Holiday Gaming Marathon

Well, "marathon" by my standards, anyway…

Here are some incongruous thoughts on the games I've played during my sporadic time off over the Christmas/New Year's season. I still have a four day chunk of time left later this week, too, so I hope to add to this in the near future.

NCAA 2K8
I absolutely LOVE the player controls. There's so much you can do with the stick, triggers, and the "B" and "Y" buttons, some of it based on your skills, and some if it based on the player attributes. Plus, there's a tutorial and a gaming mode that has challenges specific to using these controls, so it's a fun way to learn to play the game. The ability to throw different kinds of passes really adds to the realism, as you can make the same kind of passes that you would on a real court, especially in transition.

The atmosphere is outstanding! Although the courts aren't 100% accurate for all 300+ teams, the venues seem realistic based on the schools involved. I also like the flow of the game, because at times, your team can just go bone dry on offense, while your opponent takes the momentum. It feels just like watching a real college basketball game, and most teams don’t have a player that can just take over, so you really need to work to stem the tide and get back in the game. I still have to work on some settings to get the stats and fouls where I want them, but I'm pretty close.

I'm a bit overwhelmed by the dynasty mode so far. Man, there are just tons of players to recruit. It seems deeper than NCAA 08, which means it will take some work for me to feel comfortable with it. I've spent most of my time just playing exhibition games, but once I get comfortable playing on and off the floor, I think this game has the potential to be among my all-time favorites.

NBA 2K8
The game looks great, and it's especially deep in the "Association" mode. You can schedule specific items for your team to work on during practice, and also try to improve player attributes by participating in skill-specific drills with a specific player. You have to reach a certain score to get the bonus. I don't know if the adjustments are permanent, and fortunately, you're very limited in how much you can do this, so you won't have a roster of "99's." The player roles are also a refreshing addition. You can basically set the playing time and role that each player plays. If you deviate, it could hurt team morale.

On the floor, I don't like the controls as much as I do in NCAA 2K8. You don't feel as "in control" with the isomotion moves. Plus, there's not tutorial detailing how to execute them, and there's nothing in the manual. I realize many are player-specific or attribute-specific, but I'd like to at least have some control over the animations I'm triggering. Previous versions of this game seemed to have much more information on player control, so I might have to look at some old FAQ's, or something. That said, the game play is very smooth, and seemingly realistic. I do like how the play diagrams show up on the court when you're on offense. It's much easier than memorizing plays, and it's really not intrusive at all. The animations are excellent, as are the arenas and crowds. It just feels like NBA basketball, which is a high compliment.

I'm playing using nine minute quarters, and I've adjusted most of the foul sliders upwards. I'm happy with the statistical results so far. I'm especially happy with the frequency of fouls called when you drive to the basket. I allow the AI to make substitutions for me, using the roles I've established, and I also let it call time outs. Nine minute quarters take a awhile to play out, especially with the increased fouls, so this speeds it up a bit for me.

I even got a bite when I put Larry Hughes and his anchor of a contract on the trading block. I was pleased that the offer was a player with a longer contract, slightly less in value, but with a similar rating. There apparently won't be any fleecing of my fellow AI GM's.

All-in-all, I'm impressed so far, and I haven't had this much fun with an NBA game since NBA Inside Drive 2004.

FIFA 08
The last few versions of FIFA have had an excellent Manager mode ("dynasty" mode), and this year's version seems to have the quality on the pitch to match. Honestly, playing on the field with FIFA 08 reminds me of how I felt the first time I played Winning Eleven. The graphics and animations are excellent, the pace of the match is spot-on, and I feel like I'm in control of the action. The ball doesn't feel chained to the players, and it seems like the canned animations are shorter in length, and far less invasive. Right now, I'm playing at the "Amateur" level, just so I can compete!

There are a few problems, though. I don't like my lethargic back line. It seems like I can't count on them to step up and stop the dribbler as regularly as they should, so I have to try to take control and switch too often to keep the offense out of my penalty area. Also, the set pieces aren't as user-friendly as they should be. It just seems to hard to figure out where to place the ball, and I can't see enough of the pitch to know where my guys are making their runs. Lastly, where are the fouls? There just aren't enough called over the course of a match for my liking. Routinely, I get less than five fouls a game, using ten minute halves. It should be double that, at least. Those complaints are relatively minor, though, compared to some of the problems that have haunted the FIFA series historically.

Off the pitch, FIFA continues to deliver, with the sponsorships, transfers, retirements, scouting, cumulative fatigue, team chemistry, pressure from the club owner, and so forth. It's by far one of the most "polished" dynasty modes in any series. With what I'm hearing about the next 360 version of WE, I may be skipping it, which would've been unthinkable just a year ago for me.

Call of Duty 4
This was an unexpected purchase for me. I stumbled across it for $38 at Best Buy, and since I'd heard so many favorable things about it, I picked it up. And I'm glad I did.

The first thing that struck me was how easy it was to control my soldier. I don't have to manage a squad (which I like), and only a couple of the buttons are context-sensitive. In a game based upon quick reflexes, it's nice to be able to play without thinking "which button does this now?" Plus, the first mission is basically a tutorial, and it does a great job of introducing you to the action.

That said, in a lot of ways, once you've played one quality military shooter, you've played them all. The only differentiation is truly the story and the environments. So far, COD4 has delivered! It is linear, like most shooters, and you basically have to stay with your squad to survive and advance, but the second mission was a white-knuckling action movie-esque thrill ride! I absolutely loved trying to get off of the listing ship before it sank, and jumping into the helicopter just as it was taking off! Yes, I got "left behind" a couple of times, but the checkpoint system didn't send me back very far at all.

My only complaint so far is that they've adopted Halo's healing system, where you can seemingly recover from bullet wounds just by resting behind some cover. I know that makes the game more playable, but I prefer the much more realistic death that games like Ghost Recon deliver.

And, I haven't even touched multiplayer, which is the mode that is getting all the raves in the forums I visit. Of course, I couldn't over the last few days, since Xbox Live has been spotty at best.

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion GOTY Edition
This is the anti-linear game. Everything about it is customizable. The character creation combinations are seemingly infinite, although those choices definitely have consequences. But, it's nice to be able to tackle the challenges with basically any type of character you'd like. And, it's nice to be able to play the game any way you'd like. You can follow the main quest, pick up side quests, or just wander around the incredibly expansive world doing whatever strikes your fancy.

Although I've just begun, there are literally hundreds of hours worth of things to do. I honestly could see myself starting the game several different times with different kinds of characters, and using a different approach, just to see what it's like. I really like how life seems to go on around you, no matter what you do, and that your actions or others' actions have an impact on that environment. It just seems much deeper and more realistic than coming upon the goblin who's doing his AI pacing routine. The NPC's and other AI beasties really seem to be living, not just follow a script.

The story is rich, and the environments are just gorgeous. This may be the most immersive game world I've ever been in. The best measure of a good game, in my opinion, is that the hours fly by when you play it. It feels like you've just started, yet three hours have passed on the clock. Oblivion is this kind of game.

I like it so much that I bought the 450-page strategy guide. I don't want to miss a thing, although I know I'll probably never ever come close to seeing all of it!

Fight Night Round 3
I'm a little late to the party on this title, but man, I've been having fun with it. The graphics are jaw-dropping. And, the boxing action is as good as I've played. It moves a little slowly for me, but I think that's to allow defense and counter-punching to play a big role in the fights, as opposed to just button-mashing. I love how parrying a punch kind of freezes your opponent for a second, allowing you to counter. With my aggressive style, I've been the victim of a few of those myself!

I also love how the fighters espouse a variety of different styles. I've seen maulers, counter-punchers, boxers, etc. in my brief career. My only complaints are that it's just a bit easy so far, and that the accuracy of the punches is about twice what it should be (although the number of punches thrown seems about right). The training games are fun, but I usually max out the results, making me significantly better than my opponents, unfortunately. I could skip them, but I like playing them! When I start a second career, I look to play it a little more "realistically," I think. I have 11 KO's in 12 fights. I did hit the canvas once myself, and I've been cut a few times (darn counter-punchers!).

Where this game lacks is the career mode. Why oh why am I fighting Oscar de la Hoya, Jermaine Taylor, and Bernard Hopkins in my first ten fights? Why don't they have their real records and realistic attributes? These guys should be at the top of the mountain, not on the way up! Plus, where are the rankings? What do I rank? Where do my opponents rank? I really want to climb the ladder, but you get no sense of that part of the boxing world in FN's career mode. That said, it's still a blast to play, but man, this game would be the dog's balls if it actually mimicked the real fighting game.

