Serge from Sorority Life Totally Looks Like French Actor Gaspard Ulliel

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“Oh. Hey Rage.”

“Hello, sir.”

“What’s uh… goin’ on here?”

“Welp, I guess I’m talking to you, so, we’re talking to ourselves.”

“I see. Is this one of those blogs where it’s later revealed that you were completely nuts after you do something ridiculous to get yourself killed?”

“Uh…I’m going to have to go with ‘No’.”

“Well, we are talking to ourselves, aren’t we?”

“Indeed. However, I would argue that most people talk to themselves. At the very least, I can think of a few people who talk to me and I just don’t care to listen. Therefore, they’re talking to themselves. This happens all the time.”

“I suppose you’re right. But, I still think you’re nuts.”

“Thanks, dick.”

“If I’m a dick, you’re also a dick.”

“I’ll give you that.”

“Well, anyway, what the hell are we going to do here?”

“I guess we’ll type about stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Stuff we like.”

“Like what?”

“You know damn well what we like.”

“What, like video games and smoking pot?”

“That’s not all we like.”

“Well it certainly seems to consume a lot of our time.”

“You’re making us look bad.”

“Ok, fine. Please elaborate on our current purpose.”

“Well, we’ll type about stuff. Video games and pot are two potential subjects for sure though.”

“I knew it.”

“No! It’s not a video games and pot blog. It’s a… video games, pot, and a number of other miscellaneous subject matter that will come up in due time.”

“Due time? Is this going to be like that pot garden we tried to grow that you said would grow in ‘due time’? ‘Cuz let me tell you, it’s a little overdue.”

“No. It’s not like that. And you’re an asshole. We’re going to exist as we always do, consorting, indulging, engaging, and what not. If something in particular strikes introspection, we digitally elaborate.”

“Ok, so what do we do until one of these occurrences?”

“I don’t know. Want to go smoke some pot and play CODMOD2?”

“Sold.”

?
PUT. THE. GAMEBOY. AWAY!

(Joe Biden and Barack Obama)

He’s always goofing off. Even on here!

Picture by: dunno source Caption by: clayjn via Advanced Lol Builder

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ODS Steve. The man. The legend. The hero that knows no fear. Join him and Delta Squad for their comical adventures as they valiantly attempt to drop into enemy territory to take the fight straight to the Covenant. Enjoy the Chronicles of ODS Steve, a regular weekly offering brought to you courtesy of DeepCee.

coodss [at] gmail [dot] com

Last Monday, a group of Swedish researchers published a report which analysed the adherence of 20 recent first and third person shooters to the International Humanitarian Law (AKA the conventions of war crimes), which has made a fair splash in the gaming press, making it all the way to the BBC.  However, after a quick read through, the study possess a number of key flaws in its finding and methods, as well as evidence that it was lacking in depth. There were some interesting points, however they are bogged down in such a mess of poorly thought out points, that I figured a quick criticism of the report might prove interesting. So without further adieu…

If  someone was to publish a review which criticised films or novels for featuring war crimes occurring, they would be laughed out of the media. Many of our most powerful movies utilise war crimes for some of their most moving scenes and novels have been touching on this touchy subject matter for many years now.  However, this report justifies video games as a subject, by claiming that the interactivity can lead players to accept the action on screen as being permissable without as much critical thinking as people apply to the passive mediums. Although the claim that interactivity reduces critical thinking as compared to film or books is questionable, the core concept that games may be presenting war crimes in a positive light doesn’t seem too far-fetched, considering the general machismo and bloodlust that is celebrated by many titles.

Keeping this in mind, it’s frustrating that so many of the study’s points are based around passive elements in games. For example, the study lists a sequence in 24: The Game where Jack Bauer shoots a captured terrorist in the head after interrogating him, clearly violating the act which prevents the mistreatment of prisoners.  The report lists it as a ‘Strong’ violation, meaning that it has a high chance of influencing the player. However, this particular incident occurs… in a cutscene! The player is completely passive during this sequence, which is functionally identical to the television series of 24.  Including non interactive sequences in study is in my opinion disingenuous, due to the focus of the report really being on the nature of war crimes in interactivity, as the report dismisses the effects of war crimes in a passive medium in its ‘Aims’ section.  A large amount of the report’s complaints center around non interactive sections in these games, which undermines the strength of the report.

