Dr. Who turns 50

Well I watched the “Day of the Doctor” last night and I was thrilled. Tom Baker Rules!
The whole status quo of the history of the Doctor seems to have been turned on its head. The fact that Tom Baker shows up as the curator at the end makes me wonder about what actually happens to a Time Lord when he regenerates. Do they go to the Time Lord retirement home? And of course we now know the events of the Last Day of the Time War.

I really wish that BBC America had seen fit to air “The Night of the Doctor” minisode so that I could have seen the events that led to Paul McGann’s Doctor’s regeneration into John Hurt’s War Doctor. I was able to watch it on YouTube, however.

I am glad that Galifrey is finally back on the map, so to speak. I hope that this means more cosmic stories. I like the historical stories, but I’ve always preferred the stories that existed on a universal scale. Superscience is just too cool.

Finally I was so glad to see David Tennant back in his “sand shoes” (as John Hurt’s Doctor calls them). Of the “new” doctors he has always been my favorite.

The episode ends on a suitably epic note. The 13 Doctors all fighting to save Galifrey was spectacular. We even get a glimpse of the new Doctor (or at least his eyes). And something Tom Baker’s character alluded to is that we might get see more previous “Doctors” in the future.

So in the immortal words of the Doctor “Galifrey Stands”. Allons-y !

KSP: Mark-2-A First Flight

Vehicle: Mark-2-A Long Distance
Command Module: Mk1 with Mk6 parachute and SAS
Engine: 3 x LV-T30
Fuel Tank: Jumbo 64 with tricoupler
First Flight: 11/22/2013 10:55 am CST
Max Alt: 1,589,945m (ballistic arc)
Max Speed:  2,754 m/s
Total Dist:  3,611,051m
Flight Time: 1hr. 5 min.
RCS thrusters added. Advanced nav system added. Removed X200-32 tank. Skipper engine removed in favor of three LV-T30's attached with a TVR-300L tricoupler. System was more stable though it had less range. The next goal is a stable orbit. Jeb safely splashed down of the coast.
The RCS did not last the duration of the maiden voyage. It is unclear if this was due to a lack of battery or the need for extra RCS fuel.

KSP: Mark 2 First Flight

Vehicle: Mark-2 Long Distance
Command Module: Mk1 with Mk6 parachute
Engine: LV-T45
Fuel Tank: FL-T800
First Flight: 11/22/2013 5:13 pm CST
Max Alt: 2.9Mm (ballistic arc)
Max Speed:  2,161m/s
Total Dist:  6.34Mm
The Mark-2 was specifically designed to test long distance capabilities. The highest altitude achieved was 2,950,158 m. The total distance traveled was 6,346,158 m. On the surface it would seem that the 2 hour 15 minute flight was a success with Jebediah splashing down safely at the end. However the vehicle is woefully under powered and almost did not make it off of the launching pad. Also the engineers failed to install RCS systems to allow the capsule to maneuver outside of the atmosphere and Jeb was almost lost to the stars.

KSP: First Flight

Vehicle: Mark-1
Command Module: Mk1 with Mk6 parachute
Engine: LV-T45
Fuel Tank: FL-T800
First Flight: 11/21/2013
Max Alt:55km (ballistic arc)
Max Speed: 947m/s
Total Dist: 151km

The first in a long line of test bed vehicles. The Mark-1 proved unstable at mid altitudes. Highest altitude achieved was 49.5 km.

Resulted in a safe splash down for Jebediah Kerman.

Kerbal Space Program: Begin Log

Okay I am probably that last person on Earth that hasn’t bought Kerbal Space Program but I finally have. So now I will keep a “realistic” log of the adventures, advancements, mishaps and tragedies of the tiny green guys and their space program.

KSP go for blast off!

GTA V: Long Term Wishlist

I have been playing Grand Theft Auto V since day one. It is the only game that I ever preordered and the only one for which I ever bought the Collector's Edition. After over a month of play and even taking in to account the early problems with GTA Online, I have to say that it was $149 well spent.

I was blessed to be around for the $500,000 stimulus package and I just downloaded the “Beach Bum” pack. We still have the Content Creator to go and I am looking forward to that. But what about major dlc’s? What could be on the horizon?

There has been much speculation about possible dlc’s content and locations. Some people are saying that signs point to the Midwestern location known seen briefly in the Story Mode known as North Yankton. Others are postulating the thought of a Las Venturas which was last seen in GTA: San Andreas. But what if we stay in Los Santos? What if Rockstar pulls a page from the Red Dead Redemption dlc, “Undead Nightmare”? Or what if they stick with a theme that they have already laid the groundwork for with the abundance of references to aliens?

This first time I heard of this idea was by MrBossFTW on his YouTube channel. however it makes perfect sense. “Undead Nightmare” was one of the most popular dlc’s ever and with the huge sandbox that is GTA V it offers endless possibilities. However in the same post he also suggested the alien theme. Now both themes have been hinted at so far in GTA V. There is the above mentioned references to aliens. but there is also the zombie that is standing beside one of the movie theaters in Los Santos. Either plan would be great. and since GTA IV had two dlc’s might we see both themes?

One way to look at GTA V and GTA Online is similar to an MMORPG. There is the possibility for constant updates and growth, especially if Rockstar ports the game over to the next gen systems. It might not be a large as World of Warcraft or similar titles, but it could be Mini-Multiplayer Online Game. The fact is I wouldn’t mind seeing these or a return to North Yankton (I love the snowy atmosphere) or even Vice City. It may be that Rockstar can keep GTA V/Online going for the foreseeable future and maybe the game will slowly morph into GTA VI rather than having a major release.

In the meantime I will keep dropping cars from Cargobobs onto my fellow players.

Been Away Too Long

I’ve been away over a year? Wow time flies. Anyway I hope to do better with this blog. Starting today this will again be the site for video games, movies, comic books, software, and whatever other technological and entertainment nonsense I can find.