Well, it's time to embark on the weight loss trail. This time, I mean business though. There is money involved now, money that you could potentially make if I lag behind.
Get Mike Fit
If you go to that link, you will be able to see all the details of what I am talking about. Please be sure to read the First Post. It will explain where I'm coming from and where I am going.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
I'd watch it
This is the true story, of seven strangers, picked to live in a guild, and have their lives taped, to find out what happens, when people stop QQIng, and start pew pewing. The Real World - WoW
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Disturbia
First off, it's very creepy to go and see a movie by yourself. This is the first time I have done this in a long time and it just feels...weird. I decided to unplug myself from The Game and go out and do something. I went to see Disturbia. This will be a mini review of what I experienced.
The Previews -
Resident Evil: Extinction - This trailer started off as a Las Vegas commercial and then it started to pan back. The commercial was on the MGM grand marquee and it slowly panned back to reveal a dust covered beat down Las Vegas Strip. The further it panned back, the more it revealed of the post-apocolyptic strip. I was getting gitty, I loved post apocolytpic movies, I live for them. Postman? I loved it. It kept going further and further out until it reached space and showed a satellite. On one of the solar panels was the Umbrella logo. I about jumped out of my seat cheering. They then cut to a Milla shot of her in tight shorts and loaded with guns. A bunch of action shots followed. I'm so going to this show, even if I have to go by myself.
28 weeks later - This is a sequel to the movie 28 weeks. A zombie movie set in England. The film is kinda shot "roughly" but I enjoyed it anyway. This one looks a bit more polished, so I'm going to see this one too. Nothing like a good zombie flick.
Transformers - I've seen this trailer but it was still good. Shai LeBouf is in this and it was recently announced that he will be in the new Indiana Jones movie as well. This is a Michael Bay film so I can expect nonstop action. I hope that it overshadows the fact that Bumblebee is a Camero.
Feature Presentation - *SPOILER ALERT*
I went into this movie expecting Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I got The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. It was suspenceful. I didn't care for Carrie Anne Moss's performance, but though that David Morse and Shai both did a good job. It did take more than a while to get going and it seemed like all the big action happened in the last 15 minutes or so. There were a couple of great cut away scenes that drew views down long hallways with the bad person coming into view or a lot of bad person emerges from the shadows shots. *ULTRA SPOILER ALERT* The bad guy didn't get up for a second try. I initially felt kind of annoyed that he didn't but then again, this really wasn't a big hack/slash type movie. It is a typical suspence type move, but they didnt' pull it. Also, when you go into these types of movies, you tend to (at least I do) try to pick up on little stuff that they'll tell you towards the beginning that you'll need to know in a time of dire need. They did a good job of going back to one of these tidbits and it was good that it wasn't the ultimate "out". I personally thought that they ran the "why didn't they try this" trick in the end by glossing over an obvious "out". Let's see if you can guess what it is.
So in the end I wasn't that scared. Maybe I'm just getting more used to movies like this. I can thanks Kyle and Evan for that. I was more scared when I came home to an empty 2 story house with the wind whistling and it being dark out. Not..a...fan.
The Previews -
Resident Evil: Extinction - This trailer started off as a Las Vegas commercial and then it started to pan back. The commercial was on the MGM grand marquee and it slowly panned back to reveal a dust covered beat down Las Vegas Strip. The further it panned back, the more it revealed of the post-apocolyptic strip. I was getting gitty, I loved post apocolytpic movies, I live for them. Postman? I loved it. It kept going further and further out until it reached space and showed a satellite. On one of the solar panels was the Umbrella logo. I about jumped out of my seat cheering. They then cut to a Milla shot of her in tight shorts and loaded with guns. A bunch of action shots followed. I'm so going to this show, even if I have to go by myself.
28 weeks later - This is a sequel to the movie 28 weeks. A zombie movie set in England. The film is kinda shot "roughly" but I enjoyed it anyway. This one looks a bit more polished, so I'm going to see this one too. Nothing like a good zombie flick.
Transformers - I've seen this trailer but it was still good. Shai LeBouf is in this and it was recently announced that he will be in the new Indiana Jones movie as well. This is a Michael Bay film so I can expect nonstop action. I hope that it overshadows the fact that Bumblebee is a Camero.
