In case you missed the reference I've got in an away message, here's a hint:
Okay, now I'm really off to bed. I swear. Once I get moving towards my bed, no force on Earth can stop me.
...Bitch.
31.5.06
MY EYEBALLS ARE MELTING!!!
OH MY GOD THIS IS HORRIBLE!!!
Okay, they're not melting. But I'm tired. And they have actually started to go sore. And this is before I started tinkering with the window transparency feature I love so much. *Shrugs.*
BTW, I rediscovered my love of transparent windows for my computer. Yay transparency.
Okay, I'm retardedly tired now. Gnight folks.
Okay, they're not melting. But I'm tired. And they have actually started to go sore. And this is before I started tinkering with the window transparency feature I love so much. *Shrugs.*
BTW, I rediscovered my love of transparent windows for my computer. Yay transparency.
Okay, I'm retardedly tired now. Gnight folks.
30.5.06
500 Miles
Never before have I been able to find my exact feelings expressed in a WoW video clip:
Now, this is not to say that my girlfriend is a troll. Far from it. She's an elf! And I know for a fact that she loves the feign death ability. ^_^
For the Alliance!
Now, this is not to say that my girlfriend is a troll. Far from it. She's an elf! And I know for a fact that she loves the feign death ability. ^_^
For the Alliance!
29.5.06
X-Men Musings
i'll clean this tomorrow. 2 things now:
1. mutants ARE dangerous.
2. magneto had the anti cure.
back to the movie.
------------
So that brings us to today. Look! I can type better on here. Lemme clear up what I meant by my earlier comments there.
1. One of the central issues to the first X-Men first movie, and a recurring theme throughout the series in all its varying medias, is the discrimination against mutants by the general public. Many allusions and parallels are drawn between that discrimination and the historical persecution of Jews, Blacks, Christians, Gays, etc. However, I can see one important difference between those historical discriminations and the one mutants face. Mutants, or at least, some mutants, pose a danger to themselves or others. Obvious examples include any of the countless mutants whose powers have an infinite number of violent reprocusions, from Pyro's flame manimpuation, to Cyclops' optic blasts, to Rogue's life-stealing touch.
To say these mutants are not dangerous is foolish. I'm not saying that they are all morally decrepid enough to use these powers to harm others blatantly, but the fact that a normal-enough looking person could theoretically look at me and crush my heart simply by thinking about it would scare me, too. I think that mutants should be registered, if only to have a list of their varying abilities kept, for identification purposes. In X3, a "slippery slope" is mentioned, and I would also agree that we should be cautious ot avoid such a slope. Mutants should not be viewed as second class citizens, or superior to normal humans. They should not be segregated or persecuted based on the way they are pysically, or anything else beyond the content of their character. Numbers should not be burned into their skulls, or anything nearly as draconian. But someone should be able to keep tabs on who they are and what they can do. In that reguard, at least, Senator Kelly was right in that regaurd.
2. For those of you who haven't seen the first X-Men movie, or any of you who may have forgotten it, the basic plot was that Magneto had developed a way to trigger mutations in normal Homo Sapiens. He was unaware that the unnatural mutations were dangerous to those exposed, and lead to Senator Kelly's death. His "master plan", as it was, was to mutate the leaders of the world, convieniently gathered in one spot for a summit. In theory, and from his point of view, it was a good idea. If the leaders of the world are mutants, they will be more lenient and favorable towards the mutant populations of their respective countries. Killing them wasn't part of the plan at all.
Anyway, and again for those of you unfamiliar with the details of X-Men 3, the central plot revolves around a pharmecutical company that has developed a CURE for mutant-ism. That is, a way to turn mutants into normal people. I find these diametrically opposed plotlines, between 1 and 3, interesting. First off, just about 3 for a moment, I was a bit shocked to see so many characters lose their powers. Aside from the countless extras lined up for the cure, we saw several main characters lose their "gifts". I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it, but I can't help feel that, should an X-Men 4 be released, Magneto's "Mutant Radiation Machine" would be put to good use.
SPOILERS IN GREY
Another thing I found interesting was the way they hinted that the power loss was not in fact permenant. If you look at the very end, and see Eric sitting by himself playing chess, the piece at least appears to wiggle, the same way the outline of a phoenix was just barely visible before the very end of X2. This implies that all three of our recently debilitated mains (Rogue, Magneto, and Mystique) will be back and mutant again in a future picture. (Also, why the hell was "Marie" in the mansion after losing her powers. She's not an X-Man. Go home, bitch.) It also raises the potential for Rogue's power to be a little bit less extreme than they were. As in, rather than dropping her victims into comas, she might simply make them feel a little tired, or have a little control over when she has the power active.
END SPOILERS.
So yeah, I guess that's all I have to aay now. Gnight folks.
1. mutants ARE dangerous.
2. magneto had the anti cure.
back to the movie.
------------
So that brings us to today. Look! I can type better on here. Lemme clear up what I meant by my earlier comments there.
1. One of the central issues to the first X-Men first movie, and a recurring theme throughout the series in all its varying medias, is the discrimination against mutants by the general public. Many allusions and parallels are drawn between that discrimination and the historical persecution of Jews, Blacks, Christians, Gays, etc. However, I can see one important difference between those historical discriminations and the one mutants face. Mutants, or at least, some mutants, pose a danger to themselves or others. Obvious examples include any of the countless mutants whose powers have an infinite number of violent reprocusions, from Pyro's flame manimpuation, to Cyclops' optic blasts, to Rogue's life-stealing touch.
To say these mutants are not dangerous is foolish. I'm not saying that they are all morally decrepid enough to use these powers to harm others blatantly, but the fact that a normal-enough looking person could theoretically look at me and crush my heart simply by thinking about it would scare me, too. I think that mutants should be registered, if only to have a list of their varying abilities kept, for identification purposes. In X3, a "slippery slope" is mentioned, and I would also agree that we should be cautious ot avoid such a slope. Mutants should not be viewed as second class citizens, or superior to normal humans. They should not be segregated or persecuted based on the way they are pysically, or anything else beyond the content of their character. Numbers should not be burned into their skulls, or anything nearly as draconian. But someone should be able to keep tabs on who they are and what they can do. In that reguard, at least, Senator Kelly was right in that regaurd.
2. For those of you who haven't seen the first X-Men movie, or any of you who may have forgotten it, the basic plot was that Magneto had developed a way to trigger mutations in normal Homo Sapiens. He was unaware that the unnatural mutations were dangerous to those exposed, and lead to Senator Kelly's death. His "master plan", as it was, was to mutate the leaders of the world, convieniently gathered in one spot for a summit. In theory, and from his point of view, it was a good idea. If the leaders of the world are mutants, they will be more lenient and favorable towards the mutant populations of their respective countries. Killing them wasn't part of the plan at all.
Anyway, and again for those of you unfamiliar with the details of X-Men 3, the central plot revolves around a pharmecutical company that has developed a CURE for mutant-ism. That is, a way to turn mutants into normal people. I find these diametrically opposed plotlines, between 1 and 3, interesting. First off, just about 3 for a moment, I was a bit shocked to see so many characters lose their powers. Aside from the countless extras lined up for the cure, we saw several main characters lose their "gifts". I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it, but I can't help feel that, should an X-Men 4 be released, Magneto's "Mutant Radiation Machine" would be put to good use.