Dare I say that I hope Don King's boxing game will deliver? Knowing Don, probably not, so the quest for a great boxing game that puts it all together continues…

I also have Forza Motorsport 2 that I really haven't spent much time with, but I watched my son play it for a while, and it looks great. Hopefully, I'll get some time in the next few days to play it. Plus, I'm slogging my way through my NCAA Football dynasty, and I want to get a Madden franchise up and running, too. So much gaming to do, so little time! Isn't that always the story?

Happy New Year, and most of all, be safe tonight!!

Prozac, Poison and a Freudian Slip!

So, about this new gig o’ mine…it’s always interesting. Like a good book, it’s filled with characters – some believable, some not so much.

One person I work with very often is a little “high strung.” I believe the medical term is “bipolar.” He tends to go from one extreme to another. (Example: Monday: “Hey Kel, let’s make this really simple for them to understand.” Tuesday: “Hey Kel, let’s throw everything at them so they realize the complexities and feel a bit overwhelmed.”)

Hey, I have an idea! Let’s pretend this Kel person can keep up!

I get e-mails from him at 4 AM on Saturday; he has trouble focusing on many things but rather centers in on one and doesn’t let it go until it’s done (or dead). Finally, one very long day, when I was struggling to keep up I flat out said to him, “You know, if we are going to continue to work together successfully, one of us is going to need Prozac and, I think it’s you.” He laughed. We’re working on it.

One of the administrative assistants was making a fresh pot of coffee. She jokingly said she would make it strong because the person I was working with that day, (the one described throughout this missive) likes it that way. I looked at her and said, “He doesn’t need more caffeine. He needs Prozac!” We laughed. She knows how he is. They all know how he is.

INTENSE.

Yes – that’s the word I’m looking for.

A little too subservient for my liking, she actually BRINGS him a cup of coffee (suck up) and I’m sitting in his office as this occurs. She said, “I put some poison in there per Kel’s request.” I went into (Sybil) recovery mode. I very calmly said, “No. I did not ask for poison, I asked for Prozac. I believe that was a Freudian slip on your part.” She was embarrassed. He wasn’t sure what just happened. Everyone laughed. Thankfully… and uncomfortably.

And kudos to onelook.com - the best site to find a definition quickly and accurately. Here’s their description for a Freudian Slip (not that you need an explanation but she did!)

“A slip-up that (according to Sigmund Freud) results from the operation of unconscious wishes or conflicts and can reveal unconscious processes in normal healthy individuals.”

I’m not sure there’s any such thing as normal, but I can definitely hope for healthy and wish all of you a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Cool quote I found this week:

"Perhaps strength doesn't reside in having never been broken
but in the courage required to grow strong in the broken places."

And Finally, in the wonderful words of Mr. Adam Duritz, and dedicated by me to my friend JMC:

“A Long December and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.”

Root for the Home Team

What happened to the concept of rooting for the "home team?" According to my DNA, you don't choose which sports teams you support, you're born into it. I've never understood why Ohio-born-and-bred folks root for Michigan, or Pittsburgh, or whatever flavor of the month. To me, it's akin to rooting for another country in the Olympics! How come you never see these maze-and-blue attired traitors wearing a basketball shirt from the Chinese Olympic basketball team?

Why, on one level, do these people totally commit to the idea of supporting our American athletes in an international competition, yet can't support their state or local sports teams in their respective competitions? I guess I just don't understand people… Like the guy at work sporting the New England Patriots t-shirt today. This is probably the same guy who had a Colts t-shirt on last year, all for the sole purpose of pretending that "his team" won, like that's of any value. Thankfully, I don't validate myself based upon the success of certain sports teams.

It's also in my DNA that this bugs me, for some reason. Rant over.

Merry Christmas

As a Christian, I just want to say how thankful I am for our many blessings. We have a good home, great kids, good jobs, and everything we could ever need. Most of all, we're thankful that God sent his only son to die for our sins, so that we could have eternal life in heaven. That is the reason for the season.

The big ticket item this year was a Wii for the kids. We also got them Mario Party 8, Paper Mario, Wii Play, Zack and Wiki, and Spy Games Elevator Missions. They spent most of the day taking turns, or playing together, while occasionally playing with their other toys. I must say, it's a cute piece of hardware, and it offers tons of entertainment. We'll have some family Wii Sports fun tomorrow...

I got NBA 2K8 for the 360, so I can try to get my virtual Cavs to have better success than their real-life counterparts, although the Cavs did look decent today. I played it, along with Fight Nights Round 3, earlier today, and I plan on playing some more Oblivion tonight. Oblivion's one of those games where the time just flies by when you play - which means it's a great game. There's no single better measure of greatness for a game, in my opinion. When you look up and realize it's been much longer than it seems it has, you know you have a quality diversion...

I wish you and yours the best of holiday seasons!

Restoring My Faith in Pro Sports

I still have faith in pro sports… I have faith that there are players of integrity and character, that hold the same feelings about the purity of competition that I do. Thinking that they're the "silent majority" helps me stomach the stories, allegations, and scandals that regularly populate the newswires.

Click here to read an incredibly well-written article by former major-leaguer Doug Glanville. My hope is that there are many more like him, and less like Bonds, Clemens, Canseco, and all the rest.

Plus, Glanville is a reputed Strat-o-Matic player. He's a gamer in the truest sense of the word.

Diamond Mind Online Review is up

Click here for the details...

I'll be penning my Godzilla Unleashed review for the PS2 over the next couple of days. Here's the short of it: save your money. It's not as bad as the DS review, but this game is ugly, with a very short story mode, and it requires too many points to unlock the good stuff.

I spent an hour or so tonight with College Hoops 2K8 on the 360 today. It looks gorgeous, and the players moved very fluidly. I spent most of my time in the tutorials and the All America Challenge. One thing I didn't like is that you almost have to stop before you can execute a spin move or a behind-the-back dribble. In "real life," it happens much more on the move. Also, for some reason, I couldn't change the camera angle in the AA Challenge. It worked once, but then wouldn't change from the default from that point forward. Oh well, it wouldn't be a 2K sports game if it wasn't quirky. That said, it looks really promising, and I'm eager to dive in to it.

Fluke

I hate to say this, but I think the Cleveland Cavaliers run to the Eastern Conference Championship last year was a fluke. I wanted to believe they were a team on the rise, and a team capable of dominating the East for years to come. After all, it was finally our turn, right? Well, after watching most of their games this year, I'd have to say "wrong."

The good news is LeBron is showing up to play every night. Man, he is putting on a show. His absence was a big factor in their 5-game losing streak, no doubt, but what that streak really revealed is how little help there is around him. The rest of the squad is made up of role players. He has no one else that can take over the game.

Z, Gooden, and Gibson play their roles well. Hughes, with that ridiculous salary, terrible judgment with the ball, and poor shot, is an absolute albatross. Either Pavlovic was a fluke last year, or his holdout really set him back. Varejao is back and contributing, at least. I give credit to guys like Newble and the two Browns, because they at least put forth the effort when called upon. The bottom line is that this roster sucks, and they don't have the salary cap flexibility to improve it. The only way they could is to get rid of Hughes, but at 13 million for the next two years, that ain't going to happen.

There's a chance that they could come around, when Pavlovic gets his legs, and Hughes finds a productive role, but since some other teams in the East (namely, the Celtics) improved, and he Cavs stood pat, making the playoffs will be a struggle.

Well, at least I'm back in my comfort zone...

Housekeeping

I just did some minor housekeeping and updated some links on the right-hand side of the blog. Make sure you check them out! Dubious Quality, particularly, is a great read every day. And, if you're looking for some cool, mature, Xbox 360 gamers, visit the Sports Gaming Nation gang.

(Kellie - if you have any links you want to add, let me know, and I'll put up a "Kellie's Favorites" section...)

Christmas with my family was this past weekend. I got some cash, plus College Hoops 2K8 for the 360. Once the holidays settle in, I'm hoping to blow out some regular content updates on the games I'm playing on my Xbox 360. It's such a cool machine, with so much to do beyond gaming. My son asked me the other day what my all-time favorite console is, and I didn't have to think very long. Gaming has come so far since I started on the Atari 2600 (which I still have, by the way). The 360 is an awesome gaming achievement.

Back to Reclining

I'm a rocking recliner kind of guy. When visiting family over the holidays, I'll seek one out and plant myself in it for the obligatory holiday conversations over football. Oftentimes, I'll put my feet up, and within 20 minutes, I'm out cold. They're that comfortable to me. I could rock and recline all day while watching the tube. Yep, I'm a real go-getter.

