Why I Chose The Nintendo DS Over The Sony PSP

Video games have been a part of my entertainment life since the eighties. And the system I began playing these games on was the original 8 Bit NES.

Games such as: The Legend Of Zelda, Final Fantasy and Super Mario Bros. drew me in with their addictive and fun gameplay. And when it came to portable systems, then, I chose the Nintendo Gameboy system. So when the folks at Nintendo introduced its dual screen Nintendo DS and Sony its PSP, the matter of which portable system to get next weighed on my mind.

Should I get the Sony PSP or the Nintendo DS? After careful consideration and a little research into both portable units, it came down to the kinds of games I enjoy playing.

It did not matter to me which system had more high tech features than the other. And since I already had a liking for games such as: The Legend Of Zelda, the occasional Mario Bros. and games from the Metroid series, the obvious choice for me was the Nintendo DS.

I like its dual screen, stereo speakers, microphone, backward capability, you can play GBA games on it, and if you want to save your progress in a game, you do not need to clutter up the system by using a Memory Card.

For one other unique feature about the way Nintendo makes its games, is that for video game systems like the NES, SNES, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance and the Nintendo DS, the game cartridges come equipped with save features or save files.

Maybe someday, I will consider getting a Sony PSP, but for right now, I still enjoy playing some of my favourite games on the Nintendo DS.

Are You A Maverick Too?

When I was in college, a friend jokingly accused me of being a non conformist. And maybe one reason for uttering such a thing was because, maybe, I wore more blue jeans to class than dresses or skirts.

Or maybe I did not wear too much make up. Does Chapstick/Lip Balm count? And so far this presidential elections year, we have all heard people refer to Senator John McCain as being a ‘Maverick.’ And what or who is a Maverick, exactly?

He or she might be a non conformist, a sort of rebel or someone who acts independently or on his own. And Senator John McCain might not be the only Maverick among us.

If you have ever acted on your own about whatever without adhering to or following the norm like everyone else, then you just might be a Maverick.

Or if you have ever cared long enough about any issue to rebel for or against it, you might be a Maverick. I should think there is a little Maverick in each of us.

For we have probably all rebelled for or against something at some point in our lives. Or maybe we have worn or not worn something that displays this kind of independent behaviour or shows there may be a little bit of non conformity in us.

The kind of non conformity that is indicative of a Maverick. And this does not mean you may be a bad person, but simply that you are not always willing to just sit back and follow the crowd.

And that you might just want to capture your own trail (within reason, of course) and follow that for a while.

Bisquick’s Shake N’ Pour Pancake Mix, New Low For The Lazy?

In some male dominated societies in the world, women who have nothing else going for them and who do not want to be mocked or made fun of might not be too willing to display their culinary skills.

Because when some people in these kinds of societies learn that a young woman they are related to can cook, they say such things like: ‘Oh you can cook, that means you’re ready for marriage.’ Then there is the matter of advanced western societies in which the act of cooking has been literally placed on the back burner.

Most people are either too busy, too tired or too in love with the convenience of picking up something on the way home. So consider my surprise when Bisquick introduced its Shake N’ Pour Pancake mix to the world. Has laziness and not wanting to cook reached a new low?

All right, granted, this Bisquick brand of Shake N’ Pour Pancake Mix is less messy than the previous alternatives you had to measure, pour in a mixing bowl add something, and stir. And using the Bisquick Shake N’ Pour stuff is fine if you are on the go and care to whip up a meal or two for the family every once in a while.

But for the really, really lazy ones among us, is this line of Bisquick Shake N’ Pour Pancake mix giving them just another reason to exercise their laziness?

No lingering over a hot stove here, just shake, pour and in probably less than five minutes tops, you have pancakes without all the trouble. Talk about encouraging lazy behaviour.

What’s going to happen next? Is someone going to dream up a fast way to cook a real steak without having to thaw out something, season or marinate it?

Tina Fey Did A Good Sarah Palin

When a friend and I were recently discussing the matter of Senator John McCain’s choice for a running mate issue, said friend asked who I thought would play a good Sarah Palin, if the folks at SNL wanted to do a skit on that.

Without hesitation, I replied, ‘Tina Fey.’ And since she is no longer a regular on Saturday Night Live, as we all know, she, Tina Fey has her own 30 Rock show on NBC, she would have to do so on a special appearance feature.

So when last Saturday’s first episode for the 2008-09 season of SNL began, I was not a bit surprised when I saw Tina Fey playing the part of Sarah Palin.

And what a good and humorous part it was, even down to the glasses, Tina Fey did a great job of acting like Sarah Palin.

On a similar note, Amy Poehler also does a great job of playing Hillary.

