All work and no play...

I'd like to claim I was too busy to write, hence the reason it's been so long since the last update. That'd totally be a lie, though. The truth is, when you're utterly and completely bored out of your skull, it's hard to be motivated to do anything. My inactivity and boredom may have actually had me seem more like a slow growing moss than a human lately.

Apparently I haven't been without options though. Long story short, cell reception is horrible in my hometown, so I just leave my phone off when I'm at home. It doesn't matter either way. I checked my voicemail yesterday and apparently I had invites to hang out with people over the past few weeks. Just another case of Stokes county being a detriment to my social life. Nothing that I'm not used to, though. It's funny because I probably hate school more than anyone I know, but I'm looking forward to it starting just because it's not boring.

Um, quick ADD note: Comics are cool. Green Lantern is awesome. Most people, sadly, don't give them a fair shake. Whatever. Transformers 2, Yes Man, and Observe & Report are not cool, however. Rescue Dawn and Amistad are. I should be watching Apocalypse Now! tomorrow or so, nothing else to do. Kinda excited about it. Also uncool: Anything Souljah Boy. I was hoping he'd be a one hit wonder, leaving a stupid dance as his legacy...but no, apparently people are dumb enough to keep enjoying his "music." Vomit. Just...vomit.

The above "vomit" was inspired by this moron at the Dash [another vomit moment. I miss the Warthogs] game who used "Get My Swag On" or whatever as his batting theme. He went 0-4. How's this for a theme? "Gonna make an out.....turn my swag off" Joke hitter. Game was full of jokes, though. First pitch got tattooed by a guy with only 2 other homers on the season. Officially 3 errors were recognized, but the scorer was gracious. I saw at least 5. The best moment was when the RP hung an easy pitch for their big slugger with two outs. Watching a ball soar over 400 feet into the night sky is pretty awesome. Dash are a joke team, with a joke name and no stadium. Winston-Salem really screwed up on this one. I thought about calling them the Hyphens, to be correct...but due to their purple socks, and their poor play, I dubbed them the PuSox.

I think this is the first entry I've done that's as random as my thoughts usually are. I'm all over the place. Oh well, I'm gonna wrap it up and watch a movie or something. No way am I watching Apocalypse Now! tonight, though...but yeah, this week's been weird. Had a friend make plans and break them a day later...went to the ballgame with my dad for the first time in years. It really is cool to have parents like I do, though. Just when I think they're old or out of touch, my dad belted out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" like a barber shop singer, with elaborate hand gestures. While I used to grimace at this, I find it hilarious now. He doesn't sound bad to be honest [I mean, his dad WAS a singer in a babershop quarter, I think...] and it's just like something out of the days when Rogers Hornsby and Stan Musial were playing. The best part was how a little kid in front of us, maybe 7 or 8 years old, just kept staring. Haha. It was really a classic moment that I'm finally old enough to appreciate. However, he also thought a ball went through the wall after I watched it sail 2 feet over...so much for not getting old!

So yeah, movie...gonna get on that. I'm house sitting for my aunt Ginger and uncle John while they're at my cousin Amy's wedding. [I couldn't make it...to be fair, it wasn't a cheap trip...] So my brother and I are housesitting and watching four dogs. They've kinda split up and two are buddying around with him, the other two are following me everywhere. Jaime, if you read this, your two are easily the least trouble and totally follow me EVERYWHERE, haha. Abby's practically glued to my ankle. If I get up to use the bathroom or get some water, she comes looking for me. Oh, and another perk of house sitting? Big...BIG TV set. I've watched like 3 movies on it so far. Now I know what size I want for my dorm.

Okay, for real this time, I'm out. Amidst touchy friends and getting plans canned...it's been a decent week, less boring than usual. Maybe I'll actually update this more often...

Wednesday Reviews July 1, 2009

Oops...one week and I'm posting late. Well, this weeks review is the reason WHY it's late, as well as the reason I haven't posted in a week. Video games can be so addicting.

Grand Theft Auto IV

To be completely honest, the only sandbox games I’d completed before this year involved Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk. Despite playing each GTA installment between 3 and San Andreas, the small time crook storyline never held my attention. Well, that’s before I met a man named Niko Bellic. What followed were several days dedicated to finishing the game, always eager to see what awaited me around each corner.

Story: You are Niko Bellic, an eastern European immigrant who comes to America to live with his cousin Roman, as well as tie up some loose ends from the “old country,” which never gets its true location revealed. Along the way, you’ll meet many colorful characters; from the shark-testosterone shooting Brucie to the quick talking rasta named Little Jacob. One thing leads to another before Niko finds himself thrust into the Pegorino mob business, at odd with the feuding McCreary brothers, and always hunting for a past that has turned him into the killer he is today. Yes, okay, it sounds like common Grand Theft Auto fair. This, I’m not denying. However, the voice acting, the character movements, and the writing is superb and therefore, comes off as less cheesy and animated as its previous installments. The story writing for this game is amazing, and was honestly what held my interest for so long.

