Cold, Dry Season

So, I haven't been on here or said anything lately, so if you've been trying to contact me thru online means, sorry.  Use my email please.  I haven't been shooting (my camera) lately, so nothing has gone up on the photo blogs either.  Oh well. I'll have  plenty of shots to put up on my Picasa Web Album from my upcoming trip to Tennessee beginning of next month.

In the time between my posts, I have bought a[nother] PSP, and I think my heart has warmed up towards it again.  Got an 8gig card in it, so I have plenty movies and music on it.  And, I have been buying gifts on eBay lately, so hopefully they'll come in this week...they better.  I have yet to see The Day the Earth Stood Still, but I have the TS file for it....but'll wait to see it in theaters first.

~Also got The Dark Knight in 1080p HD~

Our 5 monthiversary is this Wednesday! Nearly half a year and it feels like longer. Not in a bad way, but in a way that we've had so many great times already, you'd think we've been together longer. And like I said, we'll be taking a trip out to Tennessee this January, for which I am greatly anticipating. :)

My family's Christmas party is coming up this weekend, 4 days earlier than we always used to have it.  I'm really excited because it'll be our first Christmas together.  I love that woman with all of my heart, and look forward to sharing many more Christmases with her.

Blackjack.

So, I turned 21 on Saturday the 15th.  Nearly bought my own birthday cake on the 16th, instead I picked up a pecan pie, and had my little bday "party" later that nite.  Coincidentally, the next picture I took with my Alpha was numbered 2121.

I didn't get anything I needed for my birthday.  I wanted to get what I needed. Nope. Too much to ask for, for a 21st birthday.  I could really use a Norelco shaver, as opposed to my Remington.  As far as I'm concerned, Remington should stick to what they're good at: Guns.  Speaking of, I wanted to get a nice SW1911 or MKIV Colt for my birthday, lol. Yeah, okay Ryan.

Post-Apoc

This is one of the first views you see when you leave Vault 101.

A super mutant behemoth, throwback to Resident Evil and Gears of War. This shot taken before I nuked him.

You can "wait" or sleep to change the time at anytime during the game, up to 24hrs...similar to FarCry 2.

a cool menu that rotates between retro film slides.

Fallout 3, a very interesting game, which takes place in post-apocalyptic America grabbed my attention with the first hour of gameplay.  There is so much put into this game that your curiosity my never be filled, even upon completion of it.

It reminds me of Gears of War + Half-Life 2 combined.  The graphics are pretty swell, no where near as much of a cpu-hog as Crysis, or even FarCry 2.

In fact, I was pulling a steady 30fps (outdoors) with Ultra Specs, @1680x1050, and indoors at a fluid 60fps.  Very nice indeed.  

PS:These last three games I bought; FarCry 2, Brothers in Arms: HH, & Fallout 3; have worked pretty awesome (and automatically) with the Xbox 360 Controller.  Nothing like having an awesome comp and playing it like a 360 with wireless controllers, 5.1 sound, and HD visuals, all with free online multiplayer.  Taste it.

FarCry2 Gameplay Update

So, I've been playing it since yesterday, and probably totaled over 5 hours so far. Get this; I've only progressed to 8%.  I must say I am surprised how the tech evolved since Crysis. 

I've seen very minimal loading screens; basically only when I load a checkpoint or take the bus...yes, you can take the bus to different stops on the map...it's ridiculous.

I think I've just spent hours exploring everything and messin' with militia just to have them pissed off and chasing after me, ultimately ending up in me blowing them back [to hell].  This kind of expansive(ness) and interactivity, along with spontaniety reminds me of GTA, I must say.

The game basically has you do a bunch of "jobs" or hits, and thru this you earn connections and reputation, or lose it.  Rough diamonds are the currency medium in the game, which are hidden all over the map in suitcases. (Over 225 cases to find)  There's a gun shop (where you buy arms, thru a computer)

Oh, and burning things is not only the best backup option, but also the worst.  You're in Africa. Everything is dry.  You are low on ammo, so you bust out the rustbucket flamethrower and torch a line of fire between your enemies and you....but end up backing up against a rockwall and the flames close in on you (and your enemies, in both directions).  So it's a great gun when you actually plan on using it instead of using it out of desperation.  Flame on!

