Bungie's Double XP weekend

Thursday, March 6th bungie rolled out the second of their many planned double XP weekends. The first of these began on Valentine's Day with team doubles focused matches. This weekend however the game of choice is Grifball, a Halo 3 game variant created by Burnie Burns from the Rooster teeth team responsible for bringing us Red Vs Blue. The game itself is likened to a mix of soccer and football, except the ball is a bomb, the players block and make plays using the gravity hammer and energy sword, and when a player scores everyone explodes. The typical pace of the games are mostly frantic with everyone tending to betray their team mates in the process of trying to make a play. Bungie chose to put a time limit on the rounds of the game rather than leaving it with no time limit. Since it was created by Burnie Burns, an entire Grifball league was created and overall went very successfully. The playlist Bungie put together however isn't without its downsides. From the outset, because this is an unranked playlist it would seem that most players don't take it seriously, which paves the way for excessive intentional team betrayals and other negative responses. Overall, the playlist definantly has its downsides but can be alot of fun and is a nice change of pace from the typical Halo experience. Starting next tuesday, March 11th, Bungie will put out another double XP playlist. The next playlist will be featuring quite possibly the most popular of game variants from Halo 2, Team Swat. Team Swat is a gametype where players have no shields, bolstered health, starting battlerifle, and no proximity sensors. The game takes on a new shape by changing how the game itself functions, the most successful players in this game type play a bit more tactical and are very accurate with their shots. With any luck these Double XP weekends will continue for quite awhile, and they give loyal gamers a treat by being able to win prizes and just generally have a good time.

Getting through another winter safely

With the regions snowy season upon us, it is important to take all the proper steps to keep yourself safe this winter. Most students commute, reside on campus in the dorms, or live in town. With the short deadlines, due dates, and all the other responsibilities we have as students it is easy to forget about the dangers of winter. Most people who reside in this region are accustomed to the snowy weather and poor traveling conditions, and sadly this can also make them complacent about taking the proper precautions. The simplest precautions a person can take is to make sure their driveway, sidewalk, or any other area they walk or park on is clear of snow and ice. Most residents of apartment buildings and the dorms have the benefit of having such things taken care of already, but it is important that students be aware as they walk to class around the campus, town, or even near their home. A fall on the ice can be very dangerous and in rare cases it can be lethal.
The Second most important measure a person can take is to prepare a winter safety/survival kit that is left in their car. This is important in the eventuality that the driver becomes stranded due to bad weather, car malfunction, or anything else that might cause you to be stuck somewhere you cannot get the aid or help you need. The Center for Disease Control or CDC has a list of the most important items you should carry in your vehicle. Keep your vehicle in good working condition by having it tuned up and making sure all your fluids are full. It is also a good idea to carry an ice scraper, extra mittens, a bag of sand or kitty litter, flashlight, candle and matches, a coat or other additional heavy clothing to “layer” on, a fluorescent distress flag, and an emergency flare. It is also a good idea to carry a cell phone with you as well. While driving it is important to remember that winter conditions cannot be avoided so you should always use your common sense when deciding whether or not to travel. Checking road conditions and weather forecasts will help you make an educated decision in those regards. Remember not to tailgate other drivers, turn your headlights on in low light or low visibility conditions, and use lower gears while driving on slick surfaces to get better traction.
The most essential thing to always keep in mind during the winter season is to use your head. Do not travel during bad weather if it’s not absolutely necessary. If you must travel, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to where you’re going, and focus on your driving. This means avoid using your cell phone while driving, keep both hands on the wheel and use your headlights when appropriate. If you take your time, use your head, and be careful, you can easily make it through another winter with no problems. If you do happen to get stranded in your car, your car kit could very well save your life and it is nothing to “put-off” or procrastinate about.

A boost to stave off recession: too little too late?

