Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Game Review: Fallen Earth (MMO)

Well I have decided that I am going to branch out in this blog and explore. I am not limiting myself to my usual navel gazing or rants, I am going to step out and do a game review :)

I have been a 'gamer' (and I mean computer games, in case that wasn't obvious) for a long time. I am not one of those hard core, 24 hour a week types that locks myself in a room and stinks up a storm. I just enjoy playing a game, and find in particular the escapism of a good MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) is akin to a good movie, only it has multiple viewings heheh.

Anyway, my history of MMO's dates back to the early 2000's when a friend introduced me to Earth and Beyond. This was made by EA Games and was science fiction based. Since then I have played a fair few of these sorts of games. My most recent being Fallen Earth.

Fallen Earth is developed by an independent studio, Icarus. It is set in a post apocolyptic world, and based in the areas around the Grand Canyon (although this may be expanded in the future). It is a very interesting game and having played it since release (around 22nd September) I feel I have played it enough to offer my opinion on it now. I will follow that somewhat boring but easy to digest method of the good and the bad.

The good...

* The lack of hand holding. Yes, this (as many of these things will be) is very personal, but I was a little sick of games that connected the dots for you. The learning curve is quite steep...but this is a good thing. It gives you a sense of achievement when you get through it and it also ring fences the uber leet zerger's out to an extent.

* The open skill system. No class paths, this is an entirely skill based system. Four areas of 'knowledge' being stats (i.e. intelligence, strength), skills (i.e. pistol, armour use), mutations and tradeskills. Each of these can be raised either directly or indirectly with Action Points (AP's), which are earned over time with experience. You do have levels which seems a little unnecessary, regardless the open skill system is a good choice.

* The world, lore and environment. The setting has been well thought out, and really encourages you to immerse yourself. The world is visually quite pleasant and 'believable' if that makes sense. The graphics are not state of the art, but it is sufficient to provide a good basis (they are not photo-realistic, but not cartoony.

* Crafting. The crafting system is very in depth. You are rewarded with skill increases when you craft something that is not below your level, and are limited by the stats of Intelligence and Perception (and therefore level, as this limits your stats). You utilise raw materials to build items. Sometimes these are themselves sub-components and are assembled with others into a component or final item. The crafting is offline, so it continues while you are doing other activities or are offline.

* Options. You can buy an item, or craft an item. You can get experience from salvaging (harvesting), crafting, quests and killing. You can group or you can solo. You can go hard and zerg, or you can take your time. I am level 16 and I think the cap is 45...I'm still in Sector 1 (there are currently 3). Sometimes I have 10-20 minutes spare, I will log in, harvest a bit, setup another crafting queue...etc.

OK now for the bad...

* Crafting. I know, I said it was a good. But I am a little concerned with the fact anyone can craft anything. There is no limit on 'specialisation', so you can max your crafting in every tree. Sure, you are limited by your intelligence and perception as to the levels, but the fact that anyone can craft all the categories...weapons, ballistics, science, nature, armour...you get the idea. I believe this will not only be potentially terrible for the economy, but also takes a large leap away from the other areas that seem so well thought out.

* Skill trees. Again a strength that is not a 'cookie cutter' class system, but if you are going to have a skill based system, why would you have skill point increases for crafting but not for the true skills like pistol, rifle, armour use etc? I am thinking a system along the lines of the old SWG (pre stuff up) would be better, where you earn points using the skills, once you have sufficient skill points you can use AP's to advance those skills.

* Respecs. I understand the issues involved with this. Really, I do. Some people abuse them. But don't make rules for the 5% that upset the other 95%. If you have a system where you are encouraging immersion, roleplay, character development...don't have newish players develop their characters and make mistakes, and then realise they are stuck and have no chance of altering the mix. Bring in some sort of system where you can gradually drop AP's from one tree, then reallocate to another, somehow, someway.

* Controls. After playing my first 2 x 2 hours sessions of this game, I very nearly rage quit and threw my laptop out the window. The controls are not great, and the ability to alter them is very limited. But once you get used to them, they are not horrible (but even now I don't like them).

