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Microsoft just released a new software package for bloggers. Windows Live Writer is “a desktop application that makes it easier to compose compelling blog posts usingWindows Live Spaces or your current blog service.”

I am currently writing this post via Windows Live Writer and I find it to be very slick. The program is still in Beta, so I am sure there will be bugs that crop up here and there, but so far it’s working flawless.  Upon installation, it asked for my blog url, username and password, and it figured out the rest by itself. I am using WordPress for my blog backend, and WLW is compatible with various other blogging services and backends including WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, LiveJournal and others. Also it “supports RSD (Really Simple Discoverability), the Metaweblog API, and the Movable Type API.”

Some of the features of Windows Live Writer are:

• WYSIWYG Authoring
• Photo Publishing
• Map Publishing
• Writer SDK

All in all, it’s a very nicely done little blogging app. I intend to use it to post to my blog from now on, and with any other blogs I might setup in the future. Well done Microsoft!

Yes, i’m whoring eBay auction out on my blog. I have a huge 200+ item Star Wars figure set up on eBay now if your interested, check a peek.

It’s a shame that I have to let go of all of these, but it’s only about 1/2 my collection. Need to get some money in the bank and clear out some space in the closets for other junk.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110018990893 

Came across this clip on a website. I really hope that the Transformers movie will be good. I grew up watching it, Robotech, Starblazers, etc. Here’s to hopeing that Michael Bay doesn’t crap it up..

Here’s the clip that ran on Access Hollywood that shows some early unfinished animation of the Transformers. It looks like it will be cool. I mean, after seeing all those car transforming commercials, you know the Transformers will look amazing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fqmNduGgcy4

Yesterday, I saw Lady In The Water. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge M. Night Shyamalan fan. I own all his movies on DVD, including the “mockumentary” he made of himself. His stories captivate me on a level that other movies do not. His style of storytelling is absolutely brilliant to me, although he is usually mis-understood by most movie goers in my opinion.

Lady In The Water is yet another masterfully crafted tale, based on a simple idea. In his other films, such as Unbreakable, and Signs, he has taken a very basic human element and crafted them into films with a twist. He has not strayed from this with Lady In The Water. With Lady In The Water he took the basic outline of what makes a story a story, and crafted it into an actual movie. Many movie reviews fail to even see this. Yes, it’s based on a bedtime story. Yes, it seems to just be a slightly mythical “damsel in distress” picture. But I feel they are all missing the grander underlying point here. Shyamalan is making a movie about what makes a story, a story.

As always in his films, the cinematography is beautiful to behold, keeping your focus on certain aspects, but making you feel like you are in the body of the foreground blurred out character experiencing the scene as it plays out.

The performances of the actors in the film I thought were very genuine. None of them were overpowering, and they all felt like regular human beings, except maybe for the character “Reggie”, although he was a funny, and oddly quirky character.

I was very happy with this film, and it shall join my collection of DVDs once it comes out on shelves. If you like Shyamalan ’s films, definitely go see this while it’s still in the theater.

A couple days ago, the demo for Dead Rising went live on Xbox Live! Marketplace. The download was a fairly large one, but so, so worth it.

In Dead Rising you play a photojournalist named Frank. Frank is looking for a big scoop, and well, he found it. But what he doesn’t know is, he’s the scoop. A scoop of BRAINS that is. See, he’s dropped off at the local mall via helicopter because something is going on, and to find out what, Frank goes to investigate to find the story of a lifetime.. ZOMBIES!!!

The demo is just about the best thing since sliced bread for the 360 yet. You are dropped into a mall, filled to the brim with zombies. And you can use just about anything you find as a weapon. In the demo, I found the following: Scythe, Shotgun, Police baton, CDs, Bags of gems, skateboards, shopping carts, potted plants, baseball bats, bowling balls, a hidden Katana, a sledgehammer, store signs, chairs, benches, hunting knives, and even “meat” off other zombies. I’m sure I missed a few.

This is what zombie games are all about though. Running through a mall, with a sledgehammer in you hand, and swinging it to take out 5-6 zombies at a time, then turning to bring it down on the head of one sneaking up behind you to suck your sweet grey matter.

Although it is only a 15 minute time limited demo, you find yourself loading it up again and again, wanting to destroy more and more of those naughty brain munchers.

Frank is also armed with his trusty camera, to take pictures of the “problem” that has “risen up”. You can take pictures and score extra points for what you capture on frame. Wether it be just hoards of zombies, “erotica” points for taking shots of the hot hooker zombies, of extra points of outtakes where you take a picture of a zombie after you’ve just slapped a Lego head mask on it’s head. Seriously some funny stuff can be done with this.

The game comes out officially tomorrow, I can’t wait! Even though all I got was a small taste of brains the game, I want more! BRRRRAAAAAAIIIIINNNNNSSSS!!!!

Looks like the viral marketing campaigning for Halo 3 has started. Take a look at http://www.ifpv.com/. On the surface, it looks like nothing really. Just a blank webpage with a big graphic in the middle, like a company logo of some sort. Dig a bit deeper an you’ll uncover a bit more. From the Digg article: Here

“Weird webpage with seemingly no point. Check the page source and add /3.html to the end of the URL and check out that page as well.”

Well, I’ve re-done my blog. Again..

I think i’m at Version 4.0, but to be truthful, I have no idea.

I wanted to get this thing back up and running so I can finally record my thoughts and rants about whatever is going on inside my head. A general “Yeah, another blog!” site. If you read my entries and find them humorous or entertaining, then thank you for visiting. I will begin updating as much as possible.

As a preview of what I might talk about, here’a list of things I am interested in just to get a slight feel for what you might see here. I am a huge Star Wars geek, I’m into video games, PC and console, I love tech gadgets, movies, TV, books, etc…  So pretty much anything.  If I find something funny, I will post about it. If I have feelings on world news events, I will post about it. If I think what I have for dinner is interesting looking, and feel like the internets should see a picture of it, I will post about it.

All in all, you never know what you might find at g0nk.com.

Nothing to see here yet.. Move along… Move along…