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FarCry4 Ending SPOILERS
General | Posted 11 years agoSPOILERS!!
Yes, if it wasn't already clear from the title, SPOILERS! Anything you learn from this point on that you didn't want to know, is your own fault.
---
Still with me? Ok, so, FarCry4's endings.
In true FarCry fashion, they try as hard as they can to make every decision you make as uncomfortable and unrewarding as possible. Despite all the dudes you kill, all the hoops you jump (wingsuit) through or whatever your intentions may indeed be, you always end up feeling like you made the wrong choice and just wasted your life doing all the wrong things. I guess that's just part of the franchise. One of the things I liked about FarCry2 was how it played on the reality that in almost all wars, there is no difference between the competing factions - the only winners are those who profit from the war itself and the losers are all those who fight and die for "the cause".
FC4 follows that same pattern by forcing you to choose between two "freedom fighters" who both feel they know what's best for their native country in the fight against the self-erected king, Pagan Min.
The game itself was quite fun for me overall. I never got around to playing FarCry3 (I wanted to, but that whiny, yuppy bitch you play as kept deterring me), so everything in FC4 is new to me. From what I've seen though, FC4 is to FC3 what New Vegas is to Fallout 3 - same assets in the same configuration, just with a different setting. Still, it was fun for me. Like with Shadow of Mordor, it's a great game to pick up, play for an hour or two, then go on to something else. It's also very fun to play in co-op - probably the first game for which I've admitted that. I could say more, but this journal is more about the endings then the gameplay.
---(Here is where the SPOILERS really start)---
The story for the most part is pretty backseat to the action and didn't really have any shockers, despite what I'm sure Ubisoft wanted to be a "twist" at the end.
You have two main protagonists to choose from, each one with some pretty obvious character flaws and some deep resentment of their rival, and from the very beginning it was obvious that once you go far enough with one, you'll end up having to kill the other. No surprise then when that happened.
I chose to side with Sabal for every single mission. Not because I had any particular loyalty to him, but because every mission where I was given a choice between the two, Amita's side just seemed less desirable. I wanted to like Amita, and I felt bad snubbing her every single time, but her desire to turn Kyrat into an opium and heroin manufacturer just seemed like more of a danger then Sabal's religious devotion.
Near the end, when (surprise surprise) Sabal sends you to kill her, I went ahead and let her live. Despite her fixation on creating a drug state, I felt that she honestly did want the best for the country, just in a very morally-devoid manner.
Sabal of course makes himself rather unlikable at the post-ending of the game (more on that later), but for the most part, I didn't have a problem with him. One of his first missions is to rescue some captives, while Amita wants you to save some intel instead. Personally, I felt that the lives of the captives were more important than the intel, even if a good argument could be made toward the other side. After that, pretty much every other mission is either saving a drug factory for Amita, or blowing it up for Sabal. For me, the choice was pretty easy. Drugs are bad, kids.
So I've scorned Amita at every turn, but spared her life at the end. Sabal is big man on campus and Pagan Min is still alive. A mission or two later (made way easier thanks to my penchant for doing all the side missions and unlocking all extra weapons before progressing the story), and I'm at Pagan's palace.
This is it. The final confrontation.
Pagan Min is not much of a villain. Vaas was a villain. He got off on torture and pain. He was psychotic and unambiguously evil. He ENJOYED being the bad guy and people enjoyed hating him; that made him memorable and really satisfying as a villain.
Pagan stabs someone early on in the game, but aside from that, he doesn't really do anything. Occasionally after main missions he will contact you through your walkie-talkie to lightly chide you about choosing the Golden Path or make smalltalk about your clothes or whatnot, but aside from that, he really is just a goal post that the game tells you that you eventually need to get to (the reason for his ambiguity toward the player becomes pretty obvious as you progress through the story).
Don't get me wrong, he's not a nice guy. But where Vaas was a psychotic killer who reveled in pain and bloodlust and sliding in the knife himself, Pagan just sits around checking the cut of his suit and having people executed with a blasé wave of his hand. He is the ambivalent head of a fanatic cult of personality, unconcerned about the people he lords over or the lives he throws away. He's basically a taller, thinner Kim Il-Sung. That alone makes him worth a bullet, but mostly on principle.
Eventually, after killing a lot of guys, reading a lot of journals and dealing with a lot of infighting, you get to confront Pagan himself and find out what the inevitable plot twist is.
>>SPOILERS AT CRITICAL MASS<<
>>EVACUATE JOURNAL UNLESS PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES<<
>>DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU<<
My initial theory was that Pagan Min was actually Arjay's father, not Mohan Ghale (it's already obvious by that point in the game that Ishwari had come to love Pagan more than Mohan), but it turns out I was only half right. Mohan Ghale and his wife, Ishwari, fought regarding her role in the future of Kyrat and the path Mohan was taking. Mohan eventually sends Ishwari to Pagan, planning to have her spy on him and send information back to the Golden Path. She instead falls in love with him and conceives his illegitimate child - Lakshmana - the player's half-sister. Your mother's wish to have her ashes laid to rest with Lakshmana is her desire to be reunited with her daughter.
According to Pagan, Mohan killed Laksmana out of jealousy, and Ishwari killed Mohan before fleeing to America. He then insinuates that Ishwari's departure and the death of his daughter is what changed him into "this". If I was suppose to feel sympathetic for him, I missed my chance. From the notes and journals you read, Pagan was already a nasty and untrustworthy person BEFORE he had ever met Ishwari - arguably even moreso.
He was the son of a Chinese drug lord, who upon inheriting his father's modest empire, decided that his share of the trade was too small compared to the established rivals in China, but was more than sufficient to outreach elsewhere.
He allied himself with Royalist forces in Kyrat, who were trying to reinstate the monarchy after a coup. They accepted his aid gladly, as Pagan's private army was better trained and better equipped than the junta forces set up after the coup. Once victory was achieved, Pagan assassinated the royal heir and set himself up as king, killing off all those who resisted. Mass killings and the rapid installment of opium fields and heroin factories alongside epitomous posters and propaganda declaring Pagan to be godlike and worshipful.
The fact that he fell in love and lost a daughter to someone he betrayed is not enough to make me feel any form of sympathy for him. Nor does it excuse his continued actions as the ambivalently callous ruler of a despotic regime. So, yes, I have no love at all for Pagan Min.
So when I walked into his dining room, after listening to him prattle about "which Arjay" he was talking to, I put a bullet in his neck as soon as I was given control. That apparently is the BAD ending.
If you sit and listen to Pagan, he explains the love affair between himself and Ishwari (which you should already know about) and reveals that Laksmana is your half-sister. He ushers you into the shrine holding Laksmana so you can place Ishwari's ashes alongside her. When you come back out, Pagan leaves you as the new king of Kyrat and then flies off in his helicopter. That, is the GOOD ending.
