The close

Last footy blog I promise...until next year. Just a recap of my preseason predictions to see how I went.

Adelaide, Hawks or Sydney would be premiership contenders. Sydney finished 4th on the ladder. Hawks finished 1st and won the grand final to boot. Adelaide sucked balls :P  I suspect it may take them some time to get their shit together but they won't really show much in 2014.

GWS and Gold Coast...Well the Suns won 8 matches. Very damn good I think. So much talent there. GWS didnt fare so well and I was hoping for a better 2014 from them but I think they may have just traded out too much talent in the post season trade period. They have some good draft picks and picked up some more experienced players but I'm a little concern they sacrificed talent for experience and while it will have short term gains it might not get them where they want to be in the next few years. Gold Coast Suns on the other hand are shaping up excellently and I reckon will nip at finals play next year.

Carlton made the finals on a technicality and then failed to do anything with the opportunity. Mr Malthouse has made some serious decisions about the player list and culled some of the underperformers. Should be good for the club.

Of Essendon, Brisbane and North Melbourne only Essendon did any good but as the wheels fell off the cart at the end of the season the AFL stepped in and banned them for finals....not for drugs, but for governance. A rant for another time perhaps. North Melbourne still play great footy but can't get the job done. Brissy finished strong, but all 3 teams finished just outside the 8.

Fremantle finished 3rd on the ladder and knocked out Sydney to play in the grand final. Good showing but I really can't stand their style of play so I'm glad they didn't win. Richmond came home strong and played finals, only to choke early. They had a lot of positives from this season and hopefully they can use them to build into the next. Bulldogs played with heart and lost. Bit of a shame but I think there's enough going on their to keep fans interested.

Port Adelaide is a real underdog story. From their shit performances last year they rose from the ashes and won 12 matches this season and then managed to charge their way through some serious finals games. They got knocked out towards the end but the club should really be celebrating the massive turn around in effort and performance. Melbourne...still suck!  They picked up a master in Paul Roos as the new coach. Very few people could turn around this club but he may be one of them. For the good of the game I hope he can.

Collingwood and Geelong played finals, West Coast and St Kilda didnt. WC and St K should continue to build but I don't expect much from them for a while. Geelong continue to surprise. Their faith in the young players really pays off and after the season ended they let go a lot of senior talent. It would seem like a risk for anyone but Geelong who just seem to go from strength to strength. Collingwood had disciplinary issues with a few of its players really not being team focused. They were hot and cold but mostly got the job done. The culled hard after the season and are trying build a real club oriented team. I think they'll continue to play hot and cold while they do.

So all round I think my predictions were ok. Most of it was pretty much on the money. Shame my dream team couldn't be as successful ;)

Our boys who play this grand old game...

It's been long enough and I'm finally going to wade into the Essendon drug scandal. I've resisted it previously for a number of reasons. Firstly they are my favourite team and any defence of their position by myself may be misconstrued as biased. But most importantly there haven't been enough facts available to the public to make any clear judgement one way or the other. Not that that hasn't stopped thousands of evil hearted, brain dead, butt licking, dog fucking....sorry, calming myself now....there may be some outbursts during this post. So thousands of people have decided to act judge and jury without facts and condemn a team; its staff, its players, its fans, and publicly cry for what they consider justice in the form of sanctions, fines, stripping the players and team of accolades and evening banning them all from the competition. I do that often. I decide that facts aren't important and that all decisions on the lives of other human beings should be made on a hate filled whim. Oh no wait, I don't. COZ I'M NOT A FUCKING TWAT!

So here are the facts as they have been revealed over the course of the investigations. They DO NOT add up to a verdict but they paint a pretty clear picture of what went on and should prove to anyone who doesn't have their head up their arse that the Essendon players are not some lowlife miscreants out to destroy the integrity of the game. I'll list a bit of hearsay in here as well as when coupled with known facts it paints a clearer picture.

Hearsay - Stephen Dank, former Sports Scientist for Essendon, has claimed since the scandal broke that he acted within the guidelines provided to him and that neither he nor the Essendon football club has done anything wrong.

Fact - WADA stated AOD-964 has been banned under category S0 since 2011.

