Movieguy

I'm a little too clumsy for skiing, but there are a few spots here for toboganing I think.

I just got back together with an old friend, big gaming fanatic. He has a japanese Dreamcast now, and I got to try out a lot of the Japanese titles that were never released stateside. One was Fighting Vipers 2, which was fantasitic! Another was this great Vertical shooter, whose title escapes me at the moment.

Interesting...it looks like like Harry is going take up the Hobgoblin mantle, even though that's kind of screwing with the comic book's plots. Fine by me though. Only difference I've noticed in appearance is that in the trailer, Harry's not wearing a mask. I guess Raimi and Co. we're afraid they were going to get the kind of criticism they did for the Green Goblin's mask in the first film. I'm a bit nervous about this installment. There's a danger of the "too many villans" syndrome that plagued the Batman movies until recently. And I think people are going to go into it expecting Venom, and they'll likely only get a brief glimpse of him at the end. That in turn is going to leave audiences feeling screwed, and others will stay away in droves. Ultimately, that may lead to no next movie at all. But you never know. Sam Raimi seems to know what he's doing with these films, and may have found a solution to this quandry already. We'll all just have to wait and see.

I remember one distinguishing factor that PS2 had from the Dreamcast that was repeatedly drilled into our heads...its ability to play DVDs. But, come on...how many of you can honestly say that you regularly play DVDs on your PS2?...especially in a time when DVD-roms come standard on PC's, and some basic DVD players are cheaper than a PS2? I sure don't.

With all the talk about next-gen gaming systems, I feel compelled to talk about one of my favorite consoles. One that fell by the wayside, but to this day, offers more replay value to me than even my PS2...The Sega Dreamcast. Now mind you, there have been good titles for the PS2, no question. But ever since I got a replacement cable, I've found myself playing my old DC titles with much more frequency lately. Games like Power Stone, Crazy Taxi, Dynamite Cop, Virtua Tennis, and my all time favorite DC title, Marvel VS Capcom 2. Simply put, for all the PS2's qualities, I just fell out of interest in gaming during the time it was my only working system...but now, with my DC up and running again, I've refuelled my gamer's enthusiasm once more. If there's anyone here who owns a Sega Dreamcast, or have played it. If you know or remember of the kind of enjoyment this little console provided, speak up on this thread now! Share your respect for this deceased piece of hardware, the last ever put out by Sega. Don't make me feel all alone here, I beg you...

I have a very patient strategy when it comes to game systems...I never buy one at the launch. I always wait a while to see how a system's doing, before I make any judgements. And like Elissa, I've always been about the games themselves. I really don't really care how pretty the graphics can be, if it doesn't come with a game that has a lot of replay value. The Wii...it looks promising, so my outlook on that is a cautiously optimistic one. PS3? I'm sorry, but to me, 600 bucks is way too much for a gaming system. Sony is moving itself into dangerous territory...3DO and CDI Territory. And I feel compelled to make the following analogy: Blu-Ray = Betamax That is all...

Borat is great! It's really funny, especially when you're in a packed theater, like I was the night I saw it. I read about Sacha Baron Cohen and his creation of the character on Entertainment Weekly. It says that the moustache is real, and it takes him about 6 weeks to grow. He also refrains from washing the suit a lot, so he has a more "Authentic" odor. Trey Parker, who screened this movie with other comedic talents, went up to Cohen, and suggested that he do a Bruno movie next. I'm all for that!

I've never been an extensively religious type, but I find it hard to believe that we're simply here by chance, that something could just appear out of nothingness. I don't really know if there is a god. But if there is a higher power or consciousness out there in the universe, it's probably something that none of us can ever fully comprehend. And if there is a whole other world beyond what we see in this one, it's probably beyond anything any person could imagine in this life.

Everyone was making a stink about how last year's WS was so low-rated...it seems nobody gives a damn about the WS now unless the Yankees are in it, which is depressing.

I don't get to go to church much thanks to my job, but my pastor's a very friendly, and very open minded guy, and I like to talk to him when I can. The man is part of a dying breed in today's church. It just sickens me so much when I look at places like these "Hell houses". Christianity is becoming far too politicized. It seems nowadays, in order to be considered a christian, you have be against this, and against that, and it seems you have to be a southern baptist as well. At least that's how the media seems to be painting it. And sadly, it seems to be a philosophy that's winning over the whole country.

Oh, I haven't forgotten those two...but I guess General Mills decided that re-releasing all 5 would be too pricey, which is unfortunate.

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wRYNaqQKXU Yes, the count may still be available...but come on, it's just not the same without the other two monsters at his side! I was hoping they'd do this again for halloween, and now I can't wait for October to come

I'm not interested in the PS3 at all. I barely even play my PS2 anymore, except for sports games and the like. Games these days have gotten way too complex for me. All this analog stick nonsense is especially grating, which is why I never got into Halo either. I preffered it when your choices were either a joystick, or a directional pad, as well as just a few buttons, rather than multiple buttons used in multiple fashions. And everyone is so obsessed with graphics. Games today are all about graphics, graphics, graphics, and little left to making the whole playing experience enjoyable. They also make you go through so much stuff in some adventure games, just to get to a save point, which I also find annoying. I just don't have time for a lot of games anymore, with work and all... Don't take it seriously...just the 2 cents of a disgruntled old school gamer, is all.

