Today...

[stevepole]

 

 

 

 

 

Activision bought MLG for like $50 million, so they're going to look to get their studios to make eSport options in their multiplayer. You can blame Activision also for the in-game purchases too, they've started to do it with all their console games. I heard a whisper that Infinity Ward's next COD is going to be something new, but I can't even remember the source so.. don't trust me lol. Also I believe Treyarch is working on a new series, I believe the Black Ops series is over. 

 

This is highly speculative, but i think CoD might be returning to the WW2 era, or at least something based on that type of game. Apparently AW added the M1 Garand recently, which some people believe might be a hint towards what they might already be working on. I also heard a rumor that IW is working on a game based on that style/era. It's good and bad. Like i previously mentioned, people always refer to CoD4 and to some degree MW2 as being the best CoD games in history. But i think that's purely because of nostalgia. Those games with today's players are probably just as likely to be as infuriating and as bad as the current games. Additionally, i think it's going to be a tough transition going from the fast paced/movement based games we currently have, to a much slower game with no "advanced movement". 

 

 

That's funny! I heard IW was going to push the series into space lol, but who knows. I do agree with you, it would be hard for them to slow the game down and then they'd also have to remove a bulk of the customizations which has become a huge part of the identity of the multiplayer. 

 

For the sake of nostalgia how about a Battlefield: Medal of Honor? That would be crazy. 

[Estonian dude]

I wouldn't belittle USA if I wouldn't see you all getting so riled up about it :D

 

I got work today.

 

Damn how I sometimes wish I didn't have such a job with shifts...

[MuffinMaddy]

Think I deserve a medal to be honest.

Drunk last night, made it to band practice at 8am on two hours of sleep. Group project at 12. Laser tag at 3pm. Then got to watch contagion for tomorrow's lecture

[Alg]

I wouldn't belittle USA if I wouldn't see you all getting so riled up about it :D

 

I got work today.

 

Damn how I sometimes wish I didn't have such a job with shifts...

I for one am at the point where if I ever visit Estonia and it's not a perfect utopian paradise, I'm going to be extremely disappointed :-D

[Alg]

My guess is they will be as painfully average as everywhere else :lol:

MEDIOCRE

[Estonian dude]

Well, if you were to happen to have come on a Song Festival year, then that would have been a massive, definite must-visit.

I think I've shared some pics and videos here about the thing, this thing is epic.

120k+ people singing the same songs as a choir.

But, sadly, next one is on the summer of 2017. But it is a good thing they ain't that often, otherwise they wouldn't be so special.

 

In Estonia, during summer the coolest time to visit would be around Midsummers' Eve, 23rd of June, which is pretty much the biggest national holiday after Christmas and Independence Day on 24th of February. We have huge bonfires everywhere, people having fun and traditions abound all over the country. Fun events such as jumping over the bonfire and traditional tug-of-war competitions.
I think it would be coolest to spend it on one of the islands.

 

There is also the Weekend Festival Baltics, which is in Pärnu at 4-6 of August and is apparently the largest festival in Nordics and the Baltics, which is quite a claim, but it had all tickets sold out half a year before last year with over 75k available. This year it is highlighted by Avicii, Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Robin Schultz, Axwell & Ingrosso and many others.

 

Sadly I don't know pretty much anything about what there is to do in Latvia and Lithuania during summer, partly because this summer will be my first summer here in like over 10 years (I was here also at 2010, but that doesn't count).

 

And well, you will find it mediocre or not all according to your expectations. We are a small country with a rough history and we are really sparsely populated. Over 50% of the country is forest and a further 22% are swamps. Our highest peak is 318 metres and rest of the land is quite flat, so you ain't finding mountains either. The weather is mediocre and mild. However, if you are a fan of birds, we've got one of the most important bird transit areas in the whole Europe with Vilsandi and Matsalu state parks. We have the "allemannsrett", which means you can hike and camp pretty much everywhere that isn't fenced off or used as a field for a specific purpose, which is pretty much everywhere. As we have so much untouched forest and swamps, it is quite easy to see elk and bears and foxes and other animals in the wild. I am personally yet to see a brown bear, or a wolf (who is the most secluded), but I have seen pretty much all the other animals here. We aint really got anything poisonous or specially dangerous to harm you, except the common adder, who is mildly poisonous, but ain't that dangerous either, and other wild animals are more afraid of you than you are of them, so there is no danger as there is in Australia for example. The state forest service has created lots of plank ways in the swamps and forest tracks through the whole country, so you can hike here for weeks without the risk of getting lost.

