Monthly Archives: December 2009

New Years Eve Plans

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Posted by Rob on December 31, 2009 – 4:52 pm
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Well, I still cant believe it, but tonight is the one-year anniversary of our engagement. I cant believe its been a whole year since I popped the question. Now that Christmas is over, the next few months are gonna fly by, and before I know it, the wedding will be here. Anywho, due to this, we decided to have a nice, quiet night together.

We made reservations at some Thai restaurant in Albany. The restaurant does not have a liquor license, which means we are bringing our own bottle of wine, which should be fun. Afterwards, we will be hitting up the movies. We’re not sure what we’re gonna see yet, it will depend on what time it is. What we do know is that we will either be seeing Avatar or Sherlock Holmes. I dont care which one, since I want to see both, and the other one we will just go see next week.

After the movie we will head home, get drunk, and hang out the rest of the night. If she gets drunk enough I hope to get some Rock Band in or something. Eventually we will settle down to watch the ball drop, and then its off to bed. Tomorrow morning we are leaving early to get to my parents house for lunch and to exchange Christmas gifts, and to stay overnight. Then Saturday we will do the same thing at Shell’s dads house, and we will head back up to Albany Sunday afternoon. Thats the plan for the weekend!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years!

Is Sacrificing Animals Protected by the Constitution?

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Posted by Rob on December 31, 2009 – 12:29 am
Filed under Randomness
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According to this article I found on CNN, the answer to the question is yes. Apparently, in the past practitioners of Santeria have pleaded their case before the Supreme Court, claiming that animal sacrifices should be a protected part of their “freedom of religion”, and the Court sided with them.

Now read this article. This guy in Phili killed over 500 animals for “sacrifice”, and kept the remains in his home. Thats just sick, and there is no way that should be permitted in this country. I mean, I have no problem with people practicing other religions, but when religious practices conflict with the law, then thats just not right. There are animal protection laws, and people can be arrested and jailed for harming dogs, cats, and other animals. So why does the Constitution protect someone who is doing this just because it is part of their religion? Its utter nonsense…

What Shell Said: 12/30/09

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Posted by Rob on December 31, 2009 – 12:19 am
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I was sitting in the chair playing the PS3 while Shell slept on the couch. All of a sudden she wakes up and looks at me.

“Why dont you put a dirty bill over your face.”

“What?”

“Its too bright in here.”

“But you’re the one who lit all the candles.”

“Your mom goes overboard…”

A Night of Gaming with Shell

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Posted by Rob on December 30, 2009 – 9:13 pm
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Well, it wasnt a full night of gaming, but there was over an hour of PS3 goodness going on in our house. I started nice and easy and let Shell check out the Peggle demo, which she enjoyed. I liked Peggle a lot also, so it looks like I’ll be snagging that in the near future.

After that, I popped in Buzz! Quiz World, and we played two online matches against four other players. It was my first time playing the game online, and I enjoyed it. However, we both did pretty badly. In the first round I managed to stay in fourth place, and after losing that, we decided to rematch. During this round, I ended up doing horrible, and was in last place for most of the game. That was sad. But I was glad to get some gaming in alongside Shell. Tomorrow we will be playing some Rock Band 2 and the Rock Band AC/DC Track Pack that I bought her for Christmas while we wait for the ball to drop and drink cheap wine.

Gone Tux Shopping

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Posted by Rob on December 30, 2009 – 7:00 pm
Filed under My Wedding
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Shell and I just got back from Men’s Wearhouse, where we were planning out my tux for the wedding. We got a few things decided already, but the place did not have tuxes in stock to try on, so I didnt try on the jacket. In a few weeks I will head back to Middletown, meet up with my groomsmen, and we will go the the Men’s Wearhouse down there for fittings and such.

While I didnt get what I wanted (top hat, coattails, white gloves, cane, monocle, etc- Shell calls it the “Monopoly Guy” and Steve calls it “Mr. Peanut”) I did score a victory with a pinstripe suit! Its not a very obvious pinstripe, as in its faint, so I liked it. The groomsmen will be getting a greenish vest and bow tie (to match the bridesmaid dresses), but I dont know what Im going to do. They say I should have a different vest to kind of stand out. The lady suggested that I use an ivory vest to match Shell’s dress, but their vest looked more like a yellow, and I hated it. Im thinking of maybe a silver or charcoal gray…I’ll have to try on different things when we go down for the fittings to see which looks good. Also, I was able to negotiate the shoes, and snagged some nice square shoes. I really hate those nasty pointed tux shoes.