Fact - WADA does NOT provide advice directly to sporting clubs, they defer this responsibility to governing bodies within each country.

Fact - Jobe Watson admitted to signing the consent form for AOD-964 and believed that it was administered to him during 2012

Fact (and this is where it gets a little messy but also the most interesting) - The ACC has officially stated that during 2012 the operational advice provided by ASADA was that AOD-964 was NOT a prohibited substance under category S2. They also state that during 2012 this advice was provided to a number of officials including members of the AFL community.

So right here you can see some conflict. WADA says it's banned, but clubs can't ask them. They have to ask ASADA. And if you asked ASADA during 2012 they said it was not prohibited under category S2. They make no mention of category S0. So how is the club to know WADA has banned the substance if ASADA is not providing that information? ASADA is THE authoritative source for this information in Australia. They are the ONLY place sporting teams can turn to for this kind of advice and there is factual evidence from the Australian Crime Commission that they have screwed up.  When I heard this news I was freaking ecstatic. I wanted to run into the pub where I overheard a guy was telling his mate never to tip Essendon because they were drug taking cheaters and yell "TAKE THAT COCK SMOKER!". I wanted to go to Perth and line up the West Coast fans who booed Jobe Watson before they knew the facts and yell "TAKE YA HEAD OUT OF YA ARSE AND JAM THAT UP YA!  SIDEWAYS!". And I still wanna spout this information to all the douchebags on Twitter every time Essendon play and they start tweeting misinformed vitriol and sign of my posts with the hash tag #FUCKINGL2READ, but I only have 140 characters.  The investigation isn't concluded just yet so there may be more facts that come to light, but I can't see that evidence changing the situation much unless it directly contradicts evidence previously given. But the evidence seems to support Dank's hearsay that he acted within the guidelines he was officially provided with. I can't see any fair resolution to this situation that results in penalties for the club or it's players. But it seems fairness is not what people are after in this investigation...

A number of current and former players have come forward and said they trust the advice given to them by the team doctors implicitly. They are encouraged to do this by the AFL Committee itself. Those doctors are to receive advice on the legality of supplements from the ASADA as the authoritative source of such information. So this could have happened to ANY player who was playing for ANY team who's doctor had requested such advice during 2012. This could have happened to YOUR players for YOUR team without them having any control over the situation. Does that not make them victims? It could have happened to a number of teams and if it was your team in this horrendous situation, how would you feel then? People need to think a little before they judge. Firstly, they shouldn't judge people without all the facts. Secondly, they are judging real people here; people with feelings and people with families. Are you really the sort of person that wants to hurt them only to find out later you were wrong?

The sight for the blind

It's coming up round 12 of the 23 round AFL season and I've been holding off for ages to report back on my start of year predictions. There's still plenty of footy to be played and a lot of question marks over the performance of a larger than usual number of teams. So here goes the mid season report....

Prediction: Adelaide, Hawthorn or Sydney as prime Premiership contenders
So far I've been spot on with this one. Both Hawks and Swans had unimpressive but effective starts and now look extremely dominant coming into the second half. As much as I hate Sydney they look the most potent on field but either team could win it on the day. They've already played each other in Rnd 7 and Hawks had their number that day. Adelaide also had a bumpy start but seemed to get their shit together around Rnd 6 (loss to Hawks but they played well and went on to string more wins together after that). As of the last couple of weeks their form has just gone out the window. They sit 10th on the ladder and were completely smashed off the park by Sydney last round. Their big guns need to step up.

Prediction: GWS and GCS improve with final prospects by 2014
Again, spot on. GWS are still winless but are winning more quarters of footy as the year goes on. They also have a higher percentage than Melbourne despite being last on the ladder on points. GCS sit at 12th on the ladder with a win/loss record of 5 and 6. Both teams have actually put in a scare into a couple of the top teams, matching them and even leading for parts of games but falling off towards the end. With more conditioning that will be a thing off the past. Looking at GCS run home, the majority of games are against lower teams. Could they even nip at the bottom of the 8 for finals this year? We all like an underdog so I want to see it happen. Either way, next year will be very very interesting.

