The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Will Feature PewDiePie & Sean Murray

     CBS has been scheduling a lot of awesomeness in general for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but there are two upcoming guests that are notable for the gamer community.

     It's good to see the gaming community is getting more coverage after the Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at Let's Play gaming, which was handled well afterwards.  Jimmy Fallon has a week every summer dedicated to gaming, and Conan O'Brien posts his wonderful Clueless Gamer videos that are always entertaining.

On Thursday, Oct. 1: 

Stephen Colbert will have an interview with and demonstration by famed YouTuber Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg.  One may guess that it may have something to do with his game, Legend of the Brofist, which arrives tomorrow on iOS and Android devices.  Considering he is the first person to crack the 10 BILLION mark, this makes sense.

On Friday, Oct. 2

Following a visit from God-slash-actor Morgan Freeman, Hello Games founder Sean Murray will be visiting for an interview and demonstration, presumably for the highly anticipated upcoming No Man's Sky.

     I am particularly interested in Sean Murray's segment.  He originally caught my attention with what I believe has been the best E3 presentation speech ever at the E3 2014 Playstation Press conference.  It contained a moving sincerity that isn't seen too often in the games conferences, and was a genuine delight to watch.

     I've transcribed the speech below for those of you that might be interested, as well as included links for those that want to see it.

     Sean Murray Hello Games' Founder:

     Thank you, feeling a lot of emotions right now. 

    I'm Sean, I'm from Hello Games.  We're a tiny little indie studio.  We're a group of friends making No Man's Sky.  It's a science fiction game.  I guess inspired by the kind of sci-fi I grew up with.  The battered book covers of Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke- just worlds that I wanted to escape to but never could. 

     We've created a procedural universe, it's infinite, and it's one that everyone can share. 

     We're going to start every player on a different planet, so no two people will have the same experience. 

     This universe we've created is so vast, it's so boundless, it's actually infinite, and we don't even know what's out there.  When the game releases, every player who picks up a pad and plays is going to help us discover a little bit more... 

     ...and I can't wait. 

     I want to finish with just a tiny taste of what your own unique journey into infinity might look like.  Hope you like it.

     To see it click the video link and he starts at 1:20:00-
          [ Playstation E3 Pess Conference 2014 ]

     For his PS Blog post [ Playstation Blog ]


     The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs Mon-Fri, 11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT

Last Week Tonight: The Salmon Cannon

     If any of you readers out there know me, you know 95% of my news comes from The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Last Week Tonight.  Well, John Oliver proves once again he is a true master of satire and hilarity with his coverage of...  The Salmon Cannon.

     The sheer number of people he gets to go along with these skits is ludicrous.

The Great Bob Hoskins has Died at 71

     After retiring from acting two years ago when diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Bob Hoskins has died of Pneumonia.

     He was a tremendous character actor, with such versatility he could play villainy and charm with equal measure.  Many of my generation will remember him from films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit or Hook, but I prefer to recall his roles in Shattered, The Long Good Friday, and Heart Condition.  All three of them are wonderful movies.  I might even go and find a copy of Super Mario Bros the movie to re-watch in honor of this fine actor.  It might not be the best movie, but it's still fun.  And it has John Leguizamo, which is always a plus.

     Sadly, he'll also be the only way I could picture the character of Bayaz (The First of the Magi) from Joe Abercrombie's book The Blade Itself.

     He will be missed.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Found Dead: Drug Overdose

     Wow, just read that Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead with needle still in his arm.  What sad and shocking news, as he was a tremendous actor.  The Oscar winner was only 46 which makes this loss even sadder.  Makes me wonder how they'll finish The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 without him as Plutarch Heavensbee?

     While he was an amazing actor with great films such as Pirate Radio, Synecdoche, New York, and even Twister, but I think I'll always remember him best as Sandy Lyle from Along Came Polly.

     Source [ NY Post ]

Christmas Cards 2013: Megyn Kelly is An Idiot: Dreaming of a White Christmas

     With all the wonderfully absurd and highly controversial statements by Fox News' Megyn Kelly, I really couldn't help myself in making this "Christmas Card."  It's mostly a stupid meme, but I hope someone laughs at it...  and Miss Kelly gets a good lesson from it.  (The lesson being don't be a idiot.)

