AA's LJ

Coming back around

2009-12-02T15:03:42Z

It's funny how things work out. Not only have I gotten back into World of Warcraft after a two year absence, but I've also gotten back into Southern Cross after about as long. Even though everything has changed, I started up a new character there. Seems my old one has been purged. In any case, it's no big deal. I'm having more fun with it now than I ever did with it back then. Anyhow, the reason for my getting back into the game is that I recently read the book written by the game's creator, as background for his rp. I poked around in the game to contact him about writing a review for it...Unfortunately, site policy at FireFox news won't allow me to write reviews for independently published works based off of other franchises (fanfiction). I have yet to learn if I can write reviews for independently published books based on original material though, so we'll see.

In any case, since I can't post the review on FFN, I'm going to be putting it up here for now until I can find some other place for it.

Southern Cross
by David Silver

Final Fantasy 7, arguably the greatest video game of all time, introduced us to the hypermodern world of Midgard and the military/government that ran the world, Shinra. In the celebrated video game, a band of heroes comes together to save the world with the assistance of Gaia, the very spirit of the planet. Though they were successful, nothing lasts forever.

The world of Midgard is coming to an end. Unbelieving, Shinra has barred the progress of another group of heroes until it is far too late, and Gaia tears itself apart after something magical snaps inside, in a great and deadly event dubbed “Holy.” Southern Cross details the events surrounding the end of the world of Midgard, how it affects the people living in that world and the survivors of Holy.

Southern Cross is an unusual book. It was written for Nanowrimo 2006. David Silver wrote it as background for his highly developed role play Southern Cross Muck, all based in a post apocalyptic Midgard that has had plenty of time to heal itself. The story follows a set of significant characters during and after the event, detailing how they adjust to life after Holy. Along with the end of the world, the survivors also have to deal with the sudden proliferation of monsters as well as magical mutagenic fallout that randomly transforms survivors into half-animals of various kinds. For some the transformation provides benefits, while others suffer from disfigurements along with their species change. Survival in a world turned completely upside down becomes a challenge. The old ways of doing things are gone. Technology

disappears and children become more powerful than adults. We see the world through their eyes as they come to terms with the end of the old world and put their best foot forward into the beginning of a new one.

As a Nano submission, the book is far from professional.

There are some casual editing mistakes throughout the book, and for as short as the story is, it jumps around a lot, covering some 500 years of change as the world of Midgard heals itself after Holy. The story is told through the personal accounts of various characters that become important in some way or other to the healing of the world. If you can get past the fact that it is essentially published fan fiction, you will find that there is a really interesting story being told here, with elements in both science fiction and fantasy. For as broad as the story sweeps, I found the book to be a little short…I wish there were more in here, as there is room left to look at some events more in-depth. The character development is realistic for all the fantastical things that happen to them, and part of what really drives this story forward. One other thing I’d mention is that the book is quite large for a soft cover, which gives it the illusion that there aren’t very many pages.

Still, it’s a good book for the price, and if you are a Final Fantasy fan, a furry fan, or a science fiction and fantasy fan, you will find the book to have something for you. There are adult themes and violence throughout, so I would recommend it for mature readers, although it’s all tastefully presented. It’s an interesting take on the end of the world from the perspective of a different world from ours, and it shows that even in the end love and hope endure.

Sources:

For more information regarding the role play this book is based upon, check out the following links.

Southern Cross Homepage

Southern Cross Wiki

The book is only available at Lulu.com, and may be purchased here.

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Now playing: RTZ - Until Your Love Comes Back Around
via FoxyTunes

ShamWow! Everyone's seen the video, but is it really all that great? Watch as they put the product up against consumer review.

Could we be heading for another financial crises? After Wall Street's financial meltdown and the ensuing Great Recession, some economists are saying that the devaluation of the US dollar is next.

The switch from analog television signals to digital channels left an estimated 1 million homes stranded without T.V. It's a classic example of why it isn't such a good idea to suddenly change a technology that's been used for years and years, even for something better. A more gradual phase-out would have better served our nation.

Update

2009-11-29T02:37:35Z

So, it seems I'm back in World of Warcraft, after being away from it for nearly two years. Around my birthday, I got a message saying that my account has been selected for a 7 day free credit, as part as their five year anniversary promotion. Hard to believe it has been that long...So I went about reinstalling the game and getting Battle.Net setup, and now I'm back. Seems as though only my two highest level characters survived the conversion, and I was wandering around lost because I couldn't remember what it was I was doing before I had to stop playing. But after this weekend, I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it again.

I don't know yet if I will start paying for the account. It depends on how things pan out with it. I'll be going back to work this week after the holidays, so there is still the issue of whether or not I will have the time to actually play it.

Some things that I forgot to mention in my last post:

For Thanksgiving, I broke out the bottle of Oak Leaf Shiraz that I had been saving since over the summer. I got it for just $3 at Wal-Mart, which was a justified expenditure at the time because I had little money and anticipated that my situation would not have changed by the time Thanksgiving and New Year's rolled around. Well, it turns out that the wine isn't half bad. It was very alchoholic, and about put me right out, but it did not have the oily texture that last year's Shiraz did. Taste was ok, but I'm sure there are better Shiraz out there. Not too bad for the price though; I was expecting worse. One weird thing I noticed is that they don't display the vintage. I guess that's a hallmark of truly cheap wine.

My Thanksgiving was a good one; my only regret was that I forgot about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I try to make an effort to watch it (or most of it) at least every year. This year I slept in and forgot about it completely. As for what I am thankful for, I can some that up here:

I'm thankful that I found those jobs when I did, and that they seem stable in a time when most are still struggling to find employment.
I'm thankful that I have many great friends who stand by me even when I mess up. Even if the majority of those friends are on the Internet.
I'm thankful that I've been allowed to stay here for twenty six years now; I've known some who haven't been given that chance. If I can make it to 30, I'll consider myself fortunate.
I'm thankful that my life has been comfortable so far, despite all the turmoil in the world. I don't know if it will last.

So what are you thankful for?

Oh, and I wrote a review for Friday The 13th, Part Two, in which Jason wears an unnerving bag over his head.

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Now playing: Lament - Last Dance Of Summer
via FoxyTunes
Check out the 2010 Mercedes-Benz Stirling Moss. The $1,000,000 car that is only available to previous SLR owners.

He won't fit in the coffin! Here in my home state of SC, a mortuary lost it's license after the director of a funeral home sawed off the feet of a 6' 7 man so that he would fit in the casket provided for him. I don't have the foggiest how anyone could have thought that was a good idea. Unless if maybe the mortician lied about his certifications in the first place. Though even for one who hasn't been through mortuary school, I think having respect for the deceased should be par for the course.

Check out these stunning, professionally made wedding cakes.

