Juggling Mike

To many people, when board games are mentioned, they immediately think of games like Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit. While those are both excellent games (I own three copies of Monopoly), there is such a varied selection out there, that playing a board game among friends usually yields an entirely different experience. I got “back” into board games a couple of years ago. I had several friends who played them on a regular basis and I realize how much fun was hidden among these cardboard boxes. Nowadays, I love getting together with some friends for a night of board games.

This weekend, I got together with Foonpool since he had just picked up a couple of board games to expand his collection. His choices had been Ticket to Ride: Europe and Blokus, both excellent games. I had recently picked up Pandemic, so we tried that as well. Pandemic was a lot of fun and we played it twice, just to try to beat it. It was a really great evening and we ended up leaving their place at 3am.

Since many people don’t know what games are out there, I have decided to write small reviews on the games I own and possibly on other games I have played. I continually expand my collection over time, so you can expect this feature to go on for a while. If anyone has any boardgames they recommend, please include them in the comments. Board games can be a tad expensive (they usually float between 30-60$), but they are a very worthwhile purchase when you conside how it will last you for years to come and bring friends together for a great socializing time.

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I was browsing some old PSAs that haunted my dreams as a kid. Although, they all mean well, some are definitely freaky. Canada has made some really messed up adult PSAs in the past, especially about accidents, but I am more interested in the ones targeted to the children. I don’t know how they are nowadays, but they were something else back in the 80’s/90’s.

Here’s a couple that you may have seen. I doubt they are all Canadian, but they were all passed (over and over) on my television in between cartoons.

I am Astar. I can put my arm back on. You can’t. So play safe.
Nightmare overload.
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I love my Xbox 360. It has become my entertainment hub, allowing me to watch dvds, watch hd-dvds (all 7 that I own), watch videos from my computer, and of course, play games. It has been a good machine, always ready for entertainment. That is, until Friday…

First, a little history. My Xbox originally was owned by a friend of mine, who really enjoyed it. Then one day, it died. He was angry, so he sent his Xbox for repairs, bought himself a PS3, and sold me his Xbox when it returned from the Microsoft docs. That was back in 2007. I have been taking good care of it ever since. That is, until Friday…

You see, the Xbox 360 is a very loved console. Primarily in North America, but it is gaining ground in Japan due to bigger interest by companies. They are starting to realize that exclusives do not always bring more money, and that by spreading your game across multiple consoles, you can generate more sales. Just look at one of the biggest news at the last E3… Final Fantasy XIII will be on Xbox 360! I am exalted to hear that, while I am sure Sony is very sad. Speaking of Sony, I was never really tempted to buy a PS3 before… that is, until Friday…

Well, that is kind of a lie. See, I find the PS3 to be a great machine.. I just still find it too expensive. Also, it has no exclusives that really grab my attention, with the exception of maybe Little Big Planet. Some other games like Jak & Dexter and Uncharted look cool, but aren’t enough to make me buy a second console or to convert into Sony’s cell. It has Bluray, but it is not enough for me to switch. Yet, everybody did try to convince me to switch last Friday.

You see, Friday was the day my Xbox died. It asked me to update the firmware, which I obediently did, and then restarted the box. I started up a streaming video only to have it freeze in the first minute or so. It wasn’t responding to anything, so I did what anybody would do, and reset the console, only to have the dreaded red ring flash me in the eyes. Ironically, I was just telling my girlfriend how a lot of people have gotten the red ring of death, when it happened. Irony of irony, but even being a master of foreshadowing cannot fix my Xbox.

Luckily, I am still covered by the red-ring warranty, so I get to have my little white box (okay, not so little, especially compared to my Wii) repaired by those technicians at Microsoft. Now, if I am really lucky, they will send me a new one with a HDMI output, but I doubt that will happen. It’ll take 2-3 weeks before I get it back, but at least it won’t cost me anything. I just hope my returned Xbox 360 will last me a long time and continue being a great multimedia center.

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Today, I invented the ultimate food for those with eating disorders, or for when you are very hungry. I bring upon you the wonderful Nuffin! The Nuffin is an invisible muffin. It is so delicious, that it is not yummy, it is nummy. You can have as many Nuffins as you wish. What does it taste like? Who knows? You can tell people it tastes like nuffin. I’m going to be rich.

I also thought of another invention after spilling some coffee on my hands. As I rested my head on my hand later in the day, my mind was invigorated by the smell of java beans giving my brain a caffeinated punch. Now, imagine gloves that smell like coffee! Perfect for the sleepy student who tends to sleep through their classes! Or anybody who loves the smell of coffee! Rich I say… RICH!

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