I respond to all emails and answer questions, ...]]> Complete 250 cubic inch inline six engine and 2-speed Powerglide transmission out of a 1969 Chevy Nova. 148600 miles. Runs okay, but could use a rebuild. Includes power steering pump, HEI ignition, alternator, progressive 2 barrel carburetor, starter. See and hear it run, we’ll take it out and lift, and you drive it off. Selling to make room for a LS1, so thanks for the help. $300 o.b.o. for it all. Call or email Aaron: 417-718-8476 aaronpickard at gmail dot com

I respond to all emails and answer questions, so if you don’t hear from me check your email’s spam filter.

Video: 1969 Nova 250 cid Inline 6 Running

This ...]]> Well, I’m back from Cancun.  Didn’t even tell anyone I was leaving.  It makes the wait easier.  But I’m back now, and I’ll be posting about that whole experience soon enough.  But for now, I just wanted to bring to your attention a commentary I read on CNN today by Glenn Beck.  If you’ve never heard his radio program or seen his show, I’d recommend it.  He occasionally comes off sounding like a dufus, but hey… you don’t mind cuz you’re reading this site still.

This commentary expresses what I feel so well that I see no point in trying to reiterate it.  I just wish I would’ve known of the quote from George Washington beforehand.  How did we lose this kind of awesome power of speaking?

“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.”

What is the purpose of government?  Or perhaps I should ask what did our country’s founding fathers believe the purpose of government was, and is it still relevant?

Remembering my high school social studies classes, I think a safe answer is “To protect the rights of its people.”  Notice the absence of “and provide for its people too.”  And in a free country I can’t see how protecting individual rights could ever become irrelevant.

So why not provide for its people too?

You have certain inalienable rights.  Is it your right to have a home?  Is it your right to be rich?  Is it your right to have the government kiss-it-better when you’re the one that ran your company into the ground?  It is not the government’s business doing any of that, and frankly I’d be scared if it was.  Because where would it end?  Government living quarters.  Official food and clothes.  The Peoples’ Money.  Suspicion.  Segregation.  Restricted books.  Curfews.  Detention centers.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  That was the idea.  That you would not be prevented from doing what you need to make yourself happy.  It does not mean it should be given if things didn’t quite work out for you.

Suggested viewing:  V for Vendetta, 1984

Suggested reading: 1984 by George Orwell, The End of America by Naomi Wolf, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, Apocalypse 2012 by Lawrence E. Joseph

So ...]]> One of my most common distractions keeping me from working on this website is my old rust bucket 1969 Chevy Nova.  Oh, how I love her.  All the amazing and silly ideas I have for fixing it up.  I want to do so much for it… I wish someone could just pay me to work on it all day and do all this crazy stuff.  In my head, it’s like an episode of Overhaulin’ except there’s no Chip Foose in my dad’s garage–and I don’t always know what I’m doing.

So I’m posting some pics of my latest tinkering.  This time, I really want to do everything proper:  permanently beautify it up, if you will.  I have a long road ahead, but that’s okay because I’m gonna need time to afford all of the plans.  By the way, anyone want to buy a complete Chevy 250 inline 6, progressive 2 barrel carburetor, HEI ignition, power steering pump, with a 2-speed Powerglide transmission?  $Tree-fitty!  I’ll even throw in the radiator.  Now that’s a bargain!

Speaking of new directions, I have a couple things planned. The first thing I want to do is get back to releasing XHTML+CSS templates like the ones you can find on Open Designs. The image to your ...]]>

First template on Amplizine, Almost

I got something to say. Just wanted to keep you up-to-date on where we are at. We are doing some things behind the scenes, LilPickle is systematically adding all the old site content to our new system, and I am preparing to split off into a new direction with the site.

Speaking of new directions, I have a couple things planned. The first thing I want to do is get back to releasing XHTML+CSS templates like the ones you can find on Open Designs. The image to your left is an example of that. It is a mockup I was doing for a potential client who didn’t agree with the way I was charging them. I believe for any type of design work the designer should be paid up front. I always ask for 50% of the estimate, but I know some people ask for 70% or more. This potential client didn’t believe this to be fair and wanted me to do the full design before any payment. I didn’t always charge a retainer fee up front, but I do now because I have been burned. I saw this client doing the same thing. Wait until I devote the full amount of time to the project (not just a website design, but coding a custom CMS also), then decide to go a different way. It doesn’t cost them a thing, but I’m out anywhere from 50 to 100 hours worth of wages.

But I digress, this image is just a photoshop mockup of a design I was working on. Since I have no financial gain from it anymore, I’m planning on releasing to the public. I want the template to be a full design before I’m releasing, but I thought I would give you a sneak peak.

Anyways, releasing XHTML templates is one of the things I want to do with on amplizine. Another thing I would like to do is write some tutorials and release some coding projects. One project I have in mind is a simple php gallery script, possibly using XML. I know there are a million out there right now, but it is just something I wanted to do. Another project I have in mind is a type of genealogy CMS. I’ve only recently lost all my grandparents and I realized a link to my past [ha ha, Zelda] is lost. I want to invest more of my time researching my genealogy.

