Perfect...mostly...

Thank you Todd for a merry Christmas.

Terminator...

I guess there is a Fox show coming in January following Sarah Connor and her son John as they survive between Terminator 2 and 3. This could be really good. It could really suck as well. We will just have to find out.

Here is the website.

Merry Christmas!!!

Jammin'...

Chuck...

This is the greatest single headline I have ever seen.

Chuck Norris sues, says his tears no cancer cure

Hero...

I love Guitar Hero. It is one of my favorite games. But this 8-year-old makes me look like I am 4.


9 year old beats through the fire and flames - Watch more free videos

Proven...

There was a comment on an entry that I posted earlier this month by Blackfish:

"If only they weren't 50% more expensive for the same power."

He was referencing Apple computers and their prices. Unfortunately, he is incorrect in his statement. A lot of people believe this and I would like to set the record straight.

I went to Dell.com and to Apple.com and priced out similar specifications. I got as close as I could. Here are two comparisons:

XPS and MacBook Pro

Dell XPS M1710 17" Black
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 ghz
2GB of RAM
160GB Hard-drive
Wireless G card
Bluetooth
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GTX
$3,288

Apple 17" MacBook Pro
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 ghz
2GB of RAM
160GB Hard-drive
Wireless N card
Bluetooth
Built-in iSight camera
256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M
$2,799

Next the XPS and MacBook

Dell XPS M1530
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 ghz
1GB of RAM
120GB Hard-drive
Wireless N card
Bluetooth
$1,169

MacBook Combo Drive
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 ghz
1GB of RAM
80GB Hard-drive
Wireless N card
Bluetooth
$1,099


There you go. Proof. Now, they all have their ups and downs. I would also like to point out that Dell just updated their prices and specs and Apple hasn't done that quite yet. They are due to change quite a few things in January. Point being, they are pretty comparable to each other and the Dells are more expensive. I used Dell since they are one of the number one retailers of PC's.

But, I am not saying that the Apple machines aren't expensive. I am saying they are not more expensive than a PC. The true statement that Blackfish could have said would be that Apple has no true low-end computers. I can't walk into an Apple retailer and buy a new computer for $300-$500. They are kind of like the Mercedes of the computing world. Not everyone wants to pay that much to surf the web or word-process. I can respect that. Hell, I got my PowerBook for $100.

As with most things, it is all about preference and how you want to spend/invest your money.

Conflict...

This game DOES look really good. The story does feel a little reminiscent of C&C: Red Alert where you are fighting the Soviets, but is different enough to keep it just a feeling. I have always been a big fan of non-building or resource-harvesting RTS games. Sierra seems to have some form of secret with that type of game because one of my favorite RTSs, Ground Control, was made by them. Good for you Sierra. I will see if I can get the demo and test it out. Again though, Apaches, Hind Ds, Abrams tanks, Russian tanks(since I don't know which they are but I think they are T-95s), Black Hawks, what more can you ask for?

Better not cry...

More things should be done in this animation.

RTS Fever!

I have been playing a lot of Command & Conquer 3 lately. I enjoy it ever-so-much. I love RTSs. So much fun despite the fact that I have never really been that great at them. I am getting better though.

Is there anyone out there that would like to multi-play an RTS for the PC?

Miracle...

A true Christmas Miracle.

Game...

Yeah, I am writing another D&D game. Hopefully, some of the lessons learned in the past will help with this one. Or, it could just flop and suck. We shall see. More to come.

R.I.P.

I guess CompUSA is closing the rest of its stores. I was never a fan of their stores, but never felt any disdain for them. Full article here.

Prynn...

I would have gotten this from Woot! for you Prynn, but they were sold out when I finally saw it. Sorry.

Deaths...

Best way to die in Halo.



Hilarious.

So true...

Google = good at math.

I love you Leopard...

I love that I can click once and get to all of my applications. Sweet deal.

We love you Samus...

It's ok Samus, take your time.

Duty...

Yeah, Call of Duty 2 was fun and I saw where people were coming from when they said it was a "great game". But, I had already had my fill of great and not-so-great World War 2 games. Medal of Honor, Day of Defeat, Return to Castle Wolfenstein (yes, I know this was completely fictional) were some of the games that I played and really got into. It wasn't until after those games that I found Call of Duty 2. And it was neat. But, despite the very historical importance of WW2, I was sick of the genre.

So, when I heard there was a new Call of Duty game coming out, my first thought was, "Oh great, here we go again. Talk about beating a dead, decaying, fly-infested, zombie-like horse."

