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| This was in some other people's profiles, so I figured I'd add it.
1. I truly love video games, and will probably be playing them the rest of my life. I've been told to grow up, and I've heard others call it a phase, but it's here to stay for me.
2. If I was born a girl, I would have been named Breanna (spelling?)
3. I think my biggest insecurity might be my teeth... I have less than stellar dental hygiene habits, so this is often on my mind when I think about my physical appearance.
4. I love to ride my bike. This statement is true for any point of time in my life.
5. I have a lot of shoes, and I still don't feel like I have enough. I think if I had enough money, I would make sure that all my outfits coordinate down to every item, but I don't.
6. Lauren (younger sister) and I used to dance in front of the mirror in our bathroom, taking turns pushing each other "out of our show"...
7. I got involved in theatre because I wanted friends and attention. I found both and never looked back. I know that seems shallow.
8. The best moment I've had in art making, was making the audience cry during Kylie's senior performance piece.
9. I've got a mole on my right wrist that feels like a little bump because I picked it when I was a kid. I had a picking problem.
10. According to my parents, I was a biter. Who knew?
11. I would love to someday write game reviews for a living. I think that I have a fairly analytical mind, and the passion for games that would make for not only an informative, but interesting review.
12. My first kiss was in a bowling alley, arcade entertainment complex.
13. Sometimes I feel like my heart is far too damaged to go on. I consider it a blessing and miracle whenever I find the strength to use it.
14. My ideal snack is a bag of twizzlers and a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper.
15. I think I'm a very jealous person about certain things.
16. I love to eat meat, specifically a well prepared steak. I don't think any food is quite as satisfying as a well cooked slab of beef.
17. I can recite the greek alphabet. Thanks middle school...
18. 5th and 6th grade, were without a doubt, the worst time in my life. I don't think I'll ever be as miserable as I was during that phase of my childhood and public education.
19. I knew my mom was the coolest mom ever when she got me an NES for Christmas, along with not only Super Mario Bros., but also Contra.
20. I still play pokemon.
21. I like to think that I'm not a messy person, but I am always finding that I need to work harder at general pickup and maintenance of my room and life.
22. I have probably seen the movie, Ghostbusters, and easy 30-40 times in my life. That's a fairly conservative guess, my mom could help you refine it.
23. I used to have an imaginary friend named Walker. He was really just my shadow, so I guess he wasn't all that imaginary... I was just lonely.
24. Little kids doing cute things breaks my heart.
25. I can't believe it took me 10 years to find you...
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| 1) Where did you begin 2008?
I was at Amanda, Joy, and Carly's Townhouse.
2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Single.
3) Were you in school anytime this year?
HA! Yeah, I finished my degree by "learning spanish".
4) How did you earn your money?
Working as an assistant type manager at a Game Stop.
5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
Not for me
6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
Frequently. I've been applying for police work in the area. I'm on two lists, and hopefully more in the future.
7) Where did you go on vacation (holiday)?
Nowhere.
8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Aside from the loans, I doubt it.
9) Did you know anybody who got married?
Yep.
10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
Yes, my final grandparent.
12) Did you move anywhere?
I sure as heck didn't sit still.
14) What concerts/shows did you go to?
I went to a concert in the park with Amanda, and we took a trip to Second City with her dad... I still think that I could make money doing that.
15) Describe your favorite month in 2008
I think it was sometime in August... Just really well rounded.
16) Describe your worst month in 2008
I wasn't such a big fan of January, but I don't think I could tell you why.
17) Where do you live now?
To my dismay, home.
18) Describe your birthday?
I worked, didn't tell anyone it was my birthday, and my co-worker was able to tell by the distinct sound my DS made, when I turned it on. Apparently, when a Nintendo DS is powered up on the user set birthday, it rings slightly differently.
19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2008?
Feel at peace with my discomfort.
20) What has been your favorite moment?
Probably some of the late summer evenings of playing Rock Band with friends. Very good times.
21) What's something you learned about yourself?
Gosh... There's alot, we can talk about this one in person if you care that much.
22) Any new additions to your family?
My cousin moved in with a girlfriend, does that count?
23.) What was your favorite tv show?
The Big Bang Theory. Really funny stuff, especially for a traditional 3/4 set sitcom with a laughtrack.
24.) What music will you remember 2008 by?
Nothing specific, but I've been getting pretty heavily into The Killers all over again.
26) Made new friends?
Yeah, for sure.
27) New best friend?
Yes, definitely.
28) Favorite Night Out?
does staying up irresponsibly late playing video games with Nate, Huber, and SK count?
29) Where do you plan to end the year?
Oddly enough, at Amanda, Joy, Carly, and Katrina's new townhouse.
30) Any regrets in 2008?
Yeah, but not worth fretting over.
31) What do you hope 2009 brings?
Immediately, a good deal on a television, but I think most importantly would be a consistent job that I could move out of my parent's house with... ::sigh::
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| I think my theory was correct. My last post has had 54 views at the time of this writing, and all I included in it was a few choice words I hypothesized might be a hit on some of the internet's more "common" searches. The post before that had about half, and seeing as that was much more thought provoking, not to mention significantly longer, I think it safe to assume that the doubled viewing results isn't because I'm developing a true reading audience.
Lets see what happens this time.
God. Jesus. Buddah. Koran. Bible. Savior. Allah. Hindu. Church.
Just for kicks.
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| It's been a while since I've signed into xanga and tonight it is far too late for me to write anything of consequence.
I did notice, however the "new" function of how many views a particular post has recieved. Regardless of date or length, the post with the most views in my past postings was the one than included the word "lesbian." Perhaps too many people searching for something else on my humble page?