Fence sitting: Carlton may or may not improve depending on if the players can get motivated.
Numbers-wise they're doing slightly better than last year but there's still a lot of critics that say the comparison to the coach-firing performances of last year are still too close. I think they look better on field and their potential is looking up but hey still aren't the dominating force they need to be. They're sitting at 7 on the ladder but could easily be bumped out. I'm still on the fence as to whether they suck or not :p

Prediction: Brisbane, Essendon or North Melbourne will improve and play finals
I predicted 1 or maybe 2 of these teams would play finals. Essendon are sitting up 4th on the ladder despite the still ongoing drug investigation in which neither the players nor the public are any wiser on the fate of the club or its personnel. It was said in the media that the scandal seems to have united the players and it would seem the on field performances has confirmed this. They'll play finals. Brisbane have completely bombed with only 3 wins for the season and with coaches contract set to end at the end of the season there is obviously a lot of speculation over whether they'll renew. Might be time for a rebuild of both team and staff. North Melbourne would have to be the most frustrating team to be a fan of right now. They've won 4 matches and of the 7 they've lost, 3 of them have been by less than 4 points. The team often has a lead going into the final quarter only to lose the match, sometimes in rather dramatic fashion. It's like they have the yips. They definitely have skill as they've taken it to some of the top teams but they have something going on, either team culture or mental preparedness, that means they just can't get over the line.

Prediction: Fremantle, Western Bulldogs and Richmond are exciting and 2 of these teams should play finals
Kinda tanked this prediction. Fremantle are sitting 5th and playing solid footy with a very high work rate. They deserve the position and should make the finals very interesting. Richmond and Bulldogs have both played exciting footy but Bulldogs have very little in the way of consistency and are sitting on only 3 wins at 14th on the ladder. Richmond are also inconsistent but have wrestled up 6 wins putting them just outside the 8. I still enjoy watching them both play when they are switched on as they play a nice brand of footy but they'll need to put in a lot more effort to be contenders. Richmond's season isn't over yet but they will need to improve if they want to make their way into the 8. Bulldogs should be looking to get some experience under the belt to play better in 2014.

Prediction: Port Adelaide and Melbourne will continue to suck
...and they do. Melbourne have had only 1 win against GWS and continue to get thoroughly embarassed on a weekly basis. The club has been out of form for the better part of a decade, the shit hit the fan some time ago and it's not just a matter of seeing how many people were standing in front of the fan to figure out who stays and who goes at all levels of the club. Just before publishing this post, the President of Melbourne resigned. Port Adelaide have made a number of changes during the off season including President and Coach which resulting in a unbeaten run of 5 games at the start of the season. They back it up with 5 losses in a row and now again are mentioned in hushed tones by the footy community. I suspect things will get worse for them before they get better but they won't get anywhere near the depths Melbourne have discovered.

Prediction: Geelong, St Kilda, West Coast, Collingwood will need to rebuild but may pad out the 8
West Coast and Collingwood are both having a rough season. They're both in the 8 but injuries have tested their depth and discovered it rather shallow. As such they're in a bit of a win some/lose some holding pattern.   If the likes of Richmond and Nth Melbourne can get their shit together we could see them push these teams out of finals contention. St Kilda have bombed out totally and sit 16th on the ladder. Geelong are the real surprise. They're sitting atop the ladder and look very very dangerous. Somehow they're managing to rebuild while playing amazing footy with their newest inclusions stepping up almost immediately and with their veterans turning back the clock and playing with amazing vigor. It's a real credit to the player management group at that club and I suspect it will be a model a lot of team will try to replicate over the next decade.

So all in all, not too shabby. I hedged a few bets of course but really only Geelong and Adelaide have put me off whack. Will recap again at the end of the season to see how I fare over the 2nd half.

Unzip him, Mr. B! Unzip HIM!

