Some people consider that playing games is meant for a certain age, for those in between 12 and 18 year. If you are older, then you may not play games anymore. Media also refer to this certain group if they talk about gaming.
However, since The Sims came out you see also some older people play games and even younger ones. And more and more you see that people between 20 and 40 play also games and not only The Sims. And why not. Is gaming age related? Does it matter that people around the 30 still play games? I think not. I'm myself 28 years now and still play games. I like to play games when i have time. Once there was somebody who said not to play games. Why? Is there a rule for age for gaming? I don't think so. Gaming is timeless and not age restricted. Everyone can play games, even if you're 80. There are even people of 30 years who lead a clan.
So cut just the crap and accept that also people above the 20 play games. Gaming is wide spread in all of the ages. Actually it starts already at 4 years with freddy fish and such.

Last week my old monitor stopped to work.
Now the monitor was the last time not working good, alot of scanlines appeared on the screen. But now it got out of hand. Alot of noise and the resolution was continue reset (small screen, then normal and so on) So the thing actually died and i was forced to buy a new one. I was working all the time on a crt monitor, an Iiyama MA901U Visionmaster pro 452 19 inch. A good monitor with a flat screen. the only downside was it's heavy weight. I know that crt's are not selled anymore in regular stores these days (only in recycling stores, dumpstores, markets or auction sites lik ebay), so that would be a tft now. Since my computer is not the youngest anymore (despite some components) i was just looking for a cheap tft, but which offers a good quality. After reading some articles and compare some to each other i come across the LG W2261V-PF. A 22 inch tft with a dvi connection, 2 ms responsetime, wide screen and TN panel. Good enough for playing games and watching movies. The store, MOG PC that is (a local dutch store in the neighbouring village), had just one left from that monitor. Bought that one and delivered my old monitor to them (got also some discount on the new one for delivering the old one)
So once home i set up the new monitor. First thing i noticed was that standard the brightness was set to 100, which causes a bright view. Have also to install a little program called forte manager to change the settings of the monitor. Not a big problem.
I had to get used to the monitor. It was strange in the beginning. Sometimes there was also some backlight ghosting. Now a week later i'm used to the monitor now and it works good. The ghosting is also gone.
In some time the whole system has got to need a change, but that is an expensive task. Luckily i can build my own pc, so no oem's or costs for a store.

The year is almost over now. 10 hours and then it is 2009. Well, here in the netherlands that is. At the moment i post this blog it is 2PM here. Anyway, 2008 was a good year for the trance music and also for the games, rpg in particular.
Since i like both i post here my personal top 5 of the games and music which were released in 2008.

Games
1. Fallout 3
2. Sacred 2
3. Farcry 2
4. FIFA 09
5. Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir


Music
1. Orjan Nilsen - Vivida
2. Ferry Corsten - Twice In A Blue Moon
3. Rapha - Pandora (Daniel Kandi's Emotional Mix)
4. Leon Bolier - YE (Airbase Remix)
5. Thomas Bronzwaer - Certitude

comment on games:
I find fallout 3 a good game. It is more then just oblivion with guns. Ok, you have still the annoying map marker and fast travel, but luckily the story isn't revealed at the beginning. It is also more difficult and there are not many bugs.
Sacred 2 comes at the second place. Also a good game with lots of quests and possibilities. Sometimes it gets a bit repetetive due to the very quick respawn of the creatures. But overall a good game and with the latest patch it is now more playable. Farcry 2 at 3. Well, i haven't played the game yet (my computer can't handle it), but from what i hear and read the game has potential. I would definitely buy and play the game, if i have a better pc at that time. It seems more promising then crysis.
FIFA 09 seems to be finally a good and also improved FIFA game. I like football (or soccer as the americans say) myself and own already some previous FIFA titles. Last one that i have is 06, which i find not that great. 09 seems to be alot better and for the first time it is considered better then it's rival PES.
Then an expansion at place 5. Storm of Zehir is the second expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2. It is a good expansion, but unfortunately it is a bit bugged. It causes also some troubles with the original campaing of NWN 2. The story and new things are good though.

comment on music:
Actually i find all songs...