There is actually one other ending, according to developers. As Pagan is leaving on his helicopter, if you're quick, you can still shoot him down. You get the "King is Dead" achievement and can go down to the wreck where you can loot Pagan's corpse. He has two unique items, a pin and the pen he used to stab the guard in the opening cutscene. Apparently that is the first step, but as far as I know, no one has figured out the rest yet.
Unfortunately, there appears to be no way to go back and replay the final mission. The game has no alternate save files, and if I were to try and restart the game, I would go back to square 1 with no way of reloading my previous save (it can be done using a bit of a crack, but you shouldn't have to hack the game for something so simple). Considering how many endings there are, and how much extra stuff there is in the game, that's just a crime.
But there you have it - the GOOD ending is to allow the dictator to escape just because he loved someone once. Maybe it's just a representation of how jaded I am in my elder years ( :-P ) but that doesn't sit too well with me. I knew moments after the start that the game would try and make Pagan sympathetic, so that killing him became a moral challenge, but this wasn't really it. He was not a good guy, never became a good guy and I had no reason to expect him to become a good guy in the future. He was a dick his whole life and that's a hard pattern to break. Revealing to me that the father I never knew may have been a dick, or that Pagan had the hots for my mother and gave he a half-sister I never knew do not wipe away the myriad of crimes for which Pagan is clearly responsible.
And, simplistic as it may be, killing Pagan straight out and saving Ajay from that revelation...well, ignorance is bliss.
Yes, if it wasn't already clear from the title, SPOILERS! Anything you learn from this point on that you didn't want to know, is your own fault.
---
Still with me? Ok, so, FarCry4's endings.
In true FarCry fashion, they try as hard as they can to make every decision you make as uncomfortable and unrewarding as possible. Despite all the dudes you kill, all the hoops you jump (wingsuit) through or whatever your intentions may indeed be, you always end up feeling like you made the wrong choice and just wasted your life doing all the wrong things. I guess that's just part of the franchise. One of the things I liked about FarCry2 was how it played on the reality that in almost all wars, there is no difference between the competing factions - the only winners are those who profit from the war itself and the losers are all those who fight and die for "the cause".
FC4 follows that same pattern by forcing you to choose between two "freedom fighters" who both feel they know what's best for their native country in the fight against the self-erected king, Pagan Min.
The game itself was quite fun for me overall. I never got around to playing FarCry3 (I wanted to, but that whiny, yuppy bitch you play as kept deterring me), so everything in FC4 is new to me. From what I've seen though, FC4 is to FC3 what New Vegas is to Fallout 3 - same assets in the same configuration, just with a different setting. Still, it was fun for me. Like with Shadow of Mordor, it's a great game to pick up, play for an hour or two, then go on to something else. It's also very fun to play in co-op - probably the first game for which I've admitted that. I could say more, but this journal is more about the endings then the gameplay.
---(Here is where the SPOILERS really start)---
The story for the most part is pretty backseat to the action and didn't really have any shockers, despite what I'm sure Ubisoft wanted to be a "twist" at the end.
You have two main protagonists to choose from, each one with some pretty obvious character flaws and some deep resentment of their rival, and from the very beginning it was obvious that once you go far enough with one, you'll end up having to kill the other. No surprise then when that happened.
I chose to side with Sabal for every single mission. Not because I had any particular loyalty to him, but because every mission where I was given a choice between the two, Amita's side just seemed less desirable. I wanted to like Amita, and I felt bad snubbing her every single time, but her desire to turn Kyrat into an opium and heroin manufacturer just seemed like more of a danger then Sabal's religious devotion.
Near the end, when (surprise surprise) Sabal sends you to kill her, I went ahead and let her live. Despite her fixation on creating a drug state, I felt that she honestly did want the best for the country, just in a very morally-devoid manner.
Sabal of course makes himself rather unlikable at the post-ending of the game (more on that later), but for the most part, I didn't have a problem with him. One of his first missions is to rescue some captives, while Amita wants you to save some intel instead. Personally, I felt that the lives of the captives were more important than the intel, even if a good argument could be made toward the other side. After that, pretty much every other mission is either saving a drug factory for Amita, or blowing it up for Sabal. For me, the choice was pretty easy. Drugs are bad, kids.
So I've scorned Amita at every turn, but spared her life at the end. Sabal is big man on campus and Pagan Min is still alive. A mission or two later (made way easier thanks to my penchant for doing all the side missions and unlocking all extra weapons before progressing the story), and I'm at Pagan's palace.
This is it. The final confrontation.
Pagan Min is not much of a villain. Vaas was a villain. He got off on torture and pain. He was psychotic and unambiguously evil. He ENJOYED being the bad guy and people enjoyed hating him; that made him memorable and really satisfying as a villain.
Pagan stabs someone early on in the game, but aside from that, he doesn't really do anything. Occasionally after main missions he will contact you through your walkie-talkie to lightly chide you about choosing the Golden Path or make smalltalk about your clothes or whatnot, but aside from that, he really is just a goal post that the game tells you that you eventually need to get to (the reason for his ambiguity toward the player becomes pretty obvious as you progress through the story).
Don't get me wrong, he's not a nice guy. But where Vaas was a psychotic killer who reveled in pain and bloodlust and sliding in the knife himself, Pagan just sits around checking the cut of his suit and having people executed with a blasé wave of his hand. He is the ambivalent head of a fanatic cult of personality, unconcerned about the people he lords over or the lives he throws away. He's basically a taller, thinner Kim Il-Sung. That alone makes him worth a bullet, but mostly on principle.
Eventually, after killing a lot of guys, reading a lot of journals and dealing with a lot of infighting, you get to confront Pagan himself and find out what the inevitable plot twist is.
>>SPOILERS AT CRITICAL MASS<<
>>EVACUATE JOURNAL UNLESS PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES<<
>>DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU<<
My initial theory was that Pagan Min was actually Arjay's father, not Mohan Ghale (it's already obvious by that point in the game that Ishwari had come to love Pagan more than Mohan), but it turns out I was only half right. Mohan Ghale and his wife, Ishwari, fought regarding her role in the future of Kyrat and the path Mohan was taking. Mohan eventually sends Ishwari to Pagan, planning to have her spy on him and send information back to the Golden Path. She instead falls in love with him and conceives his illegitimate child - Lakshmana - the player's half-sister. Your mother's wish to have her ashes laid to rest with Lakshmana is her desire to be reunited with her daughter.
According to Pagan, Mohan killed Laksmana out of jealousy, and Ishwari killed Mohan before fleeing to America. He then insinuates that Ishwari's departure and the death of his daughter is what changed him into "this". If I was suppose to feel sympathetic for him, I missed my chance. From the notes and journals you read, Pagan was already a nasty and untrustworthy person BEFORE he had ever met Ishwari - arguably even moreso.
