E3 2006 Thoughts: Fanboys Beware!

E3 is now over, and throughout the week I was attacked by a few select for supporting Nintendo and their new direction. Some went as far as to label me a fanboy. Sad thing is - they were all either Sony or Microsoft fanboys.

It’s true that I’ve always believed in Nintendo, how could I not, I grew up on the illustrious company. Before the NES was ever out, I was hooked on video games. From Atari 2600 to Colecovision, I had them all, and continue to own every console possible today. When the NES came out, they took gaming into a new direction and are responsible for the way we play today. They were the start of franchise names like Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and a slew of others.

Other companies “followed” this trend and brought us memorable characters such as Bonk, Sonic, Spyro, and Ratchet and Clank.

Today, I play games on every system, and I support them all. When I’m at work, if I’m not playing my DS (ok, so it’s the kids DS, I’m just waiting for the more fashionable and brighter DS Lite), I’m playing my PSP. At home, I bounce around from PS2, GameCube, Xbox, and PC. All this while being addicted to World of Warcraft. Honestly, I think I have gaming ADHD, it’s hard for me to have say, a four hour session on just one game. I like to play a little of this, play a little of that, and wonder why I never beat certain games.

So a week before the big E3 show, Nintendo drops the bomb about the big name change. Revolution had been planted in everyone’s mind, and from what we new about the console, appeared to be rather fitting. When the announcement of Wii hit, the internet nerds (that includes me) filled message boards everywhere with their displeasure about the name. Sony and Microsoft fanboys started up jokes and everyone, including Nintendo fanboys, knew the Wii was destined for failure.

Well guess what, Nintendo is getting the last laugh.

Nintendo blew up E3 as the Wii became the main focus of the expo. In less than a week’s time, Nintendo turned nay-sayers into believers. When your booth has up to a five hour line and the others are a ghost town, you know you’ve done something right.

“The Wiimote (what everyone has dubbed the new controller) is the next Nintendo gimmick”, is what everyone was saying before the show. From what I’ve read and seen now, the word gimmick never enters a sentence when one talks about the Wii. Everyone that got a chance to play it walked away wanting more. It’s intuitive and will change the way we play games. Sure there’s a learning curve, but I remember having to learn how to use dual-analog controls as well.

What’s left now on the negative front towards the Wii is the diehard fanboys that refuse to buy into the hype. “Like I really want to look like some tard waving my hands around while playing a game”, is what you’ll hear them say. From what I’ve seen, everyone was having fun. Isn’t that what games are supposed to be, fun? Remember (for those old enough) back in the 80’s when gaming was fun and who was responsible for it?

That’s ok though because those fanboys can stick to playing games forever with their thumbs and boasting about how many polygons per second their machine can pump out (who sounds like the tard in that scenario?).

Fact of the matter is, Nintendo took a huge chance with the Wii, and if E3 is an early indication, took one that is going to change the face of gaming forever. I’m just as excited as the next gamer for the incredible graphics and games shown for the PS3 and 360, but as the five hour long line has proven, I’m even more excited to try something new and different.

What Nintendo has done is good for the gaming industry and a needed step to change the vastly becoming monotonous industry. As the past has shown, others will soon follow Nintendo’s lead (is Sony’s “new” controller enough proof for you?) and that will only lead to greater things for gamers.

And now for my winners and losers of this year’s E3:

1. Nintendo is clearly the winner of the show (big surprise after reading the above eh!). Their Press conference was entertaining and filled with information and plenty of first ever seen Wii action. There were 25+ Wii titles playable on the E3 floors and most reviewers left wanting more. Besides the Wii, Nintendo made a big splash with the DS to include the DS Lite and tons of killer apps for the handheld system. And finally, there was even a little GameCube love, to include the next installment of Paper Mario, which is good-old Mario side-scrolling action with the Paper Mario look. I truly believe that most gaming sites and magazines will agree with me when I say Nintendo hands down, stole the show. Oh, and did I mention that Solid Snake is going to be in the upcoming online enabled Super Smash Bros. Brawl!!??
2. Microsoft was clearly behind the eight ball this year because their system launched last November so there was no longer any new system hype. But, they came through and delivered an impressive array of Next-Gen (can we call it Current-Gen already?) titles for everyone’s favorite green glowing box. The Halo 3 trailer was huge (and a tease), and Gears of War appears to be on par with anything Sony is throwing their way. The next phase of Xbox 360 games will be well worth the wait.
3. Sony’s press conference put them in a bad situation for the entire E3 show. It was boring and the price (which everyone expected to be high anyway) still leaves a bad taste in most gamers’ mouths. The two package deal is a joke because no one would want to miss out on what’s missing form the 600 dollar package. Then there was the unveiling of the new controller. Same as the PS2, but look, it has built in motion sensors! Nice one Sony, way to ride Nintendo’s coat tails already. But, Sony does have some gorgeous games coming up including Heavenly Sword, Metal Gear Solid 4, and the ever so impressive looking Eight Days.

So there it is, like it or not, that’s how I saw it and I’m sticking to it. I have a strong feeling that many gamers out there will be getting the “Next-Gen” system of choice (PS3 or 360), and adding a Nintendo Wii to their gaming arsenal. Nintendo was genius this time around, and I’m sure the sales will prove that this fall and holiday season. Personally, I look forward to all the new systems and can’t wait to get my hands on all of them. It’s just too bad Sony is gonna make me take out another mortgage on my house to get a PS3.

Now remember fanboys, you only miss out on other gaming experiences by staying “true” to your console. It’s video games, not football teams, remember that and rejoice in the future of gaming.

