When I first started this incarnation of my blogging, I set out to make this somewhat different than my blog on MySpace. And initially, I kept with that plan. I started up weekly "features," blogged a bit more, and of course, poured my Good Morning, Internets here as well.
Currently, I still update with Good Morning, Internets, but only occasionally blog. Even when I do happen to blog it's generally copied and pasted in my MySpace blog. While I do feel some entries definitely belonged on more than one site (such as my post on Arcade culture), most of the time it was just to keep the guise that I was updating at other sites as well.
So, in the very near future, I'm going to attempt to be a bit more active again. I know, I know. I've said this before. But for reals this time! Pinky swear!
One thing I plan on bringing back is The Weekly Wank. It was a weekly bit where, as my friend suggested, I'd put my iPod on "Shuffle" and review the first 5 songs that came up regardless, even if it was a guilty pleasure, intro, or comp track.
Permitting that I find a decent host, I think I may do a weekly focus on a cover song, and upload the cover in question on the blog. I'm a bit of a sucker for covers.
Must cut this short though, ran out of time quicker than I thought. May spruce the site upa s well...More on this later...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Good (Halloween) Morning, Internets
Now, despite my caustic attitudes towards specific members and denominations of certain religions, I'm a believer in tolerance. To me, though, fundamentalists (of any sort) belong to no religion and only care about their agenda and how the world fits through their vision of things.
Example:
"Emo's?" I must have missed the part where "Jesus said unto Paul "Ye, thou shalt not take part in thine Taking Back Sunday gathering."
Environmentalists? Loud-Mouthed Women? Liberals? Sports nuts? These people wouldn't know the difference between religion and a Pop Tart.
Example:
"Emo's?" I must have missed the part where "Jesus said unto Paul "Ye, thou shalt not take part in thine Taking Back Sunday gathering."
Environmentalists? Loud-Mouthed Women? Liberals? Sports nuts? These people wouldn't know the difference between religion and a Pop Tart.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
These are the people everyone's worried about? They don't look like they can orchestrate a toaster, let alone another fluke attack.
Because they seem like such bright people.
Because they seem like such bright people.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
I love Supernatural. It started out as a guilty pleasure during season one and become a full-fledged favorite show of mine. It's the best genre show of its ilk since Buffy and Angel. One of it's golden characteristics lies in the show's ability to handle comedy, inside jokes, and know how to have a good time despite the severity of the current story (and this season's a doozy).
This is an extended take from a scene from last week's episode. This take aired after the credits as a gift to fans.
Presenting: the awesome of Jensen Ackles, Dean Winchester himself.
This is an extended take from a scene from last week's episode. This take aired after the credits as a gift to fans.
Presenting: the awesome of Jensen Ackles, Dean Winchester himself.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Fistful of Quarters: On Missing Arcade Culture
Arcade culture, I miss you dearly.
Home console gaming dissolved arcade culture at a far more alarming rate than video did the radio star. While many fun parks helped keep arcades going in the late 90's, even these establishments let out a death gurgle shortly after the turn of the 21st century.
Time was the arcade was the premiere place to play the cutting edge in gaming. Keep in mind, at the time (early-to-mid-1990's) the cutting edge was dedicated primarily to gaming's biggest cash cow, the fighting game. Now there were plenty other of genres getting love, particularly the side-scrolling brawler (eg X-Men, The Avengers, The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). RPGs in the States, with the exception of perhaps Cadash in '89 were a console-only thriving cult genre and didn't really come into prevalence as far as being in the eyes of the mainstream until the release of Final Fantasy VII on the Sony Playstation.
Before someone jumps down my throat with Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy VI (III US), yes, there were both quality and successful RPGs that did penetrate larger audiences, but those were exceptions. The genre itself did not explode in popularity until FFVII and retro gaming became part of gamer culture. All of a sudden people started "remembering" these classic games from their childhood that they more than likely initially ignored. But don't get me wrong, I love the genre. One of my favorite games and stories of all time is an RPG (Final Fantasy VIII. And I'm aware I'm in the minority on that one).
With the explosive success of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, fighting games became the flavor of choice and we saw and outflow of countless 2D, and soon, 3D, fighting games based off of or improving upon either MK or SFII: Samurai Showdown, King of Fighters, Darkstalkers, Tekken, Battle Arena Toshinden, Soul Edge (leading to the Soul Calibur franchise), Art of Fighting, Killer Instict, Fatal Fury, Virtua fighter and the list goes on and on.
