My Life

2008 was dubbed a difficult and historic year for the United States, but it was also a difficult year for myself. But 2009 is the year for change. A change in myself, and hopefully a change in the world we live in. I'm not an Obama fanatic but I think its quite obvious that our nation needs change more than it needs anything else at this moment. With the stock market in decline and job losses at an all time high, I think everyone can do for a little change, myself included. Though Im not a big fan of making New Year's Resolutions, here are a few for those who need some ideas.

1.) Love a little more, hate a little less. The Beatles once said "all we need is love", and this statement could not be more true. Help out a neighbor, friend, or a complete stranger. Be there for someone when they are in need, donate clothing or items to the needy. Love yourself, your family, and your neighbors.
2.) Change up your life. Even if you think it is going perfectly smooth there is always something that needs to be worked on whether its with you, your loved ones or your household.
3.) Break an addiction. As hard as those are to break, make it a resolution to give it an effort. This will bring change to your life and others around you.
4.) Weight gain or loss. For those that are lucky enough to be able to put on a few pounds, snack on a Twinkie or something! This seems to be the most popular one for a lot of people who want to change the way they eat, they exercise, and function in their daily life. Grab the Wii Fit instead of that Xbox 360 controller. Go for a walk, bicycle ride or just play with your kids outside.

I'll leave you with the lyrics from 2Pacs song "Changes". Happy New Year Everyone!

We gotta make a change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy 2009,
  Brad Young
backdraft123

It's twenty after seven in the morning here in Ohio on a Sunday. Why am I up so early? My beagle, Sassy decided that she wasnt coming out underneath the bed last night so I let her sleep down there. She decided it would be best for me to get up at 6:45 A.M to her loud howling. So I get up, and think to myself "she doesnt need to go out, so maybe she wants in her cage?" She didnt want that, but that is what she got. Waking me up at 6:45 after I just hit the sack at about 10 till 3. So now Im not really tired, Im sort of hungry and Im curious as to how my day is going to fold out. It will probably end up with me watching football and playing video games all day again while I wait for a phone call from a friend or two. Maybe my brother, who is in state for just a couple more days before he heads home to Colorado will give me a call to catch up over some lunch or dinner.

The only games I've really been playing are GoW2 and NCAA 08. I've been playing a lot of horde actually and was able to get to about the 11th or 12th stage with a group of guys I didnt know. Not bad, concidering I havent used the mic yet to communicate. Im running through campus legend mode again in NCAA 08, this time as a QB and am really struggling to actually pass the ball. I have it set on Heisman difficulty but I think the computer is already pre-programmed to always win and for me to somehow blow the lead late in the game. I think it would be best if I quit playing it for a bit and popped in a new game and started playing that. I need to finish getting the achievements (again) on COD4 which got lost when I finally hooked back up to XBL. It's weird how that worked out, because I didn't lose any of my achievements in Mass Effect, but did loose some in Bioshock. So I might just be forced to play 2 really outstanding games...oh darn. Alright well I think this is long enough. I'm gonna go raid the fridge for some food and turn on Sportscenter to get my day started. Im waiting for my mom to get up too so I can get some coffee in me, I have no idea how to work that thing.

-BD

For the first time in over 5 months I am actually updating this place I call a blog. It once used to be your place for the latest game reviews from a true gamer, but now it's got about 12 inches of dust on it and a lot of old memories when I used to have fun playing video games all freaking day. So, what in the world have I been up too? Well, college....a break up....a fraternity....getting grades up....and some video games here or there.

College, its awesome. I love it. I love the dorms, hangin out all the time, doing whatever I want and uhh...partying of course. Beginning of the semester my girlfriend at the time and I decided to end our relationship, which took a huge effect on me and pretty much everything I did. That's all history and mushy and this isn't the place to discuss it. Bottom line, I'm the same guy, just went through more shit that made me realize A LOT of stuff and mature rather quickly. I also joined a fraternity (Lambda Chi Alpha) met a lot of new people, new friends, new lady friends and have been officially initiated. Gotta have love for my brothers! After going through the break up and nearly quitting on school all together I finally pulled my head out of my ass and got my grades up. Finished this semester with a 2.8 which isnt too shabby concidering I was aiming at like 2.4 at midterm.

As for video games...well lets just say I havent gotten a new game since LAST Christmas. Yeah, Mass Effect is my newest game. How sad huh? I just borrow my friends games, so if you see me playin Gears of War 2 or Guitrar Hero III or some crazy crap like that...it aint mine! Im currently staying back in Ohio until January 11th then I'll be back at Ball State where the chaos will ensue. Im stoked to get back, but at the same time Im stoked to be here seeing all my old friends and hangin out. Thats about all I got for you right now. See you all around!

-BD

That is right my friends. The ONE and ONLY BD is back in the saddle and ready to rock on XBL. Some of you may have noticed me on XBL over the past couple days, and I know you are all just dying to know whether it is true. I am here to confirm it. Actually, I was at a friends house and was able to hook up XBL and get my 1 month free trial going. I'll be moving into my dorm on the 20th and will be there for awhile. I'll look for you online in either Halo 3 or COD4. I missed a lot and have been lacking in the gaming news. As for this blog, it is still receiving upwards to 200 hits a day so its going strong. :) Im a college kid now so we'll see how much time I have to leave some entries. See you guys online!