Later,
Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com

E3 2006: Sony Press Conference Impressions

Just got done watching the Sony Press Conference and I left feeling rather impressed and overwhelmed at the same time. Since there is a little bit of a lot of different things to cover, I’ll do it bullet style to make things easier. (Forgive any grammatical errors, I wrote this in a hurry)

• Kaz Hirai opened up with some boring statistics about PS2 and PSP sales and explained how Sony is not into gimmicks (a direct slam on Nintendo, and a hypocritical one I might add as you will see later).
• Lot of PSP trailers were shown and it looks like the best of the PSP is yet to come, thankfully. PSP greatest hits were announced and Ape Escape, Hot Shots Golf, Twisted Metal, WipeOut, and ATV will be the first five to hit that status. Other upcoming PSP goodies include voice of IP (voip), GPS, and possible camera capabilities.
• The PSP will interact with the PS3 and thanks to PS3 online features; you’ll be able to download PS1 games and run them on your PSP via a Playstation emulator running off your PSP memory stick or memory card. They showed Ridge Racer from the PS1 running on the PSP and you can even make it wide screen.
• There was a very nice demonstration of Gran Turismo HD, and thanks to the hard drive, they showed how there is little to no loading time. GTHD was very impressive looking, especially a track they showed around the heights of the Grand Canyon. Online capabilities are being hashed out and they expect sometime shortly after the PS3 launch.
• All PS3’s will have built-in hard drives.
• Eye Toy made an appearance with a Yugioh/Pokemon style came. You could actually see your hands on screen and as you placed a monster card, they would grow out of the card and fight. Interesting and many possibilities to say the least.
• Another way the PSP will work along with the PS3 was shown in a racing title. They hooked up the PSP and showed how it displayed what you would see out of your rear-view mirror. So you could then set it up on your TV and see the action behind you. Again, interesting and more possibilities.
• Other online features included a music download system. There will be a per-song charge and you can play them from your hard drive or integrate the songs into your games. Some type of karaoke type game will work along with this service and those include HD music videos.
• A lot of video demos for game were shown and all looked technically impressive. A couple that stood out were Metal Gear Solid 4, FFI3, and a game called Eight Days that just blew me away. These games have a realistic movie feel to them and if the gameplay stands up to the looks……wow! There was a working demo of a game called Heavenly Sword that was brutally beautiful with so much blood, I loved it! For you God of War fans out there, it resembles that with 50x better graphics and movement, if you can even imagine that.
• There was a real-time demo of Tiger Woods, not of actual gameplay, but of just Tiger himself. They showed how they are going to bring personality into games and had Tiger do his signature smile. You would swear it was really him. Then they moved him around a little bit and had him say a few things you might hear him say should he have a good or bad shot. If that is how the next Tiger Woods game is gonna look, I’m in trouble with the wife.
• Now for the hypocritical surprise. Gone is the ugly boomerang controller, thankfully. Instead, the PS3 controller looks just like a PS2 controller (not too happy with that, the PS2 controller has always been a weakness to me). What makes it soo special (or not), is that fact that it has built in motion sensors, with out needing infrared or any other wireless line of sight. So first the smear Nintendo with the gimmicky statement, only to unveil a motion sensored controller that during the demo of, looked gimmicky itself at best. Some guy was showing it off with a flying game it looked like he was having one hell of a time controlling the action. He couldn’t even land the damn plane on a platform. It has potential I guess, but the Nintendo Wii’s controller I feel is setup much better for that type of control, especially when it comes to first-person shooters.
• And lastly, the stomach turning price. We all knew it was going to be expensive, and in the end, it’s not as bad as some predicted. But, hearing these figures is still a staggering jolt the money nodes in my brain. In North America, the PS3 will be released on November 17^th, 2006. There will be two version, and two different prices. The PS3 with a 20GB Hard Drive will cost $499 and the PS3 with a 60 GB Hard Drive will run you $599. Not bad I guess when you consider you’re getting a Blue-Ray player along with it.

So there you have it, my little breakdown of the Sony Press Conference. High Quality stuff from Sony as expected. It will be interesting now to see if Microsoft drops the price of the 360 in November as rumored. Look for my Nintendo and Microsoft Press Conference Impressions in the next couple of days as well as other random E3 ponderings.

E3 2006

In the past I've been there, but I'm not currently writing for any sites that are there. I'll still be following all the press, videos, and G4 and will provide you with my take on this week's exciting events.

Oh, and I've been messing with Photoshop more, let me know what you think of my latest sig (click it to view the real size):

Tom Cruise and the Nintendo Wii

Ok, the shock of Nintendo's Revolution name change is over, yet I still see and hear people complaining about the name and stating that they will not get or play the Wii simply because of the name. I find this type of behaviour to be asinine. Sure it's a ridiculous name, right now anyway. I remember when the Playstation was first announced, many people thought that were a silly name too, but I think we all know how that one panned out.

Personally, I think this move was brilliant for Nintendo. It gets people talking about their new system just a week before the big E3 show and that will force haters and supporters alike to at least check it while walking the enamored LA Convention Center floors. Once gamers see how this system is set to change the monotonous way we play games, they will start to take it serious and the name will become a household staple, just like the Playstation is today.

So what does the Wii have to do with Tom Cruise?

With M:i:III releasing this weekend I keep hearing people state that they refuse to see the movie because of Tom Cruise and his "wacky" Scientology rampage.

Come on people. Do you really want to avoid a May blockbuster just because you don't believe what Tom Cruise believes, crazy or not? If that were the case, I'd be screwed because 90%+ of Hollywood tunes into CNN, and I'm a Fox News guy.

I sure as hell don't believe in Cruise's Scientology faith (is it ok to call it that?) and I'm against his behavior during certain bits like his Ophra incident. But, that does not shun me away from enjoying the "actor" side of Cruise, the same actor I have enjoyed since The Outsiders, Top Gun, and one of my all-time favorites, The Color of Money.

So in the end, current situations involving Tom Cruise and Nintendo's Wii have contrasting parallels. I think everyone just needs to stop and use a little common sense before jumping the gun and avoiding something that they might actually enjoy when all is said and done.

Purple Pride Ponderings - 4/27/06

Purple Pride Ponderings
4/27/06

Calling this year’s off-season interesting would be like calling Britney Spears white trash. Never before can I remember an off-season filled with so much speculation and change. Let’s look back at just a few topics that have engrossed our purple-laced minds since Mike Tice called his last play:

New Coaching Staff
The hiring of Brad Childress has indeed churned up some talk all around Viking Country. While some are concerned with some of the moves he continues to make, others welcome his “no nonsense” approach and liken it to that of the great Bud Grant. With not even a Pre-Season game under his belt yet, only time will tell, but at least we didn’t get hit with a “There’s a new sheriff in town” speech. Instead, we were given a short history about Viking lore, one of Vikings taking over new lands, burning their ships and killing everyone in their path!

Sweet.

Snow Bird for Good
It was a good run.

Well that debate could be split right down the middle when it comes to Vikings fans. Daunte did have a love/hate relationship in the eyes of the fans. Personally, I hated to see him go, but I understand why he had to go. Something there between Daunte and Childress just did not vibe from day one, and for Childress, it’s understood when it comes to the type of knee injury Daunte has.

