Monday, February 14, 2011
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Proud To Be an American
Yesterday At around 11pm I finally felt proud as I did as a child To Be an American. The last 8 years contributed to me loosing faith in the brand of American Democracy, I felt as if my voice and the voices of the majority were being left unheard. I have a wide demographic of friends from all walks of the earth all citizens of this great country who shared alot of my same views and positions. I was traumatized after 2 elections going against the public true interest and values, instead decided based on the rise of fear and hate.
The last 8 years have been hell not only for the economy and our nation but for our image in the eyes of the international community. A generation living in the past created for us by the baby boomers that kept America Stuck in the past. Barack Obama opens the door for a New age where Race is no longer an issue, where Unity is the theme of our efforts to move forward. A new age of international diplomacy is among us the Age of OBAMANOMICS and Foreign Policy that does not feed on imperialistic ambitions but more on the betterment of the global community and prosperity of all.
The last 8 years have been hell not only for the economy and our nation but for our image in the eyes of the international community. A generation living in the past created for us by the baby boomers that kept America Stuck in the past. Barack Obama opens the door for a New age where Race is no longer an issue, where Unity is the theme of our efforts to move forward. A new age of international diplomacy is among us the Age of OBAMANOMICS and Foreign Policy that does not feed on imperialistic ambitions but more on the betterment of the global community and prosperity of all.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Mercenaries 2: GTA Done Right?
Mercenaries 2 : World in Flames is far from a perfect game but it is a fun game and does many major things right that make this world worth checking out. The main premise of the game is that you are one of three mercenaries operating in Venezuela, doing jobs for various military factions with the ultimate goal being that you exact sweet revenge against the current leader of said country who happens to have screwed you out of a paycheck and then tried to kill you (try saying that 3 times fast). The storyline isn't great but then again it doesn't have to be, this isn't Shakespeare, this is Michael Bay. Lets blow some shit up!
Mercenaries is going to draw some obvious comparisons to the GTA series, and rightfully so. Both games are sandbox adventures, both games feature faction based missions, and both games allow you to drive any number of boats, cars, and airplanes. What Rockstar got wrong and what Pandemic got right are the controls. The single biggest gripe that I've had with the GTA series is that the controls, even the new ones from IV, generally suck. Too many times I've been in the middle of Liberty City and “hit a brick wall” simply because the controls are not precise enough for me to be able execute the required actions to complete the mission. Mercs takes a very simplistic approach to the controls, if you've played other first or third person shooters then you're going to be able to pick this game right up and start rocking out, the same can be said of the vehicles. Green button means go, red button means stop, yellow button gets out of the vehicle, easy peasey Japanesey (can I still say that?). The vehicles maneuver as you would expect them to, the physics aren't uber realistic but are good enough that you're car or helicopter does pretty much what you think it should. This is going to come in handy when you are tasked with raiding a VZ Army outpost, capturing it's commander,and then calling in rebel reinforcements to take over the base.
The audio production in Mercs 2 runs the gamut from awesomely well done to absolutely atrocious. When my Merc is firing his firing his AK it sounds fantastic. Tak! Tak! Tak! When my Merc calls in an airstrike it sounds epic. Swoooosh! Kaboom! When that same Merc opens his mouth to talk I want to either laugh or hit the skip scene button. In all fairness this isn't the fault of the voice actors... most of the time. It's the fault of the writers, the one liners are just plain cheesy and over used. I one time counted my Merc saying “I'm a little banged up right now” ala Jack Nicholson, 3 times in under a minute. Seriously mix it up a bit guys. My last gripe with the audio is the mastering, whoever did the mastering made the voices and ambient noises super soft and the actual gunfire extremely loud. In the real world this means that I'm playing at 12am on a Thursday, my girl is asleep in the next room. I can't hear the conversation happening on the screen so I pump the volume up a couple of notches and forget about it. Five minutes later a firefight pops off, my girl wakes up, and is in my face bitching about the noise. Boohoo, no more game time thanks to you Audio Production Guy.
