Cosmos Remake

I'm a big fan of Cosmos, both the book and the TV show.  I don't think there's ever been a show that has so eloquently and so effectively communicated science like Cosmos did.  Thing is, as great as it was, and as fantastic as Carl Sagan was narrating it, the fact remains that it's over 30 years old.  Science has moved way past what was known in 1980.  I still think the original is very much worth watching, but I can't wait for the remake.  It looks good, and Neil deGrasse Tyson will probably be a great narrator.  The first episode premieres on March 9th, and I'm really excited.  Here's a trailer for the show.  If you want to learn and be entertained at the same time, I highly recommend it.  No, actually, I recommend it to everyone.  Cosmos is a show I think everyone should watch, just to get a sense of their place in the universe. 

Runescape Reminiscing

I used to play Runescape.  I suppose this isn't a shocking statement, a lot of people did.  I started in early 2007, right at the game's prime, and I played on and off until early 2012.  There were times when I would play for hours every day for weeks on end, and there were times when I wouldn't log on for 6 months.  But through those 5 years, I scraped together a perfectly decent character with a Quest Cape and 99 Thieving.  In its day, it was actually kinda fun, even the parts where you spent hours chopping a tree or pickpocketing some guy.  I haven't picked up the game in two years now, and although I've been tempted to because of some offer or deal or something, I haven't, and I really don't think I will.  Runescape is made for people who have long hours to kill, and don't have any other responsibilities, a statement you could make about any MMORPG, but since Runescape is the game I played, that's what I'll stick with.  There's a reason I prefer Team Fortress 2 now, it fits into an adult's busier lifestyle.  There's no leveling up, no grinding.  You can play for an hour a couple times a week, you get your gaming fix, and it doesn't eat up your life.  With the MMORPG's like Runescape, the associated grind is just not feasible for adults.  You can play, but you don't get much out of it.  While I had fun playing Runescape, I think it is definitely a game for kids, and I don't see myself going back.

Team Fortress Tuesday #10

Today, I want to talk about the Pyro.  A lot of people don't like the guy for one reason or another, but Pyro is by far my favorite class.  I never get to play Pyro because there's always two already and multiple Pyros is really not effective...I'm going on a tangent.  I want to talk about the Pyro's main secondaries: the Flare Gun and the Shotgun.  I know the Detonator's a decent weapon, but frankly, I just don't find it's piddling little jump worth it, and if I want to have a flare with splash, I'd use the Scorch Shot and I'm getting off track again.  Anyway, the Flare Gun is a fantastic weapon.  If you can hit your shots, it's brutal at mid-range.  Having a long range option, even if it isn't great at long range, is fantastic for Pyro, and it's a great finisher if someone is trying to retreat.  For about a year now, whenever I play seriously, I've exclusively used the Flare Gun.  However, a couple of weeks ago, I was playing on Gravel Pit, and the other team had about 3 million Pyros.  I wasn't getting the damage that I needed, so I broke out the Shotgun.  Normally, my hitscan aim is atrocious, but because I still had the comfort of my reliable Degreaser, my aim was actually passable, and I did a lot of work, even after the Pyro army moved on.  It's actually pretty good for me, because a Pyro with a shotgun is a great pocket, and since I like to play close to Medics, we had more synergy than if I had a Flare Gun.  So, I guess what I'm saying is that the Flare Gun and Shotgun are both fantastic weapons for Pyro, and either one is a correct choice. 

Torrey Pines

It's been a while since I've talked about the PGA Tour here, but frankly, there hasn't been much to talk about.  I know that the season technically started last year because the Tour is still desperately trying to find a way to make those fall events relevant, but I honestly couldn't bring myself to care.  It's 2014 now, which is when the season should start, and so I have been paying attention.  However, there hasn't really been much going on yet.  This week was the first one that felt significant in any way, or at least when the tournament started, it did.  But the South Course at Torrey Pines is playing at U.S Open level difficulty right now, and that is not a good thing.  I don't care how exciting the U.S. Open was there, Torrey Pines South is not a good course.  You can really see that this week, just by looking at the leaderboard.  The people at the top are not people who are established good players.  Yes, I know Jordan Spieth shows a lot of promise, but for now, that's all it is.  You don't get to be a good player until you've actually proven it, and right now, he's just not experienced enough.  So, what we have this week is a course that discourages bold, heroic, skillful play in favor of plodding along fairways and greens and making par after par.  That's just not very exciting.  Watching birdiefests gets boring, but this is even worse. 

