I've been a avoiding the GS forums awhile lately and I apologize to the few who actually enjoy my long winded postings as they have been fewer and actually growing much shorter in length. Most of the reason for my avoidance in the GS forums has been a overactive work environment, nice sunny days to play with my daughter outside and a few epic play sessions with Final Fantasy X. The other, more secretive reason, is that for the past month and a half I've been working on, not one, but TWO Developer for a Day projects. The reason for working on two was that my original idea had to be scrapped half way through because I realized there was no way I was going to do it justice in the time frame allowed. So, with half the time to build a second project I dug out an old favorite idea I've had stewing for nearly 15 years: a Mutant League Football sequel. If it's a worthwhile read then the judges will surely let us know, so keep an eye out on the DFAD6 union news. Needless to say, the game brought back all the grand action that the original packed into such a tiny Genesis cart, threw in some great conventional ideas and sprinkled it with only the flair that a satellite dropping fiend like myself could put in. There was also some help from a nameless entity who shall remain nameless as promised. Again, thank you for saving this project from certain doom. As for the aforementioned project, only the nameless one is privy to that idea and it continues on in work now for DFAD7. Regardless of when another DFAD is announced, this project will be waiting and will certainly not disappoint any fan of it's genre.

Edit: 6/2/08

It was hard to believe at first, but obviously I'm not the only one that likes the carnage of Mutant League Football. DFAD6 Top Ten Finalists have been posted and sure enough there was my mug of a handle up there. For me it was great just to write the idea down that has been floating in my mind for several years. Being able to share it with a few people was fun and now the potential for many people to see it is just awesome. The winners announcement is a few weeks away so all you Mutant fans out there keep your fingers crossed for a win; or better yet some recognition from EA for a potential real game development. :lol: Because you know this world badly needs a football game where you can get even with the refs. ;)

Gaming with the PS3 has been great fun so far and over the past few months I had actually forgotten that it was also a fully functioning Blue-ray movie player. Yeah that's how bad my memory is. :? I can't even remember what my own high-tech toys can do. Along with forgeting about having a Blue-ray player I had also forgotten about the five free Blue-ray movies that were supposed to be coming six to eight weeks after having sent in the free offer form. The very day I had remembered I had sent off for them nearly 8 weeks ago, and was assuming the form had gotten lost in the mail, I came home to find the little buggers waiting for me on the desk. Fortunately my wife did not open it up and thus commence with a new bodily orifice creation technique in the thought that I had just blown $100 or more on movies. :shock: When I told her they were the free Blue-ray movies she was actually quite interested in seeing the selections. I myself was shocked to find out that she wanted to watch the movie SWAT which I myself had eagerly wanted to watch. So the HDTV and Dolby Digital surround sound system were put to the HD movie test this weekend. At first I didn't notice any noticable difference in the picture; we already invested in an upconverting DVD player and I thought the picture quality looked about the same. Then I remembered that I had been purposely nerfing the HDTV contrast quality and brightness to help save on screen life and power comsumption (whether it really does help add life to the TV I don't know, but I figured the reduced power consumption, especially from brightness, was helping ease the impact on the old wallet). With the full Dynamic settings turned on (or full Hi-Def functions for non-Samsung owners) the difference became crystal clear. Not even the upconverting DVD player was displaying picture quality with the HDTV placed on this setting. I just might have to go back and play Assassin's Creed for a few hours on this setting just to see what I was missing; I realized all ten hours of my HDTV play sessions were on the power saving setting. DOH! So as for Blue-ray picture quality vs standard, or even upconverting, DVD quality the Blue-ray definitely shows an amazing improvement even on my 1080i HDTV. 1080p owners are certainly getting a great deal with their PS3s. ;) The sound quality sounded a tad better too. I was able to play the movie at lower volumes and still hear the dialogue very well. There was a lot less reverb on the back and front speakers, but I've been attributing that problem to the speakers being nearly 10 years old now. :lol: Since my age old surround system isn't DTS HD compatible, let alone standard DTS, I was stuck watching one movie in standard stereo. :cry: But even that sounded great despite a slight problem hearing some of the conversation parts that were a tad too quiet. What was really surprising was how well the Sixaxis controller acted as a controller. For those with enough spare money laying around I'm sure having the PS3 movie controller would be nice so you actually know what the buttons do. But for those looking to spare some cash the Sixaxis controller controls the movie well by just using the X button for play and pause. The triangle button brings up an on screen menu for further play options. As for the other buttons, I think my wife found the rewind button by accident but I have no idea which one it was. :lol: There's probably some other button functions but I have yet to play with them. One thing to watch for is the controller does have to stay ON during the whole movie play. After three movies my controller went from two bars to one bar. :? Pressing the PS button only allows you to stop or continue playback (which is what the circle button does too from what I remember). So for those who have been wondering "is Blue-ray, or even a PS3 really worth it for better picture and sound quality?" just from my experience on a 1080 HDTV and a nearly 10 year old Dolby Digital surround sound system I can say the difference is certainly noticable. While I'll probably still stick with standard DVDs for the next few years, it's nice to know that if I run across any clearance Blue-ray discs of decent movies I can actually pick them up and enjoy them with my family. At least the ones rated PG and under. ;)

