It's creeping me out that there's no 'a' in 'independence'. It sounds like it should have one at least, but no. Weird.
I've decided that Independence Day must be one of President Bush's favorite movies. It opens with Bill Pullman playing a charismatic but unpopular president. Soon, though, foreign powers (aliens) arrive and, seemingly without warning, destroy many recognizable and memorable US buildings. (Oh, and the Vice President. Take that, Cheney!)
"Jeff Goldbloom did bring us a document, I believe it was entitled 'Aliens determined to attack the Earth'..."
The President then orders a disastrous first attack on the attackers in Houston that does more harm than good and in fact, didn't really accomplish the goal they said they were going after.
But in the end, the president gives an invigorating, inspirational speech, then gets to go onto the battlefield, flying a jet fighter and saving the world from the aliens.
Seriously, isn't that Bush's dream presidency right there?
13.5.08
Daring To Be Stupid
So I've got Ubuntu and stuff. I go out of my way to put myself in contact with all my adoring public (all 0 of you... u_u) then immediately go radio-silent. I'm clearly ADD.
For instance, it's thundering and lighting outside.
A few days ago, I saw an episode of Transformers Animated(!) featuring Wreck-Gar. In the original series, he was a Junkion, de-facto ruler of the Planet of Junk, which wasn't so much a planet as a floating junk heap in space. In the new cartoon, he himself is a pile of junk, brought to life through he power of the All-Spark. And he has one question. "What Am I?"
Through the episode, he gets varying answers from varying sources. He is impeding a police action. He is a criminal. He knocks over armored trucks. He is an Autobot. He catches the bad guy. He could never be an Autobot. All he is good for is Garbage. He is a Decepticon. He dares to be stupid. I don't think that got all of them, but you get the idea.
In the end, Ratchet, who has been hurling most of the insults at him, tells Wreck-Gar that he can be whatever he wants to be, no matter what anyone tells him. So Wreck-Gar decides to be a hero, and sacrifices himself to save the city. He ends up being okay, but not only does no one notice he's gone, but no one really cares! Ratchet ends up the hero. But that's not what really bugged me.
Wreck-Gar's plight REALLY struck a chord with me. After doing what everyone else told him to do, he finally does what he wants to do, and becomes a hero. I don't know why, but for days after watching it, I could bring myself nearly to tears just thinking about that. I'm still a little choked up by it. Took me a while to figure out why, but I think I got it.
The day after I saw it, I went to church and listened to a sermon about how we need to put God's needs before our own. I'm still not sure what God's needs for me are, and that didn't really bug me. But it occurred to me, I don't really know what MY needs for myself are. My whole life, at this point, seems to revolve around what others want from me.
Yesterday I got up at about 11 o'clock to help my mom take out kitty litter. Being smeff has its advantages I suppose. After that, I got a call from Grandma Katie. She needed some computer help, and I was more than happy to oblige. Except I couldn't get that done in one day, so it was left to be continued. After that I got to come home to find my water has been shut off. Mostly my fault, and I'm kicking myself over the fact that I let it happen, but I needed my Granddad's help to fix it. After doing that, I ended up helping HIM with his computers as well.
Sigh. I'm venting now, I'm coming off as a lot more pissed off than I really am about it, I think. Maybe that's part of my problem.
Anyway, today was more of the same. After a therapist appointment (because, let's face it, I do need it) I went to help Grandma Katie AGAIN with her stuff. We got an external hard drive (500GB for 90 bucks, nothing to sneeze at, even if the software disk was BROKEN IN TWO PIECES! O_O!) to save he hard disks off an old computer, then back up their new one at regular intervals. Of course, the old computer's drives took hours to back up, and the first time was a false start because you apparently can't copy XP while it's running. Luckily, Linux boot disks solve all of mankind's problems. Still, a four hour copy session was started, so during that time, my Aunt had her birthday dinner. Afterward I got to go back an finish up with Grandma's stuff, which was nice.
That's all done.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!!
I've got a trip to go to Philly on Friday. Before that, I need to pack (natch), which requires laundry. I should also clean up some of the mess around my house for whoever shows up to feed my kittens while I'm gone. I also need to find someone to feed my kittens while I'm gone (again, natch). And Thursday I've promised to go with my Grandfather to visit a sick relative of some kind. I need a family tree to consult things, I think.
And just thinking about all this makes me exhausted.
And hungry.
For instance, it's thundering and lighting outside.
A few days ago, I saw an episode of Transformers Animated(!) featuring Wreck-Gar. In the original series, he was a Junkion, de-facto ruler of the Planet of Junk, which wasn't so much a planet as a floating junk heap in space. In the new cartoon, he himself is a pile of junk, brought to life through he power of the All-Spark. And he has one question. "What Am I?"
Through the episode, he gets varying answers from varying sources. He is impeding a police action. He is a criminal. He knocks over armored trucks. He is an Autobot. He catches the bad guy. He could never be an Autobot. All he is good for is Garbage. He is a Decepticon. He dares to be stupid. I don't think that got all of them, but you get the idea.
In the end, Ratchet, who has been hurling most of the insults at him, tells Wreck-Gar that he can be whatever he wants to be, no matter what anyone tells him. So Wreck-Gar decides to be a hero, and sacrifices himself to save the city. He ends up being okay, but not only does no one notice he's gone, but no one really cares! Ratchet ends up the hero. But that's not what really bugged me.
Wreck-Gar's plight REALLY struck a chord with me. After doing what everyone else told him to do, he finally does what he wants to do, and becomes a hero. I don't know why, but for days after watching it, I could bring myself nearly to tears just thinking about that. I'm still a little choked up by it. Took me a while to figure out why, but I think I got it.
