XENOmorph00010's Blog

Title	Score
Need for Speed ProStreet	4.0
Need for Speed: Shift	7.5
Pokemon LeafGreen Version	8.5
Need for Speed Underground 2	8.0
Midnight Club: Los Angeles	8.5
Lumines	8.5
Killzone 2	8.0
Halo: Combat Evolved	9.5
Guitar Hero: Metallica	8.5
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee	6.0

30Oct 09

What Should I Charge?

After my oh so lovely response to Microsoft, I think it's safe to say I'm left having to look elsewhere for portable media. Unfortunately, my capacity demands are more than many players hold and, based on the direction my tastes will be heading, the minimum requirements are looking to be larger before long. What makes this especially frustrating is that I've only found two to three devices that can meet this, one of which I refuse to go for (hint: look in previous rant). In other words, it's between these two:

iPod Classic (160 GB)

iTouch (64 GB)

Given the storage and price, it's pretty safe to say that I'm stuck going for an iPod. However, my current college semester hasn't exactly left me open to many hours of work (two nights a week translating to just over $100 per week which, after car and gas payments, only leaves me $100 to currently spare). Needless to say, I'm hoping to get money to give an iPod a shot since every person I know personally who have owned an iPod have had little to no issues (only one has and it was a year before he got an issue). So I'm now setting my personal gripes with the iPod (small screen, dull looks, the click/touch wheel and unintesting menus) and aiming to buy one. Though I'm trying to get some money for it ($250) about the only way I could possibly get that is by selling my PS3 (which I barely use) and everything I have with it. However, since it's one of the many discontinued models and I own stuff that I haven't bothered to check prices for, coming to a fair amount of dollars to pay is tough.

So my question is essentially how much should I charge for my PS3 products (or how much you'd be willing to pay)? Here's what I have and am trying to sell:

PS3 System (80 GB, nearly 2 years old, haven't had any issues, one of the last generation of PS3's that's backward compatible, providing the power and A/V cables obviously)

Two Sixaxis Controllers (giving my only USB cable to charge them)

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Resistance: Fall of Man

Metal Gear Solid 4 Collector's Edition

DBZ Budokai 2 & 3

Metal Gear Solid 3

NFS Underground

NFS Hot Pursuit 2

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Right now I was thinking offering it all for about $300 ($200 for the system, $35 for MGS4, $15 for Uncharted, $10 for Resistance, $25 for all the PS2 games-or $5 each and $20 for the extra controller), but you tell me what you think would be a good, ideal price for it all?

Posted Oct 30, 2009 10:44 pm PT
Category: N/A
1 Comment

27Oct 09

Microsoft, I Would Just Like To Say...(AKA The Blog That Will Get Me Banned )

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I don't give two ****s if my entire account gets banned for this senseless rant I'm about to post. After the way I've been treated I honestly could care less how stupid I sound and where I do it, I have to get this off my chest. With that out of the way, let me just cut right to the point:

F*** YOU MICROSOFT!!!

Seriously, I have had it up to here with your BS. In less than three years I've gone through five Xbox 360's and now five Zunes. I have been treated like a moronic terrorist by those **** who keep releasing their defective **** for products that only contribute to ****ing over the economy. At first I was able to tolerate one or two defective 360's and Zunes but I've hit double digits for those **** filled bricks in four years. I don't care what anyone says and what defense they have, there is no reason I should go through even three of the same product in three to four years, let alone ten in that same time span.

All this time I've been a patient, tolerant customer who's only wanted convenience and tried to treat his products to the best of his ability (every time I got a replacement Zune I put it in a sturdy case and I would always try to keep them clean and avoid any physical damage to them). Yet if I had known I'd have gone through this much bull then I would've said, "I'm better off gathering a bunch of a people to parade down the streets saying, 'F*** MICROSOFT!'"

A big reason I'm very upset now isn't just the numbers showing how frequently these ****heaps have ****ed over on me, but because Microsoft had the nerve to send me defective replacements and expect me to just take it. That's right, twice they sent me replacements that were no better than the ones I had sent to them to be replaced or repaired (one Xbox and now a Zune). What's worse is that I could tell the Zune I received was broken right when I hooked it up because I could hear what sounded like twitching coming from inside of it. And while we're at it, I think I should also note that when I held the device outside of the case I bought for it I could actually feel it twitch whenever syncing or processing anything (like playing or shuffling songs). This is how Microsoft decide to treat a loyal, patient individual. This is how Microsoft thank a paying customer. This is what those lazy dip****s think of me and any other customer. If this isn't how they feel then tell me why it's bluntly happened to me ten times. I'd love to know a single reason why I should be given this kind of BS.

An Xbox 360 shortly after launch? $400. A Zune 30? $250. The Zune 80/120? Another $250 (Zune 30 warranty expired by the time it broke). That's just short of $1000 that those wealthy ****heads have cost me and for what? Four years of inconvenience with the longest stretch of good, legitimate fun being just short of a year (a year for the current record-holding Xbox 360 life and a year for the Zune 30 before getting defects). Similar to how a freshman boy in high school can only think about getting it on with the curviest girl in each class, all Microsoft seem to care about is masturbating to their cheap**** ways to milk money.

Just like one of the commissioners in the first live action Spider-Man film, nothing would be please me more than to see Microsoft out of business. Add dirt kicked to them, spitting in their faces and a stoning and I just might be inclined to say that justice is finding its way back to them.

Anyone can do or say as they will, I honestly don't give two ****s right now. Microsoft have only proven they're a bunch of low, greedy, despicable, lazy, corporate dip****s who have only gained my utmost disgust. To Hell with sending civilians to war, send the defective robots at Microsoft to war, at least then the right people will be out of the picture.

Since I've had to learn the hard way that Microsoft don't give a flying **** about me, I'm just going to take apart and demolish this wretched Zune they sent me, doesn't put me in any different of a scenario than I was before and, quite frankly, saves me even further inconvenience of sending another pile of **** back only to get the same dung-spawn back.