"No, it's modern warfare," said my informant.

"Hmm..." I thought to myself. "Ah well, I will have to rent it since I am OBVIOUSLY buying Assassin's Creed. I mean, I know I will have to choose one and I have already made up my mind."

Then, November came. Both games came out. And what did I choose? Call of Duty 4. Why is a whole other post and, seeing as this has already dragged on, we shall skip that part.

Yes, Call of Duty 4. I love it. And why? Because of the experience. Anytime a game designer has the player fast-rope out of a helicopter, she has me hooked. It was the footage of fast-roping onto a tanker with a S.A.S. team and clearing it out that finalized my decision. I have not been disappointed. Excellent game. A lot of fun. They are always changing the game up so it's not just a shooter. One mission, you sit in a targeting-console position of an AC-130 using heat vision to cover advancing troops. And, even with all the ridiculous amount of detail that went into the look of the game and the feel, there is still a compelling story. My only complaint is that it was too short. I finished it far too quickly. That could also be that I couldn't put it down seeing as it took a friend two weeks to finish it.

On another note, I have not tried the multi-player yet as I do not have Xbox Live right now.

Thought I would give a trailer to illustrate my points.

Once again...

That's right. Once again, I cut off internet service and have regained it. I moved back to my hometown this weekend and connected my new service with ComCrap. So, here I am... Back on... Let the excitement continue...?

More soon.

Fear Factor...

Fear Factor, you are a cruel, although entertaining, mistress. (If you can't handle spiders, don't watch this.)

Disks...

Wow, why didn't I think of that?


Repair CDs With A Microwave!!! - Funny bloopers R us

Sticky...

I am sorry, but I just had to put this bad-boy up. Perfect around-the-corner sticky grenade to the chest. Nice.

Geeky Weddings...

THIS is how I know that, while I am a geek, I will never amount to the TRUE title of Geek.
There...just aren't words.

Oh...wow...

YOU CAN BE A PANTS MAN TOO!!! Enough said.

Conan...

Good stuff.

Screens...

All my Halo 3 screenshots are now here at their new home.

Universe in a Can...

Amazing stuff.

Angle...

Here is another angle on that headshot.

Snipers and Shotguns...

Snipers and shotguns on High Ground map.

A nice headshot, if you look really close, you can see the hit.

A good ol' fashioned shotgun kill.

Another good shotgun kill.

A teammate, on the top, and myself just graze with our first shot...

...my second shot...HEADSHOT!

H3...

Yep. I have Halo 3. And I love it to death. Again, Bungie has stepped the bar up. Now, I didn't have an Xbox when the other two Halo games came out, so, this really is my first Halo ownership experience. That said, I have played the other two, and this one is even more of a blast.

Massive quantities of vehicles and weapons. Fast paced action in many many different types of play. 11 maps to completely customize with the Forge feature where you can add or subtract almost anything to the map.

But all that aside, my favorite feature, by far, is the Theater where you can view and save all of the replays of the games you have recently played. With this replay, you can take screenshots, remove cool video clips, or save the entire movie. Then, you can send any of that media to friends or other players and gloat about how you killed them or you can view the screenshots on Bundie.net with the rest of your game stats. It is a lot of fun, and I will most likely be sharing a few of the pics here, like below. Hope you enjoy.

Be careful about clicking on the pics. They are high-res.

Runnin' an' gunnin'. Check out my wolf-on-yellow-shield emblem on my arm. You get to create your own which is neat.

Still blasting.
And a reload.

Trying the new armor I unlocked.

Again, so true...

This IS how it should have ended.

Check it out here.

So true...

These ARE important lessons. Plus, they are made by '80s cartoons.

Check it out here.

Well said...

Korean kids...

Wow kids. Wow. One more thing Korean kids can do better than I can.

Chicken...

Robot Chicken...good stuff.

Nice...

From pbfcomics.com

Mail...

Today, I decided to say a little something about an Apple program that I love, Mail. I have used a few different e-mail programs and really have only ever stuck with Mail. Other e-mail programs, such as Thunderbird and Outlook, just don't seem to stack up in my mind. I believe that is because of Mail's intuitive use and its integration with many other programs.