He was the son of a Chinese drug lord, who upon inheriting his father's modest empire, decided that his share of the trade was too small compared to the established rivals in China, but was more than sufficient to outreach elsewhere.
He allied himself with Royalist forces in Kyrat, who were trying to reinstate the monarchy after a coup. They accepted his aid gladly, as Pagan's private army was better trained and better equipped than the junta forces set up after the coup. Once victory was achieved, Pagan assassinated the royal heir and set himself up as king, killing off all those who resisted. Mass killings and the rapid installment of opium fields and heroin factories alongside epitomous posters and propaganda declaring Pagan to be godlike and worshipful.
The fact that he fell in love and lost a daughter to someone he betrayed is not enough to make me feel any form of sympathy for him. Nor does it excuse his continued actions as the ambivalently callous ruler of a despotic regime. So, yes, I have no love at all for Pagan Min.
So when I walked into his dining room, after listening to him prattle about "which Arjay" he was talking to, I put a bullet in his neck as soon as I was given control. That apparently is the BAD ending.
If you sit and listen to Pagan, he explains the love affair between himself and Ishwari (which you should already know about) and reveals that Laksmana is your half-sister. He ushers you into the shrine holding Laksmana so you can place Ishwari's ashes alongside her. When you come back out, Pagan leaves you as the new king of Kyrat and then flies off in his helicopter. That, is the GOOD ending.
There is actually one other ending, according to developers. As Pagan is leaving on his helicopter, if you're quick, you can still shoot him down. You get the "King is Dead" achievement and can go down to the wreck where you can loot Pagan's corpse. He has two unique items, a pin and the pen he used to stab the guard in the opening cutscene. Apparently that is the first step, but as far as I know, no one has figured out the rest yet.
Unfortunately, there appears to be no way to go back and replay the final mission. The game has no alternate save files, and if I were to try and restart the game, I would go back to square 1 with no way of reloading my previous save (it can be done using a bit of a crack, but you shouldn't have to hack the game for something so simple). Considering how many endings there are, and how much extra stuff there is in the game, that's just a crime.
But there you have it - the GOOD ending is to allow the dictator to escape just because he loved someone once. Maybe it's just a representation of how jaded I am in my elder years ( :-P ) but that doesn't sit too well with me. I knew moments after the start that the game would try and make Pagan sympathetic, so that killing him became a moral challenge, but this wasn't really it. He was not a good guy, never became a good guy and I had no reason to expect him to become a good guy in the future. He was a dick his whole life and that's a hard pattern to break. Revealing to me that the father I never knew may have been a dick, or that Pagan had the hots for my mother and gave he a half-sister I never knew do not wipe away the myriad of crimes for which Pagan is clearly responsible.
And, simplistic as it may be, killing Pagan straight out and saving Ajay from that revelation...well, ignorance is bliss.
!
General | Posted 11 years agoI hate stealth missions. Especially in action games. Not so much because they break the gameplay up or give different objectives, but because I am so gawddamn picky when it comes to them. and get so darn frustrated with the unrealistic mechanics.
If it isn't the game itself autofailing the nanosecond I'm seen, despite killing the offender before he even has a chance to call out or make a move, then it's my own fastidious need to "do it right" and go through the level entirely unnoticed while at the same time killing all enemies/finding all secrets.
And you can never save during stealth missions! I get a particularly good combo, spend 20min going the long way around to get a good shot only to be "spotted" from a mile and 1/4 away and have to restart from the very beginning. Harrumph, I say! Harrumph!
---
*This journal brought to you by FarCry 4 and it's #^!$^*& stealth section*
If it isn't the game itself autofailing the nanosecond I'm seen, despite killing the offender before he even has a chance to call out or make a move, then it's my own fastidious need to "do it right" and go through the level entirely unnoticed while at the same time killing all enemies/finding all secrets.
And you can never save during stealth missions! I get a particularly good combo, spend 20min going the long way around to get a good shot only to be "spotted" from a mile and 1/4 away and have to restart from the very beginning. Harrumph, I say! Harrumph!
---
*This journal brought to you by FarCry 4 and it's #^!$^*& stealth section*
In Regards to Online RP
General | Posted 11 years agoJust to reiterate something I run into every now and again - I do NOT engage in unsolicited sexual RP.
I use to be more open to it at one time, but I've been increasingly uninterested in spending an hour or more typing out someone else's masturbatory fantasy, even if they are someone I've RPed with in the past.
I personally don't get anything from trying to find new ways to describe "da cock goes down da hole", and I almost invariably find myself getting painfully bored and thinking about what else I could be doing with my time. That lack of engagement is not only frustrating to me, since my time is already divided between multiple distractions (of which I have too many), but shows in the disinterested responses I will give to your posts.
There are very few people who I will still RP with, and they are people who I have known for a long time and trust enough to actually want to be intimate with. Those people know who they are, and are already aware that I very rarely am in a mood where I will sit still for long enough to try and write a back and forth short story about the intimacy between our characters.
So the next time someone tries to pull me into a cuddle online and I divert you with a question about how your day went, just understand that I'm not in the mood for cyber-sex and you should probably not press the point and find your fix elsewhere.
I'm sorry to be so blunt here, but sometimes a subtle hint isn't enough and a sledgehammer must suffice. It's also a warning to those with more libido than tact who might be thinking about messaging me for some happy-fun-times online.
If you want to talk Lord of the Rings and Egyptian mythology - great! You want to talk about the size of your dick and how much you want it in my mouth - you'll get muted.
I use to be more open to it at one time, but I've been increasingly uninterested in spending an hour or more typing out someone else's masturbatory fantasy, even if they are someone I've RPed with in the past.
I personally don't get anything from trying to find new ways to describe "da cock goes down da hole", and I almost invariably find myself getting painfully bored and thinking about what else I could be doing with my time. That lack of engagement is not only frustrating to me, since my time is already divided between multiple distractions (of which I have too many), but shows in the disinterested responses I will give to your posts.
There are very few people who I will still RP with, and they are people who I have known for a long time and trust enough to actually want to be intimate with. Those people know who they are, and are already aware that I very rarely am in a mood where I will sit still for long enough to try and write a back and forth short story about the intimacy between our characters.
So the next time someone tries to pull me into a cuddle online and I divert you with a question about how your day went, just understand that I'm not in the mood for cyber-sex and you should probably not press the point and find your fix elsewhere.
I'm sorry to be so blunt here, but sometimes a subtle hint isn't enough and a sledgehammer must suffice. It's also a warning to those with more libido than tact who might be thinking about messaging me for some happy-fun-times online.
If you want to talk Lord of the Rings and Egyptian mythology - great! You want to talk about the size of your dick and how much you want it in my mouth - you'll get muted.
Dinosaurs in Lingerie
General | Posted 11 years agoThe esteemed 
Dr_nowak has proposed making the 3rd of December "Dinosaurs in Lingerie Day", and I fully support his endeavor. The world needs more Dinosaurs in general, and I won't complain about Dinosaurs in skimpy lace either.
