Latest Blog Entry
November 16, 2006
What's up happy campers? Its time for your daily "Este" Mike Batey fix. That means This Mike Batey in Spanish...
First of all ... today is national smoke-out day ... which means other than New Year's Day ... today is the day that most people quit smoking. Because of this ... I've desided to take up smoking today. I bought a pack of Cool lights and am going to make a REAL EFFORT to start smoking. It's going to be a tough road...but with the help of friends and family...I think I can do it. Not only will I do something I've never been able to do ... but i'll also look incredably bad-ass doing it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15366145@N00/sets/72157594378632684/
Ok ... on to Este News.
Rob and I have desided not to camp out for a PS3 to sell on Ebay today. There are several reasons why ... but i'll only give you the top 3.
3 ............ 60% of the PS3s that the chain stores will be getting is the "retard pack" that goes for $499 instead of $599. This means that there is even a less chance of cashing in. The $599 PS2 will sell much higher then the other one on E-Bay.
2 ............ I only have 2 more days off work this year and I'm saving them to call in on the 21st and 22nd of December.
1 ............ People are already in line which means that the 6 that each store is going to get are spoken for.
So yeah ... I'm sorry Rob ... but I was never too confident that this would work.
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Next order of buisness ... The new South Park ... very very lackluster until the last 5 minutes which may have been in the top 5 television moments of all time. The whole episode was a parady of "The Mighty Ducks." and the end involves the Red Wings...classic. Watch it.
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I really hope to get my short story finished soon here. It's called "The Silo" and I really am happy with the way it's turning out ... but I need to sit down this weekend and transfer about 12 handwritten pages to type and then finish it. I'm giving myself a 2 week deadline ... so stay tuned.
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Gears of War is amazing. If you haven't seen it yet ... you will drop some rabbit pellets when you do. And it turns out that it's actully just about as fun to play as the orginal Halo. So I'm going to go out on a limb and give it a solid 9.25 out of 10.
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I'm already missing "Lost," which has been amazing this season. It's going to suck having to wait until February for new episodes ... but when it returns they will run 16 straight until the finale. (Which is cool)
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I will wrap this up with a little talk about the biggest college football game of the year. #1 Ohio State vs. # Michigan at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
Most of the experts out there are not giving Michigan much of a chance. I'd say that 3 of 4 are picking OSU to take this one. However ... I think that it will be a close game.
Most of you know that I am a Michigan State fan ... and I don't really care for Michigan. Since I've been provided with a choice in my colleges to root for ... I usually will take the Underdog. In this game ... I'm going to root for Ohio State (mostly just to fuck with Eric and Rob) ... but seriously ... I'm predicting a Michigan victory.
There has been a lot of talk about Ohio State's offense and for good reason ... but I think that Michigan's defense is better than Ohio State's offense. Michigan has limited opposition to just about 350 yards on the ground all year. (About 35 a game) And thats just plain sick. Antonio Pittman isn't going to see any daylight and then the UM D will be able to key in on Troy Smith. As a matter of fact ... this will be the game that cause people to doubt him for Heisman...
On the Flip side ... Michigan's offense should be able to move the ball on OSU. Hart should have a good day and I think Henne may hook up with Manningham for a couple of bombs.
Final score ... 17 - 10 Michigan
With that said ... If Michigan wins ... Ohio State will drop out of the National Championship hunt because they lost at home. Michigan will likely play USC if they beat Notre dame or Florida if they don't.
If OSU wins ... I would be very disapointed if Michigan doesn't stay at #2 ... expecilly if its a close game. There is no reason that one-loss teams like USC, Florida, Arkansas, or Notre Dame should leap-frog Michigan in that scenerio ... it just doesn't make sense. The only team that could make a case is Rutgers ... and lets face it ... that ain't happening.
Either way ... I think Michigan has a Good shot at being in the national title game. If they don't ... and even if they do ... the BCS system will come under more fire after this season then ever before and a playoff will be looked at more seriously than it ever has.
You heard it here first.
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That about wraps it up here ... until next time ... please close the god damn door.
Here it Goes Again - OK Go (Music Video)
October, 2006
Apperently ... I was one of the last people in the world to see this video. Its a Four dollar music video by a band called the OK Go that made them famous. I heard them on the Preston and Steve show this morning and they were actually very good. Here is the music video that you've probably already seen.
Here It Goes Again - OK Go
Comments...
Here Comes the Snow Again...
October, 2006
Hey Este Fans ... I love you all!
Today’s drive home from work was absolutely miserable. I really hate snow and can not believe that this crap has already started up again. It’s very close to the two year anniversary of my infamous spin-out on I-475 ... and I still have nightmares about it. Not really ... but driving in bad weather freaks me out now a lot more than it used to before that day. Anyway ... I have a few things I want to share with you. Let’s get right to it...
1...........I have a website. A Real website. Hopefully this one will fare better then the one I created a couple of years ago. I’m going to make it my base of operations so all of you readers ... all 2 of you ... that is where you should start off from now on. It will be your portal to pictures ... videos ... the blog ... or basically any funny shit I come across. I have plans to have sections for “The Fellas” to communicate with one another since we are spread out all over the place. And I hope that you all can make funny contributions to keep us all laughing. Stay tuned.
