The Manic Mechanic

Do you enjoy "first-person shooter" (FPS)-style video games? Like me, have you spent an inordinate amount of time playing FPS games? Do you sometimes get the feeling you are still "in the game" after quitting for the night and your motions feel awkward? Beware, these may be the first symptoms of "Duke Nukem's Disease", a rare and sometimes dangerous affliction that can strike the enthusiastic gamer without warning.

Check out those eyebrows. Is that natural, or is it part of the disease?

Well, today was my last day of work for the year. I did put my name in a pool of those willing to work over the holidays for this one particular program that really never shuts down. I hope that I dont get called in, but at least it would be extra pay, something I really could use. In the meantime, I have a bunch of things to do around here at the house. I also did something I havent done in 26 years - I carried a few remaining hours of vacation time into next year. I usually use it all up, and until recently, it was use-or-lose on a yearly basis. When I was out on disability for the ten months in '04, when I finally got back to work I was informed that I still had my five weeks of untouched vacation to use. I had been off of work, not being paid a dime and had gotten so stir crazy that I was actually miffed at being essentially forced to stay at home again. Being paid for it this go round was not even much of a relief either. I wish I could have carried it over or gotten compensated for it somehow. As it stands, I ended up puttering it all away for the most part.

Weather permitting, I hope to do some serious cleaning and organizing of the garage and hopefully get a chance to yank the transmission out of the old truck and fix the burned-out second gear. Again. This time I will rebuild a spare valve body for it in an effort to quell a pressure creep situation that seems to hold the second gear servo partially applied in third gear when accelerating hard, such as when pulling the travel trailer. I also need to make or buy some racks to hold extra tires for various vehicles that are cluttering the floor in stacks now. I could also use a serious trip to the dump or two or more to get rid of so much accumulated cruft. Since 'retiring' from regular automotive work at the house in '00 after being busted up in the car accident, I tended to allow the garage to get so cluttered up it's impossible to use it as it should be. I have to do something about this, it's been nearly nine years now.

In one last fit of geekgasm, I bought an Xbox360, a deal too good to pass up. Dont ask me why. Geeks like me need no reasons for the silly things we do. Those with the same console, tell me what's good out there.

Jeff is nursing a nasty head cold not unlike the one I had prior to Thanksgiving. Poor guy needs a neti pot or something. So much hoarseness and snuffling. And he's stuck taking it to work with him these next few days. Good vibes and virtual hugs and gropes gladly accepted and forwarded.

Much has been written concerning the new video game from Rockstar Games/Take-Two entitled "Bully". Hell, people were condemning the game, calling for it's banning, etc, before it was even close to release. Well, a lot of these aforementioned people were disappointed when they discovered that the game was not what they were expecting (hoping, actually, since such people thrive on creating controversy). This howling and gnashing of teeth well prior to this game's release is undoubtedly because Rockstar Games is the maker of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" and it's infamous "Hot Coffee Mod" which unlocked normally unseen graphic sexual encounters among the game's animated characters. The resulting imbroglio from parents groups and other conservative dullards resulted in the game being recalled and the scenes removed from the game.

Well, it seems that there is going to be more rabble rousing from the various bully (no pun intended) pulpits as latest word hits the streets of Rockstar's latest controversy: "Bully" has the potential for (gasp!) boys kissing.

Yeah, if teh pixel sex0rz in GTA:SA was enough to ignite the Prude Squad into a hellfire of insanity, then this latest issue to hit the streets is sure to whip them into a giddy froth of potential busybody-ness. Imagine: allowing the players to interact in a non-conventional but plausible, non-violent form to move ahead in the game. Since this method flies in the face of what certain people feel is normal, they are certainly bound the make a mountain out of teenage acne bumps with this one. In the meantime, game sales should be very brisk. You know, that whole 'no such thing as bad publicity' thing.