Top 10 Video Games

      After having so much fun with my list of top ten movies I have enjoyed I thought I would make a list of my top ten favorite games. I think these are the best. I know many will not like the absence of Zelda or other very popular games but these are the ones that made me feel like I was having the most fun.

1. Fallout 3: Very violent but man was this game fun! That came out wrong, the game is so detailed and so complete it makes you feel like after you have played it you really could survive in a post nuclear apocalyptic society. Super cool game.

2. Fable: Remember when HALO CE came out and you bought the original xbox so you could play it. Well I bought my 360 after renting Fable 2, just so I could play the rest of the game. Then me and my wife got Fable 1 and have since gotten Fable 3. Coolest games ever!

3. Morrowind: I think I wasted more of my life towards the end of my high school years playing this than in any other single thing. I remember all the fun things I could do. Including the building of a wall made completely up of the helmets of slain Ordinators. I also spent a lot of time being lost in it's vast map.

4. Modern Warfare 2: I am a traditional HALO fan, I have a family of HALO nuts but when I played this game I'm afraid HALO just took back seat. This game focuses way more on skill and accuracy instead of who has the rocket launcher, shotgun and Sniper rifle. The only multiplayer game I have ever spent playing into the wee hours of the morning.

5. HALO: The king of first person shooters. Sure maybe I like MW2 better as a multiplayer but this game is the reason the MW2 even exists. Most next gen FPS are all copy cats from this one game. It changed gaming forever and it holds a special place in my heart.

6. Final Fantasy 3: Although referred to as final fantasy six nowadays I knew it as final fantasy III when I played it for the first time on my SNES. Actually the games story was so enthralling to me an and my brothers that we just sat and watched my cousin play it because he could get through it the quickest and thus make the storyline progress the best. I still remember the triumph when we beat Ultros at the opera house for the first time after many many attempts.

7. Assassins Creed: The only games to date where I have wanted to get every single achievement even after beating the main storyline long ago. The Italian cities are lush and accurate and the artistry is outstanding and detailed. Sweet game.

8. Mario: Who doesn't love a good Mario game? Lots of great childhood memories with many of the titles under this particular franchise. Clean and entertaining.

9. Earthsiege II: Most people won't even know what this game is but for those of you that do I'm sure you would agree that it was one of the better old compute games ever made. It's like a mech warrior game with a storyline and a plot. It also spawned Starsiege and Tribes which although not AS good were still great titles.

10. Battle Tanx: Me and my brothers spent hours playing this game. The plot was a little weak but it was so much fun to play the four player multiplayer blowing each other up that the rest didn't keep it off of my list.

And for honorable mention I have "Perfect Dark" the best pre-Halo first person shooter. This game was awesome because of all the guns you could use and the fact that you could actually have computer simulated badguys after you.

Top 10 Movies of All Time

     I would first like to preface this by saying that this is my list of top ten and I know that you will have a totally different opinion than I but I wonder who out there will have a similar view. I chose these movies based on the wow factor that they gave me and I also have a very great love of things that make me rethink my thoughts like "Inception" and "The Others" twists are cool and so are things like "Braveheart" and "The Last Samurai" where it makes you feel like you could stand up to a corrupt system and fight for freedom.

1.Inception: My Favorite movie to date is "Inception" Awesome idea, well directed; with that "Wow" factor in visual artistry.

2. Batman: The Dark Knight. A movie that really puts some edge into the otherwise cheesy superhero genre with a few emotional highs and lows and some good acting as well as one of the best villains of all time.

3. Batman Begins: A movie that I think raised the bar in action sci-fi forever. The film was well written well directed and made the super normal seem plausible.

4. The Village: M. Night has since fallen off the wagon of good directors but this movie touched me deeply, portraying a fantastical metaphor of innocence and true chaste love.

5. The Last Samurai: Anyone that saw this movie had to be moved by the way that the Samurai were portrayed had be be engrossed in the story of courage and honor. It had some sweet battle scenes as well.

6. The Lord of the Rings: As a trilogy and as a work of art nothing has come close to comparing to the "Epicness" of these films. No detail went to the wargs no line was left un-perfected. A modern masterpiece.

7. Tron: I know that this movie never really got to the top of the ratings charts but I think that it was visually stunning, morally clean, cleverly executed and above all very fun to watch.

8. The Others: Maybe you all saw the twist coming but this was one of the only movies in the history of my life that truly made me blink in momentary confusion and delight. Super plot point.

9. Braveheart: Being almost full blooded Scottish myself down to my bagpipes i actually play and my kilt i actually wear this movie got me to a level of Scottish pride I'll never forget. It also has several online awards for greatest battle scene in cinema.

10. Final Fantasy the Spirits Within: This movie came out when the art of computer animation was still in it's adolescence yet it made us all take a good step back and realize just how cool things could be on a screen.

