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Video Games

Advance Wars

Advance WarsAs a big fan of the Advance Wars series on Nintendo’s portables, when I saw that the original was available for download on the Wii U I was sure I’d have to download it. I’m pretty sure that the original is the only one that I hadn’t played up to that point.

Since it was originally launched on the Game Boy Advance, the graphics were pretty lousy. Especially when on a HDTV, but the game was still as addictive as the others in the series.

Frankly, I spent a bit too much time playing this one. I found myself doing the whole, well I’ve got time for one more level when I had more important things to be done. I’m just a sucker for turn based war games.

Leave it to Nintendo to make war happy and smiley. While moving tanks across a map to take out the enemy, all my characters are smiling and giving peace signs. It’s pretty amazing, and I think the silliness of it all is what I enjoyed a great deal. It’s not that morbid, but there’s still a ton of strategy going on.

Even though graphically it’s a bit poor from age, it’s still one of the more addictive games I’ve ever played.

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Uncategorized

Logan

I’m not sure what led me to visit Twitter the other morning, I hadn’t really for well over a year. Not sure if I had some weird dream, but something told me to just visit and check in and see if all was well. Much to my utter shock I learned that Logan the Wolverine had passed away last month.

My stomach had completely dropped and I had to read and refresh the screen several times, each hoping that it was somehow an error or I had just read it incorrectly. He was such a nice dog, and not nearly old enough to leave this world. Even though I hadn’t seen him in a very long time, I was still deeply saddened to learn of his passing.

I do consider myself very fortunate to of been able to meet and spend a great deal of time with such a fine dog. He really was great in so many ways, and as sad as I am, I do know that he was alway given the highest treatment a dog could have ever asked for. He was as loved as a stinky, grumpy, loyal dog could have ever been, and truly had been given such a great life.

I have so many excellent memories of him:

  • the numerous times he growled at me when I unknowingly crossed into his territory (apparently this was quite often)
  • the time he sprayed diarrhea all over dog beach narrowly missing another dog’s face (still one of the grossest things I’ve witnessed to this day)
  • taking him for walks (a couple of surprise day visits really stand out)
  • having numerous deep chats with him when nobody was around or in listening distance
  • the time he ate poop and had to have his teeth brushed and face washed to take away the smell
  • faking him out numerous times while playing fetch
  • excellent games of tug-o-war
  • the times I entered without Mr. Guard dog detecting me
  • his uncanny ability at his tiny size to take up an entire bed/couch

He truly was a great guy and am so sad that he is gone. I’m so very glad I got to know him and know that while his life was much, much too short he did really luck out with the amazing life that he wound up with. He will truly be missed, but never forgotten.

Categories
Video Games

Child of Light

Child of LightFinally finished playing one of the more unique games I’ve played in quite some time. I downloaded this game on the Wii U (also on other consoles too) a while ago after reading some very positive reviews for it.

It was a really cool, little adventure rpg. The artwork was really impressive. It looked very similar to the cartoony style available on other Ubisoft games, notably the newer Rayman games.

What I also found to be quite clever was the nursery style narration where most everything rhymed. While there were a couple of instances where it felt a bit forced, overall it had a really cool mood to it.

I liked that it was super long and really drawn out like many rpg games tend to be. Granted, that’s great when you can get all of those hours our of a game, but I’m old and have a job and just don’t have all the time to play games for that long much these days. So this one worked out really well.

I once believed that downloadable games were lesser than their boxed counterparts, but this and several other recent releases are really starting to change that perception for me. This was a really great little game.

 

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Books

Things a Little Bird Told Me

Things a Little Bird Told MeWhile I haven’t been using Twitter quite as much as I have at times in the past, I am still very interested in the history of the company. I’ve always respected their beliefs and their attention to the user.

Biz’s story was very interesting. While I know his name, I really didn’t know too much about him. It was interesting to learn of his path. Especially chuckled at his early years and his Google interview.

While the story of Twitter was very cool too read, I think what I took away most was the author’s emphasis on how giving back/volunteering can be so rewarding. I have found that to be extremely true and this book has kinda gotten me a bit fired up to find other ways of giving back myself. So hopefully I stick with that.

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Books

The Closer: Mariano Rivera

The Closer: Mariano RiveraGrowing up and watching the great Yankees teams of the late 90’s dominate, I knew I had to read this. Mariano was probably one of, if not the greatest reason for the dominance of those teams (though there were so many great players). So, I really wanted to learn more about the guy who came into the game when I was on the edge of my seat and thinking if moving to another couch would determine the high stakes outcome.

While I had already know a good deal of his background from watching so many games, it was pretty amazing to learn just how far he had come and how little he had known about MLB baseball. He pretty much knew nothing and found himself pitching in World Series games for the Yankees.

Literally from fishing to making millions in such a short period of time. It’s actually a bit comical to read how it unfolded at times. I do wonder if being so clueless to the history of MLB baseball early in his career is what helped him be such a dominant closer.

It was also pretty great to read so many examples of him being a nice guy. You hear so many stories of the arrogance and selfishness that often accompanies quick financial success and fame, and he really doesn’t come across as affected by it. He seems to do a lot of good, and that’s very refreshing to read.

Categories
Books

Think Like a Freak

Think Like a FreakI’ve really been stumped on what to read next, so I picked a book based on the color of it’s cover. It was the brightest orange covered book in the new arrivals section at the library.

It turned out to be pretty solid. Pretty much summing up different approaches to thinking. Some useful ideas and very well written. It read quite fast.

The authors do a good job of using some pretty random examples that are easy to follow. Like the hot dog eating champion, David Lee Roth, King Solomon, etc. Random but good.

It was by the same guys whom wrote Freakonomics which I did hear of. So perhaps I might give that a try down the road too.

Perhaps I will have to use my brightest cover selection process a bit more going forward.