Saturday, May 31, 2008

Wii Fit

I finally unboxed my Wii Fit and booted it up. It's no big shock that it told me I'm obese. Hehe. I am excited about the possibilities. I set up a goal for myself. Losing 3.4 pounds every 2 weeks seems doable.

Friday, May 30, 2008

On The Rain-Slick Slope

Two recent events have caused me to be very concerned about the prices we'll be paying for Xbox Live Arcade games in the near future.

First, Microsoft announced that they will be restructuring the XBLA. Basically, this means they will be de-listing titles that don't perform well or get low scores on Metacritic. You know this will include mostly retro titles that debuted at 400 points. I don't know why they don't just discount them and try to boost sales. The whole point of having digital distribution is to save money on packaging and shelf space. Arcade titles don't require any of that, so why take them off the service?

Second, the Penny Arcade game sold over 16k copies so far according to X3F. This means that, even with it's hefty $20 price tag, it still sold extremely well. Now, there's nothing wrong with a game selling well. The problem is the message that is sent by those numbers. Pricing the game at $20 was a risk, but it was also a way to test the waters to see if the world is ready for a 1600 point arcade game. Well, according to over 16,000 of you, we are. Thanks for fucking the rest of us!

Now, everyone makes the argument that the game is 7-8 hours, which is more than some retail games. And they say that those of us that speak out against the prices are just too poor to buy them. I call bullshit on both those arguments and I'll tell you why.

First off, 7-8 hours of gameplay is fine, but that's all you get. There's no multiplayer. There's no real replay value unless you want to play the same story multiple times. Also, if it were a retail game you would have the option to trade it in for credit or sell it on eBay. With the digital distribution, the game will just sit on your hard drive forever.

Finally, just because I don't want to drop $20 on a 8 hour game does not mean I'm poor. It means I'm not willing to support higher prices for the sake of higher prices. I'm all for the advancement of the industry, but this just smacks of the fleecing of the 360 install base.

Some people who are big PA fans may think the game is reasonably priced, but I say it's just one more step in the direction of higher prices and less value for the consumer.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

I Am Legend Is The Saddest Movie Ever

We watched I Am Legend this last weekend and it's now the saddest movie ever to me.

I had heard some warnings about the movie when it came out. About how the part with the dog is pretty rough. I had no idea that it was so bad!

One of my deep dark secrets has always been that the end of the movie Armageddon where Bruce Willis says goodbye to Liv Tyler always turns on the waterworks in me. I don't know what it is, but that scene just gets me every time. Maybe it's because I love Bruce Willis so much. Maybe it's because Liv Tyler can't act. Whatever it is, it makes me all soft and moist...around my eye sockets. Basically, it's my Beaches.

Until I Am Legend.

Seriously, if you have a dog you probably shouldn't watch this movie. I sat there enjoying the story and Will Smith's ripped physique...I mean acting chops. Then, out of no where a mannequin pops up in the street and Mr. Smiff was hanging upside down. I have no idea where the mannequin came from or who set the trap, but the end result was that his dog was infected with the disease.

If you haven't seen the movie, (by the way, spoiler alert) here's some background on the dog. It was his daughter's dog. His daughter and wife were killed in the helicopter he put them on to get them out of the city. That's all he has left is the dog. Plus, he's all alone except for the dog, which to him obviously represents his family, his friends, and pretty much the entire human race.

So, there I am, bawling like a baby while he snuffs the life out of his best friend. Rhea actually woke up to see what was wrong, but I couldn't pull it together to even tell her.

Yes, I'm a big pussy. Whatever!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Busy Busy Busy

Man, I've been busy. Between my birthday, working my 2 jobs, and everything else I haven't had time to blog at all. Not that I'm complaining. I've been doing some cool shit.

I got my little Phillips mp3 player in the mail on Friday. I've been using it's built in microphone to record some segments for the new podcast I've been thinking about. I'm not sure when it will come out or if it will come out. I've got some ideas that have been percolating in my brain for a while. Making them a reality is another thing altogether.

We worked overnight on Saturday, then I went with my parents and Alana to Winstar in Oklahoma. It was a ton of fun. I didn't win anything. We did get our lunch comped by the casino. Good times!

My parents gave me some shirts and cash for my birthday. My mom made an awesome cake. My sister got me 1600 Microsoft points, a blue Xbox 360 controller (FTW!), and a sweet shirt. I upgraded to a Flickr pro account. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, so I'm pretty happy about that. We went to Target last night and I found a rechargeable battery pack for my new controller. I couldn't believe it was on clearance for like nine bucks!

I also downloaded a bunch of new music this weekend. New stuff from The Last Shadow Puppets, Filter, Death Cab for Cutie, 3 Doors Down, and 10 Years. All good stuff and all thanks to ThePirateBay.org.

