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11/30/2007 Care for some Manly Advice?? (aka Best Advice EVER!?)Someone just sent this to me as an mms. Find it Hi-Larious! :P. The image is lq, so you might have to zoom-in for a better read. Worth it!
 Edit: Oh btw, the title is "What If!?: Men wrote advice columns" Black & White 2Haven't posted anything in a while.
Been busy. There is just so much to read up on & whatever free time I got, played Black & White 2 (Official) (IGN) (GameSpot).
If you known me, chances are you must have heard me go on about the original at one point or the other.
Back in the day when it came, it was by no means a blockbuster but it did revolutionize the game industry.
For the first time real time strategy and rpg's were combined.
The basic premise is that you play as a God. With a choice of 'creatures' (One animal of your choosing) and 2 angles to guide you through the worlds. An angel and the evil/devil. (Which btw have been amazingly animated. Really funny at times!).
Its according to your actions that turn the game good or evil.
With that out of the way, about the sequel.
Its a pretty neat game. Great graphics. Great detail & over all value for the money.
BUT! I feel a bit under whelmed at the end of it.
Trouble is that the first part was just so darn good.
This game was too easy if you were an Evil God (Which I was). This is basically achieved if you straight up attack using the forces you create or the creature.
The AI was actually quite dumb and not responsive as the earlier game.
A well timed attack and the enemy forces would go in their shells even if they outnumber you 3 platoons to 1. (This could be 10:1 people ratio!).
All you have to do is capture the main town and that's it!. All the others convert to you. The enemy structures do not regenerate or repair and the annoying voice over's keep threatening you even when you are capturing the last town.
The creature was not emotional and even with an additional tab of free-will, he's not as much involved as in part uno.
Don't get me wrong. In no way do I mean that the creature is inept, it remains an integral part of gameplay, but he's more like a machine :s.
Even the miracles were mundane. There's no forest miracle and except for the Fire and healing one's I found the rest of -Lightning -Shield -Water & Raining Fire Boulders, to be of not much use & frankly...Boring!
The disciples are slow and lazy bastards. Its much more quick and efficient to do things yourself.
Now things do change a bit if you decide to be a Good God....which I was for the first 4 levels!.
You basically win by building non-stop. If you get attacked, you can only defend and make sure that your people do not get killed.
Instead of creating forces, you have to create disciples. -Builders -Gatherers -Refiners & - Breeders.
You expand into enemy territory and create structures with high levels of impressiveness. This way the towns convert to your way of thinking.
Frankly unless you want to clear your conscience and prove really hard of your nature, being a good God sux!.
It takes waaaaayyy too long (2 hours min for each world! :|).
The people are always demanding something or the other - even if you create impressive structures they will end up demanding "free time" :S. + trees are in short supply in more than 1/2 of the game. You have to create a few lumber mills and make sure a lot of disciples are refining wood, otherwise its a pain to build.
The side missions were also a letdown.
While in the first you had to solve puzzles and mysteries, in part 2 most are quite straight forward. Apart for 2-3 which were puzzles, the majority pretty much sucked.
The biggest letdown though is the story. I dint find it creative enough while looking at the concept and style of game play.
It was just one world after the other & apart from the scenery, not much else changed :(.
Even after the disappointment I would still recommend anyone to try the game out for its style of play and unique features.
Will install the Expansion pack "Battle of the Gods" & write up something when I finish.
Over all rating: 6/10 (Worth checking out).
11/23/2007 Etihad Airbus CrashSomeone emailed me this....any other day it could be described as fubar, but today it barely makes the top 5. (Actually took place on the Friday the 16th).
A brand spanking new A340 crashed in the final phase of its testing.
AEM reports "The pilot was testing the plane's engine power when it broke away from its blocks and smashed into a wall" o_O!
 Air travel just keeps getting more and more unsafe this century! :(. Shame.
Somebody watched too much Munnabhai!Make of these what you will. No further comments from me!
 (Well, not political anyway).  Guy getting the rose: "
 I think she likes me....WOOHOO! "    Here is one of the reasons these tactics cannot work.
If you cant diffrentiate b/w the ppl who get a rose and ones who need a razor....thats just ignorance right there! :P Hurrah!So there is justice in this world!
Who knew!? :P.
I'm ofcourse talking about Englands failure to qualify for EURO 08.
As always the team had been hyped as world beaters --i dont think beating Andora or Austria should even warrant that tag-- And judgeing their perfomances during the entire quali, they should've been out a long time ago!.
Good riddance McClown, but even if they bring in 'The Chosen One' -unlikely- it would be impossible to get sucess if the players play as individuals.
Sven got them to their limits & must be feeling pretty good about himself right now!
On another note, fond this pic on BBC Sport. Hi-Larious!:
 Hey!, let go of my breasts!So you've probably seen this already.
Canada's first Android!:
Scary or WOW?
Props to Li Trung for his creation.
You can hear the dejection in the poor mans voice. Hopefully he gets his due credit and the big bucks! 11/18/2007 The Explosion of 1970The nuclear test by the French in 1970 was way before my time & apparently, created quite a ruckuss. (The world did not trust the French and the matter wast resolved with America sharing protection technology and the weapons being placed under observation).
