Why I Truly Use Pinterest

Pinterest has a simple and sleek board layout for your images

 

A fair amount of people are surprised when I tell them I use Pinterest. The social media platform that is primarily used by women has a niche that I find pleasing. But there’s more to it for me than just posting pictures that I find visually stimulating. Although I find it fascinating to scour the Internet to find images that I’ve never seen before, the real reason is this.

It helps me get free Microsoft points for Xbox LIVE.

See, I use Bing as my search engine. Bing Rewards gives you points every time you do a search. Up to five points for every ten searches per day. They also give you three points to try out something new each day. That’s seven points a day! For every 125 points, you can exchange it for 100 Microsoft points on Xbox LIVE to spend on downloadable games, ZUNE music & movies and more. You can also spend Bing Rewards points on many other things from web services to gift cards.

Not only am I experimenting with a new social media platform, which every innovative marketer should do, I’m also finding some great images to use and getting something tangible in return. I would like to applaud Microsoft for offering such a great deal to people who use their search engine and I urge you to give Bing and Pinterest a try. Check out my Pinterest profile and feel free to follow any of my boards that you find interesting. If you’re on Pinterest already, I’d love to hear what keeps you going back each day.

Top 5 Games of 2011: Freshfully Rad Style

Another fun year and another list of favorites. If you aren’t tired of seeing these lists by now, feel free to read on for my top 5 video games of 2011. Let me know what your favorites are in the comments or on whatever social media website you’re reading this from. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and favorites.

5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

#5 - Deus Ex: Human Revolution

This stealth/action shooter hits the number five spot for numerous reasons. The hype was strong when it first came out and from what I had heard; I knew I’d like this game. You could choose whether you were going to go in guns blazing or whether you would creep like a panther, dispatching foes without bloodshed. The level of customization was fun as you started to excel in the modifications you activated in your body. However, the boss fights were extremely unfair and one-dimensional compared to the options of routes in the level design of the world.

Overall, the game had a great story and a good replay value added in how you’d complete the game, including four different endings. But, it was a rental for me and it hasn’t tempted me to go back to it yet.

4. L.A. Noire

#4 - L.A. Noire

The life of a cop in the 50’s was a perfect time for this game. There was nothing like hitting a crime scene and manhandling the corpse of a dead and bloodied woman in order to obtain the clues you need to catch the perp. The facial imaging that was used was the first of its kind and it was always a great surprise to see celebrities in the video game. However, as the game progressed it got a little monotonous to turn over every piece of paper to ruthlessly find all of the clues to the crime. The driving was like a chore most of the time and the “gaminess” of balancing on a wooden plank or finding all of the cars and film reels weren’t worth my time.

L.A. Noire is a game I had never played before and I really enjoyed the overall story as well as each case. But, it’s one of those games better left in small chunks.

3. Portal 2

#3 - Portal 2

Most gamers know this – Valve knows how to make good video games. This is another game that had some crazy hype behind it and for good reason. The first Portal was a nice hidden gem on The Orange Box and the expanded sequel promised more great puzzles and an interesting story behind it. And did it ever have those! The narrative didn’t treat you like you were stupid and the puzzles were challenging, though not impossible. It had a completely different game for co-op play and some of the achievements really test your skill.

Portal 2 is one of those games you should own just so you can take your time in each area and really experience everything that Valve hides within their worlds.

2. Dead Space 2

#2 - Dead Space 2

Hold on tight. That’s what I tell every gamer that begins playing this game. This survival sci-fi horror game knows how to provide the jump scares as well as provide some grotesque imagery that any gorehound will love. The controls are much improved from Dead Space and the camera is pulled in to Isaac just a little tighter. The soundtrack is just as freaky as the environment and provides just the type of music that should be in horror.  The only complaint I have is that you can usually tell what monster was going to pop out and surprise you based on the level design. That complaint is minor though, because the monster design is splendid for the bevvy of weapon choices you get.

This game is a blast and one I had to keep. Turn this game up on your stereo or headphones and prepare for the terror to begin.

