Prìomh.com Archives -- May 2001

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Music
Bride - "White House"
Staind - "Epiphany"
Tool - "Parabola"
Stereomud - "Pain"
Nonpoint - "What A Day"
PC Games
Hellfighter
NHL 2000
Unreal Tournament: Chaos
Tony Hawk 2
VGA Planets
Abandonware
Duke Nukem 3D
Slix n' Slide
Front Page Sports: Football
Playstation (PSX)
Tekken 3
NCAA Football 2001
TV Shows
Farscape
Roughnecks: STC
Haunted History (THC)

A Big Month.   -- Primis 5-31-01, 4:05PM

Anyone who doubted I actually enjoy doing this site should be feeling a little differently now after seeing the site this month. In case you hadn't noticed, this main page is full of posts from just this month. I'm not certain, but I think this has been the most active month ever for the site in terms of updates (by maybe like six posts or so).
I do know it is a record month for the site in terms of New/Unique Views, and sheer hits, obliterating the previous mark that was this past January. In fact, this month made a respectable run at doubling up on the previous mark, even. Google gets the blame for a lot of that (you can't hide from Google, don't even try!).
Also I finally closed the Poll on what you wanted more of on the site. It seems More Full-length Articles and Guest Articles are what's in demand. I can attempt to supply the former, but you'll have to contact me if you're interested in contributing the latter -- any inquiries of mine to people who might be interested have recieved luke-warm responses thus far, which doesn't close the door completely but I obviously can't write my own Guest Articles... ;-)
The new poll is up, and is again asking what you want to see more of out of this site. What do you enjoy reading about the most? You like the actual articles and postings most apparently, but about what? If you like reading rants, vote for it. If you love the sports-related items, vote for them. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to decide what direction to take this site in, so every bit on input counts.

Research, Morbid Curiousity, Whatever...   -- Primis 5-31-01, 3:55PM

If you have a DSL or cable connection to the internet, you should already know about dslreports.com. It's a great site for running speed tests from, as well as other nifty little apps that tell you how to optimize your connection. It also fetaures user reviews of hi-speed ISP's from across the country and rates them on a ladder based on those reviews.
At last check my connection on the LAN in our apt. managed a 863/84 kbps (down/up) at noon today. Not bad considering I'm on a secondary system on the LAN and not the primary.
Equally fun though are the horror stories and reports about bad ISP's, and the laughably-poor test results for some of them, if you're into that sort of entertainment.

Blowing Up Stuff = Good (in gaming).   -- Primis 5-31-01, 3:55PM

Remember Zone66? Remember Raptor? Remember Desert Strike? Imagine a multiplayer version of Raptor-meets-Desert Strike and you've got a pretty good idea of what Phorus is shaping up to be.
Phorus is still under development, but is starting to really chug along now. The author intends for both Linux and Windows play, and for it to be pretty basic team-based mayhem. It looks to be a lot of fun and has already come a long ways since I first took note of it. Go check it out and see what you think -- it's already been Slashdotted so I doubt he'll notice or mind any sharp increase in site traffic at this point. ;-)

I'm Totally Unimpressed.   -- Primis 5-28-01, 10:00PM

The story is circulating about a radio DJ who broke the world's record for the longest continuuous radio broadcast on record, at 74 hours.
This is totally unimpressive of course. Buddy got 15 minute breaks every eight hours, as well as breaks every time a song played.
Someone needs to inform Guinness of how I spent this past New Year's, apparently.....

CART Goes Old-School On IRL at Indy.   -- Primis 5-27-01, 8:40PM

Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves took the checkered flag and his teammate Gil de Feran grabbed second place not far behind, as CART circuit drivers returned to the Brickyard to humiliate the IRL and remind the world which circuit has the better drivers as CART drivers claimed all of the Top 6 positions.
Somewhere today Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George is probably fuming over being shown up by the rival (and original) CART circuit on his own home track.
Expect more of it, Tony. While noone will doubt the claim that the IRL still features some great drivers, how can you be expected to go out and compete with the likes of Michael Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, and Gil de Feran? And why is this such a surprise when eventual CART champion Juan Montoya ended the CART drivers' boycott of Indy last year, showed up, and utterly dominated the field?

