Thursday, December 31, 2009

Resolutions 2010

Every year I make some resolutions and every year they fall by the wayside about 3 weeks into the new year. It's still fun making lists, though, so let's do this!

  1. I'm not buying any new games this year. Of course, this doesn't count gifts or borrowed games. Point is, I have so many games already that I need to play and there's no reason to just keep stacking them up.
  2. I'm going to play the games I have and finish as many as I can. If not finish, at least get my fun out of them.
  3. I'm going to try to guest on some of my friend's podcasts this year. Not sure when, but I want to get out there a little more if at all possible.
  4. I want to eat better and lose some weight. I know that's the standard one, but it means more now that we have Rhys. I want him to have good eating habits, so I have to lead by example.
That's really about it.

Happy New Year!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas 2009

We had a great first Christmas with Rhys this year!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Barf Vader

Waited a little too long to let him wear this shirt, but that's ok. Totally cute!

Friday, December 04, 2009

Teeth!

We have teeth!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Laughing Boy

Apparently my blog is just becoming a place where I post videos of Rhys. Oh well!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Rhys Playing

The best part is when he tries to eat the camera! lol!


Monday, November 09, 2009

No Hablo Ingles!

Bowling For Soup does it again!

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Monday, November 02, 2009

Halloween 2009

Rhys was Spider-Man for Halloween. Gaze upon the cuteness!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Happy Birthday Ethan

Ethan would be four years old today. I wish he were here to play with
Rhys. I miss you, buddy!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Rhys Trying To Roll Over

He's growing so fast!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Monday, August 31, 2009

RIP Marvel

I was going to write up a post about how stupid True Blood is, but this takes precedence.

Today it was announced that Disney is buying Marvel Comics for 4 billion dollars. It is truly a dark day in both the comic book world and the creative world in general. I can't even begin to express the utter disgust I feel towards this acquisition. Basically, all the characters I've grown up loving are now going to be owned by one of the biggest corporate shills to ever exist. Everything Disney puts out is coated in saccharine and aimed at the brainless tween crowd.

If you need evidence that Disney cranks out shit, look no further than the Disney channel, Hannah Montana, and the Jonas Brothers. All of it is complete and utter crap. There is not one redeeming quality. And now, my beloved Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, and Deadpool are going to be under their control. It's enough to make Jack Kirby spin in his grave.

I can guarantee that the Marvel comics that I grew up with will not be the same that Rhys knows. It really makes me sick to think about.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

When It Rains

Man, there's a lot of stuff going on here lately. I mean, when it rains it pours, right? Where do I even begin?

At the doctor to get shots. Sorry son! on Twitpic

We took Rhys to the doctor yesterday to get some shots and stuff. He's 11 pounds, 8 ounces! That's my boy! He was really good with the shots, too. He cried of course, but he didn't cry as long as I expected. He's tough!

On Saturday night and Sunday we watched Obsessed and Fast & Furious via the mighty Red Box. Neither one were very good. I had high hopes for both of them, but they were just meh. Oh well, it only cost me a dollar since I used a free Red Box code.

Furthermore, Alana and I recorded the latest episode of the podcast on Sunday. We also played a bunch of games, which was great fun. I did some promotions on Sunday night by going to some forums I'm a member of and posting about the latest show. I must have posted on 6 different boards, but only one got pissed and called it spam. Prudes!

Anyway, I'm on the job hunt right now. I'm anticipating being laid off in the coming weeks. I can't afford to be without a job, so if anybody knows of anything, send me an e-mail. Need all the help I can get.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Talking To Rhys 4

He's smiling a lot now!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Ballad of GI Joe

This makes me want to see the movie even more!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Cutest Baby Ever!

I just have to say, how cute is that kid!?

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Public Service Announcement

Heard this on the radio this morning and didn't believe it was real. Wow...just...wow.

Monday, August 03, 2009

Magpie!

I signed up for Magpie back before Christmas. I saw it come out and figured what the hell. I use Twitter a lot and have a nice bunch of followers, so why not. I didn't know if it would work at the time, and since you have to build up $60 before you can cash out, it took at while to find out.

Well, I finally did find out. I checked in on it the other day and to my surprise and delight I had $97.30 in my account! I literally had a heart attach, hit myself with the defibrillator, fainted, gave myself smelling salts, and finally pissed all over myself. Once I was cleaned up, I transferred the money to my paypal account and began rubbing my hands together thinking of all the cool shit I can buy.

My first purchase was a guitar stand from the Rock Band store. I had won a $20 credit from WouldYouKindly.com, so it only cost me a like $17. Then I went yesterday and got a 1600 point card for Xbox Live and bought 'Splosion Man and The Maw. I still have $50 left, which is going to buy me Halo 3: ODST in September.

I've actually made out pretty well when it comes to Twitter. In addition to making that money from Magpie, I've won stuff from EvolvedGaming.net, The10k.com, GameHounds.net and SFX-360.com. I think I've even won something from 360Junkies.com. Not to mention my friends at PlatformNation.com.

Launch viral advertising campaigns on Twitter with Magpie!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

More To Love

We watched the new Fox reality show More To Love last night. It's a good show with a lot of potential. There were also a bunch of unintentional laughs. I had a lot of fun making fat jokes, but it's ok because I'm a big dude. It's kind of like being able to say the n-word only when you're black.

