As expected, it was a very long drive from Colorado back to Pennsylvania. Its over now, and after all the stress I'm finally home. I have to say, it feels really, really nice. I've don't think I've ever been so happy to feel humidity.
-I've got five days to take care of quite a few things. I've got some shopping to do (aside from new sneakers, I might have to shop for some appliances and whatnot for the room, as well as get some food, since I won't have my car right away). I need to visit my grandmother before she permanently retires to Florida, and visit my brother at his first apartment. Gotta shop for as many textbooks as I can, and get my car into the shop to get the paint and door finished. Oh, and I need a trim at the barber too. Those sideburns are getting a bit scraggly. Should have enough time if I get up each day and be active, though lord knows I want to sleep until 11:00 each day and do nothing. No time for that though. My relatives in Colorado would be sad to hear if I'm not constantly active :)
-I have a bunch of photos to upload to Flickr tomorrow. Most of it is pics of Denver itself and the Colorado wilderness. I promise to stop taking pictures of me. So many oppurtunities, but I can't become a Narcissist. My schnoz alone makes that illegal.
-But, I still will prob. take another self photo tomorrow, because I finally have my hat! Its...just barely a perfect fit, probably could be a bit wider. Its...bigger than I expected! I think it has the potential to either look real good or real goofy, depending on when its worn and what it is worn with. You can all be the judge!
-I should crank out a review this week. Yeah, that sounds good.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
No title necessary
It took a bunch of phone calls and a whole lot of pressure, but I got my car back. I'm leaving tomorrow, two days ahead of schedule. I'll get home Monday evening, and have the rest of the week to myself. This is quite an outcome; it seems that in this whole incident, a bit of luck was on my side.
Anyway, I'll be offline for the next three days, and I might be on only sporadically throughout the week, unless I hook up my computer (I don't think I will). In any case, I now have enough time to prepare, have a working car, and will be able to get back to school on time. Now I just need to actually get my ass home. As Sam Jackson taught me, "Things are starting to look up already."
Thanks to everyone who's had my back through all this shit. I'm truly blessed you know.
See you in September....
Honest to god, Mookie Wilson gave me the Gol' bol, in my hands, in 1974.
Anyway, I'll be offline for the next three days, and I might be on only sporadically throughout the week, unless I hook up my computer (I don't think I will). In any case, I now have enough time to prepare, have a working car, and will be able to get back to school on time. Now I just need to actually get my ass home. As Sam Jackson taught me, "Things are starting to look up already."
Thanks to everyone who's had my back through all this shit. I'm truly blessed you know.
See you in September....
Honest to god, Mookie Wilson gave me the Gol' bol, in my hands, in 1974.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Yea...
Apologies for the lack of updates. The last week of work was a doozy, and to make things worse, I had a car accident the day before I was to depart for home.
So, for now, I'm stuck in Colorado, and will either be coming home late next week with it fixed, or late this week with a check from a totaled car. Its put me in a sour mood, so for right now I'm completely dark on AIM. No away message, no ignoring people; I'm off until I get this figured out and I'm safe at home. Until then, you can still get to me through email and Google Talk, and I've promised to keep updates here as frequently as I can. Sorry for the inconveinence everyone, but my own damn personality makes AIM a bad thing for me right now. I'll be back within a week.
So yeah, right now I'm waiting to see tomorrow what they want to do with the car. The damage isn't horrible, but just may be enough that they choose to total it. That would be two totals in a row for me, and the first that would be my fault. Guy can't get any luck can he? In that case I'd be paying a decent chunk of change to fly home on Thursday, shipping most of my personal items home. The other option is they go with the repairs, in which case I just have to wait until they fix it. As long as that gives me time to make it to college on Sunday, I would like to take this option, even though staying here for another week would suck rather hard. Still, it'd mean I have a car...
I'll post tomorrow with the results, if they come in. Until then, wish me luck.
