10,000 g's

So - I passed 10,000 gamerscore points on my beloved xbox. That's a pretty decent return I think. Of course, looking at my achievements, I've got around 2,000 of those from Oblivion and Fallout 3 combined...

Don't tend to get many achievements in sporting games, as I tend to play one team, for a whole season - case in point Madden 09, my Steelers team need one more win to make the playoffs, but it means I haven't mined all the achievements for 'running 200 yds in one game with McGahee', as I never play as the Ravens. Same for FIFA 08, I've no interest in playing the same game over and over again in order to complete 15 tackles without conceding a corner. I'd rather guide the Saints* to European Glory.

Mostly, I get achievements for finishing games, my favourites, Oblivion, Fallout 3 (just downloaded the Pitt - going to see what happened to Heinz Field), Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4 and Viva Pinata.

Here is me and my xbox...

* Don't laugh!

One Third of a Triathlon

And only a novice one at that...

8 miles (and only one serious climb). Feeling pretty chipper. Old commute to work in London was 7 and a bit miles, so this shouldn't be too taxing. The hill (Rouge Rue) is a steep one though, and it is right at the end, so will probably be ready to collapse after that one...

Here is the course:


View Larger Map

Glad I'm not swimmin and running as well. Sort of.

Fallout 3 (or, as expected, OCD in disk form)

I'm addicted again. Along with the 150plus hours I spent playing Oblivion, a fair few of which was spent arranging my magical swords and armour in my castle, I've got the collecting bug again. Fallout 3 is simply brilliant (also broken in many ways, but we'll ignore most of that) and has me traipsing around another online world collecting things.

(spoilers ahead - maybe)

I've played through once, saved the world and all that, so now starts the serious business of finding things, unique items, sets of armour and so on. Luckily (or perhaps not) the game is full of easter eggs, like the Rube Goldberg machine, the crashed alien spaceship and the dog to keep me going.

Having played through as goody two shoes (no really, someone in the game called me that), it seems to be much easier to just kill everyone and steal all the cool stuff, so that is what I am doing currently.

Still, I wince occasionally when I make it back to my flat in Tenpenny tower and look at all the loot I've accumulated (I've arranged it on the shelves...).

Ah well.

Books Etc...

I have a weakness. Tis well known by anyone that has seen my collection (and the two sets of removal men who have recently had to shift the whole lot across the channel.)

I like books.

Specifically, buying and owning books and keeping them on shelves in series order. Wheel of Time, 1-11, Farseer / LiveShip / Tawny Man Trilogies and so on.

Imagine my reaction then, when cycling down a lane this afternoon to stumble across this:

Picked up Children of Hurin for a very reasonable 50p (and also something by David Gemmell, as I only had a pound note* on me).

So I shall likely be in trouble, after all, my books are all currently in boxes as I have nowhere to put them, and I'm just adding to the problem. Oh well.

* Another good thing about Guernsey - pound notes, none of that heavy coinage round here thank you!

Unemployed!

Momentous day today. I'm not at work. I am in fact at home. And currently, I have no definite plans to return to work*.

There's an entirely rational explanation for this of course, Mrs Spacmonster and I are moving to Guernsey (my ancestral home and all that) and me being me, I don't have a job to go to. So, whilst the missus is busy working away already, earning a crust to support me in my joblessness, I'm still in London, packing up the flat.

Course, getting all of our gear into movable order, is pretty much the hardest day's work I've had in a while, in fact probably since the last time we moved house, and I haven't even had to move the giant piece of slate yet.

Still - I had time to do this, and I've nearly finished The Force Unleashed so it's not all bad...

* I am looking for a job. Honest.

What type of Gamer am I?

Apparently, according to www.mygamemug.com I am a Helping Hand. It says a lot (generally nice) things about me based on the answers I gave to about 30 questions.

Not sure I agree with all of it though. Seems to suggest I don't like FPS's. And that if I did end up playing one on line, I'd probably be all helpful and supportive. Course, anyone that's seen me play Call of Duty will know that I tend to charge screaming at the opposition as soon as the game starts - usually getting myself very killed in the process.

But - then again, perhaps Brigadier General Spacmonster's tendency to get himself killed very often because he's not watching where he's going very carefully means that I don't take the game at its competitive value, for me, it's fun, and if TrickyWooToo kills me 3 or 4 times in a row because I keep running at his hiding place (becuase I know he's there see...) before I figure out how to get him, it doesn't bother me.

So anyway perhaps it's not %100 reliable.


The Helping Hand

Deliberate Sociable Fun Veteran (DSFV)
Generous, helpful, kind...a few of many positive attributes people see in you, the Helping Hand. Nothing satisfies you more than helping your teammates or friends out in all the games that you play. You may even look to assist people in some cases if there is no one around asking for help. In fact, the enjoyment that you receive from helping people rivals that of solving a puzzle, winning a battle, or achieving a hard objective in a game.

Heavily social intensive games tend to be what you enjoy the most although you can probably find something to take pleasure in with most games. For instance, if you happen to find yourself in a competitive first person shooter, you'd probably take the support class. We recommend you stick to games (and crowds!) where people will appreciate you more; these include more casual gamers seeking fun and excitement from games rather than the serious competitive ones.

Home Alone

Sniff. I am all alone. Just don't know what to do with myself. Play some games? Make myself some sort of rudimentary snack?

I could re-enact Risky Business?

Anyway - any ideas welcome, got a couple of weeks to fill, before the big move.

Peanut Butter

Anyone who knows me, will know I have a penchant* for butter of the peanut variety. Especially, it has to be said the freshly squeezed variety. I first experienced the amazingness of freshly made peanut butter on a visit to the states, where my sister took me to Wholefoods in Pittsburgh.

There they had a machine, where you put peanuts (or cashews, or macadamia nuts or any nuts) in to the top, flicked a switch and watched as yummy peanut butter came out the bottom into a waiting container (or straight into my mouth...)

I was stunningly happy when Wholefoods announce they were opening in Kensington (near where I currently live), and that they brought their peanut butter machines with them. (Seriously, go their and try it, its the ultimate in nutty buttery goodness.)

So - about to move away from London, and away from the source of peanut heaven, you can imagine that I've been feeling glum.

Until today.

Step forward the Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Machine...

Wants it so badly. Look at the peanut butter, glarghrlghrglgglgrrrrrrrhrhrhllglhgr.....

* Some may say unhealthy obsession.

Found on Boing Boing Gadgets

Face Your Manga

Been having a play - what do you reckon:



Pretty shiny eh?

Face Your Manga

My xbox is not happy...

Speaking of green - I guess this is what I get for going away for a while and ignoring it!


As long as it leaves the axe alone, I suppose I'll be happy. Should probably get round to playing Braid though.