I might get sued for using that title. I'll keep you updated.
Well, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting and uncertainty, the NFL finally began its 2011 regular season schedule.
The Steelers apparently didn't get the memo. They played one of the sloppiest football games I've ever seen them play and went down by a 35-7 final tally. It was a disgusting display, capped by 7 Steeler turnovers and a stupid unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Ike Taylor that nearly led to an on-field riot in Baltimore. Luckily, it's only Week 1, and the Steelers have a lot of time to improve before they face the Ravens again in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping it was simply too hot and humid for Pittsburgh to function properly in their black home uniforms. We'll see.
Even with my favorite team's sub-par start to the season, I'm glad to see football back in full swing. There's simply something special about it I can't really define. It could be that it heralds the oncoming fall and winter seasons, or sending off the summer as it nears the end. Whatever the case, I get a little more spring in my step knowing that the weekend will bring with it the joys of America's game.
After watching my Steelers roll over, I had the pleasure of watching the Vikings visit the Chargers in one hell of an exciting game. I hope to see a lot of games like that one over the next few months.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
And now we play the waiting game
Well, let the hype begin. Nintendo held a barn burner of a press conference today, setting ablaze buzz all over the internet.
What wound up dominating discussion of the presser was their unveiling of the upcoming Wii U, a completely new (and interestingly named) console. The system features a controller the likes of which we've never seen before, with a six inch HD screen and cameras. At first, I was horrorstruck when I thought that the thing to which Nintendo fans have been eagerly looking forward turned out to be nothing but a new controller. But Nintendo kind of botched the whole presentation, never once mentioning an actual game console. There actually is a game system to which the controller will be connected. The company chose instead to focus primarily on the revolutionary new controller. It didn't help that the unveiling began with a video of people playing a game that looks nearly identical to New Super Mario Bros. Wii using Wii remotes. As it turns out, the upcoming system will be fully backwards compatible with Wii games and peripherals, saving Wii owners the expense of going out to buy new controllers. And the game featured in the unveiling was New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which allows players to play the game using their own Wii avatars.
Once I got over the shock of thinking it was only a controller, I realized more and more what fantastic implications the device had for the gaming community. One of the great things that have been confirmed about the Wii U is the ability to play games entirely on the controller if someone else wants to use the TV. There were also situations in which players pointed the controller at the TV screen, and, using the camera and HD display mounted into the controller, were able to zoom in on certain areas on the screen. It really does boggle my mind when I think about the possibilities. As of now, we still know very little about the device.
For a second, I thought I was going to get over not being able to get my hands on a Nintendo 3DS when I feasted my eyes upon the Wii U's fantastic features. However, right after the unveiling of the Wii U, Nintendo had a knockout punch of an announcement, including a new Mario Kart, Super Mario 3D, Luigi's Mansion 2, and plenty more. All of a sudden, the 3DS's paltry lineup has been loaded up with star power. And I'm going to go crazy waiting for it all.
EDIT 6:33PM: How the hell could I forget about this! Nintendo president Satoru Iwata dropped hints that Smash Bros. may be on the way for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, and there will be some sort of connectivity between the two versions! That was my favorite moment of the conference.
What wound up dominating discussion of the presser was their unveiling of the upcoming Wii U, a completely new (and interestingly named) console. The system features a controller the likes of which we've never seen before, with a six inch HD screen and cameras. At first, I was horrorstruck when I thought that the thing to which Nintendo fans have been eagerly looking forward turned out to be nothing but a new controller. But Nintendo kind of botched the whole presentation, never once mentioning an actual game console. There actually is a game system to which the controller will be connected. The company chose instead to focus primarily on the revolutionary new controller. It didn't help that the unveiling began with a video of people playing a game that looks nearly identical to New Super Mario Bros. Wii using Wii remotes. As it turns out, the upcoming system will be fully backwards compatible with Wii games and peripherals, saving Wii owners the expense of going out to buy new controllers. And the game featured in the unveiling was New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which allows players to play the game using their own Wii avatars.
Once I got over the shock of thinking it was only a controller, I realized more and more what fantastic implications the device had for the gaming community. One of the great things that have been confirmed about the Wii U is the ability to play games entirely on the controller if someone else wants to use the TV. There were also situations in which players pointed the controller at the TV screen, and, using the camera and HD display mounted into the controller, were able to zoom in on certain areas on the screen. It really does boggle my mind when I think about the possibilities. As of now, we still know very little about the device.
