drwise

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

The marketing for this game is terrible, but luckily it is misleading. The game is very good and a typical Bioware experience, and the combat itself is the best they’ve done since Baldur’s Gate 2. I loved Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic and even strongly liked Jade Empire, but those games never challenged me in any real way, while this game is very tactical and interesting. I suppose if the advertising brings in some new people to this type of gaming, I’ll deal with it. But contrary to what Marilyn Manson would have you believe, this is NOT ENTIRELY ‘the new shit’. Actually, in many ways it’s a throwback to Baldur’s Gate / Icewind Dale and even back alllll the way to Gold Box AD&D.

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

I guess you might know if you visited this site and looked at the fllickr gallery plugin. But why would you visit this site? I haven’t posted in a while. I’m a bad monkey.

Anyway, wanted to record that… we have a puppy. His name is Pippin. Some notes - he’s extremely friendly to everyone and everything, he likes to nip at heels because he’s a corgi, and he’s a big fat wuss when it comes to pain. Let me amend that last - he was fine GETTING shots at the vet but the soreness afterward caused all sorts of drama.

Here he is being cute:

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

What kind of a world do we live in where a man dressed up as a BAT…. steals all my press?

This is easily the game of the year thus far for me. The campaign mode is a pitch perfect 10-15 hour experience, which I greatly prefer over 40 hours of drek. And the challenge modes provide extended playability. Wonderful game.

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

Some football thoughts:

1) I hate to say this, but the most overrated team in college football right now is LSU. I am an LSU fan. I grew up in the state. I root for Louisiana teams in general. But geeze, they have won some tight games. I know their week one opponent beat USC last weekend. I don’t care. I personally think if you punch USC in the mouth they shrink, and if they played in the SEC they’d average more than their one loss per year. LSU is just not that good this year. Witness their recent win. They could easily be 2-2 or 1-3 if it weren’t for some lucky bounces and some incredible individual performances.

2) I’m writing this as the Saints take on Buffalo. This is a game the Saints usually lose. They have some national attention. The aerial game is struggling outdoors, in the Buffalo wind. Except. They are running the ball and the defense looks good. (Admittedly I think the Bills offense is still in the test tube). Buffalo’s defense is underrated. Their coverage has been really good. It’s the fourth quarter now. No guarantee that I won’t delete this segment of the post, especially if Buffalo rips my black and gold heart out and shows it to me. (NOT an unfamiliar feeling).

But I think the Saints are good this year. If their running game holds up… and it’s mostly line blocking that makes it good, like all running games… they won’t be an easy out in bad weather this year. And they have a passing game that makes you scared.

3) Directv’s internet and mobile applications are scary good. Way better than ESPN360 or any other alternative I’ve seen. I’m piggy-backing on my mom and stepfather’s directv Sunday ticket to watch whatever game I want. The picture quality is roughly equivalent of standard definition television but… any.game.I.want. That actually trumps High Definition for people rooting for a specific team. And… holy crap, what a great mobile app. I’ve barely used it but it is tight. Even if I weren’t watching live games with it (and… wow), I would use it to keep track of game scores on the go. Great job guys. PLEASE MAKE THE INTERNET AND MOBILE PORTION OF YOUR SERVICE AVAILABLE TO NON-DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS. You’ve already done it for Manhattan. Do it for the rest of us. You will make a thousand million billion dollars. I promise.

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

Mirror’s Edge is a frustrating tech demo incorporated in a mazelike gaming world that’s sure to make you throw the controller down when you finally see red. I mean, you have to see red to see where you are supposed to go. The game makes its own metaphors. The Erin Esurance cut-scenes that serve as plot points also do not do it for me. I played it for two hours and sent it back. I wish it were better, because some of the city vistas are nice and the feeling of speed in certain parts of the game are wonderful. I wish it were better. But it’s not.

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

Yes, that’s right. I do. To some of you this will come as a SHOCK. (Actually, some of you are sick of hearing it).

I recently upgraded to an HTC Fuze and I really do think it’s the bee’s knees, baby. Read on after the jump from some pollywompus from a real kluck.

Read the rest of this entry »

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

I did a presentation earlier this week in New York. As I’m getting starting, I’m talking with those in the audience. It’s a small group, maybe ten people, and of those ten, TWO of them were from Louisiana.

Backstory: I grew up in Louisiana. What an odd world, where we go to do presentations in New York and meet people who grew up in our home state, which is half a continent away.

During the presentation, someone mentioned they were from Dallas.

Me: “Wow, big presence from the south today.”

Lady Next To Me: “That’s okay. We have a big presence from the Northeast too. I think we could take ‘em!”

Me: (Thinking) “Okay, I think she thinks I’m from the Northeast too. Act casual. I’m CERTAINLY NOT A SPY. I hope I didn’t say any of that out loud.”

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

I thought the Philadelphia Half Marathon was in September for some reason. I think I got it confused with the Philly Distance Run. I was so certain I was registered for something in September that I thought… “Maybe I did register for the distance run.”

Luckily, gmail saves everything, and I have confirmed that I’m registered for the half marathon. In November. I feel relief that I have two extra months to train.

I’ve been thinking about doing the Houston half in January. Should I do a half marathon so soon afterward? I suppose I could use the Philadelphia half as a warm up half, without an eye on a specific time….? It’s probably unwise to Actually Race with so small a gap…

Originally published at drw. Please leave any comments there.

Coworker:

“So I was once on this flight to Puerto Rico. They made multiple announcements making sure everyone was on the right flight before we took off. They even walked through the cabin, checking on people. They obviously thought something was wrong, but no one spoke up.

Midway through the flight, the guy sitting next to me says… hey, we are flying south. Where are we going? I tell him, and he says, crap, I am supposed to be going to Los Angeles!”

Me:

“He… noticed you were flying south?”

Coworker:

“Yes.”

Me:

“Wow, that’s incredible directional awareness for someone with very little situational awareness.”