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

#1 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Anyone who knows me probably guessed this when I mentioned this list. I was at the store as soon as it opened to pick up Skyrim and have since played the game close to 130 hours. This RPG takes place in such an epic world; I’m guessing it could take at least 300 hours to complete almost everything. The customization of your character is precisely how you’d like to craft him or her. You can travel underwater to the top of giant mountains and do it freely without waiting on load times. You can progress in the story however you’d like, which makes a different game for each person who plays it and a different story that each person inevitably tells. I mean, I created a Tumblr blog about it!

This game has some faults like quests not finishing, though I had done what was required and some of the animal animation looks clunky. However, it’s to be expected with such a large game and forgivable for what the game provides in return. It even made the number three spot on Xbox LIVE behind Call of Duty: Black Ops & Modern Warfare 3 and Skyrim isn’t even a multiplayer game!

That’s how good this game is and why it’s my number one of 2011.

Honorable mentions go out to Bastion, Gears of War 3 and Shadows of the Damned. All of those games have provided me with some excellent experiences as well, but just lacked enough to make it into the top 5 of 2011.

Helping Eve’s Daughters Live Better Lives

We live in a harsh world. Almost every day that I walk to a market nearby my apartment, I see someone asking for change. For many years, I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck and it hasn’t been easy to get where I’m at today. As we roll into the thick of the holiday season, there’s no better time to help someone less fortunate than you.

My boss and mentor, Matt Singley, said that Singley + Mackie would be making a sizeable donation to Eve’s Daughters during our team meeting yesterday. Eve’s Daughters is a small organization that helps single mothers who are facing divorce, abandonment or widowhood. Though they’re located in Portland, Oregon, I’ve never heard of this organization and as an only child of a single mother, this hit home with me.

I was primarily raised by my mother throughout my whole life. We lived a hard life since she was pretty much addicted to drugs, both illegal and prescription. There was a lot of moving from house to apartment to extended family’s homes during my childhood because we’d never have enough money for rent. My mom even got caught in a fire in our house and suffered third-degree burns on her hands and legs. She had to stay in the burn unit of Portland Emanuel hospital for months while I stayed with my dad. To this day, I still don’t know how it happened, but I believe it was because they were cooking drugs in our house. I was entering the fifth grade. All of that took its toll on my mom and she ended up passing away during my first year in college.

So, to say that I feel a great sense of self-worth that the company I work for is helping this small organization is probably somewhat of an understatement. It has amazed my extended family that I’ve had the success in my life that I’ve achieved so far, but without the help from friends and family in my life, it wouldn’t have been possible. I encourage you to check out the website for Eve’s Daughters and like their Facebook page. If you have a little extra cash on hand, perhaps think about donating to them. I’m proud of the company I work for and the awesome things that my team does for others.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

My Skyrim Character

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim arrives on 11/11/11. Can. Not. Wait.

 

With The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim right around the corner, I’ve been thinking about the character I’m going to create. One of the things many fans of the Elder Scrolls games love is the fact that you can customize and configure your character in so many ways. Want to be a human? Easy. An elf? No problem. How about a humanoid lizard or cat? Elder Scrolls can take care of that too. While the race or species of the character is something that’s somewhat important to me, it’s not crucial. Sure each has their own specific stats that can help in the direction your character chooses to take in the world, but overall the developers have stated that it won’t make a huge difference in the game. Also, each race is more partial to certain races than others, which could affect how your character lives in wherever it chooses to reside. So, I enter this world with one question: What will my character be like?

I’ve heard stories from other gamers about how they’ve gone into certain open-ended games with a specific character in mind. They give these character traits that affect the choices they make within the defined story of the game. Whether they’re good guys, bad girls, or a complicated mix of emotions that affect choices made, these characters have been the most memorable to them as they recall their gaming experiences years later. I want to do the same with Skyrim. Originally, I was thinking of making a character like Rand from the Wheel of Time novels, but later thought that it was still not enough for what I wanted in my character. The next paragraph will detail the characteristics in my character.