More details are in his submission, here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14997532/
I already have something of my own planned, so stay tuned come December 3rd!
Dr_nowak has proposed making the 3rd of December "Dinosaurs in Lingerie Day", and I fully support his endeavor. The world needs more Dinosaurs in general, and I won't complain about Dinosaurs in skimpy lace either. More details are in his submission, here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14997532/
I already have something of my own planned, so stay tuned come December 3rd!
I Never Knew I Needed This
General | Posted 11 years agoVeteran's Day
General | Posted 11 years agoIt's Veteran's Day in the U.S.
While the day is usually marked by various furniture sales, it was a day set aside for Americans to acknowledge and honour those who serve in the military for the sacrifices they make.
In that regard, Time Lightbox did a picture show featuring veterans and ruminations from the photo journalists that follow them.
http://lightbox.time.com/2014/11/11.....d-them-most/#1
While the day is usually marked by various furniture sales, it was a day set aside for Americans to acknowledge and honour those who serve in the military for the sacrifices they make.
In that regard, Time Lightbox did a picture show featuring veterans and ruminations from the photo journalists that follow them.
http://lightbox.time.com/2014/11/11.....d-them-most/#1
Speak the Truth!
General | Posted 11 years ago"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful". - Seneca (ca. 4 BC –AD 65)
Good boy, Mr. Pickles!
General | Posted 11 years agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGNe1r-9s2M
I have a terrible feeling that this show will be cancelled after only one season, but I'm loving it so far. Reminds me a lot of Super Jail and some of the super old school "Liquid Television" cartoons that use to be on MTV in the 90s.
And the more I look at her, Elly looks a lot like Mr. Pickles... Ms. Pickles?
...good girl...
I have a terrible feeling that this show will be cancelled after only one season, but I'm loving it so far. Reminds me a lot of Super Jail and some of the super old school "Liquid Television" cartoons that use to be on MTV in the 90s.
And the more I look at her, Elly looks a lot like Mr. Pickles... Ms. Pickles?
...good girl...
For the First Time in Over Ten Years
General | Posted 11 years agoYes, I overcame a fear today. I did something I had been afraid to do for nearly twenty years...
...I watched an episode of the 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
90s TMNT was my favorite show as a child, and before Jurassic Park, it was my toy obsession. I had even worked "Cowabunga" into my standard vocabulary because of Michelangelo (who was my favorite).
After the release of Jurassic Park, my passion for toys shifted away from Turtles and toward the new glut of Dinosaurs and cool movie-related vehicles. The last vestige of my former love of the heroes in the half-shell faded away when I sold off the entirety of my TMNT toy collection at a yard sale for $20. Looking back at it now, I nearly weep since many of those items are exceptionally rare as collectors items, aside from their value as relics of my early childhood.
In the nearly twenty years since that time, I've been terrified of watching an episode of Turtles since (as I discovered with the 90s Beetlejuice cartoon), those old shows have not aged well...
But I steeled myself and went ahead and watched an episode. It was the one where Shredder tried to use an anti-mutagen to revert the dynamic quartet back into regular turtles.
Oh man.
OH MAN...
It's soooo camp...but my sense of nostalgia was enough to insulate me from the ridiculousness. My fond memories of the Turtles are unspoilt. I can still love the Turtles as a cherished memory of growing up in the 80s and 90s. Phew...
Oh, and since I'm on the subject...
Fuck you, Michael Bay. FUCK YOU.
...I watched an episode of the 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
90s TMNT was my favorite show as a child, and before Jurassic Park, it was my toy obsession. I had even worked "Cowabunga" into my standard vocabulary because of Michelangelo (who was my favorite).
After the release of Jurassic Park, my passion for toys shifted away from Turtles and toward the new glut of Dinosaurs and cool movie-related vehicles. The last vestige of my former love of the heroes in the half-shell faded away when I sold off the entirety of my TMNT toy collection at a yard sale for $20. Looking back at it now, I nearly weep since many of those items are exceptionally rare as collectors items, aside from their value as relics of my early childhood.
In the nearly twenty years since that time, I've been terrified of watching an episode of Turtles since (as I discovered with the 90s Beetlejuice cartoon), those old shows have not aged well...
But I steeled myself and went ahead and watched an episode. It was the one where Shredder tried to use an anti-mutagen to revert the dynamic quartet back into regular turtles.
Oh man.
OH MAN...
It's soooo camp...but my sense of nostalgia was enough to insulate me from the ridiculousness. My fond memories of the Turtles are unspoilt. I can still love the Turtles as a cherished memory of growing up in the 80s and 90s. Phew...
Oh, and since I'm on the subject...
Fuck you, Michael Bay. FUCK YOU.
Communal
General | Posted 11 years agoPast lives and "inner selves" notwithstanding, all of us reading this are presumed to be human, and the thing about humans is that we are a communal species.
Though many of us enjoy our time alone or are uncomfortable in groups, it is inherent to our species that we cooperate with others of our own kind. We want to help one another, especially when we see others in trouble. Whether it's helping an old man across the street, or helping a friend change his tires; we were born with a spirit of cooperation.
You see this whenever you see total strangers coming together to help rescue another complete stranger from a burning car, even going so far as to suffer severe burns themselves trying to pull them from the hot metal. Or spending hours digging together to rescue a girl trapped in an old well. Or forming a bridge of living bodies from bank to bank to give a group of children the chance to cross flood waters.
There are people like Dr Stalk, who in the 1950s refused to patent the polio vaccine that he had helped create, asking in return "Could you patent the sun?" Today, the vaccine is estimated to be worth $7 billion dollars.
It's easy nowadays to be jaded by all the negativity we see. We're encouraged to ignore the homeless, to turn a blind eye to people who need help. The mantra of "it's not my business" is drilled into us by a lazy society too focused on what we can buy for ourselves or do for ourselves in a shallow, narrow-minded self-centric world. Well it is our business. We're human beings - at least on the outside - and people help each other.
To slightly mangle a famous quote: Mankind is our business. The common welfare is our business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, are all of our business.
Though many of us enjoy our time alone or are uncomfortable in groups, it is inherent to our species that we cooperate with others of our own kind. We want to help one another, especially when we see others in trouble. Whether it's helping an old man across the street, or helping a friend change his tires; we were born with a spirit of cooperation.
You see this whenever you see total strangers coming together to help rescue another complete stranger from a burning car, even going so far as to suffer severe burns themselves trying to pull them from the hot metal. Or spending hours digging together to rescue a girl trapped in an old well. Or forming a bridge of living bodies from bank to bank to give a group of children the chance to cross flood waters.
There are people like Dr Stalk, who in the 1950s refused to patent the polio vaccine that he had helped create, asking in return "Could you patent the sun?" Today, the vaccine is estimated to be worth $7 billion dollars.
