One Gamer's Thoughts

My observations, rants, and philosophies on life and gaming in general

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

State of the Union

Whilst viewing the State of the Union Address, I had many conflicting thoughts swirling through my head. My ignorance was not helped due to the abundance of information flying toward me, but I managed to keep a somewhat straight face while the President did what he did best....

I'll leave that part up to you. I felt as though many things were being re-iterated with more emphasis this time around. We get that Iraq is on their way to being a democratic nation. We get that terrorists are "evil" people. We get that we as Americans constantly strive for freedom. What I feel that Bush doesn't get, however, is that this war will never end if we keep up this optimistic "We're winning" attitude. When one looks at the situation realistically, one can see that people like Bin Laden will not simply cease and desist because big America asked nicely. Bin Laden is fighting on a purely religious level, and persuasion will not likely work. Bin Laden will be here to fight us for many years to come unfortunately, so just strap into your seatbelts. This war will be a very bumpy ride

However, not everything is bad. I liked the new plan as far as supporting research towards finding better fuel resources. Oil prices are constantly going up, and while they may decrease shortly, over a few more years the price will steadily rise again due to the lack of fossil fuels. Electric, hydrogen, hell even solar powered cars are probably the safest bet towards a cleaner and less oil dependant earth.

And I admire Bush's new plan to raise education standards, since we are the dumbest country on the planet. Math and Science improvement is always a good thing though.

Overall, I have a newfound respect for Bush, but its only a matter of time before he screws up again. On a final note, was anyone else suprised at the lack of new words that Bush created?

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Women...

Sometimes, I fear for the male population of the world. Women are crazy.

You know its true.

Although for all intents and purposes, women are an entertaining and fun bunch.

A couple of weeks ago (yeah, I haven't updated in a... oops) after a school evacuation due to a mercury spill (second time its happened at our school... in a row), I was "schooled" about the facts of life. Dating, nice guys(I'm a proud one, just for your info), what women look for, I got the works. Some of the info wasn't too new for me, but I feel I learned a lot from my female friends who schooled me, as well as learning more about their personality in general.

Then just yesterday, some new girl in my study hall just sat down and started talking to me and my friend while we were both playing chess (sounds nerdy, but my friend is far from being a nerd... not so much for myself). My friend definiteky had an ulterior motive, but I was just playing along as she asked question after question... and did she ask questions! I thought I was being interrogated after being found at the scene of some crime. "Are you going out with someone?", "Are you a virgin?", "Do you have any children?", "Do you want to go to college?"

Honestly, I felt a bit violated, but it was fun at the same time since I usually listen instead of speak. After all of these questions passed, I had to wonder if this is what it really took to get a significant other. I'm not entirely sure what I meant by that statement, since I already know the answer, but I'm just not getting something. I guess its just that teenage naivity.

In any case, I'm very excited for the coming weeks. My birthday is next week, and Valentines Day is the week after. Hopefully, I will have $100 to spend on women for V-Day. Why? Just because I can, and I figure its nice to instill hope into those women without a significant person in their life. Also, gift giving is just one way to express how I appreciate the women in my life, for positive or negative impact. That and I'm just generous in general. Does that make me crazy?

Thursday, January 19, 2006

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Text: 'Bin-Laden tape'

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Text: 'Bin-Laden tape'

For some reason, I feel a newfound respect of Bin Laden. Don't get me wrong: Bin Laden is a horrible, horrible person, but after reading said speech, its good to see that he isn't a complete maniac. Perhaps it just comes with age. I was in 7th grade when the Sept 11 attacks occured, and to this day I really don't understand the true and full significance of the event. The way Bin Laden speaks is very influential and seems calm, despite his obvious rage towards the US government. One person on a message board I frequent even said that his way of speaking almost made him seem like the good guy.

Nonetheless, this just has to stop. Unfortunately, violence is just a way of progression in this world, but this war has barely led to any kind of progression. We are fighting a losing battle in many ways. I'm all for supporting the troops, my best friends father is fighting in the war, and God forbid if anything did happen to him. Supporting the troops to me also means insuring their safety and the only way to do that is to pull out immediately. Even Bin Laden opted for a truce situation, but I guess Bush's pride isn't gonna let that happen.

