Despite my statements to the contrary... this blog has fallen into disuse... that has not been intentional.  I am in a new season of life.  I changed my position at work, the kids are growing older so there are changes there.  Both Thing 1, and Thing 3 are on soccer teams, and Thing 2 we continue to grow with and learn from.  All the while my Beloved and i continue to grow together.  Life never seems to slow down... and my own father says that it just speeds up!  *sigh*  But i don't want it to speed up.  Well, since it has been a 'coons age since my last update, i guess i will just bring things up to date about me...

Let's see - Soccer, or futbol as it is known elsewhere in the world, takes up a lot of my time.  DS1 plays for his High School team and my DD3 plays on a traveling team.  They both love to play, but it is a serious commitment to their parents in getting them to and from practices and games.  Well, not as much for the H.S. level, but the traveling team has 3 practices a week, and some times games on both days of a weekend.  One thing i have noticed is that both of them are not... a part of the "in" clique of their teams, or in school.  I am OK with that personally, but sometimes i worry about them.  I guess that stems from my own experiences at their age.

The driving all over God's creation has been a big contributor to less free time, which directly impacts my writing time.  Not just blog writing, but my short stories as well.  While i have written a few chapters, i am not near as prolific as i used to be, obviously.  I have been able to keep up with some reading though.  I am still in the middle of about 4 different books though.  I finally finished the "Path of the Eldar" series.  Very well done.  I enjoyed each and every page, and i read just this morning that Gav Thorpe is looking in to an Audio book as well.  Very cool.

I am not sure if i mentioned this in the few blog posts i had late last year, and (much) earlier this year, but i am a fan of Cam Newton.  He came on strong last year and set all kind of NFL rookie records, etc.  This year he has struggled some, but i think that is somewhat normal.  He is finding his niche within the game and still feel he will settle in to be the best quarterback the Carolina Panthers have ever had.  Only time will tell.  Despite a 6-10 record last year, and what very well could be worse this season, i think the team is on the right track overall.  Basically, i have been a fan of the Panthers since the league announced the franchise being awarded to Charlotte, i have stayed with the team through a 1-15 season... and i will stay with them through these trying times as well. A side note/observation - no team named after a predatory cat (Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars) has ever won the Super Bowl.  As a matter of fact, only two of them have ever played in the Super Bowl (the Bengals and Panthers), so, while i will remain a die hard Carolina Panthers fan - i will now be rooting for each and everyone of the Big Cat teams!  Unless they are playing the Panthers that is.

With the plethora of time i have, i restarted fallout 3 with a brand new character.  I can't stand not finishing things, and i hate starting things in the middle, so... I am also going to try and journal my 'journey'.  Why?  Well, i really like the game, even after having it for four years now, and i like to write.

Since i last blogged dear reader, i have found two new TV shows that i like, and an "old" one i have finally discovered.  The "old" one is 'The Big Bang Theory'.  I have several people tell me that they couldn't believe i was not already watching it.  But, i did give it a try once and i found it too in my face regarding things about boys and girls "hooking up".  Maybe i am just getting calloused to it, but i really enjoy it now.  I especially like how Stuart is becoming a regular on the show this season.  The two new shows are 'Arrow' on The CW, and 'Revolution' on NBC.  'Arrow' because it is based on the DC Comics character, the Green Arrow.  'Revolution', well, because it was a post-apocalyptic scenario where the power goes out all across the world.  Both of these shows are less than ten episodes on, but i am interested enough to record them and watch them as i can... usually in 10-15 minute intervals.  I am like them both quite a bit.

OK, i am not sure if these are decent updates or not, but it's what i've got for now.  Oh, and i'd like to thank Tulip for her help in making new banners for my blogs.  The one here has been around for a while, but there is a new one for the Fallout 3 blog.  8)  I am slowly trying to spruce things up.

May this find each of you enjoying God's perfect peace and grace as you read this.  No matter how disjointed it comes across.

