Next Gen Systems - My Rankings

So my buddy Long asked me to rank the three next-gen consoles, having been lucky enough to play all three this holiday break. Here is my e-mail back to him and my friends:

I'm not sure how you define "best" but here are my rankings. Please note that I'm biased towards Sony, having been on their consoles for over a decade.

1) PS3 - amazing power, sleek looks and familiar controls. The Ferrari of gaming systems. Fall of Man is simply stunning to watch and even better to play. GT: HD looks stupendous on a regular set, I can only imagine what it will be like on HDTV. Plato has tried it on his set, so maybe ask his opinion? Driving feel is similar, drift mode is kinda cool. There is a reason this is the most expensive system, and it could very well be worth every penny (need to buy an HDTV to confirm).

2) Wii - one word: Fun! This is the most versatile system and will make the most "gamers" out of ordinary folks. It's great for my 4yr old neice as well as my Mom. Call of Duty 3 is awesome on the Wii, I'll give up some graphics for a more interactive controller. Wii Sports is actually a lot of fun and makes a great party game (like Sing Star of Guitar Hero).

3) X360 - third doesn't mean last - it's right up there with the other two and leagues better than PS2 or Xbox. Gears of War is my favorite game right now. I dig the easy setup (Microsoft thinks things through) and have yet to dive into Xbox Live yet. 160+ titles out make it the clear winner of the Next-Gen trio if you want to play right now. I will likely spend more time on 360 than PS3 in the next three months.

-Hong

Christmas 2006 - I was a good boy this year!

So we went to NYC for Christmas this year, haven't done that in a few years. We usually just stay in the Bay Area with memories of a HORRIBLE American Airlines experience seared into my memory. This year wasn't so bad, but that could be attributed to the timing of our flights.

Before we left, Wendy found this Amazon Customer Vote page. Of course we signed up and voted for the Wii. Having gone to half a dozen stores at 6am over the weekend, this was really our last shot at scoring one for Christmas. I had told everyone I was getting one for the kids, before the news that Nintendo was cutting back on their shipments. Our chances were about 1 in 30, but it was worth throwing our hat in the ring.

Next day, I get the e-mail. Unbelievable! We got a Wii! Amazon rocks!! I tell all the other adults so they can buy extra controllers and games.

NYC was pretty much the same. We did get out of the house a few times but more importantly, we got some quality time with the family. Man these kids grow up quick! After a few days we were bored at home. I convinced my sister to let the kids open up one gift early. Of course they picked the Wii!

What a cool system. The one word that came up most often to describe it was "Fun". That's what games are all about. Even my 4 year old niece was having a blast. She was bowling 136 by the end of the weekend, and that's higher than I could bowl in real life. I'm surprised at how well the controller worked, and how different the game play is. Call of Duty 3 with the Wiimote/Nunchuk is a whole different experience.

My little sister bought her BF a Xbox360, so we had two of three next-gen consoles in the house. Rumors started to spread that someone had gotten the kids a PS3 as well. No way! They are super hard to get.

Well we're done eating the Christmas Eve dinner and it's around 7pm. Our old tradition was to open gifts right at the stroke of midnight. I remember fighting off the sleep fairy every year when I was younger. Of course, I was getting one Tonka truck or something much less exciting than a PS3! So the kids open up the box from their Mom and lo and behold - it's a Shiny Black Box. They simply go nuts. My little sis hands me what appears to be a calendar. I open it up and it's a PS3 catalog - pretty neat, I can leave it in my office.

Then, she goes into the bedroom and brings out another box. No way! It's the same size as the kids' gift and seems to be the same weight. Is it possible? I rip open the box and yes... YES! YES!!! It's my very own PS3! Holy cow. That was an awesome surprise.

My wife bought me the 360 for Christmas, and I opened it before we left for NYC. I bought all the games myself because I'm crazy. Well, the two lying down are from the best little sister in the whole wide world!

-Hong

All "car guys" end up at the track.

It is the holy grail for any self-titled "car guy". I use that in the generic sense, since a lot of "car guys" are actually women. If (or when) I have a daughter, she will also be a "car guy".

My buddy Plato is a car guy. We've gone to the track a few times and had some fun. He's actually managed to write a long post about it. I might have to copy him, like I did with the Top Ten cars list below.

