TheReelTodd.com

Yars' Revenge on a Real Atari 2600

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:07:38 -0500

PLEASE DO NOT HOTLINK DIRECTLY TO MEDIA FILES ON THIS WEBSITE.

One of the coolest original games (if not the coolest) to come out for the Atari 2600 (aka Atari VCS) was Yars' Revenge. Programmed by Howard Scott Warshaw, it started out as a port of the arcade game Star Castle and evolved in to the greatness that we remember as Yars' Revenge.

Sominex Sleeping Pills Review

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:08:29 -0500

Most people have experienced trouble falling asleep at some point in their life. Many have considered using a sleeping agent like Sominex Sleeping Pills to help fall asleep. Do they work? How effective are they? Are they dangerous? Here are some of my personal findings:

Pros: Original Formula Sominex Sleeping Pills do assist falling asleep by causing a feeling of drowsiness.

Cons: The drowsiness caused by the pills is kind of a drugged feeling. Even though they assist in physically feeling sleepy, they don't put to rest a stressed or active mind. Taking them regularly may result in some dependency on the product (to feel sleepy).

What's the Deal With all the Fat-Guy Shirts?

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:51:23 -0500

Why is it that I can't seem to find a shirt that actually fits me properly? Is it because perhaps... I'M NOT A FAT GUY? Every shirt I own and every shirt I try on in the store seems to have a LOT of extra room in the mid-section. WTF?

Monday Morning and the Blue Screen of Death

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:14:27 -0500

The weekend has ended and it's back to work. My office computer decided to greet me this morning with the dreaded Blue Screen of Death.

Flynn Meets BIT Speed Drawing in Paint

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:06:08 -0500

PLEASE DO NOT HOTLINK DIRECTLY TO MEDIA FILES ON THIS WEBSITE.

My second speed drawing created in MS Paint: Flynn Meets BIT. If you enjoyed the previous installment of a light cycle speed drawing, then this one should light your face up with a smile just a bit more. I chose the scene in TRON where Flynn meets BIT while while cruising around in his broken recognizer.

Office Coffee Slurpers

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:11:30 -0500

Ahh the time honored tradition of sucking down hot coffee every morning to start out the work day. It's a necessity for many workers who are practically still half asleep when they first arrive at the office.

The office I work in is fairly quiet much of the time. The lack of noise, causes a bit of a privacy deficit in the main cubicle area. One can hear every paper shuffle, repositioning in chairs, every conversation, every keystroke and mouse-click, every potato chip crunch, and to some extent: every coffee sip. Our office has what I call a loud-sipper.

TRON Light Cycle Speed Drawing in Paint

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:33:14 -0500

In 1982, the film TRON utilized never before seen, state-of-the-art 3D computer animation to create sensational sequences such as the memorable light cycle duel scene. In 2008, I utilized the no-so-state-of-the-art MS Paint to draw a yellow light cycle image.

The Super Mario Brothers Question Block

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:07:52 -0500

The mysterious Super Mario Brothers Question Block is entry number 3 in the "Super Mario Brothers On a Real NES" series.

Super Mario on a Real NES

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:01:19 -0500

WARNING: Don't stare at this image if you have epilepsy or get headaches easily.

Entry number 2 in the "Super Mario Brothers On a Real NES" series. This time, we take a look at Super Mario himself.

A Little Goomba As Seen On A Real NES

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:23:53 -0500

WARNING: Don't stare at this image if you have epilepsy or get headaches easily.

In 1985, a new gaming console: the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES) hit the market. Bundled with the game Super Mario Brothers, it quickly became a big success and almost single-handedly renergized the home console gaming industry after the great video game crash of 1983.

Many of today's gamers have had the opportunity to play Super Mario Brothers on an NES console hooked up to an old school, non-HD, tube-TV set. That is how I enjoyed the game back when I was in high school in the late 80's. A growing number of gamers have only ever experienced this game in an emulator on their computer or tech-device of choice. It may play the same and sound the same (for the most part) but it's not the same experience.

MySpace - A Place for Spyware

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:01:20 -0500

"MySpace - a place for friends". That's how it officially reads on their logo. I think it should read "MySpace - a place for spyware". Perhaps just call it MySpyware or SpySpace.

Lonely Empty Beer Bottle

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:49:34 -0500

There sat the lonely empty beer bottle. His beer had been consumed. What more was there for this little empty beer bottle to do? He was but a hollow version of his former self. No more fresh, delicious beer inside.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars... In Toon Town

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:48:53 -0500

Star Wars: The Clone Wars hits theaters this weekend. This fully animated new feature film is set in the heart of the Clone Wars and... audiences will be treated to... there's a... ** yaaaawn ** .

I'm sorry, am I the only Star Wars fan who just doesn't have any interest in this new Star Wars film? Seriously, are there many Star Wars fans out there, over the age of 10, that are actually excited about seeing this? I can understand a child's excitement about it, but I can't see many adults being interested.

Google Search Index Hiccup

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:03:52 -0500

Ever had your new [website] content show up great in Google's search results only to disappear a couple of days later? You may have tried resubmitting your sitemap repeatedly and making changes in how you publish your content, fearing the possibility your site isn't up to spec with Google's Webmaster Guidelines. A couple days later, you find your content has magically reappeared in Google's search results.

Sneezing "Achoo"

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:50:10 -0500

Ahh sneezing. There are only a few things in life more gratifying than a good, old fashioned sneeze.

This may just be an American (or English-speaking) thing, but why do people say "achoo" when they sneeze? Sometimes I do it, kind of as a gag, but otherwise I don't actually say "achoo" when I sneeze. I know "achoo" is described as the sound of a human sneeze, but why does one feel the need to actually say it during a sneeze-in-progress?