The day after I saw it, I went to church and listened to a sermon about how we need to put God's needs before our own. I'm still not sure what God's needs for me are, and that didn't really bug me. But it occurred to me, I don't really know what MY needs for myself are. My whole life, at this point, seems to revolve around what others want from me.
Yesterday I got up at about 11 o'clock to help my mom take out kitty litter. Being smeff has its advantages I suppose. After that, I got a call from Grandma Katie. She needed some computer help, and I was more than happy to oblige. Except I couldn't get that done in one day, so it was left to be continued. After that I got to come home to find my water has been shut off. Mostly my fault, and I'm kicking myself over the fact that I let it happen, but I needed my Granddad's help to fix it. After doing that, I ended up helping HIM with his computers as well.
Sigh. I'm venting now, I'm coming off as a lot more pissed off than I really am about it, I think. Maybe that's part of my problem.
Anyway, today was more of the same. After a therapist appointment (because, let's face it, I do need it) I went to help Grandma Katie AGAIN with her stuff. We got an external hard drive (500GB for 90 bucks, nothing to sneeze at, even if the software disk was BROKEN IN TWO PIECES! O_O!) to save he hard disks off an old computer, then back up their new one at regular intervals. Of course, the old computer's drives took hours to back up, and the first time was a false start because you apparently can't copy XP while it's running. Luckily, Linux boot disks solve all of mankind's problems. Still, a four hour copy session was started, so during that time, my Aunt had her birthday dinner. Afterward I got to go back an finish up with Grandma's stuff, which was nice.
That's all done.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!!
I've got a trip to go to Philly on Friday. Before that, I need to pack (natch), which requires laundry. I should also clean up some of the mess around my house for whoever shows up to feed my kittens while I'm gone. I also need to find someone to feed my kittens while I'm gone (again, natch). And Thursday I've promised to go with my Grandfather to visit a sick relative of some kind. I need a family tree to consult things, I think.
And just thinking about all this makes me exhausted.
And hungry.
8.5.08
Twitter Added
Now all my ranting and raving at no one in particular are in one place! Whee! Also, since I'm going to Vancouver, I expect to do some more Twittering (Twitting?) and less full posts. And by less I mean I just won't be doing any posts while I'm in Vancouver. I don't suppose that'll get anyone to actually want to subscribe to my Twitterings but hope springs eternal for those of us with no actual contact with reality.
Zune!!!
So yeah, if you look to your left you'll see I've added a Zune card to my profile. Now you can see all the terrible music I listen to.
I've been trying to pitch Zune to anyone I can. To anyone with an iPod already, there's not much compelling reason to make the switch, especially if you've got a bunch of music off iTunes. But if you're just getting started, the Zune Pass is awesome. $15 a month to basically "rent" their music, which means there's really no buyer remorse, if you don't want something, there's no reason to not swap it out. It also has most of the same features as iTunes. Their TV series offerings are just getting off the ground, and there's still no movies, but I'm not too thrilled with the idea of paying full price for a movie I can only watch on a computer or personal media device. The Zune stuff does link rather easily into my X-Box 360, though, so I'd rather buy TV and movies from there.
I'm actually considering buying Battlestar Galactica, one of the shows they have for offer on their marketplace. I'd never seen the show before, but everyone seems to believe its the best Sci-Fi in recent years, so I may have to at least see what it is. Season one is available for 26 bucks, after you make the conversion from MS points, which seems like an OK deal. A quick look online shows that Target.com is offering it for $40, which is marked down from $60 originally. Not a bad deal.
Trick number two is that I'm broke right now. I wish my tax rebate check would show up soon. I need that $500 bucks. ...I need a job. Sigh.
I've been trying to pitch Zune to anyone I can. To anyone with an iPod already, there's not much compelling reason to make the switch, especially if you've got a bunch of music off iTunes. But if you're just getting started, the Zune Pass is awesome. $15 a month to basically "rent" their music, which means there's really no buyer remorse, if you don't want something, there's no reason to not swap it out. It also has most of the same features as iTunes. Their TV series offerings are just getting off the ground, and there's still no movies, but I'm not too thrilled with the idea of paying full price for a movie I can only watch on a computer or personal media device. The Zune stuff does link rather easily into my X-Box 360, though, so I'd rather buy TV and movies from there.
I'm actually considering buying Battlestar Galactica, one of the shows they have for offer on their marketplace. I'd never seen the show before, but everyone seems to believe its the best Sci-Fi in recent years, so I may have to at least see what it is. Season one is available for 26 bucks, after you make the conversion from MS points, which seems like an OK deal. A quick look online shows that Target.com is offering it for $40, which is marked down from $60 originally. Not a bad deal.
Trick number two is that I'm broke right now. I wish my tax rebate check would show up soon. I need that $500 bucks. ...I need a job. Sigh.
31.3.08
Free Money!!?
Probably not.
Also, I need someone with Pokemon Diamond or Pearl to IV battle me. Plz?
And finally, I've decided that "!!?" is the best punctuation ever. Reminds me somehow of "Iie", which is Japanese for "No".
(11:10:32 PM) effervescence: hey look!Happy April First! ((EDIT: Whoops! I'm on central time! X_X!!?))
(11:10:53 PM) TriFrog77: NOOOO
(11:11:00 PM) effervescence: guess what today is!
(11:11:03 PM) TriFrog77: i just got rick roll'ed
(11:11:08 PM) TriFrog77: april fools
(11:11:21 PM) effervescence: international rick astley appriceation day
(11:11:28 PM) TriFrog77: waht? really?
(11:11:40 PM) TriFrog77: pop-up video lmao
(11:11:47 PM) effervescence: of course not
(11:11:49 PM) effervescence: its april first
(11:11:58 PM) TriFrog77: lmao
Also, I need someone with Pokemon Diamond or Pearl to IV battle me. Plz?