Fear Sells Alarm Systems By The Dozens

A not so peculiar thing occurred to me while I was minding my business a few days ago. What was that not so peculiar occurrence?

An alarm system company’s salesperson was at the door. And I must say that I was fine and thought I was safe before she said pertinent things such as: ‘Have you heard about the dramatic increase in crimes in your neighbourhood?’ And how concerned the rest of your neighbours are for their own safety.

Then the longer I stood there with my body’s warm temperature changing to slightly cold and listened to what else she had to say, it was a query about whether or not there was an alert system installed, I must admit I did feel a bit scared.

And if there was not one how important it would be to get one, especially since the rest of the neighbours were buying them like crazy.

Anyway, when the upbeat salesperson had gone her merry way, the fear she instilled in me was still there. She placed fear where there was so little of it before she came to the door.

She had me checking and double checking every entrance and exit, and even got me thinking about those Kung Fu moves I learned a while back and how great an idea it would be to practise them once again.

How did all this happen? It was because an alarm system company’s salesperson came to the door and tried to sell me a high tech alert system built on extreme fear.

And as we commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, this is exactly what fear has done to most of us. We are checking, double checking every exit and entrance, buying up high tech security gadgets to protect us from who knows what.
Similarly, just like I thought I was fine before the salesperson came to the door that day, so did most of you think of how safe you were before the 9/11 attack.

Now, most of us are afraid of every strange noise we hear or unknown face we see. There are security features on almost everything you buy and cameras everywhere in public. And fear is selling it all..

‘Come get the latest security system, it will protect you from the evil that lurks in the dark.’

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Ring Of Fates

Although I read the reviews and watched the videos on youtube, when I plunked the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Ring of Fates game into my Nintendo DS, I became a little apprehensive.

Would this title live up to the previous Final Fantasy video games I have played before, was just one of the many questions that played out in my mind as the game’s introduction took shape on my DS screen. I was in for a bit of a pleasant surprise.

Incorporating high quality graphics, voice acting in certain cut scene sequences and a magic system it took a while to get used to, what I found here is really a great game.

In it, you take the role of Yuri, a young adventurous lad who is accompanied by his twin sister, Chelinka. Even though she is with you, you or Yuri end up doing all the fighting, Legend Of Zelda, Link style. You are on a quest to save your world from vicious monsters and bosses, the gameplay is fun too.

You basically enter caves or dungeons, solve little puzzles to advance the game, fight off monsters with your Hatchet or Sword and use different colour magicites to unlock certain doors, and of course building up your hero’s levels as you play.

Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, you do not hoof it from one town to the next. Instead, after you have completed one area, you simply step out of the village you are in or home, after which you can automatically enter the next town or place.

Call me strange, but I sort of missed the hoofing it part. This is a great little game, little because unlike longer Final Fantasy games, this particular one only contains twelve chapters.

But if you are a lover of RPGs and games in the Final Fantasy series, this is one you might want in your collection. It reminds me much of The Legend Of Zelda series, especially when Yuri and Chelinka are exploring a new area, with Yuri doing all the hacking and slashing away.

Another unique aspect of this game are the off the story mode mini games. For example, if you want to take a break from all that hacking and slashing away, you can go to the Moogle character found at any of the save icons, talk to him where you will gain access to the Blazing Caravans racing game or Paint The Moogle one.

They are both fun and entertaining. I had fun painting the Moogle.

Gay Used To Mean Happy And Faggot, Well…

The English Language can sometimes be as complicated as we choose to make it. For instance, one minute someone is using a word to denote another person’s mood and the next, that same word is being used to describe someone else’s sexual preference/orientation usually in a derogatory light.

Take for example two simple words. Words such as: gay and faggot. Use any of these two words and right away most people conjure up an image of a homosexual.

Be that person a man who looks sort of effeminate, a woman who seems to appear more masculine than feminine, or someone who seems quite ordinary or heterosexual to the unsuspecting eye.

Some words are not what they used to be. Gay used to mean happy or merry, and faggot, well, according to wikepedia.org, it has several meanings.

For the word faggot can mean: first and foremost, a male homosexual, a kind of British food, or pork meatball to be exact, a kind of measurement such as a set or bundle of sticks, an Ashen Faggot is a British Christmas tradition, and a Fire and Faggot Parliament means the British parliament of 1414.

As a writer, it’s a pity the world has become such a narrow minded place. For most of us no longer feel comfortable using the word gay to describe a character’s mood or frame of mind and faggot to denote a kind of food, set of sticks, etc. The reader might think otherwise once he/she spots the word on a page.

Two simple words, huh? Mainly used by those who are too conservative or prejudice to use the L or H word to describe someone who is just that, a Lesbian or Homosexual.

Why should they bother, when using gay or faggot would suffice?