It was kind of funny, because a lot of the conversation between the ladies and the guy revolved around food. Not to mention every commercial that came on was for some type of food. I guess Fox knows their target audience.

At one point, Rhea made the proclamation that they should have a reality show like this for amputees. I personally think this is an amazing idea. We would call it Out On A Limb. My only question would be whether you would have a chick looking for a man or vice versa. I don't know the stats on men vs. women amputees. The only thing I do know is, all the contestants would have to put their prostheses on a table at some point. Then, the one to go home is the one that gets their arm/leg back at the end of the night.

Brilliant!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Talking To Rhys 3

He's up to 8lbs 7oz and 22 inches long!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Movie Review Time

We hit the Red Box this weekend for a couple movies. Since we don't have the Netflix anymore, Red Box has become our movie rental device of choice. It's really cool, except the selection can be a little sparse. It never gets old threatening the wife with renting 12 Rounds, either.

We watched Confessions of a Shopaholic and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Confessions was pretty good. A little predictable as all those movies are. It kills me that Isla Fisher is married to Borat. Is there no justice in the world?!

The Day the Earth Stood Still was ok. I expected a little more in the action department and the special effects department. I think they spent all their money on Keanu. It also ended up feeling like an environmental message wrapped in an alien movie. Like, you guys better start recycling or aliens are going to come and re-boot the earth.

MechWarrior 5

I will buy it. I will play it. I will love it!

Thursday, July 09, 2009

MacGruber

So, they're making a MacGruber movie based on the SNL character. I don't think this is a terrible idea. I'm sure it will be pretty predictable. They will have to flesh out the character, so they will probably put him into the real world. Either make the whole MacGruber thing we've seen in the skits his job, which is to say he's the star of a tv show. Then he will have to actually become MacGruber at some point to save the day. Or, he'll be a loser who lives with his parents and does the whole MacGruber thing because he's a loser, ala Hot Rod. Then he will end up saving the day in the end. Shocker!

Anyway, I'm sure I'll watch it at some point. I do love those Pepsuber commercials.

Monday, July 06, 2009

Photogenic!

We went to Target on Saturday morning for some family photos. I think they turned out really well. We had a coupon that saved us some money.

What kills me is, they originally tried to charge us like $130 for the stuff we picked out. Mainly because of the few things we ordered that were outside the package deal. Once we removed the announcements (that were almost $50!), the price went down and we checked out.

I'm amazed that they can charge so much for one sheet. We cruise in with a coupon for $3.99 a sheet, and their normal prices are upwards of $15 to $30! What kind of profit margin is that? We all know that photo printing and paper is not that expensive. There's not a guy in a dark room developing our pictures somewhere. It's all digital. I mean, the fact that they can even offer a coupon with such a discount means that the prices are totally inflated.

Anyway, Rhys slept the whole time. Then we stroller'd around Target for a bit. Saturday night we went to Alana's for some 4th of July festivities. The food was delicious. Then we went home and crashed.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Monday, June 29, 2009

Thursday, June 25, 2009

So Sleepy

There was once a time when we knew what sleep was. Now, it's a distant memory.

Of course, I'm just kidding.

Sleep has been at a bit of a premium this last week since Rhys came home. I've probably had more than Rhea, but only because I'm not the one with the milk filled boobs.

Anyway, look at that kiddo! He's so damn cute!

Monday, June 22, 2009

New Dinosaur Jr

New Dinosaur Jr album hits tomorrow. Hell yea!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Our Boy Is Here!

Yesterday was so completely awesome, I can't even begin to describe the feeling. Our new baby boy, Rhys Edward, was born at 8:07 am! He came in at 7lbs 3oz. I think they said 19 inches long, but I'm not positive. Everything is a blur. Luckily I have the birth on video. And when I say luckily, I mean eeeewww!

He was delivered via c-section. It was all scheduled and planned out by the doctor. Rhea can't give birth naturally due to how they did the c-section when Ethan was born. We both kind of like that it's all scheduled. Takes a lot of the guess work out. Although knowing it was at a certain date and time made the wait feel like an eternity.

They did decide to put him into the NICU for a while yesterday before we could have him because he had transient tachypnea, which means his lungs were still wet from the delivery. Basically, when a baby gets pushed out in a normal birth, it gets squished through the birth canal and that fluid gets squeezed out. That doesn't happen in c-sections. Fortunately, there are no long term effects, hence the transient part. It's just something they have to watch for a bit.

It was kinda rough going back into the NICU again. It smelled exactly the same and he was actually in the same room that Ethan was in. The nurses in there are really great. Rhys was finally delivered to mommy around 9 last night. I can't wait to hold him!

You want to see more pictures, check out the my flickr. And if you're following me on Twitter, get used to seeing a lot of baby pictures.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Rhys' Room

The baby's room is pretty much done and ready. We just need to do a little cleaning and it's good to go. I hung up his letters and some pictures last night. I think he's going to like it. If he doesn't, then that's a paddlin'.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Terminator Salvation Review

We caught Terminator Salvation last night. I had a free ticket for buying T3 the other day, so we squeezed it in right before the coupon expired. Frugality rules!

