Plus if you played F-Zero, there is so much to talk about.  The advantages of the Red, the Green, the Blue car, the music, the tracks though Las Vegas with all the lights and elevated roadways, where you could fall off at any point.  The music alone is worth about 100 words and the graphics, at the time?  Insanely good.  I saw the review and I was excited to read because this defined my middle school years when it came to racing games and playing against friends.

I'm going to go watch some Youtube videos of people playing.  One day I'll add the actual cartridge to my collection.

I'm more of a rock guy so I'll leave out the instrumentals, movie themes, etc.

In no particular order:

Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm. This is the only Michael Jackson cover that is better than than the original song.  It's got great timing and pace and fires me up on cold long runs.

Black Keys - Gold on the Ceiling. This is a rowdy tune that makes me think of heavy drinking in a dive bar with a live band.  It's atmospheric and I picture barmaids with tight shirts and all mix of men, women, and couples sharing the space and just kicking back with life.

Soundgarten - Spoonman. Soundgarten encapsulates 90s rock more than any other band and Spoonman is one of their flagship songs.  Also, they play the spoons.

Tool - Und Keine Eier. This is a song that has an angry man exhorting a crowd in heavy German.  The joke is it's a recipe for "Satan's Eggs," a pastry/dessert piece that is chock full of butter and flour.  We made them and they're incredible.  Youtube the song with the translation.  The actual words compared to the tone is hilarious.  It was a good joke.

Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA.  When I lived in Boston, my wife and I went to the "Michigan" bar to watch college football.  It was the alumni bar for the Wolverines and everyone had that same background in that they all went to school together.  We went every week for free buffet.  We also had the same seats, I got to play the cowbell, and the bartenders knew us well enough to pour free shots of Jose down our throats when Michigan scored.  After the game, they had a set of six songs and Miley was the first one.  I was always drunk, ready to dance, and this song makes me happy.

Brother Iz - Somewhere over the rainbow. My wife connects this song with Dr. Green's death in ER but to me it represents home.  When we lived in Hawaii, she liked Jason Mraz's I'm yours.  But this is my world.

TI - Whatever you like. I like the hip hop that came out of the 2001-2005 era.  My friend who's in the music industry calls it the Golden Age of Hip Hop.  All those songs are fun, they're all high energy, and no one is shooting cops or each for the most part.  TI's song is slow paced and tells it how it is.  He promises a woman he loves everything under the son.  That's love.

Dr. Dre - Next Episode.  Before all these "let the beat drop" songs came into play, Dr. Dre did it first.  The transition and hook were insane.  As soon as you heard, "Hold up" and got the pause, your head bobbed with the beat.  It had to.

Martin Garrix - Animals.  I like techno too and I got made fun of for that fact when I was in Boston.  The energy, the versatility, the speed and depth of Martin Garrix's Animals makes it no wonder it is so popular for clubs, bars, bands, and samples.  It keeps people engaged and flows effortlessly from heavy to light to heavy.

Metallica - Enter Sandman.  There is one reason I like this song.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blzftASduNc  Music is strongly attached to memories and there is very little I like more than college football.  Even if you don't like football, watch the first 1:10.  It's about 50,000 people who have a specific color on their shirt becoming best friends over the actions of 22 strangers in front of them.  The energy builds and builds and these people don't know each other but they're all in it together.  Sports is insane that way.


HONORABLE MENTIONS DUE TO THEIR ATMOSPHERIC NATURE: Blood of Chuchulainn/Boondock Saints theme.  Promontory/Last of the Mohicans theme.  Ave Maria.  Gary Jules/Mad World.  Room of Angel/Silent Hill 4: The room

thenumberone : I disagree that there is a difference between popular votes and electoral college and favoring third parties.

If we went to pure popular elections, Independents, the Green Party, Constitutionists, LIbertarians and *maaaaaybe* U.S. Tax Payers would see more of their folks represented at the lower level but they wouldn't have a shot at the Presidency.  The U.S. loves good guy vs. bad guy, us vs. them, one on one, two foes for one championship.  Our culture isn't that of political coalitions and finding bonds across party lines to form groups for the interest of those involved.