And finally, I've decided that "!!?" is the best punctuation ever. Reminds me somehow of "Iie", which is Japanese for "No".
30.3.08
I Miss My Old "Blog This" Add-On...
Ah, for the days when I could simply right click a page, rather than hunting for a bookmark to bring up a tiny little blog-writing-window. Anyway, on to more pressing issues.
Child maths prodigy 'working as a prostitute' - Telegraph
(This Blogger in no way endorses the criminal act of prostitution.)
Child maths prodigy 'working as a prostitute' - Telegraph
...10 years on, Miss Yusof now earns £130 an hour working as a prostitute from her flat in Salford, ManchesterHey, she was a math prodigy. I'm guessing she just did and realized that while probably no one was going to hire a 16 year old college graduate, she could easily earn tons of money (£130 is about $259USD according to xe.com) in the world's oldest profession, and for far less real work than most other careers. I suppose she's got plenty of time to pursue other interests. Math is cool!
(This Blogger in no way endorses the criminal act of prostitution.)
Nifty Video Game Stuff
Kings of Power 4 Billion - Not quite a video game, but a movie based on one. It's cool. Direct link to the movie here. I don't think it's on YouTube.
Watching that made me think of all the movies I've got in the air. Watch as I count them down:
PS2:
Prince of Persia - I'm stuck in this one stupid room and I hate it, but I love the gameplay. If I can't figure the room out from the inside, I may just restart the game entirely. It's been a while since I played though... Eh.GameCube (Ya, I picked up a few for my Wii.):
God of War - I'm pretty sure I'm almost done with it, I just got distracted. I always do that. But maybe if GoW2 goes Greatest Hits, or Chains of Olympus comes down in price, I should have finished the first one.
La Pucelle Tactics - I barely started this one. It's supposedly either a prequel to Disgaea, or more likely, a precursor, along the same lines and such. I never got too far, but I suppose I'll play it later, if I ever hit it big, and have tons and tons of free time or something.
Final Fantasy X - I need to level grind. For hours. But I think I'm almost near the final boss. /me shrugs.
Final Fantasy X-2 - I kinda started this, but I suppose I should finish X(-1?) first. It's very silly, but I like it somehow.
*Final Fantasy XII* - Yay for bizarre sequencialism. I talked about this a lot earlier, but I still find it silly that I'm about 7 hours in, and so far, my character has been tossed into, and broken out of, prison. Twice. IN THE FIRST SEVEN HOURS of a FOURTY + HR GAME! O_O! I'm a jailbird.
Pokemon XD - I keep looking at that "XD" and thinking its a smiley face. I'm playing it for the Lugia. I should probably go through and finish that. I wish there was a way for me to transfer my other Pokemon in. That would rock.Okay, so I just picked up two games for it, and I already beat Sonic Adventure.
Wii:
*Super Mario Galaxy* - I'm very close, and the game is a lot of fun. I'll probably pick some time I've got a lot of spare time, but it should be easily and doable.Xbox 360:
Trauma Center: New Blood - This game is monumentally hard, but I love the co-op play. Co-op makes EVERYTHING better. Actually, now that I think of it, I never REALLY beat the first game either. That one mission where you've gotta heal 4 people in ten minutes kicks the shit outta me. Even with help. (I traded controllers off with a friend between patients.)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - I've still gotta unlock Star Wolf, but honestly, "meh". On the other hand, maybe Nintendo will eventually fix their Wi-Fi system and I can battle some friends. Anyone wanna go against me?
Mass Effect - I already beat this, but the unleashed a downloadable content episode, so I'm gonna go back and play through that bit, and probably leave the game open for later missions. I also plan on finishing up the other sidequests I never got to. I THOUGHT I HAD MORE TIME! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THERE WOULD BE ONLY FOUR STORY WORLDS!!?PSP:
Dead Rising - Yay Zombies. Honestly, the saving system is kinda annoying. I need to actually get through to the end of the first set of cases one of these days. I'm gonna get so tired of seeing the same cutscenes over and over again.
The Orange Box - Or specifically, Half Life 2 and Episodes 1 and 2. I beat Portal, it was great, and I'm waiting for more, either DLC or a sequel. But Half Life 2 is great fun. Never played Half Life 1, though. Wonder if I should try it...?
DOAX2 - In the long form, Dead or Alive: eXtreme Beach Volleyball 2. Cuz hey, it was like seven dollars. Yay bouncing boobs. I mean bikinis. I mean hot wet bodies. I mean... uh, nevermind. I don't think I'm going to "beat" this game, mainly because it's just ridiculous. Literally. I purchased it for Ridicule. But now, Fuck this game. Seriously.
Rainbow Six: Vegas - Yay peering around corners and shooting people repeatedly. Boo being shot at by enemies in a bizarrely over-ful room. I hate that one room. I should go back and beat it maybe, but... nahhhh.
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness - I've been a fan of SRPGs, or whatever whatever this style of game is supposed to be, since FFTA. Apparently Final Fantasy Tactics Period is the "best game EVAR" according to the Final Fantasy Fanboys, but FFTA was just the perfect mix of strategy and whimsical story without the bizarre emo-epic-save-the-world stuff. And Disgaea is just wacky enough that I like it too, but I'm not enjoying the fact that, once again, I have to level grind. I HATE levelgrinding. I'll probably tough it out though, and usually once I get into a stride, I'll do okay.I also noticed I'm missing my UMDs for Terminator and Spiderman. :(
Jeanne d'Arc - It's like Joan of Arc! With demons! And on a "Tactics" style grid! AGAIN! I play a lot of these. I may end up with this on hiatus until after FFTA2 comes out and is beaten.
DS: (I got a lot, so I'll just list the titles)
Pheonix Wright: Justice for All, as well as the 3rd title in the series, and then I'll buy the fourth when it comes out.Phew, that's quite a list. And don't get me started on the BOOKS I've got to get working on... X_X!!?
