Lawrence.com

Review: Wii Play (Wii)

I already had 4 controllers, so I picked this up, sold the controller to a desperate person on Craigslist for $50 and broke even. I've actually found that this is a good warm-up title to teach new users how to use the wiimote (and how to grip it firmly as to not destroy my TV). I was able to get a neighbor through most of the quick games in less than 15 minutes, and then it was on to Wii Sports and Warioware. It's worth the extra $10 for that.

March 6, 2007 at 1:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Exposing the Warts of the HPV Bill

Connecticut is actually pushing through with concept of having the vaccine be covered for all women under the age of 18 at no cost. (They're also considering a bill making vaccination mandatory, but that doesn't seem to have much traction) Of course, Connecticut has some very progressive vaccination policies, ensuring that children are provided all the major vaccinations at no cost. Odd are KS will never be as progressive as that. At this point, I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping that the fundamentalists won't slide this into another debate about sex-ed and abstinence.

January 28, 2007 at 6:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"The Road"

Speaking of books, are you doing Nanowrimo again?

November 4, 2006 at 4 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

D.A.R.E. you to abstain!

"(E) teaches that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects;"

That's neo-con code for "don't be a homosexual." Saying "context of marriage" is just double talk for "straight married couple."

November 4, 2006 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

End of the Dollar?

There's actually a parallel to the Democratic Peace Theory that some people dub the "Debtors Peace Theory." Most industrialized first world nations have huge debts they owe to each other. It goes back at forth (mutual debt does not cancel out in international finance) between almost every country we would consider to be international powers. Much like Democratic Peace Theory says that democracies will not attack each other because it would create massive instability, Debtors Peace Theory says that most industrialized nations will never declare war on each other because it would cause everybody to start debt collecting 1) to punish the nation they're at war with as well as their allies and 2) to finance the war from their friends. Regardless of how alliances fall, this would lead to the economic collapse of almost every superpower. Thus we can't attack China, Russia can't attack us, and everybody just agrees to behave.

October 21, 2006 at 10:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Review: Saints Row (X360)

I don't think reviewers are complaining that it is derivative because of similar gameply types, it's derivative because so much stuff is directly ripped off: plotlines, minigames, HUD graphics, fonts, bottom layouts, etc. Those are the sort of little flourishes developers love to put their unique stamp on.

That being said, the game is fun, and probably worth buying if you can't wait for GTA4. It does have some real nasty graphics bugs though, so be warned.

August 29, 2006 at 9:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Bad blood

I wish the PC Police at KU and MU would stop calling this thing "The Border Showdown" supposedly in deference to the troops. This thing was the Border War during both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the first Iraq War. When they changed the name, I remember one of my friends who was stationed in Iraq sending an expletive filled tirade of an e-mail to us back in the States because he refused to be the justification for changing a hundred years worth of history.

August 21, 2006 at 9:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Controller Breakers: The Most Infuriating Games Ever

I loathed Mike Tyson's Punch Out for most of my childhood because I was so bad at it. A few years ago when I was in the dorms, a friend pulled it out and showed me to glory of quick dodging instead of blocking. He played all the way through and beat Iron Mike on the first try. To this day, it is one of the finest video game perfornmances I've ever seen.

My Top 5:
1. Startropics (NES) - You're on an island with a yo-yo, no directions, and no entry level tutorials. If you manage to figure out where you're going, it's a great game, but the odds of that are low.

2. Yo Noid! (NES)- A surprisingly difficult platformer, the end levels and enemies ramp up to the point where you need to be mainlining RedBull to make the jumps. If you manage to get through that, you have to win at a match game (pizza eating contest) at the end of each level or you lose.

3. Blast Corps (N64)- One of the most under appreciated puzzle games for the N64. Some of the levels require insane trigger reflexes, timing, and a well though out gameplan to achieve Gold status. This caused numerous 10 hour sessions during high school when I should have been sleeping.

4. Sonic Adventure (DC)- Okay, the platforming is great, but they included these bizarre fishing levels for some reason. You get no tutorial and the fishing dynamics are buggy as hell. I never actually finished them. Rather, I was letting a friend try, fell asleep, and when I woke up he had finished them for me.

5. Geometry Wars (360)- One of the few games where you actually have to play some warmup rounds to get your heart beating and your twitch reflexes going faster. Moving either of your thumbs a milimeter too far is the difference between an early death and rubbing your friends noses in your new high score.

July 25, 2006 at 6:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Aaarrgghh! Sewer flies!!!

"I suppose this is sort of the plumber's equivalent of having to pry a 3.5 floppy disk out of someone's CD drive, but hey-it wasn't my stupid fuckup."

That just made me snarf up Dr Pepper through my nose.

July 12, 2006 at 8:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

For the weekend: Citizenship

******SPOILERS/ANSWERS******
For those of you wondering where you high school civics teacher let you down. Extra information is for your own personal edification.

1. Senators have no term limits (Republicans' Contract With America was supposed to enforce voluntary term limits, but none of them really followed up on that).
2. The President is inaugurated in January (Originally it was March until the 20th Ammendment).
3. Washington was the first Commander in Chief (Only Washington and Madison actually commanded troops on the battlefield as President).
4. The introduction to the Constitution is the Preamble (It's only one sentence).
5. The Constitution was written in 1787 (Commissioned in '86, Ratified in '89).
6. Congress declares war (Although this has been circumvented numerous times - Gulf of Tonkin, Authroization for the Use of Military Force, etc).
7. Jefferson was the main writer.
8. America faught Germany, Italy, and Japan.
9. Vermont wasn't an original state (the land was part of New York).
10. The Revolutionary war was against England (seriously, did anybody not get this one?)

Congratulations! You're all citizens now! Share with your friends over drinks!

June 24, 2006 at 1:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )