Wifezilla and I watched Charlie die last night. He did so heroically, made all the more poignant because Desmond told him exactly how it would happen. Charlie forged ahead anyway. Though Charlie's death was dramatic enough by itself, I suspect that it's going to be a hard episode to watch when Claire, Hurley, and the rest of the castaways find out what happened to him. Especially Claire. She hasn't got Charlie's "Greatest Hits" list yet and she doesn't realize that he tucked his DS ring in the baby's crib. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to have something in my eye when all that plays out. Damn you man-tears!
We only have one more episode left of Season Three and I can attest to the quality of all 24 shows. The season turned out to be nothing short of a tour de force. Not only did it successfully redefine the entire show, it also got the storyline and characters back on track after a lackluster Season Two.
J.J. Abrams and his staff are incredible producers. Abrams' instinct for plot lines, dialogue, and character behavior go unmatched in Hollywood at this moment. He's currently producing and directing the new Star Trek movie, which means that movie is going to kick some serious ass. All of which gets me day-dreaming: could Abrams perchance be brought to the Dark Side? Force push Lucas out of the picture and revive the glory that is Star Wars? I can only marvel at the masterpiece Abrams would create using the that universe. But the only thing bigger than Star Wars canon is Lucas' ego, so I think the latter would have to die before anyone gets a crack at my most cherished movie franchise.
If you've never watched Lost, I can't recommend it enough. But don't start with Season Three. Go back to the beginning with Season One. You can watch all three season for free on www.abc.com, in HD no less if you've got the hardware. If you don't want to watch TV on your computer, then rent them from you DVD provider of choice. I haven't gotten a bum disc from Netflix in months and they're lightning quick with delivery.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monkeys Should Stick to Throwing Feces
That leak my neighbor and I repaired a couple of months back has re-sprung (Yellowstone National Lawn ). We had a bit of a cold snap this past week and when I went to meet Hallie off the bus, I noticed a one-foot diameter puddle immediately above the repair. A quick check of the water meter confirmed the slightest of spins, despite no water running in the house.
I swear to God, most homeowners go the lifetime of their house without even thinking of the main water line to their house, and I've had to fix mine in four different locations in the span of nine short years. After so many line breaks I speculate that a carnival of touring, organ-playing monkeys installed my house's outdoor plumbing system; hopefully they grind their accordions better than they plumb. I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to completely abandon the convenience of modern indoor plumbing in favor of early trips to my local creek, bucket in hand. I have no problems with my main gas line, so boiling the water would be a cinch. All I have to do is talk Wifezilla into waking up at 3 am each day to fetch the water.
I think the chances of me successfully convincing Wifezilla to carry a bucket of water on her head for three miles equals that of my main line never springing another leak.
I swear to God, most homeowners go the lifetime of their house without even thinking of the main water line to their house, and I've had to fix mine in four different locations in the span of nine short years. After so many line breaks I speculate that a carnival of touring, organ-playing monkeys installed my house's outdoor plumbing system; hopefully they grind their accordions better than they plumb. I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to completely abandon the convenience of modern indoor plumbing in favor of early trips to my local creek, bucket in hand. I have no problems with my main gas line, so boiling the water would be a cinch. All I have to do is talk Wifezilla into waking up at 3 am each day to fetch the water.
I think the chances of me successfully convincing Wifezilla to carry a bucket of water on her head for three miles equals that of my main line never springing another leak.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Where Have All the Good Guilds Gone?
That's the question Ryan Scott puts forth in the Games for Windows monthly column, "Crisis on Infinite Servers." In the February 2008 installment, Scott writes that guilds today "zerg" enrollment to accomplish goals like raiding, doing 5-womans, questing, etc. Rather then establish a protocol for recruitment, including an interview process (rigorous or not), guilds today focus instead on getting as many members to join as possible, often with little more ceremony than "Hey, wanna join my guild? Ok. /ginvite."
I guess to some extent, I see his point. But towards the end of his column, Scott writes something that seems to contradict everything he'd written before. He says, "You're only worth as much as you bring to the weekly 25-man raid, and if you're not committed enough to that cause . . . well, we've got plenty of other applicants in the queue. Next in line, please?"
