A Wedding and some Gaming, a Returning and a Parting

I’m making no bones about it. It has been AGES since I last posted. And I have excuses! Boy do I have excuses, let me list them: Wedding, Honeymoon, Moving in/out,Student Teaching, The Holidays, etc. It’s not like they took up all of my time, but they jammed it packed. And posting about the wedding was a little daunting to me because I wanted to give it justice, but time kept slipping away and…. *sigh*

The fact is, these excuses are not really good enough. It’s time to get my lazy butt back to work, so here is my first new post. I’ve got a lot of ground to cover, of course, but I won’t be going into depth about everything. No need to recount the holidays. No need to look back on the year that was. I’m going to keep it breif-ish, though who knows how long it’ll get once I get to the personal stuff, so let’s get started, eh?

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So when I say I haven’t blogged in a while, it was actually sort of a lie. I’ve actually kept up blogging through my reviews, which I know doesn’t really count for readersof these posts as much, but hey! I’ll take my bonus points where I can get them. All of my recent reviews have been on video games, which is something of a shame, seeing as how I saw some movies I would have liked to review as well (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Sherlock Holmes 2 being the most notable of these.) But for those of you who live life on the gaming sie, you migth be interested in my reviews of ICO (from the HD PS3 collection), To the Moon, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. It has definitely been a good year for games.

Of course, that’s not all I’ve been playing. League of Legends is something of a habit. Of course that’s largely because it’s one of the main ways I hang out with my friends. But lately there have been some lousy bits that has discouraged me in my time with the game. First off is the fact that two of my friends are more or less tired of it and want to play other things. Now this isn’t so bad, but finding those other things that we all enjoy on a regular basis is difficult. I’m not really an MMO guy, for instance, and the only one I want to try out (Star Wars: The Old Republic) is a monthly payment, which is blah for everyone. I’m kinda hoping the recently announced new additions to the Co-op versus AI mode in League of Legends will draw those friends back. Even if for a little while.

The other major drawback though is that Riot has more or less nerfed Jax a whole lot in the recent rework.

Poor little Jax

It’s not that his new kit an’t do a lot of damage. Goodness yes it can. Pop that steroid ulti and Surge, leap in and clean some clocks. … For six seconds. And if you didn’t already die in those six seconds, you’re pretty much screwed once the buff is gone. The main issue is Jax’s survivability. He has no health bonus, no magic resist and no armor without seriously adjusting his build to practically remove his damage output. I’ve been experimenting with some builds, and I’m getting better results than I’ve feared, but there’s no escaping that Jax just isn’t as viable as he used to be. He’s so item dependent now it isn’t even funny.

And that’s not even taking into account the terrible construction of his Counter Strike ability. The stun is almost worthless for the cooldown time, especially since using the ability telegraphs the oncoming stun 1.5 second before you can actually use it. Any self-respecting player can dodge the stun 75% of the time, and that 25% is because Jax used it before leap-strike, which negates the whole dodge mechanic’s use entirely. – Dyrus said it before, and it’s true. Jax’s kit is hypocritical. Is he an assassin? Is he a brawler? Both and neither. He simply isn’t good enough at either one, and two crappy halves don’t make a complete whole. He’s still playable at least, and I keep trying out new builds. Hopefully they fix some of these problems in the future.

Meanwhile I discovered a new mini passion for minecraft. Building on my single-player fortress was fun, and all, but it’s also lonely and boring at times. So when Scott invited me onto the PandemicCraft server as a villager in Westphalia, I thought it would be a neat way to give the game new life. And let me tell you, it’s working. Now that I have a community to live in, my scope has shrunk (no giant fortresses at the moment) but my artistry has grown. The house I’m building across two plots is going to be really cool when it’s completed. I feel like I own a part of a larger world, now. It’s sort of addicting. This tiny little outpost in the winter biome is steadily growing. There’s a town square. Houses, and an Inn. And somewhere out there is an Empire that is pressuring other settlements to join with them. Thankfully our Baron is tough in the face of such pressures. We Westphalians live free out in the wilderness. ^_^

Part of what makes it all worthwhile is the economy system, where people actually do own pieces of the town, and these towns can expand. And people have jobs and specialties. The Innkeeper and his assistant actually grow food, buy meat off of hunters, and sell it to the villagers and travelers at low cost. It’s fascinating and fun. I think the system needs some expansion, though. It’s far too easy to become rich, with little to show for it. I don’t know if the server’s mod can be modded further or not, but it seems like cool things could be done with it.

