The new Live update is coming on Aug. 11, and with the addition of avatar clothes that you need to purchase with MS points, it looks like the free clothes updates are going to be dated. Not really sure what I think about that, and I definitely havn't decided if I care or not.

When I first heard about the avatars I thought it was a horrible idea. Sounded like a childish toy, and I thought back then that it was going to be a way to nickel and dime us as they would ask us to buy our Mini-Me outfits. I have to admit though, when I got ahold of mine and dressed it up it was a bit more fun than I planned on it being, and since the clothes updates have been often and beter yet, free, I've found that I tinker with mine on occasion.

They have now been out for almost a year (I think its been that long), and they are finnaly closing down the Avatar Good Will and making us either keep the old rags or dish out real money (or real money spent to buy points :D) That kind of makes me mad, but then again I really could care less at the same time. What a paradox!

I had kind of been hopeing that some games would let you unlock outfits for your avatar by getting a certain achievement or beating it on a certain difficulty level, but I have yet to see that. I didn't come up with that idea myself either. I had read it, and I think it was on this website (way to get your facts straight Gamespot). In the article I linked to above they say that some of the clothes available for purchase will be game specific :shock:.

Whatever though, I really don't mess around with my little dude too much, and will probably do so less in the future if his wardrobe doesn't get a bit bigger. With the economy how it is, I will be buying real clothes with real money, if I buy clothes at all. Instead of buying my little dude a pair of pants, shirt (suggested at $1 in link), shoes, and a prop ($4 inlink)for $8 I could buy and DL a budget game from the arcade store. NO BRAINER!

Havn't posted here for a while now. I think it may be that I had posted that I was going to make a post about Controllers Vs Keyboard/Mouse that has me scared of posting. In case you weren't counting that was three "posts" in one sentance, so that should make up for my lost time.

I'm now brainsorming about a good controller vs mouse post, so it should be up soon. Till then I will leave you with this. Enjoy:

Diesel SFW XXX - Watch more

Sorry about the now somewhat cliche title, but I just can't help myself sometimes. I've got to say, I never really planned on getting a Wii. They looked fun and all, but not really my cup of tea. Or so I thought.

I recently got my hands on one and picked up Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, and No More Heroes. I havn't spent a whole lot of time on the first two (read any) and have spent all my time thus far with the amazingly addicting No More Heroes.

At first I was thinking that the old school graphics were posibly going to distract from the Wii's....funness. I recently played some older games while waiting for my 360, and most were unplayable, for me anyway. I kind of thought it was the graphics that were possibly detering me, but now I'm thinking I have just moved on game taste wise and games like Baulders Gate 2: Shadows of Amn are just plesant memories no longer worth dreaming again.

It isn't that I don't like RPGs anymore, because I most definitely do. The thing is with recent games like The Witcher and Neverwinter Nights 2 that are somewhat similar to the older Baulders Gate games is that they seem to be fun to me, and Baulders Gate has just lost its apeal. Funny thing is that when I was playing Neverwinter Nights 2 I was thinking how much better Baulders Gate was till I went back and tried to play it :D.

The Wii shows me that in fact it is still fun to play games with out top of the line graphics if the gameplay is still sound. I am have Fallout 3 sitting in my 360 tray waiting for me to get tired of the Wii. I think it is hopeing that once the appeal of the new controler wears off I will give it some more play time. Lucky for him I know not all that many good looking games are comming down the pike for the Wii (at least IMO :)).

So for now, like the title says.........

I loved the first one. Played the bejesus out of it. Now we have a second one in the works, that if all goes as planned, will be released in the coming weeks. So in preperation come take a seat around the campfire and let me tell you kiddies a story.

When FEAR came out my Asus AGP ATI graphics card(don't remember the exact model anymore :) was kind of on the fritz. By on the fritz I mean I think I let it overheat one too many times. I was a bit on the broke side, and PCIe was the new technology. So in order to buy a decent card I was going to have to upgrade my whole system. This isn't exactly true, but I don't realy like buying "old" technology hence my disaproving glares at the AGP cards on Newegg.com.