SPOILERS IN GREY
Another thing I found interesting was the way they hinted that the power loss was not in fact permenant. If you look at the very end, and see Eric sitting by himself playing chess, the piece at least appears to wiggle, the same way the outline of a phoenix was just barely visible before the very end of X2. This implies that all three of our recently debilitated mains (Rogue, Magneto, and Mystique) will be back and mutant again in a future picture. (Also, why the hell was "Marie" in the mansion after losing her powers. She's not an X-Man. Go home, bitch.) It also raises the potential for Rogue's power to be a little bit less extreme than they were. As in, rather than dropping her victims into comas, she might simply make them feel a little tired, or have a little control over when she has the power active.
END SPOILERS.
So yeah, I guess that's all I have to aay now. Gnight folks.
26.5.06
Woes Aplenty
So I've got some problems. I've also got some good things to talk about. I'll start with the good, since in my head the conversation flows better that way. I just watched a couple episodes of The West Wing. The first was one TiVo'd, and was basically the first part of a story arc(h?) where the Bartlet Administration decides to stop playing defensive and actually push some issues, damn the consequenses. It got me fired up, and I decided I didn't want to wait for the next one to air tomorrow. Then I remembered that I'd bought the first season on DVD, and had never actually watched it. I'm fucking retarded. But no matter, tonight I finally made use of my $22 investment.
Now usually I'm the last one to be a stickler about video quality. I care more about the story being presented than the presentation itself, for the most part. I can recognize people through light broadcast static, or at whatever quality media snobs are deeming "TOO LOW" for their HDTV's. Peh, I say. But I loaded up the West Wing DVD, and compared to the picture coming off my TiVo... Well, they're worlds apart. The DVDis just SO much better. I have now resolved to bring my laptop to New Jersey (though probably not both hard disks, and definitely not the 2nd monitor) and I'll use it to watch the whole season over the nine nights I'm down there. There-in lies my problem.
You see, I like to buy things. I just got a direct deposit of $355 from Target into my checking account, bringing the grand total up to... $360. Part of the problem is that it takes $75-80 to fill up my van's gas tank, and it needs to be filled at least once every 2 weeks. More than that if I'm driving a lot. I buy movie tickets for myself and occasionally Jackie whenever the mood hits me (this summer's movie season I've already seen Mission Impossible 3, and I'll see X-Men and Superman before it's over, and that's only the ones I know about now). I'm getting a LITTLE better at getting video games. I haven't gotten a PS2 game since Kingdom Hearts, and I had that paid for since before I was working at Target. I don't see much upcoming for the DS since New Super Mario Bros. (did I mention I beat it the other night?), and there's been very little out for the PSP in all of its short life (I think I convinced Dad to get me a copy of Field Commander for a belated birthday / X-mas Gift), and I know I've got a pretty big backlog of titles to finish, at least for the PS2, DS, and GBA, so I think that I should just start putting video games onto my Christmas Wish List from now on. Continuing down the list of things I like to buy, Transformers pop into my hands every now and again. Between the Beast Wars reissues, Alternators, spiffy Cybertron toys, next month's release of the Titanium figures, and the upcoming Classics line, not to mention the Movie tie-in Hasbro has planned for 2007, that's another thousand dollars at least I could be saving for other, less-transformable things. Working in the electronics section of Target always points out more than a few things I want to get, between computer accessories, software, and DVD's, including seasons 2-7 of the West Wing which I plan to buy. I've decided that I'm willing to splurge and get FF7: AC on UMD so I'll have something to watch on the plane next week. I'm gonna get at least a fat pack of Dissention, and hopefully I'll be able to get some Mini Masters games in with it.
Oh yeah, plus I've got to feed myself.
And then I've got an ambition to purchase a new desktop computer. I found a decent one at Best Buy for less than $600, and I think in about 2 more pay checks, if I can curb my spending a bit, I should be able to pick it up and take it home. That'll be fun. ^_^ YAY WORLD OF WARCRAFT WITH NO CLIPPING OR SLUGGISHNESS!!!
Sigh. Step one - Don't buy stuff you don't need. No more Transformers, DVDs, or video games until I've got that computer. As an added incentive, I've decided that one of the first things to play on that computer once I've got it running the way I want is gonna be the Transformers Movie teaser trailer set for release by July 4th. If I get it before then, huzzah! If not, I'm not gonna watch it until I have the computer. Now, all I need is a little energy, and a lot of luck.
Now usually I'm the last one to be a stickler about video quality. I care more about the story being presented than the presentation itself, for the most part. I can recognize people through light broadcast static, or at whatever quality media snobs are deeming "TOO LOW" for their HDTV's. Peh, I say. But I loaded up the West Wing DVD, and compared to the picture coming off my TiVo... Well, they're worlds apart. The DVDis just SO much better. I have now resolved to bring my laptop to New Jersey (though probably not both hard disks, and definitely not the 2nd monitor) and I'll use it to watch the whole season over the nine nights I'm down there. There-in lies my problem.
You see, I like to buy things. I just got a direct deposit of $355 from Target into my checking account, bringing the grand total up to... $360. Part of the problem is that it takes $75-80 to fill up my van's gas tank, and it needs to be filled at least once every 2 weeks. More than that if I'm driving a lot. I buy movie tickets for myself and occasionally Jackie whenever the mood hits me (this summer's movie season I've already seen Mission Impossible 3, and I'll see X-Men and Superman before it's over, and that's only the ones I know about now). I'm getting a LITTLE better at getting video games. I haven't gotten a PS2 game since Kingdom Hearts, and I had that paid for since before I was working at Target. I don't see much upcoming for the DS since New Super Mario Bros. (did I mention I beat it the other night?), and there's been very little out for the PSP in all of its short life (I think I convinced Dad to get me a copy of Field Commander for a belated birthday / X-mas Gift), and I know I've got a pretty big backlog of titles to finish, at least for the PS2, DS, and GBA, so I think that I should just start putting video games onto my Christmas Wish List from now on. Continuing down the list of things I like to buy, Transformers pop into my hands every now and again. Between the Beast Wars reissues, Alternators, spiffy Cybertron toys, next month's release of the Titanium figures, and the upcoming Classics line, not to mention the Movie tie-in Hasbro has planned for 2007, that's another thousand dollars at least I could be saving for other, less-transformable things. Working in the electronics section of Target always points out more than a few things I want to get, between computer accessories, software, and DVD's, including seasons 2-7 of the West Wing which I plan to buy. I've decided that I'm willing to splurge and get FF7: AC on UMD so I'll have something to watch on the plane next week. I'm gonna get at least a fat pack of Dissention, and hopefully I'll be able to get some Mini Masters games in with it.
Oh yeah, plus I've got to feed myself.
And then I've got an ambition to purchase a new desktop computer. I found a decent one at Best Buy for less than $600, and I think in about 2 more pay checks, if I can curb my spending a bit, I should be able to pick it up and take it home. That'll be fun. ^_^ YAY WORLD OF WARCRAFT WITH NO CLIPPING OR SLUGGISHNESS!!!
Sigh. Step one - Don't buy stuff you don't need. No more Transformers, DVDs, or video games until I've got that computer. As an added incentive, I've decided that one of the first things to play on that computer once I've got it running the way I want is gonna be the Transformers Movie teaser trailer set for release by July 4th. If I get it before then, huzzah! If not, I'm not gonna watch it until I have the computer. Now, all I need is a little energy, and a lot of luck.
More than you imagine, Optimus Prime...Oh, fuck you, Megatron.
25.5.06
WH0000T!
Check this out. It's a link to a live journal for someone I don't know, yes, but he's hosting pictures of the Transformers Classics line. After what I talked about yesterday, you know I'm fucking excited about this stuff. Especially the Starscream model down at the bottom. I'll probably get Optimus Prime, too because I always get a Prime (except for the Unicron trilogy, cuz those things sucked hard). And Astrotrain was always a personal favorite. In fact, all the triple changers were.
