2Old2Play Chi LAN 2008

So, I found this cool camera that lets me take photos from the future. I decided to see if it worked and what better way than to get a preview of the Chi-LAN. I don't want to spoil the fun for everyone, but BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW - cause it is going to be a blast. I will give you one little taste of things to come.

I present - Mike James (Day 1)

Spring Thaws and Classic Gaming at its best!

My girl and I took a road trip yesterday to New Hampshire to check out some VW's that I am thinking of buying. On the way to the first location, we came across tthe scene  below. As best as we could figure, someone had left their car in this shopping center parking lot during a snowstorm. Then, apparently some sleep deprived, perhaps slightly inebriated, plow driver burried the guy's/gal's jeep under the snow while clearing the lot. The crazy thing is, it is now 40 degrees in this part of NH and the only snow left are the huge piles like this left over from plowing. I really wonder what the owner of this car thought or if they even knew what happened to their car. Any YOU thought you had a tough winter!

NO PARKING ZONE

So what does this have to do with Classic Gaming you ask? Well, after checking out a few VW Vans, I took my girl to Fun Spot at Lake Winniepesake. Now if you have ever seen the movie "The King of Kong" then you will know this place. This is the classic arcade where Steve Wiebe beat Billy's "I'm a dick" (whatever his name was) world record for the highest score of all time on Donkey Kong. This place rocks! I grew up in the late 70's and early 80's (yeah, I am getting up there, so shuddup!) and this place brought back the memories. They have just about every classic game that I can remember, and a few that I completely forgot about. And ALL the games still only cost a quarter! So join me on a walk down memory lane.

Here is a row of classic coin-ops including Food Fight, Centepede, Millipede and Dig Dug

More Classics (Anyone remember Vanguard?)

The "Old School" Old School Section

Pong, Burger Time and Gorf (GAWD! I had forgotten about Gorf)

Pengo & Xevious - My girl went nuts when she saw Pengo (can't remember it myself) and of course Xevius rocks.

Loderunner - I remember this one from the Apple IIc, but did not realize that they made a coin-op version.

Satan's Hollow - This one always appealled to my "Burnout" and "Metalhead" side. Fun game.

Karate Champ - This is a game I spent countless hours (and quarters) trying to perfect my spin kick on back in "the Day"

Here is my girl on the "posessed" Donkey Kong machine made famous in "King of Kong". I forgot how hard this game really is. I never got past the first conveyor belt screne (#7 I thinnk).

Another angle of DK and DK Jr.

Star Castle - Now here is another game that I completely forgot about. I spent my share of quarters on this one in my youth. Check out the primative attempt at "colorization" of the screen.

Robotron 2004 - My ALL-Time Favorite coin-op game. I was able to break 350,000 on this yesterday and did not even scratch the list of "All Time Heroes" stored in the game. The high score was over 1.5 Mil!

Tutankham - Here is another game that I had completely forgotten about. Loved this one.

1943 - Now available on XBL Marketplace. Great Game!

Time Pilot - Another recent additon to the XBL Arcade list. This was another of my favorites when it came out. There is just something very satisfying about shooting down blimps.

Phoenix - I had forgotten about this one. I remember playing this alot because it was the only game available at the local bowling alley. I seem to remember wishing that they would just get Galaga, but still played it quite a bit.

Space Harrier - I used to SUCK at this game and still do. I remember this being one of the first "sit down" arcade games that I played as a kid, along with After Burner.

Tron - Spawn of one of the worst movies of all time (or did the movie spawn the game? I can never remember). To this day, I cannot get past the Light Cycle Screen to save my life.

Congo Bongo - I don't remember alot about this one, but do have vague recollections of it from the Popeye & DK Jr era. Someone can correct me if I am wrong on the timing here.

Zaxxon - One of my first "3-D" gaming experiences. Guiding the ship through those holes in the wall were tough (still are).

Frenzy - Now this game reminded me of Berzerk, and I noticed that it was made by the same company STERN. I thought that Berzerk had two joysticks like Robotron, so maybe this was its predecessor. If anyone knows the correct timing on this, let me know.

