Boy do I miss Japan. Check out this cool drifting video.

Gran Turismo 4

Blog updates have been rather sparse lately (until today that is). You can blame that on Gran Turismo 4. I bought it last Monday and have barely stopped playing it since then. It’s the most realistic driving simulation ever created (imho). The darn thing is so real it’s frustrating. The cars behave just like real cars and thus require precise control in order to master the game. Needless to say I lack that precise control and therefore suck at the game right now but I’m improving. I’ve completed about 1% of the game and look forward to many, many more hours of car racing fun. I don’t own a nice, sports car in real life but I’ve got one in the game baby! Oh yeah.

Doves – Some Cities

I bought the new Doves CD, Some Cities, last Wednesday. I’ve got mixed feelings about it. There really aren’t any standout tracks which is normal for a Doves album but instead of the album as a whole being good (which is the case with both of their previous albums) I find that the album is kind of flat. There are two or three tracks that I like but the rest of the album is just okay. Hopefully over time I’ll grow to love this album as much as I love the band’s two earlier efforts. I’ve been looking forward to this album for a long time. I drove all the way downtown (around 30 miles) to Tower Records to pick it up. I even parked illegally to run in real quick and grab it. Alas so far it has been a dissappointment. I’m not giving up though. I figure if I listen to it enough I’ll find things to like about it. Wish me luck.

Prayer Request

Please keep my family in your prayers. We’re going through a lot at the moment. My brother, Kenneth, was just hospitalized again for another bi-polar episode. My Grandma, who will be 96 (Praise the Lord!) on the 12th of this month, has been in the hospital with various health problems. Both have been released from the hospital and are back home but they’re still not out of the woods. My Mom is traveling back to the States as I type this to be with Grandma. I’m trying not to stress about both situations but as my roommate has pointed out several times I’m a worrier. It’s hard not to worry. So please say a little prayer for the Burns family when you get a chance. It would be much appreciated and as my Grandma always says “You can never have too much prayer.”

Mockingbird

Eminem’s Mockingbird is a wonderful breath of fresh air in the sometimes stagnant rap game. Em spends the entire song talking to his little girl. It shows off a softer side that most rappers are too afraid to expose. The track behind the lyrics is great too. To top it all off he only cusses once at the very end of the song which is an accomplishment for him. A lot of critics have downplayed Eminem’s latest release, Encore, saying he’s off his game a little. I disagree. Mockingbird proves it. His ability to make a track that is both hot (for the streets) and poignant at the same time shows Eminem is as sharp as ever. I have a lot of respect for Eminem. His lyrical skill is unmatched. His flow is impeccable. Be sure to check Toy Soldiers too. It’s my second favorite track off of Encore. Peace.

I have discovered that one of the worst feelings in the world is to sit down to bomb the Russians only to find that once the mission is complete and you’re heading home for equipment clean up and storage you have no cleaning apparatus to clean up the left over mission ordinance with. When that happens you’re left with dirty equipment and have to go scrambling all over in search of the vital cleaning equipment that will allow you to complete the job. Each time this happens you swear that you’ll stockpile more of the vital cleaning equipment near home base so that you’re prepared for the next mission. You swear that you won’t get caught with you pants down in the future but inevitably a few months down the road it happens again. From this observation I have come to these conclusions: 1) War is hell and 2) Better mission planning is in order. Ensuring that all necessary equipment is on hand before the mission is undertaken makes for a smoother operation from start to finish.

<div class=”media”>[Listening to: Double Trouble - <a href="http://www.windowsmedia.com/mg/search.asp?srch=The+Roots">The Roots</a> - Things Fall Apart (5:50)]</div>

MJ’s Favorite Things

MJ’s Favorite Things : I love old school Michael Jackson. Thriller, Beat It, Smooth Criminal, the Moonwalker movie; it’s all good. New school MJ is just wacked as this flash animation humerously points out.

How To Make A Honda Fast

How To Make A Honda Fast : Check out this link. It’s pretty funny. The escence of what they call a rice rocket.