Well, I’ve been yammering on about what I’ve been enjoying lately, so let’s take a detour into some less pleasant waters…

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Of course, less pleasant waters doesn’t mean it can’t be funny at the same time. How about those Republican Primaries, eh?

I tell you, watching this circus has been at least as fun as it is depressing, which makes it ok in my book. I mean seriously, these are the nominees? THESE are the nominees? The idea of any of them as president is stomach churning. Even Ron Paul, who at least is the most honest and least-politically corrupt of them all, would be a terrible president. Romney would be predictable, boring, and dangerous in his own right, but could you imagine Newt Gingrich as president?

Oh my sweet lord. The question would be whether we bomb Iran right after the inauguration, or if we wait a day. Don’t get me started on Santorum.

Of course Obama hasn’t been a particularly good president either, but at least he’s a little more inclined to do what’s right than these jokers. And that’s really all I have to say for now. Until the end of this, I think I’ll just buckle up for the roller coaster ride and hope there’s a smooth stop at the end, and not an abyss.

Abysses aren’t fun.

Which is why, thankfully, the internet was able to keep us from jumping into another kind of Abyss entirely. The SOPA and PIPA legislation are currently falling apart (woo-hoo!) Of course that doesn’t mean they won’t come back in some sort of new and deadlier form. (Why is it that legislation acts so suspiciously like Final Fantasy boss fights?) It was pretty cool to see so many internet powerhouses throw their weight against the bill, though. I guess sometimes the people can win. Fancy that.

But that’s enough of the entertainment an the political, let’s move on to the personal…

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I’m married guys! 😀

Of course I have been for 3 or so months now, and should have said something on here sooner, but let’s not dwell on that…
While this topic deserves a full on recounting with details, descriptions, emotions, chronology, etc. I think I’d rather keep it simple and say it was a beautiful wedding. And I had a top-hat!
I plan on putting up a picture gallery eventually, but that will take more time, unfortunately. Until then I will leave you with two things. The first is our vows to each other. Me and Katie wrote them out (though I must admit I wrote most of it with her input >.> ) and we alternated speaking the different lines to each other. It worked out wonderfully. The second thing is a picture of the little wedding-decoration place we mad in our Duplex. It’s not finished yet (we’ve got to get a picture to put in the frame) but I think it’s already very nice.

Our Vows –

From all the times together, thick and thin,
We found a bond in our joys and rest.
The grand adventures shared through paper, pen
And dice, or pages turned, or buttons pressed
Were just the start. Beneath the fun and play
was deeper love. A love that waits beside
Your sick bed; Love for which we pine and pray.
A love that age and death cannot divide.
This love’s worth more than worldly wealth, or woe
Its lack may bring. May God look on this love
And smile, as when he sparked all life to grow,
Or when he woke the galaxies above.
My hand’s outstretched to you and my heart’s doors
Are wide. All I have, all I hold, are yours.

I, Edward Lee Cheever II, and I, Katie Michelle Guth, in front of family and friends, before God and man, do pledge myself to you.

This is how we read them:

Me: From all the times together, thick and thin, we found a bond in our joys and rest.
Katie: The grand adventures shared through paper, pen and dice, or pages turned, or buttons pressed were just the start.
Me: Beneath the fun and play was deeper love.
Katie: A love that waits beside your sick bed;
Me: Love for which we pine and pray.
Katie: A love that age and death cannot divide.
Me: This love’s worth more than worldly wealth, or woe its lack may bring.
Katie: May God look on this love and smile,
Me: as when he sparked all life to grow,
Katie: Or when he woke the galaxies above.
Me: My hand’s outstretched to you and my heart’s doors are wide.
Katie: All I have, all I hold, are yours.
Me: I, Edward Lee Cheever II,
Katie: and I, Katie Michelle Guth,
Me: in front of family and friends,
Katie: before God and man,
Both: do pledge myself to you.

Married life has pretty much been great, as well. Of course there are the little things, like chores and such that things can get tense over, but otherwise, living with the person I love the most, whom I can both have fun with and be serious with, has been wonderful.

