… on Gaming Updates

Crackdown
I’m giving “Crackdown” another shot. Albeit it’s half-heartedly, since I’m just using it to kill time while I wait for “Mass Effect 2″ next week. It’s very much like “Grand Theft Auto”, which is a franchise that never endeared itself to me, and not for lack of trying. Today’s adventure consisted of me falling/jumping to my death 3 times, swimming in a river and getting hopelessly lost trying to find stuff on my map, all the while, collecting random shit that makes me jump higher and run faster. I did giggle like a flustered Japanese schoolgirl at how I killed someone by kicking him so hard in the crotch that he went flying off a balcony.

I also appreciate the fact that the narrator guide in the game sounds exactly like the guy who narrates the propaganda videos in “Starship Troopers.” So I kinda feel like I’m going to have to fight some alien bugs. It warms my heart.

Eternal Sonata
I like Chopin. I like RPG’s. “Eternal Sonata” is a mix of both. I like the graphics and the story seems pretty neat, but I’m not really far enough along to form a valid opinion. I’m not particularly a HUGE fan of the gameplay, but I figure it’s something I’ll get used to.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
I beat “Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2″ yesterday. I liked it. I also liked the fact that I bought the DLC for it, which included Carnage and Black Panther to use as playable characters. Once I unlocked Venom, it was all over. Also, Iron Man is kind of a pompous dick.

Bayonetta
Friends, (if I may call you my friend,) please don’t play “Bayonetta.” The gameplay is pretty slick, but the story and the cutscenes are ridiculously awful. The voice acting isn’t wonderful either.

Friends don’t let friends play “Bayonetta.”

Darksiders
… sucks. The story’s pretty neat, but the gameplay isn’t. The game itself is basically just one big “God of War” ripoff. There’s no real uniqueness to the gameplay and it’s super disappointing.

SeaLife Safari
… is cock-smashingly hard. You’d think that it’d be cute and silly, but it’s not. It’s not at all. Hard. Cock-smashingly.

Feeding Frenzy
I am AWESOME at “Feeding Frenzy.” AWESOME. Fear me.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Meh. I’m pretty ambivalent about this game. I rented the game and beat the campaign, then right before Christmas, I bought it used and then didn’t touch it until today. I got the chicken achievement and then tried some Spec Ops. Not impressed. The game itself is absolutely gorgeous, but I think my days of “Modern Warfare” are over.

Halo 3: ODST
I’m not a huge fan of “Halo.” There, I said it. “Halo” is one of those games I much rather prefer playing co-op or multiplayer. I’m in the process of going through the campaign on Legendary with a co-op buddy. Big fun.

Borderlands
I do love me some “Borderlands.” Unfortunately, I haven’t played it in a while. “Borderlands” is another one of those games where I much prefer the co-op. I love the co-op in that game. I purchased the “Zombie Island of Dr. Ned” DLC expansion but I have yet to play it, but I’m hoping to gear up and do that with one of my friends. It’ll be awesome.