So, for now, I'm stuck in Colorado, and will either be coming home late next week with it fixed, or late this week with a check from a totaled car. Its put me in a sour mood, so for right now I'm completely dark on AIM. No away message, no ignoring people; I'm off until I get this figured out and I'm safe at home. Until then, you can still get to me through email and Google Talk, and I've promised to keep updates here as frequently as I can. Sorry for the inconveinence everyone, but my own damn personality makes AIM a bad thing for me right now. I'll be back within a week.
So yeah, right now I'm waiting to see tomorrow what they want to do with the car. The damage isn't horrible, but just may be enough that they choose to total it. That would be two totals in a row for me, and the first that would be my fault. Guy can't get any luck can he? In that case I'd be paying a decent chunk of change to fly home on Thursday, shipping most of my personal items home. The other option is they go with the repairs, in which case I just have to wait until they fix it. As long as that gives me time to make it to college on Sunday, I would like to take this option, even though staying here for another week would suck rather hard. Still, it'd mean I have a car...
I'll post tomorrow with the results, if they come in. Until then, wish me luck.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Weekend
Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, time for the weekend news.
-Peta is demanding that a Florida Animal Control officer should see criminal charges after a dead raccoon was found in the woman's truck. The officer was on vacation when a coworker discovered the dead animal in the cargo bay. No one knows if this is a case of animal cruelty, or if the stupid thing got in there on its own, but I think we can guess which one it is. Hmm, Peta fighting about a dead animal. Maybe that South Park episode was telling the truth. That raccoon could have been someone's wife!
-A man in Sacramento prevents a store roberry, only to come back sometime later to steal some cash out of the register, leading to his own arrest. Normally this is something that people would list under "Stupid Criminal Stories". I see it as a fella trying to collect on his reward for a job well done. Though next time, I suggest he ask first.
-About a thousand Girl Scouts in Virginia might have been infected with rabies after several possibly infected bats might have bit them in their sleep. Some of the girls also touched some bats that were captrued by counselors. Great, a couple thousand shots in the stomach because of a small lack of precaution.
Seeing that this is the Girl Scouts, I feel dirty making a joke about "always wearing protection", but I will say this. Girls, don't go around petting random animals. They're not all cute and fuzzy. Some of them just want to kill you.
-And our Miracle Baby, former college football star Maurice Clarett, who was arrested after a police chase when the cops uncovered a loaded pistol under his feet, and AK-47 in the passenger's seat, and several more guns in the back. When police tried to use a stun gun, they foudn it worked to no avail, since Clarett was wearing a flak jacket. This on top of a case of armed robery. Folks, I've got nothing for you on this one. What the hell was he doing...
That's it for this week folks. Dragon Quest 8 is your review for the week, and boy is it a doozy. Take it easy.
-Peta is demanding that a Florida Animal Control officer should see criminal charges after a dead raccoon was found in the woman's truck. The officer was on vacation when a coworker discovered the dead animal in the cargo bay. No one knows if this is a case of animal cruelty, or if the stupid thing got in there on its own, but I think we can guess which one it is. Hmm, Peta fighting about a dead animal. Maybe that South Park episode was telling the truth. That raccoon could have been someone's wife!
-A man in Sacramento prevents a store roberry, only to come back sometime later to steal some cash out of the register, leading to his own arrest. Normally this is something that people would list under "Stupid Criminal Stories". I see it as a fella trying to collect on his reward for a job well done. Though next time, I suggest he ask first.
-About a thousand Girl Scouts in Virginia might have been infected with rabies after several possibly infected bats might have bit them in their sleep. Some of the girls also touched some bats that were captrued by counselors. Great, a couple thousand shots in the stomach because of a small lack of precaution.
Seeing that this is the Girl Scouts, I feel dirty making a joke about "always wearing protection", but I will say this. Girls, don't go around petting random animals. They're not all cute and fuzzy. Some of them just want to kill you.
-And our Miracle Baby, former college football star Maurice Clarett, who was arrested after a police chase when the cops uncovered a loaded pistol under his feet, and AK-47 in the passenger's seat, and several more guns in the back. When police tried to use a stun gun, they foudn it worked to no avail, since Clarett was wearing a flak jacket. This on top of a case of armed robery. Folks, I've got nothing for you on this one. What the hell was he doing...