Like I had said, Mail is intuitive. As with most Apple software and products, there is a certain "how it should work" feeling behind it. For one, many things of the program are drag-and-drop. For instance, if I would like to throw in a picture, all I have to do is drag it into an e-mail and poof, there it is. PDFs and other files work the same way letting you attach files without much thought. Secondly, I can quickly double-click, or click the plus sign in the bottom left of the viewer window, to add new folders so I can save the e-mails I want to the hard-drive of the computer. Once the folder is created, all I have to do is, again, drag-and-drop the e-mails I want into on of the created folders on the side of the interface. This is one of the coolest ways to quickly organize the mail you want to keep. You can even make folders inside the folders. Lastly, there is a search function on the top of the viewer window that will allow you to search the archives of all or some of the folders that you have for e-mails. If you have a lot of saved e-mails, Lord knows I do, this is an awesome tool for finding just the right e-mail you want to reference or possibly, reply to.

The other part of Mail that sets it apart from other programs, in my opinion, is its seamless integration with other programs. Firstly, Address Book, which is a great program to hold your contacts. With this program Mail will auto-fill the e-mail address in for you as you type it into the "To:" field. While many e-mail set-ups let you do this, the way that Mail searches through Address Book is great. Type in any part of the contact and it will whip through all of your contact cards and find the ones that are best suitable. Also, many other programs, like iCal and iPhoto, let you e-mail through Mail with just a click of a button. Good stuff.

Finally, something that I haven't been able to experience myself yet, the new templates that will be built into the new Mail are very cool looking. The new version will be built into Leopard, the newest version of OS X due in October. What these templates do is make e-mail a blast by letting you basically send beautiful stationary filled with your own pictures that you drag-and-drop in. These e-mails can be viewed by anyone as they are standard format and look awesome.

All-in-all, I have been very satisfied, as a consumer and salesman of Apple products, with Mail. Give it a look.

"New" Computer...

I bought this PowerBook G4 for EXTREMELY cheap. It works perfectly and has had diagnostics run up and down it to make sure that it isn't quite ready to die. But, as you can see from the pictures, it has had some abuse. The person who sold it said that his wife dropped it in a parking lot. It looks it. Despite the clear faults of the machine on the outside, this is the best computer that I have ever owned. I used to have an iBook, but this machine is far better and still is only 12". Here are a few pictures of where it has been well used.


Looks okay from here.


Nice ding on the top of the screen and directly under it.


The dent makes the touch-pad's button almost unusable.


Also because of that ding, one side of the casing is bent outward.


The machine with the apple light up.

You've Got the Touch...

Check out the iPod Touch. All the coolness of the iPhone without all the AT&T crap. You can take a look at all the specifications on www.apple.com/ipodtouch. The other iPods were updated as well and have great features. But, none of them are as innovative as the iPod Touch.

Nothing like a wide-screen, touch-screen, wi-fi ready, internet device that plays music to say Merry Christmas.

Update...

Apple has just updated the iMacs and the Mac Minis. Stop over to Apple's website to check them out.

More thoughts...

Well, while the NTFS driver will help a lot, I also have a number of things on an 80gb hard-drive that the operating system goes on. I am thinking at some point of getting an external drive and doing the transfer that way. I now think there needs to be more thought put into this before I go ahead and proceed.

Happenings...

After much deliberation, I have decided to make an attempt at using Ubuntu as my exclusive operating system. I believe today I will try to make the migration over to it.

The reason for this decision is that Ubuntu has drivers now that can read NTFS (Windows main file system) partitions and drives. I have my back-up/storage 160gb drive completely filled with stuff that I like to listen to and watch and it is in an NTFS format. It is really the last thing holding me to Windows at all.

The drivers for NTFS and FAT32 are here.

More to come.

Nine swords...

Excellent book. I will give a full review when I been through most of the book. The classes are a lot of fun.

Great Way to Calculate the Answer...

Good call.

Will it blend?

Greatest web-site of all time.

http://www.willitblend.com/

Wow...

NHL goalie masks.

Crazy.

Jericho...

This show is freaking awesome. Thanks Andy for turning me towards it.

TF Bias...

Yes. I am a die-hard Transformers fan. I grew up with them. It was Optimus Prime who shaped my morals and beliefs at the age of four and five and some of that has stuck with me as geeky as it sounds. What is funny about it is that when I watch the show now, much of the magic is gone. It is hard as an adult to get past the finger smudges, animator hair, and plain old mess-ups that made the original cartoon. It is, however, a classic and is still my favorite show.



Tonight, I saw the new movie Transformers. Before I give my unbiased review of it, I would like to say a few things. Firstly, there are Transformers fans that will tell you that the movie is ridiculous because there is very little that coincides with the original cartoon. I would like to point out that this is not true. There is much of the movie that does coincide with the original and tries to stick to what it can. I say "what it can" because the cartoon was a myriad of logical issues and stupid mistakes. So, as a movie producer, do you stick to many of those mistakes or do you try to salvage what you can? I think the answer here is clear based on the fact that the movie is made to make money.