Astronomers/Conspiracy Theorists Do an About-"Face".   -- Primis 5-26-01, 6:35PM

NASA has released hi-resolution images of the infamous "Face on Mars", and quite frankly they're more fascinating than when people thought it was a face. The structure and symmetrical-ness of the object are pretty interesting, and even at the high-res the object in question still has an eerie smooth shape to it. I'm dying to know what theories there are as to why the object has such an exact and precise shape to it and also, quite frankly, what the thing even is.
Jim Garvin, chief scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program has a great quote about why they went back to rephotograph the site: "We felt this was important to taxpayers".
Give them credit. They easily could have ignored doing so. One has to wonder though if their own morbid curiousity didn't get the better of them in the end *grin*.

Congrats are in Order.   -- Primis 5-25-01, 3:45PM

And so I'm going to pass them out on here, because it's my site and I can. That's because my mother finally got her act together and put out an E-book. 'Bout time. Though we do have to do something about that photo... ;-)
Congrats again, mom. I've seen your stacks of pages lying around (heck you've had me proof-read chunks of them), so I think it's a safe bet that there are plenty more where this came from.

A Site (No Make That 2) For You CG Freaks.   -- Primis 5-25-01, 3:30PM

I've become quite the fan of Computer-Generated animation lately (I'm betting Roughnecks has a lot to do with that). With Shrek out currently, and the Final Fantasy movie set to obliterate everything Holywood soon, a lot more people are starting to take notice of CG.
CG Channel is a great website for both the casual fan and hardcore CG-phile who Foundation, Pixar, and Mainframe are and probably owns copies of LightWave and 3dMax. Not only does it have some neat info daily, but it is also a great place to find the latest movie and game trailers.
If you like CG, you'll probably be able to find at least one neat thing on this site a day.
For those not into the technical end but just fans of the style, animationchronicles.com is another great site for the latest info on all things animation -- both CG and traditional.

"Coooobbbrrraaaaaa!".   -- Primis 5-25-01, 3:20PM

DailyRadar carries a touching article offering COBRA some hints and tips on how to get rid of those annoying GI Joe's once and for all. I can't believe I used to watch that show..

NFL Owners Approve Realignment.   -- Primis 5-22-01, 7:40PM

As reported yesterday to be expected, NFL owners approved a realignment plan today that will put 4 divisions each in the AFC and NFC. In the NFC the Seattle Seahawks will move to the NFC West along with the Arizona Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Bucs leave the Central to join the newly-formed South. In the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts will join Jacksonville, Houston, and Tennessee in the newly-formed AFC South.
Never to be outdone, ESPN's Joe Lago suggested some of his own ideas for NFL divisions he'd like to have seen.
Again I refer to my initial plan I proposed back in October of 1999, and compare. It's scary that it took 32 grown men this long to agree on something that it took me maybe a 1/2 hour of my life to figure out.

80's Hair Begone -- Bride is Back.   -- Primis 5-22-01, 11:10PM

A few weeks ago I was reading an article in HM magazine about the band Bride, and how they had a new album coming out, two new young members, and how they were pushing a different, edgy, no-compromise sound. "Yeah right", I remember saying, "I just bet they're edgy and with the times. Them and Petra..."
Then I happened to chance upon the first single "White House".
Oh... my... goodness...
Don't get me wrong, I liked (and still own and listen to) the Snakes in the Playground album quite a bit, but at the best it was decent 80's-style rock. What I wasn't expecting was "White House" off the new album Fistful of Bees. The song opens with spoken/rapped verses over a slick little country-rock sounding riff with a little nod to the main riff from AC/DC's "Back In Black" tossed in for effect, before some decidedly un-80's-sounding HEAVY-as-heck guitar erupts. And it doesn't let up.
No, this isn't the Bride we've heard before. And yes, I like it muchly. Some new young blood in the band has definitely refocused them back onto creating very hard rock that's not necessarily going to appeal to any radio station -- christian or otherwise. And this is what Bride always did best. And even with the "new" sound, it's still unmistakably Bride when it hits the choruses...
If this is what to expect from the new album, I'm in. And welcome back, Bride...