So there you go, that's my thoughts on the game. The developers have released a number of patches since go-live, and the signs are very positive. The things I would like to see that are lacking right now:

1. RESPEC!!! Let us change the abilities for our characters at a cost/time penalty.
2. Player housing. This is huge to me for immersion. Camps, houses...whatever. Just don't make them instanced, and let us put things in them.
3. Fast Travel. I don't want to break the setting, or mechanics, but the ability to get from one end of sector one to the other...I mean it takes about 15 minutes to get from a town to a neighbouring town sometimes (yes, that's "real life" time). I hate to think what would happen if a friend was in Sector Two and I was in Sector One and we wanted to meet...
4. More a wish this one...limit crafting people can do. As much as I love being able to craft everything, it's poor form.

So there you go. My character name in Fallen Earth is Michael Brennan, feel free to add me to your friends list if you see me about :)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The mystery of time...

I have long experienced a little issue that has intrigued me, and I feel the need to discuss (aka vent).

You always hear it, that comment "I don't have time". Commonly an excuse utilised for a lack of effort on someone's part. Whilst it can often be the basis of the issue, it is more often the convenient crutch that is leaned on when effort was lacking.

It is however an easy, and very believable reason. Of all the things we possess, time is perhaps the only finite resource. However if you can find someone that has had something, be it a hobby, work, or some passion that involved them spending a lot of time on it...odds are you will find someone that appreciates just how much time we do have at our disposal.

I am a basketball coach and have been doing it for 15 years. I would train 2-3 times a week, with each session involving a 30 minute commute either way, arriving 30 minutes prior to the session to prepare and then the 2 ½ hour session. So up to three times a week, that was 4 hours a night (12 hours total). Then for every training session, I would spend about half that time again reviewing video, preparing training plans, analysing individual players issues etc. So that's another 6 hours. And then every Saturday morning I had 8:00am – 11:00am booked for professional development, where I would read a book, watch a college/NBA/other game, and try to improve my knowledge. So that's another 3 hours. None of that takes into account the 'variable factors', like going to junior games on occasion to watch upcoming young players, attending other coaches training sessions to assist/learn etc. So let's go with a total of 21 hours.

On top of this I had a full time job (no, coaching doesn't pay the bills...). That was well in excess of 40 hours a week. And still somehow managed to have time to catch up with friends and go out.

I am having a break from coaching this year and it has really hit home how much time it takes up. However I have chosen to look at it rather as how much time I currently have available. So many of the people I know, when you say to them "hey lets catchup", they say "sorry, I just don't have time right now...lets plan something later hey?". Hmmmm. So rather than accept this, recently I have politely asked what it is they have that keeps them so busy. It seems the routine of going to work and going home is sufficient for most. They get home...err...get changed...ummm....cook dinner...yeah and it is just really busy. There's stuff that needs to be done. And it's not getting done on its own.

Honestly, find something that will take up your time, do it for a while, then stop it. You will find a world of time available that you didn't realise you had.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Dusting off the cobwebs...

Yup, it's been 3 months (+2 weeks to be exact) since my last post. Wow, a long break. I lost focus, and had some Real Life (TM) issues that sought to distract me. But things are back on track now and I am determined to do a little blogging.

So this isn't a terribly exciting post, but I'm hoping that I will have a couple more of very soon. I am wondering what is realistic to aim for...and should I go for the whole 'underpromise, overdeliver'...set a 'stretch target' and aim for it...or just be realistic...so many choices.

I am going for the realistic option. I will aim for a post a week, I think that's achievable. I am going to post on some subjects that interest me, as well as my usual naval gazing insights (oooh, more lint...).

Have great weekend everyone, mine is busy but I'm going to fit in some blog writing heheh.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

No #followfriday

I haven't got a Twitter #followfriday today. I just haven't had time to try and get something operating in my new workplace to allow me to follow Twitter. I can't install Adobe Air (you need administrator privileges) and that seems to be the weapon of choice for developing Twitter apps for some reason.

I haven't been able to track down a non-AIR application, and the web based items aren't exactly useful. So for the moment, it's a Twitterless life I lead.

As such, it's hardly fair for me to recommend following people on Twitter. If/when I can get something working for it and I recommence, I will be sure to start up my #followfriday recommendations again.

Relationships = Work

I'm not sure if it's just me, or an alternate way of thinking...but to me relationships = work.

I have had a few relationships of varying types and lengths. I'm certainly no subject matter expert, but I think I have enough experience to voice a semi-educated opinion on the subject.

