Food for Thought

The Old Gamer- Growing up throughout the age of PC Gaming since '95

2013-07-23T14:29:00.001-07:00

     I find it fascinating that I was lucky enough to have grown with the development of not only PC games but the old rigs that run them. PC Gaming is still barely out of is teenage stage at this point and time. I'm not even considering the forerunners before that, because PC gaming has only begun to really develop and change in the last 20 years. (This is just my personal take and experience on the subject)

I can still remember when I was 8, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Packard Bell with the Windows '95 operating system. Top of the line back then, with its less then 256mb Hard Drive, Floppy Drive, and a disc drive for the top of the line bit games of that generation. That was the era of the robust Dial-Up Internet, and the infancy of the only functional search engine which was Yahoo. I cant tell you how many hours I lost playing Doom on floppy Disk.

     Fast forward another 3 years to 1998, Floppy has been on its way out with the higher data capacity CD. Also Windows 98 has been released allowing a faster CD friendly operating system. Diablo and Starcraft dominate the PC, and the world wide web becomes a stronger "web". Music can now be streamed and downloaded(Illegally) at a terribly low speed taking even days for 1 song. People are becoming aware of the numerous capabilities of what a computer can be used for, besides just being a giant calculator to do your taxes on.

     Flash another 2 years into the future to 2000, Windows ME is released on a newer system, the first ever MSN messenger system has been out for over a year. Also other networks are coming into the picture such as America online, MSN, Prodigy, CompuServe, and the first ever PC Gamer marketed Gamespy Network. The Sims,Age of Empires II, Unreal tournament, and Counter Strike would be noteworthy for bringing more people into the fold of PC Gaming. Dial-Up connection is on its way out, to be replaced by an always on and steady broadband Internet connection. Friends and family alike are beginning to become hooked to the almost infinite possibilities of a computer.

    Now at my end, we arrive to the year 2002, and everything has begun to change.The so fragile web of 7 years ago has grown so strong and sturdy, it would now resemble a woven sheet of fabric then an actual web. PC's are no longer needed to be bought mainly from the manufacturers of the operating software. Anyone can now build,maintain, and install whatever software and hardware they want on there machine. Games are now being developed solely for the purpose of online interaction with other players. The first ever open world environment online PC game would have to be Battlefield 1942. By first ever, I mean you had no walls holding you back or forcing you into this or that area. You also had functional vehicles,ships, and airplanes to fight it out on 64 player maps. (My opinion, I believe it was the forerunner of not the battlefield series, but the term of open "battlefield combat") The rest would be history, PC Gaming and the hardware with it would take off like a bullet leaving a gun.

------------------- My 2 Cents---------------------

Its astonishing to think what we as humans can accomplish if we come together and combine our collective knowledge in the pursuit of something we want to develop and honestly understand. Through vigorous work,time, and much trial and error, it is not inconceivable to believe that we can do much more then the basic need to play games, and talk to those who we have never met before.
     So in conclusion, if it took us 20 years to become so far developed in virtual reality and advanced hardware for computers. Imagine what 20 years of focused hard work,time, and much trial and error, could do on a much needed technology? Where couldn't we go? and What couldn't we do?

This was

Feel free to comment,rant, and suggest a topic for a new article!

City Dweller or Wilderness Junkie?, Which are you?

2013-04-15T12:19:00.004-07:00

   Are you a city Dweller? or a Wilderness Junkie?
     Do you love the street lights and cafes? Do you love the sound of the wind whipping through the trees and the smell of pine needles? Or maybe you like both? I honestly feel there are people of both sets of worlds, and yes I mean "worlds". The difference in opinion and location not only echo what one persons choice is, but of what one person feels deep inside.

     Ask yourself this, have you ever felt your mood change, or your spirits lift when heading towards a city you like or a favorite camping spot? I myself am a person of both worlds, I grew up in the cities of California, but also at times resided in the mountain ranges. I have at times felt the need to uproot for a bit in order to get my thoughts straight. I find it interesting that I am not the only one who does this form of relaxation.