Secondly, I do think the movie addressed the main issue of taking the franchise seriously. This wasn't a child's movie. It was directed towards my generation as it should have been. That, in my mind, is a huge victory.

Thirdly, there was a complaint that many of the famed robots were missing from the movie. Yes. This is true. But, this is a re-invention of the franchise. Again, we already have the original Transformers Movie to look to for all the hard-core non-deviation. This, like Batman Begins, is a retelling of a story from the beginning, only this time, it makes more sense.

I loved this movie. It was exactly what I was hoping for and delivered in every way.

Now for the unbiased section. The effects were amazing, the robots were put together beautifully, and while it took some time to get to the good stuff, the movie is act one in at least a three act play. Like my opinion of Batman Begins, I will always deal with less action if there is character development happening. That being said, every other scene in this movie was action, and artfully done action. The story was lacking. This is to be expected in a Michael Bay film. He has always opted for basic story and epic action. This was no different. I didn't mind seeing as the focus should be on massive robots fighting. All-in-all, it was good and I look forward to the sequel.

Remember, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

Contra...

Contra 4 for the DS. Sweet. These games rock.

Uh...

These people scare me a little. Neat, but far too much time on their hands.

Another one of my favorites...

Classic.

Too true...

Right on the money. Damn Brain Ninjas...

Roll out!

Let the war begin! I cannot wait for this movie.

Check out the new trailer at this web site.

Unbelievable.

Shields...

The history of Link's shields.

Robots are replacing us!

The day when the mad baseball-hitting robots take over the world is here.

HOUNDS...

"Chrome Hounds" to be exact. I bought this game awhile ago for my Xbox 360. When I bought it, I was hoping for a high-action tactical Mech game. As I began to play, I was excited by the set-up of the game. Single-player, while having an almost paper-thin "story-line", was more a set of training missions than anything else. It was very obvious at that point the game was more focused on Xbox Live.

So, I ventured head-first into the war for Neroimus, signing into Xbox Live. This war takes place on a large map with many territories. Three countries, the Democratic Republic of Tarakia, the Republic of Morskoj, and the Kingdom of Sal Kar, fight for control of the resource infested area. You, as a pilot of what is called a HOUND (a walking variable Mech), choose which of the three nations you would like to side with in the war. Once the nation has been chosen, you must then look through a list of squads employed by that nation and send your application to join one. Members of the squad then must make a decision to add you to their ranks or decline. Finally, you then begin building you HOUND with bought/acquired parts.

I began the war with a few friends. We created our own squad in the Republic of Morskoj and began to make our contribution to the war. This is where the game's learning curve became extremely apparent. Every battle our squad fought in against other people we lost. We figured it was because we didn't have a whole lot of money and were working with crappy parts to build our HOUNDS. That was only part of it. The thing about this game is that you have to have it explained to you. If you don't, it is very frustrating and a pain in the ass.

Let me explain. When people think of Mechs, there are some universal ideas that go along with them. The cockpit is in the middle or in the head, the weapons are on the sides or on top in groups, it has a general humanoid form. There are always exceptions to these, but in general, these are the usual. If you think of this game's HOUNDS that way, which is how the computer builds them and how all the pictures and art are, YOU WILL GET SLAUGHTERED. Because this game is EXTREMELY customizable (you build your HOUND completely even down to what control chips it has) people exploit everything they can to get an edge. Some of the designs on the battlefield were strange at the least. It made me very sad at first. It was hard to get used to or build in the way that these people could with their gobs of cash.

I stopped playing.

That was all about three months ago. A couple days ago, I picked it back up. I jumped back in and dropped out of the squad I helped create and applied for a squad on the rise. Since I last played, there has been a patch that, while not changing how people build or play per se, it has made many of the exploits invalid. The combination of this patch and my new squad has made this game one of the best Xbox 360 games I have ever played. It is truly a tactical Mech game that is squad based and is action-packed. All it took was some explaining from someone.

On top of that, there are still a lot of people playing the game so the war is thriving and it is easy to get even free battles going strong. It is a blast to contribute to the war and once this war is over, it will be fun to switch countries with this squad.

It is also so much fun to mess with weapons and parts configurations. Testing this and testing that. Good times. Choosing the right weapons and the right configuration is very important in this game.

