I know my blogs have been coming few and far between. But until this point, I couldn't really find anything to blog about. That, obviously, has changed.

In the past week or so I've gone on a gaming spree. Since my graduation a few weeks ago I've been able to step up my gaming hours, completing all 3 Supreme Commander Forged Alliance Campaigns and beginning to play online in said game. Soon after that I was contacted by a friend of my step father's to see if I wanted to game with him. We discovered that the only game we had in common was Team Fortress 2, though he had CoD4 for the PC. So I decided on an impulse to buy CoD4, through Steam. It is definitely much more fast paced than the it's console counterpart. Atleast in my opinion. There are some other incentives to owning the pc version. I'll be going to college this fall and my father wants to eliminate "distractions." What does this mean? No Xbox 360, no gaming PC (besides my laptop.) But now I can still enjoy my favorite modern shooter wihle at college, of course only if I have the time.

More game buying insued after I won a (highly disputed) clan election over at the Guardians of World Order. (Anyone interested in a multi-game clan feel free to PM, we have a WiC division currently, as well as a Metal Gear Solid division for you console gamers. It provided a little excitement in the fact that the previous Prime Minister didn't want to give up power and banned/deleted myself and my supporters. A good time for all us clan members. Who knew gaming would involve such petty politics? Anyway, power was restored and we're moving forward. Talking with several clan members throughout the election "situation" lead me to be interested in several other games my fellow clan members are playing.

Thus yesterday I bought Battlefield 2142, Company of Heroes, and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. So far I love CoH, the combat is intense and the game flows very smoothly. Battlefield 2142 is definitely an experience. Coming from BF2 I expected more of the same, but for some reason it seems....more deadly. In BF2 I could generally hold my own, but I seem to be...target practice...in BF2142. I don't really understand why that is. Much of the gameplay seems the same, but time will tell. Unless of course one of you want to hazard a guess.

Not to be forgotten, I've also begun playing Team Fortress 2. I have to say, I love it. At first glance it didn't seem like the game
I would like, but it's easy of use, and relatively short learning curve have combined to draw me in, causing me to play for an astounding 12 hours in a week. It really is a fun game.

So now that I have all these games to play, and a lot of time on my hands (Really, the only thing I plan to do for the next month and half is play golf and game. The life, is it not? Well, here's to hoping my golf game improves.) I plan to do some reviews for them, while they are fresh in my mind. This will be my first attempt at reviews so please. when and if you read them, keep that in mind.

Also, for those who care, I am still writing that Supcom fanfic, though at a slightly reduced pace.

Well, I think that is it and with that I leave you with this question:

Don't these two look related?

and

Click pictures for bigger size.

I recently set out to write a fanfiction for the Supcom Universe. One of the key decisions of the game is when Riley denies Clarke the ability to retreat to the Prime UEF worlds and forces the story to revolve around Black Sun. This is my attempt to show what may have been a different outcome from Riley's decision.This is the first chapter of my project.

I would greatly appreciate feedback, both mechanics and grammar wise, and story wise.

Chapter 1: Restructuring

EarthCom HQ, Earth. 01 August 3844 06:00:

Samantha Clarke had pleaded with Riley in an effort to reverse his decision to defend all the UEF worlds. She simply didn't have the resources to defend them all, and the Aeon looked to be starting a new offensive in the Quarantine Zone. In the end there simply was no other way. Riley simply didn't understand the complexities of defending all the UEF worlds, it had been so long since he had commanded in the field and the pressure of the war was taking it's toll on him. He simply couldn't function objectively anymore. Clarke thought hard about what she was about to do and queued her mic and uttered the code words that would set in motion events that would alter history forever.

Presidential Palace, Earth, 01 August 3844 06:30:

Colonel Zachary Arnold wasn't use to urban warfare, but then again, there was almost never a need, the core worlds almost never were attacked, even up to this point, they were too well defended and too deep in UEF controlled space for the Aeon and Cybrans to reach and the outlying worlds were sparsely populated and combat occurred almost exclusively in the remote regions of those planets. This was different, here he was smack dab right in the middle of the cradle of humanity, Earth, engaging in a fire fight with the Presidential Guard. Arnold opened a com link with EarthCom HQ

"Arnold for Clarke" he spoke. "Hold One" the communications officer replied, transferring the call over to Clarke's office. Arnold shifted forces to exploit a breach in the outer defenses as he waited for the call to be transferred.

"What is the situation Zach?" Clarke asked as the link went through. "The Guard isn't going to go quietly ma'am, they simply wont accept a peaceful resolution with the new government" was the answer returned to her. Arnold's attack had been the first stage in a coup to unseat the Federation's government. The Senate had been the second target and was much easier to capture due to it's close proximity to EarthCom HQ and the recruit barracks located there,, the guards there were there almost exclusively for show, unlike the Presidential Guard, which was one the most highly trained organizations in the whole UEF.

