1n

My favorite book is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Juvenile, perhaps, but its exploration of wordplay is priceless. Besides, it imparted this bit of timeless wisdom: "it is better to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be." As a pilot, few concepts would prove more valuable in my life. The last book I read was Gödel, Escher, Bach - An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter. If you really want to bake your mind into a 4D pretzel, the recipe is in that book. Next up: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.


Winter Duty (Book 8 of the Vampire Earth Series) (EE Knight) (RoC)
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


Once again full disclosure, EE Knight is a friend. That said, I met the man through the admiration of his work. So I was a fan first and I think that's important to my integrity as a reviewer. And yes I have an ad for the series on the site but I'm actually using it as a placeholder until the store is operational. No money has changed hands and I'm happy to give some small amount of free advertising to me friend.

First off; if you haven't read any of the series I want you to stop what you are doing and get to reading. You are eight books behind with only eight months until number nine comes out (the author has told many people that the series should run into the area of 14 or so books).

"Vampire Earth" is a series relating to a dystopian future in which mankind has not only been enslaved but replaced at the top of the food chain by a ravenous alien race who does not crave our blood, but perhaps our very souls.

The Kurians softened us up with a global pandemic and natural disasters which reduced the human population of Earth by about eighty five percent. Then they struck. Bringing genetic monstrosities of their own design they quickly conquered what little resistance there was and then a land rush to establish small kingdoms began. The quarrellous Kurians divided us up, fenced in their area and, through the use of their Reapers, began to consume mankind.

Kurians, being weak and cowardly use a genetically created horror that resembles a legendary vampire to consume their victims. Psychically connected to these creatures they consume the "aura" at the same time the Reaper kills a human and subsists on the blood of its' victim.

The series is the story of David Valentine and his part in the war to free humanity.

Valentine is a member of a special caste of warriors called "Hunters." Another alien race, related to and at war with the Kurians, have enhanced humans through genetic manipulation to fight this war against their common enemy. .

The author always tries to make each book stand on its own, but unlike previous entries "Winter Duty" is very much a sequel to last years' "Fall With Honor." You could read "Winter Duty" on its own but I wouldn't recommend it.

David Valentine is now a Wolf, a Cat and a Bear. All three caste animals from the Southern Command area Hunters. He has become the ultimate warrior. But he is a soldier without an army and a man without a nation. In his younger days this bothered him tremendously. His ideals shattered he wondered why he should even fight the Kurians. His fellow man has abused him, labeled him a criminal and in the process of petty infighting and short sighted selfishness, nearly destroyed one of their greatest weapons. The alien "Lifeweavers" who gave him his powers use the humans to fight the Kur.

But Valentine has decided to fight on: for his own reasons.

In "Winter Duty" the shattered remnants of the operation from the previous book are consolidating and licking their wounds. Expecting a counterattack the humans of Fort Seng are surprised to find the Quisling forces of the Kur retreating from the combat theater.

Then a threat of total annihilation is issued and once again David Valentine must find a way to do the impossible with almost no support.

One of the things I really liked about this book and the last one is that they are starting to read a bit like war documentaries. As if the person telling the story is a historian relating what is past.

If you like science fiction, military science fiction or even history you will probably enjoy this series. The characters are vivid, the stories complex and exciting and the writing exceptional. EE Knight has a particular flair for describing the places, geographically speaking, where his stories take place. Each chapter begins with the kind of description you might expect to find in a travel book you might read if you planning on visiting Hell.  


Yellow Eyes (The Posleen War)(John Ringo & Tom Kratman) (Baen)
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


John Ringo has been busy. After essentially ending the Posleen War series with "Hell's Faire" (the fourth book in the Posleen War series written exclusively by Ringo) he publicly stated he was tired of writing the series and wanted to move on to other things.

Boy did he.

Since the 2003 release of "Hell's Faire" Ringo has authored or co-authored books approaching the number thirty. That's nearly thirty novels in six or so years. So yeah; he's been a little busy.

Since Ringo had no desire to continue with the Posleen, others rose to the challenge to join him in the tale. Julie Cochrane wrote three novels with Ringo focusing on the daughter and father of the main character from the first four books and their clandestine attempts to subvert and exact revenge from the Darhel. An evil, corporate like race that hamstrung the defense of Earth in the first four books and was essentially responsible for the needless deaths of billions of humans.  

Michael Z. Williamson penned a tale called "Hero" with Ringo that took place in the Posleen War Universe, a thousand years after the events in the first four novels. The story of a courageous Darhel (a race usually only concerned with selfish interests and arrogant beyond belief) fighting for survival against a human who has come unhinged was a little hard to take. My opinion; the book was the low point in the series.

