Random Thoughts

- After having my Tenchi fix a few days ago, I was surprised to learn that the GXP series takes place a few years later (after TM! Ryo Ohki). I didn't have much interest in watching that series before, but now...? Maybe.

- Have not been playing World of Warcraft as much as I would like as of late. I think I am too easily side tracked (this blog entry is a good example of that).

- The Last Airbender is hitting theaters in a couple of days! I admit that I have never seen the cartoon of this and the movie does look interesting to me. But I am having a difficult time in getting over how weird the main character looks. Creepy.

- Over a year of waiting and still no new Rebirth. I read the author for that had a couple of heart attacks, so that explains the slowed pace. But then the books are apparently done! Tokyo Pop, why?!

- Speaking of Rebirth, I also happened upon a bit of spoilers for now the series will apparently end. I hope it was all made up lies, or else it will be a very, very disappointing end to a pretty good story (no doubt this blog with gain an entry, should things go badly).

- Just watched Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief last night. It wasn't all that bad to be honest....

- The PSN game, Flower, has a very beautiful soundtrack in my opinion.

- Dragon Quest IX is coming July 11th! I am still broke...

- Looking at GameStop, I am surprised to see Lucha Libre AAA Heroes of the Ring on the list of games coming soon. I mean wow, someone actually made a Lucha Libre game.

- What I am actually looking forward to is Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable. I have not played any of those games in years! But, like Dragon Quest IX, I am still broke...

Second Time The Charm?

I caved in.

I originally bought the three discs for the last part of the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series, but promptly lost the second disc. At the time, I wasn't bothered all that much by it because I can't say that I loved how the series apparently ends.

Fast forward to earlier this year and I began to want to see the ending of this series again. Was it as bad? Or was I just being a spoiled fan? But alas, I simply couldn't find the missing second disc anywhere!

With a broken heart, I thought all hope was lost as I wasn't going to pay full price just to get three episodes. Instead I paid full price ($24) for the whole series! I just couldn't pass it up! I now have the entire OVA, Tokyo and the three movies! But I am missing the Universe series, which I have been looking around for lately.

Anyway, I think I am enjoying the series more the second time around. I don't know what it is, but I just haven't found it to be as bad as I originally thought it was. And it makes me wish the series wasn't over yet! Continue! Continue forever!!

I am not obsessed.

No Need For Gaming

I've been meaning to get some gaming time in today, but that just has not been working out for me right now. I didn't realize how messy my apartment is! And I am not ashamed to say that I do quite a fair bit of cleaning myself, so maybe I don't entirely fall under a "stereotypical guy."

Whatever that means...

It is a funny thing though, I mean life is certainly not like it was growing up. I never paid much mind when dirty clothes just suddenly disappeared and reappears later, clean as a whistle. Or when home was dirty, it was suddenly clean and fresh.

Nowadays I realize that all that stuff is things I NEED to do myself or it doesn't happen. No magic, no tricks... what a reality check that is.

And besides all of that, I have been trying to get my music collection back in order. I might have some form of OCD, because once I get started... I have to sort it ALL. It needs to be named, tagged and complete with album art or else I'll go nuts. But I will say this: It wasn't always this way, not until only recently...

I hate you iTunes....

Goal Reached

So I set out to reach level 20 a.s.a.p. and while I was close to losing my mind (died a great deal last night and earlier this morning), I have reached my goal and now am a proud owner of a brand new Wolf for a mount. A wolf car perhaps? I was a little disappointed that it didn't have the standard equip options such as windows, stereo or at the very least a windshield.

But a ride is a ride and this means I can move about a lot faster then I have been previously. Now the question in my mind is... what's next? Where do I go from here? I suppose the easiest answer here is to reach level 30. Isn't that the purpose of MMOs? Level up, get better gear and kill more and more people, monsters and anything that you can hack at?

I would have posted a picture of my orc and his new ride, but I am afraid I don't quite know if I can do that or not. What? I'm still learning the ins and outs of this game. It still is strange to me when people know you've achieved something in-game without ever having to say a word.

