The Day by Day

Decmeber 15th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

Monkeytown was awesome!
Now, finally, my last post forever! It's been fun! (Yes I'm obsessed with Video Games)

What's going on? As the continued dominant sales of the Wii (capped by a phenomenal 2 million units last month amidst a recession) demonstrates, Nintendo buyers are a whole different class than the traditional gamers who, by and large, are still buying the 360 and PS3.

Millions of people are buying the Wii and when they do, they're buying "Mario Kart" and "Wii Fit." Which makes sense, since those are well branded games that almost anybody can play (if that word even applies to "Wii Fit") and they're also endlessly replayable, which is probably why there's not a healthy used market for them (used copies on Amazon.com, in fact, are all well over the standard prices). It doesn't even seem to matter that "Wii Fit" costs $90, way more than your typical videogame.

The core gamer audience is still eager for the right titles, of course, as the huge launch for "Gears of War 2" shows. But what any media company, be it a film studio or videogame publisher, wants is legs. A big launch takes a big marketing budget, but when a game is still performing six months after debut, it's mostly selling itself.

December 13th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

In the videogame business, legs are rare. Most games in NPD's top 10 ranking came out that month or the previous month. Gamers, by and large, seem to know what they want and they buy it pretty quickly.

There's one big exception, however: Nintendo. The continued presence of "Mario Kart Wii" and "Wii Fit" in the top 10 every single month since they debuted (eight and seven months, respectively) is simply astounding. Then there's "Wii Play which has been in the top 10 for 22 months, though more for the extra Wii-more it comes with than the game.

I decided to take a look at "legs" in the videogame biz this year and it's amazing how much Nintendo dominates. I defined "legs" as videogames that are on NPD's top 10 two months or later after they came out. With the sole exception of "Call of Duty 4" for the 360 and a brief appearance by "Guitar Hero III" on PS2, every game with legs was for a Nintendo platform, and all but one of those were for the Wii.

December 11th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:29:00.002-08:00

After all, Isaacs, who first joined Par to oversee videogame licensing, has started Paramount down the road to becoming a small publisher. Her plan, now underway, is to start with mobile and casual games, most of which are co-published, and eventually move toward more expensive AAA titles (details here).

The first results are two iPhone games, based on "Iron Man" and "Saturday Night Fever," which were released last week. Early next year come casual games based on "Pretty in Pink," "Clueless," and "Mean Girls" that Par is co-publishing with Legacy Interactive (details here). And I've heard rumblings of bigger projects in the works for 2010 and beyond. But it looks like somebody new will be spearheading that effort.

December 9th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:29:00.001-08:00

Today Midway laid off 25% of its remaining staff, or 180 employees, in a bid to cut costs as a massive $150 million debt payment looms in January. It has also closed its Austin, TX development studio.
However I was able to confirm that today's bad news for many of Midway's employees isn't necessarily bad news for all its projects. First, the layoffs won't impact the development team that works on the "Mortal Kombat" fighting franchise. No surprise there, since "Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe" had a decent debut last month as the #3 Playstation 3 game and #8 Xbox 360 game, making it the lone bright spot for Midway as of late.

December 7th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:26:00.001-08:00

It looks like they got that. Though exact details weren't disclosed, Take-Two said the top Rockstar talent will be compensated primarily based on profit sharing, which means they'll benefit directly from the contribution "GTA" (and, to a much lesser extent, Rockstar's other franchises) make to the parent company's bottom line. In addition, they're receiving a sizable grant of Take-Two stock that will vest throughout the term of their deal, which means they'll want the entire company to do well. During a conference call with analysts (going on right now), Chairman Strauss Zelnick said that will "meaningfully align the interests of our creative team with shareholders."

What's most interesting about the deal, however, is that the Houser's future games won't be owned by Take-Two. Instead they and their top talent get to form a new company that will own its IP, with Take-Two funding development and getting exclusive publishing rights.

December 5th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:25:00.001-08:00

Grand Theft Auto IV is turning out to be quite interesting.
Rockstar's top executives including Sam and Dan Houser and "Grand Theft Auto" producer Leslie Benzes have signed a new contract with Take-Two that will keep them at the company through at least January of 2012. That ends worries by some observers that they might leave when their contracts ended this winter.

It always seemed unlikely to me that they would leave, since they're more valuable to Take-Two thanks to their association with "Grand Theft Auto" than anywhere else. But they surely wanted a very financially lucrative deal, given the importance of "GTA," the newest version of which ("GTA IV") has sold more than ten million units this year, to Take-Two's profits.

December 4th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:22:00.001-08:00

These are my ideas for new Call of Duty 4 game modes:

Bare-bones Team Deathmatch

No more excuses. No more blaming Martyrdom or Juggernaut for your lack of skills and kills. Bare Bones Team Deathmatch eliminates the excuses and takes it back to basics with standard Team Deathmatch with no perks, no kill streak rewards. Just you, your skill, and your weapons.

