Hey, just as an announcement, if I’m not answering my phone these days, it’s because the other day it decided that the joystick didn’t need to work anymore, so now I can’t make any outbound calls unless I have the number memorized. Hopefully I’ll be getting a new phone fairly soon.

Although, it’s been quite nice without a phone, and I’m very seriously considering other alternatives.

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GCS d--(+)>--- s(-):(-) a-- C++++(++)$ ULSC+++(++++)>$ P(+)>+++ L++++(+++)>+++++ !E---(--) W++(+++) N+() o? K--? w++(++++)$>-- !O !M-(+) !V-- PS++(+++) PE-(--) Y++ !PGP---- t+ !5 !X(-) R+>++ tv()>-- b(-)>+++ DI++(+++) D(+) G e>++ h-->-- r>++ y+(++)>reset
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Wow, that’s uncanny.

I was totally inspired to write a post, but instead my brother decided to scare the hell out of me by pounding on the wall and complaining about the music that I can barely hear one foot away from my ears, and now I’ve completely lost any train of thought I once had. Thanks a lot Mike. On a lighter note, Merry Flying Spaghetti Monster day!

After seeing the same old shit time and time and again, it was awesome to see a game that’s genuinely different and innovative; I read this review on Façade, and I wholeheartedly agree with the author that this game is the most important game created in the last five years at least, for the simple fact that it has turned the very concept of a “game” on its head.

For the uninitiated, I’ll give a short synopsis. The game opens as you walk into the apartment of a young married couple, whom your character has been old friends with. You interact with the game via talking to the two characters and some gestures; the game interprets what you’re saying and the characters respond to it. After talking to these two for a bit, you see that they really don’t get along; in fact, they’re quite at odds with each other. The game has several different endings based on what you say; the couple could reconcile their differences, they could break up, or a number of other scenarios could occur

What’s really interesting to me about this game is the complete change of focus that you don’t really see, even in games that have a well-written and executed plot (this unfortunately, is a short list in my opinion, Final Fantasy VI being one of them). The game isn’t about competing or building something, it’s about human interaction and expression; there is no reward for saving their marriage and no “you died” because you didn’t say the right thing. It’s such a paradigm shift that I think it’ll take people awhile to wrap their heads around it, it allows interactives “games” to express a vastly greater range of ideas

The Religious Right says that abstinence is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy when the whole premise of their religion is that it isn’t. Hilarity.