I've designed (in my head) my own transformation, if I were a Transformer. That is how much of a geek I am. As luck would have it, it's a triple changer. Greg to Motorcycle to Helicoptor and back. If I'm feeling generous I'll sketch it or something for you. But not now. Now I wanna go watch TV till 2AM then go to sleep. *Nods.* Later Taters.
I've designed (in my head) my own transformation, if I were a Transformer. That is how much of a geek I am. As luck would have it, it's a triple changer. Greg to Motorcycle to Helicoptor and back. If I'm feeling generous I'll sketch it or something for you. But not now. Now I wanna go watch TV till 2AM then go to sleep. *Nods.* Later Taters.
24.5.06
Context
Though I feel that the Optimus-Bumblebee romance quote in the post below is quite enough, I also have a burning need to post up the context surrounding that quote, so you know exactly how it came to be. Enjoy.
Meow.
Black13Rose7: I've been reading harry potter again latelyMkay, gnight for real now.
Effervescence 34: hows he doing?
Black13Rose7: haha
Black13Rose7: mike linked me to aHP fanfic
Effervescence 34: so then
Effervescence 34: "who's he doing"?
Black13Rose7: one that's ridiculously long
Black13Rose7: but it sparked a interest in it again so I started reading the books again today
Black13Rose7: har har
Effervescence 34: hehe
Effervescence 34: oh, slashfics
Black13Rose7: ...
Effervescence 34: "I looked up into his cold, steel blue eyes. His arms were around me in a grip i knew would never let me go.
'Oh, Optimus,' I gasped. '...we shouldn't. We...'
He held one metal finger to my faceplate. 'Hush Bumblebee. I'm here to make you all right.'
Even as he whispered to me, I felt Cybertron melt away underneath my chassis."
Effervescence 34: something like that
Black13Rose7: no it's not a sex story
Black13Rose7: X.X
Black13Rose7: and that's disgusting btw.
Effervescence 34: you gotta admit that's impressive for adlibbing
Black13Rose7: no
Black13Rose7: not really
Effervescence 34: ._.
Effervescence 34: why do you think that's disgusting, anyway?
Black13Rose7: it's two robots having sex. and don't try to convince me that wasn't your aim because I know damn well it was. >.> becase that was the example you were showing
Black13Rose7: XD
Effervescence 34: so, what, now robots can't have sex?
Effervescence 34: who died and made you a roboticist?
Black13Rose7: they don't seem well equiped to have sex
Effervescence 34: they can turn into a CAR
Effervescence 34: i think that hiding a procreational organ or two is not beyond them
Black13Rose7: they don't NEED one
Effervescence 34: to quote hound "it sure beats walking"
Black13Rose7: do you see a robot maternity section at the repair shop?
Black13Rose7: no
Effervescence 34: do you ever see a cat maternity section at the vets? cuz I don't
Effervescence 34: yet cats continue to breed
Effervescence 34: i doubt they're manufacturing more cats
Meow.
Musings In Disguise
First, I would like to say that reports of my Canadian-ship are greatly exaggerated. That out of the way...
One of the things about having a new bunch of people handle a classic series is that, inevitably, they are gonna fudge a few things. It's artistic licence. No one wants a remake to be word for word, beat for beat, the same thing shown 20 years ago. Heads would ROLL if the upcoming live action Transformers movie were simply a live-action adaptation, a re-reading, if you will, of the 1986 animated feature. Oh, undoubtably it would be visually and technically impressive, but that's not what we want. One of the greatest things about following the Transformers from a kid on to today is that, aside from the abberations that you see in Saturday Morning Cartoons, the series has matured.
Back in the 80's, I'll admit it, Transformers was a immature and simple slap-and-paste maneuvre. "Kids like toy cars. Kids like toy robots. If we sell them one toy that is both, we can double the price on the same toy." Or something like that. And people will tell you, and I'll be one of the first to agree, the toys were bricks with arms. Very little posablity, if you wanted it to stand up. Arms could go up or down, and every so often a head might spin, or a leg might bend at the knee because that's where a transform mechanism was. It was simple, but still, I don't consider my old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that poseable either, so maybe I'm being unfair there. And the Turtles couldn't very well turn in to cars, usually. The cartoon was a cut above, too, though a cut above 80's Saturday morning cartoons isn't much. It was pretty standard good vs evil, us vs them gunplay, with the good guys usually winning at the end. When they lost, it was because the bad guys had cheated them somehow. Interestingly enoguh, if the Autobots had done the exact same thing to win, they would have been hailed as brilliant strategists and cunning warriors. It's all about perspective, I guess. So yeah, it was a great kids show, which is why it has endured through the ages, and why, for instance, China declared Optimus Prime a National Hero. A good show, but it was still just a kids show.
So then we get Beast Wars, and eventually Beast Machines. The series gets extremely more complicated. Discussions of allegience, morality, and even spirituality that would never have been seen 20 years ago creep into the plotlines of the series. I initially wrote it off as a crass attempt to cash in on a classic cartoon, but that honor now belongs to RID and the Unicron Trilogy. I have given the Beast Saga a second chance, and am planning on buying them on DVD for further screening.
Like I said, the shows after the Beasts series were train wrecks. Beast Wars and Beast Machines were still a part of the Generation One continuity. In fact, they practially reveled in it. Armada, Energon, Cybertron, and ESPECIALLY Robots in Disguise, on the other hand, were terrible MASHINGS of the characters and universe we had grown to love. I liked the toys, though, as Transformers toy technology has always been at the cutting edge, but it made me cringe to think of the inane plot lines these characters were supposed to be following.
Okay, so that brings us to today. After 20+ years of maturation, the Generation one continuity has finally come of age. The toys released are either the nostalgia-ridden brickbots from 20 years ago, cleaned up so you can finally complete your collection now that you've got a job, or, and I think this is the greatest part yet, the Alternators Collection, reinvisioning the classic characters in modern, ULTRA-REALISTIC Alt-modes. I love them. They are everything a Transformer should be, twenty-years later.
And then we have the comics. I think the comics were a bit more mature than the animated show from the beginning. It was produced by Marvel, owners of one of the longest running continuous storylines ever. In fact, the Transformers are linked to that story, meaning that the same time the X-Men were running around fighting Magneto, and Spidey was duking it out with Doc Ock, the Decepticons were causing havoc for the Autobots. Come on Marvel, you've got a mega crossover series coming up, right? Bring back the Transformers! (Despite you not having the comic licence anymore...)
Today's Transformers comics, though, they're something else. Where the original cartoon series could almost be viewed as an Autobot-produced propaganda piece, these comics show the war like an embedded soldier, showing the heroism and the cowardice on both sides, that each character has their own personality, ideals, wishes and desires. You've got Ratchet, the conciencious objector, and Prowl, the dutiful leiutenant. Starscream is the insane, greedy schemer, of course...