Anyway, a couple of years ago, we got rid of my rocker/recliner to make room for a 4-in-1 game table for the kids. No sacrifice is too great for my kids. With the changes in furniture and arrangement in our front room, however, it became apparent that we needed something to "fill a hole" in our layout. Lo and behold, as a Christmas present, my wife bought me a new rocker/recliner.

Ah... I've missed these days... Now I can be lazy in much more comfort! Thanks, honey!

Guys' Day Out

Melissa took Brittany and the rest of the Girl Scout troop to the Nutcracker today, so Darrin and I did some "man" things together.

First, we got our hair done. Well, that doesn't sound too manly, but we did get it cut at SportClips - which is for "guys only." They have TV's at every chair showing ESPN, so it's a fairly "manly" way to get a cut. My prima donna son, however, always gets the shampoo and the hot towel. I draw the line at the shoulder massage, however!

Next, we did some shopping. I bought Melissa (my wife) an iPod Nano. I can safely post this because I know she never reads what I write. Heck, she doesn't even know what I do half the time down here in my "man cave." We also bought a couple more games for my nieces and nephews, who we're having Christmas with next weekend, since we bought them clothes earlier. Lastly, I picked up a winter coat for a family that Darrin's class in school is sponsoring for Christmas, and I got some gift cards for my mom and dad.

Lunch was at La Fogata, a local yocal Mexican restaurant. Lunch was good at a good price. And, since I ate a half a plate of refried beans, the conversation mostly centered around how those beans would impact me while we were out together. That's riveting conversation for my 11-year-old son. And, honestly, for me too!

Melissa and Brittany got back in the evening, and I played a couple of games of Clue Mysteries with the kids before bed. I also played some Godzilla: Unleashed on the PS2, and I rented the Hatton - Mayweather fight (another thing my wife doesn't know about down here in my "cave," but hey, I pay the cable bill, so no harm no foul).

All in all, it's been a great day...

Dragonball Z 3 Review is up

Click here for the details... Fans of the show will love the game. I didn't have a lot of background knowledge of Dragonball Z, but the fighting model, characters, story, and environments were definitely intriguing.

Next up is Godzilla: Unleashed. The DS version was slammed at Gameshark. My initial impressions regarding the PS2 version are that it's not THAT bad. It sounds like the game mechanics didn't work well for the DS platform. Maybe the PS2 is a little more fighter-friendly? I don't have a DS, so I can't really compare.

MotoGP 2007 PS2 Review Published

Click here for the review... Using the simulation riding mode, it reminded me of the challenge of driving in NASCAR. It's hard to keep the bike steady and upright, and serious riders will really enjoy that challenge. It's a great title for MotoGP fans, but for racing fans or casual fans, there are better options. Unless you really love racing those motorcycles, you'll get bored after a little while. For casual driving fans like me, Stuntman: Ignition is a much better fit.

I've got two more reviews completed and submitted to Gameshark - Diamond Mind Baseball Online, and Dragonball Z 3. I'm working on Godzilla Unleashed for the PS2 right now. This might be my last title for the month, which would be nice, so I can actually play my games! Plus, there might be a few Christmas presents to keep me busy over the holidays...

Thy Name is "Veinity"

Actually it’s “thy name is vanity” but I can’t quite figure out how to do the play on words so that it appears “clever” as opposed to a typo.

I guess you could say I’m a little vain with little veins. It’s true. As for vanity, I won’t leave the house without a little makeup and, nine times out of ten, I spend way too much time on my frustratingly uncooperative hair.

The problem, however, isn’t my vanity but my “veinity.” The size of my veins, at least once a year, causes concern. Let me start at the beginning.

At my new gig (job), you are required to wait 60 days (actually, the 1st o f the month after your 60 days) to receive medical benefits. Fairly important to a single girl who recently lost her job (because she wouldn’t move to another state) and isn’t looking to take on COBRA.

After a meeting with my benefits specialist, I have to take yet another trek to the medical center to get my “wellness exam.” I roll in at 7:10 and I roll out at 8:04. (Apparently my veins “roll” too!) What transpired in between was pure torture - not your typical Monday morning torture either.

First, this place is laden with the degenerates of society, as well as those of us who lost our jobs, found new ones, and need to take a pre-employment drug test, or like me, need a “wellness exam” for benefits.

They have to draw blood. My blood. From my veins! This is no easy feat. It’s always multiple stabs until I bruise or they draw from a vein in my hand leaving a magnificent hue of purple, brown and yellow bruises.

Granted those that know me figure this shouldn’t be a big deal since that day I chose to let a man, who was not a doctor, inject me multiple times with a needle, filled with dye, so that I would have a permanent scar also known as, my tattoo. Forget that. A needle to veins, to draw blood for vials, freaks me out. (Say that ten times fast!) Sad but true.

So, girl nurse #1 decides it’s best to attempt to draw my blood, unsuccessfully, PRIOR to taking my BP. She got one shot. She failed. She’s done. I told her she could try again but she didn’t want to.

Boy nurse comes in. Crabby boy nurse with a shaved head, double pierced ears and well, albino-ish features. He says he’s having a bad day and he thinks I LOOK annoyed. It’s all true, so I immediately go into “nice girl mode.” (AKA Sybil-mode). It’s actually, “fearful girl mode” but hopefully he doesn’t know the difference. I get chatty, and I smile too much. I get confident and brave…it’s like I’m interviewing all over again and then I get the job and they wonder who that girl was they interviewed because it’s NOT THE SAME GIRL. I mean, she looks like the same girl but…I digress.

Boy Nurse gets nicer. Calmer. He ties me up (my arm, tight, trying to find a big fat vein) and tells me to make a fist. I figure I’ll just punch him if he jabs me more than three times. He finds a vein and goes for it. I feel the pinch. I start praying…

I ask him if “we’re good” and he says, “not yet…”

Then there’s silence.

Finally he yells, “We’re good now. DON’T MOVE!” (Like I’m going to?) I ask him very slowly if I can breath. He begs me to do so.

You realize that you go though all these difficult times and losses in your life and you survive them and they make you stronger. Then all it takes is a needle (or a silverfish) to bring you to your knees. Silly fears.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is afraid of spiders. THE ROCK! We all have our secret fears and phobias…

And this will (eventually) lead to another blog.

What do you fear?

A Reviewer's Life

Okay, maybe this reviewer thing isn't all it's cracked up to be… Right now, I'm in the middle of reviewing a string of games that really don't interest me much at all. First, it was MotoGP 2007, which is a fine game if you're a fan of the MotoGP circuit, which I'm not. Now, it's Dragonball Z 3, of which I'm vaguely familiar, but by no means knowledgeable about the context of the series. Next up is Godzilla Unleashed; at least I'm a Godzilla fan. All of these are PS2, which means I'm getting hardly any time with my 360.

Part of it is the fact that I have still have a working PS2, and I'm willing to take whatever games I can get for review. I need to build the resume, and the extra money is nice. If I tried to hold out for the triple "A" titles, I would probably get about two assignments per year! There are just better, more experienced, and more proven reviewers on the staff. Beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

Also, I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut. My reviews feel formulaic. Insert comment A into section B about graphics. Ugh. I want to improve my writing - I want to transcend the "average" review, and write something profound and of value. I'm not having much luck doing that, especially with these games that invoke almost no passion from me. Part of me wants to "retire." It's been almost a year, and I've enjoyed the ride. But, a bigger part of me wants to see it through. I want to see where it will take me. I want to grow, improve, and challenge myself to do better than I thought I could. I don't want to back off of the commitment, which I've seemingly done so many times in the past when it comes to writing and the video game hobby.

What to do, what to do...

Who Hired Sybil?

(Think actress Sally Field’s portrayal of multiple personality stricken Sybil Dorset.)

Let’s face it, we all play many roles in our lives but recently I played the role of an unemployed chick. Honestly, and I’ve said it before, what happened with my prior employer left me a little jaded, skeptical, uneasy. A definite kick in the ‘gut’ that left a sickening feeling that just seemed to linger.

Now you certainly can’t portray any of those feelings in an interview and, trust me on this, I did not portray any of those feelings. In fact, you probably would NOT have recognized me at all. I was charismatic, astute, relaxed, yet showed great interest in (nearly) every interview. I had all the right answers (most of the time), I always came back for “seconds” (great for an interview… not so great when it comes to food) and I had plenty of experiences to draw upon. Not one question hung me up. I even, at one time, was a little, smug. (I’m not proud of that…I’m just being honest.)

