major purchases

Field-testing the new bike last night, I'm wondering if I should trade it in. The gears are slipping. atillathehung may have been right about me needing a single-speed, but I wonder if I could have gone over South Mountain the way I did.

I stopped by a bank to pick up some $2 bills, and Savers to look at the broken electronics. 90's junk is way less interesting than 80's junk.

My final destination was IKEA, and I decided to take a look at their sofas and beds, to see if I couldn't use this move as my chance to do a furniture refresh.

The LILLBERG sofa looks good, is comfortable, and is easier to keep clean. I can get one that matches my existing POÄNG armchair (birch veneer, black cushions), and if I decide to switch to white cushions, I can swap out the covers to both at once. Despite the wooden frame, it might be more sleepable than my current couch, by virtue of being deeper and a little reclinable. But then, why not go the whole nine yards and get a futon or a sofa-bed?

A more pressing decision would be regarding the bed. For one, my current bed is a hand-me-down with a creaky box spring, and if I'm going to be spending a third of my life in bed, I might as well splurge, right? Well, I don't really even know where to start. And IKEA has a large selection but might not quite be worthy. Is it just me, or are a lot of those beds a bit low to the ground? Especially that MALM series, even though it would theoretically match the MALM drawers I already have in there. And in the long run I suppose the quality of the mattress is what matters the most. Regardless, the good ones are expensive, so I don't want to hop into just any bed.

Maybe I'll just keep all my old stuff.

Instant Review: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Just saw this film with doubleonad.

If the film is accurate, then the dicketry of Billy Mitchell has not been exaggerated by the press. Though I'm open to the idea that the film Michael Moored him into looking like a bigger douche. A couple of out-of-context clips could have made an appropriate comment look inappropriate. But, still, there were undeniable cases of poor sportsmanship as the film wore on.

The game makes a brief attempt to explain Donkey Kong to those who are unfamiliar with it, but mostly in terms of how difficult the game is. It covered the most familiar level, the barrels, and the most frustrating level, the elevators. And for those who are familiar with the game, it reveals the most important tip for those two levels. There were plenty of action shots, with Mario as the proxy for the player. It brings back the feeling every long-time gamer has felt when you dodge an enemy by a single pixel, or finish a level by the skin of your teeth.

I was surprised that they managed to license those two big training-montage anthems.

Know what else I found weird? Absolutely no mention of Japan, or Japanese competitors, that I could remember.

Anyway, I highly recommend this film. Come for the geek, stay for the human interest. It's been extended through next week at Harkins Valley Art, but don't dawdle.