And Tom Kratman brought an expansion of the past: first with the book "Watch On The Rhine" about the German defense of the first Posleen incursion, and later in "Yellow Eyes" a detailed description of the war to save Panama.

"Yellow Eyes" at 848 pages is more than a hundred pages longer than any other entry in the series: and you don't notice it at all. The pages fly by. This complex tale of the buildup, battle and climax of the Posleen invasion is a breathless rip through South American landscapes, history and cultures.

Both Kratman and Ringo apparently served in the U.S. Military and their service included tours in Panama. Their love of this chaotic and dangerous corner of the world is like an extra character that is in every scene and every word; traveling through the story with you. It is a tangible thing you can feel in the way the story is told.

If you have never read a Posleen War book then I can easily recommend the entire series. You should start at the beginning (just check the publishing dates on Amazon and you will keep yourself oriented) but "Yellow Eyes" is a very bright spot in a very fun series.

As Ringo has decided to continue the series on his own, bringing back his main characters and consolidating the fascinating extensions he created with Williamson, Cochrane and Kratman into a new book (the recently released "Eye Of The Storm") I'll be revisiting the series again in other reviews, but I wanted to start with the one I read most recently.

If you have only read some of this series, trust me when I tell you that "Yellow Eyes" is the Posleen War at its best.


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Gaming
minusRob

I don't own a Playstation. Of any kind. I did own an Xbox and I do own a 360 (although it is currently a red ringed doorstop; and just 14 days past the 3 year warranty… aren't I lucky?). Right now I have access to a 360 and a Wii. Generally my tastes lean towards FPS, TPS, RTS and the occasional platformer. I've played just about every "Mech" game out there because I have a giant robot fetish and although I used to PC game now I pretty much stick to consoles unless we’re talking about browser games and one should rarely talk about browser games. If there's a game that could get me back into PC gaming it might be Starcraft II but if Halo Wars is anywhere near as much fun as the original Starcraft and Brood Wars I may never go back. I doubt I would be considered a hard core gamer, but I'm not a casual gamer either because even if I don’t play it I've probably heard of it. I guess I'm just a core gamer.


minusChadm1n

A gamer I am not, but I do enjoy playing video games from time to time. The only "games" I am truly serious about are my flight simulators. Realism is key - anything less is a waste of my time. Now, when it comes to "actual games," F.E.A.R. is my favorite first-person shooter just because it scared the heck out of me the first time I played it. I like the paranormal angle. Lately, I have been playing games like Portal and Kung FU Panda on my XBox 360. I also like Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. Again, not setting the world on fire; just seeking general entertainment value. My life is too serious as it is; I don't need my gaming to be serious, too.


The Overlord Expansion: Raising Hell (Codemasters) (XBox 360)
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


I know, I know; Overlord 2 is out and I'm reviewing the expansion pack for the first game. Well tough. That's what I most recently played, Overlord itself was a great and fun game and can be picked up cheap now; folks might find the information about the $10 expansion useful. So there.

The story in the expansion begins with the appearance of 5 gates. One in each previously conquered realm and each a hellish mirror of that realm. Also in residence are the tormented souls of the vanquished "heroes" from the main game.

To be honest I wasn't expecting much from a cheap expansion. And in the graphical area the expansion definitely leaves something to be desired. They essentially repurposed most of the settings, plants and props from the main game and simply changed their color or orientation to inhabit these "scary" abyss realms that must be cleared to win the game.

But the game play, is a whole other matter. Some of the newer challenges were downright fantastic. The level with the obese halfling king Melvin Underbelly is particularly fun. It was such a treat that I would have paid the $10 just for that one level. It was a lot of fun.

The remaining levels range from ok to good but for the most part I would say that this is one of the better expansions. The addition of unique weapons and new enemies made for a fun time and it was well worth the gold. The additional story element that sets up the sequel is also a nice touch.

And speaking of sequel: I have played the demo for Overlord 2 and I have to say I have some concerns. The camera is definitely a little glitchy and I'm not crazy about some of the art changes. That said, the first time one of my minions tamed a wolf and started riding it around and attacking my enemies I was hooked. I've never had so much fun bashing in the skulls of baby harp seals.

The sequel is not getting the best reviews but I'll probably pick it up in a few months when the price comes down. If you have Gamefly both games would make for an excellent lost weekend. 


XBox 360 - Kung Fu Panda (Activision)
June 05, 2009 :: By Rob


Yes this game is old. Yes this game is a kids game. Yes this game is a movie IP transferred to games.

So what?

My nephew LOVES Kung Fu Panda. I've been forced to play through this game three times now and I still enjoy it. It's a button masher. It's violent but in a funny, cartoon way; and it's a truncated telling of the much more (from a plot perspective) satisfying movie. But it's fun.

