skrutop
skrutop's last update: just ordered Dragon Age from Amazon, and is now in waiting mode.
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Nov. 20, 2009
  • I know that I've spent over 200 hours on Oblivion, but I'd bet that I've put way more than that into Rock Band 2 over the last two years.
    8 hours, 6 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Our Lips Are Sealed" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 26 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Who Knew" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 27 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Miss Independent" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 28 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 01 and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 29 minutes ago
  • I was on my honeymoon, so I missed the last few weeks.  In case you missed it, there was a three pack of White Stripes, Kasabian, The Bangles, The Damned, AFI, and Them Crooked Vultures (Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones, and Josh Homme's supergroup).  Also, there was a Spongebob Squarepants cheapie pack that wasn't announced.  Tom Petty's always welcome in my house, though I'd probably only grab a couple of ...
    9 hours, 32 minutes ago
  • From HMXHenry on rockband.com:   Hey gang, It is my distinct pleasure to bring you next week's RB DLC announcement. We've got an amazing pack of 6 live tracks from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (a personal favorite) featured in the group's latest release, The Live Anthology. In addition to that, we've got three more female fronted bands in Kelly Clarkson, P!nk and The Go-Go's that will hit the spot ...
    9 hours, 38 minutes ago
  • 9 hours, 38 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for Spongebob Squarepants Pack 02 and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 40 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "New Fang" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 43 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Walk Like An Egyptian" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 44 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for AFI Pack 01 and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 45 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Club Foot" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 47 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Smash It Up (Part II)" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 48 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for The White Stripes Pack 01 and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 49 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Fake Friends" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 50 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for Foo Fighters Pack 03 and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 51 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for Nirvana Bleach Pack and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 54 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Sugarbaby" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 55 minutes ago
  • skrutop had a submission approved for "Best of Me" and earned 7 points (for a total of 5,899 points).
    9 hours, 56 minutes ago
Added by skrutop on Nov. 19, 2009

I had to replace my E74'd 360 in January, so I got a slightly used Arcade off a dude on Craigslist.  It came packed with Sega Superstars Tennis.  It's not a horrible game, but it's so bland and boring that I put it down after about an hour.  My brother has an Arcade as well, and despite being tennis fans, his kids put up with it for about 20 minutes before running to the store and getting a copy of Top Spin.  Dude, when kids would rather play an overly complicated tennis game than one with Sonic, you know that the game is no good.


Added by skrutop on Sept. 30, 2009

My wedding is fast approaching, soh it's time to make some homebrew.  I'm getting married on October 31 (no costumes), so I thought that two batches of pumpkin pie spice pale ale would do nicely.  This time around, I'm taking pictures for posterity and blogging about it to make it feel extra special.  I started batch one last night.  Join me, won't you?
 

Step 1: Sanitation and Prep

 
Anyone will tell you that sanitation is key in all phases of making beer.  My last batch picked up an infection, though I still have no idea where from, so I've redoubled my efforts to make sure that everything that gets even close to my beer is sterilized.  Here's the equipment that we'll be using on brew day for this batch:  
 
 BORING!
 BORING!

1 large funnel (w/strainer), 1 small funnel (w/strainer), 1 glass carboy, 1 rubber stopper with blowoff hose attached, 1 hard plastic spoon, 1 set tongs, 1 candy thermometer, 1 turkey baster, and 1 12-quart stainless steel stockpot.  All of them sit in a solution of water and non-chlorine bleach for at least 20 minutes.  There's also a bunch of other stuff that I didn't need this time, as the large funnel made transferring from the brew pot to the carboy a LOT easier. 
  


 I should probably do the dishes at some point.
 I should probably do the dishes at some point.
Next up is the fun stuff, the stuff that's gon' make the drinkins.  The ingredients for this batch are 1/2 lb. Crystal Malt (not pictured), 1/2 lb. Carapils Malt (not pictured), 6 lbs. Extra Light Dry Malt Extract, 1 oz. Simcoe hop pellets (for boiling), 2 oz. Cascade hop pellets (1 oz. for flavoring, 1 oz. for finishing), 1 packet American Ale Yeast, and 5 gallons distilled water.  We'll also need my hydrometer (to measure specific gravity before putting in the airlock, vodka (for spot cleaning and filling the airlock), and Dominion Oak Barrel Stout (for happiness).  The first rule of brewing is that you have to drink while doing it.   I activated the yeast packet a couple of hours before starting; you can see that the package is really inflated as the yeast is waking up.
   
 

Step 2: The boil

 
 Just like making tea.
 Just like making tea.
 