He loses me here because isn't the entire point of joining a guild to accomplish certain goals? Some guilds exclusively raid, like the guild I'm in for instance. If a guild member isn't consistently showing up for 25-man runs, then why would the guild want to keep that member? And why would that guildee want to stay in the first place?
For all the prestige of raiding without all the cumbersome, time-consuming raiding that goes with it?
You either want to raid or you don't, and most WoW guilds don't retain five or six layers of class types to ensure they can always field a raid. Instead, they try to build a roster of committed gamers, people who consistently raid.
Scott seems peeved that a raiding guild would replace an uncommitted player with one who actually wants to raid. But I think he might be confusing loyalty with goal-setting. Earlier in his column, Scott talks fondly of a guild he belonged to in Ultima Online. He writes, "And as my one-time guildmaster once succinctly noted to new members, 'If you call for help in this guild, don't be surprised if like nine people show up.' That's commitment for commitment's sake."
Methinks Mr. Scott indulges in nostalgia. Even if he doesn't, I would ask him what this UO guild would do with a member who not only didn't show up to a fellow guildee's plea for help, but outright refused? Would that be any different than a guildee not showing up for the weekly Tempest Keep run? I don't think so, and in this instance, I think Scott would be the first in line to boot a deadbeat member who didn't share the goals and values of his old UO guild.
Scott meant it as a criticism, but in a raiding guild, you really ARE worth only as much as you can bring to the raid. WoW end-game raiding content is too complex and challenging to field 25 casuals. If you're not good at your assigned role, or you don't show up on time, or you just don't bother to show up at all, then you're not a raider and you shouldn't be in a raiding guild. Maybe that's not your fault, but it's definitely not the guild's fault either. Scott seems to imply that guilds should put loyalty before their chartered goals, deal with members who pursue goals different than that of that guild as a whole. But I don't see how any guild, no matter their mission statement, could be successful by not staying focused on their ultimate goals.
Commitment for commitment's sake? You'll find no better example of it than in a MMO raiding guild, even if that same guild has to cull some misfits to preserve its raiding effectiveness.
That's commitment for progression's sake.
I guess to some extent, I see his point. But towards the end of his column, Scott writes something that seems to contradict everything he'd written before. He says, "You're only worth as much as you bring to the weekly 25-man raid, and if you're not committed enough to that cause . . . well, we've got plenty of other applicants in the queue. Next in line, please?"
He loses me here because isn't the entire point of joining a guild to accomplish certain goals? Some guilds exclusively raid, like the guild I'm in for instance. If a guild member isn't consistently showing up for 25-man runs, then why would the guild want to keep that member? And why would that guildee want to stay in the first place?
For all the prestige of raiding without all the cumbersome, time-consuming raiding that goes with it?
You either want to raid or you don't, and most WoW guilds don't retain five or six layers of class types to ensure they can always field a raid. Instead, they try to build a roster of committed gamers, people who consistently raid.
Scott seems peeved that a raiding guild would replace an uncommitted player with one who actually wants to raid. But I think he might be confusing loyalty with goal-setting. Earlier in his column, Scott talks fondly of a guild he belonged to in Ultima Online. He writes, "And as my one-time guildmaster once succinctly noted to new members, 'If you call for help in this guild, don't be surprised if like nine people show up.' That's commitment for commitment's sake."
Methinks Mr. Scott indulges in nostalgia. Even if he doesn't, I would ask him what this UO guild would do with a member who not only didn't show up to a fellow guildee's plea for help, but outright refused? Would that be any different than a guildee not showing up for the weekly Tempest Keep run? I don't think so, and in this instance, I think Scott would be the first in line to boot a deadbeat member who didn't share the goals and values of his old UO guild.
Scott meant it as a criticism, but in a raiding guild, you really ARE worth only as much as you can bring to the raid. WoW end-game raiding content is too complex and challenging to field 25 casuals. If you're not good at your assigned role, or you don't show up on time, or you just don't bother to show up at all, then you're not a raider and you shouldn't be in a raiding guild. Maybe that's not your fault, but it's definitely not the guild's fault either. Scott seems to imply that guilds should put loyalty before their chartered goals, deal with members who pursue goals different than that of that guild as a whole. But I don't see how any guild, no matter their mission statement, could be successful by not staying focused on their ultimate goals.