LittleBigPlanet
Much love for “LittleBigPlanet.” So cute and super fun. I beat the initial run-through, and I’m going through a second time to get the collectibles. I’m still not a huge fan of the PS3 as a gaming console … or pretty much anything else, but I do love “LittleBigPlanet” and I’ll be playing “Dante’s Inferno” and “Final Fantasy XIII” on it, so I might as well suck it up.

~~~~~

I’ve been busy.

… on Moving on Up in the World

Well, in the past couple weeks, lots of things have happened! Lots of good things!

I have been simultaneously separated and promoted at my two jobs.
As of last week, I am officially no longer working at Geek Squad. I’d put my two weeks’ notice in at Best Buy, since GameStop had requested me to work more hours for the holiday season. Best Buy was gracious enough to put my request for separation on hold and took me off the schedule until I was able to work again. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to provide them with a schedule, so they put my two weeks’ notice into effect last week, after me not having been there for something like a month. This also had to do with the promotion I was promised at GameStop.
However, this is fine, since I’d been told I was being promoted to Senior Game Advisor after the holiday ended. This didn’t happen, since I was then told I was skipping over Senior Game Advisor and was being promoted officially to Assistant Store Manager, due to some unforseen circumstances with the staff. So, as of tomorrow, I am an Assistant Store Manager at GameStop. I’m super nervous because this is my first management position, but I know I can do it.

I had a good Christmas.
This year was pretty awesome. I was able to afford Xmas gifts for people and was also able to get myself something groovy as well. Mom got her Wii, which she has yet to use, since she was in Ecuador for New Year’s this year. However, I’ve totally been taking advantage of her Wii Fit Plus, part of my New Year’s Resolution. I picked up some video games for a couple friends, and another got a watch. I got one of those “husband” pillows (the ones that resemble chair backs with arms), a fleece blanket, a bottle of Patron (which I have yet to crack open,) a new winter jacket (because the one I’d been wearing, according to my mother, made me look like I was homeless, with the giant rip in the right arm,) some Xmas Peeps and a $100 AmEx gift card, (which was subsequently used to purchase crap from GameStop.)
For myself, I picked up a pre-owned 80GB backwards compatible Playstation 3. I’m not particularly impressed with it, but I’m super impressed with the new HD monitor I got for it. At the suggestion of my good buddy JC, I picked up a 20″ HP 2009m LCD monitor with VGA/DVI inputs and integrated speakers. I could find it online for $148 with free shipping, but, luckily, on my very last day of employment at Best Buy, I was able to pick it up for $135, along with an HDMI-to-DVI cable I got for $4. So now, my control room/battle station is fully operational, with my XBox 360 and my PS3 are hooked up in my room next to my computer. I’ve been playing “LittleBigPlanet” (beat that today) which is the only game I really own for PS3. I also have “Resistance: Fall of Man” but I don’t like it. I will be owning “Dante’s Inferno” and “Final Fantasy XIII” for PS3 but they haven’t come out yet.

New Year’s Eve was fun too.
I wanted to spend it alone, but G, El B and Tedula “Snooki” Oblongatta were having none of that, so they came over. We bought snacks at the 24-7 Walgreens, played some PS3 and watched “District 9″ on Blu-Ray. It as low-key but it was still super fun. Snooki was not thrilled about “District 9″ because it makes his tummy act funny.
New Year’s Day was pretty low-key too. I pretty much spent the day at home, relaxing. It was nice.

Wintertime and the gaming’s easy …
I have been playing a LOT of video games. A lot.
– “Darksiders” is ehh.
– I am severely looking forward to “Dante’s Inferno.” I’d really much rather get it for 360, but the PS3 version, “The Divine Edition,” comes with Limited Edition stuff for the same price as the standard 360 version.
– “Bayonetta” is not good. Not good at all. And thanks to the commercial on GameStop TV, I want to jump off a bridge when I hear La Roux’s “In for the Kill.”
– “Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2″ = Win.
– I picked up “Eternal Sonata” after debating it for months. It’s not bad, but the cutscenes are friggin’ deadly. So long. So painfully long.
– “Prototype” is fucking awesome, but it’s kind of hard. However, it’s because I’m trying to get achievements in it and the achievements are pretty difficult to … achieve.
– I just can’t seem to get into “Crackdown.” My friends tell me that it’s good once you get into it, but I’m just having trouble getting into it. It’s got a “Grand Theft Auto” feel to it and I really dislike the GTA games. When I’ve got less on my plate, maybe I’ll give it a try again.
– “The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition.” Enough said.
– “LittleBigPlanet” is super cute and fun. I’m not particularly fond of the PS3, and my 360 is still going to be my primary gaming console, but LBP is makes it relatively tolerable.
– “Wii Fit Plus” is great. I even registered Turdie, so now I weigh him every day before I do my aerobics.
– “Elebits” is fantastic.
– Snooki is the John McEnroe of Wii Tennis in “Wii Sports.”

… on Good Tidings

The past month or so has been fabulous.

It’s weird thinking that I’m seriously on my way to having my shit together, legitimately, but I’m starting to come to terms with it. I’m in a really good position, professionally and I’m at a really good place socially, too.

Work is going really well. The week of Thanksgiving was incredibly fruitful – I pulled a 36-hr week at Geek Squad and the paycheck from it allowed me to do what I couldn’t do last year – afford holiday gifts!

I was really excited to be able to get my mom a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. She’s been interested in the interactivity of it – moving around and especially the fitness aspect of some of the new games. So I’m thankful that I was also able to pick up a Wii Fit Plus for her as well. Unfortunately, since she knows she’s getting a Wii and a Wii Fit Plus, she now requests I get her something small that she’ll be surprised about.

