October 29, 2009
Video Game Night: Week 8
Ok, the Phillies are in the World Series on Monday, so I'm not going to be around for Video Game Night this week. People that don't care about the World Series should feel free to show up and make their own game night fun, and I'll put a quick poll up in case people want to vote beforehand.
EVE Online
Here's another example of how EVE seems both bizarre, awesome, and totally different from what's going on in other massive games. Still, it also seems like you have to be pretty dedicated to get anywhere.
October 27, 2009
Christopher Walken Cooks A Chicken
I swear to God, I could watch this man do anything and be completely fascinated. My mind just numbs over, like when I used to watch "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." Link.
Update: So, the site that has the Walken video is like a You Tube of cooking videos, and there are several celebrity videos, including Ron Jeremy making an omelette. Link.
Update: So, the site that has the Walken video is like a You Tube of cooking videos, and there are several celebrity videos, including Ron Jeremy making an omelette. Link.
October 19, 2009
Video Game Night
There's playoff baseball again tonight. I'm probably going to be late, if I manage to make it at all. Those who don't have any interest in the game are welcome to start without me. The poll is tied, so those who show up can work it out amongst themselves.
October 16, 2009
October 15, 2009
Video Game Night: Week 8
Ok, so this week's Video Game Night didn't go so great. At least, I assume it went horribly because I wasn't there. We also had others unable to play due to Philly's post-season baseball, working late, etc. I hope some of you showed up and played anyway.
Anyway, back on the horse this week. We've had some talk lately from people that might start to swell our ranks by joining us more regularly for VGN. Great! That's a good opportunity for me to point out that the poll on the right side of the page is just a guide. It lets people know that that game will be played on Monday night, but that doesn't mean it has to be the only game played. Lots of people out there haven't been able to pick up Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 yet, but it's been dominating the voting since it came out and probably will for a little while. But it's also a 4 player game. If we get more than four people showing up and four want to play Marvel, but the others want to play, say, The Orange Box, that's cool! Just form up your own party and start playing! Video Game Night just allows us to expand our friends lists a bit and know that there will be gaming on Monday nights if you can make it.
I should also remind people that Half.com is a great resource if you haven't picked up our group of core games (Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, NHL 10, and Castle Crashers). Left 4 Dead is down to $18, The Orange Box is down to $10, MUA2 is down to $33, and NHL 10 is down to $45. I imagine the upcoming release of Left 4 Dead 2 will push down the first game a bit. Castle Crashers is a downloadable game, so Half.com doesn't really help, but it's cheap anyway.
Also, people should feel free to suggest new games to add to our core group. Think Modern Warfare 2 should become a core game? Make a motion and get a second and we'll have a vote on it. Have an older game that for whatever reason people either don't have or I'm not putting in the polls? Let me know!
And if you're new to Video Game Night, or you just don't think you have everyone's name in your friend's list, post it as a comment here. For anyone that doesn't know, my handle is MosBen.
Anyway, back on the horse this week. We've had some talk lately from people that might start to swell our ranks by joining us more regularly for VGN. Great! That's a good opportunity for me to point out that the poll on the right side of the page is just a guide. It lets people know that that game will be played on Monday night, but that doesn't mean it has to be the only game played. Lots of people out there haven't been able to pick up Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 yet, but it's been dominating the voting since it came out and probably will for a little while. But it's also a 4 player game. If we get more than four people showing up and four want to play Marvel, but the others want to play, say, The Orange Box, that's cool! Just form up your own party and start playing! Video Game Night just allows us to expand our friends lists a bit and know that there will be gaming on Monday nights if you can make it.
I should also remind people that Half.com is a great resource if you haven't picked up our group of core games (Left 4 Dead, The Orange Box, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, NHL 10, and Castle Crashers). Left 4 Dead is down to $18, The Orange Box is down to $10, MUA2 is down to $33, and NHL 10 is down to $45. I imagine the upcoming release of Left 4 Dead 2 will push down the first game a bit. Castle Crashers is a downloadable game, so Half.com doesn't really help, but it's cheap anyway.
Also, people should feel free to suggest new games to add to our core group. Think Modern Warfare 2 should become a core game? Make a motion and get a second and we'll have a vote on it. Have an older game that for whatever reason people either don't have or I'm not putting in the polls? Let me know!
And if you're new to Video Game Night, or you just don't think you have everyone's name in your friend's list, post it as a comment here. For anyone that doesn't know, my handle is MosBen.
October 12, 2009
Phillies
Boy guys, it'd sure be great to not be in the bottom of the eighth and to not be down 4-2. If only you'd loaded the bases one or two times. Oh wait, you did. Scoring some runs there sure would have been nice.
Update: Good job Ryan Howard. A two run double is nice.
Update, the Second: Jaysen Werth - You're a very good vampire.
Update 3X: That'll do, Lidge. That'll do.
Update: Good job Ryan Howard. A two run double is nice.
Update, the Second: Jaysen Werth - You're a very good vampire.