Contact
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - I hate that central temple X_X!
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Final Fantasy III - Actually I'm just gonna restart and try to get past the first two towns. I seem to get stuck on some weird area I need to shrink to get into? (Or is that my problem with the first???)
Advance Wars Dual Strike
Metroid Prime: Hunters
Sonic Rush
Professor Layton and the Curious Village - ...just the downloadable extras, though.
28.3.08
I Can't Tell If This Is A Joke....
...Or he really thinks that's how the game works: You’re Not My Real Big Daddy
“Don’t shoot me!” said the Little Sister. But was she lying?Can a request be a lie, really? The only example I've thought of is this:
Please don't hit me with your penis, madam....and even then it's circumstantial.
Oh, and if you haven't played Bioshock yet, you should. Seriously, do it. I'm tired of sitting on these spoilers.
WTF YouTube #3
Look! This time it's not a Disney Channel Starlette (yet)!
Anyway, I actually have the manga based off this game (.Hack//GU+ or something). Maybe I should read it and see how much shouting I endure.
WTF YouTube #2
I'm gonna overload. But seriously. Miley needs to stick to the writing by Disney.
Also, this:
In her movie, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, there is a scene where she and her dad did not put their seatbelts on and, was labeled by some newspapers as a "bad role model".[38] Billy Ray Cyrus later apologized for this, and saidApparently, I'm weird amongst my friends in that I always buckle my seatbelt. It's not that I'm scared about anything, it's just a habit formed since I was a kid. I feel weird riding a car without a seatbelt.
"We got caught up in the moment of filming, and we made a mistake and forgot to buckle our seat belts ... Seat belt safety is extremely important."
Oddly enough, I never had a problem with the school bus.
WTF YouTube?
O_O
I may make this a recurring theme.
Also, I remember reading about this movie before in Maxim, but I didn't remember seeing any ads or anything for it, so the ABC logo in the corner confused me. Had the movie flopped so bad it was already on Broadcast? I scooted over to IMDB and found that it's not out till this September. So... why the ABC logo? I'm guessing the clip made it on the news. Cuz, hey, its Lizzie McGuire with a scorpion in her pants!
Cool Stuff
A Victim Treats His Mugger Right. I like reading about people doing the nice thing. I enjoy being nice.
Yesterday, while playing FFXII, I managed to steal a rat pelt from a rat before I killed it. I'm confused. Did I steal the rat's own pelt while it was still alive? Or was the rat some sort of fashion cannibal, wearing the pelt of another rat.
Speaking of bizarre questions on my mind, I've been watching Voyager and had a few. For instance, how does food work on the holodeck? Is it replicated, and thus edible, or just an illusion? Does it taste good? For that matter, why do people keep using the holodecks. Every time you get on, they seem to malfunction. More trouble than they're worth, if you ask me.
This dude won't take a hint. I made it seem like I was going to leave the keyboard to do something, and he won't believe that I'm really gone. I mean, I'm not, but still. How long can this chatlog continue before he takes the hint?
Finally, I leave you with this image. I wish my phone looked like it.
Oh, and I had to show you guys this thing. It's awesome. SHEEEEEEP!!!
And then this too.
If you start getting bored, it'll go 6km before it stops.
Yesterday, while playing FFXII, I managed to steal a rat pelt from a rat before I killed it. I'm confused. Did I steal the rat's own pelt while it was still alive? Or was the rat some sort of fashion cannibal, wearing the pelt of another rat.
Speaking of bizarre questions on my mind, I've been watching Voyager and had a few. For instance, how does food work on the holodeck? Is it replicated, and thus edible, or just an illusion? Does it taste good? For that matter, why do people keep using the holodecks. Every time you get on, they seem to malfunction. More trouble than they're worth, if you ask me.
This dude won't take a hint. I made it seem like I was going to leave the keyboard to do something, and he won't believe that I'm really gone. I mean, I'm not, but still. How long can this chatlog continue before he takes the hint?
(3:41:24 PM) bubbyaka14411: kSigh...
(3:41:43 PM) bubbyaka14411: what he say?
(3:43:29 PM) bubbyaka14411: brb
(3:46:32 PM) bubbyaka14411: so what he say?
(3:47:02 PM) bubbyaka14411 just sent you a Buzz!
(3:48:46 PM) bubbyaka14411: u still there???
(3:49:40 PM) bubbyaka14411: so what u doing????
(3:49:42 PM) bubbyaka14411 just sent you a Buzz!
(3:51:40 PM) bubbyaka14411: u there, hello??????????????
(3:52:29 PM) bubbyaka14411: u still there????
(3:53:27 PM) bubbyaka14411 just sent you a Buzz!
(3:57:48 PM) bubbyaka14411: so what u doing
(4:04:00 PM) bubbyaka14411 just sent you a Buzz!
(4:06:04 PM) bubbyaka14411: so are we going to talk still or no????
(4:07:20 PM) bubbyaka14411 just sent you a Buzz!
(4:16:51 PM) bubbyaka14411: hey u on, whats going on
(4:18:34 PM) bubbyaka14411 just sent you a Buzz!
(4:22:53 PM) bubbyaka14411: hey whats going on
(4:24:17 PM) bubbyaka14411: u there
Finally, I leave you with this image. I wish my phone looked like it.
Oh, and I had to show you guys this thing. It's awesome. SHEEEEEEP!!!
See more funny videos at CollegeHumor
And then this too.
See more funny videos at CollegeHumor
If you start getting bored, it'll go 6km before it stops.
27.3.08
It's TRUE!
It's So True! (And, looking at the date, I'm like a year and a half behind the times.)
So yeah, I bought a copy of FFXII. Not sure why. I'd seen/heard a few old reviews of it, and decided I should check it out. And hey, just $20.
