The negatives of drinking soda

One of my new year’s resolutions is to “drink soda only occasionally, if at all.”

Starting this week, I will begin to limit my consumption of soda. I do not drink soda every day, but I do drink it more than once a week which is definitely more often than I should. For the first month I will allow myself up to two sodas a week. The second month I will only allow myself up to one soda per week. The third month I will allow myself up to one soda every two weeks. The fourth month I will not allow myself any soda at all. After that month is over I will only have sodas on occasion, if at all.

To help myself adjust to this transition, I’ve put together a number of facts regarding the harmful effects of soda. The infographic above has some great facts and figures provided by Term Life Insurance. Below you can find some extra facts I was able to find independently.

• With a pH of about 2.5 (about the same as vinegar), soda is the most acidic beverage you can buy. Why does that matter? Acid oxidizes whatever it comes in contact with. For example, if you put soda or vinegar on metal it will rust it quickly. Think of the effect something like that would have on your body!
• The high levels of phosphorus contained in sodas can leach calcium from your system. Osteoporosis, tooth loss, periodontal disease and gingivitis can be problems associated with a high phosphorus intake.
• For those of you with a diet soda in your hands, the news isn’t any better, in fact it’s worse! One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about fifty-six milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time as much as two hundred fifty milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream. Methanol is toxic to the human body.
• Then there’s the caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal can strike people who drink a single cup of strongly brewed coffee or drink caffeinated soft drinks regularly. Caffeine-withdrawal symptoms include not only headache, but also fatigue, mild depression, muscle pain and stiffness, flu-like feelings, nausea and vomiting.

I invite any of you to join me in this resolution. Soda, although tasty, is not beneficial to our bodies at all and can be removed from our diet with a little effort and support.

Happy 25th anniversary Final Fantasy!

The 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy, one of the greatest game series of all time, takes place today, December 18th.

The Final Fantasy series began with the launch of a single title bearing its name in Japan 1987. It has since spread into a variety of releases, both numbered and named, on a variety of platforms. Today the series has expanded the use of epic stories and character development, combined with gorgeous graphics and design, that continue to uniquely shape the genre.

Final Fantasy VI was my first exposure to the series and the role-playing genre as a whole. Many happy memories return when I think about this game.

My favorite Final Fantasy memory, actually my favorite video game memory ever, was when my friend Megan and I would play Final Fantasy VI together. We would trade off the controller, read and sing along with the characters. We would make frozen lemonade and popcorn, sipping and munching while we played. To both be so into the story and it’s characters, to still feel that attachment so strongly today is the type of magic the Final Fantasy series creates in our hearts.

What is your favorite Final Fantasy game and/or your favorite memory associated with one?

Below are the Final Fantasy games with numerical titles and their synopses.


FINAL FANTASY
The world lies shrouded in darkness. The winds die... The seas rage... The earth decays... But the people believe in a prophecy, patiently awaiting its fulfilment. "When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come..." After a long journey, four young travellers did at last appear...

...and in the hand of each was clutched a crystal.


FINAL FANTASY II
In the Kingdom of Fynn, a rebel army arises to combat a threat, but their castle falls to an all-out assault by the empire. Left with little choice, the rebels beat a hasty retreat to the remote town of Altair.

In the ensuing chaos, four youths orphaned by the empire are also forced to flee from Fynn...but they are soon to find that the empire is not so easily escaped.


FINAL FANTASY III
The Gulgan thus prophesied: "The earthquake was only the beginning. The great tremors that swallowed the crystals, the light of our world, only to spawn monsters from the depths of the scarred land, are nothing but harbingers of what has yet to come.

Something is coming...fathomless, ominous, and full of sorrow... But hope is not yet lost. Four souls will be blessed with light, and so it shall begin..."


FINAL FANTASY IV
Birthed from womb of Dragon's maw and borne unto the stars. By light and darkness cast aloft are dreamtide oaths resworn. Moon is swathed in ever-light Ne'er again to know eclipse Earth, with hallow'd bounty reconciled.