If you've been looking to breathe some new life into Assassin's Creed you've come to the right blog entry! I discovered these hidden "mini-games" though I doubt any of the game's designers would say that they had intended for it to be used this way. My favorite mini game is called Crusader Bowling; or Saracen bowling depending upon which set of soldiers you decide to use. It is very simple to play, easy to get into and extremely silly or stupid depending on how apt you are to seeing silly things in serious games. :P

To play Crusader Bowling, just boot up Assassin's Creed and get into your world of memories. Go to the Kingdom and hop onto the horse of your choice. Next you need to locate a gaggle of Crusader or Saracen soldiers; namely a group of five or more that is wandering around in a V formation. Position yourself so that you have a decent amount of space between yourself and the leading officer in the front of the V point. Get your horse moving to a gallop, take your best aim at the gaggle of soldiers and then plow right on through them taking note of how many you've sent flying to the ground! :lol: Yes it is silly and stupid but it does make for some interesting challenges to see if you can knock all the soldiers down in one attempt. It can also make for some great one versus a brigade challenge to test your fighting skills. ;) Other great mini-games to look for are:

• Toss the Drunk: Toss them into walls, soldiers or even other drunks! Just grab a drunk and start tossing. If you're feeling extra hateful just head for the docks and play Wet and Wild Toss the Drunk!
• Battle Royale: Think you're tough with your fists? Find out by locating a large group of courageous citizens, smack one upside the head and then let the free-for-all begin as you take each of them on in a Battle Royale. Smack a soldier for extra fun and you then have a...
• Slaughter House: Tired of skulking about in the shadows? Then just start picking fights with the guards out hunting for you in the cities and see just how many battles you can continue to rack up as you move through the city leaving only bodies in your wake. For extra fun stay close to high buildings to see how many guards you can toss off the top in a battle.

There's so much more to Assassin's Creed than just moving from flag to flag and assassinating the occasional Templar or leader. If you have found your own amusing mini-games be sure to post a comment here so other gamers can try them out! The sillier and more stupid they are the better. ;)

It was bound to happen and what a Tuesday morning it was as thousands of disgruntled sims decided to turn the tables on recent satellites that have fallen onto hapless sim neighbors. Sims took to the streets as early as 5 am and made their way to the ever popular Satellite Fields, a location known for heavy laden satellite falling activity. What few satellites were still in the field fell prey to what local sims dubbed as "Sim droppings" as sims hurled themselves upon each and every satellite that could be found.

"We just wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine for once." stated local Grilled Cheese fanatic Dustin Broke as he lept up and off of a cheese covered satellite he had just flung himself upon.