It was these games that drank my quarters away as a kid. And it was at these arcade locations that gaming culture thrived. Before the boom of users on the internet, the arcade held the role of hub for gamers, who were constantly swapping rumors, information, and news on the latest games. Like comic books, video games weren't the staple in American pop culture they are now. People more familiar with/primarily raised in the 21st century aren't cognizant to the fact that comics and gaming used to be associated with something outsiders, geeks, and nerds participated in. It wasn't until about the late 90's that gaming became more accepted into the social consciousness as something people (particularly so-called "cool" people) did. So having a place such as an arcade was an important thing for gaming culture to thrive. Many kids didn't know anyone in their class who played games, so the only people they could associate with were the people they met at arcades.
It was like physically being inside a message board.
Unfortunately, for many of us, once the internet took off, gamers had more of an outlet to discuss games, one of the redeeming factors outside the games themselves left the arcade. The latter factor soon followed.
Beginning with the Playstation, consoles were starting to catch up with arcades graphically. Again, a lot of people take for granted the fact that arcades used to be ahead of the curve when it came to graphics, which helped it stay alive and well along side console gaming. Games were engineered for a specific game, not a console, so developers could push the envelope of what was available at the time. But arcade life post-16 bit systems began looking bleak and arcade culture all but vanished once Playstation 2 and Xbox took over the scene. Sure, some fighters and shooters still survived, but those games could easily be ported to home consoles and look just as good with an easier control pad. Why would someone drive to a location to pay per game when they had the game in the comfort of their own home?
Of course, Japan didn't quite suffer the arcade collapse that we did. It's only now that arcade culture's starting to falter a little. Mostly what remains popular now are interactive games, though various shooting and fighter games from tried and true companies and franchises are still released. It's from this still existing scene that we got games such as Dance Dance Revolution, which helped kick start a near revival in the States.
Arcade gaming has become a cult culture now. The fun parks that do survive and thrive still keep arcade culture alive, but these places are few and far between and many of them do not get newer games such as Street Fighter IV, which will finally come to home consoles in February 2009. A number of arcades have begun popping up across the country, mostly in urban areas as they can survive and deliver the current games.
For places like Spartanburg, we get establishments like Tilt. Tilt, despite it's obviously lower budget, is a valiant effort to bring arcade gaming back to the local Spartanburg area. Now it's overall selection may not be perfect, but they have one of my favorite fighting games Marvel vs Capcom. Really any game from that pitted the Marvel characters against Capcom franchises won my heart (X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom, Marvel vs Capcom 2: Clash of Heroes). And it is this game that I have been frequenting over the past few weeks.
In a sense, arcade gaming serves as a religious experience of sorts for me.
Unlike when I'm gaming at home and the lives of my roommate and I coincide with one another and my escapist concentration is temporarily broken, I enter an urban setting when I'm in the arcade within the bowels of WestGate Mall. The muzak, the symphony of teenagers and their cell phones and the sizzling of the nearby Japanese fast food restaurant crash with the rings, buzzing and caffeinated soundtracks of the arcade's games. Upon entering this chapel of activity, I have a filter on when I reach the lone Marvel vs Capcom machine nestled in the slightly darkened corner of the arcade. The moment I press the button after inserting my quarter, the world around me melts away.
As I bask in the blue-lit glow of the screen, I am absolved.
All the problems plaguing me fade away. My frenetic financial status, my dissatisfaction with my job(s), the fact that one of my most important friends is more than likely having to move half a country away after Christmas, my disintegrating social life, and my everlasting creative rut...all of that ceases to exist for the brief moments I'm playing.
Brief as this reprieve may be, it is priceless.
Simultaneously, it serves as a nostalgic reminder of the bustling culture that thrived inside the confines of the arcade as opposed to outside of it. I really have no idea what kind of business Tilt does as I've never really gone on a weekend. I usually tend to go before what's generally dinner time for everyone else on school days when the lowest amount of people are likely to be at the mall. This way I'm pretty much guaranteed a space in front of the Marvel vs Capcom machine, which is the only game I've managed to get around to playing unless my friend Bryant comes with me and challenges me to SVC (SNK vs Capcom): Chaos.
All I can do is be thankful Tilt exists while it does. The gesture to revitalize a lost gamer culture should be applauded for its efforts.
Insert Coin.
Home console gaming dissolved arcade culture at a far more alarming rate than video did the radio star. While many fun parks helped keep arcades going in the late 90's, even these establishments let out a death gurgle shortly after the turn of the 21st century.
