Written on 10:35 AM by DRV
"Too legit. Too legit to quit."
This is a new feature on my blog that I'll be doing every week for MCOM 100W, but this is something that sounds really fun and quite productive. Basically, I can take a quote, a poem, a clip, anything set of words that makes a statement, and just say what I feel about it.
I really couldn't think of anything, but this quote came to mind. It's from former rapper, M.C. Hammer and his hit song entitled "Too Legit."
Being legit has been a big part of me this year. It's probably mostly because of my position in Akbayan. I'm the Internship Coordinator and my interns have decided to call themselves the Leadership Empowered Group in Training which in short is... L.E.G.I.T.
But the song has a lot of meaning. In this world, there's a lot of "fake" people who try to bite off more than they can chew. But in actuality, people should really get involved with things that they have a passion for. If the passion is there, odds are high that you won't quit--that's what makes people legit.
Merrian-Webster defines "legit" or "legitimate" as "having full rights by birth."
We all legitimately have the right to be here, but it takes true passion to belong and be accepted.
With that, my "Word of the Week" is "legit."
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Word of the Week
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Written on 7:46 PM by DRV
Okay, I don't often post about the newest gadgets, but I thought I'd offer my two cents about Apple's latest, and supposedly greatest, mobile machine.
It's stupid.
Sorry, but that's what it is. Steve Jobs claims it's time for something to have in between the smart phone and the laptop (or in his case, the iPhone and the MacBook), but this just seems like a waste of money.
In the most basic sense, Apple's iPad is a touch screen tablet. Yep, it's pretty much an iPod touch XXL. I say iPod touch because the device isn't a phone. Unless you're using a random video phone app, or Skype, you won't be making any calls. The only communication you'll have with the outside world is through chat, social networking, or tweeting. The iPad is a sleek, thin device with a 9-inch LCD that has the ability to browse the web, check e-mail, organize and view pictures and slideshows, and it also works as a media hub for those iTunes freaks out there or those who like to put digital copies of movies into their mobile devices--not to mention it has an iPod built in.
Sure, it might be the coolest way of surfing the web, but that's about it. It's hard to see a real use for such a device in any home. While the device is definitely good to look at, and I'd imagine a joy to use--it doesn't seem like there's room for such a device in any home or bag. Most people who have a smart phone have a computer, and I know all sorts of people who have an iPhone--a lot of them no longer need anything else, especially on the go.
I can see why the item is $500, and it just might be worth it. But do I think it'll be a necessity like the modern smart phone and laptop computer? I seriously doubt it.
Posted in
Apple,
iPad,
iPod,
MacBook
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Written on 11:51 AM by DRV
Demon's Souls (PS3) - 9.0
Definitely a surprise. Though the game plays like a glorified dungeon-crawler (I'm not a big fan of dungeon crawlers), the story and the challenging and unique gameplay is what will keep you in. A triumphant pat on the back for Atlus.
Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) - 9.0
Let's admit it. They are plenty of likable and unlikable main characters and villains in the Final Fantasy games. This game finally brings them all together to make a hell of a brawler.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS) - 8.0
Every bit as good as The Curious Village with an even better story.
Madden NFL 10 (Wii) - 7.3
More of the same, with a better online mode.
Madden NFL 10 (PS3, Xbox 360) - 8.3
Lots of changes in Madden have resulted in a slower, but more realistic game of football.
Space Invaders Extreme 2 (DS) - 6.9
Pretty much the same game as the first.
Nerf N-Strike Elite (Wii) - 6.8
The cool thing is the Nerf gun that comes with the game. Other than that, it'll keep your kids busy.
Hasbro Family Game Night 2 (Wii) - 6.6
Wanna play board games but don't wanna shell out the $30 each? If you have a Wii, this might be a good stocking stuffer.
Tekken 6 (PS3, Xbox 360) - 8.2
"The Year of the Fighter" comes to a close with a strong entry into the Tekken series.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) - 8.7
Probably the most fun you'll have with any friend(s) this year on the Wii.
Posted in
DS,
Gamer 2.0,
PS3,
PSP,
Reviews,
Wii
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Written on 3:09 AM by DRV
Got Wii Sports Resort this evening, and I've played it so much, I already wrote my review on it.
It's up on SmashPad, but you can get it here.
I gave the game an 8.9 out of 10. It's not as high a score as Little King's Story, but it still exceeds the expectations of many. Definitely worth a buy. Plus, you get the WiiMotion Plus accessory for free.
I don't even know why I'm up. I have work in less than six hours.
- DRV
Posted in
Gamer 2.0,
Wii
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Written on 1:38 PM by DRV
A few weeks ago, I won a PS3 auction on eBay for a whopping low price of $220.50. Unfortunately, that seller has yet to send me my PS3, so as a result, I filed a claim against him. If he doesn't respond to that claim by Tuesday, I'll get paid back in full.
Of course, should he respond, and I actually do get the PS3, that means I'll have two... and I can easily re-sell that on eBay. No problem.
So yes, I won another auction a few days ago, but instead of $220.50, it was $310. No big deal though. I mean it's a 60GB model (an out-of-production model that is backwards compatible with PS/2 games), and it came with Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Babel, and a copy of Resistance: Fall of Man. While I have no interest in those two BluRay movies, I also have no interest in that free game.