Posted Oct 27, 2009 6:38 pm PT
Category: N/A
5 Comments

23Oct 09

Work-In-Progress Site I'm Doing for Web Site Development

This college semester has proved to be cluttered, chaotic and basically overwhelming/over-demanding. The only class I'm taking that's fully enjoyable is Creative Writing, mostly since I enjoy writing stories for it (unfortunately, my drive to write stories down only comes when I take a class like this). Though Journalism is the degree I'm shooting for the class has been bittersweet mostly for the feature story we have to do (though it's not directly related to what I aim to do for a career). American History started off horribly with it being the first class I was failing since second grade (yeah...professor isn't exactly selfless or logical-60-70+ question study guides with branching questions on each one for 22 question quizzes), though I managed to pull of a 95 on our most recent so if I can keep that up and do well on our in-class essay I should pass it. Life Science has been a tease since our lowest exam grade is dropped and I've got a 72 and two 78's (back-to-back). I hate how one question kept me from a B twice in a row.

Then there's my Web Site Development class which might just be the most uneven class I've taken. One class I feel stressed and behind and the next is as if I'm doing perfectly fine. What sucks though is that my mother payed for the software (Adobe Creative Suite) which was $200 but since the trial for Fireworks wouldn't install since I had Firefox running I can't install it to our laptop (Dreamweaver came on fine though). We keep talking about getting another laptop but when we actually look it becomes a different scenario.

Fortunately, I've had experience with Dreamweaver, Photoshop and (to a lesser extent) Fireworks throughout high school (good times) so I still have the fundamentals. Though I've made some sites in the past I never got any published but since this has been emphasized continually by our professor mine should at least be updated weekly from now on. Since I love the music, it's on metal and, as of now, I've only got one semi-complete page and another that I'll need to update to come close to the home page (using blank template which is why it has a random bunch of text yet to be filled in). Here's the home page if you're interested:

http://student.irsc.edu/~K05003348

Oh, and if you're like me and you use Firefox, I am aware of the text on top of the banner (doesn't show up in IE though). If you're experienced with Dreamweaver and know how to get rid of this without screwing up the rest of the site I'd very much appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.

But yeah, just though I'd bring this to your attention in case you might be curious. The site isn't much now and though I don't think it'll be nearly as good as some other productions it's something.

Posted Oct 23, 2009 11:01 pm PT
Category: N/A
0 Comments

14Oct 09

I've Become Inspired...In a Bad Way

Alternating between Easy and Medium on NFS: Shift has reminded me of just how atrocious the AI in some games are and has made me want to make a list of the worst game AI I've ever had to deal with. The sad part is that close to half the list would likely be NFS games. And knowing me (whenever I get the time), I likely will make that list. From the get-go I know that these are almost guaranteed inclusions:

NFS: Shift

NFS: Pro Street

Burnout 3

Midnight Club 3

DBZ Budokai 3

Come to think of it, I've only seldom played any games that have been legitimately challenging with frustrations being kept at a minimum. Halo, Halo: ODST (for what I've played), Uncharted, Forza 2, FEAR (speaking of which, I must be the only one who thought the sequel was just lousy-I didn't finish it but that's because it was so bland and unremarkable) and Call of Duty 2 are the only games I can remember playing that had AI that put up a legitimately tough but fair fight.

I guess that's a big reason I usually prefer goal-oriented games and modes like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and drifting in Underground 1 and (generally) Shift.

Posted Oct 14, 2009 12:08 am PT
Category: N/A
1 Comment

12Oct 09

If Only...

If only Rock Band 2 had the note detection of Guitar Hero...

If only Rock Band 2 had the amount of hyperspeed/Breakneck Speed options of Guitar Hero...

If only I wouldn't have to pay and swap discs to play other Guitar Hero songs...

If only current Rock Band/Guitar Hero guitar controllers were compatible with the first Guitar Hero games...

If only I could swap the Rock Band strum bar for a Guitar Hero strum bar while keeping the rest of the controller the same...

If only the fret buttons for all guitar controllers didn't suck (Rock Band for being too easy to wear out your fingers, Guitar Hero for poor press/hold detection)...

If only the games would tell you what you played compared to the actual note chart (to make it easier to do better and figure out what you did wrong)...

If only...

Yes, I'm having a Rock Band/Guitar Hero depression late at night while unable to sleep between a horrible college semester and a lousy job that actually feels closer to a vacation than my classes (save for Creative Writing and Journalism until the assignment we have now)...and I hate it!

Posted Oct 12, 2009 12:56 am PT
Category: N/A
2 Comments

6Oct 09

Down on College is the Infection...

Zombieland is the cure. My college schedule this semester has been ridiculous (for the first time since second grade I'm failing a class...this is going to **** my scholarship over), which has only translated to being stressed out and feeling horrible.

But set enough time aside to see a movie that looked like it would be a good time and that's what I got. Zombieland was the perfect counterbalance to my "college down syndrome" (if you will). Not much else I can really say except that I recommend it.

On a side note, I did visit University of Central Florida for a second time two weeks ago for the open house and I'm really hoping/looking forward to spending my second two years of college there (just get me a dorm room on the Towers on-campus and I'm a happy camper).

Wish me luck!

Posted Oct 6, 2009 10:56 pm PT
Category: N/A
0 Comments

22Sep 09

I Can (Almost) Never Trust Hardware Reviews

The recent release of the Zune HD made me further realize and finally say something to myself, "I can never trust hardware reviews."

I'm not sure how much readers have followed me and my frequently pessimistic blogs but for those who don't know I've had a bit of a shaky history with Zunes and Microsoft by association. My experience with them has ultimately been put to the test with the Xbox 360 and Zune. For the time my first Xbox 360 lasted I had a blast, but then of course I (like many others) got the dreaded Red Rings of Death six months after purchase. Fast-forward to today and I'm now on my fifth Xbox 360, with the longest one has lasted being about a year (which was my second one). Whenever I wasn't experiencing any defects I absolutely loved the system (though now I've realized it was the games I loved more than the system though, even though Xbox Live is a great plus that's still essentially a network/software mix, the system itself is a big fat "eh..."). But once those issues came in I couldn't have been more pissed off.

Unfortunately this hasn't been too far off from the history I've had with the Zune. I had followed this MP3 player ever since it was first announced and was one of the first in-line to get one (a Halo 3 Zune 30). For the time I had that device it was pure bliss, I honestly didn't care about the comments of how ugly it was, I thought it was a great player that would do me well for a while. Embarrassingly I don't recall what happened to that little Zune though something tells me a number of small defects built up and made the device eventually unusable. But since the Zune 80's were coming out, I went and got one of those. Too bad it didn't fare much better than my second Xbox 360. Tragically I go a while with no means of portable music (which made walking and riding my bike everywhere-this is before I got my car-less enjoyable) until I finally decided to get a maroon Zune 120 from Wal-Mart which held up for about as long as my first 360. I then send that baby in and get another replacement only to have that screw over three weeks later and now I'm waiting for the next one to come to my house any day now.