Hardcore HQ

Hardcore HQ requires a lot more than just spamming the HQ position with nades and running in guns blazing. Hardcore HQ encourages more tactical gameplay and communication to win with increased damage, no HUD elements, and friendly fire on.

Multi-bomb Search and Destroy

Multi-bomb Search and Destroy starts every member of the attacking team with a bomb. So everyone has the opportunity to plant if they’re good enough.

Hardcore FFA

Even faster paced Free For Alls, where every bullet counts and playing smart is key for a solid k/d ratio. Standard Free for All rules, with Hardcore mode enabled for extra damage, no HUD, and no health re-gen.

December 2nd, 2008

2008-12-17T16:12:00.001-08:00

Nothing ruins a game of Hardcore Search and Destroy or Hardcore Team Deathmatch faster than an excessive team killer being a douche. So, all this talk of new playlists we’ve been doing around the studio recently (with the help of my raw hatred of team killers) got me to thinking about some Hardcore playlists variations we could possibly introduce when we do the playlist update.

What do you guys think of having the option of playing your favorite Hardcore playlists standard (HC S&D, HC TDM) in addition to Hardcore (Friendly Fire Disabled). Essentailly, standard Hardcore rules with limited hud, increased weapon damage, etc. minus the dread of team killers?

November 30th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:09:00.001-08:00

After getting burnt out on the crowds of the show room floor, they had a console free play room I ended up crashing in for a few hours on Saturday night when I saw a lone Mario Kart-er looking for a challenge. That is exactly why PAX is so amazingly awesome. There is nothing like walking into a random room and sitting down to a four player game of Mario Kart with complete strangers and feeling like you’ve known them your entire life. PAX was filled with moments like that, thanks in no small part to the power of Twitter.

November 28th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:08:00.001-08:00

Hardcore Ricochet is the answer to my prayers. Team Killing is non-existent and you no longer have to say “my bad” to a team mate you accidently blow to hell with a badly placed grenade. If you fuck up, you’re the only one hurting for it. Not to mention you never have to worry about having a team mate shoot an RPG into the ground at the start and killing everyone in Hardcore Search and Destroy. That alone makes this entire playlist worth it to me.

November 26th, 2008

2008-12-17T16:03:00.000-08:00

I played several games of Second Chance Search and Destroy, which essentially just adds 1 respawn per player. A small addition, but makes a big difference in the tactics you use. Plus, it wasn’t as frustrating to be taken out early in the round because you get a second chance to do some damage. No more dying early and waiting around the entire match. The only problem I can foresee with it is the occassional spawn kill if someone gets past your defenses and gets in a position to kill your second wave of respawns before you get him out. Other than that I actually prefer Second Chance over standard Search and Destroy. I found myself missing the second life when we were playing standard.

November 25th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:32:00.001-08:00

First of all, screw the M16. I’m done with it. It’s dead to me. The G36c is where it’s at.

Add a little Bomb Squad for picking up enemy claymores in Search and Destroy so I can stay alive and warn team mates where to plant.

Some obligatory stopping power (although it’s not really needed in Hardcore); Once I unlock a more stealthy perk I’ll switch it out.

Finally, Last Stand. Which I never used before but have gotten damn good at this weekend. You couldn’t imagine how pissed off people get when they put you down and then you headshot with a pistol. Hilarious and makes you not so angry when you get killed. All in all, I was bringing my a-game most of the weekend with this set-up.

November 23rd, 2008

2008-12-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend was great! After lurking at Prestige 1 lvl 55 for nearly a year; the double XP this weekend enticed me to finally prestige again. That, coupled with watching 007 Casino Royale on Friday night, made me want to get to at least level 37 to unlock the suppressed G36c for some stealthy action.

All said and done, I was able to rank up 45 levels between Friday and Sunday night; I could have done a bit more, but that was without neglecting the family.

I experimented a lot with Perks I never used before this weekend and have found a pretty sweet combination for playing Hardcore Team Deathmatch and Hardcore Search and Destroy (which is where I mainly hung out this weekend).

November 22nd, 2008

2008-12-17T15:29:00.001-08:00

To me, anything with a figure is worth an extra $10 bucks. Hands down. Give me something to put on my desk and spark conversations about the game, and I’m in. Given that you have that quality bar I spoke of earlier. Bioshock did it right. Assassins Creed did it wrong (but made up for it with a bad ass NECA figure).

Now what about this trend of super uber-collectors editions. The Survival Editions, the Legendary Editions, what have you. These super premium items like the Life-size Lancer, Master Chief Helmet, or Pip-boy 3000. The ones calling for an extra $60 and including 5 or six pack-in items? What’s it have to be to make doubling the amount of the game worth it?

November 20th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:28:00.001-08:00

To me, there should be no modesty in your Collectors Edition. it’s all about the hardcore fan who is willing to spend a few extra bucks for something big and awesome. To me, if I’m paying extra for it, size matters. It’s all about going to the store and walking out with that huge ass box, while everyone else is standing there with their tiny little DVD-case feeling inadequate in their gaming; I’m walking out with a massive premium items. Something tawdry, gaudy, and completely big and useless but makes me feel like an elite fan of the game. It’s the video game equivalent of a pissing contest…. and it should be.

