Checker Knights

I've gotta say, the best piece of music composed for a video game is Checker Knights from Kirby Air Ride. If you haven't heard it, check it out.

Reggie Fils-Aime Would be the Worst Politician Ever

"By now, you all know how Nintendo chose a fundamentally different path," said Fils-Aime. "Instead of competing for the very best players, we decided to shoot for the most players."

So basically, rather than making games for people who care about games, Nintendo wants to make games for the masses; people who don't care about games. I understand this money-making concept, but being a long-time Nintendo fan, this really hurts. He said many times before that he's not forgetting the core-gamers. This means that he outright LIED to us.

Hopefully with this new economy, there will be less casual gamers buying games. Nintendo will start hurting and they'll deserve it. Then they may finally see their wrongdoing.

My Ideas for the Next Generation

With just a couple years left of this gaming generation (still called "next gen"), I'd like to cite a few things that the next consoles have to do in order to keep things fresh. I think we've seen basically all we need of good graphics. That needs no improving. Here's the list of my top 3 hopes for the next gen consoles.

1. Complete Backward Compatibility

Is it really that hard to do this? I think that they don't even need to have slots for past games. I have plenty of old Nintendo games and Playstation games that I'd love to play on my Wii and PS3. Problem is, the Wii can only play Gamecube games while my PS3 is one of the models that can't play past games. My proposal to fix this is to have a fairly complete library online of games from past consoles. This being pretty much done anyway, all that's left is typing in the product code and you get a free download of that game. Fair, simple, and people will have more reason to buy a second controller. (And if they're real cheapskates, they could charge 10 cents. I wouldn't mind.

2. Small Size and Ability to Plug into Your Computer

Ever since the beginning of the Gamecube, I had wanted to console games on the go. So I bought one of those tiny TVs that attach to the top of your Gamecube and plug into the car. Now this wasn't TOO bad until I found that the screen is thin plastic that scratches, there are way too many parts that get lost, and it turns off when the car gets turned off. This could all be remedied by simply having a USB cable attached to a relatively small console (Wii sized is good) and an application that turns your laptop into a TV. Never again would you have to forfeit console games on a long trip.

3. Bringing Back the Nintendo Seal of Quality

Not just Nintendo, mind you. Sony and Microsoft need to make their own seal of quality. Far too many crappy or quick-cash-in games are being allowed to run free on today's consoles. Now that I think about it though, Nintendo has been allowing the most atrocities recently. Each game on the next gen consoles must be thoroughly tested and be made sure to not get below a 50% score on Metacritic. If they don't meet quality standards, then the game will be sent back or canned. Of course, it will cost a lot of money to be constantly making high-quality games, so I suggest that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo should give a flat amount of money to every game that passes the quality test (on top of profits of course).

Obama is Apparently Familiar with the Interwebs

I found this on Kotaku, which directed me to Tor.com. Find it in full at the title link.

The job involves getting him something to eat, maybe playing a little basketball with him, and basically chatting and getting whatever he needs between important things. During the conversation, apparently Zero Wing came up.

You know, the Sega Genesis video game. I don't know how.

And apparently, my friend made the off-hand comment of "All your base are belong to us".

And Obama leaned forward in his chair, quirked his eyebrow a bit, and responded "What you say?"

Unexpected Mail

Today, I found a cup of cottage cheese along with a ziplock bag containing several pieces of malt whiskey fudge inside of my mailbox.



What the hell?


P.S. I just realized that the cottage cheese is over a month expired.

P.S.S. Never mind. There's chinese food inside of the cottage cheese cup. Our friends dropped it off. Too bad. It would've been a great story.

LittleBigGet!

I was in NYC today to go to my favorite shop; Videogamesnewyork. I was aiming to buy Rhythm Tengoku. Alas, there was no Rhythm Tengoku. All they had was Rhythm Tengoku Gold. Oh yeah, they also had LITTLEBIGPLANET. Videogamesnewyork is famous in the area for breaking street dates on every game they can. I considered not buying it because I have a pre-order at GameStop, but what the hey. I'll give that one to my friend. Besides, this one is the rare, supposed to be unreleased version that has words from the Qur'an in it. I'm betting this'll be a collector's item someday. Anyway, the picture proof is at the title link. Now I'm gonna go play this sucker.

Vendor

I'm not sure how well this one came out...

A couple of months ago, I was walking down Madison Avenue. l don't actually go there for shopping or as a means to get anywhere else. I just like to watch the people go by and imagine what their true selves are, under what they're showing to the rest of the world. So far in my life, I've only found a handful of people who look and act like their true self.