Settling into the duplex has been a process of course. As has mashing two lives together. Finances are particularly… fun… But we’ve got some of it sorted out now. Still lots to do, of course, but when isn’t there? Job-wise I haven’t been doing the serious job-hunt that I probably need to do. Part of my hang-ups are all around the certification test I’m supposed to take at some nebulous time in the future. At least I FINALLY got some information abut it out of the education department and I can start preparing for it (by the way, could this material be any more dull and lifeless? Or useless for that matter? I think the people behind this live in a fantasy world somewhere between Mathland and MotivationalSpeakervania.

In any case, I still have my job as a writing tutor, which I am very thankful for, and I’ve been doing a rather lot of substitute teaching over at CTA. So finances are better than they otherwise would be if I didn’t have a job. I think the bills would really start eating away at us if not for that promise of my soon-coming paychecks and Katie’s recent raises and long hours.

I’ve been trying to think of a way to segue into this final topic, but I really can’t think of one. It’s much like asking the question, “When is the best time to hear the news of a death?” There isn’t one. No time is ripe, and no segue can ease the issue.

My friend, Jarret Wade, is dead. He died of cancer some time ago, now. I’m honestly not entirely sure because time seems to flow so swiftly. Has it really been a week and a half?

To say I knew a lot about him would actually be a lie. I didn’t know his family, I didn’t delve into his personal life much, and we only really interacted at school. And yet I have little hesitation to say he was a great friend. Part of that, I believe, is because there was nothing about him that wasn’t genuine, and completely open and honest. He was completely himself at all times. A few conversations would be all it would take before you felt like you knew him for life. Like he was a friend from your earliest days.

So unlike other acquaintances I’ve known who have died, I felt a real shock at the news. I learned about it early in the day during a time I was substitute teaching at CTA, and it was difficult not to break down when I would mention him during prayer requests at the start of every class period. My voice would falter, and I can only imagine how red my eyes grew over time, holding back tears that blurred my vision.

I knew it was coming of course. We’ve all known for some time of the cancer that was eating away at him. I last spoke with him over the phone while on my honeymoon. We were in Seattle, and though he said he would call, and show off his beloved home city to us, we never heard from him. I called him up to see how he was doing, and he had just gone through another serious treatment. He didn’t sound good, then. He apologized for not being able to show us around. Of course I said it was nothing, and that his health was more important. He said he’d make a trip down to visit Keene soon. That he looked forward to seeing us all again, and to meeting my wife.

It was a trip he would never make. And while I know that there was no real way I would have been able to, I constantly think that I should have made time to go see him again while I was there…

I’m not the poet I once was. I have a tendency to write them far less than before, and I usually make them boring and emotionless for trying to make them structured or fancy. But occasionally, something happens that gets that emotion stirring again. It’s not the greatest poem I’ve ever written, but I feel like It has my heart in it. Here’s to you, my brother, Jarret Wade.

Jarret

I see the rain on the western shoreline
Pouring into a hole that never fills.
I know the shadows of those blackened clouds.
I know the brim of that endless cold cup.

Like the echo of a distant tempest,
The strong vibrations of thunder long since
The blinding light of the lightning strike,
Your going shook me, and my earth stilled.

Till the trumpets ring from the mountain tops,
Till the silvered bells toll at sea.
Till the bright cloud comes from the east.
Till then, rest ‘neath the trees.

You found the deepest roots of all our hearts.
You could see their dark gnarls, their twists, their cramps.
You always knew how to water them,
With smiles, and hugs, and conversation.

The world was not a stranger to you.
It was a lonely friend in desperate need.
Not an unknown mist of vague statistics,
But a painting of minds, faces and eyes.

Till the trumpets ring from the mountain tops,
Till the silvered bells toll at sea.
Till the bright cloud comes from the east.
Till then, God holds Grave’s Key.

His hand hovers over the sepulcher
Holding out that golden metal Work,
Trembling with desperate impatience to swing
Wide those black and silent gates that stand closed.

And past that unknown date, what triumph waits?
A son of heaven comes home! You will ride
His chariot, And wear a crown of gold,
bejeweled for lives you’ve touched. A friend of God.

