Hey, everyone! Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving, or enjoying it as of this writing. I'm at home now, stuffed to the gills. Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and baked bread never tasted so right, and it seems to taste better each year. (And I used to loathe mashed potatoes.)

Are you guys ready for Black Friday? That's when people go nuts. Understandably so. Early holiday shopping up the wazoo. People wanting to nab those great deals. I'm going to take the opportunity by the horns and hit GameStops and malls tomorrow to see if I can get some excellent deals on new games should they offer them. I've had my eye on Mini Ninjas (360) but held off on getting it because it was $50--hopefully it'll drop in price enough for me to finally pick it up.

I'll also probably scrounge in bargain bins and used game isles, too. Used PS3, 360 and Wii games are looking REALLY good especially with my limited budget. Maybe Black Friday will be kind in that area.

Oh, and I've also got to shop for my family and friends, too. Gift cards. Because I'm tired of assuming what I think I know people want and ending up at the return counter the next day. You might call it a lazy man's easy way out, but I call it being thoughtful enough not to get people crummy gifts.

Anyways, Thanksgiving has come and gone--the turkeys are safe for now. I don't always show it, but I'm thankful for my loving family, my dear friends (both online and off), our soldiers fighting overseas, and being blessed with a challenging yet rewarding life. I'm sure you are likewise thankful of the very same things......and then some.

With two more weeks remaining in my final semester, I'm eager to read the next chapter in my life--a job, my own place, and of course.....new games!

Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving everyone!

Hey, guys -- how are you? Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but I will be away from Gamespot for a week to spend it with my family down in Irvine. So I'm going to go ahead and wish you guys a wonderful Thanksgiving earlier than usual this year.

But first, a little of what's been going on with me.

A rough semester is getting easier--I'm somewhat caught up with all my projects, but it isn't as bad as I feared. Three weeks more, and I'll be finished with school for good. I will be focusing on work and building a fantastic career in art (wherever it'll take me) for the remainder of my life. No more studying, quizzes or ignorant instructors!

I've been playing Demon's Souls as you can see. I was a little skeptical about it at first because of people saying how difficult it is, but then I took into consideration all the rave reviews it was getting. It's very rare for a game to be so cruel yet garner such acclaim at the same time. So I took the risk and bought it. Needless to say, I'm loving it. And dying multiple times, contrary to obvious assumptions, doesn't make me want to throw my controller against the wall.

I also got Super Mario Bros. Wii in its nice red packaging. It's a little tougher than past Mario games--I am having trouble with the second world as of this writing. And I thought Demon's Souls would get me frustrated

Anyway, that's what's been happening with me. I'm doing okay, and I believe things will get better after what seemed like a rough start in the Semester.

Demon's Souls could teach me a life lesson on not giving up when the going gets tough. To that I say, throw everything you have. I can take it.

Okay, I'm off for now. You guys have a great Thanksgiving, eat lots of turkey and try to smile when your aunts with the thick lipstick pucker you. See you again soon in December!

I've been feeling depressed lately. I think it's affecting my school work and my life in general. Video games don't seem to help much either. Not even the recent new ones I was barely able to afford this week.

I'm hating Intermediate Life Drawing because my instructor barely even pays attention to me, even when I ask for his help. My learning disability isn't doing a lick of good, and he probably considers me unteachable, so he doesn't bother with me half the time. It gets me really upset and I'm behind in my homework because of it.

I have so many projects to do in my other Art courses that I am barely finding time to keep up with them. CSULB has been hit hard by the budget crisis, forcing furlough days and increased tuition. In other words, I'm paying more and getting less. A shorter semester means a heavier workload and fewer days to get stuff done. I knew it was going to get bad, but I guess I didn't realize HOW bad. I thought I would be tough, but my armor is showing signs of cracking.

I know I can't drop or withdraw because not only is it past the deadline, but it's my final semester and I can't afford to stay another year. I've been in school for too long, and I just want to find a job so I can get a paycheck and eventually discover my rewarding career.

Sometimes, I think I'm losing my determination. A part of me wants to finish. Another is egging me to give up. The latter I can't accept. But it's a fight I'm afraid of losing.

I don't know what else to do at this point. It's only one more month until the Holidays. But right now, it seems like an eternity.

I'm sorry--I just had to vent a little.