Now that we have that cleared up let’s discuss these “disabled” people. First off, being fat is not a disability. You are not disabled when you have to ability to change it. I know there are people, none of which read this blog, that have legitimate health reasons for using the chairs AND happen to be fat. But health reasons as a result of being fat should not warrant you taking up the entire aisle in your “I’m too lazy to walk around in the grocery store which is why I CAN’T walk around in the grocery store anymore” scooter. These people piss me off because not only do they generally encompass the entire aisle, not because of their size mind you, because they drive down the middle leaving no room for your shopping cart to squeeze by.

It pisses me off when someone who has made bad choices in their life expects it to affect everyone else. I have been fat most of my life. I have never, not once, asked anyone to make special concessions for me because of it. You can even ask my girlfriend, who is in fact Wonder Woman, and she SHOULD tell you that even after my stroke there are very few things I ask her to do for me. The stroke was my fault. I don’t want pity, just understanding. That’s a whole ‘nother topic.

Bottom line is this: being fat is not a disability. Point blank and period.

*and I realize the title of this post has very little to do with the content but it made me giggle when I typed it.

“And the effects are that exposure to violent video games increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior in both short-term and long-term contexts. Such exposure also increases aggressive thinking and aggressive affect, and decreases prosocial behavior.”

This is a direct quote from the article. I don’t know if its true or not but I am calling bullshit on this. I grew up and, many of you won’t believe this, but I didn’t really start playing so-called violent video games or watching violent movies until I was over 18. I am anti-social as hell. Games had nothing to do with it.

Also take a look at the serial killers of yore. Jack the Ripper, Manson, Berkowitz… you think they were PC gamers or console fans? There is no evidence that any of your “major” serial killers had anything to do with video games. No, generally speaking it whiny little emo bitches or fat motherfuckers with self esteem lower than the current real estate market that are shooting up schools now days.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I still say the leading cause is BAD PARENTING. We don’t TEACH our kids about right and wrong or instill morals and ethics anymore. We don’t teach them the difference between real life and a video game. As a society, we don’t bother teaching our kids anymore. We expect institutions like school’s or local police departments to handle our kids when they get out of line.

The other cause is, perhaps, because your kid is just fucked in the head but I have voiced my opinion on that already.

Look, all I’m saying is this: as parents, govern what your kids are allowed to play/see and teach them the difference between the real world and fantasy. A little effort on your part really makes a world of difference down the road. Use common sense and if you have none, give your kid up for adoption because you don’t deserve the amazing joy and responsibility of being a parent.

These things bother me. It seems today that people are a little TOO proud to be a shade or three redder in the neck than normal folk. The Browning logo on a vehicle is just a red(neck) flag that you may have had “relations” with your sister. This guy doubled down!

BTW I am working on a site called www.PeopleICouldDoWithout.com and it will offer a whole slew of stuff to make you feel better about yourself (it makes me feel better too).

Recently I uninstalled my beloved World of Warcraft and put it on hiatus until the next expansion, Cataclysm, is released. The reason is simple. I was bored. I have played for about two years now and though I am no where near geared in tier 10 (best you can get as of the most recent patch) I do have a max level (80) Tauren Hunter and a decent set of gear. Grinding and farming bore me too so getting those last 4 points in leather working probably isn’t gonna happen either. Just as I had sworn off my beloved game and sought out a replacement, at least for the time being, something happened… I missed it.

Yeah, it’s true that I had only missed it for a couple days but still, I missed it. Even though I only played a couple hours a week if I was lucky, I missed it. I thought back to when I first started playing and the rush I got when I saw new zones and trained new spells. I missed it. I wanted a new experience and being a lifelong (game time anyway) Horde, I did the unthinkable.

I rolled an Alliance toon. Not just any Alliance, a Dranei mage. I have always disliked the Dranei because they’re just not cool in my opinion. I played my Dranei mage to level 7 and realized that the Space Goat was not for me… you see Dranei have cloven hooves like goats and they are aliens… Space Goat. Get it? I scrapped Phogg and went with something that I have always thought was pretty kick ass. A midget, or to be politically correct, a gnome.

By this time I knew I was gonna like the mage class and what could be  cooler than a “little person” hurling fireballs and turning bad guys into sheep? The ONLY thing that would be cooler is rolling a Goblin but that is coming soon enough in the Cataclysm EP. So I rolled my mini-mage and named him Twiix. Like the candy Twix but with 2 i’s. Though I feel filthy for turning to the Alliance to get me through my slump I see the light at the end of the tunnel in which I can switch factions down the road if i choose to keep this little guy. I won’t be a midget any more but I will be back with the Horde. Thats only if I have the patience to level another toon. I know some of you have leveled 4 or 5 toons to 80 and good for you… I have a life (albeit not much of one considering I play WoW in the first place) but I have a son and a baby-mama and I own a business and stuff. I’m not gonna justify my inability to level multiple toons but suffice to say, its not my favorite thing to do.