All is good on the gaming front. Sure it's not going as planned and in fact it's probably going backwards but I'm happy with the progress in the wrong direction that I am taking ;) Like a lot of people I know I have a huge backlog of games that I've purchase and not played. I think at last check I'd only played 38% of the 154 games I'd bought. I made some headway on that and then bought another 30 games. I also set up my spare PC to run with the TV as a monitor and use a wireless game controller so I could play a heap of those games in a more comfortable setting. Then I downloaded emulators for a dozen consoles or older pcs that I've played throughout my lifetime, spent a few days pouring through online game libraries identifying and acquiring every game I can every remember playing on those platforms. Then when I started to play em I found the menuing systems (or complete lack of) for every emulator to be inadequate or annoying when trying to control with a game controller so I spent 2 weeks learning Java FX and writing Smooth Navigator. The app now works but tbh I've been slack on taking the final steps of setting up default configurations I like for the emulators so it's still annoying to play the games. I'll finish it one day and when I do my game backlog will quadruple ;)

Speaking of not finishing things, I played Bioshock (the first one) and almost enjoyed it and almost finished it. I shall now don flame retardant clothing and review it (spoilers will also ensue) ....

I started playing this game and found it awesome. Set in a dystopian underwater society, run by power hungry mad men and populated by insane, genetically enhanced citizens it wasn't long before I was having a blast running around smashing heads with wrenches and getting genetic enhancements of my own. The world was gritty and atmospheric and the populace amplified that feel with their mildly humorous and often disturbing actions and dialog. When I watched one of them attack and slap a pony tailed little girl only to then be smashed up against a wall by the girls burly protector and have a large drill rammed into his face I immediately thought "shit just got heavy". The game would continue in this vain with the player encountering different classes of enemies and having to choose whether to destroy or free the Little Sisters (the aforementioned child) who have been enslaved and are working dark purposes for unseen benefactors. There's a few major players in the game all adding their own perspectives, truths and lies to the ongoing story and it really is an enjoyable, albeit dark, experience. As a guy who really likes a dark game Bioshock should have been perfect match for me. So here comes the foreseeable but...

...some of the game design choices really detract from the experience. A minor complaint is the number of buttons required to generate effective combat. Different weapons, different ammo types for each weapon, different genetic alterations, movement controls, reload button, hack robots button, interact button (useful for health stations); there was just so much that could possibly be going on. It wasn't an issue until later in the game when enemies became more difficult and the different classes were often combined in a way that required different techniques (enhancement and ammo combinations) to more effectively dispatch of them that became a bit of a cluster. It wasn't extreme but it detracted a bit regardless. It's not that I don't like difficult games, its just that making a game difficult  by requiring a player to grow 2 extra fingers feels like a bit of a cheat on the developers behalf.

I think the major issue for myself was with a simple game mechanic that I suspect was designed to keep the game flowing but instead kept me detached from the game. You rarely get to see any of the major players in the game face to face, with most of the interaction coming over radios or from tape recorded journals. As opposed to jarring or often boring cut-scenes, the developers went for audio story telling which occurs while the game continues to roll on. I nearly quit very early in the game when I received my second genetic enhancement and had no idea how to use it because the auditory instructions were missed among my frantic ducking for cover from a grenade lobbing enemy. This continued throughout the game. I'd clear a room or area before triggering an event only to have that event launch some aural progression of the story line and spawn a number of enemies at the same time. Of course the game gives the option to play back the messages but that just left me standing in a pool of bodies while someone rambled about something that may or may not have been important, fearing to continue the game lest I miss the message for the second time. So I soon gave play back the flick and found myself often following 1 sentence hints from my journal rather than feeling any sort of investment in the game or the characters within it. In the end I just felt like I was doing random and possibly pointless quests in a rather cool landscape. So when I finally got to the end boss I had one go at killing him, got beaten when he was at half health and then just watched the game ending on youtube. It's kind of sad that I didn't feel like I missed out on anything by finishing the game in that way. I have the sequel but I'm not in a rush to play it.

Will see if this post works. Another night in with awesome music...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgpbIPQl7CA

Hit play and close your eyes. Let the music take you where it will.

I don't know how to take this song...