     Santa Claus can be what ever people want.  Hell, make him a lady, as long as Santa is teaching kids to be good I don't give a crap.  Make Santa a pile of dirty socks that deliver gifts and joy!  I'd still like it/him/her/other.  I mean isn't Christmas about being "good for goodness' sake?"  It's about generosity and caring about well being of everyone, not about petty squabbles- like Gretchen Carlson's comments about a Festivus pole ruining her Nativity scene view.  I may go put one up now myself...

MIT Researchers Create Cruel Tongue Twister

“Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.”

     I came across a [ Boston Magazine ] article today about this tongue twister and thought it was quite the malicious test to run on people.  The devious minds at MIT have created this horrible statement to torture us with our inability to say it 10 times fast.  I can't even say it one time at normal speed.

Where's Lindelof: Fake News About Damon Lindelof?

     It's only been a month since Mr. Lindelof broke up with the Twitterverse and I'm kind of curious as to where he's been.  To solve the mystery of the missing Damon- and what the meaning behind his last tweet is- I went searching in a Where's Waldo fashion...

“After much thought and deliberation, I’ve decided t...”

Come find me.

     You've decided to what?!?

     OK, maybe we'll never know, or maybe he's just working on Tomorrowland or The Leftovers.  Maybe he doesn't even know.  Maybe he's got some secret projects or new comics like Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine, which I actually enjoyed.  If he really hunkers down I hope he can produce some really remarkable things, not some senseless perpetual-mystery circle.

     Anyway- he does have plenty of ideas left so I'm sure he'll return with something worthwhile, including the answer to his last tweet.

Dumb and Dumber To: Full Pics From Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels

     Thank you Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey for giving us these wonderful first full pics via Twitter. (Not including Jim Carrey's sneak peek "teeth" pic)

We're Back!!! #DumbTo pic.twitter.com/u2u42yM2hk
— Jeff Daniels (@Jeff_Daniels) September 24, 2013

How Roland Rolls comes out TODAY but it may be a little too sophisticated for Lloyd and Harry! Yep... THEY'RE BAAAAA… http://t.co/bhrYxNPKbv
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) September 24, 2013

     Many of us are looking forward to this film- 20 years of waiting has not shrunk my love of the original film at all- and I believe Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne shall not disappoint.  Dumb and Dumber To is set for a 2014 release.  Anticipation for this upcoming Farrelly Brothers film is off the charts.

Star Wars: Episode VII Ewan McGregor Would Like to return as Obi-Wan Kenobi

     With all the rumors about Episode 7, this one is something I'm actually all for- Ewan McGregor is hoping to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi for J.J. Abrams.  Obi-Wan is my favorite of the Jedi, and Boushh is my favorite non-Jedi character. (I know we only really got to see Boushh as Leia in disguise)

"I AM the actor you are looking for."

“The problem is that I played the young Obi Wan and they are going to be looking for an old Obi Wan and that’s Alec Guinness’s territory,” says Ewan, 42, who insists he’s still harboring hopes of a return to the franchise made famous by director George Lucas, with original cast members including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. 

“I’m waiting for that call but I think they’re more likely to want an Alec look-a-like than me.”

     There are plenty of ways to make McGregor look older.  Should I even mention that the ghost of Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader himself, was made younger in the original films when George Lucas added all manner of CG goodies?  So it shouldn't be an issue either way.  McGregor could easily do this and still honor the original actor Alec Guinness.  Abrams, make this happen.

     Star Wars Episode VII is set to be released in 2015.

Source [ Express ]

Sony Promises "News you've been waiting to hear" - Possibly The Last Guardian?

     While I certainly won't be holding my breath over this, Sony revealed they have something big to reveal tomorrow at their pre-TGS conference.  It's said to be a large dose of surprise "beyond our expectation."

     Here's the statement that came with the image above:

 “Finally, it’s coming to #TGS2013. Like before, SCEJA will have a press conference before the game show. I could only say: The news you’ve been waiting for, and the information beyond your expectation will both be revealed officially. So tomorrow, please do watch the live-stream and keep follow @PlayStation! Promise to bring surprise to you!”

