Sunday, November 16, 2008
Firstly, I want to thank everyone for making the first week of OS Arena an extremely successful one. As expected we had quite a few bugs at launch (some still remain) but thanks to the support and enthusiasm shown by everyone the launch went off like a dream.
This week, we're hoping to be able to add a few new things to OS Arena. They include:
Overall Update Button - I have to apologize about this one as I had originally promised it would be available last week. A few important bugs came up that stopped it from getting completed. For those of you who do not know what it is, the Overall Update Button will allow you to update your OVR whenever you desire. For information on how your OVR works you should read this blog post and also check out the FAQ on "My Card" page.
Advanced Scouting Reports - Currently everyone has a Scouting Report on their main arena page designed to show you your last eight activities on OS. This week we plan to add the ability for you to track your friends' activities as well as see a complete list of archived activities. We'll also be including filters that allow you define what type of activities you want to keep track of. For example, if you just want to see blog updates from your friends then all you need to do is check the "Blog Updates" option.
Blog Comments in Notifications Area - We've had a number of requests to add a notification for whenever you receive a comment to one of your blog posts. As well as adding this, we'll also be displaying all blog comments on your Chalkboard allowing you and your visitors to see all of the comments you've received in one location.
Chalkboard Quote Option - A number of people (Steve in particular
) have mentioned that when a conversation is carried out from one chalkboard to another it can often become very confusing for an outsider to understand what is being talked about. To resolve this we plan to add a quote option to Chalkboard replies that when checked will display a quoted version of the original comment in the reply.Do you have something in particular you'd like to see added to your Arena? Let me here about it by commenting on this blog post.
Friday, November 14, 2008
- Top 11 Video Game Endings
- Video: CEO John Rogers Takes On Michael Jordan (And beats him...)
- PlayStation Network Video Content Update
- Vick's lawyers say their client expects to play in NFL again (Would you take him for your team?)
- Video: RBI Baseball - Bunt Home Run
- Astronomers capture first images of new planets
- Shaquille O'Neal's hero gives abuse victims a way out
I completed Gears of War 2 yesterday. It was EXTREMELY frustrating during one specific part near the end of the game, but after countless retries and cursting at myself, I finally made it through. The only thing I can't stand about the game, is how the "teammate" rarely comes to "rescue you". Man, there were a few times my man was right next to me, watching me bleed to death. Oh well, now it's time to take it to the next level, since I hear it's a great game online. I'll have to hook up w/ some of you cats.
Pistons turned up the D in the 3rd, then Sheed got a tech and started to bury 3's. Dude is hilarious. Tay was gobbling up some boards last night man. Dude can defend anyone, unless his name is LeBron James, but can anyone cover that man? BTW, that center the Warriors have, Be-a-drunk, is a great free throw shooter.
I need to get my haircut today, so I can look silky smooth over the weekend.
What's up with you?
- QOTD: Have any plans this weekend?
tgreen06 (35), FootballForever (30), Bornindamecca (30), Millennium (29), Vgmastr (27), digit4lcowboy (27), LilLowe (22), BTB (22), TootSweet (20)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
- Wii gathering dust? Not so, says Nielsen survey (If it weren't for my daughter, mine would be.)
- Nintendo reveals early 2009 lineup, Mario & Luigi 3 in Feb.
- Bolt Demo Available Now for Download
- New Wii browser planned
- No access to Wii Speak Channel without peripheral
- Ask Men's Top 99 Women 2009 Nominees
- Knight to call hoops games for ESPN (Chair throwing, not an option)
- Hands on: PlayStation Home shows potential, still needs work
- Video: Zero Punctuation: Fable 2 (If you haven't seen these, you need to start now, Thanks TC!)
- Verizon schedules Storm for November 21 release, $199.99 on contract (This is my next phone, thank you very much!)
Looking forward to the Pistons/Lakers game tonight. It was good to see the Stones finally get a win w/ AI on the squad. Should definitely be a good test against the only undefeated team in the NBA. How about that C's/Hawks game last night? Amazing. And Shaq throwing around Rockets like ragdolls, lol. Classic.
What's up with you?
- QOTD: What game(s) are you currently playing?