And that leads us all ot this. The thing that's been on my mind all night:
In IDW's series, the Transformers have, as I mentioned, been re-thought. The yellow fellow to the left, despite a few design changes, should be instantly recognizable as Bumblebee. I like the changes, they're very spiffy, and I can see how this new model works just as well as the original mold. In fact, it almost fits, and it feels somewhat like IDW was trying to unify the Transformations going on in al the Autobots. They all go belly down, including the remodeled BB. The other new change, and the one that's been bouncing around in my mind the last few nights, is the lady to your left. Or rather, the hologram of hhe lady to your left. Transformers with holographic drivers is nothing new. They've been around since MTMTE part 2, in fact. But here, Bumblebee has been given (or chose for itself) a female avatar. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that, on one level. I mean, though we all prefer to think that they are masculine, robots really have no gender (female Autobots excepted). So the gender of an avatar is not really a big deal to a robot. I mean, be reasonable. Look at some ducks. Can you tell the difference between a male and a female duck? Unless you've had proper training, you probably can't. And Bumblebee isn't really a humanologist (or whatever), but a soldier, who you wouldn't expect to study the local wildlife, i.e.: us. On the other hand, Bumblebee was always the closest bot to the humans in the cartoon. It's possible that the female avatar was picked with the rational that it creates a more pleasing reaction in the majority of humans. Or maybe, and this is the part that's had my mind racing, maybe Bumblebee is supposed to be female? In the IDW continuity, at least. She's one of the most empathetic of robots. Ratchet cares about humans because he's both a Doctor and an Ambulance. It's built into him. But Bumblebee? She seems genuinely attached to her friends. Motherly, almost. Definitely big-sisterly. I can see Bumblebee as a chick. It explains the pink seats. And it also adds a bit of tension to Spike's relationship between both her and Carly.
One final thought, completely not about robot sexuality. I had heard a rumor that the Wii was set to launch worldwide in like July. But today I hear stuff about a 4th quarter (holiday season) launch. What gives? X_X
Okay, I've got to start babysitting at 9AM, and then work from 12-6. WHEE.
Ahem. Wii.
One of the things about having a new bunch of people handle a classic series is that, inevitably, they are gonna fudge a few things. It's artistic licence. No one wants a remake to be word for word, beat for beat, the same thing shown 20 years ago. Heads would ROLL if the upcoming live action Transformers movie were simply a live-action adaptation, a re-reading, if you will, of the 1986 animated feature. Oh, undoubtably it would be visually and technically impressive, but that's not what we want. One of the greatest things about following the Transformers from a kid on to today is that, aside from the abberations that you see in Saturday Morning Cartoons, the series has matured.
Back in the 80's, I'll admit it, Transformers was a immature and simple slap-and-paste maneuvre. "Kids like toy cars. Kids like toy robots. If we sell them one toy that is both, we can double the price on the same toy." Or something like that. And people will tell you, and I'll be one of the first to agree, the toys were bricks with arms. Very little posablity, if you wanted it to stand up. Arms could go up or down, and every so often a head might spin, or a leg might bend at the knee because that's where a transform mechanism was. It was simple, but still, I don't consider my old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that poseable either, so maybe I'm being unfair there. And the Turtles couldn't very well turn in to cars, usually. The cartoon was a cut above, too, though a cut above 80's Saturday morning cartoons isn't much. It was pretty standard good vs evil, us vs them gunplay, with the good guys usually winning at the end. When they lost, it was because the bad guys had cheated them somehow. Interestingly enoguh, if the Autobots had done the exact same thing to win, they would have been hailed as brilliant strategists and cunning warriors. It's all about perspective, I guess. So yeah, it was a great kids show, which is why it has endured through the ages, and why, for instance, China declared Optimus Prime a National Hero. A good show, but it was still just a kids show.
So then we get Beast Wars, and eventually Beast Machines. The series gets extremely more complicated. Discussions of allegience, morality, and even spirituality that would never have been seen 20 years ago creep into the plotlines of the series. I initially wrote it off as a crass attempt to cash in on a classic cartoon, but that honor now belongs to RID and the Unicron Trilogy. I have given the Beast Saga a second chance, and am planning on buying them on DVD for further screening.
Like I said, the shows after the Beasts series were train wrecks. Beast Wars and Beast Machines were still a part of the Generation One continuity. In fact, they practially reveled in it. Armada, Energon, Cybertron, and ESPECIALLY Robots in Disguise, on the other hand, were terrible MASHINGS of the characters and universe we had grown to love. I liked the toys, though, as Transformers toy technology has always been at the cutting edge, but it made me cringe to think of the inane plot lines these characters were supposed to be following.
Okay, so that brings us to today. After 20+ years of maturation, the Generation one continuity has finally come of age. The toys released are either the nostalgia-ridden brickbots from 20 years ago, cleaned up so you can finally complete your collection now that you've got a job, or, and I think this is the greatest part yet, the Alternators Collection, reinvisioning the classic characters in modern, ULTRA-REALISTIC Alt-modes. I love them. They are everything a Transformer should be, twenty-years later.
And then we have the comics. I think the comics were a bit more mature than the animated show from the beginning. It was produced by Marvel, owners of one of the longest running continuous storylines ever. In fact, the Transformers are linked to that story, meaning that the same time the X-Men were running around fighting Magneto, and Spidey was duking it out with Doc Ock, the Decepticons were causing havoc for the Autobots. Come on Marvel, you've got a mega crossover series coming up, right? Bring back the Transformers! (Despite you not having the comic licence anymore...)
Today's Transformers comics, though, they're something else. Where the original cartoon series could almost be viewed as an Autobot-produced propaganda piece, these comics show the war like an embedded soldier, showing the heroism and the cowardice on both sides, that each character has their own personality, ideals, wishes and desires. You've got Ratchet, the conciencious objector, and Prowl, the dutiful leiutenant. Starscream is the insane, greedy schemer, of course...
And that leads us all ot this. The thing that's been on my mind all night:
In IDW's series, the Transformers have, as I mentioned, been re-thought. The yellow fellow to the left, despite a few design changes, should be instantly recognizable as Bumblebee. I like the changes, they're very spiffy, and I can see how this new model works just as well as the original mold. In fact, it almost fits, and it feels somewhat like IDW was trying to unify the Transformations going on in al the Autobots. They all go belly down, including the remodeled BB. The other new change, and the one that's been bouncing around in my mind the last few nights, is the lady to your left. Or rather, the hologram of hhe lady to your left. Transformers with holographic drivers is nothing new. They've been around since MTMTE part 2, in fact. But here, Bumblebee has been given (or chose for itself) a female avatar. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that, on one level. I mean, though we all prefer to think that they are masculine, robots really have no gender (female Autobots excepted). So the gender of an avatar is not really a big deal to a robot. I mean, be reasonable. Look at some ducks. Can you tell the difference between a male and a female duck? Unless you've had proper training, you probably can't. And Bumblebee isn't really a humanologist (or whatever), but a soldier, who you wouldn't expect to study the local wildlife, i.e.: us. On the other hand, Bumblebee was always the closest bot to the humans in the cartoon. It's possible that the female avatar was picked with the rational that it creates a more pleasing reaction in the majority of humans. Or maybe, and this is the part that's had my mind racing, maybe Bumblebee is supposed to be female? In the IDW continuity, at least. She's one of the most empathetic of robots. Ratchet cares about humans because he's both a Doctor and an Ambulance. It's built into him. But Bumblebee? She seems genuinely attached to her friends. Motherly, almost. Definitely big-sisterly. I can see Bumblebee as a chick. It explains the pink seats. And it also adds a bit of tension to Spike's relationship between both her and Carly.I looked up into his cold, steel blue eyes. His arms were around me in a grip i knew would never let me go.Jackie says that's disgusting. On the other hand, she hadn't read this post when she said that.
"Oh, Optimus," I gasped. "...we shouldn't. We..."
He held one metal finger to my faceplate. "Hush Bumblebee. I'm here to care of you."
Even as he whispered to me, I felt Cybertron melt away underneath my chassis.
One final thought, completely not about robot sexuality. I had heard a rumor that the Wii was set to launch worldwide in like July. But today I hear stuff about a 4th quarter (holiday season) launch. What gives? X_X
Okay, I've got to start babysitting at 9AM, and then work from 12-6. WHEE.
