And Netgear to the rescue

This one will have to be REAALLY quick and REALLY dirty, meh maybe not I type pretty fast. Okay well if I just bashed the hell out of belkin for it's craptastic adapter and I am able to post on the internet it must mean I found someone with a much better hassle free adapter. And that would be Netgear I am now happily surfing on a Netgear Wireless N-300 usb adapter WNA3100 and the main reason I am happily surfing on this netgear? the included a WIRELESS NETWORKING UTILITY I mean how simple is that, one piece of software, yes the device cost me an extra 20 bucks over the Belkin I'm blasting in the previous blog but hey it works, it works pretty easily too, hell I was actually putting in extra unnecessary effort to log on. Just leave it on any and viola I'm on and surfing.

I almost got the n150 but lets be real I do surf alot and I do sometimes game on here. I plan to save the box and CD just in case we get a new pc later and it's not next to the router either so that I can have the original software. Now I may come back and revisit this software in the future to see if there are any problems but for now the Netgear is getting flying marks from me. Stick in the CD, let it run, plug in the adapter, hell the little cradle is even perfect for sitting on top of my monitor so it's nicely out of the way and most likely won't get knocked over(I have a tendency to be like a bull in a china shop sometimes so I won't say won't). If I have an issue with it(of course this issue only comes up if I CONSTANTLY try to connect to a newer router) it's that it doesn't really offer you a choice on if you WANT to use the WPS set up routine, I mean yes wireless protected has it's advantages but seriously if he router is neither close nor in a common area not really kosher to just pop up any ol' time of night and be like "hey pally could you hit the button for me real quick?" Because let's be real my fellow netizens most of us are late night surfers. We get on at times of convenience maybe after work, or on lunch, the bus ride home whenever we have a free minute and a connection for our digital device. now if I use the "Any(first available network)" setting and not a particular SSID no problem(just putting that out there for those who run into a similar problem like I was at first) it connect to the router I wanted to connect to anyway and bounce between the two if ones signal is either weak or I get bumped thus constant surfing. And of course "That's what I waaaaaaawawant, that's what I like"( told yall I talk in pop references and songs sometimes what) so for now the belkin is back at wally world(though its saga is not completely over), I'm back on the net (Go team Venture), and all is right in my seedy little world. I hope everybody has a great hump day, hmm this was quick and dirty even with linkage I Rock

The Belkin Basic Wireless USB adapter

Under no circumstances should you EVER buy this product. As a coworker of mine would say "it's a piece of poop", and that is actually an insult to poop. This thing didn't seem to know that it needed it's OWN wireless utility to connect to the internet. It was constantly fighting to try and get on the net and I figured okay I have other belkin utilities on here maybe if I remove them it will work out smoothly, Nope. As a matter of fact probably the only reason I had gotten on the first time is because my original Belkin adapters settings kicked in. I may not have been able to adjust the new Wua (wireless usb adapter) but for a BRIEF moment it did go on the internet and THEN crapped out. The adapter in question was: Belkin model f7d1101 v1 Basic  wireless usb adapter that's its official name and model number. Now the FIRST belkin wireless adapter I ever owned(let me pick up it's poor pieces) was also a belkin the the Belkin Wireless G Usb network adapter model f5d7050 it lasted 5 years wasn't perfect but hey you've seen the various posts and mischief I have gotten into with it (damn I really need to finish that googling myself blog got side tracked due to net issues obviously) over the past 5 years, I think it cost me like 60 bucks at the time. So with everyday usage over 5 years that original $60 buck investment was so far in the black I don't have a single damn complaint.