Feature Presentation - *SPOILER ALERT*
I went into this movie expecting Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I got The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. It was suspenceful. I didn't care for Carrie Anne Moss's performance, but though that David Morse and Shai both did a good job. It did take more than a while to get going and it seemed like all the big action happened in the last 15 minutes or so. There were a couple of great cut away scenes that drew views down long hallways with the bad person coming into view or a lot of bad person emerges from the shadows shots. *ULTRA SPOILER ALERT* The bad guy didn't get up for a second try. I initially felt kind of annoyed that he didn't but then again, this really wasn't a big hack/slash type movie. It is a typical suspence type move, but they didnt' pull it. Also, when you go into these types of movies, you tend to (at least I do) try to pick up on little stuff that they'll tell you towards the beginning that you'll need to know in a time of dire need. They did a good job of going back to one of these tidbits and it was good that it wasn't the ultimate "out". I personally thought that they ran the "why didn't they try this" trick in the end by glossing over an obvious "out". Let's see if you can guess what it is.
So in the end I wasn't that scared. Maybe I'm just getting more used to movies like this. I can thanks Kyle and Evan for that. I was more scared when I came home to an empty 2 story house with the wind whistling and it being dark out. Not..a...fan.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
mmmm....meat
First off, Props to Mr. Jay Webb. The man put together a group and made the reservations. He also chose a pretty damn good restaraunt.
Last weekend, we went to Fogo E Brasa for a dinner with friends. It was great to see my friends again. I missed some people that should have been there like Clark (sorry about the tooth) and Pup (obviously poker is more important than your friends.....tool). Those that were there, Jay, Steve, Mike Bahr and Stephanie, Webba and Krissy P...err Kristen, Dan, and of course Marnie.
We ate lots of meat. They have an appetizer bar with salad, egg salad, pot stickers, fried cheese, etc. Then the meat comes. They bring out skewer after skewer of meat and they cut you off a piece. Top sirloin, sausages, chicken, tri-tip, etc. It's sooo good. They got us with charging for desert, but whatever. It was good food and good people. I had a ton of fun and want to thank everyone that went.
Nice job Jay, nice job.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
All Is Right In The World
The Mets and Yankees are undefeated and the Red Sux haven't won a game all year.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Guess Who's Not an Amatuer anymore
ME!!!!!
Boston (Anthony Shaheen) and I won a PTQ in San Diego today. It was a two-headed giant qualifier and we did it, only losing 1 game all day. Here are a couple strats that we employed, that are probably unorthodox.
- Dominant Head -
I was tabbed friday afternoon for Anthony's partner because his previous partner tapped out. I accepted, but under 1 stipulation, I wouldn't be making any meaningful decisions. This was, of course, OK with Anthony. He made the decks, each turn, he analyzed the play and we made it, he drafted both our decks for Top 4 with little to no imput from me. With the exception of like 2 occurances, I did exactly what he told me. We felt this worked because in magic, there are usually alpha-type players. They feel they have a plan and they feel their plan is best so they want to fight for it. We were always on Anthony's plan so there was never, go down road A, stop halfway, go down road B and then never put anything meaningful together. We also felt we got at least 2 wins from our opponent's faltering and doing this. Sure, we got a lot crookeyes when Anthony was making every single call and I did what he told me too, but we won.
I think if more "casual" type players that could just as easily turn dudes sideways and don't have a super ego were paired with more experienced players, I think those teams would qualify more.
So there you have it, we Q'ed. I will officially no longer be a Magic Amatuer after Pro Tour San Diego. I'm pretty excited.
Boston (Anthony Shaheen) and I won a PTQ in San Diego today. It was a two-headed giant qualifier and we did it, only losing 1 game all day. Here are a couple strats that we employed, that are probably unorthodox.
- Dominant Head -
I was tabbed friday afternoon for Anthony's partner because his previous partner tapped out. I accepted, but under 1 stipulation, I wouldn't be making any meaningful decisions. This was, of course, OK with Anthony. He made the decks, each turn, he analyzed the play and we made it, he drafted both our decks for Top 4 with little to no imput from me. With the exception of like 2 occurances, I did exactly what he told me. We felt this worked because in magic, there are usually alpha-type players. They feel they have a plan and they feel their plan is best so they want to fight for it. We were always on Anthony's plan so there was never, go down road A, stop halfway, go down road B and then never put anything meaningful together. We also felt we got at least 2 wins from our opponent's faltering and doing this. Sure, we got a lot crookeyes when Anthony was making every single call and I did what he told me too, but we won.