This game is great. It incorporates excellent CG graphics and gameplay plus a little Cabela's hunting in Africa. Can it get better?

Yes, that's a gorgeous, fast little dune buggy. Thing friggin' rocks.

the outskirts of the map are blistering dunes, of which you can die of heat exhaustion. lovely.

one huge seamlessly expansive map. incredible.

Specular, HDR, and "God" Ray Lighting are all standard and actually require less than Crysis, so it'll play and look better without eating up your computer.  (Even though I believe the CryEngine 2 is way better than FarCry 2's "Dunia" engine.

Far Cry 2, is finally [legally] here!

I'm enjoying figuring this game out.  Excellent graphics right out of the box.

-Seems like it's completely unrelated to the first one, btw-

I got the Gamestop (holla!) Pre-Order Edition, which includes "over" 3 hours of extra gameplay, and a map of the African world of Far Cry 2.

Running it smoothly and effectively at:

1680 x 1050

Vsync

Very High Settings

DirectX 10

*and to think, I actually considered buying two new graphics cards for this game*

(And no, it is not more of a graphics hog than Crysis)

Neu Yorkshire Citadel

Went to NYC with my wonderful sweetness and spent the whole day and night there.  Had a great time. [end]

Zero'ed In

A nice NcSTAR 3-9x40mm sniper scope will fit well with my incoming Type96...

-Adjustable magnification (3x-9x)

- Rubberized durable skin

10/24/08 UPDATE : The scope and Type96 work impressively well. Excellent craftsmanship and durability.  good deal.

S&W1911-a-like

That's the original Wilson Combat slide on it, that I sprayed today. I like.  Reminds me of the SW1911.  But now I'm considering spraying the frame as well...a "bit" more complicated.

Caspian Diplomacy

That's what happened to the Wilson Combat Colt after it broke; I fitted this slick Caspian slide to it and voila!

In The Eyes of the Beholder

(taken with the Sony T500)

i had yet another moment.

The Think Green Campaign

I had a moment. 

Disgustingly Disgusting.

WE Colt MK IV 

-SERIES 80-

So tonight, I came home, and my neighbor intercepted me saying that she had a couple packages come in today.  (oh yeah!) It's always an awesome feeling when you get a package, especially a box, in the mail.  Well, I got two tonight, two yesterday, one on wednesday, and one on monday, and I have one coming in either tomorrow or Monday, so this is one of those "I feel so special, I must be spoiled" weeks, which never happens.

Anyway, tonight was the Evike.com order.  The guns.  I had ordered a Wilson Combat CQB Elite Colt, but after reading reviews, decided to cancel it.  Instead, I had bought the solid competition gun, the Colt Mk.IV plus some green gas. Au contraire, evike I suppose, made a "slight" mistake like I thought (hoped) they would.....and sent me both guns plus the gas.  I was delighted to say the least. :D

I proceeded to open the package No.1 and found the Wilson Combat Colt, and instantly was dissapointed they had sent me the "wrong" one, assuming the other box was the gas. Nope; they also threw in a UTG soft pistol case, in which I can fit all of my 4 [hi-power] pistols in. (It also perfectly fits my 6 magazines for the guns.  Impressed, but not surprised, I was.

WE Wilson Combat Colt

-CQB ELITE-

Loading the WCC, however, was quite impractical for the field, but doable if no rush needed.  the inner cavity for the gas reciever on the bottom of the mag was deep, so WC provided an extension piece to place between the gas bottle nozzle and the mag's gas reciever.  And, it's a small easily lost piece if not careful, so I have to make sure to find a good spot for it, and fill the mags before going out.  

The Wilson Combat CQB Colt is absolutely gorgeous (yeah, I know I said it) and is a very solid and fast-firing gun.  Here is what I observed so far: 

-Blowback is strong

-Accuracy is unarguable 

-tactical 3-dot sights

-laser/light rail integrated into the frame

-two 15-round mags included

-sounds, feels, looks amazing with engraved "Wilson Combat" and "CQB Elite" on either side of the slide

-tactical slide grips on front

-excellent balanced weight

-good power

-unacceptable price - (even though I didn't have to pay for it) $150

--2.5/5 stars so far, because internal parts broke and that shouldn't happen with a 150 dollar gun :(

So the Wilson broke, but I already had ordered a new slide before it did, and got to slip it on and she shoots perfectly and looks even better now. problem solved.

