I haven't blogged in a while because I've been pretty busy and tired from long days at work. Speaking of that, I have an interview for my old job on Thursday! Last year my job was cut to budget constraints so I was left with finding something to pay the bills. A company contacted me, the one I work for now, with an opportunity to work in the same environment in the same line of work...sort of. I used to work for a public school district as one of the school's IT guys. I fixed computers, printers, wireless access points, etc, etc. The school I am contracted out to is a private school where I do the same thing...plus the job of 5 other people at my old job. Sure the money is decent, but I hate what I'm doing because I was placed in a position of power (didn't know that when I signed on) and that power is limited by my boss, who is a complete and total asshole. You can read about my adventure with him earlier this year.

Suffice it to say that I'm not the only one who thinks he's...

What I thought was an ok 2009 for me, turns out to be sorta depressing. I'll bullet point my year in review:

The Bad:

• Grandfather passed away
• Father lost his job
• I lost my job
• Girlfriend is in law school (have to spend less time together)
• Didn't play as much hockey
• Phoenix Coyotes went into bankruptcy
• Dbacks stunk it up
• Yankees won the WS
• Got out of shape from being lazy
• Too many games in the back log

The Good:

• Graduated from college with a BA
• Completed more games than I thought I would have
• Got a new job (I hate it but it pays the bills)
• Went to Vegas for first time in a long time
• Studied a ton for my CCNA

All in all it wasn't a great year. I'm hoping for all of that to change in 2010 and here's why...

I have applied for a new position in a field that I truly want to go into. I'm hoping that I stand out and that I can get my foot in the door. The Coyotes are playing great so far and I hope they make it to the playoffs,...

First a little back story and then you can be the judge...

I'm the head of the IT department for a private school. I'm contracted out by another company who specializes in IT networking and data centers. Basically I run all of the servers, fix any all computer related problems, and all that good stuff.

Today, I got an email from my boss at the school (I technically have 4 bosses between the school and my company) telling me to help him out with a domain registration form. Ok, no problem. I take a look at the form and there was nothing on it that was technical. Fill out your name, address, phone number, username, password, and so on. I said, "Ok, you need to fill out this form and..." He interrupted me. "No, your the tech guy so you need to fill it out." "I know, but this is for your domain and this is the administrator form. My company does not handle your domain account." He then basically told me that it's my responsibility ...

I just ordered a PS3 slim for my Dad for his birthday. Yes, he wanted one. No, I didn't force it on him. How awesome is that?

I haven't posted in a while because my new job has been kicking my ass for the last 2 and half weeks. I had no idea how difficult it was going to be but I'm starting to get the hang of it and enjoy it. It's an IT position at a private school and just when I thought I knew a little bit about computers and Windows networking (Server 2003, AD, printer and exchange servers) I apparently don't know a damn thing . That's ok because I'm learning so much and gaining a ton of experience.

With my new job and new pay scale (woot!) I'm looking into upgrading my computer. I'm looking at either an AMD AM3 Phenom II X4 3.2GHz Black Edition build or diving into the dark side of the Intel Core i7 series and going from there. If there are any computer geeks out there (and I know there are!) please PM me on what would be the best route to go. I'm looking at the AMD quad core AM3 Black Edition CPU or the Intel Core i7 2.66GHz quad core build and I don't know what I should do. I'm a huge...

Right now, I'm super stoked! After being laid off about 2 months ago, I finally got a call back for an interview for another job! Woot! It's a position that is practically the same as my old job, but this time it's in a private school. What does that mean? They don't get funding from the state government (which is nearly bankrupt now by the way) and hopefully that means I won't be let go as easily. I'll find out more tomorrow after my interview!

On the gaming front, it's been rather quiet. I picked up Ghostbusters a while back and I absolutely loved it. It's a short game but well worth the nostalgia that comes packaged with it. After that I managed to get in on the BBV B1G1 sale. So far it's been very good for me! I got Burnout Paradise, Lego Batman, Soldier of Fortune: Payback, Condemned, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, God of War: Chains of Olympus, and FFVII: Crisis Core for around $70! I also bought 3 games for the GS FNR4 promotion and managed to pick...

I haven't blogged in a while so I thought I would post a small update...like anyone cares .

First off, I've been fairly busy this summer because I'm studying for the Cisco CCNA exam. It's a tough motherer but I am extremely excited and motivated to get my CCNA and hopefully CCNP and CCIE. It's going to be a long, tough road but well worth it I think. Wish me luck!

Second off, I still have yet to find a job. I have applied to a ton of places and I've only heard back, positively, from 2 of them. Otherwise, no call backs, interviews, phone interviews, nada. It's a bit nerve racking but I'm trying to get through it all with games and studying.

Our annual July 4th San Diego trip was recently called off because my cousin and her husband are having marital problems. It sucks because it's the only time I get to travel outside of AZ and its 100+ degree weather to relax in the sand and cool Pacific waters. I feel really bad for them because I remember...

