We’re both thinking the same thing. If you’re English. Heartbroken, again. But then you knew that would happen, right?

*whistle blows for full-time in extra-time*
okay, so, penalties. again. we’re going out..
…
*beckham skies the first*
we’re so going out
…
*penalties tied at 5-5*
please let there be a god who supports england..
…
*the end*
well that’s it for another two years.

…I wasn’t angry. Just deflated. Shattered. Awesome spectacle, sure, but we won it fairly inside the 90-minutes, and we were robbed. Yes, we were bereft of tactics after Rooney’s departal, again trying to defend a 1-0 lead for the rest of the match. It was stupid. But we had heart, and it was enough to nab us a winner. Fucking bastard referee.

We were both thinking it. If you’re English.

(so anyway, after that I flipped on Open Range and chilled out to one of the best films in recent years. I am so the fucking calm and peaceful center of my little universe.)

Now, I’m going to give you a choice. The choice is: you can either bow out of this particular post now, or continue reading. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you - this post is going to be more of a “for-me” post than a “for-you” post. Done? Good.

More PCGF linkage I’m afraid. It’s really not that I think I’m incredibly verbose or literate, really, although I try my best to keep up. It’s just that I’ve made the last post in threads that are beginning to get _really good_, or are really good, and so I’m linking to my post because it’s the last. Because I want to go back to them later, and you might find them interesting. Right? Good.

First up, “Why do we bother trying to play games on PCs?”:
“I can’t believe people actually employ the “more hardware power = better games” argument, but they do. And they won’t be convinced that their thinking is wrong…The way I see it, the platform is irrelevant. Obvious point #1. The fact is a good game is a good game is a good game, whether it’s played on a little black box or a collection of grey ones…”

Secondly, “Gaming really is the only form of entertainment with such a short lifespan.”[not the actual title]:
“Do games die young? It’s only the gaming chaff that truly get left by the wayside, forgotten forever. Someone somewhere will always be talking about your Invaders, or your Elites, or your Half-Lifes as long as games continue to exist.”

Lastly, “Sentient AI?”:
“I think it’s interesting to question how genuine AI would be integrated into a game world, and even if it could or should be used in games at all.”

[EDIT: Eek, quoting myself does seem horribly egotistical, but it’s not meant like that! Just go and read the threads, they’re great!]

Bloody hell I’m loving this. Currently listening to the second CD - 1989’s “President Yo La Tengo”, it’s a mix of indie guitar, experimental musical structures and not a small amount of wit and humour.

Can’t say it any better than All Music Guide: “Yo La Tengo had great ideas from the start, but President Yo La Tengo was their first record where their execution was every bit as strong as the thinking behind it, and it stands as the group’s first unqualified triumph”

You need this in your life. (track one, “Barnaby, Hardly Working”, 4.19mb)

Apologies. I’m still alive. I doubt you’re hanging onto my every word, anyway, but one must feed one’s narcissism somehow, eh? One one.

My life these past few weeks has been eaten by the A2 monster. Luckily, I brandished flaming sticks and beat it back into the gloomy forest of The Week Beginning Monday The 21st. Where sticks = doing pretty damn fantastic in all my exams so far. (I’m allowed to be boastful- it’s 4am and I’m venting my soul, darling).

Won’t bore you with details, but thanks to sacrificing my various bodiments to the monster of revision last week I have been able to write some exceedingly good essays, said Mr Kipling. I do wish we all got them back, so I could flounce around re-reading them in an orgy of self-love. Topics covered? Many, but some in gobbets- Technology: “Consumerism = bad”;
Philosophy: “There Is No Freedom At All, Ever”;
General Studies: “Computers help make good films. Except when they don’t.”

Oh, and in other news, England lost (boo), won (yay) and Big Brother is getting fucking excellent again (yay). More violence please.

PS. The most beautiful amongst you will notice the addition of tiny letters and dashed borders to the left. Be aware: they mean to take your soul.

Almost there.

Also: I didn’t realise I could do

this

in HTML code. Very 90s. But it leaves a bit lump of white space right after it, what’s that all about? Answers on a postcard.

Awesome. Now it looks less arse-like. Next steps: to work out how to get archive links back on the front page, and then to put the blogger text stream (sans crappy title) into a sexy iframe on my actual homepage.

I only spent two hours on this this morning. Go me.

I’ve updated the template. This is a test.

Okay, this is irritating.

1) I hate the way posting again, now, brings the date and stuff up above this post, meaning I have to post the time into the last post. And it’s my fault. And it’s now 4.21, so my brain is really not upto re-writing blog template code. Buggernits.

2) It really is too fucking late for this, but I’ve just been browsing through my other daily blog reads (try Lazarii’s Cheap Spam for a great blogging style), and the general layout of them all (ie, not looking shit) has pissed me off a lot. Because I can design websites and I really should bother to design this blog properly. But I’m too lazy to.

I really don’t want to re-design it at this time of the night, but I’m on the verge of caving in. Help.

I do love forums.

Why is it that we feel so strongly that we are right when we think we are right, even if the majority of people disagree, or hold differing opinions?

I rant a little over at the PC Gamer forums, as I am wont to do. Thread has entered flame territory and I’m trying to steer it into something vaguely intelligent. Not that that’s my job or anything. Hell, it’s not got the greatest minds on the web either, but mindless naysayings is fucking retarded.

Predictably, nobody will listen (”and why should they?” says my inner-pissant at this point). They’ll all carry on moaning as to whether Halo is Good or Bad, or neither, or Something Else. Bloody hell. It’s all just words. I don’t think the argument started off all that well anyway, because the topic (Halo: I Didn’t Enjoy It. Was I Wrong?) was actually talking about the value of Criticism, but it immediately spawned replies of “I think Halo is Good” and “I think Halo is Bad.”

Which is what you get for posting in Gaming Discussion…

PS: I hate fucking blogger’s fucking template fucking shittery. It is too late for this shit.

I meant to post this a few days ago but have only been on the PC in the am when I’m far too knackered to type. Problem? Moi? Mais non..

This posts narcissistic angle comes en lui of the recent appearance of my second article for VGL.com, a preview of Big Blue Box’s Fable which should be coming out on the Xbox in the coming months. I can’t remember how long I’ve been waiting for this title, and I tried to get some of that misty eyed optimism into my writing, though the article is stylistically formal (unlike my first for the site, which got slaughtered editorially for being too alternative - though it was rather haphazard).

I feel it turned out quite nicely - previews are always hard to write because you rarely have game-code to play with, so you’re merely drawing on others’ (probably second hand) opinions and observations, as well watching all the footage available, obviously. Hence there is little actual gameplay analysis, because I haven’t played it! (A reason why preview fundamentally suck, even if you do have game-code - they’re not finished games. We don’t don’t turn up to Mr Spielberg and demand a watch of his dailies, so why do we demand this of Mr Molyneux? Ridiculous.) Luckily, barely anyone has played Fable.

Check out my preview here, and feel free to pass comment.