It's easy nowadays to be jaded by all the negativity we see. We're encouraged to ignore the homeless, to turn a blind eye to people who need help. The mantra of "it's not my business" is drilled into us by a lazy society too focused on what we can buy for ourselves or do for ourselves in a shallow, narrow-minded self-centric world. Well it is our business. We're human beings - at least on the outside - and people help each other.
To slightly mangle a famous quote: Mankind is our business. The common welfare is our business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, are all of our business.
Why We Love Guns
General | Posted 11 years agoA friend of mine, who recently moved here full-time from Australia, made his first firearms purchase over the weekend. In explaining this purchase to his family back in Australia, he laid down probably the best explanation for why we love firearms that I've yet seen laid down.
With his permission, I'll share a portion of what he wrote:
"First, a little history lesson.
It was in 1936 that the M1 Garand rifle was made, dubbed "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S. Patton, and provided to the standard US infantry soldier in world war II. The M14 however, was the only thing that could surpass it.
Starting in 1957 and completely implemented by 1961, the M14 was designed by Springfield Armory with the addition of an improved gas system, a full 20 round box magazine and a (what some would call) tad unnecessary fully automatic selective fire option, due to its frantic wild recoil. It was designed to replace three active rifles and fuse them into one: The M1 Garand, the M3 "Grease Gun" and the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR.
It was during the first years of the Vietnam war that this rifle saw deployment, as a designated marksman rifle. The only drawbacks were that it was unwieldy within the thick scrub, and its wooden stock would swell and expand in the increased humidity. It was, however, exceedingly well equipped with a 7.62 NATO FMJ round (made famous by Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket) used to penetrate cover and reduce cinder-blocks to rubble.
It would then be replaced in 1966-1967, by the early model M16. A decision which many US troops despised, due to its excessive tendency to jam, and some managed to remain with their M14's.
Back in the US, it was used to train new recruits for the ongoing conflict on the other side of the earth. The M14 was the last true american battle rifle, and the last rifle issued with a wooden stock, later to be replaced with a synthetic stock, and is now requested for use in the middle east, where it still serves and preforms exceedingly well in extremely tough conditions.
After it's creation, Springfield Armory wanted to pass on this rifle for civilian use, so that the professional rifleman, hunter, or casual shooter could enjoy the history, aesthetics and maybe even the nostalgia of the M14 in their variant, the M1A.
And yesterday, I began owning one.
This rifle came right out of the 20th century, the metal frame looks like it's forged from the armor of a tank and the wood is thicker than a hard Christmas pudding. Shake an M16 and you may hear sounds similar to a baby's rattle. Shake the M1A and all you hear is the sound of your own tendons popping.
I believe weapons in human history are the ultimate expression of form over function. They have been designed along with the human body to create one organic form - an extension of the body. The designers have used what works through trial and error, and the story of the weapon spans back to when humanity was first throwing rocks at one another and acting like dumbasses. But it isn't the rock that is stupid, it is the one who wields it.
Aside from the use of these weapons in death and destruction by dumbasses, there is a great appreciation for the brilliant engineering behind this weapon. There's a history and a time period behind this that can be seen through the piece, and the way it's designed, the curves, lines, and form of this directly reflects the middle of the 20th century. It is an art form with an almost macabre undertone that can be appreciated in the same ways the sword is to the Samurai, the armour is to the Knight, and the shield is to the ancient Roman.
This is my rifle, there are many others like it, but this one is mine."
Amen.
With his permission, I'll share a portion of what he wrote:
"First, a little history lesson.
It was in 1936 that the M1 Garand rifle was made, dubbed "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S. Patton, and provided to the standard US infantry soldier in world war II. The M14 however, was the only thing that could surpass it.
Starting in 1957 and completely implemented by 1961, the M14 was designed by Springfield Armory with the addition of an improved gas system, a full 20 round box magazine and a (what some would call) tad unnecessary fully automatic selective fire option, due to its frantic wild recoil. It was designed to replace three active rifles and fuse them into one: The M1 Garand, the M3 "Grease Gun" and the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR.
It was during the first years of the Vietnam war that this rifle saw deployment, as a designated marksman rifle. The only drawbacks were that it was unwieldy within the thick scrub, and its wooden stock would swell and expand in the increased humidity. It was, however, exceedingly well equipped with a 7.62 NATO FMJ round (made famous by Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket) used to penetrate cover and reduce cinder-blocks to rubble.
It would then be replaced in 1966-1967, by the early model M16. A decision which many US troops despised, due to its excessive tendency to jam, and some managed to remain with their M14's.
Back in the US, it was used to train new recruits for the ongoing conflict on the other side of the earth. The M14 was the last true american battle rifle, and the last rifle issued with a wooden stock, later to be replaced with a synthetic stock, and is now requested for use in the middle east, where it still serves and preforms exceedingly well in extremely tough conditions.
After it's creation, Springfield Armory wanted to pass on this rifle for civilian use, so that the professional rifleman, hunter, or casual shooter could enjoy the history, aesthetics and maybe even the nostalgia of the M14 in their variant, the M1A.
And yesterday, I began owning one.
This rifle came right out of the 20th century, the metal frame looks like it's forged from the armor of a tank and the wood is thicker than a hard Christmas pudding. Shake an M16 and you may hear sounds similar to a baby's rattle. Shake the M1A and all you hear is the sound of your own tendons popping.
I believe weapons in human history are the ultimate expression of form over function. They have been designed along with the human body to create one organic form - an extension of the body. The designers have used what works through trial and error, and the story of the weapon spans back to when humanity was first throwing rocks at one another and acting like dumbasses. But it isn't the rock that is stupid, it is the one who wields it.
Aside from the use of these weapons in death and destruction by dumbasses, there is a great appreciation for the brilliant engineering behind this weapon. There's a history and a time period behind this that can be seen through the piece, and the way it's designed, the curves, lines, and form of this directly reflects the middle of the 20th century. It is an art form with an almost macabre undertone that can be appreciated in the same ways the sword is to the Samurai, the armour is to the Knight, and the shield is to the ancient Roman.
This is my rifle, there are many others like it, but this one is mine."
Amen.
Rocket Raccoon T-shirt Contest
General | Posted 11 years agoA friend of mine has a t-shirt entered into a contest to get his design printed up, so this is a shout-out on his behalf. It's already in the running for the top spot, but a few more votes will put him up at #1.
It's a pretty cool design; certainly worthy to be in the top tier (even James Gunn liked it, apparently), but there's some other good designs in the running, so every vote helps. More info can be found here:
http://emptyset-art.com/index.php/r.....-shirt-contest
It's a pretty cool design; certainly worthy to be in the top tier (even James Gunn liked it, apparently), but there's some other good designs in the running, so every vote helps. More info can be found here:
http://emptyset-art.com/index.php/r.....-shirt-contest
Moonlight, Moon Bright
General | Posted 11 years agoOne of the things that I really like about the Samhain, Hallow'en season coming up, is the large amounts of Werewolf pictures that pop up on FA.
