MikeBerggren.com (4.1)

The latest comic series on my radar: “Who Is Jake...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:27:41 -0800

The latest comic series on my radar: “Who Is Jake Ellis?”

Speaking of things arriving later this year that I’m...

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:15:53 -0800

Speaking of things arriving later this year that I’m eagerly awaiting… Game of Thrones is out April 1!

March 6th is just around the corner folks… can’t...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:20:00 -0800

March 6th is just around the corner folks… can’t wait for Mass Effect 3!

30 Second Review - Action Comics Vol 2 #6

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:16:34 -0800

I just don’t get it. Action Comics Vol 2 has ALL of the separate pieces to make an amazing comic: arguably DC’s most famous superhero, a clean slate for story writing, and a veritable wonder team in the comic industry (Morrison, Kubert, and Dell). Yet it still doesn’t quite hit the mark.

I think ultimately, this series is experiencing an identity crisis of sorts. It seems like it feels the need (rightly so) to bring newcomers into the Superman experience. Conversely though, DC also wants to bring fresh material to the die-hard fans. Which leaves the comic in an awkward place of trying to please both worlds. The resulting story is a bit of a mess covering a variety of flashbacks and (*sigh*) a time bubble.

Yup, that’s right. Time bubble.

Sorry die-hard Superman fans, I’m probably being a little too harsh. If so, I sincerely apologize. I just want more than this. What specifically? Well for starters, I want deeper character development. Show me the flaws of Supe’s seemingly perfect character.

Oh well. Perhaps that’s all yet to come. We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I won’t be holding my breath.

Final Verdict: C+

I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for Batman Arkham...

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:48:00 -0800

I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for Batman Arkham City again and it’s absolutely stunning. In many ways it reminds me of Jespyr Kid’s work for Assassin’s Creed — haunting… sad… and yet with persistent elements of strength and honor.

Bravo.

Loving this mix from Wolfgang Gartner.

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:34:34 -0800

Loving this mix from Wolfgang Gartner.

I’m about 4 years behind the times but I FINALLY got...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:18:00 -0800

I’m about 4 years behind the times but I FINALLY got around to watching Quantum of Solace. It’s definitely one of the better Bond films. I especially liked the end credit theme. Very ominous and foreboding.

30 Second Review - Justice League Volume 2 Issue #5

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:30:52 -0800

I can’t help but feel underwhelmed by Justice League Volume 2 Issue 5. It’s a shame too because the artwork is absolutely beautiful and the overarching story has some great promise. In the end though, what kills the experience for me is the cheesy conversations.

Without going into too much detail, the main character dialogue comes off sounding superficial and contrived. The result is an experience that is FAR too close to that of a Saturday morning children’s cartoon — hit-or-miss humor mixed with action.

All that being said, there is a strong potential here and I’ll most likely continue subscribing. It just won’t be at the top of my “must read” list any time soon.

FINAL VERDICT: B-

Ah yes, the Sriracha food pyramid. It’s funny because...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:03:17 -0800

Ah yes, the Sriracha food pyramid. It’s funny because it’s true. So very very true. Thanks to @JustineSnow for the picture.

Sh*t Entrepreneurs Say Thanks to @mattsn0w for the link.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:10:00 -0800

Sh*t Entrepreneurs Say

Thanks to @mattsn0w for the link.

“Feed Me”. Strange name for a techno artist but...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:34:00 -0800

“Feed Me”. Strange name for a techno artist but stunningly delicious music nonetheless. Loving the crunchy synth on this one.

I don’t know why I like this song, but I do.

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:32:37 -0800

I don’t know why I like this song, but I do.

Wow. This Ernesto Nazareth piece is absolutely amazing. I love...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:59:33 -0800

Wow. This Ernesto Nazareth piece is absolutely amazing. I love the chord progression and seemingly effortless delivery.

Use netcat to check udp port status

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:02:12 -0800

Damn you, Windows. You’ve conditioned me to use telnet for network connectivity checks instead of superior tools like netcat (which supports UDP ports).