I never want my partner to forget that they are the most important thing in the world to me, that I love them, that I will do anything and always be there for them. It takes a lot of work to do that. And when I say work, I mean it takes me consciously thinking "what are they going through, and is there anything I can do to help?". What can I do today to show my partner that I'm thinking of them, that I still love them.

I know a lot of people think if you're in a 'good' relationship, it should be easy...there shouldn't be any work. I have to say I have never been in a relationship like that. Maybe it is me...maybe I have never been in a 'good' relationship (I would beg to differ). If people are lucky enough to find themselves in that situation, fantastic. Just I've never been there.

In the meantime, I will continue working hard to try and make my relationships work and if I learn any secrets, you will be the first to know hahaha. And conversely if you know any secrets yourself, feel free to pass them on to me. Just between us, ok? ;)

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Twitter: Follow Friday #4 (@tigertigercb)

And the next victim...bwahahaha...(thats supposed to be an evil laugh *sigh*).

*drum roll*

@tigertigercb

This one is a little indulgent of me. I am a bit of a coffee fan and really enjoy finding and tasting good coffee. I have explored Sydney and Perth coffee as I have lived in both, and Perth is really growing up a lot (in my humble opinion) on the coffee scene.

Tiger Tiger Coffee Bar is a really great spot in the Murray Mews, 329 Murray Street Perth. There's nothing better than dropping in on a Saturday morning, having some eggs benedict and a couple of cups of their awesome coffee (seriously, how could I just have one!). They have a "Single Origin Day" every Wednesday fortnight (next is 24th July) where they feature beans from a single country and plantation...such as Ethiopian Lumu.

Tiger Tiger Coffee Bar Website

Clare (the owner) always has a smile ready for you, and the atmosphere in the shop is terrific. They are also expanding into wine, with various tastings and special events.

I thoroughly recommend checking them out, and following them on twitter. Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Naughty boy...lack of posts

Yes, yes, I know. One of those bloggers that starts with the best of intentions, and then loses focus and posts intermittently...well...almost never.

Well, I have some Real Life (TM) things going on that have take precedence. All good stuff for inspiring blog posts. So eventually I will get on to it. I missed last #followfriday, but I will pick it up again this week.

And there will be a flurry of posts in the near future. Do I promise? Nope, not in the habit of making promises I can't guarantee keeping. So instead I will refocus and endeavour to post more in the near future.

And if that's not good enough, don't read :P

Have a good day *grin*

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Twitter: Follow Friday #3 (@wil_anderson)

And here we are, the third #followfriday already...oh how time flies!!!

Today's victim...errr...nomination...

*drum roll*

@Wil_Anderson

Australians are likely familiar with Wil's work, however for international twitterazi (and the lesser enlightened Aussies...) Wil is a comedian, TV host and radio presenter. I am a huge fan of his (now cancelled) show "The Glasshouse" which ran on the ABC and was cancelled...rumour has it due to the then Prime Minister John Howard putting some pressure on the ABC (got to love a good conspiracy theory...).

He also hosted a show "The Gruen Transfer" which takes a look at advertising with a humorous twist. He also has performed a number of stand up shows, his latest I think being "Wilosophy" which unfortunately I didn't catch (clashed with other commitments) but I hope to see him one day soon.

I recommend him on Twitter as he is a genuinely funny person and often posts his views, humorous and otherwise, on his feed and lightens my day :)

Monday, June 1, 2009

The need to fix things...

I recently held a conversation with a woman in an attempt to understand something that had been perplexing to me for many years. The need for women to stay friends with their ex's.

From both personal and related experiences, I know many situations where women remain friends with their ex's. The conversation generally goes like this:

Boy: "Hey, I see that your ex hit you up on Facebook the other day."
Girl: "Yeah, we're still friends. We talk and catch up every now and then. There's nothing to it."
Boy: "Sure, but I'm not particularly comfortable with it."
*insert tense silence*
Girl: "Well I'm not going to let you tell me who to be friends with."
Boy: "So you're telling me being friends with your ex is more important to you than me?"
Girl: "Well if you put it that way, yes."

Now this particular woman I spoke to said she is friends with one ex in particular. They were together for a number of years, and broke up. Then some time later he contacted her and they caught up. On departing he gave her a hug and tried to kiss her. She explained that she just wanted to be friends, nothing more. His response? I have enough friends, I don't need another one so if that's all it will be thanks but no thanks.