I agree it's backwards.  I think it'd be a while before people broke away from picking Republican or Democrat until they saw a few rounds of elections (12-16 years) start tallying up.

I'd love it.  We have the technology.  It'd make things more Democracy!  Freedom!

I've been fighting a cold with some flu like symptoms for a week and I can't shake it.  I've been out of work because I'm racked with soreness, coughing, fever, and I'm not sleeping at night.

What do you folks do to feel better when you're sick?

Give me anything that works with the exception of 'play video games,' if you please.

Thanks.

For those who are unaware of how presidents get picked in our country, each state has a number of votes attached to it based on its population.  The smallest states, Alaska, Wyoming, Rhode Island, and so on, get three or four votes.  The populated states, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and so on, get 30 to 50 votes.  Here's the deal.  If a candidate (the person running) wins a majority, they get all the votes.  That means Person A can beat Person B by maybe a few thousand votes and they get 50-odd electorial college votes.

It is conceivable that a person can lose a popular election but win the states necessary to win the Presidency.


Does anyone think it's time for a change or should we continue things the way they are?

I have a mix of songs I really enjoy.

Oh Holy Night always makes me think of my deceased relatives.  I had two grandparents, an uncle, two aunts, and a cousin, over the years, die right around Christmas.  It's weird because there are so many other calendar days available.  I hear that song and I take solace and comfort knowing they're all happy and in a wonderful place, smiling benignly down at me, at least when I'm not in the shower.  My cousin maybe.  She is a cousin separated by two marriages and by no means a blood relative.  And she was kinda unusual.  And she was into me.  She'd probably take a peek.

I also that Bells song.  I'm too lazy to look it up but it's pretty awesome.  Ring go the bells!

Before Pearl Habor, we Remembered The Maine! and had a few other rallying cries.  I think Pearl Harbor is going to by the wayside because (a) there aren't a ton of WWII veterans still around and (b) that entire generation is dying.  Their stories stay in the books but the actual memories go with them.

We also have 9/11, our Pearl Harbor.  That is much more recent, only 13 years ago compared to 73 odd years.  If you were 18 during the Pearl Harbor attack, you'd be rolling up 91 years of life on this green earth.

There aren't a lot of 91 year olds wandering around the way there are mid 30 year olds who vividly remember the attacks in New York. 

But we should remember.  It's important because it's such a big piece of our history.  

Also, from a tactical standpoint, the Japanese did put in a wonderful attack.  They did things right.  The events of the 1920s leading up the Pearl Harbor are also fascinating if you take the time to read what led up to Japan's World War II.

I have been to the memorial and I always see Japanese there.  I wonder what they think.  Probably the same thing we think when Americans go the Dome in Hiroshima.

Now I may be arrogant or a little cocky when it comes to how I attack Life but by no means am I self-centered.  My wife's biggest complaint about me is my natural inclination to be overly empathetic and go out of my way to do things for others.  She says I put myself dead last, I put her second to dead last, and I put our daughter somewhere in the bottom 50% because I'm so busy helping others.  This is filling in a work, helping people with their homes, whatever the case may be.

I love to help and I do it because (a) it makes me feel good about helping others and (b) it makes me look good to others.  There is some ego involved when I step up and do things but most people don't care because the work, or whatever, is getting done.

I would score myself a solid 5.0.  I need to start putting my family first but I learned from my dad to always put others in front of you.  I think he got it from Spock in Star Trek when he killed himself so the rest of the Enterprise could survive.  Spoiler Alert: He comes back to life.

Conflict isn't always important to the development of a human being.  Sometimes how people handle easy success (Hey, look at this bag of money that fell off the armored bank truck!) can help a person grow and develop.  I strive to avoid conflict because it usually ends up poorly for everyone and the real skill is diffusing a situation or finding an agreement or solution long before conflict arises.  The anticipation of problems and squelching them before they're problems is much better than conflict resolution.

Saying that, there is conflict because everyone will want their way.  I was in the Marine Corps for six years and if it weren't for conflict, I wouldn't have had nearly the stories I do today.  Of course I'd be different but that's like saying, "If there weren't bicycles, would you be the same person?"  Remove any major aspect of life and you change.  Conflict also doesn't always strengthen people.  I've seen people give up over the stress of constant conflict in their relationships and jobs.  The U.S. divorce rate is over 50% because of the lack of conflict resolution skills.  People would rather quit than find a way through things.

