So F'n busy....Yeah, I missed the OGU Diablo2 time on wed. I managed only 20 min of Doom 3 before it was off to a retirement party and then Lost for the 2nd half of the season premiere (reruns at 10:00 on wed.) I even had to get on GS at 11:30 last night instead of my usual time wasting at work during the day.

As for the continued journey through the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the next couple books I have already read, so I'm just gonna skim em and get onto the next new book for me.

• Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter - This book was rad if you like the Sith, the background story behind the sith, or the fight between the Sith and the Jedi. Part of the book is actually told from Darth Maul's point of view and he talks about the different fighting techiniques he uses, including his abilities with the force. One very cool point was him using the force and his skills to survive a 30 meter fall from an exploding speeder bike platform to the streets of Coruscant. Light saber battles, and another chance for the Jedi to realize the Sith are back before the Phantom Menance...if Darth Maul doesn't stop the people who have found out about him...Also included in the book is...
• Darth Maul: Saboteur - This short story follows more of Darth Mauls first missions, including helping Sideous set up the plans that will bring the Trade Federation under his control so that he can begin the downfall of the Jedi. He pits two sides against one another, the best part (aside from his lightsaber skills) has to be when he force chokes one of the people he betrays.
• Cloak of Deception - edit: I thought maybe I hadn't read CoD, but I have. Its a pretty good story about how Palpatine is not only sending his pupil Darth Maul out on missions, but he also destroying the senate from within and screwing everyone over. Really good lead up to...
• the Phantom Menace - Everyone has seen the movie. Imagine seeing the story with hearing or seeing Jar Jar. Because in the book he is only someone you don't like, but you don't actually dispise him like when you see him and hear him. The book is the first in 3 good movie novels. Really good Author (Terry Brooks) and really interesting story, even if you've already seen the movie. Now its on to the books between Ep 1 and Ep 2...

edit: Man, after signing in on the new roll call for the Movie/TV board, and visiting some boards today, I had to drop a few off my favorites. Including the Halo 2 union board. I'll stay in the union for updates, but thousands of badly spelled and punctuated posts about the same crap someone else brought up last week...thats how the little kids get a bad rap on GS.

As the title suggests, I am too busy to type, chat, and play games. Life getting in the way of playing, and Work getting in the way of chatting. Your boss ever remind you of the boss from Dilbert? Cuase mine has been more than usual lately...

Two short topics for today...

I finished the last book in the Jedi Apprentice Series. Special Edition #2: The followers was a pretty cool book, and like the other special edition in this series (of 20 books) this book followed an adventure of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and then 10 years later with Obi-Wan and Anakin running into the same characters. This book was all about the Sith, and the search of a crazy professor and his devoted following of students and their search for a Sith Holocron (basically the star wars equivalent of a giant MB memory stick with Sith knowlege and power). This book was very good, and showed more of the early corruption of Anakin by the Dark Side, and more warning signs that the Jedi keep picking up on that he could turn evil. They are so blinded by the dark side and their own "high&mightiness" that its no wonder they get slaughtered. Their is even a disturbing chapter where Anakin finds a hologram recording of a jedi being shot from behind and killed by a blaster. Some big foreshadowing, and I really love how these books keep thowing in backstory to the movie plots. Now its on to the Jedi Quest and Boba Fett young adult books, and all the novels upto and including Revenge of the Sith which I just bought. Anyone that actually clicks on these journal posts to read about my adventures in reading star wars books, let me know. I am going to keep putting them here, but I get the distinct feeling that no one cares, which is understandable.

as for the other topic...Abbreviations. Did anyone click on my journal header to see just what the heck that abbreviation was? I have done this a couple times, including just a minute ago on a system wars thread title. The fact that the system wars thread was utter garbage, and most of the stupid abbreviations and purposely misspelled words were actually sucking the intelligence from my body, is beside the point. The point of my topic is more that threads and online games and journal, etc. can get pretty confusing if someone isn't "down with the lingo." Anyone that can offer a few confusing abbreviations and/or mispelled words and their meanings, I would appreciate it. Especially if you could throw in the reasoning for the mispelling or abbreviation that makes it so funny/useful/worthwhile/etc.

And thanks for stopping by on the EB thread. I saw a few new names there, as well as a few of my new friends...

I had to cut and paste this rant I left in J-Freaks journal about EB Games. I had totally forgotten how they tried to screw me the other day. So here it is...(he was talking about them taking for ever to not be able to find a game they had in stock.)

wow, not just me huh. I went in to buy super smash bros (finally) after resident evil got me back into my GC lately. I had a buddy with me, I pick up Doom3 for him used so i can use my gamer card, and then I also grab Outlaw golf cause its only 9 bucks. First off, i had to search all over, to find the SSB, then I get help from two guys, and it turns out they have it out next to the new games. thats after checking the computer that says they have 2 in stock. So after all this, I wait for him to dig for the disc, Im not really paying attention, and after I leave im looking at my receipt and it says $90. I think, thats odd, it should have been more like $80. I look in the bag, and low and behold, the guy slipped in a new copy and charged me $29.99, instead of the used copy for $24 less 10%. I walk back in, and he says, we were out of the used ones. SO YOU SOLD ME A COPY FOR $8 MORE than I was expecting, and didn't say anything!

And this guy has been helping me for years. Sneaky SOB.... I think I will call first before going in when I actually have something particular in mind instead of just impulse buying.