...but it's easily one of the best songs I've ever heard. So a dude walks into a bar and for once it's not a joke. He's a midnight watchman, a night security guard in modern parlance, who props up at a bar to have a quiet drink. The bar girl, not a stunner, just the friendly type, see's the watchman is mulling over something of significance and asks what is on his mind. Initially he ignores her but she shows genuine concern and he starts to open up. He relates a tale, a sad tale, of himself meeting a girl in a diner. The girl has no place in a run down diner, she's way too beautiful, way too classy. Now the watchman is not a handsome man and he has nothing special to offer the opposite sex, but he decides he has nothing to lose and attempts to strike up a conversation. At first she is silent, aloof, and then when he's about to give up she speaks. "If you want me to come with you then that's alright with me,  'cause I know I'm going nowhere and anywhere is a better place to be."

She goes to the watchman's room and the usual progression between man and woman occurs. To the watchman it's everything he has ever wanted, this is his dream girl, some angel who has blessed his lowly existence. But the woman insists the light remains off and when he attempts to tell her how much the evening means to him she tell him to shush and says "I know just how you feel".

The next morning he wakes early and goes out to buy food for breakfast to treat his new found love. When he returns she is gone and there is a simple letter saying "It's time that I moved on." The story moves back to the present, the watchman is staring in his drink and the barmaid is wiping away a tear at the sad tale she has just heard. The barmaid confesses that she isn't much of a looker but she feels for the watchman and would like to spend some time with him, if he will accept her. She says they share the gift of emptiness. The watchman smiles sadly and repeats the line he has heard previously... "If you want me to come with you then that's alright with me, 'cause I know I'm going nowhere and anywhere's a better place to be".


Now I think this is tale of loneliness and people finding others in that loneliness and sharing moments that ease the that pain. At least I think it's what the song is supposed to mean and on that grounds I think it's one of the most amazing songs ever written. Yet there's a part of me that doesn't trust the watchman. It's probably a flaw on my part but I sometimes suspect he's dodgy. Is there really an amazing woman he met in a diner? Or is it some elaborate pick up line which makes the barmaid feel sorry for him? I think I know that the authors intent was in that shared loneliness but there's just something about his story that makes me feel he is lying. It seems the woman are the victims in this story, not the watchman as is probably the intent. I dunno, maybe it's just my cynical interpretation.

W00T! Footy season has started. I'm a bit of a fanatic. Last year I averaged watching 5 of the 9 games each week as well as about 7+ hrs each of AFL related news, talk and stats shows. I even signed up to Twitter so I can tweet out at teams/players/coaches/other fans on game day. It's a commitment, but it's a commitment that involves beer so I'm usually happy to make it. I'm probably also gonna blog about it a fair bit during the season. Lets start with what I think of how each team will shape up during 2013.

Adelaide, Hawthorn and Sydney should all do well this year. I won't be making any predictions for Premiers but any one of these teams could be in the running. Hawthorn and Sydney played off in the Grand Final last year but I haven't liked what I've seen of either team in the preseason. Sydney just beat GWS but it wasn't the hiding it could have been and the Hawks injury list is long. Adelaide could make a showing as on paper they have a good team but have yet to show any real Premiership talent. If they sort their shit they are probably the best teams in the league and they should all be playing finals footy.

GWS and Gold Coast are the new kids on the block. GWS started off their AFL careers much better than GCS despite being introduced a year later and they're both now on par with each other. I like both teams as stars are emerging from their young talent pools quite quickly. Neither are likely to hit the finals, but are great to watch. I expect even more improvement from both and I think 2014 will see at least one of them take part in a finals match.

There's been a lot of people watching Carlton very closely. Last year the team just wouldn't perform and everyone blamed the coach. So he got fired and they brought in legendary coach Mick Malthouse. For the Blues the preseason was extremely important. Mick brought in a new game plan and the team had to learn how to execute it before round 1. It would seem they managed to pull this off and have performed well but if Thursday nights match is anything to go by they may end up still sucking. Essentially its up to the team. If they perform they can win and make finals. If they don't they'll probably hide behind the fact they haven't learned the new game plan yet. Perhaps their new captain can help.

