theSLOG
the blog of scott
Reflection.
I want to start blogging again. For me. Not for you.
Kill Zone 2
The Skinny:
It’s action packed, it’s full o’ guns, it’s fast paced and it’s…boring.
The Yay’s:
Beauitful graphics, awesome atmosphere, fast paced, lots of guys to shoot.
The Nay’s:
I may just be biased as I’m not a huge shooter player (I do enjoy them and have put in my time) but Killzone 2 leaves something to be desired. You will like it if you’re going for a run, gun, rinse and repeat as desired game. Its basically Killzone 1, take 2 and there are definetly many gears of war influences here as far as characters and the look of the game.
FINAL GRADE: C+
Uncharted 2
Platform: PS3
The Skinny:
A fast paced, extremely beautiful and cinematic adventure shooter with a lot of depth. An entirely new and awesome take on an old and loved genre. It’s like Tomb Raider got together with Assassins Creed, had a kid and then let COD and it’s partner Splinter Cell raise it.
The Yay’s:
First of all this is a beautifully rendered game. The atmosphere is breathtakingly realistic, and the fact that the story will take you from ancient museums, rooftops, lush jungles, temples, and amazing snow-covered mountains just shows off its design department. I think I spend more time just looking around at it than I do playing. JUST KIDDING but seriously, it’s a purty game.
Remember Tomb Raider? Remember how we wanted to love it so much more than it would let us, due to it’s ridiculous, non-sensical level designs and blocky graphics? (Don’t get me wrong I appreciated every pixel of the series, but was found myself cursing most of the time) Uncharted 2 is everything Tomb Raider wanted to be but couldn’t and more. The game swings seamlessly from cut scene to play time, spending just enough time in cut scene to set the scenario or transition without leaving you wondering if you’re watching a movie or playing a game. The story stays fresh, and the characters are fun and humorous.
The gameplay is simply amazing. There are elements of puzzle solving, straight up exploring, and explosive fire fights all rolled into one solid story. I just finished a scene (yes I call them scenes because it so cinematically designed) where I have to jump from truck to truck in a high-speed car chase along a snowy ridge all whilst taking cover and shooting at the opponents at hand. It’s great! You are rarely just shooting, or just exploring, instead you do usually both at once.
As far as the shooter elements go its pretty great. It’s incredibly easy to control your gun fire while moving around, switching weapons, reloading, all the usual stuff. You can even run from enemy’s while shooting over your shoulder at them behind you. The selection of weapons is pretty wide, and you never really have to use one or the other it’s all personal preference save for a few sequences where you have to blow up, say, a tank or helicopter. You also have the option to be stealthy, which provides you with instances where you can grab a baddy and huck him off a ledge, walk up behind and snap his neck. There is also a great and simple hand to hand combat method if you find yourself in that situation. It allows you to throw punches, and if they get the upper hand you can dodge and counter attack, all using just two buttons.
I could go on and on forever about this game. But just know that it’s really fun. That’s all that really matters. It’s obvious that the developers spent a lot of time testing and smoothing it out until it was as perfect as possible.
The Nay’s:
Nothing to say here.
FINAL GRADE: A+
The Omnivores Dilemma
The Skinny:
We follow Pollan on his journey to meet his self-imposed challenge of discovering the true cost of our eating habits and what it takes to be fully responsible for the food on the table. Along the way we get an in-depth lesson on how our culture has arrived at its current state, we dive into the industrial farming world (conventional and organic) and expose the dark secrets of our countries stomach.
The Yays:
Where do I start? This book is so great on so many levels. Pollan has concocted a wonderful blend of a book. The underlying base of his auto-biographical story telling holds the palate while a dose of factual science, a dash of history and social commentary, and a pinch of humor add the spice that holds the interest throughout.
It encompasses so much and has so much great info packed into the story, it’s a slap in the face of our ignorance to one of the most important issues at hand. He has successfully weaved a hefty amount of solid information into a compelling story. I have not met anyone who did not love this book, and many tell me his others are great as well.
If you give a shit about yourself, the country you live in and the state of the world you simply must read this book. It may just change your life!
The Nays:
Ummmm…there simply are none. If you didn’t like this book you probably don’t understand it.
