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Soooooooo...
General | Posted 10 years agoI got married yesterday. Like, Actual married. I have a husband. The world needs to know this.
Games - 1991 versus 2011 versus 2013
General | Posted 12 years agoI'm a gamer. I'm sorry. :(
For Christmas my sister picked me up the new Legend of Zelda game for the 3ds. Link Between Worlds. I love it. I love it so much that I am having a hard time putting it down, and have fished out my USB charging cable.
It has gotten me thinking though. I love Link to the Past, my favorite Legend of Zelda to date. I remember all the good times with that game and how the puzzles weren't hard, but were fun. A mild challenge sometimes. Rewarding but not something you'd over-stuff your ego with when you succeeded. I remember when Skyward Sword came out, and how absolutely excited I was. I was hoping that well, Nintendo had learned something when it came to how badly the Wii version of Twilight Princess was (I loved TP on the cube.) But instead it was...it was just really bad. It's among three Zelda games I will never finish, but more on that later.
Let's look at some of the things I like about LBW:
- That nostalgia factor we all wanted and crave from time to time is ever-present. We see so much we recognize but not is all as it seems.
- It's a world we know, that we're all familiar with and like. It's been modified and touched up, and that's not a crime.
- Combat is decent. it flows relatively nice; it's reminiscent of the game it's a sequel of which is a great bonus.
- The story itself is interesting-ish. It genuinely keeps you wanting to play, I don't want to put the system down because must-save-world.
- I thought I was going to hate the UI change (stamina gauge mostly) but I'm finding you don't really notice it in game play, which is nice.
Before we get into the things I don't like that are actually making the game hard to enjoy as much as I'd like to be enjoying it, let's talk a bit about Skyward Sword. Skyward Sword is...a mess. If I had to sum it up in one word: aggravating. Motion controls are just a bummer, as sad as it is, and should have provided us with the classic controller support, but, that isn't even my biggest complaint (it is one of the main factors crippling my desire to play it however.) The story isn't interesting. There is nothing 'familiar' beyond a Wind Waker-esque art style, and a few familiar names...and a green pointy hat. And still. not my biggest complaint. My biggest complaint is the way the game treats the player: The ever-present walking tutorial you can never get away from, the sword. I think honestly it can be summed up as just how annoying people like to claim Navi was, but honestly, the fairy was a sweetheart compared to this bitch. I think the fact they thought it was necessary to start telling me that "your life is low, you should collect hearts." was the lowest point. The game has a very very bad habit of treating the player like they have a railroad spike embedded in their head. A game should not 'get better' after a second dungeon. I never even got into the second dungeon. The motion controls, how they regarded their players, the Sword 'AI', the lack of familiarity, the boring story, and the gimmicks added to make players use their precious Wii-Motion Plus...it killed it for me.
Now, what I don't like about Link Between Words is very, very simple: Hilda. Hilda has become the elephant in the room, the sword that won't shut up. She has taken to pointing out obvious things...unwanted hints that aren't really hints, but the game just outright telling you what to do...and she does it often, It has been breaking the flow of the game for me...and it's usually after a dungeon on a trip to the light world and back. "Link it's Hilda, I'm apparently psychic. Let me impart some--oh you already knew that? Well, I'll tell you again to make sure." If we remember from Link to the Past, you had to talk to the Elder via the little speaker boxes sprinkled around the dungeons. And he was always a little cryptic about it. It was nice, you wanted a bit of help, you asked for it. It was unobtrusive.
Other things I am not really fussy on, but find isn't a huge deal most of the time:
- The spoon-feeding Nintendo seems to be getting so good at when it comes to their games.
- Dash is back, but for some reason is bound to the [L] button rather than just holding [A] to run...
- The shield is no longer 'automatic' and while we can see it on screen clearly, you must actually use it via the [R] button.
- When saving it frequently points out how long you have been playing, and suggests taking a break. Maybe you should lose the attitude, weather vane.
As I said, I haven't been able to put it down. The game is fun, it's incredible, the music is amazing. It's everything I loved about LttP and some surprisingly fun added mechanics that aren't all entirely bad. Definitely worth the money.