Enough is enough. Let this end...

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Tears

She's crying. Her face is flush, her makeup now a disaster, and she can't stop. I walk over and try to find out what is the matter, but to no avail. She's crying...

Am I the only one who just stops in utter fear when I see a woman crying? Its almost unbearable to me. That person who was always bubbling over with personality, always laughing and smiling and then bam,. Its just a depressing situation.

It breaks my heart to see a woman in such a distress...

Please, don't cry...

Monday, January 16, 2006

Peace?

My older sister had left, its been raining all day, I've been sitting on my ass for 7 hours.

Perfect. Peaceful. Relaxing.

I haven't done a damn thing this 3 day weekend, yet, I have 3 papers I have to write. Procrastination is such an evil process. A continuing cycle, if you will. Sure, perhaps the job gets done, but after much procrastination, it just gets pushed back farther and farther and farther....

Then you realize that your life has been reduced to nothing but staring at the TV with a pack of cheetos by your side as you struggle to reach the remote on the other side of the couch.

Pathetic. Yet, if this vicious cycle of procrastination continues, I fear that is how I will end up...

Sunday, January 15, 2006

The Ladder Theory

The Ladder Theory

Ahhh, never have true words been spoken in such a well thought (even though satirical) article/theory. This thing basically describes my love life in a nutshell.

Basically, the theory states that love is based on a priority scale, represented by a ladder. In the male ladder, the higher up a woman on a ladder, the more said male wants to sleep with the woman. Although, I myself would rather change the wording (hell, I haven't even had a g/f yet, why would I be in such a rush for sex?), I feel its dead on.

Women, however, have 2 ladders: The ladder mentioned above, and the friends ladder. So very, very true. Beneath the ladder is an abyss, which represents how the relationship dissolves due to no more attachment. A friend may jump off of the friends ladder to the regular ladder, but if rejected, the former friend will fall into the abyss.

A funny and rather true article. Makes you wonder how high up on either ladder you're on with friends of the opposite sex.

Friday, January 13, 2006

When will it end?


What first started as a joke became a serious matter to me a few days ago. My white friend mad a what seemed like a racist remark. Had we not been the best of friends, I'm pretty sure she would have gotten punched at that moment.

Racism gets you nowhere. In the end, if you are classified as a human being, there are no differences between us. Racism is a very cheap way to claim superiority. People like Dr. King died to end this cruel practice, and its a shame that it's still around. To make a long story short

Racism is bad, M'kay.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Scum of the internet.

eBaum's World - Home - Latest news and updates here. - Funny movies, flash cartoons, funny pictures, jokes, prank phone calls and more.

If you're reading this, more than likely you have either seen or heard of ebaumsworld.com. What you may not know, however, is that eBaum, or Eric Bauman is a lying, stealing piece of crap. From movies, to news articles, to games, if its popular, Eric steals it and posts it on ebaumsworld.com. No permission or anything, he just steals it. We have all done our share of stealing in the past, but not only does Bauman steal, he gets rich off of other people's work. That is just unacceptable

Ebaumsworld.com was recently under attack by several websites and message board systems and Bauman thinks he can pass himself off as the good guy. Bauman mentions that the website was involved in a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, excessive spamming of their chatrooms and forums, and hacking into administrative accounts. Let it be known that he did steal the content in question, plus, he done some of the very same things to other websites, which is illegal! Despite the fact that e-nnoyance is now illegal, Eric Bauman deserved every bit of these "attacks".

Do not believe a word this this "man" says, ebaumsworld sucks and is the scum of the internet. Please spread the word and hopefully we can get this bastard's website shut down and Eric Bauman in jail.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

What a day...

As one who has not been a relationship before, hearing close friends say "I love you" to me still confuses me like hell. Sometimes, it can be so damn hard to figure out what they are really trying to say. Many times, it can be obvious when they are playing. This usually comes into effect when he/she has done something wrong, but the utterance of those 3 magical words acts as an apology and everything is better (most of the time!). However, there are those times that when they say it, it almost sounds so certain, almost like they wanted it to put it out there in a not so subtle way. These meanings can be interpreted as "Yes, I care for you", or.. simply, "I love you"!

