taken from: Free Software Magazine dot com

The Battle for Wesnoth is a free software online game that can be learnt efficiently offline. The game is graphical and role based. There are two versions (at the time of writing) that you may download. The first is stable, version 1.02 and the second is somewhat less stable, but has a few more features that are being put through a test phase. For practice the stable version is the best to start with. Depending on your operating system, there are different ways of installing the game. For Windows, download the installer and just run. In a few seconds everything is working.

The tutorial, the top most button, is an excellent starting point. Once in the tutorial, you will find yourself guided through a basic scenario, by the computer controlled character named Delfador. Delfador sets you a series of minor tasks that quickly build up the skills you need to flawlessly interact with the game arena. My son required no supervision to use the tutorial and, despite an inherent lack of patience common to his generation, he managed to master the basics of the game in less than ten minutes. Whenever he made a mistake that made a scenario impossible to fulfil he was sent back a couple of turns in the tutorial. This method proved to be a highly effective means of communicating tactics.

taken from: Free Software Magazine dot com

Battle for Wesnoth

This game is pretty kewl… I might start playing it MORE! ahh; I will START playing Battle for Wesnoth soon.

Andrew

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taken from Pro-G

The study, carried out by Dr Brady and Professor Karen Matthews at the University of Pittsburgh, involved a group of 100 male undergraduates aged 18 to 21, asked to play either Grand Theft Auto III or The Simpsons: Hit and Run. In GTA the player took the role of a criminal and was instructed by the Mafia to beat up a drug dealer with a baseball bat. In The Simpsons: Hit and Run the player took on the role of Homer Simpson attempting to get his daughter’s science project to school before it can be marked late.

The study claims that the men who have just played a violent game (GTA) are more likely to see others’ attitudes towards them as hostile, smoke marijuana, and drink alcohol.

“Parents have been told the message that violent video games and violent media in general can influence the likelihood that their kids will be aggressive,” Dr. Sonya S. Brady told Reuters Health. “What this study suggests is that they might increase any type of risk-taking behaviour.”

According to the report in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, playing a violent game caused young men’s blood pressure to increase, and appeared to have a greater effect on those that came from violent homes or communities. No matter what background each male had, the researchers found that playing a violent game made the young men in the study less cooperative and more competitive in completing tasks with another person.

After playing one of the games, the males participating in the study were shown a scenario of a teacher telling his class that he suspects some students have cheated, but also that he is proud of those who did well. The teacher then asks a boy called Billy to stay behind after class so that he may speak with him. Participants were then asked to put themselves in Billy’s position. When asked how likely it was that the teacher was going to accuse them of cheating, those participants who had been playing Grand Theft Auto were more likely think they would be accused.

The report is also one of the first to link violent games to behaviour other than violence, but will no doubt provide more ammunition to those against violent video games.

taken from Pro-G

Video gamers are all potheads? Huh… Ok… I know people who love these games and they do not smoke pot.

Andrew

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taken from Revolution Fan Boy

Some shots from the May issue of Game Informer have found their way onto the internet, ready for us to awkwardly gawk at them and marvel at the Revolution game they spectacularly reveal. Developed by Ubisoft and packed with explosive gunplay (and swordplay), Red Steel looks set to take full advantage of the Revmote, albeit in an unsurprising way. After all, it doesn’t require much thought to make the connection between pointing a remote and pointing a gun. I look forward to Jack Thompson quoting that sentence soon.

On the obvious matter of graphics, it seems like the Revolution can produce some very capable images, at least if one assumes that these aren’t concept renders and are actually running off an official development kit. It’s impossible to make out any of the text, barring the note on the bottom right which points out that your in-game character will tilt his gun as you tilt the controller. I suspect this also means that you can easily bash people in the face with the butt of your gun by performing a swift arm motion. And really, isn’t bashing people in the face what the Revolution is all about?

more at Revolution Fan Boy

I am REALLY looking foward to the Revolution.

Andrew

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Nothing really special today. I decided to work really hard on my podcasts I do. I have 4 different ones right now, but I have only released the fantasy sports podcast. I have been having issues with Audition 2.0 and I cannot get my microphone to work properly. I am shooting for a Friday release on the other 3 podcasts. I think I do it for fun. It makes me feel important.

Andrew

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I just got done playing Ryan M. in Mario Kart DS for the Nintendo DS. I got PWN3D! He is VERY good and he showed me a couple of ways to “cheat”. I think I will use this “cheat” against my brother next time.

Andrew

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Why are computers easy to one person and difficult to the next? My sister-in-law had a problem with her computer. I knew the easiest way to fix the problem was to restore the user settings. It took me 15-20 minutes. If I explained what to do over the phone, it would have taken an hour or more.

How come I understand how to fix problems on the pc? I really am not 100% sure why. All I know is I need to help those who do not.

Andrew

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Last night Aaron, Aaron’s Friend, Dave, Doug, Mike, and I went to see WWE Smackdown! in Peoria, IL. We got there about 30 minutes early and made fun of everyone and everything there. I feel bad to the people in front of us… We tried to piss everyone off around us. The best part was the people behind us started helping us start chants. When people started chanting “Eddie”, we chanted “Chavo”. We also yelled, “you got to hook the leg!”. I remember dropping a couple of f bombs and this lady looking back at me… WTF? It is a WRESTLING SHOW! They say and do worse things. If you are a parent, PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR KID TO A WRESTLING SHOW!!! YOU ARE A BAD PARENT IF YOU DO!!! I swear the wrestling crowd in getting worse.