My sister's family got this game free with thier XBox 360. I didn't think much of it (I had not seen the movie) as it looked like a silly, unchallenging button masher. But when family members got stuck on certain levels and asked "the gamer" to help them along I found out something I had forgotten.

Not every game has to be mind numbingly impossible to beat to be fun. The first time I played Halo 3 I played it on the hardest setting and it took me just over twenty four hours of nearly continuous play to beat the game. It took me weeks of playing here and there to get through Call of Duty: World at War on the hardest level.

Kung Fu Panda can be beaten, by most able gamers, in about four hours.

If you want to be a completist and get the gamer points a outfits it may take a bit longer. But it's never boring. The game is too easy to be boring. The scenery is always changing.

In my most recent run through I spent all my money on the "Dragon Warrior" outfit and didn't upgrade my skills at all; and I still easily beat the game.

I wouldn't want every game to be as simple and easy as Kung Fu Panda. But the story is interesting, the characters are well developed (all the cast members voice thier characters for the game) and the kid loves it. Every time he runs up and grabs my finger and tells me I'm in the "Wushu finger hold" I get a smile out of it.

Like any shared experience this game is dramatically improved by the bonding I do with my nephew. But if you have a little boy who might like the idea of martial arts (my nephew recently started lessons) and enjoys a good cartoon scuffle this is the kind of game you can really enjoy playing together.

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Web
minusRob

When I surf I'm usually looking for the funny. Sure I get my news from the web and I play the occasional browser game but for the most part, I'm here for web comics, funny videos and information about music, movies or games I might be interested in. If you know of a really innovative and entertaining site that you think deserves the harsh light of our virtual Sauron's eye please let us know on our forums.


minusChadm1n

I am an IT Professional. Network applications and tools are key and core to my existence, but I generally don't make a lot of recommendations in this area because I tend to be a little on the extreme and out of touch with the mainstream. I use the web mainly for technical research, software updates, and news. Oh yeah, and our web comic!


Questionable Content (www.questionablecontent.net)
November 09, 2009 :: By Rob


Jeph Jacques doesn't need me to promote his site. The enormously successful web comic has been covered by a feature in the Boston Globe for crying out loud.

And yet here we are.

Jeph is one of the reasons I got into this (feel free to blame him; I do) crazy business where you work your ass off and never get paid. In 2007 I had the pleasure of meeting him at Connecticon and I was immediately struck but how nice and supportive all these popular web comics people were.

Since then Jeph has allowed me the pleasure of contributing a guest comic to his site and done a drawing of Remedy for me. It has brought us lot's of publicity and many new viewers to the site.

For years I've been reading his stories, laughing at his jokes and empathizing with his characters. As interesting as his stories are the amazing evolution of the man as an artist; from awkward newcomer to the pro cartoonist he is today  is really something to enjoy.

And if you are into indie music then Jeph is like your Mecca. He has an entire recommended listening section. He has expanded on his characters through separate Twitter accounts for each one and their "tweets" are often hilarious. His shirts and prints are fun and well made (Brunetto T-Shirts FTW). His Livejournal never fails to entertain (when he updates) and he even has a house band of sorts. He offers free tracks from "Deathmole" on Last FM with some truly questionable subject matter (most of the song names contain the word "Unicorn"). And he has a forum for the truly devoted.

If you only read one web comic, read this one. LOL

But if you have time for two, Questionable Content is definitely the place to go.


Deviant Art
June 05, 2009 :: By Rob


Deviant Art is probably the biggest and most well known art community website in existance.

There are many smaller and more specialized art communities. But you will be hard pressed to find one that is as large or as all inclusive. Digital, Pencil, Photography, Calligraphy even writing is considered a form of deviant art at this site; and no site contains as many admirers.

If you are an artist, there is no better opportunity for exposing your work to the public for free than Deviant Art. You can also make friends, chat, request peer critiques of your work and in some cases (see site for details) sell prints (and some other items) of your work directly through the site.

But even more than that, Deviant Art is a community of people which is made up of folks with artistic inclinations. Whether you are a novice or an expert you can find friends, get advice, and immerse yourself in the culture and maybe even gain some fans. If you are an art appreciator there is no other one spot on the web (that I kow of) where you can see such incredible work and have such unfettered access to the artist.

Deviant Art has different accounts, the maost basic of which is entirely free and allows you to utilize most of the functions of the site. If you enjoy art in any form you will most likely find this site quite enjoyable. If there is a specific type of art you appreciate you are very likely, no matter how obscure, to find some prime examples on this site. And if you are an anime of mang fan you will most likely never want to leave.

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