Friday, May 23, 2008

The Big Three Three

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm 33. Not much of a milestone, but it's all good. Here's a photo tour of the fun. :-)

After we got home from work, we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for some delicious $.50 boneless wings and even more delicious Michelob Ultra.
Mango habanero

We had a great time. I really do love that place. I love my wife even more!
wifey

When we got home, she put the candles on my Iron Man cake and lit them up. I have more pictures of me blowing them out. Those will be up later.
iron cake

Rhea bought me a really cool Jalapeno Pepper Roaster from Williams Sonoma. I can't wait to stuff some jalapenos and grill them up in it. Gonna be delicious...although my ass may not agree.
jalapeno pepper roaster

Buffy, Buttercup, and Baylee pooled their money and bought me Super Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii. I was so impressed. I didn't even know they had money!
super smash bros brawl

Monday, May 19, 2008

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

Got started on the new Advance Wars game last week once it finally arrived from Amazon, no thanks to the idiot post office.

Anyway, so far it's a pretty fun game. It's standard Advance Wars gameplay, but the new setting and units are really cool. The only irritation comes from all the damn text you have to read between missions. I understand there's a plot, but do I have to read all the "witty" banter? Pass!

Days of Ruin is definitely worth buying. It's the best franchise on the DS in my opinion.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Red Alert 3

Holy shit, EA is making a sequel to one of my favorite games of all time. I loved Red Alert 2. I played it daily for probably almost 2 years. I will probably have to upgrade my pc to play it, but that's ok. I don't want to play it on the console because I didn't think the other Command and Conquer was very good on the 360.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Comic Book Movies

We went to see Iron Man tonight. 5 o'clock twilight show only cost $4.50 a person. Gotta love a deal!

I really have to say that Iron Man is up there with the all time greats as far as comic book movies go. It stands toe to toe with the first Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman. Marvel continues to successfully move their characters from the page to the screen with so much attention to detail and love. Of course, there have been a few hiccups along the way (I'm looking at you, Hulk), but overall if you're a fan of Marvel Comics this is a great time to be going to the movies.

I keep a mental list of the best comic movies in my head. I'm going to put it right here so it's official. Here we go!
  • X-Men 2 - Yea, I know. The sequel was better than the original. A rarity for sure, but it gave us everything we wanted in the first one and more. It's the pinnacle to which all other comic book movies aspire.
  • Spider-Man - The definitive origin story coupled with the greatest hero/villain combo the world has ever known.
  • Batman - This is hard. I love Batman Begins, but you have to give it up to Keaton and Burton for making Batman a bankable franchise in the first place. The sequels do not count. Returns was ruined by Devito. Forever was ruined by Kilmer. There's not enough room to explain what went wrong with Batman and Robin. Bat-nipples.
  • X-Men - The move that made Hugh Jackman a star. He is Wolverine. Seeing him pop his claws for the first time was bliss.
  • Iron Man - The perfect plot, great acting, and incredibly believable special effects. And we saw Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury. Nerdgasm!
  • Blade - It's been pushed down the list lately, but it still holds a warm spot in my heart. We wouldn't have any of these mighty Marvel movies if it weren't for this guy.
  • Superman Returns - The thing that keeps this movie out of the top 5? Kate Bosworth. Lois Lane is not a ultra-skinny 20-something. She's a tough as nails reporter in the big city of Metropolis. The only mistake Brian Singer ever made besides leaving X-Men 3.
  • Batman Begins - Anything would be better than Batman and Robin. Thankfully we got this masterpiece. And whoever decided to use the same Batmobile in the sequel deserves a big raise.
  • Hellboy - Who doesn't love Big Red? And who knew Selma Blair was so hot?
  • Blade 2 - Goes hand in hand with Hellboy. Guillermo del Toro did Blade as a precursor to Hellboy. And the world is a better place for it.
Those are the best. Here's the rest.
  • X-Men 3 - What the fuck? Everyone involved in this abortion should resign from the industry immediately. Bret Ratner not only made the Juggernaut a mutant (he's not), but he decided that mutants can have more than one power. The worst comic movie ever made.
  • Dardevil - I didn't hate this movie, but I can see why it's not loved by the majority of the geeks. You have to give it up to the director for killing Elektra the exact same way as in the comic book. I remember my jaw hitting the floor when I first saw it. That being said, Bullseye was the worst translation of a villain ever.
  • Elektra - All I can say is, "huh"? I've seen it, but I couldn't tell you what it was about. Not a good sign.
  • The Hulk - Can we please pretend like this one never happened? Thanks!
  • Superman IV - Seriously? Anything after the 2nd one shouldn't exist.
  • Spider-Man 3 - Two words - Emo Peter Parker. And did anybody think to explain where the Venom symbiote came from? Nope! Let's just say it came from space. Who needs details?!
I didn't mention the Fastastic Four movies. Those are pretty good so I put them in the first list. Same with Ghost Rider. They're good, but the lack of a big budget holds them back from cracking the top 10.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Wearing Pants Is Overrated

I've been super busy this week so I haven't had time to post anything. Here's a quick update on where I am, what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it. (It may not be that detailed, but damn that sounded good.)

