Monday, September 29, 2008

You'll Go Blind Doing That...

So, I've been playing with my Wii. The only real game I have for it right now, aside from WiiSports/WiiPlay which really don't count, is Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Awesome game, but I feel a bit silly with this being the only Wii game I play. It's on the Wii, but it doesn't use any of the Wii motion-sensing abilities. Which, to me, feels like owning a Ferrari and sitting in the driveway listening to the radio. I mean, if all you want is a radio, there's a more cost-efficient way to go about it.

I don't even use the Wii controls for Brawl; I use a gamecube controller. Now, for those of you who have never owned a Wii or closely inspected one, you might not know that on the top, there are two little plastic covers. These open up to reveal a black panel with a set of controller ports and memory card ports for the Gamecube. I think most Wii owners can attest to the fact that this discovery surprised the hell out of them the first time they hooked the system up. Being a stark contrast to the console's white exterior, it kind of looks like they took a black Gamecube and magically jammed it into a little white box.

Here's something else you might not know: those little white covers break off very easily. I found that out the hard way. Actually, they're supposed to come off, and are designed to do so, but when they do, it makes a bone-chilling snapping sound. Believe me, that's not a sound you want to hear coming from your $200 game console, especially if you're like me and didn't bother to mail in the warranty card.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Peoplewatching Tip

Seriously, Zach Weiner is a friggin' genius.


Thursday, September 25, 2008

Jack Thompson Got Disbarred

Ah, sweet justice. Just goes to show you, if you piss off enough people for long enough, sooner or later somebody is going to smack you in the mouth. Figuratively, of course.

(Read the full article here)
---


In a four-page written order, the Florida Supreme Court today affirmed a referee's recommendation to permanently disbar controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson.

The action, which takes effect in 30 days, means that Thompson will no longer be licensed to practice law and may not apply for reinstatement. Ever.

In citing a litany of offenses, the Court noted Thompson's extensive pattern of misconduct and cited a "complete lack of remorse." The Court also quoted extensively from the June, 2008 report of Judge Dava Tunis, who served as referee at Thompson's November, 2007 trial on charges brought by the Florida Bar:

In her report, the referee states: Over a very extended period of time involving a number of totally unrelated cases and individuals, [r]espondent has demonstrated a pattern of conduct to strike out harshly, extensively, repeatedly and willfully to simply try to bring as much difficulty, distraction and anguish to those he considers in opposition to his causes.

He does not proceed within the guidelines of appropriate professional behavior, but rather uses other means available to intimidate, harass, or bring public disrepute to those whom he perceives oppose him.


Noting that "The Court concludes that the facts, as even more extensively detailed in the referee's report, support the referee's numerous recommendations as to guilt," the justices of the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Thompson's offenses as delineated by Judge Tunis.

Some of these include findings that Thompson made false statements and accusations, repeatedly harassed those he considered opponents, and, while falsely accusing others of "the criminal distribution of sexual materials to minors," himself attached pornography to court filings.
...

The Court also upheld a fine of $43,675 against Thompson...

Ouch.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Let's Play A Game...

Watch this video. If you laugh, you lose.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Gaming Haze

Just thought I'd post, since I haven't in a while. My general rule of thumb is, if I have to log in to Blogger again because the 'keep me logged in' cookie has expired, it's probably been too long. Unfortunately, I don't have much to say right now. It's just school as usual.

I did finally buy Super Smash Bros. Brawl, though. I've been enjoying it a lot, though I've basically reached the point where it's really only fun in multiplayer. I mean, I could keep collecting all the trophies and stuff, but that seems like an awful lot of effort for not much payout. Once you've beaten Subspace Emissary and you've got all the characters and stages, what's the point?

Aside from that, though, I have continued looking over my retro game collection. I played Resident Evil 4 again for the hell of it, and considered playing Tales of Symphonia because there are a few side quests I never discovered. Besides, I'm probably not going to be buying Tales of the Abyss or whatever the new one for the PS3 is. Although, that would be more reason for me to get a PS3, the primary one being Mercenaries 2. I've heard it's not as good as the original, but I'm kind of a fanboy, and besides, how bad could it be? It's still Mercenaries.