My initial research was looking into what was available online so my siblings and cousins could also help. There are some good sites out there, but you are stuck viewing the information how they want you to. I want to create something that will allow a person/family to host their genealogy on their own site and have control over how it will look. In other words, the CMS should be easy to theme.

Through my initial research, I also realized I would need help coding this CMS. So, if there are any PHP gurus out there who would like to help, let me know by leaving a comment. BTW, I plan on releasing it for free.

Well grateful readers, I have reached a time I thought I never would. I have discovered a movie with Quentin Tarantino’s name plastered onto it that truly blew ass. Sorry Quentin, maybe you should have left your name off of this piece of junk. But anyway, here’s the movie: gory and full of disturbing images that made me sick to my stomach. And I have a strong stomach. But that’s just the ...]]>

Well grateful readers, I have reached a time I thought I never would. I have discovered a movie with Quentin Tarantino’s name plastered onto it that truly blew ass. Sorry Quentin, maybe you should have left your name off of this piece of junk. But anyway, here’s the movie: gory and full of disturbing images that made me sick to my stomach. And I have a strong stomach. But that’s just the second half of the movie. In the first half, there are more random boobies than a softcore porn. And far more drug usage. I guess you could say that if you only watch the first half of the movie, you could imagine you’re watching a shitty plotless* softcore porn–if you’re stoned. Which you should be if you actually intend to watch this movie. Sorry, moving on.

*Editor’s note: some of them have plot?

Plot

Three guys backpacking across Europe looking for drugs and sex with random hot chicks (because that’s so original. Where have I seen that before?). Then after a stop in Slovakia, they are sold to some underground society because they are American, and apparently some random person will pay twenty five grand to torture and kill an American. Yep. That’s the whole movie. Minus the tits of course. Wow. Really a stunner Quentin. Even if you look past all the disturbing stuff in this movie, it’s still crappy. Every gun has like two bullets in them, and some German speaking American college student can apparently shoot a guy directly between the eyes while tied to a chair and missing two fingers from one hand. Yep. Not only that, but while trying to flee back to America, the one living main character manages to kill everyone who wronged him. What. The. Hell. No one on the planet can get that lucky. The American dude kills four people, the dude who set him up, the chick that sold him to the factory place, the chick that sold his friend, and the dude that killed his friend. And that’s just after he’s killed like eight people in the factory. Oh right, bad guys can’t kill the hero. Right. Even in cheesy action flicks it’s somewhat believable that James Bond isn’t gonna die, he’s Bond. But this isn’t Bond. This is just some guy running from dudes with guns. But it’s okay, because they only had like two bullets in those guns. Yep.

Visuals

Okay, imagine this. Ever thought what it would look like to watch an Asian chick’s eye get boiled out with a torch? No? How bout watching some creepy pedophile cut the Achilles tendon of a fairly nice guy, then watch that nice guy try to walk out of the room? No? How bout…you know what, you get the point. Add a few more disturbing images like a one eyed Asian lady diving under a train and a German speaking American trying to keep track of his two missing fingers while killing his way out of a mostly deserted factory and hey, we’ve got a movie! For a Tarantino produced flick, the cinematography was really pathetic. Nothing out of the ordinary (except the other side of the camera where that guy just got his penis cut off…). To be honest, the half-movie of sex scenes and unnecessary nudity wasn’t even good enough to justify watching the whole movie. The sex scenes weren’t even that good. Really. If you want unsolicited nudity and bad sex scenes, just watch that Paris Hilton sex tape thing. ZING! (Sorry for the year old joke…I’m in school when new things are happening. Or I’m sleeping. But either way, I don’t have anything new, sorry).

Audio

Did this movie have a soundtrack? (I was too busy wanting to gouge out my eyes, but knowing what that looks like now, I just couldn’t follow through.) I vaguely remember hearing some music, but it was all in German. But wait, isn’t this movie made in Slovakia? Why does everyone speak German? Sorry, back to the ripping…er, I mean review. Right. More audio includes some American begging for his life in German (because everyone in Europe speaks German right?), and another American begging for his life in English while crying, and an Asian chick begging for her life in Japanese or Chinese or something (what? not in German?). And there you have it.

Acting

Apparently, Tarantino spent so much money on fake blood and eye goo that he couldn’t afford to hire an actor that anyone actually notices or cares about (except maybe those actors’ parents, but they probably vomited after seeing this movie like everyone else who watched this crap). The only person I recognized is near the very end, had a shitty part, and oh… guess what? I don’t even know his name. According to www.imdb.com it’s “Rick Hoffman” but I don’t really know if I’m even looking at the right person. *shrugs shoulders*

Conclusion

Don’t see this movie. Trust me. It’s not even worth the time to steal this piece of crap. And you know what? If I was like eighty and watched this movie, I would send Quentin Tarantino a very nasty letter. But I’m only twenty-something, so if I ever see him, I’ll like, pee on his car or something. Yep, I’ll show him. But, I live in Wyoming. And don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford to go to Hollywood. Hey, I’m just a mechanic, what do you want? Anyway, I kinda got off track there…sorry. So there you have it, the movie sucked and if you even try to rent it I’ll laugh when I see you vomiting in the gutter after watching that eye part. Yeah, it’s really that bad. After watching this movie, I thought to myself “there are some sides to human nature that are best un-shown. “Then I thought, “Wow, that eye thing makes me want to barf,” but that’s kinda saying the same thing. So anyway, since I’ve rambled on for long enough, I shall end with one final note: this movie SUCKED. There. If you only read that last line, you’ll know.

