I made a frag video for practice editing and some other reasons that have nothing to do with making frag videos. I've fallen in love with frag videos and wanted to make one of my own. It's not to incredible but I hope you like it. The website is reputable and I'll put it on GS a little later. The site is WeGame and they developed a free and (I think) better alternative to Fraps and other recording software. Check it out if you do a lot of PC gaming and like to record videos.

http://www.wegame.com/watch/dubel_07s_First_Frag_Video/

First episode was AWESOME. If you haven't seen it, do it. You won't be dissappointed. Especially since Bruce Campbell is the co-star.

Waaay back is 2004, when I joined, I made 6 blog posts but didn't actually understand the concept of them so I deleted them. Technically this is my 100th blog post. Well, I've got nothing to say. So I guess now would be a cool time for you to ask me any questions you want answered on the 100th blog post; something burning you up inside not knowing about me. Or just something you want me to say. This makes me feel so old :D Have fun at E3 (through the internet).

Sorry, all. I can't read your blogs at the moment. I get GS errors galore :(

Just know that I'm reading the titles and contemplating deeply about the wonderous contents of what you care to share.

Sincerely,

dubel_07

So, last week a buddy of mine lent me "Baten Kaitos" for the GC. You may have noticed that I didn't give it a numerical rating. That would be because I'm so confused. I can't follow the story, the voice acting is atrocious and it sounds like they recorded the actors inside a cardboard box through a paper towel tube, the graphics are all over the place but there's a special place in my heart for pre-rendered graphics, and then there's the combat. I'm not certain, but I think the combat is...excellent. I don't get it. Remember when you (you know you did, don't deny it) watched Yu-gi-oh (or whatever it was called) and people got beaten up with holographic cards? Think of it like that only you KILL PEOPLE WITH THEM. On top of that, the cards themselves actually kill stuff. I put a bird in a card and it said "Dead Bird" on the card. Then I gave it to a small child and the child was ECSTATIC. They were besides themselves and signed a family tree I had. Apparently someone's family tree is a piece of cloth with magic names.

I don't get it either.

The combat is so bizarre and takes some getting used to. The game actually starts off and after about 5 minutes of exposition (that's it. That's all the introduction we get.), you're thrust into combat. The combat is through cards that have the essence of things that make people and things go "ouch" and then bleed and die. These cards have different types like magic, weapons, food, some wierd things like yelling and digital cameras, armor, and some things that I can't really describe. I have a few live chickens, too. Combat begins when you draw a number of cards based on your "class". Your "level" determines your stats like strength, defense, speed (known as agility), etc, and your "class" is what determines how many cards you can draw per turn, how many you can use, and how big your deck is. You draw your cards and they'll either be attack cards, defense cards, finishing move cards (pretty freaking awesome), healing cards, or some other bizarre things like the chicken, a tree, and a fishing rod. Each card has 1, 2, 3, or 4 numbers on them called "spirit numbers" and you play your cards like you would in poker; meaning that if you play a 1, 2, 3, 4, and then a 5, you'll have a straight. Getting combinations like this gives you a percentage bonus. The percentage is a direct impact on the damage you do, take, or the healing you do. Each of the weapon or armor cards can also be affiliated with a particular element and so far, they are: fire, water, chrono (time), wind, light, and dark. Finishing cards are used after 1, 2, 3, or 4 cards are played and they have a certain affinity to do extra damage. Every affinity-based card does both physical and elemental damage (doing a whole lot of damage).

The combat is so detailed that I haven't really figured out the half of it. One of the more complicated things is that elements that would cancel themselves out in reality such as fire and water, light and dark, and wind and time (wtf?) will cancel out the damage that gets done. I played four cards that were not in a soul number combination (not 2, 3, 4, 5 or not 2, 2, 2, 2, etc.) and two were dark longswords while two were light longswords. It was really nuts when I did no damage. Whatever, I used a digital camera to take a picture of the boss and sell it for oodles of money. *sigh*

Try this game out for yourself to see if you like it; it's definitely an acquired taste, especially with the horrendous voice acting.

So in no particular order, these are some of my favorite vocalists (who don't necessarily just sing). (Not my photos, from Google Image Search WITH Safe Search on...I learned my lessons).