Former Captain of the Red Wings and Dark Knight for the Kingdom of Baron, Cecil embarks on a journey gathering allies to combat the powerful Golbez.


FINAL FANTASY V
Hope blesses the Earth Courage sets the Fire alight Kindness flows from the Water The Wind carries wisdom for the quest If people possess the four essences, light will be born.


FINAL FANTASY VI
Many centuries have passed since the war. Civilisations have been rebuilt with iron, machines and technology. For years the Espers have existed only in ancient legends. Now an Esper has been discovered and the forces of magic are beginning to return. The risk of another, more devastating war is about to surface. The story focuses on Terra Branford escaping the control of Imperial forces from the south as she learns more about her origins.


FINAL FANTASY VII
I Midgar, a city controlled by the megaconglomerate Shinra. Inc., the No. 1 Mako Reactor has been blown up by a rebel group, AVALANCHE.

AVALANCHE was secretly formed to wage a rebellion against Shinra. Inc., an organization which is absorbing Mako energy, destroying the natural resources of the planet. Cloud, a former member of Shinra's elite combat force, SOLDIER, was involved with the bombing of the Mako Reactor.

Can Cloud and AVALANCHE protect the planet from the huge, formidable enemy, Shinra. Inc.?


FINAL FANTASY VIII
At the forefront of a rising tide of violence brought on by Galbadia's war declaration is a SeeD cadet named Squall Leonhart. Serious to a fault, Squall is thought of as being very much a lone wolf.

An encounter with the freespirited Rinoa Heartilly turns his universe upside down. Squall finds Rinoa's carefree attitude fascinating but has no time to ponder these thoughts, for the job of dealing with the sorceress behind Galbadia's hostility has fallen to SeeD and Squall.


FINAL FANTASY IX
Queen Brahne of Alexandria has begun using highly-advanced magical weapons to terrorize neighboring kingdoms. Her daughter, Princess Garnet, runs away from the castle and befriends a group of good-hearted bandits lead by a skilled thief, Zidane, who intends to end the evil queen's desire to dominate the world. Soon after embarking on their quest, they discover that the queen's threats merely cover a far more sinister plot. For the sake of mankind, Zidane and his friends must put an end to the Queen's reign before she and the evil forces that accompany her can carry out the deadly plan..


FINAL FANTASY X
The magical world of Spira is under threat from Sin - an evil entity that unleashes havoc, terror and destruction. Join Tidus, a heroic blitzball superstar, and Yuna, a courageous girl skilled in the ancient art of summoning, as they embark on an epic quest to defeat Spira's deadliest enemy.


FINAL FANTASY X-2
In the sequel, two years have passed since Sin was destroyed. Since defeating Sin and becoming high summoner, Yuna has returned to her childhood home of Besaid Island. Yuna senses something is missing... One day, she is shown a movie sphere. Of him. Or is it? No matter what the truth may be, the answers she finds will change her life forever, and a new journey starts.


FINAL FANTASY XI
The world of Vana-diel stands at the brink of war. Three powerful nations, united in their plight against the beastmen forces, look to their last hope - brave adventurers like you!


FINAL FANTASY XII
As war looms on the horizon, the mighty Archadian Empire begins a campaign to subjugate its neighbours. The small kingdom of Dalmasca shares their fate.

Our story follows Ashe, Vaan and his friend Penelo, the sky pirate Balthier, and his partner Fran. Accompanying them is Basch, a captain of the Dalmascan army who turned traitor and slew his king.

Join them on an adventure spanning Ivalice that traces the mysteries behind the Archadian Empire's invasion.


FINAL FANTASY XIII
As a deepening crisis threatens to plunge the floating world of Cocoon into chaos, a band of unsuspecting strangers finds themselves branded enemies of the state. With the panicking population baying for their blood, and the military all too happy to oblige, they have no choice but to run for their lives. Join them on a desperate quest to challenge the forces controlling their fate, and prevent untold destruction.