The graphical style in Mercs 2 is somewhat cartoonish, thats not a bad thing, it is what it is, if you like that style you'll appreciate it in this game, if you don't then you probably won't even notice after about 5 minutes of play time. The explosions are absolutely phenomenal and supremely satisfying. The reds are blood, the yellows are canary, and the fireballs look like fireballs. Each vehicle in Mercs 2 has it's own unique look and feel, one factions tanks don't look like the next factions tanks. This becomes important when you start to get into large scale land warfare with multiple units of tanks and armored vehicles squaring off. The landscapes are detailed if not a little bit repetitive. Each faction's base looks unique but once you step outside of that area it's pretty much the same old mountains, roads, and jungles. Overall I would classify the graphics in Mercs 2 as good, there aren't really any “wow” moments but they work, and the really important things like explosions and vehicles look great.
Would I recommend Mercs 2? Hell yes I would. This game is a blast, there are enough side quests to keep you busy long enough to justify the $60 price tag, even without a true multi player element. As I write this I can't help but think about how great it would be to take the GTA IV storyline and throw it into the Mercs 2 world... I digress. The storyline is simple but functional, the audio is OK, not great, and the graphics are decent, and yet somehow all of these averages add up to one fantastic game. This game will not change worlds but it will suck up several days worth of your life. As gamers isn't that what we are all looking for?
Mercenaries is going to draw some obvious comparisons to the GTA series, and rightfully so. Both games are sandbox adventures, both games feature faction based missions, and both games allow you to drive any number of boats, cars, and airplanes. What Rockstar got wrong and what Pandemic got right are the controls. The single biggest gripe that I've had with the GTA series is that the controls, even the new ones from IV, generally suck. Too many times I've been in the middle of Liberty City and “hit a brick wall” simply because the controls are not precise enough for me to be able execute the required actions to complete the mission. Mercs takes a very simplistic approach to the controls, if you've played other first or third person shooters then you're going to be able to pick this game right up and start rocking out, the same can be said of the vehicles. Green button means go, red button means stop, yellow button gets out of the vehicle, easy peasey Japanesey (can I still say that?). The vehicles maneuver as you would expect them to, the physics aren't uber realistic but are good enough that you're car or helicopter does pretty much what you think it should. This is going to come in handy when you are tasked with raiding a VZ Army outpost, capturing it's commander,and then calling in rebel reinforcements to take over the base.
The audio production in Mercs 2 runs the gamut from awesomely well done to absolutely atrocious. When my Merc is firing his firing his AK it sounds fantastic. Tak! Tak! Tak! When my Merc calls in an airstrike it sounds epic. Swoooosh! Kaboom! When that same Merc opens his mouth to talk I want to either laugh or hit the skip scene button. In all fairness this isn't the fault of the voice actors... most of the time. It's the fault of the writers, the one liners are just plain cheesy and over used. I one time counted my Merc saying “I'm a little banged up right now” ala Jack Nicholson, 3 times in under a minute. Seriously mix it up a bit guys. My last gripe with the audio is the mastering, whoever did the mastering made the voices and ambient noises super soft and the actual gunfire extremely loud. In the real world this means that I'm playing at 12am on a Thursday, my girl is asleep in the next room. I can't hear the conversation happening on the screen so I pump the volume up a couple of notches and forget about it. Five minutes later a firefight pops off, my girl wakes up, and is in my face bitching about the noise. Boohoo, no more game time thanks to you Audio Production Guy.
The graphical style in Mercs 2 is somewhat cartoonish, thats not a bad thing, it is what it is, if you like that style you'll appreciate it in this game, if you don't then you probably won't even notice after about 5 minutes of play time. The explosions are absolutely phenomenal and supremely satisfying. The reds are blood, the yellows are canary, and the fireballs look like fireballs. Each vehicle in Mercs 2 has it's own unique look and feel, one factions tanks don't look like the next factions tanks. This becomes important when you start to get into large scale land warfare with multiple units of tanks and armored vehicles squaring off. The landscapes are detailed if not a little bit repetitive. Each faction's base looks unique but once you step outside of that area it's pretty much the same old mountains, roads, and jungles. Overall I would classify the graphics in Mercs 2 as good, there aren't really any “wow” moments but they work, and the really important things like explosions and vehicles look great.
