Today was just another ordinary day, in the Second month, of my Second semester, of my Sophomore year, of College. Notice, I've capitalized all the words that emphasize the fact that, not only have I been going to school for the last 13 years of my life, but I'm also more than half way done with my 14th year. That just makes the fact that today in my discussion, we had the Plagiarism talk, again, all that much more ridiculous.
As anyone who's been to school since middle school, arguably elementary school, knows, Plagiarism is bad. For some god awful reason, in every single class, in every single grade since I can remember, the teacher has had the Plagiarism talk, or the Plagiarism hand out. I know, Plagiarism is bad, and if I do it, I'm going to get in trouble. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that. But what nobody seems to realize, is that much like drugs, if people are going to do it, they're going to do it regardless of whether you warn them against it or not. It's not like I didn't understand the need for the refresher lecture when I got to college, but when I've gotten the exact same spiel in almost every single class for the last year and a half, I think I've deserved the right to comment on the idiocy of it.
If everyone is concerned that plagiarism is going to be that big of a deal, make everybody take a mandatory class that has plagiarism covered in it. That way, everyone takes the class, and doesn't have to hear about it again. As it stands now, it becomes one of those things, where if they keep shouting, "Don't Plagiarize! Don't Plagiarize!" at us, eventually we're just going to stop listening. And unless you want more students to stop listening to their teachers, that would be an outcome to avoid. There's really not much more to say. I don't need another teacher to tell me how bad I'm going to get it if I get caught plagiarizing my sophomore year in college. If I've gotten this far, and I plagiarize and I've never been caught? Chances are that it's become an integral part of my writing, and I'll never be a good writer without it. So then do you punish me, the student who's been plagiarizing for years without getting caught? Or all the teachers and the system that have let me get away with it?
It's a circular problem. Either the problem isn't there, or it is there and your little speech about how I'm going to flunk out of college if I get caught isn't going to do jack either way. So please, teachers, save it. Don't lecture me about something that you can't possibly affect. Maybe just go back to what you're getting paid to do, and teach me something. Or at least mark the day you're going to lecture about Plagiarism so I can sleep a little longer.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Review: Mass Effect 2
Over the summer I was lucky enough to pick up Mass Effect 1 from my friend, after being told multiple times that this was one of those must play games, that I had missed when it launched due to lack of a Xbox 360. So I played it through, and while it was definitely a good game story wise, a few elements, namely the inventory system and planet exploration system needed a little retuning.
If it sounds like I didn't like the game, I bought the DLC for it, and I don't even own the game. It was definitely worth playing, if not solely for the chance to play the game through as the paragon hero saving lives or as a renegade vigilante punishing the wicked. Being able to determine if one of your character lives or dies is one of the highlights of this system, but also knowing that decisions I made in this game would have ramifications that would echo into the next game in the series was just one of those things that made making hard decisions that much harder.
I heard great things about Mass Effect 2, regarding the refined inventory system, the improved exploration system, and the epic-ness of the story. Great things indeed. Not 10 minutes in to this new game you can tell that the game has transcended its past life, into an entirely new game, leaving the bad, taking the good, and filling in all the missing spots with something akin to video game gold. The way they linked the story of the first to the second, as well as the new path that they lead the series down builds upon the what-I-thought-was galaxy exploring greatness and takes it to an entirely new level of galaxy exploring grandeur.
Importing my save game from the original, I was able to see the ramifications of each and every decision I made, whether it was in an email from someone I helped, doing a side mission for someone from the first game, or even just overhearing someone talking about my past actions. Knowing that every decision I made really made me think about a few choices I had to make, but with the introduction of the new paragon/renegade trigger actions during conversations, made me make a few decisions that I had to jump on. Some I regret, some I regret missing, but all in all I can't say the spot opportunities didn't make the game that much more enticing to play.(Hint: Because it did.)
