Semi Success
Ok, i realize now that adding a RSS feed to my blog is in fact very easy and having had difficulty with it for so long is slightly embarrassing. I was not aware of the existence of widgets at all you see 
Never the less i have managed to add a RSS feed from my GiantBomb account, but it’s a a semi success only. I wanted to add a feed of all my activities from that site, but unfortunately it seems to be broken right now. So i have to be content with adding the feed from my blog there.
Other then that I’ve spent all too much time at home this weekend. I didn’t feel like going out on Friday so i guess i’ll have to sit and wait until the next occasion arises, which is kindof boring. I’m using my extra time on thinking about how to make my portfolio, as it is indeed about time 
I’ve also spruced up this page a little bit, adding things like recent comments and stats to my sidebar. I’m thinking about exchanging the layout, but we will see.
Hear from me soon ^^
Ominous
So yet again i completely fail to post according to a schedual which i set myself, and i do apologize. Recently i have been haunted by so heavy thoughts i find it hard to focus myself on writing here, even if it all probably makes for ‘perfect material’.
One thing i’m pretty sure of is that i’ve been an ass to a couple of my friends lately, and idealising Poland a lot, for no valid reason as i discovered after spending some time here. I apologize for that as well.
I can tell you about one thing i have been doing in breaks between various activities with friends, traveling, my Internet being down due to faulty hardware and my laptop breaking down several times (oh look you got a list of things that happened already ). I’ve been spending my spare free time exploring the world of alternative and independently developed digital games. I can recommend you a site called Manifesto Games and it’s hmm partner site PlayThisThing.com . You can find a game called Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble! there, which is a lot better than the title sounds, and gets the official Cousken Approves stamp right away.
I guess that would be it for now. I will get back to trying to rig up wordpress to read my blog from GiantBomb.
Two News
Hello all!
It’s been a while, and by now you are probably all expecting an explanation to why i have not been writing. That’s too bad, because i don’t really have one. I just got out of touch. One thing i can come think of writing about the past month is that i didn’t get into my masters education because of a technical error in the database. It’s all fixed now so no biggie.
I wanted to write about two things to you. I will try to keep it short.
The first thing is a site called Giant Bomb. It’s a community/wiki about gaming, games and gamers; run by a bunch of people who got fired or quit GameSpot for different reason, the most known of them being Jeff Gerstmann. I want to support the site as much as i can, because i love the concept. So no i officialy announce that all my gamer-relater topics will be moved there. I will try to fix some sort of cross-posting so that everything i write there pops up here, or at least to have notices. Maybe somethings with RSS feeds? Does anyone know how to do it? Also, i’ve put an extensive bio of me as a gamer up on that site which might be worth your while. Read it!
The second thing i wanted to write about is that i’m going to Poland today Yepp, it’s that time of the year. This time i will stay longer than usual, a whole 3 weeks, then i’m off to Austrial as usual. But to brake my pattern, i will land in Krakow to visit my old friend Lukasz Halastra aka Lucas D’Hala. Also i will be hopefuly recieving visitors from Sweden, Tomek, Kalle and Christina have expressed interest in coming down and traveling with me. It’s something i want to do, visit more of Poland than just my home town, get to know more people and see more sights. I’m trying to challange myself as much as possible and break my bubble of comfort to develop more as a person. I will be comming to Lodz on tha 24th, and after that it’s very vague up untill around the 16th of August when i plan to travel to Austria, and where i take my return flight to Sweden from. As per tradition i will try to write in this blog about anything i experiance, which usualy is a lot, so expect extra updates Even daily ones.
I’m not sure of an internet connection up untill i’m in Poland, so i might take a little brake untill then, but in that case i will write my posts in notepad and post them at a later notice.
Hope to see you here again soon
No time for love, Dr Jones
Review: Lego Indiana Jones, The Original Adventures
So it’s finally time for me to deliver on the game review promised. Not of GTA4 tho, as my Xbox broke. I’m not going to talk about what the game is about or how you control the characters yada yada yada, instead i’m going to cut to my opinion of it directly. I’m around 50% into this game, and yet to play my favorite movie, The Last Crusade. I do so hope Sean Connery is well represented!