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2...........I have bought yet another video game. This time of the year is great and I can justify buying all this stuff because I don’t really have to buy presents for anyone other than my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. The game is ... Smackdown vs Raw 2006 (Xbox 360).
What to say...I am a tool of the wrestling game. I love to create myself as a wrestler and then tear some shit up. Derek...I know you feel me there. The game is decent so far ... but the graphics aren’t that up to par compared to other games coming out for the 360 these days. There are a ton of options and the Smackdown game play has always been good. The one thing that I am bummed about is that you can’t rip your own music to the game...which is bull because you could do that in the WWE games for the original x-box.
Verdict ... 7.75 of 10
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3...........My apartment is trashed. Why you ask? Well...it is because I’m packing shit up to get ready to move into Rob’s house. That’s right...I’m rooming with Rob starting hopefully in early December. I’ve been boxing up the stuff I won’t be using and pulling stuff down from the attic. I’m still trying to decide if I want to hire movers to transport the big stuff...(like my bed, 52" HDTV, couch). I’m terrified that if I rent a truck and try to move the TV myself...I’ll end up putting my elbow through the screen like that guy in Vegas but his through a Picasso.
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4...........Finally...I want to talk about OJ Simpson. If you haven’t heard...he’s coming out with a book called “If I did it...” It’s all about what OJ would have done had he committed the murders. Yeah...you read that correctly. Not only this...but he is also giving an interview with FOX about the subject matter in the book and getting paid about 3.5 million to do it.
First of all...I really hope that all that money goes straight to the Goldman family whom OJ still owes about 33 million to.
Second...how creepy is this? I’m sure that America will be thrilled that this asshole is back in the spotlight after we took 10 years to repress the memories of how he escaped being convicted of the double murder. I almost hope someone shoots him if this interview is what I think it’s going to be. There is no Double Jeopardy...but man...this doesn’t seem right to me.
OJ Simpson...if you had any self respect or dignity...you would be in Florida right now living incognito...enjoying your stolen freedom. Instead...you are going to go on national television and basically admit to the thing you were tried for 10 years ago. Unbelievable. What a douche.
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I hope that all of you out there are watching Heroes because I am thinking about starting a “Heroes Pool” where I’ll ask a series of questions and you’ll have to pick an swer for each one. If the answer you picked actually happens in the show...then you win the amount of points assigned to that question.
For example: I may ask ... Will Hiro end up making out with the diner chick? (5 points)
If you say yes and it happens...you get 5 points. Sound like fun? I think it does...but It might be hard coming up with questions. Suggestions very much welcomed.
That’s about it...now I need to change the channel from Sports Center so it doesn’t replay a 4th time. See ya!
Some important updates ...
Ok guys...I'm just getting used to this...but I think that I've got a couple of really cool things started. First off...I have a message board for the website up and running now. Go there and get a username so we can start messageing one another back and forth since we're never all in one place much anymore. You can click the link below or it will be a permanate option as a button on the left hand side.
Message Board
2nd...I've uploaded a buttload of my pictures to the internet. Mostly all old stuff...but it is pretty good as well. IF you guys want me to put up pictures or want me to link to some pictures...just E-Mail me ([email protected]) or post it on the message board.
As a matter of fact...any suggestions for the site would be appreciated. Lets fill this thing up with funny shit until I have to purchase bandwidth! (Like that will happen)
Ok...take a look around and see if you like it.
Espanol ... That's Spanish for Spanish
October, 2006
This is a music video from my favorite morning show ... The Preston and Steve show. Watch it and tell me if you think it's funny as well ... and maybe you'll understand a little of why I like the show so much. I'll throw the clip of Chubby Back up here as well.
Espanol ... That's Spanish for Spanish
Comments...
Chubby Back
Comments...
Bob Saget Strikes Again
November, 2006
I stumbled across this video today in my daily forageing. It is a camcorder video of Bob Saget doing standup. In this clip ... he has a guitar and is singing a parody of "I want it that way by the backstreet boys called "Danny Tanner Was Not Gay." Great stuff.
Danny Tanner was Not Gay.
Comments...
On The Eve Of Wii
November, 2006
I'm about to begin a quest ... a quest not unlike the Crusades to Jerusalem to find the holy grail. Only I am hunting for the Nintendo Wii.
It is 4:20 on Sunday morning and I've returned from an early scout of all the major chain stores in the area ....
Best Buy (30-40 people in line / 60 (Wii)s) Too popular ... I checked the line out at 2:45 ... and there were already that many people in line. It goes to show you that people aren't doing their homework.
Circuit City (10 people / 50 (Wii)s) Possibility here ... I'm going to check this line first when I leave at 5. If there are 30 or less people...I'm hopping in because Circuit City takes care of their customers with coffee and tickets that guarantee you a product.
Target (25 - 30 people / 39 Wiis) No...too dangerous...Travis Sanders is in that line...
K-Mart (0 people / ? wiis) Very tempting...but I have no idea how many they are going to have and they fact that there are no people in line scares me a bit. I'll go here if the line at Cricuit city is too long.
Walmart (? / ?) Doesn't matter because the Flint Walmart is not getting my money...it sucks.
