Heavy Rain is a dramatic and morose ode to fatherhood. Perhaps the intent was to involve the sought after demographic with a story that relates to male experience. You’ll play schizophrenically as four different characters throughout this weird offering. You begin as a hen-pecked husband who manages only to make his woman miserable. Who is this ‘game’ meant for? Aging divorced males who want to have a good cry over their lost family life? The subject matter itself is indeed heavy. This software, that I hesitate to call a game, truly bridges the gap between an interactive visual novel and something… else. It is no fun so I can’t exactly define it as a game, maybe it’s a dramatic experience. You may in fact want to dramatically rip your hair out from playing it.

When entering the first chapter you are expected to do nothing but what is expected of you. If you don’t, a shrewish bitch will yell at you repeatedly. “I told you to get the plates!” “Screw the plates.” was my immediate reaction. Then I went about the uninteresting, non interactive environment trying to find something to smash to obtain weapons and power ups. But there weren’t any. I couldn’t leave the room either, the doors of my happy home apparently lock when the shrewish bitch wife is nagging. ‘Nag Locks.’ Great. Having no other choice I attempted to kill the wife with the plates, but that wasn’t allowed either.

In another chapter after two years have gone by, the wife is expectedly now The Ex. The scene opens and the character is saddled with a boy child to entertain for visitation rights. Since the kid was playing a video game, inside the non game, I left the room to go get something. When I returned the kid had slumped over on the couch. I figured that was fine and went on. Later when reading the walk through I discovered that I was supposed to feed him, give him some sort of medicine, and read him a story. If I had wanted to be some one’s Mom I would have had kids. Instead I want to have a good time, party and play video games. When I pay to rent, or buy a game I expect to have fun. Baby sitting, bottle feeding and changing diapers should never, ever be in a game I am playing. Especially with no other way around those tasks. How dare they sneak that mommie crap in. I can’t imagine guys playing those parts and being happy about it?

The FBI guy is a bit more fun. Although Agent Jayden is a flawed character, and might have been doomed from the start. In an otherwise mundane feeling game he suddenly has these futuristic poke’balls that create virtual reality when ‘opened’. While sitting around waiting he plays hand ball against a virtual brick wall. Then later he redecorates an office with technology similar to a holodeck. It’s amusing but doesn’t seem to fit in with the very low tech almost dowdy presentation of the rest of the game. The smooth efficiency of such high tech doesn’t seem to mesh with the easy clues that supposedly yielded no leads before Jayden gets to the police department. If the murder weapon is rain water, the biological components are unique to each region, that alone is plenty of clues in itself. Especially in a culture that has handheld virtual reality, it would seem logical that forensic biology also would have progressed. Even modern crime television shows have theoretical technology more advanced than this game. The grainy looking environments don’t match well with the virtual reality interfaces.

A series of minimal mini games and twitch commands make of the whole of the game play. That along with the cumbersome controls especially when trying to operate as Shelby, makes the game seem like an interminably long movie. And by movie standards the plot twists aren’t very exciting. What we ended up with is a way too long, very tedious mish-mash. Heavy Rain doesn’t have any strong points. It takes aim at several different aspects of gaming, and then does none of them well. It doesn’t deliver the story well, and it doesn’t play well. Heavy Rain is practically broken. When you have to approach every door and surface sideways, and there isn’t a way to really to gain proper control of the camera, or the characters for that matter, then you don’t have a top of the line game. I can’t imagine how it has gotten such high scores on the commercial game review websites, or how it has charted at number one anyplace.

The only saving grace of the game is the Payable Female Avatar Madison Paige. She does kick nine kinds of ass in spite of the terrible game engine that she is stuck in. At first she has to take on three men that sneak into her apartment. She brawls with the three of them using nothing but her wits and her elbows until she wakes up from the uncomfortable dream sequence. She gets into much more trouble along the way but her ability is still completely limited. All she can do are the disappointing twitch controls. She would have been amazing if she had some decent guns and some shooting to do. Why do all tough female avatars have a Jaime Lee Curtis dyed red hair do? The past three female avatars I’ve played were wearing camo colors. What is wrong with denim, or black leather?