Time was the arcade was the premiere place to play the cutting edge in gaming. Keep in mind, at the time (early-to-mid-1990's) the cutting edge was dedicated primarily to gaming's biggest cash cow, the fighting game. Now there were plenty other of genres getting love, particularly the side-scrolling brawler (eg X-Men, The Avengers, The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). RPGs in the States, with the exception of perhaps Cadash in '89 were a console-only thriving cult genre and didn't really come into prevalence as far as being in the eyes of the mainstream until the release of Final Fantasy VII on the Sony Playstation.
Before someone jumps down my throat with Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy VI (III US), yes, there were both quality and successful RPGs that did penetrate larger audiences, but those were exceptions. The genre itself did not explode in popularity until FFVII and retro gaming became part of gamer culture. All of a sudden people started "remembering" these classic games from their childhood that they more than likely initially ignored. But don't get me wrong, I love the genre. One of my favorite games and stories of all time is an RPG (Final Fantasy VIII. And I'm aware I'm in the minority on that one).
With the explosive success of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, fighting games became the flavor of choice and we saw and outflow of countless 2D, and soon, 3D, fighting games based off of or improving upon either MK or SFII: Samurai Showdown, King of Fighters, Darkstalkers, Tekken, Battle Arena Toshinden, Soul Edge (leading to the Soul Calibur franchise), Art of Fighting, Killer Instict, Fatal Fury, Virtua fighter and the list goes on and on.
It was these games that drank my quarters away as a kid. And it was at these arcade locations that gaming culture thrived. Before the boom of users on the internet, the arcade held the role of hub for gamers, who were constantly swapping rumors, information, and news on the latest games. Like comic books, video games weren't the staple in American pop culture they are now. People more familiar with/primarily raised in the 21st century aren't cognizant to the fact that comics and gaming used to be associated with something outsiders, geeks, and nerds participated in. It wasn't until about the late 90's that gaming became more accepted into the social consciousness as something people (particularly so-called "cool" people) did. So having a place such as an arcade was an important thing for gaming culture to thrive. Many kids didn't know anyone in their class who played games, so the only people they could associate with were the people they met at arcades.
It was like physically being inside a message board.
Unfortunately, for many of us, once the internet took off, gamers had more of an outlet to discuss games, one of the redeeming factors outside the games themselves left the arcade. The latter factor soon followed.
Beginning with the Playstation, consoles were starting to catch up with arcades graphically. Again, a lot of people take for granted the fact that arcades used to be ahead of the curve when it came to graphics, which helped it stay alive and well along side console gaming. Games were engineered for a specific game, not a console, so developers could push the envelope of what was available at the time. But arcade life post-16 bit systems began looking bleak and arcade culture all but vanished once Playstation 2 and Xbox took over the scene. Sure, some fighters and shooters still survived, but those games could easily be ported to home consoles and look just as good with an easier control pad. Why would someone drive to a location to pay per game when they had the game in the comfort of their own home?
Of course, Japan didn't quite suffer the arcade collapse that we did. It's only now that arcade culture's starting to falter a little. Mostly what remains popular now are interactive games, though various shooting and fighter games from tried and true companies and franchises are still released. It's from this still existing scene that we got games such as Dance Dance Revolution, which helped kick start a near revival in the States.
Arcade gaming has become a cult culture now. The fun parks that do survive and thrive still keep arcade culture alive, but these places are few and far between and many of them do not get newer games such as Street Fighter IV, which will finally come to home consoles in February 2009. A number of arcades have begun popping up across the country, mostly in urban areas as they can survive and deliver the current games.
For places like Spartanburg, we get establishments like Tilt. Tilt, despite it's obviously lower budget, is a valiant effort to bring arcade gaming back to the local Spartanburg area. Now it's overall selection may not be perfect, but they have one of my favorite fighting games Marvel vs Capcom. Really any game from that pitted the Marvel characters against Capcom franchises won my heart (X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom, Marvel vs Capcom 2: Clash of Heroes). And it is this game that I have been frequenting over the past few weeks.
In a sense, arcade gaming serves as a religious experience of sorts for me.
Unlike when I'm gaming at home and the lives of my roommate and I coincide with one another and my escapist concentration is temporarily broken, I enter an urban setting when I'm in the arcade within the bowels of WestGate Mall. The muzak, the symphony of teenagers and their cell phones and the sizzling of the nearby Japanese fast food restaurant crash with the rings, buzzing and caffeinated soundtracks of the arcade's games. Upon entering this chapel of activity, I have a filter on when I reach the lone Marvel vs Capcom machine nestled in the slightly darkened corner of the arcade. The moment I press the button after inserting my quarter, the world around me melts away.