In the meantime, because of GameCrazy's superb MVP Buy 2, Get 1 Free deal, I was able to nab copies of Street Fighter IV, SoulCalibur IV, Grand Theft Auto IV, and LittleBigPlanet. Yeah, that's a lot of IV's.
I've spent most of my time updating the console's firmware, downloading things such as PlayStation Home and some other things that seem to enhance the experience. The problem is that since I'm on a basic AT&T high-speed connection, I find myself simply here on the net waiting while things download. I really wish I had a faster connection, because most of the time, especially when booting up a game I haven't played before, I have to update to the latest version and download the latest content.
Right now I'm watching my brother use Darth Vader in Soul Calibur IV. As for my actual gameplay, I've just been playing mostly Street Fighter IV and LittleBigPlanet. Both very solid games. I also hope to build up my trophy collection soon.
In the meantime, I'll take on all challengers, but since I'm on AT&T, don't hate me if our connection suddenly falls... :-\
I'll update this post with pictures of my happiness soon.
Posted in
Gamer 2.0,
PS3,
Street Fighter
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Written on 1:13 PM by DRV
First, I'd like to apologize if my last blog sounded a little moody. But hey, that's what happens when you're used to being busy all the time.
Here are a few links to a few editorials I got done over the passed few weeks.
HANDS-ON - Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP)
Dissidia is a fighting game developed by Square Enix that features both heroes and enemies found in just about every Final Fantasy (flagship) title that's been released. The PSN demo features The Onion Knight, Terra, Cloud, and Sephiroth as playable characters.
REVIEW - Little King's Story (Wii)
Little King's Story is like Pikmin, but more dark, unpredictable, and addictive. Because of its cartoonish nature, it will fall under the radar. Don't let that happen. This game just might be the Wii Game of the Year. 9/10
REVIEW - Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (DS)
Atlus' critically appraised SMT series makes its debut in style with Devil Survivor. While it may have its similarities with The World Ends With You, it's not like that game was bad anyway. 9.1/10
REVIEW - The Legendary Starfy (DS)
Nintendo has a new series on their hands that's been in Japan for quite a while. Resembling Kirby but being as deep as Mario, The Legendary Starfy is a perfect game with playability on a long road trip. 8/10
REVIEW - Flower, Sun, and Rain (DS)
Developed by the same folks who brought us classics like No More Heroes on the Wii and Killer 7 on the GameCube and PlayStation 2, Flower Sun, and Rain is the port of a bland PS2 game. 4.6/10
REVIEW - Knights in the Nightmare (DS)
An extremely complex game that includes reflex-challenging controls in the form of an isometric Strategy RPG. There is no game quite like it, but at the same time--it's not for everybody. 8.7/10
REVIEW - MySims Racing (Wii, DS)
A kart-racing title that will resemble Mario Kart despite vague differences. Good for a rental. 5.1/10
REVIEW - The Sims 3 (PC, Mac)
I hardly even play PC games, but this was probably the most fun I've had so far this year. 9.4/10
So if you're bored, give those a read! Thanks.
- D
Posted in
DS,
Gamer 2.0,
Handheld Review,
MacBook,
PCN,
Previews,
PSP,
Reviews,
Wii
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Written on 6:35 PM by DRV
I know, I've lacked a real update in quite a while. It's been a combination of both being busy and just flat out laziness. I've been taking hours at H&M all summer, simply continuing to save money. Of course, with school tuition to pay for, and then little things like video games and clothes--it's quite hard to save.
But I have now stopped spending so much on food. I bring my own lunch to work every day, and that's really helping me relieve some of my funding.
When I get home, I'm just really tired. The only things I really have energy for involve sitting down, or some sort of screen. Basically, I've been gaming hard with Final Fantasy X, and just spending the rest of my time online, doing random things--heh, OMGPOP and Twitter, to be quite frank.
There's just no energy. I know I said I'd be working out all summer, but it's turn into a weekly thing. I work so much there's just no time. Of course, that's what people always say, but nothing motivates me.
Every day I wake up when I don't have work, staying home. My main circle of friends have their own engagements. One works, two go to summer school, and the other one is someone who stays home and wants to do nothing but that. There's really nothing that excites me, and when they do want to have a night out, it's usually just to eat... either that, or it's during a time when I'm busy.
I've always prided myself on being a busybody, but now even I'm starting to question the things I do. I'm the Internship Coordinator of Akbayan Pilipino-American Organization of San Jose State University, but other than the fact that I want to give back to the organization, should I really be doing that? I'm a Part-Time Sales Associate at H&M, but do I want to stay in fashion retail? I'm an Associate Editor at Gamer 2.0, but the site has been down for a couple months due to a series of events out of my control--why should I care? I'm a journalism student at San Jose State, but do I really want to write for the rest of my life? I'm a Junior Performing Artist for the Hiyas Philippine Folk Dance Company--but after three years, I still haven't been recruited to the core group, so why do I still bother?
I'm half-way into my college career, and barring any drastic changes, I'll be graduating soon and heading out in the real world. At this point, it's hard to tell where I see myself within the next five years simply because I'm doing too much stuff.
But if I wasn't doing all this, I'd feel unfulfilled.
I don't know what's up. Maybe it's because I've either been cooped up in this damn house for so long or just because I'm overworked, but honestly -- I feel totally behind in life.
Posted in
akbayan,
Journalism,
SJSU
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