This is clearly not a full blog. I just wanted to put it out there for anybody else on my friends list that has Rock Band: If any of you like Disturbed, the new pack is totally worth the download. The songs are great, and the expert drum parts are INSANE....loooots of bass.

Ok, by now most of us who own a Wii, or know somebody who has one, have played the new Mario Kart game. I'll go out on a limb and say most of us also probably really enjoyed the game, as it's never been a series to disappoint. However, much complaining has been done about how the new game, like others before it, is extremely unbalanced this time around due to the items. The point I'd like to now drive home is again about the lack of balance, but not so much due to the items, but the courses themselves.

This issue really only became apparent to me when I began playing online. I enjoyed it for a little while, until Wario's Gold Mine began getting spammed, and I was treated to courses like Moonview Highway over and over again. For that reason, these are the two I'm going to go at for this blog. First off, Wario's Gold Mine.

To start off, let me preface by saying that my issue isn't so much with the track itself, though its lack of rails for the majority of the course is absolutely devious. My problem is that in the handful of times I've played online, there has been at least one person every time who picked this track in voting, including the times right after finishing that very course. Frankly, I don't want to play the same course over and over again, and I don't know many people who do. But because the track is selected at random from those tracks voted on, I once found myself racing in the mine for 3 out of 5 races. Please, find a new favorite track, or pick random.

My second gripe is with Moonview Highway. For those who haven't played this game yet, imagine Toad's Turnpike from the N64 which was actually a very fun course. Now take those cars that you had to avoid and make them completely unavoidable by allowing them to change lanes with less than a split second's notice. I don't care how good you think you are, when you're in an open lane and a car decides to jump to your lane with no warning, there's absolutely nothing you can do but clench your teeth and hope you manage to get out of the way. And this isn't the exception; it's pretty much the rule. I must've been hit at least 6 or 7 times in the last race I played. The other thing I noticed was that it seemed like one person got extremely lucky each time I played and managed to get out ahead of the pack at the beginning of the race. Thus, while everyone else was in a giant cluster(f bomb) not far out of the gate, this player could be much less reckless, fearing only the odd spiny shell, which strangely enough didn't surface much.

The overall feeling that I'm getting from this game is that in being more ridiculous with its new courses, it's leveled the playing field 10 times better than any game before it. There was always the element of luck before, but now even a strong victory just feels like the cards got dealt in my favor, not that I overcame some nasty red shell hits and made it to the finish line ahead of the pack. This is great for when I'm playing with my younger cousins who don't have the experience I have with gaming, as it allows them to be much more on par with me. But when I'm playing online, I don't want to cross my fingers and pull the slot machine lever hoping for a jackpot; I want my experience to weigh more heavily.

In conclusion, please understand that I do really enjoy this game. It's great when friends come over and for playing with my family and such. I just think Nintendo may have gone a little too far this time in trying to reach out to a broader base of gamers. Then again, maybe I've just grown up a bit more.

Yes. Hockey. I've never been overly interested in the sport. It's actually odd considering my love for lacrosse, which is very similar. But tonight I had hockey thrown in my face, and I loved every second of it.

My uncle managed to get 2 front row tickets behind the goal to game six of the quarter finals between the Bruins and the Canadiens. Let me just say that I've never experienced such an atmosphere. The crowd refused to quiet down and it was back and forth all game; the teams matched goal for goal. There's nothing like watching the 6'9" Bruins defenseman, Zdeno Chara absolutely jacking someone up against the boards right in front of your face, and having those said boards cave in about half a foot closer to said face. But stats do him no justice; this monster can only be appreciated watching him right in front of you. Thankfully, the Bruins managed to pull off the win in the final minutes and hold it.

Sure, this blog wasn't especially well-planned, written, or conceived, but I really just wanted to get my point out about how much this took me by surprise. I plan to follow hockey much more closely in the coming seasons. It won't touch (American) football as far as I'm concerned, but it certainly makes for a great off-season distraction.

Well, it's been quite some time since I wrote my last blog, but seeing as I'm not quite ready to dive into my stats homework just yet, I figure now's as good a time as any to put some thoughts out there.

First off, words can not express my happiness (and relief) that the Patriots have resigned Randy Moss. I honestly thought he'd probably be coming back, but the thought of losing such a crucial weapon in our offense still terrified me. Asante Samuel can enjoy his money and his six years with the Eagles, but I'd really like to see Junior Seau return. Other than that, assuming we can fill in the gaps punched in our secondary, I think we'll be looking at another great season.

My Best of 07 emblem is gone. And it's been AWOL for a good week and a half now. Maybe I shouldn't really care, but it's a bit odd when just about every other person's profile that I've viewed has this emblem...and mine has yet to return.

Lastly, what a couple of weeks we have coming up. Brawl is FINALLY launching this weekend, and I will most definitely be picking it up as soon as I get out of work. It really looks as though Nintendo has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into this game...new power-ups, new characters, excellent soundtrack, online play, and of course the stage editor. And unlike some games that just throw a bunch of useless junk together and try to call it a good value, from what I've seen in other sites' review scores and previews, this will definitely not be the case with Brawl. Just what I needed to get me back on my Wii. The only problem is...Rainbow Six Vegas 2 comes out just over a week later. I was extremely impressed with the orginal, and this one doesn't look to disappoint either. Now all I need is an extra day in the weekend so I'll actually have the time to enjoy them.

Anywho, until next time! =)

- Josh

Where were you guys last night? There was a team out there. They had the blue jerseys with the Patriots logo. A lot of them carried the names of the players we love. But that was not our team.

I'm not going to beat around the bush. The Patriots played like crap. Missed picks, missed SACKS (if you saw the game, you know which one I'm talking about), inaccurate passing, and an offensive line that looked like it could've been knocked over by a slight breeze...all led to a Giants victory, that quite frankly, they deserved.

Yet, now that the shock and frustration has worn away slightly, I realize that maybe I and the rest of my fellow (true) Patriots fans can't be completely let down. Fact is, we're 18-1. Yeah, that one loss is the absolute worst possible loss of the entire season. But on the flipside, '72 Dolphins be damned, 18 wins is still more than 17, regardless of percentage. You can get a 100% win record by playing a single game. The fact that the Patriots did it with a salary cap only adds to the achievement. Sure, they're not perfect, but an 18-win streak is damn-near untouchable.

So rest up Eli, and Peyton (who looked great sitting up in the luxury box, I rather enjoyed it), and anyone else who thinks it's over. You have this year, but you'd better bet your kids' college fund that the Patriots will be back with a vengeance next year.

I know, the first impression comes months after the release of the game, one lauded for being one of the greatest games of all time. If it means anything, I'm ashamed that I didn't pick it up on release day. This game had me shivering with excitement just minutes in. The atmosphere is what truly makes this game. You swim past your plane as it's visibly sinking Titanic-style into the ocean, only to walk into one of the most ominous welcome rooms ever seen. And of course, the initial view of the city of Rapture is jaw-dropping as well.

Obviously I'm not very far into the game (still looking for my radio friend's family in the medical section), seeing as this is a first impression. However, I'm already very impressed with the environment and combat. The game is set in the 1960s, and music from the time period plays through speakers as you walk through the halls past neon-lit shops. It really has to be experienced firsthand, or you won't understand the feeling you get from it. As far as the combat goes, it's very unique. You have a limited supply of ammo, and your EVE (think mana) runs out quickly from using spells, but at the same time, you never really feel underpowered. There's just enough of a shortage to keep you conservative, but not enough to make situations seem impossible. Now if you'll excuse me (and this poorly-planned, hastily-written blog), I'm off to Rapture.