More MMO goodness.

I've been looking forward to/reading about Fallen Earth for some time, and so last week, despite seeing some mixed opinions on the game, I got it.

Behold! Eli Cash reborn! I am making some eggs here, you see.

I've been playing it a bit everyday, and everytime I end up enjoying it even more.

You're just you in a post apocalyptic world. I've noticed that while there are quests to do, the whole game seems a lot more free than something like WoW.

I never really got into crafting weapons and shit in that game because it seemed useless and all your selfmade gear was levels below you and/or replaced easily by quest rewards. This game is a lot different though. Pretty much everything you will end up wearing/using will be crafted. Unless you want to spend a lot of your hard earned poker chips (money) and it's actually very cool. It feels like a feat when you finally craft your new jacket or something.

You can "craft" a horse early on. Horses are great because Fuel is expensive and horse feed isn't (yes, you have to fuel your mounts, which is awesome)

most items take a few minutes to make, but some can take up to 10 (and I've read about vehicles and things of that nature taking days/weeks) but the cool part is you just queue up all the stuff you want to make and then just go about your business as it crafts. It even continues when you log out.

The combat is pretty much real time, you can use guns or melee, or a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, it's really rather cool. You also have your standard "skill bar" at the bottom you can use to perform special moves and such.

Here I am beating up a mutant chicken with a homemade club and SHIV to conserve ammo

I like to use guns, but so far I only have these homemade air gun things and a crossbow. You can also play entirely in first person, if you like.

Anyway, it is immensely fun running around scavenging materials and killing random things. So much so that I've played quite a bit and still haven't left the first town I started at.

Leveling up takes a while, but you get XP for crafting and scavenging as well, so it's not too bad. There are also "sub levels" where you get two AP each time, which is used to spend on increasing your stats and skills. It's a really cool leveling system and I like that it's classless.

Some first person action

The bad parts are that it is a huge ass MMO developed by a small company and therefore still has problems/bugs.

It's also (seemingly) very unoptimized graphically, as any time I enter the town with people around, my computer sounds like it's going to explode and the frame rate moves like a slideshow.

I know my computer isn't a super beast, but that's pretty bad, and nearly everyone complains about it.

It's also just a little clunky in general, still.

Eli Cash sporting his awesome grandpa sweater and head wrap.

The good part is that it has so much promise that if they keep patching and improving things, the game could be seriously great.

I don't care what anyone says. It's a fantastic breath of fresh air. I would agree that's it not for everyone, though. I'll never be a World of Warcraft...but that's probably good.

Champions Online is still different enough that I might keep playing it for a bit (though I haven't since I got this game) but if I had to choose between one to pay for every month, I'd pick Fallen Earth.

BIKE POST.

Well, it's almost October, but since the weather has been real nice I've been sneaking off for quick rides as often as I can.

I've come to the conclusion that I'll be saving up some cash over the winter months and buying a new bike in the spring or early summer.

I know some people might not understand it, but I just want to step it up a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I love my GS500 A LOT, and haven't even really rode the bike to its potential, but all the same, I just crave a new feeling.

And it's weird. I don't feel this way about cars or anything else. I guess it's because cars are cars and bikes are "toys' and instruments used to bring joy more than anything else. At least to me.

If anyone thinks it pointless to have purchased a GS500 and rode it for a season and a half, I assure you, it was not pointless. It was more or less the plan all along.

I had ZERO experience on motorcycles when I got it. I also had next to no confidence and this thing is an absolute wonder in building up both of those things. That is the reason they are so popular and why they exist.

I never wanted to climb onto a ridiculously powerful sport bike and kill myself.

In fact, I still don't, which is why it's been relatively easy choosing between a few new bikes.

My only requirements are that they be fuel injected and not cost a lot of money. And also be a Suzuki. I'm not really a brand loyalist by any means, but I love what they bring to the table.

first and most obvious choice:

The GSX650F

Like the big brother to my GS500F. I've done so much reading about this thing that you'd think I already own one.

Though on paper, it's only 150 more cc's, I learned pretty quickly that displacement has very little to do with "power" instead you've got to look at the little details and this thing has an inline 4 cylinder fuel injected engine and by many (I've read them) accounts is one of the best values in biking today and a fantastic "do everything" middle weight bike.

It is significantly (physically) bigger and heavier than mine, which might actually feel nice.