Alright, I guess that's enough rambling to constitute a post. Later, lovers.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Monday, September 08, 2008

Something Old, Something New

What's new with me? I'm tired. I have the worst sleeping habits when I'm in college. Oh, wait, that's not really new, is it?

I don't know what it is, but something about the college atmosphere is just really conducive to staying up late and taking naps in the daytime. I think part of the problem is that damn loft bed. Once I'm up there, it takes a serious effort to get up. I can't just "roll out of bed," unless I develop a death wish. If I want to get out of bed, I have to move down to the foot of the bed and over the side like I'm climbing out of a tree house.

Also, to the good men and women of the SUNYIT Facilities Dept., if you're reading this, get your asses to L4 and pick up this extra furniture already. I swear, someone really screwed up when they set the schedule for this furniture pick-up business. The time was pretty specific (between 9am and 12:30pm), but the dates were basically "Beginning on Sept. 2nd, until whenever the hell we get around to it."

Other than that, I've kind of been reexamining the retro gaming classics of my youth. After acquiring the soundtrack to Mr. Bones, I was struck with the urge to make a music video. That might sound strange, unless you realize that the music in Mr. Bones was done by Ronnie Montrose, a legend of the blues world. Even longtime fans of his think Mr. Bones was one of his best albums.

Anyway, you can decide for yourself. I made this video to go with The First Thing, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. So, without further ado, take a soulful trip with me down memory lane:



(Note: If you buy the soundtrack, the version of this song on the cd is instrumental only. For the video, I kept the version with the voice-over from the game.)

Sunday, September 07, 2008

This Just In (Albeit A Little Late)

Given the choice, I would probably kill you and your whole family in exchange for a PS3 and a copy of this game.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

1,150 Things Mr. Welch Can No Longer Do During An RPG

I don't know who originally wrote all of this (probably a collaborative effort), but I found it here:
http://theglen.livejournal.com/16735.html

I don't think I have space enough to post the whole document, but here are a few select favorites of mine:

1. Cannot base characters off the Who's drummer Keith Moon.
24. Even if the rules allow it, I am not allowed to summon 50,000 Blue Whales.
28. The Goddess' of Marriage chosen weapon is not the whip.
73. Not allowed to name my cudgel Ceremonial Whoopass Stick.
178. There are no profanities in Celestial.
214. There is no prestige class Drizzt Slayer.
219. In formal introductions to royalty, I must not introduce my companions as just "The Other Guys".
224. I cannot insinuate elf chicks are all easy, even though you never hear about a half gnome do you?
243. Cannot cast haste on the king during a long winded speech to get him to hurry the hell up.
260. Gnomes do not have a racial bonus in bobsled.
272. No skill allows specializing in defenestration.
299. I do not get any XP for anyone I kill by stampeding sheep.
301. "Well Hung" is not a physical, social or mental trait.
330. The Halfling Paladin does not represent the Lollipop Guild.
374. I am not to combine the advantage Fearless and the disadvantage Curious in the same character again.
378. I can cannot give my character the moniker "Tim the Barbarian". Especially since he's the bard.
384. The titles "Viking" and "Obstretrician" are mutually exclusive.
409. I will not cast darkness at the magic missile.
412. I will not try to skip to the main boss dressed like a singing telegram.
419. Spankings generally will not change evil alignments.
461. Tasha's Uncontrollably Hideous Sister is not a real spell.
467. There is no 'accidentally' slipping a Smite Evil into a pillow fight.
481. I am forbidden from doing anything that ends with a snarf, rimshot or spit take.
484. If the word 'Mullet' appears anywhere on my samurai's character sheet, he's vetoed.
486. No how tough the encounter was, I will keep the congratulatory ass slapping to a minimum.
487. Halfing mating rituals do not include beer can crushing, power belching, or Lynyrd Skynyrd trivia.
502. If my name isn't Grimlock, can't start every sentence with "Me Grimlock"
510. After a bloody battle, I will not celebrate by lying down and making carnage angels.
544. I will not cast Gate to bind an infernal creature of power to my bidding and make him mow the lawn.
588. Paladins are immune to STDs, but if I take advantage of this ability, I lose it. Wonderful paradox, isn't it?
593. Tensor's Herniated Disc is not a real spell.