The predicament that I'm eventually trying to get at with the 360 and more specifically the Zune is that the reason I (personally) can't trust hardware reviews is because they're all judging products from a short-term standpoint. Yes, I loved my Xbox 360 when I first got it and likely would've said it's an easy 8.5-9/10 because of how fun it was but now that I've become a (frequent) victim I can't give the system itself anything above a 5.5-6/10 simply for the reliability concerns. Similar goes for the Zunes; I love the devices themselves and for the time they'd last and work well I honestly couldn't complain (save for getting rid of the original star rating system). But after going through four (five when I get my next replacement) of those mini bricks I can only look at the praise they've gotten and sigh in tragic contempt.

So far the Zune HD has (not surprisingly) gotten some positive reviews, and if I had the money I'd still probably come close to buying one. But since the storage for both models is disappointingly small and my experience with Microsoft has ultimately been a collection of anger, frustration and unanswered swearing/shouting I think it's easy to say I'm going to try my hardest to avoid buying another Microsoft hardware product simply for the so-bad-it's-not-even-laughable-bad reliability, insultingly frustrating customer service (seriously, if you're going to hire people who can't speak our language at least have them assist those who do speak the same language) and idiotic remarks towards those who've claimed to be victims of constantly failing products.

What makes this hard, however, is that despite how much I say this to myself Microsoft still keep on touting and releasing products that catch my attention and seem like perfect matches for me. This only makes me hate them and myself for my guillible-ness and stupidity even more.

Posted Sep 22, 2009 10:43 pm PT
Category: Technology
0 Comments

19Sep 09

Need For Speed Shift First Thoughts

It's tough putting down something you've stuck with for a while. A little short of a year ago I officially announced the Need for Speed franchise "dead" after playing the abomination that was Undercover and the news that three new games in the series would be coming out this year alone only made me further sigh and roll my eyes in despair and contempt. Even so, after I heard and looked a little bit into Shift, the only non-Wii console game of the bunch I got a little bit interested. Then, after some waiting, scores began coming in with IGN and GameTrailers being among the first, earning a 9.0 (US) and 9.1, respectively. After hearing this and finding out the game might actually be worth the money even after its two recent predecessors I decided to (once again) bite my lip and purchase the game (if after trading in three games to put towards it). So far I've played through a decent bit of events and what I'll say is that Need for Speed Shift is actually not all bad.

Yes, Need for Speed now has a current generation game besides Most Wanted and Carbon that isn't complete trash. But other than a few or some parts to it the game is just that-essentially a small step in the right direction but I must emphasize the word "small" here. On one hand, going back to the series roots by heading the simulation route makes for an intriguing experience, especially given the emphasized cockpit view which actually manages to help make the game engaging. However, this game still has issues that have plagued other recent NFS games and, as a result, finds itself in-between the games in the series for this generation so far (it's well ahead of Pro Street and Undercover, but still below Most Wanted and even Carbon).

Normally I'd get a little more in-depth but I'll save that for my intended review (not to mention it's late and I'm tired), so I'll leave you with what I like and don't like so far:

Makes Me Smile:

+ Visuals usually look quite good (especially the car models)

+ Cockpit view is really something else and gives the game a much-needed edge

+ Framerate mostly holds up with the sense of speed; meaning the game does have its fast AND fun moments

+ Career mode organization, design and means of progress is rather welcoming overall (really dig how you don't need to race or even win every single event, perfection isn't expected-which I REALLY like)

+ The driver level/style is a great idea

Makes Me Frown:

- The racer AI is still abysmal-at-best (eg. oblivious to your position, intentionally ram you off the track or shove you aside yet typically treat each other quite nicely, etc.)

- Glitches are still littered throughout the game

- Car selection is disappointing (no old school muscle; most of the selections are fairly recent models)

- Driving model isn't exactly approachable (no tutorial or practice to be found here if you want/need it)

- Drifting is annoying and not worth the aggravation and inconvenience (makes Pro Street's drifting model feel like Underground's)

-Customization options are disappointing and condensed overall

That's what I can recall right now. If I had to give the game a first impression score, it would likely be around a 65-75.

Posted Sep 19, 2009 12:22 am PT
Category: N/A
2 Comments

12Sep 09

September 15: Overload

Has anyone else realized all the stuff coming out on September 15? Not just that, but toss in potential ongoings of your personal life and it's overwhelming. I mean, this coming Tuesday we'll be getting:

Megadeth-"Endgame"

Shadows Fall-"Retribution'

Need for Speed Shift

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Zune HD

And on a personal note, this is the same day I take my first American History exam, I'm hoping I got vacation pay so I can at least get some money added to my checking account, my best friend heads back up to New Jersey that day, it's a truck night at my job that day (but I don't have to work Tuesdays), pretty crazy if you ask me.

Sorry, had to get that silly post off my chest.

Posted Sep 12, 2009 10:15 pm PT
Category: N/A
1 Comment

11Sep 09

Retribution Review, Favor to Ask

Now that the album is available to listen by streaming on their MySpace, I decided to post my review for the new Shadows Fall album Retribution on Sputnik and WordPress (take your pick, lol):

http://xenoraiser.wordpress.com/

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_32370

This also brings me to a small favor I'd like to ask of anyone reading my blog. For my News Reporting/Writing class (technically a Journalism course) our professor is essentially having us write two blogs a week on to a select site; I picked WordPress (since he recommended it and most of the class did too-there are eight people in the class by the way). And long story short on Tuesday he told us that we want to try and reach a large amount of audiences, which you could say I and my fellow co-workers/writers on TalkXbox try doing as well. But my favor to ask is that if you happen to have a WordPress account (or know anyone who does and might be interested in my type of blog), I'd very much appreciate some feedback on my posts/blogs (they'll almost always be reviews for games, movies and albums), just keep any comments written decently please.

Outside of that this semester of college has already turned into my busiest, most demanding so far, I'm having to make a trip up to my main campus (about 15 or so miles from my house) just to use the lab to work on my Web Site Development class (technology as always shows its love for me by not letting me install the trial for Fireworks CS4-one of the programs we're using). Though I've used Fireworks and Dreamweaver in the past to make several sites in high school, so I'm hoping I can get ahead during my time at the campus today.