Brisbane, Essendon and North Melbourne all have the potential to play finals. I suspect 1 or maybe 2 of these 3 teams will. North Melbourne really sparked at the end of last year and then choked in the first round of finals. They have the potential and are playing for pride. Brisbane didn't fare so well last year but had some old talent stand up and some new talent emerge . They also played hard and won the preseason competition. My beloved Dons had a ripper start and a shameful end to 2012, missing out on finals altogether. In the off season the delisted quite a number of under performing veterans and semi-seasoned players, purchased some talent and brought some very talented rookies into the senior side. Then they got roped into a so far unsubstantiated drug scandal. Their win against Adelaide in Rnd 1 may have silenced some critics. Time will tell for all 3 teams

I'm very exited about Fremantle, Richmond and Western Bulldogs this year. All 3 teams have some significant talent and are working on building a winning culture. I think 2 of these 3 teams could easily be playing finals this year. Bulldogs we dominant in their Rnd 1 win over Brisbane, beating them all over the ground. If they can maintain that level of intensity then a spot in the final 8 is theirs. On paper, Richmond have a brilliant team, with 2 players being ranked in the top 10 of the entire league before the bounce on Rnd 1,  yet they landed 12th on the ladder last year. Beating a late surging Carlton in Rnd 1 might give them all the confidence they need to pull out the stops this year. Fremantle dispatched old rivals West Coast in Rnd 1 which shows their inclusion in 2012 finals proceedings was no mistake and they may have in fact tapped into that winning mindset. I'll watch all 3 teams with anticipation.

Port Adelaide and Melbourne suck. The players don't want to win. Coaches are screaming themselves hoarse on game day then getting trounced by the media come Monday. But really it's hard to care because it's just Melbourne and Port Adelaide. They have no potential and if the AFL had a relegation system I'd be glad to see em drop out of the league. There's a bunch of teams in various state leagues across the country that could beat these guys on an average day so I don't think they deserve to be in the AFL...for now at least.

That leaves us with Collingwood, Geelong, St Kilda and West Coast. All have had good seasons in the past few years, some winning Premierships or at least playing in the Grand Final. I kind of feel these guys have had their day. They are dropping off the pace a little as their seniors retire (or sit out a lot with injury) and the rookies are just learning to step up. Some of these teams will pad out the final 8 but I won't miss them if they don't. They've had a good run but I'm not really excited about them much these days. Rebuild and come back in a few years.

Here I come again

Doping and game fixing in Australian sport...hhahaha, was any one surprised by that?  I mean it's elite competition with ridiculous amounts of money to be made so some amount of performance enhancing and scamming is to be expected. Not condoned, but definitely expected. So far the ACC still won't name clubs or players and it just all seems a lot of media guff at this point. Give us facts or fuck off with ya bollocks. For all we know some player might had a double dose of his daily multivitamin. But I'm not really concerned with all that at this point. If they have any real info then maybe I'd care. What bothers me, and I hope time will prove me wrong on this, is the inevitable bleeding heart reporter/family group/politician who's about start the debate on whether sportspeople are appropriate role models for our children. This bothers me. As a muso and a metalhead, this sort of thing always bothers me. The rockers I worship have all been through rehabs, been arrested for this or that, have loose morals (according to some) and put out some completely atrocious albums at times (Hi Metallica) but I've stuck with them through most of it. We say that kids have idols, but really EVERYONE has idols regardless of their age, and it's disappointing when they fall short of your expectations. This doesn't make them poor role models, IT MAKES THEM FUCKING HUMAN! What the fuck do these do-gooders want? Straight edge, church going, tree hugging, automatons? We need to accept our idols, warts and all.  Our children learn a lot from their idols and from those idols I'd like to see them learn how to deal with mistakes they will make in their lives. THAT'S what makes them good role models. They need to understand that it's ok to fail sometimes and how to move on from these things. Some adults need to understand that too. Check out the graffiti on the wall during the Johnny Cash clip I'll include below. "Sinners make the best Saints". Johnny made plenty of mistakes in his life but he also provided a lot of important social commentary which may be ignored if people don't revere him as a positive role model.  Kids are never going to learn these lessons if the media keep slamming our idols for their mistakes and touting that these people make poor role models. Kids identify with these role models. Kids also make mistakes. Keep telling our kids they need to be perfect and they won't be handle their own imperfections. Maybe we should be looking at the effect media has on our kids after the next school shooting?

