Venture Bros., I Already Miss You

Playing around with Rainmeter, Customize.org, and generally missing Venture Bros. has led to a pretty cute desktop. Behold.

I could honestly be doing something more constructive, but why?

If you're still sleep, catch up with the show from the beginning on Adult Swim at 8:00 p.m. (central time) on Sundays.

Donald Glover

That's all.

My First Computer Build

Yeah, I've swapped parts or been minimally involved in other computer builds, but this is my first, and it was successful!

My old HP m8200n Media Center PC was dying, and I figured I'd spend money starting over rather than spending money to upgrade. So, for less than $500 (much less after I send these rebates in), I have a nice quad core system with nice graphics and good amounts of space all because I spent a few hours not being lazy.

THE PARTS - I've provided links, but prices have mostly gone up since the holiday. They're still pretty good, though, and Newegg's shipping is fast.

Power Supply, OCZ Falat1ty 550W Modular - I guess I could've gone with more power, but I checked my needs against the parts I purchased, and this is more than enough. I'm happy that I got a modular model (one that has removable connections, so you can use only the cords you need) because the cord situation got a little crazy. It's also 80 PLUS certified and is ATX12V compatible, which is good since these features maximize energy efficiency and output.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022

CPU, AMD Phenom II x 4 955 Black Edition - So far I haven't really done anything labor intensive, but even with rudimentary tasks I can tell the difference from my old Athlon dual-core processor. I could've gone with an Intel, but for the extra money it just wasn't worth it for me.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808

Motherboard, Asus M4A88TD-V EVO/USB 3 - Nice motherboard for a cheapskate who wants to skip an extra graphics card but have HD capabilities. For my old system, I bought an Nvidia 8600 GT to get dual monitor capabilities, but there's no need with this MOBO. I currently have my flat panel monitor and LCD television hooked up and it's just fine. (There's a VGA, DVI, and HDMI out; the last is awesome since you don't have to have a separate cord for audio if you use it.)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131646

Memory, G. Skill 4 GB DDR 1333 Dual Channel - It was well priced and highly rated. So far, so good. Since I'm finally using 64-bit architecture, I'll probably add additional memory at some point.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231179

Case, Rosewill Destroyer ATX Tower - This was probably my biggest deal. This thing is huge and roomy and has three fans, located so that your system stays cool. I had absolutely no problem building inside this thing. Best of all, it was $39.99 when I bought it. Love it!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147144

I finished it off with an LG DVD player and a Seagate 1 TB hard drive. Unfortunately, the Western Digital Caviar Black I bought arrived dead, so I had to run out to the Tiger Direct to grab one.

The 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional I used was super cheap since I'm a student (see http://www.microsoft.com/student/en/us/software/windows/default.aspx for details. You just need an e-mail address ending in .edu.)

So yeah, I'm pleased as punch right now.

Top Five Halloween Viewing

My favorite holiday of the year is a-coming, which provides a perfect excuse to make yet another list of horror movies that I enjoy. In addition to the old stand-bys, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween, there are hundreds of other films fit to make you laugh, cry or puke. Why not let them entertain you?

Top Five Horror Films (in no particular order)

TO MAKE YOU LAUGH

1. Army of Darkness

2. Night of the Creeps

3. Black Sheep

4. Tales of Terror

5. Werewolf

TO GENUINELY CREEP YOU OUT

1. The Exorcist

2. The Thing

3. The Birds

4. The Ring

5. Nosferatu (1922)

TO MAKE YOU SAY, "WHAT THE FUCK?"

1. Videodrome

2. The Beyond

3. Phantasm

4. Sisters

5. Tenebrae

Isaach de Bankole

Other than being fantastically talented and a mathematician on the low, he is absolutely, undoubtedly, most positively the most gorgeous actor working today.

My favorite performances of his can be viewed in Chocolat (not the Juliette Binoche/Johnny Depp vehicle but the 1988 film), Ghost Dog, and The Limits of Control.

Curvy Kate & DimitySO Review

So, I did a post a minute ago about the shortcomings of the retail lingerie market here in America ... or something like that. Anyway, since I discovered some overseas brands, I've been buying more foreign lingerie. Freya, Fantasie, Lepel, and Pour Moi? have been my staples, but two recent companies have piqued my interest. Meet ...

