GeekNights 070412 - The Super Soaker Revolution

Rym

Tonight on GeekNights, we reminisce about the wonder that was the Super Soaker. In the news, a favourite author has died, Chicago may ban Cocaine, and Top Gear may hit the US.

Scott's Thing - Would You Read Your Own Blog?
Rym's Thing - Super Soaker Inventor

Erwin

Yesterday was a sad day, you will be missed Kurt, you will be missed.

Sail

A show on Super Soakers? Badassery.

Railith

Slaughter House 5 is the best book I ever was assigned to read.

Cramit

I drive right through Rexford where Kurt lived. I remember reading the beginning of Slaughter House 5 and geeking out over the fact that in the very beginning of the book he was describing an area that was only a couple of miles from my house.

rhinocero

Red Bull tastes very much like Sweet Tarts.

Apreche

Red Bull tastes very much like Sweet Tarts.

Really? It doesn't smell like it. I really like Sweet Tarts, a lot.

Rym

Red Bull tastes very much like Sweet Tarts.

What? No it doesn't. I HATE Sweet Tarts. Utterly despise them. Something bad in bowl.

Redbull tastes nothing like them.

Jason

Scott said that it's not often you hear a celebrity has died and actually feel personally affected. I've read so many Vonnegut books (and have paid through the nose for a couple of first editions) that I feel I know him better than even some of my friends.

The man was brilliant, and I don't say that lightly. I've been sitting here trying to think of an appropriate adjective or comparison, but it's very difficult; he thought so perpendicular to everyone else that he was off in his own universe (with Kilgore Trout, no doubt).

Everything that he wrote, and even everything he said in interviews, is so multi-layered... there was a quote about death in one of the news stories about his death, where he said his father was always strong enough to resist the urge to commit suicide, and that he was proud to follow in that tradition. I'd give thousands of dollars to write or say something that clever.

Erwin

As I walk towards my car and hear all the memories from Scrym's childhoods, it came to my mind how come no a film geek enthusiastic had never had the idea to come with a movie about Water Wars. I would start it with a young guy about to finish college and driving to go home on the summer and then he sees some kids fighting with water and then his memories comes back and start to reminiscence about his own childhood and how his team got involve in the "Water Wars". I would definitely would go watch that as long as it does not have punk kids and the jokes must be hilarious. I would put in the movie all the different water splashing technology that kids around the world use to fight in such wars.

Rym

Well, there was Waterworld...

Erwin

Waterworld? I am glad to say that I have never watch it, the first minutes of seing the main guy drinking his own process urine turned me off and made me run away.

baltmatrix

Red Bull tastes very much like Sweet Tarts.

Sorry, but Red Bull tastes NOTHING like Sweet Tarts. It is very difficult to describe the taste but I sometimes think of it as liquid bubblegum. That and Red Bull is GREAT with all different kinds of Vodka.

Well, there was Waterworld...

Bad Kevin Costner. *smack* No biscuit! Why is it that Chrono's Water Wars idea made me think of Tactical Roar? *Urgh*

Jason

Red Bull tastes like sour, overcarbonated Code Red. It's just this thin, aggrevatingly acid-y buzz. But yes, mix it with alcohol properly and you get a Cthulu Rising.

As for Tactical Roar, I had such, such high hopes for it. That show could have been teh awesome with just a little more work. There have been a lot of attempts at harnessing the Japanese obsession with battleships in anime, but I can't really think of one that was brilliant. Blue Submarine No. 6 was interesting, but was typical Gonzo fare. The CG integration was apparently supposed to supplant any kind of plot depth.

Erwin

I was thinking more in the ways of an epic summer water wars in a normal neighborhood and it does not necessarily has to be in a real country. You know a fight between kids but done right.

Apreche

There have been a lot of attempts at harnessing the Japanese obsession with battleships in anime, but I can't really think of one that was brilliant.

How about um, Space Battleship Yamato? If it's battleships and anime you want, Leiji Matsumoto is your man.

Also, there is a bad anime known as Super Atragon. There is also a godzilla/kaiju movie called Atragon with the same ship in it. However, both of these things are based on a Japanese sci-fi novel from 1899 called Kaitei Gunkan (Undersea Battleship). I have been trying to find a copy in Japanese, but it is out of print.

baltmatrix

Outside of anime, in Ultraman there are always ships of some sort. Also in most Godzilla movies there is a super powerful ship that is trying to beat the monsters.

In anime:

-Capitan Harlock
-Queen Emeraldes
-Nadesico

WallyBman

You guys mentioned airsoft asa possible future interest. Keep in mind that airsoft is a lot like water guns, just a whole metric shitload more expensive. The cheap ass $20 pistol and $50 electric rifle from walmart are the dime store white plu pistol and aa powered water uzi respectively. If you want to get anything that will last, and get some distance, and fire with any sort of speed, you are going to have to shell out some cash. You can get some gas blowback pistols for about $60 each on ebay, and if you get the right ones, you can get an adapter that lets you use the little campiing propane cylenders to refill the gas chamber in the magazines. Or, you can go the aeg route, which will run you about $100 for a matrix(be tech) rifle(make sure it advertizes a metal mech, or gear, box), or $200-$300 for a tokyo marui or classic army rifle. The more expensive, the more reliable, and the more upgradeable. However, parts are almost universally interchageable from brand to brand as long as it it the same gearbox version. A bonus for purchasing the martix/be tech rifle is that you get everything you need, including battery and charger. Another thing you need to know is that walmart airsoft rounds are crap. They are .12 gram rounds, and have terrible molding marks. Decent bbs can be had for $20 for 5000 rounds, and they will be .20 gram rounds. I, personaly, swear by ics stealth rounds.

