Have you seen water so white...

I just came back from a trip to West Virginia (not tops on people "To Go To" list I've heard...) where yours truly went white water rafting with the fiance's bro and dad. It was a ball and a half, let me tell you...

So, after a moderately grueling 6-ish hour drive and a night camping, we showed up to the rafting...dispatch...area...thing. They provided a really nice breakfast buffet (to which I may have indulged in a smidge more than I ought...) and the three of us just hung out until it was our turn to ship out. I've never really spent this much time hanging out with Tara's family, so it was nice to finally get to know them better. Once we got on the bus, I found myself surrounded by all sorts of folk; what I would call the cream of the folk of West Virginia (the typical stereotypes are fading away the older I get...). Boisterous and gabby, everyone of them...

On the river, we were put with a guide who really was the physical stereotype of a West Virginia; accent, temperament, everything. As the day progressed, Eric (our guide) proved that a THICK accent and slight mispronunciations hid a quick wit and an intelligence that the partying country boy style contrasts with. He was quite a character, but he did know the river. I couldn't have asked for a better guide. And, as is par for the course on these kinds of trips, he graced me with the nickname 'Redbeard'. I wonder why...

The rapids were very good, though my experience is limited. I got a more than decent workout on the trip, that's for sure. Early on in the trip, a rapid knocked me out of the raft and into the river. Surprising, but I was fine. Thing is, I remember being pushed up and out of raft, but the video (yes, there is video footage of my folly...) shows me being pushed and rolled over the side. Live and learn. I do have to say that hearing my voice outside my body is still a VERY weird experience...

All in all, it was a beautiful day. I give high marks to Class VI River Runners and their program for the New River (which, I found out, is the second oldest river in the world...). The skies were clear, though it did rain after we got off the river, it wasn't too hot, the company was light and fun. It is most definitely a trip I will take again...

You know what I like...

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord! Unfortunately, I'm not old school enough to have played it on the oldest of systems (read: pre-NES), so I cut my teeth on it during the dynasty of original NES. On the other side of the coin, I was out of loop for every sequal they ever released after the first Wizardry, so PGMO is all I've got. Regardless, it still to this day holds a special place in my heart, and here's why...



If you've never played Wizardry, here's the reader's digest version: Create a party of adventurers, fight through monsters and assorted baddies, get treasure and experience, and you do this long enough to be powerful enough to beat the end boss Werdna, thus saving the kingdom...or whatever. Too long for you? Let's put it into a recognizable phrase: It's a dungeon crawl. Period. Essentially, this game is Dungeons & Dragons for the NES (it even uses Hobbits instead of Halflings, how'd they get around that?)...

It's also one of the first of its kind, making it the granddaddy of several genres. It is a very early RPG (as far as video games are concerned), so it set the stage for games like Final Fantasy years later. It was also unique in that you travel in first-person view. While combat is turn based (much like future RPGs), you open doors, descend/ascend floors, flip switches, etc. in first person, which at the time was unheard. One of the few other games with 3D elements that I know about is super pointless and lame (can we say Fester's Quest?...). Best of all, I was just getting into D&D at the same time, so I could game with my friends (hey Brian) and then if I didn't get enough, I could go home and game some more. Sweet...



As much as I enjoy this title, I have an issue or two. If you ever play this game, be prepared to exercise ALOT of patience. Character creation is a chore in multiple ways, especially if you've gotten to the luxury of point-and-click RPGs on a computer. To maximize a character, you have to slog through the whole creation process over and over and over and...::SPLARG:: Tweaks me out just thinking about it. Once you finally have your party of six (I recommend 2 Samurai, 1 Cleric, I Thief, 1 Mage, and 1 Wizard, you make it into the dungeon. To get anywhere, you need to do some serious leveling up. This means seeing the same baddies over and over, returning to town to heal, rinse and repeat. I can't get through Floor 3 with level 6 characters, so be warned. Also, don't let anyone die. It's expensive if your party makes it back, and if they ALL die, you start all over with a new party. Blech. Now there is an option where you can go down and find your dead team and bring them back to town, but by that point, your new party should be on par with the old. Like I said, blech...