Im still holding out for a hat. The “tux hat” they had was like one of those ridiculous zoot suit gangsta hats that are like five feet wide (and yes, the one in Mens Wearhouse actually did have a feather in it.) However, they do sell “non tux” hats, and the fedora looks nice. I dont know why, but I really want a nice hat. I have a thing for hats…

PS3 Portable ID Still Down

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Posted by Rob on December 30, 2009 – 4:58 pm
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So for the past month or so, my Portable ID has been un-updateable. When I go to the PS3 site and click the button to update, it automatically re-directs me to the home page, rather than updating my ID. This is sad because I want to flaunt all my hard-earned trophies and rub them all over Steve’s face.

From what Ive seen online, its not me but Sony, since no one can update their IDs. As Hook would say, “bad form”…

Movie Review: The Specials

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Posted by Rob on December 30, 2009 – 2:59 pm
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specials

I was going through my Netflix instant queue on the PS3 to find a movie to watch. I had added the movie The Specials, which looked like a spoof on super hero/X-Men movies (since one of the guys looks basically like a broke-ass Nightcrawler). So I gave the movie a go to see how it was. I was pretty disappointed.

So the movie is about a group of super heroes called “The Specials.” As the name implies, they are not the brightest heroes of the bunch, and in a world where there are several super hero teams, they are the last. The movie is not really a direct spoof on any particular heroes or storyline, but on heroes in general. The leader of the group is an arrogant jerk who thinks he is best, but soon finds his team falling apart. Other members include a lady who can talk to demons, a super strong retard, a girl who has “bird powers” (she lays eggs), and more. Eventually the team dissolves due to various conflicts (including an affair between members, selling out to a action figure company, one member leaving to join the more popular team, etc.), and in the end they reunite and learn that they really are heroes, regardless of how lame they are.

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PS3 Review: Rise of the Argonauts

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Posted by Rob on December 29, 2009 – 6:35 pm
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I enjoy Greek mythology, so Rise of the Argonauts was a must-rent. I held off for awhile based on the bad reviews the game received, but in the end my curiosity got the best of me, and it was on my way. However, even though I love Greek mythology, the story was just too much, and it ruined the game.

Rise of the Argonauts is a adventure game with some hack-and-slash combat thrown in occasionally. You play as Jason, the fabled Greek hero, and along with Hercules and others you start on an adventure to bring your murdered wife back from the dead. The game starts out in your palace, as your wife is murdered. You then run about the castle defeating the enemies and being introduced to the combat controls of the game. Soon after, the real game begins. It is here that you will see that the game focuses very strongly on the story, and offers little else.

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How I Spent My Christmas

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Posted by Rob on December 25, 2009 – 11:50 pm
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So Christmas has come and gone. I enjoyed spending it down in South Carolina even though I did miss my family back in New York.

Christmas Eve was pretty busy. We ended up going out to a few shops. We had to pick up seafood and other groceries for Christmas dinner. We then had to brave the mall. My future mother-in-law apparently made some unwise Christmas purchases for me (including canary yellow dress shirts and a babyblue long sleeve shirt), and when Shell found out she made her exchange them at the mall for more practical styles and colors.

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On the Road for Christmas

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Posted by Rob on December 22, 2009 – 3:12 pm
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Shell just got out of work, so at this rate we should be on the road by 3pm, which is much better than our previous ETD of 5:30ish. At this rate we should be hitting Myrtle Beach between 4 and 5am, which isnt too bad at all. I already have the car packed for the most part with all of Loki’s stuff, our stuff, and presents…the only thing left to pack is the food. Im looking forward to just getting this car ride over with so I can sit back and relax for the next couple of days and enjoy a stressless Christmas.

Merry Christmas all!

Christmas Plans

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Posted by Rob on December 21, 2009 – 9:31 pm
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Tomorrow Shell and I hit the road for a 13-hour car trip down to Myrtle Beach, SC to visit her mom for Christmas. We will be leaving tomorrow night when Shell gets home from work, so we hope to be in Myrtle Beach by 7am or so. While Im sad that I wont be seeing my family on Christmas, it will be nice to have a stress-free holiday in which I am not running around like crazy on Christmas Eve and Christmas.

To prepare for the trip, I am right now loading up my iPod and DS to the max with music and games. I will also bring the Wii down with me for some family fun. Not only is the PS3 huge, but I dont think Shell will appreciate me playing that while Im down there…with the Wii she is more likely to play. Her presents are all wrapped, so thats good to go. Tomorrow Im just gonna get a holiday haircut (I always wait til the week or so before Christmas to get a nice cut) and start loading up the car and getting other things done while Shell is at work. Then once she is home we are off!