Furthermore, the study is curious in the way it chooses to deal with war crimes committed by the opposition in video games.  I personally believe that the presentation of war crimes committed by the enemies in game would cause people to turn away from such actions, as they’re usually not only presented as being evil acts, but the acts are committed by people with whom the player usually cannot sympathise.  Many of the reports findings are however based upon acts that are not committed by the player, again ignoring the interactive nature of games and merely calling out things which are presented to the player.  From the civilians being slaughtered in the opening sequence of Call of Duty 4, to the american prisoner being tortured in the beginning of Call of Duty 5, I would argue that witnessing either of these acts would desensitize players to the acts mentioned. I certainly disagree with the assertion that “it is not reccomendable to include such scenes [as the] killing [of] what are apparently look like civilians in video games, as it sends the wrong message to players”.

However, the report does finally get its act together and talks about games in which the player is allowed and even encouraged to commit war crimes. Possibly the best example was Battlefield: Bad Company in which the game actively encourages the player to blow chunks into peoples homes and provides rewards for players who pillage valuables from civilians, a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law.  The report also was correct in pointing out the number of games which allow the player to kill their opposition in ways which cause ’superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering’, such as using a flamethrower in World at War. It could be argued (quite validly) that the use of flamethrowers is historically accurate and therefore appropriate, however the report agues that any exposure to such acts is negatively influencing players perceptions of battlefield practices.  Although I personally disagree that allowing players to commit these war crimes will belittle the acts in their minds, however I have no evidence for that. Both of the games attempt to justify the occurence of war crimes, however it is conceivably possible that encouraging the player to commit such acts would desensitize players to the horror of such war crimes.

Another of the study’s repeated tropes is criticising games which allow players to kill enemies who’re wounded or who surrender. Although I can sort of agree that allowing players to shoot surrendering enemies reinforces the writer’s contention, they repeatedly bring up the ability of players in World at War to shoot downed enemies as being a violation of the equivalent IHR of the time, which stated that one shouldn’t ‘to kill or wound an enemy who, having laid down his arms, or having no longer means of defence, has surrendered at his discretion’. However, in Call of Duty games enemies who’re left on the ground will attack the player if they’re left alive, clearly making the targets valid in terms of that clause.

Let's face it, the plot of COD4 is hardly that complex

In fact, a lack of reasearch into the respective titles is one of the report’s greatest flaws. It undermines the credibility of many of the findings, some of which are heavily dependant on the context in which they occur. Probably the most grievous example is in the assertion that in Call of Duty 4, Cpt. Price kills Al-Asad in a certain mission, while simultaneously claiming that Al-Asad is the character the player occupies in the opening sequence. As anyone who’s played through the whole sequence would know, the player dies at the end of the introduction sequence to the game, pretty clearly demonstrating  a lack of understanding about what actually occurs in these titles.

Is Snake a War Criminal? Only you can decide!

This lack of understanding about games further manifested itself in the commentary of Metal Gear Solid 4, where the ability kill civilians ‘without reprimand’ in the second act’s final sequence. However, should a player call a certain character on the Codec following such an act, he will be reprimanded by his CO. Also the report failed to mention the game’s focus on non-lethality (something they praised in a different title) as well as ignoring the games many themes regarding the prevention of war crimes through the ‘Sons of the Patriots’ system.  They also misunderstand the nature of PMC’s in the title, assuming for some reason that the game’s many conflict zones are linked.

This man on the other hand, is underacknowledged as a bastard

An odd point in the report was the section covering Far Cry 2, in which the only reported violation was allowing players to shoot ‘at a church’, an act which goes ‘unpunished’. Although the report acknowledges that ‘it may be assumed that the attacks are not directed at the church’ the report clearly dropped the ball here. The incident mentioned is that the player is saving civilians from a militia and is ambushed inside a church where they may shoot at soldiers with small arms. Players defending themselves from assailants inside a church cannot constitute ‘excessive destruction’ which leads to a ‘violation of the principal of proportionality’. Further frustration in this section arose from the fact that the report did overlook the elements of Far Cry 2 in which the player was forced to carry out war crimes, from the destruction of civilian medicine to pillaging to destruction of culturally significant civilian structures. In a game where the player’s war crimes are one of the central narrative themes, to consider only the church incident is disappointing.

Lastly, I’ll provide you with a few of the reports recommendations to video games in the future, which are, in a word, bollocks.

‘the message of the scenes should never be that everything is allowed, or that it’s up to the player to decide what is right and wrong’, recommends the report in regards to scenes which allow any degree of player choice. The idea that player’s shouldn’t be allowed to decide what it morally allowable in a game is offensive, plain and simple. The core of our medium’s artistic ability casually discarded, not even receiving a whole sentence to itself.