For a second, I thought I was going to get over not being able to get my hands on a Nintendo 3DS when I feasted my eyes upon the Wii U's fantastic features. However, right after the unveiling of the Wii U, Nintendo had a knockout punch of an announcement, including a new Mario Kart, Super Mario 3D, Luigi's Mansion 2, and plenty more. All of a sudden, the 3DS's paltry lineup has been loaded up with star power. And I'm going to go crazy waiting for it all.
EDIT 6:33PM: How the hell could I forget about this! Nintendo president Satoru Iwata dropped hints that Smash Bros. may be on the way for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, and there will be some sort of connectivity between the two versions! That was my favorite moment of the conference.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Excited for E3, the BGE, and an appearance on 1340AM
Tomorrow is one of the few days of the year that I look forward to like a child awaiting Christmas. At 9am PST tomorrow, Nintendo is going to hold its annual press conference at the E3 Expo, which is the biggest video game press event of the year. Microsoft and Sony both held theirs today, and they were both impressive, but the one event in which I am truly invested is Nintendo's. There are a couple of things I am expecting to see which I won't share here purely because they are rumors. I'm hoping for at least one thing I won't see coming at all.
It has been well established that Nintendo will unveil their newest home console, which I understand will be called the "Current." The name's a little less silly than "Wii," but I'm sure it'll be subject to ridicule here and there. Its mysterious controller has been the subject of much speculation, along with a few rumored launch titles.
Also confirmed to be unveiled is the newest handheld Mario game, which I understand will be a derivative of Super Mario Galaxy. I absolutely loved both Mario Galaxy games, so I expect to be wowed with this one.
I've been watching too much Food Network lately, and I've become a fast fan of celebrity chef Bobby Flay. He's all about the barbecue, and that's been a personal obsession of mine for about a year now. I mentioned to my dad this weekend that I was thinking of building our very own BBQ smoker the way they do it in the South, which wound up being a mistake. Dad mentioned he'd rather purchase a "Big Green Egg" grill, which I had only heard by name until that point. I looked it up, and boy, is it an impressive and versatile piece of cookware. I keep thinking about all of the food we'd be able to grill and smoke with one of those babies, and it makes my mouth water. I really, REALLY want one. The main problem, though, is the $700 price tag for the most popular model. That price tag doesn't include the separate stand, either. It does include plans on how to build a rather convenient-looking table. With Mom recently losing her job, though, it seems out of the question now.
It looks like I'll be headed back to school for at least a semester in an effort to fend off my loan payments a little longer. Normally, the loans wouldn't be an issue, but with my mother's aforementioned loss of a job, it's the least I can do to help keep expenses down. This, of course, is assuming I don't wind up with a paying job before then. Better safe than sorry.
I've been graciously offered an opportunity to appear in an interview on the radio! The details haven't quite been worked out yet, but I'll be talking Angels over the phone with Steve Bortstein of Fox Sports Radio 1340AM in New Mexico. Stay tuned for more details! I'm excited!
It has been well established that Nintendo will unveil their newest home console, which I understand will be called the "Current." The name's a little less silly than "Wii," but I'm sure it'll be subject to ridicule here and there. Its mysterious controller has been the subject of much speculation, along with a few rumored launch titles.
Also confirmed to be unveiled is the newest handheld Mario game, which I understand will be a derivative of Super Mario Galaxy. I absolutely loved both Mario Galaxy games, so I expect to be wowed with this one.
I've been watching too much Food Network lately, and I've become a fast fan of celebrity chef Bobby Flay. He's all about the barbecue, and that's been a personal obsession of mine for about a year now. I mentioned to my dad this weekend that I was thinking of building our very own BBQ smoker the way they do it in the South, which wound up being a mistake. Dad mentioned he'd rather purchase a "Big Green Egg" grill, which I had only heard by name until that point. I looked it up, and boy, is it an impressive and versatile piece of cookware. I keep thinking about all of the food we'd be able to grill and smoke with one of those babies, and it makes my mouth water. I really, REALLY want one. The main problem, though, is the $700 price tag for the most popular model. That price tag doesn't include the separate stand, either. It does include plans on how to build a rather convenient-looking table. With Mom recently losing her job, though, it seems out of the question now.