It's kind of interesting at the start, and I'm slightly curious about the storyline. One of my primary... I guess I wouldn't say complaints so much as just "one of the things I notice"... One of my primary one of the things I notice about the Final Fantasy Series in general is that it's basically "Move through Maze, Press X repeatedly to hit enemy, Enjoy Cutscene, Lather, Rinse, Repeat." Playing FFXII feels like they somehow managed to remove like 90% of the Press X part. I'm still not sure if this is a good thing or not, but I did find it somewhat odd that the boss battles were less involving than the dungeon crawling. The Bosses were somewhat engrossing, but in the same way that it's cool to watch James Bond battle some supervillian. Health Bars go down, but I've got my heroes set to auto-heal themselves, and so the whole game kicks into autopilot. So really... I guess $20 bought me a somewhat drawn out epic movie.
I'm only about 3 hours into it, and I've already killed a rogue Tomato (O_O!), robbed a hidden treasury, and then got thrown into prison. And I haven't even discovered that the mysterious beautiful warrior is really the princess who supposedly took her own life years ago. I'm in for a while ride. And by ride I mean series of approaching enemies and watching them get killed.
Oh, and speaking of Penny Arcade: their new XBLA game has been priced. I'll definitely end up buying it, I just wish they'd release a date to go along with the price. x_x
So yeah, I bought a copy of FFXII. Not sure why. I'd seen/heard a few old reviews of it, and decided I should check it out. And hey, just $20.
It's kind of interesting at the start, and I'm slightly curious about the storyline. One of my primary... I guess I wouldn't say complaints so much as just "one of the things I notice"... One of my primary one of the things I notice about the Final Fantasy Series in general is that it's basically "Move through Maze, Press X repeatedly to hit enemy, Enjoy Cutscene, Lather, Rinse, Repeat." Playing FFXII feels like they somehow managed to remove like 90% of the Press X part. I'm still not sure if this is a good thing or not, but I did find it somewhat odd that the boss battles were less involving than the dungeon crawling. The Bosses were somewhat engrossing, but in the same way that it's cool to watch James Bond battle some supervillian. Health Bars go down, but I've got my heroes set to auto-heal themselves, and so the whole game kicks into autopilot. So really... I guess $20 bought me a somewhat drawn out epic movie.
I'm only about 3 hours into it, and I've already killed a rogue Tomato (O_O!), robbed a hidden treasury, and then got thrown into prison. And I haven't even discovered that the mysterious beautiful warrior is really the princess who supposedly took her own life years ago. I'm in for a while ride. And by ride I mean series of approaching enemies and watching them get killed.
Oh, and speaking of Penny Arcade: their new XBLA game has been priced. I'll definitely end up buying it, I just wish they'd release a date to go along with the price. x_x
23.1.08
Mario Runs From Bellhop
It's-a MAAArio! ^_^
I think it's CGI, but it may possibly be a guy in a foam suit. *shrug*
Also, I just bought Burnout Paradise for 360. Seriously, if you have a 360 and like driving games at all, you should at least check it out. It's a totally open world to drive in, mess around, run races, blow stuff up... its like GTA without the guy; just cars. It's really really fun. ^_^
18.1.08
Good Weather
Sorry I haven't been posting recently. ALL YEAR LONG, in fact. Just haven't really had anything worth saying.
I do have to say though, this was the PERFECT time of year to let my kittens out for the first time. My perennial laziness kept them from getting any sort of shots or other medical treatment until just recently, with them about 6 months old. (Maybe more, I dunno.) So, before then, I knew I couldn't let them out, even though they obviously wanted to.
Now, with their immune systems immunized and their who-hah's and what's'its fixed (which is to say, broken), they are free to explore nature in all its grandeur. And, as I have said, I couldn't have picked a better time to procrastinate to. For the past few days, it has been absolutely miserable outside. Of course, it's all new to them, but as they're exploring something new, I'm glad they have a clear contrast in their heads. My house is dry and warm, and very nice; outside is wet and cold and miserable. I also have a litter box and readily available food, though I can't necessarily promise that they couldn't find similar facilities outside.
Indeed, even with the outdoors being so terrible of late, trying to coax them back into my house when I wanted has been quite a chore. So instead, I've taken to letting them out when I leave for work in the morning, and then, 9 or so hours later, letting them back in, once they've gotten that out of their system.
I do have to say though, this was the PERFECT time of year to let my kittens out for the first time. My perennial laziness kept them from getting any sort of shots or other medical treatment until just recently, with them about 6 months old. (Maybe more, I dunno.) So, before then, I knew I couldn't let them out, even though they obviously wanted to.
Now, with their immune systems immunized and their who-hah's and what's'its fixed (which is to say, broken), they are free to explore nature in all its grandeur. And, as I have said, I couldn't have picked a better time to procrastinate to. For the past few days, it has been absolutely miserable outside. Of course, it's all new to them, but as they're exploring something new, I'm glad they have a clear contrast in their heads. My house is dry and warm, and very nice; outside is wet and cold and miserable. I also have a litter box and readily available food, though I can't necessarily promise that they couldn't find similar facilities outside.
Indeed, even with the outdoors being so terrible of late, trying to coax them back into my house when I wanted has been quite a chore. So instead, I've taken to letting them out when I leave for work in the morning, and then, 9 or so hours later, letting them back in, once they've gotten that out of their system.
13.12.07
26.11.07
"It's An Apple! It's FRUIT!!!"
Kittens don't eat fruit.
Sorry, the above conversation between myself and my kittens was too funny to not mention. Tonight I've been re-bitten by the writer's bug. Dunno why. But I do have a bit to share.
Okay, back. Hadda get my burrito out of the microwave. More on that later.