That aside, I highly enjoy PGMO (just before my party dies) and I recommend it, not only to RPG lovers, but also to you nostalgic NES fans. It's unique in that it came out during at era of Mario and Link and Samus and is still very well thought out and fun. The designers took this project seriously and it shows. If you'd like an old(er) school challenge and are a fantasy lover, keep an eye out for a copy of your own or find an online MOD. Imaginations recommended...

Finally...

After all this time, ye readers few, I can get back to this thing the kids call a 'blog'. But understandable, my hiatus was. Moving out quickly, unpacking the important items, repacking for Ireland, going to Ireland, coming back into moving right into our new place (give or take a day or two), unpacking and setting up said new place, visiting with people. It's a process, believe me. I've lived a lot of my life out of boxes, but this is first time I'm (basically) away from my parents in that respect. Shocking...

So, here in Laurel I sit. I am on the lookout for a few things; some are necessities, others not so much. So here go:

- A comic/gaming shop (a combination or one of each)...
- The cheapest grocery store around...
- A decent, close second-hand store...
- A theater...
- The best job I can find...
- The closest college with a good Education program...
- A gym...

As you can see, I've got my work cut out for me. These are, in no way, in order of importance, but I will let you infer an order to the list. An eye is being kept out...

Super stoked about the apartment, though. I'm getting all my old gear back and weeding out all that I have sort of out grown or no long have a use for. It's cleansing. The stereo's back as well, which I have missed up in Ithaca. Now I can rock this joint with all manner of musics. Speaking of that, I have been weeding through my mysterious cd collection since moving in and let me tell you, it's been an education. I think I have been keeping around half of the cds I bought without knowing what a band was like. That means I will admit to having spent a bit too much on curiosity and broadening horizons and the like. I hope you guys like music as gifts...

Last item, there's a party at my place coming up (don't worry, you'll be invited...) which Tara and I are excited about. It's an alcohol party in which we will share out special finds with friends and they with us. We're calling it our 'Liver Let Die' party (my idea...). It's also a housewarming event so that our friends and family will know where we live and how we live in it. Should be a lot of fun...

From Ithaca with Love...

Well, faithful reader, my time in Ithaca draws to a close. In a scant few days, I shall embark back to the loving arms of Maryland, leaving the cool New York climate behind me. I can say, without a doubt, that I will shed a tear for this era of life gone by. I view it as the last vestige of my 'childhood', if you will, ending. Why, you may ask? Let's look at the facts:
-I am in an extremely adult relationship (fiance > girlfriend)...
-I have fewer and fewer 'in-school' friends (Jon's still one of the best, but his number is few and far between)...
-Now, I have a 'family' to support (hi, Tara) and be supported by...
-Thoughts of a career are welcome now (any ol' job vs. satisfying work)...
-And so on...

To those who know me, it's not as frightening as I have imagined it in years gone by. I've grown very comfortable with the person I have become, despite how others see me (no one in particular, so none of that speculation jibber-jabber). I'm still the lovable, eccentric, random dude I always have been, but in many ways, I've matured. They say rock bottom is a college education, and while I may not have ever hit bedrock, I've come close enough to worry. After all this, and all the things I've learned, I am ready to be THIS adult...

So, enough of this self-indulgent bull, let's get on with the TRUE meat and potatoes of this post (for all of you who suffered through all that). We have ourselves yet another musical post. Here's a list of songs I've learned of, loved, and acquired in the year and a half in Ithaca. Even with its wide variety of artists and style, this list still more than adequately represents my unique, eclectic musical taste. And, without further ado, I give thee:

The Witteman's Ithaca Mix CD (and you can take that to the bank)...
WARNING: SOME VIDEOS MAY VARY FROM THE ACTUAL RECORDING. VIEWER DISCRETION IS SCORNED...

