the story of OHMer

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/19633781/detail.html

INDIANAPOLIS -- With gas prices up another 20 cents Tuesday, an Indianapolis man is happy to not have to worry about it.

Patrick Roth uses a fully electric car to take his daughter to school and run errands, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported.

The car may look like any ordinary Ford Escort, but a closer look reveals that it's anything but. Roth didn't buy the car that way. He built it himself.

"I have taken out all of the components to the internal combustion engine and replaced it with a big electric motor and a bunch of batteries," Roth said. "Essentially, I've turned it into a 100 percent electric vehicle."

Roth said he got the idea while driving his Lexus hybrid. He thought that since the Lexus can go partially off the battery, he could get a car to run solely on electric power.

"I found myself constantly trying to trick the car to run on the electric motor as much as possible, which got me thinking," Roth said. "Why not just have a second car that's purely electric?"

There are electric cars on the market, but they aren't cheap. After a lot of research, Roth tackled the conversion himself.

"It works great, actually. I've tested it on the highway up to 70 mph," he said.

Roth said he checked with both his insurance company and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and found that his converted Escort is legal.

Instead of hitting a gas pump every week or two, he just pulls the car into the garage at night and plugs in.

"In the equivalent, it works out to what it would cost me if I were paying 75 cents a gallon at the pump," Roth said.

Roth spent about 10 weeks building the car, a project he contends just about anyone can do.

"If I can do it with no mechanical ability and no engineering degree, no electrician's degree, then certainly anyone else can do it with basic skills," he said.

Roth bought the car specifically to convert. The cost of the vehicle and the conversion was about $13,000.

Click here to see how he did it: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3155482

The greatest competition in the history of man? I think 'yes'.

ComicCon San Diego 2006 & 2008

The monitor is from 2006 and before I changed my name. Me and Stephanie are standing in the DC booth in 2008 as I point to the second monitor.

Is it the mild, maritime air?  The fact that San Diego is a "healthful" city?  I don't know.  But for some reason it's the base for this really big convention.  It's a mass-mind experience where you're swimming in the pop and anti-pop and thinking about your allegiances... Yes, being a professional nerd has it's many concerns.  I've been twice.  Once in 2006 and again in 2008.  Both times I had two words on the mind: portfolio review.  It has it's protocol.  The first time I rolled into town it was in our beloved burgundy van and I was late to drop off my Marvel submission.  I raced through the booths, dodging otaku, steampunks, what-have-you, and arrived sweaty and beaming.  I was ready to charm if necessary.  The fellow didn't need to look at the work, he quietly accepted it, no problem, I would get my chance at a meeting.  DC Talent Search too.  My name was on the monitors the next day.  Affirming.  That night we slept in our van for the first time (something we would soon know well) and I visited the local gym before entering the hall.  Not to work out, just shower.  I moved away from LA after three years in and for 2008 I flew to San Diego and stayed at a proper hotel.  In line for a meeting I sat beneath an enormous banner of Samurai Girl and smiled to myself that I'd been in LA long enough to befriend the young woman who played the best friend character, Cheryl.  Then they came around to glance at the portfolios in our laps to make sure we were in fact ready to even ask for a meeting.  The reviews themselves had a tone resonating positive: keep going.  But this year I had it in my head that I was going to give a manuscript to a certain alternative publisher in the impromptu fashion.  Without even a look the offer was refused.  Too hectic.  Slightly crestfallen, I brooded in the hotel hot tub.  The next day another DC monitor bore my name and I had a meeting with a Vertigo/Minx editor.  The critique helped and I left feeling that much closer to the level of participation in the industry I crave.  When I wasn't absorbed by career advancement, killing time, I was testing brush tip markers, getting art prints signed, talking to other creators, and getting photos of minor celebrities and cosplaying folk.  You end up seeing or doing something pretty rad just milling around the convention without a specific goal.  I wish I could've slowed on down and gotten a copy of Twilight signed and seen Tori Amos autographing Comic Book Tattoo... plus seen the Eisner awards.  But all in all, there's simply too much at this nerdsplosion to take in.  I skipped 2007 and I plan on skipping 2009 but beware, I plan to nerd-out again in 2010.

OMG it's sooooooo good

This song makes my testicles dance:



If your testicles/clitorii were dancing while watching that, then check out these bad mamma jammas:

http://www.myspace.com/goldenshowergs
http://www.myspace.com/thetwilightdivision
http://www.myspace.com/unkleremis
http://www.myspace.com/8bitphilharmonic
http://www.myspace.com/ftftunes
http://www.myspace.com/swampyboy
http://www.myspace.com/anamanaguchi

A short review of the new Terminator movie

I went to the midnight showing at Bowtie last night. If you were expecting the war with the robots, you'll get a great taste of it, and with 2 more movies eventually coming out, you'll be delighted.

But let me say, about 20 mins into the movie, while in a post apocalyptic city, when you see a decrepit sign of a toy store, it has John Wayne Gacy's clown face on it. Fuck'n shweet. Unexpected, but fuck'n shweet.

Along with beautiful effects, giant human harvesting robots, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and of course Gacy's face, the story was surprisingly brilliant and captivating. To me, an avid fan of all Terminator movies, this is by far the cream of the crop. It's better than Iron Man by a long shot, so expect to change the blog name after seeing it.

Like I said before, I'm not giving away plot elements, a synopsis, or spoilers, the only reviews I'm gonna do are movies that you should blatantly go out and see. And this is one of them.

Looking at the world was very reminiscent to Fallout 3, if your familiar with the game, and I'm a sucker for post apocalyptic anything.

You'll love it. It's just about everything you expected. It's a battle, but as they said in the movie, the war is far from over, so for the big war, I'm sure you'll have to wait for later movies. But go watch it, it's still most certainly worth the 10 er 12 bucks.



Hasta la vista, baby.

-Remo Is Error

Dr. Michio Kaku discusses "the physics of Star Trek"

http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-amp-gaming/article/2009-05/warp-speed-possiblewe-ask-string-theorist

Here's a brief excerpt:

-----------------

PopSci: Let's talk about some concepts that are familiar in the show and that you talk about in your book, like teleportation. There is a scene in the movie where Kirk and Sulu are falling without a parachute, and they have to be beamed up; Chekov decides he has to do it manually. Unlike "The Next Generation," which had "Heisenberg compensators," the movie doesn't mention the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (the more precisely you locate the position of a particle, the less you can know about its momentum.) I know there has been success in teleporting atoms, but will we ever be able to teleport a human?

Michio Kaku: Well, quantum teleportation already exists. For the past 10 years, we've been teleporting photons as well as atoms of cesium and rubidium and terbium. The world record is 1,800 feet, across the Danube River. I suspect very soon that we will be teleporting molecules. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the coming decades, we are able to teleport DNA, or maybe even a virus. But beyond that, it starts to get very difficult. You have to entangle two atoms, they have to vibrate in unison, and that is very difficult beyond the molecular level. But, Star Trek takes place in the 23rd century, so maybe by then we can teleport 100 trillion cells, which is about the number of cells in a human body.

-------------------

To read the rest of the interview with Dr. Kaku, click here: http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-amp-gaming/article/2009-05/warp-speed-possiblewe-ask-string-theorist


For those who don't know who Michio Kaku is, he is a super awesome dude who built an atom-smasher in his garage when he was 14 years old (no lie). It was his science fair project. He also faught in Nam!

I highly recommend his books: Visions, Hyperspace and Parallel Worlds. He has lots of other books that I haven't read, so I can't comment on them, but the three above-mentioned are super easy to read and very well-written. Go to mkaku.org and learn all about Dr. Kaku!!!

As mentioned previously, he is super awesome.

Star Trek Review

caution, lens flare may ruin your experience. it did for me.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCpMlEUAh_8

Remo's 8 Bit Blog Clutter

Tonight there will not be an 8 Bit Game G8 as Remo's 8 Bit Game G8 is beginning to look like Remo's 8 Bit Blog Clutter. It has been over a week since anyone has posted and I'll be watching patiently in my leather sofa drinking martinis and wearing penny loafers with dimes in them (since I'm worth far more than copper) for a post that is not mine. With talented staff such as ZEGH, Vanzetti, Rebo, and the like whom I know skimming through the forum have oodles of entertaining and laughter dripping tid bits to share, I want to see them here, where this is. The last I checked, wanting to nail Flo, the new Black Lanterns, and absolutely astonishing MSPaint artwork are just overflowing with greatness. So share them, here, on the blog part, for the love of Demiurge.