Well...that is the post for now...I will follow this up with what happened. I'm going to pack a cooler with a couple of sandwiches...get a blanket...bring my ipod...and try and get myself a Wii. I know I am crazy...I'd probably be able to get one next shipment no problem because the buzz will have died...but I want one to play with tomorrow damnit!
Later fags...
BTW...how in the hell do you pluralize Wii? I guess Nintendo didn’t think about that...did they?
Comments...
Update on Wii Eve
November, 2006
Man was I wrong...it's now 6:15 and I've been pwned.
All the Wiis at the big stores were spoken for and K-Mart is holding a drawing...how gay is that? I'm still going to try and get one at K-mart...and if that doesn't work...I'll go to Toys R Us...where I heard a rumor that they had 150 of them. However...they were offering preorders...so they may all be spoken for as well.
I'm putting my chances of a 1st day Wii at 15% right now. I'll keep you posted.
As long as I have one for drunken fun while everyone is in town over Chirstmas holiday I'll be happy because I still have FFXII, Gears of War, and Smackdown 2007 to play. I really don't need something else.
Comments...
Conclusion of the Wii Hunt ...
Guess what? I won. I got a Nintendo Wii.
When I last left you all ... I predicted a 15% chance that I would end up with a day one Wii system ... and I beat the odds and came home with the prize ... let me take you through the morning ...
1:50 am - Derek text messages me ... waking me up from my nap ... telling me he failed to get a Wii in Grand Rapids. He works at Meijer and wanted to get one with his employee discount but could not. I took this opportunity to throw some clothes on...get in my car and I went to scout the lines.
3:05 - I return with food from Starlight (a gyro) and feeling pretty good about my chances. The lines at Circuit City and K-Mart are very short ... and I make up my mind to chill until 5 and then hop into the Circuit City line.
5:00 - Threw a couple of blankets in the car ... packed a cooler with water and beer ... and went up to 7-11 for ice ... (had a hilarious conversation with the clerk about the Wii and Viva Pinata and how most guys would feel very homo playing that)
5:20 - Arrived at Circuit City only to discover that the reason the line was so shot is because there were only 19 Wiis at the store ... not the 50 that was told to me over the phone. Oh well...
5:35 - Arrived at K-Mart and discovered a sign on the door saying that a raffle for the nintendo Wii would be held at 8:10 in order to buy a Wii. At this point I got fed up and went back home.
7:35 - Decided to go back up to K-Mart and give the raffle a shot. When I got back up there, 4 people were in line ahead of me. By the time 8:00 hit and the doors were open...there were 11 people waiting.
8:10 - The store employee holding the raffle let us know that there were 6 Wiis and 14 people in the raffle. I made friends with a group of 4 people that came together and entered the raffle ... but only wanted 1 Wii. One of the members of their group was the first one called...so they gave me their remaining 3 tickets. (At this point I’m stoaked.) The funny thing is that my original number was called 4th...so I gave the 3 tickets to someone else.
When I went up to buy the system...I asked for an extra Wii-mote ... A Nunchuk attachment ... and Zelda. I got shot down on all three. As it turns out...they only had a handful of games and no accessories. I was shocked. As I walked out...a couple of guys that worked there were following me so I looked back and asked “What...do I get security guards?” They replied... “Yeah.”
Sweet.
8:30 - Brought the Wii home and then headed back out looking for the accessories I needed.
9:00 - Got turned away at Best Buy because they were giving priority to people waiting in line. Only fair.
9:10 - Went to Target across the street and found a Wii-mote...bought it.
9:30 - Wound up at Toys R’ Us and found both the Nunchuk and Zelda...had a hilarious conversation with a mom about the Wii.
10:15 - Finally returned home with everything I wanted. I unpacked the system and got ready to enjoy.
That is my drama ... I’m an example of a guy who didn’t stand in a line for a Wii and got one anyway ... even though I was running since 2 this morning. On a side note ... The Nintendo Wii launched with at least 1 million units...and it is going to sell out in one day. That automatically kicks the PS3's ass in success since they sold out 300,000 and are losing money on each one. The Wii is making at least 100 bucks per system sold. Think about that for a second.
My first impression of the system is that it is unique and quite fun. The controller is really easy to use...and it feels great in my hand. The sensor bar attached to the top of my monster TV well and the system is really slick looking as well (and tiny!)
I popped in Wii Sports ... and I had a blast. The tennis, Bowling, and Baseball is great. And the golf is ok . I had fun by myself and I’m sure that the game will be a Blast with other people.
Zelda looks like its going to be an epic game...the graphics are a little dated...but they are also better than I thought they would be. The controller works well...but I still have to get used to it a little more...especially while riding the horse (which I named Henley...after the Don.)
In closing...I’m sorry you didn’t get one Derek...but I have more bad news for you...guess who else managed to get one? Mr. Eric Choate. Yeah I know...it’s a travesty that he got one and you didn’t.
Well...until next time Este Fans...thank you for hanging in there with me throughout this day. Here are some pictures of the reward of this morning. I’m out!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99464600@N00/sets/72157594382975188/
Michael Richards ... say goodbye to your career ...