He’s a Dolphin now and it’s still up in the air as to when he will be ready to play. He may never be the same again; then again, he might come back and have several more MVP contending seasons.

As for the Vikings, he gave us some exciting years, mostly with the love we lost Randy Moss at the receiving end. It’s just too bad the love boat incident had to mar his departure, and I’m sure that weighed in heavily with the Vikings brass’ decision to trade him. I suppose Daunte’s “Trade me now” approach had something to do with it as well though.

That’s one expensive Hutch!
Odds are you never heard the term “poison pill” until this little diddy took place. Thanks to our beloved Vikings, the NFL is working on ways to restructure the way future poison pills are implemented.

Did the Vikes over pay for Steve Hutchinson? You betcha. But hey, they had the money so why not get the best player available for a much needed position?

To our lovely Seahawk fans that flooded the Viking boards boasting about how they stole Burleson from us. Um, guys stop watching Fraiser re-runs while sipping on Starbuck’s flavor of the month and realize that the Seahawks came no where near getting back at the Vikings. I hated to see Burleson (He was so Anthony Carter-ish) go, but I’ll take Hutch and a third round pick for him any day of the week.

Wizzinator Flushed
As embarrassing as Onterrio Smith was, releasing him is the one I think will come back to haunt us. He’s not hurt, just a year removed from the league. He runs with power and great vision, two things that just cannot be taught. Should he find a way to stay out of trouble, there is one team our there that will benefit heavily from his pick up.

The New Look
We’ve all seen them by now, the lovely new cheerleaders. Heh, of course I meant the new uniforms that were unveiled Thursday night at the Mall of America (imagine that – “Look everyone, here’s the new jerseys on your favorite Vikings, now head on up to Sportsmart and buy one for yourself”).

Of course, thanks to the internet, most of us had seen these in one form or another for the past week or so.

This is another topic that seems to have Vikings fans split down the middle in the love/hate department. At first I was not too impressed, but the more I look at them and see them on actual players, the more I like them. While I’m against the omission of the Viking logo on the jersey sleeves, I am happy about the inclusion of said logon on the side of the new pants.

So to all the haters out there, give them a chance, I think they will grow on you. To those that are not Vikings fans, we could care less about your negativity, let us enjoy our moment.

Now if we could just get that new Stadium…………


Time to look ahead
The NFL Draft.

No draft in any other sport garners the hype that the NFL Draft does. Everyone from Mel Kiper to Joe Q. Rube in his office cubicle has broken down and dissected the draft and cranked out more mock drafts than Stephen Kings does novels.

I love all the draft speculation like the next rube, but come this time of the year – just a couple of days before the real deal, I’m just ready for the draft to start and the plethora of mocks to end.

So this year the Vikings have the 17th pick. ESPN’s latest live mock has the Vikings getting Jay Cutler. I suppose I could live with that as we do need our quarterback of the future, but……I want a top tier linebacker. Obviously the Vikings will never see A.J Hawk, not unless they pay in blood to move up in the draft. So that leaves Simms and Greenway. Either will do, just get one here. I’m tired of the Vikings not having that much needed anchor in the defense and this appears to be the year to get that done.

All the Schaub for our 17th pick drives me nuts and I’ve already expressed my feelings on that deal.

No matter how many times people breakdown the NFL draft based off of team needs and what not, or no matter how comfortable everyone feels with how the first round will go, the first day of the draft ALWAYS has some big surprises. I just hope the football gods are with the new Vikings staff and we get the players we need.

Well that’s it for now; hopefully I find time to break down the events from draft weekend and rate the Vikings’ draft in the next edition of PPP. I look forward to a positive new season under the watch of Childress, the new uniforms, a full season of Purple Pride Ponderings, and constructive talks with all the rubes.

SKOL Vikings!


Later,
Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com

Here's the new Vikings Jersey!

Not exactly what I had posted last week, but very close. Something tells me that we may see an "alternative" jersey at sometime, most likely the one's with the horns. I guess these do look ok, I was just expecting more of a change. I'm not too happy with the omission of the Viking on the arms. Instead, they have moved that logo to the top back and made it significantly smaller.

While there is not an actual full photo of the pants yet, the rumored sword going down the outside of the leg appears to be true. By looking at the pic below, you can see part of it on Birk's pants.

Why Matt Schaub, why?

All around Viking Country, I hear this absurd talk about how the Vikings should do what it takes to bring Matt Schaub here. They talk as though he’s the second coming of Christ.

“He’s an established vet, why draft an uncertain college player when we can get Schaub?” is what I here day in and day out.

An established vet? Are you kidding me? How many second year backup quarterbacks can be considered established vets? I’ll help you out a little on this one…….none, zero, nadda!

Let’s take a look at last year’s stats for Matt Schaub:

He finished the season with 495 yards passing, four touchdowns (three of which came from one game), and a QB rating of 98.1. That’s a decent rating, but not too hard to ascertain on just 64 attempts for the season.

Remember when he came in for Vick against the Vikings last year? Yeah, I do, and he really lit it up going five for 14, 39 yards, and no touchdowns. That lovely endeavor had him post a QB rating of 44.3. That’s who our savior is supposed to be, the same guy that some say we should hand over our 17^th pick for?

The only other game worth mentioning from last year (his rookie year numbers are even more pointless) is his full game against the Pats the following week. Now here he truly did have a nice game going 18 for 34, 298 yards, and three touchdowns. But even those impressive numbers coupled with a solid 112.1 rating translated into a 31-28 loss for the Falcons. No, that loss may not have been his fault, but do we really want to chance a vital draft pick in an impressively talent laden draft based off this one game? I say no, no way in hell.

I say the only move that makes sense in obtaining Schaub is our second third round pick coupled with our fourth. If that’s not enough to snag him away from Atlanta, well then that’s just too bad. The Vikings have already committed to Johnson this year, so either make some kind of quarterback move in the draft and let him learn under Johnson, or look ahead to next year’s free agency.

At number 17, the Vikings will have plenty of options when it comes to talented players. Our most glaring need is at linebacker, and I sure would hate to see it wasted on a so-called established veteran quarterback.