First, we take the mix of carapils and crystal malts and put it into two grain bags.  This makes them much easier to work with, and makes the entire steeping process not unlike putting a tea bag in water.  Then we dump in a gallon or so of water and bring it all up to about 150 F.  The bags steep for a half-hour, so we drink for a half-hour.  This will impart the color and flavor of the grains into the beer.  Next we pull the grains out and get the pot up to boiling.  
 


 
The batch is about ready.
The batch is about ready.
 
Once the water is boiling, we add the 6 lbs. of dry malt extract and stir it all in.  And we drink some more.  We fill a grain bag with the Simcoe hops, which will impart the floral/bitter flavor.  Since this is a pale ale, it won't be too strong, unlike the hoppy Stone IPA that I was drinking.  Most of my guests drink Bud, so we don't want to floor them with a hoppy beer.  Besides, the spices should take center stage.  After 50 minutes of boiling, we add 1 oz. of the Cascade hops (for flavor).  After 58 minutes of boiling, we add the rest of the Cascade hops (for finishing).  Then we stop the boil and pull the hops out at 60 minutes.
 
 
  We also play a lot of Chrono Trigger.  There's plenty of downtime, but you have to keep an eye on the pot so it doesn't boil over.  You only make that mistake once (trust me!)
  We also play a lot of Chrono Trigger.  There's plenty of downtime, but you have to keep an eye on the pot so it doesn't boil over.  You only make that mistake once (trust me!)

 

Now we need to cool everything down, so the pot gets a lid and goes into an ice bath for 30 minutes.  During this time, we drink.  The gross-looking bags on the right contain the mushy remains of the hop pellets. 
 

   


Step 3: Into Primary Fermentation


 
So now the wort (aka unfermented beer) is cooled down enough to add to the glass carboy.  I dump it into the large funnel, straining out any remaining gunk.  Then we top off the carboy with another 3-3.5 gallons of water.  We also take a sample of the wort and test it with the hydrometer to get an idea of our potential alcohol.  The reading came out a bit lower than I'd like (1.029), so this will most likely be a relatively weak beer.  I think that'll work for the crowd at the wedding, and the spices should have enough flavor to make the beer interesting (hopefully).  I'll use a bit less water with batch two to give that a bit more punch.  I also give the batch a taste, though honestly it tastes like crap at this point.  It confirmed that this will be a light beer.  

 
 

 


From there, we put in the rubber stopper with the blowoff hose and run the hose into a vase full of water.  This will allow CO2 and any nasty byproducts to blow out out of the top of the carboy, but it also keep the air out of the batch.  Light and air are the worst enemies of good beer.  I keep my carboy in its box to keep some of the light out.  My coat closet has been converted to my beer closet for this occasion.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I checked out the batch the next morning.  All's well, because we've got bubbles!
 
 

 
  

 
By the time I got home from work, there was significant blowoff.  This can be a bit scary, as excessive blowoff means that your beer is probably infected.  My last batch went completely overboard.  However, a couple of hours after taking this photo, the batch settled down nicely and has been simply bubbling away like the good beer that it is.
 
 

 
Now the carboy just needs to sit for about a week.  Once the bubbling subsides, that tells us that the sugars have been consumed by the yeast and that the beer is ready to be transferred for secondary fermentation.  Right now, I'm in the middle of brewing batch two as I write this.  I simply repeat the same process over again, especially the drinking part.  The only difference is that I'm drinking Ommegang's Abbey Ale this time around.
Related to: Beer


Added by skrutop on Sept. 18, 2009

Actually, I rarely buy any game brand new, with the exception of Rock Band games and RPGs.  I prefer to wait until they drop in price.  The only one on the list that I actually expect to get right when they come out are Scribblenauts and LEGO Rock Band, but those will be as presents for other people.

Upcoming 2009 Must-Owns

1. Scribblenauts

My wife-to-be's b-day is coming up, and she is getting this game...so that I can have it, too

2. LEGO Rock Band

I'm not that interested in the LEGO aspects, but the setlist is surprisingly solid, and the songs will be exportable.

3. Fallout 3

Specifically the GOTY edition. I bought Fallout 3 when it came out, but I haven't gotten the DLC packs.

4. Dragon Age: Origins

I love fantasy settings, and I've really enjoyed Bioware's latest games. I'm really looking forward to this game.

5. Assassin's Creed II

Despite having the same complaints as others about AC (repetitive missions, etc.), I still think it's one of the best games that I've played in the past few years. I can't wait to see how the Italian setting works.