Found these awesome pics on Flikr posted by Licorne.
These are freaking amazing and not to be missed. Hit the read link or click the thumbnails below.
    Take a look at that Mushroom cloud!.
Scary and fascinating at the same time.
EDIT: Spaces isnt playing nice with Flikr :(. Shame. Just click on the link and it should take you to the album page. I AM.....wait, what was I saying? :sDrugs are bad!. M'kay!?
But laughing at drugs is.....err, its still bad.
But then....we're bad.
Wait! wtf am I saying!?
I guess looking at Thor light a joint had an effect on me! :P.
 Head to eatskeet for more hillarity!
Thor lying on the floor & attacking the beer bottle! Capping it off by riding the giant chicken! Hi-Larious! :P WARNING!DISCLAIMER: The following images may not be suitable for certain people. Carry on at your own risk.
Found these at cut'n'paste weblog.
The artists has model'ed household products with inspiration from meat.
& I tend to agree with the comments. Dude needs help.
Here's an image to get you started, click the link for another.
 Iron on the left and.......thats supposed to be a hair-dryer on the right. (Looks like an organ
 ....and is that a tail on its end/handle?? ).11/11/2007 Fix It!Found this Aewsome, potentially life saving article on the Times: We all use digital gadgets & have had this problem at one time or another & realize on how expensive fixing things can be - provided the serviceman even agrees to take on the job.
The article has some great links to websites with great advice for your broken product.
Do check it out and potentially save your self some dough! 11/9/2007 You want positive news?? Ill give you positive news!!First off, this story dates September 17th when I was out & have only come across it because a friend forwarded it to me. So sorry if I've been a little late on the ball. Coming to the point; Carol Grisanti on MSNBC's world blog did a post on the recently opened National Art Gallery in Islamabad Pakistan. (Not to be confused with the NCA , the Arts College or Alhamra of Lahore). This is the first step in creating an Artists Village in Islamabad something that has been on paper for around 20 years now and proposes to be one the largest forms of expressions - of its kind- in the entire region. Its a fascinating read and can be found here. Be sure to check out the video for comments from the man responsible & moving pictures of the works on display. Hopefully the project does get realized and presents an outlet for the hundreds and thousands of folks, not just in the country but the entire region that are talented and can put their lives to better use. To be frank I don't know much about art. But as a normal human I appreciate beauty. Be it a female gluteus or a canvas detailing the massacre in a Baghdad marketplace. Expressions have an effects that's impossible with words. You can be told about the the Khunjrab pass a hundred times but being there in actuality is a complete different experience. For those who challenge the religious validity of art; everything around us is art. That's how we get inspired. Humans, Flowers, Landscapes and even parched land can be beautifully inspiring - All might I add, created by God. Just a side-note for those who are not aware on Pakistani history and its heritage, check-out this site The country has not always been a haven for radicals or a breeding ground for suicide bombers and the elite of the terrorist world. It was even declared an Islamic state (officially) till late in its life & its common knowledge that till the late 1970's the region severed as a hub between east and west. Burqa's were not common place and in some parts were looked down upon. Alcohol & dancing were common place and not till 1980's did things change. That too due to the Afghan war/jihad. America wanted to get rid of Russia as super power and they aided a power hungry general who used the Muslim card along with billions in foreign aid in an effort to strengthen his power hold and kick the entire nation into a hole that it still cant get out from. The majority of the people are still open-minded, peace loving moderates. Too bad though. Only sex & violence sell in this world. The Humanitarian Pussy!Good news! Chapelle isnt dead!
Check him out @ some show in the uk.
Spaces does not support shockwave so you'll have to check it on CollegeHumor itself.
11/8/2007 Happy Diwali!Happy Diwali everyone!
 ..Hope its a very happy ocasion for you and ushers in a totally kick-ass new year!  11/6/2007 DAMN!I dunno if this story is funny/weird/ or plain old case of FUBAR! 16 year old Cory Ryder got grounded for 2 weeks (for failing his grades) and his TV & Playstation privileges were suspended. -I know, those monsters!. He tried to reason with his parents....Yes yes, threatening to kill someone is a great negotiating tactic and His mom being 'concerned' decided to have some fun and with the help of a friend, hired an under cover cop. The
And for his efforts, was promised the truck owned by Cory's After a second 'meeting' Cory was charged with attempted murder and now awaits trail! Read the full story on TimesOnline.
THOSE ANIMALS!
Sarcasm aside, its good to see a little sanity prevailed and the judge has ruled that this case needs to be treated under the juvenile system. i.e, the maximum 'time' Cory can get is 3 years.
On to something that's kinda bugging me & I'm no lawyer so forgive me for the lack of understanding of the rules but, a) the mother 'hired' the copper. b) the cop went along. c) it doesn't say that Cory had a criminal history, so worse case scenario, should this not be a first strike with therapy?
As to a & b, is that not Entrapment??