So, I dunno if I told you, but I bought a kilt. I like it. It's different. It's comfy. It feels like "me", somehow. Unfortunately, "me" is very shy. I don't do well in social situations, and so I had a hard time calling attention to the new "me" kilt. As in, I didn't wanna be seen in public wearing something like it. So the only times I wore it out of the house, I stayed in my car doing drive through.
Until last night. Yay me, I went out and bought batteries at CVS with it on. At like 945, just before they closed, so really no one was there, and I probably looked like some kinda freak who needed batteries for his camera so he could take pictures of himself in his kilt (which was totally the case, but I didn't really wanna admit to it), but I did it. I say yay for me.
Wearing the kilt makes me feel more attractive some how. I mean, no one ever sees me in it, but still. I feel sexy. Partly that's because, up until very recently, my wardrobe has been similar to that of a 10 year old boys. I love t-shirts with Transformers logos on them. And that's about it. T-shirts and cargo pants. And sneakers (Heelys now!) But a t-shirt and a kilt looks silly. And the period appropriate garment I bought with the kilt is silly as well, when not at a renaissance fair. So, I actually went out and bought some nice shirts. With buttons! Yay me again.
So, I have the wardrobe, and I'm getting to where I'm feeling brave enough to wear it in public. What's next? I need to get in shape. I mean, yeah, I'm skinny, and I know I'm dead sexy like an anorexic bitch, but I'm weak and scrawny and I don't really want to be. I don't wanna be fucking Arnold Strongman with pecs up to my eyeballs, but I could use a little meat on my bones, without getting fat. I've seen pictures of my Grandfather when he was my age. I look exactly like him. I've also seen what he looks like now. Metabolisms stop. I need to get in shape now so I won't be a lazy sack of fat when I'm his age. (Not that he's a lazy sack of fat, he's just got a bit of a gut. But I'M lazy. And when my body starts keeping more fat than it needs, I'll end up a lazy sack of fat. Or I could work out.)
Today I began my quest for fitness. I started by doing 10 pushups. It's been way too long. The first five were kinda easy, and then they got harder. Also, I might be doing them wrong. I added in some jumping jacks and crunches. All told, I got 20 push-ups, 20 crunches, and 100 jumping jacks in. Then, I decided I'd put on Podrunner (a podcast of hour long workout mixes) and go for an hour run. I ended up running about 5 minutes, then walking about 20. I grabbed my mail, and a bite to eat while I was out, though. It's a start, I say!
So here's my new years resolution. First: Buy a calendar (Yeah, I know it's November still, so what?) Second: Apply to and complete spring and summer semesters for the Video Gaming program. Third: Run a mile in 10 minutes. I know that's not very impressive, but considering I can't run a mile period right now, 10 minutes would be nice.
My doctor once told me that, because of my heart condition, I am always on my "second wind", and never really had a first one. Makes running long distances hard. I should work on that, huh?
Sorry, the above conversation between myself and my kittens was too funny to not mention. Tonight I've been re-bitten by the writer's bug. Dunno why. But I do have a bit to share.
Okay, back. Hadda get my burrito out of the microwave. More on that later.
So, I dunno if I told you, but I bought a kilt. I like it. It's different. It's comfy. It feels like "me", somehow. Unfortunately, "me" is very shy. I don't do well in social situations, and so I had a hard time calling attention to the new "me" kilt. As in, I didn't wanna be seen in public wearing something like it. So the only times I wore it out of the house, I stayed in my car doing drive through.
Until last night. Yay me, I went out and bought batteries at CVS with it on. At like 945, just before they closed, so really no one was there, and I probably looked like some kinda freak who needed batteries for his camera so he could take pictures of himself in his kilt (which was totally the case, but I didn't really wanna admit to it), but I did it. I say yay for me.
Wearing the kilt makes me feel more attractive some how. I mean, no one ever sees me in it, but still. I feel sexy. Partly that's because, up until very recently, my wardrobe has been similar to that of a 10 year old boys. I love t-shirts with Transformers logos on them. And that's about it. T-shirts and cargo pants. And sneakers (Heelys now!) But a t-shirt and a kilt looks silly. And the period appropriate garment I bought with the kilt is silly as well, when not at a renaissance fair. So, I actually went out and bought some nice shirts. With buttons! Yay me again.
So, I have the wardrobe, and I'm getting to where I'm feeling brave enough to wear it in public. What's next? I need to get in shape. I mean, yeah, I'm skinny, and I know I'm dead sexy like an anorexic bitch, but I'm weak and scrawny and I don't really want to be. I don't wanna be fucking Arnold Strongman with pecs up to my eyeballs, but I could use a little meat on my bones, without getting fat. I've seen pictures of my Grandfather when he was my age. I look exactly like him. I've also seen what he looks like now. Metabolisms stop. I need to get in shape now so I won't be a lazy sack of fat when I'm his age. (Not that he's a lazy sack of fat, he's just got a bit of a gut. But I'M lazy. And when my body starts keeping more fat than it needs, I'll end up a lazy sack of fat. Or I could work out.)
Today I began my quest for fitness. I started by doing 10 pushups. It's been way too long. The first five were kinda easy, and then they got harder. Also, I might be doing them wrong. I added in some jumping jacks and crunches. All told, I got 20 push-ups, 20 crunches, and 100 jumping jacks in. Then, I decided I'd put on Podrunner (a podcast of hour long workout mixes) and go for an hour run. I ended up running about 5 minutes, then walking about 20. I grabbed my mail, and a bite to eat while I was out, though. It's a start, I say!
So here's my new years resolution. First: Buy a calendar (Yeah, I know it's November still, so what?) Second: Apply to and complete spring and summer semesters for the Video Gaming program. Third: Run a mile in 10 minutes. I know that's not very impressive, but considering I can't run a mile period right now, 10 minutes would be nice.
