Website Update

Dealometer is now CitizenLocal. This is just a standard re-branding, we weren't taken over or anything like that. The deals will still be as good as before - the current one is for half-price local beer. If anyone spots a reference to Dealometer on the site (except "Dealometer Inc." at the bottom), please inform me and I will rush over to my computer workstation and fix it.

Game

So Deus Ex 3 should be coming out early-ish next year, and I'm looking forward to it. Who could resist being again allowed to skulk around in the conspiracy-filled near future as a genetically-enhanced secret agent? The original game was a classic and still one of the best PC games ever. The sequel had better graphics but was not quite as tight somehow. The new one (a prequel) promises the same actions-have-consequences role-play with quality looks. There even seems to be a return to the greatness in the music department, if the trailer is anything to go by. After all, the composer won awards for scoring other top games.

Wait, what?

So when did it become October? I suppose it was last week sometime. I dunno. Anyway that is the month, apparently, and I'll have to accept it. But I will not stand for this "Daylight Savings" nonsense - it saves nothing and just confuses people, animals and computers. Especially computers. Scrap it now! Ok, enough of that. In other news, Dealometer opened a second market in South Bay/Redondo Beach, a nice seaside town in California, there. Also I recently had a dream about Arnold Schwarzenegger making a sculpture of one of his arms, painting it bright red and hanging it on the wall. I don't know what it means and I don't want to know what it means.

Launch

The reason I not not been very communicative recently is my work, but this will change now. This is because we have finally launched our website, Dealometer. It's a place to buy excellent-value vouchers/coupons for local businesses across the US, but as the link indicates, we are starting in Erie first. Then probably some places in CA. So have a look around, especially my friends who can actually get to Erie. And help a fledgling company by buying a voucher or two. If you find anything broken, email me. Then I can fix it before the boss notices :)

Something Good on the Telly

I have been enjoying the new season of Wipeout. For those that don't know, it's an outdoor obstacle-course game-show. But unlike most game-shows this is literally LOL funny; even the hosts are amusing as they nickname and gently mock the contestants as they, once again, get boosted though the air into water by another foam-padded fiendish contraption. And unlike those home-video shows it's totally ok to laugh because these people volunteered to get punched in the head with a boxing glove on a pole into a mud-bath or bounce repeatedly off giant red inflatable spheres into a pool (the famous "Big Balls"). That stuff just never gets old.

Website

I have just finished helping a friend create a website for one of his many model-making exploits: Antheads. As you can see, he makes heads and other accessories for 1/6^th scale model soldiers. He has some excellent photos of some of his finished figures in the Gallery. It is hosted on the free Google Sites platform which means there are no fancy animations and hover effects, just straight pictures and text. However, this also means he can continue to edit the site himself using the rather good web-based editing tools.

Beer (updated)

I have been meaning to test the local brews for some time now, so I started the other day by buying a variety pack of bottled beers from Erie Brewing Company. You get 6 each of Railbender Ale, Presque Isle Pilsner, Misery Bay IPA and Mad Anthony's APA.

First, I tried the IPA (India Pale Ale) to see if it compared to one of my favourites (Deuchars IPA). It was pretty good; quite strong (6.5%) but with the distinctive grapefruity IPA aftertaste. I tried the APA (American Pale Ale) next and it was very good. The bitterness is toned down slightly in favour of more malt. But not too much. And at 4.2%, very drinkable.

Railbender Ale has been brewed in a Scottish style; it is the darkest and strongest beer (6.8%). The high malt content gives it a big flavour, so I'd recommend drinking this with curry rather than, say, fish. The final beer, Presque Isle Pilsner, is the lightest in colour and not too strong (4.2%). Crisp and refreshing, it reminds me of a local brew I had in Munich, when I went to Germany to install software on the grinding machines in the Ford factory. The hotel had the best tomato soup ever.

2010

Yes, this is the new number that you have to get used to writing on your checks/cheques. It is also the name of a sci-fi film that people will be curious to watch to see if the predictions are accurate. My advice: watch the superior original (if you didn't already, nine years ago). Or read the book it's based. It's not that the film is badly made (though Kubrick is a very hard act to follow). It's just a major plot point was changed that severely dates the film back to the 80s, and it wasn't the hair styles. Let this be a lesson to producers who try to make a futuristic film 'more relevant' - you end up looking silly on the actual date when you could have appeared visionary. Leave predictions to the professionals. Happy new year.