I thought the movie was awesome. I had read a lot of comments and reviews, but I didn't really notice the same issues other people did. I thought the story was great. It fit just fine into the continuity of the movies. It even had a few surprises that really...well...surprised me.

The only complaint I could even level at the game is regarding Bale's performance. That damn Batman growl he uses really gets annoying. Especially when he's delivering normal dialogue. He almost gets a lisp from it. Like he bit his tongue and is pissed off about it.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Meat Over Here!

My in-laws bought me a grill for my birthday. I fired it up last night and cooked thick steaks on it. Ahh, animal flesh, you're so delicious!

We also played a bunch of Left 4 Dead on Sunday and Monday. It's been really fun. We have now started pointing out everything as if we're living in the game.

Pills over here!
Lighter fluid over here!
Rabid monkeys over here!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Birthday Weekend

Friday was my birthday. I'm only 22, although some would say I look like I'm 34. To those people I say, "stop looking at my driver's license, dick!"

The peeps at work got me a cake and took me to Chili's to eat. It was fun. Well, as fun as you can have without alcohol and/or with your pants on. As we all know, the only fun I have is sans pants.

I worked last night and now we're about to go eat with my parents and sister. Should be fun! I hope she got me something good. My prediction is Left 4 Dead and possibly something else. Of course my parents already gave me the Flip video a few weeks ago.

That's really how I like to receive my presents. Immediately.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Weekend Good!

Had a really good weekend on Saturday and Sunday. I played a bunch of Gears of War 2 multi on Saturday morning, followed by registering for the baby shower at Kohls. Then we came home and took a nap. All that scanning really wore us out!

When we got up, it was all about the baby's room. We got the bed put together and stuff. It's looking really cute in there. All puppy-themed stuff. Hopefully he likes dogs. Not that he has a choice! We stayed up till like 2:30 in the morning doing stuff. Good times with the wife.

Sunday I went to Alana's house to record and play some games. The show turned out really good. Almost 2 hours! Then we played a little Gears 2 and Left 4 Dead. I think I've turned the corner on L4D, to the point that I wouldn't mind buying it. I still think it's a little light on the features, but the new Survival mode was really fun. Of course, in order for all 3 of us to play together, I have to buy a copy and be online. Still kind of chaps my ass.

I'm in the market for a copy of Wolverine for the Xbox 360. Just waiting to find a sale or used copy. I'm not paying $60. It's against my religion.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Flip Video

On Mother's Day, after we ate and saw Wolverine, we ended up at Best Buy. My parents went ahead and bought me my birthday present, a Flip video camera. It's pretty awesome!

Monday, May 11, 2009

X-Men Origins Wolverine

We saw Wolverine yesterday, so I'm going to write up my little mini review. There are spoilers ahead, so be warned!

I went into the movie with very measured expectations of what to...well...expect. I had read a bunch of reviews, tweets, and spoilers, so I knew that this wasn't going to be X-Men 2. Therefore, I was honestly prepared for the worst, but got something better.

The plot wasn't terrible. I think it mostly made sense and held itself together pretty well. There was a reason for everyone's actions and they didnt' feel forced. I enjoyed the action a lot. It was worth the price of admission to see the entire helicopter sequence alone.

There were a few points that bugged me. First, the Blob. Is it not possible to translate a 2nd string villain to the screen with any success in these movies? X3 reduced the Juggernaut to a punchline, now Wolverine does the same thing to the Blob. He has an eating disorder? Really?!

The idea of adamantium bullets is pretty ridiculous as well. I do see why they chose that route since it is a bit more dramatic than somehow giving Logan false memory implants. You can tell that it was something that had to be written in to tie up some loose ends. It was silly but not a movie killer.

Overall, I think it was a good action movie. In regards to the X-Men movies, it comes in 3rd. It was much better than X3. It sucks that they didn't utilize Ryan Reynolds more as Deadpool. And for a comic nerd like me, even I had to look up who Agent Zero is. Not to mention Dominic Monaghan's character.

I hope the inevitible sequel will have Wolverine in Japan learning the ways of the samurai and falling in love with Mariko. Of course, we all know the how likely they are to stick to the source material.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Friday, May 08, 2009

Gigantor

It's Friday and you know what that means. Going to the doctor to look at the baby! I've been teasing Rhea that he's going to be up to five pounds this week. Well, come to find out that he's up to 5.4 pounds as of today! That's like double from the last measurements they took a month ago.

We've taken to calling him Gigantor. LOL! Actually, the name we decided on is Rhys Edward. He's going to potentially be here in early June. That's a month! It's gonna be so awesome.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Monday, May 04, 2009

Uncanny!

We didn't make it to see Wolverine this weekend. We had tickets for a Friday twilight show but didn't make it in time. I'm not too worried about it, though. I think we're going to go see it next weekend for Mother's Day.

I'm totally measuring my expectations for Wolverine. I've read a bunch of reviews and spoilers so I know what I'm getting into.

I did play the demo for the Wolverine game and it's awesome. I want to sell my copy of Street Fighter IV so I can buy Wolverine. I think I might put it on eBay tonight.

In other news, Mik from The Fanboys created a logo for The Uncanny Gamers and it's awesome!

Also, since learning that changing themes on blogger is pretty easy, I updated my No Pants Till Monday blog, which until now was nothing more than an empty space. I created it just for shits and giggles. I'm now going to try to put Rock Band related stuff there. Cool videos. Maybe some news. Nothing major. Just some Rock Band love.