LEGO Indiana Jones is one of the most directly fun games i’ve played, especially in multiplayer. It appeals to my sense of playfulness, exploration and finding secrets/rewards. It is in my opinion a game that is an evolved form of the good old platformer games like Mario & or all of it’s hellish offspring. As i see it this game is meant to be enjoyed with a friend. It’s fun on my own but much more so when you are two, as most of the riddles and secrets need to players to find. Also, the game features full friendly fire, and when you kill your friend he drops a little of his money which you can also pick up.
It’s hard to define what makes things fun, or what fun is. If i would be to compare it with any other product, i would compare it with kids toys or Viva Pinata. It has the same appeal, and also a lot of great humour. There simply something satisfying with smashing everything in a room with a shovel, making it explode into lots and lots of coins. Also, this game features a little asian boy doing a lot of manual labor and heavy lifting while a well dressed american man is chasing him with a whip, and a character whos special move is screaming very loud.
You’d think that you can’t do so much graphics-wise with lego bricks, but this game proves that wrong. I’m playing the PC version, and the graphics could be described as PS2 models with X360 shaders. The game works very well with motion blur and distance blur (simulating what the eye focus on) and the whole bunch… Not once have i been bothered by the low polly of backgrounds or anyting, on the contrary, i was impressed several times with how well the technology is used to create a good visual experience.
I am yet to try any other version than that of the PC , but i think that this games is perfectly fit for the Wii, it has the direct fun appeal that Nintendo are trying to promote. I’m probably going to check how the game is on my Ds, that might be interesting as well, but i’m afraid that the graphics will loose a lot of it’s appeal. The PC version might be a little bit hard to control, so i connected my Xbox controler to it and now it’s no problems
The game is really cheap too so i can recommend you to check it out. If you like casual gaming and have a friend nearby to play with, i’m pretty sure you will not regret it.
Double Fail
On the contrary to what has been suggested in my comments, i haven’t been taking time off from writing the blog or anything for that matter. I just haven’t had the time to sit down and write properly for a while. It’s surprising how busy i am when in face i’m supposed to be free and taking some time off! I’ve been working for my dad amongst other things. I think this job will be put into the ‘I don’t want to get stuck doing this for the rest of my life’ cabinet.
But that’s besides the point. What i wanted to write about is two things that happened to me this week, both having to do with delivery. Both are rather… irritating or at least very silly. I have made two stories out of them, trying to remain as neutral as possible no to seem like a bad person, but you will probably be able to imagine my reaction to both.
Story One: UPS
As you know my Xbox broke recently. I’ve sent it away to Microsofts repair center in Germany with UPS; Microsoft covering all the shipping costs and repairs, which is nice in a way. Sure, much can be said about releasing a product that notoriously breaks, but by the way they handle it was quite ok. Of course, i lost some respect for the product, but never mind.
I got to track the whole process over the Internet, and the shipping and repair took much less than two weeks. Unfortunately, i didn’t get my Xbox back until Tuesday this week, thanks to my pal the UPS.
First they arrived at my door last Monday around noon and left a note that they will try again tomorrow at the same time. I had school and work that week, so i called them up and told them that i won’t be available at that time this weeks, so could they please deliver it after 16 at which time my roommates are home. After some grumping they agreed.
Unfortunately, the next day after returning home i found the same note wedged into the door. We were here at noon, no one was home, tomorrow will be our last try. So i figured the delivery man didn’t get the information in time, and called again making sure that they make him come another time. Which worked, unfortunately not the way i wanted it to. Upon returning home on Wednesday, i found a note saying that they were here at 10.15 (which was 10 minutes after i left for whatever i was doing that day), and since they tried 3 times, they will not try again and i have to go up and pick the package up myself.
So i decided to call them. It was a busy week, so i put it off until Monday (they’re closed during the weekends). The nice telephonist lady there told me that if i wish i could go and pick it up at Sturup Airport, where the package is located. After a couple of seconds of silence from me she picked up on my negative emotions forwards this, and said that otherwise they can come by with the package again. I gladly accepted that alternative and told the lady to send a delivery man on Wednesday, since i would be home the whole day and he couldn’t come at a wrong time even if he tried to.