NFL Realignment -- The Real Deal.   -- Primis 5-21-01, 7:35PM

The National Football League *is* going to realign its conferences and divisions, as had been speculated for some time (several years in fact). It's certainly going to happen now that the owners have accepted this as a reality, but who's ending up where still hasn't been determined yet.
ESPN.com has a great article on the realignment as well as the Top Seven Proposals for the realignment. They all have fascinating arguments to back up each one, but only one option seems really viable.
For a terrifying look at the genesis of the initial realignment speculation, you need look no further than this site. I posted on article on how the league should realign back on October 6th of 1999. Compare it to the proposals today, and you'll note how eerily-accurate my inital proposal looks in comparison. There are minor discrepancies, but for the most part I hit the nail on the head. That article is a year and a half old, and yet back then I was naming new NFC South and AFC South divisions, as well as pointing out which teams would probably be moving and to where.
More proof that maybe Average Joe Fan like myself *does* in fact know as much or more about it all as any owner.

42 Forever (Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001).   -- Primis 5-12-01, 8:35PM

News outlets are reporting that famed autor Douglas Adams has passed away unexpectedly in California of an apparent heart attack. Adams of course is the author famous for the brilliant "Hitchhiker's Guide" series, and also for "Starship Titantic". The world has lost an unequalled creative mind. Truly a shame and a loss for creative minds and individuals everythwere.
He will be missed.

International Hockey League No More?   -- Primis 5-11-01, 8:45PM

This just in from ESPN.com -- reports are the the International Hockey League (IHL) will cease operations after this year's playoffs and merge with the American Hockey League (AHL) to form one league.
Reportedly, the Milwaukee Admirals, Chicago Wolves, Grand Rapids Griffins, Utah Grizzlies, Houston Aeros, and Manitoba Moose will be the teams to survive and carry over from the IHL. The Detroit Vipers, Orlando Solar Bears, Cleveland Lumberjacks, and Cincinnati Cyclones are not expected to survive.
In the AHL, the Kentucky Thoroughblades, Hamilton Bulldogs, and Saint John Flames are expected to fold as well.
The IHL brought this on itself. The league had a rich tradition dating back to the 1940's as an elite minor league, and its strong point was always its midwestern small-market teams with absolutely hockey-rabid fans, like Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, Kalamazoo, and Flint. Unfortunately, the IHL got greedy and decided to abandon its roots for the lure of larger markets and more money in cities like San Diego, Atlanta, Phoenix, Denver, and the like -- none of those teams survived more than a few seasons, and by the time the league was already driving off its founding cities and markets like Fort Wayne.
Last year, the IHL announced Kalamazoo (Michigan K-Wings) would be leaving the league, at which point all its original core markets ceased to exist.
I became a fan of the IHL in the late `80s and early `90s, only to watch its coming demise. Last year when Kalamazoo (my K-Wings) finally left as a market, I predicted the IHL would never last more than a year because of poor league managament sense.
That prediction appears to have come true.
Oddly enough, former IHL markets like Fort Wayne, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, as well as several former AHL markets, now support thriving teams in the young United Hockey League (UHL). While they might not be just a step down from the NHL anymore, I goes to show that the loyalty of your demographic, whatever the fanbase size may be, is more important than anything else.
R.I.P.   IHL. It's your own stupid fault.

Bustin' A Sick 360 + An Indy...   -- Primis 5-8-01, 10:25PM

I've probably said it before, but I'm going to say it again. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 rocks. I finally got my hands on the Dreamcast version and played some two-player, and game modes are great, the levels are awesome, and the fun factor just stays there forever. This games plays right. This game feels right.
Hats off to Activision, I can now confirm THPS2 as one of those games that's going to hang around forever in everyone's minds as a definitive game in it's time.