     There is something about being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nature,rivers, and various plants and wildlife that speaks to me. Can you imagine waking up one morning and exiting your tent with your toes reaching into the untouched dirt. Your eyes adjusting to the light that flickers through the tree branches and the birds chirping you a friendly hello. The soft wind caressing the trees and your face with the sweet smell of wild flowers. As your eyes reach back down towards the ground, they find a beautiful view into a ravine only described in books..

    That was my yesterday, and today's zen ...

    Feel free to comment and chime in with your spot in the world that helps you rediscover your passion.
This was just a bit of Food for thought :)

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Canon EOS 7D 18.0MP Digital SLR Camera - Body Only (Google Affiliate Ad)

Motorcycle Crash:How New Years 2012 was almost my Last.

2013-01-04T13:56:00.001-08:00

     This last year was one for the record books. False start on a Mayan Apocalypse,re-election of a president, and the fact that I almost died a few hours before New Years Eve of 2013. This isn't a small article on a close call someone else had, but my very own. Let me lead you through the gravel,broken glass, and slightly bruised soul to the beginning... All I ask Is just a moment in your day...

     I ride a 1981 Honda Magna v750, no windshield, and a couple thousand miles deep. At around 5pm I was riding through the countryside of my little town to go to a little party my cousin was having to celebrate the end of 2012 and the beginning of what was suppose to be a good start to 2013.
The road out towards his house is quite curvy and leads through alfalfa fields. This road is like a vein leading to the heart of which is my town, so its quite active. As I came around to a bend in the road that leads over a set of railroad tracks in disrepair I was alive. My bike was purring at 40mph and the wind was soothing against my face ( Through the vents of my full face helmet ).

     What I did not account for was that the tracks and the road in front of me dipped far lower then the side I was facing. Now this road after the tracks bends into a curve to the left. As I hit the tracks the bike was allowed to leap into the air due to the dip on the other side. I was unprepared for the next sensation, The bike landed hard and so did I. As I tried to regain control I became a testament to what many others have faced with what is called speed wobbles. ( Speed wobble is when the front of the bike,handlebars, and tire, begin to shake uncontrollably ) I was about to be bucked off my metal steed.

     I had no chance to bail from the bike, It tipped sideways hard and slammed me into the road taking my breath, cracking the visor of my helmet, and bashed and broke my headlight immediately sending shards everywhere. As I hit the road this thousand pound bike gripped this riders leg and was dragging him through on coming traffic for over 50ft. My metal steed was bent on taking me with it moaning against the road giving off sparks and parts. I had enough time to look up and see a car and truck less than 15ft from me and coming right into me...

     It was at this moment I knew there was nothing I could do,the bike would not set me free. So I closed my eyes, said my goodbyes, and made my peace. To know you have no control over your fate, and to know you will never be able to do the things you should have done. The people you should have loved, and those you shouldn't have let go. The friends you will never know, the future lovers you will never kiss. This.. however was not to be... and I have 2 drivers to thank for that. The screeching sound of brakes and smell of burning rubber as well as the sound of vehicles hitting dirt and brush made my eyes take in the light again.

     These drivers barreled screeching around me, a truck into the fields to my right and a car that braked into the other lane and somehow drifted around me as this bike dragged me off the road and into the brush itself as it came to a stop. It was during the burning sensation of the bikes muffler against my leg trapped under the bike that let me know I was still alive. Its amazing to see how people band together quickly to help another. Here I sit with a hot bike crushing and burning away at me, when I see people run into the field after me and a neighbor down the road running to me to lift this bike off me. The rest for the most part is history....

    Here I sit now, with the whole left side of my body bruised,bandaged,cut, with my leg missing patches of skin and a long burn mark across my calf, but I am grateful. I am grateful to see the sun shining through the window, the taste and smell of the air. and knowing that 4 days ago I had made my peace to never see this year. I would not be here now in 2013 if it wasn't for the quick reactions of 2 drivers who risked themselves and there own vehicles to avoid hitting this 25 year old guy.

     So this is how my New Year is going. This is my 2013, and I look forward to what the future will bring, because there will be one...

     Thank you for whoever is reading this, and I hope you have a better year than mine has been.
             Feel free to comment and write back =)

Computer Failure! What do you do now?

