Todd's Blog

I think it's going to be the PS3

2008-04-30T22:16:55-04:00

After doing a lot of online reading about the two systems, tonight I went to GameStop to grill the employees. Sadly, neither of them owned a PS3. But they confirmed a lot of things I was thinking about my upcoming purchase.

The online is much better on the 360. But most of the online play is best utilized for First Person Shooters, which I have never really gotten into. Additionally, my wife doesn't want me up all hours, playing games online, not getting any sleep, not paying attention to her, etc. Of course, she makes a very good point.

Right now, the 360 has a greater number of games. But regardless of system, I won't have all that many games. I'm not that big into having a huge collection of games, because I find a few I really like, and just keep playing those, like NCAA Football, where I can utilize Dynasty Mode and keep playing one game for season after season.

According to the GameStop guys, the graphics are slightly better on the PS3, which does matter to me.

So, after talking to them for an hour, I called my brother-in-law, who owns a 360, to get his input, and to see if he knew anything about the PS3. He didn't know a lot about the PS3, but said that he doesn't spend a lot of time playing online, for the same reasons my wife listed. Then he said something that reaffirmed something I'd been thinking -- that now that the Blu-Ray/HDDVD format war is over, getting a Blu-Ray player was a great bonus from getting a PS3, and that if he were buying a new system now, that would probably sway his decision away from the 360.

So, since the games I'd be interested in are available on either system, and because the PS3 has better graphics and a Blu-Ray player, I've decided on the PS3. I'll probably get it Friday, since I have to do yardwork after work tomorrow, and the NBC comedies and LOST are on tomorrow night, so I wouldn't have a chance to enjoy it until Friday, anyway.

PS3, or 360?

2008-04-29T23:34:16-04:00

Now that Grand Theft Auto IV has been released, it's time to get a new gaming system. But I still haven't decided which new system to get.

And I can't find anyone to give me good advice about it.

Currently, I have both a PS2 and an XBox. I got the XBox very late in the game, my brother in law gave me his when he got the 360, so I haven't used it a whole lot.

I wore out my first PS2. Even got it fixed for free when the Disc Read Error started killing my system. Then had to buy the newer PS2, which hasn't glitched even once.

I don't care either way about the controller. I can use both without issue. And I've never used the online features for either system.

But I'm not at all thrilled about having to pay to use the online features of the 360, and I haven't heard much good about the online features for the PS3.

The Blu-Ray feature for the PS3 is intriguing. I don't have a Blu-Ray or HDDVD player.

I have an HDTV, so the graphics will probably be eye-popping on either system.

Can anyone help me out?

Keeper list for '08-'09 season

2008-04-18T21:21:04-04:00

Peoria Opies (wjscurry)-- D. Howard, C. Paul
LA Kobes (Tommy)-- Kobe, C. Anthony
Noodle Arm (gordonjer)-- Duncan, Amare
Big D's Monsters (preb435)-- LBJ, KG
Chalkdust Torturers (fletcherim7)-- Al Jefferson, Arenas
Arnie's Army (John K) - Marion, Bosh
Kurtis Blow's Ballers (bosox5421) - Dirk, Wade
Mineral Wells Steam (Ric H) - D. Williams, Camby
The Catamounts (Hunter) - UNDECLARED (T Mac, Redd?)
Vandelay Industries (Brian H) - Yao, Nash

Team FP/G, Final

2008-04-18T21:18:23-04:00

Actual place of finish in parentheses:

1. (1) Peoria Opies 46.89 (+0.13)

2. (2) Kurtis Blow's Ballers 46.09 (n/c)

3. (3) Big D's Monsters 45.55 (-0.13)

4. (4) Noodle Arm Choirboys 42.80 (-0.25)

5. (7) Vandelay Industries 42.32 (-0.39)

6. (5) Mineral Wells Steam 41.96 (-0.50)

7. (6) Chalkdust Torturers 41.75 (-0.32)

8. (8) Arnie's Army 39.33 (+0.08)

9. (9) LA Kobes 38.86 (-0.04)

10. (10) The Catamounts 37.12 (-0.33)

