We actually shot a satellite out of the sky?

Listen, I've always had all the respect in the world for the United States when it comes to science and military operations. Part of that I'm sure comes from a "home field" bias, a standard feeling of patriotism, but I've always felt pretty confident in the ability of Americans to execute plans.

But I've got to say, this business about the satellite has got me really wowed about where we are scientifically. Word is, we've successfully targeted and destroyed the fuel tank on the satellite, which had posed something of a threat to life were it to come crashing down to Earth. Now, granted, these satellites are pretty large, but the main body of the device was a paltry 15 feet long. This object, with a decaying orbit, was targeted by an SM-3 missile and, according to all reports thus far, successfully destroyed to the point that the debris poses no immediate threat.

If it were a stationary object, it'd be pretty impressive to hit the fuel component squarely from hundreds of miles away. But we're talking about shooting a moving satellite out of the sky whose orbit is decaying. Out of the sky! Do you know how ridiculously large the sky is?

Alright, that's enough gushing for now, especially since there's still a chance that the mission was a failure. But it looks good, and I think that speaks volumes towards what science can accomplish. So be nice to your local nerds; they may be able to pinpoint your bedroom from a missile silo.

Blog Reborn

I've changed the URL of this blog, as well as its title, and you can look forward to a more diverse set of discussion topics going forward. I'll still talk about video games, because that's something I really enjoy talking about. But we'll make it a wider array of topics, for those of you who might not be very interested in the next Final Fantasy game (though I have to wonder why the hell not).

So expect posts on TV, movies, video games, music, food, travel, and my painfully uneventful life. And the occasional sweet online deal.

N

I'm sure a lot of you have already played this game, as I remember playing it way back when I was a 25-year-old in the dorm in Altoona (which was perhaps the most awful experience I've ever had). Anyways, it's called N, where you're a ninja hopping around, grabbing gold coins, flipping switches, and trying to escape levels or something. There's a story, but really, it's just a puzzle game. Anyways, it's sweet ass fun, so check it out if you're bored and want to kill some time.

Video Game Blog?

I've honestly been checking back here on this blog at least once a week, sometimes many times a week, and thinking to myself, "Alright, let's write something up for a blog post." And try as I might, I just can't think of what to "blog" about. I think part of my problem is that I'm not at all on the cutting edge of anything having to do with video games. I don't buy all the newest games (not having a job impedes that), I don't get out there and check out all the little Flash games online, and I don't read a particularly large number of articles concerning video games. I just like playing video games.

I could talk about how my brother, cousin, and I have recently gotten back into Diablo II, but what is there to say about Diablo II that hasn't been said? That I like listening to albums by The Police when I'm playing it? While I'm sure there are a lot of Police fans out there, I don't know that they'd find a blog about that particularly engaging.

I check out one video game "blog," though it's as much for the comics as anything else (http://www.penny-arcade.com). I read what they have to say, and I find it interesting, often humorous, and sometimes compelling. I really believe that I've got that kind of writing ability, and perhaps with a subscription to GameFly (if that site still exists) I'd have enough experience with new games (and thus a reason to be interested in the upcoming titles) to compose those kind of lovely blogs. As is, I just keep playing the old games. Is there a way to make playing old Nintendo/SNES/PC games exciting?

Well, I intend to find out. There have got to be some good blogs out there that tend to focus on older games, and I'm devoting the next week or ten to finding and analyzing them. In the meantime, I'll pray I'm struck with inspiration on a game-related topic for you, the readers. That's what it's all about, you know. The readers.

And stroking my massive, massive ego.