Oh my god ... when I saw this I couldn't believe it. It's Michael Richards ... better known as Kramer from Seinfeld ... unleashing a mouthful of racial slurs on stage in Los Angeles a couple of days ago. This was unreal ... I think it's more of a case of a person blowing their top ... but he picked a bad place to blow it. This might have even been hilarious in Georgia. In all fairness ... you don't know what those people were saying to him before the person whipped out her camera ... and he may have just been replying in the same matter. Either way...while I believe that people should be able to say whatever the hell they want...I would be a little more discrete than to scream out Nigger to a an idiot that is heckling me.
As a side note...why is it ok for a black guy to call a white guy a "Cracker-Ass Motherfucker" ... but it's not ok for a white guy to call a black guy a Nigger? Just curious. They're both stupid ... but 9 times out of 10 ... the white guy will get the short end of the stick.
Michael Richards Video
Faceplants ... bowling ... and fake swimming ...
Hey guys...I have some really funny stuff that I found for you all today ... so enjoy. Nuff said.
Don't Do These Things When Not In A Pool - Hilarious video of guys doing things that would only be normal while in a pool. Kind of slow at the beginning ... But it definately picks up.
Flour in a Blow Dryer - Great prank and a classic reaction...
Bowling Shot Disappears - This guy may have put just a tad too much muscle in his shot. This is like Chad's form x5.
Faceplant off jungle gym - If you don't laugh at this ... you don't have a soul.
Bad Dreams and Good Websites ...
Ever have a bad dream ruin your day?
Ok...I'll set the stage here...Its about 7am and I had fallen asleep on the couch watching the football game. I get up because I have to take a leak. I slowly walk to the bathroom where the light doesn't want to turn on.
At this point I look toward the shower curtain (which is closed) and notice that there is a slit in it. So I walk toward it to investigate and a hand pops out of the slit and grabs my arm while another hand holding a knife makes a 2nd slit in the curtain and comes toward me. Ahhhhhh!
I wake up...
I have to take a leak...
Its 7 am.
I freaked out. I started having crazy ideas that I somehow developed the ability of divination while I was sleeping and now I was about to die. That dream was way too real.
So...being of rational mind and body...I grab one of my swords and head to the bathroom. (Yes...you read that correctly.) Had I had a gun...I would have grabbed that.
Luckily the light worked fine and the curtain was open. However...I was then wide awake with no thoughts of trying to go back to sleep. And I've been that way until now. I'm probably just going to stay up all day and do my best to not crash while I'm at work...a couple of Red Bulls will become my best friend.
Anyway...just a couple of news junkets to give you all...
-Zelda for the Wii is amazing. It controls so well...its like having a mouse and controller at the same time. You play the game and move with the analog stick in your left hand and move a cursor on the screen with the "Wiimote" It's truly wonderful.
-Rob wants me to make him a website to organize all of his photos, blog, ect. like I've done with mine ... so I worked on that a bit. I'll probably find come extremely clever way to tie the two sites together like a main page entitled "Nightmare on Starkweather Rd." since we will be roommates in about 3 weeks. Gay...
-I'm going to call into work on the 28th and 29th of December (can't just take the days off because I'm sure they're already booked.) That way I'll have 5 days to chill with my homies while they are actually here ... Party weekend at the house for shiz!
That is it my friends...just make sure that you watch Heroes tonight and vote in the Fantasy Question #1.
http://themikebateyboards.jconserv.net/viewtopic.php?t=5
Until next time...be gentle ...
Slow News Day ...
Oh you didn’t know? Your ass better call somebody!
Hey guys...I don’t have a lot today ... mostly just want to make you guys aware of a couple of things going on.
- I uploaded a couple of old videos from Rob’s Birthday/Halloween party from a year ago that includes me in my Hulk Hogan costume. Funny stuff...check it out.
- I have officially started the H.P.L. ... which stands for the “Heroes Prediction League.” Every week I will provide questions to answer about Heroes and will assign points to every answer. If you get an answer correct ... then you get those points. Sound like fun? It will be if yal participate.
Also ... I have decided to leave Heroes discussion out of my blog every week and instead am going to put it on the message board.
- REVIEW ... I give Wii Sports a Whopping 6 out of 10. Its fun...but you get tired of it after about 10 minutes. Hopefully the multi-player will give it a little bit of life.
- A little video game news I discovered yesterday was that Microsoft is talking to Capcom (makers of about 6 games in my top 10) about purchasing the studio. This would mean that Capcom would become a Microsoft 1st party company like Rare and Bungie. I personally won’t buy this until I see it ... but it would be a smart move to get one of Japan’s most beloved developers in order to sell 360s over there. (credit to EGM Live) Good luck...
- OJ Simpson’s interview and book have been cancelled...thank god...
- As for the moving update ... I have taken the 29th and 30th off work and plan to move 90% of my shit over to Rob’s during that period ... leaving only the big shit here until I rent a truck or decide to have people move it for me.
- I have a couple of ideas for things to do with the website ... which include a section called “Ask Dr. Mike,” where I give answers and advice to any question asked me ... and I’m still kicking around the idea of a comedy podcast. Who knows?
I think that is it today...it is a Slow Este news day. But until next time ... Viva La Raza!
Drunk and Singing ...
November 25, 2006
I know it’s been a long time...but I also know that you can’t live without me so here is your next installment of the “Este Fix.”