I also read a bit about the Gladius:

Which was very obviously designed by aliens. (you either love this look or you don't) in the end, I just don't think I'd want to ride a naked bike though. No windscreen + no fairing = scary to me.

Then we come to the supersports, the real crotch rockets. I briefly considered a GSXR 600

Then I remembered sitting on my bro's 750 and just not feeling it. Undeniably cool looking, but I'm not a racer and would not want to be on this thing for more than 30 minutes at a time.

I much prefer sport bikes with more touring qualities like being able to sit up more, REAL handlebars and just general comfort, so I think the GSX650F fits the bill.

Honestly, if I had the space and the money, I would own several bikes. I mean it. from small ones to large ones and new ones and old ones.

I think once you get on one it's natural to crave more. Not necessarily to go faster...just more experiences.

As it stands, I'll probably sell my bike because it's just not feasible to own two. A few people at work are kind of interested and Ryan also mentioned he might get his bike license and would buy it, but who knows with THAT guy.

It's also possible I'll spend that money on pornography and blow and end up riding the GS forever, which doesn't bother me at all.

We'll see.

Swallows and swifts

Well I'm tired and bored as shit, so I'm gonna waste some time writing about nothing.

Einstein got porcupined the other night.

We still had him at the burned house, because that's really the only place he's calm. The night he stayed at the neighbors he barked constantly through to the morning until we grabbed him and brought him back over, then he just relaxed.

Anyway, the point is that one night he must have got into a scrap with a porcupine because when the parents went over in the morning he had a mouth full of around 15 quills.

So he went to the vet and had them removed, now he's at this house and he doesn't like it and is very, very confused.

They made sure to walk him from that house to this one, just so he didn't wake up in some strange place, but he's still confused.

What else?

Oh, the over day I hit my foot against the stupid metal bed frame and it hurt like a bastard, but I didn't think much of it until the pain went away, then I looked at my foot and saw my toenail sticking straight up.

I laughed and then went upstairs to try and gross some people out. Then I remarked that I better take a picture and ran back downstairs for my camera.

I wanted to pull it right off, but it was attached still by a bit of really tender skin and felt real gross to life it up.

Today after a shower, I manned up and pulled it off gently. It looks strange but is a lot less sore now that the nail is gone.




In other Dan news, I wish I could shave this disgusting thing off of my face, but I can't.

Well, I could, but I can't.

I look like a cross between an albino and a child rapist. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep it up. I always thought having a big ass mustache would be awesome, but even my perv stache is annoying as fuck, especially when eating something.

I suppose you get used to it.

Well I'm off to sit in the dying sun and drink a cool beverage.

End transmission.

we are the chaaaaaampions.

I downloaded Champions Online (damn you Steam for making it so easy to spend money) yesterday and decided I would write about it after a few hours of play.

I enjoy playing MMO's, but realized after I cancelled my WoW account that the next one I play had to be very different, at least in style, so when I realized this was out I decided to give it a shot.

It's basically a new City of Heroes in which you create a hero and save the world.

Creating is the best part. I could probably spend hours on the creation screen mixing colours and costume pieces. It is pretty in depth.

I picked the Power Armor "class" and created a quick Iron Man inspired looking dude seen below.

Throughout the tutorial I was noticing things that were like WoW, but better, some things that were worse, etc...then I just stopped comparing the two and realized I was a damn super hero and that's why this game is so fun.

Time to stop the alien invasion single handedly

The combat is much like WoW, but somehow feels more action oriented, in that it's faster and you have more control, such as a "guard" button (OH MY GOD!)

At level 5 I picked my travel power and had to go with the fucking ROCKET BOOTS because no power armor should be without them!

shhrrrrpowwww! Lewer is off to save the day

There was a shitload to choose from though, some real odd ones like burrowing underground and such.

I'm still going through the new MMO phase where everything is confusing and overwhelming, but so far it is a good time waster (like all MMO's) and it feels a little "lighter" than WoW, which is a plus to me.

I just want to log in and kill some shit, sometimes.

Too early to say if it will have the same lifespan that World of Warcraft had for me, but whatever. ROCKET BOOTS.

Polytechnique

I just watched Polytechnique a film about the massacre at the Montreal university in 1989 where a gunman killed 14 women and injured 28 people in the effort to "fight feminism"

I'd recalled reading about the film and its controversy when it was released in Quebec and wondering if I'd ever get a chance to see it.