Hurricane and Lance Storm = Natural Disasters 2
Finishers = Tsunami (Vertebreaker) and Katrina (Superkick)

I think I just pissed some people off… What is new?

Andrew

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It is confirmed that Sarah and Branden are leaving Attack of the Show. I really do not really care but it is weird they have been dating. I know he is a douche bag, but I am happy for them. I guess they are taking a trip around the world. Good for them!!! I wish I could leave for a year.

Andrew

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The good; the Bad; the Ugly.

Last night I had Aaron, Mike, Doug, and Dave come over to watch WWE Wrestlemania 22. The show was very good. I was very happy with the outcome. Who would have thought the show would have been good? I think everyone liked the show. I just wish Brian could have made the trip.

We ended up playing NHL 2003 until 3am. I felt bad for Doug… He had to work in Peoria @ 9am… I doubt he got any sleep.

WWE SMACKDOWN! TOMORROW!!!

Andrew

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I ended coming back to Kewanee tonight to be with my wife while she is house sitting. I did not want to make the trip back, but I wanted to be with my wife. We went to Peoria to get a couple of things at Best Buy and B&N. We got back and I went to hangout with Brian. I found out he is moving… It looks like they will be saving some money which is excellent. Looks like I can start repaying Brian back for help me move all of those times!

Andrew

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I guess I am cheating google adsense out of money… I have made $119.68 in 9 months… WTF??? Here is the email I was sent:

From: Google AdSense
To: boober86@gmail.com
Cc: Google AdSense
Date: Mar 30, 2006 8:37 AM
Subject: Google AdSense Account Status

Hello Andrew,

It has come to our attention that invalid clicks have been generated on
the Google ads on your site(s).

As a reminder, any method of generating invalid clicks is strictly
prohibited. Invalid clicks include but are not limited to any clicks
that are generated through the use of robots, automated clicking tools,
manual clicks by a publisher on the publisher’s own web pages, or a
publisher encouraging others to click on his ads.

If you are clicking on the ads on your web pages for testing purposes,
please note that clicking on your own ads or encouraging others to do
so for any reason is prohibited, due to the potential for inflation of
advertiser costs. Please be assured that there is no need to test the
ads on your site, as our specialists review all of our ads to ensure
that they meet Google’s advertising standards.

If you would like to visit the destination of an ad to view its content
or to add it to your filter list, you can use the AdSense Preview Tool,
available here:

https://www.google.com/adsense/previewtool?hl=en_US

The Google AdSense preview tool is an addition to the right-click menu
for Windows Internet Explorer 6.x, allowing you to preview the ads that
may show on any web page. Clicks and impressions from the preview tool
are not applied to the advertiser’s account. You can click through to
the target site without worrying about invalid clicks being generated
on your account, and without costing the advertiser for your test
clicks.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email. We
will be happy to help in any way we can.

Sincerely,

The Google Team

Ok… I am not “paying” anyone to click on ads. If I seriously was “paying” for clicks, I would be making tens of thousands of dollars. I had one month that I made some good money; that is all. I have to send them an email and explain that I have done nothing. I am thinking it is an error on there end. No biggie. We will get the situation taken of today.

Andrew

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Today I am 27 years old… Yessssssssssssssssssss…

That is all.

Andrew

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I hate this program… I have been trying for weeks to record audio. Am I that fuckin stupid? I just want to scream. AHHH!!!! All I wanted to do is record my podcast and do an audio diary. AHHH!!!! Premiere 2.0 is EXCELLENT though…

Andrew

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Today has been one of those days you want to forget about… We have been working on a Grand Am with the 2.4L in it. The customer had the car for 2 days and it threw a rod… FYI; We have NEVER had something like this had… EVER! It has been a long and drawn out process. We just finished the car. I have been worried that something would happen to the car and it would not work properly. I guess it is running a lot better now. I will be driving it soon.

We also had a another car in which the tire came off. This guy has been pushing us ever since he got the car. I think he is just an upset person. I hope we get this car done for him soon.

I had another customer bring his car to get looked at. It seems that there is some front end work that needs to get done. I just hope we can fix it today and not tomorrow…

So I have 2 cars to be finished and a deal to be completed. I really hope I can start to feel better about myself. I am really stressed and depressed right now.

These last 3 weeks have been really hard for me. I just want to go home and cry. I know I sound like a wimp, but that is how I really feel. I used to just go home and cry, but it is hard now that I am married. I really do not want my wife to see me crying. I have been praying, because I know God can help me through this day. I just need to keep on thinking about how he will help me through these difficult times. Here is the weird part… I ALWAYS worried about money. I always was stressed out. Now, I do not have to worry about money and I have more problems in other areas in my life… Weird… Very random.

Any ways I feel a lot better now that I talked about my day. I guess this is really a Stress release and people might be able to understand what I have been going through.

Andrew

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