Birthday/Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T01:18:16Z

My birthday was just yesterday. I've turned 26. I got the original Star-Wars Trilogy on DVD, an X-Men Origins: Wolverine game for the PS2, and Transformers 2 on DVD. Nana and Aunt Lanette both came down for Thanksgiving, so it was nice having them around for my birthday. They were going to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Live tonight, though I wasn't included. Mom says that she thought I was going to be working when she bought the tickets, though frankly I'm kind of miffed that she just assumed that I wouldn't have been able to go. I'm also jealous since learning that Jeff Scott-Soto is touring with the Orchestra this year. He's apparently lent his vocals to some tracks on their new album "Night Castle". Grandma and Aunt Lanette got me a copy of the album for my birthday though, so that's cool.

Today I did a ton of Black Friday Shopping. My initial plan for a computer upgrade ballooned out of control, much like I was fearing it would. I settled on getting an NVIDIA GeForce 9xxx video card, which required a power supply of at least 350 watts, when my current supply is only 300. So then I purchased a 400 watt supply, and an anti-static wrist strap so that I can install the components without worry. After that, I went out and bought Fallout 3 for the PC in anticipation of my pending upgrades, and I also ordered "Crystal Empires" by Freedom Call and an 80's Metal Tribute to Journey. When I got back home, I found out that my DVD drive won't read Fallout 3 at all. If you will remember, I had been having problems with it reading video DVD's for a while now. RW DVD's and most games I usually don't have a problem with, though Fallout 3 clocks in at a whopping 5 GB, so the DVD is probably in a non-standard format. I ended up going back to Newegg and purchasing an uber cheap basic DVD optical drive, choosing the cheapest one that had the best user reviews. I'm hoping that it will fit in my HP Pavilion. If not, it's likely I might have to send it back in exchange for an external drive.

Things are quiet now with the folks gone to the concert. I had a nice Thanksgiving and Birthday holiday, and now that the Christmas season is here, my spending is essentially done with (except when it comes to gifts for others!). I already know what I'm going to get the family for Christmas this year. I'm just going to wait until December before I start making those orders though.

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Now playing: Foreigner - Waiting for a Girl like You
via FoxyTunes

Five sets of Star-Wars Facebook status updates. Hilarious!

According to the British diplomat to America, the United States was "hell bent" on starting a war in Iraq. Seems the rumors that even before 2003, the administration was steering in that direction might be true.

Four states have adopted a "no smiles" policy when it comes to making driver's licenses. They say that it helps deter fraud, but I think it is an example of frivolous policy.

The year of 1,000 Thanksgivings

2009-11-24T14:47:47Z

Well, maybe not, but it sure feels like it! Thanksgiving is proving to be a recurring theme this year. I've gone to the Thanksgiving party for the cleaning company employees, got leftovers from the 1st shift party at the warehouse, got invited to the second shift party at the warehouse, and we have yet to have Thanksgiving at home! I don't know if Walgreens will be doing anything for the holiday, but I don't think they are, aside from giving us the day before off. We still work on Thanksgiving though.

I've been plugging along, so far so good. I have definitely gotten hired by Walgreens, so now it's just a waiting game. Need to be there for 40 days before I can look into transferring to full time, and then I can drop my other job entirely. Though I've got loads of trepidation about it, I've decided just to wait until then rather than taking action now. I've heard through my Mom that there isn't any way they can cut back my hours at the warehouse (Of course, she could just be lying to influence my decision, but I don't think she is in this case). So, I'll take things one day at a time here.

I acquired the Overlord series of computer games recently and found that my computer cannot run them. So I've decided that now would be a good time to perform my first upgrade, focusing around my video card (though I may need to get a new power supply too, if my current one cannot handle whichever one I end up getting). I've already got a good idea of what I need to get. I've also been weighing whether or not I should get back into playing WoW. I would kind of like to now that I have the money for it. On the other hand, working two jobs, I won't have the time to do dedicated raids or run instances during the week. Also there's the fact that many people who play WoW are jerks, so I can't count on getting much help there if I start up again. City of Heroes might be the better choice, though Champions is out now. I don't know enough about how much they differ, though I suspect they're really both pretty much the same. We'll see.

I wrote a review for the original Friday the 13th. It blew all of my expectations right out of the water. I don't know where I came up with my version of the events, but Friday the 13th did something completely different.

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Now playing: Martina McBride - Wild Angels
via FoxyTunes

When Google hires someone, they like to throw curveballs. These interview questions are so far outside the box, they'll make you feel stupid.

What better way to save money than to use coupons? Here's a few ideas on how to get some free ones for a modicum of effort.

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Renzor raised enough money to pay for a man's heart transplant surgery a while back, selling a signed copy of the rare N-I-N cd "Still" and a signed Tony Hawk skateboard, and by mobilizing his 500k plus Twitter followers.

Friendship over Finances

2009-11-13T08:04:09Z

First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for the absolutely atrocious statement I made in this journal about a day ago. The views I expressed are not any that I ascribe to, I can assure you. Anyone who knows me knows that I would never even consider such things had I been in my right mind.

Well, I've done some thinking, and I've come to realize that I haven't been in my right mind lately. Though everything seemed fine on the surface, I've been dealing with a lot of stressors. I've started working two jobs when I've gone for months barely working one or not even working at all, I've come down with a staph infection and a cold simultaneously, which I've had to deal with during a period of increased expectations at Walgreens, what with the performance review coming up...working 12 hours each day, I haven't had the personal time needed to decompress with activities that I enjoy or touch base with my friends. I think it all just built up under the surface and came out the other day when I tried to make my post.

When I'm under the duration of stress, my mind tends to follow trains of thought that I normally would never consider. I tend to become more pessimistic, more angry, more bitter. I become depressed. When I get into one of these states, my opinions become reflective of a warped world-view. It has happened before, but this time I've gone too far. Even I am utterly disgusted by what I wrote, coming back to view it the next day. I've offended myself. It's like looking into the mind of a totally different person. Some right-wing nutcase.

That's not who I am at all.

Of course, those of you who don't know me very well only have my word to take for it. To you I extend my most sincere apologies. What I wrote goes against the very principles I struggle to abide by. I can offer no explanation for what I did except to say that I was out of my mind.

So I'm now concerned about my mental health. Though it hasn't been something that I've noticed before now, I have since become aware that I haven't been myself lately, and I think a big part of that is that I've been taking too much on too quickly. Some things I have no control over, such as the illnesses I've been dealing with, but other things I can do something about.

For starters, I am going to quit one of my jobs or scale back the hours so that I have more time for myself. More time to do what I enjoy and in so doing, improve my mental and emotional state. It means less money, but I am faced with the possibility of losing a valued friend over my grievous lapse of sensibility and I would much rather have friends over money anyways. I'd rather not run the possibility of further alienating myself from those who mean something to me, and it is not like I am working to support a family; only myself. With simple financial planning and smart spending, I can still accumulate monies and pay my bills even with one job, so that is absolutely not an issue.