Aaron Barrett of Reel Big Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPxlenE-kic

Song is called "Don't Start a Band" (Mild profanity)

Tomas Kalnoky of Streetlight Manifesto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YUtZ5y13o4&feature=channel_page

Song is called "We Fall Together"

John Feldman of Goldfinger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjNPBhPqqy4

Song is called "Happy"

Nicole and Simone Oliva of Tip the Van

http://www.myspace.com/tipthevan

Bunch of songs. Take your pick. "Let's Say" is good.

Dickey Barrett of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5EwdEEN24

Song is called "Where'd You Go" and if you haven't heard it you haven't lived yet. Or played Rock Band 2. Or watched Clueless. If you haven't seen Clueless keep it that way.

Having built up my the suspense of the story, I figured that this is what I forgot. It's a kind of funny story about my first third date (PG, don't worry). To set the basis of my story let me shed some details on what is traditionally associated with a third date (at least, from what I'm told) and let me give you a few simple details about myself. I apologize for my crazy usage of punctuation like "," and ";".

First of all, I'm a guy. You'll have to take my word on that but I can assure you, I'm a guy. Always been one. I'm confident I will always be one. My date, who shall remain anonymous, is, to the best of my knowledge, is not a guy. That means she was a she. I'm pretty sure she always was.

The history of the dating...thing...(Making this up as I go) is that traditionally, the first date is dinner or something, often coffee which neither of us drank, or "a drink", and since, in short, we're both under 21 and can't legally drink, we didn't. There's not usually anything sketchy that happens on the first date to the best of my knowledge. The second date is traditionally something a smidge more intimate like a fancy (er) dinner or something (I have no idea). Third date is usually something pretty intimate and usually leads to some...together time. Use your imaginations, those who've never been on a date.

So, we'll get to the story.

We both lived on campus at our university and there are a few restaurants for the students. My first date was the two of us at a chicken restaurant. That's when I learned she was essentially a vegetarian. It was a bit awkward. Luckily they had a vegetarian menu. I got chicken since it was a chicken restaurant.

Our second date was during a crazy ice storm. We had lost power and it was rainy and icy everywhere. We were going to a restaurant across town that served organic foods like organic breads and yogurts and ice cream but it was too icy and we decided to go to a sandwich shop in one of the dining halls about a quarter mile from our dorm building. We had a good time trying to ascend up the 100 or so foot long ramp that was completely slick with ice. That took us about 15 minutes to get up. Dinner was good; we each got sandwiches and Sun Chips (which make anything AWESOME) and we talked for probably 2 hours about stuff. Eventually, though, they were closing and we had to leave. We went back to her room and watched something that I can't quite remember, probably House. It was a good time.

Lastly (in the story), the third date. We were going bowling because we were both terrible and I usually have a lot of fun bowling with other people and then we were going to Subway which, like Sun Chips, makes things better. The first round I played it safe and let her do her best so I could judge whether or not I should go easy. Unfortunately for the two of us, we were both atrocious. She got a 68 and I got a 72. Mind you that's out of 300. We finished up with bowling and headed to Subway. A pretty intimate location for me since I love Subway. She also loved it so it was a win-win situation. Here's the conversation that followed (more or less):

Me: "I had a lot of fun tonight, how about you?"

Her: "I had a great time!" Then something about bowling.

Me: Awkward silence.

Her: "You want to...come back to my place..."

Me: ...

Me: ...

Me: ...

Me: Playing the whole situation through my head, stupid grin on my face.

Her: Most likely having noticed my jaw hitting the floor, she finished her sentence "to watch Batman?"

Oh, well. So nothing became of that night but my mother gave me an awkward call right around the scene with the Joker and Batman and the "Hit me! HIT. ME." scene. As much as I'd like to have had something different play out that night, I'm glad I learned more about her. I really wanted to get to know her and now I feel much better having spent that time together. Plus, it makes a pretty funny story.

I had something really great to say in this blog but then I mowed my lawn and finished Bioshock on Hard and ate two bags of popcorn and forgot what I was going to say.

So, assuming that I passed my classes, I'm officially a Junior undergrad in Chemical Engineering! Just two more years to go!

So to clear up any confusion...

1. I like Team Fortress 2
2. I like the Spy
3. Valve is updating the Spy
4. Valve leaked (maybe not Valve) a video, which I posted, called Meet The Spy
5. I am not insane, I assure you.

Found the BEST. NEWS. EVER. ER. PERIOD.

Watch this if you like TF2, Valve, etc.

http://www.wegame.com/watch/Meet_the_spy_7/

Yes, my friends, I found Meet the Spy. Seems legit, too.

I never really was on your side...