Added by skrutop on Sept. 4, 2009

I just caught myself singing along and bopping my head to Dead on Arrival by Fallout Boy at work.  I need to go take a shower and get the suck off of myself.
Related to: Rock Band 2


Skrutop's Reviews
Best in the series, and almost perfect all around. (PS2)
Tekken 5 is easily the best game in this incredible fighting series.  The only element keeping it from true perfection is the lack of online play.  The fighting is truly fantastic, the graphics and sound are absolutely stunning, and Namco has included a plethora of extra features that make this ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008
Not as good as Gran Turismo, but FM's online play sets it apart. (XBOX)
Forza Motorsport is the Xbox's attempt at simulation racing, but more specifically it's Microsoft's attempt at a "Gran Turismo Killer". While the game is undoubtedly fun, the core gameplay is nowhere near as refined as Gran Turismo 4. The graphics aren't as good as GT4, the sound isn't as good ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
X-Men Legends is a competent, squad-based hack-n-slash. (PS2)
X-Men Legends is a competent, if not especially deep, action-RPG. The gameplay follows pretty similar to the vein of Diablo where you take your crew into an area filled with bad guys, beat the crap out of said bad guys, and level up your powers. There's a pretty interesting story ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008
Warrior Within drops the PoP series off a cliff. (XBOX)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (WW) just went wrong somewhere. It's really a combination of a few different things, but where The Sands of Time (SOT) just felt right as a whole game, WW does not. The major areas that I paid attention to are the new combat system, the ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.
Great fighting marred by horrible user interface and game modes (PS2)
Soul Calibur III is one of the most frustrating gaming experiences in recent memory. On one hand, the core fighting is still great, the graphics are simply amazing, and the character customization options are very robust. However, the user interface is abysmal and inconsistent, the gam modes actually get in ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008
A fantastic game that nails the feel of a classic 16-bit RPG. (GBA)
The GBA has been a goldmine for classic 16-bit RPG gaming. This includes ports of old favorites like Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, and Sword of Mana and new takes on classic RPGs like Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Riviera. Like the other new takes on old favorites, Golden ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
Part two of Golden Sun improves the game in just about every way. (GBA)
Golden Sun: The Lost Age is the conclusion to the two-part Golden Sun story. As such, you really can't play this game without having played the first one. There's a brief introduction that tells you what happened in the first GS, but I doubt it explains enough for you to ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
XML2 expands on the successful formula of the first game. (XBOX)
It's often the case that the second game in a series is really what the developers wanted the first game to be. Typically, a lot of features get cut out during the first game's development because they're either too difficult to create in time for release, or there are other ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
WARNING: You cannot handle this game. (2600)
Chuck Norris Superkicks is the most amazing game that has ever been created. There is nothing like it. There is nothing that can be like it. If you went back in time, Benjamin Franklin would tell you that he discovered electricity so that Chuck Norris Superkicks could someday be given ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008

2 out of 2 found this review helpful.
XIII is a competent yet underappreciated shooter. (XBOX)
XIII is one of about a million first person shooters on the Xbox. It doesn't break with any of the gameplay conventions typical to FPS', but it does have a very "cool" visual style that makes it fun to play and sets it apart from other games of this type. ...
Reviewed by skrutop on July 22, 2008

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.


Date Joined: July 21, 2008
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Points: 5,899 Points
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List of Rock Band-compatible Downloadable Content
concept - 1,870 points
Streets of Rage 3
game - 320 points
LEGO Rock Band
game - 262 points
Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock
game - 237 points
Rock Band Metal Track Pack
game - 169 points
Altered Beast
game - 161 points
The Beatles: Rock Band
game - 156 points
Pittsburgh
location - 133 points

Games That Have Defined My Life
a list of 19 items by skrutop
Upcoming 2009 Must-Owns
a list of 5 items by skrutop
Games that (pleasantly) surprised me
a list of 4 items by skrutop
RHCPfan24 32 minutes ago
YAY!!!! RT @giantbomb: Review of Tony Hawk: RIDE http://bit.ly/8FJt44
MrJared 2 hours, 3 minutes ago
The Domain Hotel is pretty nice! Here's my room. The bed is a SleepNumber, even! http://twitpic.com/qa3rm
Ryan 3 hours, 9 minutes ago
RT @KensterFox: @taswell As in: Hoary Glallalujah, this is my ducky lay!
TobyD81 3 hours, 14 minutes ago
Violent game-opposed National Institute on Media and the Family shuts down http://tinyurl.com/yhnzfld Na na na na...hey hey hey...good-bye!
Kush 4 hours, 3 minutes ago
...and a link to Obviously Oblivious as well.
Brad 8 hours, 20 minutes ago
Feeling strangely liberated since I quit using QuickSilver. Plugins didn't work worth spit in Snow Leopard anyway. Spotlight for life?
Jeff 19 hours, 6 minutes ago
Reactivated my old GameFly account specifically to get some time in with some smaller releases, but none of it is "Available Now." Weak.
albedos_shadow 20 hours, 38 minutes ago
played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (360) in the last 24 hours. http://raptr.com/albedos_shadow