I got my package from Amazon earlier this week. The post office didn't screw me on this one. Shocker! They still haven't called me about anything, but what do you expect? I did e-mail Woot.com and ask them about it. They actually refunded my money! I was amazed and happy. Now that's customer service!

Speaking of Woot, they had a woot off today. It wasn't that great. I didn't buy anything. They did have a USB missile launcher, but I missed that one. Dammit!

I started my overnight job at Kohl's this week. It's not too bad, although working overnight then going to your regular day job does wear a brotha out. It's a decent job and a good way to get some money into savings, so I'm all for it. Rhea works there, too.

We took Baylee and Buttercup to the vet this evening for shots. Baylee threw up on me on the way home. Poor baby. I'm not very happy with her because she's decided that chewing on electronic cords is a fun thing to do. She chewed my play and charge cable to my 360, the power cord to my router, and one of my CAT-5 cables. WTF? Buffy and Butter never did that. I sprayed all the cords with some stuff that's supposed to taste really bad. Hopefully that will deter her.

It's time for Lost, so I'm gonna end it here.

Peace out!

Friday, May 02, 2008

I Hate The Post Office

I'm not exaggerating when I make the above statement. It's a point of fact that has been cemented into my brain. It's an interesting thing, too, because my wife and sister both work for the post office. But here I am, wishing I could declare a jihad on the whole damn organization. I'm like one of those senators that speaks out against gay marriage, meanwhile I'm banging dudes in an airport bathroom.

As some of my twitter buddies know, I was working for the post office earlier this year and eventually quit. I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty details about what happened in this post, but suffice to say that I was bent over a mail cart and corn holed by those bastards. I've talked to everyone I can get to answer a phone, including the union, and I got no help whatsoever.

There are so many things wrong with the post office. First off is the union. They make it so it's impossible to get rid of people that don't do their jobs. The post office is powerless to take any action against an employee for fear of the union. This does nothing but create an environment where the employees think they are bulletproof. Therefore they do the least work possible. Meanwhile, hard working people like me that do a good job get the shaft because the lazy regular carrier doesn't train worth a shit.

The second thing is the fact that the postal service, whether they would admit it or not, is a monopoly. There's no such thing as quitting the mail or going to a different service provider. If you want your bills, letters, and junk mail, you have to use the post office. They use UPS and FedEx as justification for being a monopoly, but the reality is that nobody in their right mind would send a letter using UPS and no company is going to send out their billing statements using FedEx. As soon as I can change my service provider like I can change my cell phone provider, then we will have progress.

What put me over the edge about the post office is not what happened to me while I was employed, but what has happened recently to me as a postal customer.

Recently my wife ordered a new pair of eye glasses off the internet. We tracked the package and it showed delivered. We did not have the glasses. We ventured down to the mail boxes at our apartments and found the package in an unlocked parcel locker. It was unlocked because the lock was broken. The carrier just left it in there with no notice in our regular box. This is the issue that prompted us to buy a P.O. box and put in a forward for our mail.

A few weeks ago I ordered a couple MP3 players from woot.com. They were only $10 each. Not a big ticket item, but it's still something I would like to receive. The package was lost due to the incompetent carrier forwarding the parcel. It's currently languishing in Dallas, probably being used as a doorstop or booger receptacle.

The final straw was yesterday when I tracked my Amazon package. I ordered Advance Wars: Days of Ruin from Amazon for cheap the other day and I've been excited ever since. The tracking showed it as delivered on the 28th. WTF?

I called 1-800-ASK-USPS and finally got a woman on the phone. I told her my story and she transferred me to someone else for no other reason than she didn't want to deal with me. I was livid and let loose on the new guy. Shockingly, he was very helpful.

Now, I sit here and wait for the post office to call me and bless me with information on my two parcels. Meanwhile, they are in no rush to provide any useful information because they have a monopoly on the industry and employ lazy, union protected jackasses who would rather complain about how many breaks they get instead of deliver me my fucking package!

Of course, when I refer to all postal employees as lazy, union protected jackasses, I don't mean my wife or my sister. They are the few that actually try to make a difference. My only wish is that someone would walk into that organization and fire 90% of the people and start over with people who actually want to work. Who actually have a vested interest in making sure you get your mail, as opposed to just being interested in getting done as fast as possible no matter how many mistakes they make and how many parcels get lost.

...and I'm spent.