And of course due to the fact that my first belkin adapter was a belkin and lasted 5 years hey I figured go head back to the trough it should be okay it appears if there is one thing Belkin can get right it's a wireless adapter. Whats that old investment world saying "past outcomes do not predict future results" yup that's EXACTLY what happened here. It's as if while the mentioned the ability of their desktop unit to work for a desktop they only gave you the necessary software and equipment to get it to work as if it was on a laptop. Going through all the trouble shooting and the various information in the manual it seems this adapter (model f7d1101 v1) really was JUST optimized for vista/windows 7. If anybody has bought a "windows post xp" laptop you will notice that it's network settings area is a little different. It is built like a combo between they old networks details screen and the WZC(wireless zero configuration) device from laptops, which is cool IF you have windows 7 or vista on your PC if you don't pffft you SOL(and no I ain describing a car or shortening Punky Brewster's first name, I was almost cruel and called her Punky Boobster since basically she didn't realize huge knockers ran in her family, or maybe she did and just thought you know maybe they wouldn't happen til she was 16). So after a long night and an early morning of fiddling around and trying to find a way to get it to work(I even went to Belkin's website to try and download the software there STILL no wireless utility, yeah smooth move there brainiacs) I decided to just take it back and of course MORE hilarity ensued tuesday was just one of those days. But as even in wrestling you have a heel(belkin) and as I am now back to posting their must be a face( face is good guy in wrestling terminology and in this case it's a netgear news at wow that 7:30 crap was supposed to be a joke, dunno when I'll get done with the Netgear blog this one was already started in notepad)

You have a god in you

The new clash of the titans

What can I say I loved this movie(wish I had gone to see it sooner), if you are going to try and combine reality with mysticism this is the way to do it. I mean if you are between 27-40 I am sure you remember the first clash of the titans it was good, it was damn good for the technology we had at the time. Yet at the same time it was kind of lame, it had this air about it of yes the Hero is in trouble but meh not really he doesn't really need any training this is handed too him easily and with no real cause for his concern.

Not this new clash of the titans, oh no Perseus you are about to take some licks, not one or two oh no you are gonna hate me so much that in the end it's only because you see the method to my madness that you come to love me. Zeus is not the doting father he appeared to be in the first movie, oh nooo zeus is a harsh God he demands obedience, respect and loyalty. When the humans begin to rebel against the gods(yes in this movie it isn't just a loud mouthed queen or two it's all of humanity) Zeus isn't care worn oh no he is pissed and lets loose.

The gods involved in the old one: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Thetis(played by maggie smith who went on to play the head nun in Sister act and Mcgonagall in harry potter), Athena, Hephaestus and Aphrodite. For the most part the gods were on the side of the humans in the first movie, yes Thetis was the main desenter, in clash one Calibos was the son of thetis. Now he was in trouble because he had the grand idea in his head to hunt down Zeus' Pegasi now I don't know about you but shooting the prize horses of the king of the gods ain really the smartest thing to do in all of greece. So zeus punished him by making him disfigured thus putting the kaibosh on his marriage plans with princess adromeda. So thetis in a rage at her sons misfortune decided to take Zeus' pampered child and put him out in the world. Adventures ensure, gifts are given, Kraken defeated.  And for the 80's yes this fairy tale story did meat the criteria of movie goers.

This ain the 80's baby so in the new one, while all the gods are seen, only Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo and Hades speak, and in essense the story is only really between Zeus and Hades. Now as for Young Perseus he is not enthralled with his father Zeus, first off Zeus couldn't keep it in his pants but he wasn't just falling for a pretty passing maid no he purposefully chose Acrisius' queen as punishment for his revolt against the gods. And as for his punishment lets just say Thetis does not play a role this movie. So Perseus is found in a fishermans net, raised by said fisherman and family and comes into contact with the gods completely by accident. See this Perseus has no love for the gods, he did not live an easy and pampered life but he was happy with his life. This movie shows that while Perseus may be part god his human side is the side he values more, he just wants to prove himself and get a shot at Hades, his journey is not to save his love Andromeda no, the Kraken is made from Hades flash and if he destroys the Kraken he weakens Hades and can get his vengeance on Hades for the blow he struck him.  And the non Demi god humans in this movie aren't just cannon fodder no they train him, they have valuable skills, they prove to be fine companions or annoying obstacles. Perseus tries to ignore the gifts he is given by the gods because he wants to prove what a man can do, he wants to show the type of man his father raised because that is what he valued.