On a side note, I'd like to mention that about a month and a half ago a Zune I bought completely broke down on me, I sent it in and got a replacement...it lasted 3 weeks before breaking on me. So I sent in that Zune the Thursday before Labor Day weekend (which I visited my grandparents in Point Lookout, which was very enjoyable) and now I'm waiting on my next replacement. What am I getting at? Once I get that next Zune I'll have gone through 10 Microsoft hardware products/replacements in less than 4 years (that's 5 Xbox 360's and now 5 Zune's-one 30, one 80 and now three 120's). It's sad really, not just my predicament but how Microsoft can't make anything even half-reliable (and to think they made the original Xbox, that thing was indestructible).

But there is a chance I might actually convert to Apple and buy my first product of theirs since my first generation iPod Shuffle. After toying with my friend's iPhone (which has a case that protects the screen but still detects touch) and hearing that the iTouch is now available in a 64 GB model I have become very enticed. The only problem is the price...$400 is rather demanding even when I have a job since it barely covers my car and gas payments. But since it has over 40 GB it's pretty much my only alternative to the Zune (since I really don't like the look and interface of the iPods). Though I do have some questions for iTouch owners. I've heard that Apple offer applications for both but allow iPhone users to get them for free while iTouch users have to pay (since iPhone users pay for the phone services already). So here are my questions in regards to that:

How frequently do they release these applications?

What are/included with/in these applications?

How much do they usually cost?

Are they overall worth the price?

Looking forward to (hopefully) hearing/seeing some comments.

Posted Sep 11, 2009 10:54 pm PT
Category: N/A
3 Comments

1Sep 09

What We Want in Need for Speed

I don't think I need to remind anyone at how low NFS has gone with just two entries. Since I'm one who hates to see a once favorited franchise continue to spiral downward (even if Shift manages to at least be decent), I decided to take the time and work on an editorial for TalkXbox on what EA should take note of in their time working with the franchise in the future:

http://www.talkxbox.com/editorial149.html

Posted Sep 1, 2009 7:19 pm PT
Category: N/A
0 Comments

30Aug 09

Return to the Multi-Topic Spaz Blogs

Couldn't hold a blog with multiple stuff posted in it forever now could I?

I suppose the first thing to get out of the way is that I started the first semester of my second year of college last week. As with my Spring semester, I'm taking five classes (Creative Writing, News Reporting/Writing, American History, Life Science and Web Site Development), the former two of which I'm taking at the main campus of my college, which is about a 30 minute drive to it (the other three are at a different campus closer to my house where all my previous classes were). Since I'm now going to drive about 150 miles just for the two classes at the main campus, it's going to do quite a number on my checking account due to how frequently I'll have to fill my car up (that lovely Grand Prix GT I posted about a while ago gets about 21 mpg city, but I can't go on the freeway since it would take too long to get to so I can't utilize the 30 mpg highway it gets; my car holds 16 gallons which combined with living down in Florida means I spend close to $40 to fill it up). The way I see it I'll likely be filling my car up once every eight days (which hurts with my restricted schedule and lousy paying job).

As for the classes and professors so far, this is looking to be my busiest semester so far. Seems I'm eating my own words when I said I wanted more than just exams determining my grades since that's how three of my classes are going to work. But since I'm not much of a test-taker and am hoping to be able to adapt to the constant work assignments (eg. have to write five pages-three journals, two blogs-every week for two of the classes), hopefully my grades won't be so far behind my first Spring semester.

Speaking of my lousy-paying job, we got a new manager around the start of the summer while one of our other managers (who I'd gotten on really good terms with) wound up getting switched to another store to help "discipline the associates." What's been a real kick in the now not-so-happy sack is that this new manager, well, blows. Almost everyone can't stand him, but what blows even more is that two of the only people who can tolerate him are our department manager and the store manager (or so I assume). This might seem like I and my fellow associates are just another batch of close-minded complainers but when your manager treats you like you just got hired every day (when I've been there for over two years), constantly implies how much of a lousy person he thinks his son is and directly says "you're going to be working here the rest of your life, you'll come up to *store manager's name* and say 'oh yes, I'll work for $7.50 an hour, please take me back!' once you're done with college" to you, understanding isn't exactly the word that first comes to mind (and I don't care if the chances are actually closer to that than me making it as something great, telling me that I'm essentially going to be a failure isn't something you should directly say or joke about).

Alright, that little rant is done.

As for my classes and professors, I like my Creative Writing, New Reporting/Writing and Life Science professors while my American History professor is way too strict and paranoid with my Web instructor seeming decent one minute and then unforgiving the next. The only class that I think I'll full-heartedly not like is American History, though Life Science seems like it might lose me with a lack of real interest.

What's most unfortunate is that between these busy classes and work, I'm only going to have one completely free day every week (Saturday) and if I wind up needing more money to pay gas and my car I might have to take up an extra shift on that very day. I'm very much hoping for that not to be the case since the work is, well, I'm working in a stock crew that always has less people than we should for the trucks, most of the people wind up working for maybe a few months and then ditch and thus turn out to be less than knowledgable with the store. Every day there for me is a comparison to being a victim in a Saw film, the only reason I still work there is because I can tolerate some of my other co-workers (namely the other two stock crew managers and associates from other departments), it's what's paying my car, filling my case and of course, the economy (though that's obviously a given).

In the case I do get some free time, I'll likely wind up watching a movie or two and listening to some music (amongst more regular thing other nineteen year-olds do), which I'll update in my above blog header (usually keep the albums and movies at around 5-8 each). When I manage to buy or rent a game that I'll review for TalkXbox (might do Dirt 2, NFS Shift-if the reviews are good, Forza Motorsport 3, Halo 3: ODST should no else do it and I have the time/money, Brutal Legend-just for the soundtrack and likely Modern Warfare 2) I'll post a blog letting you know. I'm also trying to work on an editorial on "What We Want Future NFS Games." It has five reasons but it's been a tough write-up (both because of my schedule and the editiorial itself). There's also a chance I'll do a 2009 Holiday Gift Guide for TalkXbox as well. Obviously I'll lead you to those when finished.

I guess the last thing I'll lead you off with is a question about what something I hear every now and again while at work over the in-store broadcast. Everytime it comes on I wind up saying, "that makes no sense!" because no matter how hard me and my co-workers try, we can't figure it out. What's the line?

"You're listening to the in-store broadcasting network; the last message delivered at the first moment of truth."

