School: So tomorrow marks exactly 1/4th of my senior year in high school. Its kind of crazy looking at how fast this is moving. I'm trying to do my best, if only math was not so painful (seriously, when I see e^Log2.3345 * 254 I start freaking, Log and e in one problem!?). But things are going swell other then that.

I joined into the Varsity Quiz team this year, so far we are 2-0, a great start. VQ is basicly set up as a game show, and you have two teams of five answering questions for points. All the questions are general knowledge questions (with a bit of advanced math and science thrown in). The first round is just questions thrown out, with ten seconds on the floor for either team to grab the question, round two in the bonus round. A toss-up question is thrown out and each team is given a chance to answer, then the team that gets it right is given two more questions, of which they have 30 seconds to answer those two questions. Then finally you have the third round, or the speed round. This round is like the first, only you have five seconds to answer a question. Its a really fun game. I'm so glad I got involved!

Games: We all know the two major games that are coming out this week. Fallout 3, and Little Big Planet. I cannot wait for either of them! Now the only problem left is cash. This season is going to burn my wallet through. I think I'll manage. Its alright...

Life: Friday nights, are fun nights. Or so that is being said for this year. Thats my party night. I've been trying to be out and active more this year then ever. And its working out pretty well in my opinion. I've been trying to get some more of my hobbies in, and its working well. I've managed to squeeze in a new stop motion video. And I am expecting a pen pal package from Korea next week (I cannot wait for that too). So far so good, and I even got myself a new sweater vest!

Politics: Due to the great responce from my last blog about my participation to the Gov. Palin rally I decited that I am no longer going to stay in the shadows on the subject. You all know that I am a extreme conservitive of the Republican Party, and if you don't be warned because you may not like what I have to say about the Democrats.

Now, first off, I would like to point out a few things. A few things that are really starting to get to me. First I would like to point out the false argument on the Democrats main platform on what they believe in, and what the Republicans don't. Hopefully some of you mindless zombies that have never read up on your U.S. History might see some light it. The fact that you voice how your party is for nature preservation. Well, that movement was started by a man named Teddy Roosevelt who started the whole National Park system, and sounded the alarm on the use of Oil and Natural Gas. Next, I would like to voice on how the Democrats think that we the GOP are racist, and try to take the rights from minoritys. Well if you minoritys like half of your rights you can thank a president we like to call Abe Lincoln. Who was the first person to come out and fight for the African Americans. Now, I'm probably hearing shouting in the distance "What about JFK? Didn't he start the movement in the 60's?" Well you are right in some aspects, but not many. JFK voiced the matter that MLK was preaching, but he never really took action. Afraid that his party would turn his back on him, he never took matters into his own hands. On top of that, he was assassinated before he was really able to take action in office, Who did most of the intagration fighting? Well that would be that "filthy lier" you call Nixon. He was the one that not voiced action for intagration, but took the steps needed to. When he stepped down from office, he had intagrated school in some of the most racest parts of the South.

Should I continue? See, just look at the rants that start when I talk politics. It amazes me... Next, I want to say. If your not involved in politics, and don't have explanations for your remarks, keep them to yourself. If I hear another person who states "W. Bush is the worst president in US history!" and cannot explane themselves... I am probably going to flip! Common folks, Carter had a worse approval rating, and he only served four years.

Last of all, I want to go out with a bang, something for you all to think about. Obamas rule over the governmnet with an iron fist. Yes, I know the president does not have total control. Three part system right? Well, let me dig up some information and see how shocked you may be to hear this.

As of right now, in the Supreme Court we have two chairs held by Justices in their late 70's and one chair held by a Justice in his mid 80's. The average ages for Justices to step down. Thats three Justices! Now, with that said, he who wins this election in the next eight years has a chance of selecting three Supreme Court Justices! That is a very large amount. Sure right now we have a majority of Republicans in charge who are usually considered "Strict Constitutionalists" which is always a good thing. But if we get three libral justices in, then they will have a majority, of five to four. So, we already are seeing great numbers in the polls stating that the next Congress will likly be Dem., so if this happens, can you even think of Washington being ruled by one party? One Party?!

With this said, I think I've rambled enough! I hope you guys think about this! And I'll talk to you all later! See ya!

-Takahashi

I'm back from the Palin rally in Henderson, NV. And let me tell you, it was amazing. I know, this blog is going to bring up a whole bunch of flack, and positive comments. Either way, it does not matter. I am a starched Republican, and even though I'm not all to happy with the McCain ticket, Palin still rocks. I've liked her since reading up on what she has done as Gov. of Alaska before she was picked for VP.

