Who is George Best?

It bothers me greatly to be watching the news and to be confronted by the image of George Best on what they are alluding to as his death-bed. Look, I've lost an uncle to alcoholism as have many other people. I don't need to see it on the news. The majority of people in this country now know him more because of his alcoholism rather than his playing career. By todays standard of footballers, was he anything special? I have my doubts. Its simply a sad waste and a sad life. I don't think he should be given the treatment he gets in the papers. I don't think anybody should.

Writing

I used to write a lot; poetry and stories, I attended a writer's group at a local art centre. That was when I was single and had a lot of angst. I probably have more material to write about now but I seem to have less inclination to use my writing as a vehicle of expression. It might help relieve stress if I did start writing again, get stuff out of my system. My wife bought me a tough document folder with lots of compartments, zips, pads, pockets and dividers; it was for work but it seems too good for that. Also, I don't do very much with my paper notes after meetings - I hardly transcribe a lot of it. Lately, the past year and a bit, I've enjoyed the writings of Tom Clancy. I've been toying with the idea of trying to write something like a spy story. Years ago, I enjoyed the Ian Fleming novels. Both these writer's share a level of detail that I find interesting to read because it makes the stories seem believeable, even though the plots are quite fantastic really. Perhaps, my spy story idea is not a good one, given that I think my best writing from the past is observations from feeling separated from society and loneliness.

Games with awkward control schemes

(Writing to you with a very sore throat today). I've been playing a few games recently that I find quite difficult because of their control scheme. Spider-Man (PS), Spider-Man the Movie (PS2), Spider-Man 2 (PS2) and True Crime: Streets of LA (PS2). These games are great fun, no mistake, but the complexity of the situations and the variety of gameplay means that the control scheme has got to be just right and I don't feel it is with these games. I'm not saying that it can't be mastered, just that in comparison with similar games there is something lacking. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell or James Bond Everything or Nothing or Project Snowblind all seem far easier to play and are just as complex, storywise.

X Factor Rubbish

The X Factor is a unique disappointment in that the people who seem to do well exhibit no X Factor at all. A look at last years winner Steve proves this. In the line-up this year we have Chico. Excuse me but he can't sing (clearly), he can't dance and his personality is entirely centered on his own ego. I hear the argument that he's in it just because he appeals to middle aged women who love to see male strip acts but I just don't buy it. The audience of the show must surely be the young (and hopeful) and the old (who can't work the tv remote and who are incapable of turning the rubbish off).

Great game night

It's been a great night for games. I tried out a few new purchases first - Burnout, Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, Prince of Persia Sands of Time and Resident Evil Code Veronica X. The tryouts were just to make sure that the disks were ok, them being second hand (or pre-owned as the store labels them). The main game of the night was Spiderman the movie. I didn't think I was ever going to advance into getting Spiderman into his proper costume but tonight I made significant progress and did. I do find the game enjoyable but that is despite the control scheme, which I find a bit awkward. It's having the right analogue stick for looking around but it doesn't let you look up or down.
Other games tonight included Devil May Cry, which I made more progress with. It has to be said that DMC is a graphically outstanding piece of work.