FINAL FANTASY XIII-2
In the sequel, they all believed she was gone forever, never to return. Everyone, that is, except Serah Farron. She clung to a different truth. Lightning! Could she be alive? Could her beloved sister really be in that world of chaos and death, fighting to save a dying goddess? It does not take long for Serah to make the fateful decision. She accepts the weapon that Lightning has gifted her, and resolves to follow this stranger into the future...


FINAL FANTASY XIV
The story of Final Fantasy XIV focuses on the player’s adventure in the continent of Eorzea as they party with friends to defend their home against the invading Garlean Empire.

2013 New Year's resolutions

2013. I have this wonderful feeling it will be a great year.

I believe in making resolutions; they give you the focus to complete certain tasks. Resolutions can be made any time of the year, and should be in some cases, but it’s traditional to make them for the fresh start of a new year and it’s all in good fun!

This year I have created 13 resolutions to complete before next New Year’s Day. Some of them I have already begun to work on and I’m feeling really positive about getting everything accomplished!

• Attend a game convention.
• Be acknowledged by my role models in gaming journalism (Jesse Cox, Dodger, and WoWcrendor to name a few).
• Complete 31 Days to a Better Blog.
• Create and adhere to a beauty regimen.
• Determine my style and begin rebuilding my wardrobe.
• Donate/Recycle/Sell/Trash unwanted possessions.
• Drink soda only occasionally, if at all.
• Eat fast food only once a week, if at all.
• Reach 200 subscribers on my blog.
• Reach 1,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel.
• Read 20 novels and/or graphic novels.
• Reinvent my look.
• Tone my body.

Final Fantasy VI Anniversary Livestream - An interview with Jesse Cox

The 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy, one of the greatest game series of all time, takes place on December 18th. Word around town is Jesse Cox and his friends have planned something special to celebrate.

If you are unfamiliar with Jesse Cox, I am pleased to introduce you to a great comedian, voice actor, gamer and all around good guy. I started following Jesse on YouTube late in the summer of 2010 (two years wow!). I stumbled upon his beta footage from the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion and have been hooked ever since. Where as some channels were deadly serious about the games they play, Jesse has always approached his gaming with the relaxed attitude of “games are meant to be enjoyed.”

When I discovered Final Fantasy VI was one of Jesse’s favorite games of all time, I began pestering him to do a playthrough. A month or so ago I wrote him an email and told him about the 25^th anniversary of Final Fantasy. He thanked me for the reminder and a week or so after that he announced he’d be streaming FFVI live sometime around the 18^th! I asked him if we could arrange an interview focusing on the event and he agreed!

The 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy, one of the greatest game series of all time, takes place on December 18th. Word around town is you have planned something special. What are your plans to celebrate the creation of such a monumental series?

This weekend, on Friday the 14th myself and a whole slew of others will be live streaming Final Fantasy 6 in it's entirety.  Just as sort of a "thank you" to the amazing team who created Final Fantasy. It'll start at 4pm PST, but if you aren't on the west coast the best way to view the time is: http://static.shaboozey.com/ffvi/

Where will we be able to view this livestream?

You can view it on twitch.tv - yes, the actual main channel. We'll be on the front page.

Who else will be involved in this event and how will they participate?

It's sort of like a party atmosphere, so just a whole bunch of my friends having fun.

Appearances by Shofu, Muzzafuzza, Ivyleaguepunk, Nakedhalo, Dodger, Husky and Ro, the Warp Zone, Indiestatik, the Completionist and more. 

Will you be the only one playing FFVI? Or will you be relaying between other players?

I'll start it off I think, but I'll be real honest - I intend on having other people grind the levels :P

Will you and the other participants be interacting with viewers during the event?

Yep, we'll have chat up and field questions as well as have giveaways. I don't know what we have yet, as Square (Square Enix) is providing the prizes, but when we get them you can bet they'll be awesome.

Have you played all of the Final Fantasy games? If not, how many have you played? Why did you choose FFVI?

I have played them all, except FFXIII-2...because no one should have to suffer through a Final Fantasy XIII like game ever again. I chose 6 because it's the best Final Fantasy, the best RPG, and possibly the best game ever made. End of story.

