Hey now!
So, you think you're greener than I am when it comes to gaming?
Then you've got another think comin', mister!
I'm so green, I could run around in the nude on St. Patrick's Day, and be completely pinch proof!
Ummm...
Wow, sometimes I even creep myself out.
*Cough* Moving on: I'm a big proponent of the whole "Reduce-reuse-recycle" philosophy. The vast majority of my collection is second-hand, which means I'm REUSING stuff that others have, in a sense, RECYCLED by directly selling to me via yard sales or indirectly via thrift stores. And by selling or donating, they've REDUCED their stock of unwanted games. Heck, I do a little recycling of my own with some reselling here and there, which generates my favorite kind of greenery.
And need I point out that the whole reduce-reuse-recycle deal also lessens the impact of our carbon footprint on... something or other. Actually, I don't fully understand the mechanics of the whole "carbon footprint" deal, so I'm probably talking from where the sun doesn't shine in this instance. If only I hadn't lost the number to Al Gore's direct line; I'm sure he could explain it to me...
But, what about supporting local small businesses? Hey, you can't get a smaller, more local business than a weekend garage sale just down the road! Fortunately for me, I reside in a region that usually has decent weather year-round, with sprawling suburbs that range from lower-middle to upper-middle class. These conditions provide a lot of opportunities for good deals, and a wide range of selection on Saturday mornings! Which, sadly, I've been unable to take advantage of lately, 'cuz I work Saturday mornings... *SOB*
Hey, you know what? If I expand the scope of "local" to include the San Francisco bay area, and throw in a few BIG businesses-- because hey, why not?-- no one's closer to the action than I am! There's Namco Bandai Electronic Games Inc. in San Jose which, according to Google maps, is 15.9 miles away from my front door. Then there's Redwood City some thirty-odd miles up the peninsula, home of Electronic Arts Inc., Konami of America, and Capcom USA Inc. Just beyond Redwood City is Foster City, where Sony Computer Entertainment of America is based. Then it's on to the city itself, where Sega of America has called home for over a decade after moving from Redwood City. And we mustn't forget Atari, which came into existence just a few miles up the road forty years ago.
And while they're neither exclusively nor directly involved with gaming, I mustn't forget eBay and NetFlix, both of which are a mere eight-minute drive away from me. Speaking of driving: I've delivered pizzas to both of these places on several occasions back in the day, and neither of 'em were very big on tipping. Just an FYI...
And speaking of pizza: I am well aware that Chuck E. Cheese's was founded 'round my neck of the woods. Man, are you guys really so jealous of my greenness and locality that you'd throw that in my face? Sheesh-- grow up, willya!
In all seriousness, however, I really do support the reuse and recycling of game software and hardware, though not exactly for noble reasons. Basically, I'm a cheap@$$, and will add just about any game of interest to my collection if the price is right, regardless of its cosmetic condition. All that matters to me is that it plays properly. That isn't to say that I won't trade up-- or is it level up?-- for an item in better condition if the opportunity arises. I do have some vanity after all.
I also support a local business-- an e-waste recycler, no less-- also for less than noble reasons. Thanks to a conversation I struck up with one of the company's managers at a garage sale, I'm allowed to look through their stock of wasted stuff for spare parts... so long as I have e-waste of my own to, er, "exchange." haven't found much yet, but at least I have an avenue there.
Anyhoo, I wish you all a happy Earth Day. Stay green my long-haired tree-hugging compatriots!
Oh yeah, and keep it on channel 3.
'Late
Hey now, everybody!
Here's a poser for you: what is the significance of today's date?
That's right: Shigeru Miyamoto is celebrating his 59th birthday!
(Well, technically, he celebrated it yesterday. Freakin' International Date Line...)
But even more importantly: one year ago today, I signed on with this motley band of lunatics and hell-raisers that is the RF Generation. Somehow I managed to go a whole year without gettin' the banhammer. Which, considering my past experience with message boards, is no small feat. I guess I just wasn't tryin' hard enough...
Never the less, I think it's only fair for me to acknowledge and give props to the fellow 'Generators who have had the greatest impact on me over the last 365 days:
Although I've conveyed my gratitude to him many times over--and not just because I'm trying to stay on his good side--I gotta give it up yet again for Shadow Kisuragi, who effortlessly fielded my endless stream of questions about submissions and DB rules with a high degree of casual professionalism. But best of all, he introduced me to GameCenter CX. And just when I thought I'd never watch a TV show on a semi-regular basis ever again...
Izret101 and Tynstar were also a big help on several of my submissions, so don't think I forgot about ya's.
Thanks to CrabMaster2000's "Unloved" blogs, SingleBanana's Atari 2600 retro reviews, NoiseRedux's shmup recommendations, and Scarper's Game Boy write-ups, my wish list is perpetually full and my disposable income nonexistent. Now if that isn't what friends are for, then I don't know what is.
Special thanks to James, who struck a much-needed blow to my ignorance by letting me know the volume of a proper pub pint, and setting me straight about the whole zee-zed deal.
HungryMoose's console and cartridge cleaning tips proved quite helpful and effective. Though I must admit I balked at a few of them initially. My apologies for doubting you, good sir.
To Blkblskt and Phoenix1967: OLD-SCHOOL OLD-SCHOOL OLD-SCHOOL OLD-SCHOOL NYAH-NAH-NYAH-NYAH NEENER-NEENER-NEENER! Heh.
Oh, and how could I forget ReddMcKnight, RF Generation's most prominent Power Glove proponent? I couldn't, that's how. Perhaps that highly-maligned peripheral isn't "so bad" after all...
Speaking of which: I applaud The Maligned Leon for finding the courage and conviction to kick his vuvuzela habit. You, sir, are made of far sterner stuff than I could ever hope to be... er, made of. Oh, and I'll try to to be a better drunken fill-in for you the next time you head off to "Canadia" for a spell.
I also mustn't leave out ixtaileddemonfox, the first fellow 'Generator I traded with. I'm sending a little something your way in the next couple weeks, so be on the lookout. Consider it an early Christmas present...
And last but hardly least: a toast to Bickman2k, the first RF Generation denizen to invite me to be added to his Yahoo and MSN IM lists. I'm not exactly sure why you'd wanna converse with me outside the confines of RF Generation, but I'm grateful none the less.
Here's to the next 365 366 days. Which, with a little luck, will be eventful in all the right ways...
'Late
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