Keep in mind, quitting is a better option sometimes.  There are 100+ acceptable reasons to divorce.

I'm sorry you got teased.  I'm lucky because I'm athletic and proficient at sports.  Being good at a lot of things others care about goes a long way to acceptance.  I was not the most attractive guy in high school but I smiled a lot and talked myself out of bad situations.

I wouldn't go back and change anything directly related to conflict.  There are things I would change if I could but the history is all gone.  I have today to make a better life.

I saw LINE on the list and I laughed.  That's an old Marine Corps training technique that they got rid of at least ten years ago.  I was an instructor during the MCMAP years but combat constantly evolves.  

You didn't have it on the list but I would vote for Wing Tsun if I could.

http://www.mardb.com/wing-tsun/

It's basic premise is the centerline theory, where you can be faster than your opponent if you go through the center of their body.  Imagine four quadrants of the body, with a line bisecting them down the center of the head to the groin and along the torso from left to right.  Each of these quadrants is called a 'gate.'  If an attack comes from a gate, you simply get inside and, extremely aggressive attack until they're defeated.  There's no fancy flips through the air or huge roundhouses and while it doesn't look amazing, it's extremely effective.  There's more with chi sao, which is the feeling of another person to anticipate their attack.  You can feel faster than you can see and you can train yourself to make contact with them,  very lightly, and defeat any attack they prepare.

I trained in Wing Tsun for a few years in Boston and more in Hawaii.  I think it's awesome.  I'll vote for LINE on your list because it preaches the complete destruction of an opponent, nothing less.

I view myself as a light footed ranger type who probably hunts in the woods and defends myself and my little camouflaged hut from long range.  No one can hear me as I stalk through the woods and I have a small concealed garden for veggies I cultivate.  It's just me and a dog and we live happily by ourselves, sometimes playing bandit with folks in the woods, sometimes helping people if they need it.  Whatever mood strikes me, I'll make that choice.  I'm not good or bad, just a human trying to survive.  And I'm good with the ranged weapons.  If I have to close with someone to win a fight, I'll break contact and leave them far behind.

earthwarrior : I'm with you on this one.  There's nothing magical to it.  We're here to continue propogating the species.  We don't have fur, or fangs, or talons, or size, or anything that makes us strong without technology.  We just happen to be the premier animal on the planet.

Life, die, defecate, procreate.  That's all there is, folks.

I'm guessing it's all the exposure to the internet, video games, electronic entertainment, and your computer that doesn't let you sleep.  Your brain is firing away with all sorts of feel good thoughts because you're enjoying yourself right now and you can't go to sleep.

Try this:  Stop all electronics usage at 7:00 pm.  Read a book, do homework, talk to your parents, eat dinner, whatever.  No television, no computer, no phone, no video games, no internet, no anything that involves electronic entertainment.  That way your brain starts winding down and you build the habit of anticipating sleep.  There's no excitement and you calm slowly wind your brain down.

Get into a rhythm that alerts your body to the fact that you're sleeping soon.  If you have a regular routine and you stick to it, you'll do better.

No caffeine after 3:00 pm, by the way.

Good luck.

Welcome to the site.  As a parent of two kid, I hope you find the time to do what you want to do here without ignoring those children you have.  I"m a dad of a 10 month old and I barely have the time to shower, much less be as active as possible.

You'll find your way around.  It's an easy site to navigate and most people are friendly.  I think you'll get a vibe for what we do and how it works.  I don't think I'm a representative of the general population but you can expect to talk about Pokemon a lot.

Welcome!

If you're working on your social skills, you should put this as a higher priority than your other 'event' you mentioned.  Go and talk to people and see them outside of school.  Going to that party will show them you're able to be establish connections out side of school and that's where real friendships are made.

Advice: If you know drinking or eating things, like eating a lot of cake or drinking Mountain Dew, make you wired and go crazy, avoid those drinks and food.  Listen way more than you talk but get in conversations and practice.  If these kids at school invited you, it's because they are curious to see how things work outside of school.

