a hello

Hello All

How are you all doing?
You may have noticed my absence from the forums and games over the past.....two months perhaps it was, or maybe more, late august I think.

My break started off as a small social experiment which then grew into just about a full technology holiday.
It started with dis-guarding Facebook: I wanted to see what impacts not using the social networking site Facebook, would have on my social life
(truth is, I realised people dont shear the things they really want to shear, because what they want to shear is too personal, or they will be attacked for it, or what I hope is more common in some ways, they dont shear what they know will be hurtful to others. Instead people post something trivial, they will shear the comment that the best part of there day was finding money on the sidewalk, when in reality, it was probably getting laid, but they wont post that, because there sister is there friend on Facebook.)
what I discovered was:
lots of people, of all ages, rely on facebook so very heavily, for all types of social information and organising of social gatherings!! on 5 occasions in the first three weeks I ran into friends who said “your coming on Saturday aye?”
“to what?” being my reply.
“oh, I posted it on facebook”
I found it very interesting, I am still facebook free, all though I have an active account.

This spred into forums and TS
even before the death of one of the players of a friendly clan that we have (perhaps still do) scrimed against and played with. I wondered, if one was to die, how would the online community know?
So I stopd, going on ts, and the forums. And playing online (playd starcraft II single player instead)
took two weeks before I hada take a crack, so played bfbc2 under a different name.

The best feedback from this exprement came from my friend from canada, who emaild me in terie tones, telling me she felt so disconnected from me, like she couldnt contact me anymore.....yeah after reading that I walked down to the dairy, got a calling card, and talkd to her on the phone.

Communication is so very simple if you just make the effort.


I am considering making a slow return to the gaming community,
you hear have been a part of my growing up essentially, I do consider many of you friends, and trusted people.

SO THE INTERESTING PARTS

I though id update you on my life (yeah thats right im busting out, and you know what!! as I right this, Im being picky about the words I choose, makes me want to stop but il keep going.

Since visiting a Gaming friend in Melbourne ( my first trip out of NZ) at the beginning of August.
Ive lost about 15kgs through eating better.
I turned 21 on August 15th
did a yardy
a week later became a God Father to my little niece Katlin.
Few weeks after that I took up playing 10pin bowling in a league with my brothers friend.
Have been doing a night class for my electrical studies for 9 weeks
7 weeks ago I met a wonderful girl, at the pub, while sober driving
Ive now been going out with Elle for 6 weeks
5 weeks ago I moved out of home for the first time
3 weeks ago I shot 99 playing golf with my dad and uncle, after fixing a feud between them for 2 months of so.
Last week, for the first time, I read a bed time story, to my girlfriends little two year old daughter.



I visited a good friend of mine who I hadn't seen in all of two weeks, she said when seeing me “oh my god Brown, youve gone all skiny!!”
its hard to see change when its happening, and even harder to see the direction its going.

I would LOVE, to hear from all of you, new and old, truly

HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING??
thanks for your time
Michael Yetti Brown
aka, Snowghost.

Snowy there you are, I assumed you where hiding over at PwR seeings you more active on there forums than ours

Facebook, yucky never signed up never will unless forced to like I was forced with Steam. Just wait till you mates start talking down to you cause you don't have it, you can really see how sad there existence has truly become from using such a program.

Its nice to go out and see Friends face to face instead of online only, Its nice to have a catch up chat instead of knowing everything already cause its posted daily on there page.

I know facebook is supposed to prevent anti social behavior but it encourages it at the same time any way enough about that lol I'm sure you know.

I haven't really been up to anything new Snowy although hanging out for an etw battle with ya.

Don't do the night shift anymore it was causing me problems than what it was worth so handed me notice in I've got some arvo work in the works coming up soon so that will pay the bills.

Been playing a lot of Arma2OA with V and a couple others when they come on but now more recently on to Black Ops which is ok, I paid it out a fair bit but I play it so it can't be that bad lol.

wow great story man - more power to ya!

gaming can sometimes really chew up your time and your social life ..

(for a comical reminder of this, please check out a TV show on ABC called in to Pure Pwnage - so funny, so true - by the way the final Ep. for season 1 screened last week, but you should have no problems finding and downloading the episodes on the internet)

as for facebook - yeh .. i have (had) it, never really use it, hate it .. such a waste of time .. although your real friends are tagged as friends, who needs 200 other 'friends' you've never actually met?

Jesus Snowy nice to know your OK.
I posted a note in chat 4th August when the earthquake hit to see if you were ok and got no reply,
so started thinking of a few maybes:
Wellington disappeared into the bowels of the earth, new woman, bust up, new car, banned from the net, brother broke ya hands, locked up, joined a gang, nasty social disease from Aus and all the above, like ya do.
Anyway good to hear from ya dude and great post.

Facebook has become so targeted commercially, I now refuse to use it.