Ahem. Wii.
23.5.06
Lazy = Cheap
This is why I don't go to college. I want to save my family monies. Also "years of mental anguish."
Oh My God These Deviled eggs are delicious!
A little bit of Internet dialogue before diving into further randomness:
I watched the Season Finale of House earlier. I really like that show, and I'm not quite sure why. I'm not really into medicine, and I get squeemish at a lot of the stuff they show. I suppose that stuff's just for shock value. This is Fox, after all, and the show airs following American Idol, so they gotta have some bit of superficiality to it. But on the other hand, I'm just a sucker for a good mystery, even when I have no idea what the jargon being tossed around is. Tonight's ep, by the way, was really good, in an almost Matrix-y way, trying to determine the difference between reality and illusion, that sorta thing. Really kept me going, past the guy whose eyeball and testicle were popping.
Plus, I really like the character, House. Aside from his first name, which I'm sure is just a coincidence. Though I have yet to hear of a below average (intellectually) Greg, I'm sure there's one out there. Anyway, past his first name, I just like his style of humor. You may notice me emulating it more in the future, as I follow the show more. For instance:
So today was a somewhat crappy day. It started off at about 830, and it felt like every little thing that could go wrong did. I decided that if one more thing went wrong, I was liable to scream (this turned out later to be true), so I called in "sick" for work, because calling in "angry" or "cranky" just doesn't work. I really have to start making up these hours. Either that, or just find a new job that makes me happy to go to. I probably would have been alright at work, really, but I didn't want to risk it. I have freaked out in the past about stuff, and though it's usually at home, in the company of people I know and trust (mostly), I've had a few incidents in public that I'd rather leave behind me and definitely not repeat. *Sighs* Then I slept for about 3 hours.
Before sleeping, I decided to read my newly aquired issues 1-4 of Transformers: Infiltration, the new comic book series starring the G1 Transformers. Yeah, the comics I was talking about in the first conversation. So far it's pretty interesting, if a little slow... Of course, that just means that issues 5 and 6 are gonna be pretty sweet. Usually I wait for the trade paperback issue. Dunno why I didn't on this. Impatience? Maybe. I may end up buying both, just to be a completist. Hey, maybe I can even ebay the 6 comic issues once they're out of print to pay for the TPB. I am a genius. ^_^
I think I'm outta stuff to read. That's a Freudian slip there. I had meant to put "write", "say", "talk about", or any other synonym. "Read"? It's true though. I could go through and read the Guildpack novel, but it's not really enthralling me the way the Ravnica one did. I'll probably get the Dissention fat pack still, and just never read its novel, either. Meanwhile, PJ has a book downstairs I've been meaning to ask him about - "Entertaining Ourselves to Death." Or something like that. Basically what Jon Stewart is talking about in the clip I'm linking below. To quote:
X-Men releases next.... Monday? No, I just checked, it's this Friday. Wow. Time flys. And a week from then I'll be on my way to New Jersey, or Philadelphia, or whichever. It's really Philly; I think my dad's moved almost entirely out of Jersey now, but that'll still always be my home. I lived in New Jersey for what is still the first half of my life, and I enjoy returning to it, even if there's nothing there to return to. Home is home. There's something... I dunno what to call it, but it feels somehow right to be close to the place you grew up.
Probably would feel better if I had some friends up there, but still, I'll take what I can get.
Oh yeah, the video:
Effervescence 34 (12:22:00 AM): but anyway, on to meYeah, all my conversations go something like that.
Effervescence 34 (12:22:10 AM): turns out that before I went to the comic store
Effervescence 34 (12:22:13 AM): i still had about....
Effervescence 34 (12:22:23 AM): 1.50 or so in my checking account
Black13Rose7 (12:22:40 AM): k.?
Effervescence 34 (12:23:29 AM): so then
Effervescence 34 (12:23:39 AM): i feel stupid for spending 22 bucks at the comic store
Effervescence 34 (12:23:42 AM): live and leran, eh?
Black13Rose7 (12:24:06 AM): yeah
Black13Rose7 (12:24:07 AM): XD
Black13Rose7 (12:24:12 AM): told you you sould right it
Black13Rose7 (12:24:13 AM): write
Black13Rose7 (12:24:15 AM): somethihng
Effervescence 34 (12:24:17 AM): yup
Effervescence 34 (12:24:20 AM): *sighs
Effervescence 34 (12:24:22 AM): ah well
Effervescence 34 (12:24:33 AM): and it didn't withdraw 100 like i thoguht
Effervescence 34 (12:24:46 AM): just exactly enoguh to put my checking account at 0.00
Black13Rose7 (12:24:57 AM): yeah
Black13Rose7 (12:24:59 AM): that seemed odd
Effervescence 34 (12:25:52 AM): which?
Effervescence 34 (12:26:03 AM): the 21.63 transfer?
Effervescence 34 (12:26:12 AM): or this hair that keeps dancing in front of my lens?
Black13Rose7 (12:26:16 AM): no... the over drafting 100 dollars
Effervescence 34 (12:29:50 AM): meh, it does that when i have like 200 in there
Effervescence 34 (12:29:53 AM): or it used to
Effervescence 34 (12:30:00 AM): even withdrawls of 100bucks
Effervescence 34 (12:30:03 AM): it drove me nuts
Effervescence 34 (12:30:07 AM): like the hair
Effervescence 34 (12:30:15 AM): luckily, now i can say that both are no more
Black13Rose7 (12:31:17 AM): heh
Black13Rose7 (12:31:18 AM): brb
Black13Rose7 (12:37:29 AM): miss me?
Effervescence 34 (12:37:34 AM): yeah
Effervescence 34 (12:37:37 AM): whered you get off to?
Black13Rose7 (12:37:57 AM): I got an ice cream sammich and tea
Effervescence 34 (12:38:01 AM): *jealous
Effervescence 34 (12:38:06 AM): i was just thinking about getting water
Black13Rose7 (12:38:24 AM): you wouldn't like it, it's arizona green tea and a soy ice cream bar thing
Black13Rose7 (12:38:25 AM): XD
Black13Rose7 (12:38:30 AM): /healthy?
Effervescence 34 (12:38:38 AM): stilll
Effervescence 34 (12:38:42 AM): i was thinking of getting water
Effervescence 34 (12:38:54 AM): and you had to go and upstage my fantasy
Black13Rose7 (12:39:47 AM): /pat
Effervescence 34 (12:41:12 AM): okay
Effervescence 34 (12:41:22 AM): now i have to wish i could go get some chocolate cake
Effervescence 34 (12:41:30 AM): and a glass of wine
Effervescence 34 (12:41:39 AM): but since I can't get that, I'll just go for a glass of water
Effervescence 34 (12:41:42 AM): brb
Black13Rose7 (12:41:44 AM): kay
Black13Rose7 (12:41:59 AM): get me chocolate cake and wine though while you're at it kay? XD
Effervescence 34 (12:43:01 AM): oh my god these deviled eggs are delicious!
Black13Rose7 (12:43:59 AM): I've never had deviled eggs
Effervescence 34 (12:44:37 AM): you are missing out
I watched the Season Finale of House earlier. I really like that show, and I'm not quite sure why. I'm not really into medicine, and I get squeemish at a lot of the stuff they show. I suppose that stuff's just for shock value. This is Fox, after all, and the show airs following American Idol, so they gotta have some bit of superficiality to it. But on the other hand, I'm just a sucker for a good mystery, even when I have no idea what the jargon being tossed around is. Tonight's ep, by the way, was really good, in an almost Matrix-y way, trying to determine the difference between reality and illusion, that sorta thing. Really kept me going, past the guy whose eyeball and testicle were popping.