Once I get an extra $10, I may buy that URL.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Swine Flu Propaganda

Apparently we've been living on borrowed time. These PSA's saved us back in 1976. Thankfully we have Joe Biden now.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Popeyes Chicken

I heard about this story on a couple different podcasts today. Too damn funny.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Rock Band Baby

We went to Old Navy and found a sweet Rock Band tee shirt for the baby. He'll have to grow a little to get into it, but once he's big enough, I'm gonna get his picture taken in it! Throw a little long sleeve shirt underneath it and some little jeans and it's on. I may have to buy LEGO Rock Band for him, too.

Rock band tee for the baby!

I applied a new theme to my blog yesterday. I'm really digging the three column thing. I always figured it would be a real pain in the ass to change it, but surprisingly it was relatively painless. I still need to get more links set up on the right, but otherwise it's all good.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Pop Song

Fucking brilliant!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

DVR'd

We've been making progress on unpacking and stuff. We're probably 75% done. The final 25% is being slowed considerably by the AT&T Uverse we got installed last week. lol! I've been recording a bunch of stuff with our DVR. Stuff like Ron White's new comedy special, the original Star Wars trilogy on Spike, and X-Play. I don't know when I'll have time to watch it all, but who cares!

Also, the girls have been really good in their new home. I'm so proud of them.

Aren't we cute?!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Twitter Giveaway Guide

There are multiple ways to handle a Twitter giveaway. I thought it would be a good idea to put together a helpful guide to giving stuff away on Twitter. People have the best intentions when doing this, but a lot of times get tripped up by some of the lesser known features of Twitter. You should always be well prepared before you send a contest tweet in order minimize frustration on both ends of the giveaway.

Code Posting

A lot of people prefer to post codes that can be redeemed on Xbox Live or iTunes. You may want to just post the code as is, or make it a little more difficult and change one or more of the characters to question marks and have people guess the right letter or number. This can make it more interesting, but keep in mind that not everyone is on an even playing field in these situations. Different browsers and operating systems can lend advantages or disadvantages to the copying and pasting of codes. Most people won't complain because it's great that you're giving away some swag. Just keep in mind that it can be a little frustrating and the point of a giveaway is to make people like you. It's also nice to drop a warning tweet 5 to 10 minutes before you actually post the code.

The DM

Another way is to let people enter your contest by direct messaging you. You can ask for a DM with a specific word, phrase, or even the answer to a trivia question. Then you can choose an entrant at random or pick the first correct entry. Getting DM's takes a lot of the frustration and guesswork out of a giveaway because only you can see the entries. Once chosen, simply DM the winner with information on their prize and then let the rest of your followers know who won.

One problem with the DM method is that only people you are following can send you a direct message. Unless you follow everyone who follows you, this can be a pain. If you're running a community Twitter account with a lot of followers, make sure you follow everyone back. Otherwise you will try to hold a contest and people will not be able to DM you. Then you can expect a flurry of angry tweets flooding your @ box. This is probably the number one mistake people make simply because they don't realize not everyone can DM you. Twitter should really enable a check box on your settings so you can allow DM's from everyone.

The Retweet

The retweet contest can work if you plan on getting entries over several days or even weeks. Simply create a post on your site with the text you want retweeted. Then tweet the message with the link to your post and your followers will do the rest. This method can both drive traffic to your site and bring you more followers. Retweeting is also a really easy way to enter for people. You will just need to make sure to specify how many entries are allowed per day. Use Random.org to pick a winner and then bask in your own awesomeness. A good example of a site that uses the retweet method is Week In Rewind (http://www.weekinrewind.com/search/label/Contests).

One thing to be mindful of on the retweet. The character limit is 140, so you will need to leave enough room for people to include the "RT" and your @name. That way you don't have people editing the tweet in order for it to fit.

Other Methods

There are other methods to drop free stuff onto your followers, but these seem to be the most popular. Incorporating your website in some way is also a plus. Have your followers find a specific piece of information from your site and DM it to you. Use Twitter to drive them to a post and have them comment on that post. For you podcasters, ask for a review in iTunes to act as the entry. You could even have people listen to a particular episode and have them DM or e-mail in a specific word or phrase you give out. The possibilities are practically endless.

I want to thank @seeson from 360Junkies and @Steve519 from PlatformNation for their input on this!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Workin' Weekend

We made more progress on the new place this weekend. Probably not as much as we should, but with one of us being pregnant and the other being lazy, it's not easy. In my defense, I did have to work on Saturday night.

The guy comes on Thursday to set up the AT&T Uverse. I can't wait. My goal is to have the living room situated by then, and hopefully the bedroom also. I've decided to keep the desk for now and just live with it. I will probably set up the old Dell on it and try to load Ubuntu on it.

My dad and I set up the dog run yesterday. I think it turned out great. A lot bigger than I expected, which is great for the girls. We brought them home last night and bathed their asses. They (Buffy) were barky last night, but not terrible. I hope we don't upset our neighbors. It seems like every yard has a dog, so it might not be a big deal.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Thursday, April 09, 2009

It's Been A Week

Man, it's been a week so far. I finally feel like I'm recovered from moving. My whole body ached on Monday and Tuesday, but feels better today. I worked Tuesday night, so I was kinda cranky last night. I'm really glad Rhea puts up with me on those days because I'm just a big ass sometimes. I don't mean it. I just get irritated much easier. Usually not with her, but just stuff in general.

