Vid game post and lonely

I've just seen the new guitar hero clip. This newest edition will be like Rockband and have new drumset, new guitar, and a regular mic.

It even supports making your own tracks, and sharing them with others to play. Another online feature they speak of is dueling 4-player bands.


All this is exciting to me, but at the same time: overwhelming. New peripherals? I've already got three guitars... New drum kit? Granted... this one does seem to have major improvements from Rockband (pressure sensitive, raised cymbals, wireless), but I'm running out of room near my TV for all these peripherals.

I enjoy the novelty (and improvements) of all the guitars and other music accessories and the interesting additions the Wii has, but I miss the days of not having to change controllers.

All my systems and games seem to require me to change controllers. This is getting old, and storage is starting to be a problem. I have been going back to games that use the original PS2 controller and classic Wii controllers that came with the system.

PS2 bargain bins and the Wii's virtual console are great for playing games old favorites and ones I never got to play (and much cheaper than newer games!!!!). And what's even better: no controller changing!



Another development of gaming came when I had kids: decrease in violence. While I would like to play the new Fallout 3 when it comes out I don't think I could get much play time as I tend to have young audience members these days. In addition to the questionable content for my younger viewers I would also need new hardware as in 'new computer'. Apart from being rather expensive this also fits in with the peripheral complaint... more 'stuff'.

Music games have been safe, but the kids often lose interest. Definitely more fun to play than to watch! Cian likes to sing on Rockband (and he does very well on a few select songs), but one or two songs and he's done. RPGs have been a family favorite. Following the adventures in Paper Mario or Dragon Quest VIII have a book feel. A new chapter opens up each day/night... new characters and places. While some of the newer RPGs have voice acting and cinematics a lot still have copius amounts of text. Soon the kids won't need my narration as they are starting to read.

(Note: Gaming for the busy parent brings up 'save game' features. I particularly enjoy games that have 'save anywhere' features. Playing for hours to reach a save point is many times impossible.)



SO NOW... everyone being gone is leaving me chapterless. The kids and I finished our subbed anime series, Future Boy Conan; and I don't want to watch ahead on the Mysterious Cities of Gold. I've got a few more games to finish that I've not beaten, but in the meantime I thought I'd write about it...

Now what..

SO... having fataly wounded cable.. It should finally be off today. What to do now. Well, we've been doing all the things we were doing before, but now doing them more. Library books, games, toys. All still here.

I've been enjoying watching series. Rose had borrowed Firefly from a friend, and we have been watching those. If you haven't seen this series you need to! I'm sure we will go into withdrawals after we finally reach the 4th disc and there is no more.


The kids had been watching Boomerang before we canceled cable. Favorites included: Banana Splits Show, Jetsons, Tom and Jerry, MGM cartoons, and many other classic TV. I wanted to watch a series with them. One that popped into my head was one serial that came on Italian TV when my folks were over there, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. I didn't know exactly what they were saying (it was in Italian... and Chris didn't translate the whole thing to me) but I remember liking the series.

Finding it on the net proved to be difficult. Other options... Netflix whose $10-20 subscription is much cheaper than cable. Buying the DVDs on my own *ERck.. ack*

Folks had likened it to another series.. one much earlier: Future Boy Conan. I came to learn that the setting was July 2008 and knew I had to see this!! Turns out the destruction of the Earth occured in July 3rd 2008 when WWIII got out of control. Another thing it has going for it: This was Miyazaki's 1st directorial endeavor! (Having watched some of it for my own I can completely agree that this is like a 13 hour Laputa. I suppose that could be good or bad, but I enjoy it because I can watch bits of it all week.)

One of the fansites had plenty of pictures and info that sucked me right in... also had the 1st 2 episodes.

The kids and I watched the first 2 episodes and were hooked. *Note: In episode 2 Conan's grandfather dies.... This did not make for a good bedtime episode*. To redeem myself (grandpa dies and girl kidnapped was not a good way to leave a series) and prove to the kids (and me) that things were really going to get happier I tracked down the other 24 episodes.

I have to set the pace, because Cian is a marathon watcher! "No, Cian.. we need to take a break and eat. Go do something else." And even with my back turned... MWhahaha It is all subtitled!! So we have to watch it together....unless they pick up Japanese, which Jamie is now speaking in her own made up version when she plays now.

So far I'm enjoying this show immensely.

Cutting the Cable

Finally decided to cut cable all together (keeping internet function though!). It took me three calls to get it all sorted out!

They (the cable company) sure don't make it easy to quit. The first gentlemen I spoke to offered me other packages that were reduced in price... tempting, but "no". I told him the price for internet only sounded much better. He said 'ok' and that was that.... I thought.

*Call back to the house* "He said it should be taking place..". Turns out internet (the one service I kept) is not working.

ANOTHER phone call to COX. The technical support people tell me it will all be taken care of on the 4th when a man comes to the house to change a filter. ?! WTF ?! I was told it would be instantaneous. Why is someone coming to my house?? A closer look and the guy finds my router has the wrong IP address. A simple router reset and instant internet.

I hung up too early. Rose had some good questions:
So now why do I have someone coming to the house if this was just a router problem? And where do we return the boxes?

Indeed! ANOTHER phone call. I found out that cable isn't FULLY canceled. NO wonder they didn't tell me about the boxes!!! They just changed my plan to the reduced service cable!!! "We've found that when people cancel their cable they really mean just to reduce it. If you stay on reduced cable you can avoid the reconnection fee" ???Now they know what I 'intend' to do??? So they were coming to install a filter to REDUCE my cable... not ERADICATE as I had requested.

A simple 'please cut the cable and go internet only' was not enough. I had to endure more sales pitches *geez... I thought this would be simple*.
"What are you going to do for programming?"
-'Use the internet'
"In 2009 to get cable you must have a box or provider"
-'I'd like to cancel'
"Where are you going to get your news? Your programs? Weather? Stay up on current events?"
-'The internet. I'd like the internet only.'


She finally gave in and did what I asked. Three phone calls to cancel. Is it really gone? I will find out for sure when I get the next bill!