Furthermore, the report also ‘reccomend[s] to game developers to avoid creating scenarios that easily lead to violations of the IHL, such as the so called ticking bomb scenario’. Again, this left me speechless. The report does have some valid points, (such as rewarding the player for looting, as opposed to simply using that as a tool to characterise the ‘Bad Company’) as well as identifying a number of ways to implement penalty systems in games for players who choose not to adhere to IHL (although too often these are simply game over screens), however the good points become lost in a mess of non-interactivity and misunderstandings.

No more 'ticking bomb' scenarios?!

Look out for a post analysing the narratives of Ken Lavine by Saturday, exams are over and the blog is back.

PS: In reading the piece, I stumbled across the fabulous word ‘parashooters’ so perhaps some of the quotes which I found offensive are more the result of non-native english skills as opposed to intent.

There are many girlfriends that feel ignored and want their boyfriend to pay attention. However, if you smash your boyfriend’s console or handheld, then consider that your relationship has ended. Here is an example of one of these situations:

She got off lucky, but most video game addicts won’t act like her boyfriend. They will get pissed off that they will lose control, or pretty much will involve physical abuse. So, to the crazy girlfriend who smashed that guy’s Xbox 360, you got off lucky, just don’t try to do something stupid and crazy ever again.

http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Spirit-Tracks-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001TOQ8UW/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1259138966&sr=1-9

http://www.amazon.com/Castlevania-Order-Ecclesia-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001CU4EJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1259139196&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Castlevania-Portrait-Ruin-Nintendo-DS/dp/B000GIXIPK/ref=dp_cp_ob_vg_title_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1259139196&sr=1-2

Left 4 Dead 2

http://www.amazon.com/Left-4-Dead-2-Xbox-360/dp/B002BRZ852/ref=pd_bxgy_vg_img_c

Borderlands

http://www.amazon.com/Borderlands-Xbox-360/dp/B000WMEEB2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1259138411&sr=1-1

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Ultimate-Alliance-2-Xbox-360/dp/B001UWGBC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1259138610&sr=1-1

Splatterhouse

http://www.amazon.com/Splatter-House-Xbox-360/dp/B001E7MMNQ/ref=br_nf_3_1?pf_rd_p=369645701&pf_rd_s=center-12&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=14220161&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=15H56G4M9K1JXNNXGEHY

Source [technabob]

Let me be frank for just a minute here.

I’m extremely nervous, worried, and frustrated.

I’m back at school, working towards a degree in Management Information Systems.  That, in and of itself, isn’t frustrating.  In fact, I love school.  I’ve been learning new things left and right throughout the year, and (as I’ve stated previously) for the first time ever, I am actually enjoying school.  It’s great.  I’m just getting frustrated as I hear about all my friends with potential interviews, job offers, yadda yadda.  Shawn heads off to Principal in January.  Drew has so many interviews nationwide, I don’t even know what he’s doing.  And it goes on and on from there.

My whole reasoning for going back to school stemmed from my time at John Deere.  I worked for a subcontractor while I was there, doing IT work and deploying computers out to users throughout the Waterloo plants and offices.  I loved the job, I loved my work… but I hated the management.  I can’t come up with enough big words to describe my loathing for how TechTeam (the company I was a part of) was managed (or mismanaged, as I saw it).  My whole thought process when I left that wretched hell-hole was “hey, maybe I can be the one that manages a company like this someday”.  Mostly I wanted to be the “good guy”, correcting all the crappiness in a job like that and making Company X an organization people enjoyed working for… but I’d be alright with just being a little higher on the “shit flows downhill” food chain and making more than just entry-level money as well.

But now, as I sit here, it’s November 25th.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  3 weeks, and I’ll be done with this semester.  A month from now, Christmas.  And then spring semester, followed by summer.  (Duh.)  My issue is, I have absolutely *no* clue what I’m doing this summer yet.  I need a job, but I’m tired of getting crappy temporary jobs like I’ve had practically all my life up to this point.  Deere was something that could’ve potentially turned into a career, had it not been for the tumbling economy (which, in turn, led to my noticing of the garbage management practices).  Otherwise, it’s been a plethora of jobs at Northern Iowa, Hy-Vee, GameStop, detasseling, and so on.