2012-07-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

     OK folks, so your computer has died, no more restarts, no more logging, no more functioning parts that keep your eyes glued to the screen for hours on end. Obviously this has happened to a few of us at one point or time, and to some of us, way to many. This is usually where I would throw in some quirky remarks or just state the fact that if your reading this, your computer is obviously functioning the way it suppose to.
     Well I'll just get to the point, about a week and a half ago I awoke to the sound of my computer making its last gasp of electricity while screaming for its motherboard. I half asleep and groggy stumbled over some shoes to see the blue screen of death pop up. As I hit the power button to force a restart it would cease to complete computer failure.

( 5 years of video editing projects, countless pages of written articles, unpublished and unfinished writing projects, Indie- photo editing and graphic designs, and many other things. All flushed down the digital drain )

     So for the last week I have been going through a computer withdrawal. As like many of you have probably experienced, is that lack of mouse clicking, facebook updating, and for me, writing. Its a funny and yet an awkward feeling, because it sometimes disrupt your usual routine of the day. If you have not experienced it before, but we all seem to do it everyday at a certain time in the day. When it is suddenly ripped away from you , its like throwing a wrench into your daily routine or walking backwards. For me, its my way of expressing how I feel and then expressing and portraying my thoughts to you the reader.

     How have you the reader, and experienced computer assassin dealt with, and felt after having a PC/MAC die on you?
How did it effect you the day afterwards? ( Feel free to comment or write me through google+ )

     My 2 Cents
      Honestly, If you have had a computer for over 6 years and been through some serious use. Its probably time to get a new one lol. As always and from hands on experience this was

Gamefly and its failure to satisfy the old Direct2Drive Customers

2012-06-21T14:17:00.004-07:00

As many of you already know, ~~Direct2Drive~~ was bought out by Gamefly sometime last year.( May 25, 2011 ). What many people don't know is how fractured and flawed the big merge actually was. Also the lack of support on Gamefly's end to fix this ongoing and neglected issue. The only people who have really noticed this problem is the late Direct2Drive customers.

NOTE!-- ( Alright!, I'm just going to throw up a brief summary of D2D and Gamefly for those that don't know what it is. Those who do just scroll down! )

Direct2Drive was a company that based in online digital distribution of movies,memorabilia, but mainly PC games. It was created and managed by IGN and was at one time the premier online distributor of digital downloads for PC games in 2003.

Gamefly is a company that dabbles in the video game rental industry. It has even expanded beyond the US borders and now has branched off into the UK. You can pay a subscription fee to the company and rent console games that will arrive to your doorstep via the postal service.

    Over a year has passed now since Direct2Drive was purchased and merged into Gamefly and still,very little has changed in the way of customer support. The D2D downloader would
be renamed the Gamefly downloader and tweaked to provide less then satisfactory service then the original design. Not only that,but previous D2D customers have still yet to be able to access the digital downloads that they purchased from D2D. Gamefly promised during the merge, that there would be a temporary hiatus in the transition, but have yet to fulfill any of those obligations.

   My 2 Cents

   Alright, here is my take on this entire matter, it is either #1 or #2

#1 It is possible that Gamefly did not fully purchase the rights to the video games that the company they purchased (D2D), had the rights to sell.

#2 It could also just be a way of increasing there profit by purchasing D2D company and providing little to no service to D2D customers.I'm sure there were many loop holes in the purchase of the franchise title.

Whether they are lacking in customer support or just plain ignoring the constant amount of forum posts and blogs such as this one, one thing is certain. It is pretty obvious that this issue will not be solved anything soon, or if at all. Also, ignoring the complaints and claims of your customers which provide the foundation/capital that keep your company afloat, isn't exactly the most modest, or best business plan in this day and age. Just a little FYI :)

This was

Mother's Day Edition- From seed ---> tree

2012-05-13T15:49:00.001-07:00

Mothers Day,
An interesting and unique day in which we give honor to those who gave life to us.This is a day in which we show our mom's how much we love them, whether they are in this world or have passed on. I would like to provide a brief look into the past and depths of what has made this a national day to revere. Bear with me, as we reach our hands into the soil of the past and tug at the roots of this deeply planted tree. . .