Finished The Da Vinci Code

Just finished up reading Dan Brown's controversial (heh, whatever) book The Da Vinci Code. Overall it was a very well done book that kept me interested the entire way through. I am however, a little disappointed with the ending. I get it, don't get me wrong, it's just that I wish there was something bigger that would have transpired in the end after such a wonderful trip through an alternate reality of Christianity.

This brings me to the topic of religious zealots that ban, picket, and dismember this book. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and remember that this is just a fiction book. I could careless if Mr. Brown takes what he wrote for gospel or not. What I got out of the book was a good read and that's all I ask for when reading fiction. I am very much a Christian man and I was never appalled by this book because I read it with the right frame of mind.

Now that I've read the book, I can't wait to see the movie. I am very intrigued by the cast (Hanks is always solid) and have faith that Ron Howard directed yet another masterpiece. Of course now that I've finished The Da Vinci Code, I was looking forward to the follow up novel that was due out this fall, but unfortunately, it has been delayed.

Oh well, I have plenty of other books that require my attention, to include all of Dan Brown's other work. I picked up Angels and Demons the other day so I mine as well dig into that one next.

The 10 worst in-game quotes

IGN has compiled a top-ten list of the worst quotes found in video games. There are a couple of good ones here, most notably number one (you've been living under a rock if you don't notice it) and number five, which is just plain wrong.

I must say that I'm pretty unimpressed with the rest though. It would seem that IGN should have the resources to come up with a better list than this. Anyway, for what it's worth, here's their uninspiring list:

1. "All your base are belong to us." - Zero Wing
2. "I am Error." - Zelda II: The Adventures of Link
3. "Jill, why don't you, the master of unlocking, take this lock pick." - Resident Evil
4. "You were doomed as soon as you lost the ability to love." - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
5. "Yo gangsta! Get ready to gang bang!" - Bust-a-Groove
6. "I feel asleep." - Metal Gear
7. "You can't give it up! Triumph or die!" - Street Fighter Alpha 3
8. The DK Rap - Donkey Kong 64, Super Smash Bros Melee
9. "A Winner is You!" - Pro Wrestling
10. "Shine Get!" - Super Mario Sunshine

Uniform Update: Vikings Billboards around the Twin Cities

To follow up on the Vikings uniform story from a couple of days ago, Billboards all across the Twin Cites have popped up indicating the unveiling of the new uniforms on April 27th, which is next Thursday before the draft. Note how this gives rubes time to purchase the new uni for the big draft party.

What's even more interesting is that the Reebok logo makes a strong presence on the billboard, thus validating the concept drawings from the other day even more. It's still hard to tell from these images whether or not the pic I posted is true. I guess in a little over a week, we will all know for sure.

Special Thanks to Big Daddy over at KFAN's Rube Chat for the wonderful pics:

Rockstar Games Announces Release Date for Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories on PlayStation 2

NEW YORK -- April 18, 2006 -- Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system will be in North American stores on June 6th, 2006 for the MSRP of $19.99 and will hit European retail shelves on June 9th, 2006 for EUR 29.99 and GBP 19.99 in the UK.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories has been the platform-defining release on the PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R)Portable) system worldwide since its October 2005 launch. The all time #1 selling PSP system game, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, offers PlayStation 2 owners a big screen experience of the same story line and missions, featuring the interactive open environments, innovative gameplay, superb voice talent and diverse music that are the hallmarks of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Well that's great and all, but I sure hope they lower the price of the PSP version. I've been putting it off since it came out because I refuse to spend 50 bones on a portable game, GTA or not. I mean really, Xbox360 titles are only 10 bucks more than Libery City Stories is for the PSP. Surely gamers will jump all over this for 20 bucks on the big screen, but those of us wanting to kill time at work are the ones that ultimately suffer from this. Yes, I know, I'm one sad, sad dude.

Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins (PSP)

Growing up on the original, I am really stoked for this PSP release. Sounds and looks like the old-school style of play with killer 3D models and RPG elements. Check out Gamespy's preview, should be good times indeed!

Vikings New Uniforms Revealed?

The Vikings have been very secretive about the new uni's, but the following pic looks to be legit. I will like to see how they look in person with the colors vibrant an all. Incorporating the horn throughout the jersey is as nice touch, but I don't like the omission of the actual Viking on the sleeve.

Minnesota Winter Sports '05-'06 Review

I figured now was as good a time as any to reflect on Minnesota Winter 05/06 sports. Spring has sprung here in the Twin Cities and it has been in the 70’s and 80’s the past couple of weeks.

This past winter season was as diseased as I can remember in a long time. As a matter of fact, the only team making it to the post season (sorry gals, I don’t count Women’s College sports or WNBA) was (or is, they just got in) the Minnesota Swarm. That’s right, our professional Lacrosse team is the only one, and pathetically, they backed into the playoffs. Until recently, I didn’t even know what Lacrosse was. I always knew where La Crosse, WI was, but had no idea of the sport. It has been big in the Twin Cities for a while, but not when I was going to school. I just spent the last few years wondering why all these kids were running around with undersized butterfly catchers. Of course the Duke Men’s Lacrosse team has made the term a household name now, but I’ll leave that one alone.

Even our Bemidji Curling blonde sisters - that were heavily favored to take home the Gold, found a way to fail us.

As painful as this may be, let’s take a look at how we fared this past winter:

Gopher Hockey
Holy Cross!!?? Holy Cross!!??

Those two words still ring in my ears thanks to a Fighting Sioux alum that I work with.

How we lost to a bunch of Catholic kids that, instead of finding ways to hide the truth about the Holy Grail, uncovered an even bigger secret – how to beat the best college hockey team in the Nation. There was no excuse for the Gophers to lose in the first round. They should have walked into the Frozen Four and won their third Championship of the decade but instead laid the biggest frozen egg in College Hockey history.

I’d like to give Holy Cross some credit because for one, it would make me feel better knowing that the better team won. But realistically, the Gophers were the better team and might have let that fact get to their head.

Gopher Hoops
Well, they did get a NIT bid this year, you know, that tournament created for the losers that couldn’t make the big dance. I have zero faith in Dan Monson and feel that this program will never progress under him. It really was a strange year, most games they looked like the team we expected, a crappy one. But then they would all of a sudden beat a Big Ten heavy hitter and look like world beaters for a day. Erratic, that’s what they were, and we will be lucky if they can repeat even that next year.

Wild
What does a winning record get you in the toughest division within the Western Conference?