Which brings me back to the previous point of quality. If you’re going offer a CE, then make a CE that your hardcore fans who buy it can be proud of. Give them something they want to proudly nerd out on. Gears has it right, that life-size Lancer is genius.

November 18th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:26:00.001-08:00

I bought the Halo 3 Legendary Edition w/ helmet, I bought the Gears of War 2 Lancer and Collectors edition, I bought the Amazon.com exclusive Survival Edition of Fallout 3 with the Pip Boy 3000, and hell I even bought the “ultra-rare” Dead Space collectors edition available only on EA.com without even seeing a picture. I’m a sucker for this shit. So when it comes time for our next game, I want to make sure we represent, and “get it”.

I’m not going to lie, I was extremely disappointed in the “collectors edition” for Call of Duty 4. It completely lacked that punch of awesome to make it great. Let it be known that it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

November 16th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:21:00.001-08:00

For the most part, I buy the collectors edition for every game that offers them; for research purposes (or so I tell my wife). So I’ve seen my fair share of developers who “get it” and those who just let their marketing / brand team throw together a cluster fuck of pack-ins that seem “cool” with no regards to quality.

Now I understand that my examples are a bit unfair, because the Gears figures are sold seperately where as the Brothers In Arms was a collectors edition pack in. So you have to consider they upfronted the costs and mass produced them for pack-in with all CEs - still, the quaility bar should be set high.

November 15th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:19:00.001-08:00

Nazi Zombies in Call of Duty: World at War!

I’ve been biting my tongue on this ever since I found it it hidden at the end of the World At War campaign and it is awesome. I don’t want to over hype it, because I’m a bit biased… not because its COD, but because:

1) I love Zombies.

2) I love shooting zombies in their head.

3) Like any real man, I’ve been planning my zombie apocalypse plan since I was 9.

I WILL be playing this mode more than the entire campaign. 4-Player zombie co-op, held up in a house, fighting off the Nazi undead, working cooperatively to use the money (from killing zombies of course) to buy new weapons, ammo, open passages, move furniture, and block windows? YES! YES! YES! and YES! Okay… that’s all I’m going to say on the matter. No more WaW talk from me.

November 13th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

The rest of the weekend was mostly spent obsessively playing Fable II (till 5 AM last night). I’ll admit, I was on the fence on whether I’d get sucked into Fable, but it’s great. A really nice break from the avalanche of shooters I’m use to playing all the time.

When I turned it on I was greeted by a big +$1,563 pop-up over my character (kind of like when you get XP in COD4), and just like getting XP in COD4, it’s a damn good feeling. Essentially, you can buy stalls / shops in town while playing. Since you own the shops, you get income from their sales every five minutes, and the best part, that counts even when you’re not playing the game. So after taking a break for a day, you get greeted ony our return with a nice chunk of change. After telling one of the guys at the studio how awesome that is (it’s always fun to be rewarded as a player), I got a hunch… that hunch led to an experiment, which lead to an exploit, which allows to get unlimited gold. BE FOREWARNED though! With great power, comes great responsibility, and I do not recommend using it… and here’s why.

It’s fun to get XP, it’s fun to get gold. When you don’t need XP or gold anymore, the fun value drops…. FAST. With that said, just be warned that I don’t advise using this because it takes away part of the fun of the game (finding / getting gold), but if there’s a sweet weapon you really have to have right now and only need a little bit, then this might be for you.

Essentially, the “get paid while not playing” mechanic was awesome, so I wanted to tinker around with it and see how it works. So I bought up a few stalls (didn’t have a lot of cash so only got 3 or 4).

November 11th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:13:00.001-08:00

Gears 2 has finally arrived. I’m making my way through Single Player co-op now, and have already completed all 50 levels of Horde Mode. They have definitely brought a lot of cool new features to the table with Gears 2, especially on the UI front with their in-game friendslist via the LB button. Completely independent from the Guide system and it works beautifully. They also did an amazing job with their Achievements; making me feel like I’m ALWAYS getting rewarded for what I do. The pacing of achievements if perfect, even when I’m not getting achievements, their in-game achievement progress tracker is always reminding me that I’m working towards a big one. I love that shit! It’s the kind of stuff that pushes you to keep playing (besides the awesome gameplay). For example, I’m in horde mode, and it’s getting hellish. There’s locust coming out of the wood work and every locust I drop is a potential chance to get that sweet sweet reminder that I just hit my 400th / 500th kill. Good stuff.

November 9th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:11:00.001-08:00

It’s all about working together to cover and secure the windows, going for headshots, reviving your teammates when they go down into last stand, and calling out zombie positions so you can defend a certain area of the house. The highest we got in-house before it went retail was about Lvl 20, so that’s what I’m aiming for.

