Asian Quake is Most Powerful in 40 Years (NPR audio)

Asian Quake is Most Powerful in 40 Years



Examining the International Effort to Aid Tsunami Victims

January 3, 2005
The world still is aghast after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. We consider how the world is organizing to help, a week after the tragedy.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Half Life 2

Half Life 2

Looking forward to Half Life 2, and the hardware fantasies that go with it. Every article includes mentions of Steam required to play. So I checked it out. Simply looks like a gamespy client for Valve Software games. The client updated game (Half Life Team Fortress Classic and Counter Strike) to the latest build. Several server connection time outs made it appear bit buggy and there was no feedback during progress. And Steam appeared when hitting escape for game options, but not providing any. I hope this is not required for multiplayer, too difficult to use that it discourages it, or a subscription cost behind it.

Half Life 2 Reviews: (a bit biased)

Funny: Half-Life 2 to be arcade release in Japan

True: "The Japanese gaming community doesn’t like first-person shooting games."

Steam

Steam - Counter Strike Source


Checked out Steam. Reminds me of Gamespy. 375 Counter Strike Source servers 

Plane Ticket $350...

Plane Ticket: $350.
Game Ticket: $750.
The Yankees Watching the Sox in the World Series: PRICELESS.

10 of Rods

Position: Challenges/ Opportunities
General Meaning:
This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.

The Ten of this suit represents an all-out effort, an obsessive commitment to a task which demands everything you've got. The person shown in decks with pictures is in no position to rest until he makes it inside the stout walls of the well-defended castle in the distance. If he fails, he will become prey for the highway robbers after dark.

It doesn't matter that he's overloaded and underfed. With this card, you have to do whatever it takes to get to completion -- nothing can be allowed to interfere.

Railbait

www.railbait.com

Map rotation. That is what you expect at the end of a game. Often announcements for new maps, which means another 'download'. Not see a banner "In memory of... Zapped Again" and know the guy. Well, we've never actually really met. But I remember his stance, and the challenge. Amazing what an avatar can do, when bundled with real life. Two years later, not much is left of that bunch, but the portal has lived on. Non-other than Railbait is destined for the leading edge. Gamers are people too... so are their avatars.

These games are always different, but Zapped was very consistent... Always - fragged again, by zapped again.
09-14-2002
Jin
Railbait n00b
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 30

Another Jin

Worst ping. Best game.

Was going through my game directories and found an earlier version saved the final scores of my games. Well, there is one I found that I remember well. The only game I ever won. The first (and last) my team won and I had the highest frags. (my player name is Jin) The map was 2mach and I was an engineer. I made gun placement at the edge of the flag base, and just guarded the gun. Almost a shutout indeed. My team capped over and over again.



My first and last winning game.

Les Seules (The Outsiders)

The Outsiders

I saw a group of news articles last week about Les Seules (The Outsiders):

"In French, their name means The Outsiders. But in the world of competitive "Counterstrike," a first-person shooter PC game, Les Seules have moved to the forefront, thanks to their virtual machine gun and grenade wielding techniques and, well, their good looks."

ABC News


Les Seules

Relevant "Foreign Affairs"

A Global Power Shift in the Making

Global power shifts happen rarely and are even less often peaceful. Washington must take heed: Asia is rising fast, with its growing economic power translating into political and military strength. The West must adapt -- or be left behind.



Is America Losing its Edge?

For 50 years, the United States has maintained its economic edge by being better and faster than any other country at inventing and exploiting new technologies. Today, however, its dominance is starting to slip

The good life

The good life

Inushiki aka Dogggystyle

This is the local village of Kitijioji (an overpopulated town outside of the big cities of Shinjuku and Shibuya within the Megalopolis Tokyo). Music is everything here. None of the sensationalism of Roppongi, the unbridled youth of Shibuya, nor the sheer density of Shinjuku. In fact, not many here are salarymen, and those who are care not to admit. Instead a local music entertainment scene where music is the language spoken. Friends of mine DJ at Mandala, Yellow, and Star Pines Cafe. Dogggystyle is king here, and are the linch pins, friends of ours and we are fans too.

Defender

Trivia

Defender was one of the "Highest Grossing Video Game of All Time" along with Pac-Man.

According to Midway, the geneology of the games is as follows: Defender, Stargate, Robotron:2084, Joust, and Sinistar.

Lost in Translation

I saw the film Lost in Translation in Tokyo's Shibuya where a lot of the scenes were set. No subtitles for the Japanese dialog since the theater was in Japan. Why did it take so long to get released here (4/17/2004)? And why only one theater here? The lines were too long. Typical of Tokyo, theaters here sell more tickets than seats available, then allow everyone else to stand or sit in the aisles. The first show was sold out (standing room only) and I arrived an hour earlier for the next just to get a seat. This underscores the film that many don't get... TOKYO: a megalopolis of 30 million people, and foreigners on the fringe. I appreciate that Sophia Coppola spent a lot of time here, and it is very evident in the film. The best part is after leaving the theater to continue the great experience we're having here. We must admit, we've appreciated this film on many occassions over the past few months challenged with the never ending need to fit in and time spent with people we can communicate easily with.