Posted by Rob on July 21, 2011 – 6:59 am
Filed under Books, History
Tagged as ak-47, america will break, big bad bob, bigbadbob, Books, civil war, confederacy, harry turtledove, how few remain, kevlar, nathan bedford forrest, robert e lee, second american revolution, the guns of the south, the life of johnny reb, the north, the south, time travel, United States
The Place: Virginia
The Year: 1864
The Situation: Confederate General Robert E. Lee realizes that the North may very well win the Civil War.
Harry Turtledove’s The Guns of the South is an alternative history story, but also hinges on the side of sci-fi. In 1864 Lee is approached by a group of radicals who have traveled 150 years into the past to arm the Army of North Virginia with AK-47s, thus finally giving the Confederacy an advantage against the superior might of the United States. This change in fortune also changes history as we know it, as the Army of Northern Virginia is able to capture Washington D.C. and thus win the Civil War (which now becomes known as the Second American Revolution.) It sounded like a good deal, until Lee discovers that there is more to this group who call themselves “America Will Break.” Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 16, 2011 – 4:48 pm
Filed under Sports
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, carolina, fan, hockey, hurricanes, new york, nhl, north carolina, nyr, rangers, south carolina, Sports
As most of you may know, the only sport I follow is the NHL, and I am a Rangers fan. Well, to be more exact I’m a fan of the Rangers and any team who is playing against Pittsburgh. Now that I am down in South Carolina, and soon to be in North Carolina, I face a dilemma as far as hockey goes. Hockey is not the most popular sport in the U.S. to begin with, and that goes double for the South. So come the start of the 2011-2012 season, there’s no way in heck I’m going to be getting any Rangers games. So how do I feed my need to catch a hockey game? I’ll have to watch the Carolina Hurricanes.
I have no problem with the Hurricanes, and in fact I’ve always had a soft spot for them. I also just recently purchased a hat for them. Right now I don’t want to be rocking my NYR gear because I don’t want to be viewed as a tourist…there’s enough of them in Myrtle Beach to begin with. Once I’m settled down in North Carolina I’ll break out the Rangers swag again, but I still won’t be able to catch any Rangers games. Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 15, 2011 – 6:10 pm
About a year ago I got into George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. Upon completing the fourth book, A Feast for Crows, I was ready for the next one, only to discover it hadn’t been published yet. Once a release date was finally announced for A Dance with Dragons I had pre-ordered a copy from Borders, which met with frustrating results. Still, through the waiting and the annoying customer service, the book made it’s way to my doorstep today.
Now I am forced to pose myself a question: Do I finish Guns of the South, the book I am currently reading, or drop it in favor of A Dance with Dragons? Guns of the South is very good, but I’m not even half-way through yet, so I won’t finish it for another couple of weeks probably. I’ve been looking forward to A Dances with Dragon ever since I finished A Feast for Crows last August, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait.
Posted by Rob on July 14, 2011 – 10:12 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 3D, big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, extended edition, hd, house of the dead, house of the dead overkill, move, Nintendo, online, overkill, PlayStation 3, PS3, rail shooter, trophies, Wii, zombies
About two years ago I reviewed House of the Dead: Overkill for the Wii and praised it’s awesome gameplay and ridiculously, over-the-top 70s horror movie story. It is hands down one of my favorite Wii games and I definitely consider it a standard to hold all other rail shooters against, not only for the zombie-killing fun, but also for the great story (something that is lacking in most rail shooters.) Well, I heard the great news today that come October 25th, House of the Dead: Overkill will be making its way to the PS3, complete with Move-treatment. The following information has been confirmed:
- Will be playable in HD-gloriousness
- Can be enjoyed in 3D if you so desire
- The many awesome cutscenes have been revamped
- Being the “extended edition”, there are at least two totally new levels
- There are also two new game modes
- There will be new enemies
- There will be new weapons
- The boss fights have been improved (which I assume means they will be harder) and the final boss fight has been extended
- Two-player local co-op
- Trophies (let’s hope there’s one titled “Return to the Womb”) Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 13, 2011 – 6:44 am
Filed under Movies
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, blu-ray, DVD, gamefly, movie gallery, netflix, shit list, streaming, subscription, TV Shows
I’ve been a member of Netflix for…I don’t even know. I know I was using it before I started dating Shell, and that was almost eight years ago. I never really had a problem with them, except for that time they decided to delete profiles so you could no longer have friends and recommend movies to each other…that was a lame move! But this time, Netflix has gone too far.
I received a lovely e-mail from them yesterday indicating that, starting September 1, they were going to be changing their subscription options. I currently have the one DVD/unlimited streaming (with Blu-ray) for $11.99, which is probably too much to begin with, but once I got the HDTV I just had to watch a few Blu-rays to see the quality difference. Under their new plans, streaming and DVD plans will be separated, so in order to keep what I have I will have to subscribe to:
- $9.99- one DVD at a time with Blu-ray options
- $7.99- unlimited streaming
So my monthly payments will jump from $11.99 to $17.98 a month! They aren’t just raising the price by a dollar or two, but by six bucks a month! When you look at the annual breakdown, that’s $71 extra smackers a year. That is a HUGE difference!
Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 12, 2011 – 5:13 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, ants, big bad bob, bigbadbob, bugs, classes, co-op, earth defense force: insect armageddon, edf, game review, gamefly, hector, jet pack, online, PlayStation 3, PS3, robots, spiders, survival, third person shooter, tier, wasps, xbox
When I first heard about Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon (which will henceforce be referred to as EDF) I was totally unfamiliar with the game. I did not know what it was about, what type of gameplay it was, or that there was a predecessor on the 360. All I knew was that between three and six players could team up to shoot a bunch of giant bugs. It sounded like a pretty sweet game, and when my friend mentioned wanting to play through it together, I agreed and popped it on my Gamefly queue. My friend and I have played through the game and also put some time into the survival mode, and I have to say I came away pretty impressed with it.
The storyline behind the game is virtually non-existent. All you need to know is that there are a bunch of bugs and robots wrecking havoc on the city, and it’s up to you and your buds to stop them (the campaign is three players, and if your short a man or two, AI players will fill in.) The campaign in this third-person shooter consists of three chapters, each containing five missions. These missions are not very diverse…you go to each point on the map, kill all the bugs and robots there, and then move on to the next point and do the same thing. As you take on these enemies, make sure you take the time to witness your handiwork as the environments are virtually completely destructible, and most buildings will collapse with a couple of rocket hits. I’m sure you may think this sounds like it can be very repetitive, but the combat and the action are so overwhelming that I personally never got tired of it.
Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 8, 2011 – 8:08 pm
Filed under Books
Tagged as ak-47, alternative history, big bad bob, bigbadbob, book, guns of the south, harry turtledove, how few remain, robert lee, science fiction, time travel
I just finished reading Harry Turtledove’s How Few Remain, and now I’m hooked on the guy. The next book of his I picked up is not part of one of his epic series, but a standalone novel titled Guns of the South. I’m not sure of what the entire story is about, but I do know it has to do with people traveling back in time to 1864 where they supply General Lee’s army with AK-47s. If that little tidbit of information doesn’t interest you, then maybe the cover of the book will…it’s hard to top General Lee holding a fully automatic rifle!
While most of Turtledove’s books are alternative history in that they are much more believable, this book falls more into the genre of science fiction. Still, it sounded like it would be a fun read so I’m giving it a whirl. I’ll post up a review once I’m finished.
Posted by Rob on July 8, 2011 – 7:13 am
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 360, big bad bob, bigbadbob, cross-game chat, gears of war 3, gold, magic the gathering, microsoft, online, PlayStation 3, playstation blog, ps+, PS3, PSN, Sony, Uncharted 2, uncharted 3, voice chat, xbla, xbox
I received an e-mail from Microsoft this morning notifying me that my XBL Gold account would be expiring next month, which makes sense since I got a 360 last August. However, now I had to pose myself a question…do I want to spend the $50 to renew my Gold account? Not only do I rarely play 360 games online, but at the same time I’m paying for a PS+ account. Thing is, my PS+ account will be coming due soon too. Seeing how I’m currently unemployed and times are hard, I don’t want to be spending money I don’t have on things I really don’t need right now. So I got to thinking about the perks of both, and whether they were worth the price of admission or not.
What I get with a XBL Gold Account:
- The ability to play online. This is arguably the best perk to having a Gold account, simply because you cannot play online without it.
- Superior online experience. The 360 does offer a better online experience than the PS3, from the awesome and comfortable headset that plugs in right to your controller to the ability to have cross-game chat. I do believe there are more 360 players than PS3 players as well, so it’s easier to find a game to play online with the 360
- Exclusive content. Gold members do get access to exclusive betas and demos before the general public.
What I get with a PS+ Account:
- Free games. On average, PS+ users get one free game PSN game a week. It’s not just lame shovelware games either; I’ve gotten some pretty great games like Magic the Gathering, Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage II and others.
- Discounted games. This is the biggest advantage to PS+, as I can buy games over PSN for less money than it costs on XBLA. Often times, many games are discounted from 33-50% off, particularly in the first week of release. I’ve gotten a ton of games on the cheap from PS+, and it has paid for itself many times over.
- Exclusive content. I received early access to betas for DC Universe, Uncharted 2, and Uncharted 3, as well as early access to demos and other PS-exclusive content. Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 7, 2011 – 10:51 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, cowboy, director, game review, gun, leaderboard, move, move shooting attachment, PlayStation 3, playstation eye, PS3, rail shooter, robot, terrorist, the shoot, Wii, zombie
One of my favorite video game genres is the rail shooter. I’ve enjoyed tons of these on the Wii, but it was hard to get a good experience on other systems due to available technology. With Sony’s introduction of the Move controller, along with the PlayStation Eye, the PS3 is now able to deliver this genre with great controls, along with even better graphics. One of the first rail shooters I tried out was The Shoot, and I was pleased for the most part.