To avoid any spoilers, I'll say in this game, the fate of the galaxy rests on your head, and whether you half ass it or go the distance to gain your team's loyalty is going to make all the difference in the world. Or galaxy. Whatever. You get what I'm saying. The game isn't perfect, and personally I'd like a few more changes to the inventory system; That being every teenage boy's problem, I want more guns. The new system is definitely an improvement from the inventory clutter and resource hunting tediousness of the first game, but now there's a lack of inventory, and a different kind of resource hunting tediousness.
The weapon selection is somewhat limited, gaining one or two types of gun in the game, the second gun being only marginally better than the first, with the main method of obtaining a better gun through finding different upgrade modules, and researching different upgrades. So while yes, by finding all these nameless, shapeless upgrades, and spending resources found through tedious planet hopping you can get a better weapon, but personally I like it that much better when you can just go out and buy a shiny new gun that looks all BA and new, with credits that you get from killing bad guys. The game has structure. A lot of it. One might argue too much, but it's not to the point where it detracts from the game. In fact seeing that Mission Complete screen is pretty great after a long mission.
If you remotely like 3rd Person Shooters with RPG and Sci-Fi Elements, and like the pressure of the fate of an entire galaxy on your shoulders, this game is your bread and butter, just like it was for me. Hell, it's even got re-playability not only being able to import your ME1 save game, but your completed ME2 save game as well! Sure, it's not perfect, but if you look at how much better they made ME2 than they made ME1, I'm scared for how good ME3 is going to be. I'm giving ME2 a 9.5/10. Definitely one of the contenders for Game of the Year 2010.
If it sounds like I didn't like the game, I bought the DLC for it, and I don't even own the game. It was definitely worth playing, if not solely for the chance to play the game through as the paragon hero saving lives or as a renegade vigilante punishing the wicked. Being able to determine if one of your character lives or dies is one of the highlights of this system, but also knowing that decisions I made in this game would have ramifications that would echo into the next game in the series was just one of those things that made making hard decisions that much harder.
I heard great things about Mass Effect 2, regarding the refined inventory system, the improved exploration system, and the epic-ness of the story. Great things indeed. Not 10 minutes in to this new game you can tell that the game has transcended its past life, into an entirely new game, leaving the bad, taking the good, and filling in all the missing spots with something akin to video game gold. The way they linked the story of the first to the second, as well as the new path that they lead the series down builds upon the what-I-thought-was galaxy exploring greatness and takes it to an entirely new level of galaxy exploring grandeur.
Importing my save game from the original, I was able to see the ramifications of each and every decision I made, whether it was in an email from someone I helped, doing a side mission for someone from the first game, or even just overhearing someone talking about my past actions. Knowing that every decision I made really made me think about a few choices I had to make, but with the introduction of the new paragon/renegade trigger actions during conversations, made me make a few decisions that I had to jump on. Some I regret, some I regret missing, but all in all I can't say the spot opportunities didn't make the game that much more enticing to play.(Hint: Because it did.)
To avoid any spoilers, I'll say in this game, the fate of the galaxy rests on your head, and whether you half ass it or go the distance to gain your team's loyalty is going to make all the difference in the world. Or galaxy. Whatever. You get what I'm saying. The game isn't perfect, and personally I'd like a few more changes to the inventory system; That being every teenage boy's problem, I want more guns. The new system is definitely an improvement from the inventory clutter and resource hunting tediousness of the first game, but now there's a lack of inventory, and a different kind of resource hunting tediousness.
The weapon selection is somewhat limited, gaining one or two types of gun in the game, the second gun being only marginally better than the first, with the main method of obtaining a better gun through finding different upgrade modules, and researching different upgrades. So while yes, by finding all these nameless, shapeless upgrades, and spending resources found through tedious planet hopping you can get a better weapon, but personally I like it that much better when you can just go out and buy a shiny new gun that looks all BA and new, with credits that you get from killing bad guys. The game has structure. A lot of it. One might argue too much, but it's not to the point where it detracts from the game. In fact seeing that Mission Complete screen is pretty great after a long mission.
