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Why I Pre-Ordered An XBox One

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I almost didn’t pre-order an Xbox One, but thanks to K-Mart releasing their stock for pre-order on the day I sold some stuff on eBay, I got one on reserve.  This was going to be the console cycle that I held off and waited to see if there were any issues with the hardware, or any major gotchas attached with getting one, but the tech lust go to me.

I would like to say that I got one because there was a game I needed to play, or some feature that I had to have, but really it was just because I had gotten both previous Xboxes on day one, and I had to do the same this time.  That’s it.  It is a new Xbox and I had to have one.  Nothing is more consumer America than that.

I can’t wait to set it up and fiddle with it.  I will let you know how it works, and maybe I will post one of those awful unboxing videos.  Since Microsoft now lets me turn off the Kinect, I no longer have to worry about it watching me … watch it.  I am also excited about the new indie games program id@xbox, and I hope it pays off.  If they really let me use my Xbox as a dev-kit, it may be time to create my own game.  Blade and Feather: The Game!

I can’t wait for November 22nd to be able to play with my new toy!  If you ask nice maybe you can come and check it out too.  Though you may have to bring an extra controller.

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Treehouse of Horror XXIV!

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There is only one episode of the Simpsons that I can’t miss every year, and that is the Treehouse of Horror episode.  They aired the 24th episode this year, so they now have a full season’s worth of these special editions.  This year was more interesting because Guillermo Del Toro directed the opening sequence and the couch gag.

The opening sequence was by far the best part.  It managed to work every horror movie villain I could think of in to its two and a half minute runtime.  It is a shame that they didn’t have Del Toro directed the rest of the episode.

The first story was about Bart and Lisa having to share a body because Bart got his head cut off.  It was pretty funny, but it didn’t have enough jokes in it to sustain it for its full running time.

The second story where they made fun of the horror classic Freaks was much better.  It had Homer in the role of the strong man trying to destroy and kill Moe using Marge as the bait.  It was great how they turned all the Springfield crew in to the different sideshow attractions.

It was worth it just to see the opening, so to have fifty percent of the rest of the episode pay off was fine.  I can’t wait to see what they come up with next year.

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My Book is Done! Sort Of…

Well after far too long, I have finished the base writing of my book.  I have proof read it a couple times, but I will have to do it like 300 more times before I ship it off to a publisher.  I am attaching it if you would like to read it.  If you are feeling charitable you could send back any errors you find, but please do not feel obligated.

It has been a fun process, and I think I did a pretty decent job.  This edition of my book has three more chapters and an epilogue.  Plus there is now a thank you page.

Thanks for reading it!

Update 12-21-2015: My updated version can be found here.

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Shmee Plays Angry Birds: Star Wars 2!

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With the success of Angry Birds: Star Wars it was only a matter of time before they made another one.  Angry Birds: Star Wars 2 brings the birds back to the Star Wars universe, but this time they are killing pigs in the prequel trilogy.

I was expecting the same game but with different characters, but Rovio surprised me and really put a ton of improvements in this game.  For starters you can now play as the pigs by doing the Pork Side quests, and as you gain points you can now use them to buy cheats by getting different birds and pigs in your level to make things easier.  They added a ton more unlockables and achievements as well, so there are multiple reasons to get the level just right.

If you are looking for a new time waster, Rovio really knocked this one out of the park, and it gets my recommendation.

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug!

As you can see above, the new Hobbit trailer is out, and it looks pretty amazing.  The only problem I am having is that besides Cumberbatch as Smaug, I am pretty sure none of this is in the book.  The white Orc is back, and Legolas is here for some reason with the elf from Lost.  I am sure everything will be great, but this is definitely a different Hobbit than the one I read.

It also seems that the lighter tone from the first movie, and the book for that matter, are gone.  I liked having a little light hearted fun, and I hope that it is still in this movie, but as long as there is a werebear I will be happy!