I think if more "casual" type players that could just as easily turn dudes sideways and don't have a super ego were paired with more experienced players, I think those teams would qualify more.
So there you have it, we Q'ed. I will officially no longer be a Magic Amatuer after Pro Tour San Diego. I'm pretty excited.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Know What I Hate about ADD?
When you are in the shower, thinking of game/engine design and then you stop and think to yourself, am I done with the shower or did I just get in? At that point, when you can't remember if you are coming or going...I hate that. So with a death fear of being dirty because you didn't actually take a shower, you start the shower routine all over again.
Yea...I hate that.
Yea...I hate that.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Chapter 1
My eyes don't open, but I hear the sprinklers going off. It must be around quarter to seven. Those stupid things are like clockwork, every single day, even on Saturday. I feel the effects of the alcohol from last night and roll over to fall back asleep. The cool breeze blows through the window as I fall back asleep.
The alarm blares in my ear and I reach over to turn it off. I grab the cell phone and attempt to go through the motions, the alarm is still blaring. I sit up and continue to fiddle with the alarm on my cell phone. The siren dissipates as it goes by the house down the street. I slump over and stare of my phone and toss it aside. It misses the nightstand and falls to the floor. I think to myself, "Man, what a gyp. Sometimes it sucks to live in Oceanside." I swing my feet around and wipe my eyes. I find the remote to the TV and turn off the music channel. Hey, what do you want from me, it helps me sleep at night. I pay a flat rent, so it's covered in the money I fork over each month. I curl my toes on the rug and attempt to stand up. Obviously, I lose my balance and sit back down on the bed. There are some days when it's good to be just 29 years old and then there are those days that it's bad to be 400+ pounds of fun. I bet you can guess what today is. I tiptoe through the clothes strewn about all over the floor and bang my knee on the computer table as I make my way for the bedroom door. The sun is shining through the curtains as I open my bedroom door and make a beeline for the bathroom.
I'm on the first floor of a two story, 3 bedroom home right at the top of the hill before the Valley. It's good rent and my roomates are nice. I never see them, so that is what probably makes it work out better. Nobody appears to be up yet, which is no surprise for a Saturday morning. The roomies like to party sometimes, nothing wrong with that. I finally make it to the bathroom and close the door behind me. The sun is glaring through the tiny window above the shower. I shield my eyes and attempt to make sure it all gets in the toilet. I wipe my eyes one more time and glance over at the sink. What the hell? There is blood all over the inside of the sink. Not a small amount of blood either, this was a fair amount of blood, just spashed everywhere, including some on the mirror. What the heck is going on here. I finish my business, flush and head back to my room. I peer out of the small hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom, nobody is around. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I was told this is my bathroom and that the traffic would be kept to a minimum. Where did all that blood come from? Did someone get hurt? I toss some shorts and my Reebok sleeveless T-shirt on and re-emerge, looking for answers. There is blood on the front door handle and a trail of blood leading to the kitchen. Nothing good can come of this. As I enter the kitchen, the water is running and the sliding glass door is busted. There is plenty of blood near the broken glass. This must be where it all came from. The party got to rowdy last night and someone fell through, or perhaps put through, the sliding glass door. I guess they haven't had time to clean it up. The blood trail leads right out to the garage. I reach for the door handle and open the door. I can't believe what I am seeing.
