Video games, accessories, gaming systems, DVDs, books, and waterless carwash products.
 
 

Archive for January, 2009

01/31/2009  4:31:26 PM

What are Waterless Carwash Products?

64 oz. DWG Classic Waterless CarwashWaterless Carwash Products are a combination of car wash, polish, and protective glaze which is applied directly to a dirty surface without the use of water.  It contains no waxes, nor is it simply a polish.

Waxes do a good job of “protecting” but often leave the paint dull.  Polishes are great at removing minor stains and blemishes, and are much more capable of rejuvenating dull paint.  But polishes often are abrasive, and provide very little protection on the paint surface.  Paint sealants protect very well, but cannot clean or polish — a vehicle’s paint must be virtually pristine before these sealants can be applied.

Waterless carwash products combines the best features of waxes, polishes, and paint sealants without any of the drawbacks.

Edgar SawtelleThe Story of Edgar Sawtelle was written by David Wroblewski.  David Wroblewski was born in 1959 in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee.  When he was 3 years old, his parents bought a small farm in rural central Wisconsin.  Within two years, they sold their livestock and shut down the farm.  With an unused barn at her disposal, his mother began to raise dogs.  David spent a good part of his childhood doing odd jobs around the kennel and honing his puppy-wrangling skills.  In time, the barn and the land became the setting for The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

In high school, David won a statewide arts competition with a short story about a pack of wolves.   He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in computer science.  He is a software developer, an active black-and-white landscape photographer and holds a creative writing degree from the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is his first novel.  It became a  New York Times Best Seller on June 29, 2008.  Oprah Winfrey chose it for her Book Club on September 19, 2008. 

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a retelling of  Shakespeare’s Hamlet in rural Wisconsin.  The titular character is a mute boy who, after his father is killed, runs away from but then returns to his usurped home, hoping to prove his suspicions that his uncle murdered his father.
 

Step BrothersStep Brothers is a  2008 slapstick buddy-comedy film starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.  The screenplay was written by Ferrel, Reilly, and Director Adam McRay.  The film has been rated R for “crude and sexual content, and pervasive language.” 

Brennan Huff (Ferrell) is a sporadically unemployed thirty-nine-year-old who lives with his divorcee mother, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen).  Dale Doback (Reilly) is a terminally unemployed forty-year-old who lives with his widower father, Robert (Richard Jenkins).  When Robert and Nancy get married and move in together, Brennan and Dale are forced to live with each other as step brothers.  They immediately don’t like each other.  Dale immediately warns Brennan not to play with his drum set, which he does.  There would be consequences.

The DVD movie was funny and it was rated accordingly.  There was definitely a lot of crude and sexual content and pervasive language.  I think some of it was unnecessary, though.  I would give it three stars.  

wiimariokart-america-co.jpg

 Games that require speed and dexterity will always be popular.  Just look at the Wii Mario Kart developed by Nintendo Entertainment and Analysis Development or Nintendo EAD and made for the Wii console. This racing game is already the sixth in the Mario Kart series but still commands an impressive following – meaning its fans are far from being bored or uninspired by it.  Its ability to support up to twelve players online, besides having motorbikes, makes it slightly superior to its predecessor, the Mario Kart DS.

The Wii Mario Kart enjoyed a winning worldwide release in April 2008. On its first day alone, 300,000 copies were sold in Japan.  Less than a month later, it registered sales of more than a million copies in both the USA and Japan, besides gaining respectable patronage and positive reviews in many other countries.  This game has single, multiplayer and online multiplayer options, giving players more choices, as well as opportunities to compete with other fans of the game.  Each game also comes with the Wii Wheel, an accessory that works in harmony with the Wii Remote for enhanced navigation.

dvds-america-co.jpgAfter their theater run, movies are next released in DVDs.  DVDs or digital video/versatile discs are popular storage devices that can hold sizeable amounts of data, particularly the high resolution audio-visual type.  Many people like to own DVD versions of their favorite movies because the image and sound quality are quite close to what comes out on the big screen, plus they can watch and enjoy the film over and over again.  Another terrific feature of DVDs is the add-ons like extra movie footages and cast interviews that are almost never seen in theater showings.