So is this the signaling of a change in the times? Will we see less satellite related deaths as Sims will vow to turn the tables and fling themselves upon any visiting hunk of metal that falls to the earth? This reporter says an emphatic "Heck no." For not more than a few minutes after seeing this event every sim in the vicinity was clobbered by their own personal flaming pile of heavenly cascading metal. Had they simply walked across the street to where I had taken refuge, instead of idly chatting away with each other about grilled cheese, new hobbies and various loves of the neighborhood beef cakes, this untimely Sims disaster would never have happened. Reporting live from across the street at the Satellite Fields, this is Iam A. Weiner signing out.

*We here at the Satellite Fields would like to thank you all for taking part in our April Fools Day story. Had this been a "real" story, there would have been far more information about the Grilled Cheese sandwiches that were referred to and Satellites, as we all know, would never be caught dead standing idly by as some silly sim tried to jump upon it. Satellites just don't let things like that happen to them; that is unless one was to liquor them up real well first. A drunk satellite is not a very fast satellite so it might be just possible to jump on one if a sim so desired. But again, seeing as how most satellites do not have the capacity to drink, as they have no stomachs nor mouths to even speak of, let alone from, such an act of absurdity would never happen. Happy April Fools Day to you all from the Satellite Fields :D

There is a running gag among many Purdue grads that when you throw a piece of paper at the waste bin and miss, you have to admit you're "shooting like Purdue." :( Ah Purdue basketball, a team with so many ups and downs you'd think you were riding a roller coaster. But, despite any lack of consistancy, I stand by my old college stomping grounds and support our "Baby Boilers" as they make their way into tournament time. Purdue may very well have the youngest team in the nation and with that said if you look at their record (24-7 overall, 15-3 Big 10) one must wonder what these guys are going to do over the next two to three years. Yeah you Indiana University (IU) fans can boast all you want about you're big time recruit(s). I'm still banking on this young Boiler team to grow up to be a heavy contender quite soon. And don't think for an instant that I'm going to be gender biased with this and not mention the Lady Boilers. Finishing out the year by winning the Big 10 Women's tournament (18-14 overall, 11-7 Big Ten) they managed to get into the NCAA tournament! Hopefully they can keep it up and take some momentum into the big dance. While I admit I've had some declining interest in the NCAA tournament (on both gender sides) over the years, having Purdue in it on both sides is getting my interest back into this very popular event. I plan to horribly mess up any bracket picks, as Purdue must of course go through to the end, but this is why I never enter any pools with my picks. :P For any satellite fans that miss my ugly mug via a Sims 2 doppleganger, never fear for he will be back following the end of the tournament. Because as I stated in the topic, one must support their alma mater, even if they shoot like Purdue. :D

On a Sims 2 side note, if anyone has been picking around in my Images files (out of shear boredom no doubt), you may notice some odd pictures of a house being built in a folder called 'Basement Tutorial.' There is, in fact, a Basement Tutorial in the works that will be posted in the Sims Authority Union. I cannot say exactly when, as tclvis and I are working out the bugs and proper writing style, but when it does get posted I'll put an update up and make some posts within the various Sims related forums. If you've ever wanted to build a better basement in The Sims 2, then be sure to check it out as I promise you will be able to build one with this! :D

Edit: 3/15/08. Well Purdue fell into it's traditional cursed role in the Big Ten tournament by losing it's first game despite having a number 2 seed. :cry: I will give a shout out to 31160618 and the Fighting Illini as the team really did play an awesome game against Purdue. The better team clearly won that battle. :D I will still hold the course and support my Boilermakers in the NCAA tournament and will slot them to win it all! Chances of that happening are likely higher than winning the local lottery but hey, I stand by my team even if the odds are against us!

