by GothNinja | May 2, 2011 | Book Reviews, TV Shows
What a brilliant piece of MetaFiction this is:
For those of you who have been kept locked in a box for the last few years, or believe Television is the work of Satan’s minions and as such avoid the evil gogglebox for more spiritual activities, I guess I should start with a quick recap of what Castle is.
Castle is a TV show about Richard Castle, a best-selling author who decides to tag along with a NYPD team as they investigate cases, since he is using Detective Kate Beckett as his inspiration in a new series of books.
Since in the TV show Castle (Played by Nathan Fillion) is writing a book inspired by Beckett, the book gets mentioned a lot in the first season, even to the point of showing the proposed Cover, and its launch/release. You even see the characters reading the book in some episodes, as well as discussing a certain sex scene that’s a bit raunchy. There is nothing special in this, since a lot of TV shows make mention of Books, Films, Etc. that are apparently going on in the background. And there are a lot of shows that will do spin off books. What the producers of Castle have done, and done brilliantly is to release a bit of metafiction. They actually released the book that was supposedly written in the show. The covers the same, the plot,s the one mentioned in the show, the sex scene on page number 105 is there, and even better the Thanks page, bio, writers name, everything is written as if the character Richard Castle wrote the book. He thanks his daughter & mother, the guys from NYPD the works. All in all this is a brilliant bit of meta-fiction,
But what about the book itself?
It’s actually a good book, its very similar to an episode of castle, only its about a newspaper reporter who is travelling around with the NYPD gang solving a crime. The style is like the show, comedy mixed with action, mixed with chemistry. The only real difference is the book is darker, more violent, and more explicit (but not in a bad way) Hell there is no way you could get away with the female lead being totally naked and using an iron to melt half the face off an armed assailant intent on raping her, but in a book? alls fair.
This book is an enjoyable read even if you are one of the people who have never watched an episode of Castle. And I would recommend it as a read to anyone, you will enjoy it. In fact I will give it a 7/10 as a generic book.
But if you watch the TV show, and can appreciate the work gone into linking the book with the show, then I give it a 9/10.
by GothNinja | Apr 18, 2011 | Films, Wales, Travel, Friends & Family
This weekend I went a wandering. Well not really far wanderings, but wanderings nether the less. And wanderings covering two countries (Three if you count Bala as its own country) So I thought I was share my wanderings to you dear Readers (And it helps me remember where I was, and what I was doing). (more…)
by GothNinja | Jan 19, 2011 | Zombies, Media
Zombies are a popular cultural theme at the moment, with a silly amount of computer games from all genres (Western, Army, Etc) having “Zombie SubGames”. And there’s the current hit show “The Walking Dead” not to mention the resurgence in Zombie Films.
They also hold a special place in the hearts of Geeks all over the world, and we here at the Insane Asylum are no different. In fact they have been a constant topic of conversation for years here, due to one of the Inmates having both a fascination and a fear of them. As such we often discuss methods of surviving the inevitable Apocalypse, and what they did wrong in different shows/films.
As such I have a carefully worked out survival plan in the back of my mind that is constantly being updated and added too. I also keep a mental subconscious tracking of where the nearest place to collect weapons is depending on where I am at the time of the outbreak. Now this random thinking while driving, working, etc. has recently brought up a question in my mind. “What is the most valuable Skill/Talent you need someone in your group to have to increase your chances of survival?” I have asked several people (See I do my research) and they all got the answer wrong, but in fairness I will post some of their suggestions.
(more…)
by GothNinja | Dec 13, 2010 | iPhone, Films
I recently installed an application on my iPhone called “System”, Its a handy little app that gives you information on you phones memory, processes, disk, batter, and general info. It’s a handy Application for checking your phone, or getting info from it.
The first time I used it, after installation it told me off. “Apparently” I had never done a “Full Charge” since having the phone. What my phone explained to me was this, “Batteries degrade with time, and the memory and life of the battery is constantly getting smaller. So over time the charge lasts less and less. Now if you do a full charge every so often you can extend the life of your battery” This is a good thing, so I read the instructions which were as simple as 1)let your battery get below 20% charge, 2)start system, 3)plug in charger and accept full charge. So I made a mental note to do this at some point.
Last night was that point. I noticed about 10pmish that my phone was down to 6% battery and needed charging, so I figured why not do a full charge. On plugging in the phone and accepting the prompt for full charge, I was given a message saying “Time to full charge 1h 50m”. So I left the phone plugged in and went to watch Star Trek (the reboot one).
<Sideways Tangent>
So the reboot Star Trek ends with Spock Prime going off with the few surviving Vulcan’s to try and build a new world. Now am I the only one thinking this is a stupid ending?