For instance, Lost was coming on. I only had the bedroom tv hooked up and figured we would just watch it in there. Well, thanks to the DTV conversion b.s., I couldn't get channel 8. Not even in analog. I guess that means it wasn't the the DTV thing. I really don't know. All I know is it pissed me off because I was missing my damn show.

So, I headed into the living room and dug out the stuff for the big tv and got it set up. I was just so damn irritated. I was cussing the tv, the rabbit ears, the power cord, ABC, etc. Anyway, I got it set up and it was glorious.

Seriously, Lost just keeps getting better and better. But I digress.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009

Halo Wars Done!

It's going to be a busy week this week. We have to finish packing before we move. Fortunately, I took this week off from Kohl's, so it should be fine. I worked Friday and Saturday night, so no packing got done this weekend. I did accomplish one thing, though...

I finished Halo Wars!

That's right, I finished a game. I didn't think it was possible either. I haven't finished Gears 2 yet, but it had to go on the back burner while I killed some Covenant.

As far as my final opinion goes, I loved the story in Halo Wars and the cutscenes were fucking amazing. Once I finished, I sat and watched just the cutscenes from start to finish and marveled at them. Why can't they just make the Halo movie like this?!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

New Music...Wednesday?

Man, I've been getting a lot of new music lately. Some of it I've even paid for! For instance, Rhea pre-ordered the new Blue October album and we got it on Monday. Then we went last night and I picked up the reissue of Pearl Jam's Ten at Best Buy. I've also recently downloaded the new Kelly Clarkson, U2, Pop Evil, Hurt, Hoobastank, Chris Cornell, All That Remains, Franz Ferdinand, and The Fray. And no, I'm not going to hyperlink all those. Google it yourself!

Anyway, I ended up dropping $50 on the package you see pictured, plus 1600 Microsoft points so I could download it in Rock Band 2. I know it's a lot of money, but damn was it worth it! The new remixes are great. It's like going from gaming on a Xbox in standard-def to a Xbox 360 in 1080p!

I played through most of the songs last night. It's so good! Best thing I've ever downloaded by far. Just wish it had achievements. lol!

Oh, and I heart Kelly Clarkson!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Packing Up

We're getting everything packed up. It's really a pain in the ass to move. It always makes me wonder if everyone has as much stuff as we do. I also always wonder if people move like we do. I wrap everything fragile up in newspaper and pack it.

Packing 1

It's just funny because for as long as we've lived in apartments, I've only ever seen a handful of people actually move in or out. And when I do, I don't see that much stuff. Not boxes upon boxes and furniture galore. Just like a couch and a bookshelf and they're done. What's up with that?

In other news, we recorded episode 3 of the Uncanny Gamers last night. I really like how the show is going. It's kind of liberating to be free to talk about whatever we want. Not that we didn't do that before, but now I guess it just feels like we don't have people sitting there wondering why we're not talking about Animal Crossing.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Going Green

We went to Texas Road House last night for dinner. I decided to down a green beer in honor of St Patrick's Day. It was delicious.

Nothing makes green beer look cooler than the Color Splash app!

And I'm out!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Photo Apps

My current obsession is with photo apps on my iPhone. I got the Quad Camera app a couple weeks ago and really love it. Then I purchased the Color Splash app and pissed my pants due to its awesomeness. Then I downloaded the ezimba app for free this morning. It's almost more than my Flickr can handle!

The Color Splash app is genius! It takes all the color out of a picture, then you can paint the color back into it wherever you want. Totally worth the $1.99!

Buffy color app

Then I discovered this! The quad animator lets you make .gif files out of your quad shots. How cool is that!?

buffy animated 1

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The Update

I hate it when there's a week between posts, but what are you gonna do? I've been busy with other stuff like packing, working, and The Uncanny Gamers. I've also been feeling like crap with a damn cold. Good times...

We've finally nailed down where we are moving to. Now we just need to get some movers scheduled and we will be in business. Well, that and to actually finish packing. THEN we'll be in business.

We watched Role Models last night. That's a hilarious movie. I loved it. not really much else to say about it. I also recommend Zack And Miri Make A Porno. Extremely funny.

Anyway, I'm still around. Doing stuff. Keepin' it real.

Dawg.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Best Game Week Ever!

Eff yea

This has been an awesome week for me as far as gaming goes. First, I got Street Fighter IV on Tuesday. Then yesterday I got Halo Wars from Amazon thanks to Alana! And it's the Limited Edition! Sweet fancy moses!

I've also been working on the Uncanny Gamers site a little bit. And I got the show feed set up through Switchpod.com. Just need to submit it to iTunes and the Zune Marketplace and we'll be in business.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Corporate Crap

So, I worked overnight at Kohl's last night. Around 10:30 I was called into the store manager's office. Everyone was called in individually, so it wasn't like I was singled out. Anyway, I was given a warning because of my attendance. Basically I've been late or called in like 26 times. Mostly late. So, I signed the sheet and said "thank you" like a good worker bee.