Besides, the card wasn't completely shot. It still sort of worked. It was just that after a few minutes, the on screen particles made it look like I was playing in a snow storm in the Himalayas. A snow storm with red flakes, that were all perfectly square. This was especially true when the special slowdown power was used in F.E.A.R. So I took the minimalist aproach to slowdown, and used it as little as possible. This helped, as long as I wasn't in too dark of a room....which there are a butload of in F.E.A.R.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say, all-be-it long winded, is that I still played and had fun with F.E.A.R. even with these handy caps. So when I found out that F.E.A.R was returning I was more than a bit ecstatic. My problem now lies with one of the greatest decisions known to man: Do I get this one for my 360, or do I get it for my Computer.

That kind of leads me to another topic, the old tried and true controller vs. mouse/keyboard. I think I'll tackle that one next time.

Anyone who has experimented with thier computer parts like a mad scientist is familiar with the blue screen of death (BSOD), and the madness and anger that can come from seeing it. I had many bouts of it with my current computer while trying to get it up and running for the first time, seems like many more this time using Vista than ever before.

Of course in my case this was probably caused by various tweaks to my BIOS that were uncompatable with various components housed within my computer. In that case blame should really be placed with the motherboard manufacturer and its shoddy BIOS option explaination/documentation, but honestly now, where is the fun in that?

I, like so many others, enjoy bashing Microsoft, or as they are usually labeled while in the midst of being bashed M$. This is true no matter how much I love my 360. So why place blame square with the perpetrator (how blase) when I can insetead point fingers at M$ (hip and cool)?

Anyway, Photoshop recently had a contest for people to submit possible new BSOD options of which the photo above was the second place winner. Some of them are just serious updates to the splash screen, while others are quite humorous. Have a look see at the other contest entrances for yourself.

We have a new President here in the USA!!!! It looks like it may be the dawn of a new era in American politics, and that has me smiling from ear to ear. Of course only time will tell if Obama is truthful or full of BS, but for the time being I would like to belive he is just. I would like to imagine he can make some changes for the better, and that what he says is heartfelt instead of what he thinks the voters want to hear.

Someone who may be able to lead us out of war, and bring the worlds trust and approval behind this nation once again. Bring us up to speed with the rest of the free world and make health care something that is atainable by everyone, and not just a way to fatten the pockets of the pharmisutical and insurance companies. A leader who might just improve our school system to a point where more of our children are actually educated to a first world standard.

More importantly though, I am finnaly going to be getting my hands on Fallout 3, so for the next few weeks none of what I just wrote will matter. I'm going to be in the post apocalyptic wasteland biatch!!!

Well, I havn't had much time lately to paint. You know how it goes. As an adult with responciblities, a husband and a dad, free time is fairly scant. Most of my free time has been spent on the couch with a controler in hand. I did have time to paint, not this one, but one exactly like it.

Shot with EX-Z750 at 2008-02-17

Just don't have time to take a new photo of the new one and load it :)

Well, I just gave my boss notice that I would be moving on to another job. It feels a bit strange to be moving to another job so quickly, but I was just WAY underpaid.

This morning was a tad bit hard getting around the courage to go talk to the man. I always have this strange sence of loyalty to those I work for. Abnormal considering I have only worked for under a year for him, but thats me I suppose. Its a mite humorous, but I was even shaking a little when I faced him. I find it funny that some of us (if not all) are like this, when I knew the outcome wouldn't be an argument, let alone a fist fight. There is just something about confrontation that shakes me up.

I did learn quite a bit from my coworkers, and am a better carpenter for sure. Here is some of the stuff we have done lately:

I am still very exited as I am going to be making a considerable amount more, with more potential for growth in income down the road. Good bye old-new job, hello new-new job.

I got these in the Battle for Skull Pass boxed set. They're decent minis, and pretty fun to paint. Anyway, they arn't based yet as I'm having problems deciding on a base theme for the "little people" army.

I just finnished this beast.

Took me longer than any other mini, but I'm pretty happy with him. Normally I spend something like 4-5 hours on each mini, but I think this troll took more like 20. He is much bigger than any other mini I have painted also. He stands 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall.