Greetings everyone,



Thus, we have returned. Even though I wasn't crazy about the idea of "going dark," I resisted the temptation of logging in and participated hoping that our unified actions would achieve results. I firmly believe that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Hopefully, we've raised some eyebrows and the executives will take action in making this site more user friendly. It would be nice if someone has statistics for us to review so we can see how much of a difference we've made by going dark for a day. Part of me hoped to log in today and see some changes, but logically, that would be asking for far too much. At any rate, here are some things I would like to see changed:

- Nix the blue and white- The site is too bright. When they first made the change, I suffered from acute retinal shock. Why would you want to frequent a site that gives you a migraine?

- Return the blog list to 10- In fact, they should make it 15. When the forums aren't popping, I enjoy reading blogs from my favorite people, but since the list has been changed from 10 to 4, I can't find anyone's blogs. Do they think we all have only 4 friends?! In addition, the link to see the rest of your friend's blogs has vanished.

- TOS Warnings- Being the King of the erroneous TOS and subjected to an unwarranted banning via Gamespot, there really need to be some kind of mediation/review of the warnings. I've had mods tell me on several different occasions that every TOS is reviewed, but from some of the warnings I've received in the past, that has to be totally inaccurate. Just because you don't like what someone said or have a variance of opinion, that shouldn't give you the right to get someone's post axed and issue them a TOS warning.

- The choice to revert to the previous version of TV.com- I know this is a longshot, but when some launches fail or don't go over well with the users, some sites like Yahoo and MSN allow you to use the previous version that you're comfortable with. It would be a nice feature and illustrate that the powers that be actually care.

- More control of our profile page- All of the new negative white space drives me crazy. It would be beyond awesome if we were able to control or at least manipulate the fonts, colors and backgrounds of our profile pages to further personalize our pages.

Other than all the glitches like not being able to see past comment 10 on your blog page (without changing the settings), the "Profile Views" counter STILL frozen for over a month now and a few other minor annoyances, that's about it. Just out of curiosity, what do YOU think about this day of darkness and what do you think it achieved? Personally, I don't think it achieved anything, but there's always a shot that our voices will be heard.



Someone sent me a PM regarding the lust of my life, the lovely Leah Dizon. I don't know what it is about this woman that drives me crazy. Must be something in my programming that attracts me to her. Anyway, I've discovered that she has her own Photoshoot DVD so if anyone's interested, you can order yourself a copy and mastur... ERRR enjoy her beauty at your leisure... and here are a few pics of my lovely:











Leah is a Lakers fan! I love her even more!

If she stepped in mud, I would offer to clean her feet... with my tongue.

Have a nice day! Bang! Bang!

It's been a spot of time since I've logged in or posted anything because this site has become such a drag with the new format and all the glitches. I suppose I can get past the initial retinal shock of the blue and white background with the light grey text, but to change everything that we've held dearly and become accustomed to over the last couple of years is a slap in the face to all the devoted users. The thing I'm most disappointed in is the removal of the list of ten blogs. Even when the forums I frequent are void of activity, I can always count on good bloggers to keep me entertained, but since they've changed the number from 10 to 4, it's become more of a hassle to search for your favorite freinds. Even worse, you can only access up to the 10th comment on your blog. You have to go to Movietome or Gamespot to view the remaining comments. Ridiculous! It's hard to believe that this new system wasn't tested before going live with the launch. This new switch and supposed upgrade has syphoned the fun out of TV.com. How long do they expect us to wait for them to iron out all the wrinkles? There are quite a few users that have already left the site completely.

Apparenty, there are quite a few users that will participate in a September 30th TV.com boycott. While that action might raise a few eyebrows, I highly doubt the powers that be will be inclined to make any changes. Going back to the old format would be an admission of failure and as we all know, TV.com never admits when they've done something wrong- ONLY when others are in the wrong. Furthermore, they've never really cared what we thought before so why should they care now?





A brief review of Star Wars: Force Unleashed for the Wii.

Graphics- C: After playing Metroid Prime and seeing what the system is capable of, they could have gotten more milage out of the system than they did. In most places, when you're running, the foreground seems to grow in front of you rather than make a smooth transition. It's like the game incorporated an ancient engine from the N64. Graphics quality in the game is a disappointing effort. The Wii can do much better.

Sound- B-: The Star Wars score is solid and memorable as always, but couldn't they have forked over a few extra dollars to get James Earl Jones to voice Vader? The guy they got did a decent job, but you could clearly tell that it was someone else. The guy that played the Emperor was downright AWFUL. He sounded nothing like Ian McDiarmid.