That's it for this week folks. Dragon Quest 8 is your review for the week, and boy is it a doozy. Take it easy.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Monday, August 07, 2006
So you wanna be a rock superstar?
And live large? But seriously, what the hell? Gamedaily's Chris Buffa posts a whole bunch of honest critiques of gaming journalism, and how much better it can get. He points the fingers not only on the rest of the web, but on himself and his own site, and has repeated that him and his colleagues are not perfect, but trying to be better every day. This is some of the most genuine writing I've seen from an industry writer, and he makes some great points.
Tell that to 1up. Once again a few of their cocky, wannabe rock star journalists have responded. The word?
waaaaaaaaa!
and
WAAAAAAAA!
Apparently these hotshots have taken Buffa a little too personally. These people who say they are proud of their work, and have been in the industry for years, decide the most professional thing to do is to attack the man with silly names and swearing. If you're so content with your work, if Buffa is a nobody, why are you giving him the time of day? Did he attack your momma? your family? Not that I saw.
These chumps know that Buffa has a point. Games journalism is in sorry shape, and no one wants to notice. And all the "fuck yous" and "I don't give a fuck"'s in the world aren't going to change the minds of me and anyone else with half a brain.
Really, this kind of reaction is 100% typical of an internet society with no balls. Everything about Buffa's article was criticism. Nothing more. But as the 'net has proven time and again, we cna't take criticism. No, we have to whine and cry and lash out because someone doesn't like us. Since when was this ever a bad thing? When was it ever an insult? Look at anyone who ever runs around with writing/pictures/photos askign for concrit. Then look at the responses. They're all half assed "suggestions" made by people who don't wish to offend, who are afraid of speaking their minds.
An english teacher I had once read a paper of mine, and said this of it:
"There's absolutely no reason why these paragraphs need to exist."
This was followed by a talk on which they elaborated. I took it as criticism, some good solid advice and an interesting perspective. If it was on the internet, it would probably go something like this:
"Um, well, it was really good! But, well, maybe you could get rid of that paragraph. I mean, you have to, but I you said everything so well in the rest of it! kthxbye!"
If I read that, no way in hell I'm changing a thing. After all, it was really good! But this seems to be all I ever see. That, or spewing 1up style vitriol. What's even more interesting is a point made by a 1up commenter; these guys slander Buffa and defend their own works, but never do they mention when Dan Hsu calls out the industry for bad practices, while not naming names (which contained some direct, honest to goodness accusations of wrongdoing. Buffa was just throwing out ideas). They don't mention how their DOA4 game guide showed some pretty clear evidence of plagarism. Their own site has done some pretty shady shit in the past, but they choose to cover their eyes. After all, if there's no irrefutable proof, it didn't actually happen, right? Bunch of hypocrites. I can't wait for Ziff Davis to sell their media division, and for 1up to crumble as they continue to screw up and people lose respect for them. Then maybe some real writers will be able to come in and show us how it done.
Don't like that? I don't give a fuck. You've got every dimwit, as well as IGN "writer" Jess Chobot sucking your cock. Sounds like a good place to curl up into a ball and cry.
P.S. - to all the commenters on that site - why are you spending your college time and money trying to become a games journalist? Don't get me wrong, I love to write about games, but never as a job. Dont' let 1up's horrible image cloud your minds. There are so many better things to do with a real journalism degree.
Tell that to 1up. Once again a few of their cocky, wannabe rock star journalists have responded. The word?
waaaaaaaaa!
and
WAAAAAAAA!
Apparently these hotshots have taken Buffa a little too personally. These people who say they are proud of their work, and have been in the industry for years, decide the most professional thing to do is to attack the man with silly names and swearing. If you're so content with your work, if Buffa is a nobody, why are you giving him the time of day? Did he attack your momma? your family? Not that I saw.
These chumps know that Buffa has a point. Games journalism is in sorry shape, and no one wants to notice. And all the "fuck yous" and "I don't give a fuck"'s in the world aren't going to change the minds of me and anyone else with half a brain.