That “smug girl” was getting on my nerves so I (finally) decided which job to focus on…go for…see if they were worthy… whatever. (I know, I know…still a bit jaded, or maybe you thought smug. I was going for jaded.)

I’m used to working with people who like me for being, well, ME - a “straight shooter” and “not sugar coating.” That’s who I am.

Sometimes I think the people that interviewed me wonder what happened to that bright, positive, upbeat woman they interviewed. They still remember her. She was the little over-achieving go-getter who started the interview herself and promptly ended it when they refused to discuss vacation. Yet, they called her back for “seconds" and ultimately hired her (uhm, me)!

Don’t’ get me wrong, I do my job and I do it well. I came in after someone who did the best they could but it wasn’t what this employer was looking for. Still, I’m not the excited girl they interviewed. I’m not easily excited about anything having to do with work – especially at a new job. (Although I tend to perk up with monetary incentives!) I’m still learning the ropes and how to maneuver them. I’m in a bit of “culture shock” when you compare my current employer to my former one.

I'm also holding my own.

One day, after a joint effort of problem solving and designing a new procedure, my boss commented to me, “you don’t seem very excited about it.” It was probably right about then that the answer to “Who hired Sybil?” hit him with full force…


… I hired “Sybil!”

A Reviewing Machine

My Thrillville review was just posted. I also just turned in my review of Diamond Mind Baseball Online, and I currently have Moto GP for the PS2 in the works. I also found out that I'll be getting the Dragonball Z game for the PS2 to review, plus America's Army for the 360 at some point.

Man, since soccer has ended, I've been busier than ever reviewing games. I'm enjoying it though, and the extra cash will come in handy at Christmas. Plus, hopefully, I'll get to review some games for the Wii next year! These machines are paying for themselves, LOL. I also have a pretty good supplemental income to purchase games that I want, especially counting the dogs that I review that I can turn in for credit at the store.

So far, I'm enjoying this gig a lot... My only complaint is that with my limited time, I don't get to play the games I WANT to play as much. However, I'm trying games that I normally wouldn't play, so I guess it's kind of a wash.

Update

I just finished my Thrillville review. It's a very good game... for pre-teens. "Mature" gamers can have some family-type fun out of it, but would be better served by playing the Roller Coaster Tycoon series.

I just got Moto GP for the PS2 to review. I have about a week to get that done. Soccer's over, but now I have more reviews this month than I've ever had (counting DMB online and America's Army, which I assume is coming this month). That's okay, though. The extra cash will come in handy next month!

The new job is going great! My team has been excellent to work with. And, I'm really enjoying getting back into systems. I've already solved a few Access problems, and it's very rewarding. Honestly, it's the problem-solving aspect that draws me to pseudo-programming and gaming, I believe. I'm getting the hang of the network stuff, too, although it's pretty convoluted. Overall, though, I'm really happy with the move.

The past couple of days, the kids and I have had some fun playing Dance Dance Revolution. I might get another DDR title for Christmas, for some fresh tunes. Also, the Wii came in yesterday. I just had to open the shipping box and look at it, since I've never seen one - even in the store! We got Mario Party, Paper Mario, and Wii Play to go along with it. I know we'll be having a blast Christmas morning...

Glamorous Life

Reviewing video games for pay isn't always as glamorous as it seems. Recently, I was stuck with reviewing NBA 08 The Life v3 for the PS2. The review is here. Trust me, it's no fun trudging through trash like that, even if I got the game for free and a small check for doing it. Next up is Thrillville: Off the Rails. The kids and I both had fun with the original Thrillville for the Xbox, so I'm looking forward to this one.

America's Army should be coming in November, and I'm also in the throws of getting my butt kicked in the Diamond Mind Online baseball league. I'm having fun, though...

The boys had a tough soccer tournament this weekend. Since we won our division, we had to play up a division in the tournament. The boys were bigger, faster, and more skillful than teams in our league, but we competed well. Unfortunately, we didn't win any (we tied one 4-4, and lost the others 3-1 and 3-2, respectively), but the boys showed they belonged. We outplayed all three teams, but just couldn't finish (except for the first game, where they lobbed in a goal with 3 seconds left to tie it). Oh well, it was a great year, and we should be moving up a division next season. The best part is that the boys really do like each other and get along, and they play as a team. There are no "superstars" out there; everyone contributes to the cause.

We get a little break through Thanksgiving, and then Darrin starts Upward basketball, followed by indoor soccer in January. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't running the kids everywhere! I love every minute of it, though...

Long Day

Once a month, I have to attend a meeting that begins at 7AM. My normal start time is 7:30 AM. The meeting is held at one of our other offices – the one that is closer to my house than my actual office. So, basically starting early is not a big deal.

So there I was. Seated at a table of 8 or 9 people and I was the only “chick.” Again, not a big deal.

What was a big deal was when one of the company’s owner’s sons was giving a hard time to a guy on my team. He, in no uncertain terms, stated I was hired as the administrator of the program so why hasn’t my team member turned over those duties to me thus far?

GULP!

This hit me out of left field. It hit me hard. Inside I was seething. I cannot fix or claim or understand that which I knew nothing about until you slapped me in the face with it. Apparently, everyone at the table knew this was coming except me. Perhaps they were testing me. Perhaps they needed to see if I was capable of handling such directness. I was hoping my Crucial Conversation skills would kick in...anytime now.

In order to turn the focus from my team member to me, my supervisor asked what I thought regarding how things have been going so far. I normally and internally count to 10 before answering a question of this nature but, seeing as I was already up to 110 and, still semi-seething (better than completely seething), I answered, calmly and slowly, from my gut:

“I was under the impression that things were going well. In fact, I would have said, extremely (and better than expected) well. However, this is the first time I’m hearing that there’s a problem so, what exactly am I NOT doing and why is it that I’m just hearing about it now?”

The ‘son’ explained that this was not something he brought up in order to place the focus on me, but rather on my teammate. I can’t say that made me feel any better. Keep in mind that my team and I work in different offices. The “next in command” also spoke up stating there was no way I would know such things but now that it was on the table, I could look into getting it resolved. (Like I don’t have enough to do?) I have walked into numerous issues that need to be resolved. I’ve walked into a mess. You’ve got to dig out before you can dig in. I can do that. One day at a time.

By the end of last week, I had it fairly well resolved and that’s a start.

Couple that with my slap on the wrist from the IT department (I failed to follow proper protocol with my request. I'm sure you're not surprised. It's the difference between getting it done today and getting it done next week). As you can see, I’ve had a stellar week.

All is well though. IT hooked me up with what I needed (though my wrists are still a bit bruised!), I solved a problem for my team (with a little help, a little persistence, and a little nudging), and I made it through yet another week thinking that I just might fit in here someday.

Not today, tomorrow, or anytime soon mind you. But someday. Maybe.
__________________________________________________________

Song I listened to this week that summed it up and got me through:

Reach down your hand in your pocket
Pull out some hope for me
It’s been a long day, long day.
(Artist: Matchbox 20/Song: Long Day/CD: Yourself or Someone Like You)

They Did It!

No, unfortunately, I'm not talking about my Indians making the World Series or my Crew making the playoffs, but I am excited that my son's soccer team finished the season undefeated! They were playing winless Olentangy on Saturday, and built a 4-0 lead (without our best goal scorer, who was out of town). As a reward, the coach flip-flopped the defenders and attackers for the second half, so my son got to play on the left wing. He got a goal! I was proud of him. He broke free on a through-ball for a one-on-one with the goalie. Instead of panicking and firing away blindly, he took his time deaked back to the right, and pushed the shot past the goalie. It was well taken, and our last goal of the game in a 5-0 shutout. Up next is our last tournament. Hopefully, the squad can bring back some well-earned hardware.

I often bemoan about being an Ohio sports fan, but in retrospect, it's been a pretty good year. The Buckeyes got to the national championship game in football and basketball, the Zips hoops team had 26 wins (and were robbed of a post-season birth), the Indians made it all the way to one game before reaching the World Series, and the Cavs got to the NBA Finals. No championships, but many of my teams had stellar years. Even the Browns are 3-3, although that's a bit sweet and sour for me, since I'm not a fan of Savage or Crennel, or many of the players on the squad (Edwards, Quinn, Winslow Jr., Lewis, etc.). "Next year" is looking pretty good for just about all of my teams, so I guess I can't complain… too much…

Right now, I'm working up a review for "NBA 08 the Life v3" for the PS2. It's been laborious, for sure. First of all, there is no franchise-type mode at all. Even in season mode, things like the salary cap don't apply. Consequently, I traded Larry Hughes pretty easily for another similarly-rated point guard, which would never happen in real life due to Hughes' contract. Also, there are no injuries, and after simulating several seasons independently, no team signed a free agent. There's not much meat there for NBA fans…

"The Life" is supposed to be the main attraction in the game, where you assume a role on a team who's on a mission to win one more championship before the coach retires. This story is held together by cut scenes surrounded by mini-games, often not related to each other. Most of the mini-games are the same practice drills you can choose in single player mode! It's incredibly drawn out, and pretty lame, by all accounts.