First of all ... I do have some new pictures for yal ... get them here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/99464600@N00/sets/72157594390747300/
I hope everyone had a very happy Turkey day. I went over to my sister’s house and had a very good meal. Nothing can beat real turkey, box stuffing, box mashed potatoes, canned gravy, and real rolls. I ate three plates of food and basically couldn’t move for the next hour. After that I played video games with the family ... a little Viva Pinata (more fun than it should be), Wii sports, Rayman, and Guitar Hero 2. Overall a fun day.
After that ... I went over to Eric’s Aunts house to play (or watch 8 other people play) a game called pounce. I had no idea what was going on or why they were having as much fun as they were ... But it’s great to see “Choates”in Jubilation.
Black Friday was a failure. Everything was way too crowded. Fuck that.
Later on yesterday I went to Radioshack and got something I’ve been wanting for about 3 weeks now. A mini Remote controlled helicopter. It wasn’t quite as cool as it sounded ... but man ... it is a blast to mess around with.
I also invented a new game ... called real-life splinter cell. It involves having a washable marker on you at all times ... and sneaking up on your friends and slitting their throat with the marker. It is terrific. http://www.flickr.com/photos/99464600@N00/305522136/in/set-72157594390747300/
Last night was fun ... but I’m not sure that Dustin, Jessica, and Eric remember much of it. Once again I’m glad that I’m a little chunky and can hold my liquor like a champ. And it was finally been confirmed ... Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution is so much more fun when you are drunk. Sarah and Roxanne were rocking ... and Rob was being Rob.
Ok...you are caught up. On to the opinions.
The Detroit Lions are awful...just awful. The way they got dominated by the Dolphins ... a team that sucked for the 1st half of the year and is being led by Joey Harrington ... it’s unacceptable. I have a plan though. A 5 step plan to make the Lions into the team that we need them to be.
1 - Gut the entire team ... fire Matt Millen (NOW!). Get rid of anyone who has been on the team for more than 1 year ... because they have a losing personality ... and have no idea what it takes to win.
2 - Sell the team ... get the Fords away from running the team ... because they have no idea what they are doing. For god’s sake ... They won’t even hire real cheerleaders. I mean ... high school cheerleaders sound hot ... but at least let them dress like sluts ... you know they want to.
3 - Hire a General Manager who knows what it takes to make a championship team. Spend lots of money to steal him away from another team because the is the “MOST IMPORTANT PART” of getting winners on the Lions.
4 - Rename the team. This may not seem like a big deal ... but it is. The word “Lions” is associated with loser in the NFL ... and I want it out. I propose calling the team the Detroit Jungle Cats.
5 - Get experienced linemen from teams that are well coached so you know that they can follow a blocking scheme and won’t take stupid penalties. Get hard-working wide receivers. Draft a good downhill Running back. Get defensive backs who have lots of speed and can cover better than they can hit. And Finally ... we can keep Kitna since he’s only been here one year to hold the reigns for our newly drafted quarterback Brady Quinn.
Ok...I was going to go into video game stuff ... but I’ll save that for tomorrow. Until then ... Remember to have your pets spayed and neutered.
Packing and researching ...
November 27, 2006
Hey guys...there isn't a whole lot going on right now so I won't bore you with a long entry ... that and the fact I have work I need to get done.
-1st...took Eric and Shawn to the airport last night...rocked out on the way home.
-2nd ... Hung out with Rob and Rox and watched Desperate Housewives ... not bad. That is a show i could probably get into...but alas...they desided to air it at the same time as Family Guy.
3rd ... Went home and watched Tivo'd Family guy...laughed.
Now...I'm doing some research to see how much it would cost to get someone to move my television and Couch. It looks like it will cost at least 110 bucks to get it moved ... or 35 bucks to do it myself. So I have to decide if the insurance is worth the extra 75 bucks. Right now I'm leaning toward no.
So that's it...I've got to get back to packing now! Later bitches...
The 7th Generation Blues ...
November 29, 2006
O - E - O -E - O ... my jungle love...
Hello friends ... it’s that time again. It’s blogging time ... I hope you are excited. I know I am.
- I’ve got much of my stuff over Robs at this point and it will only take a couple of more trips before the only thing I’ll have left to move is the tv, couch, and bed. I’m going to throw away a hell of a lot of stuff ... and come Sunday ... I should be a permanent resident of Rob’s place.
Unless...
-Rob got an offer on his house today (what timing huh?) This is not a bad thing by any means as we will all be extremely happy if Rob can get out of there. He seems to want to stay in the Flint area ... so we will probably just get another apartment in this complex...but one of the nice ones. However...this has happened a couple fo times before ... so the best way to counter-jinx it is to pretend nothing is happening.
- Derek finally got his Wii ... and he deserves it.
-Website news ... I’ve decided to do a little house cleaning. I’m very happy with the message board, pictures, blog, and fellas corner ... and not so happy with the other sections. So I think I’m going to lose the football, Heroes, and short stories sections. I also think I’m going to rename the links section the archive. Nothing really devastating or cool ... just general maintenance to make the website look as nice as possible.
On to the opinions...
- Nerd stuff.