As I bask in the blue-lit glow of the screen, I am absolved.
All the problems plaguing me fade away. My frenetic financial status, my dissatisfaction with my job(s), the fact that one of my most important friends is more than likely having to move half a country away after Christmas, my disintegrating social life, and my everlasting creative rut...all of that ceases to exist for the brief moments I'm playing.
Brief as this reprieve may be, it is priceless.
Simultaneously, it serves as a nostalgic reminder of the bustling culture that thrived inside the confines of the arcade as opposed to outside of it. I really have no idea what kind of business Tilt does as I've never really gone on a weekend. I usually tend to go before what's generally dinner time for everyone else on school days when the lowest amount of people are likely to be at the mall. This way I'm pretty much guaranteed a space in front of the Marvel vs Capcom machine, which is the only game I've managed to get around to playing unless my friend Bryant comes with me and challenges me to SVC (SNK vs Capcom): Chaos.
All I can do is be thankful Tilt exists while it does. The gesture to revitalize a lost gamer culture should be applauded for its efforts.
Insert Coin.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
From the good people at WWTDD:
"Madonna said she would kick Sarah Palins ass if she didn't, "get off my street". Whatever the hell that means. Madonna owns the street now, I guess. She did this of course because she thinks Sarah Palins beliefs are ridiculous. Keep in mind that Madonna wears a magic piece of red sting on her wrist to ward off evil spirits, and she believes in spells that can manipulate the laws of nature. I don't know exactly what Sarah Palin is into, but I'll bet you dollars to donuts it's no dumber than wizardry and enchanted yarn."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
"Madonna said she would kick Sarah Palins ass if she didn't, "get off my street". Whatever the hell that means. Madonna owns the street now, I guess. She did this of course because she thinks Sarah Palins beliefs are ridiculous. Keep in mind that Madonna wears a magic piece of red sting on her wrist to ward off evil spirits, and she believes in spells that can manipulate the laws of nature. I don't know exactly what Sarah Palin is into, but I'll bet you dollars to donuts it's no dumber than wizardry and enchanted yarn."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
The last date you take your cheating girl/boyfriend on: World's Deepest Swimming Pool
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
Sad thing is that this could very easily be applied to today and the near future.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
Epic win.
The boys over at ScritchScratch have launched some pretty chuckle-worthy stuff in the webcomic world, I'm Cyrius (The Cycloctopus!) being my favorite.
The boys over at ScritchScratch have launched some pretty chuckle-worthy stuff in the webcomic world, I'm Cyrius (The Cycloctopus!) being my favorite.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
"YOU! Take the second battalion to the Gumdrop Forest. No retreat, no surrender. That is Candy Land law. And by Candy Land law, we will stand and fight … and die. A new age has begun: an age of freedom!"
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
I recall hearing an older gentleman refer to this period as "the good old days" last week.
Also, wish a Happy 21st Birthday to Miss Jennifer Wood, who would happily drink from the colored fountain.
Fangs up, Jen. Fangs up.
Also, wish a Happy 21st Birthday to Miss Jennifer Wood, who would happily drink from the colored fountain.
Fangs up, Jen. Fangs up.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
Superman's Fortress of Solitude Found! What's called the Crystal Cave of Giants located within the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Good Morning, Internets
After last night's debate, it's clear there's only one presidential candidate I can put my trust in to carry us into the next decade. One candidate, who has time and again risen above adversity, with little thought to his own safety , to win the day. One man who is without a shadow of a doubt ready to take the reigns of this country.
Shatner/Hosselhoff: From Yesterday's Tomorrow For A Better Today
Added bonus: My friend Ned posted this great little video of "Lil' O'Reilly" yesterday
Shatner/Hosselhoff: From Yesterday's Tomorrow For A Better Today
Added bonus: My friend Ned posted this great little video of "Lil' O'Reilly" yesterday
Thursday, October 2, 2008
To Do List
Today, I Hope To...
1. Write/Rant about something
2. Get back to Steve (whoops) from Spartanburg Spark
3. Start planning out my lecture for Wofford
4. Get further in reading my new book
1. Write/Rant about something
2. Get back to Steve (whoops) from Spartanburg Spark
3. Start planning out my lecture for Wofford
4. Get further in reading my new book
Good Morning, Internets
Michelle Allen was "arrested on one count of disorderly conduct on accusations of getting in the way of traffic on Wilbraham Road and chasing children in her cow suit," Additionally, Allen "urinated on a neighbor's front porch."
Heroic. Udderly. (Zing.)
Heroic. Udderly. (Zing.)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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