A video worth sharing

For your viewing enjoyment..."One" by Mary J Blige featuring U2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4MVVwdq1ag

It's amazing just how fresh and new this song sounds. Originally released in 90/91 on U2's Achtung Baby album (which is where Zoo Station is also found), it over the years has at times sounded a little tired to me, mainly due to the fact that U2 seems to play it every single time they make any kind of public performance. However...it's just such a powerful song, that it keeps on coming back fresh and new again.

I have a disease...some call it "opportunity paralysis."

I pulled this quote from the main page of PennyArcade.com, an online comic strip about video gaming. Personally, I think PVPOnline.com is a better series, because they develop characters and storylines, but PennyArcade does tend to focus more on games. Anyways, this guy nails something that I experience perfectly. He's referring to the just released Xbox360/PC game Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, a game that is so nonlinear you can play for years without actual doing anything to further the story.

"The almost unlimited functionality definitely activates some hoarding response in my brain, so that if I don't pick up every dusty scapula with a shred of flesh still clinging I get terribly agitated. I stood in a cold dungeon for almost ten minutes before I could build up the strength to discard some rat meat. That isn't their fault, of course. You don't lose points for increasing player freedom to psychologically devastating levels. I was not aware that OCD was something you could "catch," but I'm beginning to think that I've got a bad case."

I suffer from this too I guess. It's crippling. I have maybe 4 or 5 games just sitting around that I bought up to six years ago that I CAN NOT PLAY. It's insane. I have to hoard every little last thing I find until I can either sell it for money or trade it in for something better (referring to in-game here).

I've been working on getting through Dungeon Siege since fall 04...I'm maybe 25-30 hours into...and while the game isn't known for its story (solely lacking), it's still a fun little game to just play. But it's literally taking me forever because I have to accumulate everything and explore every last nook and cranny in the dang game!

Then there is Baldur's Gate. I bought this game way back in Fall '01. I've tried to start playing it multiple times. But it's just so dang complex and HUGE that I can't get anywhere. The fear of missing something or doing something wrong or not getting the best experience is agravating. And it's a game I desperately want to play and beat because everyone tells me it has one of the best storylines you will ever find in a videogame!

And don't even get me started on those Grand Theft Auto games...

A date rule question

So...if when you and your date "catch lunch together", it's catching up as friends. If you and your date go out to dinner, it's probably the start or hope of something serious.

What is it if you go out to breakfast?



I'm sorry, but that thought came into my head earlier and I haven't stopped laughing and trying to figure it out...

I'm obviously still getting the hang of this blogger.com stuff...like, I do not have any clue why alot of my blogs are double posted, and I haven't a clue how to delete the extra one. How do you mess with colors? How do you upload really neat graphics? How do you do _____?

Guess I'm learning.

And so this has some value to it...recently a thought has been bouncing around my head.

Is a sense of moral superiority a sin? Obviously we should be humble and treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated...but is walking around in judgement and believing ourselves to be morally superior an actual sin? Right now, I'm leaning toward it being a sin...but I'm open to comment.

It's time to take sides for the oncoming war...

...the oncoming Format War that is.

Got you going there, didn't I?

Anyways, the oncoming format war is going to be fought between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, and alot of companies have already picked sides (the smarter ones have agreed to back up both technologies).

"The Blu-ray format is backed by big consumer electronics firms such as Sony Corp , Philips and Dell as well as most Hollywood studios. But the HD DVD format, whose proponents are led by Toshiba, looks set to reach the market faster and offer cheaper players." http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060309/tc_nm/bluray_hddvd_dc;_
ylt=AghWv9pOtJvKZWWbHYMlQKNk24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTA4ZnRnZjhkBHNlYwMxNjk1

Here's how I understand it, in a nutshell: Blu-Ray is technically better. It seems Blu-Ray is capable of holding more information (I believe the numbers are like 40 gigs), while HD-DVD holds only 30gig. Blu-Ray is also able to read the information faster, giving you a better read time.

However, and I'm not positive on this, but Blu-Ray CAN NOT play older dvds; only Blu-Ray discs. HD-DVD can.

According to some articles I've read, a Blu-Ray player will cost upwards of $500-$1000 (in a year or so). An HD-DVD player will cost maybe $300-$500 (in a year or so).

Here's where it gets really tricky. Currently, the most popular video game console on the market is the Playstation 2. Why did it become so popular? Primarily, it was the first video game console to come equipped with a dvd player, which was a relatively new format at the time (99/00). So alot of people bought the PS2 not only for games but for a relatively cheap DVD player at the time (I believe a standalone unit was selling for maybe $500-$750...I bought my dvd player Black Friday '01 for maybe $350, and it's still going strong).

Now we have the just released Xbox 360 and coming in the fall the PS3. The 360 has a standard dvd player installed, with a HD-DVD attachment player coming soon. Microsoft is kinda hoping that very few people will actually buy a HD-DVD attachment; it will only be used for movies, and a standalone is much, much superior to any "multi in a box" system.

However, the PS3 will ONLY feature a Blu-Ray player. Which is probably the primary reason the system will end up costing $500-$600 for the first year or two it is released. Quite alot of money for something that doesn't require a monitor, gas, or candle lit dinners.

So once again, it almost seems like the video game industry is gonna decide the fate of the movie and video industry. Will millions of people buy the PS3? Will they accept Blu-Ray as the next format? Or will the public say "Screw you Sony" and buy 360's? Or...and this is more likely...buy the PS3 but only play games on it, and except movies to be on the cheaper and backwards compatible HD-DVD format?

Let me ask you this- Do you really want to rebuy or reburn all those dvds you have sitting around? Do you want to have to buy a new copy of every movie you own just so it can play on your Blu-Ray player? Or will you choose to buy a HD-DVD player so you can enjoy those old but classic movies, as well as home videos, that you have on DVD, but don't want to buy High Def versions of?

I know what side I'm taking. Sony has already lost once before with the Beta cassettes. It's only a matter of time before they lose again.

Make mine HD-DVD.