This is the 7th generation of video games ... and it is the generation that is going to divide the gamers of America and Europe forever. (Japan doesn’t count because like Luke Smith of 1up said...they buy poetry simulators.) 1st I’m going to give you a little history...and then I’ll tell you why the 7th Gen is going to divide the fanboys...and who is going to come out the big winner.
1st Generation - Pong (everyone who wanted it had it...no real competition)
2nd Generation
Atari
colecovision (6 million)
intellivision
Winner - Tie
(Atari was the system that I had and man...I wish that I still had it. I think that Atari and Colecovision sold about the same. I really don’t know much about Intellivision.)
3rd Generation
NES (60 million sold)
Sega master system (13 million sold)
Winner - NES
(This is the generation that I jumped in completely. I know that the NES was a clear winner ... due mostly to the fact that I never heard about the Sega master system until I was about 18. This generation was the beginning of the mass-popularity of video games.)
4th Generation
SNES (49 million sold)
Sega Genesis (35 million sold)
NEO GEO (1 million sold (NO WAY))
Turbografix (5 million sold (WHAT!?))
Winner - SNES
(Oh the 4th Gen, probably my 2nd favorite gen. This is the generation that begun the “Lets buy both systems” movement. I originally received the SNES and loved it ... but there were some games I wanted to play on it that I couldn’t ... so I ended up with a Sega as well. Both systems were around $200...and game with 2 controllers and a game. NEO Geo was too expensive and I have never seen a turbografix in real life.)
5th Generation
N64 (32.93 million sold)
Sony Playstation (102 million shipped)
Sega Saturn (10 million sold)
Atari Jaguar (250,000 sold)
Winner - Sony Playstation
(The world’s love affair with the Playstation began...and it hasn’t stopped...yet. I owned an N64, playstation, and almost bought a Saturn...but decided not to. Remember...the systems are still different enough and cheap enough to have more than one. And while the N64 didn’t stand a chance...I still had one and liked it...for a little while at least. The playstation may be one of the best systems ever created.)
6th Generation
Sony PS2 (111.25 million shipped)
Microsoft X-Box (24 million sold)
Nintendo Gamecube (21.20 million sold)
Sega Dreamcast (10.6 million sold)
Winner - PS2
(Now while I debate whether or not the Dreamcast is technically 6th, it was a nice system that I wish I had. Other than that, I owned the other 3. I got a PS2 because it was amazing at the time, I got a Gamecube for 1st party Nintendo games and Resident Evil, and an X-box because of my brother. The PS2 was my favorite system...but followed closely by X-box because of it’s “specialness” and Halo. This generation blurred the lines a little. The PS2 and Xbox were very similar but the PS2 won because it had better games and was less intimidating to Japan.)
7th Generation
Sony PS3 ----------- $600
Xbox 360 ----------- $400
Nintendo Wii ------ $250
This generation will be the closest ever ... and it is because the 360 and PS3 are very similar. I currently own both the 360 and the Wii ... and as of right now...I’m taking a stand. Sony is dropping the ball so much that I do not think that I am ever going to own a PS3. Here are the reasons why.
-The 7th Generation counsels are too expensive. With the cheapest being $400 ... and $600 being the top end ... I just can’t justify buying both.
-Sony shipped an incomplete system. There are so many parts of it that are broken ... (the menu system sucks, there is no great online system, and they didn’t ship with component cables.)
-System exclusives are much more even this time...both systems are getting very good exclusives. However...there is a good chance that most games will end up on the other one eventually (Metal Gear, Dead Rising, etc.)
-Games on the Xbox look better then on the PS3 right now...and the Xbox’s potential hasn’t been tapped yet either.
-Here is the killer for Me ... The PS3 doesn’t have an upscaler. That means that on my ass old HDTV that doesn’t have 720p ... the PS3 wouldn’t upscale a 720p signal to 1080i like my X-box does. That means that a high-end Playstation would default to 480p (which I don’t have either). That means I will never have a PS3.
In case you haven’t noticed ... I didn’t mention the Wii in my argument. That is because the Wii is going to win. This is going to be a huge Christmas for the Wii and 360 ... while the PS3 gets left behind. IN the coming years ... the 360 is going to experience a boost when games like Grand Theft Auto and Halo 3 come out, while the Wii is just going to get more and more fun to play. What does the PS3 have? Nice technical specs. Microsoft and Nintendo are software developers before hardware...and that means they know what gamers want. Sony is hardware...and they are very cold. They believe that people are going to flock to the PS3 for its name. People will...but not nearly as many as Sony thinks.
My Prediction
1. Nintendo Wii (65 million)
2. 360 (40 million)
3. PS3 (35 million)
Well...I’m out on a limb on this one...but we’ll see what happens. Until next time...
Some Funny stuff you may not have seen ...
November 30, 2006
I just have a few funny things you may or may not have seen yet that should make you laugh. Here you go in no particular order.
Wilford Brimley In "The Beetis" - Funniest thing you will see this year ... I promise. You'll love this even more if you've seen an episode of The Price is Right in the last year and had the privledge of seeing this man in action before.
Creepy Talking Animals - Go here for Talking Dogs ... or Here for Talking Cats
Cat Doesn't Make Jump - A cat trys to jump over a baby gate and doesn't quite make it.