Contra - I never really got into this game, but  know that there are some Contra fans out there, so this one is for you.

Star Wars - This was another of the early "3-D" games that I remember fondly. The Grahpics were all straight line drawings, but the game play rocked.

Battlezone - What can you say about this game that hasn't already been said? I did see a special on the History Channel that stated the US Military hire the makers of this game to design training programs for their tank commanders - pretty cool!

Crystal Castle - Here is another game that my girl went apeshit over. This game always reminded me of an acid trip. You run around a multi-dimensional landscape being chased by wierd and dangerous "plants" while trying to pick up all the "dots". Hmmm, makes ya think.

Marble Madness - Another game that is available on XBL now. This game used to drive me nuts. It was one of those that allowed you to put in more quarters if you wanted to continue from you last death point. This game was unbelievably hard to me and ate up alot of my money.

Xybots - I save another of my favorites for last. This was what I remeber being the first "truly" 3-D game a la the Doom-type first person perspective. The actual gaming screen itself was rather small (lower right hand 1/4 of the screen), but this one had radar and guns and it rocked. Still does.

Classic Home Arcade Systems

Fun Stop also serves as a the "Classic Arcade Museum" and had some cool new articles and classic home consoles on display. See if you remember these.

Odyssey 400 by Magnovox - I never owned this console, but remember a friend having it when it first came out. If I remember correctly, everything was some variation on Pong (Hockey, breakout, etc).

Coleco Vison - Why did everyone have to have the word "Vision" in the name of their console early on?? I remember the controls on this one sucking. What was with the number pad?? But they were the first to have the classic Nintendo Games, so we had to have this one.

And of course, the other "Vison" - Intellivision. With the same numbers plus thumb-wheel setup, I had a hard time seeing much difference between this one and Coleco, though if my memory is correct, the Intellivision came out first. Correct me if I am wrong on this.

So that is my walk down the Classic Arcade Memory Lane. I hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I did. I stongly advise anyone who is in the New England area to check this place out. And if there is ever talk about trying to get another NE LAN going, this is the place to have it. If the event were scheduled in the off-season (late Fall to early Spring) there is plenty of cheap lodging available. Plus you have the Classic arcade to keep you busy if you get tired of gaming in the LAN. Oh yeah, and they have a bowling alley and a bar on-site. They even have a bingo hall next door for those of you who might want to let your innner old lady come on out.

Waterborn's "Sure Thing" recipe

Fatalvision was looking for good recipes in the "Off Topic" thread, so I thought that I would post my "Sure Thing" meal. I used to prepare this meal for a special lady when I wanted to impress her. Now it is reserved for my girl when I want to show her how much I care (and she always provides the desert! ). Let me know if you have any questions and enjoy!

This particular night I garnished the meal with Kiwi Fruit and grilled asparagus to add some color.

Tattoo Update

Though delayed, here are some close-ups of my tattoos.

The Tattoo one my left shulder was my first. It is an inverted Blue Triangle (representing focus and symetry) with the Left eye of Horus in the Middle (in this case, representing my recent reinvention of myself upon going to college - I was a complete loner in high school). In a circle around the eye are three dolphins head to tail (I studied Marine Biology) Each corner of the Triangle has a Greek Symbol in it (Phi, Delta & Theta - my fraternity in undergrad). At the base of the triangle is a banner reading "en coelo quis est" which is Latin for "in heaven there is rest" which was our fraternity epiteph, though we took this to mean you can sleep when you are dead. I got this tattoo after getting into my fraternity. For someone who never had any real friends up until college, being part of a real tight knit group for the first time in my life was a big deal to me.

