Final Post?

I think I’m going to put this blog on the back burner. On a semi-permanent hiatus so to speak. I may pick this back up in the future but as life has become somewhat more complex and time consuming, I have to give up a few things. Thanks to those few who have read my blog.

Live long and prosper 😀

In my youth I used to play a lot of video games. Well actually I still play a lot but that’s a whole different story. Well anyway as I was saying, in my youth I played a lot of video games and typically I’d play with a select few friends. Now by select few I would actually mean only three friends. Of these three friends, I only keep in touch with one. The other two have long since fallen by the wayside and I have not talked to them for many a year. Now Stephon I still keep in touch with even though we actually live quite literally a thousand miles apart. I would go so far as to say he is my best friend.

Recently he came to visit me and my family and it was a time that I was excited for yet dreading. Now I was excited because it had been over a year since we had last been in each other’s presence. We talk on the phone often but really it’s not the same as enjoying the weather with beer in hand or visiting a local restaurant for lunch. What I was dreading was the hand off of all of his gaming hardware and software to me. Now this may sound like a good thing to most of you but here’s the problem with it. It signals to me that he has officially moved on from the gaming scene. We have discussed it before but through this physical exchange, it has become official and ultimately set in stone. My one greatest gaming ally has moved on and it saddens me to no end. It’s like ToeJam without Earl, Marcus without Dom or even Ratchet without Clank.

Anyway enough of the sob story. I’m sure you’re only reading this to find out what was handed over so here’s what was in the official exchange. I’ll even post some pics for you to enjoy.

 

Atari Jaguar Console CIB
Alien vs. Predator CIB
Raiden CIB
Tempest 2000 CIB

 

NES Compact Console (NES ver2) CIB
Castlevania CIB
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse CIB
Contra
Donkey Kong Classics
Gradius
Life Force  CIB
Mario Bros.
Rad Racer CIB
Rad Racer II CIB
Rush ‘N Attack
Super Contra
Super Mario Bros. CIB
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3 CIB

 

PS2 Slim Console CIB
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence  CIB
Devil May Cry GH CIB
R-Type Final CIB
Resident Evil: Code Veronica GH CIB

 

PSOne Console
Castlevania: SotN GH CIB
Metal Gear Solid GH CIB
Resident Evil 2 CIB

 

SNES Compact Console (SNES ver2) w/Kirby Super Star CIB
Axelay CIB
Castlevania: Dracula X CIB
Contra III: The Alien Wars    CIB
Final Fight
Final Fight 2 CIB
Firepower 2000 CIB
Gradius III CIB
Ninja Gaiden Trilogy CIB
R-Type III CIB
Street Fighter II Turbo
Super Castlevania IV CIB
Super Mario All Stars CIB
Super Mario Kart CIB
Super Mario World
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island CIB
Super R-Type CIB
Top Gear CIB

It pleases me that he thought of me to hand these off to. Unfortunately it still was a sad day for me. The end of an era so to speak.

A Tip for the Parent’s … or Perhaps a Parenting Tip.

My son has some issues. Well actually, he has a lot of issues. He’s got eczema which isn’t uncommon but we think it’s linked to his severe allergies to eggs, wheat, milk, nuts and soy. Yeah, makes it difficult for the wife to eat since she’s still nursing.

Anyhoo with the extreme change in diet, we’ve managed to get the eczema under control but one major thing that we haven’t gotten under control is his incessant itching. He often has socks on his hands just so that he doesn’t cut open any skin that is uncovered. While driving him home one day he actually itched his head so much that his face was covered in blood. That’s no exaggeration. It was like a horror movie. He also had the horrible habit of pulling his hair out while itching. This caused him to look like he had a receding hairline. With great care, he has since grown that hair back.

Now comes to the topic at hand. Little man tends to itch at his lower extremities whenever that area gets open to the elements (most often getting his diaper changed). He’s actually bloodied some parts that, well… men wouldn’t want to discuss. This did not pose much of an issue when he was younger, smaller and of course weaker. I was able to hold both of his hands and feet with one hand while doing the changing with the free hand. As he has gotten older, bigger and of course stronger, this is no longer an option and the wife isn’t always available to help hold him down.

Here is a very simple trick that I came up with that allows me to change him easily without the need for backup. I’m sure someone else has also done the same but I’m pretty proud of myself for figuring it out on my own. I decided that I would share the tip since there actually have been people that have thanked me for this tip (namely my daycare providers).

First off you’ll need a long thin receiving blanket or a towel. Ideally it should be about three times longer than the shoulder width of the child. Thinner is better since it makes it easier to weave behind the head.

Fold the blanket lengthwise and place the child’s head and shoulders as pictured above.