Merry Christmas to everyone who happens to read my blog! Im bringing my lappy down with me, but I dont know if I will be able to snag any internet service. We shall see…

Heading to PAX East

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Posted by Rob on December 21, 2009 – 7:06 pm
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paxeast

Steve and I bought our tickets and reserved a hotel room for PAX East this March, which is taking place in Boston. For three days we will be enjoying the convention of gaming goodness. Its being held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston from March 26-28. We will be there the entire time. Our hotel is only three blocks from the Convention Center, so its not too shabby. Im looking forward to going to my first video game convention!

Holiday Cooking Complete

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Posted by Rob on December 20, 2009 – 11:05 pm
Filed under Cooking/ Food, My Personal Life
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After returning from church this morning, the rest of the day was devoted to cooking. Shell finished up making her Christmas cookies. I think she made six different kinds, and I made two myself- white chocolate macadamia and some red and green sugar cookies. Shell is giving out some cookie tins to her co-workers, and the rest of the cookies are for our parents. They all came out pretty tasty.

Also, Shell took the time to make one of the best family recipes…the meat pie! My mom’s meat pie is one of the family favorites, and my second favorite (trumped only by her chicken cacciatore). Its a delicious puff pastery-type thing that is filled with Italian meats and cheeses, and is simply awesome! Its not very often that my mom makes it, so I dont get to enjoy it too often. However, now that the recipe is here, maybe I will get to munch on more.

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Guys Night In a Success

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Posted by Rob on December 19, 2009 – 9:05 pm
Filed under Gadgets/Tech, My Personal Life, Video Games
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The weekend of gaming is over. Tomorrow starts preparations for Christmas with baking, wrapping, and planning. However, the week leading up to it was a blast as Steve and me got our game on. Here’s what was being played:

  • Sacred 2
  • Buzz! Quiz World
  • Borderlands
  • Monster Madness: Grave Danger
  • Revenge of the Wounded Dragon
  • Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
  • Bomberman Ultra
  • WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Reshelled
  • Prototype
  • Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
  • Army of Two: Fortieth Day Demo
  • Guitar Hero: Van Halen Demo
  • Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The three days were a huge success. Not only did we get our game on, but we got it on in style with an HDTV. I ran over to Wal-Mart and purchased a 37inch Vizio HDTV, and it was amazing. My biggest concern with standard definition was not the visual graphic, but the fact that I could not read text. With the HDTV, I could read EVERYTHING. For example, in Sacred 2 when you activate a buff, a little symbol appears under your character’s status. I assumed it was just a color indicating what kind of buff it was, but with the HDTV I could actually tell it was a picture representing the buff. Also, on standard def. it is impossible to read the answer options on Buzz! Quiz TV, but I had no problem in HD!

But alas, we cannot afford a HDTV, so I sadly returned it to Wal-Mart today. Looking at my PS3 now, I miss the HD. I knew it was better, but I had never personally experienced it before. But now that I had, I want an HDTV more than ever. It brought an amazing look to my PS3 games, and I was able to enjoy them more than I ever have. Someday soon I will save up some cash to purchase an HDTV to call my own…

1000 Ways to Die

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Posted by Rob on December 17, 2009 – 12:16 am
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1000-ways-to-die

I thought I had mentioned the show in an earlier post, but was unable to find it. Anywho,  1000 Ways to Die is a show that airs on Spike TV. As the name implies, it is a show depicting various ways people have died. However, it is usually very odd or retarded means of death. The first episode I watched had kids snorting fire ants before going to an Ozzy Osbourne concert and some chicks who licked radioactive paint because they thought it made them look sexy. While the stories may seem stupid, and are presented comically, Spike insists that they are all based on actual incidents.

I was flipping through the channels and found it was on tonight. I watched two episodes. Below are the causes of death that were depicted in them:

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Getting Ready for Winter 2009 Guys Night In

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Posted by Rob on December 16, 2009 – 6:49 pm
Filed under My Personal Life, Video Games
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Steve will be coming up tomorrow morning, and staying over until Saturday night. That equals out to about three days of gaming goodness. Im looking forward to it, since I havent been playing any online games of late. Some of the games I know we will be checking out are:

  • Borderlands
  • Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
  • Monster Madness: Grave Danger
  • Revenge of the Wounded Dragon
  • Buzz! Quiz World
  • Rock Band 2
  • Ultra Bomberman
  • WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010

We have plenty of gaming to do this weekend, and I am looking forward to it. I miss playing with others. I will write up a recap of what we accomplish on Sunday.