Beyond that, there are some other things that need doing to promote healthier mentality. Simple things like taking better care of myself (exercising more, eating better) or being better organized at home can help. I'm open to suggestions.

I need to just chill out

2009-11-12T16:10:04Z

Lately I've been depressed, harried, sick, and not getting enough sleep. If I get into Walgreens, which it looks like I'm going to, I think I am going to scale back on my other job or just drop it entirely.

I made some statements in my livejournal that I totally regret. I'd like to offer sincere apologies to everyone who I offended with it. The views I expressed are not ones that I normally hold, and in hindsight I rather have no idea why I said that.

Working 12 hours is fine, but it's no good if it's going to turn me into a dolt and a heel.

On Selling Out

2009-11-07T06:05:00Z

Indy band Of Montreal have been accused of selling out since they've made a good bit of money selling their music to commercials for use in pushing various products and services, including Outback Steakhouse and Verizon Wireless. A music blog by the name of Stereogum caught up with them for an interview, and the result was frontman Kevin Barnes writing an article for the blog addressing the issue himself. He raises some good points here:

"Are you a sell out? Yes. Don't let it bother you though, cause apparently I am also a sell out, and so are your parents and everyone you've ever known. The only way to avoid selling out is to live like a savage all alone in the wilderness. The moment you attempt to live within the confines of a social order, you become a sell out. Once you attempt to coexist you sell out. If that's true, then selling out is a good thing.

It is important to decide whether you are going to completely rail against the system or find a way to make it work for you. You cannot do both -- and if you attempt to do both you will only become even more bitter and confused.

It's impossible to be a sell out in a capitalist society. You're only a winner or a loser. Either you've found a way to crack the code or you are struggling to do so. To sell out in capitalism is basically to be too accommodating, to not get what you think you deserve. In capitalism, you don't get what you think you deserve though. You get what someone else thinks you deserve. So the trick is to make them think you are worth what you feel you deserve. You deserve a lot, but you'll only get it when you figure out how to manipulate the system.

Some artists are turned into cartoons and others do it themselves. I prefer to do it myself. at least then I can control how my cock is photographed. Why should it be considered such an onerous thing to view the production of art as a job? To me, the luckiest people are the ones who figure out a way to earn a living doing what they love and gain fulfillment from. Like all things in this life, you have to make certain sacrifices to get what you want.

People who wanna be artists have the hardest time of it 'cause we are held up to these impossible standards. We're expected to die penniless and insane so that the people we have moved and entertained over the years can keep us to themselves. So that they can feel a personal and untarnished connection with our art. The second we try to earn a living wage or, god forbid, promote our art in the mainstream, we are placed under the knives of the sanctimonious indie fascists. Unfortunately, there isn't some grand umbrella grant that supports indie rockers financially and enables us to exist outside of the trappings of capitalism.

Maybe the punk rock ethos made sense for the "no future" generation but it doesn't make sense for me. I like producing and purchasing things.

I spent seven years not even existing at all in the mainstream world. Now I am being supported and endorsed by it. I know this won't last forever. No one's going to want to use one of my songs in a commercial five years from now, so I've got to take the money while I can. It's the same with pro athletes. You only get it while you're hot and no one stays commercially viable for long.

Next time you see a commercial with one of your favorite bands songs in it, just tell yourself, "cool, a band I really like made some money and now I can probably look forward to a few more records from them." It's as simple as that."

The link above provides the full article for those interested.

Got in a book review for Bruce Campbell's "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions Of A B Movie Actor". It was given to me by j_wolfman , and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It is one of the better biographies I've had the pleasure of coming across. Not only that, but the copy I was given was autographed, and a personal account of the autograph experience was written on the inside of the back cover. Way cool. Thanks again, man!

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Now playing: Journey - I'll Be Alright Without You
via FoxyTunes

After rap and hip-hop killed rock and roll in the late 90's/early 00's, could it be possible that the roots behind this wave of urban black music have exhausted their creativity? This article claims so. After years of pimp-gangsta-ho, it's looking like black artists may be turning to rock music to find their inspiration.

The food industry will lie to you to get you to buy foods that you think are healthy. What are some of the worst myths perpetuated by misleading labels?

Nothing is made in America any more. Or is it? Even though most of our consumer goods seem to come from Japan, America still enjoys the title of number one manufacturer in the world. Read this article to find out more about the realities behind the myth.

Halloween

2009-11-02T01:09:51Z

Well this year's halloween was a little bit different, but I've gotten good at learning how to celebrate the holiday by myself. I went out on the town and had an impromptu lunch at this Mexican joint called the "El Patron", purchased the extended-cut boxed set of Hellboy and exchanged my "normal" double dvd edition of Hellboy for a Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2 double feature. Then I had pizza and beer while experiencing Halloween festivities in Second Life and later on I went to a local tour through the woods. In the past, you might recall that our college group used to visit Wompus Woods, which is supposedly one of the largest haunted tours in the state come Halloween time. Well, out here in the boondocks of Anderson, we have something called "Butcher Holler", and their woods are a lot more claustrophobic. They also aren't so heavily dependent on movie themes, so It is quite a bit more...invigorating. I jumped a few times. The atmosphere was perfect, with a light, sprinkling rain. Even better, the place is within walking distance from my house, so I should have no problem coming back another year. Got a handfull of candy...we never have trick-or-treaters out here, but the parents always get some, just in case. Too many years spent in suburbia, I guess, although I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I also splurged a bit and got S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on discount over Steam. It's a game about mutants coming out of Chernobyl in the year 2012. A first-person shooter with Oblivion style graphics. What I find most shocking is that my computer runs it perfectly. Even Oblivion is prone to slowdown sometimes, and this game seems more demanding. My computer can hardly run Half-Life: Episode 2 at all, and that came out before this game.

So, yeah. I had a good Halloween weekend, and it is now my birth month; November. Not used to it getting dark so early but I'm oh so grateful for the extra hour today. Looking forward to Rob Zombie's new album due out this month, other than that, it should be a relatively quiet month I think. At least, I hope. In a week or two, I should find out whether or not I make the grade at Walgreens.

My second review is for the movie Max Payne. Based off of the noir shooter video game of the same name, it's a gritty drama that is both predictable and confusing. It doesn't seem to want to know what to do with itself.

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Now playing: Men at Work - Blue for You
via FoxyTunes

Which electronics make the grade when it comes to saving energy?

Some careers are still strong, in spite of the economic downturn. Here's 6 of them.

Some money experts share the mistakes they've made in their careers. Don't fall for these!

