These daily blog posts are becoming my pre-sleep ritual while at the same time the World Cup is becoming my morning ritual. Saving these posts until it's the last thing I do before going to sleep is probably not the best idea I've ever had since I'm not totally motivated to write out longer posts. But I'm writing them and that's what counts.
WORLD CUP
This morning I woke up at 7 a.m. to catch the Slovenia-Algeria game. While I was definitely up for the game it just didn't have the quality or draw of South Korea-Greece and I found myself slipping back to sleep for a majority of the game. Hopefully that won't become something that repeats itself. It's not really too early, it's just that I was struggling to really care for these teams. I was pulling for a draw but Slovenia got a 'lucky' goal that really had me feeling sorry for the Algerian keeper. He really didn't know what that Jabulani ball was going to do and reacted as if it wre a normal ball. Hard luck to him. Sadly this puts Slovenia ahead of England and USA, meaning we MUST beat Slovenia next weekend or our World Cup is over after the second game for the second tournament in a row.
The second game was much better. I got two cups of coffee in me and was much more prepared. My mindset was full on soccer. It was Ghana vs Serbia in a match I really anticipated. I've long thought (well since Drogba's injury) that Ghana will perform the best of any African nation at this tournament. They are unsung heroes and have put together brilliant youth squads, even winning the U20 World Cup last year. So I was firmly behind Ghana and they duly delivered. It was an even match for most of the time and then Serbia made a critical error by fouling Ghana in the box and giving up a penalty and a goal. Ghana are the first African team to win a World Cup game on African soil and I bet they feel real good right now. They're on course to move to the next round for the second time running.
The third game of the day was Germany-Australia and it went much as expected. I never truly thought that Australia had much of a chance given Germany's strength. England-USA had a believable underdog, Germany-Australia certainly didn't. The Socceroos gave up an early goal and it set the pace for them. Germany scored freely for the rest of the game, seeing four seperate players get one in the net. The Aussies best player, Tim Cahill, got a red card that will see him banned for two matches meaning he's done for the tournament. Sad result for Australia, but a damn good showing for the Gerries.
So another day of fine soccer action from South Africa, but tomorrow promises to be even better. Japan are in action against Cameroon and can hopefully make up for their string of awful showings, defending champs Italy get their first run out, and perennial contenders Netherlands are out to trounce Denmark. Can't wait! Not getting any less excited, this stuff is tons of fun.
E3
Tomorrow also marks the first day of the biggest yearly event in video gaming, E3. Though, as I've stated before, I have never had the chance to attend that doesn't mean I don't follow it with great interest. The G4 coverage starts, mercifully, after the final World Cup match of the day so I'll be able to keep tabs on both. I don't really know what is expected to come out of this years event in terms of big stuff, aside from the crappy 360 and PS3 knockoffs of the Wiimote, and I'm genuinely anticipating what surprises are on hand. Here's a short list of some stuff I'm interested in learning more about from E3.
- Uncharted Waters Online - Series hasn't seen a release since the SNES and I want to check out what this is all about.
- Nintendo 3DS - Can't really get my head around 3d gaming without the awkward goggles. Haven't looked into the tech, so I'm interested in how this new system will work. The DS is good, so perhaps this will be too.
- X-Com - Remake of the classic PC series that combines the R&D and strategy. Strategy is removed in place of FPS, but it honestly looks really good based on the trailer. Want to see more.
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - What sane man didn't find Ezio Auditore di Firenze to be the coolest motherfucker on the planet?! So the lackluster ending to his story, one that didn't even involve him as more than a messenger, didn't do that man justice. This game remedies that and gives us more Ezio. Really want to hear more about it.
- Back to the Future - Just announced recently were the BttF episodic games by the makers of Monkey Island and Sam & Max. I really need to see some solid details on this game as soon as possible because the idea excites me to no end.
- Indy Companies - The little guys often come out with the biggest ideas and we first hear about them every year at E3. These companies are no names, but they are ambitious and exciting. We'll see what these guys come up with.