The ending that I got and the ones that I saw didn’t make sense. After all that it was anti-climactic. They should have had more innovation for the identity of the killer. It ended up too much like a game of Clue where only obvious suspects were there.

Except for Madison’s brief shinning moments, and glimpses of occasional anxiety that was reminiscent of Silent Hill 2, Heavy Rain is a clunky hunk of junk. Rent it since it is short, or just watch it on YouTube because there isn’t any incentive to have to actually play it. I give Heavy Rain four empty buckets out of 10.

Ever since the age of sobriety at twenty – one I became aware that I could not enjoy alcohol the same way other people do. One or two sips of anything fermented and I come down in true geek fashion with something akin to Bell’s palsy. I have been told that it is a “sugar problem” without much more explanation. Wine has been especially near death deadly for me. I’m 48 and I’ve never been drunk!

Eventually I discovered that I could drink a little bit of Sake. Since it is served in thimble – like cups I could manage the equivalent of a shot of the brew. Sake is made from rice. No sugar is added and the amount of natural sugar in rice is next to nothing. The making of Sake is a sacred process handed down among family members. The water used in making Sake is also considered to be sacred and pure.

According to Wikipedia Wine an 8 ounce glass of red wine contains about a gram of sugar, or up to 3 carbs. (About a half full glass of Wine has a Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz), Carbohydrates 2.6 g, Sugars 0.6 g, Alcohol 10.6 g, 100 g wine is approximately 100 ml (3.4 fl oz.), Sugar and alcohol content can vary Source: USDA Nutrient database.)

Results I found online were confusing. Sake may have no sugar, but more carbs? Sake apparently is free from sulfites. It is also reputedly free of hangover-causing congeners. Premium sake is usually  without additives and preservatives. According to Caloriecounter.net  the same  100g of Sake  or 3.5oz has  a Carbohydrate content of  5 (grams per 100g) and the Sugar content of 0 (grams per 100g). Types of Wine and Sake vary so much that it really depends on the individual variables. Either way both beat sodas in terms of how little sugar they have. I’m sure no expert. I give the Ellen App 10 bottles of Snow Maiden out of 10.

Number 2 Cupid At Work

Number 3 Valentines Chocolate Match Lite

Number 4 Valentines Day Game

Number 5 Shopping Crazy in Love

To start with almost unanimously the free Valentines Apps that I tested had major flaws. Except for Wa Kingyo. They are all clearly rush jobs, that tend to crash or freeze, so beware. The worst of those were Valentines Sex Game and Valentines Dice. Many of them are just baloney entirely and are advertising not really a game.

Wa Kingyo Lite is a pleasant relaxation App. It features a customizable Koi pond. You stock it with pretty fish and feed them cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums or Japanese maple leaves. The background sounds bloop and splash in a soothing poetic somnolence. You can also play tracks from your iTunes while you watch the fish and the water sounds blend right into your music. It’s a lovely little gift for a dollar if you like the free one.

Number 2 is Cupid at work. This little gem is a first person shooter – well you shoot Cupids arrows and try to match up couple. It works pretty well. There are various drops and in the free version you try to finish each mission with only five arrows to spend.

Number 3 Valentines Chocolate match is a perfect remedy for all the over marketing of chocolate right now. My teeth hurt from watching TV. If I open my email there are more dancing chocolates, and Aphrodite help me if I open the grocery flyer. It is a simple match 3 game. As you progress in levels the puzzles become slightly more difficult. This bon – bon match game and a chocolate candle will do the trick for a low cal holiday and it’s free.

As Number 4 Valentines Day game got on the list due to cuteness. It’s buggy and quits randomly. You tap your cupid and then he starts to float. To keep him aloft he has to slide back and forth to collect hearts. If not he drops like a rock, and you soft crash back to the menu. It’s frustrating, maddening and just enough to be addictive. It they update this one it will be fun. Simple sticks.