In the trailer for the movie there is a scene between Zeus and Perseus where in his rage at the problems caused by the gods Perseus claims Zeus knows little about them and yet by the end you have to wonder if it wasn't so much that Zeus and the gods knew little or nothing about the humans or if they just realized the humans may have needed a little reminder that yes they were there and that there were more things in heaven and earth then what you might see in your average day to day life. I like this more menial quest where Perseus isn't just perfect all the time, he makes mistakes, he earns his scars, he grows to appreciate just how big the world really is.

Another thing this movie really benefited from the upgrade in special effects Medusa was more looming and menacing, the Scorpinoks were more believable, the Kraken more terrifying and Charon's barge more befitting his eerie chore. Now I do have a small gripe Hades was awful comfy in the Sea, every time you turned around Hades had something to do in or around the water, that of course is Poseidon's domain and I think they should have respected those boundaries a little more. Other than that I think the movie was great. As usual I try not to give any spoilers, As for Perseus and Percy Jackson there actually were a lot of probably unintentional similarities between the two characters. Neither wants to be special, neither asked for the pressures or pain associated with being the child of a god. They value their friends and the people they meet more then they do the mantle DEMIGOD, and while they may grow to understand the problems the gods may see they aren't exactly enthralled with how the gods usually try to go about solving them.

As is said the gods usually don't directly interact in the human world unless there is just an egregious violation, that is why they have heroes

We ain the A-team

"the Loser's"

When I went to go see this movie I will admit, I thought it might be an A-team rip off. I mean You have a guy who basically walks around with a little charm, is constantly changing outfits seems to be Mr. Charisma(like face), You have the Tall Brooding Badass(like BA), and you have the Cigar chomping brain(like Hannibal). But don't let the smooth taste of the trailer fool ya, yes there are big explosions, yes the actors appear to be the best team there is for a job you just can't do. But the loser's aren't the A-team. The loser's just want to clear their names and get back to their normal lives(those that have them).

I went to go see this movie because I like 3 of the actors who play some of the main characters in the movie Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, and Chris Evans. If I have the time and the cash I like to go support folks who's work I enjoy. The first time I saw Zoe Saldana of course was in Star Trek(the new one) she had some big boots to fill but she did it well. Idris Elba I first saw in Daddy's Little girls, which I only watched because I love Gabrielle union's fine chocolate self. But I like the way he played the part of a father working hard to try and take care of his children in a world that basically worked against him because of a mistake made when he was younger. It highlighted not only the struggles of a single black father(a demographic that while I do not belong too gets ignored a lot in the stereotypical world where black men don't care for their kids), but how life has jaded even black people against each other. If you haven't seen Daddy's little girls go check it out.  Chris Evans, well I mean who didn't like the Human Torch except for hack movie critics who obviously never read a Fantastic Four comic. There are guys born to play certain roles Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool highly skilled deadly assasin(that had to be like the easiest casting job ever too, hmm is ryan available hey ryan make fun of Hugh jackman real quick cool you're hired), and Chris for Johnny Storm he really does remind you of the bratty kid brother, the one always running around playing pranks, never really seems to want to be serious and is the master of the party.

Okay enough about my reasons for going to see the movie on to the movie. Now are their similarities to the A-team yes. They are an elite Army unit, the go on a mission the mission begins to go off without a hitch until an invisible hand bends them over and takes them forcibly. No kisses, no hugs, not even a good job little lady just an oh well now on to the next job. So after their not so gently screwing they are stuck in Bolivia as they  try to figure out a way to get stateside. In pops Zoe's mysterious character who appears to also have it in for the invisible hand who's neck they would all like to break. She gets them in to america(in an ironic fashion), starts setting them up with equipment as they go after Max this super spook who is the cause for their current situation. Now there is a mad dash to get a face to face and summarily gun in the face of max. There are betrayals(something you will rarely see amongst the A-team members, I mean techinically tranqing BA before you stick him on a plane or helicopter is a betrayal but this ain about them), ultimatums, gun fights, knife fights, some sweet close combat stuff(think Mr. and Mrs. Smith), and lots and lots of explosions:Clay, Pooch, Jensen, Roque and Cougar are gonna take you on a ride to get Max it ain gonna be pretty, but then what do you expect? You are riding with The Losers after all

The good, The bad and the Iron Men

Okay I was supposed to do this review two days ago(granted I have no deadline who reads this blog, me and well me) but here it goes.