But i was outsmarted and bested by the UPS delivery man yet again. Tuesday morning, when i was getting ready to go out, someone rang the doorbell. To my big surprisese it was a UPS deliveryman with my Xbox. At that point the only thing i could say was ‘…You were supposed to come tomorrow.’ Then the UPS man said something which i will have to retell in Swedish, otherwise it would loos oh so much of it’s subtle information ‘JassÃ¥? Nu ska vi se…’ At this point the man started turning around the package as if he was looking for something. On the side he turned upwards, which was in fact the top of the package he held upside down until now, was a a very big piece of paper with huge lettering ‘DELIVER ON WEDNESDAY’. Upon noticing this apparently for the first time, he statet ‘Nä men där ser man! Du hade faktist rätt!’.
I just took the box, signed it, and haven’t touched the damned thing ever since.
Story 2: Spelbutiken
This one will be much shorter. My old PS2 controller broke, and since i want to play Lego Indiana Jones with my friend Patrik, i had to get a new one. In the stores the thing costs around 500 kr, but on the Internet i found it for 200 kr with delivery at a store called Spelbutiken.se. Yes please remember the name, that’s not the first time these people messed something up with me. Last time i ordered something there, i waited until a week after it was supposed to be deliver to call them, only to hear that they don’t acctualy have what i want, would i like some other game instead? But never mind that…
Anyway, i ordered on Monday evening, and they sent the controller out on Tuesday morning, which was promising. It acctualy got here on Wednesday, but i did not noticed the delivery slip which my roommates left at the kitchen table. I’m never there since i like to eat alone in my room, so i only found it today when we were cleaning.
To cut to the point - after returning home from the postal office, i opened the packaged and found very nice new and shiny Playstation 3 Controller. Yes, something which is at least three times as expensive as what i ordered, but ironically is completely useless to me. Draw your own conclusions how this makes me feel.
FIN
I had something very nice to say to end this post, but i totally forgot. I’ll just add, then, that the PS3 controller will be sold off to a friend of mine for the price i got it for, and i hope it will bring him much joy. A lot of joy acctualy, because i could have sold it for much over the net 
A day off… on?
I’m having such a nice day ^^ I finally get to relax! It’s been so long, i forgot all about it… how to do it, how it feels :3 I went up without any plan for the day what so ever, which hasn’t happened in ages… The only think i want to do today is to clean, and that should not take too long, as soon as i acctualy manage to get up and do it
Of course, to be able to have this day i had to make sacrifices. But i think i needed it. I was forced to say no to a friend who asked me to help him move… at 9 am on a saturday during exams… I can only wish him good luck, coz he will badly need it O.o Also, Cia has her birthday party this evening. Right now i don’t feel like moving at all, but maybe after cleaning i will ‘get myself going’. On the other hand, i haven’t spent time with Ahrens in ages and he’s going to Germany tomorrow, and we could just sit and watch movies… which would be extremely nice.
I’m not sure what i’ll do because thinking about it would mean i acctualy am doing something, which i’m trying to avoid today :=) I’m just sitting, chilling, taking in the atmosphere and music ^^
Do i have a point? Yeah, sharing my good mood ^^ Hopefully you’ll get a day soon which is as enjoyable as mine
Life and What To Do With It
I only have one day of university left, and that will be on Wednesday 4th of June. My exhibition came to an end just yesterday, leaving me with a bit of a hangover from the after party. And now, on Thursday next week, it will be the first day of the rest of my life. Even such a cliché phrase turns into something big and scary in the appropriate moments.