Happy Halloween! (update)

2009-10-31T16:02:36Z

It's been a while. Several factors have conspired to keep me busy, not the least of which are my two new jobs. I'm about two weeks in now, and about as adjusted as I will ever get with them. The factory clean-up job is not hard, although I find myself doing the same things over and over again throughout the workday. Since the machines used to manufacture these automobile parts are drenched with industrial transmission fluid, it dribbles on the floor quite frequently, and it is my job to clean all of it up. I also have to refuel the machines with more transmission fluid once they are getting low. This is done using a barrel with a pump system screwed onto the top, with your every-day gas hose attached. For major spills and catch trays that look like they might be about to overflow, there is another barrel with a pressure system screwed onto it that turns it into a handy vacuum with a liquid suction hose attached. The pace of the work is quite leisurely and I can usually get everything done twice in an eight hour day, typically working from 12pm to 8pm.

Then I go to my second job at Walgreens. I work at their distribution center here, doing something called AKL, which is basically placing sell items of various kinds into tubs that come by on a conveyor belt. The facilities at the DC are quite impressive, but the job itself is really demanding. Speed and accuracy are important, and the job will wear you out quickly. I'm currently on a three week evaluation trial. If I do well enough, I will be hired on after this. So far I think I have been doing all right...In any case, I'm currently only working part time there, from 9pm to 1 in the morning. Also, I am beginning to hate so called 'ergonomically designed' bottles. When you grip them at a leisurely pace, choosing one at a time, it works excellently, but when you have to move a whole bunch of them very quickly, they tend to fly right out of your hands. And I never realized how dangerous shampoo bottles can be-I gouged myself on one of them and frequently hurt my fingers trying to grab one just right.

Then I do it all again the next day.

In other news, I got the last official thing I needed to complete my Journey collection: The MTV Raised On Radio documentary. It's the band's second documentary after "Frontiers & Beyond", and offers a look into the band at a period in their careers where the music took a very interesting turn, growing from casual rock into something more sophisticated. Steve Perry was the principle factor behind that charge, and from what I remember It did put something of a strain on the band, especially when Perry convinced their management to let go of drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory, a longtime member and a founding member. He replaced them with Randy Jackson and Michael Baird. I think Perry said that the decision was made because of musical differences and wanting to get the new sound he was experimenting with just right. The year was 1986 and I cannot fathom whatever possessed Randy Jackson to wear such outlandish costumes. It's funny to watch them though; The styles they're all wearing appear to be a mixture of 80's and 90's styles.

Umm, let's see, what else? Well, if you want some free music, check out my review which finally went through. Act quickly though, I don't know how long it will last.

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Now playing: Journey - I'll Be Alright Without You
via FoxyTunes

They say that all myths and legends have some basis in reality. Well, some archaeologists believe that we've finally found the lost city of Atlantis.

Here's 25 health tips I found from a doctor online.

Oops! Looks like one of our naval ships accidentally fired on Poland while a gun was being serviced. Hope they're good sports about it.

Victory of a Lifetime

2009-10-17T14:30:23Z

So yesterday I woke up to this in my inbox:

You used to have the worldwide best score for: into your arms by journey
Now the Audiosurf player 'berlinjeans' has beaten you. Launch Audiosurf and reclaim the top spot!
View scores for into your arms by journey

I couldn't take that sitting down! I went into Audiosurf yesterday and kicked some serious ass. What was probably my greatest victory to date however, was my unexpectedly making the global champion on my first run through "Love Of A Lifetime" by Firehouse under the 'pro' difficulty. So I went back to it today and made the global top scores for 'casual' and 'elite' as well. :)

It's a damn good power ballad. If you haven't heard it before, check it out!

In other news, I have a new review out. The House Of 1000 Corpses, Rob Zombie's first film. I got an opportunity to watch it recently and found it to be mostly disappointing. Considering that Rob Zombie is a hardcore horror fan himself, I was expecting him to avoid falling into some of those common horror film traps, but instead it seems like he flung himself headlong into them. The result is a movie that feels disconnected from itself; like a collection of scenes made for different films that were edited together to form a whole. Hopefully his other movies are better, although I've heard some mixed reviews for his Halloween films.

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Now playing: Firehouse - Love of a Lifetime
via FoxyTunes

A new religious painting was made recently, that's been stirring up a lot of controversy. The artist is a relative unknown who claims that the painting came to him in a dream. I really like it and the symbolism behind it, but I wonder if it couldn't be a sign of something more. When I first saw it, I thought it might be a portent. Perhaps it is God's way of warning us that America is going to end soon, or perhaps it is a hint at what will cause our nation's downfall? This assumes, of course, that the dream was a product of divine inspiration. No one can really tell now, but I get the feeling that this painting will become important sometime in the future.

Did you know that Magenta isn't really a color? It doesn't actually exist on the color spectrum.

An interesting list of 25 things that you didn't know about your body and health.

Makin' it work

2009-10-13T01:55:25Z

So far so good. Just completed the first day working two jobs. Surprising thing is that I don't really feel tired. We'll see how that goes as the week wears on! Not much to talk about today, as we're still going through orientation. I switched to second shift at my cleaning job, and I'll be working part-time there now, since training at the distribution center is full-time. However, we are expecting to "graduate" into part-time work at the d.c., so I'll switch back to full time at my cleaning job then. My schedule is going to be all topsy-turvy this week, and I have no idea where it's all going to end up! lol

Wrote a review for the legendary classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I don't think you need my review to tell you to watch it, and chances are, if you're on my friends list, you've probably seen it already. However, if you haven't, and been curious as to what all the hub-bub surrounding the film has been about, you might want to check out my article.

So, I don't have much personal time any more. I'm just squeezin' this post in before I go to bed. However, tonight was an anomaly in that I had to stay an extra hour because Dad was already in town for a fishing club meeting, so he came to get me after that.

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Now playing: Doug and The Slugs - Making It Work
via FoxyTunes

Check out some of these hot new prototypes, such as a laptop that rolls up into a tube and a fully functional personal computer in your...steering wheel? Ok, maybe some of these ideas aren't so hot.

Lindon Labs recently cracked down on a bunch of users who were using after-market viewers, banning over 50 individuals. These viewers made it possible to exploit the drm system and copy intellectual property that others had made. This comes at a fortuitous time, since copybotting has been starting to get out of control lately.

The recently released MMO Crime Craft is not even a month old yet and the company that runs it just announced that they were going to remove it's $40 retail price and make it free. The move has been making some serious waves in the gaming community, although the general consensus among players is that the move was made out of desperation by a failing company. I suppose we shall see what happens to the game in the coming months.