Lastly, on the floor, it's not too bad of a game. The controls aren't as complex as the other NBA game alternatives, which makes it fairly easy to pick up and play. I like the "shot halo" and the area of the floor that lights up to help you grab rebounds, especially. However, I wouldn't call it a "great" NBA experience. I've seen a few AI leaks, like when the point guard tries to start the offense by passing to the wing before getting to half court, which always results in an easy steal. Most players wouldn't do that at the high school level, let alone in the NBA. That said, I need to give it a few more hours before passing judgment. Maybe there's some value in there somewhere...

Game Over!

My son's soccer team clinched their league tonight! They're 8-0-1, with one game to go. They play the winless, last place team on Saturday with a chance to go undefeated, which is quite an accomplishment! They play great team soccer, and are building a foundation for more successful seasons to come.

Overall, they're 12-2-1 this year. They've gone 2-1 in both tournaments, and haven't brought home any hardware. They have one more chance to win a tournament at the end of October, but they'll likely be moved up a division, which will lessen their chances. Any way you slice it, though, this is a season to be proud of!

On the gaming front, I'm still working on the Diamond Mind online game, which will take a while (it's a 9 week online season; 162 games). I also have NBA 08 "The Life" for the PS2. Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any of the funny commercials that accompanied the first iteration of this series. Hopefully, those old commercials won't be more fun than the game...

All Goo Things Must Come To An End

And so, after two very full years of touring, the Goo Goo Dolls last stop was none other than Cleveland, Ohio. What a night. Forget there was the long wait in line since tickets were general admission. (And by long wait, I do mean 2+ hours). Forget that there was no A/C while standing in line, nor inside the venue. Forget that I was wearing boots with a fairly thick 3.5-inch heel. Forget that we were hot, it was stifling, the opening act came on 30 minutes late and played at least 4 songs too many (out of 6 total). Not that they were bad mind you, they were just late. We were sweaty to the point of feeling gross. All you could think about was a shower. I was just not in the right mindset to even comment or appreciate the opening act called Verona Grove (from Wisconsin). Their songs definitely fall under the category of “pop.” They tried to infuse a portion of Avril Lavigne’s hit “Girlfriend” into one of their songs, which felt like a plea for applause. They are a 3-man band comprised of twenty-somethings that were thrilled, but out of their league, when it came to opening for the Goo Goo Dolls. I half wonder if they are going to be on the Good Caramel label (Robbie’s record label) since they were the “chosen,” I assume, as the opening act.

This show was a “cancel and reschedule”, so perhaps the Goos just gave Verona Grove a shot. I don’t know how it works but the sentiment was appreciated. Some bands are worth the wait and this one wasn’t. In their defense, I believe there were technical difficulties that they could not have anticipated or fixed so it wasn’t their entire fault. It just didn’t help the evening. They touted their new CD, asked us to visit them on MySpace (“We need friends” declared the lead singer), and met any fans willing in the corridors after their performance. Let’s see if they are willing to do the same if and when they “make it.” The Goo Goo Dolls certainly are. I have my photo to prove it. Verona Grove, later that evening, could be seen “stage left” watching and learning from the Goos. It will be interesting to see how that pans out.

I turned to my friend and said, “Just let me know when you are ready to go.” The Goos hadn’t even hit the stage yet. It was that hot – I was delirious. We were dehydrating faster than we could hydrate ourselves (and we didn’t want to lose our place in the mosh pit.)

And then it happened. Pink Floyd’s ‘You Better Run’ came on. And for those who don’t know, that’s the music they play this tour, right before the GGD take the stage.

Everything went pitch black.

And then there was light.

Light that swirled across your face, down your body and over your head – blinding you and begging you not to turn away because you would miss it. You would miss the Goo Goo Dolls take the stage. And then the heat was different. Much different. A mother walked her daughter away from the stage. Heat exhaustion. Johnny.

We moved closer.

A breeze from nowhere circled momentarily, giving you a chance to cool down and catch your breath before you would lose it all over again, and again, and again.

We sang. We danced. We pushed forward. We smiled. We cheered. We laughed and our faces hurt. Our voices tomorrow would be non-existent. We would not leave until the encore, which included America Girls (Tom Petty), was a distant memory. It was rockin’! Johnny was in a great mood. Robbie, naturally, had more energy than the sum of everyone in the room. It’s like he feeds of our energy and we feed of his – this vicious circle and feeding frenzy. It works. He was crazy that night and we felt it. We got crazy too.

Johnny was in rare form. He could do no wrong. And then he told Mike to sing. Mike, of course, is the drummer. He did a drum solo that would blow us way. It was unfathomable. He’s amazing and doesn’t get half the credit he deserves. And then they played their 1st hit, “NAME”. I’ve quoted partial lyrics in this blog before (“Scars are souvenirs you never lose. The past is never far.”) But Johnny, still feeling silly made Robbie take over lead vocals and later, bid Mike to sing. Just for the record, Mike DOES NOT sing. Johnny told us to chant, so we did. “Mike! Mike! Mike…” Mike was freakin’ out. He didn’t know how to get out of this

Direct from the blog at the Goo Goo Dolls official website:

September 26th, 2007 - NAME
We won’t tell them you sang, Mike. We had a sing along to one of our songs and all three of us took a chance at the mic, not being so odd since Robby does several songs a show anyway, but it was a twist when John handed the mic over to Mike who from behind the drums did his very best William Shatner … thank you Cleveland for a fun show tonight...

And thank you Goo Goo Dolls for a fun, memorable, crazy, lively, unforgettable night!

It was “one of those nights.” Something rare happened and we were part of it.

We felt like we were right in the center of it all. You know that everything depends on the center.

Sure, you can live on the edge but, remember that the most important thing about the center is this:

The center must hold.

_________________________________________________________________

Hold on
Before its too late
Until we leave this behind
Don't fall just be who you are
It's all that we need in our lives

(Before Its Too Late/The Goo Goo Dolls/From the Transformers movie)

I thought it only happened in (poorly coded) video games

Last night, in the first playoff game between the Cubs and the Diamondbacks, Lou Piniella made a gaffe usually reserved for second-rate video game managerial AI. The Cubs had two on in the top of the seventh inning in a 1-1 game. Their ace pitcher, Carlos Zambrano, was at the plate. Now, anybody that follows baseball knows that Piniella has two options:

1. Leave Zambrano in to hit, even though the best-hitting pitchers are usually worse that the worst-hitting position player on the bench, so you can get at least one more inning out of him, or

2. Pinch-hit for Zambrano and go for the runs, and hope your bullpen comes through

Lou totally dropped the ball. He allowed Zambrano to hit in the top of the seventh (he struck out), then put him on the bench and brought in a reliever to pitch the bottom of the seventh, who subsequently gave up the go-ahead home run! Any reviewer worth his salt would lambaste a video game for this mistake, yet here's a manager who's got 40 years' experience in the game and a World Series ring making this error!

His excuse was that he didn't want to run up Zambrano's pitch count (it was at 85), so he could save him for game 4, and that he trusts his bullpen. Well, there's some problems with that logic. First of all, if you don't win, there may not be a game four! Secondly, if you trust your bullpen, why did you leave your worst hitter in the lineup out there to hit, knowing you were going to pull him from the game, anyway?! Sorry, Lou, that's weak. And, to top it off, almost none of the talking-head sports anchors mentioned the part about letting Zambrano hit. Boo-yeah, these guys are real experts...

Stuntman Ignition Review

My review is up at Gameshark. Stuntman Ignition is a great game, and I highly recommend it.

Next in the queue is a review of an online, historical version of baseball season-replay king Diamond Mind Baseball. It looks pretty neat, because there are nearly 4000 players available, from all eras, with normalized statistics and modern-day contracts. You draft your team within a $100 million salary cap (sorry, the Yankees couldn't compete in this league!), and play a 162 game season over 9 weeks. Well, you don't actually play, but you do have the option of watching (or should I say "reading") the play-by-play of each game unfold, or just checking the box scores.