1. The Eagles - How Long
(Proving that old guys can still have chops...)
2. Bruce Springsteen - Girls in Their Summer Clothes
(Same as above, but The Boss never went away...)
3. Foo Fighters - Long Road to Ruin
(Please, please, PLEASE give us some more music!...)
4. Bruce Springsteen - Radio Nowhere
(Still The Boss and still rocks the house...)
5. Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction
(It's good to see rappers have a sense of humor...)
6. Mylo - In My Arms
(Repetitive, but on the whole, very catchy...)
7. .38 Special - Caught Up in You
(CLASSIC ROCK, FOREVER!!!...)
8. Linus Loves feat. Sam Obernik - Stand Back
(Now HERE'S a remix that is respectful and unique, all at once...)
9. Rick Springfield - What's Victoria's Secret
(Refer to my review in a much, MUCH earlier post...)
10. Paul McCartney - Ever Present Past
(See old guy comment...)
11. Mariah Carey - We Belong Together
(My only true musical sin...)
12. Jimmy Eat World - Electable (Give It Up) (It's the first song...)
(These guys are proving they have to moxie to stick around...)
13. Dragonforce - Heroes of Our Time
(Journey meets Slayer meets Nintendo...)
14. Daft Punk - Human After All (Justice Remix)
(Man, my favorite techno band and one of my favorite remix groups...)
15. Van Halen - Baluchitherium (It's the best I could do. I'll play my copy when next we meet...)
(Truly an epic instrumental rock piece...)

If you know me, then none of this should come as a surprise. If you don't, now you know a little more about this guy (and knowing is half the battle...). This list is not ranked top to bottom or first found to last found. Rather, this list is assembled as I would burn them onto a cd for listening enjoyment. By clicking on the links and listening, you can find out for yourself how this would all play out. If I got it off by a little, tell me. What would you do?...

Totally Legal...

This month left intentionally blank...

There's nothing more important...

We all come to points in our lives that demand our full and undivided attentions. These life altering moments can be grand, exciting, painful, or simply intriguing. Regardless of the feelings and emotions they inflict upon us, these life points rip us out of our day to day routines to contemplate the fantastic and the special. Today, I talk of marriage. Specifically, my future marriage to Tara Flynn (not the porn star, sorry guys)...

We started dating over three years ago after a whirlwind adventure of hiking and seduction on Assateague Island. The debate still rages, but I maintain that I was seduced rather than the seducee. You decide, my friends. After a brief stint of separation (anxiety), we 'declared' us to the world shortly there after during a visit of mine to Ithaca, home to Cornell University and my fiancé’s soon-to-be alma mater. The details from this point and today aren't really anyone else's business but ours, BUT after a year and a half or so of dating, we decided it would be prudent to live together to see if we could stand to live together long term. It turns out we can...





Here are two pictures of the happy couple pre-engagement and the wedding of our friends Roger and Zeph. Yes, the one is of us in pirate garb (Want to make something of it?). We are even more adorable in person, let me tell you. So here's to you, Tara. Thanks for wanting to make a life with this geeked out rock'n roller. The next chapter is sure to be an exciting one...

As promised (the top half)...

I really gotta cut these posts down for length. I fear they may become unreadable and I'm tired of doing two-part posts. Starts to set a precedent. But, without further ado, I give you:


The Witteman's Top Ten List of Characters That Should Be In The Next SSB Game (Seriously)...



#5 - Like Mouser, hailing from the second game in a major video game series, it's fan favorite, Tails! Yes, Sonic's sidekick has more than enough chops to make it as a Smash Bros. Much like Luigi is to Mario, Tails shares similarities to Sonic (speed, items, kills enemies the same way...) but also has developed his own unique characteristics (flight [always cool], adept with machines...). Hopefully, for Tail's sake, these unique aspects can distance himself from his progenitor and not make him just a clone of Sonic. Lord knows we don't need another Link/Young Link/Toon Link, Capt. Falcon/Ganondorf, Lucas/Ness, Pichu/Pikachu, Fox/Falco/Wolf (you get the point...). If Tails can only be done as a clone, then perhaps Knuckles would be a better SSB choice. But, seeing as Tails came first, the flying fox gets first crack at the roster...

#4 - After playing (weeks upon weeks) of Super Smash Bros. Melee, Little Mac was one of the first characters I wanted included in the series. Ol' Green Trunks has a lot going for him: He's the main character of a very popular and nostalgic game, his theme music is simple yet powerful, and, while he may seem to have a simple move set (he IS a boxer [punch, punch, and...punch]), he would be a quick and evasive opponent (slipping and dodging attacks, blocking physical attacks without his shield). While Little Mac does make an appearance as an assist trophy in Brawl, it seems like a cop out to my fantasy roster. One can only hope that the new Wii Punch Out will breathe life into the tiny titan and Little Mac will rise in the ranks to Smash Bros. status...