For Christmas my sister picked me up the new Legend of Zelda game for the 3ds. Link Between Worlds. I love it. I love it so much that I am having a hard time putting it down, and have fished out my USB charging cable.
It has gotten me thinking though. I love Link to the Past, my favorite Legend of Zelda to date. I remember all the good times with that game and how the puzzles weren't hard, but were fun. A mild challenge sometimes. Rewarding but not something you'd over-stuff your ego with when you succeeded. I remember when Skyward Sword came out, and how absolutely excited I was. I was hoping that well, Nintendo had learned something when it came to how badly the Wii version of Twilight Princess was (I loved TP on the cube.) But instead it was...it was just really bad. It's among three Zelda games I will never finish, but more on that later.
Let's look at some of the things I like about LBW:
- That nostalgia factor we all wanted and crave from time to time is ever-present. We see so much we recognize but not is all as it seems.
- It's a world we know, that we're all familiar with and like. It's been modified and touched up, and that's not a crime.
- Combat is decent. it flows relatively nice; it's reminiscent of the game it's a sequel of which is a great bonus.
- The story itself is interesting-ish. It genuinely keeps you wanting to play, I don't want to put the system down because must-save-world.
- I thought I was going to hate the UI change (stamina gauge mostly) but I'm finding you don't really notice it in game play, which is nice.
Before we get into the things I don't like that are actually making the game hard to enjoy as much as I'd like to be enjoying it, let's talk a bit about Skyward Sword. Skyward Sword is...a mess. If I had to sum it up in one word: aggravating. Motion controls are just a bummer, as sad as it is, and should have provided us with the classic controller support, but, that isn't even my biggest complaint (it is one of the main factors crippling my desire to play it however.) The story isn't interesting. There is nothing 'familiar' beyond a Wind Waker-esque art style, and a few familiar names...and a green pointy hat. And still. not my biggest complaint. My biggest complaint is the way the game treats the player: The ever-present walking tutorial you can never get away from, the sword. I think honestly it can be summed up as just how annoying people like to claim Navi was, but honestly, the fairy was a sweetheart compared to this bitch. I think the fact they thought it was necessary to start telling me that "your life is low, you should collect hearts." was the lowest point. The game has a very very bad habit of treating the player like they have a railroad spike embedded in their head. A game should not 'get better' after a second dungeon. I never even got into the second dungeon. The motion controls, how they regarded their players, the Sword 'AI', the lack of familiarity, the boring story, and the gimmicks added to make players use their precious Wii-Motion Plus...it killed it for me.
Now, what I don't like about Link Between Words is very, very simple: Hilda. Hilda has become the elephant in the room, the sword that won't shut up. She has taken to pointing out obvious things...unwanted hints that aren't really hints, but the game just outright telling you what to do...and she does it often, It has been breaking the flow of the game for me...and it's usually after a dungeon on a trip to the light world and back. "Link it's Hilda, I'm apparently psychic. Let me impart some--oh you already knew that? Well, I'll tell you again to make sure." If we remember from Link to the Past, you had to talk to the Elder via the little speaker boxes sprinkled around the dungeons. And he was always a little cryptic about it. It was nice, you wanted a bit of help, you asked for it. It was unobtrusive.
Other things I am not really fussy on, but find isn't a huge deal most of the time:
- The spoon-feeding Nintendo seems to be getting so good at when it comes to their games.
- Dash is back, but for some reason is bound to the [L] button rather than just holding [A] to run...
- The shield is no longer 'automatic' and while we can see it on screen clearly, you must actually use it via the [R] button.
- When saving it frequently points out how long you have been playing, and suggests taking a break. Maybe you should lose the attitude, weather vane.
As I said, I haven't been able to put it down. The game is fun, it's incredible, the music is amazing. It's everything I loved about LttP and some surprisingly fun added mechanics that aren't all entirely bad. Definitely worth the money.
