'nother fine Sunday

Fairly decent day, went to Church this morning, heard a decent sermon 'Extreme Makeover' ala. how God changes us, and how our change affects others.   Big word bite ... Love.   Yup, simple word with big daddy implications.   Ok, so I'm oversimplifying it, but needless to say, it was a good sermon.  I came home, and took a nap... woke up, ate some cereal, and headed to the city to pick up a tent.   It's a 6-man tent, decent sale, on for $130, reg. price $260.   I find sales very deceptive in concept, when you think of it, the retailer is still making a profit on the $130 sale .... just think of the profit on the $260 sale.   Makes me wonder.    I bought the tent in Canadian Tire, a good enough store, with lots of item, but I find it strange that whenever you go in, the store is packed with sales.   Sometimes its hard to find anything that isn't on sale.   I'm wondering if anything is really on sale, or they just figure people will buy whatever has a red sales sign on it.    Oh well.  I gave into it anyways.

So now I have a tent, hmm.. perhaps I should go tenting, but not quite sure when or where to go.    I like the idea of tenting, of going out in the wild, fighting off the elements like ... public KOA bathrooms, mosquitos the size of Pinto's, and the beauty of sleeping on not so comfortable mattress.   It's part of manhood, and the great 'Getting in touch with your inner man' experience.   *sigh* well, maybe someday I'll figure this thing out.    Camping has gotten alot easier these days though.   They (Canadian Tire) actually sells a camping stove ..with and OVEN!    Not only that, but items to make a hot bath, sink, shower, a whack load of different lights, and coolers.   But an oven ... seriously how cool is that.   Nothing says getting into the wild like throwing in a frozen pizza, or baking an apple pie.   Ok I jest.   But camping is ALOT simpler than when I remember as a kid.   ... and no, I didn't pick up the oven.   Now if they had a propane driven Microwave.. that would be a different story.

Took another long walk tonight, feels good to take in the night air, and to feel better about the coffee and cherry cheese danish I had at Tim Hortons in the afternoon.    I also did a couple dungeons in Wow, so that was kind of fun.   Used my Paladin which I haven't used in awhile.

Might do some gaming tonight, put on some Mass Effect 2, or watch some Stargate SG-1.

A Cut above the rest

The lawn is done, for another week which is great, and most important ... Germany triumphed over Argentina .. 4-0, awesome football match.    Hope Germany can keep it up when they go up against Spain on Wednesday.   

Not much happened today, went for a beautiful walk, and just tried to do some minor mmo'ing today.    A little of everything, from Wow, to Star Trek Online.   I'm still rather miffed at my internet company not allowing me to play Lord of the Rings Online.   Going to have to give them another call this week, and also check out with the CRTC about the rules on Back-throttling.  If I'm right there's a 30-60 day notice that they have to give when an internet company does that.

I'm attempting to watch Star Wars ep. 1 on dvd... but its really difficult.   I think I might watch Stargate SG-1 instead.  It doesn't have Jar Jar... so it rules.

When watching ep. 1 I'm astounded at the incredible badness of it.   I think Lucas has a problem in writing humor in his movies, or he's one of those guys that even though he's old, he tries to be 'hip' to the younger generation.   When droids go 'Roger-roger' ... it makes me cringe, when Jar-jar says 'Exqueeze me' it's a disaster.   

It would of been interesting to see the difference if the folks at Bioware, creators of Knights of the Old Republic, wrote Episode 1 instead.   *sigh*.. guess we'll never know, but I do know that it would've been better that what Lucas did.

Lucas is an ideas guy, and a guy that surrounds himself with people to get things done.   But he shouldn't write. lol, maybe I'm being too harsh, but watching ep. 1 tonight was really painful.

Time to get some rest.   Last night's sleep was horrible, and made me very cranky today.   Hope tonights better.

A Movie to laugh at.