Edit: 3/18/08. With the GameSpot vs SportsGamer NCAA tournament in full swing, I decided to put my bracket picks up there to help support the GameSpot side: http://www.sportsgamer.com/events/march_madness_08/bracket/smadiso1/ Will my picks really help GameSpot much? Probably not. Am I just a little crazy with my picks? More like stark raving mad. Am I sticking to my previously mentioned plan of backing Purdue all the way to the end? Yeah baby! I'm riding the Gold and Black train all the way to Funky Town! Have I lost my mind? No, it was lost well before this. :P

On the Sims 2 front, the Basement Tutorial is up but is still undergoing some minor corrections. Feel free to check it out here and hopefully the completed version will be done soon. Please PM me with any broken links to pictures, vague instructions or incorrect references to button icon descriptions. There is a forum topic open in the Sims Authority union for suggestions on what to place in the upcoming Advanced Basement Building guide, so if you have other methods you wish to suggest please do so here.

Well here's the first picture of my future second born: a baby boy due in July. :)

My daughter has quickly picked up the phrase "baby boy," but she's still working on saying "baby brother." While it might be a bit advance for a two year old, the rate at which she's been picking up words she very well could be saying it by tomorrow. Smart kid, almost too smart for her own good at times, especially when it comes to getting into the frig. :shock: While I've been outnumbered by the female population in the house for the past two years, at least in a few months balance will be restored and I might actually win some desicions around here. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised if my son is raised to be a momma's boy and turns on me in a second when the heat is on. :cry: Oh well, I suppose he'll only be following in his father's footsteps. ;) I know who holds the whip in this family. *CRACK* "Thank you ma'am! May I have another?!" :D

Since my parents provide a key component to keeping my daughter out of daycare I have the joy of seeing them nearly every week. Not a big problem by any means since I love my parents and was fortunate to have a dad who was very into videogaming even before I was born. The problem in their visits isn't that my dad refuses to try any new videogames (to avoid getting addicted again) but that they always manage to argue pretty fiercely at least once during each visit. And many times the arguments stem from their ultra-messy house. If you want an idea as to how messy, just watch any episode of Clean House and that's exactly what you'd see. The arguement always expands to include me and helps to remind me of something I always seem to forget about, and it goes like this:

Parent: "Our house is just to much of a mess to even know where to start to clean! And I can never get your mother/father to even help!"

Me: "Then start in the basement and work your way up. You have to start somewhere."

Parent: "Well then you should probably come over and take care of YOUR junk that's down there if we're going to start in the basement."

Me: "Exactly what junk are you refering to? All my junk seems to have found it's way into my house thank you very much!" (And that is true, they bring me literal junk I would have rather seen thrown out, but instead gets added to junk here for me to sort through in the rare times of the year where I want to clean and get rid of junk).

Parent: "I'm refering to all those old videogame systems you have." And my mom tends to group my dad's old Atari 2600 in that since I played it so much, though I know he would never let me take it. And since the Atari 7800 is mine the 2600 would only serve as a sentimental throw back to old school gaming days.

Me: "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting about those. I really should get them one day."

And so I am back at square one remembering my literal treasure trove of a basement and yet not being able to get such treasures since I cannot find the time to make a trip back to the house. Let alone actually walk through the house due to all the other junk in it. :P So before I forget about all the cool retro gaming hardware and titles I do have at my parents home, I'm trying to select the titles that GS still recognizes and that I still remember. There has to be at lest 50 old Atari 2600 carts, an assortment of Atari 7800 carts and then over a hundred floppy disks of old Commadore/Atari computer games down there which I know I'll never be able to remember them all. The best part is I know these will never leave the house because my dad will fight along side of me to make sure they never get sold. He will also likely fight to make sure they never leave that basement either so the only way I can ever play them again is to travel through the mess of my old home. :lol: Really, my family is quite normal in most regards. ;) So for any old school gamers that visit my gamespot page, feel free to drop in titles that you can think of that fit the systems listed above, I'll likely have it but have just forgottten about it. I've remembered nearly all the Genesis and SNES titles I still have and there is no NES up there. Since we had the working Atari's my parents thought that was enough. :? Silly them I know. The only rule I am enforcing on this look back to old school gaming is this: no one is to complain about age (tclvis this means you too!) because we can all take solace in knowing that we're "seasoned gamers," and not old farts. :D