---

A sad time for me as a Carolina Panthers fan - and the usual ramblings

It finally happened... the Carolina Panthers released John Kasay, my all time favorite player for the Panthers.   I am at the age now where i am really noticing these kinds of things.  Football player careers are short, and a 16 year stint with the Panthers is very long time in the world of the NFL.And yet... i am very sad that this day has come for John Kasay.  When i asked for a Carolina Panthers jersey, i was specific that i wanted the number 4, with John Kasay's name on the back.  The man is simply a class act.  Scott Fowler at the Charlotte Observer has done a couple of really nice articles, but i will add my agreement with his sentiments here.  John Kasay was pretty consistent.  With the exception of the year he tore his ACL (while making a tackle on a kick return no less), he was almost automatic.  Whenever he made a game winning field goal he always deflected the praise to his teammates for getting him in the position to kick the score, and when he missed - and especially after the bad kickoff in the SB against the Patriots he always took it upon himself, that he was the one who let his teammates down.  At the end of the day it is a team sport, and it always is a team effort.  But John Kasay left his mark outside the locker room as well, being a vital part of his community, and never shied away from his faith in Christ.  He will be missed, and by more than just myself.  I hope the Panthers add him to their "Hall of Honor".  I would love to make a trip down to the game when they do this - or even just for the ceremony if they do it in the off season.  I wish more professional athletes were as humble and upright as John Kasay.

With that segue, sort of, in additional to Caleb Campbell being on the Detroit Lions roster, the Lions have invited Collen Mooney to camp.  Caleb Campbell is #53 and a Linebacker.  He played safety for Army "in the day", but was moved up to be a speedy linebacker.  Last year Caleb spent most of his time on the practice squad, but did make it up to the #53 man roster a time or two.  Collin Mooney was a Fullback for Army and currently has the single season rushing record for them.  The Lions had 2 Fullbacks on the roster, but only ever suited one - one article i said that the Lions may try and see how he does as a "Power" Running back.  While i am still not sure of either man's chances of making the final 53 man roster, or even the practice squads this year, i am still very glad to see West Point being represented in the NFL.  It doesn't hurt that both of them a Artillerymen either.    So... i will be watching both men, and if they both make the roster... i just might have to get some kind of Lions paraphernalia.    Go ARMY!

I am going to make it official... i am aligning myself with the American National Tea Party.  I have grown to despise the cross-aisle finger pointing and bickering.  I am tired of the laws of the land not applying to those who are supposed to "represent" us.  I am tired of the very people that are supposed to express the point of view of their constituency not "getting it", and i am especially tired of this nation getting deeper and deeper into debt every year.  There are some exceptions, and i am not pointing the finger at either of the two main political parties.  Over 11% of the annual budget is interest.  Just interest, not principle of the load, just the interest.  I have heard it put this way:

"If the US Government was a family, they would be making $58,000 a year, they spend $75,000 a year, and are $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget and debt, reduced to a level that we can understand." ~ Dave Ramsey

It is just not sustainable.  If i ran my house this way, i would be in bankruptcy and out on the street.  Those who represent us need to grow a set of _____ and put on their big girl panties and make some really hard decisions.  They need to tread carefully of course, but their eyes shouldn't wander to places like Social Security, Medicare, or the retirement "entitlement" those who have retired after 20+ years of service to this country.  Those programs are people - generally - from the lower income brackets who have put their time in, who have busted their tails all their lives.  There are plenty of other areas that could be scrutinized and pinched.  No plan is going to make everyone happy, and every plan is going to make somebody mad, but this country is heading down into a hole that is inescapable if we are not careful.  And before anyone goes off spouting that the Tea Party is a bunch of bigots, do some research to see just who makes up the rank and file of this political party's supporters.  I think our country is past due for a couple of more political parties with influence beyond the Democrats and the Republicans. Checks and balances.  Since the Tea Party is predominantly conservative, i feel that a subset of the Democratic liberal would be apropos. 