Anywho, I thought since I am experiencing something new I would share and maybe if you are good I will keep a journal of sorts on it. Later.

BTW – if you want to find me look for Twiix on Bleeding Hollow or if you are Horde my main is Skullspoon and I am also on Beryll both on the same server.

October 11 I had a stroke. I was leaving the local grocery store and I became very dizzy, vomited, etc… it was a stroke. I was rushed to the ER by ambulance, I was air lifted to Orlando the next day in order to prep me for surgery. It seems I had a blood clot in my brain and they were goin’ in.

I spent about 2 weeks in the most depressing looking hospital ever. You know those zombie movies where the hospital is all dilapidated and stuff and you expect a face-chewer to burst in your door any second? Yeah, that’s where I was. For two weeks. October 24 I got to come home.

I have been home now for less than 2 months. If you were paying attention, you would know that Christmas Eve marks 2 weeks since I was discharged. Since my homecoming it has been frustrating to say the least. I spent the first month not able to do very much at all but I have my Wonder Woman of a girlfriend to help me out and I do my best to let her know I love her for it. My son Corey is 5 months now and he puts a smile on my face. In the past 3 weeks or so I have really been improving exponentially and I am back to driving  again. Shh, don’t tell any one, my doctor hasn’t cleared me yet.

According to everyone around me, the major issue now is not whether I can read, or walk or shower by myself but it’s my attitude and likeliness that I will say something to piss someone off. As most of you who spend any amount of time around me lately have realized, I seem like a different person. I went from being a relatively happy guy pre-stroke to sounding like a miserable son of a bitch since. It has been *ahem* suggested that I ask the doctor for antidepressants and I certainly will talk to him to fins out what he thinks is happening. Here are a couple possibilities I have come up with.

First, maybe the stroke caused some chemical imbalance and that has thrown everything off. I have become a statistic just like most people who suffer a stroke and now have sever depression disorder.

Second, maybe the damage to my brain was more significant than the doctors realized leaving me as an evil genius (I have become pretty good at Jeopardy) and put me in a state of perpetual misery and constantly plotting my revenge on Ronald McDonald, Wendy and the King.

Third and my personal pick, I JUST HAD A STROKE and it will take some time for me to get back to everyone else’s sense of what normalcy is. Perhaps I have always bitched about stupid people. the government and anything else that bugs me but I became so good at hiding it so I didn’t upset anyone that it became invisible. Now, it seems that my ability to keep my pessimistic thoughts in my head has been damaged and it will take some time for me to learn to hide it for the sake of everyone else again.

Either way, I am speaking to my doctor about it on Monday and we will go from there.

Borderlands combines a solid FPS experience with a decent RPG (role playing game) mechanic to allow you to modify your character using a “talent tree” set up similar to most RPGs. You can choose from 4 characters, each offering a different set of skills and expertise in weaponry. The game is based around your character and fulfilling missions picked up along the way from NPC (non-playable characters) and other sources. The extensive arsenal of guns doesn’t disappoint. There are many weapons that combine elemental damage such as fire, corrosion and lightning with raw fire power.

Hopefully I have teased you enough to check out Borderlands. Good luck.]

Graphics – 4/5

Controls – 3.5/5

Plot and ambiance – 4.5/5

Screenshots

*After mixing your tuna, mayo and other accoutrements mix in some shredded cheese too. The type is up to you but I have used mozzerella since it melts really well and has a mild flavor.

*Instead of using butter or oil schmear a little, thin, THIN layer of mayo on the outside of bread slices before grilling or cooking in a pan. You won’t need to add any cooking lubricants and it adds a little extra flavor while providing an amazing crust.

• 6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
• 6 paper-thin slices ham (prosciutto is best)
• 1 1/2 cups spinach (chopped)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan (fresh grated is best)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups cremini mushrooms (white button will work but cremini is better)
• 1lb of your favorite long pasta (cooked, I won’t explain this.)

Directions

After flattening the chicken, lay flat and place 1 slice of ham over it. Layer the spinach and mozzarella evenly on each piece of chicken.

Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet lengthwise. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and make sure to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan . Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and add the mushrooms to the sauce. Continue to simmer the sauce over high heat until it is reduced , about 5 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Place the chicken on top of your favorite pasta, I like fettuccine and pour the sauce and mushrooms over the chicken.

Serves 6