Been Busy

2009-10-10T21:55:18Z

Yeah, it's been about a week now since I started working cleaning up transmission fluid at this warehouse. It's not a bad job at all, though maybe I am just more tolerant of it than some people; I got a lot of sympathy comments from the coworkers my mom introduced me to. Speaking of which, working at the same place as one's parents is...interesting. I wouldn't recommend it, but it is nice sometimes to have an "insider hand" when you are new. Already had some interesting events happen. Like today, when I saved one of the company machines. There was a guy working on one and he was testing the hydraulic systems that lift the wheels up off the floor. One side of the system wasn't working so instead of lifting straight up, the machine started to topple over. I was mopping in the next lane and saw it, so I came over to hold the machine up so that the guy could stop the hydraulics. That thing was much heavier than a vending machine...It's a good thing I got to it before the machine's weight lifted it's legs off the floor. One of the senior cleaning guys tells me that they haven't been doing as much maintenance as they used to because the machines have all been running non-stop. I suppose they'll probably have to lose some equipment or have someone get injured before they'll fall back into their old routines again. The recession has had a lot of far-reaching effects like that.

It's nice to have money though. While most of it will be going into my student loans and toward a car, I do spend some occasionally on myself when I find a good deal. The Blockbuster at the old Wal-Mart plaza was going out of business, so I took advantage of some of their super last-minute specials to score three DVD's for the price of a single new one. None of the films are ones that I have seen before, so hopefully they will pan out ok. I got The Rocker, The Spirit, and the Max Paine film. They didn't have very many others that interested me; maybe only two or three more. They were about out of stuff by the time they put up these deals...I had checked on them one week earlier and even their markdowns were too expensive. What a difference a week makes, huh? I haven't seen any of them yet, and it will probably be a while before I do; I'm still writing reviews and I don't want to have a glut of nothing but reviews for movies over the rest of the month. Got to change things up every now and then. Speaking of which, my latest review for the computer game Half-Life is up.

I also got Journey's new Manila DVD, and let me tell you, it is freakin' awesome. They used a new technology to film it, so that it has the best resolution out of any film on the market right now. The audio is good too, although my hearing aids have been behaving strangely lately, so I can't really speak much on the quality of the sound. Lately it sounds like everything is being relayed to me through a CB Radio. They didn't start acting like this until I started going to work, but I don't think the environment is that hazardous. There isn't an excessive amount of moisture in the air, I'm careful not to touch them when my hands are greasy with transmission fluid, and there aren't any other ways they can be damaged. Noises in the factory are loud though, and frequently overload the sound dampeners so I am thinking that maybe the hearing aids are having a difficult time readjusting after coming out of all that noise. I've never been a fan of sound dampeners, but it seems like all the good hearing aids come with them automatically; ever since the late 90's. Yes, they protect you from getting smacked upside the head by loud noises, but they tend to mess up music, garble everything when there are too many sounds at once, and make inorganic speech like from the television ineligible.

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Now playing: Sonic Team - Sonic The Hedgehog: Green Hill Zone
via FoxyTunes

So apparently that Prince Of Persia film they had in the works will be out before too long. I wonder how that will go?

And you remember back when I said that I occasionally made predictions that came true? Well, do you also remember that dream I had for Pirates of the Caribbean 4? I was recently shown an announcement that the film is being made, and that it will involve elements of steampunk.

Oops! I know Texas is a pretty backwards place, but they haven't quite seceded yet. However, that didn't stop a flag manufacturer from sending a flag with only 43 stars to a location in San Antonio.

What's new

2009-10-03T22:38:16Z

Well, there's some interesting stuff happening in the Journey world these days. There are only 10 shows left in the Revelation Tour, after which the boys plan to take a break and set aside some dedicated time to work on their next album. They have a DVD of the Manila concert coming out this month. Also, I heard a rumor that Gregg Rollie, their original lead singer and keyboardist, joined them at a Texas concert and enabled them to bust out some really old numbers from the set list. Good times! I don't think he will return to the band at this point, but it would be nice to see him doing some collaborative writing and possibly even some guest work on future releases and tours.

I bought Audiosurf, which is on discount during this weekend for around $4 through Steam! It's a great game, which takes any song on your computer and turns it into a racetrack. Voice oscillation, tempo, speed, bass, waveform....all the stuff that makes up those melodies become components in the track. As the song plays, you have to collect points which are strategically placed throughout the track. All in all, good fun, and I even have the global top score on a few of the songs in my collection! Here's my Audiosurf page, if anyone is interested.

I've been adjusting to my new job. Went in for overtime today, the first day I've worked unsupervised. Did a lot of cleaning around the warehouse, mopping up transmission fluid and sweeping up whatever crap accumulates on the shop floor. It's hard work, but it's good work. The kind of job anyone can do, but which one must be dedicated to do well. I'd say I'm pretty dedicated to it, as I've already received a lot of compliments about my work.

Just keep in mind that my working full time is going to mean I'm around less often during the weekdays. If certain events turn out in my favor, I might get even busier than that. Hopefully, I should still have time on the weekend to take care of rp obligations.

Oh, and before I forget, here's my most recent movie review, this time for Clerks, the 1994 black and white film about Murphy's Law and the working man.
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Now playing: Journey - The Pride Of The Family
via FoxyTunes

The Salton Sea, the most polluted state park in the United States. Formerly the largest inland body of water in California and an important fishery. Now there is only an 80 mile stretch of abandoned beach towns half buried in the toxic sand. I wonder if they'll ever manage to clean this place up?

So you are driving on the highway, minding your own business when suddenly you come across an overturned truck and 40,000 pounds of sausage in the road. Think that's funny? Check out some of these other bizarre road spills.

Rotten Tomato's list of the 100 worst movies of the last 10 years. I think they missed a few and put a few in there that didn't deserve it.

Tentative update

2009-09-29T17:08:10Z

So, things might possibly be improving soon. I got a job lead that looks promising.

A fellow at the place my Mom works got called out by an anonymous person who claimed he was using drugs. Rather than take the drug test, he quit. So apparently they want me to take his place. Now, I don't have the job just yet...I'm waiting on my own drug test to clear and it is possible that the boss might still change his mind about hiring me (he did once before). But if this pans out, I'll be helping clean up an industrial warehouse, for a dollar more than minimum wage. It should definitely help me get started with paying off my debts and saving up for a car and new hearing aids, especially since the job appears to be full time. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed here...

I got two reviews approved at once again. I didn't think they'd stack. The first one is for the film Bubba Ho-Tep, about an aged Elvis Presley and a black JFK taking on a mummy in a west Texas retirement home. It's one of Bruce Campbell's better films.

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Now playing: Creed - One
via FoxyTunes

Meet the...doberman?! Note, it's fake, but it did get Valve's attention.

Also, it seems someone got tired of all the War of the Worlds reinventions and decided to finally make a proper sequel. It's animated though, but may be worth looking into.