P's Top Ten Track Times

Times meaning instances or events, not actual lap times. Because that would be racing, and insurance companies don't like that.

-Hong

Top Ten Cars - Dream Garage.

Okay, so I was looking at some guy's resume (that's my job) and he lists "car building" as one of his interests. Ok, whatev, he likes to wrench right? Nope, he's building a locost 7!

One of his links is to DP's page. Apparently DP1 is now running! I haven't had time to read/view it yet, but the pictures look awesome. And he's also got a Ariel Atom. With TWO Hayabusa motors in it. Wow.

I send the above to my car buddies, my brother D, and my buddy P. They like to stay anonymous on the net...

P sends me this blog post, titled "Daydream" (he likes one word titles). That started the discussion, of which I'm properly calling, my dream garage.

Cost no object, top ten cars you would see in your (10 car) garage. I'm too lazy to link them like P, so too bad if you don't know the car. You should be ashamed of yourself.

1) Exige S, or regular Exige and swap in a K20a Honda motor. I'm a former Toyota owner, but the 2ZZ-GE just doesn't cut it. It was high tech for it's day, made with just enough oomph and tech to beat the B18. Then Honda drops the K20 and it's game over. Exige is just the best darn Lotus street car ever. Dead sexy with the moves to match. Elise is similar, but gimme the hardtop!

2) Cayman S, or regular Cayman w/3.8l swap. Yeah, another "S' car and another swap candidate. Putting the bigger 911 motor will give the Cayman "just enough" horsepower to match the outstanding chassis. Sticks like an Elise, but WAY more comfy. I dig the leather and luxo-car goodies and would much prefer this day to day. Stock engine was just okay in the S and likely dreadful in the non-S.

3) Z4 M Coupe. I love the way this car looks. While the Cayman and Elise are sexy, the MC is just a ugly bloke. And the drive should be similarly thuggish. 330hp motor from the E46 M3 is superb. Having sampled it in the larger car, I can only imagine how it would be with 200 (?) lbs less to pull along. Love the rear 3/4 view of this car.

4) RS6 Avant. Love fast wagons, but the WRX doesn't have enough comfort. With the heftier Audi build and luxobarge accouterments, I would want the RS version and not just a regular S6, though those are nice enough. For most people.

5) Rolls Royce Phantom. Baller status. P already picked the Audi counterpart (Bentley Continental), but I prefer the Roller and it's BMW parents. Jay Z, Diddy, Fat Joe and me. Rolls is a legendary nameplate, but I like modern cars, so the hip hop Phantom is the one.

6) Ferrari - seems to be required on any top ten list, but which one? Classics are great to look at, but less so to drive. F430's are playboy cars and a dime a dozen around these parts. Enzo is stupendous, but seem to have a penchant for crashing. I'll take new over old, so the 599 GTB is the one for me. Beautiful lines, flying buttress c-pillars. 612hp V-12 motor up front, classic stance. Doesn't hurt that I saw one in the Ferrari parking lot in Maranello a few months before it's official release. Amazing performance with some roomy comfort to boot. Will be the first Ferrari in a Gran Turismo game, and I love that series.

7) Pagani Zonda F. Another car seen up close in Italy, at San Cesario (which is kinda hard to find). Even saw the man himself, Horacio Pagani, though it was inside the build area, so no cameras were allowed. Love this car. Company started when I graduated from HS, but it is a legitimate "supercar". Way more soul than your Lambo or Audi (do they really make supercars?). The "F" is for Fangio, one of the greatest drivers of all time.


My wife suggested these first 7 cars on my list.

8) Mercedes Benz CLS63, oh heck, it's a dream list right? Brabus Rocket. Fastest Sedan in the world, and I bet it's pretty quick too. This is a love it or hate it design, and I personally love it. Brabus just takes it to the next level, though the MB 6.2l motor is pretty sweet too.

9) Impreza 22B. First of the true rally car super specials. Okay, maybe the first that I remembered. Still an amazing car 10 years later. Must be blue (before it was called WRB) with gold wheels.

10) This is where the low powered sissy hairdresser's car goes. And the story is something like, "it was my first real sports car, and I really love it, even though it is underpowered, it is pure and handles and is the essence of sportscar-y-ness." MR2 Spyder (MR-S). I would replace the Corolla motor with a K20 (gasp! blashphemy! - yeah, get over it) for 200 reliable HP and 8000 rpms of fun. 10:1 weight to power ratio is plenty for the streets.

