Wasp x1

I swear, I should get reduced rent or something.  Go out to get the mail and see a wasp flying around, no big deal, see them all the time.  It lands on the parcel lockers, ah, it's building a nest here.  Well, I know no one will take care of it until it's full blown and spread inside the parcel locker, which most also seem to lazy to ever get their mail out of (which is why I had a delivery at the door today).  So I head back up to the apartment.  Don't have any wasp spray, don't have any brake cleaner or engine degreaser (all three have the same effect on wasps and wasp nets, more or less they melt).

Ah, but I do have some WD-40.  If you know me, you know how I feel about WD-40.  It's a shitty lubricant that was never designed to be used as such.  It's good for quick and dirty repairs to potentiometers in things like Atari paddles, repels water and prevents corrosion but that's about it.  However, it will knock out wasps and cripple a wasp nest long enough to crush it.

So I go back out with the WD-40 in hand and there's a guy out there towing a pickup truck.  Don't know if it's just broken down or if the property manager is having it towed for being illegally parked.  Considering he had to pull it out of the space I'd say it's the latter.  Now he's moved the truck out into the middle of the lot to secure it for transport, which is right by the mail boxes.  I start spraying the nest, which the wasp is currently atop of and the two truck guy asks, "Wasps?"  Wow, someone else with a brain that actually gets their hands dirty and takes care of crap!  Anyway, after hosing it down for a couple seconds the wasp was incapacitated and the nest crippled I could knock it down with my foot and mash both objects on the ground.

Game Center CX in USA

After finally watching the "Game Center CX in USA" special episode, and thoroughly enjoying it as usual, I have two things to say (although it's probably old hat at this time)...

Why the hell take Arino and crew to that dump of an indie game store 4Jays?  Wow, the games and display monitors don't work - big surprise.  Staff that doesn't know crap about games, an owner who always seems like he's pissed off someone is in his store, and outrageously overpriced inventory.  Seriously, they didn't seem too proud that their "fine establishment" was being featured on international television, at least they weren't faking for the camera.  Also while I know that the segment was for quick plays of some usually not found in Japan NES games, why was StarTropics not mentioned?  There has to be a copy in there - a game developed by Nintendo, by Japanese game developers working in America, specifically for the American audience.  Never mind that it's my favorite NES / Famicom game, it truly is a unique specimen of NES / Famicom history.

Second, the segment in the laundromat with Ms. Pac-Man.  Really, no one could do research that the reason that Ms. Pac-Man was moving so fast is because the game had a "speed up" chip installed?  It makes me wonder how much research is really done for the games on the show that are featured.  It also goes to show how much we need something like the Video Game History Museum to act as an information repository, open to everyone.

The Backlog - 02/19/2012

Listed in order of urgency.

Immediate Backlog:
PS2 - Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Tryan Gully)

Recently Completed:
Super Nintendo - Lagoon
NES - Adventures of Lolo 2
TurboGrafx-16 - Bonk's Adventure
TurboGrafx-16 - Final Lap Twin (Quest Mode)

New change, carrying over all the recently completed titles from post to post until I write a review of them.

The Backlog - 02/12/2012

Listed in order of urgency.

Immediate Backlog:
PS2 - Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Blizzard Peaks)

Recently Completed:
Super Nintendo - Lagoon
NES - Adventures of Lolo 2
TurboGrafx-16 - Bonk's Adventure
TurboGrafx-16 - Final Lap Twin (Quest Mode)

New change, carrying over all the recently completed titles from post to post until I write a review of them.

SM CCG = $$$

Running down auctions for a customizable / collectible card game that went out of production in like 2002 is not a good thing to be obsessed with right now.  Unfortunately I was right on with predicting the trend that the Sailor Moon CCG would shoot up in desire and price with the re-release of the translated manga.  Two years ago you could get sealed cases of the premiere booster packs for $20 - $30.  Now days they hit $60 without even trying.  I'd love to complete my premiere set (only missing two foils) and go after the hard to find Past & Future expansion set and the even harder to find "unlimited" version of the base set.  Basically to fill up the rest of the Past & Future expansion packs, the original premiere set (except for like two cards that were starter box exclusives and the foils) was reprinted as "unlimited" with a different logo in the corner and the rarity listing on each card.  "Unlimited" was kind of a mistake to call the set though since far fewer of them (and the Past & Future expansion which was very hard to find outside of starter decks) were produced than the premiere edition.

Anyway, while I only need two foils for my premiere set, I would still like to go through another entire sealed box just because it's fun.  Some of my foils came from another sealed booster box a few years ago but most came from small lots of random cards purchased on eBay.  I won one such lot this morning and another (no foils but more damage counter beads) ends in an hour or so.  I figure after another premiere box then I can focus on the random cheap auctions and really zeroing in on the missing Past & Future expansion cards.  And in case anyone is wondering, yes I know how to and actually play the game.  I'm not tying to get one of every card and stop, I have boxes and boxes of Sailor Moon CCG cards used to make decks.

I really should have bought all I needed last year but it's good to see Sailor Moon becoming popular again.  Even if it makes the items that became really cheap over the years expensive again.  Let's hope a new DVD release makes the series affordable for everyone once again.