Yes that is a play on an eastwood movie title, and yes I am gonna go through and do my usual what I liked what I didn't like and what was awesome.  A few things, this will be the hardest do not give out any spoiler blogs for me ever simply because this movie rocked, rocked like an early 80's metal band, and then went out and tore up the hotel room. Was it perfect no, a few things could have been either further delved into or left out completely and had absolutely no impact on the movie whatsoever.

The glimpses into Tony's dad Howard stark(while some might mistake this as an attempt to link tony to Howard Hughes Tony is Howard Hughes his dad just got the first name) were interesting and yet, I mean its was jumbled, kinda rambly almost like it was thrown in at the last minute.  Now yes it seems that Jon was admitting that tony may have hereditarily gotten his alcoholism. And that like many kids we don't know our parents all day like they don't know us. But past the wow this is just what I needed, this is the case breaker(My cousin vinny reference) moment it could have been done better maybe there will be more on the DVD deleted scenes. Continuity wise they get a gig for the Terence Howard to Don Cheadle change, I know you can't control who the studio decides to hire and fire I know that but thats still a gig. Justin Hammer while I love the actor playing him and he played the part well TECHNICALLY Hammer is older then Tony he is between Tony's age and his dad's age. In Essence Justin Hammer was the up and comer in the game while Tony was a kid and Howard was building Stark International into the power house that it was going to become.  Hammer always looked at Tony as an upstart not a rival, as an inexperienced brat interfering with his plans of corporate domination.

The age is the only thing I will complain about Hammer would have hired Vanko, would have been naive enough to let Whiplash paint him into a corner, as well as tried to sweet talk his way out of any problems that arose. So too young but otherwise spot on.

For those wondering what this movie's connection to the "iron man timeline is" this is technically linking us to Armor Wars. There was a time when Tony during the height of his alcoholism started running into villians powered by tech made by AIM, Hydra and one other organization that was basically based on Stark Tech, and by stark tech I mean Tony's Iron man Armor. Upon defeating a villian(it was either whiplash or titanium man I forget which and you know what google it, well maybe I will later and edit this post) Tony studying his armor was struck with grief because he realized all the pain caused by that villain was his fault(yes for like a year Tony stark had Peter Parker syndrome "it's all my fault god I have to fix it"). So Tony creates a virus or a device(I forget which it's been retold a few times since and  both have been used) that basically completely disables anything based on his tech. Which you know would be okay if  Tony hadn't of gone overboard. Any and EVERYTHING based on his tech his was taking out, so he took out the government guards at the vault, he took out super villians, he took out Heroes INCLUDING his good buddy War Machine AKA James Rhodes yes Roady is wearing stark tech(given to him by tony stark) and in his depressed/remorseful state not even his good friend is above his penance.

As for War Machine, they slightly jumped the gun in the telling of how James Rhodes becomes War machine. Because actually James Rhodes was Iron Man before he was War Machine, wait what James Rhodes was Iron Man. Yes a few times when tony was either sick, or unable to put the armor on himself James Rhodes his best friend and confidant would don the armor to either save Tony's butt, deflect suspicion away from Anthony Stark himself as being Iron man, or just come save the day when Tony was not available. There was an interesting occurrence where James Rhodes ran into the Mandarin while in the Iron Man armor and the Mandarin mentioned he always thought his Nemesis Tony Stark was the man under the helmet.

As for War machine I loved everything about how War Machine looked save the missing Missile launcher. Yes all that high tech that tony stark invents and War Machine really does look like a walking flying tank. With that huge Gattling gun on his shoulder, bullets flying from his wrists, yes the whole nine. If the two of them show up yes you know Iron man is going to kick you butt but war machine is the one who makes you wanna change your shorts. And yes armor wars(save Rhodes was fully war machine and tony took a few gattling and chain shots to the tuckus before he disabled his friends armor) did have tony fight against his friend in full armor. So the Two Tony vs Jim Rhodes armor fights were awesome.