As honorable mention I'm also going to have to put Avatar down. The first movie I ever "experienced" in a theater instead of just watched. Super cool.

These are my top ten hope you have a few favorite out of the mix.

The Enemy Effect

 

      Have you ever noticed how when you are trying to do something right your best friends suddenly become your biggest critics? Like when you are in the process of trying to loose a few pounds and suddenly everyone is offering you food or cake. Sometimes it's even worse, sometimes you are trying to make a decision based upon what you feel is right; and in the flash of an eye your closest kin turn on you and cast you out as if you are some kind of leper or something.
      This is a situation caused by guilt. Whenever you are doing something that somebody else thinks maybe they should have been doing or should have done, this enemy effect is bound to happen. Especially in friends and family because they see the effects of you choices first hand. It's interesting, because these same people that have the enemy effect happen to them when they see things you are trying to improve on happen and become full of pride and guilt; are also the first people to glory in your downfall. Now it may not seem that they are "glorying" in anything when something you try fails but you can bet they will be there to show you exactly where you "went wrong".
       Maybe using an example will illustrate what I mean. Lets say a certain person where to choose to do something a little out of the regular range of what society believes to be normal; for example join a religion that says it's christian but on the same hand has many things that don't fit into the regular christian ideals. This could be replaced by things such as homeschooling or home birthing or paying for things instead of getting into debt. All of these things have good end game results when done properly and with care and intelligence. We will stick with the first example that of a religion. Now, lets say that you tell your friends and family you have found the true church, one with all the answers. First there will be the initial shock of them being a little mad that you are not going to do things the way THEY would have done them. That can happen with anything; but then comes the real pain when to your frustration these same friends and family begin to treat you differently altogether. This is usually due to three things, firstly: you have changed; your life is going in a different direction than what they are used to and they don't know how to act around you anymore. Secondly: they truly don't understand you or what you believe; either because they are afraid of it themselves, or they are too lazy or set in their ways (like confederate slave keepers) to look into the reasons themselves. The final reason is The Enemy Effect, they can see the good that is coming into your life because of your choices and they wish they had the courage to change their own. They are angry because it seems like you have it all together, like you are part of something they never had the guts to do. In essence you make them feel like less of a person and they hate that about you. You make them feel uncomfortable with some of the choices they have made and they can't see past that. No matter how much they tell you, that you are making stupid decisions there is a part of them that yearns to have your courage and dedication.
       Now I want to make it clear that not everything works this way. Someone can make a poor decision and it is just that, in the name of change and self improvement they choose a path that makes their life worse. The way you can tell between the two is simple. Happiness, harmony and love; if these three things are present then someone is truly on a road to improvement. If however someone is afraid, worried, bitter, edgy, selfish,  defensive, contentious, deceitful, controlling and judgmental then this individual is not happy with his or herself, this is a person that will find it hard not to despise people that have found something that though maybe difficult actually gives them true purpose and happiness. An art upon which to dedicate themselves.

Child Eyes

      Just this afternoon I was out shopping at our local supermarket. Looking specifically for "Healthier" foods for my pregnant wife who sometimes forgets to take care of herself and thinks that milkshakes count as a Dairy, a protein and a vegetable when full of cocoa.
      I had decided to take my daughter for the ride so my wife could have a few minuets alone to read and my daughter could get out of the house and have some fun time with dad. She was a great sport as always about sitting in those excruciatingly comfortable shopping carts while I walked around looking for something that my wife would actually eat.
      While I was browsing the many shelves and bins my little girl would frequently point out things that she thought looked interesting. Often times it was candy or the occasional small toy though in one instance that made me smile, it was a box of rodent poisoning which attracted her because of the picture of the mouse on it. Whatever the items were I began to picture in my minds eye what it must be like for a small child of her age to be shopping in such a fashion.
       The first thought that I had was of her looking first at a bag of star-bursts; full of color and bright advertising and then her deciding to point out this item to her father in full confidence that he would agree with her selection and put them into the cart. What horror she would experience -I thought- as the grown man would (In slow motion) shake his head and then walk straight to the produce section of the store and begin to load up on cucumbers, bags of salad and if she were lucky; maybe some oranges. "What a fool!" She would be thinking "Doesn't this guy know what he is doing?" "Why is he getting those weird looking green things instead of those candies? "Doesn't he know the latter will taste much better?"
       I wonder what she is thinking? I mean, looking at it from her perspective I probably look like I have extremely poor taste in food. She can in no way understand why I choose cucumbers over cutie pies nor potatoes over pop. I sure do love her.
       I think this teaches a very important lesson. Some times I think we have our "Child Eyes" on. Like when you have a desire to run out and buy some shiny new something or other and you forget the wisdom of staying out of debt. Or when you run around chasing "fun" thinking you will end up with true happiness. Parties are like candy; they can be sweet but they will ruin your pancreas and make you crash after the initial rush. There is wisdom the the nutritious lifestyles of the old and mature. They may not be flashy and Red Bull oriented but they have piece and longevity. Remember that my daughters "Child Eyes" were drawn to the rat poison just as they were to th candy and toys and she would have eaten it in a minuet had I let her.
       So let's be careful about our child eyes. Practicing The Art of Dedication let's dedicate ourselves to the cucumbers of life and think twice about all that junk with the cool wrapping; remembering that a little candy is okay.

