Nexus 7

So I bought a Nexus 7.

Wait, let me back up. This isn't a blog about writing anymore.

Or reading. Or Anything.

I'm trying to finish my Bachelor's Degree, in the interest of doing so as quickly as possible I'm in a Communications program (lol). Class is easy, you pretty much get a degree if you pay your money, show up to class and can fog a glass. But one thing bothers me: note taking.

I like to hand write my notes during lectures and I like to copy them again by hand to study. The act of writing them (not typing) helps keep them in my head. But I don't like juggling notebooks, a laptop and textbooks.

So I bought a Nexus 7.

Let's back up again. I considered a Galaxy Note to replace my phone, because that S-Pen is sweet and it recognizes handwriting decently well. But since it costs approximately $700 trillion (or $350 trillion with a new contract) I decided I wanted something cheaper, and phablets are not typically cheap. With a $200 tablet, I would save money by buying digital textbooks and be ahead by the end of my next semester.

I looked into the Asus Memo Pad, but it seemed that the Nexus 7 2nd gen was a lot more for only a little more money. So I found one over Thanksgiving weekend for $190, and I must say, I'm impressed.

For note taking, I was using the free SuperNote Pro app from Asus until I discovered that it was only "free" in the sense that you needed to pay $50/year to write more than 20 notes per month. Yeah. Sure Asus. Sounds like a great deal.

For now I'm using Papyrus as an alternative, and it seems fine for my purposes. If I find anything free out there that's better I'll switch again.

I was also excited to use emulators with the Dual Shock 3 via bluetooth, so I needed to root it. I never rooted a device before so this guide from laptopmag.com was very useful. So was this. However, neither of them addressed getting proper drivers so it was a little annoying figuring that out. You can find them from Google here. Once I rooted, I got the Sixaxis app and it worked beautifully.

When I saw the prices of cases and stylii (styluses? I want to write styluses) I laughed. Then I found this case with a stylus on Amazon for $5. No, that price is not missing a zero. FIVE DOLLARS. And the case and Stylus both work great.

Maybe I'm just in the honeymoon period.

Writing, Spawn, and Scientology

Well, it's been a while.

I've been writing quite a bit, and I'm on track to hopefully self publish my sf novel, tentatively titled "Diplomat to the Abyss", some time in March. I've had the flu so I'm a little off schedule, but I should be able to make it up this week.

Anyway, I've recently made my way through the first six volumes of the Spawn Origins tpbs. I bought the first from Amazon for around $10, and the rest of the volumes I got for $5 a piece at a nearby comic show a few months ago. The story has highs and lows, but I love the art by McFarlane, and later Greg Capullo. Annoyingly, some of the best issues are missing from the collection, not just Neil Gaiman's Spawn #9 and issue #10 featuring Cerebus the Aardvark, but important miniseries: Gaiman's "Angela" and Alan Moore's "Violator" and "Blood Feud". I've been able to get everything but the last in single issue form (I even found all three issues of Angela for $1 each at a local shop totally unexpectedly). For the price at which I picked up the trades though, it's hard to complain. I know more complete hardcover editions exist, but I'm not sure if they contain the miniseries or just #9 and #10. Those two single issues cost me $10 between them, or the cost of two of the trades at a show. I think I've made out quite well.

The series is a lot of fun in general. If anything I wish it were more over the top and less...broody. Also, I can't make heads or tails of the "devil" Malebolgia's plans for Spawn, and I think it's because McFarlane didn't really think that far ahead. Their is a hilarious moment in which the Violator is punished by Malebolgia for doing something that made no sense, and I really think it's because McFarlane realized it made no sense, after it was already written. There are a few really great story moments by McFarlane as well, such as when Spawn severely punishes an abusive father in typical badass hero fashion then leaves thinking everything will be fine. The reader is shown that the violence escalated after he left and things got much worse. But Spawn never knows, and even arrogantly references the good he did in a later issue.

Still, the series is at its best when focusing on over the top action between Spawn and evil dudes, be they demons, cyborgs, or other Image characters. Say what you will about '90s comic character design, in this book, it works. Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to be unimpressed, but every two page spread depicting a fight between Spawn and some massive...thing...made me smile like a kid. I look forward to reading more of the series. The only thing holding me back is that I'm a cheapskate. (But another comic show's coming up soon!)

On the book side, I just devoured Lawrence Wright's "Going Clear". It's a fascinating investigation of Scientology. Even if you've read other books on the subject, such as the completely free-and also excellent- "A Piece of Blue Sky" available here, you'll want to read this book. L. Ron Hubbard's life and the story of his legacy, the "Church", is powerful, absorbing, shocking, and heartbreaking. After you've read it, go to Scientology's official site and watch their impeccably produced introductory video featuring young and attractive people happily pondering their meaning in the universe. Knowing what Scientology actually is, the effect is utterly chilling.

Well, I guess it's time for me to jump back into Lord of the Rings...man, I am bad at reading fantasy.

Lord of the Infinite Crisis

So.. this is where I will write about what I'm reading, or more generally what is on my mind.

I'm ashamed to admit that I've never read The Lord of the Rings, but I'm a few chapters in now. I'm not a fantasy reader, hence the delay. Nevertheless, it's very enjoyable, wish I'd given it a chance earlier.

I also started the Infinite Crisis Omnibus, a Christmas present from my wife. The book is monstrous.

Having only read the core series before, I'm looking forward to getting the full story this time. I'm a fan of Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle, and the countdown series that starts off the omnibus gives him star treatment. Of course, he does get killed...(not a spoiler, it's from 2005!)

More posts coming soon, hopefully!