Really, this kind of reaction is 100% typical of an internet society with no balls. Everything about Buffa's article was criticism. Nothing more. But as the 'net has proven time and again, we cna't take criticism. No, we have to whine and cry and lash out because someone doesn't like us. Since when was this ever a bad thing? When was it ever an insult? Look at anyone who ever runs around with writing/pictures/photos askign for concrit. Then look at the responses. They're all half assed "suggestions" made by people who don't wish to offend, who are afraid of speaking their minds.
An english teacher I had once read a paper of mine, and said this of it:
"There's absolutely no reason why these paragraphs need to exist."
This was followed by a talk on which they elaborated. I took it as criticism, some good solid advice and an interesting perspective. If it was on the internet, it would probably go something like this:
"Um, well, it was really good! But, well, maybe you could get rid of that paragraph. I mean, you have to, but I you said everything so well in the rest of it! kthxbye!"
If I read that, no way in hell I'm changing a thing. After all, it was really good! But this seems to be all I ever see. That, or spewing 1up style vitriol. What's even more interesting is a point made by a 1up commenter; these guys slander Buffa and defend their own works, but never do they mention when Dan Hsu calls out the industry for bad practices, while not naming names (which contained some direct, honest to goodness accusations of wrongdoing. Buffa was just throwing out ideas). They don't mention how their DOA4 game guide showed some pretty clear evidence of plagarism. Their own site has done some pretty shady shit in the past, but they choose to cover their eyes. After all, if there's no irrefutable proof, it didn't actually happen, right? Bunch of hypocrites. I can't wait for Ziff Davis to sell their media division, and for 1up to crumble as they continue to screw up and people lose respect for them. Then maybe some real writers will be able to come in and show us how it done.
Don't like that? I don't give a fuck. You've got every dimwit, as well as IGN "writer" Jess Chobot sucking your cock. Sounds like a good place to curl up into a ball and cry.
P.S. - to all the commenters on that site - why are you spending your college time and money trying to become a games journalist? Don't get me wrong, I love to write about games, but never as a job. Dont' let 1up's horrible image cloud your minds. There are so many better things to do with a real journalism degree.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Weekend News
Welcome back ladies and gents. Time for the Weekend News.
-Tropical Storm Chris has come and gone, and won't be bringing a hurricane to the Caribbean. I finally get a storm named after me, and thankfully it didn't cause any widespread destruction. Though this is the perfect oppurtunity to make some sort of lewd joke about me usign words like "fizzling out" and being a "drop in the bucket". Go on. Be creative.
-A minor league baseball teamis having a special "Britney baby safety night", in order to teach parents proper child/car safety, while mocking a moronic celebrity for endagering her child. I'm very much looking forward to next month's event, titled "Dumpy, whiny celebrity who has her husband whipped and fires Jack Lalanne's son" night.
-A bar waitress in Ohio checks a young woman's id, and finds out it is her own stolen license being showed to her. The thief is charged with identity theft, and what's worse is that she happened to be 23 years old, and thus legally of age. So answer me this; if you can drink, why are you using a stolen ID? Even freshmen aren't that dumb.
- And our Miracle Baby, the State of Kansas. A bed and breakfast owner in Kansas is facing severe reactions from his small town, after he hung up a rainbow colored flag. To the couple, it is a simple souvenir from their child, but to others it is a symbol of gay pride and support. The preacher has threatened to arrest them, and the radio station wanted to pull their ads unless the flag was removed. Business has also suffered due to the boycott. Of course, no one in town made the association until a few loudmouths wrote about it in the paper, and one man is quoted as saying
That's it for this week folks. I leave you off with this wonderful quiz testing your video game knowledge. I got a 90%. Can you match it?
-Tropical Storm Chris has come and gone, and won't be bringing a hurricane to the Caribbean. I finally get a storm named after me, and thankfully it didn't cause any widespread destruction. Though this is the perfect oppurtunity to make some sort of lewd joke about me usign words like "fizzling out" and being a "drop in the bucket". Go on. Be creative.
-A minor league baseball teamis having a special "Britney baby safety night", in order to teach parents proper child/car safety, while mocking a moronic celebrity for endagering her child. I'm very much looking forward to next month's event, titled "Dumpy, whiny celebrity who has her husband whipped and fires Jack Lalanne's son" night.