It's that time again. <Obligatory seasonal post>
General | Posted 12 years agoFirst off let me just say: Merry Christmas, FurAffinity and a happy New Year to you all. Be safe, and responsible, this holiday season. :)
Secondly, I forget what i was going to say...I'm sure it'll come back to me eventually. In the mean time rambling!
It's been five months since my last update, and while things are still pretty much the same, there is some new news...the first being that I'm planning a second trip down to the States for March of next year; this time I'm going down to visit the boyfriend. Coincidentally he's the same person I went down to visit last time! A lot can happen in five months. I'm debating flying out from Sudbury this year, however, and bypass dealing with the bus entirely. I'm on the edge of my seat, I just can't wait, neither of us can. It'll be worth it though, so very, very worth every second we've waited. As a result of money being a bit tight (and otherwise tied up in the previous venture,) I won't be making it to FE this year, as much as I wish I could. I registered, hoping I'd be able to figure something out, but it just doesn't look like it's in the cards for me this year. It'll be weird--I've attended each year since the initial con, from just an attendee to a volunteer to staff...I was really looking forward to being there. I'll miss seeing everyone. I love working the con with everyone, too. I'm sure conops will be lonely without me. I was really looking forward to it. :|
Luna will be a year old in February, and despite her size, she's still a giant wuss, I have never met a dog like this. She's developed that stereotypical dog habit you always hear about. It's awkward but she keeps shoving her nose in everyone's crotch. You tell her to get get nose outta there and she listens, but it doesn't stop her from getting right in there to start with. She likes to weave between your legs, too, when she's not too busy crotch-diving. Such a happy, but timid dog. I don't get it.
I guess I'll never really remember what the second thing was going to be. Oh well. Merry Christmas everyone!
Of course after clicking submit I remembered what the second point was! Most sites these days auto-update the "age" field in profiles, why doesn't FA? Is it that hard on query to generate the age dynamically? I'm 30 now, not 28. *Fixes*
Secondly, I forget what i was going to say...I'm sure it'll come back to me eventually. In the mean time rambling!
It's been five months since my last update, and while things are still pretty much the same, there is some new news...the first being that I'm planning a second trip down to the States for March of next year; this time I'm going down to visit the boyfriend. Coincidentally he's the same person I went down to visit last time! A lot can happen in five months. I'm debating flying out from Sudbury this year, however, and bypass dealing with the bus entirely. I'm on the edge of my seat, I just can't wait, neither of us can. It'll be worth it though, so very, very worth every second we've waited. As a result of money being a bit tight (and otherwise tied up in the previous venture,) I won't be making it to FE this year, as much as I wish I could. I registered, hoping I'd be able to figure something out, but it just doesn't look like it's in the cards for me this year. It'll be weird--I've attended each year since the initial con, from just an attendee to a volunteer to staff...I was really looking forward to being there. I'll miss seeing everyone. I love working the con with everyone, too. I'm sure conops will be lonely without me. I was really looking forward to it. :|
Luna will be a year old in February, and despite her size, she's still a giant wuss, I have never met a dog like this. She's developed that stereotypical dog habit you always hear about. It's awkward but she keeps shoving her nose in everyone's crotch. You tell her to get get nose outta there and she listens, but it doesn't stop her from getting right in there to start with. She likes to weave between your legs, too, when she's not too busy crotch-diving. Such a happy, but timid dog. I don't get it.
I guess I'll never really remember what the second thing was going to be. Oh well. Merry Christmas everyone!
Of course after clicking submit I remembered what the second point was! Most sites these days auto-update the "age" field in profiles, why doesn't FA? Is it that hard on query to generate the age dynamically? I'm 30 now, not 28. *Fixes*
More recent (and not so recent) news.
General | Posted 12 years agoLuna is doing well, after a scare with her at least; canine parvovirus scare, which turned out to be one really huge tape worm. She's definitely grown into this huge beautiful girl, but she is a meek, timid, wuss. Hard to believe she's already six months old at this point.