If you remotely like 3rd Person Shooters with RPG and Sci-Fi Elements, and like the pressure of the fate of an entire galaxy on your shoulders, this game is your bread and butter, just like it was for me. Hell, it's even got re-playability not only being able to import your ME1 save game, but your completed ME2 save game as well! Sure, it's not perfect, but if you look at how much better they made ME2 than they made ME1, I'm scared for how good ME3 is going to be. I'm giving ME2 a 9.5/10. Definitely one of the contenders for Game of the Year 2010.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Conan
I've been Team Coco as long as I can remember. Way back in the day, whenever I found the time, or remembered, I'd tune into Late Night with Conan O'Brien. And whenever I caught the end of Jay Leno, I'd just get that look on my face. You know the one. The one when you just took a swig of milk, and you're not quite sure if it's spoiled or not; But you drink it anyway, cause it's your milk. Then Conan would come on, with his String Dance, and Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7, and the show would go off from there. As I said, I didn't tune in regularly but when I did, I thought it was always well done and I loved it.
So when I heard Conan was taking over the Tonight Show, I knew he'd earned it, and though I might not watch, I knew Conan deserved it, and that though, it takes time for audiences to adapt to their new host, they would eventually come to love him as I had. NBC didn't give him that time. I love a lot of shows on NBC, but they blew it on this one. They gave Conan three years of low-ish ratings at the beginning of Late Night, but because of their mistake with Leno, they cut him out of his dream job a mere seven months after giving him that spot. I was fully on Conan's side since I heard about this issue. He deserved the spot, and by trying to push him back to play the ratings game with Jay Leno, they blew it. Now Conan's going to walk with the late night community he developed over to another network, and I don't blame him. In his Letter to the World, seen here, he was gracious and thoughtfully and genuinely displayed his thoughts on the matter for everyone to read. I agreed with him on every point.
The Media coverage that followed him his last couple weeks as host was nothing short of ubiquitous, and on both Twitter and Digg.com, Team Conan or Team Coco topics were always at the top of the chart. I declared my loyalty on Twitter, and did my due diligence digging Pro-Coco related arguments on Digg at every opportunity, but the support of myself along with what seemed like tens of thousands of internet goers was not enough to change NBC's mind regarding changing his time slot, eventually forcing Conan to leave the network.
I just watched Conan's last episode as the host of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, (for those who missed it you can check it out here,) and it was fantastic. He took a few pot shots here and there at the network, but at the end graciously and earnestly thanked NBC for the opportunity to do the job he loved so much. Then he proceeded to blow everyone's mind by playing guitar behind Will Ferrell during his rendition of Free Bird. If there's a better way to go out than that, it has yet to be done. So, here's to you Conan. May you have a joyous and peaceful seven months off with NBC's 33 million dollars, but I for one, am expecting you to be back this fall. Fox? Cable? I don't care. But I want my Coco back, because I know that even if I can't watch every night, some day some kid will tune in and you'll make him or her laugh with your smart humor just as you did with me when I was their age.
Thanks for everything Conan, and godspeed.
So when I heard Conan was taking over the Tonight Show, I knew he'd earned it, and though I might not watch, I knew Conan deserved it, and that though, it takes time for audiences to adapt to their new host, they would eventually come to love him as I had. NBC didn't give him that time. I love a lot of shows on NBC, but they blew it on this one. They gave Conan three years of low-ish ratings at the beginning of Late Night, but because of their mistake with Leno, they cut him out of his dream job a mere seven months after giving him that spot. I was fully on Conan's side since I heard about this issue. He deserved the spot, and by trying to push him back to play the ratings game with Jay Leno, they blew it. Now Conan's going to walk with the late night community he developed over to another network, and I don't blame him. In his Letter to the World, seen here, he was gracious and thoughtfully and genuinely displayed his thoughts on the matter for everyone to read. I agreed with him on every point.
The Media coverage that followed him his last couple weeks as host was nothing short of ubiquitous, and on both Twitter and Digg.com, Team Conan or Team Coco topics were always at the top of the chart. I declared my loyalty on Twitter, and did my due diligence digging Pro-Coco related arguments on Digg at every opportunity, but the support of myself along with what seemed like tens of thousands of internet goers was not enough to change NBC's mind regarding changing his time slot, eventually forcing Conan to leave the network.