Seriously, before leaving today and hearing that line I just thought to myself, "this is a grocery store, people aren't going to want to think about ridiculous quotes that sound like something the architect from The Matrix Reloaded would say-one of many reasons I can't stand that film!" If you can honestly figure it out please tell.

Yes, that is it...for now.

Posted Aug 30, 2009 10:32 pm PT
Category: N/A
0 Comments

15Aug 09

Might As Well Join In On The Weekend's Talked Up Release

Yes, I went to see District 9 last night (for free) and I guess I might as well get this out of the way: Yes, it's good and yes, it's definitely worth seeing and paying the money for. I won't say I think it's amazing but it's very much like Cloverfield (well, in my personal experience at least) in that it grabs and pushes you into your seat for essentially the entire runtime, it's tough to not be completely engaged by it. My main gripe with the film, however, is that it feels too vague. What's also odd is that at the beginning and end the film feels rather wide-scale (goes for a bit of a documentary approach) but during the middle (and hour or so) it feels like a dominantely emotional narrative (a bit of self-commentating is in that middle but not much).

I must also say that my first words when it ended were "It was very...interesting" (let's just say that expression/reaction-wise I'd compare it to listening to Death's The Sound of Perseverance the first few times with that being your first album listening by them). If I had to describe the film I'd say it's like a satire of the holocaust except instead of Jews it's fugitive-like aliens in essentially a depression meets the blood diamond ordeal from the 90's. Like I said, interesting stuff. Overall, I'd give it an 8/10, so it's a solid effort and a great debut for Blonkamp.

Posted Aug 15, 2009 12:03 pm PT
Category: N/A
2 Comments

8Aug 09

An Idea For Future Guitar Hero/Rock Band Titles

Being a long-time fan of Guitar Hero and Rock Band (even though that's not particularly long in either franchises' case), I just thought of an idea for future titles in each series that, quite frankly, I'm surprised I didn't think of earlier and am even more surprised hasn't been touted or included in any of the games thus far. Since I've played several songs who knows how many times, there are points where I'll miss notes and I'll say to myself "I did not miss that note" and I thought to myself, "They should incorporate a way to see (in either actual playthroughs of the songs-even if you fail or what you did in Practice mode) the regular/actual note chart and what your note chart for that run through the song (section) was by comparison (side-by-side perhaps?).

I mean, think about it: When you miss a note or notes or are doing lousily on a song, do you want to practice and try to figure out on your own what you did wrong or would you want to see what you played for a note chart so you could try changing how you played based on that rather than just essentially being told "you missed the notes/section, failed the song, etc"? I think it'd be a great, helpful feature that could get rid of a lot of frustrations whenever you can't beat a song or at least a better chance of FCing it.

Posted Aug 8, 2009 12:38 pm PT
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30Jul 09

Just a Glutton For What's Flawed

I might not have played too many games and certainly don't consider myself a videogame know-it-all, but I like to think I at least know a bad game when I see one (or play one usually). Fortunately, I've been able to (mostly) avoid anything that I'd consider truly worthy of the term. However, last year I did play what I consider to be the worst game I've ever played: Need for Speed Undercover. Though saying that's the worst game I've played might not sound so bad, I'm not going to exaggerate when I say that game was an insulting experience and unfulfilling in every sense of the word. Normally I'd go into the details, but I think calling it an abysmal rehash of Most Wanted will suffice.

Though I considered myself a Need for Speed fan (until playing the aforementioned game), the one console title in the series I skipped (well, console titles including Hot Pursuit 2 and onward) was Need for Speed Pro Street, a game that garned less than enthusiastic responses much like Undercover. Before that game came out, I did try the demo that was released on Xbox Live, and decided to skip the full game since it really didn't appeal to me. However, with playing and getting into several racing games recently (Midnight Club LA, Underground 1 & 2, Forza 2 and Hot Pursuit 2 just to name a few) made me want to give Pro Street a real chance. However, since the demo has since been removed from Xbox Live and the game isn't for rent at my BlockBuster, the only option I really had left was to buy the game for $17.99 used. And like a stubborn die-hard fan, I succumbed.

I guess you could say this is a first impressions blog, since I've taken part in a few Race Days in the game and feel like spilling my thoughts out. What I'll say from the get-go is that the game is at least better than Undercover, though not exactly immensely enjoyable even by comparison.

The first (and most importan) thing I have to mention about the game is the driving model. You can almost immediately tell from playing a game for the first few minutes just how well you're likely to enjoy it if the gameplay stays the course. In the case of Pro Street and its driving model, I have to say it's ultimately the one part that brings the game down. Why is this so? When driving/racing in the game, the handling is so stiff and weighed down that even making slight "nudge turns" becomes annoying and making regular turns is just a complete hassle. And it doesn't help that many of the courses (that I've driven on at least) are littered with sharp turns. And though I know the game was going for a more realistic feel, the model feels more like it's trying to bridge the gap between arcade racers and sim racers (which, if anything has already been pulled off by PGR).

Outside of that there's a decent enough game present. The visuals, while nothing great, are fair enough (car models look nice though usually only when damaged or in the menus); but I have noticed issues with the environments loading, namely in far draw distances (other races disappearing when far enough away from you anyone?). While the cars do sound fine, the rest of the aspects of the game's audio front is, well, lousy to say the least (redundant soundtrack and a DJ who's only added to a collection of annoying VO's provided yours truly by EA). Probably my favorite part of the game is the car selection. A while ago on my old computer, I made a list of cars I'd want in a racing game. Though I love having more cars in a game just like anyone else (part of the appeal of Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo), I wouldn't even need more than a hundred cars in a racing game to be content (in fact, my list came out to 80). The 55 cars in Pro Street are mostly good selections, and I'm glad, as always, to see the '67 GT-500 in another game. As for the customization, it's mostly impressive though has the same issue that I've had with customizing in games like Underground 2 and Forza 2: it isn't very fluent. Admittedly Forza 2 is praised for having a very smooth customization system (namely in the vinyls), but I really hope more games have a system along the lines of Midnight Club LA, that game has the best balance of options and customization layout for vinyls in my eyes.

Right now the game has been very bittersweet for me. I like it yet I don't like it. But I will say it has managed to sink its teeth into me pretty well, and I just now realized on odd part about me that I have to ask myself (and possibly others): Why is it that the flawed games (especially gameplay-wise) are the ones that keep me coming back? I mean, the only two games with online that have kept me coming back more than others were Call of Duty 2 and Most Wanted on the 360, and they both had bare-bones online multiplayer.

