Okay, so for those who don't know me in person (most of you), I'm 20 years old, a mere 5 feet 4 inches tall, and about 110 pounds. So, I'm a pretty small girl. I also look very young for my age. Ever since I was a little kid, I was always the one picked on, the brunt of the jokes, etc. Fair enough, I poke fun at myself sometimes for being "vertically challenged." No big. But now I'm only a few months off from being 21, I live in my own apartment and I'm a college graduate, and the jokes won't stop coming.

The other day I bought a game at Gamestop (I usually frequent EB), and they glared at me and told me I had to be 17 to purchase the game. I had to take out my ID and prove that I was 3 years over the requirement. At work all the time, I get asked by customers if I'm old enough to be working there. They always say "damn girl, you like you are 14 years old!). I can take the short jokes, but being treated like a junior high kid gets old fast, and it hurts.

Anyways, just had to rant for a bit. A couple friends came over tonight to my apartment and were saying that I looked retarded because I had a Kazi (alcoholic cranberry flavored malt beverage) in my hand and was drinking it -- it reminded them of a 12 year old sneaking a beer. My feelings were really hurt so I had to whine about it. I really don't look THAT young, and I sure as !&#^# don't act like it.

I need to play something violent. I think a night of GTA: San Andreas is in the works.....

Just to let all the world know, today I took my last final and completed my college education. Shortly I will be picking up my official papers for my Associates of Applied Science in Information Technology (with an emphasis in computer programming). It took me three years to complete it, but I'm finally done and out of school forever!

Now I can update my official education resume:

High School: Graduated from Snohomish High School (Snohomish, WA) in 2002
College: Graduated from Lake Washington Technical College (Kirkland, WA) in 2005 with an AAS in IT

I feel important! w00t!!!

Anyways. My friends and I celebrated tonight at my apartment by making dinner and playing video games all night. *pats self on back* I'm so happy!!

Current MVP 2005 record (as Seattle Mariners): 14-3, season 1

Alright, so let me give you the background here before I go into this.

I'm living by myself in a one bed/one bath apartment just north of Seattle for $505 a month (CHEAP for around here). I work 40+ hours a week on hourly + commission in retail to pay the bills. I graduate college this Thursday with an AAS in IT, and with the economy the way it is it's going to be a while before I get a well paying job in that field. Therefore, retail is my income, so I'm rather a tight-budget college graduate.

I can't say I'm extremely poor, because I live comfortably, but some things I simply cannot afford. One of which is cable tv. For $30-40 a month, it's not worth it. The only thing I ever watch on tv is CSI and major league baseball (especially the Mariners on Fox Sports Northwest). Now, to watch CSI, all I have to do is go downstairs to my good friend's apartment and watch it with them. But baseball I'm getting jipped out of. I didn't want to pay that much just for one channel, so I discovered this AMAZING deal on MLB.com. All baseball fans who can't afford cable tv and have high speed internet, pay attention.

MLB.com has a little setup called MLB.TV. For $14.95 a month, you can watch all televised major league baseball games LIVE, streamed directly off whichever channel they're broadcasting from. For example, I watched a live spring training game last night, Seattle Mariners vs Colorado Rockies, and it was streamed from Fox Sports Northwest. This way I got my local commentary that I love to listen to. Also if you're not there to watch it live, you can watch it on demand whenever you want (until the next day). The video quality is great, the sound is awesome, and you're not tied down to only choosing one game a day, you can watch all of them everyday if you want. For $14.95 a month, it's a WAY better deal than cable tv, and a WAY WAY better deal than MLB Extra Innings, which is like $200. Plus, when the season ends, you don't have to pay your monthly fee until next season. This is the greatest setup in the world for me. MLB.com deserves the award of the year for this.

Current MVP '05 standings (as Mariners): 7-2, season 1

Well, it was another customer appreciation (CAP) weekend at Kmart again. After I closed the T-Mobile kiosk I work at inside the store, I wandered 10 feet into electronics where David (the electronics guy) was taking video games out that were going on sale for 50% off the next morning and to grab first dibs. David and I ended up throwing a good handful of games into a drawer so that nobody would snatch them before we bought them today.

Here's what I scored for $10 a piece:

- Ratchet and Clank (original) - PS2
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - PS2
- Hitman 2: Silent Assasin - PS2

That's $30 for 3 good games. The GBA and GCN selections were lame as all hell. The only ones that were good, I already owned. Check out your local Kmart to see if they have anything good going on this weekend. I love blue light specials. Thank you Kmart!

Current record for MVP 2005 (as Seattle Mariners): 3-1

So the gaming gods smiled upon me today

I threw those combine soldiers into submission. I made the striders tremble, the zombies cry and the Gman think deeply about who he was messing with.

Yes, I beat Half-Life 2 today.

It was no easy task, even though my difficulty setting was on "easy". However, I only had to look up the walkthrough once, when I couldn't figure out where the hell this unlimited rocket ammo box was that was imperitive to defeating two striders on a rooftop.

Here are my final thoughts on what is now my favorite game of all time.