last weekend i went to an event called Full on Ferry. The event is around dj/producer Ferry Corsten. It's actually ferry solo. Well, not completely solo, cause the concept is that ferry also invites some other dj's to do a back 2 back set. Full on Ferry was held in the Ahoy in Rotterdam, here in The Netherlands. It started somewhere around 11PM. Just like last year it got also this time the theme called The Masquerade. But next to that this time FoF was also relying to the new album of Ferry called Twice in a blue moon. The party started somewhere around 11PM. Yeah, the doors were open from 10PM, but the event started later. First there was a soloset of Sidney Samson, who spins clubhouse and groove. Then around midnight it was time for the host of tonight; Ferry Corsten. With alot of fireworks and a strange looking djbooth ferry began to spin his records. Offcourse he started with some own records from the new album. The first guest then appeared and that was Lange. Lange is probably known from singles as I Believe, Drifting Away, Another you Another Me (with gareth emery) and the recent Out of the sky.
He started with out of the sky, his own record. The booth then got to the middle of the hall. The djbooth could move through the air, as they have used some cables and something else. Other guests this night were: Sander van Doorn, Marcus Schössow, Eddie Haliwell and Solarstone.
Through the b2b acts ferry was spinning solo. The event took a halfhour longer then stated, so instead of 7AM it was now finished at 7:30AM.
It was a great event. I bought also the new album there, which was even signed by ferry himself.

Sometimes i also go out. No games that day then, the computer is out then.
Yesterday i went to an event called Luminosity beach event. It was held at beachclub Riche in Zandvoort, here in The Netherlands. 2 area's and a bunch of dj's. I like trance music myself and this was a trance event. The following dj's played there: Airbase, Daniel Kandi, Tenishia, Kyau & Albert, Re-Ward,Galen Behr,Leon Bolier, Misja Helsloot, Dj Sjah, Sebastian Brandt, Cliff Coenraad, Manuel Le Saux, Mat Zo, Mike Foyle, The Blizzard, Hydroid, Cellec vs Ersa, Ferry Tale and Monogato. This event was from 12 PM till 12 AM . I came there a bit late, at 1:30 PM. Airbase was already busy with his set. He played also some of his own numbers, like the new one Tangerine, but also Medusa and the well-known Escape. Jezper, what his real name is (his full name is jezper söderlund, a swedisch dj), played a great set. I saw then also Kyau & Albert, Daniel Kandi, Leon Bolier, Cliff Coenraad, Sebastian Brandt, Misja Helsloot and Dj Sjah. Cliff and Sebastian were on the other area. I decide to go to there, because i wanted to see them. I also don't liked Tenishia much. Listened to their set at the beginning and they came with a weird remix of cafe del mar. Looked to the timetable and saw cliff was already busy and i really wanted to hear him. oops. Until the evening the weather was good. It was sunny and there was great music. However, in the evening it began to thunder and raining. Too bad. But it hadn't any effect on the partypeople. Everyone was just still dancing, despite the weather. There was also a little barbecue, with some hamburgers, sausages and sate. It was a great event. On the way back to home i all got wet, because of the heavy rain. Oh well, on to the next event.

Since yesterday i have an account of Xfire. Someone else mentioned why i don't use xfire while i game, instead of using an other chatprog. I knew Xfire already, but never used it. Till yesterday it is. Just wanted to give it a try. Well, it's a nice solution for ones who play games every day, especially multiplayergames. I'm not an onlinegamer myself, but more a singleplayergamer. But i have played some multiplayer sometimes, like age of empires II, command & conquer tiberian sun, medal of honor: allied assault. It's been a while since i did that. Most of the time it's just singleplayer. At the moment i play alot of rpg's like TES III: Morrowind, The Witcher, Diablo II.
Xfire works well and the screenshot & video option is a nice solution. No use of a seperate program for chatting and making screens. But for somehow Xfire is also heavy in use. I have the idea that a game runs slower with xfire on the background. also, you must have an internet connection. A bit tricky if you turn off many backgroundprocesses, like antivirus and firewall. I turn those 2 off, because they eat a large number of the memory, which games also use. Haven't tried yet if xfire still works with no internet connection. Yeah, i know you can't chat anymore, but i wonder if you still be able to make screens and videos. Worth to try it
Overall, xfire is funny, even it's from mtv.