Today is NHL Draft Day! The Islanders pick 5th, and it looks like it will be either Brandon Gormley, Brett Connolly, or Eric Gudbranson. Q wildcard is Cam Fowler, but he's expected to be drafted higher.
My hopes are for Gudbranson honestly. Monster sized defenceman who likes to hit.
C
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sigh, back to work.
So I sit here today, back to the routine of life. Work wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be when I got back. (thank you Steve!) I'm trapped again, as Steph has the car today. I should be used to it by now, but I still really dislike being stuck. Oh well. At least I can make a good sandwich and validate my existence with the hopes that people are actually reading this.
I haven't spoken much about gaming in the past few weeks because my game time is considerably down. I still play, but more so when it's bad out or in the evenings. I've noticed a significant drop in most of my gaming contacts game time as well. It being summer tends to do that I find.
I picked up a couple of games over on the west coast. A seriously discounted "Scene It! Bright Lights" and Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, also heavily discounted. Sherlock is a fairly decent diamond in the rough, with a classic "Kings Quest" feel to it. I ran through the first case, and it was enjoyable enough. The graphics were a little weak, but overall the voice acting was very well done and the methodical approach to forced deductive reasoning was very engrossing. The opening scene where you see through the eyes of Jack the Ripper himself as he performs his first grizzly murder was a little shocking, but really sets the mood for the title. Scene It was just the same as the first two scene it titles, lots of movie trivia and puzzles. IT's a great title to sit down with your non gamer wife or girlfriend. It's nowhere NEAR as polished as the last title, Box Office Smash, but it's trivia. Really, how fancy do you need it to be?
I've been playing a title recently that I first played, AND finished, when I first got my Xbox. Tales of Vesperia is a Namco Bandai game with STRONG Japanese influence. It's very beautifully done, with gorgeous backdrops and some fantastic cel-shaded characters. (This makes the typical game character look like a cartoon instead of a videogame character) The battle system is great, and the story twists and turns nicely. I won't get too deep into it, but I will recommend it to the RPG fan out there. Lots of gameplay and a good story will make the RPG fan in any home very happy.
I also played a little Mass Effect 2 recently as well. I'm in the middle of the Firewalker DLC. You use a tank that is apparently made out of Paper Mache to take on hordes of the Geth, a robotic race of aliens who had the perfect guns for burning your craftily-made tank of newspaper and wet paste. Gah, it's very hard to the point of frustration, and the first black mark against a game i felt owned my soul for two weeks back in January. I did Kasumi's memory as well, and that was fine, just a week bit short. Coming up in that one is Overlord, the major expansion recently released. It sounds great.
No camera talk today as it's monopolized this blog for the past few weeks. I'm pictured out, honestly. It'll be put away until the wedding season starts. Go Maps are a great success, and I'm now starting to reach outside of the St. John's area! Hopefully we'll see Go Maps in a few locations across the island in the coming weeks.
Thanks for reading, and we'll see you back here soon enough.
C
I haven't spoken much about gaming in the past few weeks because my game time is considerably down. I still play, but more so when it's bad out or in the evenings. I've noticed a significant drop in most of my gaming contacts game time as well. It being summer tends to do that I find.
I picked up a couple of games over on the west coast. A seriously discounted "Scene It! Bright Lights" and Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, also heavily discounted. Sherlock is a fairly decent diamond in the rough, with a classic "Kings Quest" feel to it. I ran through the first case, and it was enjoyable enough. The graphics were a little weak, but overall the voice acting was very well done and the methodical approach to forced deductive reasoning was very engrossing. The opening scene where you see through the eyes of Jack the Ripper himself as he performs his first grizzly murder was a little shocking, but really sets the mood for the title. Scene It was just the same as the first two scene it titles, lots of movie trivia and puzzles. IT's a great title to sit down with your non gamer wife or girlfriend. It's nowhere NEAR as polished as the last title, Box Office Smash, but it's trivia. Really, how fancy do you need it to be?
I've been playing a title recently that I first played, AND finished, when I first got my Xbox. Tales of Vesperia is a Namco Bandai game with STRONG Japanese influence. It's very beautifully done, with gorgeous backdrops and some fantastic cel-shaded characters. (This makes the typical game character look like a cartoon instead of a videogame character) The battle system is great, and the story twists and turns nicely. I won't get too deep into it, but I will recommend it to the RPG fan out there. Lots of gameplay and a good story will make the RPG fan in any home very happy.
I also played a little Mass Effect 2 recently as well. I'm in the middle of the Firewalker DLC. You use a tank that is apparently made out of Paper Mache to take on hordes of the Geth, a robotic race of aliens who had the perfect guns for burning your craftily-made tank of newspaper and wet paste. Gah, it's very hard to the point of frustration, and the first black mark against a game i felt owned my soul for two weeks back in January. I did Kasumi's memory as well, and that was fine, just a week bit short. Coming up in that one is Overlord, the major expansion recently released. It sounds great.