There, right in front of me, are my two roomates, Shawna and Dee, eating the other roommate, Dee's husband, Aaron. They are devouring him by hand. Blood and entrails strewn about the garage floor next to the car he was restoring. They are kneeling over him, gorging themselves. I choke back a gag reflex, covering my mouth. I guess it wasn't quiet enough, both of their heads snap to me. Their green glowing eyes staring right through me, with pieces of the inside of Aaron in their hands. Shawna screams at me at the top of her lungs and lunges towards me. The blood curdling scream snapped me back into reality. I slammed the door and threw the deadbolt to locked right as she slammed into it. What the hell was going on? Has the world gone mad? I fall to the floor, slipping on the still wet blood that is covering the the kitchen floor. It's like an ice skating rink, I turn over, attempt to get my feet under me and scamper back to my room. I quickly slam the door behind me and push the computer desk in front of the door. I stop a minute to control my breathing, I am practically gasping for every breath. I fumble for my phone and dial my wife, Marnie. No answer, I scream some sort of garbage into the phone, the only discernable words being "call me as soon as possible". Where do I go from here. I pull back the curtains just enough to see out the window. They are everywhere. People walking with blank stares, seemingly mindless. A woman runs down the street screaming. The neighbor appears from behind the bushes and tackles her. Her screams are drowned out as he begins to tear into her flesh. A few other "people" emerge from down the street and they begin to rip her limb from limb. I had to get out of here...I had to get to Arizona to Marnie.
The alarm blares in my ear and I reach over to turn it off. I grab the cell phone and attempt to go through the motions, the alarm is still blaring. I sit up and continue to fiddle with the alarm on my cell phone. The siren dissipates as it goes by the house down the street. I slump over and stare of my phone and toss it aside. It misses the nightstand and falls to the floor. I think to myself, "Man, what a gyp. Sometimes it sucks to live in Oceanside." I swing my feet around and wipe my eyes. I find the remote to the TV and turn off the music channel. Hey, what do you want from me, it helps me sleep at night. I pay a flat rent, so it's covered in the money I fork over each month. I curl my toes on the rug and attempt to stand up. Obviously, I lose my balance and sit back down on the bed. There are some days when it's good to be just 29 years old and then there are those days that it's bad to be 400+ pounds of fun. I bet you can guess what today is. I tiptoe through the clothes strewn about all over the floor and bang my knee on the computer table as I make my way for the bedroom door. The sun is shining through the curtains as I open my bedroom door and make a beeline for the bathroom.
I'm on the first floor of a two story, 3 bedroom home right at the top of the hill before the Valley. It's good rent and my roomates are nice. I never see them, so that is what probably makes it work out better. Nobody appears to be up yet, which is no surprise for a Saturday morning. The roomies like to party sometimes, nothing wrong with that. I finally make it to the bathroom and close the door behind me. The sun is glaring through the tiny window above the shower. I shield my eyes and attempt to make sure it all gets in the toilet. I wipe my eyes one more time and glance over at the sink. What the hell? There is blood all over the inside of the sink. Not a small amount of blood either, this was a fair amount of blood, just spashed everywhere, including some on the mirror. What the heck is going on here. I finish my business, flush and head back to my room. I peer out of the small hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom, nobody is around. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I was told this is my bathroom and that the traffic would be kept to a minimum. Where did all that blood come from? Did someone get hurt? I toss some shorts and my Reebok sleeveless T-shirt on and re-emerge, looking for answers. There is blood on the front door handle and a trail of blood leading to the kitchen. Nothing good can come of this. As I enter the kitchen, the water is running and the sliding glass door is busted. There is plenty of blood near the broken glass. This must be where it all came from. The party got to rowdy last night and someone fell through, or perhaps put through, the sliding glass door. I guess they haven't had time to clean it up. The blood trail leads right out to the garage. I reach for the door handle and open the door. I can't believe what I am seeing.
There, right in front of me, are my two roomates, Shawna and Dee, eating the other roommate, Dee's husband, Aaron. They are devouring him by hand. Blood and entrails strewn about the garage floor next to the car he was restoring. They are kneeling over him, gorging themselves. I choke back a gag reflex, covering my mouth. I guess it wasn't quiet enough, both of their heads snap to me. Their green glowing eyes staring right through me, with pieces of the inside of Aaron in their hands. Shawna screams at me at the top of her lungs and lunges towards me. The blood curdling scream snapped me back into reality. I slammed the door and threw the deadbolt to locked right as she slammed into it. What the hell was going on? Has the world gone mad? I fall to the floor, slipping on the still wet blood that is covering the the kitchen floor. It's like an ice skating rink, I turn over, attempt to get my feet under me and scamper back to my room. I quickly slam the door behind me and push the computer desk in front of the door. I stop a minute to control my breathing, I am practically gasping for every breath. I fumble for my phone and dial my wife, Marnie. No answer, I scream some sort of garbage into the phone, the only discernable words being "call me as soon as possible". Where do I go from here. I pull back the curtains just enough to see out the window. They are everywhere. People walking with blank stares, seemingly mindless. A woman runs down the street screaming. The neighbor appears from behind the bushes and tackles her. Her screams are drowned out as he begins to tear into her flesh. A few other "people" emerge from down the street and they begin to rip her limb from limb. I had to get out of here...I had to get to Arizona to Marnie.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Mah Top 5
So Capt. Cheese started another one. This is my list of of my top 5 favorite/fun/interesting cards from a TCG/CCG.