PS3 Demo Review: Bayonetta

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Posted by Rob on December 16, 2009 – 8:12 am
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bayonetta-wallpaper-game

When I first saw and heard about Bayonetta, I wasnt interested. It looked like an unappealing God of War clone to me, and reminded me too much of Heavenly Sword, which was a game that looked cool but sucked when I played it. So I had no intentions of checking out Bayonetta. That is, until I played the demo. Then I changed my tune.

Without knowing too much about the game (from not reading up on it due to lack of interest), from the demo I can derive that you play as some hot chick who lives amongst a secret society. The game has her going off to fight a bunch of demons (some of which are HUGE). The main character is very interesting. As you control her, you fight with hand to hand combat and guns. As you defeat enemies, you can pick up their weapons…some of which are ridiculously huge. There is also some magic thrown in there to spicen things up.

One of the craziest things about the demo that snagged my attention was the combat itself. Aside from what I just mentioned, there were a few large enemies where, at the end, you had to finish the enemy off with some on-screen button prompts. By successfully doing this, her clothing comes off to reveal the fact that it is her hair. Then her hair turns into a monster’s mouth, and proceeds to bite the giant enemy in half. It was so unexpected, yet so cool to see a hair monster bite a huge chunk out of some other large monster.

In the end, the demo succeeded in blowing me away. I wish it was a little longer, but it was still enough to grab my interest and leave me wanting more. I will definitely be renting this game at some point when it comes out in January.

PSN Quick Review: Revenge of the Wounded Dragon

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Posted by Rob on December 16, 2009 – 8:03 am
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When this was announced on PSN, I was excited. Revenge of the Wounded Dragon was described as being a classic side-scrolling beat em’ up which could be played alongside a buddy locally or online. When it was released last week, I quickly snagged it up and played through the first two levels.

One of my biggest complaints is, sadly, the visual. The characters on screen (player and enemies) are extremely tiny, which makes it difficult to see. Also, since they are small, there is little detail given to them. I would have preferred to have the characters a little bigger and more crisp, but its not so bad as to totally ruin the entire game.

As for the game itself, you play as a karate dude who’s sister (or girlfriend) is kidnapped by some gangsters, and you have to punch and kick your way through swarms of enemies across multiple levels  to save her. The game has some very basic controls, relying on punch, kick, and jump. While this is all well and fine, I would have liked to see some variation. For example, maybe hitting the up directional and the kick button would result in a high kick, etc. However, the game does offer some changes to combat by allowing the player to pick up random items (like sacks of flour) and weapons (like guns, nunchucks, and sticks of dynamite) to take on your foes. There are also a variety of collectibles to snag through each level for points and trophies.

Two levels in, the game seems decent. I am waiting for Steve to come up tomorrow, and then we will blast through the entire game in co-op and see how that goes. So after that, I will write up a nice big review on the game, and let you know if the gameplay and co-op can save this visually unappealing game.

Catching Up on Futurama

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Posted by Rob on December 16, 2009 – 7:51 am
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A couple of  weeks ago I finished watching through the first eleven seasons of the Simpsons (I dont have Season 12 yet). With that done, I needed another show to start watching. So I started going back through Futurama.

I really do enjoy Futurama. While it has some similarities to the Simpsons, it has its own unique characteristics which are sometimes superior to that of the Simpsons. I really do love Futurama, and I wish it had as much success as the Simpsons. They tried to bring back the series with the movies, but only the first one was truly awesome and felt like classic Futurama…the others were good and entertaining, but kind of lost track of what Futurama was.

Ive actually made it through Season 1 already. When Im done with these, I dont know what Im gonna be watching next.

Back to Oblivion

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Posted by Rob on December 16, 2009 – 12:42 am
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oblivion_goty

When I first bought the PS3, the first games I bought were Resistance Fall of Man, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I knew the least about Oblivion, but from what I had heard about it, it was a truly expansive, epic RPG and I was excited to play. However, I never got very far, but not in a bad way. There is so much to do in the game, and so much to explore, that I created two characters who got far (as far as leveling and hours played goes) but never scratched the main story quest. I would play for a long time, but eventually new games would grab my attention and what not.

Last week I felt like playing a new game, so I decided to whip out Oblivion again. I created my third character (a Orc custom class character) and got cracking. This time what I did was something I havent done yet…I actually checked out the DLC. When I bought Oblivion, I bought the GOTY edition, which included the Shivering Isles expansion. However, I had never even touched it, which is silly since I spent the extra to get the expansion.

This morning I completed the main story of the expansion, and it was a blast. Not only was it a fun quest in a totally unique world (it takes place outside the realm of the main game) but I got a bunch of awesome items, weapons, and armor that I never had before, and it definitely gave me an advantage.

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