That's my ten, and a majority of them are real life attainable. Now if only I could afford a garage to put them in!

-Hong

Alto Velo "B" Ride & Monte Bello.

What was I thinking Part II? With the horrible show on the AV "A" ride, I thought I could hang on if I did the AV "B" ride, because it is slower. Right? Wrong!

A mile or two into the start of the ride, I see the "Pros" go up the side of the double paceline and everyone is getting antsy. Of course as soon as they are up front, the pace picks up. I hang on as long as I could and get dropped in Stevens Canyon road (@~ 6 mile mark). I think I stayed on the "A" rider longer!

Dman these women! They're too fast.

So I called it quits and decide to hit Monte Bello again. I wasn't feeling too good, but I figure I could knock off some time since I've done it once before. Knowing the road should be good for 10 minutes right? Look how much faster I did OLH the second time around.

I was grinding it out on the lower 3rd. I really should get some lower gearing in the back. I could probably go faster if I spun a lower gear. Got to the school and wanted to relax, but I dropped down a gear and kept on pushing. Middle section was nice and rolling, I even caught and passed two people. So what if one was an older woman, and the other an older gentleman on a time trial bike...

Top third was pretty hard and I kept getting out of the saddle to make up some time. Get to the top and checked my cell phone. 48 minutes. Whoop de doo. I did it two minutes faster.

I suck.

Here is the ride profile. Only 28 miles, but 5 of it is climbing.

Alto Velo "A" ride & OLH

What was I thinking? I haven't been on the bike for over two weeks. I would rather do the AV "B" ride on Saturdays, but it doesn't work with my schedule. I can ride on Sunday mornings, but the A ride is for the serious riders. I thought I could at least hang with them until Portola.

Wrong.

Meet at Peet's at 8:30. Parked right outside the store on State. Nice. There were already about a dozen people there. Got my bike, got my gear. Wait around a bit and some tall guy comes out of the store and says, "Everyone ready?!" The group does a collective grunt and we're off.

Find myself riding next to a guy named Greg. We chat it up a bit, he's a Cat 3 who's taking it easy today. I guess it's technically the off-season, but the weather has been amazing. I've got a long sleeve, but can still ride in shorts.

"A" ROUTE: Foothill, Page Mill, Arastradero, Alpine, Portola, 84, Tripp, Kings, 35S, 84W, Pescadero, W. Alpine, Page, 35N, 84E, Portola, Sand Hill, Foothill to Peets.

About 60 miles total, I was only able to hang on for about 7. I suck.

Legs felt bad going up Arastradero. I keep thinking my brake pad was rubbing. It wasn't. On the back side (okay, it's not even a climb) the group kept pulling away. I'm not a good descender and the pack is faster than a solo rider OTB (that's my excuse!).

I caught up at the stop sign, only to get dropped again on Alpine. I saw them up ahead, getting smaller and smaller. Very disheartening! I need to ride more.

I decided to do Old La Honda again, to see if I can go any faster having been up the road once. There were a few other riders today, so it was nice to have some motivation. I caught and passed about a half dozen riders. There was this one dude in a neon yellow jacket who was always about 10 yards ahead. I would pull him in, and then he would take off again. I was trying to stay in a safe zone and not blow up. He was on a mountain bike no less!

Well, thanks to this guy, I rounded the corner and saw the mailboxes earlier than last time.

25 minutes! I'm solidly middle of the pack now. Ultimately I want to get under 20 minutes, but I realize those next 5 are going to be a lot harder than these first five.

Cruised back down 35, 84, Sandhill and Foothill. Finished up exactly 2 hours after we left.

That's a nice little loop I plan on doing a lot more of.

-Hong

OLH baby!

Well, I finally found my way to Old La Honda and I had to go up! Feeling quite crappy having been off the bike for about two weeks. Lots of other things going on in my life that are more important.

Funny thing is, being on the bike let me make the right descision on those "important" matters. It's a great way to clear your head.

So OLH is this local climb that is semi-legendary. It's 1290 ft elevation in 3.3 miles. Local roadies all know their OLH time, and it's an indication of fitness/ability/climbing skillz etc. A local bike club uses it to organize thier group ride levels.