Then the trumpets ring from the mountain tops,
The silvered bells toll at sea.
The bright cloud comes from the east.
And then, at last, be free.

For now, there are dark clouds out to the west.
No rain, no tears, no grief, can fill torn hearts.
You lit so many candles on your way,
You left your light in all of us.

Edward L. Cheever II

Sorry to leave it on such a low note, everyone. But sometimes, the world gets serious. And laughter is a little far away. Good-bye, friends. I hope to have you here again soon.

Women Play League of Legends in Pakistan With Global Warming

Don't I Wish My Days Were Stuffed With Relaxing

It’s amazing how much STUFF has been packed into the past few weeks. How much things change. How fast they move forward. I’ve barely found time to breathe, much less write a blog post. Thankfully, I’ve found a spare minute or two to put this thing together so, let’s get started shall we?

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The amount of entertainment I’ve been able to consume has been cut drastically short lately for a variety of reasons which I will get to. However! This has not stopped me from enjoying certain elements of popular culture.

First of all, League of Legends continues to be my primary time-sink for my off-work hours. Not that I have a lot of time to sink, mind you. This is for the usual reasons of course. It’s one of the few times I can hang out with all my friends and do something that is usually fun. The game is as fantastic as ever. Yadda-Yadda.

But what it has really done to capture me lately is the introduction of the Dominion game mode beta. I rarely ever get a chance to try out this fantastic new mode, but my word how fantastic it is. It is blazing fast compared to your bread and butter Summoner’s Rift, with all sorts of nuances and strategies that are in their infancy stages. Right now every game is chaos. Players running in all directions, getting lost in the jungle, picking fights hey shouldn’t. It’s a good time to be a Jax player, like myself. Tanky DPS champions are kings of the hill right now.

Of course I’m hoping that as players grow more experienced with the mode, and as complex team strategies and maneuvers develop, the dominance of the Tanky DPS will lessen and go back to merely carrying like normal. The most shows tons of promise, and most importantly it is FUN. I just can’t wait till I can play it any time.

In other news, Minecraft has been grabbing what time I don’t give to League of Legends. My stronghold gets more stronghold-y every day, and I’m looking forward to going and exploring the world around me when I’m done. Or mostly done. You’re never really all done in Minecraft.

As for Doctor Who, we’ve caught up to the most recent episode and we’re having to wait week to week for the new ones to come out. I’ve grown so accustomed to marathon television shows that these week long gaps are especially painful. Otherwise, we’re enjoying it as much as ever.

On a side note, there’s a rather funny and interesting article on Doctor Who mania over at Cracked.com right now that draws some fascinating parallels and differences between the Doctor and the concept of a god (or rather “God”). At the very least, it’s an interesting read.

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There are so many things to commentate upon in politics. I could talk about how ridiculous the Republican debates are (and if you’re watching the debates without simultaneously following the commentary tweets by @RepublicanDalek and @ASupremeDalek then you just aren’t doing it right). Etc. Etc. But I’m going to focus a little on foreign relations and politics for a moment.

First on the docket is King Abdullah, of Saudi Arabia, giving women the right to vote and run in local elections. Now, let’s make no mistake, this isn’t some sweeping change in the fortunes of Women in that country. If I’m not mistaken, they are still not alowed to drive. But this still represents a solid step in the right direction. The Arabian Spring has provided many people of the Middle East with new opportunities, and Women in this, one of the most conservative countries in the region, have gained some valuable ground. I applaud the king for being as revolutionary as he is, even if his government won’t let certain reforms through (Seriously? Driving?).

In other news, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has called for consideration of military action against Pakistan. The argument goes that the terroristic attacks on American troops in Afghanistan is being funded and aided by the Pakistani government directly. As these are hostile action, hostility is the best response.

This is ridiculous. For a number of reasons.
1. Unsubstantiated ideas concerning the military power and actions of foreign nations is what got us in this Middle-Eastern mess in the first place.
2. Your best plan to get Pakistan to stop killing American troops (if this is even happening at half the scale that is being assumed) is to send more troops over to get shot? Good job Einstein.