No camera talk today as it's monopolized this blog for the past few weeks. I'm pictured out, honestly. It'll be put away until the wedding season starts. Go Maps are a great success, and I'm now starting to reach outside of the St. John's area! Hopefully we'll see Go Maps in a few locations across the island in the coming weeks.
Thanks for reading, and we'll see you back here soon enough.
C
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Photoblog, Day 16.
I've taken a few days away from the computer to relax and refresh before I head back to work tomorrow. It's been a good couple of weeks, lots of pictures, lots of opportunities to decompress from the sheer volume of pressures that life threw my way over the past 12 months, and time to spend some real quality time with the love of my life, Steph. It's amazing how draining it can be dealing with people on a day in day out constant basis.
Here's a bunch of shots from the past two weeks. I hope you enjoy. I sure did.
For those of you who have followed me the past few weeks, thanks for reading. Back at ya nice and fresh with some gaming and photography stuff tomorrow.
C
Here's a bunch of shots from the past two weeks. I hope you enjoy. I sure did.
For those of you who have followed me the past few weeks, thanks for reading. Back at ya nice and fresh with some gaming and photography stuff tomorrow.
C
Monday, June 14, 2010
photoblog day 10
A sunset shot from Wall Cove, Norris Point. We're out in the middle of Gros Morne for a few days.
As well, a shot from today of Jennex House, Overlooking the commu ity of Norris Point as well as The Tablelands and Woody Point.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Photoblog Day 6
This shot I actually took yesterday morning. However, I'm painting today so no shooting. :( It's down on Harbour Drive.
It's very sad that the Scademia is up for sale.
It's very sad that the Scademia is up for sale.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Photoblog day 5
I missed the last two days because I wasn't shooting. So here are 3 from today, taken in various spots between St. John's and Clarenville.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Photo Blog Day 2
Here's a little scene just outside of Chapel Arm. It's not super scenic out that way, so I struggled to find anything worthy of a shot. It's like people just "live" out there. There's nothing really to draw photog's or tourists.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Vacation Photoblog
I'm gunna try and post something daily. Here's the first, of the tilt a whirl (I believe) at Thomas Amusements.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
It's Blog time again. I must be stuck at work again.
So, I'm here, Thursday lunchtime killing off what could have been a very fun and interesting hour, but I'm stuck at work... again. Days when my wife works during the day, I get the shaft and have to spend that hour of relaxation here at my desk. Whining about it on my blog. :P
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I finished up Dead to Rights Retribution last night. A fun venture, the ending was seemingly cut right out of an 80's action flick. LOVED IT. Everyone should take this game for a ride, even if it's just for a weekend. Basic fighting with a little challenge, decent graphics, and a lot of nostalgia. Anyone who is a child of the 80's owes it to themselves to try this out.
Next, onto Alpha Protocol, Alan Wake, and finishing Final Fantasy 13!
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I'm actually stuck at a boss in Final Fantasy 13 right now and it is really what's keeping me from picking it up again. Proudclad (gay name, I know). He's this tank thing that is simply relentless in his attacks. I always get him to about 10% left and he goes mad. Blah. I've read a couple of strategies on the web about how to handle him, but it seems that there is no real decisive "strategy" as it seems everyone who has decided to share their wisdom in this game has done it differently. :S Sign of a good game I guess, it can be played a dozen different ways, al to get you the same result.
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I'm looking at a few different sites for some nice shoots over my vacation. None too far away though. Near my folks cabin in Brigus Junction, areas around Carbonear and Clarenville, likely some spots out towards Pouch Cove. I have a slightly different perspective on things now a days, compared to when I as through these places before. I was just shooting half assed, not putting any real thoughts into composition or depth. I've learned a lot from my camera group this year.
----------------
A short one today. Talk soon.
C
----------------
I finished up Dead to Rights Retribution last night. A fun venture, the ending was seemingly cut right out of an 80's action flick. LOVED IT. Everyone should take this game for a ride, even if it's just for a weekend. Basic fighting with a little challenge, decent graphics, and a lot of nostalgia. Anyone who is a child of the 80's owes it to themselves to try this out.
Next, onto Alpha Protocol, Alan Wake, and finishing Final Fantasy 13!
----------------
I'm actually stuck at a boss in Final Fantasy 13 right now and it is really what's keeping me from picking it up again. Proudclad (gay name, I know). He's this tank thing that is simply relentless in his attacks. I always get him to about 10% left and he goes mad. Blah. I've read a couple of strategies on the web about how to handle him, but it seems that there is no real decisive "strategy" as it seems everyone who has decided to share their wisdom in this game has done it differently. :S Sign of a good game I guess, it can be played a dozen different ways, al to get you the same result.
----------------
I'm looking at a few different sites for some nice shoots over my vacation. None too far away though. Near my folks cabin in Brigus Junction, areas around Carbonear and Clarenville, likely some spots out towards Pouch Cove. I have a slightly different perspective on things now a days, compared to when I as through these places before. I was just shooting half assed, not putting any real thoughts into composition or depth. I've learned a lot from my camera group this year.