The action in this game outdoes any Mechwarrior game I have played. It is insanely tactical. Terrain is important and depending on your weapons and armor you must use it correctly. There is nothing like seeing massive quantities of howitzer rounds in the air as you come over a hill or cannon blasts against the ground or rockets slamming into armor. The graphics are amazing and bring a new life to Mech combat. Combine this with some good tunes like Metallica, Joe Satriani, or Chevelle and you have yourself a good day.

Check out the videos and see what you think.

Make sure to watch past the crappy scout HOUND dying and saying "Oops!"


Night missions are a blast. Unless you don't have night-vision, that is.

Surface...

I heard about this on the radio yesterday. Its called Surface. It's a new Microsoft product that is more than just a computer and has endless possibilities. Just watch the movies here and see for yourself. My mind went into overdrive thinking of all the wonderful applications this product could be used in. Welcome to the future.

I was surprised that it was a Microsoft product seeing as they kept it so secret for so long. Every time I see it in action, I feel like I am in a Sci-Fi movie. And then, I end up at my last thought of, "Who came up with the very inefficient mouse and keyboard?"

Interesting.

Session...

The first true session of the Mobile Frame RPG began last night. Although we didn't get through much, and only one of the players (Spudler) was there, it was easily proven that over-the-mic games are very effective. Granted, I couldn't make hand gestures or read the players faces and reactions, but that was the challenge. As we continued on my descriptions were getting better and better.

I am very excited to start this game with all the players.

Full Metal Panic! - Nickleback - If Everyone Cared

Another excellent example of these mecha in action.

Full Metal Panic!

I love this show. In my personal opinion, this is one of the better Mecha shows out there. It fits right up there with Gundam and covers all the bases. There is something for everyone in this show.

You will notice that a lot of it looks familiar. I am basing a lot of my Mobile Frame RPG off of this show's lore, designs, and artwork. But, there isn't a whole lot of places to see massive machines use giant-sized shotguns and assault rifles. For my game, however, that is about the extent. I definitely have my own world and history, I just stole the Mecha. They are too cool to pass up.

If you have the chance, check it out sometime.

MF Blog...

There is a new Blog for the Mobile Frame RPG. Its a place where the players and GM can post information regarding MF. As the GM, I will be posting a lot of content there. All the players have been invited to be able to post on the blog as well so they can post any creative content for the game that they would like (Cobalt's idea).

Check it out here.

Do you shoot?

I heard of this art project on the radio on the way home from work today. I will keep my own opinions and thoughts to myself unless specifically asked, but the point of the project is to open a narrative that relates to you. For the artist, who's family is in Iraq under real weapons everyday, it is a connection to his old world that he lost when he came to the U.S.

The idea is to beg the question: Do you shoot? Do you pull that trigger? If so, why? If you want a chance to shoot at an Iraqi man, here is your chance. Or, do you try to keep other users from firing at him? The choice is yours. The project is his.

Here is the link.

Also, while you are there. Check out his own opinions with his video blogs. You can also find them on YouTube.com.

Weight Loss...

Wii Sports weight loss program.

I was hoping the Wii would get utilized this way some day. I must say, though, the "before" and "after" shots are really funny.

Finished Map...

This is the finished map for the Mobile Frame RPG. Let me know what you think.

Mobile Frame...

I am well into work on a RPG (role-playing game) based on giant robots and over-the-top drama. It is called Mobile Frame, the world's name for piloted walking machines of destruction. I am looking forward to playing the game, but for now I am really enjoying the creation process. Hopefully I can get this thing underway soon.

The map posted above is the map of the Earth in 2130 during the time this game takes place. Many things have happened in the history between now and then including the massive bomb that nearly wiped out Russia. The crater still stands so the world will not forget. There are some finishing touches that need to be done on the map and some final decisions that need to be made, but all in all it seems to be coming nicely.

Assassin's Creed gameplay...

Amazing.

Assassin's Creed...

I can't wait for this game.

Anime...

Ah, nothing like good ol' fashioned anime. Now that I have a consistent internet connection and enough storage space, I have begun downloading anime again. While I am trying some new series, right now I am working on rebuilding my old collection. So far, I have exceded and surpassed my expectations.

I have managed to get back all the episodes for Gundam SEED, Wolf's Rain, and even managed to grab Gundam SEED Destiny which I have yet to see. On top of that, I have gotten the first two seasons of Bleach (which I have wanted to see for a long time) and all of the Project A-ko movies (Project A-ko being my first real whole anime).

