Does this work? Testing out some blogging software with the new vista box…
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Frivolity and Nonsense
It seems the country is going to hell in a hand basket. The economy is making some kind of horrible death rattle, we're still in two wars that don't get much attention anymore (oddly), not to mention the wider "War on Terror" - which is sort of the whole point to begin with. Then there's the debt, which just reached 10 Trillion dollars, which is the kind of joke number 4th graders use to place bets.
Meanwhile, I bought myself an iPod Touch. I did this before the economy did a HALO jump without the "O." Now I have visions of sitting on the street with a hobo bag, trying to shove spare change into my iTunes account through the iPod touch. So sad.
And yet - I regret nothing! The Touch is an amazing device. I would have bought an iPhone - if I knew anyone who actually liked using it as a phone - and it didn't cost me hundreds of dollars to get out of my contract. Maybe some day when it improves a bit more and I'm no longer tethered to the Sprint Gods.
Meanwhile, I bought myself an iPod Touch. I did this before the economy did a HALO jump without the "O." Now I have visions of sitting on the street with a hobo bag, trying to shove spare change into my iTunes account through the iPod touch. So sad.
And yet - I regret nothing! The Touch is an amazing device. I would have bought an iPhone - if I knew anyone who actually liked using it as a phone - and it didn't cost me hundreds of dollars to get out of my contract. Maybe some day when it improves a bit more and I'm no longer tethered to the Sprint Gods.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack
This Blog shall live. I'm about to make a change in employment, and figured that blogging was a decent day-to-day brain dump.
You've been warned.
You've been warned.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sony PSP vs. Nintendo DS: Prelude
Sure there's an election going on that will determine the future of the next century of American politics. But what's really important is which handheld game system is the best. I think that's something we can all, democrat and republican alike, can agree on. Libertarians and Greens might disagree, but when was the last time anyone listened to them anyway?
I've owned a PSP for the better part of a year now, and I've been extremely happy with it. Granted, I wasn't overjoyed until I started using custom firmware - but the multimedia capabilities of the device alone are worth the price in my opinion. I like a lot of PSP games, but playing some of the old 8 and 16 bit games using an emulator is just as, if not sometimes more fun.
The problem with the DS is I can't freaking find one! The thing has been sold out since before Christmas and they're currently not available anywhere on or off line. Oh - except the pink ones, and I don't think I'm manly enough to pull off a pink DS. Using a friend's system last night I realized that I find the smaller screens really small in comparison to the beautiful wide screen on the PSP. I think I'll get used to it, and the fact that there's two of them and that one is a touchscreen seems a decent trade off.
The game I played last night was Mario Kart DS. I've never been a huge fan of Mario Kart - or the Mario franchise in general. It's just not my cup of tea. But I found it mildly diverting. However, I'm far more interested in the touchscreen enabled games - and games that really make use of the two screen setup, beyond adding a map or inventory screen. To me, that's the point of the whole system - providing a style of play that has never been seen in the world of gaming.
And when I finally get my hands on a system and get a chance to actually play some of those games - then the real test begins.
I've owned a PSP for the better part of a year now, and I've been extremely happy with it. Granted, I wasn't overjoyed until I started using custom firmware - but the multimedia capabilities of the device alone are worth the price in my opinion. I like a lot of PSP games, but playing some of the old 8 and 16 bit games using an emulator is just as, if not sometimes more fun.
The problem with the DS is I can't freaking find one! The thing has been sold out since before Christmas and they're currently not available anywhere on or off line. Oh - except the pink ones, and I don't think I'm manly enough to pull off a pink DS. Using a friend's system last night I realized that I find the smaller screens really small in comparison to the beautiful wide screen on the PSP. I think I'll get used to it, and the fact that there's two of them and that one is a touchscreen seems a decent trade off.
The game I played last night was Mario Kart DS. I've never been a huge fan of Mario Kart - or the Mario franchise in general. It's just not my cup of tea. But I found it mildly diverting. However, I'm far more interested in the touchscreen enabled games - and games that really make use of the two screen setup, beyond adding a map or inventory screen. To me, that's the point of the whole system - providing a style of play that has never been seen in the world of gaming.
And when I finally get my hands on a system and get a chance to actually play some of those games - then the real test begins.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Obama Wins Iowa
And his acceptance speech is one of the best I've seen in recent memory. It was in a different class than the other candidates - Republican or Democrat. Take a look:
Now, the real test begins. Can Obama survive the intense scrutiny of being the new frontunner?
Now, the real test begins. Can Obama survive the intense scrutiny of being the new frontunner?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
My Top 5 PSP Games
I told you I was going to do lists. Because I heart them. And this one is about the Playstation Portable - a gadget for which I have already professed my love (even though I'm about to begin an affair with the Nintendo DS...if any store will have them in stock for crissakes...). For a long time people complained that the PSP simply didn't have any good games - but at this point I think that is simply not true. While you can also use the PSP to watch movies, read web sites (like this one!) pdf and text files, listen to music and podcasts (and now internet radio) or look at photos - its main purpose is still gaming.
