Portal 2 Video Walkthroughs HERE! Stuck in Portal 2? Brains on the edge of melt-down?

 It's been a long time coming, I remember that fateful week too well - playing the first Portal feverishly until I beat the whole thing. It was so addictive, so simple, yet I was stuck for hours on 2-3 tricky levels If I remember correctly. But eventually, I did it! Such a unique and rewarding game playing experience.

Portal 2 finally came out, you can get it for PS3 and get a voucher code to unlock the PC version on Steam, so I'm told. That sounds like a good deal actually, considering the higher cost of PS3 games in general. Or if you have been using Valve's Steam application, it will be there of course for immediate download. [I Still don't know why people refuse to use Steam! - You can get some screaming deals on the 'special' tab there. And it's so nice to be able to re-download your games at any time, if your hard-drive crashes or simply from another pc!]

Valve is still one of the few good dev's out there. I'm sure when I get my hands on this, I will smile and marvel at the polished, clean graphics, the humor, and the way the game makes me feel like I just figured something tremendous out, that in all rights I shouldn't have been able to!

If you ARE stuck though, I found a really good site that contains a YouTube video for each and every level's  walk-through HERE. Good luck!

Where do ya think YOU'RE going?

HGTV Green Home Sweepstakes - Enter now and win it!

Hi everyone- It looks like HGTV is giving away ANOTHER sweet house this year! After the closing of the annual Dream Home, they have graciously provided another opportunity to win a nice little GREEN home over in Denver, CO.  You can enter twice a day, once on the main page HERE, and another on their sister site FrontDoor.com HERE. Get your tickets in now as it will close on June 2nd, at 5PM Eastern.

The winner will get the stylish custom-built, fully furnished, eco-fabulous home situated in Stapleton, Denver's premier sustainable community. The grand-prize package — worth almost $700,000 — also includes local artwork, beautiful furnishings, engineered hardwood flooring and a new 2011 GMC Terrain and $100,000!  Commence dreaming now.



DCS: A-10C Warthog will be sublime!

Being so busy to even play a game of Plants Vs. Zombies as of late, I completely missed the fact that the Sim I've had my eye on for a while was released, albeit as a digital download only first [boxed later]: DCS: A-10C Warthog flight simulator for the PC.

DUXFORD, UK, February 21, 2011 – The Fighter Collection and Eagle Dynamics now offer “DCS: A‐10C Warthog” as a digital download for $59.99.
Purchase "DCS: A‐10C Warthog" at:
http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/shop/dcs_a10c

Looking for the .PDF manual??  --> HERE 

 

Though, I'll be waiting for a good ol' boxed copy, it really doesn't afford me much more in the way of actual hard manuals than the download, as they are now; like many new games- available only as a tree-friendly .pdf file on the disc. Unless of course, you burn an ink cartridge and a deck of paper on printing said manual out. [Like I had to!]

 

I got hooked on this series' with the last installment DSC: Black Shark, which was not only the most realistic, button toggling helicopter simulation I've ever seen, but was an incredible achievement in modeling flight dynamics and physics and weapon systems-as close to real as can be experienced without enlisting.

 

Behold, the sweetest looking virtual cockpit you will have burned into your head for the next couple years of sleepless nights!  I'll report back when the official boxed copy is available, for you ol' schoolers like me! 

This game will be a challenge to master, but it's worth the sense of accomplishent after your first confirmed kill!

A thing of beauty...with a bite!

My future new home...

I've said it in my other post HERE, if you haven't already checked out DCS: Black Shark, and i'm assuming you're a flight sim kinda dude or dudette...you are missing the closest thing to a realistic and unique helicoptor experience you can get from a pc. Check out your local neighborhood pc game store or Amazon to score a copy, they're getting hard to find now. 

"DCS: A‐10C Warthog" is a PC simulation of the U.S. premier Close Air Support attack aircraft. This is the second aircraft in the DCS series, following DCS: Black Shark, and raises the bar even higher in the DCS series. Warthog brings the most realistic PC simulation of a modern fixed wing combat aircraft in regards to flight dynamics, avionics, sensors, and weapon systems. You also have the option to play Warthog in "Game" mode for a casual game experience. Fly missions in the Caucuses region of the Black Sea against and with awide array of air, land and sea forces with new and improved intelligence. Create your own missions and campaigns with the included Mission and Campaign Editors, and fly with and against friends online using the included online game browser."