     Mother's Day can be traced back as far as the early Egyptian and ancient Roman era's. The early Egyptians once held annual festivals and celebrations for The Goddess Isis ( who was considered to be the Mother of the pharaohs ) She would end up saving her son from a destined slaughter and also play a key role in uniting Egypt under its very first leader, whom was her son Horus.

     Now we speed up towards the age of the ancient Romans and the Greeks. Both Romans and Greeks would have quite a few deities, but one of the most revered would be the Phrygian goddess Cybele and Greek Goddess Rhea. They both stem from each other, but are nonetheless regarded as the Mother of most of the major deities including Zeus. This practice would include many mother goddess festivals,games, arts and crafts, and traditions such as eating honey cakes and giving flowers in the morning. This kindness would end up spreading across the Asia minors first and eventually reach Rome where it would be carried on for many years. Eventually throughout time, the christian churches would grab a hold of this celebration. . . and well.., the rest would become history. . .

- - - My 2 Cents- - -

   Honestly, we must be doing something right. Forget all the politics and forget all our differences.
Forgive all the wars and our day to day problems. The roots from this Mothers Day tree have grown beyond the thousands of years we have come to inherit this earth. The point being, Over a thousand years have gone by, and even more before that and no matter what, we have always honored the women in our lives who gave us life. We have always stopped for 1 day a year, and turned to our Mothers to show them that we love them for caring enough, thick and thin, to always being there for us. On this very day, we are there for them!

   Tell your mom that you love them, give them a hug, and be grateful for another year to spend with them. Also . . . never forget those that have passed.

    Happy Mother's Day!


Feel free to write back,comment, and email. Criticism is always welcome :)

Spotify's new user agreement 5-4-12. Did they sellout?

2012-05-04T14:01:00.003-07:00

Now just to clarify for those who don't know what spotify is. Spotify is a digital music streaming program that was made in Sweden. This program allows you to stream music either through your PC or your phone without the hassle of downloading each and every song. The program is provided by either a premium service in which you pay monthly or until recently a free service that has become extremely limited. In its infant days, the program was solely created to combat piracy and provide free music that it legally had the rights to stream.

    The program, if anyone has used it, is an extremely user friendly and no hassle music program. Over the last month I have noticed that it has changed gradually. The programs advertisements have become more of a nuisance then before. At times these advertisements block almost a third of the screen if you have it maximized and even the play lists or action buttons. Granted that I am using the free service so it is bound to have its amount of advertisements which are fine.

     Today though, things have changed drastically. To those who have read the User Agreement that was posted today, have probably noticed it as well.

The Spotify Service can be accessed as an ad-supported free-to-the-user service, having no monthly cap on listening hours or a cap on number of plays of a unique track, during the first 6 months following creation of your Spotify account and thereafter a cap of 10 listening hours per month and a cap of 5 plays per unique track (the “Free Service”)

So as you can see, after your initial 6 months are done, you are now forced to either limit your playtime severely or upgrade to a premium service. It is sad to see Spotify grow so big and outside of its own roots, especially the roots and ideals that has made the program what it is today.

----My 2 cents----

In my honest opinion, companies will always change and adapt to the market that they are distributing to. It is just good marketing. . . but what I cannot stand is when a company goes against the foundation that created it. Whats it too say down the line that more changes wont be made if such a company can go against the core beliefs that made it. Then again, I don't know the future and cannot say what will happen for this company or its users. I could just be ranting as usual, or maybe... this was just a bit of Food for Thought :)

"Company cultures are like country cultures. Never try to change one. Try, instead, to work with what you've got. "
Peter Drucker

Feel free to write back, comment, and post how you feel about this topic. Criticism is welcome!

SOPA Bill, is it leaving a bitter taste?

2012-01-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

Whether or not the bill passes, has the damage already been done? Do you people feel the ripples in the water that this rock has left?

Alright here is just a brief explanation of the Bill that those have not yet read up on.

The SOPA Act also known as the Stop Online ~~Privacy~~ Piracy Act [SOPA] is a United States bill proposed to expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. It would also include the barring of advertising sites and payment sites from doing business with websites that include copyrighted content. Also it would severely cripple search engines due to the fact copyright content is on almost every website EVERYWHERE. The Bill would then force those search engines to block the [ISP] Internet Service Providers or websites that have copyright content.