Last place and a tee-time at your favorite Country Club.

To make matters worse, our legendary coach and leading scorer are at each other’s throats, using the media to duke out their soap opera. Gaborik claims that Lemaire fails to give him the freedom and ice time he demands and Lemaire claims that he has never given another player the type of freedom that he’s given Gaborik.

All I know is that Gaborik scored 38 goals this year even after missing several games due to injury. On top of that, despite what Lemaire says or thinks - his minutes per game were very low compared to other team leading scorers. If used right, Gaborik is a 50+ goal scorer, and one that the Wild cannot afford to lose. Not only would it be hard to replace Gabbi, it would send a message to dedicated fans that the organization doesn’t care much about what they think and would rather stick to their boring style of defensive hockey, one that we are all getting sick and tired of.

The team has money and they need to spend it this off season in order to prove to the fans that they are ready to put a winner out on the ice.

Timberwolves
Remember just a couple of years ago when this team was in the Western Conference Finals? This year was more painful than the inaugural season or any of the others leading up to their first ever playoff appearance.

The Wally World trade that was supposed to turn the team around never came to fruition and the jury is still out on that one.

The only thing we can be thankful for from this squad is that they went ahead and tanked the last few weeks to assure us a lottery pick in the draft. Could you imagine the logistical nightmare the front office would have on their hands had the team missed the playoffs AND lost their first round pick to the playoff bound Clippers due to the stipulations in that ridiculous Cassell trade?

The time to call for McHale’s head is now. He has screwed this franchise in more ways than one and could end up costing us the ultimate price, KG. I just hope Glenn Taylor has the balls to pull the plug on him and dig deep into his pockets again and give the Big Ticket that help he needs and deserves.

So there you have it, negativity runs amuck in Minnesota sports over the winter. Even though the season is over for us (is it just me or does the NBA and NHL Playoffs run too far into Spring/Summer!!??) there is still some great playoff action to watch.

That’s all I have for now, my next piece will be my Pre-Draft Purple Pride Ponderings which I hope to work on this week and post sometime next weekend. Even though most of this was negative, there’s one good thing to take from it all – next winter can’t be nearly as bad as this past one…….right?

Later,
Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com

1986 World Series re-enacted in RBI Baseball

This is pretty cool, I wish someone would make one with Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

Click Me!

Feeling Minnesota

It has been a while since I blogged last. I'm actively working on a short story now so I thought it would be a good time to come here and clear my mind. Writing fiction can take its toll on one's mind and to me; writing about sports, vids, and other "inferior" topics seems to help keep me sane.

The title of this post comes from the good feelings I'm getting here in Minnesota right now. All week long the temps have been in the 70's as our wonderful Spring continues here in the Land of 10,00 Lakes. Since it has been a while since I blogged regularly, I thought I would just babble on about some random thoughts to catch things up.

Sports Thoughts

• The Twins opened up the baseball season going a dismal 1-5 in the first week. The entire week was spent on the road and thankfully, in last night's home opener, the Twins conjured up their second win. As I write this tonight, Justin Morneau just hit a three-run bomb in the bottom of the third to give the Twins a 4-3 lead over the A's. Morneau's bat is a major key to the Twins having success this year and so far, he's hitting the long ball as hoped.
• The Timberwolves are diseased and have mailed it in the rest of the year. Sitting KG and Davis is a clear indication of that. Here's hoping we get a high pick out of the lottery, God knows the Wolves need all the help they can get.
• The NFL draft is fast approaching and I plan on putting together an actual Purple Pride Ponderings before and one sometime after the draft.
• I finally got out and hit a bucket of balls at the lovely Chaska Town Course today. It felt good to get out there despite my erratic nature off the tee. I had the opportunity to get out with my 11 year old son and after watching him, I wish I had his swing!

Gaming Thoughts

• I'm still playing World of Warcraft in small doses. My Mage is now a level 33 and I finally picked up a headset and played over teamspeak with a buddy of mine. Sure beats having to stop and type, nothing like just talking your way through an instance or random quest. I do intend on writing up my World of Warcraft Wednesdays again and will do so a week from today.
• The May issue of Game Informer has a cover story on an interesting Nintendo Revolution launch title called Red Steel. The game is being developed by Ubisoft and GI promises an 11 page blowout of the game complete with screenshots. This is the first time an actual game for the Revolution has been shown. The game promises to make use of the Revolution's unique controller, mixing in both gun and sword play in ways only ever imagined before. Apparently this game will be very violent as it pits the gamer against the Japanese Yakuza. I'm getting more and more excited for Nintendo's new system everyday.
• Not sure about the credibility of this site, but here's a story on the Sony Playstation 3, and they claim it's far from complete.

That's all I care to write up tonight. On the book side of things, I'm currently over half way done with the Da Vinci Code and I'm loving it so far. This is my first time reading Dan Brown and I plan on reading Angels and Demons next. Can't wait to see Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, should be good stuff indeed.

Thanks Puck, thanks for loving the game

I can’t remember a time I’ve been so sad while trying to write something I feel needs to be written. Today, the great state of Minnesota lost its most beloved sports figure ever. No, he was not born here; he came to us from the windy city of Chicago. He came here as a small, skinny man that had everyone scratching their heads thinking “this is the guy we brought in to play center field?”

At only 5’8, Puckett was small in stature, but his heart for the game and people in general was larger than life itself. Whether it was the never ending smile, or the signature leg kick that helped power baseballs over the fence, anyone that was privileged enough to witness his great career was touched.

I know I’m nobody in the sports journalism world; I’m just a man, a Minnesota man that will forever cherish the moments watching Kirby Puckett. I was fortunate enough to meet him in person a couple of times at the Metrodome when I was a kid in the mid and late 80’s, and each time he acknowledged me, as he did anyone that was in his line of site. I’ll never forget the time he signed my baseball glove and thanked me for coming to the game. He thanked me! Tell me that’s not a rare professional athlete.

Puckett was the most humble superstar I’ve ever seen, and his actions spread throughout the Twins organization and helped to lead a small market team to two World Championships.

Over the years, I’ve come to despise the Metrodome. I’ve watched many beautiful outdoor parks on TV and been to a few in person, and I’ve done so with an envious glare. Now that Puck is gone, I can’t help but feel guilt for ever thinking that way. The Metrodome is and always will be Kirby Puckett’s home. One of the streets outside the dome is named after him, it’s his home. It is home to the most memorable sports memories in my life, memories laced with Kirby Puckett and the Minnesota Twins. Kirby was once offered more money to play in the heralded Fenway Park of Boston, but he turned it down, turned it down to keep playing in the Dome, to play for us here in Minnesota.

Bob Casey’s famous Kirby announcement will forever resonate in the Dome, and should it ever tumble, I’m sure it will echo in Downtown Minneapolis forever.

10 All-Star games in 12 seasons, six gold gloves, a career .318 hitter, two time World Champion, and a first ballot Hall of Famer. That’s one hell of a career from one hell of a guy.

Puckett was not a hero, which is a word I feel better reserved for the men and women that defend our country, men and women that serve and protect us as members of the police, fire fighters, and military. Or the man or woman that goes out of their way to bless the life of someone less fortunate (though Kirby did fit in here with charities in the Twin Cities).

Kirby Puckett was a baseball player, one of the best to ever play the game. He brought joy to this man, when I was a boy, and as I watch video highlights of his illustrious career and see that smile, he’ll bring joy to me and millions of others forever.

When I’m old and my grand kids ask me what it was like to watch Kirby Puckett (and I know they will), I hope I can emulate his smile and grace them with the same feeling he gave me as I tell them about his legendary home run in game six of the 1991 World Series, his game saving leaping catch from the same game, or the four hits he amassed in his first game as a pro.

Kirby Puckett will forever be remembered and is an icon Minnesota will always be proud to hang its hat on. Thank you Kirby Puckett, thank you for playing the game because you loved it, not because it made you bigger than life, your heart did that just fine on its own.

Time to get my Geek on

Been a wicked crazy (that's what my Boston users would say) week at work. That coupled with an online Fiction writing class I'm taking has taken time away from my blog and gaming. I'll be taking a little break this weekend though. Getting together with a bunch of guys I play Halo 2 online with (yes, we do all know each other) at a Cabin about 40 minutes north of the Twin Cities. We did this in the fall and it was good times. Lots of food, drinks, network cables, and grown men playing video games till we fall asleep.

I plan on bringing the digital camera so I'll try to post some pics sometime after I get back.

Blizzard Working on Diablo III?

I didn't think it would ever happen, but I was reading through Gamespy's Most Wanted Games of 2006 when I ran across this little blurb:

Diablo III - Nope, it hasn't officially been announced. But word has it that Blizzard is cooking this up in its skunkworks. We're hoping for an announcement sometime this year.

Holy Shnikes! I'm a huge sucker for Diablo and Diablo II, but with World of Warcraft sucking up most of my playing time, how am I going to deal with Diablo III too!!??

Too many games, too little time - all hail Blizzard Entertainment.

World of Warcraft Wednesday

Time to fess up. Last week I promised to have my Photoshop issue rectified so I could post a screenshot each week of my play. Well, I broke my promise. It seems it's much easier to be lazy than it is to do something I intended on, but failed to act on. I'll try to fix it this week, no promises!

I finally made it to the halfway point as far as reaching the level cap. Yep, I dinged 30 this past week thanks to a great group that helped me complete all the quests in the Stockade. So far the re-specing of my character seems to be helping. I'm actually using my Mage like others in groups want, which is helpful for keeping a group together for other runs.

One of the guys in the successful group is actually in my Guild, a Male Warrior that goes by Timp. I was actually on with him last night and he helped me out on a couple of quests. I believe he's a level 33 so we can work together nicely. I'm sure I'll be running around Azeroth with him for a while.

That's all the time I have this week, here's another user submitted screenshot from the official site.


YEAH BABY!

And finally, here's a fun Penny Arcade comic that is all too true:

On the Outside - Tragic Endings Review

Here's my review of this trash....err.....I mean album. I must say, Metal is just not what it used to be. This has no inspiration and the entire thing is 19 miuntes long! Just read my review because it's fun to rip and savage bands/video games/movies from time to time. Here's hoping my next review is a little more enjoyable.

Random Sports Thoughts

Well I haven't blogged in a while so I figured I should babble on about something.

Tiger Strikes Early

Tiger Woods played his first tournament of the season, after a long layoff from golf, and won in playoff fashion. Many doubted that Tiger would have an effect on the leaderboard since he was away from the game for so long but come on, this is Tiger we are talking about! That's like anyone saying that Michael Jordan wouldn't be a factor after his fathers death and stint at playing baseball. Three more NBA Championships later............

Timberwolves/Celtics Deal

When the big deal that dealt Wally World and Kandi man to the Celtics for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount (among others) took place last week, I was furious. But, after watching these guys come in and revitalize the Wolves with a new found energy, I'm starting to change my mind. Ironically the Wolves drilled the Celtics tonight 110-85 at the Target Center with Wally leading the Celtics (22 points). The only thing that I feel will hurt the Wolves in this deal now is the loss of another 1st round draft pick. Only time will tell, I just hope there isn't another deal in the works that moves KG out of here as it's rumored everywhere you read.

Superbowl XL

Still not ready to make a pick for this game. This is one heck of a matchup and it might take me till Saturday to finally decide. I will say that I'm ready for this game to kick off (even though I have to work during it!!!). All the hoopla leading up to game is getting on my nerves and annoying Steeler fans think this one is wrapped up already. Even the media seems to be spending more time talking about the Steelers than they do the Seahawks.

That's it for now, not much but it's something. Maybe I'll work on a Vikings update for tomorrow, maybe.

World of Warcraft Wednesday

Not an eventful week at all for me in World of Warcraft. As a matter of fact, I'm still just a lowly level 28 Mage, but should ding 29 tonight.

I just get flustered with all the quests I always seem to have and most of them chain together with others. I did a series of quests in the Darkshire area and then all of a sudden had to start going back and forth between Stormwind and Darkshire to finish that chain. It's rather annoying I tell you!

I've played 98% of my time solo and am in dire need of groups for many Dungeon runs I need to complete. I'm part of a Guild but I don't know anyone and hate to ask them so I just throw out a LFG (looking for group) and the Quest title. Don't always get the replies I hope for. Anyone have any suggestions?

Congrats to Server Medivh for being the first ones to open The Gates of Ahn' Qirai. The server I'm on (Kargath) is sitting in 58th place and only has 58% of the resources needed.