Team FP/G Through 4-5

2008-04-06T22:51:15-04:00

1. Peoria Opies 46.76 (+0.09)

2. Kurtis Blow's Ballers 46.09 (-0.16)

3. Big D's Monsters 45.68 (-0.05)

4. Noodle Arm Choirboys 43.05 (-0.26)

5. Vandelay Industries 42.71 (+0.06)

6. Mineral Wells Steam 42.46 (+0.01)

7. Chalkdust Torturers 42.07 (+0.07)

8. Arnie's Army 39.25 (-0.12)

9. LA Kobes 38.90 (+0.12)

10. The Catamounts 37.45 (+0.16)

Team FP/G Through 3-29

2008-03-30T12:44:58-04:00

1. Peoria Opies 46.67 (+0.25)

2. Kurtis Blow's Ballers 46.25 (+0.14)

3. Big D's Monsters 45.73 (+0.04)

4. Noodle Arm Choirboys 43.31 (-0.14)

5. Vandelay Industries 42.65 (-0.13)

6. Mineral Wells Steam 42.45 (+0.19)

7. Chalkdust Torturers 42.00 (-0.09)

8. Arnie's Army 39.37 (-0.18)

9. LA Kobes 38.78 (+0.46)

10. The Catamounts 37.29 (-0.22)

Team FP/G Through 3-22

2008-03-23T13:04:16-04:00

1. Peoria Opies 46.45 (+0.11)

2. Kurtis Blow's Ballers 46.11 (+0.17)

3. Big D's Monsters 45.69 (-0.10)

4. Noodle Arm Choirboys 43.45 (-0.49)

5. Vandelay Industries 42.78 (-0.28)

6. Mineral Wells Steam 42.26 (-0.21)

7. Chalkdust Torturers 42.09 (-0.02)

8. Arnie's Army 39.55 (-0.10)

9. LA Kobes 38.32 (-0.10)

10. The Catamounts 37.51 (-0.01)

Team FP/G Through 3-15

2008-03-16T11:38:58-04:00

1. Peoria Opies 46.34 (+0.03)

2. Kurtis Blow's Ballers 45.94 (n/c)

3. Big D's Monsters 45.59 (n/c)

4. Noodle Arm Choirboys 43.94 (-0.04)

5. Vandelay Industries 43.06 (-0.36)

6. Mineral Wells Steam 42.47 (-0.03)

7. Chalkdust Torturers 42.11 (-0.05)

8. Arnie's Army 39.65 (-0.18)

9. LA Kobes 38.42 (+0.12)

10. The Catamounts 37.52 (n/c)

Obama, McCain, and Hillary

2008-03-14T23:45:30-04:00

Let's get the disclaimer out of the way first: I am a registered Republican.

But I will vote for Obama if he is the Democratic candidate running against McCain. And I'm not the only Republican who feels this way.

There's no point in talking about if someone else should have gotten the Republican nomination, because McCain already has it wrapped up. And McCain isn't far-right on the political scale. He's center-right. Maybe even a little further left than that. And I can live with that.

But I will vote for Obama if he gets the Democratic nomination. I don't care how far left he is. Whether or not he can actually bring about the change he claims to represent, he isn't deeply rooted in the old political machines that dominate the Democrats and the Republicans.

I won't vote for Hillary. I wouldn't vote for her if she were the only candidate on the ballot. As First Lady, she proved to me that she's unbending in her beliefs, and willing to abuse power to advance her own agenda -- see the illegal secret meetings when she was trying to revamp the health care situation. See the comments about a Right-wing comspiracy against her husband, when in fact Bill was dallying with a White House intern.

And as for these dolts in the Democratic party who are making a stink about the Michigan and Florida primary clusterf***s, I wonder why those who are now whining about feeling disenfranchised didn't do everything in their powers to stop those states' Democratic Parties from screwing things up to begin with.

Team FP/G Through 3-8

2008-03-09T11:57:39-04:00

1. Peoria Opies 46.31 (+0.02)

2. Kurtis Blow's Ballers 45.94 (+0.17)

3. Big D's Monsters 45.59 (+0.25)

4. Noodle Arm Choirboys 43.98 (+0.03)

5. Vandelay Industries 43.42 (-0.12)

6. Mineral Wells Steam 42.50 (-0.15)

7. Chalkdust Torturers 42.16 (+0.10)

8. Arnie's Army 39.83 (-0.44)

9. LA Kobes 38.30 (+0.16)

10. The Catamounts 37.52 (+0.20)