- Other Games: Fallout New Vegas, Civilization V, Lucha Libre AAA, WWE Online, Fable III, Lufia DS, Warriors Legends of Troy, Victoria 2
I'll update you after the end of the show next week and let you know how much I've learned about these things. Some day I'll be there and be able to write on the fly updates. It's invite only and I don't work anywhere that would warrant an invite... yet. Expect to hear a lot about gaming tomorrow. Expect ruminations about specific games and a grand arc on the state of the industry, genres and companies tomorrow.
Showing posts with label daily. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daily. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
England vs USA and Other Tales
Today was one of the most anticipated days for this World Cup, at least in the Anglosphere. It was England vs United States of America in the final game of the day. The day was absolutely chock full of really exciting games and the big meeting between the two world powers was not a let down. For months since the groups were drawn and the schedule was announced this game has been highly anticipated by every fan in both countries. For the English it was a chance to hammer their dominance home against a supposed weaker competition, for the Americans it was a further chance to prove our growing strength. Before I get to that epic clash I want to discuss the earlier games a bit.
I woke up, as I'm going to do many times in the next month, at 7 a.m. to catch the coverage of the first game of the day. It was a meeting between perennial Asian power South Korea and European underdogs Greece. While this game wouldn't get most people out of bed so early it was actually a game I was really looking forward to seeing. I like Asian football a lot more than most fans. The J-League is exciting, the K-League is solid, the Southeast Asian teams are fun to watch, and the Middle Eastern teams are more fun than their politics. So I root for these Asian teams while everyone else is busy underestimating them. Today it was a particularly pathetic Greek team that took the brunt of the first Asian onslaught. Park Ji-Sung, Man United's hard working midfielder, led his South Korean team to a 2-0 victory over a Greek team that looked like they were belonged in a third division somewhere. Sipping on my coffee I was blasted awake by the chances the Korean team was creating and they just never let up on the poor Euro 2004 champions. I hope Algeria vs Slovenia will be able to wake me up tomorrow like this match did, but I doubt it.
The second game was Lionel Messi vs Nigeria, y'know if you believed the media hype. In reality Argentina took to the field to begin what many people are saying will be a very victorious campaign. They had the better play on the field today and are probably frustrated that they were only able to come away with a single goal despite the chances they created. Messi didn't perform to his full capabilities but he did better than Wayne Rooney certainly. It was a nice 1-0 win to start the group for Argentina. South Korea is on top, followed by Argentina, with Nigeria and then Greece on bottom.
This brings us to the big game, England vs USA. This game meant everything to both sides. The final result left both teams scratching their heads and saying "Could've been worse," while still thinking the next round is a certainty. It ended in a 1-1 draw and honestly it could have gone either way and the draw was a just result. The United States simply wanted to get a result much more than the English. For the English fans I'm sure this draw was akin to a 5138-0 loss, but certainly it's not all that bad. Our American team is underestimated all the time and if you based our chances on the 2006 campaign you're out of your mind. This is a different team with a different coach and a new mindset. We beat Spain a year ago and we stood eye to eye with England and refused to back down. We gave them a game. Clint Dempsey's goal may have been pure bad luck on the part of Robert Green (who will get a hilariously mean nickname from the English fans I'm sure), but the USA deserved it. Gerrard scored after 4 minutes which I really thought was going to set the tone for the match but it didn't. The Americans bounced back and held firm. We got our point in the group and really need to try for a result against the weaker two teams. After the way we stared England down I just can't see Slovenia or the weak Algerians having anything significant to throw at us. But I may be surprised.
That's my World Cup thoughts for the day. More tomorrow, plus maybe my early thoughts on what I hope to see at E3. Maybe.
My link for today is The Bugle. It's not exactly a website or a blog but a link to the homepage of my favorite podcast. Hosted by John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman who are both British with excellent accents and tip top humour (with a U!). Check out an episode or two. You can find it on iTunes by searching for The Bugle. Updated almost every week on Friday. This podcast always makes me laugh, and it probably will make you laugh too. Of course it's not fart jokes and funny sounds, but usually pokes fun at world events and dictatorial leaders. If you're intelligent and worldly these guys are for you. Or not.