These days it seems that our environment is going to pot, but don't let the industry big-wigs coerce you into thinking that there isn't anything we humans can do about it. Just look at these examples; some of the most successful environmental reverses in US history.

Staind/Creed Live in Concert!

2009-09-26T05:40:27Z

That's right! The first venue of the Full Circle Tour is viewable for free until tomorrow! Aside from it being an awesome rock concert, it was also being filmed for Creed's upcoming DVD, and the band got an award for breaking the world record for most cameras used during an event!

I took some pictures...Well, more of screencaptures really, but still, it was a good concert.

Staind

Creed

Emergency Post

2009-09-20T02:17:28Z

Only four hours left to receive Tales of Monkey Island for Free!

Ugh

2009-09-20T01:22:53Z

Argh, I must have gone mad. I joined up with half a dozen survey sites yesterday in my frustration. Made about $10 between them. Most of them want you to join other sites or sign up for "special offers" that end up costing you in the long run. Like, far more than you would make at these places. It's the same shit I dealt with back when I played Neopets (long story. Not even I'm sure how I got into that), only this time they give you a few cents each survey instead of worthless points. And the fact that I don't qualify for most of the surveys is rather ironic. If I could sum up my life with a single phrase, it would be this: "Does not qualify". It's a recurring theme.

Anyhow. I need to keep my head together. Not all of my problems are going to be magically fixed once I get a job anyways. Though it would help me start taking steps toward independence, which I should have taken years ago. Back to the drawing board.

I think that really, my biggest gripe is that it appears that I have wasted my time and money on a degree that isn't worth anything here. In another town, I could have gotten a job with it right away, but not in Anderson. It's something I probably should have researched before I went to college, the number of places in Anderson hiring people with Associates Degrees in Computer Tech. Oh well.

I think I'm pretty much certain now that what I really want is a career in the Entertainment Industry. Probably something behind the scenes regarding music, movies, or video games. I'm not a musician or much of a programmer, and I'm not sure if I could be a director, but there are still other jobs involved with the making of these things.

While we're on the subject of music, I made my 10th mix-tape disc today, a little later than I had intended after making #9 in July 2008. I had thought of maybe doing something special for it, but in the end, I couldn't think of anything. Many of the songs I put on it are uncharacteristic of what I am normally into, although just as many are quite awesome. Still, I think this one will be called my "unconventional" album. I had to get all of these off my hard drive one way or another, and I couldn't just throw these away.

The Amazing Adrian's Interdimensional Mix 10

1) Live For Loving You by Gloria Estefan
2) Duck Toy by Hampenberg
3) Fly Me To The Bridge (OC Remix) by Jean of mArc
4) Angel by Nine Inch Nails
5) Don't Speak by No Doubt
6) Rainbow Brite And Me by Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids
7) Hitori Janai by DEEN
8) They're Taking The Hobbits To Isengard by Erwin Beekveld
9) Pirates And Emperors by Eric Henry & Jim Coursey
10) Is It Me Or Is It You by Billyote
11) Perry Mason by Ozzy Osbourne
12) You Are A Pirate by Lazy Town
13) You're Pitiful by "Weird Al" Yankovic
14) One Man Army (VG Mix) by computermage
15) Four Vagaries Of Rapture And Release (OC Remix) by Michael Dover
16) Dear Mama by 2pac
17) Laputan Colony GBADub (OC Remix) by mutagene
18) Miss Murder by A.F.I.
19) Zero Gravity by Blank & Jones
20) In My Place by Coldplay

As usual, there is a story behind each of them. I've accumulated these over time and probably have enough for an 11th already, but I'm going to reorganize my mp3's so that I can do some memes first. And I probably won't be able to make it for a while anyways, as I appear to be out of blank discs.

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Now playing: Coldplay - In My Place
via FoxyTunes

Dokken hates chicken, and wants to destroy it.

Norton Antivirus is a piece of shit, but these commercials are awesome.

So it seems more and more colleges are starting to require courses taken abroad. Does this mean that as globalization occurs, poorer students will get left behind? I know I couldn't have done studies abroad, even with my student loans.

So, they say that hackers can spy on you by logging your keystrokes using programs called keyloggers, and potentially pick up anything you type over the internet. But did you know that they can see you by hacking your webcam? That's right, and they say it's shockingly easy. Disturbing.

Some free music and confirmed rumors!

2009-09-16T15:04:36Z

Well well, looks like there's even more good stuff going on in the music business this year. On a whim, I went to check out Adema's website to see if they were coming back from hiatus anytime soon, and I was met with a pleasant surprise! Seems their original lead singer has decided to rejoin them, and they have gotten back together with their original lineup! They also have a new album coming out this spring, although it is going to be an album full of unreleased songs...still, I can hardly wait!

Now, onto the free music. What led me to check out Adema's myspace page was my being lead to another fellow's myspace by a friend of mine on Second Life. It seems a fellow by the name of Andy Gillion does video game covers in a neoclassical metal style, and has a bunch of free songs available for download, as linked through his myspace. But get this....Andy has recently joined the band Shadow Law, so he's no longer an unsigned artist! They supposedly have a debut album coming soon. It's good to see fresh talent like this being recruited into new bands...and if Shadow Law is any good, they could fill the UK/British slot in my goal to follow a band from every continent/country. Anyhow, this could be a rare opportunity to sample the works of an upcoming musician while he was an unknown.

Also, the popular computer game Dawn Of War 2 had its soundtrack released for free on Steam last month. I haven't listened to it yet, but since the game is a RTS (realtime strategy) like Dawn of War 1 was, I would assume the soundtrack consists of dark and ambient instrumentals.

Also...the band Mea Culpa was dissolved a while back and supposedly released a free album, but the link is dead and since the band was undersigned I can't find it anywhere. Can someone help me find this album? I'd ask the artist for it directly, but I don't have a myspace.

In other news, here's my second review, as promised. This time it is for StarFox Adventures.

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Now playing: Adema - Unstable
via FoxyTunes

An undergraduate student in the US killed a burglar with a samauri sword. Do not fuck with undergrads, people.

Could Harley Davidson be on its way out? Reports show that their customer base isn't getting any younger. Literally!

Want a grilled cheese sandwitch? With these recipes, there's so much more to them than just grilled cheese.

Journey played New Material in my sleep.

2009-09-15T15:12:58Z

I swear, something must be wrong with me. They did it again! Last time I had a dream in which Journey played a brand new song it was when Steve Augeri had been brought on board, and close to when Arrival came out. That song was a combination ballad/rocker, ironically about accepting change. (It played like a rocker but sang like a ballad. It was really neat.)