On Feb 13th President Bush signed a new law into effect that is hoped to stave off recession within the United States economy. The law itself is called a “stimulus package” in which filing taxpayers in the 2007 tax season are eligible for some additional refunds that are intended to help bolster the economy to avoid the recession that appears to be coming. Economic analysts have been reported to generally be behind the idea and believe that this stimulus package will help avoid a recession. There are those who don’t believe this stimulus package will avert the recession crisis, as it is assumed that most Americans will use the additional funds to pay bills rather than put the money back into the economy. The refunds will be included in the amount that eligible taxpayers will be receiving as their refund for the 2007 tax season. The Internal Revenue Service states that all they taxpayers need to do is file their standard tax return and they will take care of the rest. The new law also takes into consideration low income taxpayers who may not qualify for a refund; if they make a minimum of $3,000 for the 2007 tax season they will qualify for at least $300 or $600 if filing as a couple. Children that are being claimed on tax returns also have the possibility of having at least $300 per child returned as well. For higher incomes such as $75,000 for individuals or $150,000 if filing jointly will have a 5% reduction of the amount and it is tailored those who have a higher income will receive less. All that is required to qualify for this is to at least make $3,000 annually, have a valid social security number, and to file their tax returns as usual. The payment schedule is due to begin in May at the conclusion of tax season and will continue up to December 31st, 2008 for those who file their returns later. The fastest means of receiving your refund is to have direct deposit information on file, but if you do not the payments will be mailed to you. For more information regarding this and any further updates, go to http://www.irs.gov/ . The IRS will contact taxpayers with updates and further information by mail, they state that they will not contact anyone by phone or email however. If you receive a phone call or email soliciting sensitive financial information claiming to be from the IRS do not give any of that information out, you can forward scams to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

Ideas for sale: Campaign Donation Reform

With the Presidential elections coming soon, it is easy to get lost in the fuss on the television, radio, billboards, and other commercial avenues. The idea of an election is that the country is able to decide the next president by a matter of majority votes, but the time up until that point have caused speculation over the years. Campaign donations have been under scrutiny since the early 1970’s and over the years have seen several changes, the most recent of these changes coming in as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.This act stops the donation of “soft money” which are funds given by an individual or company that do not directly advocate the election or defeat of candidates and are not directly contributed to candidate campaigns. It is argued that such legislation is unconstitutional and goes against the first amendment, with many opinions on both sides provided valid reasoning for or against this type of reform.
Advocates for campaign reform argue that by not introducing campaign reform, it tends to limit the ability of the “common man” to have a say in politics, leaving the real power in the hands of special interest groups and wealthy individuals. Opponents to reform claim by limiting the amount an individual or group can donate goes against the first amendment, and limits their right to political speech. It is easy to go either way on this subject, but the main concern is not how candidates feel about possible reforms, but how the voters feel. It has been implied that special interest groups, donate in order to generate sympathy or regard for their issue or needs. While no conclusive proof has been found thus far, one can see how convenient it is that these same groups tend to get what they want. Campaign reform is still very fresh on the minds of many, even being brought during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel; Hillary Clinton stated that she didn’t believe there should be limitations on donating, as it is very expensive to run a campaign. No matter the side of the debate voters fall on, it is their duty to keep their eyes open and do what they can to ensure the political system remains fair and balanced.

Pro Gaming: Oxymoron?

At first glance most people would not consider video games to be a viable outlet as a career or at the very best a pro sport. The reality is that video games are becoming more mainstream everyday, even becoming considered a pro sport. Recently ESPN began airing a monthly television show dedicated solely to gaming, even going so far as to air a “Top Ten” of halo plays. As with all pro sports, going pro in gaming takes a lot of dedication, practice, and skill. Pro gaming events boast prizes in the upwards of $10,000, and even have been known to include endorsement deals with major companies looking to market themselves to gamers.

Halo 2 was originally the best game to get into if a person wanted to go pro and make the most money, Halo 3 has become the new standard of that. The statistics today show that there have been 792,192 unique players logging within the last 24 hours playing a total of 1,699,448 total matches logged in that same time frame. As Bungie rolls out their new matchmaking play list setup in a free-for-all tournament style, there will also be a tournament sponsored by the United States Army which will allow U.S. residents to compete in a tournament bracket with the finalists being flown to New York to vie for the $50,000 prize.

Halo 3 was released on Sept. 25th 2007, so it is still a relatively young game but already there are contests and promotions that give the average casual gamer a chance to compete with their peers and win prizes. The casual gamer can even try their hand at going semi-pro or even pro by going to several of the tournaments of the gaming season hosted by the MLG or Major League of Gaming. All pro and semi-pro spots are already reserved, but by paying the $240 entrance pass fee, an amateur can compete and gain much needed exposure to further their career in gaming. As the gaming industry consistently proves that it is not going anywhere soon, and begins to out perform even feature films, gaming moves to the forefront and what once began as a group of people getting together to play games in their basement on the old black and white television, has become a pillar of modern entertainment today.