Bring on the night-prowlers! Mrawr!
Bring on the night-prowlers! Mrawr!
Panelists
General | Posted 11 years agoI'm considering doing a Dragon panel at Arizona Fur Con. It would be the first time I've frontlined a panel, although not the first I've sat on one.
If I were to do so, would anyone be interested?
If I were to do so, would anyone be interested?
Where the Boys at?
General | Posted 11 years agoWhere ya at?
Truths About Moving
General | Posted 11 years agoMove into new place.
Set out cans of gourmet Spaghetti-O's for sustenance.
Realize can opener is packed somewhere amongst Mt. Everest of boxes.
Starve to death.
Set out cans of gourmet Spaghetti-O's for sustenance.
Realize can opener is packed somewhere amongst Mt. Everest of boxes.
Starve to death.
Movin' On Up
General | Posted 11 years agoNot quite to the East Side, but to a better apartment.
I don't journal alot (don't feel it's really my business to share my daily life with the world), so not many of you know about some of the wild things that I went through at my old place.
Turns out that a lot of it was Section 8 Government assisted housing.
That in itself isn't an issue, but the caliber of people who I shared a building with was questionable. Nevertheless, I made a go of it and am now in a good position to upgrade my space.
I'm now significantly closer to work and in a larger, nicer place.
Internet will be down until later today, so I'm click-clacking on my phone right now.
It'll take me a few days to get settled in, but I'm planning on getting things in order quickly. Hopefully the nicer digs will translate into more inspiration and some new posts soon.
I don't journal alot (don't feel it's really my business to share my daily life with the world), so not many of you know about some of the wild things that I went through at my old place.
Turns out that a lot of it was Section 8 Government assisted housing.
That in itself isn't an issue, but the caliber of people who I shared a building with was questionable. Nevertheless, I made a go of it and am now in a good position to upgrade my space.
I'm now significantly closer to work and in a larger, nicer place.
Internet will be down until later today, so I'm click-clacking on my phone right now.
It'll take me a few days to get settled in, but I'm planning on getting things in order quickly. Hopefully the nicer digs will translate into more inspiration and some new posts soon.
R.I.P. JMH
General | Posted 11 years agoFor those that haven't already heard, the artist Jim Hardiman of 
skunkworks, passed away on Friday.
He had been battling for many years against complications relating to diabetes; a battle which he never let get to him. Up until the very end he was earnest, forthright, and snarky as hell.
He was one of the "original" Furries. Drawing anthro characters while most of the rest of us were still in one-pieces and bassinets. He'd seen all of the different transformations the Fandom has gone through, and he never tired of poking fun at all of them.
I only knew him tangentially, being one of the many fans of his work. We exchanged emails a few times in relation to a tattoo project, but I mostly only interacted with him through journal comments, and on his yahoo group.
He was a great guy, full of wit and good humor. Despite all his medical problems, he never stopped drawing and never let the procedures and effects of the disease dampen his attitude.
He will be greatly missed by fans of his art, family, and friends.
skunkworks, passed away on Friday. He had been battling for many years against complications relating to diabetes; a battle which he never let get to him. Up until the very end he was earnest, forthright, and snarky as hell.
He was one of the "original" Furries. Drawing anthro characters while most of the rest of us were still in one-pieces and bassinets. He'd seen all of the different transformations the Fandom has gone through, and he never tired of poking fun at all of them.
I only knew him tangentially, being one of the many fans of his work. We exchanged emails a few times in relation to a tattoo project, but I mostly only interacted with him through journal comments, and on his yahoo group.
He was a great guy, full of wit and good humor. Despite all his medical problems, he never stopped drawing and never let the procedures and effects of the disease dampen his attitude.
He will be greatly missed by fans of his art, family, and friends.
Signalboosting for a Friend
General | Posted 11 years agoMy friend 
Narune and his family are in a bad way and can really use some help.
Dept has recently forced them into bankruptcy, and they are having trouble selling their home due to pest damage. He's asking for help, or at least for people to spread the word.
The journal explaining the troubles - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6072820/
The page to donate - http://www.gofundme.com/dt4uhc
Narune and his family are in a bad way and can really use some help. Dept has recently forced them into bankruptcy, and they are having trouble selling their home due to pest damage. He's asking for help, or at least for people to spread the word.
The journal explaining the troubles - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6072820/
The page to donate - http://www.gofundme.com/dt4uhc
Saw the Rocket Raccoon Movie
General | Posted 11 years agoThe only reason I paid the $9.50 to see it in theaters was for Rocket Raccoon, so I am completely and totally biased.
By the way, don't take anything I say in this review too seriously. I am a terrible movie critic, who is infamously hard to please. I'm sure the film is already breaking box-office records and is immensely popular, so my opinion really isn't important. I had never heard of the comic this was based on until the movie came out, and didn't even know Rocket Raccoon was anything but a fighting-game character until then. Plus, I'm not a fan of Marvel, DC or comic books in general, so I'm way outside the target demographic for this. But I'm a good Furry, so I couldn't not see the movie with the talking animal.
Beyond that, all the previews I saw with him showed a realistically modeled, seriously played, tiny furry baddass, and I really wanted to see him in action.
My overall appraisal is that the movie was ridiculous. Even for a summer-popcorn-muncher film, it felt like a throw-away film to cash in on the current fad for super-hero movies. Which, I guess can be expected from Marvel at this point. This is basically another Avengers movie, just with a Raccoon and a giant plant and an army of CGI animators to fill in all the gaps and make it look shiny for the audience.
Each character had a motivation, but they spent so little time expanding on it, and most were so cliche, that they felt forced and lacked any impact. But I do give props to Dave Batista and Bradley Cooper for how they carried their characters. The femme fatale was standard fair and pretty forgettable, and Quill was more interesting and better acted by his ten year old incarnation than his adult version. But he was better than the "frat bro who didn't grow up" archetype that I first thought he was going to be from the previews.
Vintage music plays a part in the film, particularly as it pertains to Quill, but the way they kept cutting it into the film felt like they were trying to force a feeling of nostalgia or something. It got old after the second time.
Even though I don't regret going to see it, and it's certainly better than most of the other movies I've seen this season, it had no surprises, cookie-cutter villians, and I just found myself unable to engage with the movie. That's the biggest reason everything felt so forced to me - I just couldn't get immersed in it. I was continually waiting for the other characters to get out of the way so I could see what they were going to have Rocket do next.