Cat swings on Ceiling Fan - You have to see it to believe it.
So what if most of these are animal clips ... they're funny.
Wii baseball pitcher to undergo Tommy John's Surgery ...
November 30, 2006
MBU Post Gazette
Michael Batey
Davison, MI
Rookie Wii baseball pitcher Henry Roenbrunger will have to undergo Tommy John’s surgery after injuring his shoulder in the 8th inning of a tie game againsta friend's team, the East Side Cold Front. Roenbrunger was having a Cy Young type season when he felt the shoulder pop.
“I had just struck out my 13th batter of the game with a wicked split-finger,” Roenbrunger said to reporters after the game. “I tried to sneak the curve ball past the next batter when it (his shoulder) went.”
Roenbrunger and his friends Benjamin Freed, Justin Pletcher, and Tony Rose were only 32 games into a 162 game season and now will have to cancel the remaining games until Roenbrunger goes through rehab. The game in question was his 9th game of the day, which may account for the unusual strain on the pitching arm of Roenbrunger.
“The doctors told me that I’ll be out 8 to 11 months, but I hope to come back stronger than ever for next year,” Roenbrunger said.
Roenbrunger’s team, the Davison Skiing Stripers had a 4 game lead in his division, but with him on Injured Reserve and no replacement found yet, Pletcher’s team, the Down-Home Homies look to be the clear favorite for the rest of the year.
The final score of the game was 2 - 2 but the Skiing Stripers lost due to a forfeit.
The Lost Episode of Seinfeld ...
November 30, 2006
I came across this today and it was very funny. Well put together and I nearly had to remind myself to start breatheing again during the middle.
Lost Episode Of Seinfeld
Here is something else related as well... the KKKramer Rap
And finally...we all know you've wanted to see it ... so get a look whlie you still can. Let me be the first to say ... not as good as advertised...
Britney Spears upskirt...
A Real update! Wow! ...
December 9, 2006
Oh man oh man ... so much to catch up on ... and so little time. Sorry for the lack of updates ... things have been a little hectic. I promise I won’t forget about making my website cool all the time...expect it to be a little slow for awhile though.
Ok ... addendum to what I posted the other day ... I am living at Rob’s house currently. And yes ... the house sold a day after I moved in. Crazy timing huh? The plan as of right now is just to pack up Rob’s stuff, re-pack some of my stuff, and move into our brand spanking new apartment in Grand Blanc. We found a terrific place called Heatherwood on Grand Blanc Rd that is almost as big at Rob’s house. And with the cost being split down the middle ... I’m still saving almost 200 bucks a month and Rob will be saving a whopping 650 bucks.
So the good news is that Rob’s house is no longer hanging over him.
The bad news is that we have to spend the next 3 weeks packing...
At least we don’t have to be out until the first week of January. So that means that we will be setting up the Christmas tree (YES!) and everyone will be welcome to chill over here and party while we still can. The week between Christmas and New Years should be like a total party over here and it will be a blast. We are already 9 days into December...
That means the end of the semester is almost here and thank god. Seriously.
In case you didn’t know ... (I’m not quite sure who I’ve told) ... I’m going to be changing my major ... again. This is because I have absolutely no drive to be a teacher ... and that’s kind of a must when going into the education field. Chalk that up to not knowing what I want to do and going with what the girlfriend thought would be a good idea. I’m probably going back into Communication because I actually enjoyed those classes and think that my particular talents would be best served in that major. So pray to whoever ... because it looks like even more school for me. (I did this to myself...) Boo!
Next ... I haven’t had much time to play the Wii lately with all the hustle and bustle. But I plan on putting a heavy chunk into Zelda this weekend. I will probably post about some cool stuff I found out about the old video games in my podcasts in a day or so as well.
Is there any alcoholic drink better than a Jaggerbomb? Nope...just thought I’d let you know.
On to the Batey Opinions...
Heroes is still the best show on television. The first 11 episodes of the series were amazing and I’m looking forward to watching them in succession over the drought. The show returns on January 22nd, and that is a long way away.
The Episode that aired this week called “Fallout,” was one of the best episodes of any show that I’ve ever seen. Sylar is just about the coolest real world super-villain ever envisioned and the last 3 minutes of the show were out of this world. I have a couple of theories about the show that I will share now.
- Peter is not going to be the one who blows up in New York. If you look at the scene closely ... you will see Peter wearing a strange trench-coat and ominous watch. Now while the others react as if Peter is actually Peter ... I think this is misleading. My theory is that Sylar is the one who is going to explode after taking Teddy (Radiation Boy’s) powers and getting pissed. Peter has had vision dreams in the past where he was another person (Nathan, The dying guy). Also I have one more thought on the scene. Nathan was the only hero who didn’t look scared ... so I think that he is going to sacrifice his own life to fly Sylar out of New York to blow up (just Like Goku teleported Cell to King Kai’s planet to prevent Earth from being destroyed ... Chad will understand)
-The Haitian is taking orders from a higher up. Mr. Bennett’s boss (which I’m sure is Linderman) is giving the Haitian his orders and I think that the Haitian and Mr. Bennett are closer to being partners than they are boss and worker. I think that the Haitian is not erasing Claire’s memory because he needs her remember her power. My theory is that Mr. Bennett and the Haitian are really close and don’t want Linderman to know that Claire was power. And while Mr. Bennett thinks that erasing her memory would be best ... the Haitian knows that she will need her power in the future to help save the world... (something the boss probably cares little about.)