It is nice to be watching anime again. I love the characters and the genres and so on. I realize now that I had been craving a good 'Mech story and Gundam seems to be filling that for the moment. Also, Gundam SEED is the best, so watching them anyhow is just enjoyable.

As far as the file server goes, while I got the machine to boot from an IDE drive and got the Windows system on it, I realized that I didn't really need the machine. I can just add drives to my current machine for more storage. I think that would be easier and best. I am going to sell the box with the RAM in it however, and see if I can get any kind of profit out of it.

Just wanted to give a quick report as to what is going on. If you want a very biased review of Gundam SEED, I give one in a blog from 2005 here.

Uh...

Interesting things have been happening on the server front. I have a 160gb hard-drive that I pulled from my standard Windows machine. It is a SATA drive and the little server box (an ASUS Terminator C3) has two SATA ports.

Too make a very long story short:

After much fiddling around, the box will not boot form the SATA and actually does not work correctly with the SATA in. My theory is that it just needs a BIOS flash and all of that will disappear. But, to be honest, I don't have a floppy disk laying around to do the flash. So, IDE it is.

I have 2 IDE drives in it right now, a 160gb Samsung, and an old 40gb Western Digital. As I type, I am attempting to repair an installation of Ubuntu server 7.04 that, no matter how many times I install it, will not boot up correctly. So, as the system diagnostic runs, I am also downloading Ubuntu server 6.10 to see if the older version will work for it better.

All in all, while the cost isn't huge, I don't have a lot of money to waste in general. This thing has taken more money and time than I had anticipated. Hopefully that trend stops soon.

I'll report back when I have more.

Ok...

Now it looks as though there is also a number of open source NAS server software available. Things such as FreeNAS and OpenFiler.

Interesting.

The question is how to put them on a disk or drive correctly. Also, I am still unsure if I can get the BIOS to see the SATA drive correctly at boot-up.

This project gets more and more interesting as I go.

And then...

...it hits you in the face. The answer...

Check out this site. Without any operating system installed, you can make any basic machine into a NAS (network accessible storage) system. In other words, all you need is drives in the machine and this product and it boots from CD or USB flash drive into a server. Amazing. I shall have to consider this seeing as there is no set-up at all.

If I get the USB version, I can remove the CD drive for more storage space. It just gets better and better.

Also, any Apple, Windows, or Linux computer can access the files. Exactly what I am looking for.

Excellent...

Well, my first day at the new job went very, very well. I really enjoyed it and ended up doing a lot better than I thought I would. I proved to myself, yet again, that my product knowledge on Apple and related products is pretty decent if not very good. The main thing that was nice was that I had fun. Something that hasn't happened at work in a long time.

After today, I know that I am fit for business sales. If I can weasel my way into that, I would be on some form of salary + commission which would make LIVING so very easy (I do use easy relatively and loosely).

Also, there is the issue of going for the dream and becoming an Apple technician there. I would really enjoy that. There is, however, the challenging question of money. That would probably be the only thing that would stop me from pursuing that. We shall see how all the chips fall.

On a separate note, all the employees at my old job chipped in and bought me a little bare-bones system to make a file-server with. I am working on it now with the only issue being that the thing does not want to boot from SATA drives. Looks like I will have to put it on the back-burner until I can acquire an IDE drive seeing as everything I have runs with SATA. I considered updating the BIOS thinking that might help the issue, but I don't have a 3.5" floppy drive in the computer(s) that I would download it from. It seems that the machine wants a 3.5" floppy disk to do any BIOS updating without an operating system.

So, anyhow, hopefully I can put that together soon. I really wanted to keep all of my stuff separate form my main system and gaming machine. Ah well, can't win 'em all, eh?

Get back to you soon.

Looking forward...

Just a quick little update. I am currently playing the new Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. The review for it should be up as soon as I play further through it. So far so good though. Really enjoying that game.

On a separate note, I am starting my new job on Monday. I am very excited seeing as I am going part-time and making about the same money if not more. To start, Monday's shift is from 9am-2pm. This is going to be so great. I will finally have time to get some things done like teach myself web-design.

Web-design is something that I have started very slowly. Once I know how to use some programs, I am possibly going to do some freelance. My first project will be my own full-blown web-page. I look forward to creating it. I think my training in Photoshop and all the other Adobe products will help make this go a little faster. Even if it is not successful, I have wanted to start my own business for some time now. What I want this business to be for is in-home consulting for computers, web-design, and graphic design. I look forward on starting down this road.