I just watched Conan's last episode as the host of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, (for those who missed it you can check it out here,) and it was fantastic. He took a few pot shots here and there at the network, but at the end graciously and earnestly thanked NBC for the opportunity to do the job he loved so much. Then he proceeded to blow everyone's mind by playing guitar behind Will Ferrell during his rendition of Free Bird. If there's a better way to go out than that, it has yet to be done. So, here's to you Conan. May you have a joyous and peaceful seven months off with NBC's 33 million dollars, but I for one, am expecting you to be back this fall. Fox? Cable? I don't care. But I want my Coco back, because I know that even if I can't watch every night, some day some kid will tune in and you'll make him or her laugh with your smart humor just as you did with me when I was their age.
Thanks for everything Conan, and godspeed.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Review: Avatar in IMAX 3D
Wowzers. What an experience. You'll often hear talk of the fabled IMAX Experience, a situation where the viewer themself is fully suspended in the realm of disbelief and the sights and sound bring the movie to life. This movie is the closest they have ever come to that.
From the commercials pretty much everyone can glean the gist of the story. Boy loses use of legs, boy goes to alien planet, boy takes control of his own alien body, boy as alien meets girl alien, boy alien and girl alien fall in love, boy turns against his own civilization. I'm sorry if that was too detailed and spoiled things. I've heard all sorts of criticisms for the story being too "generic" and whatnot, but here I stand firm, that those people can shove it.
Yeah, the basic story is generic, but you look at how many movies can be broken down the same way, and you'll realize that the story is more about the little nuances than the generalities. The world that James Cameron has created in this movie is for lack of a better word, epic. He has built a future, and a new planet, and somehow makes the viewer feel that this whole scenario wouldn't be too much of a stretch. I thought to myself, "Well okay, this is in the future, and on another planet, but other than that it seems real enough," which is exactly how you're supposed to feel. And I don't know if it was the IMAX or the 3D or the combination of the two, but boy were those graphics good. I never once thought, "Oh look how fake that blue person looks!" The entire movie was so polished and shiny you could have eaten off of it.
On the way back, my friend Beckett and I were talking, and he gleaned a pearl of wisdom. He said that when you make a movie like this, you need to put your heart and soul into it, and that is exactly what James Cameron did. He had this idea, waited till the technology he needed to make it was in place, and then went the extra mile and made the technology that he didn't have, before he made this movie. It shows. The billion dollars he's made since opening day goes to show how much audiences like this movie. This story he's made, along with the world he's made to house the story are both brilliant. The vibrant world he explores throughout the movie was so realistic, a few times, during some of the full view shots, I caught myself asking, "Where did they film this? No way they rendered this entire landscape."
James Cameron has set the bar for creating new worlds in this soon to be prevalent media of 3D. Throughout the movie I kept trying to ask myself, what would I give this? and the answer kept moving up as the story went along. So, what would I give this? 9/10. Do yourself a favor, go and see this in IMAX 3D, not in movie theater 2D. You'll be glad you did. And maybe bring some Advil just in case you get a headache from the sheer AWESOMENESS and/or glasses.
From the commercials pretty much everyone can glean the gist of the story. Boy loses use of legs, boy goes to alien planet, boy takes control of his own alien body, boy as alien meets girl alien, boy alien and girl alien fall in love, boy turns against his own civilization. I'm sorry if that was too detailed and spoiled things. I've heard all sorts of criticisms for the story being too "generic" and whatnot, but here I stand firm, that those people can shove it.
Yeah, the basic story is generic, but you look at how many movies can be broken down the same way, and you'll realize that the story is more about the little nuances than the generalities. The world that James Cameron has created in this movie is for lack of a better word, epic. He has built a future, and a new planet, and somehow makes the viewer feel that this whole scenario wouldn't be too much of a stretch. I thought to myself, "Well okay, this is in the future, and on another planet, but other than that it seems real enough," which is exactly how you're supposed to feel. And I don't know if it was the IMAX or the 3D or the combination of the two, but boy were those graphics good. I never once thought, "Oh look how fake that blue person looks!" The entire movie was so polished and shiny you could have eaten off of it.
