Comments for

Comment on Whatever happened to asking nicely? by Eric

Eric — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:51:12 +0000

And I think that is when OSHA or similar need to be allowed oversight in air quality and that places that allow smoking need to have proper ventilation. But in the end, it needs to be about choice. And businesses need to understand they may lose out if people aren’t willing to come and work or pay for services.

Comment on Whatever happened to asking nicely? by dbjorklund

dbjorklund — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:17:29 +0000

I’m in favor of a smoking ban not so much for bars because I just don’t go to the ones that allow smoking but it’s because I’m forced to work in a place that on certain days are worse than any bar I’ve been too. Asking nicely is all good and would be the ideal method but all too often it’s the smoker who feels they have the right to trample all over my wanting to breath smoke free air.

Comment on Of wine and a Saturday drive… by dbjorklund

dbjorklund — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:05:40 +0000

Michigan is a place for tourism and I feel it’s on track to become the place to be for a higher standard getaway.

I’m already looking into a couple of trips to the Traverse Bay area because there is too much to take in with just one trip.

I’m always looking for ideas and suggestions for other great examples of how the people of Michigan are proving quality life experience doesn’t have to be high cost.

Comment on Of wine and a Saturday drive… by Jeff McIntyre

Jeff McIntyre — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:31:50 +0000

Great article! I have spent some of the last 2 years learning the ways of a “wine snob”.
I have had some fantastic wines. The best part of it is the fact that a huge portion of the best are from right here in Michigan.
Some of the best wines, friendliest people, and scenic real estate are at the wineries all over this beautiful state!
If you haven’t been the Traverse Bay region for a tour of the wineries there, you are missing out! Anytime of the year is a great time to check them out!
Can’t wait to read your review of that wine tour!

Comment on MVP Baseball 2005… yeah, I know it’s 2009. by abronson

abronson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:11:39 +0000

Unfortunately, due to the fact that MLB 09: The Show is exclusive to the PlayStation platforms (the Sonyopoly strikes again), and the fact that EA Sports lost out on the MLB license, MLB 2k9 is your only option if you want a recent game. According to Amazon.com, you can find a copy for US $19.99. Your other option is to buy MVP Baseball 2005, which, due to low supply and high demand, and the fact that it’s the end of the series for now, will run you about US $79.99. Yikes.

However, I feel that the MVP Baseball 2005 game is well worth the nearly 80 dollars because you can modify the game to update it for the 2009 season. You can edit audio to allow the announcers to say the players names, even if they weren’t in 2009, you can create player faces and import them into the game, you can change teams and minor league affiliates, and so on.

Now, with MLB 2k9, I have a few major beefs. The first is that the only new thing is the commentators and a couple new stadiums. The new tandem of Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips is great as a replacement for the DREADFUL Jon Miller and Joe Morgan “A Team” at ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. But that’s just about the only gem in this game. The new stadiums look like the game’s creators didn’t even look at the construction photos. The graphics are still sketchy at best, player faces look NOTHING like the actual player, and the game has so many bugs that the 2k Sports Development Lab might have to be condemned until an exterminator comes by.

Of course, then you have the typical issues that 2k Sports never bothered to fix. Playing defense absolutely sucks, the player animations are awful, and apparently, the 2k9 guys think that a guy like Omar Infante is capable of going yard 40 times a season. Oh, and as for the franchise mode? After simming out a season, I wanted to resign a reliever that happened to toss to a 2.94 ERA the past season. Not bad. Until I saw his asking price. Edwar Ramirez asks for 1 year, $400M. Yeahhhhh… apparently they didn’t get the message that we’re in a DEPRESSION here!!! For you Midwesterners who might think that Edwar just might be a prodigy, I’d compare him to a right-handed Bobby Seay.

According to IGN.com, it’s review of the game said that it was too easy to srike out hitters due to “too precise” pitching controls, the ridiculous contracts in the Franchise mode, and the fact that there’s NO online gameplay, despite constant promises by the 2k Sportsers that there would be.

The major review sites, including my own as a hardcore gamer, are as follows:

1UP.com: D- on XBOX, D on PS3
GameSpot: 4.5/10
GameSpy: 3.5/5 (they said it was good for a casual gamer but awful for a hardcore gamer)
GamesRadar: 7/10 (same reason)
IGN: 6.4/10 for the Wii
XBOX Magazine: 6.5/10
TeamXBOX: 7.1/10
Andy Score: 1.5/10

So pretty much, if you want major league action without a major league pain in the ass, either pony up the dough for a PS3 and buy MLB 09: The Show or toss in 79.99 to eBay and grab a copy of MVP Baseball 2005.

(Used Wikipedia for the review scores)

Comment on MVP Baseball 2005… yeah, I know it’s 2009. by dbjorklund

dbjorklund — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:57:58 +0000

Recently I was looking at MLB 2K9 for the Wii and it looked like it might be fun. But if the 2K franchise is that horrendously awful, what is a Nintendo player to do for some major league gaming goodness?

Comment on A Parent’s Guide to Superdelegates by Andy B.

Andy B. — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:49:49 +0000

Ha!!!!

Yes, I say “HA!”

You guys and your fancy $30-40 microphones that make audio sound sooooo good. Ya know what I’m using? A desktop mic with a cut up beer cozy piece wrapped around the end and held into place by duct tape.

As you can undoubtedly tell by now, I am very jealous of your amazing microphones, but do not have the money to spend on one. Still though. XD

Comment on If you had quit work, you’d be home now. by dbjorklund

dbjorklund — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:21:24 +0000

Since we are just starting, there isn’t much to get involved in at the moment. Please keep checking back with us though because there is no telling what the future holds.

Comment on If you had quit work, you’d be home now. by Andy B.

Andy B. — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:30:26 +0000

Dear Rust Media,

Clearly you are at the pinnacle of the next generation of media. How does one get involved in such a glorious endeavor?

Oh, and one more question. If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it, is it true that the tree goes on a murderous rampage throughout the forest? Please ponder and reply.

Most sincerely yours,

Andy B.
Frozen Tundra, NY