My second tattoo, on my right shoulder is a square, a circle and triangle combined. The square represents stability and strength, the circle represents life cycle, rebirth and the cyclical nature of life, the triangle represents focus, being pointed to a single goal. In the middle of the circle is a figure kneeling in meditation. This symbol was the caligraphy signature of Sokaku Takeda, the originator of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujitsu and the "Grandfather of Aikido", a martial art that I study to this day. Over the figure's head is a traditional Japanese wave. These images together represent being calm amidst the chaos of life, a key tenet of Aikido (which literally means "Way of Harmony with the Spirit"). In each corner of the square are the caligraphy for the shinto concepts of earth, air, water & fire. The remaining vertical conji (caligraphy) read as follows: "Aikido" - the martial art of harmony "Kannagara no michi"" - Shinto term that can mean spirit, but more accurately, it represents collective consciousness over time (basically all sentient knowledge ever collected by "the source" or "Gaia" "Shinrai" - trust "Shinjutsu" - truth "Jikogisei" - sacrafice "Satori" - enlightenment "Hi No Ki" - a japenese wood known for its strength and use in shinto spiritual practice "Musubi" - the process of living "Zanshin" - Harmony with ki (or spirit). I got this tatto after beginning to study Aikido. This martial art changed my perspective on many things and taught me that strength is not always what it seems and that sometimes blending with adversity is the best way to beat it.

The third Tattoo that I received was my "tramp Stamp" above my lower back. To clarify, I got this tattoo in 1993, long before the placement of ink in this area was deemed the mark of a slut. Nonetheless, part of blending with the world is dealing with its illogical misperceptions. Such is life. This tattoo depicts another japanese wave, crashing at sunset. The wave is set inside a square celtic knot, signifying how tied to the ocean I was at the time. I lived within a mile of the beach and surfed every chance I got. My girlfriend at the time got a very similar tattoo, but with the square changed into a diamond shape (we both were very superstitious about having identical tattoos). As it turned out, we broke up after dating for two years, so the evidence for such superstiion is yet inconclusive, but swaying towards the feeling that we were right.

My fourth tattoo (one my chest over my heart - picture to come shortly) is a simple japanese conji (or caligraphy) for the word "ai", which means "harmony" or "peace". This is printed in a mirror image, so that it looks backward to those who look at it, but I can read it in a mirror. This tattoo reminds me to try to harmonize or blend/love people when I do not feel like doing so. I have had several people of Japanese decent come to me and tell me that it is backward. When I tell them why, they usually understand.

My fith Tattoo is on my right arm, just below my shoulder. Orginally, it was supposed to be an upper arm band, but I decided against this when arm bands became very popular in the mid to late 90's. The band conists of a snake, wrapped in a circle, biting its own tail. Across the circle are Phoenician letters that spell out a word that I will not disclose (only one other person knows what this word means). Originally, the tattoo was supposed to comemorate a long-term relationship that I thougt "was the one". The meaning has morphed into "Love and pain are forever". I will let you decide why.

My sixth/seventh (done in two parts) and final tattoo(s) (so far) icomprise the big back piece. This tattoo came into my life after a long, drawn out breakup with my girlfriend at the time. To make a long story shorter, I met this girl, fell for her, then fell for her two kids, moved in, became boyfriend, dad and best friend to all three only to have mom freak out after 9-11 (can't really explain why, just know this date changed our lives) and kick me out of the house, out of her life, and worst of all, out of her kids lives. So I guess the tattoo is pretty self explanatory. The original image (the man) was taken from Henry Rollins' book "Solipsist". Henry has always been a hero of mine, and the term Solipsist basically refers to the belief that a person can only truly know ones self, and nothing else. The tattoo represents feeling restrained by powers that I could not control and feeling that my heart was torn out at the same time that I felt my heart was all that I truly knew. The three stars were added later, and represent the three people that I lost from my life at that time. Since then, I have made amends to some extent with the lady in question. We are now friends and I still keep in touch with her kids on a regular basis. This is the only tattoo that I can remember physically hurting. The mind and body are one I guess.

My Tattoos

After reading Fatal Poison's last Blog, I figured that I would post some pics of my own ink. I have seven, each designed by me and each represents a significant moment in my life.