"Back, thou foul villain!"   -- Primis 5-8-01, 10:25PM

The site for A Knight's Tale is featuring a pretty amusing email-based challenge game whereby you and an opponent duel in somewhat of a pretermined turn-based system. Sure, it's glorified Paper/Rock/Scissors, but it's addictive and fun. Go there now and waste an hour or three, if that sort of thing tickles your fancy (WARNING: You *will* want a decent PC with a 3D card to be able to fool around with this).

Behold, the World's Smallest Violin Playing   -- Primis 5-5-01, 8:10PM

Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs isn't the brightest bulb, we've al known that for some time. But his elbow on Scott Niedermayer of the New Jersey Devils took the cake.
The NHL aparently agrees and decided Domi will not be playing again this season as a result, and should the Leafs be eliminated this round, he won't play for the first eight games of next season either.
And now this -- Tie Domi crying saying he's sorry.
Uh-huh, right... you just don't want your head placed on a stick next season by the Devils for what you did. Domi won't need a bounty placed on his head next season -- there'll be plenty of Devils willing to do it for free.
Brian Engblom of ESPN.COM sums it all up best though in his article on the incident.

Sa-weeeet   -- Primis 5-4-01, 10:55PM

GameSpot has a series of killer trailers for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. If your machine can handle the hi-res version of these, check them out. Some really awesome stuff, especially Movie One, which is possibly the coolest intro I've ever seen in any game. We've come a long ways from the original Metal Gear...

Big Deal   -- Primis 5-4-01, 10:05PM

A story making the rounds through the online newswires revolves around a rather uninspiring attempt to DDoS the White House's website. God forbid this happen, because as we all know all sorts of *critical* and sensitive stuff relating to *international security* goes on daily on www.whitehouse.gov. I mean, the American economy would just shut down altogether! Analysts noted that no site data was altered or destroyed.
That's because there'd have to be content first, for it to be destroyed or altered.
God forbid Shrub can't get his email.

Review: "Tides of War" by Steven Pressfield   -- Primis 5-2-01, 10:30PM

I took a chance around a year ago and spent $4 on a paperback copy of a little book called "Gates of Fire" about the ancient battle of Thermopylae. I was skeptical, but since I have a thing for ancient Greek warfare I figured what the heck. Then I proceeded to read the entire book through 4 times straight. It consumed me and even kept me sane through the closing months of what was an awful job.
Contrary to what some may say, Steven Pressfield's second offering doesn't disappoint -- it just takes a different angle. Whereas "Gates of Fire" comprised mainly of the narration of one battle (Themopylae, during the second Persian War), "Tides of War" is a lot more complex and delves more into the political gamesmanship and psychology surrounding the Peloponnesian War. Readers expecting a faster pace similar to "Gates of Fire" will be disappointed. Pressfield does however still do a remarkable job conveying the horror, chaos, and general confusion of ancient warfare. The book spans years and years (the Peloponnesian War was a long one, folks) of history. And characters like Alcibiades, Polemides, Lion, and even Socrates are all very believable and are fleshed-out in wonderful detail.
Perhaps the most compelling part of both these books is Pressfield's refusal to fall into the traps of similar books. Neither book bothers with romance (the story doens't need it, quite frankly), and Pressfield is not afraid to take liberties and chances with things we aren't sure are historically accurate.
"Tides of War" is a long read, and is probably a hard one at that for most people. If you had to struggle to make it through "Gates of Fire" you probably won't care for the slower-paced "Tides of War" too much. If you loved its predecessor though, you'll love "Tides of War".