The other wonderful thing about my new job is that the company has a buy-back program for Apple computers and they give you cash or store credit for them. Hopefully, this will end up giving the employees some awesome deals on Apples and I can finally get that Mac Mini that I have had my eye on for some time.

Also, I have my sights set on being a technician for this store which would mean they would pay for me to get certified as an Apple technician. I could then work on Apple computers all day for customers and get them up and running. I am pretty sure that would be something I would really like to do.

Anyhow, I'll get back about C&C 3. I have some other reviews I want to post as well so stay tuned.

Lost...

I have just purchased a game for Xbox 360 called Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Now, I had a chance to play before I bought it and was hooked. Since I have it now I can't stop playing it.

As far as the story goes, you are Wayne and have lost your memory of who you are. Mankind had attempted life on a new planet called E.D.N. 3 until they ran into the Akrid, a monstrous alien race that, once killed, give off precious thermal energy. This game's story really makes me think of Cobalt. Its all about a wasteland that is almost nothing but snow and you have to survive while you fight by grabbing thermal energy to stay warm. On top of that, you will be fighting Akrid, snow pirates, and good 'Mech pilots.

Single-player For this game is a lot of fun. There is a little story going on with the main character Wayne but it is not the focus. The game tries to focus on gameplay and graphics, which are amazing I might add.

Single-player definitely has an arcade feel to it. You play through a mission trying to beat the boss at the end of the mission. Then there is a little bit of story and then another mission. Each mission is different from the last so there is enough variety to keep you going.

The weapons are great, including the 6 or so different 'Mechs (called VS for Vital Suit) that you can pilot. If the VS is too damaged, you can jump out and tear one of its weapons off for your own personal use. The nice thing about this game and its VS's is that they are not something that is end all be all. First off, if you are smart or have a big enough weapon, you can rock them on foot. Second, they pull from your personal Thermal Energy supply to get their power, so if you run out, you are kicked out of the machine. Plus, all the energy weapons in the game are infinite ammo but run off of your T-Energy (Thermal Energy) and that goes for VS's too. So, while the VS is a nice thing to have, make sure that there is enough power to run one until you are out of harms way.

Multi-player is where this game shines. This is one of my favorite multi-player games.

Multi-player levels. They are all huge either horizontally, or vertically. Since some VS's can jump and have limited flight and every player can use their zip-lines, up is quite fine for this game. In-fact, all the levels have multiple heights. A lot of fun. When you press "X", like Batman, a grappling hook shoots out and can grapple to ledges and such and you are shot up to where you want to go.

VS's are great and add another dimension to online play. When you grab one, you can kill a lot of people. The person in the VS, however, becomes the focus of the map. VS's are not just thrown into the map, you have to find them. Some levels have quite a few VS's and there can be some excellent VS wars that go on.

All in all, if you have a 360, Lost Planet is something that you should own.

Here is a great video showing some single-player gameplay and multi-player.

Prime...

Just wanted to throw up the original Optimus Prime for a comparison.

More than meets the eye...

I cannot wait for this movie to come out. Optimus Prime looks amazing as you can see. The directors promised they stayed true to the characters. Plus, Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime and Ironhide in the cartoon is doing Optimus in the movie. It is going to be awesome.

Release date:
07/04/07

War...

I had heard about it. People were saying that it was going to be amazing. People sometimes are wrong; and I didn’t feel like listening. Then one day, I went into work, and I saw it being played by a child.

I walked up to the display and asked, “What are you playing?”

“Gears of War,” the child replied.

There it was, in all of its high-definition glory, Gears of War. It was the most amazing game I had ever seen. The graphics were amazing, the controls superb, the AI tactful. It was then I realized that I had to have the 360. This was the future.

While a review shouldn’t be started with such bias, I think it important to know my reaction when I first saw Gears of War.

Gears of War is a 3rd-person action shooter. While it had been done before, this game reinvented the idea of taking cover and popping out to shoot. The first time this was seen was in the N64 action game WinBack which was about 40% good and 60% bad. Gears gives this ability a faster pace, and allows you to move in cover. When a firefight breaks out, you feel as though you are in the middle of combat and that you have to be smart and keep your head down. It is a lot of fun and very strategic.

The single-player is awesome gives you a lot of great challenges. There are 3 difficulty settings to beat the game on one of which is called Insane. It is.

The story isn’t extremely strong but it is very present and decent enough to get into and keep you entertained. The characters in the story are all well-done and each has his own personality. The voice-acting is awesome and really brings the characters to life.