On the way back, my friend Beckett and I were talking, and he gleaned a pearl of wisdom. He said that when you make a movie like this, you need to put your heart and soul into it, and that is exactly what James Cameron did. He had this idea, waited till the technology he needed to make it was in place, and then went the extra mile and made the technology that he didn't have, before he made this movie. It shows. The billion dollars he's made since opening day goes to show how much audiences like this movie. This story he's made, along with the world he's made to house the story are both brilliant. The vibrant world he explores throughout the movie was so realistic, a few times, during some of the full view shots, I caught myself asking, "Where did they film this? No way they rendered this entire landscape."
James Cameron has set the bar for creating new worlds in this soon to be prevalent media of 3D. Throughout the movie I kept trying to ask myself, what would I give this? and the answer kept moving up as the story went along. So, what would I give this? 9/10. Do yourself a favor, go and see this in IMAX 3D, not in movie theater 2D. You'll be glad you did. And maybe bring some Advil just in case you get a headache from the sheer AWESOMENESS and/or glasses.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Review: Daybreakers
Today I went to go see Daybreakers. You've probably all seen the commercials, with Ethan Hawke doing stuff with that guy from Jurassic Park, with a narrator saying that all the blood is going to run out soon. That's really the movie in a nutshell, no big surprises or twists here.
However, I liked this movie. I would recommend you see this movie. This is not your little sisters vampire movie. If you are sick of all this BS Twilight nonsense; If you think that Vampires should not glimmer, sparkle, shine, or shimmer when they walk into sunlight, but instead BURST INTO FLAMES, go see this movie. Otherwise, go read another horrible romance novel. In a time where it's become common place to not only like vampires, but actually have crushes on vampires, this movie is a step back in the right direction. No more of this Vampires and Humans living together crap, but a return to the glorious Vampire vs. Human days of old. There's a couple, not a lot, of big action sequences, and none of that martial arts badassery from Blade, but enough for you fight jockeys out there to be somewhat captivated. However, there is gore galore. It comes and goes in clumps, but when it's there, there is a lot of it, which I liked, as it cemented the non-kiddie attitude of the movie in my mind. The story is pretty straight forward, but it does have a few twists and turns along the way so you can't call the end of the movie from the outset. Well okay, maybe you can, but you might be psychic, and it's really the ride that counts isn't it?
Anyway, I don't want to give too much away, but if you like gore, vampires that burst into flames, the occasional jump out of your seat moment, and a nice storyline, I would say this movie is right up your alley, and on a whole, a solid 7/10.
However, I liked this movie. I would recommend you see this movie. This is not your little sisters vampire movie. If you are sick of all this BS Twilight nonsense; If you think that Vampires should not glimmer, sparkle, shine, or shimmer when they walk into sunlight, but instead BURST INTO FLAMES, go see this movie. Otherwise, go read another horrible romance novel. In a time where it's become common place to not only like vampires, but actually have crushes on vampires, this movie is a step back in the right direction. No more of this Vampires and Humans living together crap, but a return to the glorious Vampire vs. Human days of old. There's a couple, not a lot, of big action sequences, and none of that martial arts badassery from Blade, but enough for you fight jockeys out there to be somewhat captivated. However, there is gore galore. It comes and goes in clumps, but when it's there, there is a lot of it, which I liked, as it cemented the non-kiddie attitude of the movie in my mind. The story is pretty straight forward, but it does have a few twists and turns along the way so you can't call the end of the movie from the outset. Well okay, maybe you can, but you might be psychic, and it's really the ride that counts isn't it?
Anyway, I don't want to give too much away, but if you like gore, vampires that burst into flames, the occasional jump out of your seat moment, and a nice storyline, I would say this movie is right up your alley, and on a whole, a solid 7/10.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Life and Times of Jacob Paul
A while back, I wrote a blog post and in the aftermath of it I received a request. This is that request.