Posted Jul 30, 2009 10:54 pm PT
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17Jul 09

Recent Album Listenings

Yeah, pretty dull blog, but when you've slept most of the day and can't sleep at night what are you to do?

After Eclipse and Silent Waters I decided to just go out and buy the album without listening to it beforehand, thought I'd at least like it a bit. Well, that's what it turned out to be, I liked a few tracks but the album as a whole just didn't meet my expectations. I love the title track and two opening songs, but the rest really didn't grab me all that much. 2.5/5

Listened to this album quite a bit and it has grown on me to the point that it's likely to be duking it out with several other albums for my favorite album when I decide to try making a new list. Just an interesting and very engaging album, very easy to get more and more into it the more you listen to it. 5/5

This album had a few solid moments, but overall I was very much let down. I've only listened to it once, but it was fairly recent and it didn't leave much of an impression on me (not to mention the story was just disappointing). Tough to really come to a definitive verdict on it other than just a let down. 3/5

Had this album for a while but never gave it a full-on listen, but I did a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Similar to Reign In Blood in that it's brief, fast and aggressive. Now all I have left to try out is Dark Tranquility's The Gallery. 4.5/5

By recommendation from my cousin, which, after listening to, I was glad he brought my attention to it. The first half of the album really stood out to me, but of course the other tracks are also great. Very similar to other bands and albums but retains its own integrity. 4.5/5

Had looked forward to this album for a while and I've listened to it a few times and separate songs pretty frequently. It's a nice stylistic mix of its two predecessors that made for a deadly combination on my ears. 4.5/5

Similar to Slaughter of the Soul, I had put this album off for the longest time and when I finally listened to it, well, let's just say I was shocked to find myself liking it more than The Art of Balance. "Root Bound Apollo" and "Revel In My Loss" are definitely my two favorite tracks but really this album was just like Powerslave all over again (only one less than excellent track that wasn't even bad). 4.75/5

I remember when I first listened to this album my verdict was essentially the same as my verdict for Slumdog Millionaire: good, but not amazing. But I gave it another shot and though I still can't bring myself to saying it quite merits the intense praise it's garnered I was able to appreciate it a lot more. And I never thought another song would rival "Disposable Heroes" for my favorite Metallica song, but hearing "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" this time really drew me in, that intro is simply chilling. 4.5/5

I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this album hoping to finally see why people praise it so much and have been left with the same disappointed verdict upon each of those listens. But after giving it another listen for the first time in a while about a month ago I suddenly managed to enjoy it more, though not to the point that I'd put it above Colony. Though it's been a while since I've listened to anything else by these guys, perhaps a full discography listen is in-line for a new verdict? We'll see. 4/5

Man I need to listen to this band more, even though I also have Rust In Peace I've only heard the two opening tracks (for obvious reasons), I even watched an eleven-part documentary on the band (VH1 hosted the video I think) that kept me interested. But as for this album itself, on the fence of calling it a masterpiece, the only part I didn't like was the cover of "I Ain't Superstitious", Mustaine's voice just doesn't sound right on it. Otherwise, excellent album. 4.25/5

Does anyone else notice a similarity between the main riffs for "Territory" on this album and Dimmu Borgir's "The Serpentine Offering"? That'd be one nasty and interesting lawsuit if ensued. But this album was a pretty interesting listen, namely because of the Brazilian influences coming through here and there on certain tracks amidst the hard-hitting sound of the rest of the album. This isn't to say I didn't like those parts, quite the opposite (a neat, unique way to break the monotony up). Enjoyed the album a lot. 4.25/5

This marks the second Testament album I've listened to, and I gave this one a shot since I became a fan of "Electric Crown" and loved The New Order. After hearing mixed thoughts on this album I was actually interested and this album managed to live up to that word: interesting. It sounded very much like Metallica in spots, but it was still easy to tell it was Testament at heart. I especially love the tracks "Agony" and "Return to Serenity" with "Electric Crown" and "Let Go of My World" being honorable mentions. 3.5/5

I wanted to like this album, but for my first listen of a Chimaira album I didn't get much of a first impression. This album was literally a retread of the feeling I got listening to Judas Priest's album Demolition; it was solid one minute and then lousy the next. 3/5

I had pretty low expectations for this album after hearing "A Light in a Darkened World", "Reckoning" and "Starting Over", and even then the album didn't manage to be enjoyable to me. It was just a complete cliche rehash of an overdone and shameless sound that the band did imply at but at least executed decently enough on As Daylight Dies. Whatever they offer us next better at least be closer to The End of Heartache, because this is just embarrassing. 1.5/5

"War for territory."

Posted Jul 17, 2009 1:33 am PT
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30Jun 09

Film in 2009: First Half

Another night I can't stay asleep (fell asleep at 10:30 just to wake up at 1:40), another blog. You know the drill and format, since we're (already) halfway through the year and since of the MGM releases (movies, games and music) movies are the only ones I've seen enough to really merit a blog's worth, figured let the words spill.

Gran Torino

Okay, technically the film came out last year, but it wasn't released here in the States till the beginning of the year. Though I'm ashamed to admit that the only Eastwood films I've seen outside this one thus far are Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, I'd have the say this film got me interested to check out his earlier work soon. I saw this film with my father in law when I wasn't exactly in the best of moods and it managed to turn me back around nicely, it was comical but not so much that it got in the way of the film's serious nature during points as well. Eastwood makes for an very (though ironically) likable character who sees himself having more in-common with those he initially reviles than his own family. Probably the one universal complaint the film has seen, however, is the acting from the supporting cast, which I personally digress (for the most part). Regardless, I think most can agree that it's a solid film and any film that's semi-serious which can make me feel better after having a down day is at least worth praise in my books. 4.25/5

The International

Here's one of the few times I saw a film without having much interest in it beforehand (my friend and his father wanted to see it, and the previews looked decent enough so I joined), which, in this case didn't turn out to be a particularly wise choice on my behalf. The International is a film which has all the fundamentals of a solid movie present but the final, released product just turns out to be an uneven, unsatisfactory viewing. Arguably the big interest-grabber for the film, the plot, is handled with so little passion that the film spawned plenty of yawns from me. The points in the film where the potential shows signs of coming through are seldom, with the only real exception being the very nicely directed main action scene in the middle of its runtime. Solid sufficiency buried under an uneven package. 2.25/5