      

Zombie America

     Did your mother ever tell you that "You are what you eat?" Maybe not? Maybe it was your nearly bearded aunt Deborah?
     Well to tell you the truth I can't really remember who it was that told me that either but I do know that I have heard it more than a few times.
     As I have lived and watched the trends come and go in our fair country there have been many that startle and in some cases frighten me. One of those trends fitting both descriptions is the rise of "zombie culture". To many this may seem a very small and unimportant form of entertainment. To me I feel that when you begin to consume too much of something you begin to display and in some cases emulate that very thing. So in this case America is being spoon fed zombies by so many different sources that it is actually beginning to seem like a zombie in and of it's self. Many times I have thought about the state of the economy and the nation as slowly rotting away and although many may see it as far fetched I believe there is more than just a little connection between America's never ending lust for more zombies and it's rotting morals, rotting economy and down right rotten politics.
     Now I am not a person who is against things that are a little fantastic and somewhat nerdy. I like video games. I read Eragon, Lord of the Rings and even Harry Potter heck I've read all of the Fable Haven Books as well. I think that if you throw a Zombie in a story to spice things up that's great. Even a full fledged movie or two about Zombie apocalypse is a fun idea to re-do the whole water world disaster or Equilibrium plot line. My issue is the now multi lingual multi marketed muli everythinged state of Zombification that our young people are actually passing through. When did America start sacrificing good quality entertainment (and key chains!) for the mindless rotten flesh of the undead? I think the last ten games that have come out for any gaming platform all have a "Zombie mode" if they are not just flat out about running around mindlessly blowing up chopping down and splattering zombies. These children and young people playing these games our our future leaders and business owners not to mention fast food hands. Heck the guys we have voted into office right now can hardly do their jobs WITH their brains what happens when our next generation get's elected by their fellow "Zombie parade" buddies and tries out being president thinking they want to eat brains?
     I think we should take a stand and not participate in the Zombification of America. Lets not kill lady liberty before her time I don't think she will look very good as a walking corpse. Don't let your children play zombie games or watch zombie movies or buy zombie key chains! It will literally rot their brains; and who knows, once theirs is rotten maybe they'll stagger around looking for some. If you are a person who likes Zombies and can't get enough of them; to you I say diversify your entertainment portfolio, look into the classics. Read Frankenstein; a true classic with a different view of an undead monster that will actually sharpen your mind and give you natural compassion and intelligence. Zombies are one of those cheap life experiences like Poke' Mon and McDonald's or Wal Mart and it's no co incidence that all of them are loaded. Cheap entertainment sells. Just like cheap food cheap diapers and cheap socket wrenches. Dedicate your time to something more constructive. Master "The Art of  Dedication".

Art of Dedication?

      I know that starting something out with a disclaimer is like writers bad luck but I feel it appropriate due to the nature of this blog.
      I don't do this... Internet stuff I mean. I don't do the face book thing and I don't like to follow my friends and relatives every little moves in life. I don't care when so and so's baby makes a cute face on some special or otherwise silly day and I don't find a need in my life to hold on to fly by friends. This blog is not an anthem to the needy, nor is it my attempt to secretly make public my venting and raving of the injustices of the world.
      I am writing this blog because every once in a while a piece of information enters my head and I feel a need to put it on some form of medium. I have always loved to write and I guess in some ways it's my form of art; though that particular word tends to annoy me. I think it's because the word "Art" is used by many people as a phrase of justification. So if you throw paint at a canvas in a drunken rage then perhaps you can feel justified in your actions leading to the actual "Art" because in the end you made something more or less beautiful.
      You can comment on any post of mine and say what ever you like. Nothing I say is gospel, nothing I say is a direct message from the greater powers of the universe. If you like what I say then that's great. If you don't that's great. I don't really have an opinion on your opinion but you are free to have one of mine.
      I can't guarantee that all my blogs will be serious and I'm not going to only post silly fluff. I'm going to post those little scraps of mental paper that get stuck to the windshield of my mind on a rainy day and can't seem to come off when I turn on those pensive mental wipers.
     I hope you enjoy at least some of what is floating around in my brain. If you find something in my writing that corresponds with you or your life style; just know I may not really be writing about you and if I am try not to take it personal.
    Oh and the reason I named my blog what I named it is because I think about dedication a lot and how to dedicate myself better to the important things of life. I am not perfect or even close to true dedication but i believe some day I will become truly dedicated. So here is to the elusive Art of Dedication.