My interpretation of the ND fight song...*ahem* "Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame! Old Notre Dame's become oh-so lame! We can't win for anything, but we still get to play on NBC! 'Cause we've got tradition, oh yes! And a cool song that sticks in your head! Even though we suck big time, You can still see us plastered on SI!" But hey, give them some credit...they're the only college team in the North that anyone gives a damn about, in a sport that's usually dominated by Southern teams.

As long as John Madden is around, we will never stop hearing about how great Brett Farve is...I think the guy has some secret desire to be Favre's boy toy. Seriously though, I'm excited to see the Steelers in action, as well as keeping a close eye on Carson Palmer and the Bengals. I love it when underdogs come back in a big way, and I'm hoping Mr. Palmer is back in tip-top condition after that bad injury.

I'm glad to see NYC so far down on the list...every year, Detroit, Miami, and other cities have higher murder rates than NY, yet everyone assumes that NY is the most violent place in the country, and that everyone is so pissed off there all the time.

This is a very, very, touchy subject, and I'm almost hesitant to talk about it myself, for fear of rubbing some people the wrong way. I work in a groecery store, as a cashier, in a fairly diverse town. That being said, it's very easy to fall into the trap of believing stereotypes in a job like this, because you do encounter many people of certain ethnic groups that have tendencies and behaviors that almost fit into a pattern unique to their group. This could be, however, because of the fact that those customers who fit the stereotypes are easier to recognize and remember, and when you're exposed to that sort of thing enough, it's very easy to start believing that every person in that group is like that, that all blacks are lazy and argumentative food stamp peddlers, or all white people are penny pinching bores who always seperate their groceries into multiple orders, or that all hispanics pay for big orders with cash because there's no paper trail... The above are all examples of things I've heard employees talk about at least once. It's easy to forget that there are tons of exceptions to the rule. I readily noticed, for one, that there are just as many, if not more, white people who are on food stamps. But i think the big reason as to why racism continues in this world, is that ours is a corporately run world. Hate and fear, are ultimately more profitable, than love and understanding.

I was wondering whether I should talk about this, but i decided I should, since I consider many of you my friends. Back on August 24, I went to the NYS fair with my family, and took many pictures...I was planning on scanning these pics, and sharing them as another trip report within the following week... That was, until the morning of August 29th, the worst day I've ever lived through. My mother woke me up early, to inform me that my father suddenly suffered a heart attack. The medics got him to the hospital, but unfortunately, he died once he arrived in the emergency room. He was only 53 years old. I'm handling everything as well as I can now, since the funeral is over, and we're trying to re-assemble our lives here at home. My father was a wonderful, and wildly inventive man, who did much for the community, as well as for Cornell University's media services. I miss him terribly now, and probably will for much of the remainder of my life. Luckily, my family has a great circle of friends who have been supporting us, especially my mother, who's been the hardest shaken. Hopefully we'll be able to all heal from this terrible loss... As for the photos...I'm not sure I even want to develop those yet, much less scan them. The day is too close to my father's death for comfort.

I have just conquered my fear! I finally went on the Enterprise at the NYS fair today...and ended up riding it again twice. I loved it

This was inspired by the fear of star-flyers thread... Being a coaster fanatic, I find it so odd that I'm reluctant to go on a different flat ride...the enterprise. It's not so much the fact that it goes upside-down, but the fact that it inverts soooooo many times, plus you have NO restraints on that thing. It just freaks me out a little. Can anyone tell me what it's like to ride one of these, and maybe lessen my fears a little?

I've ridden Alpengeist and Raptor, and enjoyed them both, being the only Beemer inverts I've been able to ride so far...

Hehe, aren't all carnival darkrides the same? It looks promising on the outside, but inisde it's just total rubbish. But I'm going to the New York State Fair again soon, and I could look at the outside of their darkrides forever...they have great murals painted on things up around here...must be all the italian people in this area.

More pics!... Goodbye, crappy Veklona SLC... So long, Darien Lake... Viper, in all of it's head-rattling glory! Cheesy show goodness! Predator awaits more victims... Superman's first hill is especially impressive from this angle... Predator...nice to look at from off the ride...on it...that's a whole other story. The first hill's the best part! Nice little bunnyhill... Superman's queue was surprisingly short that day... Summers Death Machine! Another shot of Superman...

Ok, here are some of the pics! More Veklona goodness... The Veklona boomerang...surpisingly painless! I still will not ride a ferris wheel...no way, no how... Best way to enjoy a Veklona SLC...from a distance. Interesting shot from Mind Eraser...not sure how I got it. It's SF's anniversary...hurrah... Superman...best coaster in the park, by far! Viper's corkscrew, from the queue... Predator was so crappy, they shut it down for a bit near the end of the day

I've never been able to attend this event, but it sure sounds good.