Pull one arm up and wrap that side of the blanket over the arm and weave it under the head. Be gentle and don’t pull too hard. It doesn’t need to be super tight.

Repeat with the opposite side.

Now you can go about your business changing as you please without worrying about little hands flailing about. I highly doubt anyone will read this but if they do, I hope this has helped them out. Oh and don’t look directly into his eyes. That’s his look of “oh no you didn’t!”

Xbox Live Update – Halo: Reach

How convenient! Look what I just got in the mail. I’m so friggin excited I can’t contain myself! I just got the Halo: Reach preview disc that allows me to update my Xbox Live! Whoop dee doo! I absolutely cannot wait to dig into… oh wait. My console is currently out of commission. Please see previous post. Nice Microsoft, nice.

Oh I forgot to post an update for the last post. To put it simply, they told me it’s out of warranty. I need to pay em 120 bones if I wanted them to fix it or I could go through the online hoops to get it repaired for 100 bones. This is of course sans shipping costs. I don’t think so. It can sit on the shelf and rot for all I care. Glad I hadn’t invested that much into the system but it still pisses me off cause my lady bought it for me as an out of the blue gift 😦

E 74 Error

Great. I rarely if ever use my 360 Elite (If I’m lucky I average 3-4 hrs a week on it). I tend to play my PS3 more for the simple fact that I’ve had it longer and it has free online play. Now while watching a DVD on my 360 I noticed some vertical bands across the screen and the video seeming very low res. This is even considering it’s always looked fine with the HDMI connections to the HDTV. I decided to check the video settings to see if something was amiss. Everything looked proper. I decided I’d just restart the system. Typically that would fix any issues but what ended up happening was that I got a flashy quarter red ring and a screen that said I had an E 74 Error. I am not pleased at all. If anything I’m pissed! I’ve probably not even logged in a tenth of the hours into this system as my PS3 and it has failed me. I don’t have it enclosed in an entertainment stand and I dust it often. There would be absolutely no reason for it to fail considering the way I baby my systems. Totally unacceptable no matter how you look at it.

According to the xBox site, the warranty for this type of error is 3 years from purchase date. Get this, I have the original receipt and guess what? It was purchased by my wife as a gift to me exactly 3 years and 21 days ago. Coincidence? I think not. I’ve contacted xBox support regarding this issue. I guess we’ll just have to see how they respond on Monday or Tuesday. I’m really not expecting much from them considering they pretty much still deny they had any wrong doing considering bad consoles. This kinda $#!t infuriates me! Today I hate Microsoft almost as much as I hate Gamestop.

Dead Space 2 Collector’s Edition

I’ve not updated anything in a long while and I’d like to say that I’m lazy but that would mean I have time to waste. Totally not true. Family always comes first and the past few months have been family heavy. It’s been tough. Anyway we’re not here to discuss family, we’re here to discuss my opinion on Dead Space 2.

First I’ll fill you in on what’s in the Collector’s Edition. First and foremost it comes with the game (manual, case and all) but as a bonus it’s the Limited Edition version of the game. What makes it a limited edition is that the disc comes with a full copy of Dead Space Extraction on it. If you don’t know what this is, it’s essentially a HD version of the prequel to Dead Space that was originally released on the Wii. It’s a great bonus to an already awesome game. I had always wanted this for the Wii but never got around to purchasing it. Now I have it for the lowly sum of FREE and it has a full trophy set also. EA dun me proud.

Secondly it comes with a little plastic replica of the plasma cutter in Dead Space 2. Now when I say little… that’s exactly what it is. It seems to be about 1/2 – 2/3 scale model of what you’re using in the game. Makes it look comical and actually feels rather comical when equipping it in real life 😀
Lastly there is a soundtrack CD and art cell in the box which aren’t a big deal on their own but a nice bonus overall.

I finished up my platinum in Dead Space 2 last week so I figured I’d comment on the game. Simply put, it’s great. If you loved the original, there isn’t a darn thing about this game that you wouldn’t like. It’s everything you loved in the first one but more of it… Oh and there isn’t an asteroid shooting gallery to slow you up this time round ;P
Story is pretty good though can get old on multiple play throughs. Wouldn’t be a problem but you can’t skip through scenes or anything. You just have to let everything play through on its own. Kinda sucks but but overall not bad considering that’s my only gripe. Make sure to stay through the entire credits. There’s a little bit at the end of it that I’d say is an important piece of the puzzle.
Gameplay and controls are essentially identical to the first one with very minor tweaks. I guess they felt that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. One nice fix is that you can now reload without having to hold the aim button at the same time. Simple change but helps tremendously when you are trying to skeedaddle away from some necromorphs.
Music and sound is just as good as the original. It’s excellent. Surround sound is the only way to go when playing this game. I feel sorry for any of you who only have your tv speakers. Just the thought of it makes me sad.
I won’t comment on multiplay. I never tried it and don’t really intend to.