To that end, here's my current selection of the five games I feel make the cut for must own titles in any PSP gamers library.
Loco Roco - If you haven't played it, go and grab the demo here. This is an innovative puzzle game (or is it a puzzle platformer?) with great graphics, trippy music and funny sound effects. It's challenging, constantly entertaining with great level design and a unique quality that makes it impossible to play without smiling.
Jeanne D'Arc - While this might not be for everyone with its Anime style and semi-historical setting, Jeanne D'Arc is a great strategy title with tremendously addictive gameplay. Similar in many ways to Final Fantasy Tactics, but with fewer...slow spots. While the game is fairly linear, the story is actually quite engaging, using some terrifically animated cut scenes and surprising moments within the missions themselves. The turn-based combat also makes for good pick up and play, which is essential for a portable system.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Here's a game that is finding its way onto just about every platform; DS, Xbox Live, PS2 and it's eventually coming to PC. Puzzle Quest mixes the incredibly addictive gameplay of Bejeweled with the incredibly addictive gameplay of a great RPG. The story is solid, if not overly unique, but the gameplay itself is what will keep you glued to your PSP. One thing that is irksome with this title is that a bug that affects how companions work within the game has never been fixed. That should be inexcusable in this day and age. That one problem aside, this is another great game that can be played in bite sized chunks or for hours at a time.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles - This is a remake of Rondo of Blood, which was never released in the US. It's a great looking 2d side scrolling game that reminds you why 2d games - and Castlevania games in particular - were once the biggest thing in gaming. The game keeps up the Castlevania tradition of being challenging enough to make you work for it, but not so much that you chuck your PSP out a window. You can also unlock the great PSX release Symphony of the Night...though I've yet to get that far. For my money, bringing a slew of great 2d franchises back to life was one of the best things handhelds (GBA Metroid and Castlevania goodness...) have brought to the gaming world.
Crush - I think what distinguishes a system are the original games that seem to be made so specifically for that one platform that it's hard to imagine playing the game on anything else. Crush on the PSP feels this way for me. It's a puzzle game, which suits handhelds quite well - but it's too graphically advanced for the DS. It uses a blend of 2d and 3d vantage points - which are under your control - in some really innovative and challenging gameplay that mixes platforming with puzzle solving and forces you to think in multiple dimensions at once. I've never played anything quite like it, and the game has an interesting story, tons of atmosphere and terrific art design to boot.
So there you go - five titles that will make you proud to own a PSP. All of these games are not only good games, but good value for the money. Puzzle Quest alone could last you weeks, if not months of gameplay. And this is not my exclusive list, and I'll present some more games in a later list that are a little less well known.
To that end, here's my current selection of the five games I feel make the cut for must own titles in any PSP gamers library.
Loco Roco - If you haven't played it, go and grab the demo here. This is an innovative puzzle game (or is it a puzzle platformer?) with great graphics, trippy music and funny sound effects. It's challenging, constantly entertaining with great level design and a unique quality that makes it impossible to play without smiling.
Jeanne D'Arc - While this might not be for everyone with its Anime style and semi-historical setting, Jeanne D'Arc is a great strategy title with tremendously addictive gameplay. Similar in many ways to Final Fantasy Tactics, but with fewer...slow spots. While the game is fairly linear, the story is actually quite engaging, using some terrifically animated cut scenes and surprising moments within the missions themselves. The turn-based combat also makes for good pick up and play, which is essential for a portable system.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Here's a game that is finding its way onto just about every platform; DS, Xbox Live, PS2 and it's eventually coming to PC. Puzzle Quest mixes the incredibly addictive gameplay of Bejeweled with the incredibly addictive gameplay of a great RPG. The story is solid, if not overly unique, but the gameplay itself is what will keep you glued to your PSP. One thing that is irksome with this title is that a bug that affects how companions work within the game has never been fixed. That should be inexcusable in this day and age. That one problem aside, this is another great game that can be played in bite sized chunks or for hours at a time.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles - This is a remake of Rondo of Blood, which was never released in the US. It's a great looking 2d side scrolling game that reminds you why 2d games - and Castlevania games in particular - were once the biggest thing in gaming. The game keeps up the Castlevania tradition of being challenging enough to make you work for it, but not so much that you chuck your PSP out a window. You can also unlock the great PSX release Symphony of the Night...though I've yet to get that far. For my money, bringing a slew of great 2d franchises back to life was one of the best things handhelds (GBA Metroid and Castlevania goodness...) have brought to the gaming world.