*NOTE: some spoilers may be ahead*

Story: The original Half-Life was, up until now, my favorite game of all time. The story was creative, intense, and terrifying. I've always liked the fact that your hero is a physisist, of all things. He's a nerd! Half-Life 2 is no different, even better. It expanded the original into an overwhelming amount of intensity. Valve did an incredible job of making it feel like YOU are solely responsible for the fate of City 17. When I wasn't playing, I would find myself thinking about what all has happened to those poor citizens, and how they were screwed over by Dr. Breen. Any game that makes me contemplate the storyline out of game-playing is amazing in my book.

Graphics: One word: astronomical. And that's an understatement. Look at the screenshots, look at the video footage. Get a Radeon and see for yourself. My vocabulary isn't good enough to find words to explain it. It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. I spent $80 on a new video card just so I could bathe in it's beauty.

Sound: Stays true to Half-Life form, but is well enhanced. The gunshots, explosions, etc are very true to life. When I heard an explosion, I'd literally duck in my chair. The monsters are creepy, and the striders and gunship noises are terrifying. Ultimately, HL2 is a frightening sounding game, and I like games that send chills down my spine.

A.I: Frightening. Combine soldiers will duck and dodge gunfire, throw grenades back at you, curse when they're screwed, etc. They're smart. Zombies and other monsters aren't always smart, but they're not retarded either. They're zombies, they don't need intelligence. Allies will do their own thing, all unpredetermined actions. They dodge and duck behind rubble and watch their back, etc. All in out everyone is very smart in their own right.

Enemies: I never tired of the baddies I had to kill. From headcrabs to striders to combine soldiers, all were creative, scary, and well designed. One of my favorite lot of enemies ever.

Allies: Allies have been enhanced in HL2. Alyx is a good companion, not stupid (like scientists in the original were...running headfirst into open spaces) and a good shot. The ally rebels are the same, and add a bit of realism and fear for the citizens' lives to your heart. The antlions are really fun too, and very loyal to you. I was skeptical of allies when I first heard of it, but now I think it's one of the best aspects of the game.

Weapons: I love HL2's arsenal dearly. The crowbar has it's own special place in my heart. The other weapons are excellent too, and, in true HL form, show up in realistic places instead of floating around in random areas like Quake and the like. The gravity gun is the most amazing thing I have ever seen, especially the enhanced version at the end of the game. There is nothing more phenomenal to me than picking up a dead combine soldier by the foot and launching it into a crowd of other soldiers like bowling pins. God bless you Valve.

Length: It is of decent length. Not dragging on forever, but not very short either. I didn't keep track so I couldn't tell you how many hours I put into it.

Final Word: This is the most amazing game I've ever played. So much so that when the credits rolled, I wanted to up to the next difficulty setting and start over again right then. I have never had so much fun, terrifying moments gaming than with HL2. As a gamer, it is your duty to own Half-Life 2.

...God bless you, Valve.

Well, yesterday I FINALLY went out and purchased MVP 2005 (GCN version). I ADORE baseball, own the 04 version and loved it, playing through several seasons. I couldn't wait for 05 and now that I got paid I went out and grabbed it from EB Games. I'm pleased that it's only $29.99 this time instead of full price. I think this is fair, since most of us loyal to certain sport game franchises will continue to purchase the newest version. Even though I have both GCN and PS2, I decided on the GCN version for 2 reasons.

A) - According to the gamespot review, the PS2 version's graphics were a little muddier than GCN. There wasn't much of a difference between systems other than that, except for online support. Since my PS2 isn't online, I said GCN.

B) - As a former (and hopeful returning) employee of Nintendo of America, it is my baised duty to stay loyal to them, and lord knows Nintendo can use all the support they can get.

I started up the game for the first time last night. I decided to first do Dynasty Mode instead of Owner Mode. Mainly because, as interesting as it is having complete control of every aspect of your ball club, the finances bit of owner mode can be frustrating, and as much as I loathe math, it's not something I'm quite intersted in just yet. I will probably try it out later, but for now, I'm all about the dynasty.

My team is the Seattle Mariners (gotta stay with my hometown heroes). I'm using the default roster, mainly because I like how the 05 M's roster looks in real life. I see a lot of potential there, and I think that it can carry itself to the playoffs (both in game and in real life). Starting difficulty setting: Pro. It will probably be raised one notch later on, but for now it lets me get into the groove of things. I'm currently two games into the regular season, and I'm 2-0 (against the Twins, I know, but still).

When I can drag myself away from Half-LIfe 2, I'll be going full blast into this first season. I will post updates on my trades/injuries/records/etc just for fun often. Good luck MVP Mariners!

Fascinating.

After playing through the original Half-Life multiple times, and now currently am playing through Half-Life 2 (I just got through Ravenholm, am well on my way through Highway 18 ), it never ceases to amaze me how fricken terrifying headcrabs are!

