A year in review

Thank you 2006 ... hellooooo 2007.

This year has been thoroughly hard for me. I could go into all the little details, but a depressive rant on my blog isn't what I want.

What I want is to remember all the great moments and all of the easy-going times that I've had with friends and family alike.

I've taken great pictures, played some great games, met some interesting people and attempted some tough struggles. I've held a family together, wrote some moving poetry, gone on deeper with The LORD and developed a closer bond with some family and friends who I trust deeply.

2007 looms ahead as a large challenge, but one that I plan to take on head to head and win. I don't want to say more (I am cross posting this to all my online assets) for now, save to mention that this year God has been very close to my heart and He's really helped me through some deadly, unforseen challenges which came to pass.

Thanks to all those who've made this year great when it's been great; I hope you're all there to see the best of 2007 with me!

Saddam - Looks like he's dead

I am posting this at 3am GMT ...

http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=1942201

Saddam Hussein will be executed before 6am Saturday Baghdad time (3am GMT), a senior Iraqi government official has said.

The time was agreed upon during a meeting between US and Iraqi officials, said the official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

"The time has been agreed upon. It will be done by six o'clock in the morning," the official said.

"The agreement was reached during a meeting between Iraqi and American officials. Saddam will be handed over shortly before the execution."

Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki's office has signed Saddam's death sentence.
Saddam's lawyers issued a statement on Friday calling on "everybody to do everything to stop this unfair execution."

Maliki said opposing Saddam's execution was an insult to his victims. His office said he made the remarks in a meeting with families of people who died during Saddam's rule.

TF Mushing - a statement

This is an edited version for general reading of an original post made to the Public B Board on TLY Mush today, by me as Kimakaze (my OC char there).

Thanks for posting what most have been thinking, Swivel.

I am a TLY loyalist. I was playing this very char, Kimakaze (my first ever MUSH char anywhere) before the place officially went IC, and have been playing hard right up until it became very quiet. I play in one or two other places and have no where else to replace it with, nor any wish to do so. I play on one other TF mush (TFV II Mush) and one non TF mush (ask me). TFV II is probably the most important place to me right now simply because it is where the Destrons dwell, and they are my passion.

Mushing in general seems to have taken a bit of a dive, mainly due I think to the increase in MMORPGs which are image based, and a lack of new blood interested in TEXT based gaming - this fact is disputed but I prefer not to count sex-play mushes and giant themes which allow everything and anything as 'proper mushing'. There's also the fact that Transfans in general are still of the older, retro variety and for us, life is getting pretty busy and manic these days. We're not at college or uni anymore and most of us have jobs, families etc now. New Transfans are NOT replacing the old in numbers or in interest in mushing, period.

My only thoughts on this are for Transfans still mushing to do 3 things:

1 - Try to keep playing if at all possible. Even if it's just one night a week, regular play is what keeps plots and chars alive. It is better to play for 3 hours a week regularly than a burst of 10 hours one week, then 3 months gap followed by another 10 hour bash.

2 - Advertise and plug the mushes, however pointless it may be. If your adverts don't work, ask yourself why. Maybe adjust the mushes a bit to accomodate non Transfans mushers?

3 - Don't be a TF mush purist, take chars on any surviving TF mushes and try to play them (see suggestion 1). Don't spread yourself too thinly and take loads on a single mush, even if it's your fave. if it comes down to it, TF mushers may have to agree to close down all but 2 or 3 TF mushes and just play on those from now on, because having a fragmented playerbase set between 5 - 7 stubborn directors isn't helping matters.

Also, directors I think need to be more flexible in terms of what they allow players to do on their mushes and face the facts that those left have desired things they'd like to rp. If your mush won't let them, they aren't going to rp on your mush, simple. Obviously if something is stupid, impossible or rated inappropriately for that mush then that's a different story, but I am talking here about being anally retentive over plot details and 'we don't do this on OUR mush, thank you'.

My thoughts.

Silly drinking game

If Kim Kaze were a drink they would be: 3 parts pastoral 2 parts athletic 3 parts attractiveness Get Your RECIPE Here!

Nintendo warning over fairy lights

Nintendo has warned owners of its new console to avoid bright lights shining near televisions while they play.

It follows reports that fairy lights were causing problems with the Wii's remote control sensor.
The technology giant said direct lights could cause interference in "exceptional conditions".

Writing on a users' blog, one owner said: "The last couple of days my Wii has been acting weird in not picking up the Wiimote on the side of the Christmas tree and I could never figure out what was wrong.

"Well tonight, I turned off the Christmas tree and it fixed my problem."

The Wii sold out within 24 hours of hitting UK stores earlier this month.

In a statement, Nintendo said the console wasn't affected by lights under normal conditions.
It added: "In exceptional conditions where the Wii sensor bar is sat near a direct light source there may be some minor interference - this does not mean that there is any fault with your Wii.
"For the best performance of your Wii, avoid bright light sources behind or near the TV, shining towards the Wii remote or reflecting off the TV screen."

The Spa

Last night, the Ignite and youth from church (and some from outside) gave me a total spa treatment gift voucher for having a really hard year but working for them, apparently ;)

I am so totally shocked, stunned, happy and humbled to receive their acknowledgements.

It's made me so happy to just know that anybody noticed anything, though that isn't WHY I do anything. But undeniably, this year HAS been hard, both financially and personally at home.

Thanks guys. You're awesome!

We're expanding again ...

How we love to spread the subjective commentaries round about the place. But that's what journalism is, a system of avereges; the hope that by hitting the majority of nails right on the head, the every day person will find reviews helpful and not unlike their own views of these products.

Ho hum. See? Anyone can talk intellectual-sounding BS when they want to. The truth is, news is news and it sells. People want to know, and if you have a passion to tell people what you think because you either think you can help them or just want to make money, that's what you'll do. Academia dies when we do something random like laugh at nothing or decide to have an extra beer even though we decided we'd only have that one tonight. Life is alive, and words will never be.

I felt like talking today; the news on Entertainmentwise is done as are the reviews for today.

Check out our latest Wii review, Zelda
(www.entertainmentwise.com/review?id=25765).

Today though, Viva Pinata is fresh on the block for Xbox 360! (www.entertainmentwise.com/review?id=25913)

Game Reviews section:www.entertainmentwise.com/review?ct=21
Gaming News section:www.entertainmentwise.com/news?ct=20

The Wii sold out in 60 seconds - almost!

Consoles snapped up in record speed at midnight launch ...

Following months of eager anticipation, the official midnight launch of Wii – Nintendo’s new home console – saw fans and gaming newcomers turn out in force to claim their slice of the future of home entertainment!

Check out my article at: www.entertainmentwise.com/news?id=25760