So time passed, and then she received an invitation from him on everyones favourite Fake...errr...Facebook. She accepted it, and they got to chatting every now and then.

Am I the only one that see's a problem here? My first question was why. After some superficial responses, it came out that she wanted to fix it. That they have been together, that they could possibly fix it and maybe get it back to what it was.

Now putting that aside, lets say this woman meets a guy and forms a relationship. When I asked her if she would stop being friends with this guy because her new boyfriend asked, her initial response was no. Why should I? He should trust me.

OK, so I spun it around. I explained a scenario to her...she goes to a nightclub with her boyfriend. During the night, a hot girl throws herself at him and tries to kiss him. He pushes her away and says no thanks. Now, how do you feel? She says well it's not his fault, I'm not going to hold it against him. OK, but do you feel happy it happened or comfortable with the situation? Ummm...well no.

So it's not that you don't trust them, but it's that it's an uncomfortable situation. And most importantly you don't trust the guy (or in the prior example, girl). Especially when (in this case) he has made it very clear that he has enough friends and doesn't need another...if you can't read between those lines...

So why is it that women do this? Is it the moral high ground? Are they so naive as to believe that men can be fixed? Is that saying really true about womens behaviour in general:

A women enters a relationship expecting a man to change,
and being disappointed when he doesn't.
A man enters a relationship expecting a woman not to change,
and being disappointed when she does.

When I had that related to me, I laughed. I didn't believe it but the more I think about it, the more I talk to women about their beliefs and behaviours, the more elements of it come to the forefront.

Now before any women decide to take a hit out on me, I do not generalise this across the entire female population. As a matter of fact much to my detriment, I give everyone the benefit of the doubt and my trust up front. So I am not tarring all with the same brush. However so far, I have been given little reason to think otherwise.

The long road ahead...

Be with someone.

Be alone.

It seems that humans are designed to be partnered. Society looks upon the companionless as unusual, outcasts, something to be pondered, studied, and pitied.

Don't believe me? Try it some time.

It is a very real fact that if you go to a concert, the movies, coffee shop or pretty much anything outside of your own house on your own, once people realise they give you that "oh you poor dear" look. I have gotten used to it and get myself out and busy, but sometimes depending on your mood you notice.

I have been in relationships since I was in high school. Until the end of 2008 I had not been out of a relationship for more than a month or so. I have now been out of one for 6 months. I would never have thought it, and argued vehemently against it initially, but it's been a good thing. Difficult, as with any adjustment, but good. I have sorted myself out a lot, gotten a lot of things in perspective.

Perhaps most importantly I now want to be with someone, rather than need to be with someone.

Now this leads me nicely to the source of my recent consternation. I am enjoying my own time, and have actually got myself into a good place. I have a fitness regime and am healthy and happy with how I look. I am mentally good, have a really exciting new job I'm starting soon, finances are sorted and ever improving...all good.

So whilst I'm happy with where I'm at, I feel like I'm ready to be with someone. Not need, but want to. So how do I go about it?

Well popular opinion would have you believe you should "let it happen". I refer the people that tell me that to my prior blog post "Fate and Destiny...". So clearly, I'm not a big believer of that option.

On the other hand I have done the RSVP/websites, Speed Dating, Blind Dates through friends and family. Fail, fail and epic fail. Yes, perhaps I have been unlucky. Regardless I have now sworn off all of this.

So the middle ground is to get out and about, circulate and not be closed off to opportunities. I find it hard to draw that line and given my inherent shyness and inability to approach women, it will be a long hard road but hey, better than nothing.

And then how to find a woman that is not...

a) ...psychopathic.
b) ...just out of a relationship within the last 3 months and still secretly in love with her ex(s).
d) ...a slob and looks after herself.
e) ...so lacking that she struggles to hold a conversation with a housebrick.

So far...well I guess it's early days, patience is not a virtue I naturally possess. You wouldn't think it was that hard...but I'm telling you, it is.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Twitter: Follow Friday #2 (@jeskeets)

And here's my second #followfriday for Twitter...

*drum roll*

@jeskeets

I have been listening to a podcast called "The Basketball Jones" (http://thebasketballjones.net/) for a couple of years now. It's a podcast made by 3 Canadians JE Skeets, Tas Melas and Jason Doyle (Producer) about the National Basketball Association of America (NBA).

