RedLeader

@almostswedish: I can't be certain to the internet at large, but I've been a long time Audible subscriber, and I know that the only audio version of Sphere they have to offer is abridged, which as far as I'm concerned is a crime. Most of Crichton's books from the 80s and 90s received poor audio treatment, as an unabridged Jurassic Park audio book is likewise unavailable.

A friend and I have recently played through a handful of games together, switching off at regular intervals. So far the games we've played (Uncharted 2-3, Shadow of the Colossus, Dead Space 2) are broken up into chapters/sections of more or less equal length. I finally wore him down and convinced him we should play the Metal Gear Solid series (which took some doing; he's always been of the mind that MGS is just anime nonsense, while I'm of the mind that anime nonsense isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially as buck wild as MGS gets). Any advice on how to break up the games for our controller hand-offs? I thought about just setting a timer, but there must be a better way, right? Any ideas?

I have a Casio DBC32-1A that never leaves my wrist, save for formal occasions. I have a standard Fossil for that business. I feel discombobulated without a wristwatch. Like @myketuna, I've been wristwatchin' since childhood. I don't feel like myself without it.

@moonwalksa: I listened to a lot of podcast hours while mining in Mass Effect 2. I also listened to a good portion of the audiobook of A Game of Thrones while 100%-ing Shadow Complex, S-ranking Assassin's Creed II, and collecting bandages in Super Meat Boy. I have the same problem of having too much media to consume/wanting to play more games conflicting with a mere 24 hours a day.

It hasn't topped 90F here in Iowa yet this year, which is great, but it's been raining almost nonstop for the last six weeks. We just had a two day break and it was heavenly. Now it's pouring rain again. Thanks, Obama.

My first apartment had no air conditioning; the building was completed in 1939. I used to put socks in a Ziploc bag and freeze them, then put them on while I watched television or played games or read or whatever. Worked pretty well, for about twenty minutes. Then I was just wearing soggy socks.

In high school, a friend and I split a twelve pack of Tab as he slogged through Final Fantasy X. We both woke up with nearly paralyzing stomach cramps and diarrhea the next morning. I haven't touched diet soda or Final Fantasy since.

I'm slogging through Metamagical Themas: Questing For The Essence of Mind and Pattern by Douglas R. Hofstadter. Sorry I don't have a link to share, the first (and only) print run was fairly limited, as far as I can tell. It's a collection of articles and studies on how and why we think the way that we think. I just got to the part where he essentially explained why I like the things I like (and was totally spot on), and I think I have to take a break. My brain's busted.

@dangerloves: The Locust never seem to get their due. I've always considered their records to be a bit of a novelty (along with a lot of grindcore-derivative bands), but they are definitely a different story live; I've seen them twice and their sets are a blast, they really pull that stuff off well. I also love the fact that Serbian does all that craziness with a comparatively small kit. No need for all that china-boy, dual hi-hat nonsense.

@mcghee: Thanks for posting that; those guys are HOT. I've been digging into a lot of Japanese music recently, and it's all because of these guys: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY9tFcvIJzsFgZKQaYX5SyXFdDtQuooEi

They're called LITE, from Tokyo. They played in my hometown last fall with Mike Watt, and the above link is their whole set from that night. I encourage you to check it out. I was totally blown away. If you're into Japanese prog freak-out craziness that is also totally disciplined and really tasteful, I think you'll like it.

Also: any other drummers/drum enthusiasts out there think drum solos are lame? I've played drums in bands for two-thirds of my life, and I've never been inclined. I've always thought the best showcase of any musician is how well they work with other musicians to service a song/album/etc. I know solo sections have long been a hallmark of big metal shows, but one needs look no further than the drum solo section of the Mexico City set on Metallica's Live Shit: Binge and Purge boxed set to realize the practice does nothing but kill the momentum of a potentially great metal show. I'm sure there are exceptions I'm not recalling, but still. Can someone tell Neil Peart to wrap it up already? I wanna hear Red Barchetta.