So, after going through one of these situations myself yet again, I am confused. I, however, know that I indeed love her.

Does she truly love me?

Monday, January 09, 2006

Hideo Kojima


KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS - HIDEOBLOG English


Gamer or not, one cannot deny the influence that Hideo Kojima has had on this generation. Did you just see that comercial of the new James Bond game? Hideo Kojima. Splinter Cell? Hideo Kojima. Although Kojima-san did not produce or direct either game, it is because of his influence that these game exist.

With the release of Metal Gear Solid foe the PS1 in 1998, the way games were made were changed forever. This pivitol release resulted in greater emphasis in storytelling, graphics, sound and basic overall production values. Metal Gear Solid featured a Hollywood style cast, featuring David Hayter as the lead role: Solid Snake. No more would gamers have to suffer through horrible voice acting in video games (although it still happens, though these games hardly garner the same amount of attention as bigger releases), as Hayter superbly voiced a character who is now a video game icon. More importantly: The game was fun. Metal Gear Solid set a new standard for the Action/Stealth genre and it continues to set the new standard with its new releases.

However, after the iminent release of Metal Gear Solid 4, Kojima will no longer be at the reins of the legendary franchise. Some fans would see this as a dissapointment, but I embrace this change, for it will only give this legendary developer a chance to broaden his horizons and undoubtedly become an even better game designer.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Official Web Site of Richard Pryor, Comedy Legend

Indeed a comedic legend. When I first knew of his death, all I could say is that we have lost another man of our time. Just another man of our time.

What an understatement

Being 16 years young, I was not even around to see any Richard Pryor performances in my life until just recently. Pryor is a comedic genius in every sense of the word. He has pioneered stand up comedy to levels no one would have ever thought of. One of the first to acknowledge his flaws and make fun of them. He tried to make it a point that he was indeed nowhere near perfect and it always showed. An average comedian would be safe and keep the standard type of jokes (I love NY city!, Ever notice..., add nauseum), but not Pryor. Never content with just being the best, he tried to top himself countless times. He is without a doubt the best comedian of his time.

So if you haven't shed a tear for the dearly departed Richard Pryor, please do so now. He may be gone, but not forgotten and his legend will live on for all time.

Richard Pryor
1940-2005

Saturday, January 07, 2006

So I got "tagged". Go me. I have to answer some questions now.

Four jobs I've had:

Tch, despite my willing to get a job, I've never had a job that payed money before! Gasp! But for the sake of this message, I'll put minor jobs that I've had by the ultimate employers: My parents

1) Garbage Taker-outer
Involved... taking out the trash. Very messy stuff, and the pay was horrible (because I'm still not getting payed to this day!)

2) Lawn management
Includes all, but not limited to: Mowing the lawn/backyard, sweeping and raking leaves, and keeping the yard clean(as in keeping trash off the lawn). Eventually, I expect to have to take the reins of the "weed wacker" as I call it (ya know those things that you hold with one arm and you give an extra trimming to grass and stuff... yeah), but hopefully that won't be for a long time

3) Babysitting
Ugh, definitely the worst job. I swear, some of my cousins must be the spawn of Satan himself!!

4) Resident Gamer
Ok, so my parents didn't give me this job. But I am expected to know about newfangled technology and stuff. Otherwise, I am a walking encyclopedia of Video game history. If it was a major video game, I could tell you what year it came out on, the developer/publisher/director, and the impact it had on the gaming industry. Try me.

Four movies you'd watch over and over again

1) Peter Jackson's King Kong
Being at the tender age of 16, I'm nowhere near old enough to even think about watching the original (although, its on my to-do list now), but Peter Jackson's vision definitely hit the mark. My definition of classic. Great story telling (although it starts off slow), superb action sequences, and scenes that tug on those heart strings. A movie no one should miss out on

2) Forrest Gump
I first watched this movie when I was 6 or so, and only 10+ years later do I actually get the refrences the movie was making! Allusions to the KKK, Rosa Parks, JFK, Watergate and even AIDS! I never get tired of this movie!

3) Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Some of you might have that wtf look on your face, but I just love this movie. This is the only place (to my knowledge) to see Disney and Warner Bros. characters coexisting in peace! And its so funny! After watching it recently for the first time in years, not only did that nostalgic come creeping up on me, but I noticed that the movie had so many adult refrences and situations (the "Patty Cake" refrence blew my mind!), its a wonder it got a PG rating!

4) Lion King
Classic. Just a classic. Superb animation, a touching story and memorable songs. I love it

Four places I have lived

1) Los Angeles, California
The place of my birth. Its such a unique city

2-4) Various places just outside of Houston
Since I was 4 I've been living in Houston, for better or worse

Four TV shows I watch

1)House (this has to be one of the best risks Fox has ever taken, and they have taken plenty)
2)Everybody Hates Chris
3)Attack of the Show
4)Various cartoons/anime (it comes with the nerd territory lol)

Four websites I visit daily
1) IGN Boards
Not exactly its own website, but I love the community and I post there very often
2) Gamespot
Where I go to see current gaming news and reviews
3)Gmail
Again, not an actual website, but damn is it the best email dealy ever! If you want an invite don't hesitate to ask. I have 100 of them
4) I don't really have a 4th XD

Four of my favorite foods
1)Hamburgers
2)Pizza (just got done eating some)
3)Fried chicken
4)Ramen Noodles (can't live without 'em)
One would think that I would be as big as a house with these favs, but I'm quite the opposite, besides a somewhat flabby belly.

Four places I would rather be right now
Well, its Saturday and being a teenager just isn't right without having homework, so I'd rather just stay home today and finish homework up (pft, yeah, right)

Four blogs I am tagging.
Uhh... any blogger that passes by is encouraged :)

Friday, January 06, 2006

So there's this girl I know and we are really close. We have known each other for 2 years when I suddenly realizing that yes, I was starting to fall for her. The curse of male and female friendships. The idea, however, was quickly shot out of my head without a second thought. My thoughts raced with urgency at the moment thinking, "Dude! She's your best friend! You can not let this happen" I took my own advice and moved on. Time passes and the feeling springs up again. A feeling of almost dire magnitude. Something had to be done. With a bit of brainstorming, I figured out the perfect way to finally eradicate the unshakable feeling: Simply tell her how I felt. After about 2 hours, my master plan had been completed.... in card form. Inside contained a poem(the first poem that didn't totally suck) and it was decorated Christmas style (since it was... ya know... Christmas) and gave it to her. Her response: "I already knew"

*Sniffs* Ahh... these words have a distinct smell to them, quite familiar as well. Her words smelled of that magical thing known as Rejection. I almost felt relieved, actually. To think, if we actually hooked up the possibility of a bad break-up would have been too much for me. Not only would I have lost my best friend, but all of my other good female friends as well, not to mention the dreaded awkwardness. Fortunately, its almost as if it never happened. We talk like normal and stuff and maybe we are better friends from the experience. However, I feel as if rather than addressing the matter, she completely pushed it aside. Are all women like this? The reality of it is that it did happen and maybe one day, the issue will not be so easy to put to the side.

Well, despite the last paragraph being almost an attack, I want to dedicate this post to said girl. She knows who she is, hell, she is probably reading this right now. Well, this is for you babe, the only woman I have ever truly loved.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Are Men More Shallow Than Women?

Well, I figured as one of my first blog posts, I would go on a rant on how women are so shallow. When I stated this opinion as fact to my female friends, I was met with evil stares with eyes that pierced my very soul itself. My twisted logic came to this conclusion after personally being turned down twice in my teenage life, verbally told several times that I am indeed ugly, and have frequently heard sounds of disgust and laughter when women voiced their opinion of me. Besides the seering pain in my heart, it didn't take me long to think to myself, "Self, these women sure are shallow. They are only looking at your face, but not your sweet nature, generosity, or that marvelous sense of mercy that you bestow upon them by not bringing out the 39 and capping all of their asses!"

Women aren't shallow!! Women, apparently aren't as shallow as I thought, but men are much more shallow than women. Women, according to this article, look for what they can get and change the things that could be better. Men on the other hand, apparently just want some T&A.

However, after reading said article, my opinion swayed a tad. Teenage women are shallow!! Of course! It's all coming together...

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

So I figured I would start a blog here. Yay. I hope I'll enjoy my stay