Last day before work...

    Spent some time online just chatting yesterday, for the first time since my BBS days. It was actually kinda nice. I'd still prefer to meet someone compatible thru friends, since they're less likely to introduce me to someone who is insane... Today, I've got some clean-up work to do, plus I have to begin the packing up that precedes my long trek up North.
    Thanks to the 'Value Village' sampler of cigars from Holt's, I've been enjoying the occasional premium cigar. Couple of weeks ago, on the drive home from Albany, I enjoyed a Rocky Patel 'Decade'. It was a really nice smoke. I've smoked the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 and Vintage 1993 cigars before, and I loved them. The Value Village sampler can be found at the bottom of the Holt's Sampler Page and includes 8 cigars for $15.95. I've also gotten the occasional Alex Bradley and Montecristo in the sampler, tho it's not all super primo premiums in the pack. It's a great way to try premiums you wouldn't ordinarily sample at a bargain price.

     Moving on...

• Spoiler warning! Trophy List for Call of Duty: Black Ops.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 map packs 50% off on Xbox Live.
• ames on Net op-ed: In Defense of Bobby Kotick. (Thanks, Blues News.)

• MoH roundup from Blues News: EA will have no pre-release demo for Medal of Honor. Meanwhile, the Medal of Honor PC beta ran into server capacity issues which are said to be fixed now.
• Left 4 Dead 2 hits Mac 5 October; Left 4 Dead around Halloween. 
• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm dated for 7 December 2010.
• Xbox Live giving out 800 Microsoft points for Xbox Live Arcade purchases in October.
• OnLive cloud gaming service drops monthly membership fees. 
• Wall Street Journal: Online play seen eating into video game sales. Hey, you! Quit playing those games you paid for and buy another one - and another - and another!

 

Vincent Van Gordon

(Credit: Deviant Art)

 

    Non-Gaming Links:

 

 Ice plumes of Enceladaus

 

• Canadian Space Agency's live 'Aurora cam' lets you view the Northern Lights in real time. In other news, there's a Canadian Space Agency. Beauty, eh?
• What are the challenges of 'Trailblazing Mars'? That we lack the commitment to do it. 
• Asteroid Lutetia has thick blanket of debris. So does my basement.
• Virgin Galactic slows satellite launcher plans.
• 'Engraved' glasses will correct distance vision for any eyesight. 
• TDK's curved, see-thru OLED display.
• Finland aims to outlaw all smoking.
• Scientists nearing completion of 'sound cloak'. Cue the 'Cone of Silence'.