November 8th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:10:00.003-08:00

The zombies will come in waves, so you have to work as a team to cover all the windows and doors, and most importantly work on rebuilding the barricades the zombies tear down in their attempt to get in. Once you hit wave 10 and over, fuck the windows, just find a secure location to defend from because your ass is going to be swarming with the nazi undead. It’s awesome.

Once you get $1000 though you can unlock more portions of the house which gives you access to even more weapons. Move a couch to access the upstairs, knock open a door to get to the basement, etc. Once you’re in the basement, you’ll have access to a random weapon box. Essentially everytime you open the box you’re entering a lottery for a random weapon. Could be a shitty pistol, or a bad ass flamethrower (which is only available in the box, not on the wall) as well as a few “special” weapons that you’ll definitely want to shoot for.

November 7th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:10:00.001-08:00

I’m going to spend most of today powering through the 4-player co-op single player in order to unlock the Nazi Zombie mode at the end. So who’s with me?

I wasn’t kidding when I said this is one of the most awesome things about World At War.

If you’re not familiar with what the hell I’m talking about - Nazi Zombies is a bonus mode after you beat the single player campaign. Essentially, it’s you (and 3 other co-op buddies) defending an abandoned house. Every window / door is boarded up at the start and there are weapons lining the walls around the house.

Each weapon costs money, once you own a weapon, you can go to it’s place on the wall to replenish ammo (for a cost). To get the money to buy the weapons / ammo, just kill zombies. Bonus points for headshots! Every once in a while a zombie will drop a power-up (Instant Kill, Double Points, etc.) and even one that allows you to explode all zombies on screen at once (save that till you need it) which lasts for a set duration.

November 6th, 2008

2008-12-17T15:09:00.001-08:00

Over 60 hours of gameplay later, and I’ve finally finished Fallout 3 this weekend; Holy hell was that an amazing game. You can definitely beat it in half that time, but I savored the gameplay, and completed every main and side quest before beating the main story line - as well as maxing out my character at the level 20 cap. I love the amount of detail and thought that went into every aspect of this game. Bethesda did a great job of really immersing you in their world and I’m kind of depressed it’s over. I still need to find a few bobbleheads and do a few random achievements, but for the most part it’s over, and I’m gonna miss it.

November 4th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:58:00.001-08:00

Count me as one person not shedding too many tears about the death of Helen Walton, the matriarch of the Walton family--she of the $16 billion net worth. After all, this family, worth tens of billions of dollars, has made live a living hell for thousands of workers. And just in time to mourn dear Helen, we learn that the company's own statistics show what a truly discriminatory workplace it runs. The following comes from WakeUpWalmart.com:

Today, Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, released new diversity data which shows - once again- how far this company must go before it becomes a responsible employer. Even though 60.87 percent of Wal-Mart*s Associates were women in 2006, only 39.69 percent of Wal-Mart's managers were women, up only 0.89% over last year. At this rate of change, it will take Wal-Mart another 11.9 years for women to make up at least 50 percent of the managers in the company.

Amongst minority workers, the percentage of workers in management compared to the total workforce is equally poor. For example, even though minority workers at Wal-Mart comprised 33.15 percent of Wal-Mart's total work force, minorities comprised only 23.2 percent of its management. More specifically, even though African Americans comprise 17.50 percent of Wal-Mart*s workforce, African Americans represent only 11.39 percent of Wal-Mart*s management.

Again, based on Wal-Mart's own EEOC data, and in terms of Wal-Mart's management ranks, the percentages of women, African Americans, and Hispanics in Wal-Mart's management are far below the percentage of women, African Americans, and Hispanics in their total workforce.

Amazing how oblivious rich people can be.

November 3rd, 2008

2008-12-17T14:56:00.001-08:00

And as for pensions--many companies, like General Motors actually have large pension liabilities because of THEIR CEO PENSIONS, not rank-and-file workers' pensions, which are funded. One solution, then, is to first slash CEO pay and pensions first. That's economics...okay, with a bit of ideology mixed in.

November 2nd, 2008

2008-12-17T14:54:00.003-08:00

Halloween weekend is over! The past few days were awesome to say the least...Stonybrook campus is poppin during Halloween...even moreso than on homecoming weekend, which is sad to say the least. Other schools have events and spirit for an entire week prior to homecoming and the only thing we really celebrate here is the one day and night of the game. I guess the difference is that our team sucks and other teams don't...that'd be a good reason to care about sports here, if we actually won.
I have always been into basketball; I have played it since I was in elementary school and have, for the most part, kept up on the current events in the NBA and NCAA. My brother Jesse went to Seton Hall and he instantly became a huge fan of the team and bought season tickets every year and still does to this day. I was hoping for a similar experience coming to Stonybrook but quickly realized that that was not happening.
Whatever, my girlfriend is awesome. =D

October 30th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:54:00.001-08:00

The inevitable ideological attacks against the UAW has begun. Just in time for the news that Toyota overtook General Motors in worldwide sales for the first time in history, the drumbeat has picked up in the pages of the business press: auto workers have to just buck it up and take the hit to save Chryslyer. Or so says Dennis Berman in The Wall Street Journal (subscribers only):

Forget about making better cars. Or even about the rise of private equity. The best way to understand the sale of Chrysler Group is as blood sport between parent DaimlerChrylser and its North American unions.