Good news, guys! We've got a new plan to stop the violence! Shoot more people! 😀

3. You really think you’ll get support for this when everyone is appalled at shooting a couple missiles into Libya in a genuine attempt to help a rebellion against a vilified power, not to mention get American interests in the region (oil) back up and running again? What, do you know a guy who knows a guy who likes the idea?
4. Hurray for more government spending? – You’re more than happy with the idea of Government size and power when it comes to killing people, but helping people… oh no. oh NO nono!

I really have nothing more to say about that. I frankly see this being burred soon and never being heard of again *knocks on wood*.

Finally, and probably most controversially, the attempt for Pakistanis to gain their own independent state. Needless to say, the bold steps being taken in the UN right now are popular amongst the Pakistanis, and needless to say, it’s not popular in Israel or in America.

I say controversial because I think I’m coming down on the side of the Pakistanis. Israel has ever right to exist and defend itself after some fifty years of existence. I am not suggesting otherwise. But we are hypocrites to say that self-determination is a good, noble thing to desire, and then deny this to the Pakistani people. I think that concessions should be made on both sides to achieve this. Perhaps not all of the land that Pakistan wants should be given (I know there are concerns about opening up Israel’s heartland to artillery range from the border). I also think that it is right and proper to let the Pakistanis have their land for themselves. Surely there is a middle ground in there somewhere.

Of course this will not happen. At least not for a long time. Hostilities are far from ending in the land of Abraham’s descendants.

Now, on to my latest bog section…

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This section will be dedicated to any scientific articles that I find the urge to comment upon, or social issues that are more or less dominated by the science that inspires it.
Oh, and I’ll probably talk a lot about Robots and Lasers too.

But the introductory topic and article I’m going to focus on today is This One Over at the Associated Press About America’s Allergy to Global Warming.
I have long felt that I needed to see more proof that Global Warming was real before I made up my mind. I always stood by my decision that the reason why we should care for the environment was because we should want to keep the planet beautiful, and if that also kept us from disaster, then great! But this reasoning isn’t enough and never will be enough for oil barons and other captains of industry who simply won’t be able to ad another level to their Scrooge McDuck Money Bin if they don’t keep the profits rising, so screw the environment.

I find that I can’t just sit in my comfortable “keep nature beautiful” mindset anymore. It’s not a motivation for most people. And this is becoming serious. I’m convinced of Global Warming.

Two of these things are looking pretty familiar right about now.

It’s not the record setting number of days with hundred-degree weather. It’s not the momentary discomfort of a too-warm backside on my car’s leather seats. No. It’s the statistics of the greater whole. Even taking into account the cyclical nature of the world, the changes in temperature are too swift and too convenient (post industrial revolution). On top of that, 98% of climatologists are on board with this. 98%! That kind of consensus is ridiculous in the scientific world. Sure, I’ll concede that the majority of the scientific world has been proven wrong before. It might even happen again. But we have no reason to ASSUME that they are wrong. And we certainly have no reason to assume that 98% of climatologists are on some sort of quest for money in some scheme (that makes no sense if you think about it – who would be paying thee people?).

So I think we should take this as seriously as life and death. If they are wrong, what’s the worst that could happen? That we live in a prettier, less polluted world? Oh the horror!

Now, I was going to move on to talk about personal stuff, but I think I’ll save that for another time, when I have more information about what is coming up. Instead I’m going to finish off with a story that I find perfectly hysterical.

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So apparently Nicholas Cage was, at some point in the past, woken up by a mostly-naked man with a fudgesicle. There really is no better way for me to put it. Apparently the man was mentally ill, and somehow found his way into Cage’s house, bedroom, and closet, where he took Cage’s leather jacket. He promptly wore it while eating a fudgesicle by the side of Cage’s bed.
That would have been terrifying.

Though I'm not sure who felt more terrified, now that I think about it...

I can understand why Cage moved away from that house. I wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly again.

And on that note, it’s time I left you for today. There’s a lot of stuff to do yet. Have a great one, everybody!

Edward L. Cheever II

Obama Slaps The Frankenfish Who Ate Batman While Talking About Scott Pilgrim, ETC.

Time for another blog? Oh yes, it is time for another blog. Let’s see if I can skip the blathering and cut to the chase on this one.