I nearly forgot this one so I thought I’d write it down:

nc -vzu

-v enables verbose mode for easier feedback.
-z scans for listening daemons without sending any data to them.
-u uses UDP instead of TCP.

‘Nuff said.

Thirty Second Review: Batman Vol 2 Issue 5

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:43:37 -0800

I’m conflicted. There’s a lot to like about issue 5 of Batman. It continues a fantastic story arch exploring the mysterious Court of Owls and along the way, there is some truly creative artwork.

But…

I still have the same grievances that I had with the preceding 4 issues: story progression is reaaaaalllly slow. So much in fact, that I’m tempted to advise new readers to wait for the inevitable trade paperback to come out.

Final Verdict: B+

DAYUM. I’m loving Madeon’s new track...

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:28:00 -0800

DAYUM. I’m loving Madeon’s new track “Icarus” which is FINALLY getting air time! Here’s the full version (with a couple annoying promotional plugs in the middle).

A Day (Almost) Without Technology

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:48:28 -0800

As regular readers of my blog may or may not recall, one of my resolutions for the new year is to find ways to disconnect from technology on a regular basis. Today, my wife and I decided to try this and the results were intriguing.

To start things off, we established some mutual ground rules and agreed to keep each other in check. These rules included things like:

No television (not even as background noise).
No video games.
No computer activity (unless absolutely required by work emergencies).
No use of smartphone apps or email checking.
No use of e-readers
No use of digital cameras.
No use of portable music players.

We also agreed on a “blackout time” from 10:30 AM - 7:00 PM. A paltry 8.5 hours which should be easy enough for anyone right? Hmm, perhaps. What follows are some basic notes I wrote down in a journal throughout the experience.

**Warning. Most of this is incredibly obvious stuff. Prepare to be underwhelmed.**

———-

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Started the morning off with some light reading and tea. Quite possibly a perfect moment. We’re both initially quite enthusiastic about being “detached” from technology and the subtle stress that can sometimes accompany it. I find myself conversing a bit more than usual — no doubt a result from NOT having my head buried in some gadget.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
More reading. I’m noticing now that the house it a bit more quiet… no TV playing in the background… no music either. It feels like concentration has improved.

12:30 PM
Catch myself just about to go online to do a few miscellaneous tasks (check library book status, check/pay utility bills, etc). I’m experiencing some annoyance at not having immediate access to this information WITHOUT going online. That’s my fault though… need to keep better paper records.

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Go out for an early lunch with the wife (deli sandwiches) with coffee. All the while, I’m resisting the urge to check-in everywhere with FourSquare and broadcast mundane thoughts on twitter. Hard to describe… it’s almost like random intervals of boredom?

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Andrea and I go for a walk near the beach. The waves and overcast clouds look amazing and we both are resisting the urge to break out rules, get our cameras and take pictures.

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Miscellaneous shopping tasks. Along the way, I catch myself several times almost using apps on my phone to make things more convenient (GPS navigation, Google, retrieve lists, etc).

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Complete various tasks around the house. This includes some small maintenance items that we have been intended to do for the last couple months.

——-

So after all is said and done, what did I take away from the experience?

“Disconnecting” is far easier than I thought it would be.
I’m not as dependent on video games, TV, movies or music as I originally thought.
I seem to miss technology (particularly social media tools) the most when I’m out and about.

Where do I go from here? I plan to have LEAST one “disconnect day” a month; maybe more as time permits. I think everyone should do this too (if you aren’t already).

New to the playlist: a string quartet arrangement of Green...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:00:00 -0800

New to the playlist: a string quartet arrangement of Green Day’s “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”.

There’s ALWAYS time for more techno.

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:26:00 -0800

There’s ALWAYS time for more techno.

Here’s a GREAT summary of Protect-IP and how it threatens...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:03:03 -0800

Here’s a GREAT summary of Protect-IP and how it threatens the Internet as we know it. Please watch and share.