I didn't know the route, since it was my first time. I had gone down it once before, but that doesn't mean anything. It's a scary descent. When I went with two buddies, each one of us had a close encounter of the vehicular kind. Definitely an eye-opener when you round a corner and see a Chevy. The road is pretty much one lane, with some parts divided into "two lanes". That's in quotes because it's more like 1.5 lanes split into two.

Anyway, I drop into my 2nd to lowest gear right away. After about two or three switchbacks, I go up into my largest. Mind you this is only a 23, but I was able to keep up a good cadence. I think a 25 or 27 would have been faster, but I wasn't really pushing. Just wanted to finish and set a "base time" from which to improve.

A little bit into it, I see a biker ahead. I'm actually catching someone?! Woot!! I push a little harder on the pedals (just installed some Crank Bros Candy - sweet) and make up some ground quickly. As I get closer I see the long hair. Then as I pass, I see this sweet little lady. She looks to be in her 50's, but maybe older because she's a cyclist. I say my greetings and go around her. Pretty cool to see people like that out on their bikes.

About 3-5 minutes later I see another biker up. Less excited about this since the last time, so I just keep my pace and reel him in. This dude is about 65 or so. Say "good afternoon" and pass another person twice my age. Wheeeeee.

I keep climbing, see this funny road called "UpEnuf Road". Keep going and I see it again. Okay then. Keep climbing. If I knew the road I probably would have pushed a bit harder after the 2nd UpEnuf Road. I just keep spinning and taking it easy, and what is that? Mailboxes? Oh man, it's already over. I know I could have gone faster, but I'm pretty happy with my time.

30 minutes. Based on a check of my phone. Next time I'll have a stopwatch.

Edit: Check out my full route! I hope this LINK works in Yahoo Maps. It's a point to point map and it tells you mileage breakdowns. Pretty sweet.

-Hong

Hello Beta!

I've switched to the new Blogger.

Hmm... doesn't look all that different. Oh, ok, there's this "Labels" thing at the bottom. And some shortcuts.

But my blog looks the same. And I still have the Google ads.

Ahh, ok. I've changed my template, moved a few things around. How do you like it? No more ads! (and I'm known at the "ad guy" at work)

Finally finished - 1st time up Monte Bello climb

So my buddy Augi keeps telling me to ride this semi-famous climb in the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve.

I had read about it here. The paved road was part of this longer mountain bike ride. 2.5 - 3 hours sounds pretty "epic" for a New Yorker who only did loops around Central Park. I used to ride my mountain bike in Forest Hills, and I think it's about 15 acres with VERY limited trails. I thought 1 hour was a pretty long time for a ride, but of course I'm a City boy.

Check out this map. (click for larger view)

I was up until 2am on Friday reading about it. Pretty intimidating especially if you consider the fact that I've tried to climb it twice and never made it up to the School. It's about 1/3 of the way up. Would I really be able to finish?


Drove to Rancho San Antonio with my wife and her friend. They would be doing a 2 hour hike, which sounds about right for me to do the ~22 mile RT ride to the mountain (yeah, I'm calling it a mountain!) top and back. 22 miles is pretty short, but it's got a big climb. I was worried I didn't have a big enough rear cog. I've got a block of 11-23 with a 39 front. I wish I had a triple!

So I suffer through the lower 3rd. I mean suffer. Finish one large water bottle. Think about walking. I had told myself I would get to the top, by any means necessary. Came to almost a dead stop a few times, the gearing was just too high, and my legs were just too dead.

But I kept going. Here's where I stopped the first time. Keep going. This is where I turned back the second time. Keep going. There's the school! I finally made it up to the school. Augi always said it gets easier from there, but I thought he was joking. It really did. I even shifted down a few gears. Got my legs going again. Almost made circles instead of just stomping down on the pedals so I don't fall over.

Next third was very cool. The tree cover and rolling terrain allowed me to cool down and catch my breath. I was actually starting to feel good! Then some dude goes cruising by like I'm standing still. Great. I try to hang on a bit but he's going pretty good. At that pace I know I would have blown up in about 2 minutes. It's not a race, I'm just trying to finish.

I did have a time in mind as well. The mountain biker said he tries to do it in an hour. The best riders do it in 25 minutes! I definitely had to be under 1 hour, even though I'm in horrible shape.