The only parts of the film that grabbed me emotionally at all, were the opening scene (I won't spoil anything), and the bit near the end inside the "Groot-ball", which itself would have made more of an impact if there had been some explanation beforehand of how it worked and what could happen. As it was, you just got a "Oh...I guess this is happening now". The main character of Peter Quill was better acted by the ten year old boy than his adult counterpart, but that may have more to do with my ambivalence to his style of anti-hero than to the actor's actual performance.
With a lot of movies, I think I set them up for failure before I even enter the theater, and make all my prophesies about their quality self-fulfilling ones.
I went into the film wanting to see the Raccoon with a big gun and bigger attitude blow some stuff up, and didn't expect to enjoy the rest of the movie.
I walked out of the theater acknowledging that if it hadn't been for Rocket and Groot, I wouldn't have liked the movie at all.
On a side note, I really like that red longcoat Quill wears. And if I ever meet Rocket Raccoon, I'm buying him a whiskey. Or two. Or we can just keep drinking and see how many it takes before I can give the angry furball a hug without getting my face blown off...
By the way, don't take anything I say in this review too seriously. I am a terrible movie critic, who is infamously hard to please. I'm sure the film is already breaking box-office records and is immensely popular, so my opinion really isn't important. I had never heard of the comic this was based on until the movie came out, and didn't even know Rocket Raccoon was anything but a fighting-game character until then. Plus, I'm not a fan of Marvel, DC or comic books in general, so I'm way outside the target demographic for this. But I'm a good Furry, so I couldn't not see the movie with the talking animal.
Beyond that, all the previews I saw with him showed a realistically modeled, seriously played, tiny furry baddass, and I really wanted to see him in action.
My overall appraisal is that the movie was ridiculous. Even for a summer-popcorn-muncher film, it felt like a throw-away film to cash in on the current fad for super-hero movies. Which, I guess can be expected from Marvel at this point. This is basically another Avengers movie, just with a Raccoon and a giant plant and an army of CGI animators to fill in all the gaps and make it look shiny for the audience.
Each character had a motivation, but they spent so little time expanding on it, and most were so cliche, that they felt forced and lacked any impact. But I do give props to Dave Batista and Bradley Cooper for how they carried their characters. The femme fatale was standard fair and pretty forgettable, and Quill was more interesting and better acted by his ten year old incarnation than his adult version. But he was better than the "frat bro who didn't grow up" archetype that I first thought he was going to be from the previews.
Vintage music plays a part in the film, particularly as it pertains to Quill, but the way they kept cutting it into the film felt like they were trying to force a feeling of nostalgia or something. It got old after the second time.
Even though I don't regret going to see it, and it's certainly better than most of the other movies I've seen this season, it had no surprises, cookie-cutter villians, and I just found myself unable to engage with the movie. That's the biggest reason everything felt so forced to me - I just couldn't get immersed in it. I was continually waiting for the other characters to get out of the way so I could see what they were going to have Rocket do next.
The only parts of the film that grabbed me emotionally at all, were the opening scene (I won't spoil anything), and the bit near the end inside the "Groot-ball", which itself would have made more of an impact if there had been some explanation beforehand of how it worked and what could happen. As it was, you just got a "Oh...I guess this is happening now". The main character of Peter Quill was better acted by the ten year old boy than his adult counterpart, but that may have more to do with my ambivalence to his style of anti-hero than to the actor's actual performance.
With a lot of movies, I think I set them up for failure before I even enter the theater, and make all my prophesies about their quality self-fulfilling ones.
I went into the film wanting to see the Raccoon with a big gun and bigger attitude blow some stuff up, and didn't expect to enjoy the rest of the movie.
I walked out of the theater acknowledging that if it hadn't been for Rocket and Groot, I wouldn't have liked the movie at all.
On a side note, I really like that red longcoat Quill wears. And if I ever meet Rocket Raccoon, I'm buying him a whiskey. Or two. Or we can just keep drinking and see how many it takes before I can give the angry furball a hug without getting my face blown off...
Addiction
General | Posted 11 years agoI make no apologies for my addictions. Unless you share it, you don't know what it is like being without your fix.
When you need it...you NEED IT.
You may hate yourself afterwards, but you always find yourself going back to it because you just won't be satisfied without it.
And so, at 7:25pm at night, despite myself, I make a special trip to pick up a can of squeezy-cheese and a box of "Chicken-in-a-Biscuit".
I've got some really strange addictions...
When you need it...you NEED IT.
You may hate yourself afterwards, but you always find yourself going back to it because you just won't be satisfied without it.
And so, at 7:25pm at night, despite myself, I make a special trip to pick up a can of squeezy-cheese and a box of "Chicken-in-a-Biscuit".
I've got some really strange addictions...
Lemme Get My Tin-Foil Hat!
General | Posted 11 years agoI don't agree with the theories expressed, but I legitimately enjoyed this video on the relationship and purported "message" of the Giza pyramids with other ancient sites.
Lots of interesting mathematical relationships between the various measurements and values within the structure. Worth a watch, even if it does reach into some really far-flung realms to get it's answers.
EDIT: Here's the link to the video that was the whole point of this journal. Derp... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcKahraBiBY
Lots of interesting mathematical relationships between the various measurements and values within the structure. Worth a watch, even if it does reach into some really far-flung realms to get it's answers.
EDIT: Here's the link to the video that was the whole point of this journal. Derp... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcKahraBiBY
Men Doing Chores
General | Posted 11 years agoRead an article which highlighted a recent study done which posited that since the 1990s, women have been more apt to engage in sexual relationships with men who "do housework" than in previous years.
That's all well and good I suppose, for as far as it goes. The part that made my eyebrow go up was when it was assumed by the study authors and by the writer of the article itself that men doing housework is "humiliating" and "emasculating".
Since when was it humiliating and degrading for a man to vacuum his floor or do his own dishes? It's been couched in a wrapping of "evolution", but I think that this is a societal bias, NOT a evolutionary trait.
The stereotypes of traditional gender-roles are old and very deeply entrenched, and what some people seem to just assume is "the way it is between men and women" is nothing more than "the way we've built it" over hundreds of years.
So I'm going to wipe down my tables, clean my pots and pans and vacuum the pet hair off my carpet and feel like MORE of a man then if I delegated that task to someone else because it's supposedly "woman's work".
Harrumph!
That's all well and good I suppose, for as far as it goes. The part that made my eyebrow go up was when it was assumed by the study authors and by the writer of the article itself that men doing housework is "humiliating" and "emasculating".
Since when was it humiliating and degrading for a man to vacuum his floor or do his own dishes? It's been couched in a wrapping of "evolution", but I think that this is a societal bias, NOT a evolutionary trait.
The stereotypes of traditional gender-roles are old and very deeply entrenched, and what some people seem to just assume is "the way it is between men and women" is nothing more than "the way we've built it" over hundreds of years.
So I'm going to wipe down my tables, clean my pots and pans and vacuum the pet hair off my carpet and feel like MORE of a man then if I delegated that task to someone else because it's supposedly "woman's work".