Clear Channel Blindsided on Salon.com   -- Primis 5-2-01, 3:30PM

Finally having had enough, Eric Boehlert published an article at Salon.com ripping radio's Clear Channel Communications a new one and personally blaming them for the imminent demise of the radio industry. Why is this notable? For one, it's from outside the radio industry itself. Secondly, the radio industry shot up and took notice of it, and didn't quite know how to react. R&R Online even ran an accurate blurb about Mr. Boehlert's article, and apparently didn't quite know what to make of it themselves (it's notable that R&R didn't take a defensive stance in favor of Clear Channel, which is what I expected). Mr. Boehlert's article calls Clear Channel a "bully", and full of "dirty tricks and crappy programming". Hear, hear! It also paints a gruesome picture of Clear Channel head Randy Michaels as a crude and tactless leader whose paranoid delusions cost other people their jobs daily.
I've always shot my own career in the foot over the Clear Channel thing but it's always been worth it. I've turned down opportunities to work at Clear Channel stations in the past and will continue to in the future. Sure it means ignoring higher-profile opportunities with good pay, but I'd rather be able to sleep at night. Clear Channel is a disgusting company that makes bad radio stations and even worse radio personalities. You thought normal corporate layoffs were cold? Try firing an entire major-market station staff for no reason other than to make an example of them to the other stations to show who's in charge.
I applaud you, Mr. Boehlert, both as someone who is still in love with radio and truly wants what is best for it, and as someone who's spent enough time in the business to know everything you say is unfortunately true.

A Contract Holdout To Applaud?   -- Primis 5-2-01, 2:55PM

Contract holdouts in sports are annoying and sickening. Well, usually they are. Occasionally someone steps up with a good case and point. Such is the case and story of Brandy Reed, the #3 leading scorer in the WNBA last season who rejected a $50,000 contract offer from her team, the Phoenix Mercury. While $50k is a hefty chunk of change to most of us, consider this: the Mercury's top 4 rookie draft picks will each make $55k this year. $50k seems hardly appropriate for the third-leading scorer in the WNBA last season.

"Just Discriminate It!"   -- Primis 5-2-01, 2:30PM

What happens when 3 roommates sit around a bit bored one night and stumble onto Nike's site? They discover a vast conspiracy by Nike to promote that which they find acceptable, and strike down that which does not conform to their ideology!!!! That and they have just a little bit too much fun with the new online Create-A-Shoe app. Oh, just go there already!!!

Oh, Here It Comes Again...   -- Primis 5-2-01, 2:20PM

So what gives with the site? Well in a nutshell, a couple things happened at once. Just as I had settled in at the new HQ I began running into trouble with my system again. Out of the whole ordeal I totally lost my primary hard drive (15 gigs) and also my motherboard. I had to wait a while until I could get a new motherboard, then track down one of my old 1.3 gig HD's to use as a system-slash-C: drive, and then I had to rebuild the dang system from scratch. I'm now running Windows 2000 Professional on this puppy and don't even have 10 gigs total between the two hard drives. But it works.
My one roommate also had to donate a new power supply/fan unit before all was said and done (thanks BNW).
It's literally taken that long to diagnose the problems, fix them, and rebuild, and I think I spent 2 - 3 weeks without a working machine at all.
By the way, for those curious, I'm now doing the site set for 1024 x 768 instead of 800 x 600 -- I've finally been able to bump mine up to that resolution and have it not kill my eyes (we tweaked my old soldier of a monitor). So if stuff starts looking a little stranger to you and you're in 800 x 600, that may be why.

I Am So There...   -- Primis 5-2-01, 2:20PM

Saturday May 26th is going to change the small town of Sparta, MI. On that day the Michigan Mosh Festival invades Sparta High School. No less than 22 of the best underground and christian hard music acts around will fill two stages over the course of the day. And the list includes some pretty big names, including Zao, The Blamed, These Five Down, Luti-Kriss, Point of Recognition, and Goliath (the former Midnight Orchestra). If you've never heard of these bands before, trust me, when I say hard I mean hard. These Five Down and Zao are two of hard music's premiere acts currently. Looks to be a blast and I personally am going to try to figure out a way to get out of work so I can attend. If I can find someone to drag along with me...

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