But let me tell you about my dream, because it was very untypical. It started when a local school somewhere was hosting a concert series, probably as a fund raiser of some kind, and Journey was one of the bands scheduled to play. I can't remember who the other bands were, although I do remember an announcement saying that The Scorpions had been added to the lineup. Anyways...So we were all in the school's auditorium listening to the bands as they came out on the stage. Huge speakers had been suspended from the ceiling to help the school have that arena sound. Well, after the first band played, some of the systems began to have technical problems, which gave everyone in the audience a time to go out into the hall and buy some food from some of the vendors that had been allowed to set up there. When it became time for Journey to play, there were more delays, and I remember Ross Valory running out with Deen Castronovo to plug back in some of the speakers, Ross actually climbing up to the ceiling to do it! Then, after another brief delay, the opening to Separate Ways started playing, but get this, it was Ross Valory who sang it! lol. After the song, he explained that Arnel was running a little late, as he was in the process of "trying to work something out with Neal", and they might play something new and wanted to record it. He was very gracious and had a small question and answer session with the audience, and asked him if he was still working on his solo album, to which he responded, "I've laid down a few tracks, but I'm still working on it."

Then Neal gave a signal from backstage and the guys all took their places. The music started and Arnel emerged from backstage, waving to the crowd. He threw back a beer and a handful of peanuts before he started singing a song he had just recently written with the band that they were vetting at the concert! It was called "Walking The Thin Red Line" and had guitar-work similar to "Never Walk Away" only the song was a little slower and overall more elegant, like their work on Trial By Fire. Some nice piano in it too from JC. The song was about a young couple facing the challenge of raising children during difficult times. I got through the first verse and part of the chorus before I woke up. I can even remember some of the lyrics!

"Walking The Thin Red Line"

"They just had a daughter together
(something something something) forever
(something something) all of life's whims
and she's forever his...."

"Walking The Thin Red Line...
caught up in hardship and sacrifice (?)..."

That's...all that I can remember. But holy crap, why is it my brain can come up with new songs for other bands, when I can't think of new songs at all when I am awake? Trust me, if I could I would be a musician by now. Judging by what I know of Arnel's writing style from The Zoo, the song seemed very typical of him, which was amazing.

Whew...anyway...I have two more reviews up. Would have blogged about them earlier in the week but I didn't have much else to write about at the time. Now I do. The first review is for the animated movie Dead Space: Downfall, the prequel to the popular Dead Space video game. I'll post the second review tomorrow.

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Now playing: NUTS MAN
via FoxyTunes

Well, the Halo movie may have been a bust, but Microsoft sure isn't letting their contract with these filmmakers go to waste! We have another live action trailer, this time for the Halo spin-off game ODST.

Also, squirrels on crack and/or LSD:

Take heed, pet owners! Seven myths about pets debunked!

Vacationing anyways

2009-09-07T14:18:20Z

So, rather abruptly, we decided to host some relatives that were in the area and it turned into a big family reunion and a trip to the lake.

Grandpa Ron and Aunt Lanette were touring the eastern seaboard. They traveled up to Maine to see the old lighthouse that they used to live in when Dad was a boy, and then they made their way down south. They brought with them some real Maine blueberries, and while I'm not much of a blueberry fan, I have never had tastier muffins or biscuits. Anyhow, the parents showed them their house despite its perpetual state of incompleteness. They seem impressed with it, particularly the fact that we had our own pool. Though it is quite clearly becoming Fall now, the weather is still warm enough that the pool should still see plenty of use for at least another month. We certainly made use of it while the relatives were down.

Then a day later, everyone went down to the Santee River System down between Columbia and Charleston, where we had rented several cabins for the weekend. The cabins were built right on the dock, so Dad had his boat moored outside. The Santee River System feeds two lakes made by the hydroelectric power plant (Santee-Cooper), and I believe the lake we resided on was Lake Marion. In any case, these lakes and rivers are famous for their robust populations of wildlife. There are supposedly state and world record fish living in the lake, but after venturing out several times over three days, none of the family caught a bite. We did, however, see several fishing cranes, some turtles, deer, and even a raccoon which was running around on the docks. There were also alligators lurking nearby, but we only ever saw them once. At the cabins, we were joined by more family; Aunt Lisa and her daughter Ashley, Uncle Chris and his wife and young children, Connor and Olivia...I can't believe how big those kids have gotten. It seems like only yesterday I heard about them being born. Now Connor is very rambunctious and energetic, and Olivia is old enough to talk to. On the second day of our stay, we had insect problems because the children kept going in and out while the lights of the cabin drew a screen of flying bugs to the door. By the time everyone had left our cabin to bed down ourselves, there were dozens of bugs crawling all over the walls of the cabin. Since I had to sleep in the living room, they kept me up all night by crawling all over my face and in my hair. Though it pained me to do so, I took the opportunity to go home early with Mom, since I did not want to run the risk of becoming increasingly irritable on the final day of the stay.

All said though, it was a rather pleasant vacation and family reunion. Short, but it was great seeing the family again, and wonderful to get out of the house for a change! I had lots of fun, and probably more alchohol than I usually drink in a year. :p

Though next time we rent a cabin at a place with bugs that out of control, I think I am going to invest in one of those plug-in sonic devices that is supposed to drive them off.

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Now playing: Journey - Still She Cries
via FoxyTunes

A moon rock supposedly brought back by United States Astronauts and given to the Dutch Prime Minister in 1969 was recently discovered to have been a chunk of petrified wood all along. The rock, now owned by a Dutch museum, had been insured for over half a million dollars, but an investigation into the stone determined it was actually worth no more than euro 50 (about $70). I wonder if this will damage US-Dutch relations any?

Want free music? Russian glam rockers Jack Riot released some downloadables from their upcoming debut album.

Speaking of music, Oasis broke up almost a week ago when the two brothers that form the core of the band got into a huge fight. With only a minute to stage time, vocalist Liam Gallagher smashed Noel's guitar, causing the guitarist to walk out of the festival and not come back. In spite of a statement his brother made recently that the band was not going to break up, it was publicly announced that the band's European tour was canceled and that the group no longer exists. Noel later released a statement claiming he would never work with his brother again.

A dog named Faith

2009-09-01T15:31:07Z

Got this in an e-mail. It's pretty cool!

This is 'Faith'. This dog was born
on Christmas Eve in the year 2002.
He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy
hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg
which had to be amputated.
He of course could not walk when
he was born. Even his mother did
not want him.

His first owner also did not think that he could survive and he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'.
But then, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted
to take care of him.
She became determined to teach and train this little dog to walk by himself.
She named him 'Faith'.

In the beginning, she put Faith on
a surfboard to let him feel the movement.
Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward
for him for standing up and jumping around.
Even the other dog at home
encouraged him to walk.
Amazingly, only after 6 months,
like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his hind legs and to
jump to move forward.
After further training in the snow,
he could now walk like a human
being.