During the regular season they produce a show daily Monday to Friday, and during the finals almost as regularly (depending on scheduled games). The podcast is informing, entertaining and funny. JE Skeets posts a lot of funny and informative comments on his twitter, and occasionally posts live during games with his thoughts.

If you are a basketball fan (in particular the NBA), I thoroughly recommend following him :)

Monday, May 25, 2009

Top 5 Albums

This whole Facebook trend of top 5 blah blah is really getting quite annoying. It would be nice to not log on, infrequent as that may be, and be overwhelmed by that sort of stuff.

Having said that, it did get me thinking lol. I was listening to a song the other day, and thought "I recall this song, it's from one of those rare albums where I like every song...". Hmmm...albums where I like every song on them. Coincidentally they happen to pretty much be my favourite albums.

So here goes, my top 5 albums:

1. Master of Puppets (Metallica 1986)
Believe it or not, the first ever album (tape actually) that I purchased with my own money. A friend at high school recommended it. I was more into the poppy/rock kinda tracks on commercial radio, and at the time Metallica was hardly mainstream. I think the first few times I listened to it, my ears almost bled. And as a funny side note, it was in the player one day when my Aunt put it on and heard the accoustic guitar intro to "Battery"...when it kicked in she almost died lol.

A fantastic album from beginning to end, I listen to it regularly. To me it is Metallica at their prime.

2. Pretty Hate Machine (Nine Inch Nails 1989)
Another absolute classic. Trent Reznor is a master, created a genre and continues to expand it to this day. So many good tracks on this album, again one I regularly listen to. What more can I say. Seeing NIN live at Soundwave this year was an absolute high point for me. Incredible.

3. Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits 1985)
Ahuh, who would have thought that Metallica and Nine Inch Nails would be followed by Dire Straits?!?! Hey, it's as much of a shock to me as you hahaha. I found this album while I was staying at my Aunts place in Eneabba (near Geraldton) during school holidays. I was bored and going through her record collection...ABBA, Bee Gees...and then I put this on. Who are Dire Straits, no idea...give it a spin. Hmmm...I like. Still like. Brothers in Arms (the single) is an absolute classic, still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

4. Eyes Open (Snow Patrol 2006)
I was introduced to Snow Patrol by an ex-girlfriend. I had heard one of their singles on commercial radio, but I don't listen to the radio a great deal and hadn't heard much more...I think it was the song most people associated with them, "Chasing Cars". And to be honest, I grew a little sick of it due to it being played everywhere.

It wasn't until some time later that she played some more for me, I was intrigued and bought the album. I have since seen them in concert three times and enjoy all their albums...in particular this one.

5. American Idiot (Greenday 2004)
I think some people would probably have a fit with this being my favourite Greenday album. Don't get me wrong, I have been a fan for a very long time, and love a lot of their stuff. But this album blew me away when it came out. The way it tells a story, fits together, and the songs themselves stand alone. I hope I get the opportunity to see them in concert.

And now for the inevitable honorable mentions, in no particular order:

Infected (The The 1986)
Collision Course (Jay-Z vs Linkin Park 2004)
Substance (New Order 1987)
Come What(ever) May (Stone Sour 2006)
The Rising Tied (Fort Minor 2005)
Appetite for Destruction (Guns n Roses 1987)

There are many more, but given I am focusing on a top 5 I thought it would be reasonable to limit the honourable mentions to 6 :)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Twitter: Follow Friday #1 (@livbambola)

I got involved with Twitter early in 2009 to understand what it was all about. I feel that as someone involved in the Tech Industry, I should be aware of what the latest trends and devices and be familiar with their application and use.

Now I should say (and in line with my prior post) I am not a very self confident or extroverted person. I have not been a big user of Facebook or MySpace (but for similar reasons to getting into Twitter have explored both), and stayed away from blogging for a long time until recently.

I have actually found that Twitter is a very handy service, and you can get out of it what you want. I tailored my usage to obtain information on upcoming music and entertainment events, inside information on basketball happenings, and travel information amongst others. What I have also found is a vibrant Perth community of 'twitterers' (aka twitterazzi, twits). To date I have met some great people and expanded my circle of friends.

Now a concept of Twitter is 'Follow Friday'. It started out as a random post of twitterers names that you follow, together with a 'hashtag' of #followfriday. People that follow you see this post, and then they can find out about people that that otherwise would not have known about. I think it's a great idea.

