Ha! I’ve finally imported the few entries I had from my old blog in to WordPress.  Not sure why I’ve taken so long to do it but its done and now I have a bunch more entries than I did before!  It would be more impressive it wasn’t so sad that its really just adding a few more posts.  I can see plenty of gaps in between entries so much hasn’t changed over the years in regards to the frequency of posts so at least in that respect I’m one consistent mofo.  Enjoy!

-v- out.

Unfortunately for me being lazy and unmotivated seems to be more the theme of my existence more so than any exhibition of energy on my part in my life. Despite my (I will not say best because who am I kidding?) efforts, I have seemingly given myself wholly unto the gods of procrastination and demons of lethargy. My list of projects that I would like to complete (even partially) goes every day while my finished projects list remains ever empty. I think a lot of that has to due with the sheer amount of gaming I like to do after work. Actually, first it’s TV. time then comes the gaming. Whether it is Street Fighter IV or Call of Duty: World at War, I will end up playing in to the late hours of the night. What I need is focus and discipline and maybe one day I will be able to complete something. Until then I will continue to enjoy my late night gaming sessions and revel in the joy that it brings.

I am what you might call an undead enthusiast.  I am enthused by the undead, from skeletons to zombies and everything in between.  I would only go so far as to say “enthusiast” because I am sure that someone could quiz me on some obscure literature or movie and I’d fail.  I do not go out of my way to read those stories and I do not exclude all other genres.  I enjoy them and that is about the extent of it.  In the end it is not just the undead that sets my heart a-fluttering, I think I am mainly fascinated by apocalytpic stories be they pre-, mid- or post-apocalyptic.

I just finished George Romero’s latest movie Diary of the Dead and while it was okay and I am sure I see what he was going for it just felt lacking to me in many areas especially in the acting department.  I am not sure if the actors were trying to act like someone that was not an actor would act in front of camera or if they were just not that good.  It is possible they were doing the best they could do with the material, which would be sad.  The other big let down for me, was that the effects were more like a poorly funded film school project (which would be getting a lousy grade) instead of a real movie.  No matter how much I tried I couldn’t suspend any disbelief and the zombies looked like actors instead of flesh eating denizens of the night bent on consuming the human race one person at a time. 

My question though is what is it about these invariably tragic stories that instills in me a craving to watch the horror unfold for the characters in it.  Is it the human suffering?  Could it be the struggle of simply living in the aftermath of a horrible catastrophe?  I will dig deep in my soul and try to figure it out and post more on that later.

-v- out.

Just FYI I know if I faced life in England in the Reign of Fire setting that I would be one of the first to succumb to even the most mentally challenged dragon.

With the advent of Street Fighter IV upon the world I am overcome with such feeling that it can only be described as divine exaltation.  Well it could also be described as good or awesome I suppose but if I don’t use the thesaurus at least once in my life it may never happen.

The game is familiar enough to the previous incarnations that it is not very difficult to perform the basics and get right to the fighting.  A fireball is a fireball is a fireball after all.   There are enough differences though that it makes for a fun (sometimes frustrating) experience learning all the new features of the game.  The super combos (not really new but coming directly from Street Fighter II, its newer to me), ultra combos and the focus attacks are all nice additions to the game in my opinion and add quite a bit to the depth of a match.   The challenge mode  and trial modes are fairly common fare for a fighting game these days but still enjoyable.  Unfortunately, like most good things, even the sublime feeling that washes over me when the theme music plays (yes I do like it) comes to an abrupt end when I actually play the game online.

It’s not even the mechanics of the game since out of all the versions I’ve played this one is pretty close to perfection.  It lacks a few features that would have been nice at release but there is always hope for downloadable content later.  Anyway, its not the game that makes me cry into my pillow at night but the utter deterioration of any skill that I possessed at the game.   My mighty fists and feet of fury can still special deliver a parcel of pain to my opponents but not as much as I feel I could have back in the day.  I’ve taken no names other than one.  My pride, or whatever it goes by these days.

P.S. The matchmaking could use some work.  A perfect victory over a person that has obviously never played a fighting game in their life does little to bolster my ego after being thoroughly  trounced by the next teeny bopper I have to face.

-v- out.