Johnny Cash - Gods Gonna Cut You Down

I'm not a religious kook but I am a mad fan of The Man In Black ;)

Different topic now...

It's a little behind on last months controversy but I wanna blog about it anyways since it seems to raise its head from time to time and the media gets excited about it all over again. Last month, David Koch (Kochie) mentioned that a woman who was breast feeding on the side of a pool could have been more discreet about it and invoked the rage of mothers Australia wide. I'm a parent and I'm not a Kochie fan....but fark me if isn't right about this one. WTF is it with women insisting they breast feed in public?  Shopping centres, restaurants, pools...these are not ideal places to get ya tits out in public! I'm fine with tits out in public but also in appropriate contexts. Summernats, music festivals, beaches, etc. These are the places to flash ya norks, not when you're out doing your groceries. What was that? It's a natural thing? So is taking a dump but you don't see me dropping trow in a pot plant next to the food court in the shopping centre. We've got 2 boys now, both breast fed (one currently) and we've NEVER been in a situation where we've had to breast feed openly in public. There's purpose built fucking rooms for this for fuck sake! I mean sure if there was a situation where the kid was screaming and there was no were private to go, then I'm fine with feeding then. But should be a rare occurrence not par for the course. It's just fucking rude and unnecessary. These women aren't doing it because they have to, they're doing it deliberately and inconsiderately. Next time I see a woman breast feeding in public when there is a perfectly serviceable and private option nearby, I'm going to find the nearest wall and teach my boy how to piss standing up....it's natural after all.

Still I'm confused

I've been resisting the urge to do a "State of the WWE" rant lately with the idea that I'll be doing a lot of sports related ranting/reviewing when the AFL season starts. I've actually already started tracking players from last season  and checking out how rookies are training in order to make up a kickass AFL Supercoach team so I'm keen discuss tactics once the season starts ;)

Christmas has been good. Got a new kid. Loving the older one to bits. Feeling perhaps the need for a change in the work arena as well, just to gain a bit more quality time with my boys.

Also trying to avoid the news, or at least ranting about the news, as I'm sure my opinions on guns laws and boobs out in public are going to be a little offensive to some. Don't worry, that blog is coming...just not yet ;)

So here's a little spiel on the games I've been playing:

• Far Cry - had potential but fails a little in vehicle missions and enemies supernatural abilities to detect the player. After a while it just got annoying.
• Far Cry 2 - seemed like it had great mechanics and was a big improvement on the 1st but known glitches with Win 7 64-bit made the game unplayable...as a result I'm now pissed and have no intention of playing Far Cry 3.
• Quantum Conundrum - Very cool game. The director of the game is Kim Swift, lead designer of Portal. The humor isn't as aligned to mine as Portal's was but I still recommend this game. Puzzles can be difficult but not overly taxing.
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Was both frustrating and enjoyable. Frustration came from some bad mini games within the game (manning the turrets) and bad AI in your own party which made fights rather annoying. I still enjoyed the story and concept enough to finish it and buy KOTOR 2.
• Alan Wake - Brilliant game. Probably one of my favourites out of the last few months of gaming. The story is brilliant and immersive. There is real atmosphere in this game and I really liked playing the part of Wake in a twisted, dark and enjoyable story. Definitely feel it's more of an art piece than a computer game and I hope that is the direction a lot more games take in the future. Excellent stuff. 
• Minecraft - Yes I'm back into this again. It's a game you can take a few months off from, get some new ideas and then lose a few days playing. I don't think it'll ever go away. 
• Vessel - Started off great, with some real brilliant puzzles but after a while it seems the puzzle get dry and boring, and you're left with a rather uninspiring platformer. 
• Darksider - Seems like its made for a 15 fingered alien with the amount of keys you need to press to get your character to do the most basic combat moves. I gave up during the tutorial. It's lame.
• Great Big War Game - I loved this game for ages. Great humor, cool tactics and strategies to employ with a wide range of units to command...and then the game decides about 3/5ths of the way through that it's going to up the difficulty by simply giving the enemy unlimited money and hence overwhelming forces. That's just bad design. Make games harder by making AI smarter please. It's now gathering dust.