Now then, lets move on. This was my first political rally, and it was amazing. I have been very active this election, its so... I don't have a word for it. Its just simply, amazing (I know its a lame word, there is about 20 better synonyms that would have fit there). Being involved is a heart racing experience, everyone should participate. I find it sad that more people don't. I personally believe that it is one of your duties as a citizen of the United States of America. Look at me, I'm not even able to vote, but I have helped write legislation, signed partitions, written to my reps, and I am not old enough to vote (by a few months GAAAAAaaaaaaaaa!!!).

So I just wanted to share the news! Hope to see what you have to say!

And go out there and vote!

-Takahashi

Updates everyone, yes, they are here.

I just got finished with my second stop motion video, this one being with a small ball of animators clay. Its not much, I was just testing some new editors so I shot a simple video about a 45 sec long. I'll have that one and maybe the first one up in a few days on GS. Yeah, so thats on its way, I still have to convert them to uploadable file types.

On the gaming front, not much has been happening. I still haven not finished Spore, and its probably going to be awhile til'l I get around to it. They need to implement a better maping system for the galaxy, because as some of you may know, it gets very annoying if you have lots of planets. So, what game have I been playing? Counter-Strike: Source, ahh' yeah. Its been my guilty plesure, and it drives me crazy when I get addicted to it... as soon as I find that good surver. But, school still keeps me down slightly, so other then my CSS, gaming front is at a halt. My next game that I plan on getting addicted to? Little Big Planet, it is going to be awesome.

Thats about all the news for now, enjoy my new avatar and sig (which can be found on my blogs homepage). Enjoy, and I'll see you folks later.

-Takahashi

NOTE: This is another "Personal" what - have - you blogs. Sorry for not posing more on new, gaming, and tech. But I don't have much more to write about. Don't get me wrong, still good blog material indeed.

So as I have told most of you, I was going to be very busy. And I have been. But I have also had some times to sit and think, ponder if you will. Its been a weird/crazy week. Most of my plans this weeks have been taken into a blender and shot out as a sludge that does not look very good... so in general this week so far has not been... bad... but it also has not been all that great either.

So on Monday, I was asked out to homecoming... Totally taking the whole guy asks girl thing and blowing it up. Its not a bad thing at all, I'm not quite opposed to the idea of a girl asking me out, but its kind of crazy. Its taken my plans and screwed them up. I was going to ask out someone, and when this happened I freaked. Let me explain why,

I am not all that attracted to this girl. Don't get me wrong, she is not bad looking, and she is not evil or any of that. I just am not really into it, I cannot put it into words. But I'm sure you understand. I've known she has been crushing on me since this school year has started, and now she made a move on me. This is crazy. The thing that makes it a bad situation for me is the fact that I don't want to go through the pain of turing someone down. Lucky I have not been turned down by anyone yet. But I would hate to be the one to put that one someone else. It must make you feel so defeated. I know that eventually it will all clear up, and we will move on but in the short term... Oh, I don't even want to think about it... Even worse is I want to ask another chick out, and if I do. I'll feel like a complete bastard. Ugh, this whole situation sucks.

So, right now I don't know what I am going to do... oh, its so confusing... This year has been really weird for me then ever. It seems like this year out of all the rest I have women knocking on my doorstep, and more friends then ever.Its weird... any how just thought I'd share my situation. Go ahead and give your feedback on what I should do, and go ahead and poke fun at me. I'm ready!

-Takahashi

On the lighter side, I got new headphones! Wahoo! There Everglade S-500's, got them new for only $20 buckaroos. What a steal

Yo, I went to a farm and saw a cow.

I am eating a cookie.

I want to make myself a veggie burger.

I think I am going to ask out a girl to homecoming tomorrow.

Yeah, I think so.

I'm pretty sure.

Oh, yeah.

Talk to you all soon!

-Takahashi

So after almost a full week of playing while away from school. I have done a whole lot to be done. And I'll have to say this game is addicting as I said before. But eventually I will also have to add in the fact that I find it to be quite repeditive. Seriously...

I have been working on one planet, the planet that I have tried two species; to whome I have found the better one. And so from there I quicky progressed to higher formes of life. My civilizations grew, and I augmented thouse I aquired through economic means; so that in the end my cities would be perfect with the most income possible with great productivity. This was probably the most fun the game threw at me, I am a huge fan of the civilization faze. It was the most interetaing, as well as the perfect time span it took place it. I cannot stress this enough... I would play this over and over again if I had a choice.