Would I recommend Mercs 2? Hell yes I would. This game is a blast, there are enough side quests to keep you busy long enough to justify the $60 price tag, even without a true multi player element. As I write this I can't help but think about how great it would be to take the GTA IV storyline and throw it into the Mercs 2 world... I digress. The storyline is simple but functional, the audio is OK, not great, and the graphics are decent, and yet somehow all of these averages add up to one fantastic game. This game will not change worlds but it will suck up several days worth of your life. As gamers isn't that what we are all looking for?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Art!!! Check this out!!! Its Art!!!!
I am as down with the next guy when it comes to checking out and appreciating art but some of the things that I've been seeing lately (the last 50 years or so) are straight up simple minded bullshit that anyone could come up with. Some guy jerks off onto a canvas, slaps a few random condoms onto it, signs it with a giant pencil, and viola! ART has been made! This piece could easily sell for several thousand dollars to some useful twit with more money than brains. All of this pissed me for many years until one day I said fuck it, it'll never change so if you can't beat em, join it.
Here my friends is my proposal, lets get 500 people together in one stadium and feed them a breakfast of hard boiled eggs, Ovalteen, prunes, V8 juice, and lamb meat. About thirty minutes after eating we bring out the canvas, it'll be large, roughly the size of a basketball court. By this time everyone will have bubble guts, we drop trow at the same time and let fly with the nastiest, squishiest farts we can muster. After the juice is laid down we spray the canvas with one thousand cans of Axe Body Spray, we light the canvas on fire and then glaze the scorch marks with hair gel, light it again, glaze it one more time, and then bunch up the little wads of burnt shit, twist em off, and secure them with hair ties. We call the piece "Jersey" and we sell it to a super rich retired German architect for 10 million dollars. The German guy will place the piece in a national park where it will remain on display for at least a year. Thousands of people will see our work and think it's amazing. We all split the money from the sale of the painting and go on Letterman to talk about what inspired us to come up with such a unique piece of art and when the world can expect the next project. This is a sure fire way to make us all moderately rich and tremendously famous. Just give me three "pips" of approval and your in.
Here my friends is my proposal, lets get 500 people together in one stadium and feed them a breakfast of hard boiled eggs, Ovalteen, prunes, V8 juice, and lamb meat. About thirty minutes after eating we bring out the canvas, it'll be large, roughly the size of a basketball court. By this time everyone will have bubble guts, we drop trow at the same time and let fly with the nastiest, squishiest farts we can muster. After the juice is laid down we spray the canvas with one thousand cans of Axe Body Spray, we light the canvas on fire and then glaze the scorch marks with hair gel, light it again, glaze it one more time, and then bunch up the little wads of burnt shit, twist em off, and secure them with hair ties. We call the piece "Jersey" and we sell it to a super rich retired German architect for 10 million dollars. The German guy will place the piece in a national park where it will remain on display for at least a year. Thousands of people will see our work and think it's amazing. We all split the money from the sale of the painting and go on Letterman to talk about what inspired us to come up with such a unique piece of art and when the world can expect the next project. This is a sure fire way to make us all moderately rich and tremendously famous. Just give me three "pips" of approval and your in.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Aww shit!! Not Iran too.
The US Iran war is here, we are just counting the days till the BooM! I read a crazy article that drops science on the blockade we just put in affect which in most circles is viewed as an act of war. All imports and exports are being blocked to kill their liveliness every way possible. All because of some nuclear research.
It kinda blows because the constitution states that although the president cannot declare war (only congress can). The president still has the power to deploy troops and strike at will as commander and chief.
So only Congress can declare war(which they probably still would) but the president is allowed to flex his muscles freely worldwide. Because of we are destined for disaster. Bush already said he has no regrets on his decisions in Iraq, that just means the party just started. I feel bad for our soldiers stuck in the middle of the neo-cons crazy Good vs Evil role playing game.