How many times in the TV series & Films has Spock gone back in time? He’s almost a big a time traveller as the Doctor! And he just lost his homeworld, and most his race. Surely that would be a good reason to go back in time and fix it. You could go back a few weeks and evacuate the planet so that no Vulcan’s die in the attack?
Or he could jump back a few years and use his knowledge of future technology to help build a starship with weaponry & shielding to defeat the attacking ship?
Hell he could even just go destroy Romulus now, which means Nero would never be born, and hence be unable to come back in time to change the future. Or do nothing since now Vulcan has been destroyed, then they will not be the technologically advanced race in the future, and so will not be able to invent and build a red matter powered ship, thereby preventing the wormhole being created that brought Nero back into the past to destroy them. Of course If they don’t invent the red matter ship, then they will not get destroyed allowing them to advance to the point they create the red matter ship.
Arggghhhh. This film just created an unending time loop.
</Sideways Tangent>
Before going to bed I checked the phone, it claimed the full charge was done, and it was just doing a trickle charge test which would not take long. So I left the phone plugged in and went to sleep.
at 4AM I was woken by a large siren going off. Turns out that there’s a hidden option on “System” to have a full charge finish alarm or not. And that the soon to be finished trickle test goes on for quiet a while. *mutter* *mutter*
So, where as I recommend people to do their best to extend the life of their phones battery, I suggest they turn off any annoying alarms.
by CodeNinja | Sep 9, 2010 | Hacks, Media
Once again the Media forces miss appropriate the word “Hacker”. This time in an article posted on the IT based site The Register, the article is titled “UK hacker fined for personnel database mischief” and the full article can be read here.
Now this could be fair I guess, lets see what the guy did. According to the article he “gained unauthorised access to staff contracts containing salary details and emailed this to around 400 workers at his ex-employer” Now, I can see why gaining unauthorised access to digital information could be associated to Hacking, Only lets read some more.
How did he manage to bypass the companies security and gain access? When he was sacked he stole his bosses laptop, and emailed out information he found on there. Yes. That’s right! The Mad 1337 h4x0r skillz this guy used was 1)theft of a object, 2)The ability to send an email. Wow.
The title should be X-employees fined for theft and breaking the Data Protection Act. Only the Media likes its word Hacker.
by GothNinja | Aug 11, 2010 | Entertainment, Films
Captain America Film 1990
Monday night I was in the mood for some good old fashioned cheesy superhero action, so I watched the 1990’s film “Captain America”
Plot Synopsis from IMDB
During World War II, a brave, patriotic American Soldier undergoes experiments to become a new supersoldier, “Captain America.” Racing to Germany to sabotage the rockets of Nazi baddie “Red Skull”, Captain America winds up frozen until the 1990s. He reawakens to find that the Red Skull has changed identities and is now planning to kidnap the President of the United States
Sounds good right. Bit of action with good ole Cap’ the symbol of Liberty & Justice & The American Way? A beacon light to lead the way, an inspiration to generations of Impressionable American Teens? Only. Watching the movie, The Captain was shown in a rather different light, and I wonder how many people saw past the Red, White & Blue and saw the Dark evil beneath?
Let me explain. Film starts with the Nazi’s making a super warrior with augmented strength, speed, agility, intelligence (AKA The Red Skull), The Yanks countered with their own SuperSoldier program and made a Soldier with augmented strength, speed, agility, intelligence (AKA Captain America). Now both are about 18 to 20 years old at the start of the film. They meet up in Germany, get into a fight and Cap is beaten and fixed to a ICBM, just as it fires he grabs the hand of the Red Skull forcing the Skull to cut off his own hand to escape. The missile fires, crashes into an ice field in Alaska and stays there undisturbed for 50 years.
Time moves on, To hide from the forces of good the Red Skull has plastic surgery and changes his name from the give-away name of Red Skull. He is the head of an international organisation of bad guys, and planning on kidnapping the President of the USA and implanting a brain control chip in him. Luckily the good ole boy The Cap is found in Alaska and revives from his frozen sleep. After sever Adventures we come to the climatic end of the film, the fight between the evil Red Skull and the Heroic symbol of all the Good in America, Captain America! The captain beats up the Red Skull, and finishes by smashing him out to his death of the top of a cliff with a full on smash from his shield. Woo Hoo, Chalk up a victory for America!
Only…. There’s something niggling at my mind. You have Captain America, a man of 20 in the peak of his abilities. Abilities which have been expanded by secret techniques. And he is fighting the Red Skull, a man of 70ish, who has only 1 hand. Its not really much of a fair fight is it? The best champion of america fighting to the death against a geriatric amputee?
Come on America, Pick better a better Hero to represent your colours. You’d never catch Captain Britain doing something like that!
GN
What a brilliant piece of MetaFiction this is:
