Wake Up America - It's Time To Change

Television Will Rot Your Brain

At least that is what my mom used to say when I would sit in front of my TV as a kid and watch all of those old after school programs. To tell you the truth though, she was partially right. Like most of you know today is the day that all or most analog television broadcasts will stop transmitting their signals to TV's all across the United States. The switch to digital media has begun.

I don't really care if the television at my house doesn't work any more, I don't watch enough of it to justify buying a converter box. My wife and kids however, will undoubtedly want to watch television at some point so I will probably end up getting a box anyway. I don't even have cable at my house and it's not that I'm cheap or can't afford it, it's just that I don't think television has any good quality programs like it used to. Don't get me wrong, there are still a few good things on TV but anymore its just filled with garbage much like the radio/music industry.

I will continue to do other things to fill my time, like writing or doing any of my other hobbies. TV is great but only in moderation. Spending countless hours in front of the television with almost no mental stimulation is not a good thing, when you could be spending that same time doing something more beneficial to you (or even just more fun).
I guess mom was right after all.

That also begs the question; can a show say that they are "On Air" anymore? Considering that the broadcast is not over the airwaves anymore.

Microsoft vs Canadians

Microsoft has done it again, they have created an ingenious new marketing campaign... err... new game that you may have heard of recently that pits you against one hundred other Xbox Live gamers in a test of reflexes and intelligence.

1 vs 100 is Microsoft's attempt to bring advertisers and gamers together in a trivia show style setting, much in the same manner as Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Deal or No Deal but geared more towards gamers. The game will actually be played and hosted in real time over Xbox Live where players will compete against one another in an attempt to win actual prizes like free Xbox Live Arcade games or Microsoft points. The crowd can even participate and win prizes as well if they can outwit "The One". The game is still in a Beta phase right now so people are just playing for fun but once its ready for release they should begin adding prizes.

This sound like a great idea and if they can pull it off, it will attract a lot of casual gamers and even some non gamers to sit down and play. It will also give gamers a chance to gain a little bit of notoriety if they are able perform well enough during the game. Microsoft had better not charge us to play the game though, as they should be earning plenty of revenue from each of 1 vs 100's many sponsors. Yes there are commercials periodically shown to you as you play the game but in my opinion, that's would be a small price to pay for a FREE game that allows you to win REAL prizes.

Which brings me to the topic of this article I'm writing. As I was browsing my Xbox dashboard earlier I came across the little ad that they had placed for a 1 vs 100 sweepstakes that is going on for the next few weeks where players can be entered into a drawing for various prizes just by playing 1 vs 100 during certain eligible times. Nothing special really, just another sweepstakes that's intended to draw more people to the game. The usual PR stuff that Microsoft does for all of their "cash cow" intellectual properties. Except on this one in particular I noticed something very, well... funny to be honest, buried deep inside the legal disclaimer of this sweepstakes that Microsoft has posted on their web site and on Xbox live.

Now I know what your thinking, "Who the hell reads that crap?" and I say to you... I do sometimes because I have always found them to be kind of funny. I get a giggle out of how much crap they have to put into their disclaimers just to protect themselves from being sued by us.
Anyway here is what is written on their legal page, this an excerpt that is copied and pasted directly from it:

"6) GENERAL CONDITIONS: Sweepstakes entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these official rules. The laws of the United States govern this Sweepstakes. All federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations apply. Each potential winner will be notified via U.S. Mail and/or e-mail within two (2) weeks of the prize drawing. If you are selected as a potential winner and you are a Canadian resident, you will be required to correctly answer, without assistance of any kind, whether mechanical or otherwise, a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question to be administered by telephone*. If you answer the skill-testing question incorrectly, as determined by us in our sole discretion, you will be disqualified and, at our discretion, an alternate winner shall be chosen from among all remaining eligible entries."

Did you catch that? It seems to that Microsoft (the promoter of this sweepstakes) does not want to give you a prize if you happen to live in Canada and cannot answer their "time-limited mathematical skill-testing question". Can't even use a damn calculator or the internet, geez. I feel bad for all of the stupid Canadians out there but that also begs the question(s).

Why are they testing a Canadian citizens' math skills for winning a prize?

Why doesn't a US citizen have to take the test? Do they think Americans are too stupid to even bother giving a test to in the first place?

I'm sure it has to do with some ridiculous US or Canadian law but I still find it funny that they have to go the extra mile to win a sweepstakes while others don't.

I don't know but it sure does make you think Microsoft is losing their collective minds again or they just plain don't want there products in the hands of mathematically challenged Canadians.

If you want to see the disclaimer for yourself I have provided a link below. Look for it under section 6.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/1vs100/rules.htm

Learn The Ropes And Become A Champion At UFC Undisputed 2009

On the path to UFC enlightenment there are many pitfalls. It can be very easy to lose your focus and become frustrated when opponents are continually defeating you. I am here to give you some advice so the next time you step in the octagon you may leave a winner.

lol

Seriously though, there are several key things you need to do to become an effective combatant in this arena, so it is very important to get the basics down first. Use the pause menu in matches and look at your action list when you are in different positions/stances to figure out what moves your fighter has.

1. Block Your Head!

This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent instant KO's and most serious damage in general. If you are in striking range of your opponent then they are too so you want to keep your guard up. Blocking your head is even more important than blocking body shots because of three reasons:

You cannot be instant KO'ed with a body shot (you can be rocked however)

Damage and cuts to your face cause more stamina to drain over time and increases the chance of a KO more than body hits do in the short term.

You can hold RB or RT and still preform high/low counters, clinch, and takedowns.

That does not mean you shouldn't block mid/low attacks but it is better to try to avoid them by keeping your distance or countering them outright as they are usually easier to telegraph than the faster head strikes.

2. Practice...Practice...Practice...

Focus on one thing and do it until you get to know every little nuance of that ability then focus on another. Whether it's standing punches/kicks, submissions, or takedowns you need to know the damage and ranges for each of your attacks so you will know which one to launch in any given situation.

3. Learn The Ground Game

This is the most difficult thing to do in the game as you probably well know but there is simply no way around it if you want to compete with veteran players. At worst you want to at least know how to defend against it or prevent it outright if possible, but eventually someone is going to take you to the ground.

They key things to remember are that you don't have to flick the RS left/right to BLOCK a transition, you can hold it and you prevent their transition. Keep in mind that if their ground grappling skill is high enough they can occasionally transition even if you block it.

That is why it is important to learn the correct timing to counter the grapple instead if possible. Not only is it a guaranteed transition block but you will also come out in better position.

4. Your Stamina Is Vital, Do Not Abuse It

It is directly linked to how vulnerable you are to strike damage, instant KO's, and submission defense as well as how effective your attacks are against your opponent.

Keep your stamina as high as possible whenever you can, don't just wade into your opponent and strike relentlessly. While this tactic will work to some extent on most people, an experienced fighter will be able to capitalize on your low stamina if you cannot finish what you started and possibly get a win out of you because your fighter is to tired to defend.

5. Work With Your Fighters Strengths.

It goes without saying, if you are a good striker keep the fight standing up, if you are a sub/takedown specialist then do just that. I have fought many people online who do not use the fighter they selected in the way they were designed to be played.
Not to say that it isn't a good idea to mix up your technique but you need to maximize your fighters potential by doing what they do best.

Many people who are using fighters with Wrestling and Muay Tai skills but are not utilizing said skills, they prefer to just stand up and fight. You need to be working with your strengths. The slams and grapples from wrestlers are very good at PERMANENTLY draining stamina and they leave you in good position.

When you are using a Muay Tai fighter it is in your best interest to use the clinch. Muay Tai clinch is very dangerous if you can use it correctly. The knee strikes have a very high damage/KO ratio and your opponent can have a hard time breaking the clinch if you mix your strikes up. If you don't use MT clinch then there is no point in using that style because their strikes are not as good as other styles.

These are just a few things to keep in mind. I hope this helps some of you out there and if it didn't then you probably know all of this already. Oh and for those that can't take a loss... well get used to it. If you quit when you face adversity at a video game then I would hate to see how you react to real life challenges. Your mentality is the only thing that needs real training in this case.

Send me a friend request if you want some real sparring lessons when I have the time. My gamertag is Element H and I usually play later at night or in the afternoon. Make sure you put something about a match or lesson in your message somewhere so I don't erase it.