Back Tattoos

The Tattoo one my left shulder was my first. It is an inverted Blue Triangle (representing focus and symetry) with the Left eye of Horus in the Middle (in this case, representing my recent reinvention of myself upon going to college - I was a complete loner in high school). In a circle around the eye are three dolphins head to tail (I studied Marine Biology) Each corner of the Triangle has a Greek Symbol in it (Phi, Delta & Theta - my fraternity in undergrad). At the base of the triangle is a banner reading "en coelo quis est" which is Latin for "in heaven there is rest" which was our fraternity epiteph, though we took this to mean you can sleep when you are dead. I got this tattoo after getting into my fraternity. For someone who never had any real friends up until college, being part of a real tight knit group for the first time in my life was a big deal to me.

My second tattoo, on my right shoulder is a square, a circle and triangle combined. The square represents stability and strength, the circle represents life cycle, rebirth and the cyclical nature of life, the triangle represents focus, being pointed to a single goal. In the middle of the circle is a figure kneeling in meditation. This symbol was the caligraphy signature of Sokaku Takeda, the originator of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujitsu and the "Grandfather of Aikido", a martial art that I study to this day. Over the figure's head is a traditional Japanese wave. These images together represent being calm amidst the chaos of life, a key tenet of Aikido (which literally means "Way of Harmony with the Spirit"). In each corner of the square are the caligraphy for the shinto concepts of earth, air, water & fire. The remaining vertical conji (caligraphy) read as follows: "Aikido" - the martial art of harmony "Kannagara no michi"" - Shinto term that can mean spirit, but more accurately, it represents collective consciousness over time (basically all sentient knowledge ever collected by "the source" or "Gaia" "Shinrai" - trust "Shinjutsu" - truth "Jikogisei" - sacrafice "Satori" - enlightenment "Hi No Ki" - a japenese wood known for its strength and use in shinto spiritual practice "Musubi" - the process of living "Zanshin" - Harmony with ki (or spirit). I got this tatto after beginning to study Aikido. This martial art changed my perspective on many things and taught me that strength is not always what it seems and that sometimes blending with adversity is the best way to beat it.

The third Tattoo that I received was my "tramp Stamp" above my lower back. To clarify, I got this tattoo in 1993, long before the placement of ink in this area was deemed the mark of a slut. Nonetheless, part of blending with the world is dealing with its illogical misperceptions. Such is life. This tattoo depicts another japanese wave, crashing at sunset. The wave is set inside a square celtic knot, signifying how tied to the ocean I was at the time. I lived within a mile of the beach and surfed every chance I got. My girlfriend at the time got a very similar tattoo, but with the square changed into a diamond shape (we both were very superstitious about having identical tattoos). As it turned out, we broke up after dating for two years, so the evidence for such superstiion is yet inconclusive, but swaying towards the feeling that we were right.

My fourth tattoo (one my chest over my heart - picture to come shortly) is a simple japanese conji (or caligraphy) for the word "ai", which means "harmony" or "peace". This is printed in a mirror image, so that it looks backward to those who look at it, but I can read it in a mirror. This tattoo reminds me to try to harmonize or blend/love people when I do not feel like doing so. I have had several people of Japanese decent come to me and tell me that it is backward. When I tell them why, they usually understand.

My fith Tattoo is on my right arm, just below my shoulder. Orginally, it was supposed to be an upper arm band, but I decided against this when arm bands became very popular in the mid to late 90's. The band conists of a snake, wrapped in a circle, biting its own tail. Across the circle are Phoenician letters that spell out a word that I will not disclose (only one other person knows what this word means). Originally, the tattoo was supposed to comemorate a long-term relationship that I thougt "was the one". The meaning has morphed into "Love and pain are forever". I will let you decide why.

My sixth/seventh (done in two parts) and final tattoo(s) (so far) icomprise the big back piece. As I have to run for now, I will update this blog later tonight with the symbolism of this piece. I will also try to get my girl to take some close-up pics of the individual tattoos, so stay tuned.