Riding with the window down…

Once again the “blame the world for bad parenting” crew is on the rampage. Rockstar Games, makers of the Grand Theft Auto series of video games, recently released their brand new brawling romp - The Bully. In this game, you are a student at the prestigious Bullworth Academy. Rather than killing cops, stealing cars, and shooting rival gang members (ala GTA,) as a mischievous schoolboy, you

My nephew brought his Xbox 360 along for the video shoot and it pretty much rocks. The image here is from Fight Night Round 3… it is a very cool boxing game.

The detail is amazing - from the sweat flying off the brow to the ripple of the skin as you punch it - the visuals rock. Oh, and you can’t forget the blood - haha. It’s enough to make you want to blow a lot of money on a silly video game system. Fun stuff!

I did it… I broke down and finally replaced my stolen iPod. (Article on the theft) I started doing some research and discovered that my cycling miles dropped dramatically after losing my iPod. Despite several half-hearted attempts to get back into cycling, it never really stuck. I was thinking about it last week when I was riding and realized it was boredom that was causing me to stop after a couple miles. I used to not even notice the miles clicking by when I was listening to an audiobook on the iPod.

Sure enough, I loaded up with songs and audiobooks, went out for a ride and knocked out 10 miles before I noticed. I wanted to keep listening but knew that I better not overdo it or I would not feel like riding tomorrow. Call it justifying the expense, but all I know is that I will be out riding a lot more and that is a good thing.

That’s right - The Sims 2 is almost here!

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past decade. The Sims 2 is the sequel to the best selling computer game of all time! This version will feature fully developed 3D graphics, and a family tree. No longer is your sim one age forever… now they go through several distinct ages, toddler, child, teen, adult, elderly - and they DIE! But fear not - your genes will be carried on by your offspring. Children now share traits and features of their parents and understand and maintain complex family relationships. (No more brother/sister marriages) It should be a blast.

Here is what Maxis (the publisher) says about it…

“In the The Sims 2, you direct your Sims over a lifetime and mix their genes from one generation to the next. You set your Sims’ goals in life; fame, fortune, family, romance or knowledge. Give them a long, successful existence or leave their lives in shambles. Take them to extremes, from getting busted to seeing a ghost, from marrying an alien to writing a great novel. Unleash your creativity with the all-new Create-A-Sim, new building options, and the new in-game movie camera. Get ready to mix their genes, fulfill their dreams, and push them to extremes. What do you want to do with your Sims’ lives? “

Sure, it’s a total waste of time - but isn’t that what playing is all about? I am sure that there will be more than one sleepless night spent trying to make my Sims happy.