Sex. Drugs. Slut.
Lets just see how this one goes down...
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| I promised that I would write a review of Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA4). Here it is.
I recently purchased the game used (so I could return it if I needed) and I'm grateful that I did. I am no longer in possesion of the game, but for reasons that I wasn't expecting. The game was truly an interesting experience, and one that I'm not likely to forget, but I also was able to recognize the fact that this game is straight up, not for me. Let me try to explain.
I have never played a GTA game prior to this one. Partially out of some moral subconscious preventing me from buying any of them, but more from the personal bias I have from watching others play them. I have not once in my life seen anyone play a GTA game and follow the story/plot of the title. Everytime, cheat codes were entered, and it became a murderfest until they were finally hunted down by the police and game over. Repeat. I've been told that there is a story, and it isn't half bad, but having personally witnessed about a dozen people deliberately ignore said story, I came to the conclusion that compelling characters and an active plotline weren't the high selling points in the franchise.
That all being said, I have read wonderful things about GTA4. Supposedly the story became a clearer focus of gameplay, and there have been personal testimonies that really see this new chapter in the series as a more "mature" or "grown-up" game in comparison to it's previous installments. It was this selling point that got me to try this one. In the sandbox game genre, it's a real accomplishment if you give the player complete and total control, but still find a way to keep the player moving forward in the plot. Always on the lookout for a decent story, especially in the game medium, I bought it and hoped for the best.
The opening cinematic was phenomenal, and I truly sat in awe by the opening sequence I was watching. It looked quite promising, hinting at a trouble past from our hero Niko, showing the potential of a new future, and introducing us subtly to the potential of things to come in the giant city. The characters even got me interested, and committed early in the game, making it an easy reason to come back and help/interact with them in the future. While in gameplay, however, I found it quite frustrating to stay on task.
Driving was a challenge. I don't know if it's because the driving sections in the game are going to be much faster later in the game, or if the designer was just lazy, but the cars in this game move very fast. So fast that it makes me suspicious that they designed them specifically quick as to potentially make me hit pedestrians on accident, this making the game harder. I sure hope so, cause thats what happened.
The earlier missions in the game are more about relationships and favors, rather than arson and murder. After going on a date with a girl who apparently liked my thick Russian accent, I was supposed to take her home. Driving to fast around a curve on the way home though, I accidentally ran over a pedestrian and slammed into a parked police car. "Now, here it is!" I thought as I fled my pursuer. In my flight though, I made a wrong turn onto a boardwalk, killing at least 2 dozen people and 3 or 4 hot dog vendors. My date at this point is screaming, wishing to be brought home, begging me to stop what I am doing. Not knowing what to do, I keep driving, doing my best to stay clear of cops and causing any more twilight civilian casualties. I finally make it to my date's apartment, where she looks at me with adoring eyes, and tells me that she had a really great time and should do this again sometime. I laughed, because she must not have noticed the smoking car and the blood splatters across the hood. Apparently I had successfully finished the mission prior to my spree, so the physical condition of my car had nothing to do with her reaction or planned response.
The issue I have with GTA4, isn't the content, but the way the gameplay and story interact. I felt most enjoyment when I was fleeing the local law enforcement, not when I was doing some crappy assigned bowling mini-game.
This is where my review gets tricky. I would like to ask what the purpose of the game is? I'm a college educated man, and thought that I understood. I thought the point of the mission was supposed to go on a date... or throw a window through that guys place... or take down the Italian mob boss. If those are the missions and assignments I need to complete to pursue the story, why is it more fun to not pay attention? I genuinely tried to get her home without killing anyone, but when I accidentally did, why did the game get more fun?
It makes me think that I'm playing these the wrong way. And by "wrong way", I mean in the way that all the other games were played. I was genuinely interested in Niko's past and what he is running from in Russia, but couldn't seem to keep focussed due to all the accidental crimes I was committing. I came in looking for story, but instead found a frustrating game model that made it next to impossible to stay on track with the narrative.
If you are one who has played all the other ones and loved them, this game will feel like a great addition to your library, performing like a true Grand Theft Auto game, but you will also get the pleasant surprise of an engaging story along with your midnless bloodshed. If you come in looking for story though, prepare to feel frustrated at the apparent lack of control to stay on track in this open world game.
I'm not surprised this game is selling well. The game handles fine, and the edgy level of the content makes this an attractive purchase for most videogame consumers. The amount of people searching to add content like this to their lives is disconcerting, expecially condiering the extreme degree that rockstar takes the "mature" content. The M for Mature rating is such a misleading name, implying that the ability to murder, lust, and over-induldge are all things that are OK if you are mature enough. Personally, I don't think I'll ever be "mature" enough to murder someone (but what do I know, I'm only 23). I would be quicker to blame the culture, but if it was something we didn't collectively enjoy, then we wouldn't be on our 6th installment of the franchise.
At this time I would like to recommend the game Crackdown. All the hilarious open-world gameplay with a story laid on top of the gameplay, not feeling tagged on in any way. Crackdown is essentially about killing everyone, because the town is overrun with criminals of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. It's style is phenomenal, it's gameplay is smooth and fun, and the narrative of the game knows exactly what it's all about, and doesn't take itself too seriously. "Carry the scales of justice in one hand and a two-ton sedan in the other."
Thanks for reading this. Sorry it took so long (to write and read), but it felt good to get my thoughts out on paper. If there is anything I can clarify or touch up better, let me know.
Edit: Sorry if you found an error link with a previous tag. This is an edit, rephrasing some sentances and fixing some typos I found. I'm sure there are more, but I'm not an editor.
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