My trip down to Kansas was amazing, spent the first night there and then headed for in Denver. it was just incredible. We hit up the Glenwood hot springs, as well as the Denver Zoo, and stayed at the Hyatt down town on our first night there. A couple days later we headed home, well, back to Kansas. Kansas was less extravagant but the time spent in there was just as amazing in my opinion. In both areas I met people I'd known for years, and mety some new folks, too. All of who I'd love to see again.
Getting home was a nightmare though, and some of my greatest issues with travelling were met that day. I missed my flight from Wichita to Chicago (this turned out to be a blessing in disguise) and ended up being sent *back* to Denver. Everything was still on schedule though, but while waiting for my flight to Toronto, I ended up finding out an hour into my lay-over that due to weather conditions IN Toronto, that my flight was cancelled. Now, the blessing in disguise: Chronic was kind enough to come and get me, put me up for the night, and even drop me off the next day.
Arriving back in Toronto, Evilbirdie met me at the gate, and then it was a mad dash to get me back to Sudbury on time. At this point the schedule was pretty much thrown out the window, and I really can't thank him enough for his patience with me that day, and seeing me off. Miss you guys so much.
Healthwise, I mentioned my eye appointment (Follow up tomorrow, on the 31st.) last post, and since then I have been diagnosed with both high blood pressure, and also as diabetic. Both of which are now being monitored, and controlled by shovelling down pills. I can't say I really feel any different now that my sugar levels are becoming more 'normal.' Blood pressure was bad enough I was pretty much teetering on a stroke. It was interesting I never really connected stress to my headaches. Go figure. There's been a whole lot of mood swings, too. Far too much thinking.
This has been a long, epic, and weird three months.
My trip down to Kansas was amazing, spent the first night there and then headed for in Denver. it was just incredible. We hit up the Glenwood hot springs, as well as the Denver Zoo, and stayed at the Hyatt down town on our first night there. A couple days later we headed home, well, back to Kansas. Kansas was less extravagant but the time spent in there was just as amazing in my opinion. In both areas I met people I'd known for years, and mety some new folks, too. All of who I'd love to see again.
Getting home was a nightmare though, and some of my greatest issues with travelling were met that day. I missed my flight from Wichita to Chicago (this turned out to be a blessing in disguise) and ended up being sent *back* to Denver. Everything was still on schedule though, but while waiting for my flight to Toronto, I ended up finding out an hour into my lay-over that due to weather conditions IN Toronto, that my flight was cancelled. Now, the blessing in disguise: Chronic was kind enough to come and get me, put me up for the night, and even drop me off the next day.
Arriving back in Toronto, Evilbirdie met me at the gate, and then it was a mad dash to get me back to Sudbury on time. At this point the schedule was pretty much thrown out the window, and I really can't thank him enough for his patience with me that day, and seeing me off. Miss you guys so much.
Healthwise, I mentioned my eye appointment (Follow up tomorrow, on the 31st.) last post, and since then I have been diagnosed with both high blood pressure, and also as diabetic. Both of which are now being monitored, and controlled by shovelling down pills. I can't say I really feel any different now that my sugar levels are becoming more 'normal.' Blood pressure was bad enough I was pretty much teetering on a stroke. It was interesting I never really connected stress to my headaches. Go figure. There's been a whole lot of mood swings, too. Far too much thinking.
This has been a long, epic, and weird three months.
Recent news
General | Posted 12 years agoSo, in recent news:
1) We got a puppy in March, at six weeks old, a Siberian Husky/Australian Shepherd mix. She is now coming up on 11 or 12 weeks at this point, after a Canine Parvovirus scare shortly after getting her. Her name is Luna, and she loves to whine. She is a bright spot in my otherwise dark night.
2) As many know, my relationship with
Scani ended. You can only tell yourself that things are "going to get better" so many times. It was for the best, for both of us. We can both focus on trying to be happy in other ways now, and no longer hurt one another. I no longer go to bed stressed over things, and have been feeling good in general. We are, though, still friends, and he is quite dear to me.