I realize that I’m currently sitting with practically no schooling that relates towards my intended career, and my work experience is also limited.  I also have absolutely no clue what to look for when it comes to possible jobs, especially around the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.  I’ve had a couple interviews, but one job was volunteer only, and another calls me back tomorrow to let me know (though I’ve heard that the company is a little shady in multiple ways, so who knows…).  I know that once I graduate and have my degree, that I could find a job somewhere, but unfortunately I’m unable to focus on the “good” things that are down the road, and rather am forced to stay focused on the “hopefully good” things that are on my immediate horizon.  I.  Need.  Money.  I’m sure if push comes to shove, that I can probably find something to do around CF this summer, though whether I’ll be able to break that elusive $10/hour barrier is a question yet to be answered.  More than likely, this means that my desire to make it out to Seattle/Washington state is probably going to go down the tube… but I’ve got my priorities.  Money money money.

It’s frustrating, having some of the more expensive hobbies out there.  I love video games, Apple computers (though I really would like to build my own PC from scratch), photography, and guitars.  I have a nasty habit of spending money, whether or not I actually have it (though I have gotten much better about not spending everything).  I desperately need a new computer, since my PowerBook G4 is getting ready to choke on me.  I have a strong desire to redo my entire guitar rig (amp and pedals), which is going to cost a pretty penny.  I would absolutely love to acquire a nice DSLR camera and start doing more photography again.  And Lord knows there are a ton of good video games coming out that I would love to get my hands on (Assassin’s Creed 2, MAG, the new Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo 5, and many many more), now that good games are finally coming out for the PS3.  I need some sort of boring, inexpensive hobby, like Yoga or something… blech.

I’m also extremely frustrated and annoyed because it appears as though my tendonitis is spreading.  (Before you say anything, no Mom, I have not picked up my medication yet.)  Starting last weekend, I noticed an extremely nasty pain in my left shoulder.  After my lecture on Tuesday, I decided to visit the doctor, where I learned that it was just a simple case of the tendonitis that has afflicted the right side of my body spreading over to my left shoulder as well.  Thankfully, its not something that really limits a majority of what I do on a day-to-day basis, but it’s obnoxious enough that I whine about it occasionally.

Some other random thoughts/notes/blatherings…

- I wish I could sing better.  Guys that can play guitar are nice… guys that can play guitar and sing get all the ladies.  No, that’s not my motivation, it’s just an added perk.  Maybe I’ll have to take some lessons sometime.
- I can’t believe 4 days of my break are already gone.  It’s kinda sad.  I need to wake up earlier so I can enjoy my days a little more, but at the same time, that means I have to go to bed sooner.  Then I couldn’t be productive and write long blog posts.  Decisions, decisions.
- I have officially read the first two books of the Twilight series.  Yes, I’m a straight male.  I’m not really sure what I think about them… they’re much better than the movies, and I’m looking forward to Justin getting back on Saturday so I can borrow/read the last 2 of the books, but I’m still trying to decide if I really like them or not.
- I have officially beaten the entire single player mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.  This includes playing through the game on the hardest difficulty level, as well as finding all of the “enemy intel” that are scattered throughout all the levels… that was a pain.
- I have yet to touch any of my studies, and figure that I will do that starting on Friday.  I may as well enjoy my break to the fullest, right?
- I missed working out on Monday, but I did go today.  Hopefully I’ll go tomorrow as well.
- My room is not cleaned yet.  Thus, I can’t properly write my blog about being organized.  This needs to be remedied soon.  Maybe tomorrow?
- I get to go to Tennessee over the Christmas break this year.  I’m really excited about this.  Lots to do there, as well as people to visit.
- Really angry with myself that I did not participate in NaNoWriMo this year… or more specifically, really angry that all my ideas have decided to show up now, the week of my vacation.  Rawrgityblargh.
- I have nearly 2 months worth of songs, and I continue to acquire more.  And I love it.  Most have been listened to at least once, many of these more.  I don’t acquire crappy music, and if I do, it goes in the trash.  If you’ve got ideas of good music, throw it my way.
- I got a new phone.  I finally got tired of my Rumor freezing up on me, so I strong-armed Sprint into giving me a Rumor2 for free.  Not sure what I think of this phone yet… it does some really dumb things at really weird times.  They obviously need better programmers.

Believe it or not, there’s actually more than one video game-themed wine. I just heard about 8-Bit Vintners the other day:

They’re based in Washington, which I guess makes sense considering the Nintendo HQ in Redmond. Sounds pretty tasty in my opinion.. mmm, I do love syrah blends.