Is DaimlerChrysler willing to get fully ruthless with its employees, in spite of its well-hewn image as loveable corporate citizen? The answer will make for some gripping theater in the months ahead. That is because this deal really is about persuading the company's unions to roll back their own health and pension benefits.

Ocotober 27th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:53:00.001-08:00

Third, as a matter of economics--and, to be fair, a tad of ideology--it's worth noting what auto workers "generous" pensions amount to: an average of $32,000 if you worked 30 years and retired. And that monthly payment by the company GOES DOWN once a worker begins to collect Social Security.

It's ironic that the ideologues are calling for cuts in auto worker pensions, of all places. After all, it was Henry Ford himself who used to say that he wanted to pay his workers enough money so they could buy Ford cars. Exactly how do the ideologues think retired auto workers, not to mention other workers, will be able to participate as consumers in the fall and winter of their lives if they are asked to live on less even as expenses like health care, rent and gas go up?

And that's where this all comes back to you. We all need to see the coming attack against auto workers as a direct attack on the ability of average people to make a fair wage and retire with dignity and respect. The attack against auto workers will be lead by the same voices who have fashioned a global economy with rules that enrich a few and impoverish the many; the same people who have created, in our country, the chasm between rich and poor and the obscene spectacle of CEO legalized robbery with very little resistance from our elected leaders.

October 25th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

First, the real burden to auto companies is health care costs. If the auto executives and their counterparts actually dealt with the economics of health care--as opposed to ideology--they would wake up and be avid supporters for a single-payer health care plan. Enacted this year, such a plan would immediately lift off auto companies tens of billions of dollars--that's BILLIONS--in health care costs for current and, most notable, retired workers.

This is nothing new. Almost two years ago, I perceived General Motors as the prime example of a company that should be arguing that single-payer health care is an economic necessity. Many others have made that point before and since. And, yet...these guys are unwilling to break from their ideological framework, even though the economics are unassailable.

Second, it is not rank-and-file workers pensions that are causing a financial problem for auto companies, or, for that matter, many other big companies. CEO pensions are the problem.

October 24th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:49:00.001-08:00

The real story bubbling within the auto industry is not the news that Toyota vaulted over General Motors in worldwide auto sales. Rather, it's the growing ideological--not economic--drumbeat that is gathering targeting the livelihoods of tens of thousands of auto workers. And this is a direct attack against a decent standard of living for every worker. That means you!

The ideological assault goes something like this: American auto companies are in trouble. The trouble is caused by "generous" benefits paid to auto workers. Solution: cut those benefits to save the auto companies.

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal typified the rhetoric that I've been seeing for some time now, rhetoric that has picked up in the past few months and is certain to get even louder.

October 21st, 2008

2008-12-17T14:42:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have interested myself in the subject of Cognitive dissonance. A prime example of how dissonance affects perception is my experience with long distance running for the wrestling team that directly followed wrestling drills and practice matches with other teammates. On days that I felt I did not perform well I would go outside and just view the stretch that we would be sprinting and running and it would appear to stretch for so long to the point where it even looked like it was beyond my field of vision. I felt like such crap that I would consider not even trying hard because I would not be able to run all of it. On days where I did perform well and I won a few on my practice matches the running area looked like a half mile long and I would think to myself “I totally will rock this today”.

October 19th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:23:00.001-08:00

If one was to ask the general public their opinion of which alternate form of energy will be the world's main replacement for oil, the most popular response would probably be solar energy. The concept of solar panels capturing sunlight and converting it into tangible energy for humans has enthralled the minds of the public since it was introduced, but the truth is that solar energy provided less than .01 percent of America's electricity grid. The predictions for solar energy's contribution is twenty to thirty years is maybe 2 to 3 percent. All of these alternate energy sources receive funding from charitable contributors but the great majority of their moneys come from Federal funding. Solar Energy is one of the least funded of the energy sources being developed and therefore its standing is hurt exponentially. It already is considered a weak candidate as a main replacement because of the sole fact that its output is just too low. The amount of solar panels that would have to be constructed to even consider powering the entire U.S. is an inconceivable number that is keeping the concept of solar energy from becoming a possibility as a replacement for oil. Incentives in Germany, Japan, and America have propelled the sales of the silicon panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity via photovoltaic cells.

October 17th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:22:00.001-08:00

Ok, no more literature to bore you with, I promise! Just my thoughts on nuclear power which have dominated the Presidential debates.
In the past few decades, the inevitability of the complete depletion of our planet's oil is being fully realized. Subsequently, nations around the world are working towards declaring the bona fide replacement for oil. Solar energy, wind power, and nuclear power are all among the most effective choices that are being deeply researched to calculate the exact "pros and cons" of each alternative. The movement to replace oil is a worldwide movement, and as such every dollar and social sacrifice that is needed will be calculated. Therefore, the fact that solar energy will require unsightly and frequent solar panel stations is a major consideration before equipping every country with it. And before we build nuclear power plants everywhere, the fact that now every region will have an abundance of nuclear material which would fall into the wrong hands must be considered.