Jacob Paul, lovingly called Kril by his friends, graduated the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the year 2012, shortly before the supposed "end of the world," with Magna Cum Laude honors, majoring in Political Science, and minoring in Education. The summer after his senior year in college was an eventful one, with numerous parties and trips with graduated friends. However, his habits of drinking and smoking entered into a downward spiral and when all his friends moved on to jobs, or returned to school, Kril was left to find solace in drugs. After almost a year of living in and out of homeless shelters, with no material possessions besides that of his trusty guitar, and the occasional bottle of alcohol, Kril cleaned himself up with the help and guidance of his friend, Jim Redding.
Seizing this new lease on life, Kril traveled to Canada, where he had spent some time during his year in filth, and tried out for Calgary Junior Hockey C League, where he was signed to a one year contract for the McKnight Mustangs, but this was only the beginning off his rise. Following a stellar season, filled with numerous apple and ginos, Kril was passed up from team to team, eventually coming to the pinnacle of the CHL, leading the Calgary Hitmen to one of their franchise best seasons, before getting picked up by the Boston Bruins. Kril lead the B's to 3 consecutive victories for the Stanley Cup over former teammates on the Canadiens, the team rival the Flyers, and the dominating prowess of the Penguins. Tragically in his fourth season, he received a career ending injury in the form of a skate to his right leg, cutting numerous muscles, and breaking his tibia, and fibula.
A shining star on the rise, Kril was left with money from contracts which would sustain him until he found a new line of work. Eventually moving down to Charlottesville, Virginia, seeking answers of what to do with his life in a place which gave a start to his long time idol, Dave Matthews. After finding a small apartment, and settling in, Kril began playing open mic night at a bar called Miller's. Months later, an aged and wisened Matthews, visiting the bar where he bartended in his youth, stumbled upon Kril and his musical abilities. Meeting his idol, a lifetime dream, would have satiated the now mature Kril, but when Matthews decided to jam with Kril, he thought it could get no better. He thought wrong.
Kril was subsequently invited to Matthew's personal studio, where he not only played on tracks for Matthews latest solo album, but was also aided by Matthews' guiding hand, and ear, in producing his first solo album. This album hit the top of the charts and stayed there for almost three months, putting Kril in the spotlight and attracting to him, his long time love interest, Miley Cyrus. They met in the studio, Cyrus being pulled in by Matthews to duet with Kril on one of the songs for his new album. They hit it off, and after a long period of courting, they became engaged in 2025, marrying shortly after.
Kril had finally made it. His idol, Dave Matthews; his long time crush, Miley Cyrus; And boatloads of cash from his years as an NHL and Musical superstar. He settled down with Miley and together they had three children, named after three of the most inspirational, and important people in Kril's life. Kril, Miley, and their children James, Megan, and David now live in L.A. where they attend private schools.
Jacob Paul, lovingly called Kril by his friends, graduated the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the year 2012, shortly before the supposed "end of the world," with Magna Cum Laude honors, majoring in Political Science, and minoring in Education. The summer after his senior year in college was an eventful one, with numerous parties and trips with graduated friends. However, his habits of drinking and smoking entered into a downward spiral and when all his friends moved on to jobs, or returned to school, Kril was left to find solace in drugs. After almost a year of living in and out of homeless shelters, with no material possessions besides that of his trusty guitar, and the occasional bottle of alcohol, Kril cleaned himself up with the help and guidance of his friend, Jim Redding.
Seizing this new lease on life, Kril traveled to Canada, where he had spent some time during his year in filth, and tried out for Calgary Junior Hockey C League, where he was signed to a one year contract for the McKnight Mustangs, but this was only the beginning off his rise. Following a stellar season, filled with numerous apple and ginos, Kril was passed up from team to team, eventually coming to the pinnacle of the CHL, leading the Calgary Hitmen to one of their franchise best seasons, before getting picked up by the Boston Bruins. Kril lead the B's to 3 consecutive victories for the Stanley Cup over former teammates on the Canadiens, the team rival the Flyers, and the dominating prowess of the Penguins. Tragically in his fourth season, he received a career ending injury in the form of a skate to his right leg, cutting numerous muscles, and breaking his tibia, and fibula.
