Joy-joy, then

Hey, I just realised a reader who doesn't know about the second paragraph of this might think I'm posting about Jamie Pressly's character from "My Name is Earl". Ha ha... no.

So now to post on a lighter note. Following with the theme of a previous entry, I have now successfully played through The Force Unleashed, and managed to evade the dreaded Default Text Glitch. One might jest it became scared of my incepient hypergraphy. Loved the game, although the Sith Saber Flurry technique still elludes me, and I must master it to pass on the sith trials or Lord Vader will have my head for failing him! Sorry, I might have overdone it a bit. But the whole concept of being this force user who uses the force not only to plow through the endless hordes of rank and file foes as we've seen in previous games (i.e., Jedi Knight, Knights of the Old Republic) but also interact with the environment on a whole different scale than previously observed (i.e., Jedi Knight. A game of reference indeed) is quite awesome. That and the new ways one can use the Force to dismiss his enemies. For example, Force Repulse allows you to pretty much use Force Wave from KotOR, but exactly when you'd like, not in a turn based scenario, but I suspect you wouldn't find much difference there. So in comes the great flexibility and ingenuity that allows you to combine Force Grip with just about anything else you'd like, according to the situation. Feel like taking out the hapless drone you've just grasped along with all of his buddies? Infuse his body with Force Lightning and watch him explode all over them. Knocking them over good enough? Just flong him with the stick. neet it to hurt? Use Force Push and hurl him like a cannonball. Or, if that's the last of the bunch, drop him down the nearest conveninet chasm. If one can't be found, how about impaling him on your lightsaber? Oh fun! And what would be of a game without boss fights? Fear not, boss fights and mini-boss fights aer there, and with a somewhat spectacular twist. Whenever you're faced with something big, such as, say, a Rancor or an AT-ST (or any of its derivates, made for this game, it seems), after you've bashed it a bit with whatever, you get a chance to perform a finishing move, pressing certains buttons at specific times. While some (Yahtzee!) may advocate against the use of quick time events*, the chance to split an AT-ST down the middle or scrunch up an AT-CT (the C stands for construction) like a sheet of paper is quite satisfying.

Right, after that almost endless paragraph of joy-PAIN!, let's get to some other joyous matters. Recentely, I decided to try another little morsel of Americana that's managed to seep into the scrutiny of the civilised side of the Atlantic (oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend the civilised portion of the western coast of the Atlantic, i.e, Canada. Ha Ha! How do you like that? Oh, alright, and Jamaica, to be fair...), and ever since it has been Peanut Butter Jelly Time, albeit not with a baseball bat or a football cap. I've been aware of the Americans' predilection for this particular type of sandwich for just about as long as I can remember, but never before had the urge or even will to try it. The tipping point? I can't really place my finger on it, but Dr. Robert Chase (known to his parents and his lovely former fiancee as Jesse Spencer) fixing himself one at the doctors' lounge after the very evil Detective Triter froze his bank account might have something to do with it, as would Dr. House stealing half of his colleague Dr. James Wilson's at one time. One must trust Dr. House's judgement! Right? Now, for all the praise Wikipedia, it still refrains from recommending any jelly or jam in particular, hence my most recent poll, and the results do seem to align to my personal preference, so I'll stick with it, for the moment.

Keeping with the culinary concerns, something else I've been delving quite a bit lately is bacon. I got an induction hob to make up for my lack of a functioning stove, even though pretty much all I cook is scrambled eggs (I don't cook that often either... I also make pasta occasionally), and the bacon seemed like a logical, no to mention archetypal, choice to go with them. Naturally, I've tried it on the frying pan, with quite satisfying results. Then, of course, right before my microwave tragedy, I tried microwaving the bacon, with surprisingly good results. For one, the most a great deal of some of the fat just spurted out and onto the plate, which seems like good news, meaning I'd reduce my fat intake by a few tablespoons of grease (by the way, does the soap recepie from Fight Club really work? I have quite a bit of grease just waiting for the wasing up...). Now my new microwave (oh, yes, it's working now. I got a replacement part from a similar model at the supermarket. I'm not taking back the pox, though.) has a grill feature, and I've tried grilling the bacon. For one thing, it didn't make it curl up into tiny bacon crisps like the standard microwave setting does, but then it seems to start to burn the bacon before it's thoroughly crispy and as lean as it was before. So, here's my request to you: how dlo you prepare your bacon? I'd really like to know.

Pax vobiscum atque vale.

*ArabianShark would like to point out that, as Lord Yahtzee himself has stated before, although Yahtzee does tend to go off at the mere mention of Quick Time Events, he is not against them altogether. In this case, I think even Yahtzee would agree that they are used sensibly and adequately, since they don't just pop out of nothing, aren't essential and do somewhat contribute to the gameplay. Now if only someone could explain Mr. Codename Starkiller (Master Lucas must have had that stuck in his throat for over 30 years now...) that it is perfectly acceptable to jusp up, do an aerial burst of Force Lightning and, force points allowing, do another before he lands. Or some saber attacks. That would be nice...