Key Features:
• Fly the A‐10C “Warthog” in either realistic or game modes.
• Fly missions in either Georgia and Russia.
• Interactive training missions shallow the learning curve dramatically.
• Rich campaigns and single missions included.
• Multiplayer cooperative and head‐to‐head.
• Feature‐rich Mission and Campaign editors allow user created content.
• The most realistic flight dynamics ever done for a PC simulation.
• Huge array of land, air and sea units to flight along and against.
• Ability to command ground forces during missions with radio commands.
• Fully interactive Forward Air Controller (FAC) that helps you find targets.

Website: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/series/warthog

To tie you over, if you are waiting like me for a boxed copy of A-10C, the developer recently released this comprehensive multi-jet 'lite' sim that allows folks with both DCS games [including the new A-10] to play together online in one spectuacular online war!  And it's dirt cheap right now!

Here's to Kurt Cobain- One of the Good Ones...

Here is a man that, like many can relate, affected my life. I was but 17 when he died this week, ironically 17 years ago. I was only beginning to 'get into' his music, and so I never scrounged enough money to go to his show 3 months earlier at the Target Center [back then it was the Metrodome] in Minneapolis. What a mistake that was. I would have seen the band that changed mine and a million peoples lives, in only a few manic, chaotic, and surreal albums.

 I picked up a guitar because of Kurt, and I'm sure many others did as well. He was like so many of us, in those angst-fueled days of high school. It was natural that I related to him. I was quiet, artistic, I read a lot, I wrote sad, depressing poetry, and I was the loner, odd [new] kid during most of my school years. All my high school friends were either pot-head stoner's, pock-marked head-banger's, outcasts and/or and future ultra-liberals and tree-huggers, but they were also all artistic and did amazing things that all the jocks and cheerleaders and preppies the next table over wished they had the talent to do. Like Kurt, they had the talent to live life the way they wanted...

Though things didn't end that way for Kurt.
In case you all have never had the nerve, or care to read it before today, here is a copy of the note found next to Kurt on that fateful day back in April, 1994. Love him or dismiss him, he was a soul that will be remembered.

[TEXT]
To Boddah
Speaking from the tongue of an experienced simpleton who obviously would rather be an emasculated, infantile complain-ee. This note should be pretty easy to understand.
All the warnings from the punk rock 101 courses over the years, since my first introduction to the, shall we say, ethics involved with independence and the embracement of your community has proven to be very true. I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now. I feel guity beyond words about these things.
For example when we're back stage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins., it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the the love and adoration from the crowd which is something I totally admire and envy. The fact is, I can't fool you, any one of you. It simply isn't fair to you or me. The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it and pretending as if I'm having 100% fun. Sometimes I feel as if I should have a punch-in time clock before I walk out on stage. I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it (and I do,God, believe me I do, but it's not enough). I appreciate the fact that I and we have affected and entertained a lot of people. It must be one of those narcissists who only appreciate things when they're gone. I'm too sensitive. I need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasms I once had as a child.
On our last 3 tours, I've had a much better appreciation for all the people I've known personally, and as fans of our music, but I still can't get over the frustration, the guilt and empathy I have for everyone. There's good in all of us and I think I simply love people too much, so much that it makes me feel too fucking sad. The sad little, sensitive, unappreciative, Pisces, Jesus man. Why don't you just enjoy it? I don't know!
I have a goddess of a wife who sweats ambition and empathy and a daughter who reminds me too much of what i used to be, full of love and joy, kissing every person she meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm. And that terrifies me to the point to where I can barely function. I can't stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable, self-destructive, death rocker that I've become.
I have it good, very good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven, I've become hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so easy for people to get along that have empathy. Only because I love and feel sorry for people too much I guess.
Thank you all from the pit of my burning, nauseous stomach for your letters and concern during the past years. I'm too much of an erratic, moody baby! I don't have the passion anymore, and so remember, it's better to burn out than to fade away.
Peace, love, empathy.
Kurt Cobain
Frances and Courtney, I'll be at your alter.
Please keep going Courtney, for Frances.
For her life, which will be so much happier without me.

I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!

R.I.P. Kurt