The Shoot is a very casual rail shooter, in that you are not shooting terrorists or zombies, but instead cardboard cutouts of enemies. In the game you control an action star, and each of the five levels (each containing four stages) is based on a different movie genre. For example, the first level is a western, so you will be shooting down cowboys and bandititos. Then the next level is a sci-fi flick, so you will be shooting cardboard robots and cardboard robot brains. The simplicity of the action, as well as the absence of blood and other violence, does make this a family-friendly game that is still a blast to play for even the most hardcore gamer, so long as you have a soft spot for rail shooters.
Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 7, 2011 – 3:55 pm
Filed under Books, History
Tagged as abraham lincoln, ak-47, alternative history, America, american front, big bad bob, bigbadbob, book, civil war, confederacy, confederate, csa, frederick douglas, guns of the south, harry turtledove, History, how few remain, jackson, jeb stuart, point of divergence, review, robert lee, southern victory, stonewall, teddy roosevelt, time travel, union, United States
I recently discovered the wonders of Harry Turtledove’s works. Turtledove is clearly a master of alternative history, which can also be referred to as fictional history. Basically the author takes a key event that happened in history (called the point of divergence) and changes the outcome of that event, which then would have changed the course of history as we know it. While this is not a new theme in literary works, Turtledove’s novel, How Few Remain, definitely pits him as one of the best author’s to embrace the genre. How Few Remain is technically the first book in the “Southern Victory” timeline, though Turtledove never officially titled the series.
How Few Remain takes place in 1881 in a world where the Confederate States of America won the Civil War and maintained their independence from the United States. The point of divergence takes place in 1862; in reality, one of Lee’s officers drops details of the Army of Northern Virginia’s plans. These plans are recovered by Union soldiers, and the United States is able to take advantage of it and severely beat Lee’s army out of the North. In Turtledove’s world, these orders are indeed dropped, but are quickly recovered by another Confederate officer; thus the Union army never receives this information. This allows Lee’s army to continue North through Maryland and Pennsylvania, and eventually capture the city of Philadelphia. This major victory is enough in the eyes of Europe (particularly Britain and France) to recognize the independence of the CSA. With international support for the Confederacy, the United States has no choice but to call a cease fire and end the war, resulting in America being separated into the United States and the Confederate States. Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 5, 2011 – 6:25 am
Filed under My Personal Life
Tagged as beach, big bad bob, bigbadbob, burger, captain morgan tattoo, family, fireworks, Food & Drink, Fourth of July, golf cart, History, hot dog, how few remain, independence day, long island, myrtle beach, parade, sangria, south, south carolina
Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays; not only because I’m a history buff, but also because I love the food. Turkey and ham are all well and fine, but a fresh burger off the grill sometimes beats them all. I also love the fireworks, but living in New York led to some disappointing Fourth of July’s, due to the illegality of fireworks. It wasn’t always like that though. Growing up on Long Island in the 80s, fireworks were legal. Back then we would have huge block parties, where both ends of the block would be blocked off by the town so that we could have free reign of the streets without worrying about cars driving by. Whether it was at my grandparents or my cousins house, there was plenty of food, fireworks, family, friends, and fun! But then the fireworks eventually became illegal, and we moved away from family to Middletown. The only way to see fireworks there was to go to one of the town-run fireworks shows which always sucked, especially since the place was always jam packed. But I digress.
This year we spent the Fourth of July right here in Myrtle Beach, and it was one of the best ever. If there’s one thing the South does right, it’s celebrating Independence Day (though I’m sure some people down here would prefer to celebrate a Confederate Independence Day.) Fireworks are extremely legal down here, and not only that but you can buy them ANYWHERE. Don’t have time to head down to the local fireworks store? Then jump in the car and hit up the nearest gas station or Wal-Mart. The South in general makes for a very patriotic Fourth of July, and here’s how I spent mine. Read More »
Posted by Rob on July 1, 2011 – 5:51 am
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, deadstorm pirates, eye camera, gamefly, Gamestop, gift card, move, move shooting attachment, perfect shot, PlayStation 3, PS3, rail shooter, time crisis 4, time crisis: razing storm, Wii, wiimote
One game genre that I am a sucker for is rail shooters. Not only is it my favorite type of game to play on the Wii (and I have a hell of a lot of them) but it’s also the only genre of game that I would buy additional peripherals for. I scoff at the idea of buying plastic baseball bats and swords, but I’ll step right up to buying a plastic pistol holder for my Wiimote (Wii Perfect Shot) or PS Move controller (given the uncool name of the PlayStation Move Shooting Attachment.) Since I first got move in January, I’ve been trying to rent two rail shooters from Gamefly; Time Crisis: Razing Storm and The Shoot. After months of waiting, I finally received Time Crisis on Monday. I spent about twenty minutes playing it on Tuesday before I dropped it back into it’s packing slip and sent it on its way…not because it sucked but because it was AWESOME! I had a $25 gift card to Gamestop so it was actually cheaper for me to purchase from Gamestop as opposed to keeping it from Gamefly.
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