Reinvigorating a Genre: Half-Life 2 (for Xbox)

The first person shooter genre hasn't thrilled me since the original Quake. Each "new" version was a slightly slicker substitute for the original Doom. That is, until Half-Life came along.

Half-Life was the most fun I had playing a computer game since the early days of DOS games migrating to Windows. It had such a unique premise, and rarely seemed repetitive or cumbersome, or overly frustrating, like virtually every other shooter on the market. After wiping the sweat off my brow and taking several minutes to calm down after my victory over the original Half-Life, I began a search for something else, something new, something equally as enthralling and invigorating as what I had just experienced.

Little came along to fill the capacious void until I spied Half-Life 2 on the shelf of one of the local mega marts.

(Fast forward a week or so while I bought the game on eBay and anxiously waited for the thing to arrive!)

Not since Wing Commander IV (Luke freaking Skywalker versus the Kilrathi!) or Tetris during my college years has a game gotten under my skin so deeply or so completely. I spent more time in front of the TV with a controller in my hand the next week or so than I have at any time in the previous fifteen years. I dreamed Half-Life 2. I positively JONESED for Half-Life 2.

The pro's are numerous. It is NOT repetitive. You get to do many different things besides the cliche "run and shoot". Nor is it necessary to spend frustrating hours sneaking around in the shadows, holding the control stick at the most acute angle possible to get past the bad guys. The weapons are fun. What you can do with one particular weapon is exceptionally fun. (Who doesn't dream about bisecting a room full of zombie critters with a single shot?)The game is challenging, but not daunting. It is clever, scary, immensely interesting, and just darn fun!

The only negative I can come up with is that the final quarter of the game is it's weakest. It starts strong, grows to be one of the best times I've had playing a game, but then just falls off at the end. The end of the game is not at all bad, it just pales in comparison to the rest of the game.

Half-Life 2 comes in at number 3 of my all time favorite non-Zelda non-Mario games. If you're into first-person shooters at all, or have ever considered trying one, I vehemently urge you to RUN not walk and find a copy today!

Liquid Paper DryLine Grip

This handy invention is a God send for all those impatient folk who can't wait 30 seconds for the actual LIQUID form of liquid paper to dry completely before trying to write over it. Simply press the tip of DryLine Grip to paper and draw; a thin, opaque white line obscures the humiliating mistakes you made on those important documents (you nitwit!) and allows for immediate correction.

The Grip fits comfortably in your hand and is embelleshed with finger-sized dents on the top and sides for ease of control. Each roll of DryLine has a surprisingly long life, assuming it isn't being used for the purpose of turning a pad of college-rule into typing paper. The rolls are also supposedly replacable though it might prove difficult to actually find the refills in a store. Just throw it away and swipe another one from the office supply closet, jeez!

Body for LIFE for Women

Clearly, this book is written for women, thus all information contained within is useful only to those lacking the Y-chromosome. Also, the capitalization and italics repeated each and every time the title is written demonstrate just how much purpose is behind each word. Body. for LIFE. for Women.

Written by Dr. Pamela Peeke, "Body for LIFE for Women" is a lifestyle plan that emphasizes regular strength training combined with cardiovascular exercise, relaxation or meditation, and a sensible diet to achieve and maintain a healthy body composition. It has a very no-nonsense approach to these topics; none of the fun and laughs most people have come to associate with books about diet and exercise.

The diet plan is similar to South Beach, minus the lunacy of the so-called "induction phase" of the SBD. You want a piece of fruit? Go for it! Thank goodness it's changed it's evil ways and will no longer gleefully launch buckets of insulin into your blood, which everyone knows can only result in stored fat. No calorie counting required, just simple portion control and regular meals (it is recommended to eat five to six time per day--no skipping breakfast!). Vegetables, fruits, lean meats, low-fat dairy, and "smart" carbs are the building blocks of your Body for LIFE. That's right--you will learn to distinguish "smart" carbs and fats from "junk" carbs and fats. Amazingly, one will kill you and the other won't... but you'll have to read the book to find out which is which!

Dr. Peeke stresses the importance of at least 30 minutes of cardio 3-5 days per week, and 30 minutes of strength training 1-2 times per week, then delves into illustrated examples of what to do with those heavy metal weight-thingys collecting dust in the corner. The front and back pages of the book are covered with before and after shots of women with body-builder physiques--your proof that it only takes as little as 1/2 hour of exercise each day to be on your way to looking like some scary Amazon chick who can strangle life's daily stressor with her bare hands. You won't even need the chapters on meditation and rejuvenation by the time you're through; you can just go rambo on everyone's asses!

One of the more practical diet and exercise books on the market, with the exception of the miracle results it claims to produce in just 12 short weeks. The fine print reveals that a person "may" need more than one 12-week cycle to achieve notable progress. Or to be able to look at any page in the book without being overwhelmed by the gratuitous use of italic font.

Caribou Coffee Vanilla Latte snack bar

It really does taste like coffee! STRONG coffee. Should contain recommended serving suggestion, "Do not consume while drinking coffee. Or whilest coffee in any form is otherwise present within 25 foot radius. You will be sorry."

The Vanilla Latte bar (not pictured) is dipped in vanilla rather than chocolate as shown above. Only slightly affects the overall flavor, which has enough java bean to ninja storm the Starbucks franchise.

At 140 calories and 13 grams of sugar, this bar is the equivalent of a vanilla latte in more ways than one. The convenient part is that it's in solid form. Mmmm, solid form...