The Push to 20...

I admit that it has been a long time since I've had a drive towards some type of goal in a video game, but now that has surfaced in World of Warcraft. I even nearly fell into the same trap I did in Final Fantasy XI, in that I have created a few other characters to see how the other races play out. I kind of like those Blood Elves...

But no! No... I won't be detoured from my goal here! I don't know what it is, but I just feel like I need to reach level 20! Maybe its because at that level I'll be able to get a mount, which would totally rule over having to run everywhere I am trying to get to. And considering I am sitting at level 18 right now... I am like already there now!

Am I addicted?

No, I'd like to think not... not yet anyway...

What?

Don't judge me!

Note: I don't even know who the character is in the picture at the top. For all I know, she could just be a piece of concept art. Or maybe she is one among many who can whoop my ass with just a flick of a eyelash...

PC Unleashed

In a turn of events, I actually traded in my 360 yesterday and I absolutely had the option to get a whole new one. Did I get a new Xbox 360? Nope! Instead I used the credit to get a small pile of PC games, which is absolutely unheard of for me.

So now I have The Sims 2 Double Deluxe and both expansions for World of Warcraft (The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King). Maybe it was a bad idea to get both The Sims 2 and those expansions... I mean how in the world will I be able to play all of this gaming goodness? So far I've only played The Sims 2 last night, which was meant to only be a short play just to see what's new. Instead it turned into an all night house building craze!

Maybe today I'll get around to installing both expansions for World of Warcraft, though I guess I don't know why I got both of them now. I mean my Orc only just recently hit level 15, so I won't even be touching any of the level caps for a good long time. Still, I think getting these expansions will be more worthwhile then it was when we got all of the expansions for Final Fantasy XI (we bought them all... twice). Why? Because our characters were never level 75, so the bulk of the content was crap we could never, ever make use of.

Smart, huh?

War

Now that I have a computer that allows me to play a bit more PC games, my interests have shifted some. Maybe also factor in that my Xbox 360 is on the verge of being an asshole again and my TV has developed a line across the screen.

That does not sit well with me.

But now that I have a more capable computer that does things beyond just Minesweeper, I have my eyes set on some games that are on the way. For example, StarCraft II.

Now I played the original StarCraft back in grade school and I never fared all that well to be honest. I had a blast playing against my friends though and the thoughts of a sequel brought back some fond memories. But just today I was watching the promo videos for the game and the screen shot above shows a similar sight:

Look at all of those Zerg! Is this even possible?! I know I never really was in the loop of computers and all, but I remember the days when just seeing 15-20 units was a sign of bad things to come. But this? All of this? That is just plain madness if you ask me!

Still I am interested and I am very much hoping that my new computer will be able to handle this new game. But then, it can't handle The Sims 3... so maybe I shouldn't be so optimistic?

Pain, Lots of Pain!

I wanted to enjoy these days off, but my legs are killing me! And they have been for the past several days now, right along with my back. Now thanks to the Poke Walker (yes I carry it almost everywhere!), I've been able to get an idea of the amount of walking I do at work.

Generally I take anywhere between 15,000-25,000 steps a day. I didn't think anything of this, but today I decided to get ahead and google the average number of steps a person takes daily and what did I find? For men the average number is about 7,200 steps a day and for the women, 5,210. According to the articles I've been reading about this, the amount of steps I'm taking pits me in the active/highly active range.

And I wondered why my legs are always killing me!

I suppose this should not come as a surprise, considering my work place expanded itself quite a bit recently. The walks from one end of the building to the other have gotten long! Its like traveling to another country sometimes! OK, that might be exaggerating the facts a little bit...

Whoa

I am just waking up and reading a few posts on a wrestling website and what am I seeing? Apparently Daniel Bryan was fired from WWE yesterday. The reasoning behind that is because, during the NXT invasion of Raw *posted the video previously*, Bryan choked ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie and that was too extreme by WWE standards.