Commitment for commitment's sake? You'll find no better example of it than in a MMO raiding guild, even if that same guild has to cull some misfits to preserve its raiding effectiveness.
That's commitment for progression's sake.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Line in the Sand
Tycho at Penny Arcade has had enough.
Really though, the line was crossed back when LeGeNDZ formed last year. It's hard enough to stomach leet punk gamers performing unnatural acts to the English language, but when corporate joins in the mayhem, well, that's an entirely different level of butchery.
Really though, the line was crossed back when LeGeNDZ formed last year. It's hard enough to stomach leet punk gamers performing unnatural acts to the English language, but when corporate joins in the mayhem, well, that's an entirely different level of butchery.
AT&T > Comcast (It's Comcraptic!)
AT&T hasn't done anything lately to piss me off. I can't say the same thing for Comcast (It's Comcraptic!). In a behind-the-scenes deal this past summer that I'm sure involved plenty of brimstone and soul-selling, Time Warner hastily abandoned the Houston market to Comcast, much like a lion leaves the husk of a wildebeest for the circling hyenas.
Within days of the take-over, Comcast promptly jacked their rates while also cutting their television line-up. I went from paying $120 a month, to $148. And that's for less channels.
Hmm? Satellite you say? Yes, that had crossed my mind. However, my brother regaled me of satellite installation horror stories. Couple that with the tiny need I have for broadband Internet, and you can quickly see how satellite was not the product for me.
And then, almost as quickly as Comcast took over Timer Warner, AT&T started flooding my mailbox with offers of cable TV AND Internet. I rebuffed the offers at first. I used to have AT&T as my cell phone provider and I was, uh, unimpressed. But the marketing fliers kept coming, and when my Comcast cable went out for an entire day and then returned with dancing, zigzagging lines in the picture, I called AT&T and booked the installation.
So now I'm paying $120 for 3Mbps Internet and an HD cable package that includes Showtime, StarZzZzZz, Encore, and TMC. Not to mention hundreds of other channels I never plan to watch. I've only had the service since Sunday, but so far so good. Even better, their cable modem doubles as a router. In fact, I think the cable TV signal goes through it as well. It looks to be the cutting edge technology for cable TV and Internet. All I know is that returning Comcast's DVR receiver game me a thrill of consumer satisfaction.
Free market competition. It's what's for dinner.
Within days of the take-over, Comcast promptly jacked their rates while also cutting their television line-up. I went from paying $120 a month, to $148. And that's for less channels.
Hmm? Satellite you say? Yes, that had crossed my mind. However, my brother regaled me of satellite installation horror stories. Couple that with the tiny need I have for broadband Internet, and you can quickly see how satellite was not the product for me.
And then, almost as quickly as Comcast took over Timer Warner, AT&T started flooding my mailbox with offers of cable TV AND Internet. I rebuffed the offers at first. I used to have AT&T as my cell phone provider and I was, uh, unimpressed. But the marketing fliers kept coming, and when my Comcast cable went out for an entire day and then returned with dancing, zigzagging lines in the picture, I called AT&T and booked the installation.
So now I'm paying $120 for 3Mbps Internet and an HD cable package that includes Showtime, StarZzZzZz, Encore, and TMC. Not to mention hundreds of other channels I never plan to watch. I've only had the service since Sunday, but so far so good. Even better, their cable modem doubles as a router. In fact, I think the cable TV signal goes through it as well. It looks to be the cutting edge technology for cable TV and Internet. All I know is that returning Comcast's DVR receiver game me a thrill of consumer satisfaction.
Free market competition. It's what's for dinner.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Emanee Slays Kael Single-handedly, WoW Community In Awe
Ok, so maybe 24 other people helped.
Whatever.
Look, I don't want to quibble over small details. The main point is that Emanee finally got both her vials and now has digital permission to step foot into Mount Hyjal.