If you haven't seen it yet, Penny Arcade has a new comic featuring World of Warcraft which can be viewed here.

I know I said I would finish with a screenshot from my play time during the week, but my Photoshop needs to be re-installed and I've been too lazy to do it this past week. So here is another user submitted screenshot from the official site to tide you over. I promise to rectify the Photoshop issue this week.

NFL Championship Sunday Thoughts

I sure got this one wrong, and thankfully so for all my Steeler friends at SportsRumorMill.

I was completely shocked at how well the Steelers offense operated, and conversely, how poor Denver's defense played. It takes a special team to become the first in NFL history to make it to the Super Bowl going into the playoffs as the 6th seed. Three road wins against the number one, two, and three teams in the Conference - incredible!

Big Ben has grown alot in just one year, proving that he can be a leader at a very young age and not crumble under pressure like he did last year.

Jake Plummer on the other hand - well let's just say that the Jake we all expected to see all season long, picked the wrong day to rear his ugly head (and it truly is ugly, the guy needs a serious haircut and shave).

Congrats Pittsburgh Steelers!


Not to be out done by the AFC Championship game, the NFC Championship ended as another big surprise - but I at least got the pick right on this game!

I was expecting a close game here with Carolina's stifling defense. But instead, we saw that Seattle meant business and that they were not the highest scoring team in the league for nothing.

Mr. MVP Shaun Alexander finally had the type of postseason success fans and teammates have been clamoring for the past few years. Along with the sometimes over-looked Hasslebeck, the Seahawks put the hammer down and have everyone in a tizzy when it comes to picking a Superbowl winner.

What really shocked me though was the way in which the Seattle defense played. They took Steve Smith out of his game and constantly had Delhomme on the run.

Congrats Seattle Seahawks!


So it's set, Pittsburgh vs. Seattle in Superbowl XL. Never would of thought I saw the day when Seattle was in the big game and never thought I would see another Cower lead Steeler team go. So now we have both and I'm left to pick a winner. Well, I'm not ready to do that just yet. I think we've got one heck of a matchup here and it's too close to call at this point.

Don't worry though, I'll pick my winner sooner or later. Of course I know my Steeler friends all want me to pick the Seahawks simply because ever since the Steelers at Vikings game, I've picked against them and they've won every game.

New Member of the Family!

Alright, I'm not one to get personal on my little Blog here, but today was a special day so I'm going to post this anyway (don't worry fellow geeks and sports rubes, I'll still be ranting on with the usual after this).

Early this morning, my little sister had her baby little girl - Gracey. Since I know my father and grandparents are down South and didn't have the opportunity to be there today, I thought I would post the pictures we took. So here they are Dad, Randi, Todd, Tracy, Grams and Gramps, enjoy and talk to you all soon! (click the pictures for the full thing)

Congratulations Rick and Jenny!
You did well, I think this one's a keeper!

Electronic Arts Slashing Current-Gen Game Prices

GamesIndustry.biz reported last night that Electronic Arts is slashing the prices of all their current-gen titles in North America. Madden NFL 06, which along with fellow EA Sports titles FIFA 06, NASCAR 06 and NBA Live 06, and movie tie-in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is dropping from $39.99 to $29.99.

That's just a few to mention, when all is said and done, EA will have slashed the price on 48 of their current-gen titles.

That's some good news for all of us that have not had the chance to play some of their great games. But how about some better news? Look for other game companies to piggy-back what EA is doing and slash the prices on all the current-gen games. That's right, this is a clear indication that the Next-Gen (Xbox 360, PS3, Revolution) is starting to hit full swing for all the gaming developers out there.

So get out there and pick up some cheap gems while you wait for all the Next-Gen titles to hit store shelves.

World of Warcraft Weekly

For those that know me, it's no secret that I like to get my geek on with a little World or Warcraft from time to time. Since it's such a wonderful online game that takes up hours and days of one's life, I thought I would share a thought and screenshot once a week of my trails in Azeroth. I know today is Thursday, but I figured I would run this bit on Wednesday from now on. That way it can be World of Warcraft Wednesday - why not, I did come up with Purple Pride Ponderings after all.

Since this is the introductory week, I guess I should explain my WoW status and prove that I really don't have any WoW cred (kind of like how Carmello Anthony really doesn't have any street cred). I've been playing the game off and on for a while now, but only have a level 28 Mage, and a few other alts that really aren't worth mentioning at this point.

I just finally realized the importance of specing your character the other day and will be spending a few gold to do so. I'm sure I'll have more success once that is done, it just took me a while to decide which way I want to go and I think I finally made up my mind. I mainly play solo so that helped in my decision.

So yeah, even though I've been playing a while, I'm an ultra-noob. Having a wife, kids, job, and writing hobby makes it hard for me to dedicate long streams of time into the game. I have some friends that spend all their free time playing and do nothing else. As much as I'd like for that to be the case for myself, it's just not possible, and I'd rather not get a divorce from my wonderful wife.

My future installments will include some rants, questions, stories, and progress reports from my WoW play throughout the week. I'll end with a screenshot of the week that will come from my very own character and gameplay. But, for this week, I leave you with a screenshot of the day directly from Blizzard's own official World of Warcraft website: (click the pic for full size)


If there are any WoW players out there that would like to help me out with what I'm doing or post a story of your own, please feel free to leave a comment and look me up every Wednesday from now on.

Childress: Not a Culpepper Guy?

For the past week, there's been tons of speculation on the accord that Childress wants to get rid of Culpepper because he doesn't think he can run the West Coast offense.

Now I like Childress, but I wish he would take the West Coast offense and shove it where the sun don't shine.

Culpepper is supposed to be the quarterback that leads the Vikings into the next decade. He's got raw talent that you just don't find in an everyday quarterback. Sure he's suffered a nasty knee injury, but McGahee has shown that you can bounce back and still perform with the same type of injury.

I think it would be a mistake for the Vikings to trade Daunte and not get much in return (the injury would be a huge leverage tool for teams to rob the Vikings). According to the lastest doctor notes I heard about on Daunte, he will be mobile enough to partake in some light workouts during mini-camp. That's significant considering most thought he wouldn't be walking at that time let alone taking some snaps.

Since we have a coach that is sold on the WC offense, it will take time for a player like Daunte to learn it. But, he will not be playing the first week of the season and Brad Johnson should have no problem in the offense with his style of play. Just let Daunte heal and learn the offense from the sidelines and ease him in when the time comes. If the Vikings keep Koren Robinson, who wouldn't want to watch Daunte and him connecting deep?