 

We ain't got no big cultural achievements or anything to boast of, except maybe for Tallinn Old Town and the old Soviet remains. We still have a whole region and a district of our capital where you can pretty much experience the Soviet lifestyle nowadays, with Russian language and brutalist architecture everywhere around you.

Our people are really quiet, and shut-in. We are one of the most xenophobic people around and you just won't see randomly people smiling. Or well, actually you can now, but 20 years ago when you saw someone smiling on the street or in a store he/she was probably under the influence of something.

When Statoil first came to Estonia with the gas station shops, around 25 years ago, they had the requirement that every cashier had to smile and greet everyone who comes in. For the first few years, it quite often actually terrified people and they turned back from the door.

Foreigners used to tell of our food a century ago that pretty much everything is variations of potatoes and meat, and it would be absolutely terribly bland, yet we manage to make so many and so good different sauces to go with it. Nowadays the things have quite improved, with 7 of our restaurants among the top 500 in the world and lots of domestic and international attention has been made to improve the quality and market our restaurants. Best ones are booked with a year-long waiting list.

Our dairy products are also in the top of the world, as Estonia has been in the forefront of Holstein cow breeding and we had the best dairy herd of the whole Soviet Union and we still produce pretty much the best milk and dairy products in Eastern Europe, if not the whole Europe. We are not as famous for cheeses, but we have terrific sour milk and curd cheese products, which you can't find anywhere else and are really loved among people here. One point is that we have one of the lowest lactose intolerance percentages of the whole developed world.

Our economy has been down the plunger thanks to the whole Soviet occupation and stuff, but well, thanks to our IT stuff things have changed and continue to improve. Tallinn is scheduled to be the first city in the world to get 5G coverage along with Stockholm and right now 4G covers 99% of the country (still excluding my [bleep]ing house where not a single service provider has managed to fix the issue as within 50 metres to any direction it is 4G with maximum coverage, yet in our house it struggles to have 1-2 bars of 2G).

Pretty much everyone here can call out how Skype was invented here, along with Kazaa and Limewire and Transferwise and tens of other startups and IT-firms. We are one of the highest countries overall in start-ups per capita and it shows. Young people are energetic, we consistently rank high in all sorts of educational tests along the world (higher than US and UK definitely, about on par or maybe a bit below Finland and South Korea), and we are the second in Europe after Sweden in the percentage of people speaking English as a secondary language.

[RpgGamer]

I didn't realize Saq was a travel agent in his spare time, sheesh

[MuffinMaddy]

Man, I'm making a video about HIV as part of a group project and my team members want me to be the narrator for the voice over sections because I'm British and they like my accent.

It's so depressing. I've just made my section of the video, complete with editing and music from my favourite German film called Das Leben Der Anderen, also known as The Lives of Others.

That in itself is one of the saddest films I've ever watched, but the movement fits the topic so well. I feel like music can be mismatched with videos very often so I wanted to take charge of it for my section.

 

Otherwise yeah, it looks "good" but talking about such a devastating disease is just so saddening - especially as I've had to put lots of pictures in the video and talk about poverty and stigma.

[Estonian dude]

I have done a fair bit on that area, trying to ship different vacation destinations to friends or family so that we could go visit them, cause I am too lazy to go somewhere alone.

I am pretty well-travelled aswell, having been pretty much everywhere in Europe (including Iceland), to the States (and Puerto Rico), Egypt and Indonesia (the geographic and naturalistic border between Asia and Oceania runs within Indonesia, of which I was on the both sides), thus having been to all parts of the world besides South America and Antarctica. I have been above the Polar Circle and I have seen midnight sun and aurora borealis.

And this summer I am going to Canada. And in autumn probably going to visit Italy, Greece or Spain for a simple holiday with some sun.

 

And Maddy, this is a bit sad, but so is life. If such stories are not told, then it is even worse. People won't take it seriously enough and won't protect themselves. It needs powerful conveying.

[Goonstalf]

Happy leaped year!

[Noxx]

So i bought The Division the other day when i went to buy Bloodborne. It's such a tease having it but not being able to play it yet. Only a week to go. And now that i've actually had some time to sit down and really play Bloodborne i actually kinda like it. Sometimes i think it's a lot easier than Souls games, but sometimes i think it's a lot harder. Either way, it's still really fun.