Honestly, You could argue back and forth, for or against this Bill. Either place your money on the fact that it might cut down on Internet theft and cyber crime, maybe. You could also place your bet on that this is just a way of tightening the noose around the necks of everyone who surfs the web or uploads content by any means. In theory its a way of policing the Internet. I would rather not get into it, but that basically sums it up.

What I don't think most people see is the after effects. Whether or not it passes, the damage is already done. In a way it caries the same effects as the morning after binge drinking. No matter what you do at this point, the sour bitter taste is still left in your mouth. I believe it is a wrong idea to pass this, It goes against everything the US stands for; freedom of press, freedom of speech, and just what the Internet represents, pure freedom. The Internet, or the worldwide web Is exactly what it means. A web, in which we ALL are connected through. Its what brings us all together from different nations to chat or play games regardless of our nations politics.

So what is the point of having ties, if all we ever do is try to sever them. . .

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success - Henry Ford

         Or maybe I'm just writing nonsense, Who am I to tell you to what to believe?
           This is just Food for Thought :)

            Feel free to voice your opinion's in the comment section
            Criticism Welcome :)

New Years Resolution 2012: Failed or Achieved?

2012-01-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

     Well it is now half way through the first month of this year. The hype of the new year is now drained, and the hangovers long gone. As with every new year comes and goes a tradition that is more of a promise than a tradition. I say tradition, because we all do this on the last 5 minutes before the new year starts. Our New Years Resolution , or the plans and goals we make to start and finish this year. Granted I have made a few myself and have made zero progress with.

     As people, we do this to not only set up goals, but theoretically a finish line in which we all want to cross. This last year may not have been every bodies BEST year considering economic changes and the long down slope society is sliding towards. Most people make goals that are unrealistic to there own lives, but not all resolutions are not achievable. There are those that will sit on there hands all year long waiting for those goals to come to them, but that's not how it works.

     If you want to make a change, and if you want to progress, to make this year the most OUTSTANDING year of your life. You cannot, and I emphasis cannot let chance slip through your fingertips. Sometimes you will have to go outside your comfort zone, or even take different job prospects that pertain to that goal. Maybe its not a physical goal, and you just want to be content and happy in life, or have a new relationship. Whatever your endeavor be, I wish you the best of luck, and remember, anything worth having in life, doesn't come easy.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
--- Albert Einstein

     Then again, who am I to tell you how to run your New Year?
     This is just Food for Thought :)



     I'm curious to know how many people out there are close to achieving there New Years Resolution? How many have already done that or are just stalled at the moment? Feel free to leave feedback and comments.
                              Criticism Welcome! :)

Food for Thought

2011-12-17T00:44:00.000-08:00

As I sit here at this old desk, by the looks of it, a walnut base with an oak finish. This desk has been around longer than I have been in existence. Passed down from my grandfather who - - well who knows where it came from.

My point,
         Imagine just for a moment, there is no desk, just a tree sitting somewhere on some mountain far from forethought. Who knows how long the tree had been planted there. Maybe 20, or 30, even 50 odd years of life. Eventually the world came and found it. Chopped into quarters, dragged across the mud into the mills. Preciously cut into many different measurements and so on. Shipped through many towns and cities, handled by different drivers, load workers, and eventually handed off to carpenters. Once they have the imagine of what they want the pieces to be, it takes shape. . . . and POOF! you have a hand crafted desk that someone put there blood sweat and tears to build.

        Now, . . In Hindsight of what I am sitting at now. From seed to root, from root to tree, and tree to desk. This desk has seen more adventure, than the average person who only seeks adventure through the screen of a television. Not many take risks into the outside world, or not as much as a person did 50 years ago. Slowly but surely, the majority of the American population is diving into the couch potato haze. So as I sit here, sipping my coffee, and typing away into what could be considered a haphazardly rant. I cant help but think of what this desk had gone through to be where its at and where I could lead myself to be.
             So I stare looking out through the window, of a life that I not only don't know, but could know. Surely there is more to life then we want to experience, but fear to.

       If a desk can have an adventure, I think we as people can too. . .