Update 3X: That'll do, Lidge. That'll do.
Video Game Night: Week 7
Last minute heads up. It looks like several Video Game Night regulars are either showing up late or not coming at all. Consider Marvel Ultimate Alliance hereby stripped of its official status as the game of the week. Anyone that shows up can play whatever they want. I might be showing up, but it's up in the air.
Columbus Day
I think we should clearly get rid of Columbus Day, but as someone who gets the day off, I'll take it. Still, if we weren't going to do something worthwhile like have a Native Americans Day, we could at least take the holiday of Columbus' shoulders and have Exploration Day in celebration of the human drive to explore the unknown. We would include other historic explorers (though most of those guys were pretty scummy too), but we could also expand it to astronauts and future space explorers. It'd be a good day for education about both history and science, rather than trying to white wash the pretty terrible things of a guy who wasn't even the first European to land here.
Plus, it'd be a good excuse for Trek marathons on TV.
Plus, it'd be a good excuse for Trek marathons on TV.
October 04, 2009
Dollhouse: Episode 14 & 15
Well, I missed the first week of the new season of Dollhouse because ever since I joined the DVR world I've completely lost track of when things are actually on TV. Since I don't pay attention to schedules, I missed that shows were coming back for new episodes. Anyway, I'm caught up now.
To start, Fox only aired 12 episodes last season, but there was a crucial thirteenth episode on the first season dvds (thanks Drew!). That episode completely changed the outlook for the show, with a post-apocalyptic vision of the future. Some of the things shown in that episode are being planted as seeds in these episodes, which is nice but troubling.
What strikes me about these two episodes in particular is that Eliza Dushku is really pulling through on the promises made by Joss Whedon at the start of the series that she was a great actress that hadn't been given the chance to show her chops. Throughout the first season I was always skeptical; always looking for a slip up or reason to doubt her. Well no longer. I didn't even think about it while watching these two episodes until I was done and realized, "Wow, she really pulled that all off well!"
I'm also really pleased with Alexis Denisoff's appearance in the show. As a Whedonite I think it's great to see him again, and I think he's great in that he performs well. I just hope they do more with him than the teasing of an insider. They played that story last season and it needs to get more interesting, but I'm sure it will.
Finally, I really like the way these two episodes take some time to cast the Dollhouse in a positive light. Joss is never going to get over the instinctive unease that the audience is going to have with a program like the Dollhouse, but it's nice that he reminds us every now and then that it can be used for good purposes.
I promise that for future episodes I'll give more detail in reference to the story, but that'll have to wait for posts where I'm only discussing one episode at a time and not at three in the morning.
To start, Fox only aired 12 episodes last season, but there was a crucial thirteenth episode on the first season dvds (thanks Drew!). That episode completely changed the outlook for the show, with a post-apocalyptic vision of the future. Some of the things shown in that episode are being planted as seeds in these episodes, which is nice but troubling.
What strikes me about these two episodes in particular is that Eliza Dushku is really pulling through on the promises made by Joss Whedon at the start of the series that she was a great actress that hadn't been given the chance to show her chops. Throughout the first season I was always skeptical; always looking for a slip up or reason to doubt her. Well no longer. I didn't even think about it while watching these two episodes until I was done and realized, "Wow, she really pulled that all off well!"
I'm also really pleased with Alexis Denisoff's appearance in the show. As a Whedonite I think it's great to see him again, and I think he's great in that he performs well. I just hope they do more with him than the teasing of an insider. They played that story last season and it needs to get more interesting, but I'm sure it will.
Finally, I really like the way these two episodes take some time to cast the Dollhouse in a positive light. Joss is never going to get over the instinctive unease that the audience is going to have with a program like the Dollhouse, but it's nice that he reminds us every now and then that it can be used for good purposes.
I promise that for future episodes I'll give more detail in reference to the story, but that'll have to wait for posts where I'm only discussing one episode at a time and not at three in the morning.
October 03, 2009
September 29, 2009
Another Glen Beck Post
Every time I post a Glen Beck video I get that guilty feeling that I get when I feed a troll on a message board. Part of me knows that by acknowledging the troll I'm just encouraging more insanity, but the other part of me can't help being flabbergasted by someone who's obviously a douche.
Anyway, Katie Couric does her best to get Mr. Beck to simply explain a quote which he doesn't deny or repudiate, but he won't even engage. I'm assuming this interview is part of some book tour for his new book, but why even take the interview if you're not going to answer even the most basic questions about the controversial public image that you've intentionally created.
Ok, I don't know why I ask questions whose answers I already know. By being interviewed by Couric and painting her simple questions as some kind of crazy lefty trap he plays to the crowd that thinks Couric was mean to Palin when she asked the then-candidate a few simple questions and got stupid answers.
Arghh! I'd like to say more, but this guy just gets me too riled up. Just watch the video. What a tool. Link.
Anyway, Katie Couric does her best to get Mr. Beck to simply explain a quote which he doesn't deny or repudiate, but he won't even engage. I'm assuming this interview is part of some book tour for his new book, but why even take the interview if you're not going to answer even the most basic questions about the controversial public image that you've intentionally created.