Then a few days ago I saw it at walmart and all I could remember is the name and how I'd wanted to see it.



It's a film that is sort of hard to watch because it is so utterly bleak and depressing, but it's also of excellent quality and I recommend it very much.

One thing that struck me about the film is that while it's not overly, graphically violent, it feels like one of the most violent films I've ever seen. Perhaps because the events that took place were so utterly hateful, I'm not very sure, but it is convincing and disturbing.

When it was over I sort of sat here and felt a little disgusted at the things that happen in this world.

Then I wondered why I'd want to watch a film based on such things, and I guess I don't really have an answer.

I certainly don't come off on the "These movies are profiting off of tragedy" side of the argument, though.

I think these films get made to remind us and to not let us forget how twisted this place can be.

You can argue all you want, but it's a small Canadian film based on a large Canadian tragedy that I learned was screened for the family members of the victims and released with their blessing, so I don't really feel it is open for debate, despite how others feel.

People should watch this.

Games!

In an effort to get away from the seriousness of family members almost dying and people having babies, I am going to talk about the games I have been playing lately.

Batman: Arkham asylum is awesome, easily the best Batman game ever made (really not saying much, but whatever) and probably the best game ever based on a comic book. Period. It really, truly does make you feel like a badass Batman, which no other game has been able to figure out is the key to FUN.

It's a lot like Metroid but with Batman, also the Scarecrow parts are creepy shit.

Anyone with an xbox or decent PC should play it post haste.

I also logged onto Steam for the first time in a long ass time and saw that there was some Downloadable content for FEAR 2 called FEAR 2: REBORN, so I bought that shit up and have played a bit of it so far and it is fun.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I love these games for their story, even though it is mostly convoluted shit, it's awesome and I eat it up.

This time you play as one of the Replica soldiers, Foxtrot 813 and end up going rogue to find and release Paxton Fettel AKA creepiest fucker ever.

So it is cool to play the game from the "other side" even though so far it is pretty much more of the same (a good thing)

And on the Wii I am getting back into Little King's Story which I was addicted to BEFORE my house burned.

I can say without a doubt that this is one of the best games that nobody is buying/enjoying and it's a fucking shame.

What looks to be an overly cutesy, simple kids game based on the cover is anything but that.

In fact, let me just quote a bit of a review that explains why this game is so awesome:

" What a devious game. On the surface, a title with a severe attack of the cutes, full of colour and glitter and sparkle and princesses and killer frogs.

No.

Not at all. This is a game of global conquest, genocide, religion and urban expansion that is shockingly deep and subtly bleak. And it sneaks up on you with all of these themes, waving flowers in your face, all the while silently twisting a knife into your side. Make no mistake: Little King's Story is anything but little. Don't ignore this one.

Borrowing heavily from elements of Nintendo's Pikmin and Animal Crossing franchises, Little King's Story is a strategic RPG that builds slowly, pushing you at just the right strength to keep things interesting. For all its inspired elements, it comes from incredible heritage – the creative minds behind the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy series – and it shows in all aspects."

Basically you play as a king who is in charge of expanding his kingdom and taking over the world.

You destroy bosses, build houses, create an army, watch over your citizens and just explore the world picking up on all the awesome the game has to offer.

At its core it plays mainly like Pikmin but it's far more expansive than that.

I am quite addicted to it. The bad part is that I find myself NOT playing it as much as I want because I just know I'll sit there for two hours at a time...which no, isn't a bad thing, really, but the time just seems to zip by.

Anyway, it is sad knowing it'll be passed up by people too busy playing other "mature" games, but such is the life of many GOOD Wii games, while the crap gets consumed by these "casual" gamers and makes the entire console look like shit.

For the record I hate the terms "Casual" and "hardcore" gamers, but you know what I mean. The Wii is the most sold system because it's easy for anyone to pick up and therefor most of those people don't know the difference between greatness and shit and it's a bad situation for the developers who put time, effort and heart into these great games.

End unscheduled rant.

Transmission over.

shit on a stick.

Last Monday two of my aunties and two of my uncles got in a real bad accident while driving in BC on the Coquihalla highway.

Apparently, a car cut across the center meridian almost directly into them and caused their truck to roll over at least twice and skid on its roof for some distance.