Iran is huge and has one of the biggest best trained armies in the region. Also the love and support of the strong Shi'a population surrounding the region not only in Iran, but Iraq,Kuwait and other spots. It would totally suck to go to war with them. To me its not a winning or losing thing, because even though our military rules, is fully voluntary and owns most of the time but has been used in vain by these old morons running the show, its a different story in Iran.
Occupying 3 countries in the same region is no joke. Although all I know if Iran is from books documentaries, news etc. I do know we have a strong history of screwing around in their shit and we are cooking up a whole different level of Hate soup from them, Iraq didn't have much beef wit us we loved Saddam back in the day until he tried to kill H.W and then we went in for the pownage, but we've been messing with Iran for a lot longer in worst ways, And they won't be occupied that easy.
We can't even hold down Iraq! How are we going to hold down Iran. Maybe the Neo-cons should take a lesson in Occupation 101. Because the track record so far isn't to impressive. Theirs probably no way to stop this war from happening. All we can do is sit around and watch it play out.
Also prepare to be drafted if you are under 30 and a dude. But ill leave you wit this: everyone rags on Obama for wanting to talk with Mahmoud Ahminedejad wit no preconditions. And even though Obama voted for most of the legislation that led to this act of war against Iran he makes a good point.
....Whatever happened to countries leaders just talking.....
....No scams and flams.. No preconditions just plain old dudes who are willing to talk like men!
That's what this situation needs.
"You can't resolve a conflict when your hiding behind your crew, kill the hype men and talk."
Spike Gerard.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Epic!
On June 23rd something amazing happened. The great Shaq Fu! Made a triumphant return to the rap game. At a time were a verbal war is going on between garbage manufacturer Soulja Boy and the one and only ICE T people are at odds about the state of hip hop.
Who could ask for better timing here comes Shaquile O'neal spitting one of the craziest freestyles ever to grace the mic. TMZ released the video and I could not believe my eyes and ears. There I sat watching youtube, Shaq at a night club on the mic kicking a man while he's down,(he did deserve it). Punch line after punch line of killer "no holds bar" attacks on every one from legends like Patrick Ewing to Kareem Abdul Jabbar. To insults at You and Me saying that he's better than us.
And just when you thought he was winding down he kills Kobe "big head" Bryant with one of the sickest off the top choruses I have ever heard..
Think about that America...
Is Shaq better than US?
Is he better than Kobe?
..............Yes, he is.....
And its time everyone realizes that..
Especially Kobe, he knew he couldn't do it without him and now only he knows what Shaq's ass tastes like. You ratted on him and now he's getting a divorce.. Kobe! But its about time Shaq let the truth out. If Soulja boy single handily murdered hip hop then Shaq just bought it back from the dead with some revolutionary stem cell research..
All that's left to say is.. Shaq... Man or Horse?...
Ayo Kobe tell me how Shaq's ass taste..
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Who could ask for better timing here comes Shaquile O'neal spitting one of the craziest freestyles ever to grace the mic. TMZ released the video and I could not believe my eyes and ears. There I sat watching youtube, Shaq at a night club on the mic kicking a man while he's down,(he did deserve it). Punch line after punch line of killer "no holds bar" attacks on every one from legends like Patrick Ewing to Kareem Abdul Jabbar. To insults at You and Me saying that he's better than us.
And just when you thought he was winding down he kills Kobe "big head" Bryant with one of the sickest off the top choruses I have ever heard..
Think about that America...
Is Shaq better than US?
Is he better than Kobe?
..............Yes, he is.....
And its time everyone realizes that..
Especially Kobe, he knew he couldn't do it without him and now only he knows what Shaq's ass tastes like. You ratted on him and now he's getting a divorce.. Kobe! But its about time Shaq let the truth out. If Soulja boy single handily murdered hip hop then Shaq just bought it back from the dead with some revolutionary stem cell research..
All that's left to say is.. Shaq... Man or Horse?...
Ayo Kobe tell me how Shaq's ass taste..
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
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