Watchmen

One of the many highly anticipated films of the year, I for one had little to no clue of the film going in, having not read or heard anything of it beforehand. That said, the previews did have me interested (if only for the musical piece at the beginning and the Smashing Pumpkins song), and when I went to see the film I'd say it about met my expectations. Obviously Rorschach was the film's highlight, playing what I'd call a vigilante version of Heath Ledger's Joker. But my main issue with the film is, as with many others, the runtime and how it cuts in too much, especially during the middle and end. All told it was a solid film, but not one that left much of a marking on me (or my memory). 3.5/5

Fast & Furious

Though I obviously can't call the series "good", I'd still say I've enjoyed the Fast and the Furious films enough to consider myself a light fan (well, 2 Fast 2 Furious being the clear exception). It was a little odd thinking of what the film would be like going in, since it was coming from the director of Tokyo Drift but looked like it was trying to satisfy fans of the first film more than anything. Thankfully, the film turned out to be a mostly solid viewing, though it's easily forgettable. The premise was decent enough and handled fairly, performances by the main characters were adequate (Walker being the best) and the action was satisfying enough. While I'm sure whenever the next film comes out (since it doesn't exactly end on a conclusive note) I'll see it with others, I'll likely just say that the franchise feels like it's being overproduced for only average rewards. 3.25/5

The Soloist

This, at the time, was my most highly anticipated film of the year, the trailers made it look like something I'd very easily love and enjoy. Sadly, this film just managed to be a big letdown, I wanted to like it but ultimately it amounted to little more than two solid performances in a weak film. Downey Jr. and Foxx managed to fit into their roles very well, almost Oscar nomination-worthy but not quite there. The film missteps too many times, however, namely in the plot progression and detailing of Foxx's character (backstory segments were either adequate or too inconsistent, with the multiple simultaneous voices detracting too much). While I'd say the film is at least passing, I'd be a pretty big liar if I said it warrants a recommendation. 3/5

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The second film released in theaters this year which I saw without intending to beforehand. Since my friend really wanted to see it I figured I'd go see it with him. Now, I've never been a reader of the comics (of anything for that matter), so I had little to hold it to save for the previous X-Men films With that in mind, I'd still say this was a weak film, but it was also entertaining. Jackson once again managed to be likable as Logan/Wolverine, and while his character's struggles feel too streamlined here, he managed to work into his role very well once again. Other characters were fair at best, with half of them feeling like inclusions just for the sake of being included, which did lead to more flaws than benefits (just look at Gambit, film ends with him and Wolverine taking off, so where was he in the original films then?). While I and anyone else could easily complain about the film and its shortcomings, I'm at least glad I was entertained despite all this. 2/5

Star Trek

I have to be honest, until this film came out and started getting good critical reception, I had no intention of seeing it. But after hearing how it was so great and a good starting place for new Trekkies in-the-making, I figured I'd give it a shot. Boy was I glad I saw it, since I was highly entertained throughout. While some have argued that the film is too comical for its own good (which is true to an extent), this is also part of why I enjoyed the film so much: it managed to be light-hearted with enough seriousness scattered throughout to appeal to series newcomers. The action scenes were also very nicely shot, looked great, and the cast of characters was very likable (Simon Pegg was great). If/When Abrams directs and releases a sequel to this film, count me in. 4.25/5

Terminator Salvation

A clear candidate for most surprisingly enjoyable film this year in my books, I thought for sure that I'd hate Terminator Salvation; the previews looked like they'd ruin the series for me. And after seeing it, despite being similar to X-Men Origins in that it's a weak film, I'm relieved and thankful to say that it didn't ruin the series for me and was entertaining. That said, I'd still consider it the weakest film in the now quadrilogy, mainly due to a lack of a strong plot, solid characters (Bale just wasn't that great as John Connor, Worthington and Yelchin were the only real characters as far as I'm concerned) and feeling like a completely pointless addition to the films. Though I might see the film again when it comes out on DVD, it's not one that I'll be buying. 3.5/5

Up

I might as well get this out of the way: Up IS the best film I've seen this year so far. In fact, it actually marks the first full film I've seen in 3D (unless you actually count the T2 3D attraction at Universal Studios), which was a good choice and a joy to see. Many have dubbed this Pixar's best film, which, while not what I'd argue (I'd say Wall-E deserves that award), is still not too much of a stretch; I'd say it's their second best and ties with Ratatouillefor my third favorite with Wall-E and Cars being my personal favorites. As with just about every Pixar film, this one has a lot of charm and down-to-earth honesty amidst its great comedic scenes to make it lovable by just about anyone. Glad I picked this for my first 3D film. 4.5/5

The Hangover

Another film I wasn't so sure of seeing beforehand, but after my friend kept swaying me and seeing high critical reception I gave it a shot, and man was this film a riot. The last time I had a great comedy theater experience like this was back when I first saw Superbad (though Zack and Miri Make a Porno gets a strong honrable mention), which is really saying something for me. Random is definitely that word that can easily be used to describe the events in this film, with the ever-so likable cast going through some...interesting experiences. Crude and deadly like a Jude Apatow film. 4.25/5

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

I saw this film during a midnight showing after I got off work on Tuesday night, and after sticking around to hear what the general reception is, I'm pretty much calling this the second coming of Alien 3 critical reaction-wise. This film has been generating so much hate that I actually find it silly, especially the accusations some have of it being racist (robots talking street slang=racism?). What's odd is that everyone I know personally who's seen the film all enjoyed it and agree it's better than the first film. Granted, it's still severely flawed (plot progression, acting, runtime dragging on, some unnecessary charcter inclusions, sudden ending, the lsit goes on), but the very much improved action sequences, greater sense of urgency, more substantial (though poorly implemented) plot and more screentime given to the transformers all helped the film be entertaining and feel better than the first. 3.75/5

That's all for now folks.