Ok, I don't know why I ask questions whose answers I already know. By being interviewed by Couric and painting her simple questions as some kind of crazy lefty trap he plays to the crowd that thinks Couric was mean to Palin when she asked the then-candidate a few simple questions and got stupid answers.
Arghh! I'd like to say more, but this guy just gets me too riled up. Just watch the video. What a tool. Link.
Cool Videos
Here's a really sweet goal. In case you can't quite see it, he drops the puck down his left side, then shoots behind his legs to the right. Nice.
Second, auto-tuned Carl Sagan has a hot new jam.
What was Microsoft thinking? If feels like at any moment one of these people might pull out a chef's knife and stab everyone. Painful! Link.
Dunno if I ever got around to linking to it, but Auto-Tune the News #8 came out a few weeks ago. It's not their best, but it still bumps. Link.
Second, auto-tuned Carl Sagan has a hot new jam.
What was Microsoft thinking? If feels like at any moment one of these people might pull out a chef's knife and stab everyone. Painful! Link.
Dunno if I ever got around to linking to it, but Auto-Tune the News #8 came out a few weeks ago. It's not their best, but it still bumps. Link.
September 28, 2009
Video Game Night: Week 5
Alright, any last minute messages for Video Game Night: Week 5 should go in the comments here. If you're planning on playing but are running later than 8pm Eastern, let us know. If you're new to gaming night and have any questions or perhaps don't think everyone has your Xbox Live handle, here's the place to tell us. Looks like Marvel Ultimate Alliance is on tap for tonight. I'll get new polls up tonight for this week.
It also looks like NHL 10 has won the poll for which NHL game we should pick up, so I'll start adding it to the weekly polls.
It also looks like NHL 10 has won the poll for which NHL game we should pick up, so I'll start adding it to the weekly polls.
September 23, 2009
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Seriously, every time I think Glen Beck has revealed to us the full extent of his crazy, he finds a way to up the crazy one more time. At some point he's going to just murder some poor grandmother to make some insane point about death panels. Link.
September 21, 2009
NHL Game?
There's a poll up asking which NHL game we should get for Video Game Night. The group voted to have an NHL game as one of our core group of games, but we delayed specifying which version until the new batch was released. Well, the new NHL games are out, so which one do you guys think we should get? I'm not going to consider this a valid poll unless we get five or more votes, so even if you haven't been showing up for Video Game Night for some reason (I know we have a few broken 360s out there) make sure you vote in the poll.
Also, I hope more people start showing up for video game night. It'd be one thing if people were inconsistent, but there was quite a bit of interest in this back when it was proposed and we're seeing the same three people week in and week out. It'd be nice to get some larger groups from time to time.
Also, I hope more people start showing up for video game night. It'd be one thing if people were inconsistent, but there was quite a bit of interest in this back when it was proposed and we're seeing the same three people week in and week out. It'd be nice to get some larger groups from time to time.
Video Game Night: Week 4 - Epic Fail
Well, to be fair, I don't know that it was a totally epic failure. Drew and Jay may be able to attest to some fun. I wasn't able to play because they didn't change the major fault in the first game which didn't allow groups to play if they different amounts of downloadable content (Drew and Jay have the Juggernaut, I do not), and because Gamestop screwed up my preorder bonus (I was supposed to get Juggernaut, but didn't).
Anyway...annoying. Here's to putting this sad tale behind us and having better luck next week. Oh, and more than three people next week too!
Anyway...annoying. Here's to putting this sad tale behind us and having better luck next week. Oh, and more than three people next week too!
September 19, 2009
Three Oh
So tomorrow is my 30th birthday. Time certainly seems to go faster the older I get, but it's still crazy to look back on my third decade and see how long it's really been. I was a sophomore in college when I turned 20, living in the non-freshman dorm. Since then I graduated college and law school, worked for a judge, and have been going in the current gig for a couple years. I had one serious girlfriend, broke up, had a long dry spell, got another serious girlfriend (a better one at that!) and now I'm engaged. I back packed across Europe with friends and moved across the country.
Despite ostensibly being an adult for this whole last decade, it feels like the person I am at 30 is no more like me at 20 than 20 year old me was like 10 year old me. Well, here's hoping that the next decade is as fun as this last one has been.
Despite ostensibly being an adult for this whole last decade, it feels like the person I am at 30 is no more like me at 20 than 20 year old me was like 10 year old me. Well, here's hoping that the next decade is as fun as this last one has been.
September 16, 2009
Five Ways To Improve Max Baucus' Bill
So, Max Baucus' health insurance reform bill was released today, and as expected it's not great. It does have a few surprisingly good areas, but there are also horribly bad ideas in there, so Ezra's got five things you could do to improve the bill. Honestly, from what I'm reading about the bill, I think it wouldn't be half bad if you followed Ezra's recommendations, including a triggered strong public option.
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