The last two things are this:
1. Always wear PROPER eye protection.

2. Airsoft weapons are classified as replica firearms under U.S. law. Fuck around, and the cops can legally shoot your ass dead if they mistake it for a real weapon. And you CAN go to jail for weidling on in public places. If you are having an airsoft war in the middle of nowhere, on public property, it might be a good idea to call whoever has jurisdiction and let them know what you are planning, and more than likely if the cops aren't penises with bad haircuts, they will either say ok, say no way, or say ok, and then come out and watch or hang out and think that you guys are the coolest thing since sliced peanut butter.

Apreche

We are well aware that the more expensive airsoft equipment is far superior. However, we aren't about to go spending piles of money on something until we are absolutely sure that we are going to use it a lot. We'll probably get some cheap airsofts to start, and then buy quality guns if it becomes a hobby. Also, I'm sure if we ever play airsoft we will do it an airsoft/paintball place, and not out in a field or the woods. Luckily, there's a paintball place within walking distance. We have to go check them out.

Jason

Did anybody else have the SS50 backup belt with the two extra bottles? That was crucial to limiting refill time. When everyone else was busy filling up, I had more ammo... er, water... and that made spicket ambushes easy and fun.

Andrew

Did anybody else have the SS50 backup belt with the two extra bottles? That was crucial to limiting refill time. When everyone else was busy filling up, I had more ammo... er, water... and that made spicket ambushes easy and fun.

I just camped the hose and refilled from there.

Apreche

Did anybody else have the SS50 backup belt with the two extra bottles? That was crucial to limiting refill time. When everyone else was busy filling up, I had more ammo... er, water... and that made spicket ambushes easy and fun.

It's also ruined your mobility with these bottles flapping about at your waist. One kid had one once. When I needed to reload, I just took a bottle off of him.

Also, if you have a spare bottle, it is more more effective to just pour it out on someone's head than to actually load it in your gun.

WallyBman

Sorry, but I used to spend my free time on the weekends as an airsmith and reffing at the local paintball field, which happens to be one of the largest in the south-east. So its pretty well drilled into me to give the basic safety tips. Also, there might be local airsoft players organizations that put on events. I know, from my personal experience, that most paintball fields don't allow airsoft play due to the lack of standardized safety gear, and the over 300 fps velocities. Also, sorry about the "get what you pay for" speech. I'm extremely used to having to give it to my friends who will drop ungodly ammounts of cash into cheap guns and wonder why I can't fix them. My bench fee for working on paintball markers is higher than the cost of most of those crap guns.

Kidder

I've also been trying to get into Airsoft recently. I bought a KJ Works M9 Berretta (full metal) and I absolutely love it, but it burnt a HUGE hole in my wallet (thank you UK import taxes...). The main problem is that I live in the UK and airsoft weapons are shit crazy expensive. There's only a few airsoft venues and they're all unreachable via public transport. I really like the realism of airsoft weapons, but I find paintballing more competitive since you can see when you've hit someone and they can't deny it.

tuttle88

On stealth geeks: As many of you know I'm studying at university, I study a bachelor of arts in which geekiness is not prized. My friends who do science are used to people making Star Wars jokes in public, on my side of the campus people look at you blankly. Anyway on my bag I have a variety of badges, many of them quite nerdy in variety. My current favourite is the "Don't blame me I voted for Roslin" badge.

The other day as we were leaving class this guy goes to me, quietly, 'Is that a Battlestar Gallactica badge?'
Quietly I answer, 'Yes...'
'Have you seen the end of season 3?' (which isn't in Australia yet so bittorenting must occur).
'Oh my god yes it was so awesome!'
We then talked about Battlestar for 10 minutes while people looked at us like freaks.

Andrew

My current favourite is the "Don't blame me I voted for Roslin" badge.

I must have that. Even though it wasn't Baltar's fault.

tuttle88

My current favourite is the "Don't blame me I voted for Roslin" badge.

I must have that. Even though it wasn't Baltar's fault.

I think I got it from *cough* cafe press *cough*.

Ametto

There was another weapon in a water fight that I used back in the day. A hollow plastic bat with the end cut off. What you do is fill it up with water and then just swing it at your target. Pre-supersoaker day that was the best one time method with my friends.

tuttle88

I didn't have a Super Soaker. We didn't have much money I always got the cheap rip off Super Soaker which was almost useless. I watched Super Soaker ads with jealousy. The same way I watched Nerf ads.

tiny

Wow I never pegged Rym and Scott for Top gear fans.
I have been a fan of the show since around 2003 or so.
I don't know if I like this idea of them bringing Top gear to America last time ,in 2005 on Discovery, it was an utter failure.
My friends and I who were all Top Gear fans tuned in every Wednesday night to Discovery to show our support... or at least we did for the first 2 episodes.

To localize the show they still had Jeeza (Jeremy) and the other hosts do the show but they cut out all the funny bits. There was no Stig, no Cool wall, no celebrities, and no ragging on the US government. The only joke that I can recall is Jeeza making fun of the American fans because Jaguar would not export a certain type of engine to America, and it wasn't even funny.

If you would like there is a very good website that has a very active forums (some of the Top Gear producers are even members and post) and they also provide scene rips of the shows hours after they've finished airing. As I don't want Rym and Scott getting in any kind of trouble send me a whisper or email and I'll give you the link. (if they say its ok ill post the link here later and just remove this)