Video Games
Faith
I've had a somewhat flat spiritual affect lately, if that makes any sense. I don't feel any further from God, if anything I feel closer to Him than ever. I took this odd feeling to prayer and realized that this new way of being for me-- focusing on the needs of others-- has become so engrained in me, that I'm not having to consciously focus on it anymore.
In other words, it's a sign of progress, not a regression. It's like that time many moons ago when I had to drive in a blizzard. My entire mind had to focus on the conditions, versus the mechanical operation of the car. And that was when I realized I could finally drive a manual transmission subconsciously.
On a spiritual note, one can do a pilgrimage right here in Minnesota! One of the locations is the seat of the Archdiocese, the Cathedral in St. Paul. That is where my dad goes to Mass-- so he could satisfy one leg of the pilgrimage every week.
EA Sports FC 26
I've been playing the "Manager Career Mode" on my PS5 Pro off-and-on since it came out last fall, just chipping away towards a complete squad renovation and promotion-from-Serie-B campaign with Pescara. I did indeed get them promoted, and also won the Coppa Italia. Which means I will now be in the Europa League, on top of Serie A and the Coppa.
In the few transfer windows I've had with them, I've been painstakingly working the transfer market, wheeling and dealing like I've been doing in franchise modes since NFL 2K1 on the Dreamcast. I'm at the point now where every single player in the squad will be rated 80-or-higher once they achieve their maximum potential.
Not only that, but I selected each player to be a perfect fit to the tactical system I utilize. A couple of the players are "fake" Primavera youngsters: "de Vries" who has a max potential of over ninety, and "Leone" in central defense.
And I still have almost eight million in transfer kitty left, plus the wage wiggle room to sign probably one more high profile youth target. The first picture is my starting team; the second is essentially an entire second, backup squad; and the third picture is the note taking system I use for all of my planning in games like these.
Click on any of these pictures for a larger version.
In other words, it's a sign of progress, not a regression. It's like that time many moons ago when I had to drive in a blizzard. My entire mind had to focus on the conditions, versus the mechanical operation of the car. And that was when I realized I could finally drive a manual transmission subconsciously.
On a spiritual note, one can do a pilgrimage right here in Minnesota! One of the locations is the seat of the Archdiocese, the Cathedral in St. Paul. That is where my dad goes to Mass-- so he could satisfy one leg of the pilgrimage every week.
EA Sports FC 26
I've been playing the "Manager Career Mode" on my PS5 Pro off-and-on since it came out last fall, just chipping away towards a complete squad renovation and promotion-from-Serie-B campaign with Pescara. I did indeed get them promoted, and also won the Coppa Italia. Which means I will now be in the Europa League, on top of Serie A and the Coppa.
In the few transfer windows I've had with them, I've been painstakingly working the transfer market, wheeling and dealing like I've been doing in franchise modes since NFL 2K1 on the Dreamcast. I'm at the point now where every single player in the squad will be rated 80-or-higher once they achieve their maximum potential.
Not only that, but I selected each player to be a perfect fit to the tactical system I utilize. A couple of the players are "fake" Primavera youngsters: "de Vries" who has a max potential of over ninety, and "Leone" in central defense.
And I still have almost eight million in transfer kitty left, plus the wage wiggle room to sign probably one more high profile youth target. The first picture is my starting team; the second is essentially an entire second, backup squad; and the third picture is the note taking system I use for all of my planning in games like these.
Click on any of these pictures for a larger version.