Had a pretty decent day today.   I finished the back part of the yard, cutting the grass, and I even did the front ditches before heading to work to run off a new Prayer Calender for the youth center.   .... Yaaa July!   Good news, the awning is up at the youth center, didn't take a picture of it, but I should of ... maybe next week I'll actually remember and put one up.

The front door to the center is bright red again... YES!  I like it when the youth center doesn't look scummy, but presentable.

Lots of kids came out this afternoon, and only one youth came out tonight.   Not sure what's happening, but with the hottest yardsale in town tommorrow, and the big rock concert happening (aka. don't drive to Owen Sound), who knows whats up with the kids.

Took one of my volunteers out for supper at Montana's for a birthday celebration.  Good times were had, and my belly was full of rib and chicken awesomeness.   Also entered a draw for a bbq, mmm... shiny bbq.

So the night was pretty much a right off, since the one teen we had went home at 8:30 .. so we (2 volunteers and myself) went out to see Grown-Ups.   Great movie, lots of laughs.   *sigh* I need  a woman in my life. I think I always get this way when I see family films.  *double sigh*.   But, like I said great movie.

So task for tommorrow... finish cutting the lawn, and try to find out where the leak of water is coming into the house is from.

Work in progress --- internet company is 'back throttling' my connection.   So, in essence, they blocked my Lord of the Rings Online usage, because their servers can't handle it.   Though I have other games I could play, Lotro is my main one, and my connection (besides using the telephone, but seriously, who phones these days ..hehe) to my friends in Hanover.   I'm really not sure if what my internet company is doing is right, but since I live in the boonies, I don't know if I have another choice than to stick with them.   I need to check out my contract again.   UG.     On a positive note, I should be doing more writing than gaming anyways, so maybe this is a blessing in disguise.

Bane of the Sith

I've been consumed by the Dark-Side ... well ... in my reading anyways.   In anticipation of the Star Wars Old Republic MMO being released next year, I had a hankering for some starwars read.   So I picked out Path of Destruction and had a sit-down.   One day later I was finished and totally in love with the world that Drew Karpyshyn brought out.   I loved the characters, I loved the pacing, and it was alot of fun, while providing great insight into the world of the 'Sith' in Starwars lore.  

As of now, I've finished the follow up, Rule of Two, and I'm waiting for the soft cover of the 3rd book in the series.

Though I love this book series, I'm more convinced than ever that when the mmo comes out I'll be playing NOT a Sith, and will be sticking to a roguish class, like 'smuggler'.   Why?   Because I don't think that I could make the choices that I would have to, in the game to be a sith.    Even though it's just a game, I find that more and more I need to bring my beliefs on-par to what ever I'm doing.   Bioware is a great gaming company, and one of the coolest things they do is to allow your decisions to drive your character.   Trick is, who you truly are, will, I think subconciously dictate the character you play.   So in the end, Sith, not for me, but ..... neither Jedi either.

I really have a problem with Jedi's kidnapping kids from their parents to raise them up to be emotionless servants who follow ' the man'.

I'll go into this alot deeper some other time, as right now I'm typing while at work, but needless to say, Smuggler, perhaps even Bounty hunter for me ... and I'm really getting anxious to play the Old Republic in 2011.

Oh where is my hobbit?

I've been been neglecting my hobbit for awhile, and doing some work on Star Trek Online, as well as some World of Warcraft.   I love Massively Multi-player Online gaming (MMO's), the chance to wander in a world that isn't our own.   One trouble I have is just sticking to one.   Star trek has been near and dear to my heart, so has Lord of the Rings Online, and I love the superhero genre, so Champions online and City of Heroes also appeals to me.   I find that I'm like a kid in a candy store that just can't seem to find something that he can stick with, so with greedy hands the kid takes as many has he can handle, but at the end of the day, all he ends up with is a stomach ache.   It's easy to get addicted to MMO's with the fun times of leveling, crafting new items for your virtual character, some sense of accomplishment.   Some people take it way to seriously, others don't leave the computer alone, and just constantly game when there's any free time.  
I was watching Season 2 of  Big Bang Theory and there was an episode where the character known as Penny, got addicted to Age Of Conan (easy to do, gorgeous game) and Leonard (a main character) came up to her and tried to point out that she was substuting real life accomplishments with Virtual world accomplishments because they're easier than the real-life ones  (he said this line more eloquently than that, but you get the point).  