Who is your favorite character in FFVI?

Oh man... so MAAAAANY good ones. But for me it's a tie between Locke or Edgar. Either a thief who refuses to admit he's a thief or a king who's a womanizer with 0 skill when it comes to picking up women. Both are great.

From a more technical standpoint what is your favorite character based on their combat abilities?

Well the good thing about FFVI is that all the characters can get all the magic, but if it comes to skills...

I would say I like Shadow's ability to take weapons in the inventory and throw them at enemies - some do INSANE damage.

What is your favorite grouping of characters to adventure with?

Usually by the end it's Terra, Edgar, Locke, and Celes. 

What is your favorite esper?

Love me that Shiva!

Will you be doing voices for the game's many characters? (Looking forward to it!)

If I do, you can bet it'll be done poorly :P

More importantly, will you be singing the opera? (If you do I and many others would probably combust with happiness)

Oh man, this may have to happen.

Is there anything you'd like to share with my readers?

I can't wait to see everyone there, in the chat. I will do my damnedest to make this a lasting memory.

~End

Thank you so much for this interview Jesse. I for one will be watching and I guarantee it will be a lasting memory for myself and all of your subscribers who love the Final Fantasy series. Readers, I hope you all check out Jesse's livestream of Final Fantasy VI on December 14th through 15th, it's going to be a blast!

For now, I hope you'll enjoy the Final Fantasy VI soundtrack while you wait.

Friday feature - Gourmet Gaming

Gourmet Gaming recreates foods from your favorite video games. What's even better is Daniella (the cook behind Gourmet Gaming) will post the recipe so you can experiment in making your own!

Some examples of the recipes you will see (she normally posts a new one each Wednesday) are displayed below. Make sure to check out her website for more great recipes!

Dishonored - Apricot Tartlet
Dragon Age - Found Cake
Bastion - Leechade
World of Warcraft - Graccu's Mince Meat Fruitcake

Bastion review and contest winner!

Bastion is an isometric style action role-playing video game produced by independent developer Super Giant Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Bastion takes place in the wake of the apocalyptic “Calamity”, a catastrophic event that has fractured the game’s world into many floating pieces, disrupting its ecology and reducing its people to ash. The player controls “the Kid”, a silent protagonist who awakens unharmed the morning after the Calamity and sets out to find the Bastion, a sanctuary where citizens of Caelondia are supposed to meet in case of trouble. The only survivor he meets there is an elderly man named Rucks, who also happens to be the game's narrator. Rucks instructs the Kid to collect the crystalline Cores that had powered Caelondia. Once collected, a device in the Bastion can use the power of the cores to create landmasses and structures, as well as enable the Kid to travel farther via "skyways" that propel him through the air. Once the Bastion is restored, the player can choose to reset the world to a time before the Calamity or leave Caelondia as it is and start anew.

The cores are spread throughout different fragmented levels. The levels contain many different environment types, including cities, forests, and bogs. They are filled with enemies of various types, which attempt to harm the Kid. Occasionally, the level begins to disintegrate once the Kid takes the core, forcing him to hastily retreat.


As the player progresses through the levels, Rucks narrates their actions. This narration gives scripted plot information as well as dynamic comments, such as on the player's skill with a weapon or performance while fighting enemies. The narrator was added early in the game's development as a way to provide background details and depth to the world without requiring the player to read long strings of text or wait through cutscenes. To avoid slowing the pace of the action-oriented gameplay, the team had the narrator mainly speak in short, expressive phrases, with long pauses between speaking parts.

Between levels, the Kid visits the Bastion, where the player can use fragments (the game's form of currency) that they have accrued on their journey to buy materials and upgrade weapons. With each core the player collects, they can add one of six structures to the Bastion: a lost and found, a shrine, an armory, a forge, a distillery, and memorial. Each structure serves a different purpose; for example, the distillery lets the player select upgrades, and the shrine allows the player to choose idols of the gods to invoke, causing the enemies to become stronger and giving the player increased experience points and currency. Experience points are used to determine the Kid's ability level; higher values give the player more health and increase the number of upgrades they can select.

