Guitar Hero experiment

Due to my disappoinment with Guitar Hero World Tour's difficulty level (nobody should be able to get 100% and a full combo on a first attempt at a song on expert), I am conducting a bit of a Guitar Hero experiment to see if GHWT is really that easy or if I have just improved that much. Starting tonight, I'm going to go back through all of the games on expert and rate each one on their difficulty. Here's my prediction:

1 (most difficult) - Guitar Hero 3
2 - Guitar Hero 2
3 - Guitar Hero 1
4 - Guitar Hero 80's
5 - Guitar Hero Aerosmith
6 - Guitar Hero World Tour

There are some differences between the games that will skew the ratings a bit. For example, the hammer on/pull offs in Guitar Hero 1 are near impossible compared to GH2 and they made it even easier in GH3. I will have to use different controllers for the PS2 games (GH1 and 80s) and the 360 games (GH2, GH3, GHA and GHWT). This shouldn't be too big of a factor, though.

In any case, it's going to be fun to go back through the games and play the more fun songs again.

Initial thoughts on Guitar Hero World Tour (aka GH4)

Like clockwork, Red Octane puts out a new Guitar Hero game every fall. I think maybe they should give it a break for a year. I got the new Guitar Hero game yesterday, the day it came out. It's not a bad game, but they've taken the series in a new direction. They've gone the way of Rock Band and incorporated an entire band experience. Again, this isn't bad, but they sacrificed what made Guitar Hero an awesome game - the guitar.

I didn't get the whole band set and just got the game. Apparently, they've added a touch sliding pad to the guitar, which you can't use if you don't have the guitar. You can still play the parts with the regular guitar, thankfully. And you can also use your Rock Band 1 equipment, which is good as well. Again, there are parts that utilize special features on the GH gear, but you can still play the basics without it.

My problem with the guitar parts is that it's simply too easy. The first time I played about a quarter of the songs on hard, I was able to get 100%. I've only gotten four stars on one song, and I'll probably 5 star it the next time I play. I will switch to expert, which I think will be a decent step up, but it's still a bit too easy for my taste.

The song choice is good, though. With appearances by Wings, CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson (surprisingly good), Steve Miller, Guess Who and Jimi Hendrix, classic rock fans won't be disappointed. There's a good amount of newer stuff, too, that isn't horrible. They're really going to step up the downloadable content on this one, too, which Rock Band has been doing since its first game.

It's hard not to compare Rock Band and the new Guitar Hero. I'd still give Rock Band the edge, however, when it comes to band play. Guitar Hero still crushes RB in the solo gameplay.

I done voted

For the first time in my life, I voted. Fortunately, Florida has offered early voting since October 20th. I'm not sure I would have voted otherwise. The whole process took about an hour, so that's not too bad. I've got to say that I had a very hard time deciding on the presidential candidate. I've researched the issues, and every time I did, I found that I was split right down the middle. I ended up having to pick the couple of issues that are most important to me - national defense, the future of the space program (for obvious reasons) and the state of the economy. After a lot of mental deliberation, I ended up voting for John McCain.

My struggle

I've been struggling with weight for some time. I recently decided to try something new and go off of my Lexapro. In two weeks, I've lost 12 pounds without altering how I eat (actually I've eaten a bit worse than normal) or exercising at all. Now I have a decision to make - what is more important, mental or physical health?

I can notice a huge difference in myself on or off my meds. When I'm not on them, it takes a lot of effort to control my emotions, especially anger. It doesn't take much to set me off and sometimes I can visualize myself doing irrational things like bashing my monitor with my mouse or punching a wall. It takes a lot of mental effort to keep from doing these things, and I'm not sure if I can control it forever. I'm also a lot more withdrawn from Matt, and I don't like that, either.

Every time I go off of my meds, however, I also get a lot more creative (the website redesign is just an example). I become more introverted and introspective, which I actually enjoy a bit. Some great ideas have come out of these types of times, but what also comes is depression. At least now I know how to see it coming and I've still got a stock of pills to last for a year or so.

Sometimes, though, I have to wonder who I really am - the person I am when I'm on medication or the person when I'm not? If there is a chemical imbalance in my head, maybe it's supposed to be there? Maybe things are supposed to be hard for me? It's really a catch 22 - I don't like the way I look when I'm on meds, but I don't like the person I can be when I'm not on them.

Music

Life would suck without music. I fill the empty space around me with it whenever possible. It's funny because I now find myself listening to the same thing I remember my parents listening to - Beatles, CCR, Jim Croce, Dr. Hook, etc. It's just good music and combines the actual music with great lyrics. I also listen to a lot of other stuff ranging from country to metal, but if it has decent lyrics and a good melody, I'll listen to it.

So it makes sense that I enjoy video games that use music - Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Boom Boom Rocket (a smaller game but same idea).

Captions to come

I just figured out how to add captions to my pictures. I'll be adding them gradually, so check back often!

New look

No, you haven't reached the wrong site. This is still cheyster.com, just with a different look and feel. I'm rebuilding the whole thing from scratch, but I think you'll find that it's better in the long run. The pictures will be easier for me to add and edit (so I'll add them more frequently than once every two years). And if you're wondering about the logo, I've got a plan for the "use your brain" idea. We'll see if I can make it materialize.

Bye bye hair

I was in Texas earlier this week and it was hot. I walked out of my training and decided then and there that my hair had to go away. So I found the nearest mall and had my hair cut short again. There is still some length on the top, but my neck can feel the air again! I'm still not sure I like the top, but I love the shortness. Matt seems to think it's alright and I got mixed reviews at work. I wish I could shave my head sometimes. It might not look good, but it would sure feel good!

Funny SNL skit

I haven't laughed so hard at something on Saturday Night Live in a long time. Check out this video:

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/the-lawrence-welk-show/727501/

I've watched it 10 times and laugh harder every time.

Consolation

The Cubs are done. This makes me happy. Very happy. Even if the Brewers don't make it past their next game, I'll feel better knowing that the Brewers did better in their post season than the Cubs did. We're still alive, though, and I'm pulling for the guys. I was really hoping that we wouldn't be swept and we could at least say that we've broken the post season draught. Hooray!

Cool site

Someone at work pointed out this site to me today and I've spent quite a bit of time playing with it tonight. You type in a first name, and it shows you how popular it's been since 1880. It is really neat. For example, my sister, Jessica, has the most popular name during the 80's and 90's. My name, on the other hand, wasn't even ranked in the top 1000 girl names when I was born, but it's in the top 200 now. It's also interesting to see how names are influenced by popular people. For example, the name Peyton spiked in the late 90s and 00's - why? Peyton Manning.

http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager#prefix=&ms=false&sw=f&exact=false