A shining star on the rise, Kril was left with money from contracts which would sustain him until he found a new line of work. Eventually moving down to Charlottesville, Virginia, seeking answers of what to do with his life in a place which gave a start to his long time idol, Dave Matthews. After finding a small apartment, and settling in, Kril began playing open mic night at a bar called Miller's. Months later, an aged and wisened Matthews, visiting the bar where he bartended in his youth, stumbled upon Kril and his musical abilities. Meeting his idol, a lifetime dream, would have satiated the now mature Kril, but when Matthews decided to jam with Kril, he thought it could get no better. He thought wrong.
Kril was subsequently invited to Matthew's personal studio, where he not only played on tracks for Matthews latest solo album, but was also aided by Matthews' guiding hand, and ear, in producing his first solo album. This album hit the top of the charts and stayed there for almost three months, putting Kril in the spotlight and attracting to him, his long time love interest, Miley Cyrus. They met in the studio, Cyrus being pulled in by Matthews to duet with Kril on one of the songs for his new album. They hit it off, and after a long period of courting, they became engaged in 2025, marrying shortly after.
Kril had finally made it. His idol, Dave Matthews; his long time crush, Miley Cyrus; And boatloads of cash from his years as an NHL and Musical superstar. He settled down with Miley and together they had three children, named after three of the most inspirational, and important people in Kril's life. Kril, Miley, and their children James, Megan, and David now live in L.A. where they attend private schools.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Very Late VGA Trailer Breakdown
From time to time, I very much enjoy nerding out. Unlike the Hulk I don't have to get angry, but instead my interest must be piqued. So from time to time when this happens, I'm going to bring the nerd. Enjoy.
Couple weeks back, The Video Game Awards on Spike occurred, for lack of a better word, and though the show has been ripped on in the past, the trailers that emerged this year have brought much joy to gamers throughout the world. Or America. Anyway here are a couple of thoughts on some of the trailers.
Halo: Reach. Being a HUGE Halo fan - I've got the games, and the books. Yeah I'm hardcore. - The Reach trailer was much anticipated. It did not disappoint. The score, highlighted on Bungie.net, was excellent, and that little taste the in-game cinema gave left me wanting, neigh, needing more. Since I purchased Halo 3: ODST, I have my key to the Reach beta all ready and waiting when it drops this spring, but even the small glimpses of these new characters has whetted my appetite enough to know that whenever this game comes out, I will be getting it.
Batman: Arkham Asylum 2. Now, anyone that knows me, knows I love comic books, and those who know me well know I prefer DC over Marvel. So when Arkham Asylum 1 came out this fall, and it didn't suck like every game prior, I purchased it and I was not disappointed. The first game was stunning with the free flow combat, and excellent storyline and use of Batman's Rogues' Gallery. This new look at a post-first game Joker, and the Asylum in the heart of the City of Gotham, filled with mayhem and the possibility of sandbox-esque game play has left me with another 60 dollars owed to the proprietor of a video game dispensing outlet.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. I borrowed and played the first game almost a year ago, and being a huge Star Wars geek, was certainly satisfied with the game. The DLC that has come out since has almost convinced me into buying the Ultimate Sith edition, with all of it being included. It had new characters that captured my imagination, and reeled me into a new realm of the Star Wars Universe. That being said, with the end of the last game I thought my ride was over. With this trailer emerging, I am right back on board. How they'll link it to the last game? I don't know. But I'm sure the people working for George Lucas will figure it out. With no gameplay to faun over, I can only say that the idea of another Force Unleashed game has certainly sparked my imagination on where they will go, when it will happen and all sorts of other possibilities. Buy this, I will.
Tron: Evolution. Oh, Tron. Your 80's awesomeness still affects me to this day. With your new movie coming out I am certainly interested in this new story you're pursuing, but nonetheless I know how your games have done in the past (e.g. epic failure). So, yes, while your trailer is shiny and clean, I'll wait till I hear some more about the story and gameplay till I say yay or ney on this purchase.