He's Upgraded His Shark Repellant

Starting off with cool news, apparently, the U.S. Airforce wants their soldiers to be like Batman. Seriously. They’re even looking into various gadgets and so forth. Personally I think it’s a great idea. Even if nobody can be as invulnerable as Bruce Wayne (and even he’s died now, come to think of it,) if these men are trained in the use of a variety of gadgetry, it would certainly increase their versatility, and most likely their effectiveness while making it less likely that they should die in the field. There’s no telling how effective it will be, but it’s worth a shot.

In the field of science (SCIENCE!) there have been a number of advances in lab altered organisms. Genetically Enhanced produce has been around for some time, but GE meats, like the so-called “Frankenfish,” have primarily been avoided until now. But the scientists behind the GE fish are trying really hard to get their fish approved by the FDA. While I think that they should be careful, mindful and thoroughly regulated, I also think that they will be/should be allowed (pending no serious medical side effects of consuming the fish are found.) Maybe I’m a bit too blind and trusting of the march of science, or maybe I’m just not susceptible to paranoia. Either way, that’s my opinion on the matter. The greater the food output we produce, the more likely it is that one day we’ll be able to provide food for the starving places of the world entirely. I know it is hardly as simple as that, but those are my long term goals for supporting such advances.

Food for all, baby!

Moving on, the political scene is, as it has been for some time, dicey. Especially for Obama and the Democrats. Do I believe the crazy Tea Partiers will eventually disappear or be subsumed back into the Elephant? Yeah. Or they’ll split the conservative base sufficiently to render both harmless. But for the short term, they are a threat to the well being of America. Harsh words, but deserving in the face of their hatred, bigotry and racism. I find it likely that many of them will take their places in political power at the expense of both parties, but especially the democrats.

'Armed,' eh? Nothing Like The Democracy Of The Gun, Amiright?

It doesn’t help that the economy is as slow on the recovery as would seem to be possible. Obama recently spoke about the troubling state of the economy, and while I agree with his general assessment, there is no way he’s going to win over anybody with his words. He’s dealing with a nation facing harsh realities and worries, and all he can say, no matter how true it may be, is that “it could have been worse.” That is not the kind of message that will win you votes. Unless the jobless rate begins to drop, and until the effects of a resurgent economy are felt outside of wall street, nothing is going to change the fact that Democrats are losing heading into November.

(From The Tea Party Instruction Manual, pg.4)

Of course, nothing short of miracle working will convince some people that this is the right course for the nation. It was quite shocking the other night to hear my sister and mom arguing about politics. Kimberly is Republican in most ways, I’m fairly sure, but she is also thoroughly fed up with the acid and thickheadedness, and rudely disrespectful nature that people treat the President, Muslims and others with. My mother came down strongly on the side of the down-with-Obama train. What surprised me the most wasn’t that my Mom was saying such things (though that surprised me too,) but rather how she didn’t see how her words were hateful, fearful and disrespectful to our President. I’m not sure Americans know the difference anymore between a disagreement and a war. They’re one and the same to people nowadays. And isn’t it odd that I would pine for an “old days when people respected the president?” It never existed, of course. History has taught us that. But I find it odd to be the one reminiscing about supposed golden ages.

Knowing me as you all do, I’m sure you are wondering if I ever jumped in the conversation myself.

Of course I did. It just took me a while. I was going to let it all slide past me, but then my mother said one of my most hated political misnomers. She likened Obama to Hitler.

Will the Stupidity Never End?

Now I’m the first to admit that I throw the word Nazi around a lot when talking about what I dislike, but it is pretty much all in jest. My mother was strictly serious. I had to say something. So I did. I don’t remember my exact words, but I’m pretty sure that “ridiculous” was used. I told her that the day Obama rounds up an ethnicity and begins systematically slaughtering them, then she’d have a case. Heck, Republican isolationist and anti-world-nations policies have more in common with Hitler than this, and even they are miles apart.

And Even Then, The President Deserves More Respect

She countered by saying that it might be on a smaller scale, but that he was still deciding who lives and dies. I asked what makes her think such a thing. You know what I got? I’m sure you do… Death Panels.

Never mind that the whole Death Panel thing was comically misinterpreted by Palin, the very idea that this wouldn’t cause an uproar (should it be true,) even amongst Democrats, is ridiculous. Why wasn’t the whole nation up in arms over this? Because it wasn’t true. If it was, then I guarantee you that Democrats would have stood firmly against the law as well.