-Eden killed herself ... Sylar did not want to kill her by shooting her in the head. She sacrificed herself in order to prevent Sylar from getting her power. This was in the graphic novel on nbc.com. Also...for those of you in the HPL...I may have given out points for Sylar’s escape a little early as is looks like he was recaptured in the comic.
That’s it from me ... when everyone gets into town I honestly can not wait for an incredibly nerdy Heroes conversation.
Just a Quickie Today ... ...
December 5 , 2006
Hey everyone...only a real quick one today...I haven't had much time to do shit in the last week.
I moved into Rob's House and the next day someone bought it. I guess my timing is a good luck charm. That's awesome because Rob needed to get his ass out of here. We'll be getting an apartment soon and the civil ceremony should be sometime next year.
Thats it. I'll have a real update tomorrow.
Why Christmas and Jesus are no longer related ... ...
December 12, 2006
Time to spread the Este Love and get you up to date with my existence ...
-Things are just about settled down here but as you know ... they are about to get all riled up again as we have to start getting ready to move into our new home. I'm sure the packing will start as soon as we get word on when the official closing date is. So we've got that to look forward to.
-My iPod is slowly dying. Or quickly in relative terms. The gay headphone jack is very loose and will only output on the left side of stereo headphones. And now it won't function while charging. Very gay. I have to find an apple store in the area because I'm not sending it in only to find out will cost 200 bucks to refurbish it. I shouldn't have gotten so addicted to it.
-Last weekend was fun again ... we went out to the bar and Rob came home with something hilarious.
(PICTURES HERE)
We came home afterward and then sang Karaoke for about 2 ½ hours. Roxanne and I whopped on Rob and Sarah the entire time because we kick ass.
-The spending spree has some to a screeching halt for me ... as money that I was expecting to get will not be available this year and I don't have nearly as much in my account as I would like. The good news is that December is a 3 paycheck month and January will not cost nearly as much as the last 2 months did.
Let's move to the opinions.
With the holidays around the corner I'd thought it would be nice to give an agnostic's perspective on Christmas, Hanukkah, and everything else. This time of year brings out the best and the worst in people ... and I thought I'd share my opinions on Christmas and how it is celebrated in a modern America.
First of all ... Christmas isn't even the most important Christian holiday in the Bible ... Easter takes top honors in that respect. But don't tell that to the people in America who consider their selves Christian. Easter is not even a tenth of the spectacle that Christmas is here. To prove my point ... look at Hanukkah... the 3rd most important Jewish holiday. Jewish people concentrate more on Hanukkah then ever to compete with the Juggernaut that Christmas is. I'd come close to saying that 50% to 75% of the people that celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah are either not religious at all or know little to nothing about their faith.
OK now that's out of the way ... I'm going to piss at least one person off with this statement ... Modern Christmas is not about the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas these days barely has anything to do with religion. Today's Christmas is all about spending quality time with family and friends, good cheer, and commercialism. Anyone who doesn't agree with at least most of that is blind or in denial. All you have to do is look around and see the world for what it is. People aren't spending this time going to church more often. They are spending the time in stores looking for good deals because they still have 8 more people to shop for. And there is nothing wrong with that.
In America today ... people go out and spend their hard earned money to make the people in their lives happier. Now while I don't think this is necessary to make a person happy ( I believe that the best part of the season is getting to spend it with the people you love...) But people love getting gifts. And there is nothing that makes a person feel better then getting a gift for a person you love and seeing the joy on their face when you nailed it.
It's a wonderful time of the year. I love getting gifts for people ... and as much as it's going to save me a few bucks ... I'll really miss shopping for a girlfriend. Some of the best times I've had in the past involved the couch on Christmas Eve, a lit fireplace, and little boxes full of pure love. (Sappy I know) I still smile when I see her wearing the things I got her for so long ago. Hopefully soon I'll be able to share those moments with someone else who I love as much as I loved her.
Ok...enough romance and love. Although in a way, that is what Christmas is all about for your favorite Agnostic theist.
To me ... Christmas was never about religion. To me ... Christmas was about love and happiness (which are the closest things to a higher power that we will ever experience.) In every way I can ... I try to spread love and cheer this time of year and not let things get to me. And while I don't believe Jesus was anything more than a man who had some great ideas ... I will continue to celebrate love and good will on his "birthday." This is not because I have any disrespect to Christianity ... but because modern times have shown me that this time of year can be bigger than religion ... and that love can shine through despite all of the conflict in our day ... which is wonderful.
So to all of the people out there who have to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas ... or those who get offended by Christmas decorations ... Hanukkah decorations ... or anything else ... get off your god damn pedestal and celebrate the holidays the best way YOU know how. Don't worry about how those around you are celebrating.
Take these next 3 weeks to celebrate love with your friends, your family, and your god (if you have one), because that is the most important thing you can do right now.
And finally ... get out there and buy some cool gifts for those people because there are only 14 more shopping days left!
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Updated February 27, 2007
