I’m thankful for… Mirror’s Edge. Here is an awesome fast-paced graphically awesome addition to the PS3 arsenal. EA put together a great engine with superior graphics and great gameplay feel. As you’re running the edges of your vision blur and if you have vertigo I don’t recommend looking down; you play it in a first person view. 

The combat is all about timing or fleeing. There’s a bit of fun in being able to disarm a shotty off of a cop and then blast his buddy in the chest to send him flying. The game can be a little frustrating as often its tricky to figure out where to go, even though pathways are often lit up in red. When you’re running from a Helo, you don’t have a lot of time to figure out which building to vault off of next. 

The story line is decent. Set in a future world where Fascism has won you’re struggling to uncover a murder plot while your sister is set-up for the fall. The game has a prince of persia feel to it, only on Speed.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, I’m going to go attempt to complete the fifth chapter.

I just returned on Thursday from a convention I attended for work in Virginia Beach, everyone I spoke to said it would be warm or at least somewhere in the 50-60 degree range.  Boy was I suprised when I got down there to temperatures in the 30s all week long.  Couple that with a 20-30mph constant wind and you have yourself a frigid environment.

Well about the trip:  I managed to come home with 2 full bags of SWAG (Shit We All Get) you know… jump drives, lanyards, more pens then I know what to do with. And some sort of a flu because I have been restricted to my la-z-boy and bed since Friday night!

Anywho…. I somehow managed to start playing WoW again (the Wrath of the Lich King expansion kinda helped) and I am once again addicted to the heroin that is Azeroth.

I must say though…the expansion is far and away better than the last one (The Burning Crusade), I have only experienced about 10% of the new content… so I really can’t comment on it yet.  For now, you will have to deal with a picture I gleaned from google. (FTW!).

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I came across this update on shortnews.com and wanted to share. National Geographic reported on the theory designed by Jean-Pierre Houdin. I’ll let you watch the video and give you the article link. It’s definitely fascinating for all. 

Read the article Here.

Ok so I decided to try go back to my very old ways and try out a football game for my new PS3. I stopped at the local video rental store and brought home Madden ‘09.

Meow, being somewhat disconnected from the console scene for a while, I haven’t had much exposure to the Madden games for a while, my last 2 were Madden ‘03 on the Gamecube (which I loved) and Madden ‘07 on the Wii (which I hated).

Game play wise, its very fun, quite realistic and almost too realistic. I found the control scheme a bit hard to get used to at first, mostly due to the combination of the right analog stick and the buttons becoming a bit overwhelming (for an older gamer like me). Offense is pretty easy to get a handle on, just x to hike the ball and look for the open receiver and hit the button.

Defense on the other hand is terribly annoying. Choosing the correct play makes all the difference as it seems terribly hard to actually chose the correct defensive player in the middle of a play. The PC seems to evade just about every tackle I throw at it so I have had to play pretty much “hands-off” while on Defense and just hope for the best. The one thing I have managed to do quite well is pick off passes with the corners, they seem to have super human jumping abilities… unfortunately they have bricks for hands for the most part.

Overall impressions are great, the gfx are amazing as expected, sounds are accurate the constant repetitive commentary from the announcers is annoying as hell and I haven’t figured out a way to turn it off which is really the only complaint I have. I may end up buying the game yet… we will have to see if my skill improves.

 

Sopwith Camel, Fighter Plane used in WWI

Echoing Greg’s thoughts, I’d like to include a couple of my own. This Veteran’s Day is extra special. For those unaware, Veteran’s Day started as Armstice Day. While the Treaty of Versailles wasn’t signed until June of 1919, the WWI was effectively over when the Allies and Germans signed an Armistice on Nov 11, 1918. That means this Tuesday marks the end of that major earth shattering conflict, the precursor to the worst war in world history, as having happened 90 years ago, to the day.

In post-war Europe, Armstice Day was evolving into a Day of Rememberance. The idea migrated across the ocean and became Rememberance Day stateside.  After subsequent wars, Rememberance day became an all-encompassing recollection of all those who have gone before, our heroes, our Veterans.