#3 - To be honest, the Battletoads, Rash and Zitz weren't originally on this list, mainly because I forgot their game existed until just recently. Thank God for VNES.com. So, after playing Battletoads again after many years, it dawned on me: these guys are way cool, they've got the moves, mixed in with the right blend of obscurity and nostalgia, and all-in-all, the Toads are very in-theme for Super Smash Bros. Anthropomorphic amphibians in a beat-em-up game equals awesome (always). The only reason imaginable why these guys have been slipped under the radar thus far is plain old obscurity (when last we left the Battletoads, the year was 1994...). But if that's their own reason why, bring them back to us. Battletoads in Super Smash Bros.: Make it happen...

#2 - Oh, Toad. How they have forsaken you. After being the beefy guy in Mario 2 and one of the fastest characters in every Mario Kart, as well as having cameos in many other Mario games, you'd think Nintendo would give the little guy a little more respect. Instead, the decided to put Dr. Mario in Melee and made Toad a weapon for Princess Peach(for shame!). He is the last 'unique' member of the Mario family not to be a Smash Bros. and, even if there is no other reason why, Toad should be in the next SSB installment. The nice thing about him is his flexibility; (as mentioned above) he could be designed as a heavy, strong fighter or a quick but weaker attacker (both of which the Mario family lack). Either way, Toad is (or at least SHOULD be) a shoe-in for the next Super Smash Bros...

And the #1 character deserving of a Smash Bros. position - You know him, you love him, you can't live without him, Capcom's poster boy, Mega Man! There is absolutely no reason why this character isn't a Smash Bros. yet. Everything about Mega Man makes him THE prime candidate for the game: He's got the history, he's got the popularity and is a well respected character, and he's got more unique moves than TEN Smash Bros. Granted, they won't all be doable (sorry, Flash Man...), so we'll have to pick from the cream of the crop (hello, Metal Man, Magnet Man, etc... [to say nothing of Rush, Beat, the Megabuster, etc...]). Beyond Mega Man's versatility, you'd be hard pressed to find any gamer worth his salt who hasn't played, seen, or at least heard of Mega Man in some fashion. It is this notoriety that should make our favorite Master Robot slayer and auto include for the next Super Smash Bros. game...

So there you have it; all 10 of my suggestions for a SSB roster update. There are couple of other characters I could have mentioned, but these were the best. And it's only the best for this blog. However, I can admit I might have missed a good one or two. Who's your best idea for an addition to Super Smash Bros.? I really am curious to see what else might be out there and merely forgotten. Hit me back...

As promised (the bottom half)...

"Mawwiage...Mawwiage is what bwings us togevvah, today..." Truer words have never been spoke. Marriage is a truly excellent concept, both for people and for ideas. It is no secret that I am beginning the early planning steps of a marriage (thanks Tara!), but this post is not necessarily about this kind of festivity. I shall be getting to my own plannings in further posts. No, this one (judging by the title) is more of an idea marriage...

I would be hard pressed to find a geek or nerd who didn't enjoy crossovers in fiction, even on the most superficial of levels. Indeed, the popularity and lucrativeness of crossovers can be seen in movies like Aliens vs Predator and Freddy vs Jason, but also within other genres as well. Comics do it from time to time (almost too often sometimes...), and we gamers get the occasional video game crossover, too. I would argue that one of the best crossover (read: idea marriage) games, across the board, would have to be the Super Smash Bros. series. It's got everything in there: nostalgia value, great gameplay, kick ass graphics, and religious adherence to the characters. And so, in honor of this great marriage of video game ideas, concepts, what have you, I give you:

The Witteman's Top Ten List of Characters That Should Be In The Next SSB Game (Seriously)...



A bit of criteria for this list o' mine: No outside franchise characters (No Marvel, DC, movies, tv, etc...), No characters ORIGINATING from a head to head fighting game (No Street Fighter, Mortal Combat, etc...), and No Final Fantasy Characters (There are just too many to choose from, etc...). Anyways, on to the list...

#10 - Hailing from Mario 2 (and marking the only villain on the list), it's Mouser! Yes, this bomb chucking rodent-in-shades pestered Team Mario back in 1988 and would make an excellent addition to the SSB villain gallery of today. Unlike the other heavy...um...heavies, Mouser is light on his feet and hard to catch, making him a foe to be reckoned with. Plus, King Wart bears too much of a resemblance to Bowser. The only marks against him is that Mouser is a fairly obscure villain (unseen as an actual villain since Mario 2) and his move set is very limited, forcing developers to flesh Mouser out beyond his inception(kind of like how they did with Capt. Falcon, yes?). Despite that, this villainous rat is very in-theme with the Smash Bros. series and would meld quite well with the other characters within...