I think this is one of the dangers with mmo's.   The life of an mmo'er is filled with giving their virtual character accomplishments, that keeps them enticed to play more.   It's so much easier to see, find, and do these 'accomplishments' online than it is in real life.   This is probably a deeper subject when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it then I'm about to attempt, but it is food for thought, something to contemplate when your killing an orc to get the latest trait; or fishing in Orgrimmar for that accomplishment; or flying through a donut in City of Heroes just to get a badge; or get your next crop in Farmville.

So as I yammer on, I leave you with a picture of my Ferengi, enjoying the sun on Risa ... the closest thing to a tropical beach that I'll see anytime soon.

The Buzz about FIFA ...

 I'm starting to catch the soccer fever these days ... or should I say soccer FIFA.    My word I'm having a new respect for the guys trotting all about the huge field chasing the ball around.   I wish watching soccer would, through the amazing power of visual osmosis make me lose the weight that I've been trying to lose.   Well, ok, CASUALLY trying to lose.

Since Canada didn't make it into the tournament, I suppose due to my inherent German background I'll cheer for Germany.    It helps that they won their first game 4-0.   Good going team.   I'd actually cheer for the U.S. as well, if they had a chance to make it to the finals.   To their credit though, the Yanks tied with England 1-1 ... which is actually an accomplishment.   But seriously, I doubt that they'll go farther.

Now, there is quite the buzz about the instruments that the South Africans around blowing about, known as the vuvuzela.   Strange name, but basically it's a plastic horn that in a soccer stadium, gives off a huge background 'Buzz'.   It's like being swarmed by killer bee's .. which, coincidently, also live in Africa.   To be blunt, it's really, really annoying.   So annoying that despite my desire to hear the great commentating of the games, I just put the tube on mute and watch the game.   


There's a bit of controversy about the noise, as you can guess.. most people on the planet can't stand it, but it's an African noise-maker, so in respect to the host country of FIFA, there will be no change in the rules, and people will continue to bring these plastic noise horns to the games.   At first, I was in favor if banning the plastic nuisance, but now I think we should respect the cultural tradition of soccer fans in South Africa, but urge the broadcasters to soften the noise on their end.   You'd think it being a digital age and all, that there would be a way to do it.  


On another topic.   I picked up FIFA 2010 for my xbox 360 yesterday.    Great game, and lots of options.   I'm working on getting Canada into the World Cup in the game, I figure if not in real life, than a virtual win is better than nothing.   GO CANADA!!   So far I really, really suck at the game.    Good news though ... No Vuvuzela in the game .... silence at last.

Abimelech --- the sermon

I preached on Abimelech, in Judges 8:28-9:57 last Sunday, a story of a man whose pride and ambition pushed him away from God.   This is something that we all struggle with to some degree, and which not only affects our relationship with the Lord, but also, with each other.    I enjoy the role of Jotham, and a reminder that no matter how bad things get, God comes through in the end, and righteousness prevails.   Check out this incredible event in history, and keep your pride in check.     I concluded my sermon with a great word from Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."   Notice that we ask God to show us HIS ways, not ours, and we are guided by HIS truth, and HIS teachings.   That HE is LORD, not us, and that our hope is in GOD, not is us.    When I read this, I'm reminded that my hope in my own abilities is meanings (Ecclesiastes-ish ... I know ;)   ), but my hope in HIS abilities to work in, through, and around me is boundless.

Just some thoughts.