My doctor once told me that, because of my heart condition, I am always on my "second wind", and never really had a first one. Makes running long distances hard. I should work on that, huh?
25.10.07
Zombie Photographers?
In my computer?
It's more likely than you think.
The prompt
And that's exactly what I did!!!
The Afterlife and Aftertimes of Nadar, French Photographer
In 1910, Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known as Nadar, the revolutionary European photographer, was put to rest in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery. Though it was a fitting end to a long and fruitful life, one that inspired a character in author and friend Jules Verne's From Earth to the Moon, Nadar's rest would not be peaceful for long. Before the year was out, Nader would need to be buried again.
As Tournachon's body lay in the dirt beneath the blooming lights of Paris, strange and foul machinations were taking place. Although many theories regarding the photographer's reanimation have been suggested throughout the ages, few have been replicated, and none have successfully raised another soul. The current leading presumption, according to researchers at Berkly and Oxford, is that as the Earth passed through the cosmic trail of Halley's Comet, some bizarre and unknown combination of chemicals and other-worldly radiation affected the dormant portions of Nadar's frontal lobe. It is unknown exactly how wide-spread this phenomenon actually was, but anecdotal evidence puts the number of awakened “zombies” in 1910 anywhere from 1 to 10 to 100.
Nadar's initial reappearance was seen by many observers as a stunt pulled by a man known for his outrageous life. Clearly, they believed, Nadar had faked his own death, and was now rising up to watch their reaction. Many dismissed his speech and movement impediments as side effects from whatever chemicals he had used to fake his death. Reporters interviewed Hatian voodoo wizards, African witch doctors, and others known for raising the dead. One newspaper headline exclaimed “Nadar's Greatest Work To Date!”
Gripped in a haze of undeath, Nadar's corpse sought to complete the works he'd started in his lifetime. Returning to his home, he managed to retrieve his camera, and began taking new pictures. Before anyone had realized that his zombification was not a prank, but in fact a serious condition, Nadar's come-back tour across Europe was already booked, with gallery exhibits set up from London to Moscow.
The tour never got farther than its first stop in Paris, France. While entertaining guests in the main hall of the Louvre, Nadar became perturbed by some critics opinions. Already, several articles had been written criticizing Nadar's newest works, noting the lack of a general composure, or overreaching theme, or even proper exposure. Other critics were so baffled they actually praised the gallery of works as legitimate art.
Still, some critics refused to pay lip service, even to an artist as well renouned as Nadar had been in life. “There's nothing groundbreaking about it,” wrote Jean Doublet-Ree, the most vocal critic of Nadar's new series. “It's just a mess. A drunk could have created better art than this.” Besmirching common courtesy, Doublet-Ree refused to bite his tongue in the presence of Nadar himself, and instead he attempted to goad the photographer right to his face. Doublet-Ree soon found that he had under-estimated the photographer, whose reanimation had made him both incalculably mad and superlatively strong. Witnesses gasped in horror as the hunched form of Nadar pounced on his critic, and bit a solid chunk out of Doublet-Ree's neck. Though little is known about what happened immediately afterwards in the ensuing chaos, a few short hours later, Paris had decreed a state of emergency, and it found itself in the five of what would be five twentieth century Zombie outbreaks.
Though the French Army fought valiantly to contain the crisis, the ultimate victory would not come until several members of Nadar's former club, The Society for the Encouragement of Aerial Locomotion by Means of Heavier than Air Machines, or SEALMHAM (pronounced “Seal, Ma'am”, which would later be shortened to just SEAL and adopted into the United States Military Command) took control of the streets, erecting barriers ironically similar to the ones Nadar himself had set up to protect himself from crowds. These so-called Nadar barriers were used to corral the hordes to a controlled location, and then funnel them into the labyrinthine Paris Catacombs. That was the last anyone ever saw of Nadar on record, though every so often, a photo album is found on the streets just in front of the Louvre, a chilling reminder to the chaos that ensued almost 100 years ago, and occasionally a good source for a filler event between headlining galleries. Many suspect that Nadar changed his first name to Ralph and attempted a few bids at the United States Presidency in the late 20th Century, but thus-far there has been no known proof that the undead Photograper and the unsuccessful politician were related.
It's more likely than you think.
The prompt
Her: yeah but i hate writng
Me: when I write, its always hard to get started, but for me, really, the problem is keeping it under control
Me: otherwise I'll ramble about stupid stuff for pages and pages
Me: which is kinda fun
Me: but silly
Her: im sure your teachers love that
Me: not so much
Me: also, I suck at using sources
Me: I'd much rather make shit up
Her: Felix Nadar devoted photographer. Stars are big and fun to look at
Her: me too
Me: In 1824, Felix broke free of his coffin, and started a post-mortem cross-continental photography tour
Her: lol
Me: his critics found his newer photos to be rather dull compared to the first set, and poorly lit
Her: he was only 3 in 1824
Me: Felix hunted down the critics, and bit them, starting the French Zombie infestation that still remains in the paresian catacombs to this day
Me: I don't care
Me: he time traveled
Her: wow if i wrote that i would fail so bad
Me: but you'd be laughing the whole way to summer school
Me: if I wrote it, would you turn it in along with your own paper, just to see what the teacher said?
Her: probally
And that's exactly what I did!!!
The Afterlife and Aftertimes of Nadar, French Photographer
In 1910, Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known as Nadar, the revolutionary European photographer, was put to rest in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery. Though it was a fitting end to a long and fruitful life, one that inspired a character in author and friend Jules Verne's From Earth to the Moon, Nadar's rest would not be peaceful for long. Before the year was out, Nader would need to be buried again.
