Friday, April 25, 2008

Something a little different...

Now playing: Andy M. Stewart and Manus Lunny - Freedom Is Like Gold
via FoxyTunes


I was at the bookstore a few days ago and came across "Immortal Poems of the English Language." Intrigued, I picked up a copy and found many a good gem, though it seemed to be missing a few that I really enjoyed. In light of it only being 600 odd pages from about 150 authors, I can see why some of the more prolific poets aren't quoted in full. The "Anonymous" section has proved fertile ground for poems about love, and this one particularly caught my eye.

Love Not Me
Anonymous

Love not me for comely grace,
For my pleasing eye or face,
Nor for any outward part:
No, nor for a constant heart!
For these may fail or turn to ill:
   So thou and I shall sever.
Keep therefore a true woman's eye,
And love me still, but know not why!
So hast thou the same reason still
   To doat upon me ever.


Enough, More Later.
- James

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Since School is fair to middlin'...

Now playing: Cris Velasco - Minotaur Boss Battle
via FoxyTunes

...I'll talk about leisure for a bit instead.

I finally finished the first God of War, and it really is quite a good game. I'd say it covers the "epic" base where Devil May Cry covers the "badass."

The three moments that I knew it was an awesome game are as follows...

- The beginning of the road to Athens, where you climb a large set of stairs to an overlook of an enormous plain where the host of Athens is gathered. And right there in the middle of the battlefield stands Ares, monstrously large, scooping up soldiers by the handful and crushing them. I knew I was in for a tough time when the camera crested the stairway and brought that sight into view.

- Near the end of the game I found myself (that is, the main character, Kratos) trapped by Ares in some trans-dimensional area with my resurrected wife and child, defending them from scores of doppelgangers. And the clincher was that the circle button, which had been used to deliver all sorts of pain to enemies and the occasional (off screen) sexual act (God of War definitely earned its "mature" rating) was now used to embrace his family, transferring some of his health to them in order to keep them from dying at the hands of the evil clones. After a full game of ripping, stabbing, dismembering, and otherwise annihilating scores of baddies, as well as many un-heroic acts on the part of Kratos, I found this tender mode of gameplay very touching, made especially so by the battle going on around his loved ones.

- Finally, the grand finale of the Challenge of Hades in Pandora's Temple: a giant, steampunk minotaur who can literally chew Kratos up and spit him out, all while the amazing soundtrack blasts hellishly in the background. Observe...



Enough, More Later.
- James