---

Football Follies

I am not entirely sure if any of those who stumble across this minor blog are fans of the American National Football League known as the NFL.  If you are, and you follow it in the least bit amount, you are probably aware of the leagues worst team right now...  The Carolina Panthers. Or as i like to refer to them when they are playing this poorly, the Carolina Kittens.  Even when the Panthers went 1-15 in the 2001 season, i had hope for their improvement.  This year... not so much.  Perhaps it's the depression i have been fighting lately, but i am beginning to think that they are destined to sink into the depths of the other perpetually bad teams of the other "Big Cat" teams.  You know them as the Detroit Lions and the Cincinnati Bengals.  That's not all fair though... the other "Jaguar" family team, the Jacksonville Jaguars and brother 1995 expansion team (Panthers are a form of Jaguar, if you look closely you can see blacker spots on them), have been routinely decent.  I believe their overall historical record is > 50% win/loss.  As of this post, the Panthers have the inside track on locking in the #1 overall draft pick in the 2011 draft.  The only other team that is a serious challenger for this is of course, the Cincinnati Bengals.  Let's take a look at both teams up coming games shall we:

Carolina:
Dec 19 Arizona(4-9)
Dec 23 @ Pittsburgh (10-3)
Jan 02 @ Atlanta (11-2)

Cincinnati:
Dec 19 Cleveland (5-8)
Dec 26 San Diego (7-6)
Jan 02 Baltimore (8-4)<

If Carolina loses out, they have the lock.  In the event of a tie, the #1 pick will go to the Cincinnati Bengals as they had the "easier" (based on the overall win/loss record of their opponents) schedule.  Now, some of this may come down to teams like Atlanta and Pittsburgh resting some of their starters in order to prepare for the play-offs, but... then again... Pittsburgh has the Ravens breathing down their neck, and Atlanta has the Saints...  Ah, such is life.  8)  I am still a fan of the Carolina Panthers though.  Maybe it will make it a little bit easier to get a pair of tickets for a home game in Charlotte next season.

For fun, i have been playing Games Workshops computer version of American Football (Blood Bowl).  This was created and distributed by a company called Cyanide Studios.  It is essentially a Fantasy, turn based, version of the game.  It was originally made by GW as a table top game.  I have four teams currently that i rotate between depending upon my mood.  I have the Redleg Boomers, a human team that i have loosely based the theme around my days as an Artilleryman (aka Redleg); the Floundering Chefs, my Halfling team; the Boneyard Boyz, and undead team (skeleton warriors have always fascinated me for some reason); and last but not least, the Sylvan Strykers, a Wood Elf team.  Each team has their strengths and weaknesses, so i play each team depending on my mood.  The Humans are an "all around" team.  They don't excel in anyone area, but then they are not really deficient in any one area either.  The Halflings are not really great in any area... they are a team that rules where put together for on a whim.  They are in the game for fun and humor, not really to win.  The undead team is a highly durable team, but they struggle with doing anything really fancifully. The Wood Elves are my first go to team... they are Elves after all.   In the game there are 4 Elven teams.  The Woode Elves, the High Elves, the Dark Elves, and the plain old Elves.  I had originally started with the regular elves, but the cheerleaders are drawn up in really skimpy outfits... so i deleted that file and started over.  The High Elves are too snooty, and the Dark Elves are en evil team and... the undead are close enough that i didn't want to play a second one.  Ironically, the team with the best record is my Halfling team!

Ok... this will be meaningless drivel for most... but... when writing... i was told sometimes it is best to just sit down and start writing whatever comes to mind... LOL

---

Yet more ramblings

This past Sunday was a blur. My family visited another church (for a second time ~ reference my blog from 20091012), DD3 had her last soccer game of the Fall U8 league, DS2 had a lot of homework over the weekend, my beloved was fighting both a cold and DS2 (his homework), etc. As a result i was not able to watch the Panthers and Redskins game until around 6:30. Do you know how hard it is for someone who LOVES the NFL to not watch football on a Sunday afternoon?!? What a game to watch (for me). For the first 35 minutes of game time i was not very fun as a Carolina Panther fan. But things got much better after that. I still have several concerns regarding how the Panthers will do for the rest of the season, but i am grateful to see that they will not go the way of the 2008 Detroit Lions (sorry Amy). The next few weeks is the "softest" stretch so i still feel the Panthers have to win the next two, and then be competitive against both Phoenix and New Orleans - preferably winning at least one of these two, before i really have hopes for anything better than a 7-9 season. Things i liked - it was good to see the defense so dominant again. They were in the backfield, they were sacking the Quarterback. That safty was sweet! What i am not liking is the offensive struggles they had. Jake Delhomme and the receivers seem to be a little out of synch. Also, the running game has got to improve if they are to change their fortunes for the foreseeable future. More specifics have escaped me now that this is two days history. Yesterday, on a whim, i entered "christian tin whistle", just to see what kind of results i would get. The one that intreagued me the most was for Robert Rife. I enjoyed reading his Bio on his website, and glad to hear that he still plays the bag pipes and performs within the region (the North West). He also has some samples from two CD's he has produced, but i was not able to figure out how to order them. I still may not get them, but i was really happy to find a Christian bagpiper and tin whistle player. I was hoping to find some examples of some kind of Christian hymns or 'regular' songs, played on the Irish Whistle. I've wanted to learn to play this instrument for a long time. Who knows... maybe i can learn after all three of my children go off to college. Interesting fact (to me): I was in a bagpipe band in High School. One that was sponsored and run by the school. I only played the tenor drum for a little while but i loved marching with them! 8) And now for something completely different... When i read my morning devotional the first scripture i read was:

And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. (Daniel 10:10-12, ESV)

It seemed like God was speaking to me and my doubts of late. "...your words have been heard..." is an encouragement. For me the verses "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:21-23, ESV) are sobering. Most Americans, if you ask them, would say that they are a Christian. But it says plainly here... not everyone who calls the Father 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Does that not strike fear into your heart! So what is the difference between those who will, and those who will not, enter the Kingdom on that last day?!? The key in these verses seem to be "...the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" and "‘I never knew you’". Of late i have really focused on the knowing, and being known, by Jesus. How can one be 'known' and not just 'known'... kwim? How does one get to know anybody? You have to spend time with them. Spend time not just talking TO them, but with them. Spend time listening. For me this was telling me that my words were not just be sent up, but that He was hearing them. While i need to work on my listening skills - it was a comfort to know that God has been hearing my prayers right where i am. Prayers may not be answered immediately, but to know that He is answering them in His timing is an incredible blessing. Especially since my prayers lately have been for me and my family to be drawn closer to Him and to know Him more.

Music Monday - 20090928 - and other randomness

Thank God it's Monday! \o/ What a weekend. Nothing too strenuous, and nothing more than a typical American family probably goes through. A maintenance activity kept getting rescheduled due to local weather and that was a little frustrating. I am praying for those affected. Right now it is on 'prolonged hold' until the local authorities can get things cleaned up. This morning i was startled into consciousness by my 'electric leash' (aka cell phone). My boss was trying to get the status on another, unrelated, issue that i had been called on. I had left the ringer set WAY loud and when it rang i felt like a cat being startled and vaulting six feet in the air ~ picture America's Funniest Home Videos. I could have sunk my fingers into the ceiling and hung there. *ckl* Yesterday my beloved's and my search for a new church home continued. We've known about the church we visited since before we were married but had never visited there. Mostly due to concerns regarding the doctrine, but we've also seen it raise up two very fine young adults in the children of some friends of ours. We were seated a little late due to not knowing where the youth services for our DD3. We also found out that the youth services for our sons took place at the earlier service. Be that as it may, shortly after we sat down we stood up to worship to this song, and even though my 'spirit' was not as prepared for worship as i would have preferred, this song spoke to my heart... and i hope was a glorious sound in my Savior's ears...

REVELATION SONG by Jennie Lee Riddle © 2004 CCLI # 4447960 Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain Holy, holy, is He Sing a new song to Him who sits on Heaven's mercy seat Holy, holy, holy Is the Lord God Almighty Who was, and is, and is to come With all creation I sing: Praise to the King of Kings You are my everything, And I will adore You Clothed in rainbows Of living color Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder Blessing and honor, strength and Glory and power be To You the only wise King Filled with wonder Awestruck wonder At the mention of Your Name Jesus, Your name is power Breath, and living water Such a marvelous mystery