And so after totaly owning this stage with my giant economic nation, I pressed on to the space age, where I would hopefully disperse, and settle around the universe. This is when the game gets annoying and boring as hell...

We start with the most annyoing tutorial that has exsisted in a long time, and even if you skip it your still required to do the full missions tied to it. This alone takes a good time to do, and when its done your shoved out into space to wonder around aimlessly at first, with a very small amount of cash in your pocket. This causes another big problem. Money, its very hard to earn in your early stages, making expasion extremely long and.. well boring. You spend hours upon hours of zipping your way between planet and planet trading spices... very simple, but time consuming. This brings me to another point.

Its very hard to take another planet, or destroy an empire. Serously... even on easy mode its hard. You have pretty much two ways of taking planets from another, and thats War, and Economy. War is virtually impossable, seeing you have a fleet of about three ship from allies that work with you trying to take out a planet littered with plantetery defence turrets and fleets of enemy ships tracking you down. All this while they launch attacks on your own planet (oh yeah, and your the only war ship in your empire, so you have to fly all over to save their sorry butts.). Its gets really anoying really fast. So whats another way to take the planet. Well buy them out! Simple yes? Well it is... sort of. It takes several things to do this, first you have to establish a trade route with the other planet. But to do this you have to be a liked ally (makes sence). But it takes a very... very... very... long time till you can buy the planet. Probably a few hours for each, and you can only have about four trade routes running at a single time. Making this process take forever! Now comes the next difficult part of this, the cost of the planet. It will cost you over a million to buy the planet. A million that is very hard to make. Oh, and let us not forget if your offer for the planet is turned down.. you have to start that trade route all over again, yes the bar resets and you have to wait all over.

So in the long run, is spore worth it? Yes, yes it is. It is one of the most complex and educational games to have been put out ever. The amount of science that goes into this game is crazy. It is by all means worth it. I just would like to see some changes made on the space age. Simple little changes that would make the game perfect, at least to my standerd anyway.

1.) Give me a further travel range between planets. It would be so nice to be able to fly from another galaxy to another when I'm having an eco disaster. Hyperspace would be awesome.

2.) Give my scroll wheel a break, and let me communicate with planets without having to zoom in to the solor system itself. I would like to chat with them from simply being on the dot representing the solor system.

3.) Allow me to buy a fleet of my own capital ship, not just take allied ships with me. This should not even have to be mentioned... serously, what is this?

4.) Give me a better map! I would love to pull up a full map of the local galaxy with the names of all the solor systems down. A quick reference guide. Even if it was only for discovered planet, this would be very helpful for missions.

5.) Stop making the missions so confusing. I don't really bother with them anymore because finding some of these places is a challenge on its own.

6.) Make my city turrets acutally work, I'm sick of having a planet with five shield defences calling out to me to come save their buts. And when I get there I never see a single shot being fired from them.

That is my list, fix this and I would be so happy with this game. Yeah space age may seem like Escape Velocity, but its lacking some of the things that made EV so fun, and this boring.

I will say one thing though, in the end this game is fun. The overall idea is unbeatable. A new idea that was never done before, and something quite unique on its own. I give it two thumbs up for tackeling the eveolutionary theory, and doing a very, very good job at it. Don't be detoured by the space age alone, I would still buy this game!

-Takahashi

As most of you know Spore landed in my household on Sunday, and since then the computers have been hogged by everyone playing this damned game. Its seriously like crack. I sucks you in, something that GS did not give an award for. So far my brother and I have two space age creatures, but only in the starting age. One nation is Economic and the other is Military.

I've been playing this game non stop, literally. And I can see that in the space age your options are virtually endless. For example, every star in space has its own solar system, and on every planet (with the exception of gas giants) you are able to settle a colony there, to harvest the spices. You can buy other planets if you choose to play through economics like I am. But your choices are endless! For everyone who has tracked me in the forums and such, I would like to make a quick comparison to another game, who's space travel concept is quite similar. This game would be of course Escape Velocity, a space RPG that is much older and plays quite the same.

Now the, I really hope to be posting back on your blogs soon, but I want to play spore and I still have homework and school. My friend and I have been staying up till about 1-3 in the morning chatting on skype while establishing trade routes with our creatures that he and I imported to our game.

Leveled up everyone, and Spore is amazing.

Done.

Post your steam ID's for me, so I can add you.

I play pretty much every multi-player source based game. Only one that I plan on getting soon is The Ship. But please add me.

my SN: treytakahashi

Oh, and my friend has a personal CSS and GMOD server we can play on! Wooo!!!

Thanks this is all!