Now last week I read a post by a gent name Steve Woodruff (post here How-to-improve-Follow-Friday). In it he suggests that rather than stuffing as many twitter names into a 140 character post as you can, post one or two and either put a reason why/description, or link to a more detailed blog post. Well I think that's a great idea, so here I go!

My first Follow Friday recommendation...

*drum roll*

@livbambola

Livbambola is one of the first people I followed on Twitter. When I first started using Twitter, I found an application called "Twitterlocal" and used it to discover people in Perth using it. Since then I have also found that @livbambola has her own blog which is regularly updated (far more than mine!) and I enjoy reading.

She has a great writing style, a nice sense of fashion, and a wonderful sense of humour.

So there you go, my first #followfriday!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Personal interaction in the "new world"

I'm sure there's been a lot...perhaps too much...written elsewhere about the effects of modern communications methods on the general interaction between people, in particular those of the younger generation. Hell, when have I ever cared about that hahahaha. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and to challenge the status quo.

I have been involved with IT since 1989. I have seen the massive leaps and bounds as the Internet became an available tool for the general populace. Things like mobile phones, email, messenger, social networking, blogs, micro blogs...and they are all eagerly accepted into the general population.

And rightfully so, after all technology is a facilitator, a means to improve our quality of life.

Hmmm...improve our quality of life. Really?

Well I am as guilty as anyone of living with my mobile phone. My excuse has always been "what if there's an emergency?". Well how has mankind survived for centuries without some form of instant communication? Yes, you can always revert to the old argument of "life was different, lifespans were lower, etc etc". I always find those sorts of 'base level arguments' somewhat convenient and not always accurate. More of an excuse to my mind really, to not really have to deal with the issues.

Two people that go out for the evening, have dinner and conversation...and constantly texting on their phones. I had a friend at a party one night that spent the majority of the night texting, and the occasional interruption by talking to other people. It becomes more acceptable to have people answering phone calls in the movies.

I have also seen how these things effect the younger generations. Pre-teens on social networking sites, on messenger programs for hours talking to their friends, racking up hundreds of dollars worth of phone calls on mobile phones. And the one thing that stands out to me is the accelerated rate at which social interaction is thrust upon them.

No longer is it a case of them seeing their friends a couple of times a week outside of school. Now it's every night, every moment, posting their activities on the Facebooks and MySpaces. Sending text messages constantly, and chatting with their friends. The interaction that would normally occur during teen years, happens much earlier. And then the interaction and indeed maturity that would normally be required for early adulthood, happens during the teens.

My question is, has anyone considered if this is healthy? What has the effect of this been?

Also things like the usage of abbreviations to shorten words for text messages and such things as Twitter (which is limited to 140 character length postings). This carries across to messenger programs, which have no such limit but conversely no enforcement so efficiency/laziness rules.

And of course all these convenient forms of communication inevitably lead to things such as breaking up relationships via text message, messenger etc. One person I was talking to recently had their name on messenger set as "What would you say if I said it was over?". I asked if they were breaking up with their partner, they replied "I'm not sure yet, but I'm hoping they get the hint to make it easy for me". Wow.

And a personal dislike of mine is people posting private conversations and bad behaviour on public forums. I saw two acquaintances once posting a conversation on Facebook, organising their Saturday. It went something like "Hey man, I will come over and help you move that pile of dirt", "Great bring the wife and kids", "Yeah its been a while, we haven't seen you since you broke up with blah", "Yeah..." and so on. Now firstly, is it necessary to post this in a public forum? What is wrong with picking up the phone? And even if you cant call, couldn't you do it privately? What's wrong with good old email?

As a side note, is it really a good idea to advertise to the world exactly when you will be away from your house etc? I wont even mention security concerns, privacy of personal information, etc.

And then the posts of drunken, rude or illegal behaviour. "OMG I had such a good night, I have the hangover from hell, got smashed and vomited in the gutter, went home with a random, and ended up doing some serious shit".

Yeah, like we need or want to know. Yes, if you don't want to know you don't have to read it. It's not so much about that. It relates to what I said earlier, what is the effect of all this sort of thing on people?

I hate sounding like some old man, or a prude. I'm not (well you could argue the old, but I don't think I am). Far from it. I just think there is a lot going on that is just accepted as "the way it is". And perhaps there needs to be a little more thought put into it than that.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Post regularity...the balance

OK, I guess I am a bad blogger. I see other blogs that draw me back, and they're updated daily. Others, weekly. Me...well it's early days but not great consistency so far hahaha.