     The show can be watched at this link at 7am UK time tomorrow morning.  Note: the original post has been taken down, but GAF member Gskyace had already translated it.


     It seems odd that the post would be already removed, but we can be hopeful anyway.  From earlier news about the Last Guardian we know it's still being worked on and release date news is solely in Sony's hands as stated by Fumito Ueda's own blog post.

"While it’s been a long time coming, THE LAST  GUARDIAN remains under my creative supervision and is still in development by an incredibly talented team. 

I should also mention that details regarding THE LAST  GUARDIAN's release is solely decided by Sony Computer Entertainment, not myself. Please keep an eye out for their official announcement."

     I know it's a long shot- and that The Last Guardian was officially listed on the E3 website earlier this year, but was later removed.  Could this be the announcement we've been waiting 5 years for?
     And if it is- will there be multiplayer options, will it be on PS4 or have PS Vita portability?


Source [ The 6th Axis ]

She Dreams of Olbermann

     I sent a friend a Twitter link this morning about the amazing Keith Olbermann's return tonight to ESPN 2's SportsCenter and here is her reply.

     My dream is for Keith Olbermann to sing "Soft kitty, warm kitty" from Big Bang Theory.  As he has meltdowns on all of his shows eventually, this could happen.  I'm excited he's back, for however short of a time before his ego destroys him.

     Imagine Keith dead panning:

Soft kitty, I hate the republicans,
Warm kitty, the pitcher is fucking terrible (reference to obscure player from 1957),
Little ball of fur (war is bad),
Happy kitty - I, Keith, am happy occasionally,
Sleepy kitty, why he made that play call is unreasonable.
Purr (pounds on desk), Purr (screams at the camera and points), Purr!  

     Crumples paper, throws it on the floor.  

     (Note- I asked if I could post about the response on this blog because it's so great.  She is to remain nameless- "I'm fine with that if it is anonymous, unless Keith randomly sees and enjoys it.  Then I want him to bang on the desk and scream, "Purr purr purr!")

     In all honesty, this is now something I want to see as well.  If any readers happen across this blog post and knows a way to make it happen, well, let me know.

'Olbermann' premiering tonight (8/26) on ESPN2

Ben Affleck as the New Batman (Man of Steel 2)

     According to Entertainment Weekly Ben Affleck is confirmed to be playing Bruce Wayne/Batman for the next Man of Steel film.  Director Zack Snyder as well as actors(actresses) Henry Cavill, Laurence Fishburne, Amy Adams, and Diane Lane are all returning.

     My fears are not as terrible as I would've initially thought.  Sure I'm skeptical, but I'll give it a chance.  Affleck has been a much better actor in recent years, and does have the ability to pull it off.  Currently my only reservation is how they'll merge the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight universe in, but according to the press release: This will be “an entirely new incarnation of the character.”

“Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can’t wait to work with him.”- Zack Snyder

     This might actually work out well.  Affleck has been a bit more dark and gruff in movies lately.

     The currently untitled film is set to be released on July 17, 2015.  It seems odd that it already has a release date and the script isn't even finished.

     No word yet on Matt Damon becoming the Boy Wonder, Robin.  I'm sure that news'll be coming soon.

Source [ EW ]

Image Stolen and cropped down from US Magazine.

Imagine a John Lennon Clone... From a Tooth.

     I read about this on not just one other website, but a few.  Apparently Canadian Dentist-slash-Beatles-fan Michael Zuk spent something like $30,000 to buy one of Lennon's molars that had been removed- and now is working with US researchers at an unnamed laboratory at Penn State to see if they can clone him, or at least what can be done with the DNA.


I couldn't help but make this image- the lyrics are just too fitting.

"I am nervous and excited at the possibility that we will be able to fully sequence John Lennon's DNA, very soon I hope," Zuk said. "With researchers working on ways to clone mammoths, the same technology certainly could make human cloning a reality..."