I can testify that Kael phase 5 was an absolute blast. The blond bombshell blows the roof off his chamber and floats in midair like Magneto, only Kael is a lot more GQ. He sears raiders with ranged blasts of hot lightening while also defying the planet's gravity, sending everyone careening into space. It's got to be the most visceral of the boss fights I've experienced so far. If phases 3 and 4 weren't such pains-in-the-ass, I'd like to farm that boss more. But I think the bulk of my guild is sick of Kael already and has their sights focused keenly on Mount Hyjal and Black Temple.
Stay tuned for the inevitable report of Emanee single-handedly killing Illidan.
Whatever.
Look, I don't want to quibble over small details. The main point is that Emanee finally got both her vials and now has digital permission to step foot into Mount Hyjal.
I can testify that Kael phase 5 was an absolute blast. The blond bombshell blows the roof off his chamber and floats in midair like Magneto, only Kael is a lot more GQ. He sears raiders with ranged blasts of hot lightening while also defying the planet's gravity, sending everyone careening into space. It's got to be the most visceral of the boss fights I've experienced so far. If phases 3 and 4 weren't such pains-in-the-ass, I'd like to farm that boss more. But I think the bulk of my guild is sick of Kael already and has their sights focused keenly on Mount Hyjal and Black Temple.
Stay tuned for the inevitable report of Emanee single-handedly killing Illidan.
Friday, February 1, 2008
January Guild Names of the Month (Now with More Drama!)
I wanted to get this posted by the end of the month, but obviously missed that deadline. Nevertheless, here's my picks for January 2008, all Silvermoon related:
Pit of Infamy
--Show Me Yer Crits--
I will if you show me your wit.
Beacon of Reasoned Judgement
--Hellfire Templars--
Because anything with "Templars" in it sounds good.
SPECIAL JANUARY PICK!!!!!
WoW Silvermoon Thread of the Month
This ones goes to the original poster, Rubee, who recently started a thread in the WoW Silvermoon forums explaining to everyone (even people that have never heard of her, like me) that she isn't a drama queen anymore, that she was a victim before and now she's not, and that a whole bunch of people are the real dram queens, not her . . . or him . . . or . . . I'm not sure. Why? Because subsequent posts explode into heated drama, mostly from her . . . or him . . . or I'm not sure and somewhere along the way, Rubee reveals she's a hermaphrodite. Her posts and the revelations inside them are so random, I can't help but believe they're true. And even if they're not, the thread is still a recreational read. I can't link it at the moment because I'm at work, but I think the thread's title is something like, "Grow up Silvermoon."
On a side note, Rubee recently quit her guild, --Chaos and Mayhem--, amid some typical soap-opera antics and name-calling, but I looked her up on the Armory and she's a reasonably well-geared shadow priest. I've forwarded her name to Requiem's guild leader as my possible replacement because surely a drama-queen hermaphrodite is a better raider than a nub who forgets to train spells.
Pit of Infamy
--Show Me Yer Crits--
I will if you show me your wit.
Beacon of Reasoned Judgement
--Hellfire Templars--
Because anything with "Templars" in it sounds good.
SPECIAL JANUARY PICK!!!!!
WoW Silvermoon Thread of the Month
This ones goes to the original poster, Rubee, who recently started a thread in the WoW Silvermoon forums explaining to everyone (even people that have never heard of her, like me) that she isn't a drama queen anymore, that she was a victim before and now she's not, and that a whole bunch of people are the real dram queens, not her . . . or him . . . or . . . I'm not sure. Why? Because subsequent posts explode into heated drama, mostly from her . . . or him . . . or I'm not sure and somewhere along the way, Rubee reveals she's a hermaphrodite. Her posts and the revelations inside them are so random, I can't help but believe they're true. And even if they're not, the thread is still a recreational read. I can't link it at the moment because I'm at work, but I think the thread's title is something like, "Grow up Silvermoon."
On a side note, Rubee recently quit her guild, --Chaos and Mayhem--, amid some typical soap-opera antics and name-calling, but I looked her up on the Armory and she's a reasonably well-geared shadow priest. I've forwarded her name to Requiem's guild leader as my possible replacement because surely a drama-queen hermaphrodite is a better raider than a nub who forgets to train spells.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)