Of course, now that I've had some time to think about it, it's a little irritating. You're late if it's more than 5 minutes. I wasn't aware they were such sticklers for time. What really brings this one home is the fact that they're worried about us being late by more than 5 minutes, but the people up there that don't bathe on a regular basis get a pass.

And how about the guy that either comes into work drunk or gets drunk through the course of the night? It's common knowledge that he's never sober, and everybody looks the other way. Meanwhile he's shaking like a leaf and smells like liquor is seeping out of his pores.

Basically, we need to get a handle on this attendance thing. It's become a real problem. Sure, you come in clean and sober and do your work. Sure, you're able to string a sentence together and form a coherent thought. But, heaven forbid you come in 6 minutes late. That's the real crime.

Stupid company policies really piss me off. I'm an adult. I'm not coming in and whacking it in the bra department. Just leave me alone and let me do my job!

Friday, February 27, 2009

What I Think Makes A Good Podcast

This morning I started thinking about what I think makes a good podcast. I figured it wouldn't hurt to type it up and get some opinions, so here we go.

Personally, I don't listen to podcasts too much for gaming news. I think it's good that shows use a news story as a jumping off point for a topic, but for the most part, I think podcasts should try to be more informative and thought provoking than just straight news.

I've unsubscribed to a bunch of gaming podcasts over the years because I got tired of the same news on every show. I have a RSS reader. I can get the latest news. Put your spin on it or use it to talk about a broader topic.

If you're going to hone in on a specific game, make sure you say what you like and dislike about it, but give good examples. For instance, don't just say it sucked. Say why. It gets kind of old when people just constantly say the latest game sucks. It's ok to like a game that everyone else likes. It's also ok to like a game that everyone else hates.

My favorite shows are ones that are funny, witty, and generally have less focus. They talk topics, but they don't let the topic run the conversation. If they start off talking about Halo Wars they might take a left turn somewhere funny and end up back at Halo Wars at some point. More like a real conversation.

As far as length goes, I would say 60 to 90 minutes tops. When you start encroaching on the two hour mark and beyond, I begin to start losing interest. Partly because it's not easy to find 2+ consecutive hours to listen to something, and also because I'm trying to fit in some other shows into my day.

I listen at work most of the time, and there are a lot of interruptions. A lot of starting and stopping. A two hour show could stretch into three or four by the time I've had to stop it and start it again. I know it's fun to sit there and bullshit on the mic, but put a limit on it and when that time comes, wrap it up.

So, in short, keep it to an hour, keep it entertaining, and keep it real.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

It's Official!

We are having a boy! The sonogram at the doctor showed a little tallywhacker!

At first, the sonogram tech actually said he was probably a girl because the umbilical cord was in the way. Then, Rhea saw the horrified look on my face and laughed, which apparently moved the cord and revealed the little wang in all its glory!

I don't have the pictures scanned yet because Rhea wanted to take them to work. How selfish! I'll throw them up on Facebook tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Newlyweds

My sister got married this past Sunday. I was the photographer, as you can see in the picture below. It was a good time. Everything went off without a hitch. They're currently driving to Las Vegas on their honeymoon.

Wedding Photography

I say everything went off without a hitch. There were a couple hiccups a long the way. First, I was juggling (not literally) 3 different digital cameras. One was mine, one was my mom's, and one was Alana's. Well, I dropped Alana's camera and the lens part got tweaked and now it won't even come on. Sucks. Before that, my camera's battery died, so I was losing soldiers left and right.

I think I got some pretty good shots, though. I haven't had time to dig through all the SD cards, but when I do I might post the best one or two.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Quad Camera App

Quad shot 6
I won this application from 148apps on Twitter. It's a pretty slick little app. I like how the settings let you set different time intervals, contrasts, and picture layouts. All in all I recommend it. Especially if you win it for free!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Rent Houses And Adam Carolla Podcasting

I need to post more here, but damn if I haven't had much to say. I hate that, too. I'm not usually at a loss for words in real life (my wife can attest to that), but when it comes to typing it up, most of it gets lost.

Anyway, the hunt is still on for a rent house. We've got some leads. It really feels like I'm trying to track down a really rare action figure or comic book.

Calling people up and being like, "Do you have it in stock? Oh, somebody just bought it. Ok. No, please tell me more about how awesome it is. Thanks."

Or the other scenario, which goes like, "Do you have it in stock? Can you hold it till the end of March? Oh, you can't. Well, I would like to know that I'll have something before the last week in March. Thanks for nothing."

I heard yesterday that The Adam Carolla show is going off the air as of today. It really sucks, but I think it'll be good in the long run. He's planning on starting up a podcast. This really shows that radio is dying. Live 105.3 here in Dallas/Fort Worth switched from talk to sports. Some other station is syndicating Ryan Seacrest. Ugh. The world is slowly moving towards podcasting. It's growing and more people are getting into it every day.

Kind of like Twitter. Basically everything I'm into, people flock to in droves. :-)

Monday, February 16, 2009

Rental Hell

As I've said before, looking for a place to rent sucks donkey wang. We looked at a place on Saturday that wouldn't be fit for two hobos and a wedge of cheese, much less normal folk like us. I'm utterly amazed at what people think are acceptable living conditions.

Anyway, here's a funny video.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Uncanny!

First things first. Looking for a rent house is hard!