DMB is an excellent product, and highly realistic. I'm looking forward to answering some of those age-old baseball questions about "who's better." FYI - the Babe checks in at a $25 million salary! Yikes!

iLove my iPhone

The original wallpaper on the iPhone is a photo of the Earth taken from space. It’s cool. I left it like that for the few weeks I’ve had it. Today, with a little spare time, I changed it to Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

My first “issue” with the iPhone had nothing to do with the phone itself and everything to do with my cable company (TW). Big surprise. Anyway, thanks to David Pogue (author of iPhone The Missing Manual, the problem has been solved.

I was able to receive mail but unable to send it. That’s a big deal. So off to see what Mr. Pogue had to say about that. To be honest, I tried both fix #1 and #2 but neither worked. I ended up using fix #3, which was to use AT&T (official carrier for iPhone) for my outgoing mail. It seems to be working but I won’t know for sure until Monday. If it isn’t, you’ll know by Monday as well.

The other issue I had is I inputted all my contacts but when I synced, I lost them. I haven’t synced since and I know some patches and updates are available. That’s just another cool thing about the iPhone. They tell you NEVER buy the first version because there are bugs and glitches. However, those bugs and glitches are so easy to fix when you just sync your iPhone like you would your iPod. It’s instantaneous. And let’s face it, in a world that demands instant gratification, this is pretty sweet. Hopefully I won’t lose my contacts this time. It’s pretty time consuming to re-enter them and the iPhone doesn’t sync with Outlook contacts. I’ll see what Mr. Pogue has to say about that tomorrow. (If you have a Yahoo, Gmail, .mac or AOL account , you'll be just fine!)

The battery also has to be charged each night if you spend a decent amount of time on- line like I do. Not really a big deal to me though.

Finally for today, you've never seen e-mail on a phone like this. Let me quote David Pogue, "Dude, if you want a more satisfying portable email machine than this one, buy a laptop."

That’s all I’ve had time to comment on so far. Between the new job, school, and life in general, not to mention an over the top Goo Goo Doll concert (future blog to follow), it’s been a little hectic and I haven’t devoted the time the iPhone deserves. It’s been pretty effortless to use and update, and I’m thrilled and proud to own one. I showed it to a less than savvy gadget person who proclaimed, “I must have one.”

I’m surprised I waited as long as I did to purchase mine. I mean, I did get in on the “unprecedented” drop in price, but still…it’s just so cool.

Change is the only constant

That's one of the mantras at my place of employment. At times, I think it might be better said that ambiguity is the only constant, but I don't think they'd take my suggestion.

However, I firmly believe, and have witnessed several times, that change brings opportunity! And, for me, that occurred last week. I'm migrating from a training coordinator position to a systems coordinator position. Training/people development and systems are my two loves, so there really is no way for me to lose. I haven't held a systems job for nearly 3 years at my company, so I'm excited to get back into it. Plus, the systems job is more "stable," which bodes better for my near future. To be fair - I don't want to paint the wrong picture - one thing my company does very well is give folks ample opportunity to find something else within the company when their job is being "transitioned" away. It's not always the best situation, but it's better than the way most companies use the "pink slip." My previous job wasn't up for "transition," but I think it's likely that in the near future changes of that nature could happen.

So, I'll be learning a lot of new things, and re-learning some old things. I am looking forward to it. I did hear through the "grapevine" that some folks aren't too happy about the decision, but that's nothing I haven't had to handle before. There are enough good people in enough right places to get things done, and to make some good relationships along the way. Plus, I'm pretty confident in my own abilities!

Enough about work - it's the weekend!

I submitted my Stuntman - Ignition review earlier in the week (who knows when it will get posted). I gave it an A-; the highest rating I've given an Xbox 360 game yet. Quite frankly, it's definitely the best 360 game I've reviewed so far, and among the best I've played. I'll post a link when it's on Gameshark.

My next project is a review of an online version of Diamond-Mind Baseball. I'm going to start looking into that this weekend. Plus, I might be getting a Sherlock Holmes game to review. I love me a good mystery!

Sitting Pretty

It doesn’t happen very often, at least not to me.

Some of my friends have landed jobs that are “overwhelming” or jobs they simply dislike for a myriad of reasons. Some have even been told, “You have very big shoes to fill.” My one friend keeps telling me, “I can’t keep up.”

Well, I can’t imagine having to be the one that follows the “one” - the one that was deemed ‘stellar’. You surely can appreciate how dreadful and dismal this all sounded to me. I didn’t’ have a choice though. Just like them, I had to start over. I was a little perplexed, pre-occupied, and looking for a Plan B.

Me… The chick that has to find a new job and hears all these horror stories.

Me… About to start this new job that I’m not even sure I want.

Me… I know…it’s all about ME!

As it turns out, to my utter dismay and astonishment, I recently learned that numerous candidates applied for this job. That being said, I ended up, so far, and this is only week # 3 mind you, I ended up “sitting pretty.”

Believe me, I am as shocked as you are.

I know most people do the best job they can. I’m sitting pretty right now because anything I do is a vast improvement over my predecessor, who I’m sure did their best. We all know it’s hard to fit in. I struggle too, with my new work environment, new responsibilities, and new politics. I hate being the new person. I just went through this crap in tech school! I lost my comfort zone, my freedom, and my vacation. I have to prove myself all over again. But fate, or faith, or something I cannot discern or name, stepped in.

I am coming in at the perfect time – when digging out and digging in is required, and more than needed; when new procedures and standards need to be formulated and implemented. When new protocols must be established and adhered too. Where dire straits exist and must be eradicated. All I can tell you is that this quagmire exists and could have extremely detrimental effects. I have my hands full.

I’m also sitting in class right now as I hand write this missive in my notebook. It’s been a very long day for me and I need a break…a break to blog.

I wish I were sitting as pretty in class as I am in my new job.

iOrdered

Great deal. Done deal.

I ordered my 8GB iPhone last Sunday. I also ordered the protective sleeve that fits over the top because I KNOW there will be plenty of fingerprints otherwise. Oh, and I don’t just mean mine. I’m including all those people who want to handle the coolness of MY iPhone, and physically mess with its on-line capabilities and functionality! It’s just like all those who wanted to play with MY ROOMBA! Well, someone has to be the trailblazer of these gadgets and it might as well be me. A girl could do worse.

My brother has had the iPhone for weeks. He said he logged onto a blog to check out a few things but it was filled with pre-purchasers, like him, harping big time on the major price cut that is, to date, “unprecedented.” He said it’s the price you pay for being the trailblazer of new toys, and the $100 rebate is better than nothing. Still, I’m glad I waited.

My brother still thinks his iPhone is the coolest thing he owns and let me tell you, he owns plenty of cool things. I usually get a few of his “old” toys and they are always in mint condition. I contact him before Best Buy. Seriously! Well, to my good fortune yet again, he accidentally ordered two copies of iPhone: The Missing Manual by David Pogue. He was going to return the extra copy but low and behold, he got e-mail from me with a plethora of iPhone questions. His answers simply solidified what I already knew: It was time for me to own an iPhone. So, he sent me the extra copy instead of returning it. I sent him a check and he ripped it up. I’ll be baking him homemade chocolate chip cookies for that. In all seriousness though, if any of you own an iPhone, this book comes very highly recommended.

According to “Kevin,” my iPhone salesperson (not my blog friend), all I need to do when my phone arrives is plug it in to my PC like I do my iPod. Then I can transfer my existing AT&T phone number to my new phone. Sounds too easy. He said it can take anywhere from two hours to two days for the changeover but hey, I’ve waited this long. It paid off too considering the “unprecedented” price drop. Warning: Be aware that your current monthly bill with increase by $20.

So, let’s recap.

IPhone 8 GB: $399.00
Protective Cover: $ 14.95
Leather Case: $ 34.95

Being the owner of an iPhone…. PRICELESS!

Cool phrase I stumbled upon once again:

Ships are only safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships were built for

Do Not Bend

When I walked into my second interview (of my new and current job), I smugly handed over my Microsoft Office Specialist certificate (in Access). I was pretty proud of that certificate. I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but as excited as I was to receive the certificate, I was equally as disappointed when I realized it wasn’t signed by Bill Gates (though it was signed by two other individuals). I know you are all laughing out there. Trust me, you don’t want to look so smug!