I would consider myself "charismatic" in my worship of Christ. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit. I believe that there are times my emotions should be fully engaged in the worship of Christ (an ironic statement since i have trouble engaging my emotions in every day life). I would like to believe i am a fellow Christian "Hedonist" with John Piper. At the same time it needs to be said... the emotions, and the gifts of God, are NOT to be pursued in lieu of our relationship with Christ. They should be as a result of a passionate pursuit of the Savior. It is the pursuit of the gifts over the Giver that has given the "Charismatic movement" a black eye, and a sour taste in the mouth. I long for the day when i will stand among the throng before the Throne of God, with my emotions and mind fully engaged, singing similar words... What a weekend for the undercats! How about those Lions getting their first win in twenty games! Then, the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Cincinnati and then the Bengals dished out a plate of humble pie! With the Panthers struggling thus far this year i am pulling for all of the feline NFL teams. 8) I just wish i knew that the Panthers were going to win tonight! *ckl* I don't want to lose out on sleep for no reason! On Friday i got on a roll on a background piece for my 'novel'. It's a 'visualization' piece that i can use to help me keep a consistent picture of my four main characters. I was unable to finish it Friday night, and i made about three attempts over the weekend to pick it back up to no avail. I am just way too easily distracted. 8/ Oh well... i hope to pick it back up some time this week.

Ramblin' along

Today has been very crazy. So, since i am not able to come up with one continuous and concise train of thought i am going to ramble for today... these are in no particular order. Normally this time of year i get kind of overwhelmed. The school year is winding down, there are field trips, end of year testing, IEP's, soccer, gymnastics, social skills and Autism support group meetings. You get the idea... and i am sure many of you all out there in cyberville are in similar situations. Anyway, i am finding it helpful in that i am now getting a handful of hours to sit and write the story i've been working on. I have a starting paragraph for what i hope will become a novel... Well, i also have a short piece that i wrote up to help me "see" the main characters, and a decent outline written up. It's not a bad start really. I figure it will probably take me at least eighteen months, maybe more... assuming i can stay focused on one project long enough. I just read that Fallout 3 just won game of the year. Congratulations to them. Since i am not a really big video game player i could not give a fair comparison, but this award comes from the Game Developer's Choice awards, where they also won the award for writing - which is becoming a bigger deal in the gaming industry evidently. For my fellow Christian readers, Plugged In on-line has a review of the game. Their summarization quotes an IGN.com review, "...this is not a game for kids or anybody with a developing moral compass." While i am enjoying the game immensely, i am also using some of the examples to teach my oldest the consequences of making some moral choices. The game is designed as an "open world" system in that it does not dictate how you respond to situations, nor does it corral you through choices to move the game along. (It is finite, but it is much more "wide open" than most other games out there.) The world in which we live in, and the one in which our children live in, is much more wide open than this game - and yet as parents we are tasked to teach them and help them become ready to live in such a world. While i agree with the review i also want to say that we as parents, must be involved with every aspect of our children's lives to prepare them. It is impossible to shield our children from everything, and while overly exposing them to things can be bad, we should not expect to 'protect' them from everything. Each child is different, and we as parents must be 'different' to each of our children. Use any and all tools available as they come into your children's lives. No matter if it from a video game, the school, or the Bible. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is starting to get pretty good IMO. There have been a lot of internet speculation that this series is a long shot to be picked up for a 3rd season. To me that would be a shame since there is a lot of potential in regards to story telling left on the table, but then the entertainment industry is not so much about story telling as it is a business and they have to look at their "bottom line", and i understand that. There is just so much going on in regards to morals and robotics, how decisions we make affect both our future and those around us and their futures. It's not all about cyborgs running around killing humans and vice-versa, nor is about beautiful "babes" running around with guns. It would be a shame for this story to get canned before there is a chance to wrap some of it up. It has really whetted my appetite for Terminator: Salvation coming out on May 22. The NFL draft is right around the corner. While there is a lot of speculation as to what the Carolina Panthers will be doing with disgruntled Julius Peppers (see below) i am still trying to keep up with a man from last years draft. Caleb Campbell, who was drafted by the Detroit Lions, had reported to training camp before the United States Army did an about face and required him to return to active duty. Personally i think they blew an excellent recruiting opportunity with having (then) 2nd LT Campbell not being in the NFL and playing. I feel that they cowed to "peer" pressure from the Military Academies, when similar things already take place for sports such as basketball and baseball. To me that is a double standard. Well, as it stands there is a chance that this young man will be given the opportunity to play next season (2010 - Reference EPSN.com article). What i admire about this young man is he did not bad mouth the academy and he returned as ordered. Now, there is a chance he will not apply to be released which i would admire about him as well. It just gives me something to look forward to next season. If he does go to training camp in 2010... it is very possible that i will have two favorite teams. Recently the Carolina Panthers have sought to extend QB Jake Delhomme's contract in order to get some cap room. To me this is a great thing because i like this guy, but it also shows just how much the NFL is a business. There are a lot of people who are fans of College Football because of the business side of things with the NFL. I hope it gets worked out. Now, in regards to Julius Peppers this has the potential of becoming really ugly. If a man does not want to be on your team, is it really such a good idea to keep him around? I know that he is a good physically talented football player, and the Panthers have the chance to get something out of the whole deal... but he is still a human being. Having served in the Army National Guard i know what it feels like to be treated like a piece of equipment, but he is still a man. I respect Coach Fox and Jerry "Big Cat" Richardson, and i think they will do what is best for the team while not forgeting that Mr. Peppers is a fellow Carolinian and respected member of the Panthers. I think i agree with the "professional" sports writers in that this will probably not be done until close to, or in the middle of, this years draft. As i look forward to the 2009 NFL season, i am excited - as always. I am praying for Mr. Richardon's continued improvement after his recent heart transplant, but i am also hopeful for the first back-to-back winning season for my Panthers. All i ask for is 9-7. Another NFC South title would be nice, a second trip to the Super Bowl even better, but all it would take for me to be a very happy Panthers fan would be the first consecutive winning season record. For the first time since i retired i found myself missing the National Guard. Just a little. I got up a little bit earlier than usual this morning to help my son get out the door for school. As i watched him head out to the buss stop i took in the morning. It was foggy. Cool and damp. The son was just beginning to light up the world and air was fresh. It was the kind of morning that would make your joints ache and your body shiver to get enough warmth to keep the blood flowing, but it was also a morning that thrust fond memories of my guard experiences to fore. There was something about enjoying that time of day. Enjoying the camaraderie of my fellow soldiers as we mutually complained about... well, pretty much anything. Someone would heat up a small camp stove and get real coffee brewing, we'd crack open whatever "pogey bait" we had stashed around, and we'd "chew the fat". My beloved laughs at me and often says, "I thought you were a morning person", and i am. I just also like to take brief cat naps latter on in the day which is not normally possible in a civilian life style. Not that it was always possible in the military because we usually had somewhere to be and something to do... but soldiers learn that they need to take power naps and eat snacks whenever the opportunity presents itself. In the movie "Gettysburg" there is a scene where General Lee is talking with General Longstreet and he says, "I love this time of day, just before dawn. I will miss it after all this." That is where i am at now...