Stay Healthy Fifteen days age, I read that smoking can kill you:
The next day I stopped smoking.
Twelve days ago, I read that too much red meat can kill you:
The next day I stopped eating red meat.
Eight days ago, I read that drinking can kill you:
The next day I stopped drinking.
Yesterday, I read that having sex can kill you:
This morning I stopped reading.
I got this email, and laughed out loud. Got any good short jokes?
As for video games, I got to play some Diablo 2 and some Halo 2 on Sunday. I was hungover, so was slow to catch on in Diablo 2 when Darkside007 was helping me relearn some common sayings and such, and just stunk it up at Halo 2. Played in a tourney with some friends, and did my best to get last or bottom 3 almost every match. OGU diablo 2 wednesday nights and halo 2 thursday nights if anyone is interested...

So...I've been working out again at the gym, and I'm hoping that (combined with coaching volleyball, running every so often, playing volleyball or basketball or soccer, the odd game of tennis or round of golf, and drinking and eating less) will help me lose 10-20 pounds. I found a little scale that tells you how heavy you are supposed to be according to age and height and I am a good 15-20 over that weight. Of course, I haven't been that weight since before I started drinking in college about 7 or 8 years ago, but it sure is fun having a dream. Can't wait to squish it...although I have dropped 5 pounds already just cutting back on some foods and the beer and wine.

I even went to volleyball open gym at the high school my wife coaches for. There is no feeling like realizing that you are one of the best players in a gym full of teenage girls... That's right, not the best, but one of the best. At least I am stronger than them...:D Man I'm a pitiful out of shape piece of crap. Of course I did pound one straight down from the back row, through the block, and past their back row, but even after coaching our club team since December, I still haven't had enough practice and missed at least 4 or 5 hits. Maybe next week I will do better, since I should be able to school these little kids, even if some of them are on state caliber varsity teams....

Anyone else play volleyball round these parts, or any other sport you want to sound off about?

Well, I am still online in Halo 2 as much as I can manage (which isn't much) but I just got back into Diablo 2 and really want to hook up with some gamespotters online. The online gaming union looks promising, but i found there new schedule about 30 min too late today and don't want to wait til next wed. anyone want to play thursday, pm me.

As for other cool stuff, I watched Lost the first episode, just like Jekyll told me too, and it was good. Jekyll, is it on once a week on wed? cause that would be perfect for some some diablo 2 and Lost every wed. then halo 2 on thursdays.

as for this weekend, it wil be the second weding I get to go of the summer. OUT OF 10 so far. I can't believe I have to go to 10 weddings. No more video games for me for a while, except conker of course. I may even have to sell a few. and I am definitely going to get to the old games for you soon 8-bit master. hopefully next week...

Well, I finally am sick, after a week of having a naggin cough. Therefore, no witty stuff, no forum searching. Just me at home finally playing some video games. Played some Outlaw Golf, some Halo 2, some Diablo 2, some Resident Evil 4, some GTA: San Andreas...excuse me, gotta cough up some lung. see you tommorrow maybe.

Halo 2 maps delayed First the Bad (and kinda good)...Halo 2's additional maps are delayed until July 5th. Bad because its a delay, but good because it delays the maps until the beginning of my vacation, which coincides with the day before my birthday. I should be able to stay up all night as soon as the maps come out, which will be cool.

~$300 Xbox360 And the good news...Another source confirms that the Xbox360 should be around $300 and not the $400 or $500 that some people are still saying that it will cost. That's good, because I really want to get one and I won't get the new system if it's $500.

I'm at 99% on level 11, so next time the site updates, I should be a nice respectable level 12...and I had a triple journal post yesterday, so check em out if you missed em. On top of that, I love my wife, because last night I asked her what she wanted to watch, and she said "Star Wars." She rocks.

Also, I finished SW:JA #18 The Threat Within. This book was ANOTHER story of a world that needed the Jedi's help, and again involved a rift between the generations as the kids did not agree with the parents. This time the world was based on a system where everyone worked and slept and worked some more. They did nothing else. Basically, it would suck hard to live there. So the kids secretly rebel, the elders blame another planet, which almost starts a war, and Obi-Wan sides with the kids, and the Jedi save the day. Another good book, but I am glad there is only one book left in the series, because the storyline seems to be a little recycled. The next book is the second Special Edition, and like the first one, it follows the storyline from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to Obi-Wan and Anakin. After that I probably should finish the Orson Scott Card book that all this Star Wars stuff interrupted, and then start on the next section of Star Wars Books. I have a feeling that reading all the star wars books may be a year long project, as the weather get nicer. For instance, I didn't play any Resident Evil 4 last night, because I went to play Tennis for the first time in about 4 years. Man did I suck for the first couple shots. Took about an hour just to be able to hit a hard serve or shot over the net and get it in the court. Oh well, excerise is good, and will keep me a lean mean video game playing machine...

• Flipping through the new EGM (July 2005, #193) and I came across some rad advertising, and some lame advertising all in a few pages. First the lame, because this will be short. EB Games is offering a Fantastic 4 wristband, similar to those cancer wristbands you see everyone with, if you pre-order the game. Anyone that rushes to get the game because they will get a 0.12 cent wristband should be smacked. As for the good advertising...

Conker Live and Reloaded has some awesome advertising. When you load the page (click the image), the loading bar says

• Loading Guns...
• Loading Broads...
• Loading Beer...

Then it proceeds to show the classic opening with Conker's best quote, "I'm Gonna Get Tanked Tonight." If you haven't played the original, the plot is basically that you are a hungover squirell trying to figure out what you did the night before. Great graphics, gameplay, and toilet humor if you are into that kind of game.

The add in EGM is awesome too. It has a teddy bear shaped chalk outline with pieces of stuffed animal fur and bullet casings all around. Then it has the following:

• SUSPECT:
• Long furry tail
• Heavily armed
• Smells like a strip club

-Back with a raging hangover, Conker is drinking, smoking, and chasing more hot furry tail than ever. Well, when he's not blowing the stuffing out of Tediz. Take your deviant skills online to Xbox Live, or you can always just play with yourself.