When it Comes to Gaming, I’m All Thumbs!

Untouchable

Some of my friends and I like to play games. Whether they are on the PC, handheld, or console, we derive enjoyment from kicking back with a first person shooter, or a real-time strategy, or maybe even a racing game.

In the past, this would classify us as geeks, or nerds.

While those monikers may remain (these are sadly basic personality traits for my friends and I), there are far more everyday folk that engage in video-game activity.

One of the problems with this, is that once these people try out a game, and like it, they may not be able to make informed decisions about their next purchase.

Some of them don’t know what to look for and may fall into the trap of buying things on the recommendations of someone with a vested interest in that particular title.

Others make strange assumptions based on the game packaging and buy unwisely.

The end result is that money is unwisely spent.

Couple this horror with the fact that a lot of game sites are filled with ads (I mean, they have to make their money somehow, right?) and you have a recipe for gaming disaster.

Enter Toronto Thumbs, a site dedicated to the Canadian Gamer.

There are no ads to plague you, just honest reviews and editorials.

So check it out! Read some articles and put forward your opinion!

It can only make the site better!

For the Librarians: The Do-Wii Decimal System

The Good

My friend Rebecca came over yesterday for dinner and some Wii-ing.

I met her through Dave’s blog, in the comments section. She was in town a while ago for a convention and we went for coffee.

I suggested she come over for dinner and so that’s what we did.

After dinner we played some Wii games.

Needless to say, my ass was handed to me on a silver platter in Wii Tennis.

The Bad and Ugly

I used to give spare change to homeless people.

That is, until I gave one a generous sum and then saw him walking into an LCBO later that day.

Do you think it’s wrong of me not to give spare change out anymore?

I am a Mayor Pain in the Ass

Help Me Grow My City

I don’t normally get into the habit of asking people to click things. At least not on here.

The links I am posting do not benefit anyone other than me. They will not create world peace, nor will they donate money to the poor.

However, I am pretty sure that nothing bad will happen. No viruses or spam will haunt you, so at least there is no risk of annoyance.

MyMiniCity is a web-based SimCity-type game. Every click (you can only click one option per person per day) grows the city. It’s fun to watch. Like electronic Sea Monkeys.

At the outset, you can only grow your base population. After a while, though, other things are unlocked that allow your city to thrive.

So go ahead, and click already. Barkingtowne awaits…

• Click here to grow my population by one person.
• Click here to expand my city’s industrial sector.
• Click here to expand my city’s transportation infrastructure.
• Click here to reinforce my city’s security force.
• Click here to improve my city’s environmental program.
• Click here to improve my city’s business sector.

Sister Cities

Similarly, my friend Rituro has started his own city.

Show him some love…

• Click here to grow the population of Jeramain by one person.

Elbie also has a rather large metropolis.

But it could always be bigger…

• Click here to grow the population of Elbiville by one person.
• Click here to expand Elbiville’s industrial sector.
• Click here to expand Elbiville’s transportation infrastructure.
• Click here to expand Elbiville’s security infrastructure.
• Click here to improve Elbiville’s environmental program.
• Click here to improve Elbiville’s business sector.

The End is Nigh

Good Thing We Get to Start Over Again Tomorrow

That’s the wonderful thing about our species. We are so fixated on redo’s that we created a cyclic calendar.

Seriously.

Some medieval jackass probably screwed up things with his wife and invented a calendar to allow himself to achieve redemption.

But enough about my theories of history…

What was this year all about?

Challenges.

Moreso than any other year, I would say.

Certainly last year, the year of Two Thousand and Suck (as coined by Dave), was a challenging year.

But this year was insane.

Let’s review things that I have learned…

• When they say that contractions are a certain amount of time apart, they are referring to an average, not that every contraction is exactly five minutes apart.
• If your first baby arrives after four hours from the onset of active labour, you should consider preparing to have your second child at home.
• The strongest friendships weather any storm. Even ones thrown at you by the devil himself.
• Sometimes you find a new friend where and when you least expected it. Most likely closer than you might have imagined.
• While friendship is the glue that binds us all together, WhyNattes is the solvent that melts away life’s problems.
• Having a child makes you want to live forever.
• No matter how little you change when you have a baby, almost everyone will treat you differently. Sometimes this is good. Sometimes this is bad. Just be ready to be considered different.
• Life is never as bad as you think. And while it could always be worse, being passive about improving it is stupid. You need to get your hands dirty.
• I never get to see the Biologist, Turtle Woman, the Mife, the Blife, or Farley and Company very often. But we’re all still close, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
• I do get to Manchu with Shatton on a regular basis, which is awesome.
• Achieving a Black Belt is more about sacrifice than hard work.
• Achieving a Black Belt while landscaping your back yard is not only tiring, but probably idiotic.
• Grandparents are fueling the housing market. Seriously, if you have ever had the thought where the hell are we going to put all of these presents?, you’ll know why the suburbs are so populated.
• Toronto Thumbs is awesome. And not just because I write for it.
• No matter how awesome your spouse is, if they get you a Nintendo Wii for Christmas, they will become creatures of legend for the duration of your natural life.

Not really a long list, but I don’t want to get all teary-eyed on you.

This has been a year of learning and wonder. I wish you all the very best for the New Year.

May you make all of your dreams come true.

MehWii Christmas!

Luckii

I thought my wife was tops for our collaborative Little J project.

Apparently she has iced the cake with a little electronic device that I was trying to figure out how to save up for next year.

While not so outwardly demonstrative, you can bet your bottom dollar that what I’m doing on the inside kinda looks like this…

Just replace the words “Nintendo 64″ with the words “Nintendo Wii”.