I honestly can’t say there was much that was added that was new. Basically if you liked the original, you’ll love this sequel.

I’d give the Collector’s Edition a $75/80. The game with bonus Extraction is already worth that amount. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
I’d give the standard edition wo/Extraction a $55/60. Definitely a great game and worth your time.

Well I must be off. Dead Space Severed just got released today. Gonna go kill me some more necromorphs… or would I be RE-killing them? Who knows? It’s gonna be a great ride anyway!

Allergy Issues

Egg White Allergen – Class 6

Peanut Allergen – Class 5

Wheat Allergen – Class 4

Milk Allergen – Class 4

Cat/Dog Allergen – Class 3

Soybean Allergen – Class 3

Immunoglobulin E – 898 Whereas 0-230 is normal

My 7 month old son is a wreck and the next many many years of his life will definitely be interesting. Not quite looking forward to it. His special formula alone is going to cost roughly $140 a week. Even after he finishes up needing formula, what the heck do we feed the kid?

On a good note, I think we figured out where his incessant itching and horrible skin rashes are coming from 😀

My New Year’s Resolution

Just thought I’d post this for myself. You know, to try and keep myself on track and to reflect on how well I did as the year ends.

*My goal for this year is to be more aware of what’s necessary and to be better at letting go of what’s not.

It sure sounds simple but I assure you it is not.

A Season of Making… then Giving (Kindle Style)

Well Christmas has come and gone and as I age, I realize it’s not the same as it used to be… But that’s not the story today. Today I just wanted to share my gift giving endeavor.

To start off, my wife has been wanting a Kindle for quite some time. This was even before the most recent Kindle version (third generation). Anyway I decided to get her one for Christmas. Now financially it’s not really within our budget but through cashing in different credits from different programs, I was able to procure one for roughly half price. This was great but when purchasing anything “nice” for a clumsy person, you better have a way to protect that investment.

In spending quite a bit already on the Kindle itself, I really didn’t feel the need to spend another $35-$60 on a case. I’m frugal (or cheap if you prefer) like that. I decided to consult the interwebernetz for possible ways to hand make a case. I found quite a few creative ways that people have made cases for their Kindles and it amazes me to see how everyone has used their own personal strengths and skills to do so. Every homemade case I have seen is so unique and creative. One thing that my search did was it got my creative juices stirring. I studied design in school and am a package designer by day. I have the necessary skills to make my own sweet case. I work at a company that does book binding and custom packaging so all of the materials are at my disposal. Why the heck did I bother the internet anyway?

So there I was. I had an idea, I had the necessary skills, and I had all of the supplies. It was time to design. One beneficial thing when designing a package is to have the item in hand to be packaged. Unfortunately at the time I had no Kindle so I had to build around dimensions that I found while searching the internet.

 

First off, in looking at different pre-made cases, I considered a standard book style but that would leave an opening on the right of the case. I felt an extra panel would be extra protection. I came up with a very clean mini Tri-fold binder. The right panel somewhat interferes with use but I felt the extra protection was well worth it.

 

Next step would be the closure. I considered velcro dots but I personally think velcro tends to cheapen any product. I considered magnets but through testing, the adhesive tended to fail before the magnets. Also I am unsure if magnets affect e-ink screens. I couldn’t find any solid information on the internet either so I decided not to take the chance of having my protective cover be the actual thing that destroys the item I was protecting. My final decision was to use an elastic band. I went through many different options to attach the bands to the binders but I eventually came up with a rather elegant solution. Hope you would agree.

 

Final step was to find a way to attach the Kindle to the binder itself. I didn’t want to use any adhesives because I hate the residue that they can leave on plastics. I wanted it to be secure yet easily removed if need be with no damage to the Kindle or the case. I had already used bands as the closure and knew that the bands themselves wouldn’t damage the Kindle. I think I found a rather clever way of piecing everything together into a nice package.

 

Through the entire process I was essentially using extra materials from previous mockup requests. The great thing about that was using up waste materials. Also it gave me a variety of materials in which to cover my binders with. I mean really, you can’t go wrong with faux white snake skin or whatever it is.

 

I was quite pleased with the final products. If there were only one thing I would change, it would be to add another elastic band across the center (below the screen) for added support and peace of mind. Well that will be for my next version 😉

The lady was pleased so I guess that’s all that matters right? If the lady is happy, everyone is happy 😛

1000 Trophies

Just broke the 1000 mark on trophies. Coincidentally it was also my Heavy Rain Platinum trophy that made the 1000 mark. My 11th platinum trophy was also my 1000th trophy. How strange and almost mind bending. My head asplode!