JuKayes (37), Ron Artest (29), soxedge (27), greyfox142002 (22), avrbas, SHaynes23 (21), elTodd (20)
Look at it this way... if an average OS visitor receives 5 PM's per day and the time saved per reply thanks to the Quick Reply box is 2 seconds per PM, that is an extra 10 seconds per day that you will have back. That is 3650 extra seconds per year which equals exactly 1 hour!
Question of the day: What are you going to do with that extra 1 hour I've just given you?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
- Gears of War 2 (Just started earlier today)
- Resistance 2 (Haven't unwrapped)
- Saints Row 2 (50% complete)
- GTA IV (Barely played it)
- Fallout 3 (Finished the first part, now just completely lost.)
If that intro gets your blood pumping for NBA Basketball, then this blog is for you. I was born in 1981 so my fondest memories of the NBA are in the 1990s. From the early 90s Pistons and Lakers teams to the Bulls domination of the mid 90s. The famously boring Rockets/Knicks finals in the 94-95 season.
From the Orlando Magic and my home team, the Charlotte Hornets exciting teams of the mid 90s to the Bulls and Jazz in 1998.
For me, the decade of the 90s was the pinnacle of NBA basketball on television and for style of basketball that I enjoyed watching. I still watch the game today, but in my older age (27) I don't find it nearly as appealing.
When I think of the 90s NBA I think of the Mega-Stars.
Michael Jordan
Isiah Thomas
Magic Johnson
Dominique Wilkins
Tim Hardaway
Karl Malone
Hakeem Olajuwon
David Robinson
Charles Barkley
Patrick Ewing
Shawn Kemp
Larry Johnson (pre-back surgery)
I could go on obviously ... but even the role players of the 90s stick out in my mind. Sedale Threatt, James Edwards, Vinnie Johnson, Horace Grant, Wayman Tisdale, Jerome Kersey, Dell Curry, etc.
I just have a love for that era of NBA Basketball and while I know I'm not alone, I wonder a lot of times if it keeps me from enjoying the game of today as much as I could.
As I type this I'm watching the Blazers @ Heat play on ESPN, or more like listening to it behind me. I recognize the great players of today, but I don't get the same enjoyment from the game as I did in the 1990s.
I'll leave you with another video from YouTube of the NBA in the 1990s.
Update: After a slight hiccup it really is fixed now... I promise!
I was called back fairly quickly and given an X-Ray of my jaws. While I was waiting for that, I was given something for pain - Helicon I think? I don't know, but it didn't help. I waited another 15 minutes or more and then the dentist came in with his assistant (she was cute). The dentist proceeded to shoot my gums up with several shots of numbing agent and I waited again for 5 or so minutes.
As I was in the chair, almost getting bored really, the dentist comes ina nd goes to work on me. He prys my mouth open and starts pulling my bottom right wisdom tooth with what felt like pliers. A lot of pressure and discomfort here, I can't lie. The he gets a scalpel(?) out and starts digging the tooth away from the gum and out from under my other teeth. It was a fairly quick procedure and he was done in literally less than 10 minutes. Then he did the same thing on the other side and we were done! I was up with a mouth full of gauze and walking out to pay my bill.
I did that and then got in my car and drove home although I was told not to. Reason being is because I was 100% in control of myself and I didn't live but 4 blocks away, less than 2 miles.
Well now I'm home and the Novocaine has worn off and I can feel the holes they left in my mouth. I'm tasting blood and I'm not enjoying the gauze everywhere but other than the pain in my lower mouth, I'm very thankful. It was not nearly as bad as I had feared.
I was prescribed Keflex to keep any infections away and given a prescription for Vicodin 5/500. That stuff might as well be a sugar pill to me, so I got some Vicodin 7.5/1000 from a friend who had hernia surgery.
All in all I'm doing a lot better than I thought I would be right now and I'm glad that the wisdom teeth horror stories were not true for me.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
We are now taking nominations for the best looking arena.
Take a look around and reply to this blog with the URL (address) of the arena that you think has the best looking trading card and custom background.
You cannot nominate your own arena and you can only make one nomination.