Peace.

Introducing, The AlphaScope

This beauty is a little something I picked up on Amazon.com recently.  It came with a 2x converter, so whatever zoom (mm) I put in, it will multiply by a factor of 2.

a Phoenix 650-1300mm MF Super telephoto lens.

with the 2X converter, 1300-2600mm. :)

I'm taking it out for a test run tomorrow, since I just opened it and figured out how to bypass the shutter lock tonite.  The moon wasn't out, so I really didn't have anything to do with it tonite.

It has a T mount, so I had them throw in a Sony/Minolta "A" mount adapter, and things come together harmoniously. :)

My Alpha is so spoiled.

Never Fails

On my way to college, I see an Audi A8 in Lincroft, no matter what time it is...I always see one, and decided to catch it this time.  Don't ask how, I just do, and they aren't exactly your popular Civic or Accord.  Great car, no doubt, but there's always one roaming around the area of the campus.  Never fails.

Awaiting Arrival.

So, I'm waiting for the release of the new Sony T500 slim 10.1MP camera, which arrives on or around October 1st, this year.  Why not wait for the T700?  Same specs, except the T500 incorporates 720p HD video recording with Dolby Stereo as well, in which I am very pleased.

I needed an upgrade to my T5, something with more power and features, yet with the same great Zeiss macro lens, and here it is.

"This 10MP ultra-compact camera with a 3.5" touch panel LCD and 5x optical zoom can create 720p HD movie clips at 30fps. It also features a dual photo and video capture mode which lets one take still images while recording a video, with no interruption. Other features include Face Detection and optical Image stabilization." -DPReview.com

Update - Oct 1st - I bought it yesterday, in black, should be here either by Saturday or Monday.

Crysis WARHEAD

The sequel to the Game of the Year 2007 and the (in my opinion) best FPS to date.  For me, this sequel just...appeared without warning, and I was surprised at how quite the debut day was.  And then, there was the pricetag.  I put 5 bucks down to reserve it and the total came out to $30, which is, to say the least, underpriced for a game of this "caliber".  Delighted, I was.

100% Intstalled, as of now.  I'll post later with gameplay pix, and reviews on how I percieve it to be, to see if it lives up to it's predecessor.

...Instinct.

As the cliche goes, "go with your first instinct", I believe I may finally go with it this time.  All my life I've had so many instances where I regretted neglecting my first instinct.

My instinct and mind are independent things.

There are two instances with countereffects between Fruition and Failure:

Instinct>>>>Complementary Action = Fruition

Instinct>>>>Thought Process>>>>Delay/Doubt>>>>No Action/Clouded Reaction = Possible Failure

It's simple to look and see on paper that the first option is generally the best, but when faced with real-life situations, applying this concept becomes more difficult than one would think.

Out on a limb, with faith, and God guiding me; that is where He wants me.  Full trust.  And I believe, that first instinct comes from God, and all that follow are from your clouded consciousness.

Throwback.

http://xfphotography.blogspot.com/

go there. now.

But before you do, chill for a while and allow me to entertain you with some of my fun films from college.  they're all basically PG, with the exception of one brief PG-13 scene in "Unkut".

A New Beginning.

Well, I finally bought my first SLR. A Sony Alpha (a300k) and took some shots today(nite) and had some novice fun. :) Maybe I'll stick with it, maybe I'll go for the 14MP A350 or Canon's 450D XSi, cannot make that decision yet.

I bought the 300mm Sony lens while I was there, and got it for a steal. Also picked up the ultrafast Sandisk Extreme III 4GB CF card, heard it was the best, so I gave it a whirl.

This'll be fun to figure out. So, I took 101 pix tonite, messin' 'round with everything before I read the manual. :P

This could be a good thing. Hopefully, I can sell my prints.

I was quite pleased with the moon shots I can get now. :) Zoom is good.

Back to Skools..

Today, I start my 3rd semester a mi colegio. So, this should be "nice", considering it's thursday and i have no class till monday after today. wa-hoodles.

-sorry for not posting since, what, July?, I was...busy, lol-

In other news, this past Saturday, the big music event- Revelation Generation- happened...and I was there, along with my wonderful nueva familia.

Newsboys

Maximus.