Edit:

Well you'd be surprised what you'll find in piles of junk. As suspected, my parents decided to help sort through some piles of junk to keep me from setting foot in their home; yeah they want my stuff out but don't want me coming to the house. :? But if craziness is a by product of having kids then I can already feel it setting in. :lol: Anyways, it turns out my brother located a NES system in a garage sale after I had left the homestead, years ago, and it was unearthed just a few days ago. Seeing as how he is in Arizona and has been giving most of his old games to trade in for PS3 games here in Indy, the NES has now been placed in my care. So in addition to sifting through junk for atari 2600, 7800, 800, commadore, geneis, sega cd and SNES games, NES has now been added to the list. I'm beginning to feel like I'm opening up a gaming museum instead of reclaiming beloved games from my past. There's no telling what will be unearthed next...

Edit2:

More digging from the Mom has turned up some PS2 and PS1 games my brother and I had stashed away because neither of us wanted to take them from the home. Most probably need to be sold but there was one game in there that I might keep: Soul Edge. I know it got a pretty rough score from GS, but it was the ONLY fighter I ever got good at and that's something because I am really bad at fighters. Let's just say I was usually the punching bag for my friends on Street Fighter and Tekken. :? A functioning Mac Plus (with a working harddrive and copy of Wizadry 1 and 2) have also surfaced so it may be time to open the museum after all. ;)

So the first PS3 game made it's way into my house. I found Ninja Geiden: Sigma for a price that couldn't be beat. I'm sure many will argue there are better games out there that can be bought regardless of the price, but I knew this came highly suggested by GS and many other gamers, there was only one copy and the price was actually very close to the limit I've set for myself for a monthly gaming allowance. Yeah an allowance; for any future moms and dads out there that are gamers you will need such a thing for both your time and money if you want to save your hobby! ;) Here came my dilema with this newly found game: do I subject it to a lowly 480i display and stereo sound on the old 27" CRT and still be able to play it while exercising on the bike? or do I move the PS3 to the living room to enjoy 1080i hi-def, game mode special screen mode on the HDTV, widescreen aspect and the 5.1 digital surround sound? Seeing as how I had yet to play any PS3 game on this machine, I decided it was best to just test the whole thing out on the living room entertainment set-up. The result? I NEVER want to play a game in 480i EVER again! The surround sound I could live without, but the widescreen hi-def graphics will be sorely missed when I am forced to move the PS3 back up stairs due to lack of exercise, complaints from toddler/wife and the hazard of having this machine near the destructable hands of a two year old. I have, at least, made plans with my wife that another HDTV will have to be purchased sometime next winter, which is probably for the best with cable companies going to this format exclusively in 2009. Until then, I will be making the perilous trip of moving the PS3 to the living room HDTV at least one more time. I've already warned my wife that the PS3 will be taking up residence downstairs once Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has been released. And it will stay there until said game has been beaten. I refuse to subject this game to 480i servitude when I know what resides just downstairs. God help my family if I ever get my hands on a 1080p HDTV. :shock:

Saturday became a day of infamy in my house: my brain broke or at least it broke a little more. I can actually pinpoint the exact moment it happened too. To understand this a little history is needed first. Back in the day, specifically the month just before the PS2 was released (and I do mean the number TWO, yes it was that long ago) I realized that with my starting in a new job and having to pay rent myself that certain sacrifices would have to be made in the name of survival. I reasoned with myself that if I avoided the PS2 now, I could certainly afford to buy a PS3 many years later; hoping that Sony didn't bomb out along the way somewhere. Many years, one wedding, one child and one hugh mortgage later I find myself in the same predicament: PS3 is about to be released but the bills are no where near accomodating of such a purchase. My wife reasoned with me and stated that "maybe" a year later we could get a Wii instead since they're better aimed for children. A good point and a good comprimise though I'd have to dash my dreams of another Playstation model. One year, new bedroom furniture for my first born and the news of a newborn to grace our home in the summer (yeah, that's news too, and I'll get on it later as it is time to share it) later, still no Wii and still no signs of any gap in extra funds to even make that purchase. Grace fell to me in the way of my brother offering to give me his ailing PS2 as he had just upgraded to a PS3. At least my younger brother could carry on the family addiction, and I was proud to accept his offer and finally looked forward to playing the many PS2 classics I had missed out on. The following month and $36 out of pocket to cover the shipping it arrived, but of course life is not willing to even let me set it up until the weekend. Which was in fact this weekend. Where I broke my brain, or broke it a little more. And here is how it happened. I gleefully unpacked this little machine, pausing only to admire my brother's apparent taste of titles that screamed of single male dominance (my wife would not approve of any of them). I got all the cords unravelled and hooked into the correct spots and proceeded to turn it on. Upon pushing the open button I noticed that door was stuck and won't come out. Problem? Not really since I had been warned that the door was sticking occasionally and only needed some "tender loving" to coax it out. Numerous nudges, gentle pulls and polite coaxing to get it out produced nothing but a stuck door. Next came pulling on it not quite as gently as possible so as not to break it still. Still stuck. Screwdriver was the next weapon of choice hoping to help pry it gently from it's stuck status. Still nothing. Needle nose pliers were selected and here is where things got interesting. I had to pull with all my strength and finally ripped the front plastic door off and out came the tray! Half a second later the tray must have been frightened as it shot back in and STILL did not respond to coming out with touching the open button. Many minutes went by as I wrestled with this door with all might applied to the needle nose pliers. I ripped off more plastic bits and did eventually pry the tray from out of the machine. Thinking that I had finally got in unstuck from something it had caught on I touched the open button to get it to retract. Stuck opne now, no hope of budging back in. I played the exact opposite game with trying to push the tray back in and only managed to get it in half way. THIS IS WHERE MY BRAIN BROKE! I had waited literal years to get my hands on one of these damn things. Payed to make sure it would get here in a decent time and insured against massive damage. Here lay a perfectly good working PS2 except for the obvious fault in the door/tray mechanism which is what would prevent the playing of any game as none would ever make it into the device in one piece with the manner that I had to use on it. Intrestingly enough, I noticed I never did cuss at the thing once. I must be mellowing in my fatherhood since I can recount numerous times where I have sworn up a storm at my old PS1, PC and various instruments at work. I think my brain had broken and just came to the only logical conclusion on how this could all be fixed: I was going to have to go and buy a PS3. And that is exactly what I did. The broken PS2 netted me $15 and the PS2 games I knew I would never play got me about $15 as well. I traded in the packed in Motor Storm game upon purchase (only because I know my wife and I do not like racing games and it would only sit and collect dust at home; plus it got me an additional $11 to spend on some used PS2 titles I had missed out on and one which my wife really did want to play). Due to obvious money concerns, I'll be purchasing nearly all my PS3 games used, will have to wait and get a HDMI cable for it in a few months and wait even longer to get a second HDTV that supports 1080p (720p is all we got now but it's been good enough for me so far). So for now, my family is enjoying a PS2 in PS3 clothing. My wife has been appeased mildly with the purchase of Crazy Taxi for her, but I know I'll have to put some effort into locating some two-player, not too violent, and at least some sort of kid friendly games. I might as well just break my brain completely on that one since it may be very hard to do considering Sony's most recent releases. They don't seem to be of the child oriented variety nor do many have same monitor multiplayer options. But considering the fact that I'll be playing the darn thing most of the time, and while doing my thirty minute stationary bike ride, I'll be making a good number of purchases that fit my tastes in gaming. I can already say with certainty that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Final Fantasy XIII, and Madden (whatever number first offers Lucas Oil Stadium, hopefully 09) will be coming home with me within weeks of release. Guess I better start hiding money for those now! Until then, if anyone notices some decent PS3 or PS2 titles that fit only the lines of my tastes (namely RPGs, strategies, puzzles, life sims) then leave me a comment as I know I've missed, and will continue to miss, many great games. If I can get my hands on only a few then this purchase will have been well worth it.