~~~~~

Turdie, as usual, is exquisite.

~~~~~

A few random things:

– I saw a Smart car zip down my street on my morning walk a few weeks ago, and part of me expected to see a guy running behind it with a RC controller. The next day, I saw the same Smart car, only this time, there was a jogger running behind. Unfortunately, there was no Smart car the next day.

- The wipers on my car have become possessed. They decide that if they’re on delay, they just keep going. Far be it for me to try and stop them or anything, especially if I’m like, you know, driving or whatever and I need to see.

- “The Deadliest Catch Season 4″ is on Netflix streaming. I’ve pretty much gotten nothing done since I started watching it when I get home from work. Next up is “Little People, Big World Season 2″. BTW, hey Netflix? “Dirty Jobs Collection 1″ streaming? FAIL. (Most of the episodes are only available on disc.)

- Mike Rowe is the man.

~~~~~

So yeah, things are pretty sweet.

… on New Things

Well, I have two new jobs. That’s right, TWO.

Job 1 is decent. It pays well, but it’s kind of boring and tedious. It’s a job.

Job 2 is super fun. SUPER FUN. And the fact that the boss got the staff a case of Monster Energy shots that kept me friggin’ wired while I sold people their pre-orders of “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2″ was pretty sick. Did I mention it’s super fun? Über fun, even. Über.

~~~~~

I attended Star Wars in Concert tonight in Bridgeport. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed the musical pieces from the Star Wars Saga. Anthony Daniels was narrating (for lack of a better term) and they showed footage from all the movies.

It was a pretty awesome event. I was there with the CTG, making sure the crazy nerd-crowd swarmed and consumed Boba Fett and our newest Vader.

I got to yell at people. It was pretty sweet.

~~~~~

Curled up in bed with Turdie right now. He emits a large amount of heat. It’s nice.

… on the Times, They are A-Changin’

Things change and oftentimes, there’s nothing you can do to prevent it.

My XBox 360 failed. The Red Ring O’ Death shone down upon me and told me “YOU SHALL NOT WATCH NETFLIX ‘TIL 6 IN THE MORNING!”

The irritating thing? Anthony gave me 1600 Microsoft Points in order to purchase and download the Gears of War 2 Expansion pack, “All Fronts Collection.” Before I Red-Ringed, I was able to add it to my download queue. Hooray for that, right?

Ted let me borrow his XBox – the one Anthony and I did the case mod for last summer – but it wasn’t the same. I pretty much used it only for Netflix anyway, save for a couple times when I had friends over and we played some Rock Band.

According to the XBox website, it’ll take 2-3 weeks from the date my XBox was shipped out. I dropped it off at the UPS store on August 18th and it was shipped on August 19th. It finally made it to Mesquite, Texas (the final resting place for all Red-Ringed XBoxes) today.

Speaking of today, I pre-ordered “Batman: Arkham Asylum” a few days ago (after completely forgetting about when it was being released) and there was a midnight release for it that I attended … and missed all the “Midnight Release” festivities, though I did see a dude dressed like Batman riding shotgun in a late-model Mitsubishi Eclipse that had been customized to look like the Batmobile.

So yeah, I have a brand new video game that I can’t play. Nuts to that.

~~~~~

I guess I’m doing all right. I’ve had days where I was sad, but the good days have outweighed the bad for the most part. I miss my friends, mostly, but that’s nothing a phone call can’t change. I just have to get over my abnormal fear of calling people, that’s all.