I woke up, as I'm going to do many times in the next month, at 7 a.m. to catch the coverage of the first game of the day. It was a meeting between perennial Asian power South Korea and European underdogs Greece. While this game wouldn't get most people out of bed so early it was actually a game I was really looking forward to seeing. I like Asian football a lot more than most fans. The J-League is exciting, the K-League is solid, the Southeast Asian teams are fun to watch, and the Middle Eastern teams are more fun than their politics. So I root for these Asian teams while everyone else is busy underestimating them. Today it was a particularly pathetic Greek team that took the brunt of the first Asian onslaught. Park Ji-Sung, Man United's hard working midfielder, led his South Korean team to a 2-0 victory over a Greek team that looked like they were belonged in a third division somewhere. Sipping on my coffee I was blasted awake by the chances the Korean team was creating and they just never let up on the poor Euro 2004 champions. I hope Algeria vs Slovenia will be able to wake me up tomorrow like this match did, but I doubt it.
The second game was Lionel Messi vs Nigeria, y'know if you believed the media hype. In reality Argentina took to the field to begin what many people are saying will be a very victorious campaign. They had the better play on the field today and are probably frustrated that they were only able to come away with a single goal despite the chances they created. Messi didn't perform to his full capabilities but he did better than Wayne Rooney certainly. It was a nice 1-0 win to start the group for Argentina. South Korea is on top, followed by Argentina, with Nigeria and then Greece on bottom.
This brings us to the big game, England vs USA. This game meant everything to both sides. The final result left both teams scratching their heads and saying "Could've been worse," while still thinking the next round is a certainty. It ended in a 1-1 draw and honestly it could have gone either way and the draw was a just result. The United States simply wanted to get a result much more than the English. For the English fans I'm sure this draw was akin to a 5138-0 loss, but certainly it's not all that bad. Our American team is underestimated all the time and if you based our chances on the 2006 campaign you're out of your mind. This is a different team with a different coach and a new mindset. We beat Spain a year ago and we stood eye to eye with England and refused to back down. We gave them a game. Clint Dempsey's goal may have been pure bad luck on the part of Robert Green (who will get a hilariously mean nickname from the English fans I'm sure), but the USA deserved it. Gerrard scored after 4 minutes which I really thought was going to set the tone for the match but it didn't. The Americans bounced back and held firm. We got our point in the group and really need to try for a result against the weaker two teams. After the way we stared England down I just can't see Slovenia or the weak Algerians having anything significant to throw at us. But I may be surprised.
That's my World Cup thoughts for the day. More tomorrow, plus maybe my early thoughts on what I hope to see at E3. Maybe.
My link for today is The Bugle. It's not exactly a website or a blog but a link to the homepage of my favorite podcast. Hosted by John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman who are both British with excellent accents and tip top humour (with a U!). Check out an episode or two. You can find it on iTunes by searching for The Bugle. Updated almost every week on Friday. This podcast always makes me laugh, and it probably will make you laugh too. Of course it's not fart jokes and funny sounds, but usually pokes fun at world events and dictatorial leaders. If you're intelligent and worldly these guys are for you. Or not.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Daily Post One: Daily Reading
What better way to start off my month of nonstop daily posting than to give my reader(s?) a look at what sites I frequent every single day. As a citizen of the modern age and having spent more than half my life as an internet user I've developed a cache of sites that I go to on a daily basis. While I have favored sites there are a select few that make the daily rotation.
Over time, as it will, the sites I visit daily have changed every so often. That is to say that of the sites I used to go to in 2004 are completely different from the ones I visit now. In fact I would think that I don't visit any of the sites I used to five or six years ago. Most became irrelevant or out of date, some died out and others were replaced by newer and superior sites. There is also my changing of tastes to take into account.
So today for a light, quick post I'm going to run down the list of these sites.
YouTube - I never really got the appeal of Youtube until the very end of last year. I posted about this a couple of months ago. While I never visited Youtube more than a handful of times before it has now become something I check out daily. Vlogs, NJPW, and all of my subscriptions warrant a daily check.