...

Worst. Press Conference. Ever.

Dear Nintendo,

Did you see Microsoft's conference? That's called innovation. That's called surprise. That's an example of a great conference. What do you have? Super Mario Bros: Wii? Really? Gee, thanks. Go ahead and show yourself out and don't let the door hit you. I don't want ass prints on my door.

Signed,

Hardcore Gamer

EDIT: Presser is now over and my statement and sentiment remains the same. Mario Galaxy 2 announced with no release date and a new Metroid. Who cares? Honestly Nintendo, you lost any and all of the hardcore fans that you originally had. Did no one see the MS conference? My, how quickly we forget in this community. Let me remind you that I am not a 360 fan at all. I love my 360, don't get me wrong, but I would rather have Sony succeed because I'm always rooting for the underdog. Microsoft outdid themselves yesterday and Nintendo simply failed to deliver again...

Microsoft just finished their conference and I am speechless. One word does come to mind though...wow. They truly out did themselves this year. I own all 3 consoles and play my 360 the most because of the online aspect and my friends. Usually, I am prone to say that Sony has better hardware and better games for the buck...now I've changed my mind. Without even seeing Sony's conference yet (it will be tomorrow) I am already declaring Microsoft the unofficial winner of this year's E3 conference, period. Of the top of my head...L4D2, Crackdown 2, Modern Warfare 2, FFXIII, MGS: Rising, Forza 3, Facebook, Twitter, improvements to XBL and Netflix, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Alan Wake, AND Splinter Cell: Conviction were all announced and shown. Oh and not to mention "Project Natal" and Milo. Wow, just wow. This is the revolution for gaming people, drink it in.

I broke down and bought the SFIV TE stick for the 360. I know, I know, it was kinda stupid but I don't really care. I played with my PS3 one last night and thought it was awesome. So, my last day of work is officially a week away. It kinda sucks but there's really nothing I can do about it. I'm still working on another prospective position but it's so far in the distance at this point that there's no real reason to talk about it.

On the gaming front, I've been addicted to NHL 09 lately. Partly because of the playoffs and partly because I've been doing really well at it. A buddy of mine and I have played real hockey together since we we're in our early teens and we play really well together. I set him up with one timers in the slot and he buries them, no sweat. Starting yesterday though, I have noticed that no one on that game seems to understand how to play hockey in online team play. All people do is dive, stick lift, and poke check. Sorry folks, but it's just not that...

So now that I'm finally free of school, I've got loads of time to use on other things. I've decided to begin my work out routine and try to drop 20lbs to get to a goal weight of 155lbs. By working out twice a day and eating right, I should be able to attain that by summer's end. Wish me luck!

The job hunt also begins this week as my current position will be officially eliminated next week. It's time for a change anyways, so I'm looking at this as a good thing. I have a few things that I'm currently looking into, but nothing concrete yet. Should be interesting.

I also tried the new Pepsi throwback and Mountain Dew throwback (both in bottles). I've got mixed reviews but I need some clarity on the matter. I tried the Pepsi first and thought it was decent. It tasted really flat though and my girlfriend agreed. Is the throwback Pepsi supposed to taste flat? Should I try the canned version instead? The Mountain Dew throwback was amazing, simply amazing. I'm not a fan...

I officially graduated college last night. So, it is done.

It seems like it's been forever to be honest. I made a previous blog post about reminiscing so I won't get into that. I'm just glad it's over and done with. Now I just need a job. Oh hell.

In gaming news, I picked up an SF IV TE stick from GS thanks to an awesome heads up in the deals section. I used some of my grad money so I'm pretty stoked about that coming in. Actually the purchase has made me more excited for the release of MvC2 as well. Good stuff! Devil Summoner 2 came in yesterday from Amazon and the packaging is astounding. I don't even want to open it because it looks so cool. I haven't played the first one, which is still sealed in my collection. I plan on digging into those this summer but who knows with my backlog. I will be chipping away at that as much as can from here on out. I'm still finishing up X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is a blast to...

Today is a day of mixed emotions. This week will be week of mixed emotions. Sadness, jubilation, reflection, personal wonderment, and the list can go on and on. Today will officially be my last day of college. I have a final exam at 4:50pm and then it's all over but the crying...or so to speak. I will officially graduate from Arizona State University with a B.A. in English this Thursday. I can't believe I just typed that. I am studying for my final right now but I think I need a moment of reflection on my college career, so bear with me...

I still remember my first day. It's a little hazy, but I remember pulling into a parking spot for a morning English 101 class and literally thinking "I'm not supposed to be here. What if they catch me? What if I can't make it?" I then headed into the school, green as the day I was born. I remember people smoking outside and chatting. I kept thinking "Man, they are going to get busted..." I was so naive. That was my...