First, he will be male. The unattached storyline is that he will have come from a broken family with no ties to his original parents or siblings. He grew up on his own with hardly anyone there to help him survive, so he will be highly skilled in thievery. He knew that the skills of a thief would not be enough, so he also learned a small amount of magic to keep him out of harms’ way and to help him escape from a tight situation. Since he has grown up alone, he typically chooses to spend most of his time by himself and stays away from relationships, although if he found the perfect woman, he might choose to stay with her. He usually thinks only about what will help him survive but can recognize how doing a good deed for someone can benefit himself. Because of this, he is willing to work with others (including a guild) if it will mean a higher status to himself and a better chance of living for another day. He cares little for anyone else but himself, but has a soft spot for children and animals. He has a weakness for beer and will seek out a dark corner of a pub in any town he crosses whenever he needs to think about what direction he will take next in his adventures. His name will be Cripshaw.

You have just read the nerdiest blog post I’ve ever written. This is how excited I am to play this game on 11/11/11.

Do you play games with a specific character in mind? Do you think you’d ever try in the future? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Extra Life 2011: How it all went down

Before the marathon

The day has come and gone and Extra Life 2011 was a huge success! Last year, when I first heard about this charity, I signed up on a whim. The goal begins at $96 and can be adjusted accordingly. My original thoughts were that many people wouldn’t take it seriously, but I was surprised at how fast that goal was met from some extremely generous friends and family. So, I bumped up the goal and ended up donating over $240 to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. That’s when I thought that this could be something used for real good.

Fast-forward to this year with my goal started at $250. Some great friends and family sponsored me and helped blow past that goal to $300 thus gearing me up again for another epic day of marathon gaming on October 15. Of course, as erratic as my sleep patterns are, I awoke at 2:30 a.m. so excited that there was no chance of me going back to sleep. For anyone who sponsored me, I want to reassure you that I easily played games for well over 24 hours, including breaks, throughout the day and night.

The marathon begins

I officially started my session at 8 a.m. with an Xbox 360 game called Spider-Man: Edge of Time. It was a nice “beat-em-up” game that satiated a mind used to shooters and much more intense, twitchy games. After a few hours, I switched over to playing some Gears of War 3 with my friend Brianna and Stu, who was also participating in Extra Life 2011. We jumped into a horde mode match and made it to a round in the thirties before being disconnected from the host. BAH!

That was a great time to take a small break and then jump back into some video games with Pinball FX2, which is a great game to take a break with. It was one of my top games for 2010 and continues to be a favorite to go back to. Afterward, I played some multi-player Call of Duty: Black Ops with a bunch of random people. If you’re unaccustomed to playing games with strangers, let me tell you, you can hear some weird stories occasionally. That day, I got a few guys talking about the type of weed they smoke. I’m so happy Xbox has a mute button.

As night approaches

I ended up jumping into Stu’s campaign on Gears of War 3 and we finished the game, which took about four hours to do. At this point it was time to take a small dinner break consisting of some pad thai from Thai Orchid, which definitely hit the spot. After eating that, I threw in some L.A. Noire to play some of the downloadable content that has been waiting for me. I love the music and actors that Team Bondi got for this game and if you like the TV show “Mad Men,” you’d probably like playing this game.

The finish line in sight

After I finished a chapter in L.A. Noire, I killed some more time playing multi-player Call of Duty, Super Stickman Golf on iOS and some more Spider-Man until about 1 a.m. My friend, Evan, said that he would wake up at 2 a.m. to help me ride out the last and hardest part of the marathon. Keep in mind, I’ve been awake for a full 24 hours my 2:30 a.m. and have been playing games  since  around 4:30 a.m.

When the clock struck 2:30 a.m., Evan and I started our journey into Call of Duty’s zombie maps. I can’t believe that I haven’t gotten into these before, but I’m so happy that I participated in this charity in order to give me a good reason to play them. The layout of each area is detailed, the well thought out and full of mysteries. By the time we were finished with our last match, it was after 8:30 a.m. I signed off and recorded one last video to my Tumblr account.

Overall, Extra Life 2011 has been a huge success. Gamers from around the world have donated an approximate combined total of over 1.1 million dollars to children’s hospitals worldwide this year, which is a huge leap from the $465,000 last year and $170,000 the year before that. I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the people who sponsored me, played games with me, and promoted this cause. It means a lot to me, but even more to the kids it will help at Doernbecher.

