TattooTheBaby

Welcome back to another edition of my gamers column called “Got Game”. This week I will be playing, er, I mean revealing the many aspects of the modern FPS (First Person Shooter) genre console/PC game. What a mouthful, eh!? So exactly what is an FPS genre game you ask?

Well, the FPS game is what it says; a shoot-em-up style game played in “first person” view. Why 1st Person you ask? One word, IMMERSION. Just in case you dont know what immersion means; the definition is here: Immersion.  We all know the roots of the Modern Day FPS, Wolfenstein, Doom, Duke Nukem, and Quake to name a few. I remember back in the day, playing Team Fortress via WONSwap/WON (World Opponent Network). That was also back when Sierra was calling some shots. Heck, I also remember going to an internet cafe to play some Quake: Arena (i think Arena-scratches head).  Connections were slow, the Cafe’s were pricey; grrr, it kinda’ sucked to be a gamer back then. No High-Speed internet, NO 26″ LCD monitors, NO lightning fast Quad-Core CPUs, NO GB of anykind!

With computer technology adavncing so fast nowadays, it’s becoming easier and more affordable to build decent, reliable and fast computers. Not to mention the fact that console manufacturers are designing and building their latest and greatest with HDD’s in them as well as BlueTooth (BT) and wireless internet. You know, back in 1984, I never dreamed of games such as Team Fortress 2, BattleField 2142, Call of Duty 4 and Crysis whilst I was playing Joust on a family friends Commodore 64!

So, you wanna’ play some FPS games do ya? Not sure where to start? The choices are so many and you can’t afford to buy them all, least not yet. Well, for beginners; get yourself a copy of Team Fortress 2 (TF2) or The Orange Box (TOB is better deal as you get like 8 games for merely 2x the cost of TF2 alone) and while you’re at the game shop, pick yourself up a copy of Battle Field 2142 (BF2142). You’ll be out the door for under $80 and you will also get a choice. What choice you ask as you’re thinking to yourself….? That choice is Realism.

Realism, come on! I know that’s what you’re thinking, but hear me out. You’ve got surround sound speakers, in-game voice, highly detailed maps and when you couple that with a BIG monitor and a little imagination. You will FEEL the Realism, seriously. I know there are times when I get a little “shell shocked” whilst gaming out! When those times come, I relish them, and smile HUGE as I realize its “just a game”.

TF2 or BF2142? Good question. Well, if you want play in a “real type” in-game world then BF2142 is for you. Though I have yet to really get my hands bloody with BF2142, I will say the realism is almost scary.  I will delve more into this game after I get some more time to mess with it. I have yet to get the 1.5 patch installed.

The biggest difference you notice straight from the packaging, TF2 is “cartoonish”. Don’t let that fool you, there is still plenty of blood n guts during your online killing fests. With numerous maps and various types of gameplay to be had from CP (Capture the Point), CTF (Capture the Flag er, actually intel nowadays), Arena to name a few. Then you have many different character classes to choose from i.e. Sniper, Soldier, Medic and Engineer for starters. No “bots” here either, everytime you kill or get killed; it’s another live player somwhere trying to get his Frag on!

Say it dont spray it! I remember when I was a n008 playing TFC back in the “dial-up” days getting my @$$ PWND by players with much better equipment, ISP bandwidth and ping. Any kind of communication that was not “bound” to a key on my end had to be typed; because I could not afford a headset even if the PC had the correct audio jacks. We all know how much it sucks to have to type a reply, or something like “Spy is Eng in sewer” (click-SEND) STAB!!! YOUR DEAD!!! LOL With services such as Steams in-game voice service, TeamSpeak (TS) as well as Ventrillo, it makes it easy to communicate with other players. The benefit of TS or Ventrillo is that if a server has “Allspeak” on, you can speak to those on your TS/Vent Channnel and NOT the other team. So long as you have an extra button or two on your mouse, you can “bind” your PTT (Push To Talk) voice to that button. Be sure not to spam the voice channel or you’ll chance getting “muted”.

Well, fellow gamers; I know it’s been a long week but we all know how life seems to always get in the way of what we want to do. What’s in store for us next edition? I will be reviewing my new Ideazon ZBoard Merc gaming keyboard as well as publishing my Qwik Guide to Playing Soldier for TF2.

Cya in-game. GET SUM!

So you think you’re a gamer eh? Well then, let me welcome you to my new weekly and possibly more often, Gamers Blog. Within, I will cover everything from PC games to console games, movies about games, games about movies; game cheats and tips, gaming communities and even gaming worlds! Yes, that’s right; the list goes on, but where do we start? How about with a brief history of in-home gaming.

