Wednesday, February 23, 2011

This is your brain on videogames

I started this thing on Twitter with the hashtag #thisisyourbrainonvideogames I thought it was a pretty fun concept so I decided to write about it.
How do you know you're addicted to videogames?

- When you buy a new sweater you think to yourself: "plus 5 style, plus 10 warmth, -50 gold"
- When its dark and you hear crows outside your window you worry they'll fly through and you contemplate if you should: a) waste bullets on them b) knife them to death and risk losing health c) run out the door and come back because they won't be there anymore.
- When you see a red sky in the morning you think of dodging fireballs on a rooftop.
- When you see a full moon with clouds surrounding it you reach for your morning star and have an urge to whip candles.
- When you're tired you imagine a lifebar above your head reaching the red.
- When you find a quarter on the ground you hear the chime from Legend of Zelda when Link finds an item.
- When you've actually planned out a tactic for a zombie attack.
- When you see a dragonfly you want to pull out a net and catch it so you can give it to the Owl in the argyle sweater.
- When you see two animals fighting you scream, "tackle attack!"

I'm sure there's more.  Are you addicted to videogames?  Is this your brain on videogames too?  Or is it just me?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

My Favorite Moments in Anime

I haven't talked about it much here but I love me some anime.  I'm not a huge fanatic that downloads everything and watches every form of anime.  Although I do consider myself more than a casual viewer that only watches Initial D or Dragon Ball Z.  My taste in anime ranges, but usually I stick to the action/adventures.  Naruto, Bleach, Code Geass, Death Note, Full Metal Alchemist, Major, Hajime No Ippo, and Rurouni Kenshin are just a few of the anime that I love.  I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to anime and I prefer Japanese voice acting with English subtitles to English dubbed anime...that is to say I can't stand English dubbed anime.  I just feel like the voice acting is far more superior in Japanese...from the little noises of disapproval or frustration they make, "tch!" to saying the technique they are doing, "Chire Senbozakura" it just sounds better in the native tongue.  Not to mention when they say the technique name in English it just sounds ridiculous, "shadow clone jutsu!"  Ugh.  If you're trying to gauge my geektitude when it comes to anime I can only say that I have learned at least 20 Japanese words purely from watching anime, although I can only use the inflection that the word is usually used.

Anyways I thought I'd share a few of my favorite anime moments, in no particular order.

Ichigo saves Rukia from Execution (Bleach)
Episode: 54
Rukia is up for execution in Soul Society.  Most of the Captains and Vice Captains are in attendance.  As Rukia accepts her fate, the punishment of the Soukyoko Blade reveals itself to be a massive bird made of fire and heads toward Rukia.  In comes Ichigo in a pimp ass cape and blocks the bird with his sword.  After he saves her he promptly tosses her at Renji and tells him to run.  I love this scene because it showed all the Captains watching below just how potentially powerful Ichigo was and showed how much Ichigo cares about his friends.
Blind Attack! (Initial D)
Season 4 Episode: 6
Facing a far superior driver, and having just been passed, Takumi needs to come up with some way to get in front.  Thus the blind attack is born.  Watch the clip above, the combination of music, dialog, and intensity puts this one on my list.

Goro's back screen homerun vs. Kaido (Major)
Season 2 Episode 26
After joining Kaido's second team, their final test is to play against the first team.  Secretly this was Goro's reason for training with Kaido.  Both teams were tied entering the bottom of the 8th inning and Goro is made to realize that he has to surpass Kaido with his own strength instead of relying Toshi.  He faces off against the first team's ace, who starts to go nuts on the mound.  After a series of foul balls Goro blasts one into the back screen, shattering some of the lights.  Just an awesome visual, and a very cool moment.  Goro holds them off the rest of the game.

Rock Lee vs. Gaara in the Chuunin Exam (Naruto)
Episodes: 48-50
During the Chuunin exams we learn that Gaara is not only crazy he has an "ultimate defense."  So when Rock Lee faced him I wondered how he'd ever survive.  And then one of the most amazing fights in any anime took place.  We learn that Rock Lee can't use ninjitsu so he relies solely on taijutsu (hand to hand combat).  We come to find out that he normally walks around with weights around his legs, really heavy weights.  When he removes them his speed goes up dramatically.  Watch the clip and see an awesome moment in anime.  I also love this fight because they used the good animators for this episode.

The Death of Ray Penbar (Death Note)
Episode: 5
One of my favorite animes because of the psychological mindgames that go on.  The Death of Ray Penbar had to be one of the coolest moments in anime.  Light, who is behind the mass killings as the man the public knows as Kira, finds out he has an FBI tail.  He finds a way to get the agent's real name and with the Death Note that's all he needs to kill him.  But he doesn't do it right away. Instead, he manipulates poor Ray Penbar into giving up everyone in the FBI following Kira and then kills him.  It sounds simple but it was not.  He used an elaborate ruse and some tricky Death Note rules to accomplish this.  So awesome.

That's it for now.  There are still a ton of other anime moments I love from Hajime No Ippo to Highschool of the Dead.  But I'll save those for another day.  Hope you liked reading it, go out there and watch some anime BAKKA!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Happy Birthday to me

"...she turns and says, 'are you alright?' I said 'I must be fine 'cuz my heart's still beating..." - The White Stripes, Fell in Love with a Girl

I haven't written in awhile. I have a couple of posts in the operating room right now getting worked on.  Been so consumed with DCUO lately.  First real MMO experience.  Fun.  Anyway I thought I'd chronicle some cool things that happened on my 31st birthday.

Facebook wall blew up.  I know its kind of an automatic thing where people see that it's my birthday in the corner of their Facebook and then send a quick Happy Birthday.  I still enjoy it.  It was cool seeing my wall full of Happy Birthday wishes from a variety of levels of friends: those that I don't really know, those that I haven't talked to in ages, those that I talk to once in awhile, those that I talk to frequently, and my closest friends.  It makes me happy that they took a little time out of their day to say something nice to me.  Thanks all.

By far my favorite wall post today from my god daughter: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NINONG JOEL! ;D I miss and looove you so much. ♥"  Almost made me cry at work when I saw it.

3 great meals and 0 dollars spent.  Woke up early and made myself a birthday breakfast.  It was delicious, probably too filling.  Then basically my whole department at work went out for lunch today at St. John's and my friend bought me lunch.  Thanks Lea for organizing and paying for my lunch!  After that I had dinner with my family at Cheesecake Factory.  Had a great kobe burger and even better strawberry cheesecake.  And not to mention saw some hot waitresses...yum.  Didn't pay for that meal either, thanks mom!  So much good food today.

Looking forward to spending time with my boys this Friday at Slice of NY.

Here was the soundtrack that helped me get through this dreadful 31st birthday:
Bone - 1st of tha Month
White Stripes - Fell in Love with a Girl
White Stripes - We're Going to be Friends
One Republic - All this Time
One Republic - Secrets
One Republic - Good Life
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
Sex Bob-omb - We Are Sex Bob-omb
Sex Bob-omb - Garbage Truck
Sex Bob-omb - Black Sheep
Sex Bob-omb -Threshold
Sex Bob-omb - Summertime
Michelle Branch - All You Wanted
Mike Posner - Please Don't Go
Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me

Stay tuned friends.  Thanks for all the birthday love.  I promise to make this year count.