This movie is full of hints to future Marvel projects, that I refuse to reveal here. The other Marvel Holy Grail metal is inferred but never mentioned by name, I guess that project has yet to be green lit. Pay close attention to the object tony uses to prop up his particle accelerator. If you see it and wonder whats so special look at the center again and the overall shape.

There are 3 avengers seen in Iron Man 2 and 3 hinted at, to see the third one you have to stay after the credits. For those wondering who the three are: War Machine, Iron man and Black Widow the red head from the trailer in the black suit. Granted that widow doesn't show as much cleavage as her comic book counter part, and her "accessories"/utility belt isn't silver but she is just as good a fighter. Technically widow is a russian Weapon Plus/nick fury super spy attempt. Depends on which timeline or telling you are talking about. She has been said to be highly trained in some and physically enhanced in others whether it be bionically, cybernetically, or "super serum". There are to my flawed memory 4 serums that have created super beings in marvel usually 1 shots save of course the green goblin formula because harry, Norman and one of the later goblin/hobgoblins have all gotten their hands on it. The super soldier serum that was given to cap, the centennial/whatever soldier serum given to fury, and whatever the russians injected into black widow. Because nick fury is actually older then captain america they both fought in WWII cap is still alive due to being frozen in ice fury due to his formula which slowed down the aging process in him and keeps him in pretty much top physical condition.

Now as for the villain(s) yes whiplash is an iron man villian, he does have those arc power "whips" and he did give Tony fits the first time they fought. But like Peter Parker for tony stark the first is the only free one. Because once you smack tony around the first time he goes back to the lab and cooks up an Armor especially made to beat the brakes off you. I wanna say it was nice to see the brief case armor, tony has life 4 of those. Like his DC counter part Tony Stark believes in being prepared, in the Movie it shows you 4 suits on display which are of course the four he wore in the last movie(for those who did not realize the suit from the iron monger fight was not the same as the suit from the tank fight) so yes you had the mark I, the Mark II(soon to become war machine), the Mark III(the first one to sport the Iron man Gold and Red) and the Mark IV. In actuality Tony and Bruce Collect suits like it's going out of style because they fight so many varied villains they never know what they are going to need. The only thing Jon hasn't delved into much is attachments. All the iron man(and even War Machine) suits are modular you can take off, add on and mix and match pieces if the armor you are wearing isn't fully prepared for the fight you are in. Granted this was only the second movie and as of yet tony really hadn't met anyone (before whiplash) who could at least stay in an extended fight with him. Now he has and of course he will be more prepared in the next movie. While Hammer may not in a sense be a "villain" in the sense that he never goes toe to toe with tony on the battlefield he does tend to supply some of tony's villains later in the story line. And yes the Hammeroids(hammer droids) are actual stark enemies too, but yes tony usually beats them up like he did in that fight scene in the trailer.

As for Nick Fury yes I like Samuel L as fury and I like the way he is playing fury: hard nosed, cocky, deceptive, bossy and while respected by some of the big kahunas of the marvel universe he also annoys the hell out of them. The Fury Stark interaction is perfect, Fury respects starks abilities hell most of the tech Fury uses for shield comes from Stark enterprises because it works period. He has known stark was IM for years(yes calls him shell head), has turned his head sometimes when tony has fallen off the wagon but has come to believe tony is a valuable hero. Doesn't stop him from steppin on his toes or spying on him from time to time. Tony respects what fury is and what he does he just can't stop the spoiled playboy in himself sometimes.  Tony stark does not make as many weapons as he used to but when he does, he makes them for one Colonel Nick Fury. The shield Helicarrier developed by stark industries, the weapons they use, some of their ships/air craft all stark designs.

Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are the founding members of a few Marvel Teams the first of course being the Defenders, the most memorable being the Avengers. Now as the Avengers movie is due out in either 2012 or 2014 I can't wait to see who else they introduce us to in the next few years.

Yes go see Iron Man 2, go see it a few times, because me and the baby bro are probably heading back this weekend.