My friends laughed at me. “You think Bill Gates is going to sign certificates?” Even my new boss scoffed at the notion, “Bill Gates? Yeah, right.” And this is why I hate to have high expectations or get too excited about anything because it ends up being a let down. I’m sure you know the old adage that goes something like, don’t get to close - it spoils the illusion. It’s true. It’s happened to many of us, but we try not to lose hope. I just really wanted to see Mr. Gates’ signature. He’s one of the top five people I would like to meet. (Actually, he’s number two).

Well, I just received notice I could get a digital copy of my MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) certificate. I printed it off the site and promptly (still a little smugly) handed it over to my new boss. It felt good. I then signed up for my Microsoft “Welcome” kit, and was told it would be about six weeks.

Imagine my surprise when it came three weeks early! It was packed protectively and marked “DO NOT BEND” in bold red letters. Inside was my official Microsoft Certified Professional card (same size as a credit card) and yes, laugh if you must, a Microsoft Certified Professional pin. Well, it may not have looked right on my denim jacket covered with guitar pins and concert buttons that I wore with pride many years ago, but I will find a proper place for it.

The official certificate itself is what made my mouth drop. The kit comes in a cardboard booklet. The certificate is on the left side while the pin and card reside on the right. There was just something about that certificate that hit my core. Something that made the geek in me beam just a little brighter. Something that put that smug, sly, slow-shaping smile form across my face until my cheeks hurt. Something that made the words “DO NOT BEND” more critically necessary.

The certificate read:

“Microsoft Certificate of Excellence” and my name, followed by, “Has successfully completed the requirements to be recognized as a Microsoft Certified Professional.”

Cool! But it was the very last line that caused the burning and forced me to take a deep breath. The last line was handwritten. Two words…

Bill Gates

Driving Me Mad

My NASCAR 08 review has been posted. I'm currently in the process of reviewing Stuntman. Man, from one white-knuckle driving game to another...

I don't have a ton to say about Stuntman yet, but if you like Burnout and Project Gotham Racing, then Stuntman is for you. It's really a combination of both of those games, except instead of causing the mayhem like in Burnout, you get as close to it as you can, but avoid it, in Stuntman. Plus, you try to string driving tricks and stunts together, much like earning Kudos in PGR. I haven't decided if I think it's worth a purchase versus a rental, but driving fans really should give Stuntman a go.

It's Always the Quarterback's Fault

Disclaimer: I'm a graduate of the University of Akron, so I am definitely biased…

The Browns traded Charlie Frye to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth round pick.

First of all, I'm happy for Charlie. He has been set up for failure since day one of this year. The plan was to make all the quarterbacks look incompetent, give none of them the appropriate amount of repetitions, and shatter their confidence so that golden boy Brady Quinn can take the helm. And, in doing so, Savage and Crennel hope to add one more year to their contracts. It's the only way they can save their jobs, given that the state of the Browns is about as bad as it was in 1999, when they returned to the NFL. Savage and Crennel sacrificed the future for Quinn, giving up a sure-to-be high first round draft pick in next year's draft to get him. Their built-in excuse will be that they're breaking in a future star quarterback, and look how much the team improved. Yep, the Browns have led the league in moral victories for the last eight years.

Quinn may turn out to be a good pro, but his track record in big games is poor. Maybe they bought into Charlie Weises' bluster in regard to his talent? Ohio State, USC, LSU, twenty-one other NFL teams, and even the vaunted Michigan Wolverines sure didn't. If you throw Quinn out there now, he has no chance. The line can't block, the receivers can't separate or catch, there is no talent at running back (please don't argue that Jamal still has anything in the tank), and Quinn will be sure to take a ton of hits, making him gun-shy. That's exactly what happened to Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, and Charlie Frye. Garcia goes to another team, and then all of the sudden regains his form. I expect Charlie to have similar results, in a system where the coaches will take advantage of his abilities, build his confidence, and work him into the rotation on a team with talent. Or, at the very worst, Charlie will serve as a solid backup throughout his career. That doesn't sound so bad, does it? Ask Tim Couch…

Charlie has had four offensive coordinators in three years. He has a head coach that flips coins to determine who will start prior to games. And, he had a fickle fan base who always thinks the backup quarterback is the best player on the team (see Holcomb, Jeff). Charlie will hold a clipboard in Seattle. But, when the time comes, be it when Hasselback retires or gets injured, or through free agency to another team, he'll get another shot. And, I think he'll show his true talent. I watched this kid in Akron for four years, under difficult circumstances, thrive. He is a winner, a team player, and fearless on the field. He has a good arm, and despite what the Browns would have you think, he can read defenses and make plays. He did lead the league in completion percentage last year, after all.

The Browns have many more problems than just the quarterback. Heck, they had four penalties on one punt play last week - the play that the punter let the ball go through his hands, to boot! They need a better offensive line, a good running back, dependable receivers, a pass rusher to compliment Wimbley, depth at linebacker, and some cornerbacks. Otherwise, they're ready to contend…

It's hard to watch this - the eighth year of this crap. At least I'm free from worrying about Frye having to be perfect to keep his job. Let's just see how good Anderson, Quinn, and Dorsey really are… And, ultimately, will it really win them any more games? I predict 2-14 for this crappy team...

Gotta Go to Goo!

We said we wouldn’t do it.

We said we did it before and we won’t do it again.

We won’t have crappy concert seats. We can’t. Not after I won the radio contest. Not after meeting the band and having a photo op. Not after having second row center seats. We’re spoiled now.

Then I went and ordered tickets from the fan club site, fully expecting that membership had its privileges. The little pop-up notice said I’d get my seat number and row before I exited…so I went for it. I was “all in.” Even when I saw the “GA” (General Admission) seat number, I kept clicking away thinking, “I gotta go to Goo!”

Then I was just annoyed. I felt betrayed. I should run that website (because I have so much free time these days!) I hate “general admission.” I don’t do “general admission” anymore. I couldn’t stop clicking away at the keyboard – like the sound of the “clackers” (those girls whose stilettos make that “clickety-clack” sound on the polished floors as in the movie “The Devil Wears Prada. I’m a clacker!) I'm also a general admission ticket holder.

The tickets arrived and I tossed them aside. Then the concert was cancelled, rescheduled and moved to a new, smaller, venue. OK, time to fess up to the purchase. Well, I told my concert going friend I had tickets. I explained they could also, due to the date and venue change, be returned for a full refund (they were cheap considering what we’re used to paying a broker for second row center seats). I said, “I know it’s general admission. I know it’s on a Wednesday evening. I know we said we wouldn’t do this but…”

My friend said, “I think we should go.” I smiled one of those very slow, sly kind of smiles. I closed my eyes and nodded approvingly thinking, "You gotta see Goo too!"

And that was that. So now I’m going to work on coming in late to my new job the day after seeing our beloved Goo Goo Dolls! I have a couple weeks to work on it.

More importantly, I’m going to see one of my top two favorite bands! I’m seeing the Goo Goo Dolls for the 4th time in a year and a half. How cool is that?

…And scars are souvenirs you never lose, the past is never far
(From their first hit “Name,” by the Goo Goo Dolls)

Weekend Update (not the funny SNL version)

It looks like I’m on a pace for weekly updates… I guess that's better than nothing!

College football has kicked off, and I couldn't be more excited! Last weekend was a dream weekend for me. Akron and Ohio State won handily, Notre Dame was crushed, and Michigan fell victim in the greatest upset in college football history! This weekend, however, will be a nightmare, as my alma mater (Akron) faces the team I've supported my whole life (Ohio State). Since my time at Akron is a big part of who I am, and it's where I met my lovely wife, I can't help but root for them always. Although, it will be difficult this week, due to my immense love for OSU. Fortunately, the dastardly Big Ten Network isn't part of my cable system, so my emotions won't be twisted by watching the battle wage on. I think Ohio State wins, about 31-13 or so. Akron, hopefully, will be respectable.

I'm hoping that Penn State destroys Notre Dame, and that Michigan falls again, this time to Oregon. Kent State also visits Kentucky, which I'm going to record (I bought the Game Plan package this year) so I can scout the losers from Kent (Akron's chief rival) and hopefully see my third-favorite team (Kentucky - my parents are from there, and my dad went there for a year) secure an easy win.

Darrin's soccer team played in a tournament last weekend. They went 2-1, losing to the eventual champion in a closely contested game, 3-1. It looks like they'll be pretty good this year. The most exciting part was when the coach called Darrin's name to take a penalty kick. Darrin's a defender, and he's only scored a few goals in all of the seasons he's played travel soccer. He stepped up, went upper left over the goalie, and put away the last game we played. It was exciting, and best of all, we got it on videotape!

