Out of Habit

We've Moved!

2007-11-06T22:29:00.000+11:00

That's right boys and girls, Out of Habit has moved, and been given an name change!

Just mozy on over to Mog in the City , and have look! You'll find all the old post there, so don't worry if you get the sudden urge to re-live the past.

Hope to see ya there! Be sure to change your feed and bookmark info.

Web Fantastic

2007-10-31T05:12:00.000+11:00

It's been awhile since I've posted an Web Fantastic, but to make up for it, I present to you a classic.

Done by the wonderful boys at Overtime Comedy using footage from the old, yet forgettible Super Mario Bros. Super Show! ("Swing Your arms from side to side") as inspiration, they shed pearls of wisdom about the networking behemouth that is MySpace, often using poor (and annoying) Toad as a great example of MySpace fanatics and Nazis (though aren't we all inside?). Though I've made the switch to the much prettier and pretty much rock-spider free Facebook, the rules of social interaction, on or off the interwebs, is practically the same. Enjoy!

Who's your MOTHER?

2007-10-31T03:39:00.000+11:00

Recently I've been interested in the import scene, particularly with Japanese GBA and DS games, due to their lack of regional protection, something that consoles are notorious for. Sure I might not know even a dollop of Japanese, besides my quite poor "Otakuese", but a great game, as with most forms of art, is able to transcend the language barrier, and remind us of why we play. For fun. Just play Ouendan or Rhythm Tengoku , and you'll see...

While lurking through Play-Asia, I spied a deal I couldn't pass up: MOTHER 3 for $21AUS. As a game that has been on my shopping list for along time, it quickly found it's way through the checkout, and a week later, it's in my hot little hands.

Though I'm waiting for my GBA Micro to arrive before getting stuck into the game, the chapter and a half of which I've played (there are 8 in total) has impressed me. The music is beautiful (having brought the two soundtracks from Itunes, I already expected to be in for an treat for the ears), the sprites and graphics in general are bright and well animated ( a case of art direction over power), and a good balance between story and battle. The only complaint I have so far is the music based combo system, which can be hard to perform, though I imagine that it's something that takes time to master.

If you want to pick it up, but afraid of the language barrier, there are thankfully a few good translation guides out there on GameFaqs and Starmen.net. While it does take away the portability factor, printing it out should help somewhat.

I can't wait to sink my teeth some more into MOTHER 3. Stay tuned for the review :P

Experiment

2007-10-29T04:10:00.000+11:00

"Untitled" - Illustrator, 2007

I love playing around with the filters and effects in Adobe Illustrator. Though a majority I'll find will actually have a detrimental effect, a little bit of experimenting and creativity will reap it's rewards, like what you see above.

It was a happy mistake.

Exploring I will go!

2007-10-26T03:52:00.000+10:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like exploring every nook and cranny, not caring how far your feet have taken you?

Yesterday afternoon I decided to skip school (yes I know, I'm a naughty boy :P) and explore the city. Despite the fact I've lived here for almost an year now (and been a tourist for many more), I've never really left the comfy confines of the inner CBD of Melbourne or certain outer suburbs. It's amazing the things one person finds just by going off the sidewalk.

The first stop was a group of parks just across the road from the Melbourne Arts Center, right near the Yarra River, on the banks of which I layed on for abit, watching the boats and ducks float by. A truly blissful experience. I also managed to find the Myer Music Bowl after climbing a few hills. It looks much smaller than it does on TV during the annual "Carols by Candlelight" concert. Smoke and Mirrors I guess.

Since I had a few hours to go before school ended, I decided to march on, eventually finding the Royal Botanical Garden. For those who have never been, here's a tip: Go during the summer, IT'S FREAKING BEAUTIFUL! It was a pity that I had a meeting with the boyfriend (a little celebration of the last day for Year 12 Students), or I would've spent ages in there. Maybe next time, I'll make an excursion of it, and bring a couple of friends along.

I think I may have wunderlust.....

Aussie Music - "Broken Bones" by Howling Bells

2007-10-19T03:55:00.000+10:00

Time for another taste of Australian music! This time, it comes from the amazing indie band, Howling Bells.