The first one I encountered (though still haven’t tried yet) is Boss Monster Zin, which comes from Dry Creek (near Sonoma valley).

What will be next on the retrogamer wine market? MegaMerlot, perhaps? Super Nebbiolo Brothers? (perhaps not surprisingly, retro videogame wine puns aren’t exactly leaping out at me – but don’t think for a second that will stop me from trying). GOOMBA’S LEAP!!

It’s official: for my final project I get to do a study of World of Warcraft!! Specifically, I get to do a machinema of WoW!!  Even more specifically: I AM PLAYING WORLD OF WARCRAFT FOR CLASS!!

And people ask me why I love media studies.

Anyway, I don’t want to go into ridiculous amounts of detail here about the project a) because it’s late and b) because I don’t want to give it all away, but I’d at least like to give you a general idea.  So here it goes.

For the last more-than-a-month, my professor has allowed me to borrow a book devoted to the analytical study of WoW called Digital Culture, Play, and Identity.  It’s a fantastic read if you ever get a chance to pick it up.  Basically it’s a series of essays by various writers about every aspect of the game; user interface, Non Playable Characters, death, user interface, social connections, and even the obligatory feminist essay.  All study the fascinating hyperreal world that is World of Warcraft.

The 2 aspects of the game which stuck out most to me and which I thought were best written about were the creation of the world and the way people interacted on said world.  I know that sounds kind of vague, but let me be more specific.

World of Warcraft is designed to look and feel like a real world rich in flora and fauna, culture and lore.  In this world, the designers created a narrative storyline for gamers to follow which would allow them to explore this brave new world and understand more about its complex history.  The land of Azeroth is “quite small, and nicely crammed, so there’s hardly any room between one adventure and the next” (if you can name that quote I will give you a cookie and a hug.)

However, despite its name and its appearance, Azeroth is no more a world than Disneyland.  It is designed primarily for practical functioning reasons.  If Azeroth were to mimic the real world, there would be miles and miles of distance between towns, and various “secret hideouts” would not be so easy to find.  Also, the bad guys wouldn’t be so conveniently placed that the ones near towns are easy and get progressively harder as you move along the quest.

Anyway, with this carefully planned world in front of them, players tend to take the easiest route and ignore it altogether.  There is some background stuff about Alliance vs Horde which is kind of important, if only because your loyalty is based on the race you choose at the beginning.  However, the vast majority of the plotline is ignored in favor of social interactions and just general badassery.  Players will crowdsource the answers to quests instead of solving the puzzles.  Some people only come to Azeroth to do strange and bizarre things with elves.  It’s really quite an eclectic mix.

Anyway, I’m going to start playing and record my experiences, hopefully turning them into some semblance of a machinema which gets at least some of these points across.  Since I haven’t played in a really long time and I’m only using the 10 free trial, do not expect a work of staggering genius.  Still, all in all I am VERY excited for this.

Welcome to another “Wordless Wednesday” Post!

How is he only 3.5?

I swear, this guy has way too much time on his hands.

Banned gamer Erik Estavillo has struck again, filing another lawsuit with Activision Blizzard for Blizzard’s World of Warcraft (or WOW).  According to an article from GamePolitics.com, Estavillo is suing Blizzard for ‘deceitful’ business practices.  Quoting from the article:

Among Estavillo’s claims is that WOW is designed for a gamer “to walk or run at a calculated slow pace, resulting in the player taking longer to get where he or she needs to go in the game.” This slow pace, says the plaintiff, leads to a longer time needed to finish game play or quests, in turn leading to more subscription revenue for Activision Blizzard.

Estavillo also complains that faster transportation is not available until a player levels up accordingly, or purchases an expansion pack.

Estavillo has tried to connect his list of health problems (OCD, Agoraphobia, Panic Disorder, major depression and Crohn’s Disease) with another former gamer’s condition, Shawn Woolley; Shawn Woolley, who played EverQuest, committed suicide in 2001.  Estavillo stated his wishes to not be like Woolley since he himself “relies on videogames heavily for the little ongoing happiness he can achieve in this life…”

To add more absurdity to the matter, Estavillo has subpoenaed two celebrities:  Depeche Mode band member Martin Gore and actress Winona Ryder.  He explained that Gore was chosen because of his song-writing (“he [Gore] himself has been known to be sad, lonely, and alienated”), and that Ryder was chosen because of their common interest in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye (“[Ryder can] explain the significance of alienation in Catcher in the Rye and will also testify to how alienation in the book can tie to alienation in real live/video games such as World of Warcraft”).