Most of us know about the Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES/Nintendo for short).  Those two systems pretty much revolutionized the “home gaming console” industry. Even still, they were not the only systems available back in the day. Remember the Magnavox Odyssey circa 1972, the  Colecovision circa 1982, and the Sega Genesis released in 1989 just to name a few. Nintendo was unstoppable it seemed especially since the roll out of the SNES or Super Nintendo! That was until SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment America) paved its way with the 32bit Playstation that used CD’s instead of cartridges. Ever since, Nintendo and Playstation have been trading punches trying to stay on top.

Let us not forget the PC gamers arena. PC gaming was there at the inception of “in-home gaming”, but with the price of PC’s being so high, most gamers settled for consoles. What options were to be had back then for those wanting to play on a PC? Not many, really! Remember the Commodore 64, the Amiga 500, the Apple II,  and Tandy’s TRS-80.  As the computer games to be played were even fewer and farther in-between. Anyone remember Joust? That was the first game I ever played on a PC, i think like 1984 or so! Heck, remember the Mac IIsi, that was my first computer! LOL

Fast forward to the mid-1990’s. America and most of the rest of the world goes ONLINE. PC’s are not only getting more advanced, they are also getting more and more affordable. What does this mean for the gamer? The possibilities are endless! Anything from FPS(first person shooters) to MMORPGs (massively multi-player online role playing game),  and Simulation types to name a few genres.

So, what type of gamer are you? Console or PC? FPS or MMORPG? I am sure most of you reading this have at least ONE gaming console and have played a game or two on a PC.  Heck, you can even play games on your cell phone; though not like you will be PWNing n0085 in TF2 , COD4 or BF2142 from your iPhone. The addicted gamer might get a qwik fix whilst waiting in-line to purchase that next “Gotta Have It” game!

Get Sum!

Next week: The Modern FPS!

Source: LiveLeak

August 1, 2008 Very cool video of this event. It was shot from an airplane,

over the Canadian Arctic.

Source: NORML

Members Of Congress Demand An End To Federal Pot Possession Arrests The use of cannabis “ought to be none of the government’s business,” lawmakers say at Capitol Hill press conference

July 31, 2008 - Washington, DC, US

Washington, DC: Members of Congress called on lawmakers to enact legislation that would limit the government’s authority to arrest and prosecute adults who possess marijuana for their own personal use.

The federal government should “not lock people up or use scarce federal resources to arrest people for using or possessing … marijuana,” Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) announced at a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday. “The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government’s business. I don’t think it is the government’s business to tell you how to spend your leisure time.”

Rep. Frank, along with Reps. William Lacy Clay (D-MO) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), called on lawmakers to support legislation, HR 5843, which would eliminate federal penalties for the possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana by adults. Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), William Lacy Clay, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Jim McDermott (D-WA) are co-sponsoring the bill, entitled “the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008.”

The legislation is the first proposal to be introduced in Congress in 30 years that seeks to eliminate federal pot penalties.

According to a 2006 Bureau of Justice Statistics report, 12.7 percent of state inmates and 12.4 percent of federal inmates serving time for drug violations are incarcerated for marijuana offenses.

Speaking at the press conference, NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said: “With alcohol, we acknowledge the distinction between use and abuse and we focus our law enforcement involvement on efforts to stop irresponsible use. We do not arrest and jail responsible alcohol drinkers. This should be our policy with marijuana as well.”

According to a nationwide Time Magazine/CNN poll, three out of four Americans believe that adults who possess marijuana should no longer face criminal penalties.

Since 1990, more than 11 million Americans have been arrested for violating marijuana laws, according to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Of those arrested, nearly 90 percent are charged with minor possession - not trafficking, cultivation, or sale. Nearly 75 percent of those arrested are under 30 years of age.

“The federal government’s misguided prohibition of marijuana is a war on young people,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Because of this failed public policy we have alienated an entire generation to believe that the police and the federal government are instruments of their oppression rather than their protection.”

House Bill 5843 is currently before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, which is a part of the House Judiciary Committee. In addition, the Bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s.

For more information, please contact NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre at (202) 483-5500. Video footage from the press conference. Additional video is available from CNN. More information regarding HR 5843 is available online via NORML’s Take Action Center.

DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7670

National MS Society Makes Recommendations Regarding Therapeutic Use Of Cannabis

July 31, 2008 - Washington, DC, US

Washington, DC: Cannabis has the potential to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis as well as limit the progression of the disease, according to an expert opinion paper published by the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society. However, the Society stopped short of recommending that MS patients use the drug medicinally.