I now present to you the video clip to "Broken Bones" from their only studio album, Howling Bells. Drop a comment with your thoughts and opinions! Enjoy! ^_^

No AUS release date for Beautiful Katamari?

2007-10-19T03:19:00.000+10:00

Now this makes me one sad Mog.......

While the US is already enjoying Beautiful Katamari for the Xbox 360 and European players given the pleasure late this year/ early next year, Australian gamers are left out in the cold, with no release date as of yet.

This is quite disappointing news, as Katamari was one of the few titles, along with Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata (which is also trailing behind with a release date here), that has convinced me so far to fork over the $600 for the system. Why must we constantly get the short of end of the stick?

For now, it seems, short of importing, I guess I'll just have to stick the equally brilliant "I Heart Katamari" for all my masochistic rolling needs.

They Live......!

2007-10-18T01:24:00.000+10:00

Ready for some retro gaming action for your Mac? Well you better be, because it's time introduce Mac Gardens!

Mac Gardens is a branch of Home of the Underdogs, a site dedicated to abandonware games. Abandonware for the uninitiated is any game that has been "discontinued" by the original publisher/developer, leaving it free for distribution by anyone. On the site, you'll find classics from the ye olde days of gaming, such as the first two Monkey Island games, Carmen Sandiego, Oregon Trail, SimCity 2000, Kings Quest, Leisure Suit Larry and much more to help you delve into nostalgia. And the best part? It's all free!

Luckily most of these games can be played on OSX via the virtual OS9 software on PPC Macs, though many operate without/abnormal sound, software such as SCUMM VM for the old LucasArts games can help with this and other performance issues. Intel models, on the other hand, will have to look elsewhere.

So if you want to lose yourself in the days of old, or like me and discover some real beauties, why don't you pay Mac Garden's a visit?

Wii System Update 3.1

2007-10-11T01:39:00.000+10:00

Though not huge, it seems the latest wii system update (V3.1) brings a few useful features, mainly in the way of the malnourished internet channel.

First off, USB keyboard support has been finally included for filling in fields (though sadly no mouse support yet), streamlining the process. Another, though quite pointless and novel, is the ability to send links of favorites and currently visited pages to people in your wii address book, via wii-mail. One last revision of any note is the new copy/paste function, useful for URL's.

Apart from a few minor performance tweaks, a revamped internet channel start up animation, and an updated "everybody votes channel", nothing major. Thankfully, it seems, the update is worldwide (so thankfully Aussies like me can get their fill), despite the lack of advertising as yet.

Check out the video below for an overview of what you can find in the update.

Happy Snaps!

2007-10-11T00:20:00.000+10:00

Thought I might post some photos taken from Generation Next (30/09/07). Enjoy all!

"Prepping a guest"

"Cheese!"

"Me at the Mic"

I'll try and post a recording of the current show as soon as I can. I've been very busy with school :( .

Blogging for mother earth

2007-10-09T07:45:00.000+10:00

You only 5 more days to register your blog and support for Blog Action Day, which takes place on October 15. What is it, you ask? It's basically a day where bloggers all over the world post at least one post about the environment. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It can be off-topic to your blog theme, or even better, be a part of it! The point is to raise awareness and make us think about our saucy mistress Mother Earth. Out Of Habit (a.k.a me) is proud to participate in this great event.

Check out the website for more information, see who's participating, or show your support by registering.

Last week of Fringe!

2007-10-06T17:09:00.000+10:00

Don't forget boys and girls, you've only got a week to enjoy the Melbourne Fringe Festival (it ends on the 14th). So get out there and support your local arts and see a show! I'm planning to go and see one or two this week if I can find time, and I suggest you do the same. Get some culture into ya! Check out http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/ for a list of events and more information.

Fresh Air!

2007-10-04T21:39:00.000+10:00

I just finished making changes to the blog template. It should be better looking and easier on the eyes than my previous templates. Drop me a line with any suggestions. I also hope you enjoy the new stylish feed, provided by the great (and not to mention free) service feedbuner, which you can subscribe to via the sidebar.