*SIGH* Moving on…

For those of you interested in how standing up for your rights can get you in trouble, read this fascinating article about a man detained by federal employees for not divulging personal information. It’s interesting to anyone who finds the real-world implementation and conflicts over our rights as guaranteed by our nation’s foundational documents to be as fascinating as I do. The article is quite cathartic, surprisingly patriotic (you know, if basic rights mean anything to you,) and an interesting look into the mindset of officials who too well know they have power and too little know that power’s limits.

But that’s enough about politico-wackyness today. Let’s move on to entertainment!

I’ve got a lot of stuff to talk about concerning games I’ve been playing recently.

He's Mad At Me For Not Playing In Months

First of all, my trek through Oblivion has come to a stand-still. Partially this is because I’m ridiculously intimidated by how open the world is, even with a guide, and partially because I’m simply not in the mood for that sort of game right now. Now that I’m back in the work/school grind, finding time to play games is hard.

Which is why I moved on to Metroid: Other M. That game is something of a paradox. On the one hand, it is kind of painful. The story segments aren’t weak, per se, but they are so overwritten, so Sunday-morning drama, that it can be hard to stand at times. Hardest of all is coming to grips with Samus’ characterization, but I’ll leave that discussion for another blog post.

Isn't That A Wrestling Move?

On the other hand the game is full of highly entertaining, freeing and explosive action. I love moving about the world, which is shocking considering that we’re talking about using a D-pad for 3-d world movement. Blasting things is great and the melee options are fast and worthwhile. I’ll see if I can squeeze a review in sometime after I finish it.

But that review might just have to wait, as Samus has been benched for the moment in favor of Halo: Reach. Once we had the game in-house, and once my girlfriend was done with it, I couldn’t keep myself away.

I'm looking forward to playing it some more.

It’s been too long since my last foray into the universe Bungie created. I fell in love with the original Halo several years ago while playing a pirated version on my laptop. I’m glad to say I’ve since replaced it with a new version. I’ve wanted to really immerse myself in Reach, and make it memorable for me, so for that reason in part (and for the fact that the Hard Mode says “the way Halo is meant to be played,” I’m playing through the game on the hard difficulty. Katie thinks I’m crazy, and there are times when I get so frustrated I agree with her, but every time I complete a tough objective it feels terrifically rewarding. So, Hard Mode it is. I’ve not played for too long as of yet, but I’m already loving my experience with it.

That doesn’t mean that other games aren’t calling to me right now, however. You see, there’s this bewitching little game called Minecraft (it’s still in the Alpha phase of development) which has put its insidious hooks in me rather thoroughly. Minecraft’s premise is simple: You find yourself in the countryside of an open world with nothing but your hands. Night will be falling soon, and with it come the monsters. Do what you will.

My Castle Will Be Much Cooler Than This When Done...

Now, you’re looking back up at the section on Oblivion and calling BS on my “being intimidated by open-worlds” stuff. The thing is, while it is true that there are endless things to do in Minecraft, the way you interact with the world is exceedingly simple. First, you run up to the nearest tree and start punching. You’ll eventually destroy it and get logs. Then you can craft the logs into wood, with which you can make rods, doors, walls, etc. You hit dirt to dig, you craft a pick and hit rocks to mine. Just be sure that you’re safe come nightfall, or the monsters get you. There is no juggling of endless side-quests. There’s only you, your tools, and survival. It’s the closest thing to being stranded on an island Robinson-Crusoe style as I’ve eve experienced.

Build a Cathedral? Sure!

I’ve already dug deep into the side of a mountain. I’ve got a mini-moat and a drawbridge (which is fancy-speak for a dirt bridge I build when I want to get out and take down when I hide away inside. I’ve got the beginnings of a grand hall, which will be my palace. Down a hallway is a massive mine-shaft I’ve been constructing for some time now, while a nearby room holds a carefully constructed stairwell that leads to a massive tower I build straight out of the mountainside into the sky.

This is Robinson Crueso meets Legos meets Dawn of the Dead (did I mention the monsters are Zombies?) Seeing as how all of those things tickle my nerdy bone, I’ve found a potent blend of addiction in Minecraft. Here’s hoping that the developer fixes a lot of the wonky bits when the project goes into Beta.