October 16th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:19:00.002-08:00

Sorry to keep boring you with my thoughts on Dante's Inferno, but I have just recently read it (how unfortunate it was not assigned to me in high school) and it does deserve the attention that it receives worldwide.

Guido da Montefeltro serves as another character that Dante utilizes to display the world's hubris. Montefeltro served in politics but became too entwined with the corruption and turned to monkhood to repent his sins. After a period of time, however, Boniface convinced Montefeltro to return to politics (indicating that Montefeltro still possessed some hunger for power) and upon doing so, gives him effective but evil advice on how to win office over his rivals. To deflect Montefeltro's confliction over partaking in corruption once again, Boniface promises him absolution and goes so far as to promise him a spot in heaven. Forseeably, despite following Boniface's plans, Montefeltro still ends up in Hell. This displays the deception of Boniface, obviously, but more importantly, of Montefeltro himself as he deceived himself into thinking his immoral actions would somehow be rewarded with eternity in Heaven.

October 15th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:19:00.001-08:00

Inferno is filled with references and parallels to real world 14th century political and religious issues. Dante seems to concern himself with the public issues and how the general population is affected by private actions and emotions. The empire is the most favorable structure of government because of its similarities to Heaven in terms of its ability to spawn an ideal society that everyone partakes in. In XIX, Dante meets Pope Nicholas III, who suffers some of the worst punishment by profiting off of cheating the Church. Dante displays his opinion of the fact that the Church and State should be different entities and therefore should not operate together. He possesses an apathy for the sinners in the third pouch of the seventh circle because he does not agree with the notion that money should have any effect on your standing with God. Dante believes that the Church should be the supreme power only when it comes to religious aspects of life, and that real currency should be worthless when it comes to dealings with the church.

October 13th, 2008

2008-12-17T14:12:00.001-08:00

I've just read Dante's Inferno and I am enthralled by the character for Calandrino.
Boccaccio has Calandrino's gullibility act as his downfall in Decameron VIII. In the beginning of the story, Calandrino overhears Maso del Saggio and his friends talking about precious stones and their respective special attributes. He is very interested in the whereabouts of the stones and asks Saggio about them. How Boccaccio has Calandrino actually believe the extravagance of the area that Saggio describes and then believe that one of the stones grants invisibility is mocking the character and it actually is hilarious, but at Calandrino's expense. After he tells Bruno and Buffalmacco about a plan to obtain the stones, Bruno suggests that they wait to search for it because it being daylight and such. This was another hit to Calandrino, because Bruno's statements about the light affecting the hue of the stones and of people catching on and trying to find the stone too were just nonsense to stall time. We know this because Bruno and Buffalmacco are in on the joke besides the fact that his reasons are silly, and it further exemplifies the gullibility of Calandrino.

October 12th, 2008

2008-12-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

The habit of cigarettes and smoking tobacco used to be considered a glamorous and sophisticated habit. Nowadays, one cannot smoke indoors almost everywhere and the attitude towards smoking is much less tolerable. And for good reason. Tobacco-related diseases claim over 400,000 lives per year; more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders and suicides combined. Heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, emphysema, and angina are just some of the long term effects of tobacco use. America spends almost $90 billion a year in medical costs for tobacco-related conditions.
One may wonder how so many Americans can become addicted to cigarettes when it is so widely known how bad the effects on one’s body from it are. The ones who suffer from it most of all are the poor, young, and minorities. Most smokers start in their teenage years as a result of stress, peer pressure, the desire to rebel and, of course, the relentless advertising by tobacco companies. Being related to someone who smokes is considered one of the biggest factors for one to start smoking. Other factors include being a member of a blue-collar household, low income household, single parent household, poor school performance, and a school drop-out.

October 10th. 2008

2008-11-18T07:13:00.003-08:00

Marijuana is the most used illegal drug in the United States today. And out of 14.6 people who use it, 4.8 million use it 20 days in a given month. In the mid nineties, the rate of young people in high school starting to use marijuana actually increased a substantial amount, displaying a threatening trend in the country.
It actually got worse after that study. In the late nineties, teenagers reported that they could relate their marijuana use to at least one major problem (there were significant amounts who reported two or three) in their life. Also, the incidence of teenagers reporting that a bag of marijuana was extremely easy to obtain tripled.
The amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed by those who smoke marijuana are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. Regular marijuana users often develop breathing problems, such as chronic coughing and wheezing. Marijuana contains the same cancer causing chemicals as tobacco. Marijuana users are more likely to be underdeveloped emotionally, academically, and vocationally.