"Well wrap it up as quickly as possible, most of the other loyalist commanders have been rounded up, Riley is the only one that hasn't been taken in. But then again we always figured this would happen. Keep me in the loop, Clarke out" the transmission ended.

Arnold opened another com link to the forces under his command, "You heard the lady, let's get this done." A squadron of Janus bombers flew overhead and deposited their munitions inside the Presidential compound, they must have hit something thought Arnold, because a massive mushroom cloud billowed up. It would be a long day, but the Guard was outnumbered and Arnold was the best commander this side of Sol.

Brackman's Lab Complex, Minerva, 01 August 3844 07:30:

"Elite Commander Dostya, you are requested to meet with Dr. Brackman in his lab, the matter is urgent" blared the loud speaks as Dostya reviewing the previous week's operations. She quickly moved down the corridor to get to Brackman's lab, it wasn't everyday that she was called into the room. Brackman was a private fellow, mainly using the com system to talk with his "children." QAI was also located in that section of the complex so that Brackman was continuously in loop of all events. When Dostya walked into the room, QAI was already in the middle of its briefing and analysis of the events as they were unraveling.

"At exactly 06:00 this morning, a coup was initiated at the highest levels of the United Earth Federation High Command. My analysis has determined that there is a 70% chance that the coup will succeed and that General Samantha Clarke will be the next leader of the UEF."

"What will this mean for us?" the question came from Mather, the only other commander in the room. "It means that we can expect the UEF to dramatically change their tactical and strategic doctrine in the coming weeks." replied Dostya. "This is not good my children, not good. QAI had calculated out the outcomes for the next few weeks, but now they are worthless. Oh my."

Brackman's holographic image paced back and forth as if searching for a response to this extraordinary turn of events. Silence enveloped the room only to be broken minutes later by Dostya "We must cancel our planned offensives then, we don't know how they will effect the current situation that is now in development, but we should keep our operatives on standby to exploit the situation as it becomes clearer."

Cybran commanders across the galaxy stood down and could do nothing as the situation on Earth and across UEF space continued to be confused.

War Room, Imperial Palace, Seraphim II, 01 August 3844, 07:45:

"We must not hesitate!" boomed the Avatar of War. A debate had been raging among the Council of The Way as to how best to respond to the cloudy situation developing inside the UEF. "We should approach the new government with a stance of peace!" shouted one of the council members while others shouted out their advice.

"We should provide covert assistance to the current government so that the stability that has been working in our favor continues!" Yet more counseled instant action, a deep thrust into UEF space designed to take advantage of the current power struggle their enemy was involved in. The Avatar was a member of that faction and wielded almost unchecked power inside the organization.

Almost. Evaluator Toth, the Princess's person envoy to the council, was speaking toward the benefits of launching a limited offensive instead of the far reaching, and extensive offensive promoted by the Avatar. Toth smirked ironically at the fact that the seemingly stable Aeon government had become upset the by power struggles of another government. The current factions were more closely related to their parent empire than anyone, besides the UEF, wanted to admit. In the end it came down to a vote, the Avatar was granted his wishes and a large, and ill-advised according to Toth, offensive was set in motion to attack the UEF while they were engaged in their civil war. The Aeon were on the war path yet again.


Presidential Palace, Earth, 01 August 3844 11:23:

"Colonel Arnold, we've breached the 2nd to last defensive wall sir!" the transmission declared. Arnold changed the view on his command console to view his support commander's attack. Lieutenant Michelle Aiko was an up and coming young commander who showed great promise and was currently being mentored by Arnold. Arnold, while bothered at first by having to "babysit" the commander, had grown to like Aiko's performance on the battlefield.

He opened a com link to Aiko's SCU "Alright, move your forces to the right side of the complex and prepare for the final assault. I'll move my forces down the center while a diversionary air attack comes in from the west. Be prepared to move in after the air strike commences."

Arnold selected his stockpile of fighter bombers and heavy gunships and directed them to attack the ground defenses on the western side of the palace. His air superiority fighters flew CAP over the outlying battlefield making sure that no reinforcements could make it to the palace, and so that no one could escape the palace. His armored group of Titans and Pillar tanks was in its staging area waiting for the final assault to begin and for the first stage of the coup to come to a close. The last vestiges of the Presidential Guard had holed up in their final defensive position near the main residence of the sprawling campus. They were going to make their final stand in defense of their president. For them it was the end of the line, however gallantly they fought today, they would not survive. To many forces were arrayed against them.

The final attack came hard and fast. The fighter bombers swept in killing targets of opportunity while suppressing AA fire. Broadswords moved in and hit the major groupings of enemy armor and point defense. Guard units quickly moved to the west wall to repel any attacks that may take advantage of the weakened state of defenses on that side. Unfortunately for them, moments later, Aiko's forces penetrated the East wall and moved to hit the last remaining sources of power for the facility, and just as they did, Arnold's armored column smashed into the South gate, effectively rolling up the crumbling defenses. Within minutes the last major resistance faltered and strike teams moved into the palace to arrest President C. Allen Riley III.