The Kid carries two weapons, a ranged and a melee, which may be selected from the choices available to the player at specific locations called arsenals. My favorite weapon to use is the classic bow. The Kid also has the ability to perform a special attack. Weapons and special attacks must be acquired before they can be used. There are a limited number of special attacks that the player can perform at any time, represented by "black tonics" that can be found in the levels or dropped from enemies. The Kid's health is represented by a health bar, which can be replenished with "health tonics". Like black tonics, the Kid can only carry a certain number of health potions at a time, and can replenish them by finding more in the levels.

During his quest, the Kid meets two more survivors: Zulf, an ambassador from the Ura people, a group with whom Caelondia was once at war, and Zia, an Ura girl who was raised in Caelondia. Both of them return to the Bastion. Additionally, the Kid can fight waves of enemies while the narrator tells Zulf or Zia’s backstory by using different items within the Bastion and journeying to “Who Knows Where".


Whenever the player leaves the Bastion, they can choose between one or two regular levels to play. In addition to these levels, however, the Kid can engage in challenge courses designed to test the player's skills with the weapons the player has found. The challenges differ depending on the weapon, such as destroying a certain number of objects within a given time or breaking targets in the fewest shots possible. The player earns fragments and experience for each completed wave. After the game is completed, the player can choose to begin a "new game+" mode, where the player replays through the game while keeping the experience points, fragments, and weapons that they have gained. This mode also offers more options in the buildings, as well as two more journeys to "Who Knows Where".

Another great element of Bastion is it’s stellar soundtrack produced and composed by Darren Korb, a songwriter and composer. Bastion was the first video game that Korb had scored. He was brought onto the team in the beginning stages of the project, and several of the pieces he developed were created prior to the final design of the levels with which they were associated. The musical style of the soundtrack has been described by Korb as "acoustic frontier trip hop". It was intended to evoke both the American frontier and an exotic fantasy world. The songs combine "heavily sampled beats in layers, along with acoustic elements", and he determined that he wanted to create the soundtrack in that style as it was different than video game soundtracks that he had heard before.

Bastion is definitely one of the best independent games I have had the pleasure of playing. The beautiful handpainted isometric style and unique game map mechanics drew me in and the music completely immersed me in the beautiful world Super Giant Games created. I look forward to future works released by this team. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a great unique game.

Check out "The First 60 Minutes of Bastion"



And now the moment you've all been waiting for!

The winner of my Bastion giveaway is escribner86 from YouTube!

Please message me with your Steam name so I may gift you your prize! Congratulations!

For those who entered and didn't win a prize, stay tuned! I will be doing another giveaway at the end of December!

Christmas movies and specials

Last Christmas, Cameron and I made a list of all the Christmas movies and specials we could think of that we love and have loved watching during the holidays. Here is the list so that we will never leave something out, or that others may benefit. Let us know if we left out any of your favorites!

I've put "for adults only" next to movies that are for an older audience, parental discretion is advised!

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A Christmas Carol (2009)
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Garfield Christmas Special (1987)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Bad Santa (2003) - For adults only
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
Christmas Vacation (1989)
Christmas with the Cranks (2004)
Die Hard (1988) - For adults only
Die Hard 2 (1990) - For adults only
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Elf (2003)
Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas (1977)
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Fred Claus (2007)
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Funny Farm (1988)
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (2000)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’sStone (2001)
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Ice Harvest (2005) - For adults only
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Lethal Weapon (1987) - For adults only
Love Actually (2003) - For adults only
Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962)
Reindeer Games (2000) - For adults only
Rudolph, the Rednosed Reindeer (1964)
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
Scrooged (1988)
Serendipity (2001)
Small One (1978)
The Cricket in Times Square (1973)
The Holiday (2006)
The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Polar Express (2004)
The Ref (1994)
The Santa Claus (1994)
The Santa Claus 2 (2002)
The Santa Claus 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
The Year Without a Santa Clause (1974)
Trapped in Paradise (1994) - For adults only
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
White Christmas (1954)