Harrumph!
GOTG
General | Posted 11 years agoFinally got around to see the trailers for the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie.
Not excited. But, as a proper Furry, I'll watch it for Rocket Raccoon (who until recently I thought came from a fighting game).
Edit: Nevermind, I found a highlight video on YouTube. Now I can save myself movie prices!
Not excited. But, as a proper Furry, I'll watch it for Rocket Raccoon (who until recently I thought came from a fighting game).
Edit: Nevermind, I found a highlight video on YouTube. Now I can save myself movie prices!
Getting to Know Me, Meme
General | Posted 11 years agoI'll dare to fill this out for those that are curious.
Name: D.O.P.R. (dah-per)
Nickname: Dahp, Doper, Doppler
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Age: Old enough to know better, but young enough to not really care.
Height: 6ft
Zodiac sign: Cancer (Leo via the old system)
Any pets: A dog: Elwing, and two cats, Gil-Galad and Khan.
Fun fact: I've been inside a decommissioned Titan Missile Silo out in the Arizona desert (uninvited and without permission). It's been resealed now, but it was a kick to be so far underground in a long abandoned piece of military history. Was terribly stuffy and difficult to breath in, but great fun!
Identity, Sexuality & Personality
Gender identity: Male
Sexual orientation: Pansexual/Polysexual
Romantic preference: Currently leaning more toward males, but I have more experience with females.
"Kinsey Scale" score: 3
Relationship status: Single
Myers/Briggs type: ISTJ (taken via an online source, just now)
Routine
"Early Bird" or "Night Owl": Night Owl, although I prefer the mornings. I just love to sleep in too much.
Bath or shower: Shower
First thought in the morning: "Got to get up and get ready for work."
Last thought before falling asleep at night: "How many hours will I get tonight? Ooph...I'm going to be tired tomorrow..."
School/Work
Do you work or are you a student: Full-time work.
What do you do well: I pride myself in being able to interact with all kinds of people naturally and respectfully. I also am rather proud by my large assortment of hobbies - from model painting to bone cleaning.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years: Working for the same great company, living in a larger house with a large backyard for the dogs.
Habits (Do You...?)
Drink: Only socially, and rarely to excess.
Smoke: Hookah occasionally, but only socially and sparingly.
Do drugs: Nope. Although I may take up Mary Jane in a small way socially, once it's legalized.
Exercise: Only if you count how much energy I spend running around at work.
Have a go-to comfort food: Mt Dew. Not quite a food, but it's what I go to when I need some relaxing.
Have a nervous habit: Bouncing my leg or chewing on a pen cap.
What is your favorite…?
Physical quality (in yourself): My hair. It's nice and long now.
In Others: Humor and courtesy. Rereading this, I'd have to say my favorite physical quality is a smiling face. A sour, angry looking person isn't someone I feel drawn to spending much time with.
Mental/emotional quality (in yourself): My tendency toward moderation in everyday life and in my interactions with others. I'm also pretty good at "code-switching" between differing groups of people.
Food: Arby's Roast Beef sandwich. Lots of fond memories with those!
Drink: Mt Dew: Red Game Fuel or Chocolate Malts.
Animal: Dinosaurs (I dare not try and be more specific). Honorable mentions are Western Dragons, Dolphins, and horses.
Artist/Band/Group: Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Blind Faith.
Author/Poet: J.R.R. Tolkien is an easy pic for the author. But the poet is harder to nail down as it depends on my mood. But overall, it's a mix between Shel Silverstein and E.A. Poe.
TV Show: None presently, although the SatAM Sonic is a classic favorite. As is "Rocko's Modern Life".
Actor/Actress: I'm not a movie person, but actors I respect include Sir Ian McKellen, Johnny Depp, George Takei, and Christopher Lee.
Name: D.O.P.R. (dah-per)
Nickname: Dahp, Doper, Doppler
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Age: Old enough to know better, but young enough to not really care.
Height: 6ft
Zodiac sign: Cancer (Leo via the old system)
Any pets: A dog: Elwing, and two cats, Gil-Galad and Khan.
Fun fact: I've been inside a decommissioned Titan Missile Silo out in the Arizona desert (uninvited and without permission). It's been resealed now, but it was a kick to be so far underground in a long abandoned piece of military history. Was terribly stuffy and difficult to breath in, but great fun!
Identity, Sexuality & Personality
Gender identity: Male
Sexual orientation: Pansexual/Polysexual
Romantic preference: Currently leaning more toward males, but I have more experience with females.
"Kinsey Scale" score: 3
Relationship status: Single
Myers/Briggs type: ISTJ (taken via an online source, just now)
Routine
"Early Bird" or "Night Owl": Night Owl, although I prefer the mornings. I just love to sleep in too much.
Bath or shower: Shower
First thought in the morning: "Got to get up and get ready for work."
Last thought before falling asleep at night: "How many hours will I get tonight? Ooph...I'm going to be tired tomorrow..."
School/Work
Do you work or are you a student: Full-time work.
What do you do well: I pride myself in being able to interact with all kinds of people naturally and respectfully. I also am rather proud by my large assortment of hobbies - from model painting to bone cleaning.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years: Working for the same great company, living in a larger house with a large backyard for the dogs.
Habits (Do You...?)
Drink: Only socially, and rarely to excess.
Smoke: Hookah occasionally, but only socially and sparingly.
Do drugs: Nope. Although I may take up Mary Jane in a small way socially, once it's legalized.
Exercise: Only if you count how much energy I spend running around at work.
Have a go-to comfort food: Mt Dew. Not quite a food, but it's what I go to when I need some relaxing.
Have a nervous habit: Bouncing my leg or chewing on a pen cap.
What is your favorite…?
Physical quality (in yourself): My hair. It's nice and long now.
In Others: Humor and courtesy. Rereading this, I'd have to say my favorite physical quality is a smiling face. A sour, angry looking person isn't someone I feel drawn to spending much time with.
Mental/emotional quality (in yourself): My tendency toward moderation in everyday life and in my interactions with others. I'm also pretty good at "code-switching" between differing groups of people.
Food: Arby's Roast Beef sandwich. Lots of fond memories with those!
Drink: Mt Dew: Red Game Fuel or Chocolate Malts.
Animal: Dinosaurs (I dare not try and be more specific). Honorable mentions are Western Dragons, Dolphins, and horses.
Artist/Band/Group: Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Blind Faith.
Author/Poet: J.R.R. Tolkien is an easy pic for the author. But the poet is harder to nail down as it depends on my mood. But overall, it's a mix between Shel Silverstein and E.A. Poe.
TV Show: None presently, although the SatAM Sonic is a classic favorite. As is "Rocko's Modern Life".
Actor/Actress: I'm not a movie person, but actors I respect include Sir Ian McKellen, Johnny Depp, George Takei, and Christopher Lee.