Okay, that's enough of that for now. Go read the rest if you want, but I'm out.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Most Stressful Job Ever

No, this isn't a Price Chopper flashback. I just had to share this. Watch:

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Let There Be Rock

Well, I got to go to the concert yesterday. I didn't buy the tickets until the day of, meaning ordinary lawn seats were $45 each. God help you if you wanted orchestra seating up front. Actually, I ended up getting 4 tickets, since the special 4-pack actually ended up being cheaper than 3 tickets. Besides myself, I got my sister and cousin to come with me for company. They weren't too enthused at first, but ended up having more fun than I did. I, of course, can't divulge the details of that fun, as it would be breaking sibling code. I don't rat on them for doing things that are illegal at their age, and they don't ask what's in those big black trash bags I hid in the basement.



Anyway, Crue Fest was pretty sweet. The bands involved were, in order of appearance, Trapt, Sixx AM, Papa Roach, Buckcherry, and Motley Crue (or, if your prefer, Mötley Crüe). I had mixed feelings about the earlier acts. Frankly, I think Sixx AM sucks, plain and simple. I've got nothing against emo rock in general, but I think if you're going to pour your heart out in your lyrics and make yourself sound like a whiny, overly emotional puss, you could at least write some halfway decent music to go with it. For example, see Three Days Grace, or if you're really feeling adventurous, My Chemical Romance.

Trapt and Papa Roach were okay. But of course, Buckcherry kicked all their asses, as I knew they would. Buckcherry just has a charisma and connection with the audience that most bands can't match. A lot of people ended up without shirts on once they started playing Crazy Bitch.

But, of course, the boys of Motley Crue stole the whole damn show. The guys are getting a little old, but they still know how to have a good time. Tommy Lee is a character, and Mick Mars is still an absolute beast on the guitar. Watching him shred actually gives me a hard-on. Or maybe it was all the half-naked women licking each other on the video screen. Meh, I'll say it was both.

The one kink in the show was Vince's voice. Somehow, they messed with the audio equipment in order to offset the obvious effects of old age on his voice, so he would still sound how he used to. Good idea on paper. The unfortunate result was that he ended up sounding like Foamy the Squirrel. It's sad, considering how perfect he sounds on the new album. Maybe it was just a one-time fluke with SPAC's equipment, but whether it was intentional or not, it was weird to listen to. Anyway, it wasn't a deal-breaker for me. Vince's animated onstage performance and signature style more than made up for it.

Of course, like most rocks shows, much of the real show was going on in the audience. A lot of people were safe and sound in the orchestra seating, but we were up top on the lawn, right in the middle of the madness. Pretty much everyone there was either drunk, stoned or both. Beach balls and lighters were flying throughout. At least a dozen fights broke out, wherein the SPAC security got to demonstrate how bad at their job they really are. One guy actually got his nose broken, but was too drunk to even realize it. And this was all just halfway into Papa Roach's set. By the time Crue came on stage, there were devil horns and body surfers as far as the eye could see. Things only slowed down for the encore: a spirited rendition of Home Sweet Home, during which there wasn't a dry eye to be seen.

Once it was over, the ride home was obviously a madhouse. We sat waiting in line to get out of the parking lot for about 45 minutes, give or take. We ended up getting home around 12:30pm. That probably doesn't sound to bad, until you consider that we got there at 4pm, and the show started around 5. That's one mother of a concert.

So, all in all, Crue Fest was a very fun experience, and I'm glad I got to go. Before the show ended, Nikki Sixx gave his promise that we'd meet up again next year for Crue Fest 2. I don't know how official that is, but if it's true, you can guess who'll be buying his tickets ahead of time next year.

Now, in other rock news:
Ratner Pitching Guitar Hero Film
God help us all...