The problem in single-player is the length of the game. It took me about 3 days or about 10 hours of play to beat this game. It was fun all the way through, just a little short. I immediately felt that I needed a sequel, which the ending sort-of alluded to.

The multi-player is a lot of fun. Whether chainsawing your buddy in half or blindfiring a shotgun over cover, multi-player gives a lot of replay value to this game. There about 3 different play modes all of which are a lot of fun. The maps are diverse and can give you a new experience every time.

Gears of War is definitely going into my book as an innovator and a master-piece. It truly is the first next-generation game of our time. Pick it up, you won’t regret it.

Apple...

I have been selling Apple computers for about 6 months now and have been officially using them since my first iBook G4 four to five years ago. Amazing machines and they have truly come a long way.

I have just accepted a new position with a new company selling Apples that is willing to give me the ability to train to service them or do corporate sales for Apple computers.

That being said, I used to hate them with an undying passion. At first, mostly because I didn't understand them. Also, however, because I knew a few die-hard Apple fans that gave me that cult-ish feeling, I decided that I would stick with my Windows machines and deal with my problems. It is too bad that I didn't know then what I know now. For one, I would have invested in Apple stock. More importantly, I would have always had a working machine that was more appliance than computer.

The Apple Inc. has changed a lot since the days of the "cult". They are now truly one of the best products out there and, in my opinion, have the best support. I think their success, however, stems from the fact that they don't just make software or hardware. They make both to work together perfectly and say there aren't any holes or issues in the system. When my parents are going to get a new computer, I am going to make them get an Apple.


I have used all three main operating systems: OS X, Windows, and Linux. In my opinion, the OS X from Apple is the strongest. While not quite as wide-spread through-out the market, OS X is the most user-friendly, the most stable, and the most supported OS made.


Linux is awesome. But, you have to be willing to spend the time. The newer distributions of the system are pretty easy to install and use but there are always little hick-ups that need to be taken care of and you have to go find the solution on the web. It is more of a time issue though since there is a lot of support and information on the web about Linux. All-in-all, I think Linux is pretty amazing and I am planning on removing Windows as the main system on my old Dell and using Linux as the main. I want to then use Windows on a separate partition for games. That's really the only reason I have ever kept a Windows machine around.


Windows is a joke. Now more than ever. Microsoft could have had the whole market with Vista. Instead, since they couldn't really finish the system as they wanted to, they got an operating system that is just some new features layered on top of XP. On top of that, many XP programs just do not work on Vista. It is about 40% do not work at this point. Even their own Office 2003 will not work correctly on Vista. Like I said, Microsoft could have had it all.

I am not to sure what is on horizon for Apple. There are so many rumors flying about, it is hard to tell the real from the fake. I usually just wait and see. All I know is that there is definitely going to be some exciting things this year with OS 10.5 Leopard coming out. Can't wait to see what changes and what happens.

Review...

It has been awhile. I thought that instead of trying to explain what has been happening lately and making excuses, I would just pick up where I left off.

A couple of months ago I sold nearly every system and game I had for an Xbox 360. I had sworn to myself that I would never own an Xbox or Microsoft Game Studio product due to my "beliefs". The next-generation game systems were on their way and I had to make my decision about who I would throw in with. Instead of being my old self and have to own all 3 systems, I decided I would own 1 and that would be it.

I chose the 360.

This is why:
1. Games
2. Multi-player
3. The competition

The first reason I will get into as I review games that I love for this system over the next couple of days.

The second reason being that many of my friends have one and that they all play these games together on Xbox Live. Also, Xbox Live, while having to be paid for, is quite cool.

The third reason it a complicated one. I have always been a Nintendo fanboy. They have stuck with me for a long time. I have yet to be disappointed by them and that stands to this day. The Wii is an amazing system. That being said, it is mainly a group and social system in my opinion. Seeing as there wouldn't be many people coming over to play the system on a regular basis, it wouldn't be worth the time or the money.

Then, there is Sony. Oh Sony. You could have had it all. While being the cheapest Blue-ray player on the planet, and despite having 9 processing cores, I have yet to have the PlayStation 3 truly "wow" me. Both the Wii and the 360 have. Sorry Sony, while you had gaven me many days of fun, those days are now over.

So, the 360.

I had been feeling its pull for awhile. Then, the deal was sealed one day when I came into work and saw an immensely detailed and amazing game called "Gears of War". I played it, and while I sucked pretty bad, it was amazing. Suddenly, the joy of video-games was invigorated. Then, a month later, Rainbow Six: Vegas. Sealed. Game, set, and match. Period.