All I'm saying is, we should not give up on Daunte. He's a gamebreaker that is ready to prove that he can come back from this injury and perform. Is it worth trading him for bit players and a low draft pick only to see him become the league MVP (or worse yet, win a Super Bowl) someday? I don't think so, give him time to heal and role with Johnson till he's ready.

NFL Divisional Playoffs Thoughts

Wow, were there a few upsets this weekend or what? Starting with yesterday's game, the big surprise (well not to the Steeler faithful) was the Steelers knocking off the Colts. Several weeks ago the Lombardi Trophy alread had the Colts etched in it to most of the country. But, a coaches son's death and meaningless regular season games later, the Colts now find themselves wondering what happened, and what could have been. There were some bad calls in the game, one in particular that had to of pissed off every Steeler fan in the country. I'm sure those same Steeler fans had a heart attack during the Bettis fumble, only to be saved by Big Ben's tackle. Glad to see that another solid kicker can miss an all important field goal in a playoff game (us Vikings fans will never forgive Gary Anderson).

As for the Bears/Panthers game, that one was a case of "I told you so". I've thought the Bears' defense was overrated and boy did they prove that, and at home! Steve Smith single handedly tore that unit up. Note to Bears.....you still need a real quarterback.

The Seahawks won despite losing MVP Alexander early on. Not much to say about that game, it went as expected to me.

Now the Pats and Broncos on the other hand....wow, I really expected the Patriots to make that Super Bowl push again. I have not been giving the Broncos the credit they deserve all year, so now I will. Like Plummer said, you don't go 13-3 without being a damn good team.

So my Super Bowl prediction of the Pats and Bears went up in flames. As a matter of fact, I thought the AFC Championship game would be the Pats and Colts. Good thing I don't gamble, it would have been a horrible weekend for me.

So this is who I like in the Championship games:

I like the Broncos to win a close defensive battle at home, and the Seahawks to finally make it to the big game while defeating a very good Carolina team. I just don't see the Steelers and Panthers winning a third playoff game in a row on the road.

So there you have it, the Super Bowl I am predicting:

VS

Take it for what it's worth, I only picked one game right last week!

Allele - Point of Origin Review

My review of Point of Origin by Allele is now up at JustPressPlay. I must say I was very impressed with this debut album. Before getting this I never even heard of the band but did recognize their hit single Closer to Habit.

Guess I should start listening to 93x a bit more here in the Twin Cities. In the mornings I always get my sports fix on KFAN and while at work, I'm listening to The Dark Tower audio books (I'm almost done with Wizard and Glass).

So for all you rockers out there, give this one a try.

More PS3 Price Speculation

Gamespot is reporting that an informal CNN/Money poll is finding that many Analysts and Developers believe that Sony's Next-Gen Console will be of the pricey ilk.

It's nothing new to me really, I've been saying all along that it has to be more expensive than the Xbox 360 due to the fact that the 360 uses a regular DVD drive whereas the PS3 is to have a Blue-Ray drive. The article does point that out, and it also points out that during the CES show, the first stand-alone Blue-Ray disc player was unveild - with a $1,800 price tag!

It's not looking good for the average consumer when it comes to wanting a PS3. Between all this price speculation and the fact that I think it won't be released till this fall, more and more 360's will be flying off the shelves now that the inventory is starting to rise.

You can read Gamespot's full story on this here.

Dark Tower Flash Game

Being a big fan of Stephen King's Dark Tower series and having some free time at work, I started googling for some Dark Tower wallpapers to put on my work machine.

As I'm sifting through all the images that google puked out, I come across the image in this post. Recognizing it as a game I loved to play as a kid, I clicked on the link and came to find their is a flash version of Dark Tower, an electronic Milton Bradley game created in 1981.

I was so thrilled to see this as I was looking for this game in a retro game store a while back. I did find one that day, but they wanted $500 for it. No way am I gonna pay that kind of money for a 20+ year old electronic game, for nostalgia's sake or not.

For those not familiar with this great game, give the links above a click and check it out. For those that are familiar with Dark Tower, well, you may not have made it past the links.

PS3 To Release this Fall, Maybe (Warning, Speculation)

That's right, you heard it here, and hopefully first.

Sony's PS3 was a big fat no-show during this year's big CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Vegas that took place this past week. With that being the case, there is no way the PS3 will release in March as some have speculated.

Why you say? It's simple. To build the buyer hype, it's best to showcase the system at a big event. Yeah we saw a "prototype" at E3 last year, but things have changed since then.

Remember that horrible boomerang controller? Well rumor has it that Sony is totally changing the controller. With that little blurb out on the internet coupled with the no-show at CES - one + one = two, if you know what I mean.

So that brings us to showing off the system in its full working glory during E3 2006, which takes place in May. If Sony does indeed show it off and allow us play test it, you can bank on it not being released till late fall - at the earliest.

Why that long after E3 you say? Well developers will need to work with the new dev kits that tie in with the new controller. That puts any type of game production back several months when it comes to putting out a finished product.

It’s starting to look like the PS3 in 2007 speculation wasn't that far off. We'll be lucky to see this thing come out before Christmas if you ask me.

Maybe this was Sony's evil little plan from the beginning. A way to force the Xbox 360 into the Dreamcast effect by making it look like it came out too early. Now they have time to see what makes the 360 tick, and make their new Next Gen console that much better. That seems to be the case; why else would they completely change something as vital as the controller?

Hammer and Sickle Review

Things are slow on the review front for me over at Just Press Play, but my review of Hammer and Sickle is now up and you can read it by clicking here.

I was rather disappointed with the game overall as you will see. The production value was something one would have expected years ago, not in today's gaming world. Oh well, here's hoping I get a better game to review next time.

Next up on my slate for Just Press Play is a CD review from a Hard Rock band called Allele. The Album is titled Points of Origin and I should be listening to it this weekend and will have the review done early next week. I'll post the link here when it's up so look for that if you like Rock music.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

A new year means more broken resolutions. But not me, not this year. I plan on making 2006 the year I become a published (paid) writer of some sort. I don't care if it's for sports writing, gaming journalism, short stories, or my first novel - one way or another, I will do it. So wish me luck, I start back on the novel that I managed to only finish one chapter last year.