And Number 5 is Shopping Crazy in Love isn’t such a great game. It’s a very quick three level puzzle game. But then there is a trick to it. you can put in a customized message that will appear after the third puzzle. It can be used to make a very geeky marriage proposal or just an original I Love You.

Bioshock 2 is just too good at what it does. If it wasn’t so damn convincing I wouldn’t be holding my breath. I wouldn’t be having panic attacks of drowning in my living room would I? I’ve learned something  from this game, about myself as a gamer. Games are getting so good and so realistic that you can almost barf from playing them. It all depends on what your creep-out level is. Sure I can play Silent Hill or Fatal Frame because the supernatural is my natural playground. But BS2 takes me way, way too far out of my comfort zone. I don’t enjoy close-up first person views of drilling into flaling zombies splattering blood all over. It’s all too gritty, too gross, and too anxiety producing. And that’s the strength of this game. Bioshock is a game that is just  too frickin’ convincing. If you loved the engaging world of Rapture the first time around then you should just go buy this one.

The graphics, are still unparalelled. I have compared numerous other games to Bioshock the first because of the brilliant use of colors. The pallette that is used is outstanding. The contrasts of the textures of water, blood, wood, metal and glass all reflect differently. The plasmid weapons create a burst of glittering, almost blinding effects. Overall the lighting application is masterful.

Game – play has not changed. It is still a shooter, now with weapons on both hands. You can rummage around in the interesting looking piles of stuff and find a variety of pick ups. Then customise the unique genetic weapon sets called plasmids in seemingly endless variety. They even added on the multiplayer opportunity for those who enjoy that. There are plenty of reviews around the Net that detail all the new weapons, and give you more of an idea of the story line. I don’t write book reports or Wikipedia entries about games.

What is of interest is that there is an expanded role of females, in the game this time around. It’s the same story as last time. Someone is whispering to you, to get you to do things for them. This time the voices are female. The Big Sister has appeared, as I suggested the first time around. Hey where is my royalty check?  The villain is Dr. Lamb a female, and the whole story line revolves around the Little Sisters who are small, humanoid, genetic material lockers. There are about even numbers of male and female enemies to toast throught the game. There isn’t a female avatar to choose and play with.

Because the mythos of Bioshock is so off beat and original, it isn’t possible to criticise it for the treatment of female roles the way I would in a more realistic type of game. When female – ish characters appear in fantasy games, it has been my contention that the morals that would apply to human women, wouldn’t apply off world, or this case, underwater.

For me,  give me two feet on the ground and a shotgun thank you. :shudder: There is nothing to criticize here, nothing in it is broken. Bioshock 2 is the best game I’ve ever hated. I give Bioshock 2, 10 cans of beans out of 10.

Following the loss of my brother and personal guru in a hiking accident on January 12, I was left with a feeling of having many unanswered questions about what had happened. Being a self proclaimed geek mourning a self proclaimed nerd, I’ve turned to various resources in technology to comfort myself. That small comfort being found in the familiarity of doing research. Finding some slim answers, and yet more questions. Since Frank passed (presumably) on the same day as the Hati quakes happened, I wanted to see if what ever plate movement that was rocking Hati had slammed into any of the California faults. Sure enough a Quake search of the Southern California Earth Quake Data Center showed 50 events took place that day ranging beween 1 and 4.7 magnitude all around the area. Looking at that and the records provided in real time by the Iris seismic monitor  I was led to think that there would be more quakes coming. It seemed that horizontal plates which resedmble the shape of the slashed smiley face of the Joker were bumping into the faults south and west of California. I predicted that we would see more quakes not only in Hati, but also in Mexico, the Florida keys and So Cal. I  don’t like my predictions to come true. Today a quake of 6 magnitude occured off the California coast. With the solar flare cycle intensifying, and global warming melting the ice caps, there is more water weight and pressure on the earth’s crust than ever. With the coming full moon we are certain to feel the earth move.These are some resources for monitoring the seizmic activity. They all work fine on the iPod Touch as well. The Iris seizmic monitor made a very sharp looking icon on the Homescreen.

