On the Edge

I potentially have some VERY big news tomorrow! (or is that today?) Very exciting stuff peeps.

As a diversion, please go check out this webgame (kinda like DigDug on crack). It's very interesting/addicting/pleasehelpmestop.

Acceleration

Wow, what a turn of events. Suddenly it appears that there are two seperate yet equally interesting employment opportunities presenting themselves. One is a very good, solid job that will provide my family the stability that I've desperately needed these past few months, and the other will potentially move me across the country and into what could probably only called a Dream Job and will probably not work out because I'm just not that lucky.

But goddammit, a guy can dream can't he?

What does it do? Well, while I'm dickteasing like no other, let's break it down: There's IT stuff, there's game testing, there's game design, and there's game community work. It's like take me and all of my well-rounded skills and stick a salary on it. That's the fuckin job. Needless to say with both of them coming to a head I'm getting a little anxious about em. I should have some interesting news later.

Onto other topics: I'm so fascinated with podcasting it hurts. What I would really like to do is podcast some Star Chamber stuff, along with my own little show. As a kid I too was fascinated with radio (you know, back before MTV basically took over youth's every waking moment with glossy reality programs) and DJ's. But in this age, as it were, we're soon to find that real DJs, the kind that must entertain and actually think, are podcasting.

So speaking of DJs and podcasting, the grand poohbah of podcasters, the creator/visionary Adam Curry, hosts his Daily Source Code and it is absolutely necessary listening for anyone wondering what I'm speaking of. Some other shows such as anything on the brilliant ITConversations.com should be heard as well. I'm listening to the latest Source Code now. The guy who entertained me so much on MTV in the 80's (yes, when videos were actually played) entertains me now and is about 1,000x the geek I never thought he could be.

On a final note, MTGO can be so damn evil. I'm a hard-core drafter at heart, with my new love being Rochester. These days if you see me online in MTGO, I'll be in the auction room selling whatever I just drafted (so I can do it again), or, well, drafting. My wife on the other hand hates MTGO. In her eyes it seems to take money and literally give it directly to Satan with little or no interference between computerized bits and dark, red palms that ooze the hatred of the world.

Me? I'm still reeling from install Firefox 1.0. There's this great thing about using things that are in beta and/or uncomplete state: When you get them working just so, there is a new and spiffier version (and/or official as this update is), and me being the geek I am, feel it necessary to take the time and install and use this version. Therefore I downloaded and installed 1.0, tried to overwrite my existing install, at which point my computer took a large shit over all of my previous settings, bookmarks, and extensions. Say hello to a few hours of work trying to remember passwords I forgot eons ago, along with whatever goofy-ass bookmarks I relied and and promptly forgot about until they were suddenly missing, like my mind after an all-nighter.

So I must make this request to the powers that be: Dear Universe: Don't make me ever upgrade or update Firefox ever again. Hugs and kisses, me.

Big Bang Baby

Ah, I kinda like blogging again. It doesn't exactly fit like a glove, there's no proverbial bicycle to climb back up on, but there is a slight rhythm in creating words on a screen (not page, but damn-near) and making them not only interesting (hey I try), but also somewhat informative of how you see the world.

I guess the big news for today is that OMFG HALO2 IZ OUT NOW!!!111ONEONE

Halo was one of those games that I just didn't care to play. Particularly on the XBox, because a first person shooter on a console is similar to a steering wheel on a remote control. Sure it could get the job done, if configured right, but do you really want to use it like that? Using dual analog sticks is just so damn painful.

I understand that the console brethren among us need their first person shooter fix, but the real agony is trying to express how using TWO hands is just so much BETTER. It's like trying to convince a man dying of thirst that the can of coke he's about to drink won't taste nearly as good as the water coming from the hose. One will keep you wanting and leave you feeling more thirsty, and sometimes with terrible aftertaste. The other just keeps on giving, a veritable fountain of goodness to sustain you till the end of your days.

Enough with the analogies, I promise.

Anyway, I did finally play Halo on the PC and found myself enthralled but instantly aware of its few overbearing flaws: I've see this texture before. There are entire levels that must've consisted of, maybe, eight whole textures. But that doesn't detract from the ingenious AI, the excellent story, and the engrossing gameplay.

But then, you get lost. Shit, I had to quit playing because of those same eight fucking textures. It's like a fun house maze, only with great gameplay and high production values. With no signs leading the way, you get that awful feeling of Deja Vu all the time. It's paralyzing.

But hey, the console boys don't know what they're missing (and frankly they don't give a shit), so what do I care. I'd gladly take a Call of Duty over Halo any day of the week.

A few final notes regarding Bill Maher: Fucking genius man. His latest season of Real Time on HBO ended and I can say truthfully that it is one of the best shows on TV in terms of political debate and views. Sure it's lefty, but there's always some staunch conservative in there, forcing out their own agenda, and they're never looked down on. Perhaps belittled a bit, even with a few dejected sprinkles to add on top, but they're always given a chance to talk and I respect those who don't simply crumple under the weight of the liberal audience.

Anyway, this Friday night staple will be missed until it returns.

Speaking of Fucking Excellent TV, I've been utilizing my Video On Demand service from Comcast (shit, this is free?!), where I get to see all the Real Time I want, and also get to see just about any HBO Series I can get my hands on. Me? I've become enthralled with Deadwood. The western with an edge (you'll hear, on average, "cunt" a dozen times per show...plus tits and death....yummy), it includes some stellar writing and excellent acting. You may have heard of it, so by now you know of the accolades. Give it a Netflix or a Blockbuster (choose your poison). Me? I'll just hit OK on my Supercalifragolistic cable remote (do they always have to do so damn much?) and see another episode of the excellent first season.

Pet Project: Complete

A big pet project these past few months has been a new Magic: The Gathering set, a stand-alone set consisting of 315 cards. Yes, it sounds insane.

No, I don't know why I feel like I'm 10 and asking for approval whenever I post on various magic forums discussing its release.

But anyway, the address is: http://www.misterorange.com/FOH/

There you will find all of the info necessary to play the thing, as well as just look at the old scraggly bastard that took me so long to design and complete. What started as a design exercise turned into a semi-obsession, and the result is quite a bit better than I expected. Hence the work to get it on a fairly decent webpage with a forum and shit.

If no one ever plays with it, or no one comments in that silly forum, I don't care. I'm glad its done. I'm proud of it, and its fun to play. That's all I care about.