Gameplay- B: Fun, but could have been a bit better. Quirky camera angles sometimes ruin the experience, especially when trying to turn the character around in a tight spot. Fighting the Bosses can be a bit of a drag since all the power you've accumulated in the game will seldomly work. In addition, there's a formula you have to use against bosses with the Nunchuck and Remote which takes the satisfaction out of defeating a boss.

One thing that takes away from the game is the usage of your lightsaber... or lack thereof. With all these force powers at your disposal, just about the only thing you use it for is blocking laser fire and battling bosses that you'll probably rarely touch. Additionally, you can hack and slash up enemies only for them to get up and pester you some more. It is cool that you have the option to change your saber crystal for different colored lightsabers, but if the saber attacks were more powerful you might be more apt to using it rather than frying your enemies with Lightning.

Fun Factor- A-: This is where the game lives. As someone that hates sitting in traffic, I've often imagined using the force and tossing cars and SUV's out of my way. Well, in this game my greatest dream came true. Once you've played the game for a while and accumulated points for upgrading force powers, it gets really good when dealing with pests like Stormtroopers. There's no greater feeling than choking one out, slamming one into the ground or throwing one against a wall or over a cliff. You can also, pick guys up, hold them and pick up other objects and impale them.

Difficulty- C: Even the hardest levels, are passable because you can continue DURING a battle and pick up RIGHT from where you left off. There's never a point in the game where you have to start a level over due to death.

Overall- B-

Bottom Line- Force Unleashed isn't as bad as all the reviewers said it was. The game is definitely fun with the Nunchuck and the Wii-mote, but the graphics could and should have been much better. The loose, unresponsive camera angles sometimes take the fun out of the game as periodically, you'll have to cut and run if you're getting severly outnumbered by enemies and don't know where they're coming from. Fighting bosses can be a chore, but overall it's a fun gaming experience. If you're a Star Wars geek and someone that fantasized about having force powers, I would definitely recommend this game to any other Star Wars fan. Pick it up! In addition, the dueling mode adds a bit more to the game and gives you a reason to keep playing.



(For TV.com users only) New babe banner up! From left to right, we have:

The lust of my life, Leah Dizon-



Staple babe, Keeley Hazell-



Hottie extrodinairre, Lucy Pinder-



Indian Hottie, Amrita Rao-



From Knight Rider 2008, Deanna Russo-



and long-time favorite, Misa Campo-



Have a Good Weekend!

Initially, I had a few things I wanted to discuss on this blog, but holy crap! This new TV.com site is downright awful! Talk about an unpleasant diverson! I could go on all day about how horrible it is, but my complaints would fall on deaf ears. Since this is the way it's going to be, we'll just have to deal with it. Maybe venting will make us feel a bit better.

What is your BIGGEST gripe about the new look and feel to the site? If you're not into gaming (the second part of this blog), you can vent here. What Grinds my Gears the most about the new site is navigation. Everything is damn near impossible to find. It took me 5 minutes just to find the "New Blog" button. In addition, I can't access the comments to any of my blogs past comment #10. It shows "next" and "previous" but they're not illuminated or clickable. For complete access to my blogs, I have to use LAMEspot or Movietome... and where in the hell are the font controls and smileys?!? I have to hit "Check Spelling" for access? To add, where the hell is the side scrolling bar in the message portion? To move up and down within the text box, you have to highlight and drag. Speaking of drag, that's what this new site is. A drag! Not to be confused with Drag Queen. Just give me time and I'll conjure up a feasible enough comparison.



The other day, a friend and I were discussing the greatest gaming consoles of all time. We had different viewpoints of course, but were close in chosing out top 5. I did a bit of research on the web to see what other people thought, but too many wimped out when it came to giving a concrete opinion. It was like they were scared to offend someone. Well, I'm not. I have the cojones to tell it like it is. Here is MY top 10 Gaming Consoles of ALL TIME:

10. ColecoVision- You can't deny the popularity of this system back in the mid 80's. It was the BETTER Atari of its day. Better graphics, better sound, better everything EXCEPT a decent library. Sure, it had all the Donkey Kong games, but what else? Not much.



9. Atari 2600- The Granddaddy gaming system that started it all. Believe it or not, they STILL sell this system at Target for $20. It comes packaged with 40 or so of the most popular built-in games. Does anyone remember the Sears Entertainment Center? It was a straight RIP of the Atari 2600. I have no idea how they got away with it.



8. Sega Dreamcast- Good system with good games, but once the PS2 came out, it was curtains. I acutally bought the system when it was on clearance, but decided I would never play it and returned it.



7. Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)- Brought gaming back from the brink of obscurity with Super Mario Bros.. Gave us a lazer gun to kill animals with Duck Hunt and then gave us Robbie The Robot? How long did that last? The longevity of this system is incredible and can be considered responsible for the rebirth of gaming. Can you name anyone that DIDN'T have an NES?