Posted Jun 30, 2009 12:18 am PT
Category: N/A
3 Comments

27Jun 09

The Fallen & The Nostalgia

Tuesday after I got off work a few minutes early I wound up walking to my nearest movie theater (car had a flat) to see the midnight showing of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. My thoughts? I'd say it's better than the first even though it's still severely flawed (me and my friends pretty much agree unanimously). If you want my full thoughts, you check out my review here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055369/usercomments-159

I also decided to go buy two more games that I used to play all the time a few years back: NFS Underground 1 & 2. I originally bought both for the Xbox but had to get the first one on the PS2 since only the second one is compatible with the Xbox 360. I managed to beat the first game in just a couple sittings, and it managed to be an almost exact re-living of when I had the game...both in the good and bad ways. On one hand, the game is very exciting, the visuals still hold up relatively well and the car customization is still very satisfying. However, it also exhibits practically every problem I have with every racing game (well, arcade racing games anyways). The traffic is always in the worst areas (coming out in a scripted fashion during drag races, very horrible design choice), some of the circuit races drag are just too long for a game of this nature, and the rubberband AI is so uneven and at times horrible (one crashed into my from behind so fast that I literally got a good scare from it). The AI is either a complete joke or just becomes impossible to keep up with (though these points weren't too often they still stood out); I'd put out a whole tank of nitrous and still be the same distance behind an opponent (who, when ahead of you most of the time never make any mistakes) and too many times (as with other racing games) they decide to make a boost ahead of me during one of the last laps (for what I always say "procrastinating, are we?").

Outside of that though, the game is still fun but I'll likely spend more time on Underground 2 since it has more customization and, if I remember correctly, had a longer single player mode.

Me and my friend also decided to rent and watch a film last night (shamelessly): Love Actually. I remember first seeing it when it came out on DVD a few years ago and I still liked it as much as then, lightly comical and very charming, love the cast too, we both enjoyed it. I also decided to buy The Sandlot since it's one of my childhood favorites and it was only $5. Talk about a steal.

Anywho, I'm listening to some Amorphis and anything else that comes up, long live metal and music in-general!

Posted Jun 27, 2009 3:38 am PT
Category: N/A
4 Comments

23Jun 09

Purchase Contemplation

Now that I'm free of college for (close to) two months, my hours at work are almost guaranteed to increase to the point where I can see myself heading back to the $200-ish weekly pay I had at this point a year ago (when I worked 1-12 one night and then 5:30-2:30 the very next morning/day). And since I've been able to (barely) make it with $90-$110 a week the past year I've actually been thinking of a possible upcoming purchase before I start my second Fall semester. Currently I'm left weighing in on one of the following options:

PSP-3000

I've strangely been wanting to buy a PSP for the past few months (I did own two back when it first launched but not many games or movies on it enticed me at the time, now it's changed a little). I do remember it being a very nice, nifty device and, had it not been for the fact I was less than as tech-knowledgable as I am now, likely would've never sold it. What mostly has me drawn to it right now is that it's a nice-looking device (obviously), has seen plenty of (supposed) improvements since its first generation, more content has been released for it and, again, I'm a bit more tech savvy than before (though I'm not much better with tech than I am with cars, mostly what I know are basics, little else). Of the options I'm giving myself, this would be the cheapest.

And to answer the question I'm sure anyone reading this might have, I don't by any means intend to buy a PSP Go, it simply has too many shortcomings in my eyes. For one, I don't like the way it looks when you slide the control pad out, it doesn't have a second analog nub, Sony really haven't made any promise/guarantee that previously released content will be available for purchase on it (whether via download or off UMD transfer), and 16 GB of memory isn't very much since UMD's can hold close to 2 GB each. Though if I don't make a purchase by the time it's released and it yields good reviews I might look into it but as of now, I'm not enticed.

iPhone 3G S

Similar to the PSP, I've gradually been getting curious of the iPhone, only difference is that I've never owned one before. What's drawn me to this model is that it's far cheaper than the iPhone was when it was first released, the features are starting to appeal to me a bit more now, its touted speed improvement got my attention and, given the almost universal critical praise, it does seem like a worthwhile purchase. That said, I have yet to actually get my hands on one of these babies and touchscreens are something I haven't been too keen on idea/concept-wise and feature-heavy devices like these don't hold very much space, which is gradually becoming more prominent for me (one reason I bought a new Zune a few months ago was because it holds 120 GB). If I do decide to get an iPhone/iTouch it'll be a risky purchase from my current viewpoint.

Zune HD

I'm sure just about anyone reading this will tell me that the Zune HD should be my last option, since about everywhere I go everyone bad-mouths Zune products. Granted, I've never exactly been much of a Microsoft fan, though they do tend to make the products I wind up sticking with the most, so I guess that says something (in both a good and bad way). Right now not too much has been revealed of the Zune save for features, but what might make or break it for me is the price and storage. As I already mentioned, storage is important to me and, if something like a Zune, iPod or iPhone doesn't have at least 30 GB then I'm going to have a hard time looking at it for a purchase (and even 30 GB is small for me). As for price, well, it's pretty obvious with these economic times and one reason I immediately looked away from the iPhone when first released was the absurd $499-$599 price range. I've had some low points with the three Zunes I've owned in the past (namely battery life issues), but all told I've found them good products, which is part of why the Zune HD has my attention.

It's a tough call of which if the above I'll buy, if at all, which is why I posted this blog, I'd like to know from anyone reading this which of these I should get if I do get the spare change or if I should just ignore all of them.

Let me hear it.

Posted Jun 23, 2009 1:10 am PT
Category: N/A
6 Comments

22Jun 09

Well, Wouldn't You Know It?

Here's something I can't believe I'm doing...listening to Job For a Cowboy (new album Ruination)...and I'm able to tolerate it...I'm even kind of digging it. I can't believe the day has come that this band isn't completely repulsive to my ears.

Anyways, I took my final exam today and it wasn't too bad (ironically, the multiple choice questions were the toughest part), and I got a 92 on my term paper (did it on Pontiac-history and why it was shuttered out) and got $90 for two books on the book buy-back.

But on the flip-side, my father-in-law Dale, neighbor Todd and I tried to get my flat tire off my car but even with extra stuff from our garages we weren't able to get a single screw/cap off the rim (more than likely because they're custom rims). Todd did manage to find the hole, which we decided to close off with...Slim Jim, fill with some stuff to keep it from leaking more air and then filled it back up (didn't hear any hissing after doing so). My plan tomorrow before heading to work is, assuming my tire at least has some air, to drive to a GoodYear that's barely a mile away, ask them for the price to fix/replace the tire and to put the spare so I can come back later and pay for the tire.

I might also see a midnight showing of Tranformers 2 tomorrow night after work (if I get out early enough since I'll likely be stuck there till 12), serve as my first real taste of summer.

Posted Jun 22, 2009 6:19 pm PT
Category: N/A
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