October 9th, 2008

2008-11-18T07:13:00.001-08:00

The first thing that captured my imagination was Micheal Phelps' 8 gold medals. I didn't really watch any of his events, aside from a replay of one of them, but to have lived in a time where such a record is broken was exciting stuff. The real kicker was the track and field, however. If you conjure up an image of the olympics, the first thing you'd think of besides the hoops logo and the flame would be an olympic stadium with a big track and large patch of grass (which would be awesome to play football on) in the middle. Athletics have always been the heart and soul of the games, and this year has been a special one.

October 7th, 2008

2008-11-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

In spite of my love affair with most team and individual sports, I was never one to follow track and field with anything more than a passing interest in the latest world record. I must admit that the advent of the olympics didn't really strike much of a chord with me, especially after one of the best football tournaments ever in Euro 2008. How could you follow up all the drama of the beautiful game and hope to fill the void that exists after a major international tournament?

To me, the olympics has always been too many sports on at the same time, which is quite confusing and distracting. Things like swimming, sailing, shooting, gymnastics, tae kwon do, amateur boxing, fencing, track cycling, 20km walkathon, water polo, etc etc.. they just don't really resonate for some reason. Lack of globally identifiable athletes? Difficulty to "watch-in-passing" for people are not intimately familiar with the sport?

October 6th, 2008

2008-11-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

October 4th, 2008

2008-11-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

My friends struggled to see why I was so upset. Surely he had a right to choose where he wanted to live? My grief was in the fact that he was living my dream and making a mess of it. He had the talent to be a world class player, he was a professional footballer with everything he ever wanted.. and he couldn't leave the comfort zone of "America, the Best Place on Earth".

Landon came out recently and said that he is now dreaming of a move to Spain or England. He recognises that his game would improve drastically over in Europe, but he's unsure now whether any club would sign him after his antics in Germany. He's finally matured enough to think with a professional mindset.. but he's almost 27 now, and a lot of time was lost where he could've further honed his craft in more competitive surroundings.

October 3rd, 2008

2008-11-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

October 1st, 2008

2008-10-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

I've always had a thing against Landon Donovan. The tag of "best US soccer player of his generation" rang a bit hollow when you looked at what he's achieved on a global scale. His two aborted attempts at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany really frustrated me.

You see, the guy has undeniable skill. He might not be considered world class per se, but he definitely is the best player in the MLS pre-Beckham by a country mile. If he had stuck with it and tried to develop himself in Europe at an earlier age, I believe he would've achieved much more and became a far better player than he is today.

What I find really irritating wasn't that he had tried to play at a club and failed, it was the manner of his failure. It wasn't based on not being good enough to get into the first team. It wasn't about a bad atmosphere or a league that was too difficult for him. It was his inability or unwillingness to experience life outside of the US. His first stint in Germany was at a very young age (16, I think), and he struggled to adapt to life in Europe and so he was allowed to go back on loan to the MLS until he matured enough to be able to handle the situation. In San Jose he prospered, and was consistently the best performer on a mediocre team. He publicly spoke about his nightmare in Germany and not being able to cope with the move away from the US.

September 30th, 2008

2008-10-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

Whooo my Bio test is over!

I studied for the past 5 days straight for this goddamn test and now it's finally over...I think I did really well too. There were 2 pages that I knew almost every answer to each question for and it felt oh so goood.
This BIO 201 class is actually the most interesting class I have taken thus far. I am an atheist so scientific views is how I perceive life to be and have been. This test's material started from the beginning of organic life to the homo sapien, and the knowledge is so fulfilling for me. I can now look at a slug and know where it stands on the evolutionary tree. What came before it, what came after it, and what new parts it brought to the table for the next species that evolved after it.
I feel that I appreciate this knowledge more than most.

September 28th, 2008

2008-10-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Life is great man!

Now that Raina and I are officially going out, I find myself happy almost all the time. Other than the difficult test or waking up hungover from drinking 6 cups of Jungle Juice the night before, I walk around with a smile on my face. She really is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met, and this isn't the first time I've said that. And that's the crazy part. I surround myself with these gorgeous girls and it's so surreal...no matter what angle I look at her from or for how long, she always looks like a blessing by nature. If she's a blessing, and she's mine...then am I blessed?
Raina is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She claims that she tries not to judge people, and at first I thought that was bullshit. But as time goes on, she really does not bat an eye when people do certain things that reveal their true self, in a good or bad way. I feel as if I've done certain things around her and she hardly takes note...and that...that...is so comforting. Isn't it? Isn't that one of our biggest social fears? To be judged, to be insulted inside someone's head? If a person hardly experiences that type of judging onto other people, then doesn't that make them a nice, caring person?Of course there are negatives to such a trait. I love the girl to death but it takes alot of negative behavior on a person's behalf for her to consider them in a negative light.

September 25th, 2008

2008-10-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

Life has been amazing as of late. I am official with my girlfriend now, and it makes me smile just thinking about her. We spend alot of time together almost every day...and it feels really really good. I have an amazing feeling about this....
In other news, my parents left for Paris earlier today. My mom has wanted to go forever and now she is finally getting her wish on her 35th anniversary with my dad. It's so cute: my mom has been attempting to learn some French before her trip. I took French for 6 years so when she tries to speak in French I can't help but laugh. I truly hope her trip is everything she wishes it to be.
My classes are going well...I think I am going to do much better in economics than I was expecting.