Mass Effect 2. Another game I borrowed and played the original, but this trailer clearly has a little more of its story fleshed out. The cinematic trailer in full (as opposed to the first 3/4 shown at the VGA's) is a beautiful creation, and if I could buy tickets, and watch a movie filled with that kind of cinematic brilliance, I would have already pre-ordered them on Fandango. This game is clearly going to be epic storywise, and with the addition of new characters and worlds, and bringing in the decisions made from the first game (if you played it) this is definitely a must buy.
The few other trailers there were, were not enough to merit any paragraph writing, either because I haven't played the games prior, and thus feel unqualified to write upon them, or because they sucked. I'll bet you can figure it out if you take a look. This link here has most of the trailers mentioned above, with the others not mentioned above, but a simple Google search should be enough to find them on your own.
So thanks for indulging me nerding out for a bit, I'll be back to nonsensical amusement next time, I assure you! Bye!
Couple weeks back, The Video Game Awards on Spike occurred, for lack of a better word, and though the show has been ripped on in the past, the trailers that emerged this year have brought much joy to gamers throughout the world. Or America. Anyway here are a couple of thoughts on some of the trailers.
Halo: Reach. Being a HUGE Halo fan - I've got the games, and the books. Yeah I'm hardcore. - The Reach trailer was much anticipated. It did not disappoint. The score, highlighted on Bungie.net, was excellent, and that little taste the in-game cinema gave left me wanting, neigh, needing more. Since I purchased Halo 3: ODST, I have my key to the Reach beta all ready and waiting when it drops this spring, but even the small glimpses of these new characters has whetted my appetite enough to know that whenever this game comes out, I will be getting it.
Batman: Arkham Asylum 2. Now, anyone that knows me, knows I love comic books, and those who know me well know I prefer DC over Marvel. So when Arkham Asylum 1 came out this fall, and it didn't suck like every game prior, I purchased it and I was not disappointed. The first game was stunning with the free flow combat, and excellent storyline and use of Batman's Rogues' Gallery. This new look at a post-first game Joker, and the Asylum in the heart of the City of Gotham, filled with mayhem and the possibility of sandbox-esque game play has left me with another 60 dollars owed to the proprietor of a video game dispensing outlet.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. I borrowed and played the first game almost a year ago, and being a huge Star Wars geek, was certainly satisfied with the game. The DLC that has come out since has almost convinced me into buying the Ultimate Sith edition, with all of it being included. It had new characters that captured my imagination, and reeled me into a new realm of the Star Wars Universe. That being said, with the end of the last game I thought my ride was over. With this trailer emerging, I am right back on board. How they'll link it to the last game? I don't know. But I'm sure the people working for George Lucas will figure it out. With no gameplay to faun over, I can only say that the idea of another Force Unleashed game has certainly sparked my imagination on where they will go, when it will happen and all sorts of other possibilities. Buy this, I will.
Tron: Evolution. Oh, Tron. Your 80's awesomeness still affects me to this day. With your new movie coming out I am certainly interested in this new story you're pursuing, but nonetheless I know how your games have done in the past (e.g. epic failure). So, yes, while your trailer is shiny and clean, I'll wait till I hear some more about the story and gameplay till I say yay or ney on this purchase.
Mass Effect 2. Another game I borrowed and played the original, but this trailer clearly has a little more of its story fleshed out. The cinematic trailer in full (as opposed to the first 3/4 shown at the VGA's) is a beautiful creation, and if I could buy tickets, and watch a movie filled with that kind of cinematic brilliance, I would have already pre-ordered them on Fandango. This game is clearly going to be epic storywise, and with the addition of new characters and worlds, and bringing in the decisions made from the first game (if you played it) this is definitely a must buy.
The few other trailers there were, were not enough to merit any paragraph writing, either because I haven't played the games prior, and thus feel unqualified to write upon them, or because they sucked. I'll bet you can figure it out if you take a look. This link here has most of the trailers mentioned above, with the others not mentioned above, but a simple Google search should be enough to find them on your own.
So thanks for indulging me nerding out for a bit, I'll be back to nonsensical amusement next time, I assure you! Bye!
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