I'm going to have Rumsfield fetch me some caviar and Grey Goose before I watch Millionaire Matchmaker on my 500 inch OLED organic television. I have that kind of money. Don't doubt me. I'll buy your mothers house and the bloody bank it's mortgage belongs to, and send her to India on a row boat to live with the leapers.

Try me.

All your base are belong to me. Peon.

All about MANIAC MANSION!

To learn ALL ABOUT Maniac Mansion (and to read the rest of this week's Game G8), click here: http://ironmanchangedmylife.com/blog/?p=92

Monday Night Game G8 One Day L8

Sorry Rebo, no Pac Man this week, I'm collecting a bunch of niftiness and make'n a special out of it, so woot woot!

1st and foremost, an interview...



Tonight's interview is with Nick Perrin of 8-bit Philharmonic. He's a beatbox'n (though no fan of hip-hop) 8-Bit-hoven who mixes classical intellect with Nintendo class. He's learning to draw manga, thinks music theory is way overrated, and enjoys drink'n liquor str8 when the plan is to get drunk (apparently years of taste-bud-destruction have made it easy). Check his page at www.myspace.com/8bitphilharmonic

My favorite song - "The Belmont Legend" (Castlevania)

*-* When did you form your band?

Some time over a year ago. I had just got into university and there was this videogame shop in the town where I found a whole slew of NES cartridges for sale. I took a list of them and downloaded ROMs to see if any were worth buying to play on my NES clone. This one game, Destination Earthstar, had a catchy main theme that got stuck in my head (the game itself was terrible). While recollecting this theme one day, and probably inspired by Video Games Live, I imagined it as an orchestral piece. I swiftly headed back to my computer and started working on an orchestral adaptation of the repetetive little loop from Destination Earthstar, and when it was done, I liked what I had done so much that I decided to begin a whole project of remaking 8-bit tunes into symphonic pieces. Thus 8-bit Philharmonic was born.

*-* What University did you go to?

I'm currently at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. Throughout my whole life I've been terrible at school, just in general. Always had problems, and it's still the case in university. And I don't just mean it casually like most people say it, I mean actual academic failures and whatnot. Luckily, the more music-related courses I get to do each year, the better I seem to do. In first year of university I thought I was going to study English since I had enjoyed writing so much in high school and won the creative writing award and all that jazz... but by the end of that first year, I had spent more time learning about, listening to and composing music, that it was obvious what I should switch to start studying. Let's not forget that was also when I formed 8-bit Philharmonic ... All the support from fans made the decision easier :D

*-* What is your music background? Band members?

8-bit Philharmonic is just one guy and some powerful virtual orchestral instruments. I'm Nick Perrin, the arranger behind it all.
My musical background consists of a few years playing trombone, teaching myself piano and listening to lots and lots of film and classical music. In fact, when I started 8-bit Philharmonic and released the first bunch of tracks, I had almost zero music theory knowledge. Everything I had just set out to learn myself, even ear training. Not until this year have I taken a course in music theory. Of course, by that point I had learned almost all that was taught in the course via the internet.

*-* How do you describe your music to people?

"Symphonic arrangements of traditional Japanese classics" XD
I explain it more in depth after they've had a listen. Unless those people are gamers or VGM fans, in which case I gush about it right away.

*-* What does your name mean?

8-bit Philharmonic: A "philharmonic" is a music lover, or a way to reference an orchestra. Coming up with this name when I started this project was a no-brainer. I love 8-bit, and "my orchestra" plays it. Case closed!

*-* Wat got you to make this music and not a "regular" band?

What got me to make this music - and this might sound cheesy - is the sheer brilliance of so many 8-bit works of NES games. There is so much music tucked away in hundreds of titles with nameless composers, so much that is ignored and looked down upon just because it's "beeps and bloops", but the music itself is awesome. Since the NES had limited sound hardware, the tunes could only ever have three notes playing at once. The composers then were forced to be creative BECAUSE of the limits. What came out of that are some of the best pieces of music in videogame history.