Oh and worst of all, some left wing nut is gonna jump on this and say its all because of Video games. Just when I'm engrossed in Halo 3 & have pre-ordered my copy of GTA4.........which btw I have a feeling would be "dumbed down" after the whole Hot Coffee & ManHunt 2 incidents!. The secret facts about the Colts and PatsSo we won....sorry i was too down from the United game to gloat (Fuck you g00ners!
 ), but here's something abt the game.The forurth quater was AWESOME!.
Found this on ESPN Page 2 "The secret facts about the Colts and Pats" by Dj Gallo (Same genius who runs Sports Pickle).
Some of them are HI-Larious, be sure to check out the comments & Gallo Archive. (My All time frav's = Shaq testifying on Kobe's Rape case hearing & his world series preview. "As you know xyz wins ballgames" 11/5/2007 Foo Fighters - Long Road To RuinI really like the band Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl is a legend and seems like a really great guy. Always down to earth in interviews, funny & most importantly they make good music. Learn to Fly is one of the best video's I've seen. The premise being that the band boards a plane and all the characters look just like them. A baby, a Fan, a fat woman etc etc. Check it out here: They are back to role playing with their latest video Long Road to Ruin: It features Rashida Jones (aka Karen from The Office). The audio track was a little off for me, but its a good song & enjoy the video while its there on YT. If you haven't, go get Echo's Silence Patience and Grace. Solid album! Technorati Tags: Foo Fighters , Long Road To Ruin , Music Video , You Tube , Rashida Jones , The Office , Dave Grohl , Learn To Fly 11/2/2007 Some stuff to read!If you know me, you must have heard me go on & on about Dubai. Namely, How much I love the place. Now that the statements settled in, Yes. I'm being Sarcastic!. The place sucks. The weathers horrible, The people are bastards, The prices are astronomical & more importantly what I've been saying for years. If you are a Non-Arab in Dubai (In the entire Middle-East actually) You have no rights. Wednesday's Times has a piece about Alex Robert. A 15 year old Frenchmen who was raped/sodomized (w/e u wanna call the heinous crime). Not only was he deprived of justice, the authorities discouraged him to talk about it & actually bullied him with threats of jail for practicing homosexuality!. The poor family had to move away in fear of being further victimized. You can read the entire article here & I suggest you visit the web-site setup by Mrs.Roberts: boycottdubai.com The same paper carries a very interesting/scary piece on how kids around the world are getting help with their Maths Home-work..........By outsourcing it to India!. Granted taking tuition's/guided help for education is not a novel concept in the sub continent. Hell!, its weird if you dint take them!, but there is something about being tutored in front of a computer screen by someone 10,000 miles away that does not bode well with me. I guess I'm old fashioned. Id does seem to work apparently. Check out the full article here. I Love Moureen Dowd. She writes well. Insightful & funny. The only other mainstream voice that might be able to one-up her?? Why Mr.Stephen Colbert of course! Do check out: A Mock Columnist, Amok. Remember American Gangster? The Ridley Scott movie I wrote about a while back? Well its in theaters & MANOHLA DARGIS in the times has a long & tongue twisting piece in the times. Basically it reinforces the notion that the people involved with the movie are masters of their craft and that you should not miss it. Check it out here. (Btw, its always amazes me how these guys critique in the way they do, the play of words...using 3 paragraphs to drill one emotion! Mind boggling! :S. Oh & wonder where A.O.Scott was (<)the usual times Movie critic)). Carlos Ghosn is an executive who has always impressed me a lot. He took over a near-bankrupt Nissan motors and not only brought it into the green, he turned it into one of the most profitable automotive companies and into the top 5 car manufacturers. He's at it again, with Nissan moving into social networking as a way to bridge the communication divide between the 100,000+ of their employees. BW looks at how the idea came about, its motives & the potential hurdles it faces. A must read here. Its a pretty exciting weekend in sport!. Man U take on the Undefeated & top of the table g00ners! While its a battle of Good vs Evil as the Steelers play host to Pats. My two cents: On Arsenal vs Man U, depends how the two managers set it up. It will be a close game & the smart money world be on a draw, 1-1 I'd say, but both teams are great in counter attack and could easily hit the other on the break to win it. Remember the last time the two teams met with a history of unbeaten record? @ Highbury with Arsenal having a 49 game run. Man U won 4-2 and Arsenal dint win for 6 or 8 games. Yup you bet I'm hoping for a repeat! :P. Am I hoping for a repeat? You betcha! :P.(Kickoff's Saturday lunchtime btw). Onto Sundays game, too much has been made of the video-gate & the scores, nay, beat-downs over the past few weeks says it all. As long as the Pats defense doesn't come into play, expect more of the same in the preview of the AFC Championship game. If it does, Pats by 3 in overtime! :P Technorati Tags: Dubai , BoycottDubai , Dubai Sucks , Alex Roberts , India , Outsourcing , Moureen Dowd , Stephen Colbert , The Colbert Report , NY Times , American Gangster , Ridley Scott , Denzel Washington , Russel Crowe , Carlos Ghosn , Nissan , N Square , Business Week , BW , Manchester United , Arsenal , Man U , Gooners , EPL , NE PATS , Steelers , NFL |
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