Well, I can vouch that OCD is definitely one of his illnesses, because he seems to be obsessively compulsive in filing lawsuits left and right with the video game industry.

Seriously, Estavillo must think he’s being a poster child for all those “poor and unfortunate” gamers.  He must feel that, by going against the ‘big, bad video game corporation,’ he is exposing the industry for what it really is to its consumers.  He probably believes that his sickness is proof of the ‘dark side’ of the industry.  Does Erik Estavillo really believe he’ll make waves across the video game frontier, fighting for free speech and the pursuit of selfishness?

I was originally disappointed when Estavillo first tried to sue Sony for being banned from the PlayStation Network.  I already knew the judge would have nothing to do with the case.  When he decided to appeal the decision, I figured he was just trying to make up for the dignity he lost and merely waved a hand at his attempt.  Then he sued Microsoft and Nintendo for theft and software infringement; by then I was disgusted and livid at this childish lawsuit.  Now that he’s going after Activision Blizzard and trying to get two celebrities to join his cause, my feelings about him are angry, distant, and furious; I now despise the name Erik Estavillo.

You may ask yourself, “Why are you talking about him if you hate him so much?  You’ve just given him another 15 minutes of fame.”

Well, if Estavillo is willing to voice his opposition to the video game industry, then I’m more than willing to voice my opposition to him.  I refuse to stand by and watch the industry fall down because of some misguided quest from a disgruntled gamer.  I deny him the luxury of holding the industry hostage for his own problem.  I revoke his privilege of voicing his opposition without responsibility.  I will not let Erik Estavillo cheat his way into justice for personal gain…

It’s not that I hate girls…it’s just that I don’t know many that aren’t CRAZY!  The more crazy they are the more likely my friends will date them…cough cough Mikey cough cough (his current girlfriend is awesome though).  I’m talking about girls that move in and take over, stalk you on facebook, send messages to girls that these guys new 15 years ago telling them to stay away from “their man”, hack into email and social network accounts etc. 

I’ve had girls that are dating friends of mine call me at all times of the day and night screaming at me for hanging out with their boyfriend and trying to take him away.  Um…yeah I didn’t want him, he didn’t want me.  MEN AND WOMEN CAN JUST BE FRIENDS.

I’ve been threatened, stalked, had rumors started about me (apparently I had a baby in 12th grade, amazing how I stayed 115 lbs all year and don’t have a 7 year old), been “tattled” on for things I didn’t do, had things stolen and destryoed etc. ALL BY GIRLS who were dating my guy friends (or by ex-girlfriends of current boyfriends of mine). 

Several memories were brought back by walking into a bar last night.  It was like 2006 all over again.  I went with my very close guy friend Mikey.  We’ve been friends for 10 years and we have both obviously had several significant others in that time…inculding each other for all of about 2 days 10 years ago. 

Some old friends came up in conversations with the people I knew at the bar.  I realized that a lot of my guy friends have been “banned” from hanging out with me, talking to me and even being friends with me on facebook.  What happened to trust?  I just do not get these girls, could someone please explain it to me?  I’ve lost 2 of my closest (or so I thought) friends in the past few years because of girlfriends/fiances. 

Guy number 1 unfortunately I still have to see and it’s really hard when you see someone you used to spend all your time with walk right past you acting like he doesn’t know you.  Acting like all those late nights you spent together playing video games and talking about random things never happened, like you were never friends.  Like you haven’t seen each other cry, like you didn’t take care of each other a rely on each other for all those years.  What’s worse is that I’ve known his girlfriend a lot longer than he has, and unfortunately I don’t think he’s seen the real girl she is yet.  I’ve seen her throw tantrums (I’m taking stamping her feet yelling in public tantrums), break into an ex-boyfriends house, and show up at parties for other people’s family parties she wasn’t invited to.  Multiple personalities seem to really be working for her.  Myabe she’s changed, but I’m guessing not since he’s not allowed to talk to me anymore or so I’ve been told by a mutual friend.

Guy number 2 was actually the last guy I thought this would happen with.  He was never the type of guy that stuck with girls once they started trying to tell him what to do.  I’ve never met his fiance, but I’ve heard enough about her, and gotten enough phone calls from him at all hours of the night because of crazy things she did.  I had thought we had just drifted apart because we were so busy, then I went to send him a little message on facebook and realized he had “unfriended” me.  This is also when I found out he was in fact engaged.  To the same girl that hacked into his email accounts, facebook, myspace and any other thing she could on his computer.  She sent messages to girls that had sent him messages saying to stay away from her man. 