-BD

The hiatus continues. Oh, how i miss my days of Xbox Live. Just recently I finally sent my 360 in for repairs to see if they would fix it for free. Im not covered under warranty but maybe, just maybe out of the goodness of their own hearts, the folks at Microsoft will fix it for free. My hopes are not up for that one. I've missed a lot of playing and really miss playing some H3 online and COD4. Just when i was starting to get really good at it, I cant play it anymore. Other than that, I havent been up to much. I hope you all are enjoying your time on XBL and with your 360. Hopefully i'll see you soon!

Well if you received my messages last week over XBL, it has finally happened. Our interne, phone, and cable have all been shut off. We still have basic cable so i have died of boredom just yet. I will be away from XBL and the general gaming world for 2-4 weeks and hope to be back soon. However with this absense from Xbox Live I can get a lot accomplished in the single player games. COD4 has finally been completed. I am now a member of the Mile High Club, and I did without a girl and a tiny ass bathroom! Apart from COD4 im going to continue to play NCAA08 and probably NCAA Basketball 2K7 as march madness nears. I think i'll also dive back into the Game of the Year; Bioshock and have another go at its achievements. So, without XBL i hope to get a lot accomplished and catch up to some of you other gamer score whores! --BD

                                      

In case you need reminding of who SUPERGHOST is, you can find his previous interview here. I catch up with the man they call SUPERGHOST and talk games.

Remind the viewers where you acquired the infamous "SUPERGHOST" gamer tag.

"SUPERGHOST" goes back to my Dreamcast days. Every time I tried to pick a cool login name it was taken.So, in a moment of inspiration 'SUPERGHOST' popped into my head. I like ghosts, and I am super! Been my handle for nearly 8 years!

There have been some great games on the Xbox 360 so far. Which one would you say is the most over hyped and why?

I would say Guitar Hero III, clearly it has been a huge financial and critical success but, to me it is being overshadowed in nearly every way by Rockband. I think both can co-exist, but the bar has clearly been raised! Also, GHIII is being overexposed,did we really need 2 GH's last year? And where is the DLC? Oh its on Rock Band!

Are you still gaming on your 30'' Samsung HDTV Wide screen?

Yes I am. I have tweaked the settings to the point where I am still quite satisfied with the picture, but I would be lying if I did not want to upgrade to a 1080p LCD monitor in the 37 to 42 inch range. But money is always an issue.  I did upgrade my sound to the Pioneer 5.1 system licensed exclusively for the Xbox 360! It is pretty cool!

                                    

                                      

You've played quite a few games. What would you say gave you the most challenge to complete?

Each game has its moments, but I will go back to my classic Xbox and talk about Panzer Dragoon Orta. When I finally beat that game on the normal skill level, I got up and did a dance!  True story.

Last time we did an interview, you said Halo 2 was your all time favorite game. Does this still hold true?

I would say no, so many great games and gaming experiences have happened since then. Gears of War, Assassin's Creed, Halo 3, Portal, Oblivion, Call of Duty 2 and 4, Bioshock, The Darkness. I could go on and on, but picking just one, I don't think I could.  Just like trying to pick a game of the year in 2007.  Not so easy. I would add one thing, so much is being made of PS3's Little Big Planet, but we already have Forge on Halo 3. Think about that one!

BD: "You tell 'em Ghost!

Are you a supporter of making Xbox Live free or do you believe its worth every penny? Much has been said about Sony PS3's "Home" feature and how it's supposed to rival Xbox Live, and it will also be free of charge.

Good question. On one hand free is good, on the other I do not mind paying for a service that is offering a great experience. Should PS3's service rival or surpass Live as it is today, MS had better have an excellent counter. Wether it be servers or some other top secret project. I believe competition in this case can only be a good thing for both services, and in the end, the users like ourselves.

We are 3 years into this generation of gaming. It wont be long until we start discussing the next generation consoles. What would you like to see in Microsoft's next Xbox?

Well, I hope I don't have to see anything for at least 4 more years. But, what  I would like to see is Microsoft continuing with their overall connectivity mantra. I want user-created content to be available from day one, not just a good promise for the future. Also I would like to see the 360 community to continue to evolve and grow the service and truly make it our own! (and Halo 4).

What do you like to do besides gaming?

Well I have two young children so I like to spend time with them and my wife. I enjoy walking, and reading, and the occasional 'social call' with my friends. Gaming is pretty big deal for me though, I have been maintaining my Xbox blog for nearly 3 years now, before that it was Bungie.net, now I am dabbling with twitter and a space at 1UP.com.  I also take insurance courses and have been working my way towards my designation in that industry.

 

Many thanks goes to SUPERGHOST for taking the time to answer these questions. As mentioned above you can find his Windows Live Space here, his Twitter here, and in case that isn't enough and you want to be an uber stalker, visit him on 1up.com.

 

--BD