As I watched a sunglassed woman across the street walk hurriedly down the sidewalk as if she was actually going somewhere, I bumped into a street vendor. I quickly apologized and was about to turn around in embarrassment, but what he was selling caught my eye.
"Excuse me, but why are you selling sticks?"
"It's kindling. You know, in case somebody wants to start a fire."
"You mean like setting a building on fire?"
"No! That would be horrible. No, it's for a fire in a fireplace."
"Oh....... Isn't this the wrong place to be selling it?"
"One might think, but it's actually perfect. You see, it's not easy to get wood in a city, and nobody else is selling any. I'll make more than you think."
"I think you're going to make nothing."
"So far I've made nothing, but sales'll pick up. Don't worry. Winter's just started. I've got plenty of time..."

Then he just smiled at me as I left. I don't know why he thought people in the city would be interested in having fires, but I'm not sure he's wrong. Maybe he's smarter than the rest of us. Maybe he's now at the top of the kindling business.

Tape Recorder

A comic? No. Couldn't be. BUT IT IS.

Comic at the title link.

Obsessive Compulsive

This is more of a characterization piece than a story, but it's all I can think of right now. Also, I'm a bit OCD, but this character is not supposed to be like me.


Today I learned in Chemistry that the universe tends to increase in entropy. Eventually, all of existence will fall into total chaos, just gases expanded as much as they possibly can, lingering slightly above absolute zero. This makes my skin crawl.

People say that I'm strange, that I only care about how perfectly placed or tidy something is. Well I say that they can have their hobbies and I can have mine. Of course, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it's less of a hobby and more of an obsession. If there's a loose crumb that falls onto the table, I can't just leave it or wipe it with a napkin. It most go into my mouth or the trash can. Why is this so important to me? Because everything has its place.

The other day, I had to complete a Chemistry project with my school friend. He insisted that we go to his house, even though I warned him against it. He didn't seem to care at all. I knew that I was in for a rough day.

When we arrived at his room, I was in utter shock. It was a wreck. You couldn't even see the floor. There were bread crumbs all over the bed. He said something about getting us some snacks, but as soon as he left I bolted for the front door. I felt I might die if I stayed too long.

Best Craig's List Ad Ever

This is pulled from Craig's List.

new york craigslist > manhattan > rooms & shares
$1 Room for ONE DOLLAR in bright, clean apartment (Upper West Side) (map)
Reply to: hous-834022781@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-09-09, 1:44PM EDT
I am looking for someone to rent the spare bedroom in my spacious 2-bedroom apartment on the picturesque and desirable Upper West Side. You must read carefully, however, as this situation is not suitable for all.
The rent is $1 per month, utilities included, as long as you bake me fifty (50) tasty cookies every day by 6 p.m. If you have not completed this task by 6 p.m., I will pour vinegar on all your belongings, throw them into the street, and have the locks changed. No exceptions and no excuses. Hell or high water, those cookies better be done and yummy.
Cookies are always cookies and never biscuits. I do not eat “biscuits”.
I will decide the specific type of cookie the day before and will submit my preference in writing by 9 p.m. of that day. You are responsible for the recipe and ALL the ingredients (at your expense, of course). The kitchen is large and well equipped with cookie sheets, rolling pins, mixing bowls, etc. You may NOT hum or sing as you prepare the cookies. You may, however, recite song lyrics in a normal speaking voice.
Forbidden ingredients include anise, marjoram, allspice, caraway, and oats. I will nevertheless request oatmeal cookies from time to time and you must find a way to make them without oats. Good luck with that. The worst ingredient of all, though, is NUTMEG. If even one speck of nutmeg, even the tracest amount of the stuff, is discovered in my home, I will pour vinegar on your belongings and chuck them in the street. You may assume the locks will be changed. You may use cinnamon, cloves, and raisins, though I am rather indifferent to these and will likely not be impressed. Chocolate is encouraged, as is vanilla bean extract.
You will be given three cookie cutters: a crescent moon, a star, and a doggie in profile. All cookies must be in one of those three shapes. The doggies must be given names and all the names must be different and cute. Cuteness is my call, not yours. For example, “Smuggins” is cute but “Lionel” is not.
The cookies must be artfully arranged on a lace cloth on a silver platter and garnished. Permissible garnishes include jellied fruits and candied flowers. Sugared figs are under review, but don’t get your hopes up.
Your room contains a twin bed, a dresser, a desk w/chair, and a TV with cable access. The TV is tuned permanently to the Food Network. You may watch only shows featuring cookies and cookie by-products.
If you are interested in this arrangement, please submit the following:
1) Your favorite cookie recipe
2) A picture of tasty cookies
3) A short original poem about cookies
Thank you.