     Assuming they can extract the necessary sequences, would this even matter?  It wouldn't quite be "bringing back one of Rock's greatest stars" as Zuk thinks.  A clone doesn't get all the influences that the original had, all the distinct circumstances that shaped him.  The potential clone's experiences and life building won't be the same.  Times change and with the ridiculous modern era of music we could end up with a monster like Justin Bieber.
     A Lennon clone could have all the inherent talent (latent familial traits, etc) but no focus or drive to create.  Seriously, wasn't part of Lennon's inspiration to break out of the "normal system?"
     And as Lennon was part of the Beatles, the clone won't get the tremendous influence of George Harrison and Paul McCartney (and I suppose Ringo Starr as well).  There would be all the potential, but none of the rest. 

     I mean, what if he wanted to be a painter instead?  This potential clone would be their own individual, and would make their own choices, with their own rights.  Sure, the body will be the same, but the mind and whatever else makes us, well... us, is individualized.

     Here's Mr. Zuk's site for the curious: http://www.johnlennontooth.com/

Source [ PR Web ]

Borderlands 2: Announced for Playstation Vita!!!

     The Playstation Vita got two wonderful bits of news announced at the Gamescom 2013 press conference by Sony-

1) Price reduction to $199.00.  This is a great change- the price was so large many gamers couldn't afford the system.  This was a necessity.

2) Borderlands 2 is coming to the Vita.  Finally a Triple-A title coming to the system.  No other details or comments about the DLC's were announced for this particular port to the Vita.

     For Borderlands 2 on the Vita, I hope it's something new, not just a direct port- think of just a small DLC-sized game like Mister Torgue's Campaign of Carnage or Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep.  Make it short and amazing.  Perhaps a new character(s)?  Carry over the Badass rank as well.  Honestly, even if it is just a simple port- I'll buy it just to support both the Vita and the Borderlands games.

     I'll update more on thoughts about this as news arrives.

"Literally" now means it's own opposite (figuratively) ?!?

     As if we needed anything more to tell us education is seriously lacking here in the ole U S of A, Google Dictionary now lists this:

     ...so now "literally," literally means it's complete opposite.  What.  The.  F**k?!?  This is a very bad sign for the future.


Source [ Google ]

Lab Grown "Cultured Beef" Has Finally Arrived

Pic Taken from the NPR site.

     It was only a matter of time.  Three months to be precise- before someone made a stem cell grown meat slab was ready.  That's only partially true, decades of research helped scientists grow it in 3 months.  This is definitely a strange but remarkable occurrence.  This is a potential for alternative and sustainable future food.  I look forward to trying this petri dish creation when it's more available in the decade or so that is estimated. 


Source [ NPR ]

Jeff Daniels Confirms Dumb and Dumber To (2)... Sort of...

     On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, Mr. Fallon asked Jeff Daniels, "I gotta ask, are these guys coming back?"  The pic below is the response.

     He goes on to say, "I'll believe it's happening when I'm actually there staring at Jim Carrey."

     It looks like they'll be starting in September, they'll be middle aged and, yes, they are still that stupid.  There are 50 bazillion people waiting for this.  The dream team is returning for the 20th anniversary next year of the first Dumb and Dumber.  I wonder if I can preorder tickets to this yet?


Here's my last post about this topic- Dumb and Dumber 2 News... Sort of...

Video Games and Violence: John Stossel vs. Franklin Graham

     Billy Graham's son, Franklin Graham, went on tv to talk about how horrible video games are for society, and in a wonderful turn of events, Fox Business's John Stossel makes a couple amazing replies. It's not often that I agree with Mr. Stossel, but thank you sir, as this was an informed respose to Graham's ridiculous ideas. 
     Once again- Blogger will NOT allow me to embed the video, so here is the link:

Stossel Vs Graham

I'm Ron Burgundy?

      Has anyone asked Graham if he'd appreciate the Bible being taxed, because of all the violence it has caused? Not only is the Holy Writ loaded with violence, it has been the source and inspiration of violence on the largest scales possible. 

      I absolutely love how Stossel refers to the same argument made about comics, specifically against Superman in the 1950's. Seriously, Superman- the most moral, upstanding American ideal- was cited as causing violence. Absurd.