Movie studios have conflicting views regarding the release of films on DVD.  Some favor a faster production and circulation than the current set-up, and maintain that the DVD version should be released while the film is still being shown in theaters.  Such a move, they say, will reduce piracy.  Other movie executives on the other hand, staunchly stand by the screening of films in theaters first before the release of DVDs.  They believe big screen viewings provide richer, more entertaining experiences and are therefore meant to be enjoyed.

DWG Buffing TowelUnder normal circumstances, you cannot burn your car’s paint with the buffer when using waterless carwash product.  However, nothing is impossible but you have to try very hard to burn your car’s paint with the buffer when using waterless carwash products.  The surface simply becomes too slippery and smooth to create the necessary friction (and heat) which causes paint burn.

An orbital or a variable-speed buffer at 1,500 RPM or less will do the job.  Do Not Buff With The Edge Of The Pad - use the entire pad surface whenever possible.  Operate the buffer using unhurried, overlapping circular motions while maintaining firm downward pressure.

Before attempting to use waterless carwash products with a high-speed buffer, you should be experienced in the usage of a buffer and the differences in paint types with regards to buffer use.

Prince of PersiaIn the video game Prince of Persia, the game is non-linear and you are given the opportunity to explore any part of the world at any time you want to.   In this strange land, the Prince must use all of his skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman’s corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light.

Also, history’s greatest ally is revealed in the form of Elika, a dynamic companion who joins the Prince in his fight to save the world.   Gifted with magical powers, she interacts with you in combat, acrobatics and puzzle-solving, enabling the Prince to reach new heights of deadly high-flying artistry through special duo acrobatic moves or devastating fighting combo attacks.

In addition, she saves the Prince from death while in combat or exploring the world.  The Prince cannot “die” in this game, as Elika will save him from any danger and bring him back to the last safe point of the game.

There are four main combat options:  there is a sword attack, which is where the Prince uses his sword to attack enemies; a gauntlet attack, by which he lifts and throws enemies; a magic attack, by which Elika uses her magic to damage enemies; and an acrobatic attack, which is useful for switching places with the enemy, and performing combat feats in tandem with Elika.  All of these four combat options can be linked together to perform combos which do variably more damage to enemies.

01/14/2009  7:38:28 PM

William P. Young: “The Shack”

The ShackThe book The Shack was written by William P. Young.  He is a Canadian author.  Since Young was unable to find a publisher to publish his novel, Young published the book himself in 2007; word-of-mouth referrals eventually drove the book to number one on the New York Times trade paperback fiction best-seller list in June 2008.

The Shack is a Christian novel.  Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness.  Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.  Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare.  What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. 

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant “The Shack” wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?”  The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.  

Disgaea 3 Absence of JusticeThe video game Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice takes place in a Netherworld school called the Maritsu Evil Academy.  In this demon school, a good student is one who engages in delinquent activities such as ditching classes, or not doing homework.  The student who participates the most in these kind of activities is known as the Honor Student, while demons who arrive to class early and do their homework are known as delinquents. 

Mao, son of the chairman, has not once attended class since the beginning of school.  His ambition is to overthrow his father, who also happens to be an Overlord, and take his title.  After reading a few volumes in his manga, Mao comes to the conclusion that “heroes are the ones who defeat devils”.  From that point on, Mao resolves to become a hero, convinced it will help him achieve his goal.  While he is overly enthusiastic about his ruthlessness and lack of morals, it turns out he may have a compansionate heart afterall.

Disgaea 3 is a Tactical Role Playing Game.  Most of the game involves battles on square-grid maps where the player moves their characters to destroy all the enemy characters.

The bonus maps and characters cannot be accessed until the final boss is defeated, at which point an epilogue chapter opens, where the player may choose to continue to the extra maps, or to replay the entire game with stronger characters as in previous titles.

16 oz DWG Ultra-ion Waterless Carwash w/o pumpThe frequent use of waterless carwash product is not harmful to the paint.  Waterless carwash product can be applied daily without harming the painted surfaces.  The product works only as hard as necesssary.

On paint in excellent condition, it cleans as gently as water.  On oxided paint, waterless carwash product cuts through the layers of oxidation each time it is used. 

The more waterless carwash product with exclusive formula PolyGuard-3 is used, the more brillant and smooth the surface becomes, and even more resistant to the elements.