Football and/or Fallout Fridays

This Sundays game against the Detroit Lions is a dangerous game for the Panthers in my opinion. Last week was an amazingly bad game for the offense, but the defense and special teams played well enough to salvage the win. The Lions have nothing to lose. They are already 0-9 and although they are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, hell has a better chance of freezing over (in my mind). The Lions are playing to salvage their pride right now, the Panthers have (in the past) a tendency to get over confident. And that is not good with both the Buccaneers and the Falcons breathing down their necks (both are are 6-3). Even still, the Saints are really not all that far behind at 4-5. With seven games still left to be played... and four of the last six being on the road... the Panthers have an uphill climb to the post season. I found the laptop that i wanted, for the price i wanted to pay. The only 'downside' was that it had slightly less RAM than i wanted (2GB vs 4GB), but i can upgrade that later if i so desire. Again, i know that i am not going to be able to play this game more than a handful of hours per month... but everything i am seeing in the reviews and on You Tube makes me excited about getting to play it in the future. One thing i was a little disappointed with was the "Making Of" DVD. I was hoping that it was a little more on how games were made so that DS1 would have a chance to get an idea as he wants to be a game designer in the future. Overall the laptop is not just for Fallout 3. I want to use it to write my short stories on, to use as a portable DVD player for vacations, and to generally keep track of things that i can seclude from the kids. When you are not in complete control of a system you cannot always maintain a secure and uncorrupted set of files (backup, backup, backup!). Any way, i feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Before i go i wanted to answer the call from a fellow blogger and answer a bunch of questions for fun: What is your writing process? --- I used to just start at the beginning and just type and type until i was finished. Now i am more apt to write an impromptu outline and use that to guide my stories. But when it comes to my blog it is still start and write until done. What are your greatest creative inspirations? --- That depends on what i am writing about. Since most of my short stories are set in a fictitious game world (Necromunda) the game itself, several books written in that setting, and many movies from the post-apocalyptic genre: The Road Warrior, The Postman, etc., and now Fallout 3. What are your greatest creative barriers? --- Time is the biggest one. Right now my priorities are my family. My oldest is a pre-teen (soon to be an actual teen), my #2 is a "Special Needs" 'Aspie', and my daughter is still wanting to spend time with her parents (she's six). All of that, plus my actually wanting to spend time with my beloved wife and maybe even get some projects done around that house (such as a deck ;-) ). what is your favorite word? --- asamatteroffact - ok, technically that is a jumble of words, but my beloved tells me that i say it all the time. What is your least favorite word? --- I'm not really sure... a lot of that depends on the situation. What sound or noise do you love? --- I love instrumental types of music. From classical to fusion to jazz. For me words get in the way of my enjoyment of music. What sound or noise do you hate? --- The slurp of the straw hitting the bottom of a glass of whatever i am drinking at the time. Usually ice tea. I could skip meals if i have enough ice tea to drink and granola bars to snack on. What is your favorite curse word? --- Hmm, such things are distasteful to me... however, to be completely honest... i am not a rock. I do use the foul language from time to time... but it is nothing that i am proud of, nor will i share what my most commonly used word is... :( A song/band/type of music you'd risk wreck & injury to turn off when it comes on the radio? --- Rap music for the most part. Mostly becuase a lot of it is foul mouthed and disparaging towards women and authority. Best show on television? --- Hmm, for me it is Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but The Unit is a very close second. But now that i think about it... if there is an NFL game on any channel everything else will take second place if i am controlling the remote at the time. Favorite movie? --- This is a tough one... i have way too many... but if i had to pick one above all the rest it would be The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I mean come on, they are really just one long story. Favorite room in your house? --- If you asked my beloved she would say the bathroom, but it is actually our bedroom. I watch my favorite movies in there, it's where i am the most creative, it is where i keep my trinkets. Best concert? --- I've only ever been to four concerts in my entire life. Mostly they are way too loud for me. I think i would like to go to a symphony some time. Brass or strings? --- Depends on my mood. Generally i prefer brass (flutes, piccolos, etc.) but i also really enjoy the harpsichord and violin from time to time as well. If you could have anything put on a t-shirt what would it be? --- Wow... um... that is way too open of a question. The best part about being your age? --- I like the amount of life i have experienced so far and knowing that, God willing, i still have so much more to come. Favorite Girl Scout cookie? --- Trefoils, hands down. I love shortbread cookies! Poker or gin or bridge? --- Poker because i like the gambling aspect of it. How confident are you that you have the best hand? There is a reason i don't frequent areas where it is legal though. Shower or bath? --- Shower for the every day, but when you are bone tired there is something to be said about a good 100+ degree soak. Favorite pajamas? --- Pajamas? What's that? Nightmare job? --- I'm not sure but i am confident that it would be in the restaurant industry. Long hours during the times i would like to be home, inconsistent pay, and having to deal with rude customers. A talent you wish you had? --- I wish i could play a musical instrument. Dream vacation? --- I would like to be able to go to a historical place with just me and my beloved. I would like to be able to leisurely stroll and sight see. Be able to stop and read plaques and take small tours. I love my kids and really enjoy going places with them, but i am usually more frazzled when we are done than rested. What's on your nightstand? --- Alarm clock, notebook, CCNP study guide, basket to hold remotes, a book light and a coaster. I could really use a lamp. 3 weird things about you: --- Weird is a relative term, but i will try and think what might be weird to other people. 1) I have an a fascination for post-apocalyptic genre. I like books, movies, games, etc. I doubt i would personally survive such a situation though. 2) I enjoy things like finite math. I am often recalculating drive times, gas mileage, etc. on long drives with the family or alone. 3) I compare myself to the samurai of old. Not so much as a true samurai as the world pictures them, but one who is dedicated to my Lord, Savior, and God - Jesus Christ. He is my Lord, i owe everything to Him and am nothing that He hasn't given or guided.