3) Two weeks ago I put into motion a plan that has been in the works for at least 8 months. I mentioned it before when I initially purchased my tickets. I will be going to Kansas in May, and spending the 21st to the 28th there with
TigerGaiason, on the way there I will be staying with 
Evilbirdie before catching my flight, As it stands, I will be leaving for Toronto on Monday, May 20th. I may, in fact, be catching a ride down with Scani. On the 21st I leave for, firstly, Chicago for a 50 minute stop over, and then I will be arriving in Wichita Kansas at 6pm. The trip back will have roughly the same timing, except I will be in Chicago for two hours, and arriving in Toronto at around 9pm.
In a similar branch of topic, I've talked to some people about this, and i know it can be an inconvenience but I've been thinking a lot about this, and I am ready to admit that I have travel anxiety issues (which may actually be able to be considered a phobia.) The constant fear that I will get lost, or miss my connection or both, or get pulled aside, or STUCK where I am because of customs, it all terrifies me. I'm not sure how people normally feel about these things, but when it comes to public transportation it cripples me. I am fine as long as there is someone with me that I know, I can get lost with people. Greyhounds and planes...while I do find the anxiety in regards to them is high, I can still manage. unless it's pubic transit. I was pulled aside once by customs for failing to pass the chemical detection swab. I have horses, horses = manure, manure = fertilizer, you see where I'm going with that right? It terrified me.
4) I was sick, still am, with a stomach flu. With three weeks to spare, however, I am recovering well enough. Stomach still is a bit sensitive to food, and lungs feel a little rough. I'm just glad to be getting over it now though.
5) Spring is finally here, Winter tried to keep it's bitter grasp on the land with one last failed attempt to snow last week, the sun it out, the breeze is warm, the trees are budding, the bugs are out, and the robins are drowning earthworms in whatever water they can find. It feels nice. Very nice. The snow is in retreat as it hides into the shadows, bastions of it's former frozen glory. Fuck you Winter. Don't come back.
6) On the 30th I go in to see a specialist about my eyes. While getting my prescription updated back a couple months ago (I needed new glasses as a weld on the ones I was wearing let go, and the lens fell out. I walked around for several weeks with an elastic band keeping the frame together so I could see. However while being examined the optometrist found "something" in my right eye she could not identify, and set up an appointment for me with said specialist. This should be fun, more burning fluid in my eyes to dilate the pupils. :D
Tada.
1) We got a puppy in March, at six weeks old, a Siberian Husky/Australian Shepherd mix. She is now coming up on 11 or 12 weeks at this point, after a Canine Parvovirus scare shortly after getting her. Her name is Luna, and she loves to whine. She is a bright spot in my otherwise dark night.
2) As many know, my relationship with
Scani ended. You can only tell yourself that things are "going to get better" so many times. It was for the best, for both of us. We can both focus on trying to be happy in other ways now, and no longer hurt one another. I no longer go to bed stressed over things, and have been feeling good in general. We are, though, still friends, and he is quite dear to me.3) Two weeks ago I put into motion a plan that has been in the works for at least 8 months. I mentioned it before when I initially purchased my tickets. I will be going to Kansas in May, and spending the 21st to the 28th there with
TigerGaiason, on the way there I will be staying with 
Evilbirdie before catching my flight, As it stands, I will be leaving for Toronto on Monday, May 20th. I may, in fact, be catching a ride down with Scani. On the 21st I leave for, firstly, Chicago for a 50 minute stop over, and then I will be arriving in Wichita Kansas at 6pm. The trip back will have roughly the same timing, except I will be in Chicago for two hours, and arriving in Toronto at around 9pm.In a similar branch of topic, I've talked to some people about this, and i know it can be an inconvenience but I've been thinking a lot about this, and I am ready to admit that I have travel anxiety issues (which may actually be able to be considered a phobia.) The constant fear that I will get lost, or miss my connection or both, or get pulled aside, or STUCK where I am because of customs, it all terrifies me. I'm not sure how people normally feel about these things, but when it comes to public transportation it cripples me. I am fine as long as there is someone with me that I know, I can get lost with people. Greyhounds and planes...while I do find the anxiety in regards to them is high, I can still manage. unless it's pubic transit. I was pulled aside once by customs for failing to pass the chemical detection swab. I have horses, horses = manure, manure = fertilizer, you see where I'm going with that right? It terrified me.