Plus, I really like the character, House. Aside from his first name, which I'm sure is just a coincidence. Though I have yet to hear of a below average (intellectually) Greg, I'm sure there's one out there. Anyway, past his first name, I just like his style of humor. You may notice me emulating it more in the future, as I follow the show more. For instance:
B T M S SPARTAN: I think i royaly pissed her offIt's there. At least, I notice it. Maybe it's simply that I just watched the show, thanks to Tivo. That happens to me, I put myself in the character of someone I just watched, or a general stereotype of the genre. For instance, I watched Misson Impossible 3 the other week, and though I felt a little more secret agent-y, I didn't quite feel like Tom Cruise the secret agent. I had no urge to suspend myself from an intricate system of wires and pulleys, nor did I have an appitite for placentae. *Shrugs.*
B T M S SPARTAN: in a wham bam thank you ma'am combo, of showing her
B T M S SPARTAN: an Oh My Gods comic strip
B T M S SPARTAN: then
B T M S SPARTAN: bashing the catholic church
B T M S SPARTAN: telling her i hated catholocism
B T M S SPARTAN: she told me she was cathloic
B T M S SPARTAN: i said
B T M S SPARTAN: thats kinda pathetic
B T M S SPARTAN: she said i have some issues i need to resolfe
Effervescence 34: with an f?
B T M S SPARTAN: i said im sorry, I dont have a large aircraft and a thermonuclear bomb to drop on the vatican, so I cant resolve my issues.
B T M S SPARTAN: (resolve*)
B T M S SPARTAN: so yea
B T M S SPARTAN: i think she wants me dead
Effervescence 34: worse
Effervescence 34: she's a christian
Effervescence 34: she wants to save you
So today was a somewhat crappy day. It started off at about 830, and it felt like every little thing that could go wrong did. I decided that if one more thing went wrong, I was liable to scream (this turned out later to be true), so I called in "sick" for work, because calling in "angry" or "cranky" just doesn't work. I really have to start making up these hours. Either that, or just find a new job that makes me happy to go to. I probably would have been alright at work, really, but I didn't want to risk it. I have freaked out in the past about stuff, and though it's usually at home, in the company of people I know and trust (mostly), I've had a few incidents in public that I'd rather leave behind me and definitely not repeat. *Sighs* Then I slept for about 3 hours.
Before sleeping, I decided to read my newly aquired issues 1-4 of Transformers: Infiltration, the new comic book series starring the G1 Transformers. Yeah, the comics I was talking about in the first conversation. So far it's pretty interesting, if a little slow... Of course, that just means that issues 5 and 6 are gonna be pretty sweet. Usually I wait for the trade paperback issue. Dunno why I didn't on this. Impatience? Maybe. I may end up buying both, just to be a completist. Hey, maybe I can even ebay the 6 comic issues once they're out of print to pay for the TPB. I am a genius. ^_^
I think I'm outta stuff to read. That's a Freudian slip there. I had meant to put "write", "say", "talk about", or any other synonym. "Read"? It's true though. I could go through and read the Guildpack novel, but it's not really enthralling me the way the Ravnica one did. I'll probably get the Dissention fat pack still, and just never read its novel, either. Meanwhile, PJ has a book downstairs I've been meaning to ask him about - "Entertaining Ourselves to Death." Or something like that. Basically what Jon Stewart is talking about in the clip I'm linking below. To quote:
STEWART: But my point is this. If your idea of confronting me is that I don't ask hard-hitting enough news questions, we're in bad shape, fellows. (LAUGHTER)I had a hard time narrowing it down to the contextual soundbite I wanted. If you give it a TL;DR, just watch the clip, or at least listen to it in the background. It's a good show, and it is a talk show, so watching isn't entirely important. For those of you who don't watch, and only listen, I suppose I should warn you. One of them (Carlson) is in fact wearing a bow tie.
CARLSON: We're here to love you, not confront you.
(CROSSTALK)
CARLSON: We're here to be nice.
STEWART: No, no, no, but what I'm saying is this. I'm not. I'm here to confront you, because we need help
from the media and they're hurting us. And it's -- the idea is...
(APPLAUSE)
(CROSSTALK)
BEGALA: Let me get this straight. If the indictment is -- if the indictment is -- and I have seen you say this -- that...
STEWART: Yes.
"What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery. You have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably." --Jon Stewart
BEGALA: And that CROSSFIRE reduces everything, as I said in the intro, to left, right, black, white.
STEWART: Yes.
BEGALA: Well, it's because, see, we're a debate show.
STEWART: No, no, no, no, that would be great.
BEGALA: It's like saying The Weather Channel reduces everything to a storm front.
STEWART: I would love to see a debate show.
BEGALA: We're 30 minutes in a 24-hour day where we have each side on, as best we can get them, and have them fight it out.
STEWART: No, no, no, no, that would be great. To do a debate would be great. But that's like saying pro wrestling is a show about athletic competition.
(LAUGHTER)
CARLSON: Jon, Jon, Jon, I'm sorry. I think you're a good comedian. I think your lectures are boring.
STEWART: Yes.
CARLSON: Let me ask you a question on the news.
STEWART: How old are you?
CARLSON: Thirty-five.
STEWART: And you wear a bow tie.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
CARLSON: Yes, I do. I do.
STEWART: So this is...
CARLSON: I know. I know. I know. You're a...
(CROSSTALK)
STEWART: So this is theater.
CARLSON: Now, let me just...
(CROSSTALK)
CARLSON: Now, come on.
STEWART: Now, listen, I'm not suggesting that you're not a smart guy, because those are not easy to tie.
CARLSON: They're difficult.
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: But the thing is that this -- you're doing theater, when you should be doing debate, which would be great.
X-Men releases next.... Monday? No, I just checked, it's this Friday. Wow. Time flys. And a week from then I'll be on my way to New Jersey, or Philadelphia, or whichever. It's really Philly; I think my dad's moved almost entirely out of Jersey now, but that'll still always be my home. I lived in New Jersey for what is still the first half of my life, and I enjoy returning to it, even if there's nothing there to return to. Home is home. There's something... I dunno what to call it, but it feels somehow right to be close to the place you grew up.
Probably would feel better if I had some friends up there, but still, I'll take what I can get.
Oh yeah, the video:
20.5.06
Caveot Emptor
Warning: The gentleman you are talking to is extremely charming. Through no fault of your own you may unexpectedly fall in love with him. Please note however that he has a girlfriend who he loves very much.
He will, however, be your charming friend if you would like.
He will, however, be your charming friend if you would like.
17.5.06
Jim Gaffigan on Hot Pockets
Just wanted to see how this worked. I may do this with any other videos I see in the future. Enjoy.
KHAN!!!!!
So this is supposed to be a metaphor for what happens if net neutrality is lost. For those of you not in the loop of nerdyness, net neutrality is basically what keeps companies from being able to favor certain web sites over others. For instance, if you have an MSN ISP or something, you may have trouble getting your PS3 online. Or, say, searching for Spock, when Khan's payed the big bucks to keep himself on top.
*Shrugs.* It's also a cool little clip, I think.
*Shrugs.* It's also a cool little clip, I think.
DS Fanboy Is A Legitimate New Source
First MMORPG to hit the DS. The headline reached out to me like a beacon of unabated hope. Could Warcraft be portable within the semi-near future?