The L.A. Dodger's Manny Ramirez has been banned 50 games for producing a positive test for a banned substance. What was the banned substance you ask? Female fertility drugs. WTF? Um...I'm confused. Did he want to hit home runs or have a baby?

"Oh Manny" Parody song of Barry Manilow's "Mandy."

Why is this important? I'm a Dbacks fan and he kills us every damn game. So long Manny, it was nice knowing ya!

So in one week, I'll be a college graduate. Two weeks after that, I'll be unemployed. Not really a huge deal but I have some things in the works. I'm not really counting on them but we'll see how it all turns out. I finally got the last rough draft of my paper written and now it just needs editing. All of my papers are due this week so I'll technically be done with those classes this week. I have two classes today (the last of which) and one final class tomorrow. Next week will be a final test and I'm out for good. Crazy stuff.

On the gaming front, not much is happening. I'm saving money because I won;t have a source of income for a while. I really wanted to pick up the new Wolverine game but logic and common sense told me otherwise. It's a great game but I'm forcing my self to wait for a price drop. I saved enough to afford the games that I want coming out this month....Cross Edge, SMT: Devil Summoner 2, and InFamous. I'm going to play the demo of InFamous on Thursday when...

*Cue Music*

So, officially 2 weeks from today, I will be graduating from college with a degree in English. It's been a long, tough, and strenuous time and I'm just glad it's over. I don't know if I'll pursue a graduate or master's degree yet because I'm so burned out right now. I'm sure down the road I would like to, but right now I just want it to be done and over with.

As far as gaming goes, it's been slow for me. I mean, really slow. I have 4 papers due in 1 week and I've been working, literally, non stop. I go to work and work on the papers, go to class, come home, eat, and work some more. Sleep is something of a foreign concept at this point. Once I'm actually done with everything I will be starting up Final Fantasy XI online for the first time. I figured that with no more school, I'll have some more free time to play the 30 day trial and feel it out. If I don't like it, whatever. If I do, I'll gladly pay the monthly fee because it's going...

So I've decided to stop buying SO many games haha. As a college student, I don't have much money to begin with so I'm glad to have found this site when I did. However, recently, I've been buying games for no reason when my backlog is over 30 games long! So I've taken a stand and will budget more wisely from here on out. I bought my last game for this month (FF XI online) and I have a few games coming out next month that I've saved for. The ECA Amazon codes finally work so I've been saving a ton of money on pre-orders.

My most anticipated game right now: Batman: Arkham Asylum. I've been watching every trailer I can and I pre-ordered it right away. It looks stunning, simply stunning. I can't wait to get my hands on this puppy this summer.

I haven't been playing as many games with school and work in the way. I find myself playing the same damn games over and over...NHL 09, COD4, Gears 2, and 50 Cent BoTS. It's weird but I have this bizarre habit of looking over my...

...that someone hates you? I need to vent a little so bear with me here. Basically, the person who is in the position above mine at work despises me. She always has since the first day I started two years ago. My boss on the other hand, loves me. He has stated that he always has my back no matter what and not to worry about these things. The reason I think the other lady hates me is because she's confused on what my position really is. She believes that I'm her assistant, when in fact, I've basically replaced her as the main IT person in the building and she is left to do her normal job. Instead of doing two jobs, she only has to do her main job. Who would be upset with that? So here's the story...

I work at an elementary school and the person who seems to have issues with me is a teacher. She was, before they hired me, the IT go-to person AND a teacher meaning...

Another day, another game deal. Just picked up GH: Aerosmith with a free wired guitar for $9.99 today at GS. Both are sealed. As a matter of fact all 3 games that I have purchased from the GameDays sale have been sealed. I'm a little dumbfounded right now.

I got the demo of Red Faction: Guerilla last night and I'm quite impressed. The controls are decent but remind me a lot of Lost Planet. I love the destructible environments and the actual game play itself is very amusing. If you get a chance to play the demo, do so.

There are not many games coming out in April so I'm working on the backlog for right now. I'm currently playing Kane and Lynch on the 360 and switching from KZ2 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3. A few titles are coming out next month so the summer games wll finally be upon us.

For the personal stuff, there's quite a bit going on. My grandfather will most likely be dying in the next month or two from lung cancer. I work at a school...

So, I have now become fluent in "street" as well as the correct usage of the term "" thanks to 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. I just received this game for $38 on Amazon brand new and I have to say that I'm quite impressed with it. The controls are fluid and responsive and the graphics are actually quite stunning. The story is a little weak, so are the characters, but the overall game play is very fun and very addicting. I'm currently playing on Easy because I completely forgot that if I play it on Hard, the achievements would stack. I'm starting mission 9, the last mission, tonight and hopefully beating the game so I can replay it on Hard. Good stuff there.

I also finally got my 360 hard drive transfer kit from MS and transfered all my stuff over to the new 120GB. It's nice to look at an available space of 93GBs instead of 3GBs lol. I'm also trying...