Hey, I'm busy with 'Real Life' (TM), so shoot me :P

I am going to aim for a couple of postings a week. I have a couple of things I have made notes about to Blog, so now I guess it's getting into the habit of making a time to collect thoughts, post stuff and that sort of bollocks.

Well, I make a promise to myself (bugger you lot!) that I will post something by the end of this week, and then get my act together and post about twice a week. See how that goes.

In the meantime, go and read this really cool Blog that I like :)

http://worldontheinside.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Movie Review: Star Trek 2009

In a bid to breakup my navel gazing and philosophical discussions, and thereby avert a potential existential crisis, I am going to do something I have never done before...a movie review. Why the hell not, this is all new to me :)

I went out last night into Fremantle, had a great dinner and coffee with a friend, and caught the new Star Trek movie. Now let me preface this by saying I am not a 'Trekkie'. Yes, I have seen original episodes, most (if not all) the movies, and one or two episodes of Next Generation. Mainly because I love the genre, rather than some deep attachment.

And I loved it! I am fairly easy to please when it comes to movies, as long as they have a relatively good storyline, enough of the core ingredient to keep me interested (be that action, drama, suspense, mystery, comedy) then I'm pretty happy.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Firstly I think the Director, JJ Abrams was in the position of not having to really develop the characters a great deal, rather outline their beginnings and introduce them. Once introduced, I was curious as to how he was going to avoid the Trekkie's wrath in regards "They didn't do that" and "That's not write according to the books/comics/movies/series". The introduction of an alternate timeline due to the storyline incident was brilliant, and the writers have opened the floodgates for an entirely new series of movies and various spin-offs.

I also think the casting was done remarkably well. Not only are the characters matched fairly well physically, but the actors did a great job bringing out their quirks and flaws...although I think there was one or two too many forced "Dammit Man" comments from Bones, but it was still amusing heheh. Scotty, Uhura, Checkov, McCoy, Sulu, Spock and of course Kirk were all too my mind, perfect fits. And I think it was a great stroke to bring in Leonard Nimoy to play the alternate/older Spock. What a great way to tie it in, and include one of the favourites of the original series.

Now I know I probably don't need to say it, but of course all of the above is "in my humble opinion". But hey, that's what all this is about now isn't it (as uncomfortable as that can be sometimes for me!). So I thoroughly recommend it and will be eagerly awaiting the next one!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Life, the future and everything...

Talking to a friend recently, something came up that really bothered me.

We were talking about some issues she was having with her family. She still lives at home (glad I didn't when I was 21, but that's perhaps a whole other blog entry of it's own...), and is getting a lot of pressure from her parents.

"What are you going to do with yourself?"

"Why haven't you bought a house?"

"When are you going to find someone and start a family?"

Oh...my...god. She is 21. And she is supposed to have sorted out in her head what she wants to do for the rest of her life, have committed herself to the biggest debt she is ever likely to undertake, and found somebody and started spawning.

Wow.

It really got me thinking. Perhaps I'm a little unusual (some have hinted at this before...ok they have flat out said it). But here I am, sitting at the wrong side of 30, and I can't answer most of those questions.

I don't know exactly what I want to do, or where I want to go. If I may borrow some lyrics momentarily:

I used to have a little bit of a plan
Used to have a concept of where I stand
Now that concept's slipped right out of my hand
Now I don't really even know who I am
(Believe Me - Fort Minor)

Various things come and go, who can really know where they are going to be? And what is the point in committing yourself to something that will tie you down, if you don't know what you want?

I want to find someone to be with, share life's experiences with, be intimate with, start a family with one day. I used to need...I have addressed that and now I want, a much healthier situation.

However I also would like to travel, live overseas, experience a lot more of life and the world. It seems that this is a little in conflict with the first one. Just as I had set myself up for the travel and living overseas, I met someone. I put the travel/living overseas on hold, to explore the possibilities. It didn't work out, and now I'm back to square one.

I have been married. Divorced. I have moved from one side of the country to the other, and back again (in Australia, that's a fair old way). I have raced motorcycles, coached state league basketball. I look back and think I have done a lot of things, experienced a lot of things...and here I am, not exactly sure what I want to do.