Then I read this line: "...their focus, which is a 2D side-scrolling MMORPG, isn't too disappointing..."
WHAT THE HELL? HOW DO YOU DO A SIDE SCROLLING MMORPG!?!?!
*Calms down...*
Okay, but yeah, if any of you have ever played Maplestory, please give me some idea of how it is played, because, seriously... a sidescroller MMORPG? I didn't know that was even possible!
Then I read this line: "...their focus, which is a 2D side-scrolling MMORPG, isn't too disappointing..."
WHAT THE HELL? HOW DO YOU DO A SIDE SCROLLING MMORPG!?!?!
*Calms down...*
Okay, but yeah, if any of you have ever played Maplestory, please give me some idea of how it is played, because, seriously... a sidescroller MMORPG? I didn't know that was even possible!
I Don't Need An Ego When Quizzes Tell Me I'm Perfect
Though I'm not sure how my weakness can be electrons... or that my strength is that I never need to sleep. I think those two should be reversed.
I've gotta be up in 5.5 hours to drive Clara to school. What am I doing here? Bottom line, I got dragged into a WOW eventish thing. Thank GOD it fell through. But yeah. I'm a WOW addict, pure and simple. I'm also getting into the DS online scene, I just need more friends to play Metroid with me. *Shrugs.* In other news, I've got to stop spending money, but everyone tells me New Super Mario Brothers is too kick ass not to buy... Maybe I'll let Dad get it with his random gift card, instead of GTA for PSP. Okay, the savings continue.
16.5.06
So Now I Don't Have To Leave?
| You Passed the US Citizenship Test |
 Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct! |
I suppose I didn't know how much history figured into the test. *Shrugs.*
15.5.06
Speaking Of Weird Stuff.
It's called Transformers KISS, a special series of the BinalTech line which is itself the Japanese run of the Alternators, but with a storyline behind it, and toys made of die cast metal. The KISS series packages its robots with PVC figures of human girls. Apparently, or so the story goes, the Transformers get special powers from their female companions by being kissed, or something. Ah, to be in Japan, and live the life they live...
Coming Summer 2007...
Unfortunately I haven't played the game enough to create a spoof movie trailer script here, but oh well. Just imagine that kid running out of his house while it explodes or something. Animal Crossing: The Movie
I've been not blogging lately. Dunno why. Nothing really to say I guess. I found that I can get a decent laptop for like $800 from HP, so I have a new goal to save for. Too bad it costs me $75 to get gas every week... ._. I want a new car, seriously.
I've been not blogging lately. Dunno why. Nothing really to say I guess. I found that I can get a decent laptop for like $800 from HP, so I have a new goal to save for. Too bad it costs me $75 to get gas every week... ._. I want a new car, seriously.
9.5.06
Ultimate Showdown
So I had this idea at work. It may turn out to be a disaster, but right now I think it's brilliant. The premise is this: Some benevelant / ambivolent extra-demensional being has created a tournament, the prize of which is that he will grant any one wish. He is calling for competitors from across the multiverse. For those of you that are not nerds, multiverse is geek-talk for "all the different alternate realities in fiction." So like, Batman and Superman live in one universe, Spiderman and the X-Men live in another, the Transformers in another, and James Bond in another, etc... So basically there's a tournament open to any fictional character ever. And I'm gonna write it.
A few ground rules: The character's have to be from established fiction. Johnny 5 from Short Circuit is in, but the robot I wrote about in my 4th grade writing paper is not. And generics are no good, simply because they're, well, too generic. A storm trooper is not an elegibal, but TK-422 is. Neither are actual people allowed in. Chuck Norris is not allowed in, despite how awesome he might be. I further believe that he would not be a good competitor because, despite how awesome he may be, his skills are purely awesome, but not really practically awesome. The ability to divide by zero or cry tears that cure cancer will not help a man defeat an opponent. On the same token, YOU are not eligible, simply because, well, you're not fictional. It's gotta be a fictional person. Teams are admissable, so long as the team exists in a fictional media (Batman and Spiderman cannot form a team, but the X-men can). During the course of the tournament, alliances between competitors may be formed, whereby one side chooses to concede and join up with their opponent, should they have adequate reason to do so. Superman is not gonna team up with Elmo, but he might team up with Optimus Prime, because they have similar goals.
Just to be clear, I'm talking about books, movies, TV shows, Anime, comics, manga, video games, , whatever fictional realm you want to have represented. And this is where you come in. Who do you wanna see in the fight? Spyro the Dragon? Tom and Jerry? Strider the Ranger? Take your pick. Submit your favorite(s) and I'll create a 16 man bracket (maybe more if I get a lot of submissions) at random, and begin writing down how the fights play out. I'm not gonna stack the ranks with my own players right off the bat, but I will add in a few if I need to even it out.
So what are you waiting for? AIM me, E-mail me, or just leave a comment here: who do you think is the baddest dude out there?
A few ground rules: The character's have to be from established fiction. Johnny 5 from Short Circuit is in, but the robot I wrote about in my 4th grade writing paper is not. And generics are no good, simply because they're, well, too generic. A storm trooper is not an elegibal, but TK-422 is. Neither are actual people allowed in. Chuck Norris is not allowed in, despite how awesome he might be. I further believe that he would not be a good competitor because, despite how awesome he may be, his skills are purely awesome, but not really practically awesome. The ability to divide by zero or cry tears that cure cancer will not help a man defeat an opponent. On the same token, YOU are not eligible, simply because, well, you're not fictional. It's gotta be a fictional person. Teams are admissable, so long as the team exists in a fictional media (Batman and Spiderman cannot form a team, but the X-men can). During the course of the tournament, alliances between competitors may be formed, whereby one side chooses to concede and join up with their opponent, should they have adequate reason to do so. Superman is not gonna team up with Elmo, but he might team up with Optimus Prime, because they have similar goals.
Just to be clear, I'm talking about books, movies, TV shows, Anime, comics, manga, video games, , whatever fictional realm you want to have represented. And this is where you come in. Who do you wanna see in the fight? Spyro the Dragon? Tom and Jerry? Strider the Ranger? Take your pick. Submit your favorite(s) and I'll create a 16 man bracket (maybe more if I get a lot of submissions) at random, and begin writing down how the fights play out. I'm not gonna stack the ranks with my own players right off the bat, but I will add in a few if I need to even it out.
So what are you waiting for? AIM me, E-mail me, or just leave a comment here: who do you think is the baddest dude out there?
5.5.06
Ride On To Glory
I dunno how far this is gonna get tonight. I shouldn't do this, cuz I always give false starts like this, like, all the time. But I've got the idea stuck there, and I feel like, I dunno, if I write this beginning part here, I'll be committed to it (yeah, like my webcomic ._.) Anyway, here goes something and/or nothing.
-----------
Rocky almost knew the path with his eyes closed. He wasn't stupid enough to actually try to bike without looking. There was always the possiblity of traffic.
Or an ambush, Rocky reminded himself. Nathan had been spamming a recording of Ackbar's quote, "It's A Trap!" over the team's radios now for the past block. Rocky made a mental note to not leave someone else as operator next time. This time, though, Nathan was right where he needed to be.
Everyone was, actually. Rhox'd been dreaming of this ride for the past 3 nights. Ever since they got the intel. It was good intel, too. POW's didn't usually spill the beans that easily, but apparently no one had told Sam that before she got hit with the Nerf darts. Once they figure out what she revealed, she'd be a pariah, most likely, her own team's human sheild, at best, or a sit-out at worst.