Maximus

I had this "great" idea on my time off, and decided to do another "knock-off" photo. Well, I can't say my results are perfect, but they were satisfying. I had to custom-design the font, because there was no way I was paying 25 bucks just for the original font. So, I made my own. :]


I never saw the film Scarface, but that infamous front cover is something I couldn't forget.

Scarface

The Incredible Hulk

Edward Norton definitely seemed to pull it off better than the previous Hulk's Eric Bana, from the critically demolished Hulk of 2003. But, just like the last Hulk, this one left us hanging (by a moment) and it left me thinking, "Not again!"

Excellent cinematography, and the CG was better this time around. It was missing Jennifer Connelly, that's for sure, but overall, the film was composed quite well. With the same cameos including Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno, plus at the end an added bonus, which you will find out.

By the way, there's no after-credits scene, I made sure.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content

Got it on DVD.

7.2/10

Hancock

Hancock (7/02/08)

Hmm. Not the typical Will Smith movie, but it certainly has his full-effect true Smith character in it. I certainly enjoyed it though, even though the story seemed somewhat repetative, and it was slightly short running just over 1.5 hours.

It was certainly a great day off to see it though, with my buddy (Update: my woman as of July 17th) out here in Jersey. There are some great films out in theaters now.

Surprise, Charlize Theron!

She's all like SHAZAAM!

yeah, it upped my rating. ;)

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language

6.5/10

PreRelease Commentary 4

Leatherheads, starring George Clooney and Renee Zellweger kicks off as a classic comedy about the early forms of pro football. Mixed with the quick wittiness of Clooney and the equally sly Zellweger, Leatherheads boasts loads of laughter and eyebrow-raising talent.

George Clooney is the man. I mean, this guy has the sly-est talent and witty humor that carries on to every film he makes. And yes, Clooney directed this one, and even if you didn't know that, if you're familiar with Clooney, you'll know anyway. Like Clint Eastwood, who acted then directed as well, George has definitely hit the bullseye with this film. It's entirely enjoyable to watch and laugh with.

I screened this just tonite, after watching part of August and completely choosing this over it, since the movie was going nowhere. The only thing August had was Josh Hartnett, big deal. I've seen it before, where they make some story then stick one or two big timers in it to sell it, but if the story sucks, then it looks bad on the actors/actresses rep. Nope, everything stayed the same with Hartnett. All I can think of is Pearl Harbor. Nuff said.

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

7.9/10

Autography

Copyright, lol, by Ryan Maximus Corneliusen. 2008

The Happening

M. Night Shyamalan's mind just totally "jukes" mine whenever I watch a film of his.

The Happening, came out in theaters this past Friday (the 13th). I screened it just tonight, and for an 80min (91 total) film, it felt more like a 110min film because of the interest it sparked in me.

The film starts off with an especially disturbing/sparking event that instantly grabs your attention, Ten Hut!, and now you need to see the rest. It kept me on the edge of my seat, it reminded me of the film, The Core. It was easy to watch this with the slick Mark Whalberg as main role; he definitely took charge, but also displayed a softer sounding side as opposed to the "sharp" Shooter.

Basically, without revealing too much, people start acting weird, I mean really weird, and then do even weirder things, and all because of the "wind" that spreads across the northeast.....e.g. My area, PA, NJ, & NY. This is the second film in the past few days I've viewed that takes place in my tri-state area.

Rated R for violent & disturbing images.

very disturbing images.

7.2/10

PreRelease Commentary 3

Drillbit Taylor. A Sandlot-ish comedy with Owen Wilson where high school freshmen hire a homeless desperate bodyguard [Wilson] to protect them from a psychotic bully who is seemingly above the law.

Fresh after watching Be Kind Rewind, I was in the B-rated-movie-mode, so I was all warmed up for this one. It's surprising, and has it's relatable funny moments, with Wilson and his typical performance and devilish good looks. (he inherited my advice, I see ;)

There are definitely engaging parts in the film where you'll be gripping your seat, sensing the way it seems it used to be, having flashbacks being in that position. Beware. I never had a bully, except the whole school on my back, but no one that stood out entirely, but it did make me revisit my high school days. Didn't like that.

That uneasy feeling will come up alot in this movie...even if you watch it alone.

PG-13 for language, crude humor, and crude slanguage.

6.5/10