Final third of the mountain was very cool. Some of the best riding I've done in my life. You're just on the top of the mountain and the air is so clean. Every so often you get a break in the trees and there is this amazing view of the valley down below. You can actually see clouds! Okay, maybe it was just fog, but I felt like I had climbed up to 10,000 feet! It was really breathtaking. Or is that exhaustion?

Keep climbing, I can feel it. I must be getting close. There isn't much elevation left, but the road still continues onward. Then I see a rider coming down. I started the same time as he did, so I can't be that far off. But I was. Keep climbing. At least the legs were feeling good. Drop a gear. Climb out of the saddle. I'm wearing my Festina jersey and for a brief moment, I am the King (of the Mountains). Pre-drug scandal of course.

A few more rises and I power through them, out of the saddle, good rhythm, feeling good. Then I see it, the Gate. I'm at the end, I'm done. I finally did it. Take a few pictures, eat a Luna bar and check out the time. 50 minutes. Not too bad for an old out of shape wanna-be cyclist.

Big Subaru Mt. Hamilton Meet.

Well, it was as big as advertised. I guess it helps when they sell a gazillon of these things versus 5000 Spyders a year. If we got 20 cars in the old Pelican Racing rally days, it was a huge success. I think there were well over 200 Subarus today at Mt. Hamilton.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your POV) no one was driving. People just meet up to eat and hang out, which is fine. I just need to drive.

I don't get to Mt. Hamilton much, so might as well make it worth the trip.

The wagon was surprisingly good up and down the mountain. Having power to get out of some tight corners is good. Having big brakes to get back down in control is better. I think overall, it was faster than I could have done in the Spyder. Not that I was timing it (Officer)!

-Hong

SNL is making a comeback

First the Chronic - les of Narnia rap, now this.

http://www.devilducky.com/media/41738

Funny enough that I would blog about it.

Me: I don't get it. It's so confusing. So, can I buy a house yet?
Jer: Clearly you don't have the money.
Me: So I can buy it right?
Jer: No. Only buy stuff you have the money for.
Me: Okay, I'll just take out a 110% loan. Then I can get a new car too!

-Hong

Poor Elsie! Really gone this time. :(

My little Spyder, she has a new home. I raised her well, and now it's time for someone else to enjoy this amazing car. The new owner just drove off and I did the double-look-back...

Stanford Med student, so I know Elsie's going to be in good hands. Sent her off with a bunch of cleaning products too. Gotta keep her looking good!



I should go clean the WRX...

-Hong

Where are the deals?

Ugh! I can't seem to find a decent used car.

I guess it doesn't help that my budget is $2000 to $20,000. Maybe I should narrow it down a bit.

Looking at everything from a Civic hatchback to a 540it (6spd?!). The Audi A6 looks nice, but my brother has a VAG car and he's always complaining about the quality (or lack thereof).

Why can't I be rich? I'd get an Evo 9 MR, a Porsche Cayman, and an E55 wagon to haul stuff (as well, as haul ass). That would be enough to fill out my 5 car garage.

G35 and track roadster (need to find another Spyder) would take up the last two spots.

-Hong

Poor Elsie! My baby is gone...

Well, not physically gone, but she is soon to go to a new home.

Today I sold my Spyder.

(weep, sob, cry, cry, wipe)

New owner won't pick her up for a few weeks, but I have to start getting used to the idea of not having the amazing little Spyder anymore.

At least until I get another one!

-Hong

Yeah, it's 2006!

I wonder how many weeks it's going to take me to adjust. You know, stop writing 2005 on checks and stuff. Not that anyone writes checks anymore. That's SO 1999!

Not much going on. Actually had a few days off from work. What a relief, but also I'm at a lost as to what to do. Spent about 5 hours on the ole PS2. Mostly GT4 (best game evar!) but also tried a few demo discs. Played MotoGP on Xbox. Very cool, but hard to get used to. I think I still prefer cars.

Maybe moto-engined cars, but four wheels nonetheless.

New favorite car (after seeing it in GT4) is the Suzuki GSX-R/4!

I wonder if I'll ever be able to build something like that. This dude up North is building his own car. He has just a bit more money than I do... Dman. Just checked the site as I like to do periodically. He's got an M5. Not the 400hp one I hope to own, but the new V-10 MONSTER.

-Hong