The girl in the car survived even though from what I've been told (and you can read in the above link) the car itself was quite literally "cut" in half, which is insane. That is luck.

Incredibly They were all taken to a local hospital, looked at and sort of told to just go home...

So two of them did and when my uncle got into Edmonton he was more or less rushed directly to the emergency room where he was eventually told he had multiple broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken disc in his back, one punctured lung and another full of fluid.

The doctors here told him the worst thing he could have done was got on that plane and came home. I guess because of the pressure in the cabin or something, I don't really know the details, but he's been in the hospital since then and isn't even allowed out of bed.

I guess he's also missing "one third of his head" which is not something I really want to see at this point.

I don't know the full details, nor have I seen any of them, but holy shit I'm just glad they are alive.

This has been a shitty few months.

Dexto

I just finished watching season 3 of Dexter and while it had some things I really didn't care for, I enjoyed it quite a bit...in spite of negative things I'd heard about it.

In fact, I'd say I enjoyed it just as much or more than season two.

My beefs come from the fact that the writers, however talented they may be, are boring.

Two complaints:

1. Why does Dexter have to always allow someone to get close to his "real" self? we all know it's going to end badly because he can't trust anyone with his secrets.

You don't even really have to answer that. They write it because it makes the show more tense, I get it...it's just going to get very tired pretty quickly.

2. The appear to have forgotten how he was in the first season. Instead of Dexter faking normal in his relationships/human interaction, the show instead now feels like two different shows jammed into one (I mean this in a bad way) because all the "family man, caring Dexter" shit is there only to create a different sort of tension/feelings for a different sort of viewer. It no longer really dives into his mind...it just sort of exists.

In all honesty I'd rather him not get married and not have a child. That's absurd.

Almost as absurd as the fairy tale ending to season 3.

What the fuck?

What pisses me off is the premise and promos for season 4

This image alone makes me want to cut my own eyes out.

haha, he's a dad and also a serial killer! hahaha! put him on a poster with his baby! haha that's so funny!

OH MY GOD THE BLOOD ISN'T BLOOD IT IS JUICE FROM THE CHILD AHHAHAHA HOW NORMAL OF HIM! HAHA!

GUYS REMEMBER HE IS A SERIAL KILLER HAHAHAH!

LAME

For Emily

Dear Emily,

I'd like to start this letter by appologizing for two things.

The first being the fact that it has been so long since I wrote to you last. Things have been hectic as of late. I've tried my best to become a better person in these trying times, but it isn't easy.

Nothing is easy these days.

Why is it, Emily, that bad things happen so often to good people?

Why do those bad things create an echo that disturbs more than just the person they were meant to disturb?

I'm finding it hard to mute the echo so that nobody else gets distrurbed when these things happen to me. It's like we used to talk about, Emily.

I can't not feel what I feel and do what I do. God knows I've tried, but I'm not wired that way.

I feel I should also appologize about how I sounded last time.

I've been to the darkest places a human mind can journey and I'm trying to find the light.

Emily, you mean the world to me. Without you I'd surely be dead or dying in a dark alley somewhere. I appreciate the person you are and the sacrifices you've made. The last thing I ever wanted to do was come on too strong.

You once told me that life is often about diving in head first. Like it is sometimes nessecary to make a big splash and let everything else fall into place. To take risks is to be alive, that sort of thing.

I don't know if those were lines from one of your books or not, but I've found quite often that moving too fast through life isn't the best course of action.

You'd argue that I'm not one to talk of such things, but I feel I've had my back up against a wall for more often than anyone deserves.

It's a matter of survival for me, Emily.

I know you're curious where I am and how I am living, for reasons that don't need explaining, I cannot tell you.

I miss your voice and the time we spent close together. The way you'd brush the hair from your face when I exasperated you. Or how you'd adjust your glasses when you felt like the topic of conversation was hitting too close to home.

I'm no fool. There are things you can't learn from books, Emily. You're figuring out that much, I'm certain.

I have to say despite this all being new and challenging to me, things are okay right now, aside from the nagging feeling that I'm just buying time, that at any moment something could happen that causes the world to echo, upsetting everyone around me once again.

Someone not of your character might urge me to start the battle early, to land a sucker punch. but you've taught me otherwise.

I'll fight when I'm once again ready to fight. When I have to fight.

When the chips are truly down, that, Emily, is the time to swing away.

- You know who