Story Rating: 9/10

Gameplay: Standard sandbox fare, with nothing truly innovated. That said, the old controls have been polished and they shine well in this title. Most people had trouble with the mundane task of driving, as did I when I first began. However, I felt that as I played more, the driving was more realistic and natural to me. The cover system was hit or miss, sometimes sticking me against the wrong wall and forcing me to get shot, repeatedly, as I attempted to correct the error. A lot of missions were failed due to this, but it’s not a huge deal. The AI was sometimes dumb, with my partners being “lost” despite being 10 feet away and looking right at me. These minor flaws prevent the 10/10 score, but that’s not to say that most of the game worked easily and wonderfully.

Gameplay Rating: 8/10

Graphics: Wow. That’s what escaped from my mouth as I soared over Liberty City’s version of Time’s Square, towards the Brooklyn Bridge. I visited New York City when I was less than two years old and have never had the chance to go back. Naturally, I don’t remember any of the trip. However, if New York and Liberty City are as close as everyone says they are, I think a return visit may be in order. The graphics aren’t Gears of War-level detailed, knock-your-socks off. However, to be this close to a premiere game despite being a massive open world sandbox, it’s an amazing feat. The city itself lives around you, with people running for umbrellas, or even newspapers, to cover their heads when it rains. It feels like this city is really moving on its own, unlike previous sandboxes where civilians were stoic and acted as if nothing in the world could affect them except for you. The character models are good enough, displaying emotion and looking respectable. I can’t bring myself to dock this game any points here, though…because of how awe inspiring the view from above truly was.

Graphics Rating: 10/10

Sound: As I mentioned earlier, the voice acting is superb. From Niko right down to the annoying brat at Burger Shot greeting me with “Welcome to Burger Shot motha****er.” I simply can’t stress enough how great the voice work in this game is. I was even impressed when, on a random visit to the comedy club, Katt Williams made a cameo. Also noteworthy are the radio stations, which play excellent music once more. A nice thing that I noticed was that during newsbreaks, I’d often find that events I’d just completed were being broadcast on the news as anchors discussed the rising crime in Liberty City. Oops, sorry citizens, haha.

Sound Rating: 10/10

Replay ability: I hate rating this for this game because, as with most sandboxes, you can keep playing after the story ends, but it gets really boring, really fast. I mean, there are plenty of side missions and achievements to strive for. 100% completion would take a long, long time. However, when all side quests are done and you have no single player achievements to strive for, it falls flat. Online modes aren’t too bad, with deathmatch, racing, and Mafia Wars modes providing entertainment. However, my friends are too impatient to play a full Mafia Wars mode with me, despite it being my favorite MP mode. In it, you’re given a set time and during it, you and your friends compete to see who can accomplish the given task first. One of the tasks I ran across involved stealing a car. My friend got to it first, but another friend and I ganged up and killed him before he got the chance to collect. It’s a fun mode, if you can find the people to do it with.

Replay ability Rating: 7/10

Final Thoughts:

Amazing game. That’s all I can really say. The complaints against the driving were valid, but like I said, you get used to it and adjust accordingly. Also, I’ve heard complaints about your friends calling you to hang out. But really, that only adds to the realism. I’ve got annoying friends that I avoid in real life, but as I ignored Brucie’s calls in GTA IV. If you’re looking for a long, enjoyable experience of loyalty, destruction, robbery, and breathtaking scenery, then GTA IV is a game you should most definitely look into. Be cautious, if you completely hate sandboxes, this isn’t a revolutionary game that will change that. However, if you’re willing to keep an open and interested mind, GTA IV might just surprise you, as it did me. That said, I’m going to go look into the downloadable content, because I don’t want my GTA experience to be over just yet, seen?

Side note: RIP Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays. Sad week for celebrities. Michael's hit me hardest, because Thriller is an amazing song.

Wednesday Review: June 24, 2009

Okay, so...I figure it'll be a good habit to break up the monotony of weeks with a review every Wednesday about...whatever. Some weeks will be TV shows, some weeks movies...we'll see how long it sticks before it's forgotten...but today's review is.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog!

This 45 minute musical is the product of Joss Whedon during the writer's strike, bringing the creation to life via the Internet during the television downtime. It stars Neil Patrick Harris, who's generally amazing in everything he does, as Dr. Horrible, a would-be supervillain blogging his adventures as he aspires to be in the Evil League of Evil, run by the notorious Bad Horse [who's got one hell of a whinney, apparently]. Dr. Horrible's costars include an extremely sweaty flunky, apptly named Moist, a socially driven love interest named Penny [played by Felicia Day of "The Guild" fame, a webseries that I highly recommend for gamers out there], as well as Dr. Horrible's nemsis, the hero Captain Hammer, Corporate Tool [played by Nathan Fillon of Firefly]! Things begin to heat up as Dr. Horrible inadvertantly sets Penny up on a date with the very man he hates, Captain Hammer. I'll stop there and let you find out the rest for yourself.