Second, Alana and I recorded the pilot episode of what will probably become our new podcast, The Uncanny Gamers.

I think it turned out really well. Really funny, but more focused than we usually are. I think it's a good representation of what we can do and hopefully will do going forward.

If you are reading this and you want to check it out, click here. I would love some honest feedback on it.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Cock Puncher!

This is awesome!


Update: Found it on YouTube.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

MOAR SONOGRAMS!

We went to the doctor again yesterday morning for a check up and another sonogram. The little butt still won't show us his wang, so we're not sure if it's a boy or girl yet. Hopefully in a few weeks when we go back we will find out.

Until then, I'm still stocking up on lots of manly baby stuff like hunting knives, hand grenades, and hardcore porn.

If you're my friend on Facebook you can see all the pictures. Otherwise, you can just be sad.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Gears of War 2 Screenshots

I do love any game that let's me take screenshots in game.

Secret Tweet

I heard about SecretTweet.com the other day and I have to say, it's the most fascinating application of Twitter I've seen so far. Just reading the approved tweets can be a jaw-dropping experience, but then you switch over to the unabridged ones and it's even more incredible. Some of the things people say just make you realize that people have some deep dark secrets lurking inside them. Some that couldn't see the light of day without a service like this.

I'm totally addicted.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Gears of War 2: Really?!

I've been blasting my way though the Gears of War 2 campaign since I gave up on Dead Space. Gameplay wise, it's a great game. Really scratches that need to shoot stuff until it dies. Unfortunately, all the reports of the dialog and story being really cheesy are true. There are more groan inducing lines of dialog than in a season of Smallville and One Tree Hill combined.

At one point, the guy that drives that big rig named Bettie says something like "Let's light up Bettie's titties." Really?

Spoiler alert, by the way.

So, yesterday I get to the part where the giant worm eats the King Raven helicopter I'm in. And I'm inside the damn worm. This is by far the stupidest level of a game I've ever played. It's stupid because we're supposed to believe that somehow these guys survived. Not only that, but they can actually find the heart and kill the worm.

I think it's Dom that actually states "This looks like the sternum." Really?! How the fuck do you possibly know that?!

I'm glad to be passed this part, honestly. I knew it was coming because I've listened to enough podcasts and I don't generally avoid spoilers. I also knew it was going to be bad, but I had no idea.

I did get lulz when Carmine died, tho.

After all that, Alana and Kenneth helped me finish off Horde mode. Good times...

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Icepocalypse 2009!

The great ice storm came in last night bringing with it a sheet of...well...ice. Of course, being in Texas, everyone collectively shit themselves in sheer terror because maybe, just maybe, the roads will be slick.

Me, I decided to work from home today because I didn't want to chance being hit by another crazy Texan that is either super dedicated to their job or just can't afford to have a day off work. Either way, it's been nice being home.

That being said, today hasn't been completely without incident. We sold the Wii on eBay this weekend, and I boxed it up last night. When it was time for Rhea to go to work (the mail runs through rain, sleet, ice, etc) I carried the big box outside for her. I was almost to her car when my legs were suddenly out from under me and I was face first on pavement. Awesome! Luckily nothing was broken (except my pride ::sniff::). The box was ok, too.

Here's a picture of what it was like this morning around 6:30 am.

Icy conditions

I felt like Owen Wilson in Armageddon. "So, pretty much the scarriest environment imaginable."

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Dirt Room Video

The new Blue October video debuted today and it's fucking sweet!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Weekend Update

Apparently this is becoming a habit, making these posts on Monday about the busy weekend. I would like to post more during the week, but sometimes I just don't have the time. Hey, I know you want more of the Ace, but patience is a freakin' virtue, you heathens!

Anyway, we watched Eagle Eye and Max Payne this weekend. I give Eagle Eye two thumbs up because it was a damn good flick. I give Max Payne a meh. The story wasn't what you would call interesting and there wasn't enough action for my taste. I did, however, discover the guy that should play Kratos if they ever make a God of War movie. Yes, I take full credit for this discovery. Let it be known that if this ever happens, it's because of me.

I was over at the in-laws yesterday with Rhea. Her sister had some news to lay on the family. We already knew, but they didn't. Anyway, she's pregnant, too! According to Rhea, she's stealing her thunder. I would have to agree that thunder is indeed being stolen.

Between Baylee being pregnant and now Amanda, we're looking at a full scale baby invasion. They're coming to take over, make no mistake. We will be replaced. (Yea, I stole that from Seinfeld.)

And finally, we're holding a little contest over at ACFriends. Go read about it and enter if you like. And while I'm on the subject, I'm also kicking around the idea of a show re-boot. It would include a name change and maybe a new feed. I want to do a "pilot" episode next time Alana and I get together, just to test the waters.

I've had the idea of broadening the scope of the show for a while now, but I've always resisted because of all the history. And because we have a website with the show's name it it. But seriously, we've been doing this for almost three years now. It's been a blast, but I think the name has really held us back from getting more listeners and being a bigger show.

Of course, the biggest problem we face with starting a new show is finding a name.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Me or the Dog

Why aren't my dogs this good? I love The Soup.

Monday, January 19, 2009

A Weekend of Stuff

It was a nice weekend off for us. Well, I say us. Rhea had to work on Saturday, of course, but she's off today thanks to MLK. That's not really fair and I'm very upset about it. lol!