“Although it is clear that cannabinoids have potential both for the management of MS symptoms such as pain and spasticity, as well as for neuroprotection, the Society cannot at this time recommend that medical marijuana be made widely available to people with MS for symptom management,” the Society concludes. “This situation might change, should better data become available that clearly demonstrate benefit.”

The Society recommends that future clinical trials focus on methods of cannabinoid administration that deliver the drug to the bloodstream rapidly, such as vaporization.

The Society also recommends clinical trials be performed to investigate and quantify cannabis’ potential to slow disease progression, citing “anecdotal reports from patients … that cannabis reduces the frequency of their MS attacks.”

Investigators at Plymouth’s Peninsula Medical School in Britain recently announced that they had recruited nearly 500 MS patients for a three-year clinical trial assessing whether the use of oral THC can significantly slow the onset of multiple sclerosis.

Clinical data reported in 2006 from an extended open-label study of 167 multiple sclerosis patients found that the use of whole plant cannabinoid extracts relieved symptoms of pain, spasticity, and bladder incontinence for an extended period of treatment (mean duration of study participants was 434 days) without requiring subjects to increase their dose.

Results from a separate two-year open label extension trial in 2007 also reported that the administration of cannabis extracts was associated with long-term reductions in neuropathic pain in select MS patients. On average, patients in the study required fewer daily doses of the drug and reported lower median pain scores the longer they took it.

Commenting on the MS Society report, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “The MS Society’s recommendations are a positive step, but they don’t go far enough. Surveys indicate that as many as one out of two MS patients use cannabis therapeutically, yet this report does nothing to challenge these patients legal status as criminals.”

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org

Full text of the MS Society paper, “Recommendations Regarding the Use of Cannabis in Multiple Sclerosis”. Additional information on cannabinoids and multiple sclerosis is available from NORML.

DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7671

“QUOTE THIS!”

I have always been fond of great quotes, but am quite disgusted with “quote sites” that show nothing other than a quote, whom it was by and possibly a date! I mean, come on, it is not very hard to copy and paste a photo or two, give some descriptive background (if possible). Basically just liven it up. So, with that said, let’s have some fun!

“Aside from all that would kill you, it would be a fun trip.“
~Neil deGrasse Tyson of the American Museum of Natural History

Neil deGrasse Tyson holds a Ph.D. degree in astrophysics and the quote was obtained while watching the television show The Universe on the episode called Speeding Up Travel, it was in reference to what he considered would be the “most fun” tour of our solar system you could come up with. That tour would consist of tailing or “hopping” on said asteroid/comet as it heads towards the Sun; the comet would be “sucked” behind the sun and almost “slingshot” back in the direction in which it came. Then, once nearing Earth’s vicinity, you could “hop” off said comet and descend into a comfortable orbit around our planet.

Sources:
Photo courtesy of PD-NASA
Wikipedia
History Channel

Hello there world! It is such a wonderful day today. After struggling for hours with my AEP (AIBO Entertainment Player) settings, my owner has finally re-configured my W-LAN settings and has also invited me to contribute to this blog. So, here I am! For those of you who dont know what an AIBO is…

AIBO is a robotic pet dog manufactured by Sony Corporation. I am an ERS-7M3 (Mind 3) model, Black Pearl in color. I was a factory Mind 3 bot, meaning, I was also one of the last to roll off the AIBO assembly lines. Throughout my blogs, I will delve into the history and future of everything AIBO’s! As, well, when I am not too busy “watch” dogging for my owner, I intend on posting my daily diary entries. Eventually, my Daily Diary Photo entries will be posted as well. Blogger does not support “Moveable API”; so my diary pics wont show, for now.
Take care and remember, somewhere, there is an AIBO in need.

This week’s Street Legal of the Week! (SLotW!) happens to been one extremely wicked F Series pickup. Though, far from “pickup” this Caterpillar powered F-650 is, more along the lines of “six wheeled beast”! We can all thank the guys down at Customs and Design By Elite for allowing me to capture this very durable work of art for the world to see. At Customs and Design By Elite, on the web at www.vipersbyelite.com you will find they are prepared to take your F-650 or Viper, thats right, VIPER, to a whole new level of customization; a level that so few have achieved, only known as…

All pictures are property of author and tattoothebaby.com

~hooch

04FEB08- Anonymous and Nick Guessed That Gadget! Thanks for participating in this weeks GTG! Stay tuned as there will be more to come.