As they searched Arnold opened the com link to EarthCom HQ yet again. "Inform General Clarke that major resistance has been eliminated, and Riley is under our custody." Cheering broke out briefly in the command room, but quickly died. There was still so much work left to do yet.

EarthCom HQ, Earth. 01 August 3844 13:00:

General Clarke was overseeing the consolidation of the defenses of the UEF forces. They were plotting the retreat back to the core planets. No longer would the UEF be forced to defend hundreds of planets while the Aeon and Cybran forces could launch attacks with impunity. President Riley would not allow her to put such a consolidation into effect so Clarke had had no other options than launch a takeover of the government. She could not place her faith in the Black Sun project and hope that Riley's gamble would pay off.

Now she could coordinate her way, using the strength of the UEF numbers and technology just as the USSR had done during the Second World War so many years ago. She would draw in the Aeon and Cybrans and bleed them on her defenses and launch a massive counter offensive when the time was right. It was only a matter of time before the UEF would able to make it's own attacks with impunity.

Clarke walked toward the command center and spoke "Get me General Hall, tell him I have a new job for him."

Well now that Obama has been picked as the nominee in waiting for the Democratic party we can move onto more important political issues.....like who is going to be VP on the winning GOP ticket this November.

Hokie's top 5 Vice Presidential picks:

5.Fred Thompson:

While not going to balance the ticket age wise, Thompson is a well known figure from his role in Law and Order and recieved some publicity during his abortive campaign for the Republican nomination this year. He served as the Chief Republican Counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee helping to uncover the Nixon scandal and served as Senator for Tennesee from 1994 till 2002. His age and percieved lack of energy will most likely disqualifiy him from the ticket unfortunately.

4. Sarah Palin:

The Governor of Alaska, Palin is viewed as a big reformer and is supported by most conservatives. She's worked the standard republican agenda in Alaska, focusing on education and helping the Alaskan economy and energy industry. Having her on the ticket would be a great way to reach a diverse range of voters and could help out with the female voter base.

3. Tom Ridge:

The former governor of my home state, Pennsylvania, Ridge was the first ever director of Homeland Security, holding the position until 2003. He comes from a working class background and is a Vietnam War vet, same as McCain. His background in the Pennsylvania could swing a few northing states into the Republican camp. Pennsylvania hasn't been won by a Republican nominee since the first Bush in 1988, Ridge could break that trend for McCain.

2. Bobby Jindal:

The current Governor of Louisiana is only the 2nd Indian-American ever elected to Congress. He is a Republican's Republican voting the usual party line. Many in the conservative base like Jindal, and especially like the way his youth might balance the Ticket with McCain. A McCain-Jindal ticket would be seen as a way of changing politics as usual, like Obama seeks, while having experience in this level of government, unlike Obama who is seen as weak in the experience front.

1.Colin Powell:

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Secretary of State, Powell has experience in military operations and foreign policy. He could be seen as a guiding force in the effort to stabilize the situation with the War in Iraq. Unfortunately, Powell seems to have a taken a step back from politics and away from the current Administration. In my own opinion, I would have liked to see him run in his own right, but having Powell on the ticket could negate any play on race in the election.

*Note: These are my own observations and opinions. May not be reflective of the current political climate.

Recently I started looking around for a laptop to buy that would fulfill not only my college/educational needs, but also, to some extent, my gaming needs as well. And I know.....there isn't exactly such as thing as a gaming laptop, but one can make due with what one can find.

The one I recently bought is a HP entertainment laptop and so far, with the limited gaming I've done, it's working out okay. It has 3 GB of RAM, 250 GB hard drive, nVidia 8600m video card, running Windows Vista SP1 and has a 2.4 Duo core Processor. All in all I think this is going to work out, it's powerful enough for both my gaming needs and for what Virginia Tech requires.

Well I decided to create this monstrosity in order to fullfill the tag John1918 placed on me.

For the record, there are a few slip ups that occured while the movie was compiled, 2 of the photos got deleted, those were the files for the Top and Middle shelf of my bookcase, for all of you that just *must* see it, the links are:

Top: http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/UEF-Hokie/3-29-08047.jpg

Middle: http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/UEF-Hokie/3-29-08048.jpg

Tags: Electron, Essi, And Desh. Don't feel compelled. If you want to do it, great, if not, I understand.

Also, I created this new sig would like your thoughts.

Well it finally came and is almost official.

I will be part of the Virginia Tech Hokies' Class of 2012. This is the goal I've been working toward basically since I was old enough to start thinking of college. My step-mother handed me the package, and I was so nervous I couldn't open it, had to grab the scissors to tear it open. Afterword, my dad came home from work only to discover that there was Champagne setting out on the counter, he finally saw the papers and described the feeling as "getting into college himself." We were all pretty happy.

Anyway, that's my simple story for now, and happy Easter to everyone out there that celebrates it.