How the hell are you supposed to be able to figure that out at 21 when you haven't even lived? And why should we have to? What's the rush?

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Fate and destiny...

Something I am incredibly curious about is people’s ability to resign themselves to this concept of fate and destiny. I hear it over and over again, the "what will be will be". This annoys me no end. No, annoys is too nice a word. Upsets is getting closer. I find it bloody infuriating to be honest.

Lets examine the concepts behind fate and destiny:

fate –noun

  1. something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.
  2. the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.
  3. that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.
  4. a prophetic declaration of what must be: The oracle pronounced their fate.

destiny –noun

  1. something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.
  2. the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.
  3. the power or agency that determines the course of events.

(All taken from http://www.dictionary.com)

I have highlighted the areas I think are relevant. Let me list them...

  • unavoidable
  • prescribed
  • predetermined
  • what must be
  • is to happen

So what are we saying when we say "I believe in fate and destiny, what happens will happen"? We are saying that in some way our futures are prescribed for us.

I find it ludicrous to think that fate and destiny exist. If you are religious, perhaps you can blindly accept this in some way (I’m not and don’t). Otherwise, explain how our lives are in any way prescribed? I guess if you want to find an easy point to put your back against, you could say as we can not time travel, we cannot know if things would be different if we had taken a different path. Therefore you could argue there is only one path, and how do we know if it is predetermined or not?

Poor, desperate argument if you ask me.

So what about other peoples decisions impacting ours? Is that some form of fate or destiny? That is what someone has argued...other peoples decisions cannot be altered and therefore you are stuck with that and can't help it.

Again, to me rather flimsy.

Firstly, their decisions can often be influenced by you. Let’s assume in this instance they can't to remove that variable.

Well the impact of their decisions on you...is a factor in your own decisions. Should that be seen as some sort of pre-determination?

Ultimately I personally think you make your own future, it is not pre-determined. Yes, you could very well choose not to make any decisions, and therefore follow a pre-determined path. But that pre-determined path is known as an outcome of your decision. Not a fate. If I choose not to make any decisions, I am actually making a decision and defaulting future decisions. Putting aside involuntary actions of the body such as breathing, what about when I get hungry? Don't eat. That's a choice, I made a decision. Otherwise I die. Is it my fate to die if I don't eat?

Oooh, now that's interesting. Fate works on a smaller scale. But guess what. Fate is called the outcome of a decision. Pretty short term to my way of thinking.

So does that mean a chain of smaller decisions leads to a fate? Well if you switch fate for outcome again, absolutely.

Was it pre-determined? Absolutely not.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

You are the sum of your experiences

An online diary. I have been keeping one since 2005, but it's been for my eyes only. Thoughts and feelings, experiences and questions...an inner dialogue made external. I think it helps me put some things into perspective, and think them through...often far better than if I was to stop and try and think it through on the spot in my head.

Anyway, recently I emailed an friend asking them a question I had pondered in my diary. We got to talking and I sent them the entry I had just put in that day. They said (very kindly) that I write very well, and had I ever thought about keeping an online diary? Well the answer was yes, but for various reasons I hadn't.

The largest of these reasons perhaps is my anti-narcissistic and very private nature. I see people that post a lot about themselves on Facebook, Twitter and the like and it is very anti me (perhaps that's for another topic). Regardless this whole thing is going to be a stretch out of the comfort zone. I have written blogs about my basketball coaching, but that was about a subject I was involved in and my thoughts on it, rather than about my own personal feelings and experiences.

Anyway...here I am. I was trying to come up with a name, and wracking the brain. Something funny? Something witty surely. Smart...yeah thats it. Failure on all counts. Something about me (the boy with the big blue eyes hahaha) nope. Oooh a personal motto or slogan. Other than be yourself, I have never really had one and that seemed a bit lacking and cliched.

Then it hit me (thankyou subconcious). A lot of people have repeated back to me a saying I have used many times and firmly believe in...

"You are the sum of your experiences". Whilst I certainly don't claim to have invented this saying, I didn't pick it up from anywhere it, just came out one day as it made entire sense. So this diary is all about that. The sum of my experiences.

The thoughts and feelings, questions and concerns, events and everything else in between. I have no idea if anyone will find it interesting, how often I will post, the format it will take...it is all a blank canvas that will evolve.

So here's to lifes experiences, and being the sum of them :)