FINAL GRADE: A+
Super Happy Fun Time Grapefruit Chews!
Not much to say here. These are great!
FINAL GRADE: A+
Andy Comes to Town
A few days ago my best friend from VT (we have been friends since birth basically) came to town for 2 days. I haven’t seen him in two years so it was a long over due hang out. We basically just went mountain biking, swimming in the ocean and played video games…and that was SO MUCH FUN! One of the trails we rode had an awesome rope swing that went out over a crazy crevasse. Here are some pictures from his stay!
It was a blast and I was sad to see him go so soon. COME BACK SOON DOOD!
Warning Signs
Have you noticed an increase in completely unnecessary warning labels and instructions in recent years?
Well I have. Seeing a warning label on something so obviously dangerous just makes me feel like I live among a culture of the most un-perceptive people on earth. Which is probably true.
I may sound jaded and angry and arrogant, but in truth I am just concerned for our race. Consider these observations:
I have noticed instructions on a bag of candy detailing how to open the plastic bag and we’ve all heard about the woman who sued McDonald’s for serving her hot coffee without a label on it. Come on people, really?
Does it go hand in hand? Are we less perceptive of our enviroment because we have slowly created a culture where the thinking is done for us or did we create this culture because we are inherently stupid? I believe the former is true.
If you see a blender with obviously sharp moving blades, you wouldn’t stick your hand in it, right!? But imagine being a young child in present time. Anything remotely dangerous has been plastered with warning labels. So, as you grow, your instincts and power of cognitive perception have to work less, and thus suffer. Much like an un-exersiced muscle suffering atrophy over time. Something that is dangerous but NOT labeled might not catch your eye so easily. We can then conclude that over time we are building a race of less perceptive people.
Which brings up another observation along the same wave length.
Parents are increasingly sheltering their children from the world, from playing in the sand box to shushing the news. Kids who’s mothers constantly spray disinfectant solutions on their hands will have a much harder time building their immune system. My brother and I grew up running around in the woods, getting cut up by sticks and pricker bushes and we almost never get sick.
This obsession with sanitation is contributing to the downfall of our race. Not only are we raising unreceptive children, but we are also destroying their immune defenses, all in the name of a better or safer world.
Another example springs to mind. I personally have terrible spelling and grammar because I grew up with spell check and auto-correct. I had no reason to know every word or how to properly write. To this day I can’t tell you the difference uses between where and were, there and their. It’s embarrassing but serves to reiterate my point. There are so many examples of this whole idea all around us. We are literally destroying ourselves.
The fact that we have the ability to have all this technology yet we fail to reconize it’s misuse is the most important and obvious warning label of all.
Think about it.
Conditioner
Because I’ve been biking so much I’ve been able to take a close look at traffic lights and cross walk sign situations. Traffic control, vehicle and otherwise is extremely important. They keep everyone safe, just as most rules/laws are supposed to do. However, if you take cars out of the traffic light situation, it renders the lights (including cross walk lights) useless. Just as it is with any rule or law. Speed limit signs and laws are designed to keep us safe but if there aren’t any other cars around than they are much less important.
When I come to a cross walk, I am usually surrounded by other bikers and pedestrians. They are all waiting, watching the light hoping it will change soon. Many push that button over and over and over, thinking it will make a difference. Most cross walks favor cars so these pedestrians will have to wait quite awhile just to get across the street. I choose to look for cars, and if there are non or the ones that are there are fairly far off, I just go. Even when people have seen that I lived to ride again they still just stand, waiting for the all-powerful white hand to show them the way.
People have become so conditioned to live by rules that are sometimes irrelevant. If I’m driving and I come to a red light and there isn’t a car in sight, I just go. The light is there in the event that there are many cars. So really if that element is taken out, it’s really just a stop sign situation.
What I’m trying to say is just use your brain and don’t let lights completely control your traveling. Don’t stand there pushing the button a thousand times, grumbling about it when you could be crossing the street. Apply yourself to the world and live in it.
Categories
Tweets
Error: Twitter did not respond. Please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.
You said what?!
 | Paul Smith on The Zumi Digital Camera |
 | Bradley on About |
 | Scott on The Zumi Digital Camera |
| Scott on Home. |
 | Michael on Home. |
