So it's Christmas time again, the season to be jolly and nice and all...
But it's also the season in which we're supposed to be happy but we aren't because we're wondering how the heck are we going to pay for all those gifts you are obliged by social "law" to give lest you are branded a cheap dastard. So when did we become these materialistic beings?
Since we attorneys get very long holidays, well as long as the courtrooms are on vacation at least (2 weeks starting today), I decided to use this time not only to game for to reflect on this, a small reflection mind you, but I found out that my daughter is just as happy playing with a 35cent plastic ball as I am with a HD 3780 Radeon, in fact she is just as happy with me holding her, than I could be with a 2 on 1 ('Dogg and I vs. Monoco) in a Call of Duty 4 match.
What an insensitive punk you'd say, but yes, I am a material boy, but I tend to forget that when I hold my daughter or kiss my wife, perhaps they are the only anchors holding my sanity.
Still this Christmas we are giving our daughter a bunch of toys she won't play with, the wife is buying a bunch of stuff (shoes mainly) she doesn't need, and yours truly got himself a 3870 Dx10 card he doesn't deserve, but we as a family are going to make the promise that no matter how materialistic this world has become, we are going to stick together when the fear of losing our stuff overwhelms us, so that in ourselves we can find the inner strength perhaps lost when our parents and their parents before them taught them that this world is about having stuff other people don't.
God I miss when Rock and Roll was all about sticking it to the Man. (yeah right, I haven't even been born yet)
So in other news, I'd like to share with ya that playing these:
CAPTION: Ahh me olde trusty Gibson Les Paul Custom, 15 years old and still rocking. Hell it even says MADE IN THE USA in the back...olde days. The other is a PRS Santana SE which I got as part of a leasing settlement agreement with a music store. I should've taken the money but... 
Ain't a bit as hard as playing this:
I thought it would be a piece of cake being a guitar player since I was 12, but noooo. I find it tough to be pwned by those 12 year olde kids that gather at the Local Best Buy and play GH3, even if in their lives they've yet to pick up a real guitar. Now don't get me wrong, the game is great and every time my wife isn't using her computer I rock on and even do a little headbanging. (GH3 doesn't run on Vista x64 which is what I have, so I have to play at the wife's computer). Special thanks to Sandpiper for writting about that Consolish turn PC game Guitar Hero III, for without it I would most likely be bashing the game right now as being a poor excuse to getting your Rock on. 
So have you voted? I mean here in GS in the game nominations!
It was so easy for me: Stay away from Mass Effect, God of War II and all Consolish games, go for BIOSOCK, Call of Duy 4 and Crysis and game extraordinare The Witcher (From now on anyone talking about the Witcher must incluse the phrase Game Extraordinare before it). May the Witcher pwn Mass Effect all the way to Helsinki, which by the looks of it, may happen.
I just love all you guys, may you have the best time this holidays, be it celebrating, gaming, getting drunk, or having turkey in the company of your family.
Arcadius
Comments
Don't worry about that material stuff though. I've noticed it becomes less and less important with age. As a wee lad, the most important thing about Christmas was the amount of packages. Now though, it's all about the family and food. Can't forget the food...
Those are some pretty nice axes, even though I know next to nothing about guitars. The little minion has a pretty decent Fender, so I've been contemplating on getting some sort of "Learn it yourself" DVD and giving it a go. Maybe someday. But I refuse to give in to Guitar Hero or Rock Band or any such nonsense. Besides, my fingers are like cold wieners.
I have voted and even though I voted for Mass Effect in Top RPG, I'm glad to see Game Extraordinaire The Witcher is doing so well. If it wins, that will be just fine by me.
So anyways, I guess I'll put up my holiday blog up tomorrow (requisite scantily clad babe to be included, naturally), but I wish you all happy holidays nonetheless.
What the hell is up with your avatar? Scrubs aficionado or John C. McGinley fan?
@Monoco: I love scrubs, plus I identify myself a lot with Dr. Cox, and about John C. McGinley...well he was kinda my favorite character from Platoon, I know it's a drama movie and all but I loved it back in 1987 when I first saw it. Sargeant O'neil FTW!
@graphicartist21: Yeah I know, same thing happened to me. I can play in normal settings though, without much trouble, but anything higher than that and I'm owned by Lou.
And about Dr. Cox, well he is my favorte characer ever in a tv series, plus if one of you should ever meet me in RL
I would certainly remind you of him! (not physically mind you) Dr. Cox FTW! 
I think I can use the Xbox inferior consolish device black les paul as well, since the Xplorer sports a nasty X button (as you can probably see from the pic) and most likely IS an Xbox controller. Never fear though, for I'm using acid to wipe that darn X button off!Merry Christmas!
John C was the best character in Platoon, no doubt about it.
So what do we get for 10 dollars?
I am not at all depressed about the fact that The Witcher is currently beating Mass Effect for best rpg by the voting public. After getting The Witcher patched to 1.2, thereby all but eliminating the annoyance of loooooong load times, I'm not entirely certain which way I would go if I had to vote between the two games.
The Witcher is a phenominal game. I think I may have to do a blog post comparing the two best rpg titles this year head to head.
Merry Christmas!
Learning to play aint that hard, putting up with the pain in your fingers after a long jammin' session now that's something. In the end I think GH3 might be of help if you plan to learn the art, plus now you can get a nice Guitar/Amp combo at Walmart for under $200. I saw the Washburn Lyon, oh man how we craved that axe back in school! Also if you have the Xfi (or any Creative sound card) front panel thingy you can plug your guitar into your computer!
Also The Witcher FTW!
@the Jims: Merry Christmas y'all!
One of them is the one in Chapter 2 where you need to meet that informer but he gets shot with a poison arrow before I talked to him ... :/ The other is because I didn't side with the Squirrels.. :/ (Yes I sided with The Order) Anyways.. great game, but I just feel BG2 was better.. eh well.. I'll play it again with a different route next time.. after I widdle through some of my backlog... Merry X-mas or happy Yule, or Happy Hanukkah, etc..
As for the Witcher, don't worry about them failed quests, just focus on having fun, getting all the girls (I already missed one in chapter 3), and admiring the scenery!
Oh and Feliz navidad!
Merry Christmas.
And I'll see you in a few days, when the new year begins!
SYdoggXxX
And did you notice The Witcher is beating Mass Effect in the RPG category? I'm sure Monco and Jim are shaking their heads in frustration (although Monco did love The Witcher too).
And most of my votes are being divided between Crysis and COD4, even if I'm only going by the demos (till next week at least).
And Merry Navidades my fellow revolucionario! Aunque con ese avatar que pusiste mas pareces comico miado....