Number 2 eSleep

Number 3 Naturespace

Number 4 Sleepmaker Streams

Number 5 Sleepmaker Wildlife

Each of these Top Five Apps for the Insomniac have Lite or free version available. There are a surprising number of Apps that can be found in the App store when searching for “sleep” or “relax”. There are many short programs which offer the sounds of nature, new age music, noise, and binaural tones. These sleep Apps promise more than just to get you back to sleep after you have woken up at 3AM. Some of them will even stimulate your brain waves. They say that they can promote deeper sleep states, better relaxation and hence a better next day.

The basics are there in most of the Apps out there, which is an alarm clock that will play sounds or music to wake up the device and you at a specific time. They will also play your selection of sounds or noises for any given amount of time, and then shut off, giving you the opportunity to fall asleep to your favorite mix of the night sounds of marsh wildlife.

eSleep is has a very good Free Lite version. It permits you to pick from sleep inducing background music and other sounds such as White noise, pink noise, blue noise or brown noise. Then you can also add in a new age track, or up to three more nature sounds. eSleep does a good job of capturing the sounds of streams, rivers, rain, birds, crickets and even an owl, and it allows you to mix them up. the interface is easy to use and one of the prettiest out there. The upgrade is only a dollar and it adds more sounds. The best of them all is Ambiance. The light version is fine, but it only allows you to pick out 5 sounds at a time. The full version is a dollar, but it unlocks an entire ambient sound and music library which is free to use once you have the full App. It has plenty of tracks from nature, and it has a huge selection of binaural sounds in the Alpha, Beta, Delta and Theta ranges to experiment with. You can mix and save tracks. Ambiance has the most interesting selection of sounds. Where some of the other Apps every cut sounds like static.

Naturespace has some of the best sounding tracks for sleep. The Lite version is terrific, and would suit the needs of any occasional insomniac. The stereo sound is amazing. Although the full version is steep, Thundergod by the same software company is ten bucks. Since I’m not fond of thunderstorms as a sleep aid it wasn’t worth it to try. If they expand on some of the other themes found in the Lite version, it could be very worth it. If you are a thunder fanatic you will love Thundergod.

Silent Island ade to many claims and failed to produce much. Even the full version was a disappointment. It just isn’t ready. It is a great idea to watch soothing videos that will bore ou to sleep and then shut off, but there isn’t enough of them to make it a value. Even the free App isn’t worth the space. Sleep Machine has some of the worst sounding tracks to my ears. The interface was clunky and ugly, it crashed and the free version only allowed you to have three sounds. Sleepmaker has several short Apps out for free and they are good. they are short, easy to use and have the alarm / sleep functions you need simplified. If you like Waves, Streams, Wildlife and other nature sounds these free Apps are wonderful.

The motion controls are aweful. He is foiled easily by ladders and boards that he can’t climb on. Small hills are insurmuntable. He can’t jump up a foot high, and the jump button is disabled randomly. The camera wafts in and out focusing randomly. He is marvelous at gathering the collection of old radishes, mushrooms and fish. There isn’t much of any loot. The drops are all lackluster,  if realistic.

The game is dull, the environments are monotone. While you may be supposedly free to do whatever missions you want, the map is so tiny that you’ll run into dead ends right away. You can only pick one mission at a time. The kills all seem similar and fighting is repetitive. Your character can only carry three weapons at a time. The one funny moment was when he picked up a long green onion and equipped it. The game is so unblanced that he won a fight with it.

The game is far too limited. Way of the Samurai 3 seems to be unfinished. There is about as much territory as you could drop into the corner of a village in Assasin’s Creed. I’ve played DS games that have larger levels. I don’t know why they didn’t finish the game off and modernize it, someone must have run out of money. Don’t waste any of your green on this game. It isn’t even worth the rental. I give Way of the Samurai 3 old radishes out of 10.