Alpha Counter

This Friday at the Carolina Theater , there’s a film festival that starts off with a theatrical showing of the original Transformers: The Movie. Hells yeah!

It’s been a fantasy of mine to be able to see that movie again on the big screen. I can barely remember seeing it when it first came out 23 years ago. (Holy crap… 23 years?? Damn, I’m old.) It’s incredible that I have the opportunity to relive that experience.

I plan on taking my kid sister, who is also a big Transformers fan. She didn’t get to see the movie in theaters like I did—probably because it came out two years before she was born. So while I’ll be reliving this memory, she’ll be experiencing it for the first time.

This past Friday, my interview with Omi Gibson was linked in the “Worth Checking Out” section of Ain’t It Cool’s Cool News. It’s a small blurb, but it’s a breakthrough in my book. It really encourages me to keep doing what I’m doing.

I picked up a copy of the latest Writer’s Market, as part of my writing class’s instruction. That and the feedback I’ve been receiving opens up a lot of doors for me. Granted, I doubt I’ll be interested in walking through most of the ones listed, but should I need to ever knock down the road… This is exciting!

My other blog is named “The Grey Ghost”. It used to be my own online name (and I guess it kinda still is), adapted from The Gray Ghost, a character from Batman: The Animated Series. I took it because 1) I’m a big fan of that cartoon, and 2) I used to feel very alone in a crowd. Like I existed, but no one could see me, kinda like a ghost.

Luckily for me, life got better and that no longer applies. However, I’m pretty stuck on the name. So I think I’m going to re-brand it with a more old school video game feel. It’s no longer referring to myself; it’s the name of the site. It’s like there was a Pac-Man ghost with an unpopular color, but had something to contribute. My site is like that contribution.

The trouble with both writing and playing video games for the majority of one’s day is that it doesn’t offer much opportunity for exercise. I like to use my DS or PSP whenever I do get to work out, but the chilling winter weather has shied me away from going for my usual walks or visits to the gym.

I wish there were more that I could do at home, other than the usual sit-ups or jumping jacks. Wii Fit would be great, except I don’t own a Wii nor a sufficient TV to play it on. There’s always DDR, but I’m pitifully uncoordinated.

Now that we’ve survived this most recent snowfall, I’ll brave the elements.

You may have heard on the news, but North Carolina got his with a pretty harsh snowfall the other night. Most businesses shut down and many people (including myself) stayed home to avoid the dangerous road conditions.

This gave me the perfect opportunity to catch up on my writing projects. I didn’t get much done in the case of my own site , but I did get a lot done for GotGame.com . I’m starting up a new weekly column (which I hope will launch very soon) that covers console gaming and otaku fandom. I managed to get a major head start on my first three articles.

And of course, I dove deeper into Symphony of the Night. I never thought I’d get this hooked into that game!

We’re just a week away from Obama’s inauguration. Everyone’s worried about whatever changes he’s going to make—taxes, gun control, the war… All that. But one thing most people are in agreement over is that they’re glad Bush in on the way out.

I have my own opinions about President Bush (both good and bad), but there is one thing that I will always give his due propers: The Do-Not-Call list. Most people have forgotten it, but I’ve praised every day that my phone doesn’t ring.

That said, here is the mini-project I’d like to assign Obama for his term(s) in office: Clean up the damned postal service! Just as Bush rescued us from phone spam, I want Obama to save us from mail spam. Better still, employ people who give a shit. Hire some delivery drivers that will deliver our packages in tact. Hell, just hire people who will deliver the packages at all! Then clean up all the bureaucracy and install a management system that will treat the service like an actual business.

Wars end. Economies rebuild. Get that mail shit fixed.

I’m happy to say that I’m one of the first to pick up the book, Arcade Mania. It’s been one of my favorite Christmas gifts so far. I miss the arcade scene so much; the late 1990s where some of the best years to be a gamer. It warms my heart to know that somewhere in the world, the arcade scene is not only surviving, but thriving! Even if it’s on the opposite side of the planet.

I was also happy to learn today that the book has been granted a second printing. I’m not sure how many copies were printed in the first run, but it certainly bears significance to have sold out already. It goes to show that not only is there still an interest in books about video game culture, but specifically in the arcade game market.