5. *insert title here* - World of Warcraft TCG - This card is coming out in the next expansion and I can't spoil it yet. I will update this post when it has been revealed.
4. Wormhole -Star Trek CCG- I used this card to grief many opponents in Star Trek CCG 1st Edition. They often found their crew/ship at the Montana Missile Complex.
3. Howling Mine - Magic:TheGathering- Simple, elegant card design and a strong game effect. It has been a favorite of mine for years.
2. More Than Meets the Eye - Star Trek CCG 2nd Edition - This was the first card that I ever "officially" designed in my game design career that was printed. It wasn't the best card in the set, probably not even a "good" card, but it was my first and you always remember your first.
1. Droid Merchant - Star Wars CCG - This card almost single handedly jump my "TCG" career ahead 5 years. And it was probably the most fun I've ever had playing a deck.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
New Hire
This actually happened last week, but I waited a bit for it to be official.
I was hired on officially by Upper Deck this past Monday. I am an Associate Game Designer. A bit of a step down from Lead Game Design at The Company, but this is a bigger company and more room for advancement, so I'm willing to start out on the ground floor, etc.
I'm pretty happy and official now. For those of you that knew I had an issue, I will be posting a copy of my business card as soon as I get them. And I'll make sure to give Scott G. a couple copies, you know...for all those that he lent me over the years.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Grats!
Marnie's sister, Megan and her husband Craig are proud parents of a beautiful new baby girl. Her name is Addisyn. She was born this morning at 4:21am and was 8 pounds 4 ounces.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Go Tell a Spartan
This movie kicked so much ass I don't even know where to begin. There is plenty of blood, boobs, more blood, action, honor, and pride.
I definitely will see this movie more than once this year.
FOR SPARTA!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
YO JOE
Great News
I'm excited already. I think Mark Wahlberg would make a great Duke. The thing that I'm concerned about is the "prequal"ness of the proposed plot. I hope there will be plenty of action, with just a little bit of scheming.
I'm excited already. I think Mark Wahlberg would make a great Duke. The thing that I'm concerned about is the "prequal"ness of the proposed plot. I hope there will be plenty of action, with just a little bit of scheming.
Monday, March 05, 2007
April 23rd????? Noooooo!!!!!!
I don't know if I can wait that long. The cliffhanger at the end of this episode kinda gave some stuff away.
I do hope they off a couple more heroes for this season and start next season with just a handful of them.
My theories -
Peter doesn't die, but neither does Sylar
And I wonder if Soran still has the Trilithium or if there was even any trilithium to begin with.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Top 5 Baddies
Following in The Cheese's footsteps and listing my top 5 favorite villains. Now, I may have the definition wrong, I remember having a conversation back in the day with Mr. Lischke about what the term "villain" means and that it is not synonymous with "bad guy". Here is my list -
5. Nurse Mildred Ratched - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
4. Simon Phoenix - Demolition Man
3. Darwin and Minerva Mayflower - Hudson Hawk
2. Lo Pan - Big Trouble in Little China
1. Zorg - The Fifth Element
- I mean c'mon, did you really expect anyone else to show up as #1?
5. Nurse Mildred Ratched - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
4. Simon Phoenix - Demolition Man
3. Darwin and Minerva Mayflower - Hudson Hawk
2. Lo Pan - Big Trouble in Little China
1. Zorg - The Fifth Element
- I mean c'mon, did you really expect anyone else to show up as #1?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
You know it's time to shave your head when...
...Jeff Donais walks up to you and says "Girard, your hair feels so soft"....while he pets your head.
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