I used to think I just want my friend back, I want things to go back to the way they were.  I want to put beer in coffee cups and start drinking at 8am because we can.  I want to play our stupid video games we came across and make fun of them.  Then I realized that these guys were obviously not my friends.  Maybe I was some type of girlfriend place holder.  Some chick to hang out with until the next girl came along.  I don’t know.  The thing I do know is that I have the best friends in the world and I know that (or hope) this won’t ever happen again. 

Ian Misty May for you…her husband Matt for me

Now Misty May is a girl I think I could be friends with!

Un Videojuego es el mejor regalo para cualquier gamer, se puede escoger entre una gran variedad de opciones que existen actualmente en el mercado. Sin embargo, para los que no somos tan aficionados fácilmente nos podemos perder entre tantas opciones que se ofrecen; para esto, aquí te ofrecemos los más buscados por los gamers y así con un regalito de estos hacer que les brillen los ojitos!

Lo primero que debemos saber es el tipo de consola para la cual estamos comprando el videojuego, ya sea Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, etc. Los precios de los videojuegos para estas consolas pueden variar de entre US$30 y US$60 dependiendo de la tienda y las promociones que estén ofreciendo en ese momento. Los precios también los pueden checar en Internet así como la disponibilidad de venta. Para este thanksgiving chequen precios y ofertas que publiqué en mi post anterior.

Estos son algunos de los juegos con más demanda en esta época Navideña. Si tienes otras recomendaciones, comentalas.

Clasificación: Shooters (Tiradores): Estos videojuegos tratan más que nada sobre el poder de las armas, no hay mas gráficos que matar a los malos; pero estos satisfacen al jugador los cuales solo quieren saber a cuantos extra terrestres, soldados o naves espaciales pueden destruir.

1. Halo 3: ODST (Bunguie; Microsoft): El juego es similar a las versiones anteriores pero tiene un nuevo carácter que cambia la historia del jugador. Está disponible para Xbox y tiene clasificación M (Adultos- sangre y leguaje violento).

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (infinity War; Activision): ofrece una competencia de contra terrorismo dentro de sus historias. Su debut en Noviembre 10 ha sido el lanzamiento más exitoso en toda la historia del entretenimiento. Está disponible para PS3, Xbox 360, y PC. Su clasificación es de M (Adultos- sangre, hace referencia a drogas, lenguaje violento).

3. Star Trek D-A-C (Naked Sky Entertainment; Paramount): Juego de francotiradores basado en la película de Star Trek que se estrenó el verano pasado. Está disponible en Xbox 360, PS3, y PC. Su clasificación es E (Publico General- fantasía y violencia).

4. Borderlands (Gearbox; 2K Games): Transporta al jugador a un mundo extraño y hostil donde se cree en la existencia de un planeta lleno de minerales, habitado por bandidos, mitos …y fortuna. Disponible en PS3, Xbox 360, y PC; clasificado como M (Adultos- sangre, violencia extrema, lenguaje fuerte).

5. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Cava, capcom): Este es el juego de un tirador que hace que sus héroes naveguen como zombis infectando pueblos en Sudamérica. Disponible solamente en Wii y está clasificado como M (Adultos- sangre, violencia extrema, lenguaje fuerte).

Clasificación: Acción y Aventura: El jugador quiere llegar a sentir el asesinato de un dragón, explorar territorios desconocidos, o recuperar un artefacto extraño, lo cual absorbe la atención del jugador.

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naugthy Dogs; Sony): Sigue paso a paso al buscador de tesoros Nathan Drake quien se da a la búsqueda de la flota perdida de Marco Polo. Contiene graficos espectaculares con detalles históricos que te da la experiencia de estar dentro de una película. Disponible solo en PS3 y es clasificación T (Adolescentes- sangre, temas sugestivos, lenguaje fuerte).

2. Dragon Age: Origins (Bioware, Electronics Art): El jugador tiene la oportunidad de tomar el rol para escoger entre salvar al mundo para bien o para mal. Cuenta con fantasía llenas de leyendas, sorpresas y combates. Disponible en PS3, PC, y Xbox 360. Tiene clasificación M (Adultos- sangre, violencia, desnudes parcial).