Crush - I think what distinguishes a system are the original games that seem to be made so specifically for that one platform that it's hard to imagine playing the game on anything else. Crush on the PSP feels this way for me. It's a puzzle game, which suits handhelds quite well - but it's too graphically advanced for the DS. It uses a blend of 2d and 3d vantage points - which are under your control - in some really innovative and challenging gameplay that mixes platforming with puzzle solving and forces you to think in multiple dimensions at once. I've never played anything quite like it, and the game has an interesting story, tons of atmosphere and terrific art design to boot.
So there you go - five titles that will make you proud to own a PSP. All of these games are not only good games, but good value for the money. Puzzle Quest alone could last you weeks, if not months of gameplay. And this is not my exclusive list, and I'll present some more games in a later list that are a little less well known.
Iowa
So I said that I would do "very little" political blogging. So here's the first post of a political nature. It's Wednesday, January 2nd and it seems just about nobody knows what is going to happen in Iowa tomorrow. These aren't primaries, but are instead "caucuses," which makes things even less predictable. It seems that voters (caucusers?) can choose to shift their support from one candidate to another. So Barack Obama could possibly pick up the support of Bill Richardson and/or Joe Biden. Apparently Denis Kucinich has already told his supporters to make their second pick Obama.
While there seems to be lots of "Obamagic" going on - plenty of talking head types are advising not to count Hillary out because of her campaign's sophisticated operation. Edwards shouldn't be excluded yet either, because he has strong support in Iowa and has spent an enormous amount of time focusing on the state. If Edwards or Obama beat Clinton, that's a big story. A lot of people expect Obama to win New Hampshire - so if he has a strong second place showing in Iowa, he can still make tremendous gains next week.
On the republican side Huckabee has made dramatic gains, somehow becoming the front runner. But again, people say don't discount Romney because he has so much money and a well oiled machine ready to pounce tomorrow. Then there's John McCain - who has absolutely surged in New Hampshire to take the lead. McCain's campaign was all but over just a month ago - but the man never gave up and took to the old fashioned politics of town halls and face to face meetings. His movement in New Hampshire (which has its primary this coming Tuesday) could give him a surprisingly strong showing in Iowa.
If McCain has a good showing in Iowa and actually wins in NH - then that'll be the biggest story leading up to Super Tuesday (Feb. 5th, when 20 states hold their primaries at once). Everyone loves an underdog story. And frankly, with McCain having been the presumptive nominee at one point, if he can come back to win contests like this (from the jaws of defeat as it were) - maybe he should return to the top spot.
At this moment it seems we could be looking at Obama vs. McCain in the general election. Or maybe Clinton vs. Romney? Edwards vs. Huckabee? Remember when Fred Thompson was supposed to come in and save the Republican party? Boy, was that a disappointment. Maybe he'll be able to come back to Law and Order once the writers' strike ends.
Just to add to the fun - there's rumors that New York's Mayor Bloomberg might run a 3rd party candidacy. The guy has billions of dollars, so that could be interesting. For political junkies, this is like the NBA Playoffs, the World Series and The Superbowl all mixed together...and then dipped in porn covered rainbows.
While there seems to be lots of "Obamagic" going on - plenty of talking head types are advising not to count Hillary out because of her campaign's sophisticated operation. Edwards shouldn't be excluded yet either, because he has strong support in Iowa and has spent an enormous amount of time focusing on the state. If Edwards or Obama beat Clinton, that's a big story. A lot of people expect Obama to win New Hampshire - so if he has a strong second place showing in Iowa, he can still make tremendous gains next week.
On the republican side Huckabee has made dramatic gains, somehow becoming the front runner. But again, people say don't discount Romney because he has so much money and a well oiled machine ready to pounce tomorrow. Then there's John McCain - who has absolutely surged in New Hampshire to take the lead. McCain's campaign was all but over just a month ago - but the man never gave up and took to the old fashioned politics of town halls and face to face meetings. His movement in New Hampshire (which has its primary this coming Tuesday) could give him a surprisingly strong showing in Iowa.
If McCain has a good showing in Iowa and actually wins in NH - then that'll be the biggest story leading up to Super Tuesday (Feb. 5th, when 20 states hold their primaries at once). Everyone loves an underdog story. And frankly, with McCain having been the presumptive nominee at one point, if he can come back to win contests like this (from the jaws of defeat as it were) - maybe he should return to the top spot.
At this moment it seems we could be looking at Obama vs. McCain in the general election. Or maybe Clinton vs. Romney? Edwards vs. Huckabee? Remember when Fred Thompson was supposed to come in and save the Republican party? Boy, was that a disappointment. Maybe he'll be able to come back to Law and Order once the writers' strike ends.
Just to add to the fun - there's rumors that New York's Mayor Bloomberg might run a 3rd party candidacy. The guy has billions of dollars, so that could be interesting. For political junkies, this is like the NBA Playoffs, the World Series and The Superbowl all mixed together...and then dipped in porn covered rainbows.
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