Today, a day unlike any other day, one of drudgery and toil for some, a day of relaxation and enjoyment for myself, has--as of this moment--become quite irritating. It is now time for a long overdue rant that is likely to reach the ears and eyes of some, perhaps more than I think, as well as anyone interested enough to wander into my neck of the woods. Ahem... *cough cough* ... (throat clearing) ... At one point, in ALL of our gaming lives, we, as humans--and gamers--are set before a vast world of scary things and change; change is scary... so are scary things. We buy a new game; it looks fun. We try it out. Before we know it, we have fallen face down into the proverbial muck that is the gaming world. But we all get up, some faster than other, some, well, they just take a bit longer to get going. When we finally get up and brush off the face-full of muck, we see that there are others already here, and they are MUCH better than us. So, naturally, we ask for help, this is what we as humans do, we question. There is nothing wrong with that, at all. We need to know how this guy was able to get that thing so that we can be that cool/powerful/badass...however you wish to describe it. Now, many a time, the sad soul that inquires as to how to obtain something is looked down upon, laughed at, and then bent-over and branded right on the ass with the title of "Noob;" just because he/she wanted some help. This shameful title will follow that player around for a while. It takes an act of manly courage or divine intervention to relinquish ones title of "noob." Many, sadly, never loose this title. About ten minutes ago, I was on a forum, looking for some advice and personal opinions on a game. There were eight topics, two with the shameful titles of "Noob question" and "Ima noob." This set me off. I have seen many forum topics titled very similarly, and I personally, am sick of seeing them. Let me get to the main point of my rant here... If you are a "noob" there is nothing wrong with asking for help from a more experience player, hopefully they will have the balls to man up and help you instead of taking advantage of you: which is exactly what they do. Thats the plain and simple truth of the matter. A new player should not have to justify to ANYONE that they are new and they need some help. If you are to high and mighty to help a new player who come to you looking for help, than you need to reevaluate your position in life. Thats when you truly have become the scum of the gaming world. Picking on new players is NOT cool. It may impress your buddies for a bit, but it will get old, really fast. EVERYONE WAS A "NOOB" AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES. Whether you were a freshman in high school or college, a pledge in a frat or sorority, the "new guy" at work, a level one, or a level one hundred, anything like that... you were a noob, thats where you started, thats where they are now. You got help too Im sure, from a friend, a random stranger, or maybe you struggled through it all yourself to be where you are now. Good for you. Now help someone else get to where you are... without being a jerk.

Well, this is a little embarrassing... let me start at the beginning. I decided to re-read some of the blogs I have posted just for sh*ts and giggles and I came across one, "The Almighty Orange Box," whereupon I stopped to read it. I was stunned. I realized that I shot down Half-Life and presumably Half-Life 2 with one pretty heavy statement. Well today is the day that I come out of the proverbial gaming closet... I love Half-Life 2... I love Ep. 1 and 2... I love grav gunning objects into the heads of the unsuspecting, blasting combine and ant-lions alike, and even oogling Alyx while she tells me what to do next... thats about the time I realize what I am doing, slap myself, then try to figure out what she wants me to do. HL2 is quite possibly one of the greatest games ever made... EVER. .... Don't judge me.

We interupt your regularly scehduled programming to bring you this important message... you remember that message I posted about the freak who threatened to shoot up NIU? Well... funny thing is, it happened. No more than an hour ago a student opened up with a 12 gauge shotgun in one of the busiest buildings on campus. Its pretty unimaginable but as I now know, it can happen any time, anywhere, on any given day. Happy Valentine's Day.

So, I skipped class (Stats 301....ZZZZZzzzzz) and here I am to impart my newly aquired knowledge of Philosophy to anyone so inclined to listen. Feel free to post questions or answers to the problem but if you are curious enough to seek the truth, message me.

You seek the advice of the gods for an answer to a most perplexing issue, but before the three goddesses, Mira, Mara, and Maya, give you your answer you must first find out who they really are. One is the goddess of Truth, she only tells the truth, one is the
goddess of Falsehood, she will only tell you lies, and one is the goddess of Diplomacy, she will tell you either the truth or a falsehood.

You ask them who they are, and they respond:

Mira says: I am NOT the goddess of Truth.
Mara says: She is lying! (she is talking about Mira)
Maya says: You already know enough to know who I am.

Who is who?

Some things in life you never think you will experience. Some because you don't want to, some because you can't. But there are some situations that you are forced into. Most of the time, they aren't that exciting. On monday of this week, some brain-dead moron who thinks he can follow in the foot steps of the most criminally insane this world has to offer... and gain notoriety from it... decided that he would issue a written threat (in the form of graffiti on the bathroom wall... how cliche) against the NIU community that he or she would 'shoot up the school.'

...Nothing happened. Our campus went into lock down and many people had their day crapped on by some narcassistic

sycophant delinquent with a weak ego. The only thing that came of this... media attention.

They're like fruit flies, defying the laws of physics with their spontaneous generation at the source of the problem.

I once heard a comedian say, "There are too many stupid people in the world, and not enough people to eat them."

To anyone who may be reading this, if you want to join a union for the pure joy of gaming on a tactical level, then join me in the Tactical Battle Union. If you want in send me a message or just go to our Union page. See you at the front solider. Dismissed.

God I hate finals... All I want to do is play BF2.

So that Orange Box that everyone has been talking about for the last ... well, whenever it came out, has suddenly sparked my interest. Although I have not, and will not play Half-Life ... I really want to play Portals. And Team Fortress 2. Right now. But there are other thing that must be finished first. Babbling Idiot Man ... Away!

Well, I dont keep up with it that much, but MP3.com doesnt update very frequently at all. I have many albums that are not even on the site yet! And most of the ones I have on there are not added to my collection for at least a day after I add it to my list. Its no big deal... Im just complaining because I have nothing else to do right now.

Well, about, oh I'd say a two months ago I posted a very popular link under the Civ 4: BtS forum about the Final Frontier Mod, and now its gone. Doesn't really matter, but there was a lot of good stuff on there that is now lost to the endless void that is cyberspace; or some guys recycling bin--whatever is a more fitting end.