On The Subject of Comfort Levels

Here we see Shoko feeling comfortable enough to risk getting pinkeye from her cat's butt.

Okay, so I haven’t published a lot of my writing about games, or really anything, in recent months. The truth is, it’s really pretty rad. I’ve been able to dance and run more. I’ve been playing through my PS3/PS2 backlog. I built a gaming computer. Next month I’m hopping back into photography with a new fancy camera. Things have happened. Things are happening.

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My Feelings On Public Displays Of Holding Hands

Oh no, but what will the public think?

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Demon's Souls: A Five Year Journey

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As I Lay Dying ... From A Salad

In the event I do survive, this will function as an ill-written eulogy.

I just received a call from my local Giant Eagle while eating the last couple bites of a salad. Here’s what they said, as I heard it:

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Season's Beatings: Velocity -- Oct. 14th - Oct. 16th

Just thought I'd make my obligatory, annual post about the best damn fighting game tournament on Earth. Well, at least in my eyes, and I wear glasses, so that's like four! This weekend in Columbus, Ohio the sixth installment of the Season's Beatings fighting game tournament will be held at MoMo's. I will be holding a MadCatz stick in one hand and a DSLR in the other. If you can weed through the 700 hundred-plus, attendees, say "Hi!" I promise I'll greet in return.

*Disclaimer: I owe a great deal of credit to Godlike Entertainment and the Season's Beatings events, because it made me realize where I wanted to go with my writing. It made me value the fighting game community. So that's why this is especially important to me.

[After the break: Weekend Schedule, Live Stream link, and Photos]

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Commercial Break: Ira Glass On Creative Writing

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

My job is pulling every ounce of energy out of my body. So I better get these in while one eyelid is half-open. I'm not the biggest fan of Ira Glass, but I do appreciate his views on writing. I think his writing is better than his speaking. Since I'm always thinking of ways to tear down my writing [the stuff you see on this site, it's usually deleted three times before an actual posting], I thought it'd be best to look up someone I know is talent, yet I'm not particularly fond of.

I got this. This works.

Thanks to Current.tv 

Protesting From A Gamer's Perspective

Good luck protestors, I hope your motives are honest and true.

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Things I Did While In San Diego...

Visit La Holla beach, but remember to mispronounce "La Hoya" to "La Holla."Before we get into the details of one of the greatest trips of my life, I think I should send a tremendous thank you and shout out to Jesse Cunningham and Lea Stretch. Without them this trip wouldn't have been as great as it turned out. There are a lot of things that happened on the trip that clearly won't fit in any blog post, but hopefully I can get some of the finer points right.

Below are some photos and bulletpoints of the wild ride that was San Diego...

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The Brog Is San Diego Bound!

Well, I guess I've never surfed before. I guess I could do that...right?

That's right guys and gals, thanks to the small success of this site over the years, I've actually been able to save some cash and take this dog and pony show on the road*. You may remember a little dedication video last year made by friends of the site, Lea and Jesse. Well I'm visiting them and eating up all their refrigerated food.

It'll be a five day adventure starting this coming Thursday. Here's the deal. I'm kinda documenting this whole trip in some fashion or another [audio, video, but especially photo]. I kinda don't know where I should go or do. Out of the five days, I've got about a day and a half-worth of business to handle. That's about it.

It's San Diego, where people go, prior to going to heaven. I'm also fairly sure the latin of San Diego translates to "Heaven's waiting room." Don't quote me on that. So I've started an initiative, which is rare for me considering how my offline life is completely at odds with this whole trip. If you've ever visited or ever wanted to go to a certain place in San Diego, I'm your man. I'll also venture up to L.A. for a day, but it's really all about San Diego people.

Send me your suggestions via the comments below or my Twitter feed. I'll keep checking my timeline, this site, and in the coming days, a similar post is going up on Couchbound.

If you know of any odd spots, restaurants, dancing places that don't cost a fortune to get into, feed me with those suggestions. When I return, I'm sure I'll have a story to tell.

*Note: There will actually be no ponies involved, but several dogs.

Personal Note: So I Went Home To Cleveland This Weekend

I use to wonder why I got beat up so much in elementary school. It's because my high-top fade was unmatched!

Sometimes you just gotta go home to get some perspective of where you are.

I seldom give people I personally know, a glimpse into my personal life. Not to mention you kind folks who only exist in an online capacity. Consider this post and that horrifying image above, a rare occurrence. I've been writing about games, movies and other odd interest for a while. Three years ago, I decided to bring my talents [or lack thereof] to this very blog you're reading. 

As a result of my need to make some kind of connection to people, while keeping them at an appreciated distance -- opportunity struck. I've been fortunate to write for a handful of sites and make a little pizza money on the side because of it.

Photography gigs popped up and more writing opportunities followed. I began to start believing in whatever manufactured hype, that only I see in this little corner of the internet. It took me going home to Cleveland to celebrate my mother's birthday to slap some sense into me.

I was already heading in to this trip with an ominous black cloud hanging over my head. My fully functional car managed to get more problems thanks to a visit to my local mechanic, leading me to spend hundreds of dollars that I didn't have. Which lead to less gifts for mom and a son feeling -- inadequate.

There is still something so powerfully male and dimwitted about a guy, almost thirty years of age, thinking he's proven himself in life and is fit to present an image as a provider. Luckily, last week's misfortunes lead to this week's, I'd like to call it, article of clarity.

My rambling is getting ahead of the events of importance.

So, I'm good and broke going into last week. Feeling nice and inadequate. But there needs to be an event that pulls this man-child out of his comfort zone. The fates, karma, several religious entities gathered at a round-table [I'm sure] and decided, "What could further emasculate a man who seems to to be taking for granted his recent small fortunes?"

How about a break-in?

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