Wear clean clothes, shower before you go, thank the birthday person for inviting you when you get there and thank their mom right away too.  You can even show up when it starts and offer to help set things up.  But relax and if you get overwhelmed, find the kid's mom or dad and talk to them a few minutes.  And go back to it.

Challenge yourself, this stuff is fun.  Develop the skills to enjoy it.

That's a decent piece of writing but it's vague enough to make me unsure as to the objective.  You're saying Life is uncertain, as is us playing Playstation games on Vizzed.com, right?

That's the point?

I mean, in the grand scheme of things, not having PS games available at a specific date ranks much lower in than the tragedy of having your wife killed by a car on her way home from work, or your child drown in the bathtub when you turned to grab soap, or any million other things that are much more devastating.  

If we're busy taking a breath and releasing it and knowing we'll never get it back, why on earth would we waste our time playing video games when we should be having enriching, fulfilling experiences out there in the real world?

Good writing from a word selection standpoint.  As to the actual point of what you're saying, I'm scratching my head.

Boxia : I hope you looked at it from my point of view and ran the other direction.  When girls start talking babies and trapping people into relationships, they have teh crazy in their heads.

Saying that, no one cares of you lie or don't.  If you feel the need to lie to make yourself more popular, go out and actually make yourself more popular.  Learn how to develop relationships with people and practice interacting.  I do so well with social situations at 33 years of age because I was learning how to have friends in middle school and high school.  You don't have to make lists of who your friends are and who your allies are.

Just be nice to everybody.  That is a tough skill to learn.  If you disagree, don't tell them unless they ask.  If you don't like something, don't offer up other stuff.  The real trick to making friends is letting them talk a lot.

Mark Twain once said something like, "It's better to remain silent and have people think you a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt."

Practice.  That's how you get better.  And watch yourself for when you start lying.  Why are you doing it?  To seem cool?  Everyone's doing that.  Just be yourself.  It's okay if you didn't go hang-gliding over the weekend.  Just be honest.  You never have to remember the truth and people appreciate it a lot more.

I was playing my favorite, NCAA 08 for PS1 and I was wondering about the offensive play selections of those of you who play football games?  I expect probably two or three answers.

I like the traditional I formation and I run and pass about 50%.  If I'm feeling sassy, I'll go with Navy and run a triple option and run 90% of the time.

What do you guys do?

The best way to apologize isn't so much to say, "Yes, I made a mistake."  That part is important.  The real way to show you're sorry is to outline a a plan to show them how you expect to get back in the class, get active, and perform better.  Say, "This is why it happened.  Now here's how I'm going to attack this so my grades improve."

Apologizing is good.  Showing you're really sorry by showing how you'll improve is even better.  If you involve them in the school work and show them for a week or two that you're working hard to get back to where you were (And you were telling us how you lead the class grades), you will show them you're making effort.

They'll leave you alone after that.  A parent can't be too mad at their kid.

Good luck!

Human communication is so diverse and so dependent on effects other than verbal, 'gay' can mean anything.  Our tones, our facial expressions, the way we say things and the context is so much more important than the word selection.

"Oh my god."  

Those words, by themselves could mean anything.  Did someone open a christmas present?  Did they win the lottery?  Did they spot an unavoidable car wreck in front of them?  Is their mother dead?  It could be any of those.  It's all based on how they say it.

Gay is a little more constricted because of the specific group of folks it acknowledges.  I have friends who call themselves gay.  Very few gay people I know call themselves homosexuals because they consider it stuffy, too clinical, and it makes them think of times when they felt much more persecuted 10 to 20 years ago.  They don't hate the word but they're much more comfortable saying something else.

I fall well within the boundaries of my culture's "NORMAL," and I'm generally accepted across the board.  I have no idea what it's like so I don't think it's fair to offer any insight on the conversation.  I can say my experiences lead me to believe most gay folks I know prefer the term gay over anything else.  They are outright offensive when they're in comfortable social situations, calling each other queens and ladies and such.  

But everyone has their own comfort.  As long as you're being nice about it, or not outwardly mean, use whatever you like.