Thursday, August 28, 2008

It's Done

My God Hand music video is finished. This thing's been on the back burner for a while, but I finally got enough clips to finish it. I had to change my original vision a bit, but I'm still very pleased with how it came out. I consider this to be my crowning achievement in video editing. So, you'd better have nothing but positive feedback for it. Considering I made the whole thing on a laptop with nothing but Windows Movie Maker, I'd say I did pretty damn well.

And now without further ado, here's the video, featuring music by Bullets and Octane. Bow down and worship, you pathetic mortals.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Movin' On Up

I just moved my stuff into my suite today. It's pretty cool by college housing standards. I have pretty much the best desk ever conceived. Photos will follow once I've finished breaking it in.

My roommates seem okay. I haven't met one of them yet, but I doubt he could possibly offset Justin's coolness. Dude looks like me back when I had long hair. Only better looking. And he's got a girlfriend. And he's not a CS student. So, basically, he looks kind of like me, but is cooler in every possible way.

Anyway, the only real downer so far is I'll be in a lofted bed for the first time since freshmen year. It's no big deal, but on warm nights, the top bunk can get pretty hot. Warm air rises, you know.

So, that's about all for now. More relevant information will follow when I feel like it.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Breaking the Chain

Some of you may remember a little chain letter on Facebook a while back, claiming to be from "Founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerber". Well, it seems to be back, this time appearing in my message inbox. I don't blame the guy who sent it to me, but clearly we didn't raise enough awareness the first time.

Let me just make it clear: If you get this message, delete it. Don't forward it. If you forward it, you will be taunted and ridiculed with extreme prejudice. The message is fake, and everyone knows it. I myself logically proved it in the past. I refer you to Exhibit A.

So, let me just say that, if you forward this thing to anyone at all, you are either an idiot, a sadist, or both. While I'm normally a very forgiving person, if I get this message again, I'm going to bring back the Serial Killer app and make good use of it. You don't know fear until you've seen what a pissed off nerd can do to your Notifications page.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

A Social Experiment: Please Join

Dystopia: Come for the legalized marijuana. Stay for the insight.

Have you ever been annoyed with the government and how they run things? Think you could do better? Here's a chance to find out.

Dystopia is a fictional nation. The government is almost purely democratic, with all its laws and policies being chosen by the general populous. Whatever the people decide, it is law. So, if you're a citizen, you have a very direct say in how the country is run. The country is still in its infancy, so there's no telling what kind of nation it could become.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

I Hate Schenectady

And Mondays. And broken traffic signals. And some other things I can't think of right now.

I got asked to work yesterday, and I said yes, even though it's a route I've never done before, and since then have vowed to never do again. Aside from the 3 hours of hell that started it, I think the highlight/lowlight of this past Monday was a little crash I had with a van at a screwed up intersection in downtown Schenectady. I happened to have my phone with me at the time and snapped a picture. See if you can spot the scratch on the side.



The side mirror actually was knocked right off and sent flying in through the window. It may have hit me in the head. We're not sure.



I'm more or less okay, but I don't think my car will be drivable for a while, if ever again. Only time and the guys at Fogg's Automotive will tell.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Intellectual Humor

I just had to share this.


Monday, July 28, 2008

More Shark Week

Fun fact: According to the Mythbusters, sharks are unaffected by the chemical in hot chili peppers that makes them hot. Also, they seem to enjoy eating balloons. I'm not sure why. For that matter, why do crocodiles enjoy eating marshmallows? Some things in the animal kingdom just don't make sense.

Maybe I should just accept it. I mean, sharks eating balloons shouldn't be a surprise. Sharks have been found with license plates and suits of armor in their stomachs. Why would they turn the other gill to a balloon full of chili?

Also, big news: Freakazoid Season 1 comes out this week.

I think I need to change my underwear.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Shark Week

Happy Shark Week, everybody. I'm going to try to use this week to learn, as well as teach my dear readers, as much cool stuff about sharks as possible. So, I guess I'm off to Wikipedia. In the meantime, I'll grab some random shark attack videos off of YouTube to keep you amused.