However Black Ops is shaping up to have some really nice features and play and Al has a server for us to play in as well. All an all you haven't missed a great deal but your ears must have been burning, you have been discussed.

Look forward to a TS catch up hopefully, see ya soon.

PS. Is she anything like Elle Legs MacPherson Snowy?
Hi Elle... have fun you two, take care.

Good to hear from you Snow sounds like your doing well
Did a similar experiment a while a go stopped ringing friends & organizing outings now the only time I here from people
is when they want to know something or want something fixed, thats why I live here now.
Any way glad to know your ok that's was or main concern & good to see your helping out with your family relations
as family are always No.1

Good to hear you're doing well.. my life has been not where as interesting..

i especially like your comment

"Last week, for the first time, I read a bed time story, to my girlfriends little two year old daughter."

i have read to my nieces and nephews at that age and its a wonderful experience watching them fall into the story.. ... i would always cave in when they looked up with a smile and said "More".

Take care snowy.. and everyone else

Hiya Snowy, gentlemen,

Nice to hear you're travelling well, Mr Snow. My recent absences are involuntary workload volume....have taken on a number of projects that have been steadily reducing my recreation time to nil...I'm developing a new subject for a postgraduate medicolegal masters programme and chairing a DNA cross-contamination reduction programme at the same time.

Snowy, a balance is a wonderful thing to find. My wife is not now nor ever will be a gamer. She does understand that I enjoy it, and doesn't require an understanding of the "why" I enjoy it. That is, Elle doesn't have to feel that she has to enjoy computer games and still be the most important part of your life.

I recognise gaming as my unwind time: I can switch off and focus on something entirely different for a period of time. At the same time, relationships must not suffer...I have had to redirect my "switch off" time to family time until I can decrease my workload. So saying, I have every intention of jumping on later tonight to shoot baddies.

Congratulations, too, on the weight loss and study!

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year.

Don't work to hard Foxy its bad for you.
(V now using all the CPU power for the big words like, "DNA cross-contamination reduction programme". )
Crikey Foxy that does sound impressive stuff.
Cya soon.

hahaha, no worries Foxy and co, Elles got no problem with gaming, i just havnt found the time for it much. but i have been playing some mafia II, pretty choice, and my brother got me need for speed pro street for christmass so thats cool.

and as of LATE ive been working through christmas, on the tracks installing new points machenines up the kapiti coast, its quite an exprence working 14 hr days man!! but its super good exprence.

noone work too hard.
happy new year!!! 2010 was a real good year for me, real good :-)

hellooo boys, its LDG here saying hiya, im still alive and still enjoying being a lazy non gaming old fogey non smoking at 8 months and counting too. love u all [ even that bitch duran ] big hugs to the old ds players that have now joined the dark side too. might actually pop on to say hi from time to time so untill then hugs and kisses to u all byeee

Holly smoke, our Goddess has spoken.

hey LDG!!!!! *big hugs*
good work on the non smoking! keep it up :-P


im glad i made this post and got in contact with ya, its done alota good, and it holds memories for me now that things arnt as good.


hows everything going with you Vsync?

All good Snows thx.
2011 seems busier than usual, so I guess I cant complain.
Need more game time tho, working is over rated.

Hi Snowy, I read your initial post and all subsequent posts in this thread. M8 it all sounds positive what you have done, I think a bit of soul searching every now then should be a self imposed mandatory requirement by all. You are better for it I'm sure? It has always been a pleasure saying hi in game or in the various in the various forums. You're good Snowy.

Cheers CC

Hey LDG old buddy - nice to see a post from you, so many good memories with heaps of funny online banter with you and your other female rat pack sisters - many, many laughs. Ps being off the gaspers is good news. I used to do 40+ a day and now for the last 8 years nil. I was recently in Cuba and didn't even attempt a cigar. I still get the odd urge to have one, but that it very seldom now days - take care CC

Thats awesome Snowy! Glad to hear things are going well for you.

Facebook pisses me off, hate the fact that its viewed as something that you "just have to have" to basically have a functioning social life. Nope, its not.

Its all well and good to have online friends, and I do have good friends like that. But as you said, if something happens, how does the other person find out about it? An example is that when I was in Melbourne last month, at the same time as the floods hit QLD and North Victoria, I received an email from a friend in America who had heard that the floods had affected the state I was in, fearing for my safety. As a few people have said, these things get you wondering.

Speaking of which, anytime any of you are in this part of the world, let me know if you wnat, will organize something. Arise?

haha thanks Who!
things arnt as good as they were when i posted it. Elle decided two weeks ago that she wants to be alone to get through a few things - its a bummer, a real bummer, as we even had some things planed for the month coming, but eh.

I MET SOMEONE WHOS NEVER OWN A COMPUTER!!!! 29 years old she is.


might pop round for a beer Who. whens a good time?

Ah that sucks mate. Hope things get better for you!

Anytime Snow really. Though the weather here gets pretty crappy from about april till september