#9 - What can be said about Toe Jam & Earl? They're pretty weird, that's what. Fortunately for us, they have been a lot of fun, too, and would fit in nicely with the other Smash Bros. characters, albeit in that 'hanging out with your weirdly cool cousin' kind of way. This quirky duo has the potential to expand on a concept used by other characters; the multiple character per player. The player would control either or Toe Jam OR Earl at a time (read: Ice Climbers), BUT a command could switch between the two, opening different move avenues (read: Pokemon Trainer or Zelda/Shiek). Here's the thing, though: Developers would practically have to invent the ENTIRE move set for TWO new characters from scratch and, in truth, the popularity and pure knowledge of Toe Jam & Earl may be too low for execs to give their ok on the idea. Never the less, these two funky aliens deserve a place in the SSB ranks for, if nothing else, their odd coolness that most long time gamers realize...

#8 - Now here's a character (and a franchise) that needs to be returned to its rightful owner. Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden can trace his ancestry all the way back to the NES and has stayed the main character of the series ever since (impressive since he's been ported to Sega then to XBox...). Ryu has quite the bag of tricks (as any good ninja should)to bring to the Super Smash Bros. table (throwing stars, fire circles, shadow helpers, wall climbing/clinging[UNIQUE!]), making him a off-the-bat hard hitter. Plus, Ryu's a friggin' ninja, man! That being said, the man is not perfect. He is a non-cartoon human character (making the feel closer to the 'real', thanks Snake...)who is, more often than not, out for blood (read: a Grim and Gritty dude). Sure, he has fought monsters, but Mario or Kirby never took it to an opponent the way Ryu does. However, that aside, Ryu is still a major contender for a Super Smash seat; more than worthy to meat the other Bros. in combat...

#7 - One of the coolest and quirkiest character concepts is that of Earthworm Jim(If you don't know, look it up, foo!). You don't get much more 3rd party than you do with this guy. With his totally tricked out battle suit (including a blaster), the ability to use his wormy body as a tool, and a myriad of worlds to draw from, EJ's got skills to rival any of the current Smash Bros. There is a question lurking, however: Is there enough interest in the character to include him in a SSB game? It seems he hasn't made much of an appearance since 1999 and any newer games appear to be either cancelled or 'In Production'. Plus, the addition of Jim does push the risk of taking Smash Bros. in a new direction (don't ask me which one), and there are those out there you may not want to take that risk. But when you have a character like Earthworm Jim, a surreal, ridiculous, and downright fun character, it is a risk that is worth taking...

#6 - Another character originating from the NES of yore, Simon Belmont first shined as the protagonist in the original Castlevania and, while the series has branched out from its humble beginnings, I would argue he still the most recognizable hero from the series, if not at least the most nostalgic. Any old school gamer has probably played the early Castlevania games and should remember the HUGE inventory Belmont can acquire. With this in mind, and adding to it the plethora of thematic elements to Simon, his moves should be easy to come up with. Not that Belmont is without his flaws. Much like Ryu Hayabusa, he is 'human'; i.e. not a cartoon like Mario or a fantasy character like Link. Speaking of Link, these two share many similarities (item tossers, ranged attackers, a whip...), which would require Simon to be tweaked so that he wasn't just a cheap, knock-off Link clone. Because when you get down to it, the great vampire slayer from Castlevania is no mans clone...

Next: The Top Half...

WE'RE BACK!!!...

I was going to make this about Super Smash Bros., but something truly wonderfully awesome has happened tonight and I feel the need to spread the joy around. After several years of spartan music selection (considering what came before), the hard drive with all my digital music, every song I've ever gotten and put on the computer, has magically began to work again! It is a true miracle and I am happier than you can imagine...

Now, those close to me might say, 'Hey, what about you and Tara and the big to-do and all...' That is for another post for another day. You know, after the fact. No, tonight the joys of my own music selection are almost back to where I was before I moved up here. Thousands upon thousands of songs are mine once again, and once I combine them with the iTunes (eventually) and all the songs I acquired whilst up here, I shall feel a certain amount of peace of mind...