So, when I would listen to these pieces, after a while I stopped hearing the 8-bit piece itself, and I began to hear a greater, more complex and full and engaging piece, the full potential of what could be built on and expanded from the pre-existing rhythmic and harmonic structure. Essentially I wanted people to listen to the music, say "this is amazing" then find out that it came from an 8-bit chiptune. Mainly I knew that there was music lost to time and breaking consoles and I wanted to recreate its power.

I didn't need to start a regular band because I already compose a lot of stuff. Thing is, arranging 8-bit pieces actually made me capable of writing my own orchestral pieces. Before that, anything orchestral I did was garbage. Now it's the genre I mainly compose in.

*-* What's stopping you from performing live?

Performing live for me is impossible... until I can afford to rent an orchestra haha. Otherwise the show would be pretty boring, a guy on stage with a CD player going "okay so does anyone here remember that obscure but awesome 8-bit track from when you were kids? I made it into a symphony! Like that guy Mozart! No? No one...?" That's really all there is to it, unless I can figure out a way to make an interesting live show with other musicians out of it. Performing live is something I love to do, I'm a beatboxer. I've done big shows, little shows, shows with an acapella group, etc. so getting up on stage and entertaining the crowd is not the issue - I just don't have a van big enough to kidnap the whole Toronto Symphony Orchestra yet.

"Geek"

"The word geek is a slang term, noting individuals as "a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, etc." Formerly, the term referred to a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken, bat, snake or bugs." - Wikipedia

Interesting. Thought you'd like to know.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also the Playmates Toys website had the following statement:

“Following the success of the ‘TMNT’ theatrical release in 2007, Mirage licensing and Imagi studios have begun work on a new live-action TMNT film for 2010. It’s the turtles like you’ve never seen them before! Shellalicious!”

By "Shellalicious", I hope they mean "Go Ninja Go!" kick-assness. If it's as horrible as the Dragonball Z and GI Joe movies look like they're destined to be, I'm moving to Morocco far away from Hollywood's nostalgic wrong doings and living with a camel convoy.

Playmates Toys recently removed the mention from their page, so I'm guessing we'll have to wait for some ever popular viral marketing before we find out more.

Talk'n bout new movies coming out, also in development:

- He-Man
- RoboCop
- Red Sonja
and a Deadpool spin-off

Interview with 8-bit artist "FTF

For 'Remo is Error's interview with the 8-bit artist "FTF" (and the rest of this week's "Game G8", click the pic or click here: http://ironmanchangedmylife.com/blog/?p=86

The Monday Night Game G8

First and foremost, lemme agree with the Wolvy movie being a bust, but then again, I hated all the X Men movies.

"Well, what would you prefer? Yellow spandex?". My answer, yes.



Back to this thing here, tonight we discuss a "dead" SEGA hero, a GOOD superhero movie, an interview with an 8 Bit musician, some other stuff, and of course, some videos for your lazy ass entertainment.

First and foremost, bow your heads and let us pay homage to a long forgotten hero.



When we think of SEGA, we think of the cute and charismatic blue hedgehog named Sonic. But years before Sonic, SEGA had another mascot, a little monkey boy named Alex Kidd.

He was a boy from Aries that lived on Mt. Eternal. He was a BMX racer, he was a puzzle solver, and even a ninja beating badass. Sporting a red jumpsuit and big ears, he helped put SEGA on the map, but after Sonic broke onto the scene in 1991, he was left with mere cameos in games like Sega Superstars Tennis and Segagaga (Where he works at a video game store. You can't fight ninjas behind a counter! Shredder doesn't fight the turtles with a bar code scanner and a flashy name tag at Walmart dammit!) So in loving memory, I commemorate today, May 4th, as Alex Kidd day. May he rest in peace, eating the fruit and mushrooms of 8 Bit heaven. You will be missed. Probably by only a few. But you will be missed never the less.