I don’t really have a A to B through C plan right now for my life. I used to, but right now i kindof lost the passion for working with games. I’m not sure why that is, maybe because i’ve been doing it for the past half year. There’s so many things i would like to try and explore besides games, i’m not sure that game design is right for me anymore…
What i am sure about is that i want to travel. I want see the world, live in different places. With each passing day i grow more weary of this country and it’s stagnancy. It becomes very apparent how much i want get move out in situations when such an opportunities arise. A friend of mine asked me if i’d like to go to NYC with him, and i very much do, even if i can’t really afford it. But i want it so much i’m acctualy considering selling my consoles and PC to go. Scary, huh? I guess it says a lot.
I also have a plan to check out what my old friends back in Poland are doing… One of them, last i saw him, was talking about going into media production and was very passionate about it. I am hoping he’s serious about it, i think we could do something together. I’ll talk to him soon and find out…
Right now, i’m just… seeing all these possibilities in front of me, and it’s so much… it’s overwhelming. I need to rediscover passion and find motivation, because i can do whatever i want. And i want something meaningful. Shall this summer be Cousken And The Meaning Of Life? I’m not sure. I really want to work right now tho, i hope that will give me the experience i need to make my decision. It’s hard getting a job tho, i’ve been trying for a while. For now i make my living on freelancing and small extra jobs, like conference host and some such.
Obviously, this is a very exciting time I will write about stuff as soon as they happen. Going to try to get some well deserved rest the coming days ^^ Although, school isn’t over yet… I’ll definitely let you know how my examination went
I’ve had just about enough
This has been one crapy week. It’s like everything just aligned perfectly to make me miserable. Even my ******* game breaks and now i have to wait for a gm, 380 in front of me in que. Good luck with that…
So it started with my Xbox breaking. Not so serious, but still ticked me off. Then we got extra work from school, which forced me to cancel all the plans i had for the week. I don’t even remember most of the small thing but there was constantly something the entire week. A store was out of something i wanted, i just missed a bus, and something went not as I planed it… And i hate when my plans fail. Really hate.
So i thought maybe the weekend will make up for it but no-o. In total, 4 of my … friend back out of previous arrangements at two occasions, all of them less than 8 hours before we were supposed to meet… The first one was ok, kind of had a valid reason, but all of this crap is just PILING UP! I’m seriously trying to sound pissed off here, I’m not sure I’m any good at it.
Oh yeah, and i have school on Sunday at 10.30, then i have to go buy flowers for my, so i hope i will make it in time… that’s the last and only thing i still can look forwards to in this week.
People ditching me happen uncomfortably often. This irks me probably more than other people, because of the things in life i don’t like, having my plans ruined is in the top 3, if not the thing i hate the most. I was discussing this with a friend over a pizza, kind of saying that since it happens to me all the time i should be used to it… Lack of self respect? But otherwise i’d probably lose many friends if i’d get angry every time they bail… His point was if people don’t respect the time and effort i put into meeting them, are they really friends worth having? I’m seriously going to give this some thought.
*curses a lot* Seriously.
Just not to talk about negative things all the time, i’ve started playing Age of Conan, which i like very much so far, and the outlook is that i will like it even more with time. Other positive things…. ****, beats me.
I’m going back to work…
RROD
So guess what i got the other day. I came home pretty late from school, and one of my roommates comes up to me and says: “Oh btw i tried putting your Xbox on and a weird red blinking light appeared”…. FUCK!
Acctualy it’s not that bad. I found myself not caring all that much, and decided to put up a little bit of an act to get people weary of using my stuff, and seem at least a bit human The next morning i called up the support, instead of contacting Michel like i should have. It’s a 3 weeks repair time. I guess i’ll live.
The biggest bummer is that i can’t play GTA4 right now, even if i don’t feel like it all that much. Only problem is, i’ve gotten quite into listening to the soundtrack of the game, and that peps me for playing more… But i can’t. Well, whatever.
Today i met up with Helena in town. It was really sweet, we went out to eat sushi and had coffe, also went shopping a little bit. Helena is really cool, i enjoyed spending time with her imensly. She’s very easy going, i like that. She is also my favorite asian. I’ll explain that some day. She’s still not better than a cheetah, though. Also, this is a picture of her ear.
I guess this isn’t directly one of my ‘quality posts’, but i just wanted to ventilate some things. Thanks for reading again ^^