So here's my advice to you, kiddies: Don't put all your crap in only one format. If that format becomes lost (say, a crashed hard drive or assholes take your collections out of your car cause you are too damn dumb to lock your car...), have at least one back up in a different format. Since I thought I lost both in a very short time lapse, it was more devastating than I would care to explain. Even if you burn your cds onto a drive, don't get rid of the hard copies. Store them away until you need them again or run out of storage room or whatever. Such relief you can't buy...

Next: A Smash Bros. post...

Part DUECE!!!...

Finalizing the review of Hulk vs Thor, so here it comes...



The story involves Loki, god of mischief and Thor's brother, trying to find a way to kill of his brother once and for all. And, despite all attempts in the past, the only thing that came close to beating Thor was the rage machine himself, The Hulk. So Loki, along with the Enchantress, capture Banner, turn him into the Hulk, then proceed to physically REMOVE BANNER FROM THE HULK!!! Ok, I can't actually be that upset over this. I had to accept it when Jean Grey did it during the Onslaught saga. So, with Banner gone, Loki gains control of Hulk and sends him rampaging through the streets of Asgard. As can be expected, Big 'n Green mows through gods (yes, plural), dukes it out with Thor a bunch, Loki loses control, Hulk rampages more, and then Hel (Norse goddess of the underworld, kids) gets involved, restores Banner to Hulk, and that's where it ends. I gotta say, after I wrote 'Hulk rampages more', that was where I was comfortable stopping...

Gotta make this good, so the good points first. Like Hulk vs Wolverine, the costumes and art are spot on, if a bit stylized. If you want my opinions on that, check out the other post. But I actually have to praise the art further, because, unlike in HvW, there was more material to be faithful to. They really did nail it and it was all believable in the context of this story. The other item that made it a bit more enjoyable than the movie that came before it was the ending, and more like it actually had one. While HvW ends ambiguously (groan), HvT ends with Asgard being saved, Hulk returns to Midgard (Norse for the Earth, kids), and the heroes win the day, or as much as you can call getting your crap kicked all over the mythological planes by the avatar of all destruction (apparently)...

That segues nicely into my biggest problem with this pile: Hulk takes on the majority of the Norse pantheon and rips it to shreds with barely a mark on him. Yeah, I know, the madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets, but this is plain retarded. Big movers and shakers like the Norse gods barely slow Hulk down, but Wolverine holds his own? What kind of precedent is being set here? Are we allowing Wolverine to be this powerful or is it just that the Norse gods can't get their shit together and, oh I don't know, BANISH HULK FOR ALL ETERNITY TO SOME ABYSS IN THE ABYSSAL PLANES?!?!? (ok, I lost my way in that rant). Still, I know Hulk is the 'ultimate wrecking ball on legs', but these are FREAKING GODS!!! I kind of want to see what kinds of berzerkers and barbarians would have worshipped Hulk as a god now. Friggin' sweet...

The other issue I have is that, even though Loki lost control of Hulk, Hulk continued rampage and destroy his way to the sleeping Odin, I guess with the intention of destroying him(?). The Hulk I remember reading wouldn't mindlessly go towards a shiny light to destroy it. He'd make his way out of Asgard in a couple of leaps, just to be left alone. That's all Hulk really wants in the end is to be rid of Banner (check, at least for a while) and to live alone. After Loki was gone, there would have been no motivation or remote reason to go after Odin. A liberty that must have been taken, I suppose...

Style: See HvW, mostly. As I said before, way to go artists for making the art incredibly faithful, despite your own spins on it. Get these guys and gals more jobs and better scripts to work with...

Story: While HvW was in the realm of the absurd, HvT went with acceptable and Buh-Horing. It was predictable, flat, and not all that interesting to watch. Yes, this ending was better, but that was the best part about it. It was over...

Voices: Meh. Nothing really worth writing about. Not great, not awful...

Grade: D+ to C- and a plea for a redo. Art alone cannot make this piece all that worth my while. They could have stepped it up a little, but I get the feeling someone was trying make an easy buck with this two set. Gave my copy to my roommate. He couldn't get through them both, that's how disappointed he was. If you want to opinion on this, post here. Or better yet, find me, ask for my copy, then give it back with your own review. Tell me I'm wrong with this review...