Who says video games are bad for you?

Everyone who participates in Extra Life are kings and queens in my book.

Extra Life 2011 Game Marathon on October 15

This weekend will mark the second year of playing video games to help kids at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Many gamers around the world will be enduring the 24 hour game marathon to help the children’s hospital of their choice and it won’t be as easy as it sounds.

I will be playing games on the Xbox 360 as well as iPhone and iPad games. The following is what I have lined up:

Xbox 360

• Call of Duty: Black Ops
• Gears of War 3
• Peggle
• Pinball FX2
• Dead Space 2
• Crimson Alliance
• Possibly more…

iPhone/iPad

• Superbrothers: Swords & Sworcery
• Plants vs. Zombies
• GameDev Story
• Jaws
• Infinity Blade
• Rage HD

If you own an Xbox 360 and see any games that you’d like to play with me, just let me know or send me an invite. My gamertag is Omega Technique. Also, with the help of many generous people, my original goal has been surpassed but I’d love to see it get to an even $300. If anyone wants to donate $16, just head to my profile here.

Extra Life 2011 Update

You Can Still Donate!

With the help of some great friends and family, we’ve exceeded the original goal of $250 for kids at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. I would like to thank the following people for making it happen:

• Andrew Hwang
• Stu Holdren
• Matt Clegg
• Bob Cowell
• Kathy Sandaine
• Rob Wineriter
• Tyler Bolton
• Kathy Wamsley
• Brianna Gardner

If it weren’t for you all, this never would’ve been possible. Check back at this site to see more about what I will be doing for Extra Life 2011 in the coming weeks. You can still help the kids at Doernbecher by donating and sponsoring me here. Thanks again!

Visit to Yamhill Valley Vineyard

Spectacular Scenery at Yamhill Valley Vineyard

Some friends and I celebrated Lorien’s birthday by taking a small road trip to Yamhill Valley Vineyards to taste some wine at their tasting room. Now, let me make it clear that I’m not the biggest fan of wine, as most of my friends know me as a craft beer fan. Wine usually gives me a headache within the first glass. This wine was very good, didn’t give me a headache and I was told that the pours were more generous than you usually get at wineries. The view was beautiful with large trees just feeling the touches of autumn, a pond full of koi fish of various sizes, and rows of vines still full of grapes. If you take a picnic bundle with you, the wine becomes even more delightful. We paired our reds with chocolate brownies and our whites with bread and spinach dip.

What’s your favorite snacks to take to a winery?

Inside the Winery are Columns of Wine Barrels

There Were Easily 30+ Fish in the Pond in Front of Yamhill Valley Vineyard Winery

Tanks of Fermenting Wine Outside the Tasting Room at Yamhill Valley Vineyard

Birthday Girl, Lorien, posing with an employee's Delorean

Food Review: Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen

Happy Hour Reuben Sliders from Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen

If you live in Portland, Oregon or ever plan on visiting, you’ve got to check out Kenny & Zuke’s delicatessen on SW 11th & Stark. The pastrami is so good, you could eat it by itself. The pickles are some of the most flavorful I’ve had and the reuben sandwiches are so good. Happy hour is Monday through Friday, 3-6 p.m. and it’s definitely worth going at that time.

If you’ve eaten there before, what’s your favorite food to order?

Lincoln City Beach Trip 2011

Carved Sign at the Entrance to Road's End Beach in Lincoln City, Oregon

On September 10, Lorien, Sam, Yaicha and I decided to escape the summer heat in Portland, Oregon and head to Lincoln City to relax on the beach and disconnect from technology for the day. The cool ocean breeze was perfect and the Sierra Nevada Pale ales topped off a day of relaxing in the sun. The pictures here are located at Road’s End Beach, which seemed to be one of the few places in that area where you could park and freely enter the beach area without walking through someone’s yard.

This Path Turns From Paved To Rocks Farther Down

The Weather Was Almost Perfect at Road's End

That Water is Much Colder Than You'd Think