[Estonian dude]

Had a beer with coworkers which turned out to be 2 beers and then tequila came into play...

Eugh, I have to work in half an hour. Terrible.

[Dax]

One of my dad's horses won last night, and for the second time in the past few months, he didn't let me know it was going to win, so I had no money on it. Thanks a lot, dad.

[Randox]

One of my dad's horses won last night, and for the second time in the past few months, he didn't let me know it was going to win, so I had no money on it. Thanks a lot, dad.

And you would know a horse is going to win ahead of time how?

 

It feels like Spring has arrived. It's weird, but not unwelcome. I think this used to be normal anyway. I remember many years when I was younger when it was shorts and t-shirt weather by Easter, even when Easter wasn't really late. In the last few years, it's been more like 'maybe snowing'  <_>

[Randox]

every horse has its turn ;)

If that's the case, I expect he doesn't advertise that fact ahead of time because you betting on the horse every time it's turn comes up would be kind of obvious. Also, seriously, is there a more suspect sport to be betting money on?

[RpgGamer]

It's spring weather now and snowiNg on the weekend and thence real spring water starts. Thanks climate change!

[Lower Levelled]

 

every horse has its turn ;)

If that's the case, I expect he doesn't advertise that fact ahead of time because you betting on the horse every time it's turn comes up would be kind of obvious. Also, seriously, is there a more suspect sport to be betting money on?

Have u not seen the tennis match fixing?

[RpgGamer]

My post made no sense and I wasn't even drinking. Thanks auto correct

[Riku3220]

I feel cheated, California had less than a month of winter. Even during January there was a heat wave 

Winter sucks anyway. I'm happy that it never went below 50 were I live. I think I'll buy a kite to fly soon.

[Alg]

I feel cheated, California had less than a month of winter. Even during January there was a heat wave 

That's a month more winter than we got last year!

[Randox]

 

 

every horse has its turn ;)

If that's the case, I expect he doesn't advertise that fact ahead of time because you betting on the horse every time it's turn comes up would be kind of obvious. Also, seriously, is there a more suspect sport to be betting money on?

Have u not seen the tennis match fixing?

 

Touché

 

Today I noticed that my audio manager has options for DTS mode. It's not a huge thing, since my stereo can be adjusted anyway, and my headphones are already perfect, but being able to do audio balancing easily from the PC is still a nice find. Also, since the default base bias on DTS is suitably ridiculous, I've discovered that my stereo has more base capacity than I previously thought :lol:

 

Seriously, I could probably set my computer to play some Anne Murray, and from downstairs it would still sound like there was a thunder storm in my room |^_^|

[MuffinMaddy]

Brilliant day.

 

Finally got access to my British bank account again.

 

The first thing I did was book my flight home - I'm officially coming home in just over 8 weeks' time.

I also sorted out my trip to Washington DC and paid for the marching band weekend in Montreal.

 

I'm really excited for the coming month - I also might go to a formal for science students at the end of next week.

I've never been to a formal before, so I'm looking forward to looking nice for an evening.

 

I have kind of spontaneously agreed to perform with the band this Thursday at a hockey game, as they perform at most sporting events that involve the University and I was encouraged to perform for at least one, so I could get a feel of performing before I leave.

 

I've done some budgeting and I was a bit worried about money, but I will be just fine. I've put down the maximum cost of things and I will still have a healthy amount left in my account after that, so it's good to know that. I just need to look at travelling to and from airports - there's a direct line from Gatwick airport to where I live so that should be good.

 

I am buzzing to come home \:D/

 

Guys, I'd also like to hear what you think of Donald Trump. I know its random but I've just seen a video of one of his rallies and while I deliberately avoid politics I was very saddened by some of the stuff I saw in the video.

[Solemn]

Turned 24/ 6 on leap year day. Things have really changed since I was last here. Going through a very bitter divorce, and finding new love. Things are new, but definitely better. 

[RpgGamer]

Called my grandmom today to thank her for a birthday card and she told me she wants to see me graduate graduate school which I'm not even enrolled in yet before she dies (her words) which is unfortunately not that far away cause she's deep into Parkinsons. Was supposed to be nice phone call but now I'm sad

[Noxx]

I accidentally asked an 18 year-old out on a date...