I mean, you're going down a corridor and are about to round a corner, when you hear that inescapable noise...you know what I'm talking about. That....headcrab noise.... It's the noise where you instantly crouch and go "holy crap." Then, even though you know it's coming, you round the corner and it launches into the air with this scratchy screaming noise. You're frantically trying to get a clean shot but it won't hold still. Nasty little buggers! Even if you see them, and they're out of range, you look at them and shudder. Or what's worse, when you don't hear them, and suddenly there they are. I swear, those things startle me like no other monster in any game, ever.

That's probably the main reason why they're my favorite monster of any game title. The concept of the headcrab itself s very original. Their form and function is fascinating to me. They also look creepy in a comical way. They got the little spider legs with the swollen body, and then when they see a target their front legs go up in attack form...brilliant. And the noises they make, oooh, the noises. Creepy! I love it. Their movements, everything. It's, in my opinion, the most entertaining monster out there. Half-Life 2 has made it even more interesting with the fast headcrabs and the poison headcrabs, which are even more terrifying.

Well done, Valve. I have yet to be bored of encountering and killing headcrabs, and I've done it literally a thousand times.

As I browse through the forums of Gamespot (it's a good way to pass the time at work), I notice how so many people are flaming on the Gamecube. Everybody seems to hate it, call it a "kid's console," that it's the worst thing to ever happen to video games, etc. Seriously, every day I read something new about how bad the gamecube is. Well, time to throw myself on a soapbox.

I. if you have nothing good to say about it, then shut the *you know what* up. No, seriously. I'm so tired of people doing nothing but flaming on the forums. I'm not saying I never whine, and if someone asks my opinion I will give a fair answer, but the unsupported, immature "Gamecube is fricken gay dude I hate it because it's purple never buy it ever!" crap is rude and babyish.

II. If you give it a shot, you'll probably like it. I know a lot of people that bash the GCN without ever pushing the power button. Let me tell you something. It is a GREAT system. I am not biased: I own an NES, GCN, PS2, GBA, and customized PC. I have played XBox several times, and while it's not bad (not great enough for me to purchase it, but not bad at all). The GCN has a ton of really good games, an AMAZING wireless controller, good graphics, good sound, and it's Nintendo, for crying out loud. Give it a try. My GCN is one of my favorite gaming systems.

III. Just because someone likes the Gamecube doesn't mean they're gay, 10 years old or a girl. I like the Gamecube, I'm 20 years old, and I'm straight as an arrow. Now, I may be a girl, but I'm not one of those girls that plays nothing but the Sims and Dragonball Z. As you can see from my collection, I play a lot of in-depth games, complete with violence, strategy and *gasp!* storylines. Gamecube fans, often, are JUST AS GOOD AS NON-GCN GAMERS! For crying out loud. Leave us alone. Just because you like XBox doesn't mean you're a 10 year old punk that plays nothing but Halo, now does it?

Anyways. I'm just tired of people giving the gamecube crap. Those who read this, do you think I should post this on a forum? Just curious.

mmmmmm....bandwidth

So I'm all moved in to my new apartment 30 minutes north of Seattle, Washington. First time on my own (I'm 20), and I'm loving it. Now, for someone who has suffered the curse of dial-up for one's entire life, the first thing I did was hit up Circuit City and set up a Comcast appointment.

I bought the modem and whatever, got about $100 worth of mail in rebates and then two days later Comcast came over. Since I went through Circuit City, I get the first 6 months for $29.99/month. Now that it's all installed, I'm drooling in the amazement of high speed internet. The load times, or lack therof, are incredible! Not only that, but I'm online ALL THE TIME, and it never bumps me off. It's so amazing! I'm on cloud fricken 9.

This probably sounds quite pathetic to those who've had high speed for quite some time, but c'mon, let a poor country girl enjoy her first few days in the light of cable internet!

As soon as I can afford it, it's World of Warcraft time, baby.

Welcome to Gamers Anonymous Association. Let's have our first gamer come on up and talk about themselves.

Hello, my name is Tsuihosuro.

*hello Tsuihosuro*

I have been a video game addict for the past 16 years, since I was 4 years old. I own a working NES, a Gamecube, PS2, GBA SP and a customized PC. I usually game at least a little bit almost every day.

*applause*

I'm moving today to a new apartment. My very first one, finally getting out of my folk's house. For the past week, my TV and game consoles have all been in boxes. My PC tower is also in a box and all the cords are packed well away. All of my GBA cartridges are also in some box...somewhere. The SP is out, but there's only one game out with it, and that's Gradius: Galaxies. While I love the game, it's all I've played for the past week, and after playing only a side scrolling platformer for 7 days straight, I've been craving more.

My current playlist is Half-Life 2 (PC), NFSU 2 (PS2) and Silent Hill 3 (PS2). Why is it you miss things the most when you can't get to them? All I can think about are headcrabs, fast modifed cars and things that go bump in the night. I want more! I also just recently bought Jak II (PS2), which I've never played but got it dirt cheap at Kmart. Now I want to go check THAT out. It's driving me crazy! *sobs* I'll go sit down now and play more Gradius Galaxies. I do like this game. I really do! But Not when it's my only option. My ONLY OPTION! B button, B button, that's all I ever push. Will it ever end? Can I move and unpack in time?

*sits down*

*applause*