~~~~~

I fear that Gavin/Turdie has a Urinary Tract Infection. He’s been more talkative than normal (which is saying something,) and he’s been peeing in the house and not in his litter box. Since he’s been peeing mostly in the corner of the living room where Mom’s rocking chair is, she’s been all for getting rid of him, however, I think a discussion is in order so I can bring him to the vet. She was the one who suggested that he may have a pee problem.

I’m worried about him.

~~~~~

Since my grandfather passed away in June, my mom has been spending 3-4 nights at my grandma’s house keeping her company. Grandma hasn’t been alone ever in her life (she’s 90 now,) so it’s been an adjustment.

With the house to myself for a majority of the week, it’s been kind of lonely, just me, the cat and the bunnies, who mostly keep to themselves in the basement, when not terrorizing the cat upstairs.

~~~~~

Phoebe Waffle Hammipuff passed away in my hands on July 23rd at 3:30AM and with her gone, it’s been strange not hearing her doing her busy-work in the living room late at night. She was a good little hamster, and I miss her, and missing her makes me miss her predecessor, Arnold McNut, even more.

Phoebe was more my mother’s hamster than mine. Mom loved her tons and would constantly talk to her while she sat and watched TV. It always brought a smile to my face when I’d hear my mom say, “Phoebe! You’re so busy! What are you doing? Being busy? You’re such a busy hamster!”

My mother misses her a lot and isn’t ready for another hamster. I don’t know if she’ll ever be ready for another hamster, either, which is sad, because Mom was always happy with having a hamster in the living room. She had initially insisted that Arnold’s cage be moved to the living room, so she could enjoy his antics, so during the Hammipuff Administration, it was only logical that she stay in the living room as well.

~~~~~

Off to new adventures.

… on Nifty Things

I’ve been making an attempt at reading “Ctl + Alt + Del” (http://cad-comic.com) from the beginning. I’m not really sure I like it, but I keep reading. I hear Tim Buckley (the dude who does CAD) is from Connecticut, so I might as well support local artists, right?

I swiped this from Buckley’s blog. In his words, “I thought it was nifty.”

Make a list of 10 statements about yourself:
* 4 of the 10 statements must be lies.
* Post your list and have people guess which four are lies!

1. I like to swim.
2. I have an oral fixation.
3. I’ve suffered from multiple snakebites.
4. When I was 12, I broke my arm falling out of a tree.
5. I like wearing dresses and pretty things.
6. I named my current hamster, Phoebe.
7. My favorite color is gunmetal.
8. I read Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time” when I was 10.
9. When I was in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2007, I spent 4 days hanging out with Henry Rollins.
10. I’m relatively decent at Texas Hold’em Poker.

I was originally going to post the answers in a day or two, but I’m kind of forgetful, so odds are I’d forget to post the answers. So, they’re after the break.

… on Feeling Better

I’m starting to feel better.

I find that giving a gift just for the sake of it makes me feel much better, more alive.

It’s a wonderful feeling, just knowing that for that one shining moment, you may have brought a little bit of happiness to someone else’s life.

… on Not Fearing Apparitions

I totally beat “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” today after I got home from work. I feel quite accomplished. It’s a quick game, but fun. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll go through a second time and get all the achievements that I missed, such as destroying a ham from a kosher Bar Mitzvah banquet and “redecorating” an architectural design firm.

It still brings joy to my heart to hear the original cast, (INCLUDING ANNIE F’N POTTS! [And no, I'm not sure why I was so excited that she was back as Janine.]) voicing the characters. There’s no Rick Moranis, but Alyssa Milano is in it, so it’s not that bad, right? Dan Aykroyd, oh how I’ve missed you and your Canadian accent.

Best $20* I’ve spent recently. (* $20 after trading in “Left 4 Dead” and “Call of Duty: World at War”.)

There’s got to be a poster that says, “Everything I’ve Learned, I Learned from Ghostbusters” and if there isn’t, there should be.
Words to live by:
- Aim for the flat-top.
- Never cross the streams.
- You gotta try this pole!
- When someone asks if you’re a god, you say YES!

P.S. – I’ve also been kicking the ever-living crap out of Doug in “Worms.”

… on Volatility and Dot 3.0

I’ve been very volatile for the past month.

I’ve also been unfairly taking it out on certain people I care about tremendously.

Throughout this, I’ve been surrounding myself with people, when what I’ve really needed is to be alone.

My personality has changed for the worse, and I need time to remedy it.

Hindsight’s always 20/20. I should have known it hasn’t been a good time to be around people.

I’ve done a lot of self-discovery the past few days … and I have a lot more to come.

It’s not you, it’s me.

Coming soon … Dot 3.0.

… on Survey Theivery From Gouda

SAY EXACTLY WHATS ON YOUR MIND & DON’T CHANGE IT.
1. You & your ex – Ugh.
2. What are you listening to – Crickets and Turdie licking himself.
3. Maybe I should – GTFO of my current living situation.
4. I love – My friends.
5. I don’t understand – Men.
6. I have lost my respect for – A lot of people.
7. I last ate – Pizza

IS YOUR/ARE YOU:
1. Is your hair wet? Not right now.
2. Is your cell phone right by you? – Yes
3. Do you miss someone? – Yes
4. Are you wearing chap stick? – No, but now that you mention it ….
5. Are you tired? - Physically, I am fine … Mentally, I am drained.
6. Are you wearing pajamas?- Yes! Duckie PJ pants and my favorite comfy shirt.
7. Are you mad? – No.
8. Are you upset?- Yes.

HAVE YOU:
1. Recently done anything you regret? – Well, I didn’t regret it up until I just thought about it and am realizing what a jackass I am.
2. Recently gotten in a fight? – Yes. Anthony, Gretchen and I got into a massive brawl Friday night. It was fantastic.
3. Ever kicked someone? – Kicked Anthony in the ass tonight. Again, it was fantastic.
4. Ever tripped over your own feet? – Not today.

TODAY HAVE YOU:
1. Have you cursed? – I curse like the bastard love child of a sailor and a truck driver.
2. Have you gotten mad at someone? – Surprisingly, no.

Ever wonder if you’re someone’s everything? – Yes, today I have.

Last song played more then three times? – “Savior” by Rise Against

Last person to fall asleep with? – Aside from Turdie?

Tie yourself to someone for a day, who is it? – This is a weird question.

Last time you were really happy? – Recently.

Ever skip class? – Yes.

When do you want to die? – When there is no more life to live.

Marriage? – Yes.

Did you take a nap today? – No, dammit.

Who got mad at you last? – Probably my mom, which is a usual occurrence and thus, generally ignored.

Last car you were in? – Mine

Last person to call you beautiful? – Don’t remember … it was a long time ago.

Where’s your parents right now? – Sleeping.

Could you use some sleep right now? – Yeah, for the next like 4 years.

Who’d you have lunch with? – Ted and ABudz!

Do you like to cuddle? - Yes.

Are you ticklish? – Yes, but I find tickling to be rather unpleasant.

Has anyone seen you kiss the last person you kissed? – No.

Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? – Recently.

Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love? – Yes.

What’s on your bedroom floor? – A lot of stuff.

How many piercings do you have? – Tongue and labret

What does the first text message in your inbox say? – *Blatantly skipping this question because the most recent text message I got is private.*

Are you a jealous person? – Not particularly.

Any plans for tomorrow? – Sitting around … meeting from 7P-11P

Do you wear the hood on your hoodie? – Sometimes.

If your best friend liked your ex, what would you do? – My best friends are dudes … my ex is a dude … I’d be quite surprised, needless to say.

Have you held hands with anybody in the past week? – I don’t believe so.

Do you want any tattoos? – More? Eventually.

When is the last time you were in a photo-booth taking pictures with friends? – Never done it. I’m a n00b.

What’s the last thing you laughed at? – Anthony.

Which of your friends is the easiest to talk to? – They know who they are.

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? – (See Above)

What was the first thing you thought this morning? – Holy hell, it’s 12:30. Going back to sleep. GODDAMMIT TED, WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME?

What color are your eyes? - Brown

Who do you hate currently? – Ben Affleck, Eddie Vedder and the “C-U-Next-Tuesday”

Do you get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night? – Sometimes, but not necessarily at night.