-A bar waitress in Ohio checks a young woman's id, and finds out it is her own stolen license being showed to her. The thief is charged with identity theft, and what's worse is that she happened to be 23 years old, and thus legally of age. So answer me this; if you can drink, why are you using a stolen ID? Even freshmen aren't that dumb.
- And our Miracle Baby, the State of Kansas. A bed and breakfast owner in Kansas is facing severe reactions from his small town, after he hung up a rainbow colored flag. To the couple, it is a simple souvenir from their child, but to others it is a symbol of gay pride and support. The preacher has threatened to arrest them, and the radio station wanted to pull their ads unless the flag was removed. Business has also suffered due to the boycott. Of course, no one in town made the association until a few loudmouths wrote about it in the paper, and one man is quoted as saying
To me it's just like running up a Nazi flag in a Jewish neighborhood. I can't walk into that establishment with that flag flying because to me that's saying that I support what the flag stands for and I don'tYes folks, someone just compared the symbol of the Nazi regime to a flag bought at a Wizard of Oz museum. If I ever have to go to Kansas, remind me never to stand under a blue sky and yellow sun, with red shoes and a plaid shirt on, while watching the Olympics. Somone funnier than me needs to make a joke tying this with "Intelligent" Design.
That's it for this week folks. I leave you off with this wonderful quiz testing your video game knowledge. I got a 90%. Can you match it?
Thursday, August 03, 2006
random late week post
This post was originally going to be filled with frothing, ridiculous rant, after a couple of topics caught my attention yesterday and immediately drew my ire. Then I had a few beers, wrote a little bit, and realized that while they might be worthy of discussion, it was nothing to be worked up over. For instance, I finally discovered that Firefox does indeed have glaring memory issues, and that this is likely the cause of some of the slowdownd I've expereinced in both XP and Ubuntu. I had a rant all ready, calling out the hypocrisy of Open Source zealots I know, who call from the mountains for people to convert to OSS (and make smarmy comments and jokes about these people on the side), yet never seem to notice or complain when their favorite software might have a problem. But that sentence covers everything that needs to be said. Plus I can still switch back to Opera whenever I want.
I wanted to rant about some of the "girl gamer" stuff that has popped up quite frequently in the last month or so. But then I realized that links and tirades only gives it more attention, and makes the problem worse. Also, I can't really blame a bunch of attractive looking women for using their looks to exploit stupid, horny men (and to those guys out there; shame on you). There are a lot of women gamers out there who actually participate, and know what the hell they are talking about. Its no coincidence that these are the people who aren't jumping on the internet in order to try and grab some attention. They're too busy actually playing.
Of course, I was also frustrated to see the Yankees take the AL East lead after heroics from newly acquired Bobby Abreu. But the American League is a tough place to play, and the Mets are still playing top quality ball. Yes, its possible the teams could face in the finals and the Yankee Magic(tm) could cause certain doom. But its even more likely they are elminated early by a better team, while the Mets fight for the pennant. Things are still looking good in baseball land.
Here's a fantastic interview about Bioshock, which looks better and better every time I see it. The guy from Irrational makes a great stab at the horribly black and white moral choices that most games are content to present to us. Irrational, I wasn't huge on Freedom Force, but I have nothing but respect for you now that you've let an employee bitch slap the entirety of post-Baldur's Gate Bioware and Knights of the Old Republic.
Some serious trouble over in the land of Ziff Davis. Looks like the entire magazine division is up for sale, which doesn't seem like a good thing. I remember when Imagine Media turned into the Future Network, and let's just say one of the strongest names in game magazines is a shell of its former self. If someone ponies up, it'll be interesting to see what happens to EGM and Computer Gaming World.