Now, I know that some of you have been awaiting my reviews of certain movies and books. Sorry, the time for full reviews on these has past; I simply didn’t have the time. Nevertheless, I’m going to give you some quick blurbs about them, just in case you were wondering.

Scott Pilgrim is one of the three best films this year.

Cera isn't so bad. Don't let your opinion of him keep you from this film!

Inception and Toy Story 3 are the only other contenders for the top spot. It’s too hard to choose a favorite of the three, they’re all so vastly different, but there is no question that they are all worth seeing. This blog over at Game Informer talks about how the movie is the best videogame related film ever made, and this review by Dan Wells is fantastic. As such, I don’t really feel that my perspective adds much to the conversation. Instead I’m, just pointing you their way, and giving a very emphatic two thumbs up to the film. Don’t let Michael Cera scare you away from this, even if you’re already tired of his persona. While I may not be able to place this film over Inception or Toy Story 3, this will probably be the first film of them I get on Blu-Ray, and it’s probably the first one I’ll re-watch. Read into that what you will. 🙂

Fun

I just recently saw Resident Evil: Afterlife with Katie, and while it’s nowhere near as good as many of the years films so far, there’s something fun about going to see a gratuitous action film just to see a gratuitous action film. If you’re down for crazy action scenes, Zombie violence and explosions, this movie is totally worth a matinee. I just wish they’d cut down on the endless slow-mo bits. Man, that’s getting old. The last film I saw with tolerable slow-mo was Watchmen, and that didn’t need as much as it had either.

The Percy Jackson series of books is a fun pre-teen adventure that is totally worth a read, and good material for a kid. But all those comparisons to Harry Potter? The ones that call it the next big thing? They’re severely exaggerated. Percy Jackson doesn’t have the interesting world, deep characters and plain and simple quality-writing of J.K. Rowling’s series. None of it is bad, and at times it nears greatness (especially in the last book where the writing quality shows clear signs of improvement) but it never really approaches that threshold that Harry Potter so skillfully leaped over. This would make a good pre-Harry Potter or pre-Chronicles of Narnia series, but little more. Good, not great. Worth a read in any case.

Now that we have the semi-reviews out of the way, on to the news!

Studio Ghibli closing? Oh no. Oh heck no! This is potentially terrible news. I think I might actually shed a tear if it were to happen.

One of the best animation studios in the world.

The idea of the best animation studio in Japan closing its doors is terrible. It’s not unlike the idea of Pixar going out of business. It’s too terrible to contemplate. I think I’m a little more disgusted with the world right now because of this.

Thankfully, the world won’t feel my wrath because it’s buying back my love through a few releases of special bits of Towers of Midnight, the latest in the Wheel of Time series. I’ve read the Prologue and Chapter eight, both release ahead of the whole book, and let me tell you, I love what I’m reading. Everything from the improved Mat Cauthon voice (much better than TGS) to the fantastic revelations and plot movements in such a short time, everything is pointing towards ToM being one of the best books in the series.

Of course, the imminent arrival of ToM is making the likelihood of me ever getting back to The Scourge of God dimmer and dimmer. I may just give up and give it back to Doctor Robinson already. *sigh*

And finally, on the Dungeons and Dragons front, I’m still planning further adventures for the intrepid heroes. Hopefully Steve will show up this time and I won’t have to leave him in his new form (I turned him into a sheep to explain his absence. That’s what you get for tampering with magical items, my friend.) I’m really hoping they go investigate a formerly abandoned keep, but there is always the chance they’ll try to deliver a package to the Mayor’s mansion for the Crime Lord. I’m not ready for that kind of adventure, and I’m trying to find a way to make sure they have a chance of beating the system and not come to blows with the Mayor’s men (and getting blocked from re-entering the town) and yet still feel like a challenge. I’m thinking about using modified house rules like these I found the other day , but I’m not sure how well they’ll work. I may just fall back on the idea that the Mayor is paranoid or something, and his house is riddled with traps instead of guards. We’ll see.

Sneaky Rogue is Sneaky

Okay, that’s it for this blog post. So much for abbreviation, eh? As a preview, next time I want to talk about 3D Printing and my take on Metroid: Other M’s controversial portrayal of Samus. Till then!

Edward L. Cheever II