6. Xbox 360- Has the potential to be the best system of ALL TIME. Awesome games, awesome experience and a ton of fun. What's holding it back? The RED RING OF DEATH. For crying out loud! How long has this damn system been out? 3 YEARS!!! You're telling me that Microsoftie couldn't solve the RROD plague in 3 freaking years?!? That is the single reason I haven't purchsed a 360. Even now, 25% of the systems will hiccup and you'll have to return the damn thing. I don't care if they will give me another system! Are they going to replace my gas money, time and compensate me for my emotional distress? Probably not. That's too much trouble for me, no matter how good the gaming experience is... and it's now $199.



5. Nintendo Wii- When you talk about fun, this system is second to 1. Problem is, like its predecessor, the library tends to be full of Mario-type games. That's all and well for the kiddies, but what about the hardcore gamers? Imagine the money that could be made if they made an adult Sims game where you could use that Nunchuck controller to, well, you know. The world would stop spinning and productivity would come to a grinding halt.



4. Playstation 1 (PS1)- It took me a while to join the Sony revolution, but when I did, I was immensely impressed with the massive library, mature games and the Vibro-shock controller. Whoa! This thing is alive! Awesome!



3. Super Nintendo (SNES)- Thanks to this system, I learned how to play Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat without dumping hundreds of quarters into the arcade machines when I was in college. Even without the aforementioned, the library at the time was second to none lived up to its name of being "Super."



2. Nintendo 64 (N64)- One game: Goldeneye007. Nuff said. There MIGHT be one game where I logged more hours than Goldeneye and that's Grand Theft Auto III.



1. Playstation 2 (PS2)- At the time, this was the pinnacle gaming system. It had a MASSIVE library with great games, completely backwards compatible and was a DVD player to boot. Shortly after its release, you could have free online play with the online adapter. It was the first DVD player I had ever owned. What more could you ask for in a gaming system?



I know some of you are saying, "What about "X" system? Why was it left off your list? Well, I'll tell you why.

Intellivision- "Intelligent Television." Sure, it was there with Atari 2600 for about a DAY. I knew ONE person that had Intellivision and he got suckered into it by his parents because they thought he would learn something from their sucky library. Fat chance.



Neo Geo- Are you serious? You had to win the freaking lottery to purchase this system. Sure, the system had some good games and spectacular graphics, but the damn games were $100 a piece and this was back in the 90's!!! Who could afford that at the time? My parents sure couldn't.



Playstation 3 (PS3)- Even though you couldn't find this system anywhere and people camped out, it was the BIGGEST flop amongst first-time releases. Too damn expensive and not enough games during the release. In addition, the damn system is backwards compatible for only a handful of games. What the hell?!? Sure, it was a blu-ray player, but at the time, how many blu-ray disks were even out? Over time when the price goes down and it has more of an extensive library and they solve the backwards compatibility issue, this system just might crack the top 10.



GameCube- It's a cutesy system for the children, but that's about it. Most of the GC's games don't appeal to hardcore gamers. If you want to see blood, guts and brains, you won't find it on this system. It has plenty of Mario games though, but over a period of time, how far will that get you? I would rank this system at #11.

Sega Master System- This would be #12. It was a decent system for its time but Nintendo totally eclipsed and snuffed it out.



Sega Genesis- Sonic anyone? Good system with decent games, but Nintendo reigned supreme at the time with a bigger library. This system would probably be #13.



I know I've left off a few, but I'll save that for comments... if any.



I got my M1 license yesterday! I can now legally ride a Motorcycle and have a license to kill myself! I went to the DMV yesterday afternoon to take the written Motorcycle exam which I had unmercifully studied for. Knowing how much of a mess the DMV can be, I made an appointment ahead of time. When I got to the office, WOW! Apparently, the entire city decided to take care of their DMV needs on this particular afternoon. It was CROWDED! Even worse, the people that work there are a-holes with attitudes. I think a requirement of working for the DMV is you couldn't have had sex since the Reagan administration. I've never seen a collective group of grouches until yesterday. Even Oscar from Sesame Street would say, "What the hell's the matter with you people?!?"

Well, after an endless line EVEN THOUGH I made an appointment, they forced me to take another photo for my license. I was dressed well so no big deal. When they gave me the exam, to my chagrin, I was told that since I hadn't taken the written Driver's exam in 5 years, I had to take it. Crap! I didn't study for that and hadn't taken it since I was 17. This was 19 years ago! To put this into proper perspective, when I took this test last, most of you weren't even born. I ended up guessing on most of the test and ended up getting 100%. Yeah! Who's your daddy? I ended up missing 3 on the exam I studied for though. What the heck?