Curvy Kate, a UK brand that specializes in pretty bras for the smaller-backed, larger-cupped lady. I ordered three of their signature styles from Brastop.com (another UK company that offers some of the best lingerie around at discounted prices. Shipping to the US is pretty fast.).

Thrill Me, Fuschia/Orange

From the Spring/Summer 2010 Showgirl collection.

Love it! It looks like much too much, but it works. The band on this one seems a bit stretchy, so you may be able to order down a size. (I'm usually a 30 in the band, but I think I could've easily fit the 28.) Otherwise, the cups are true to size and fit pretty much like Freya and Fantasie. (You may have to go up one or two cup sizes if you're used to US sizes only.)

Tease Me, Black/Lemon

From the same collection. Another winner. Same fit as above--stretchy band, TTS cups. Gorgeous and, incredibly, suitable for everyday wear.

Criss Cross, Teal/White

From an older collection, '08 I think. This one has a much more snug band, so you don't have to order down a size.

****

Now DimitySO is a brand I just discovered a few months ago. They're an Australian company that also specializes in small bands and large cups. Launched this year, they focus on a more simple and pretty look.

Glum Pixie, After Dark/Buff

You've seen this one before, but I've actually had the chance to try it out. The band runs pretty TTS; unfortunately, the cup I wanted wasn't in stock, so I tried a few others. It seems my size would fit perfectly. As cute as it is, the support is just okay. Any sort of jumping around might find you knocked out by knockers. (I'm a hoot! -ers. Zing!)

So, yeah, I'm still on an underwear kick. Of course I'm all about sharing the wealth, so I'll list a few great online shops for my fellow shopping addicts.

Figleaves.com

Herroom.com

Barenecessities.com

Biggerbras.com

Bravissimo.com

Brastop.com

(Pictures from curvykate.com, brastop.com, and figleaves.com)

Twisted Nostalgia - Horror for Kiddies

I have a new favorite podcast, horroretc (horror etcetera). If you love horror, are deeply nostalgic, and like knowledgeable but fun discussion of your favorite flicks, check them out. They don't ramble like most podcasters.

In the process of catching up on their 150 shows, I came across Episode 80, Kid Friendly Horror, and thought back to my younger days, those spent watching Svengoolie and renting videos from the local shop (or having my mom rent them ... whatever). Though I started out pretty early watching things I shouldn't have (Vampyros Lesbos anyone?), I have so many memories of those kid-geared early flicks that were the right mix of creepy and comforting.

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Honestly I can't remember a thing from this movie other than some magical light and advanced aging and a guy with a great beard, but I remember loving it. I think a teacher of mine actually showed it in class.

The Witches - I wonder do kids have people like Roald Dahl today, a man that writes funny but disturbing tales that refuse to mistake the audience's youth for stupidity. The Witches brought Dahl's special blend of crazy, funny, and creepy to the screen pretty well (despite the happy ending). With Angelica Houston, you really can't go wrong. I swear, everytime this movie magically finds its way onscreen, I forget how shitty it is to be an adult and get all warm and happy inside. Jim Henson was involved!

The Monster Squad - I think I've mentioned my love for Night of the Creeps numerous times. Fred Dekker was responsible for that masterpiece and this one, an homage to childhood and the classic pantheon of monsters. Another I have to rewatch since I haven't seen it in a while but undoubtedly one of the best from that period.

The Gate - Remember The Gate! Man, that was my stuff (not to be confused with The Stuff). All I remember is a gate (of course) and some kids and a portal to hell, but boy was that combination fantastic. I now know that it stars a young Stephen Dorff. Who knew?

The Lady in White - Man!!!! This movie used to come on what felt like all the time. So atmospheric, this film. A true ghost story that creates a mood that is sustained the entire time. If you've never seen it, do.

Transylvania 6-5000 - Does anyone remember this? It was fantastic. Jeff Goldblum stars as a dude who travels to Transylvannia for a story, but that's not really important. What's important is that this movie is completely silly and hilarious. They just don't make them like this anymore.

Haunted Honeymoon - Gene Wilder and Gilda Ratner star as a couple who honeymoon in a haunted castle (I think). Another horror/comedy that just cracked me up as a yute. I miss that Gilda Ratner.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - Okay so this isn't quite a horror flick, but it is Halloween-themed, so it counts. I love the Peanuts features; they always make me so happy and sad at the same time. This one's an annual favorite.