Now, as I promised I mentioned that our house will be receiving yet another blessing in the form of a newborn. I'm slowly coming to terms with this over the past few months and still wonder how I'm going to handle the whole idea of having TWO children running wild in the house. My wife and I can barely handle our one bundle of joy so two will likely be a nightmare in it's own right. But considering that my wife's thyroid condition could render her sterile within a span of one to five years, I'm realizing just how great a blessing this second child will be since we probably would not be able to have another one had we waited. So chaos will once again rein supreme...wait a minute it's always reined in my house so why fight it? At least the PS3 and exercise bike will afford me a thirty minute break from the chaos, that is when I can escape to them. :lol:

Despite a disappointing end to the Indianapolis Colt's season, I've managed to soak up a little sun in the rare clear days, have reread four of the five Hitchhiker Guide books in the trilogy (you have to read the series to understand that one) and have improved slightly in mood. I'm still waging the good fight to clear the depression out and in the attempt to aid that I bring you, for no reason other than I have nothing else better to do with my work downtime, "Understanding the Satellite Fields." Why would anyone want to understand this bizarre area? I for one don't know but am hoping the researcher who does venture into this often times perilous place will help answer such a question. Because I for one prefer to stay on the other side of the neighborhood and produce ill-tasted, humorous films from the safety of the filming studio. (Exactly where this whole writing will go, how long it will last, and how amusing it really is are things I cannot say. All that can be said at this time is that I feel like writing and as such it often turns out odd and written in such a way that many people want to know just what the heck was I thinking. Since I, myself, rarely know what my prion infested brain is thinking I suppose we will all find the answer to that question when it emerges. And perhaps come out of the whole ordeal slightly smarter, dumber or just disgusted from the whole experience. Such is the price of reading my writing, as many of my prior teachers and professors can attest to).

"Understanding the Satellite Fields" as reported by Professor Iam Atoole, PhD of Bizarre and Inexplicable Phenomena That No One Cares to Know About.

Entry one:

Just what are the Satellite Fields? At first glance this large lot of grass and few trees with scattered debris, of the once majestic celestial beings we call satellites, strikes terror into the heart of any Sim that is unfortunate to pass by. Clearly there is some great force at work in this field, otherwise it would be just some other field with grass and a few trees and no scattered debris of the once majestic celestial beings we call satellites. Many Sims say that I am crazy to even research this deadly ground. But, I say to them "If we can understand why satellites congregate here and insist on crushing us into little bits then maybe we can find a way to avoid them when they decide to move on to another field." I say this because satellites do seem to wander to other areas of our fair domain for reasons beyond our comprehension. Of course, the leading theories of our time circulate around the premise of "odd gravitational fields", "invitations sent out for wild satellite parties", and the all too popular "those who live in the heavens must be getting some kick out of dropping satellites on us." To the latter I say "go stand under a plummeting satellite." Clearly these satellites have some greater purpose for being here. They come to visit us (on a one way trip mind you, unless of course they happen to hitch a ride with the next alien abductee who just happened to be standing near one at the time) for some reason that we must understand if we are ever to make peace with these hulking beasts. And I, for one, would like to walk freely down the road and not worry about being crushed by a satellite. Armed with my own resolve to find answers and with the previous research from the late Lord A. Wholelottabottom, I will bring the answers of the Satellite Fields to all Sims so that they may never fear being crushed by a plummeting satellite again. I post my findings here, in the event that I too become a victim of the perilous field, so that my fellow Sims may continue in my absence.