In 48 hours the 3 arenas with the most nominations will be put up against each other in a poll where the winner will receive a video game of their choice (any console).
Start nominating now!
Washington.
What does Washington have going for them right now sports wise? Lets take a look at the main sports in the state. NFL,MLB, NCAAF, NBA and NCAAB.
NFL:
Remember when Chris Berman selected the Seahawks to give Holmgren one more super Bowl trophy? I do, however that dream ended faster than Chris Johnson's 40 time. The Seahawks are a woeful 2-7 (and tied for second place in the NFC West
). It looks like Seattle will be picking up a top 5 draft pick next April. So let us start the debate now, Crabtree or Stafford?MLB:
116 regular seasons win seem so long ago, but then when they lost to the Yankees in the ALCS that year even then it felt like a long time ago. Now let me think of some positive things about Seattle's season. King Felix is still good. Ummm, and then there is, well, maybe you could make an argument, or not, yea, ummm, did I mention King Felix is still good? But we did do something no other franchise has ever done! We became the first team with a payroll over 100 million to lose a hundred games! Hell Yeah!!!!! Wait....that is bad....kind of like their whole season, their worst ever.
NCAAF:
I remember almost two decades now when UW was a powerhouse year in and year out, now they have yet to win a game this year. I also remember in the early years of this decade the WSU Cougars finished in the top 10 three years in a row! We even took out Texas in the Holiday bowl one year. Now they have the worst scoring offense and worst scoring defense. They have given up 60+ points in four games this season. They have won one game against the Divivion II weak sauce school of Portland St. Sad I know. I can't wait for the Apple Cup. I predict a 20-20 tie, anyone disagree?
NBA:
The NBA is not so bad in Seattle, we have Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook(big woop!) rebuilding our team into a contender again! With draft picks and cap space up the *** we may have a shot and getting to the playoffs soon! I'm excited, hell yeah I am.....oh yeah. I forgot, we don't have an NBA team anymore. **** Clay Bennett. I was praying for a 0-82 season for the OKC Thunder, but that dream has also been squashed. Heres to 1-81!
NCAAB:
Ok now in all honesty this year could be solid for us Washingtonians. We have possibly the best Gonzaga team in a long time. When I say best, we have multiple people talking Elite Eight if not Final Four UW has Jon Brockman who is a savage and could lead the team to the NCAAs by himself. WSU will have a down year, but they still have an outside shot at the Big Dance, if not the NIT won't be too terrible for the Cougar babies. If you want to stay on a sad and bad note the EWU Eagles will be terrible again. Ever since Rodney Stuckey, and even with him, Eastern has been terrible. They have not made the Dance since 2004 as a 15 seed, which they were tied at halftime with OKST. Now let us see if the Eagles can break into the Big Sky tourney they missed the last couple of years.
Well there you have it. Please give me another year from another team that is even as close as disappointing as the year of 2008. Kudos to anyone who can think of one.
eckoefx
R.I.P Seattle Supersonics
Good job, OS admins! (Ok, so I'm on staff...but I had nothing to do with this. It's just good!)
Some of you will have already seen their OVR update today, while others are still stuck on a low score, even though you have added numerous videos, blogs, friends etc.
There is a perfectly logical answer as to why this is so, but I must warn you that it is a rather technical one. So if you're not into technical stuff then I advise that you turn away now and just sit back and wait with my promise that your OVR will update today.
Ok... for those of you who are still with me, here is how it currently works. Your OVR is calculated for the first time ever at the moment your Arena page is first loaded. In most cases this will be the point in time when you first accessed your Arena, however for some of you it may be an earlier point in time when someone else accessed your Arena. Either way, at the point in time your Arena is first accessed there is a time-stamp placed on your user account. Once 24 hours pass from the point of the time-stamp your OVR is once again updated. So if your OVR is yet to update, it simply means that your 24 hours is yet to elapse.
Confused? Well don't be concerned because we plan to fix the system by applying a "manual refresh button" to all arenas that will give you the ability to update your OVR manually. We will limit the updates to once per hour to avoid those "OVR whores" out there from constantly bashing the button and bringing down the OS servers
Keep an eye out for the manual refresh button as we hope to have it up and running by the end of today.
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