Actually, scratch that. Its only a matter of time before CGW burns to the ground. The mag has been renamed to Games for Windows, and is now a joint venture between ZD and Microsoft. Now they say this is because of MS's new dedication to games on Vista, and that their contract makes it illegal for them to influence the content of the magazine. It still sounds fishy as hell. You don't join into a partnership like this so you can leave the magazine alone, and something called "Games for Windows" sounds far too consumer friendly for the very unorthodox style that CGW has created over the years (gotta love no review scores). Microsoft is going to do more than just give the writers free PC gaming rigs. While they might not have the ability to directly change the content of the publication, they can make some very strong, um, "suggestions". I expect nothing more than the fanboyish and sensational journalism of any "official" console magazine. A sad change to be sure.
I now give you all the Biggest Pussies in Gaming Journalism. Looks like some kids got burned by Game Revolution for their useless, homophobic flamebait rant, so they reacted by crying a bunch and running home with the ball. Remember folks, "If you are making a harmless joke (Non-derogatory) than it is OK, but ONLY if you contact the other site to let them know, and have the time to make a harmless quip in return."
Who the fuck with a pair of balls ever does that? There's no question that this kid hasn't hit puberty. Unless he's a man-child, which is even worse. Someone get these guys a box of tampons. Until then, maybe the writer should get some practice before writing anything else on the internet. I promise it will help.
Tony Bennet had his birthday today. Let's listen to some great music from a time long ago...
I wanted to rant about some of the "girl gamer" stuff that has popped up quite frequently in the last month or so. But then I realized that links and tirades only gives it more attention, and makes the problem worse. Also, I can't really blame a bunch of attractive looking women for using their looks to exploit stupid, horny men (and to those guys out there; shame on you). There are a lot of women gamers out there who actually participate, and know what the hell they are talking about. Its no coincidence that these are the people who aren't jumping on the internet in order to try and grab some attention. They're too busy actually playing.
Of course, I was also frustrated to see the Yankees take the AL East lead after heroics from newly acquired Bobby Abreu. But the American League is a tough place to play, and the Mets are still playing top quality ball. Yes, its possible the teams could face in the finals and the Yankee Magic(tm) could cause certain doom. But its even more likely they are elminated early by a better team, while the Mets fight for the pennant. Things are still looking good in baseball land.
Here's a fantastic interview about Bioshock, which looks better and better every time I see it. The guy from Irrational makes a great stab at the horribly black and white moral choices that most games are content to present to us. Irrational, I wasn't huge on Freedom Force, but I have nothing but respect for you now that you've let an employee bitch slap the entirety of post-Baldur's Gate Bioware and Knights of the Old Republic.
Some serious trouble over in the land of Ziff Davis. Looks like the entire magazine division is up for sale, which doesn't seem like a good thing. I remember when Imagine Media turned into the Future Network, and let's just say one of the strongest names in game magazines is a shell of its former self. If someone ponies up, it'll be interesting to see what happens to EGM and Computer Gaming World.
Actually, scratch that. Its only a matter of time before CGW burns to the ground. The mag has been renamed to Games for Windows, and is now a joint venture between ZD and Microsoft. Now they say this is because of MS's new dedication to games on Vista, and that their contract makes it illegal for them to influence the content of the magazine. It still sounds fishy as hell. You don't join into a partnership like this so you can leave the magazine alone, and something called "Games for Windows" sounds far too consumer friendly for the very unorthodox style that CGW has created over the years (gotta love no review scores). Microsoft is going to do more than just give the writers free PC gaming rigs. While they might not have the ability to directly change the content of the publication, they can make some very strong, um, "suggestions". I expect nothing more than the fanboyish and sensational journalism of any "official" console magazine. A sad change to be sure.
I now give you all the Biggest Pussies in Gaming Journalism. Looks like some kids got burned by Game Revolution for their useless, homophobic flamebait rant, so they reacted by crying a bunch and running home with the ball. Remember folks, "If you are making a harmless joke (Non-derogatory) than it is OK, but ONLY if you contact the other site to let them know, and have the time to make a harmless quip in return."
Who the fuck with a pair of balls ever does that? There's no question that this kid hasn't hit puberty. Unless he's a man-child, which is even worse. Someone get these guys a box of tampons. Until then, maybe the writer should get some practice before writing anything else on the internet. I promise it will help.
Tony Bennet had his birthday today. Let's listen to some great music from a time long ago...
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