Wikipedia - On most days I would go here looking for some specific tidbit of information or to answer a question. I'm a glutton for knowledge and information though, so I often come here just to study or find out what happened on this day in history. I'm addicted to this website, hardcore.
Kotaku & Joystiq - The two best video game blogs on the internet and my preferred source for all gaming news. Updates constantly throughout the day 24/7 and both of these blogs are very well written and reported. Whether it's up to the minute news or an in depth article about some facet of gaming, both of these blogs are a must in my daily routine.
Google - It's my homepage and it's my e-mail. If I open up my browser I go here which means it's a daily definite.
Livescore - Soccer scores of the day from every league in the entire world. Easiest way to keep up with the European leagues in a soccer neutral country.
io9 - A pop culture, science fiction/fantasy/comics news site. Great place to learn about nerd stuff before anybody else. Part of the same web 'family' as Kotaku and it uses the same layout. Check it out because it's not just nerd news but it sometimes features some well written articles.
Puroresu Representin' & Strong Style Spirit - Japanese wrestling (puroresu) news and results. I check SSS because it has the best NJPW coverage, but PR has the most complete results from all the major and minor indy feds. I still enjoy puroresu and these two sites make it a simple task to keep myself up to speed every day.
Shibuya246 - An fun little site by a guy living in Japan who posts great photo articles. I check it out every day.
Twitter - It's twitter. I use it. I know. Moving on.
That's about it for now. My usual computer, my desktop, is currently undergoing a major viral crisis so I don't have access to my complete bookmark list. Once I manage to fix that situation I'll post a few more of my daily haunts here. I think I have my old links archived on that computer as well so I'll update put those up as well to compare the past with the present.
Over time, as it will, the sites I visit daily have changed every so often. That is to say that of the sites I used to go to in 2004 are completely different from the ones I visit now. In fact I would think that I don't visit any of the sites I used to five or six years ago. Most became irrelevant or out of date, some died out and others were replaced by newer and superior sites. There is also my changing of tastes to take into account.
So today for a light, quick post I'm going to run down the list of these sites.
YouTube - I never really got the appeal of Youtube until the very end of last year. I posted about this a couple of months ago. While I never visited Youtube more than a handful of times before it has now become something I check out daily. Vlogs, NJPW, and all of my subscriptions warrant a daily check.
Wikipedia - On most days I would go here looking for some specific tidbit of information or to answer a question. I'm a glutton for knowledge and information though, so I often come here just to study or find out what happened on this day in history. I'm addicted to this website, hardcore.
Kotaku & Joystiq - The two best video game blogs on the internet and my preferred source for all gaming news. Updates constantly throughout the day 24/7 and both of these blogs are very well written and reported. Whether it's up to the minute news or an in depth article about some facet of gaming, both of these blogs are a must in my daily routine.
Google - It's my homepage and it's my e-mail. If I open up my browser I go here which means it's a daily definite.
Livescore - Soccer scores of the day from every league in the entire world. Easiest way to keep up with the European leagues in a soccer neutral country.
io9 - A pop culture, science fiction/fantasy/comics news site. Great place to learn about nerd stuff before anybody else. Part of the same web 'family' as Kotaku and it uses the same layout. Check it out because it's not just nerd news but it sometimes features some well written articles.
Puroresu Representin' & Strong Style Spirit - Japanese wrestling (puroresu) news and results. I check SSS because it has the best NJPW coverage, but PR has the most complete results from all the major and minor indy feds. I still enjoy puroresu and these two sites make it a simple task to keep myself up to speed every day.
Shibuya246 - An fun little site by a guy living in Japan who posts great photo articles. I check it out every day.
Twitter - It's twitter. I use it. I know. Moving on.
That's about it for now. My usual computer, my desktop, is currently undergoing a major viral crisis so I don't have access to my complete bookmark list. Once I manage to fix that situation I'll post a few more of my daily haunts here. I think I have my old links archived on that computer as well so I'll update put those up as well to compare the past with the present.
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