Wait, so I suppose it wasn't too violent to be beating up commentators and ring keepers, not to mention destroying the ringside area. Kick apart the tables, rip apart the ring and just tear shit up! That is okay! But to choke the ring announcer with his tie? OH. MY. GOD. That is violence folks and that man (Daniel Bryan) went too far!

Huh.

This is all a joke right?

So much for all that promise and everything... I think this has to go down as being the single stupidest reason anyone has ever been fired from WWE. I mean because he choked the ring announcer? With his own tie? That was just too violent? I know the WWE has gone all PG on everyone, but this is just too much already. What next? Replace all steel chairs with pillows? No more suplexes, only hugs?

NXT Invades

Note To Self: Move It!

I don't know what it is, but I feel it in my bones that change is direly needed. Perhaps it is the constant hardships that have bombarded themselves upon us this year? Or maybe it is the feeling like we're (my girlfriend and I) are doing nothing but growing older and we've either gotta make something happen here and now or we're going to spend the rest of our lives in shit. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for having a roof over my head and I know there are a great many that do not have that much. But something has gotta give, you know?

It is funny in a way, how life works itself out and all of that. Back when I was in high school, my step dad said a lot of things to me. Some of it I didn't listen, but then there is a great deal that I did and while it took many years, a lot of that stuff actually stuck with me. Since the day I left home back in 2002, though it may not appear so, I have always tried to be sure that the steps I take in life are forward in progress, even if only ever so slightly.

Above all else though, is not so much as what I want to be in life that is becoming so important to me. Some how it has gotten down to all the things I don't want to be that is meaning much more. Such as I don't want to be the guy that is in his mid thirties, still working at a grocery store (having been there for damn near all of my adult life) and just complaining about how life is so unfair. I also don't want to be the guy that claims to have dreams and aspirations, yet reaches out for absolutely none of them. And I surely don't want to be the guy whom seeming has the world handed to him, yet does not take advantage of the opportunities before him. I did that a time or two in my short lifetime and the next one that pops up, I do not intent to let it slip away again.

I don't really know nor do I pretend to understand why this subject surfaced in my mind. I know I have gotten to this point a lot of times during the lifetime of my blog and I am sure I will return to this state of mind a great many more times before my life ends. Maybe the purpose of me writing all of this out is to remind myself that I need to get my ass in gear and start moving again. I have reached the point at my job where I feel like I have hit the ceiling and I cannot ascend any higher. To be perfectly honest, I think I reached that point a couple of years ago. Now I am only just going through the motions and collecting that pay check. Worst of all is I do not feel content anymore and even the smallest of nuisances are beginning to bother me now.

Probably the biggest lesson I've learned in the past few years is the hardest thing to do is to let go, especially when one has become comfortable and complacent with one's position. I suppose that last line is all the truth I need to make a choice: I think it is truly the right time to move on.

With this frame of mind, I think even the changes I've made to the appearance of my blog serves a greater purpose; I have to stop just living day by day and start looking at the bigger picture. I know it is the easiest thing in the world for me to just sit here and type away all of these thoughts and goals and what not. I've done this before and I haven't really done much of anything that I set out to do.

I guess what I'm really trying to tell myself is this: Time to grow up! Or stay where I am and be here for the rest of my life. I could do that, but that isn't fair at all to myself or more importantly, my girlfriend. Hell, I don't want her to be my girlfriend for the rest of my or her life. Giving it all some real thought here, I think girlfriends are for grade school and the like. But being a 25 year old guy and having been with this girl for 8 years already? I think she should be my wife already, huh?

But I will save that thought about her for next time perhaps. I've already got a lot to process further and to see where those trains of thought take me.

MK: Round 3?

If you've read any other gaming blog out there, it has to have mentioned the short live action video that is apparently the pitch for a possible Mortal Kombat reboot. How could it not be mentioned right? I mean it has a ton of MK characters throughout and it even features a fight between Johnny Cage and Baraka! It does take an unfortunate turn and if you are a Cage fan, well...

Anyway, while it has already been said and shared, I feel like sharing it and further spreading its viral reach across to whom ever may happen upon my blog. Ha!