First off, I was surprised that I enjoyed this so much, because I'm generally not a fan of musicals. Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillon, however, show off their pipes in this. Felicia Day's not too bad herself, but nobody would have been able to stand up to Fillon belting "A Man's Gotta Do" while surfing on a car or Harris's sudden realization at the end of act 2, which he plays off wonderfully. I also want to mention that I loved the Bad Horse chorus and their messages to the Doctor. Despite this being absolutely free on Hulu [easily found by googling Dr. Horrible], I plan to actually pay money for the DVD. It's that good. If you're a fan of musical, superheroes, or simply having fun...google this and do yourself a favor. Amazing way to spend 45 minutes of your life.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation I

The first month of summer really seemed to float by without anything important happening. I got lost in Rapture, took down Wesker, and managed to move into a penthouse with my cousin Roman before I got bored and took on some T-600s for about 4 hours before the storyline was complete. The definite highlight, however, was when my two person squad of myself and Doug hoarded the entire horde. If you can't tell by now, I played a variety of video games...mostly quality, but Terminator Salvation managed to sneak its way in there. And yes, two people beating horde mode in Gears of War 2 was a tad insane, but insanely fun. Anyways, on June 16th my parents took off for Michigan as my brother and I stayed behind, having the house to ourselves. So here we are, two college kids of 19 and 21 with a house to ourselves. The week ahead would surely be spent with raging parties and massive alcohol binges.

...okay, if you believed that, you don't know us very well, haha. We really spent most of the time watching movies and playing video games...with moments of regular boredom and slow pacing in between. We haven't even had friends over to play Call of Duty. We're being self sufficient and responsible in the absence of parents. However, if that were the entirety of this post, I'd kinda be failing as far as entertaining my audience goes. So, here's an anecdote from the first week without parents.

Awaiting the arrival of my next GameFly goodness in the mail, I found out that an ethernet cable that my dad had ordered for a friend arrived. With nothing better to do on a Sunday night, my brother and I decided to drive over and deliver the cable, as well as hang out for a little while. This probably would've been a better idea before 11:00 pm, but we're both valedictorians, and common sense tends to elude us in these moments. As we pulled into the driveway, I could tell the night was just beginning as I saw the materials for the classic Works/foil/pop bottle experiment laying around. Our friend's little brother was up to his usual jackassery and trying to blow mailboxes off their posts with the poor man's hand grenades that they were fashioning. This provided us with an hour or so of entertainment, as four college kids sat around and tried (and failed miserably) and discouraging the kid's behavior...but really, when you've got people exploding soda bottles, how can you keep a straight face?

Anyways, I'm dragging. We went inside and watched some of The Dark Knight, while helping format a paper in APA style. For the record, I'm a big advocate of abolishing APA, MLAA, etc. and saying "Cover sheer, paper, source" should be the only requirements. These formats are a tad ridiculous. Anyways, around 1 am we decided we were hungry. Almost out of second nature, we piled into the car and drove the 30 minutes to the nearest Waffle House. After confusing the first-night waiter with our order, we enjoyed the food...and the same song on a loop due to the younger brother putting a dollar into the juke box and pressing the same song over and over. That's when I realized: My brother, my friends, and I tend to eat at the oddest of times. Once a week, I'd wager that we find ourselves at a restaurant between 12 am and 6 am. Something about late night meals just hits the perfect spot for a sound night's sleep, and often provide amusing tales. [for example, I saw a girl that was smoking hot...until I saw her face and wondered why Bruce Campbell's face would be on a slender, female body. I love Bruce, but jeebus, that was creepy] That's kinda where this idea comes from...the Waffle House diaries...a place where I can tell the antics of my friends and I, as well as ranting about random crap or providing links to things that interest me at the moment. This may be a somewhat boring place to start, but I feel as if it's a fitting one. Until next time, stay classy, readers...and thanks for stopping by. [Yeah, I went there]

Actually, I'm not done. I want to thank my late grandmother, Rachel/Penny (nobody knows where the nickname comes from, so just go with it), for passing on the late night hunger genes to us. She graced the University Parkway Waffle House with her presence on many, many nights, spreading the love of the restaurant onto my younger brother shortly before she passed. I can only hope that someday, I'll be the 70 year old hanging out with friends until 2 am, eating breakfast foods and talking about nothing important. Thanks, grandma.