Ice Orchestra

This is a fascinating article I found.  Now, I don't play any instruments personally, but I still find this fascinating.  The idea of making music from an instrument made out of ice is not something most people would have thought of.  And from what the article says, the sound is superior.  Some of the things they have to do in order to maintain the instruments is ridiculous though.  Having to retune after every song because the player's breath melted the thing?  That's some dedication.  Still, I imagine there's not a whole lot else to do in Sweden in winter.

Team Fortress Tuesday #9

In today's thrilling installment, I want to talk about the Righteous Bison.  It's a good weapon, but I rarely ever see it, and if I do, it's in the hands of some hatless guy who's probably been playing the game for two weeks, got the weapon in a drop, and is testing it out.  What I'm trying to say here is that I never see the item used well, and I think that's too bad.  Now, I confess, I play a lot of Soldier, it's my most played class, but most of that time was spent with the Gunboats on.  I'm a decent rocket jumper, and I enjoy the roamer style.  On those rare occasions when there is a Medic giving me consistent heals, I do pull out the Bison, and I think I do quite well with it.  If used properly, it can be an effective weapon.  It's great for spamming chokes, with the penetration you can get a lot of damage done in one shot.  It's also good for softening up enemies as they try to close the distance.  It's a decent weapon overall, and if you're good with projectiles and prediction, it's a viable alternative to the shotgun.  Especially if you're like me and freak out every time you pull the shotgun out.  Sometimes it's like I'm missing on purpose.

Space and My Childhood

So, I went to a little lecture this evening about Saturn and the Cassini space probe, and while I didn't learn all that much, I do love the subject.  Astronomy is just so fascinating to me.  It really makes me disappointed when I hear about how NASA's getting its budget cut, and cutting-edge missions to far-off places are getting cancelled because there's not enough money.  I dream of flying to space one day, of all the things I want to do in my life, that is the one I want to happen the most.  I remember way back in the 90's, watching that little Sojourner rover trundle across Mars, it was amazing just how much it captured my imagination.  And at about that same time, I remember watching Comet Hale-Bopp in the night sky.  Now that was a sight, I remember it being brighter and bigger than the moon.  Space is a place for dreams and ambition, and losing that excitement from our lives would be a big loss.

Writing Tips #2

Another writing tip for the aspiring writer out there.  As a fellow writer, I know how easy it can be to become a lazy couch potato(Do people still use that phrase?  I feel like a middle-aged parent using it).  I can only vouch from my own experience, but sitting around the house all day does very little to stir the imagination.  So, what I do is take a walk.  Take an hour or so and walk around the town.  Get some fresh air.  Let your mind wander in a new environment.  You'd be surprised how many ideas I gotten from walks.  Not to mention that walking really is good for you.  I suppose this is good advice for anyone who spends a lot of time indoors doing whatever, I find that walking is a great way to break out of bad habits like binge video game sessions.  I can't believe I said that, but playing a game for 12 hours straight isn't healthy.  It's fun, but not healthy.

Back from Vacation

I'm back from Florida.  I had a good time while I was there, I wish the weather had cooperated a little more, but it was sure nicer than Pennsylvania.  I played five rounds of golf while I was in Clearwater, including a 74 at The Tides, which is a new personal low for me.  That was a great day, it was the one day when the weather was actually nice, the sun was shining, there was a beautiful sunset, and everything was just so peaceful.  And I played well to boot.  I...don't have too much else to say about the trip other than that, because all I did while I was down there was play golf.  Hey, it's my thing. 

Nope

I haven't disappeared again, I'm on vacation.  This is honestly more of a reminder to myself, so that I don't forget about this again.  I want to keep up with writing, it's just hard when you're in Florida...

Happy New Year!

Hope you had a great 2013 and that 2014 is even better!