Ahh, Friday tomorrow, which of course means the weekend! The last two days before school starts. Damn.

Generation Next - 30/09/07

2007-10-04T16:53:00.000+10:00

As promised, here is a recording of Generation Next, from 30/09/07. It's was my first time on radio (I'm Moggy), I hope you all enjoy, and be sure to give me constructive criticism so I can better myself.

Click here to Download

Note: This is an abridged version, which has all the ads, station ids and most of the songs edited out due to copyright reasons.

Apps for your Mac!

2007-10-04T00:27:00.000+10:00

Just so much to write about today!

With my imac in Melbourne and the ibook down and out for the count (at least for now), comes the time and bandwidth consuming task of re-downloading and installing all that software.

I'm a big user of Open Source Software. What is it, you ask? Well Open source is basically software that is out there in the public for people to freely use and modify as one wishes. This is great as it enables people and organization who might be unable to afford the commercial alternative or those who just want things to work the way they want. Below is a short list of my favorite open source mac programs. For a larger, complete list, check out Open Source Mac

Adium: a beautiful and functional IM client that supports all the major networks (AIM,MSN,Yahoo, etc) and then some.

Audacity: A audio editor that's popular with podcasters. Not as great as it's big brothers Audition and GarageBand, but excellent for basic recording and editing.

Gimpshop: A version of The GiMP, an powerful image editing suite, that's geared towards users of Photoshop. Great program. though annoying interface due to it's reliance of the X11 windows system (which also sadly means no pretty aqua interface).

Stepmania: A Open source DDR engine. Fully customizable and even let's you use a USB dancemat, or an console version if you have the convertor. Also supports PUMP!

Miro: A great Cross-Platform "Internet Television" and media player. Subscribe to "channels" via RSS and download video from YouTube and similar sites.

Remember, many of these projects require manpower and cash to keep running and maintain the software you're using. So dig deep and donate where possible, or help with development. Just reporting bugs and flaws goes a long way!

If you've ever wanted to see what a piano/human child looks like.....

2007-10-03T23:12:00.000+10:00

A cute and totally heart-warming music video for "Planet New Year" by the talented aussie songstress that is Sarah Blasko. It's one of those songs that wakes you up in the morning and reassures you that "everything's gonna be all right..". Enjoy boys and girls, and remember: Support your local arts!

Oh Yeah!

2007-10-03T21:35:00.000+10:00

Oh Yeah Wallpaper Green by ~CoreyR on deviant ART

After a special request by a reader, I present you to the Oh Yeah wallpaper! Feel free to download it through my DeviantArt Profile (on the sidebar). Just drop me a line if you want to see it in other colors!

Enjoy! ^_^

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Now playing: Katamari On the Rocks by Dokka

Nintendo gives out free wiimote skins

2007-10-02T22:44:00.000+10:00

We all love free stuff, it's no secret. Even if it serves no purpose in making our lives easier or enjoyable, if there's no price tag involved, we'll most certainly tap it. And a free wiimote skin is certainly something worth looking into.

After a deluge of 3rd party attempts at keeping that remote snug in your grasp (are people really using such force that the wrist-strap isn't enough?), Nintendo themselves are stepping into the ring and putting out the remote jacket.

In addition to being included in all new wii consoles, extra wiimotes, and wii-play packs (which as you all know come with a free remote), Nintendo are kindly offering jackets to current owners - free of charge. All you gotta do is call up, give your serial number (found on the bottom of the console) and it's all yours, no strings attached.

Even though I have no use, or even desire to suit up my wiimote (the jacket itself as you can see from the image above looks quite odd, and covers up the useful power button), it's free, so I'm up for ordering one.

UPDATE: It seems that after the wii-mail sent out last night, the phonelines at Nintendo have been swamped, making it almost impossible for me (or anybody else in fact) to order.

Why do you blog?

2007-09-30T11:49:00.000+10:00

I was thinking last night, why do people blog? Do you aim to inform, entertain, enlighten or just plain rant and self-promote? Leave a comment and tell me! I'm interested to hear your thoughts and comments.