Brittany's softball season started this Tuesday. She's young enough to where she's still in one of those "nobody keeps score/everybody gets a trophy" kind of leagues, and they use a machine to pitch. She went 2-for-2, and was very excited. Hitting's a big mental thing for her, since she's been hit a couple of times, and is a bit afraid of the ball. Often, if she gets just an inch or two closer to the plate, she'll hit. If she doesn't, she'll strike out. That's a giant leap for her mentally, but I'm proud of her for stepping in there and overcoming her fear. She's got an excellent glove, a decent arm, and good speed. However, I don’t think she loves sports and competing like Darrin does, so she probably won't pursue it too much longer. As a matter of fact, for the first time in a few years, she's not playing soccer. That's okay, though. She's having fun, and that's what's most important. There are plenty of other things to do besides sports, and Brittany is very talented in art, and is quite the actress/comedian/story teller. Most importantly, like Darrin, she does very well in school.

My wife's birthday is Monday. Her dad is coming down to watch the kids' games this weekend. He's also going to baby-sit Saturday night so Melissa and I can go out to dinner. I'm going to take her to a place where we don't have to dump our own trays! We're going to one of the better reputed steakhouses in Columbus: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Hopefully, it will live up to its reputation. At the very least, we get a "date" for a change.

On the video game front, I got Stuntman in the mail this week, which is my next review for Gameshark. The premise is cool: you're a stunt driver for a movie studio, and you have to execute these elaborate stunts to the director's satisfaction. There also appears to be a bit of a "sandbox" mode, where you can set up your own stunts. You have the ability to save replays of your best work, as well. I don't know if the game will have enough legs to be a keeper, but I'm excited about giving it a run. I'm good at crashing in driving games, so hopefully it will pay off in Stuntman!

Hard Knocks

After a six-year hiatus, HBO's excellent Hard Knocks series has returned to television this season. For the uninitiated, Hard Knocks is a behind-the-scenes look at life in training camp for a professional football team. This season's subject is the Kansas City Chiefs. Previous subjects included the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys.

Even though I'm not a fan of the Chiefs, I find the subject matter so compelling that I watch religiously each week as the drama unfolds. The series does an excellent job of showing the human side of life in professional sports; particularly for those sacrificing their bodies for the dream of making a professional football roster. In addition, viewers get a peek at the work that goes into preparing to compete in a sixty minute NFL contest. If you've ever wondered what meetings are like, what the coaches and player personnel men think, how practices are conducted, what players do while not practicing at training camp, and what professional football players are really like as people, then this series is for you.

I can also heartily recommend Next Man Up: A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL, by John Feinstein. It is a book that covers much of the same material broached by Hard Knocks, except it extends through the entire length of a season. Even though the book chronicles the hated Baltimore Ravens (well, hated by me - a Browns fan - anyway), it is excellent reading.

If you're fan of the NFL, you need to spend time with this excellent material. You'll see the game in a way you may not have considered previously.

My Quick Update Too!

Wow. It's been awhile. Even Kevin thinks I'm MIA.

I've been catching up with friends and family this week before I start my new job on a full time basis. I've been going in once a week just to get acclimated. The other day, I was asked to submit the hours I've work thus far. I asked if I could just take "comp" time (since their vacation policy sucks) and was told, "you're getting both." This left me speechless. I finally muttered "thank you" and believe me, it was more than sincere. There was shock in that muttering as well. So far so good. I'm actually excited to start full time. My office is pretty sweet, has a large window overlooking trees, and everyone has been very nice. I advised my boss that I'd need to leave early or come in late a couple days in the next few months, as I've got these certification exams going on. He said, 'You're salary. Don't worry about it.'

Last Monday, I was scheduled to take my first of three Microsoft exams. I am a horrible test taker. I've always done pretty well with essay questions but that's not what these exams are about. Anyway, I passes exam 70-306 and am now an MCP - Microsoft Certified Professional. I'm on my way slowly but surely. One test down, two to go...

I'm meeting some friends for lunch today, gathering with my old co-workers at the Blue Moose tomorrow night, hitting Crocker Park with another friend on Saturday (and the Cheesecake Factory), and looking forward to the nice, long holiday weekend.

Quick Update

It's been a while since I've posted... Soccer's in full swing, as is softball, plus school just started, and I still have new-hires at work (we lost one, so I'm down to 30, with one more probably to go tomorrow). I'm a busy guy!

I just finished my NASCAR 08 review and submitted it Gameshark. It could be posted anywhere from tomorrow to after Labor Day, given the way it's gone in the past, LOL. NASCAR is a good game. It's got some warts, but hardcore racers and NASCAR fans will like it, methinks.

The Tribe is hanging on. They have their biggest lead of the year right now, after winning 4 in a row. There's still plenty of baseball to play, though.

The Crew did draw against West-leading Houston last weekend, which was a good performance, especially since they were down a man. Hey, it's almost September, and they're still alive, so I guess I can't complain. Fulham is still struggling, but the season has just started. I can still be optimistic, although that may not be very realistic...

College football kicks off this week! Go Bucks! Go Zips!

Lastly, I haven't heard from Kelly in a while. I hope the new job is going well!

Monday Musings

It was another tough weekend for me as a sports fan.

First of all, my all-time favorite soccer player, Brian McBride, suffered a dislocated knee while taking a shot unmarked from about 5 yards out. It was definitely a freak injury. Brian is 35 years old, and probably doesn't have many more matches in him. He is a US soccer legend, and a great man and human being, by all accounts. I wish him a speedy recovery (he's slated to be out 3 months), and I hope I get the chance to see him hit at least one more of those magnificent headers into the back of the net before he's done. What a shame...

The Crew, currently barely occupying the last playoff spot in the MLS Cup, turned in another listless effort in a 2-0 loss to DC United Saturday night. Watching this team is like riding a roller coaster - one the goes from sucking, to unbelievably great, to sucking again.

Charlie Frye, a fellow Akron alum, is being set up to fail in Cleveland for "golden boy" Brady Quinn (I've never liked Brady; like his college coach, I've always found him disingenuous and smug, like he thinks he's better than everyone). Frye has never really had the full support of the Browns, nor has he had solid talent around him. They've jerked him around from the end of last season with Anderson, who has shown nothing in his limited time. Yet, he gives his all to the team in an effort to win (how many athletes truly do that anymore?). They'll let him take another beating early this year, until the line gels, and then bring in the "Golden Boy" to save the day. And, like most over matched rookies, he'll probably fall on his face, and the Browns will be back to square one of an expansion franchise. You have to be EXCEPTIONAL to succeed as a rookie, and I truly doubt that Quinn is of that caliber. I honestly hope Charlie gets let go, because he needs a fresh start and a change of scenery, with an organization that will give him a fair shake. Also, it would hardly be fair to throw Quinn to the dogs, much like they did to Couch, and to Frye. At least show some restraint, and take the appropriate amount of time to develop a QB, for a change...

At least the Tribe are in first place. For now...

I've been playing NASCAR 08 the last few days. I have some impressions going over at the Sports Gaming Nation. I really like it thus far, but I have a long way to go.

I'm really excited because I think I've just about settled on a slider set that brings an appropriate level of realism back into NCAA Football 08. I've had only one interception by my defense against the CPU QB's in the last three games (all wins by me, by the way). I still have to tweak my pass blocking and the CPU's running game, but I'm really enjoying the action on the field right now, six games into my dynasty.

I still have 3 Xbox 360 games that I haven't even played! Man, I need more time...

Closer and Closer to Counting Crows New CD

I read it on the Internet so it must be true! (Yes, I’m kidding but I’m also quite hopeful!)

Rumor has it that Counting Crows new CD entitled Saturday Night/Sunday Morning will be available November 6th ! It could be true as new releases are done on Tuesdays since sales figures are released on Mondays.

Even though Adam hates that this happened (Immy, on the other hand, was flattered it appeared on YouTube the very next day), and that people like me spread the word, you can catch a performance of the first single, Cowboys. (I read the name of the first single in his blog along with some other tracks but this is the song I wanted to hear the most. If you’re familiar with “Goodnight Elisabeth,” then you know the lyrics: “we couldn’t all be cowboys, so some of us are clowns.” You knew right then and there that Cowboys was just begging to be written by A.D.) He’s a lyrical genius. You can catch the performance at AnnaBegins.com.

Here are the lyrics too, courtesy of Lisa’s Counting Crow Shrine…

Ah, November 6th! And the countdown begins…(I wonder if I should take that day off work…)