2008-09-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

I put ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon

Today was awesome. I went to corny Bio Lab for 3 hours...its the easiest class I've ever taken but who cares?!? I'm getting a free A!
After class I went to the gym and my legs feel quite diesel at the moment...I leg pressed 260 lbs!!!!!! I wish I could've used to the squat machine but mad people were on it! =(
After the gym I ate some delicious mexican food at Kelly Deli. And the past few hours I've been chillin with my girl having an amazing timeeee!
Life's great man...I wouldn't have it any other way

2008-09-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Post birthday...I am still in good spirits, despite getting written up last night...AGAIN. *sigh*

I really have come to appreciate the concept of thoughtful gifts. Today my roommate gave me a poster with all the main characters from the video game Street Fighter on it. He knows I'm a total street fighter (among other comics/video game) geek and it was just exactly something I would want. The rest of my friends got me a huge bottle of Southern Comfort, which everyone knows is my absolute favorite type of liquor haha. When they walked into my room, they turned off the lights and had 4 candles on the top of the bottle...i enjoyed that alot. I just love stuff like that, no one can deny that it makes you feel good about yourself.
The girl I am dating, Raina, also was just amazing to have around yesterday, she is the sweetest girl who makes me feel so happy...i haven't felt this way about a girl in a very long time...

2008-09-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

So it's still tuesday, September 16th, my birthday! Today was awesome, from beginning to end, but the last 30 minutes were not. I just got written up by my RA for a noise violation and having alcohol in your room. I've already got written up three previous times so at this point...I feel extremely worried for the consequences. If I get kicked off campus my parents will find out and find out exactly WHY I got written up so many times and that worries me...I am apologetic for my actions and I wish it would all go away....I've come here to learn for pharmacy school and now I'm involved in drugs and alcohol...I wish it would all go away, but it won't, I have to face the consequences for my actions because that is life...and I am aware and understanding of that.

2008-09-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

It is monday so I had Bio Lab today. The class was all about learning how to use the fundamental tools in a laboratory i.e. microscope and PH measure. As of late I have found technology, of the medical ilk specfically, to be enthralling.
Since the dawn of humans barring the past one or one hundred fifty years, a common cold was something to be reckoned with. Without a nasal decongestant one would be overflowing with snot and phlegm at all times. Without throat syrup, one's throat could be, especially while sleeping, extremely dried out and subsequently quite irritated making eating, drinking, and even swallowing one's own saliva to be very painful. Now, if I wake up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat, I just take some advil cold and sinus and some tylenol AM cough syrup and I can converse, dine, and go through a day of classes with only slight discomfort.
The reality is: our minds control our lives and bodies exponentially more than we did say, a thousand years ago. And I'm living in the dawn of this revolution.

2008-09-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

Ah what an interesting weekend...kind of. Another weekend at Stonybrook campus being a lazy bum...but at least I'm surrounded by people that make me happy.
I met up with my brother Jesse in the city and went to a rap concert last night. I find people's behavior at concerts amusing. The drinking, the dancing, or lack thereof....it's interesting to just look around and see what other people are doing. When I arrived, an opening duo was onstage. They were two white guys with Yankee hats rapping their hearts out, and I actually thought they were pretty good. But after every song, there were a good amount of people booing them which I didn't understand why at first, but after the second group came out to much praise I did. The second group was a guy called Capadonna with someone else and they were two big black dudes dressed from head to toe in ghetto attire. This is what people see when they think of rap. This is what fits their image of how it is supposed to be, and therefore they praise it. But the two guys before: their flow was tight, their attitude was tough but humble, and their beats were nice but they didn't fit the stereotype of what rappers are and therefore did not receive the respect they deserved. What a shame.

Sword and Gun Day

2008-09-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

*enters the blogiverse*
So, this is my grand entrance to the world of blogging. I feel that if it wasn't for my Theatre class, I would have never ventured into it. For that, I lament the loss of my blogging virginity but I also am somewhat interested in this...experiment.
I listened to a favorite song of mine today called "Six Days" by Unkle, and it's about war. Towards the end of high school my interest in politics bloomed. I did a couple debates and I loved to discuss and think about what was going on in the world. But, with this war, my interest has shrunk. Not out of choice, but as a defense mechanism. I can't stand to think about our soldiers/citizens dying everyday in a country that, in my opinion, was not worth preemptively attacking. I think to myself, what if I lost my older brother? What if he died? My life would end for a while, being totally occupied by sadness and grief, and afterwards my quality of life would NEVER be the same. Same for my mom. And my dad.
War is, unfortunately, a necessary existence for our world. But it should never be called upon unless it HAS to be. And the illusionary weapons of mass destruction that Saddam was apparently masterminding is NOT warranting.