I’m lucky to call the men of my family heroes for their commitment to freedom and service.  My great-grandfather served in the Royal Flying Corps in the year of 1917. He flew Sopwith Camels for the Number 3 squadron.  My grandfather was a member of the USAF during Korea, serving as a mechanic and eventually retiring.  My father graduated from the USAF Academy in ‘79 and served 11yrs as an Air Force Fighter pilot. 

So to those who have served, to the brave that are serving now, the POWs and MIAs that will never  be forgotten, thank you.

Tomorrow is veteran’s day,(NO it’s not just a free day off) it is a time to honor and remember the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, past and present.  Veteran’s day means more to my family especially.  Both of my grandfathers, my uncle, my father and I myself are veterans.

Unfortunately my grandfathers are no longer with us, but I had the honor of knowing and loving them both.  Edward Hubert served in the US Army in WWII as a Staff Sargent, he was in the Battle of the Bulge and personally met General George S. Patton. Henry Wolf served as a Bombardier/Navigator on the B-26 Invader for the 13th Bomb Squadron during the Korean War. 

My father, my uncle and I all served in the U.S. Coast Guard.  My father retired after 20 years of service in 1991.  

So… if you happen to see veterans tomorrow at your local mall or supermarket with a table full of keychains and pamphlets… stop by and talk to them…give them a donation and a handshake, believe me… you will enjoy it!

Ok so I finished Guitar Hero World Tour on medium using the drums last night.  **Spoiler** you unlock one song when you complete the game: Dream Theatre – Pull Me Under.  Its a good song… extremely long though but still a decent tune.

I will give Hard drums a shot tonight I figure.  The main reason I bought the PS3 is because I have been wanting to play online Rockband and GH: World Tour using the drums.  I still suck, so we will have to see how it all pans out. 

As for my intermittent Orange Cymbal issues… they seem to have gone away for now.

Lates!

Two Great Men

Well the election is over, done, finite. I, like millions of other people, experienced the disappoint of having the great John McCain lose the presidential election. However, there are a few things I’d like to point out.

Dems and GOPs want the same thing- People get caught up in party lines so much that they often want to attribute horrible qualities to the opposition.  This is just silly dirty politicking.  I think its pretty fair to say that all Americans want the same things: a free and safe country, prosperity, and the chance to succeed.  Where the parties come in is in the application of those desires. Dems and GOPs want the same thing, we just have very different ideas on how to go about it.

We had two great candidates- I honestly believe that the American people picked two great representatives from their parties to run for president.  Mud-slinging and the differences I stated in the previous point aside, we’re left with two men that I truly think want what’s best for America and have the integrity to back it up.

Obama is a smart man and great speaker- The man is nothing if not highly intelligent and charismatic. While this shouldn’t be the only qualities in a president they certainly are great qualities to have. I have faith he will surround himself with qualified and experienced people for his cabinet.  I don’t think Obama is a fool, he realizes that there is quite a bit at stake and while the electoral college was a landslide, the popular vote was pretty darned close. If he wants to make it for the second term he’s going to have to show the world and the people here at home that he can follow through on his promises.

McCain is still a great man- McCain is still every bit the great man he was before the election.  No one can argue that he isn’t a hero with a solid idea of right and wrong. Agree with him or not, he’s a good political leader with a quick mind and firm backbone.  He will continue to benefit his great state and the entire country with his experience and tenacity in the Senate.

This country is moving forward. For some, like me, we’re shaking off the post-election blues and looking to the future. Its a historical time we’re living in people; here’s hoping it goes down in the history books as a golden age.

Being that I voted in WV (and McCain won WV) I guess I realy cant say “We” did it, but Virginia had our backs and won it for us!  

If you got out there and voted yesterday, you did your civil duty and I applaud you.  If not, you do not have the right to complain if your candidate did not win.

Enough negativity, I am as happy as can be with our choice.  The nation has spoken and obama is the new president and in landslide fashion!
In his own words: “We have a lot of work to do”.

What did I do this morning before coming to work?  I stopped off at the church (lol) and casted my ballot.  Why?  Because if you don’t vote… you have no right to complain about the outcome of the election.

Get out there and vote!  Call your friends and family and ask them if they voted!  It is your DUTY.

Ok preaching aside.. do it.  DO IT NOW!