It looks like I'll be headed back to school for at least a semester in an effort to fend off my loan payments a little longer. Normally, the loans wouldn't be an issue, but with my mother's aforementioned loss of a job, it's the least I can do to help keep expenses down. This, of course, is assuming I don't wind up with a paying job before then. Better safe than sorry.
I've been graciously offered an opportunity to appear in an interview on the radio! The details haven't quite been worked out yet, but I'll be talking Angels over the phone with Steve Bortstein of Fox Sports Radio 1340AM in New Mexico. Stay tuned for more details! I'm excited!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Amos Song's new blog!
Hey! My friend Amos has officially started his personal blog, The Amos Song Variety Show! Check it out, will you?
I might have something new up in the next day or so. Probably a rant about how maddening it is to watch these 2011 Angels.
I might have something new up in the next day or so. Probably a rant about how maddening it is to watch these 2011 Angels.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Newest Zelda 3DS trailer!
I will think about this game day and night until I finally get my hands on it. It's the greatest game of all time, in 3-effin'-D!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
One last thing - check this baby out. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and it's only a few weeks away.
I was a huge fan of the original, and seeing the announcement for this game was probably the best news I've ever heard. I can't wait to see what Nintendo pulls out of their magic bag of tricks when the E3 Expo rolls around. I expect the upcoming Super Mario game to kick some major ass.
I was a huge fan of the original, and seeing the announcement for this game was probably the best news I've ever heard. I can't wait to see what Nintendo pulls out of their magic bag of tricks when the E3 Expo rolls around. I expect the upcoming Super Mario game to kick some major ass.
Through the Fence Baseball and BBQ
I can't believe I haven't posted it here yet, but I've got my first writing gig! Check me out at Through the Fence Baseball! I'm covering the Angels as a regular contributor. Should be a lot of fun. I'm already learning a lot more about the craft of writing, the sport of baseball and my poor Angels, who laid a giant goose egg yesterday at the hands of the crummy A's. I've got an article pending that will hopefully be up before the day is done.
This has been a pretty interesting experience so far, mostly because I've never actually written articles about sports before. They're not postgame wraps, either. Rather, they cover interesting themes or topics I've noticed while watching so much baseball.
With the (temporary) return of warm weather to Southern California, I've had plenty of opportunities to get in some pre-summer grilling. I think the best thing I've cooked so far is some pretty badass pork ribs. A great dry rub recipe in conjunction with some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (recommended to me by my friend Amos) really made for some flavorful ribs. I look forward to the days when I can go outside and cook. I may not always do a good job, but I like to learn about what works and what doesn't along the way.
Speaking of cooking, my family's moving forward with a pretty elaborate plan to improve the house before renting it out and moving. The latest phase in the project is completely redoing the kitchen. We knocked out most of the overhead cupboards over the weekend, and we'll probably take the rest of the cupboards out and demolish the counter in the coming weeks. From there, we'll have everything replaced and move on with the overall project. The bathroom is probably next.
I've heard that Seth MacFarlane is moving forward with a reboot of The Flintstones. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how that pans out. It probably won't be as horrendous as the Internet is making it out to be.
This has been a pretty interesting experience so far, mostly because I've never actually written articles about sports before. They're not postgame wraps, either. Rather, they cover interesting themes or topics I've noticed while watching so much baseball.
With the (temporary) return of warm weather to Southern California, I've had plenty of opportunities to get in some pre-summer grilling. I think the best thing I've cooked so far is some pretty badass pork ribs. A great dry rub recipe in conjunction with some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (recommended to me by my friend Amos) really made for some flavorful ribs. I look forward to the days when I can go outside and cook. I may not always do a good job, but I like to learn about what works and what doesn't along the way.
Speaking of cooking, my family's moving forward with a pretty elaborate plan to improve the house before renting it out and moving. The latest phase in the project is completely redoing the kitchen. We knocked out most of the overhead cupboards over the weekend, and we'll probably take the rest of the cupboards out and demolish the counter in the coming weeks. From there, we'll have everything replaced and move on with the overall project. The bathroom is probably next.
I've heard that Seth MacFarlane is moving forward with a reboot of The Flintstones. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how that pans out. It probably won't be as horrendous as the Internet is making it out to be.
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