Faith loves to walk around now.
No matter where he goes, he
attracts people to him.
He is fast becoming famous on the international scene and has
appeared on various newspapers and
TV shows.
There is now a book entitled 'With
a Little Faith' being published
about him.
He was even considered to appear
in one of Harry Potter movies.

His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world
to preach that even without a
perfect body, one can have a
perfect soul'.

In life there are always
undesirable things, so in order to
feel better you just need to
look at life from another direction.
I hope this message will bring
fresh new ways of thinking to
everyone and that everyone will appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day.
Faith is the continual
demonstration of the strength and wonder of life!!

Also: I wrote a review for The Zoo's "Zoology" album.

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Now playing: aerosmith - dream on
via FoxyTunes

Check out this list of some of the world's weirdest hotels!

A Japanese lab has created a robot hand that performs amazing feats of speed and dexterity, all with the aid of touch sensitivity.

Meet the car that doesn't require a license to drive.

The End of Marvel Comics!

2009-08-31T18:20:56Z

Oh my God, I don't believe it!

Disney just bought out Marvel!!!

This is heart-wrenching news. Disney is not satisfied with less than total control over it's franchises. Now that it owns Marvel, they have the most vibrant portion of the comic book industry by the balls. Disney has demonstrated, repeatedly, that they do not care about fans or the people who create these franchises. It's almost guaranteed that the comic book writers will have less leeway with the characters, and we can probably kiss crossover titles with other companies goodbye.

Post apocalyptic Neal Schon

2009-08-30T17:55:10Z

I had a seriously weird dream last night.

In it, something had happened to cause a vast majority of the people in the world to mysteriously disappear. I as my superhero alter-ego the Amazing Adrian had to team up with Journey guitarist Neal Schon and the Genie from Aladdin to get to the bottom of it. We found out that the people had been shunted into an alternate plane of existence by a group of aliens who had plans for taking over the Earth. We fought against them and managed to drive them away, but Mr. Schon had to sacrifice himself in the process. Also, we couldn't figure out how to get the people back on Earth, which had become rather desolate in the meantime from such a massive population loss. In the end, I took Genie's suggestion to hunt for something in the Cave of Wonders that might bring Neal Schon back to life and solve the problem of getting the Earth's people back on Earth. But I had to find those damn scarab halves first, and they were both somewhere in the middle of the desert.

This came completely out of left field, because I haven't seen Aladdin in years. The post apocalyptic scenerio though, reminded me of something j_wolfman proposed during a game, as a little hint that something major was going to happen soon. It felt rather similar to what the immediate aftermath of such an event would have been. I rather rejected the idea at first, but since I've had this dream, I'm thinking I feel more open to it now.

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Now playing: ZOO - I Gave It All [Acoustic]
via FoxyTunes

Oops! A bank auctioned the wrong house in Miami, accidentally evicting a legitimate homeowner in the process. Apparently, mixups of this nature happen more often than you think they would.

An aspiring comic creator who runs a self-published comic series is seeking justice for a real life unsolved murder in his latest edition of Night Owl.

They say that carrots are good for your eyes, but did you know that Pomegranates can protect your hearing? Learn more about food that preserves your senses.

The Endless Summer

2009-08-27T22:28:29Z

I remember back when I was a boy, how I used to daydream about the concept of the endless summer (aside from things such as superheroes). School always got in the way of things. Wouldn't it be nice to have enough time to yourself to be able to play video games or play outside or just generally do whatever you wanted? I used to get the acute feeling that my childhood was being wasted at school. I learned stuff, but the teaching was formulaic and businesslike, so that at the same time, I didn't learn stuff. I spent large portions of the day doing nothing and avoiding homework. In the days of my youth, I never really saw school as necessary. I used to try and cheat the system.

But when summer rolled around, things were different. You had the time to do whatever you wanted. I played outside. I used to ride my bike around the neighborhood and visit spots where no one else was. I'd play video games on the NES and Super NES, and get frustrated when I couldn't progress through them. There were legos and card collections to sort through. And there were always new action figures coming out. It's true that sometimes boredom would set in, but it felt like there were always things you'd rather be doing than going to school.

Well, I'm out of school now, and in 2009, deep in the heart of the Great Ression, the Endless Summer has been realized. The irony is that somewhere along the line, my attitude toward it changed. Maybe it's because now I know what I want to do with my life. In any case, I now have the free time to do whatever I please with myself, but it feels more like being under house arrest. I spend my days on the Internet. I've got friends now, so I don't need the video games. But I can play them all day, and I hate it. I could spend all day outside, but it doesn't feel like there's much to do out there any more, now that I'm an adult. I hate that. I could read, organize my collections, or even drag out my legos again whenever I want, but there's always that feeling now, that I'm not truly free. That feeling was never there when I was a boy. And I know there are so many ways I could rescue myself from this situation, if only I had the resources and confidence to do them. I don't technically need a 9-5 job where you get up and go to an office every day. There are jobs out there that can provide structure and resources to my life without working on conventional "school" structures that I detested so much in the past. Not that that's what matters to me. I could take any job. And my views on school changed sometime during my last two years of high school.

Now that I've gone through college, I know better. It's school that I want to be endless, not the summer. Because once you get out of school, life will bone you. In school, you always know what you are doing, where you are going, and what needs to be done to get there. All that goes out the window once you're finally finished with school. That's why the idea of the endless summer is a trap.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I wrote a review for a CastleVania game. The first one that came out on the Nintendo DS.

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Now playing: Talisman - Standing on Fire
via FoxyTunes

It seems Sony is finally cutting down on the price of the PS3 some, releasing a smaller, sleeker design for $300. Unfortunately, older units will remain at the same price, which gives one the feeling that Sony is trying to play the market. Not that they aren't doing that by default.

Check out some of these bizarre birthday cakes.

Where are video games really made? Why, at the gaming factory, of course!

Unexpected Bowie

2009-08-24T15:17:32Z

So, I was doing this Grid Wide Hunt in Second Life, see, and at one of the places I saw David Bowie. Ok, not really. It was actually the band "Linc On The Lake" performing a tribute to the man and his backup band. They put on a rocking show, and I had a good time even though I didn't catch the whole thing. He said that next time he was going to imitate U2.

In other music news, I wrote an album review for "World Play" by the superband Soul SirkUS. Go check it out!

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Now playing: Journey - Every Generation
via FoxyTunes

British missionaries have discovered a new carnivorous plant, one they say is big enough to consume rats.

A 1,224 pound cupcake beat the world record to become the world's largest cupake.

Astronomers have discovered a massive tropical storm forming on Titan, which is believed to be the only planet in the solar system that has weather patterns similar to Earth, even though the weather on that world is driven by methane instead of water.