Hurlshort

I loved the new Star Trek. It was a blast, and the acting was a step up from the previous iterations.

I went to a movie today, and the ticket prices continue to go up. Itunes is now charging higher prices for premium songs. I don't expect prices of games to ever go down, in fact I'd be surprised if PC games didn't go up to the $60 range. But we've had one price hike for games in the last 20 years or so. I would hate to see another anytime soon, and ads might help prevent that.

I never understood why people get their panties in a bunch over advertising. If it negates some of the costs involved in these big titles and keeps us from paying more and more for a game, then I'm all for it. It obviously needs to fit into the setting, and I didn't think the BF2142 suffered at all from the billboards.

It usually depends on how good the book is that I'm currently reading. I take a group of 8th graders to Yosemite for a week almost every year. They aren't allowed any electronics, and I join them in that. The hardest part is find out the sports scores, the Yosemite newspapers are lame.

We named my daughter Skylar, and now I keep hearing about other newborns named Skylar. I've also heard it's a boys name, but I don't buy that at all. I liked the sound of it, and with both my wife and I being teachers, we wanted a name that we didn't already associate with a student. Desiderius would be a good one for our next child. I suppose it is a boy name though.

I guess we'll just have to see, this stuff always comes out in the end, so if it turns out Kobe Bryant or Alex Ovechkin are on the juice, I'll definitely concede. We just may have to wait 20 years for the tell-all book

I'm no expert, but I was under the impression that the steroids do two things, they help with power, and they help maintain that power even as you age. I don't think it does anything to increase hitting ability, only hitting power. That's why a guy like Barry Bonds was so successful, he already was a fantastic hitter, the drugs just helped him launch more out of the park and kept age at bay a bit longer. I still don't see where this power boost is going to help a basketball or hockey player, and I think you see that in the star players. They aren't muscle bound guys, they are in great shape, but they don't look like any of the guys everyone is pointing fingers at in baseball. I've never heard of a steroid that increases athleticism.

You mean the Wizard of Oz. Yep, Alice in Wonderland should have something to do with drug abuse, I'd guess. Secrets of Nimh - Rats who steal cable TV from neighbors.

Wait...Daaave isn't your alt?

Hahahahah. If you want to believe that, that's cool. Obviously, I don't. It just comes down to the way the game is played. Steroids aren't going to make a jump shot better or increase stick handling abilities. On the other hand, they can directly affect your power when swinging a bat or trying to push past an offensive lineman. You can see it in the body types. Now there could be an argument that steroids made to help players recover from injury are a problem in the NBA and NHL, but that isn't what all these baseball players are getting raked over the coals for. If Gretzky took steroids, he should ask for his money back.

Geez, that is the most delayed response ever Gorgon. I wrote that 3 and a half years ago. But what I said is still true. Neither Mus or Gorgon are particularly enamored with pop culture. The show is not aimed at you. This last week of Family Guy revolved almost entirely around the MTV fake reality show "The Hills". Have either of you ever watched a full episode of The Hills? It's a terrible show, but it is a part of popular culture. It's not something to be ashamed of, being disconnected from pop culture. But you should be able to understand that it is the reason you don't find the Family Guy humorous.

Well, Basketball and Hockey players just wouldn't benefit from steroid use the same way as in Football and Baseball. It's not to say that there aren't some players out there who are likely on stuff, but I doubt t is widespread. I mean, geez, every superstar baseball player in the last ten years seems to be on something.

You found tak's blog ?!?

Well, if it happens again, make sure to take a snapshot or something. You know, for evidence. Detroit ripped the Ducks tonight.

Well, I just think you have to look at the stats. Thornton has a few 100 point seasons and he's usually in the 90 range, but he hasn't utu enough numbers in the playoffs, and so I'd definitely put him a level below Malkin, Ovechkin, and Crosby.

Who luvs ya baby!

Cybering is kinda like peeing in the shower, it's ok to do it but you shouldn't tell anyone about it. And are you sure she was 21? I just don't want to see you on "To Catch a Predator"

Turns out they were "bedroom enhancing drugs" not the typical steroids. I'm really done caring about this stuff. I also think the term steroid is terribly abused. There are a ton of different substances out there, and the line between legal and illegal is terribly skewed. Sure, when a guy like Maguire goes from a skinny little guy to a huge tree trunk shaped guy, it's pretty clear he's juicing. But some of these guys are trying to rehab injuries, and it looks like Manny may have just been trying to get it up. Hopefully this gives the Giants a chance at the division though!

I just looked at Malkin's stats. He had 20 points in 22 games last season in the playoffs, and has 12 so far this year. He also has over 100 points in the last two seasons. That's fairly monstrous. He was statistically the best player in the NHL this season. I'm still willing to say he needs more years to prove he's a superstar, but I'm not quite sure what Volourn has against him.

Would Jagr in his prime be at the same level as Ovechkin and Crosby? I'm not sure, I know Lemieux and Gretzky are on that level. Interesting debate. I'd say the verdict is still out on Malkin.

My issue with Vegas is that it models itself after the most famous places in the world (or fiction, I suppose.) Paris, Venice, Arabian nights, Camelot... All it really does is make me want to explore those places. I'm also not a fan of gambling, which is a pretty big buzz killer there. Oh, and I'm a cheapskate. The food is pretty awesome though!

Pupils are the way to go for levelling. I noticed a level 15 guy with like 10 wins and 80 pupils.

I'll be in the Mesa Verde area from July 6th-10th tentatively. I'm not sure what Highway that is around. Basically I printed out the Trail of the Ancients Byway, which goes through a bunch of American Indian places of interest, and we are going to use it to explore. It should be awesome. I think I'm going to choose one place to park the RV and rent a car for a few days, since most of the neat areas seem to be relatively close together. I'm still ironing out the details. How close are you to that area? We could do an Obsidian BBQ! Ariste, I avoid Vegas at all costs

I'm playing through Arcanum now. The storytelling is refreshing, and the variety of quests and ways to solve them is very nice. But the companions are pretty lifeless and their back stories don't compare to BG2. But no Fallout game has been remarkable when it came to companions. Still, the complex quest lines set it apart from most games.

I've routed my 18-day summer RV trip. We are going to start in California, and then move through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, then back home. We are stopping in Flagstaff, Mesa Verde, Salt Lake City, and Virginia City.