Got the day off…

I woke up early and took Erin to work. Thought it would be nice to walk around the city early in the morning without anywhere really to go.

Thinking about playing video games all day.

Will post later.

Many people who know me know that I?m a big gamer. I love my 360… I once over heated my Xbox from 14 hours or straight use. (This was before the girlfriend.)

Over the holiday season the online service that Microsoft runs got slammed because of all the people who received 360?s for Christmas. (or Hanukah, or Chanukah, or Kwanzaa, or Ramadan, or Boxing Day… you get my point. ) Xbox Live or XBL is a pay service that costs $50 a year. When you pay for a service like this, you pay for uptime so when the service went down paying customers got angry.

Microsoft extended an olive branch to the XBL users and announced that every user would receive a FREE Live Arcade game to make up for the service downtime, title or titles to be determined at a later date.

Today is officially the later date. Microsoft announced that there would only be ONE game to choose from and that game would be Undertow. Don?t get me wrong, I appreciate the freebie for shitty service, but let me pick a game I want… not one that didn?t do so well and you want to prop up.

I?m calling this LAME.

Gizmodo: Microsoft’s Free Xbox Live Game For Service Outage: Undertow

The other day one of my coworkers brought in a poster she got at MOMA a while back. The poster was filled with news clippings of people who have died as a result of gun violence. The meaning of the poster was simple, that guns are bad and they kill!

After thinking about it awhile, I thought to myself how come people are so hung up on guns? I mean, there?s no doubt in my mind that there are FAR MORE people who are stabbed in this country every year then shot. Why isn?t there an anti-knife movement? Is it because everyday people use knives responsibly? Is it because we couldn?t imagine life without being able to cut our filets with ease?

I think it?s all a matter of perspective. There are a lot of law abiding Americans who do use their guns responsibly and take proper precaution when using them… like when cutting a stake with a knife.

But Ben, there?s a big difference between a knife and a gun.

Sure, how is someone going to cut a t-bone with a .22? I have no idea, but the fact is its my right as an American to try!

Last night Erin and I went out to dinner with her roommate. I?ll be honest I was a little nervous meeting her for the first time because its her best friend. If things didn?t click between us, I?m sure things between Erin and I would be a little awkward…

Luckily things went great. We met at a Thai restaurant on 56th.

I mentioned to Erin how I worked right across the street and the asshole that was my boss at the time tried to get me escorted from the building after I gave notice. Yes I know it?s a normal thing these days… but after 6 years?!?!

I said to her… ?Wouldn?t it be funny if he was here??

As we walked by the restaurant I peered in and started to panic…

?I think thats him! I can?t go in there!?

I don?t why I still freak out over the guy. Its been over 2 years since I worked for the little fuck and I?m in a way better place in my career.

Erin was nice enough to calm my nerves and I finally said ?Fuck it.?

It wasn?t him. Just some other dude who looks like Spicholi from Fast Times.

The food was great, the conversation was awesome. I?m real glad I met her… she was a great lady.