3. The God of War Collection (Bluepoint Games; Sony): El juego es muy similar al que se juega en PS2, esta nueva versión agrega características como la colección de trofeos y un demo para God of War III, también se actualizó al formato HD mejorándolo más que nunca. Disponible en PS3 y clasificado como M (Adultos- sangre, violencia, temas sexuales, lenguaje fuerte).

4. Assassin’s Creed II (UbiSoft): Transporta al jugador a Italia en la época del renacimiento que juega el rol del asesino que intenta ganar la venganza por el asesinato y la traición. Disponible en Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Nintendo DS, y Iphone; clasificado como M (Adultos- sangre, violencia, contenido sexual)

5. Batman: Arkman Asylum (Rocksteady; Eidos): Es lo más cercano a ser un superhéroe que se puede encontrar en el mercado. El jugador es abrumado por la acción, la atmosfera y las sorpresas del Joker. Disponible en Xbox 360, PC, y PS3. Clasificado como T (Adolescentes- referencial al alcohol y tabaco, sangre, temas sugestivos).

Clasificación: Clásicos: Algunos jugadores solo buscan relajarse con juegos que no toman días para completar, juegos que pueden repetirse una y otra vez, y tal vez traer recuerdos por los sonidos y características.

1. Little Big Planet (Sony): Llena de creatividad al jugador con divertidos rompecabezas; también les da la oportunidad de crear sus propios niveles dentro del juego y así recrearlo. Disponible en PS3 y PSP. Clasificación E (Publico en General).

2. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo): Vuelve el juego clásico de Mario Bros con características actualizadas, graficas y algunos juegos nuevos. Disponible solamente en Wii; clasificación como E (Publico en General).

3. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in time (Insomniac; Sony): En este juego se encuentran los héroes viajeros del espacio los cuales cruzan una vez más la galaxia para conquistar a los malos y salvar el universo. Disponible en PS3 y clasificado como E (Publico en General).

4. The Beatles: Rock Band (Harmonix) y Guitar Hero 5 (Activision): El juego más popular en música que te permite tocar canciones como “Helter Skelter” y “Smell like teen spirit” en guitarras y baterías de plástico. Disponible en PS3, Xbox 360, y Wii; clasificada como T (Adolescentes).

Clasificación: Deportes: Los videojuegos ideales para los amantes de las competencias.

1. Gran Turismo (Polyphony Digital ; Sony): El juego de carreras de carro ofrece cerca de 800 tipos de vehículos para escoger y una multitud de pistas a escoger. Disponible en PSP y tiene clasificación E (Publico en General).

2. Wii Sport Resort (Nintendo): Ofrece 12 diferentes tipos de juegos, entre los que incluye tiro con arco, kayaking, y ski acuático. Disponible solo en Wii; tiene clasificación E (Publico en General).

3. NCAA Basketball 10 (Electronic Arts): Brinda al jugador toda la emoción del Basketball colegial desde la comodidad de su sala. Disponible en Xbox 360 y PS3. Clasificado como E (Publico en General).

Aun no sabes cual escoger?

Una gran variedad de videojuegos se van a estrenar en el 2010 en los Estados Unidos, así que una buena opción puede ser solamente adquirir una “Gift card”. Algunos de los títulos que se estrenaran son:

· Mass Effect 2 (Enero 26, 2010)

· Bioshock 2 (Febrero 9, 2010)

· God of War III (Marzo 2010)

· Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ( Marzo 2, 2010)

Buena Suerte y Felices Fiestas!

Que te pareció la nota?

(Source: CNN.com)

I now pronounce you husband and what?!

In another sign that the world is about to collapse, multiple blogs are reporting that a fan of the Nintendo DS dating sim Love Plus (you know, the really creepy one) liked his virtual lady so much that he decided to marry her. For real.

Apparently, a Japanese gamer known as ‘Sal9000′ was officially wed to Nene Anegasaki, one of the game’s three virtual girlfriends, in what must have been the weirdest ceremony in the history of ceremonies. We can only assume that Ms. Pac-Man was the maid of honor.

While the two aren’t planning a honeymoon — after all, one of them is a VIDEO GAME — they did hold a small ‘reception’ in Japan for friends, family and the media, indicating that this is most likely little more than the looniest video game publicity stunt we’ve seen in some time.

Farming for gold and honor kills while doing dailies: a recipe

• Build campfire
• Set out romantic picnic basket
• Add vengeful druid
• ???
• Profit!