We watched Righteous Kill and The House Bunny this weekend. House Bunny was pretty funny. I liked it. Righteous Kill was decent if you don't mind watching Al Pacino's face age right before your eyes.

I took the girls over to my parent's house and wore their asses out yesterday. It's always funny when we get home because they just pass out. You wouldn't even know we had dogs except for Buffy's snoring.

I submitted a stupid song to the GameHounds podcast. It's kinda gay but funny. Not like me at all.

I also had a thought this weekend. How about a mod in Gears of War 2's horde mode called Whore Mode. Basically, it's never ending waves of coked up hookers coming at you with their handbags and pepper spray. Cliffy, are you taking notes?

Friday, January 16, 2009

Why, Spidey? Why?!

I'm not even really sure what to say about this. You can't blame Marvel for cashing in. And besides that, Spidey has been in some pretty questionable shit over the years (the Clone Saga springs to mind, and that was canon).

I guess I'm just surprised to see that this type of comic book is still being cranked out in 2009. I mean, I've seen a comic where Spider-Man fought gingivitis for shit's sake. That was years ago and I was appalled back then, too.

I just wonder if McCain would be on this cover if he had won, or if this book would even exist.

It would be awesome if Spidey could have been in a book with Palin. He could have swung in and webbed her mouth shut then taught her daughter how to use a condom.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

What's Up?

Right now I've got a few balls in the air, so to speak. Today is my day to be a DJ for Bikini Beat. I chose the chicks, they post the pics. I think it's a win/win. Unless you're a gay dude, then it might not be your cup of tea.

I'm also selling my Wii on Craigslist right now. Put it out there on Sunday. I haven't gotten any inquiries yet, but hopefully soon. $600 might be a bit high. If I don't get any responses, I'll lower the price and stick it on eBay.

And I'm keeping my resolution to post more stuff on Platform Nation. I just have to remember that even though a piece of news isn't a big deal to me, it's probably a big deal to somebody. Plus, Steve has a pretty sweet deal for us writers, so it's been a good incentive.

I'm still working my way through Dead Space, too. I'm bound and determined to finish this game because of all the great things I've heard about the story. Plus, I really enjoy it when I'm not stuck. It sucks because I guess there are things that are obvious to other people, but not to me. Every time I get stuck, I look up a walkthrough and realize I have to use stasis or kenesis on something. Of course, by then I've already become super frustrated.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Friday, January 09, 2009

Hellboy 2

We watched The Golden Army last night (on beautiful blu-ray). All in all it was a decent flick. I don't think it was as awesome as the first Hellboy, but it still had a few good moments.

The part that kind of killed any immersion I may have had was when (spoiler alert) the giant elemental was tearing up the place and Hellboy was running over parked cars WITH A BABY. Yes, he was swaddling a fucking baby while bounding over cars. Then, instead of put the baby down or pass it off to someone, he carries it up the side of a building WITH HIS TAIL. Then, in an even more ridiculous display, he tosses the baby skyward in order to load his weapon. Then, of course, he catches the baby and it's fine.

There are so many things wrong with this scenario I don't even know how it goes from the page to the screen. I understand that Hellboy isn't exactly grounded in reality, but there have to be some things that are consistent between the real world and the movie. Being able to treat a baby like a football doesn't work in real life. It can't work in Hellboy.

Even worse is when Hellboy hands the baby back to the mother and she (and the crowd) start yelling at him and calling him a monster because he seemingly attacked the baby. Now, I'm no genius here, but I'm assuming that if Hellboy wanted to hurt the baby he wouldn't have delivered it safely back to the mother.

It bugs me because this happens more often than not in movies. A superhero, beit Spider-Man or Hellboy or Batman, saves somebody, and the crowd immediatly turns on them. It's like the crowd is full of complete morons that can't process what just happened, so they just get mad at the hero. How does that work? And in the case of Hellboy, why does the mom get mad? She can see the baby is fine (even though he shouldn't be after what just happened).

By the way, what was the deal with that smoke guy? Kinda dumb.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Hot Coffee

I heard this story on the radio this morning. A guy wants to open up a topless coffee shop in Maine. So basically a Starbucks with tits. All I can say is, hell yes! I would so go get coffee at a place like this. Now, obviously, the girls would probably have some type of clear plastic apron on because we don't want any unfortunate accidents.

Wonder what cup sizes you order?

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Lesbian Vampire Killers

This is nine kinds of awesome!

Monday, January 05, 2009

Resolutions

I've got a few resolutions for this year. Nothing too earth shattering, but just some stuff I would like to work on.

  • No more drinking
  • Keep losing weight
  • Blog more
  • Post more news on Platform Nation
  • Procrastinate less

Friday, January 02, 2009

For The Horde!

Alana, Kenneth, and I played whor...I mean horde mode in Gears 2 last night. Made it to level 35 and called it a night. I really like being able to take pictures in the game, even though you have to die in order to do it. Then you're not even in the shots! But, it's not that big of a deal since you just look like one of the characters and don't have customizable armor like in Halo 3.

I still haven't figured out how Gears scores your pictures. My highest scoring pic is pretty crappy, but my lower scoring one (below) is more highly rated by people.