----------------
A short one today. Talk soon.
C
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Running on Fumes takes the Joy out of everything. :(
For quite some time now, I've been running on fumes. I have no energy for anything, I don't enjoy anything like I typically would, I don't even sleep well. Since basically last spring, I've been going FLAT OUT with so many wonderful and crazy things (got married, bought my first house, started a new job, started a new business venture, plus a bunch of personal stuff to boot) that I'm just to the point of it all just becoming a little much and I want the world to stop for a bit. So, I GO ON VACATION NEXT WEEK! :D
Life does have a tendency of sneaking up on you. Sad but true, we all need that all important 2 to 3 week period out of every year that allows us to just slow down, hit the reset button, and relax. Not many of us get the true ability to do this, and to be quite honest with you, this is my first "real" vacation in so many years that I don't remember the last one save for my college and university days. I've had a week off here and there, not really enough time to do much at all. This two weeks I'll be doing some photo expeditions, some minor renovations on my home, and some real, hardcore gaming. :D
It'll be a "don't call me, I'll call you" period. :D
--------------------------------
I picked up Alpha Protocol this week, hesitantly. It's supposed to be Mass Effect but in current day. So far, it's ok. The graphics are really bad, sadly. Worse than Dragon Age. (I really was disappointed with Dragon Age visuals...) The control is a little wonky but manageable. The story is super spy stuff, so I'm really into that. I haven't played enough to give a good recommendation for or against it yet. I've had fun with it so far though.
I'm almost finished Dead to Rights: Retribution. I'm on the last level. It's a game that I could have played through in 1 weekend but I've had it for the better part of 6 weeks now, playing on and off. The slice of the 80's has, for me, been nostalgic and fun. It's the kind of nostalgia that really works well with me. It's a game obviously made for today, but with the "feel" of a game from the past. So, it's the best of both worlds. It looks great but feels old.
I almost never "go back" to older games. I remember them fondly, then I see them, and that fond memory is almost always replaced with "wow, that's ugly". Biggest example: Final Fantasy 7. I rave about the wonders of this game, and will do so for all of time. However, it looks fucking terrible by today's standards. Unfair to say that given that it was made in 1997ish. But... it IS today, and it's hard to let go of how amazing Final Fantasy 13 looks. It not play as good, but it does look WAY better.
--------------------------------
I want to figure out how to do HDR photography. There's a HDR automate thing in Photoshop, but I have heard it doesn't handle very well. "In image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminances between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wider dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight." (stolen from Wikipedia) I've seen a number of old home shots that really benefit from this technique, as it really brings out EVERY line and little detail in the paint flake and wood cracking, really making a very interesting picture.
---------------------------------
All for today! Thanks for reading!
C
Life does have a tendency of sneaking up on you. Sad but true, we all need that all important 2 to 3 week period out of every year that allows us to just slow down, hit the reset button, and relax. Not many of us get the true ability to do this, and to be quite honest with you, this is my first "real" vacation in so many years that I don't remember the last one save for my college and university days. I've had a week off here and there, not really enough time to do much at all. This two weeks I'll be doing some photo expeditions, some minor renovations on my home, and some real, hardcore gaming. :D
It'll be a "don't call me, I'll call you" period. :D
--------------------------------
I picked up Alpha Protocol this week, hesitantly. It's supposed to be Mass Effect but in current day. So far, it's ok. The graphics are really bad, sadly. Worse than Dragon Age. (I really was disappointed with Dragon Age visuals...) The control is a little wonky but manageable. The story is super spy stuff, so I'm really into that. I haven't played enough to give a good recommendation for or against it yet. I've had fun with it so far though.
I'm almost finished Dead to Rights: Retribution. I'm on the last level. It's a game that I could have played through in 1 weekend but I've had it for the better part of 6 weeks now, playing on and off. The slice of the 80's has, for me, been nostalgic and fun. It's the kind of nostalgia that really works well with me. It's a game obviously made for today, but with the "feel" of a game from the past. So, it's the best of both worlds. It looks great but feels old.
I almost never "go back" to older games. I remember them fondly, then I see them, and that fond memory is almost always replaced with "wow, that's ugly". Biggest example: Final Fantasy 7. I rave about the wonders of this game, and will do so for all of time. However, it looks fucking terrible by today's standards. Unfair to say that given that it was made in 1997ish. But... it IS today, and it's hard to let go of how amazing Final Fantasy 13 looks. It not play as good, but it does look WAY better.
--------------------------------
I want to figure out how to do HDR photography. There's a HDR automate thing in Photoshop, but I have heard it doesn't handle very well. "In image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminances between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wider dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight." (stolen from Wikipedia) I've seen a number of old home shots that really benefit from this technique, as it really brings out EVERY line and little detail in the paint flake and wood cracking, really making a very interesting picture.
---------------------------------
All for today! Thanks for reading!
C
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