I know, I know... it's "affected" but bear with me since the game's called Mass Effect. I just finished the game for the first time and must say, it was a TRULY satisfying experience. I'm a fan of BioWare already, having played (and finished) all the Balder's Gate games, KOTOR games and Jade Empire, but Mass Effect is right in line with what I like in science fiction. It may be a bit heavy on the action and short on the role-play, but visually, it's stunning. For instance, while exploring planets in your trusty AFV Mako (see image above), the many diverse skylines, weather and terrain are breathtaking. The storyline is epic and satisfying. The characters, equipment and ambience unbounded. I played an Infiltrator the first time through, but I'll try my hand at a biotic master the next time.

If I had a gripe it would be inventory management is a pain, and why-o-why CAN'T I PLAY A FRICKEN ALIEN for a change. I mean, I get tired of all RPGs always forcing me to be human when the games are filled with cool species'. What's up with that you lazy ass developers? To quote TOOL... "I want, what I want!"

Regardless, I may be late in playing Mass Effect, but it'll go down in my rather short list of brilliant RPGs that fully immersed me and made me want to live in them.

Motorcycle helmets are dime a dozen these days and affordable models are proving just as good as the expensive models in fit, finish and most importantly safety. I love Arai and Shoei, but I don't need the pricetag. I love full-face helmets, and from my first Arai, to my Shoei, to my Scorpion EXO 700, I like full cranial encasement (must be the sci-fi nut in me).

That said, it gets damned hot in Sacramento in the summer, so it'd be nice to have an open breeze in my face -- plus it's a bit stuffy to do dirt riding in my full-face helmet. Modular, flip-up style helmets have always been appealing to me, but I've never owned one, because they feel flimsy and cheap. I want something a bit more a combo of full-face and open-face -- not really a flip-up. Enter the Shark Evoline.

If webBikeWorld's intro of the all new helmet is accurate I'm thinking that if it fits my widdle head, a Shark might be in my future. I wanted a Scorpion to come out with a modular, since I'm a Scorpion fan, but a Shark it may be.

In my last post (boy have I been lax), I said I couldn't wait to see the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In. I got my chance this weekend at our local Crest Theater. Suffice to say it lived up to all the hype. Great mood, acting and story. Check it out if you get the chance... just remember, it's not an American action film, so it moves at a different pace.