With all these other movies getting "rebooted," I suppose it was just a matter of time before Mortal Kombat had its turn. I am hoping that this reboot does the trick, that the third time is indeed the charm. Otherwise I fear we may see another terrible video game related movie (can anything ever beat out just how bad The Legend of Chun-Li was?)

World of Warcraft

So a while back, I had said that I had reformatted my computer and all was right in the world. Well it was not fixed and the world just was not right. Having to be stuck on an old laptop computer that had the speed of a raging, sleeping turtle is not my idea of fun.

Yesterday, however, all of that changed and we went out and got a new computer. Nothing overly fancy, it is one of those eMachines. I never thought much about those, but man... the differences is unreal! And the biggest change is the graphics card. Much to my surprise, I could actually play games that were made in the past decade or so!

Now after all these years of only being able to play Final Fantasy XI, I made the jump to World of Warcraft. Sure it is a few years late, but I made it!

What I think I am enjoying the most about the game so far is just how easy it is to get into. I mean all the menus and all that other stuff is daunting! I won't shy away from saying that it had me intimidated for sure. But to me there is no comparison between Final Fantasy XI and World of Warcraft, as far as being a newbie. Unlike Final Fantasy XI, which doesn't really give you much help in any aspect of their game, I am impressed that WoW gives you just enough information to get going and not too much to overwhelm you.

Even though I am only playing the 10 trial version, I think I might actually like the game. I am wondering if I can solo up or do I need to find XP parties forever and ever. I tried playing as a Human Paladin and this morning saw me trying out the Night Elves. I am thinking I like the Night Elves a little better...

In Loving Memory...

My heart is a broken mess today and my mind just has not been able to grasp even the most simplest of tasks. I just cannot think of anything else right now, other then the fact remains that my dog, whom has been with me since I was in the 7th grade, is gone.

I knew this day was nearing, from the last time I seen the old girl a couple of years back. Brindy was not the same after a tumor was taken off of one of her legs. I absolutely wanted to get back there a.s.a.p. just to see her again, even if for the last time.

But alas, that was not to be.

My parents called me last night to tell me that they had to take her down to the pound. She was suffering. Another tumor had grown out, this time right below her tail. She barely survived the last operation to remove the one on her leg and this one was just going to be too much I believe.

I am just too sad, too broken up to do much of anything else right now. Maybe once my thoughts have been better sorted and I come to terms with reality, I will come back here and share a thought or two. To me, my heart aches as though I had just lost a member of my family and you know what? I have.

My folks always said those dogs, especially Brindy, was my "kids." I remember when she had puppies and the Humane Society came around because of the them always running out to the roadside. When asked who's dog she was, my step dad said "that's his kids."

I miss 'em all, more today then ever before....

Daybreakers

You know what is rare these days? Anything with an original idea or at the very least, something that actually has a different take on a popular subject. Case in point: Daybreakers.

At the core, Daybreakers is a vampire movie but that, for me at least, was not my focus of interest. What was interesting and different here was the fact that vampires, unlike other movies, were not the ones in hiding. As it was, they were the dominate ones and the humans were the ones forced into hiding. Those who did not, were either killed or captured and put into "blood farms."

Seriously, they even had their own coffee shop that served coffee with blood as the cream.

And this also had a interesting conflict: The vampire population had grown as such that they were farming and killing humankind to the point of extinction. Kind of reflective of our planet's current plight? Because of this, vampires that were deprived of blood underwent brutal transformations that saw them degenerate into nothing more then feral monsters that attacked any vampire or human they came across.

Ah, but the twist here is how a cure for this is found, which is certainly different though I can't say I bought it, but still. I would write about that, but that would all but ruin the movie I think.

The cast themselves was pretty damn good, which included Ethan Hawke, Willem DaFoe, Sam Neill and Claudia Karvan. They all seemed to work well together and none of them were out of place. I guess what I am meaning to say is they were all a natural fit for the movie.

All in all, worth the rental for sure... and a much better movie then say, Legion? Yes, yes... much, much better in my opinion.