Myself? I blog as a way to perfect my writing and journalistic skills. And because it's such a public medium, I am able to get (hopefully) constructive feedback. There's also the chance that with regular features such as "web fantastic", I'll be able to help people discover new talent.

Just on a quick side-note: Today I am on Generation Next on JOY94.9 FM, on 5-6pm. You can listen to it on the radio if you live in the Metro Melbourne area, or via web-streaming at www.joy.org.au . I'll try and post an mp3 version as soon as I can.

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Now playing: Lily Allen - Everythings Just Wonderful
http://foxytunes.com/artist/lily+allen/track/everythings+just+wonderful

Back Again!

2007-09-30T00:12:00.000+10:00

Back home from Mildura, and I'm tired, so just a short post. Traveling on the bus/train back home is a physically exhausting trip, taking 8-10 hours, and in many cases, with few stops. I try to go during the day to make it easier (it's very hard to sleep at night). And lugging a heavy box containing my replacement computer (Oh sweet heaven!) which Im posting with, did not help matters.

I go on Radio on Sunday, co-presenting Generation Next, I'm so nervous!

I'm gonna sleep well tonight :)

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Now playing: Fiona Apple - O' Sailor
http://foxytunes.com/artist/fiona+apple/track/o'+sailor

It's Web Fantastic time!

2007-09-23T19:14:00.000+10:00

Episode 25 - Dirty Dueling
Uploaded by LittleKuriboh

LOL.While not a big fan of Yugi-Oh, I love the Abridged series by LittleKuriboh. Basically a condensed parody version, it's packed to the brim with constant one-liners, references to pop-culture, and of course, in jokes ("Let's play a children's card game!"). The series has spawned many clones and rip offs, a majority of which are mediocre at best. Enjoy!

SIDENOTE: For those who can't be bothered to visit the site, you can now subscribe to blog content via RSS. Simply click on the link on the sidebar.

What kind of Nerd are you?

2007-09-22T04:19:00.000+10:00

Yes, now you too can rate your nerdyness, or lack thereof in my case! Just click on the pic to start the test!

Meet Mr.Cup!

2007-09-20T22:53:00.000+10:00

This is Mr.Cup. He says hi! His many interests include clubbing, pot pouri, chai chi, smack talking, and of course, the retention of fluid.

Holidays!

2007-09-19T19:54:00.000+10:00

The spring holiday is finally upon us here in Victoria!

Two weeks without school :) and (hopefully) beautiful sunny weather. Ahhhh.... Paradise! What are you doing these jolidays if you have one? Tell me by leaving a comment! I myself are a planning to have a wonderful fornight: A trip back to Mildura, plenty of time at the beach, my first radio broadcast, and maybe even the Melbourne show if I have the chance. And lest we also forget some serious gaming time!

It's also a reminder that the year is comming to a close. Exams to take, goodbyes to make and of course good ol' Christmas! It's time to get busy!

Don't forget Super Paper Mario hits stores tomorrow!

Man dies after 3 straight days of gaming

2007-09-18T21:02:00.001+10:00

While yes I admit that along with pocky, gaming is one of my biggest vices, it is a fairly innocent and moderate one. But it seems for one 30 year old chinese man, video games were a deady passion.

After three consectutive days of playing an at the moment undisclosed PC game (possibly an MMO), he was rushed to hospital, only to die awhile later, suffering from exhaustion, according to local police.

This comes as a reminder of china's internet obession, which despite heavy censorship and crackdown on the establishment of new internet cafes imposed by the goverment, is a booming force particularly with online gaming. Many online PC games are obligated to penialize player for long play sessions as a deterent.

Living in Chinatown, I'm surrounded by internet cafes, and it always amazes me how many people there are playing MMO's such as WOW or Gunbound. We live in a country where a large porpotion of households have a computer, so why are internet cafes still relevant for people other than backpackers or tourists?

The moral of this story is while gaming is fun, and a good occasional distraction from the world, it's not something that should control your life. Remember boys and girls: Moderation, Moderation, Moderation!

[Source: Yahoo! News Provided by Reuters]