Unless, again, this was a trap. POW's were required to answer their yes or no questions, but they weren't required to go into nearly as much detail as Sammy had. Rocky didn't think she was lying, she was smarter than that. But at the same time, she was smarter than to answer the question "Is it at Mr. Chamber's place?" with "No, it's under the bushes in the Coleman's front yard."
POW's weren't allowed to lie, so Rocky and his generals immediately took this information and started forming invasion plans. The Coleman's yard wasn't used often, but it wasn't off limits, or too far out of the norm. If anything, it was too close. It was almost across the street from Becky Walter's house, a frontline fort of sorts for Rocky's Nightbats.
Rocky had been playing this game, waging this play war against Gary Smith and his own team, which had been dubbed long ago, before the release of the popular movie, as The Matrix, for reasons which today were shrouded in mystery to all but the most learned competitors. Gary and Rocky had been friends since before they were enlisted, before they'd started elementary school, even, and Rocky was glad that being set against his friend had not deterred the friendship. If anything, Rocky felt closer to his friend than ever. But he still couldn't get into the opposing commander's head and figure what his plan was.
Nevertheless, it wouldn't be long before The Matrix was able to free Sammy again, and when she did, they'd know what she'd told the Nightbats, and if they moved the flag again, they might never find it. With only a couple of weeks left of summer, this was going to be the Nightbat's final hurrah.
Rocky reached into his jacket pocket and gently stroked the thin square of fabric folded inside. The Nightbat's flag. No one else knew it was with him. He'd told them all it was kept inside a fake rock in his mom's garden. He had kept a small force of men there to guard the rock, even. It was an illusion he hoped carried over to Gary's side, though so far, no attacks had reached his mom's garden. Not for lack of trying, it was simply that Rocky's forces were able to repel any incoming force long before they reached too deep into Nightbat territory.
The flag was with him for two reasons. First was, of course, the deception. His own soldiers would not be lying when asked where the flag was. This technicality had never come up, but Rocky felt the rules were on his side in this one. But the second reason, and more important to Rocky, was that he felt the flag was literally his responsibilty, and he wanted it with him on important raids like this. Sometimes he imagined that the flag could talk to him, give him wisdom none of the other kids could. He rubbed the flag, felt the contours of his belly through it, and knew what it would tell him.
They were riding into a trap.
His gut agreed. But they had no other choice, really. It was a trap, to be sure, but it was a trap baited with the most delicious cheese. Rocky got Nathan to quit looping Admiral Ackbar, then began his customary pep-talk.
"Okay guys and gals, this is it. I know what a lot of you are thinking, and I'm almost partial to agree. This doesn't feel right. We don't know exactly what we're about to run into. But if we keep our heads cool, our fingers fast, and our aims steady, I know what we'll be running out of there with. The Matrix Flag. We're 2 and 0 this season for flag captures, and there's never been a 3 flag shut out before. Wanna make history?"
Rocky skidded his bike to a stop and watched as a half dozen other kids, his fellow soldiers, stopped around him. Another 3 were at the base, protecting what they thought was their flag, and listening over a radio reciever. Rocky smiled as he thought about the progress they'd made. When he joined up, each team had a pair of walky-talky's and whatever squirt guns could be found. Now each kid was armed with a Super Soaker or Nerf Dart launcher that was no more than 2 years old, and each wore a headset walky talky, plus a shirt bearing the Nightbat's crest. It made Rocky proud to be a part of such a fine group.
"Hands in the middle; ready? Three! Two! One! NIGHTBATS!"
-----------
Rocky almost knew the path with his eyes closed. He wasn't stupid enough to actually try to bike without looking. There was always the possiblity of traffic.
Or an ambush, Rocky reminded himself. Nathan had been spamming a recording of Ackbar's quote, "It's A Trap!" over the team's radios now for the past block. Rocky made a mental note to not leave someone else as operator next time. This time, though, Nathan was right where he needed to be.
Everyone was, actually. Rhox'd been dreaming of this ride for the past 3 nights. Ever since they got the intel. It was good intel, too. POW's didn't usually spill the beans that easily, but apparently no one had told Sam that before she got hit with the Nerf darts. Once they figure out what she revealed, she'd be a pariah, most likely, her own team's human sheild, at best, or a sit-out at worst.
Unless, again, this was a trap. POW's were required to answer their yes or no questions, but they weren't required to go into nearly as much detail as Sammy had. Rocky didn't think she was lying, she was smarter than that. But at the same time, she was smarter than to answer the question "Is it at Mr. Chamber's place?" with "No, it's under the bushes in the Coleman's front yard."
POW's weren't allowed to lie, so Rocky and his generals immediately took this information and started forming invasion plans. The Coleman's yard wasn't used often, but it wasn't off limits, or too far out of the norm. If anything, it was too close. It was almost across the street from Becky Walter's house, a frontline fort of sorts for Rocky's Nightbats.
Rocky had been playing this game, waging this play war against Gary Smith and his own team, which had been dubbed long ago, before the release of the popular movie, as The Matrix, for reasons which today were shrouded in mystery to all but the most learned competitors. Gary and Rocky had been friends since before they were enlisted, before they'd started elementary school, even, and Rocky was glad that being set against his friend had not deterred the friendship. If anything, Rocky felt closer to his friend than ever. But he still couldn't get into the opposing commander's head and figure what his plan was.
Nevertheless, it wouldn't be long before The Matrix was able to free Sammy again, and when she did, they'd know what she'd told the Nightbats, and if they moved the flag again, they might never find it. With only a couple of weeks left of summer, this was going to be the Nightbat's final hurrah.
Rocky reached into his jacket pocket and gently stroked the thin square of fabric folded inside. The Nightbat's flag. No one else knew it was with him. He'd told them all it was kept inside a fake rock in his mom's garden. He had kept a small force of men there to guard the rock, even. It was an illusion he hoped carried over to Gary's side, though so far, no attacks had reached his mom's garden. Not for lack of trying, it was simply that Rocky's forces were able to repel any incoming force long before they reached too deep into Nightbat territory.
The flag was with him for two reasons. First was, of course, the deception. His own soldiers would not be lying when asked where the flag was. This technicality had never come up, but Rocky felt the rules were on his side in this one. But the second reason, and more important to Rocky, was that he felt the flag was literally his responsibilty, and he wanted it with him on important raids like this. Sometimes he imagined that the flag could talk to him, give him wisdom none of the other kids could. He rubbed the flag, felt the contours of his belly through it, and knew what it would tell him.
They were riding into a trap.
His gut agreed. But they had no other choice, really. It was a trap, to be sure, but it was a trap baited with the most delicious cheese. Rocky got Nathan to quit looping Admiral Ackbar, then began his customary pep-talk.
"Okay guys and gals, this is it. I know what a lot of you are thinking, and I'm almost partial to agree. This doesn't feel right. We don't know exactly what we're about to run into. But if we keep our heads cool, our fingers fast, and our aims steady, I know what we'll be running out of there with. The Matrix Flag. We're 2 and 0 this season for flag captures, and there's never been a 3 flag shut out before. Wanna make history?"
Rocky skidded his bike to a stop and watched as a half dozen other kids, his fellow soldiers, stopped around him. Another 3 were at the base, protecting what they thought was their flag, and listening over a radio reciever. Rocky smiled as he thought about the progress they'd made. When he joined up, each team had a pair of walky-talky's and whatever squirt guns could be found. Now each kid was armed with a Super Soaker or Nerf Dart launcher that was no more than 2 years old, and each wore a headset walky talky, plus a shirt bearing the Nightbat's crest. It made Rocky proud to be a part of such a fine group.
"Hands in the middle; ready? Three! Two! One! NIGHTBATS!"
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