I enjoy videogames

And as such I am prone to such social stigma as:

• Nerd/geek/dork or any other variant
• I have no friends
• I do not shower regularly
• I have fantasies about Elf Princesses and their heaving elven busoms.

I'll have you know that three of those are wrong. I'll let you decide, because every likes to judge.

Anyway, that aside, the next few months will be a trying time for me, or more correctly, my bank account.
No fewer than five of the coolest games ever are coming out with awesome sequels, starting from the past couple months to the next three or so. Each ones arrival on the shelves will be greeted with an internal struggle as "fun" Braden and "rational" Braden duke it out in a metaphysical match of the Titans. Rick Flair said he'd be a guest ref.

Since I don't really do much else, I figure I can justify $60 a month for three months or so. Well, maybe not so much justify, as drown out any second thoughts with deep space epics and the sound of finely tuned digital cars gunning down circuits in Tuscany. Mmmmmm

But this doesn't mean I'm the kind of reclusive, nerdular shut in, desperately trying to horde treasure in some digital kingdom. I likey friends more, and thats that. Also, those Everquest type games frighten me, just a bit. I'm not sure why. Mostly I dislike the price. In the end I think most games I play have an intial 4 month or so life before I move on to other things. And in the end the bill for that game will have broke $100. I wound up doing the same think for the Sims. Curse you Electronic Arts!

Yeh, anyways...

Audio Philanthropy - Part I

Because I love music and more so because it pains me to know that people listen to bad music, I'm starting something I hope to do weekly. This is, simply put, to introduce the two or so people that read this blog to excellent music they may or may not have ever heard. I have alway wanted to write about artists I felt were not getting the recognition they deserved. Though this is in no way going to bring them popular accord, it makes me feel good and thats always a nice thing. So with out further adieu:

Braden's
AUDIOPHILANTHROPY: Pt I

this week: Jeremy Fisher - Let it Shine

I picked up his CD (I belive he has a previous release, I haven't seen it yet though) not too long ago and I'm very happy the record store decided to do a little spot on him at their "Check out this CD and spend your money on it" booths. This guy jumped the ranks of artists I like and frankly is quickly becoming a new favorite. His lyrics and voice just have such an earnest quality to them. They make me want to listen, something I wish more music did. Something about Fishers down low, homey sounding songs illustrate that warm idyllic vision about childhood hometowns we all share, and how we interact with those memories, true or not.
The biggest reason I like Fisher's music is that it has actual substance, it has weight and reality to it. The lyrics are intelligent, (the graveyard is full, grandma used to say / if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything) and the instrumentation, though not groundbreaking, fits his style prefectly. Plus he plays harmonica and the world needs more of those little metal music-makers. Bit of folk, touch of country, plain great acoustic rock. The album has the standard teenage/highschool ballad, oddly enough its named 'Highschool'. Nothing really great about it, its what you'd expect, no more no less. Thankfully the disc has many far more interesting songs. 'Living on the Moon' is a dark little song with what I think are great vocals and nice steady beat. "Lemon Meringue Pie" has fun quick lyrics and is simply great for singing along to.
The store compared him to Hayden or Jack Johnson, I don't know if I agree with that. I can think of a number of artists to draw similarities too, but I doubt you'll have heard of them. As far as mainstream goes...a rougher, less brighteyed and more realistic Jason Mraz; maybe the b-sides to some Nashville country bands.

Anyways, the album is fresh to me still, so my opinions are hastily formed. check out his website: www.jeremyfishermusic.com

Hope over to 'music' and have quick listen. Like him or not, it'll be a refreshing break from whatever the radio is playing.

Knock knock...

I haven't really been around much....

You might be wondering exactly where I haven't been around. Well, Toledo, for instance, but thats a whole different story involving state troopers and animal cruelty charges. We'll save that for another day.

No, I mean the Mos Eisley of the 21st century (ooo an obscure star wars reference, cranking up the nerd today!), the good ol' cyber space. To be frank, I haven't touched my computer at home for more than a couple minutes over the last few weeks. To be franker, I haven't exactly filled that time up with anything more healthy or even active. And to be the frankiest, I've been watching TV and whiling the hours away on the playstation.

So I'd say my life is far from balanced. I spend 8 hours a day running around frantically trying to meet deadlines, then I come home and crash to a speed that sets a lethargic snail to shame. To be honest, I kind of like it. Except on Fridays, when I feel that unless I am doing something exciting, I've wasted the weekend. Last night was a Valentines Dance for some 20 something's. I'll add in here that I hate valentines day. But thats a rant for another day, possible two days from now. But it was fun. I was so hawt looking in pinstrip black pants, black shirt and furiously bright pink tie. Soooo Good! Mind you now I am exhausted and my legs feel like jelly, but whatever.

augh, I'm so hungry...time for a bagel melt!

Screw you, mother nature

Anyone who has ever lived in Southern Alberta, or even knows the slightest bit about them good ol' prairies, knows one thing:

The weather here is, without a doubt, completely and wholly 100% screwed up.

If SouthAB is good at anything, its a fake spring. And I don't mean it stops snowing for a couple of days.
No, that would be reasonable. Nope, the snow dries completely up, skies are bluebird and we hit between +10 - +15 degree weather.

In January.

Its very nice, and I can't complain. The problem is I am too easily fooled by the duplicitous weather. I bust out the spring CD's, throw open the windows in the home (nevermind the fact that the windchill still puts us at about +2) dance around like some pagan sprite and come this close to lighting a fire to my sweaters and long underwear. Then I snap out of it and realize that in two days the faux equinox will come to a crashing end up against -40 degrees and penguin freezing blizzards.

Stupid weather, this is all Mark Campbells fault.