Wolverine Orgins Review

and here is my review from...comicbookmovie.com(review section)

Wolverine Origins... A-
OK, so the movie opened good with young james as a kid. Within the first ten minutes in the story there is a twist of who is Logan's real father is. BAM. Then the credits hit. I personally liked how they did the credits.
seeing wolverine and sabertooth fighting side by side in all the great american wars..but by the end of the credits you can tell there is a bitter rivalry brewing between the two characters. it reminded me of the "watchmen" credits.not a bad thing.

after all that stryker finds wolvie and sabertooth locked in jail so he recrits them and you get to see deadpool and the rest of the weapon x team..but there not called that because at this point wolvie is not weapon x yet..agent zero.awesome, wish i saw more of him.

deadpool well at this point he is not deadpool but all i can say is.ryan renolds was the pefect choice..funny as hell and his opening action scene when it was "his turn" perfect!! he needs to be in his own movie..again i wish i saw more of him as as this character..the reason im saying i wish i saw more of them,because after the second "misson" we see..wolvie goes his own way. sabertoth takes it personally and the team go there seperate way.the hunt is on to find wolvie..this movie was fast paced, good story, i think gambit was great also..i know alot of fan are complaning about gambit and his "jumping powers"
but personlly it didnt bother me.because NONE of the "x-men" movies
were right,let alone perfect.so why would i expect THIS one to be.all and all the movie was great i though weapon XI was done ok..if they disfigured his face why wouldnt' they use this, end fighting scene the perfect time to have "deadpool/weaponXI" wear his red and black mask? and if anyone actually stayed until the "END CREDITS" were over they would learn that DEADPOOL IS NOT DEAD..NOR DID THEY KILL HIM OFF!!

..i left out alot of the key plot points..like the murder of wolvies first love,and many others because i think people should see this movie with an OPEN MIND..i am a true comic fan have been for 15 years. so dont think i have no idea what im talking about cause i do. ohh and there is a surprise cameo i DID NOT EXPECT..go see it so the X-MEN FRANCHISE DOES NOT DIE..
-peterparker420

X-Men Origins: Wolverine review

tl;dw version:
kids will like it, if you dug the xmen movies, you will dig this, too many characters means too little screen time for them, and deadpool was awesome till they ruined the character at the end.

"shush!"

X-Men Origins: Wolverine spoilers (also titled: "why this movie sucks")

X-Men Origins: Wolverine spoilers (also titled: "why this movie sucks")


SPOILERS


The first half hour is stupid. Wolverine pretty much just stands around while everyone he loves/cares about is getting killed because he's a pussy and he doesn't want to fight/kill anyone.

So halfway in, he finally gets angry and starts killing people, starting with an asian sharpshooter dude, I'm not sure who he was. The movie gets kind of cool at that point, but I put emphasis on "kind of", because there are sooo many things wrong with this movie....

First of all... the Blob and Emma Frost are each in it for about 5 minutes each... lame. Gambit is in it for maybe 10 minutes. Cyclops is in it for 5. They're not important to the plot and seem to have just been stuck into the movie to make the trailer seem cool. The majority of the movie is actually Wolverine being hunted by Stryker and Sabretooth. They are the main villains. And all other characters are completely secondary.

The worst part is Deadpool....what the fucking fuck? He's in the beginning of the movie for like..10 minutes and then he's "killed".... turns out he's actually being transformed into weapon XI, after which point he returns for 5 minutes again at the end of the film. Wolverine decapitates him, so say "goodbye" to a Deadpool spinoff (unless it's a prequel).....a prequel to a prequel....hfswtf? (holy fucking shit, what the fuck?)

Hold onto your hats folks, it gets stupider....

Sabretooth is now officially Wolverines brother (they have the same father, the mother/mothers is/are never discussed). They changed Wolverines name from "James Howlett" to "James Logan" And get this... Wolverine actually GIVES CONSENT to becoming Weapon X.

Stryker: "Hey, Wolvie....do you want adamantium in your bones so you can fuck shit up...."
Wolverine: "Okay!"

Patrick Stewart is in it for about 20 seconds at the end.

Fuck.

This.

Movie.


/endrant

King Hippo 2009

More Punch-Out!! News & Previews

the new Punch Out comes out May 18th in North America. Woo hoo!