0** out of 5

**Editor’s note: after assuring King that a 1 sucks and is as low as the scale goes, he still insists it receive a 0. To avoid division by zero errors anytime in the future though, I will officially give it a 1.

Well, they had to start somewhere too.

Welcome all to the new site. We’re still working out a lot of issues and planning type stuff. For instance, what the hell makes amplizine special?

Still researching that.

Oh that reminds me. I’m going to get some reviews back on the site soon. Yes! You too can read our old reviews of movies and games that people no longer care about. Hey, at least it’s more exciting ...]]>

Well, they had to start somewhere too.

Welcome all to the new site. We’re still working out a lot of issues and planning type stuff. For instance, what the hell makes amplizine special?

Still researching that.

Oh that reminds me. I’m going to get some reviews back on the site soon. Yes! You too can read our old reviews of movies and games that people no longer care about. Hey, at least it’s more exciting than checking your email one last time before bed.

I like the RPG elements in those turn-based RPG’s, but I can’t stand the waiting involved with those games. Luckily, there is a solution to that. It’s called an Action-RPG. Yay Zelda!!! If you haven’t played a Zelda game, then shame on you. They combine the RPG elements with the ability to control the character. You get the freedom of actually wielding your weapon in a battle instead of ...]]>

I like the RPG elements in those turn-based RPG’s, but I can’t stand the waiting involved with those games. Luckily, there is a solution to that. It’s called an Action-RPG. Yay Zelda!!! If you haven’t played a Zelda game, then shame on you. They combine the RPG elements with the ability to control the character. You get the freedom of actually wielding your weapon in a battle instead of selecting what your character does from a menu. But this review isn’t about Zelda, which pioneered this genre. We’re talking Soul Blazer here. Made by Enix (think Final Fantasy), Soul Blazer allows the player to actually recreate the in-game world.

If you’ve ever played an Enix game, then you already know the basic storyline. It revolves around morality. King Magridd, a greedy little bastard, kidnaps an exceptional inventor named Dr. Leo. Leo is forced to invent something capable of summoning Deathtoll, the King of Evil. King Magridd, being the greedy little bastard, makes a deal with Deathtoll that will give a piece of gold for every living creature the Magridd gives to Deathtoll. Basically, you, being the hero of the story, has to release the captured creatures and save the empire from Deathtoll.

Have you played Actraiser? No? Didn’t think so. Like the gameplay in Actraiser, you have to fight a group of enemies to release a creature, be it an animal, a plant, a whiny little bitch of a person, or someone who is actually helpful. Actually, pretty much everything you release is helpful in some way. Except goats. Damn goats. So you go through the lands releasing more and more helpful creatures using your trusty sword. Oh ya, there’s magic too. Actually, if you beat this game without using magic, you’d be my hero. But only for a day. All the magic you use works with the sword. As in any game, if you pay attention to the attack patterns of the enemies (and the bosses), then they are very easy to beat. However, if you decide to run in like Rambo (minus the guns), then you’ll be very easy to beat.

On to the graphics. It’s a Super Nintendo game so graphics suck by today’s standards. So all you graphic’s whores, stop reading now and go play your Xbox 360. The game uses a lot of bright colors, but it isn’t psychadelic or anything (except for the last level). The colors are used quite well though so you will never be overwhelmed. The bosses are animated and well drawn. Soul Blazer looks amazing considering it was released in 1992 without any of the amazing Mode-7 effects. It’s definitely one of the better looking Super Nintendo games out there.

Combining great gameplay, a great storyline, and good graphics, Soul Blazer is one of the most enjoyable games you may ever play. If your looking for the awards Soul Blazer received, you won’t really find any. If you want to see how popular this game is, go to ebay and compare its price to other Super NES games.

UPDATE: That Daleri Sweet ...]]> As you can hopefully see, the site you are looking at is not using an original design. We are currently using the Daleri Sweet theme by Andreas Viklund. LilPickle has delegated me to create a new design. I’m currently busy working on three other designs so this one is going to be put on the back burner for awhile. Maybe LilPickle will come up with a design and I can just create the actual theme. One can only hope.

UPDATE: That Daleri Sweet theme lasted a long time (all of 20 minutes). Andreas Viklund is a great designer, but the design just didn’t feel right for the site. Hopefully, the one up now will last until I get around to designing one.