As Tournachon's body lay in the dirt beneath the blooming lights of Paris, strange and foul machinations were taking place. Although many theories regarding the photographer's reanimation have been suggested throughout the ages, few have been replicated, and none have successfully raised another soul. The current leading presumption, according to researchers at Berkly and Oxford, is that as the Earth passed through the cosmic trail of Halley's Comet, some bizarre and unknown combination of chemicals and other-worldly radiation affected the dormant portions of Nadar's frontal lobe. It is unknown exactly how wide-spread this phenomenon actually was, but anecdotal evidence puts the number of awakened “zombies” in 1910 anywhere from 1 to 10 to 100.
Nadar's initial reappearance was seen by many observers as a stunt pulled by a man known for his outrageous life. Clearly, they believed, Nadar had faked his own death, and was now rising up to watch their reaction. Many dismissed his speech and movement impediments as side effects from whatever chemicals he had used to fake his death. Reporters interviewed Hatian voodoo wizards, African witch doctors, and others known for raising the dead. One newspaper headline exclaimed “Nadar's Greatest Work To Date!”
Gripped in a haze of undeath, Nadar's corpse sought to complete the works he'd started in his lifetime. Returning to his home, he managed to retrieve his camera, and began taking new pictures. Before anyone had realized that his zombification was not a prank, but in fact a serious condition, Nadar's come-back tour across Europe was already booked, with gallery exhibits set up from London to Moscow.
The tour never got farther than its first stop in Paris, France. While entertaining guests in the main hall of the Louvre, Nadar became perturbed by some critics opinions. Already, several articles had been written criticizing Nadar's newest works, noting the lack of a general composure, or overreaching theme, or even proper exposure. Other critics were so baffled they actually praised the gallery of works as legitimate art.
“Untitled Works 5-8”, which appear to be simply over exposed blurs of nonsense, make more sense when juxtaposed to the next quartet, “Untitled Works 9-12” which are if anything underexposed, as though the pictures were taken with a lens cap on. Together, these eight photographs starkly contrast the duality of nature, light against dark, and the fuzzy, blurred nature of emotion, with the crisp, solid rigidity found in the abyss. ... Without a doubt “Untitled Work 92”, the last work in Nader's newest series, is his most telling... [What] simply appears to be a slaughtered goat with Nader himself feasting over it... reveals mankind's true harsh nature.
Still, some critics refused to pay lip service, even to an artist as well renouned as Nadar had been in life. “There's nothing groundbreaking about it,” wrote Jean Doublet-Ree, the most vocal critic of Nadar's new series. “It's just a mess. A drunk could have created better art than this.” Besmirching common courtesy, Doublet-Ree refused to bite his tongue in the presence of Nadar himself, and instead he attempted to goad the photographer right to his face. Doublet-Ree soon found that he had under-estimated the photographer, whose reanimation had made him both incalculably mad and superlatively strong. Witnesses gasped in horror as the hunched form of Nadar pounced on his critic, and bit a solid chunk out of Doublet-Ree's neck. Though little is known about what happened immediately afterwards in the ensuing chaos, a few short hours later, Paris had decreed a state of emergency, and it found itself in the five of what would be five twentieth century Zombie outbreaks.
Though the French Army fought valiantly to contain the crisis, the ultimate victory would not come until several members of Nadar's former club, The Society for the Encouragement of Aerial Locomotion by Means of Heavier than Air Machines, or SEALMHAM (pronounced “Seal, Ma'am”, which would later be shortened to just SEAL and adopted into the United States Military Command) took control of the streets, erecting barriers ironically similar to the ones Nadar himself had set up to protect himself from crowds. These so-called Nadar barriers were used to corral the hordes to a controlled location, and then funnel them into the labyrinthine Paris Catacombs. That was the last anyone ever saw of Nadar on record, though every so often, a photo album is found on the streets just in front of the Louvre, a chilling reminder to the chaos that ensued almost 100 years ago, and occasionally a good source for a filler event between headlining galleries. Many suspect that Nadar changed his first name to Ralph and attempted a few bids at the United States Presidency in the late 20th Century, but thus-far there has been no known proof that the undead Photograper and the unsuccessful politician were related.
3.10.07
I'm A Conspirasy Nut
Questions raised over terror exercise
Now, I'd like to assume that this is just a drill, and I'm just being my usual paranoid self here. But apparently, and I'm too lazy to look up the actual details right now, but similar drills were scheduled for the mornings of the September 11th attacks and the London Metro Bombings. I actually heard the radio communication from the British officer who couldn't believe that the "fictional scenario" he was supposed to be prepring for was actually happening, in the same place his drill was scheduled, in the same time his drill was scheduled, and in the same way it was scheduled.
So yeah, don't plan any trips to Guam next week, k?
Oh yeah, and copy the article, so that if it gets pulled down before the attacks for "some reason", you'll be able to show them wrong.
By EILEEN SULLIVAN, Associated Press WriterWed Oct 3, 6:46 AM ET
The nation is preparing for its biggest terrorism exercise ever next week when three fictional "dirty bombs" go off and cripple transportation arteries in two major U.S. cities and Guam, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
Yet even as this drill begins, details from the previous national exercise held in 2005 have yet to be publicly released — information that's supposed to help officials prepare for the next real attack.
...
Now, I'd like to assume that this is just a drill, and I'm just being my usual paranoid self here. But apparently, and I'm too lazy to look up the actual details right now, but similar drills were scheduled for the mornings of the September 11th attacks and the London Metro Bombings. I actually heard the radio communication from the British officer who couldn't believe that the "fictional scenario" he was supposed to be prepring for was actually happening, in the same place his drill was scheduled, in the same time his drill was scheduled, and in the same way it was scheduled.
So yeah, don't plan any trips to Guam next week, k?
Oh yeah, and copy the article, so that if it gets pulled down before the attacks for "some reason", you'll be able to show them wrong.
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