4) I was sick, still am, with a stomach flu. With three weeks to spare, however, I am recovering well enough. Stomach still is a bit sensitive to food, and lungs feel a little rough. I'm just glad to be getting over it now though.
5) Spring is finally here, Winter tried to keep it's bitter grasp on the land with one last failed attempt to snow last week, the sun it out, the breeze is warm, the trees are budding, the bugs are out, and the robins are drowning earthworms in whatever water they can find. It feels nice. Very nice. The snow is in retreat as it hides into the shadows, bastions of it's former frozen glory. Fuck you Winter. Don't come back.
6) On the 30th I go in to see a specialist about my eyes. While getting my prescription updated back a couple months ago (I needed new glasses as a weld on the ones I was wearing let go, and the lens fell out. I walked around for several weeks with an elastic band keeping the frame together so I could see. However while being examined the optometrist found "something" in my right eye she could not identify, and set up an appointment for me with said specialist. This should be fun, more burning fluid in my eyes to dilate the pupils. :D
Tada.
No Subject
General | Posted 12 years agoIt's official. Next month i go to Kansas,
Toronto (YYZ) → Wichita (ICT)
Tue 21/May/2013 - Tue 28/May/2013, 1 round trip ticket
Round trip, about an hour in Chicago both ways...
Been planning this for months and today it's set it in stone.
Just wow.
Toronto (YYZ) → Wichita (ICT)
Tue 21/May/2013 - Tue 28/May/2013, 1 round trip ticket
Round trip, about an hour in Chicago both ways...
Been planning this for months and today it's set it in stone.
Just wow.
Gosh. FE Me...meme? What am I doing what?
General | Posted 13 years agoFurnal Equinox 2013 meme which may or may not have been stolen from 
Eoathian (I REGRET NOTHING)
Where are you staying?
Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel obviously. :3
What day are you getting there?
I...I have no idea yet. Poke Scani for that information.
Who will you be with?
Olefin Scani 
mazeryena
Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Everyone. No exceptions.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
Nope.
Are you attending any stage or public performances?
Heeeell no.
Will you be suiting?
Nope, no suit,
Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Wh-what did I just say? >:(
Do you draw?
Hahahaha. Not any more.
What are your limits to drawing?
Oh lord no. Just no.
How old are you?
29!
How tall are you?
6'3"! (190.5CM)
Are you taken? Are you looking for a mate?
Well, yes, but it's complicated. My hands have been known to wander, at least in regards to people i know..
Can I talk to you?
No. No you may not...K, maybe.
Can I touch you?
What is this? An interview for Prison Rape? I guess you can if it involves needing to get my attention and whatnot,
How can I find you?
I'll be one of those people walking around with a staff badge with my name on it. Track down any of the people I'm staying with and they can most likely find me for you.
Can I visit your room?
Well of course! Come on in person I barely know! Actually, most likely not. Exceptions can be made even though I don't see why you WOULD want to come to my room.
Can I buy you drinks?
I don't drink really, three beer this month is the most I've had in a year. I do like coca-cola though, and lately have had a huge craving for both orange and grape Crush.
Can I give you stuff?
Whoa buddy...wait...what kinda stuff?
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Maybe. I'm not as prickly as I used to be, but I still value my personal space. Just ask if you don't know me well.
Are you nice?
Nope.
How long are you going?
Again, Scani has those details.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
I'll assume you have a basic understanding of how to socialize; I'll leave this up to you, just use your better judgement.
Where will you be most of the time during the days?
Most likely running the sponsor lounge with
dizzywizzy (unless something else needs my attention.)
What/where will you be eating?
Probably whatever/wherever I get the chance. Just no fish.
Can I come with you for food/fun etc?
Er. What?
Can I look in your sketchbook?
lolnope.
Can I draw in your sketchbook?
Wait, I should have made the fact I don't have one more obvious.
Can I take your picture?
No, you may not have my soul. Oh wait, I don't have one. Go for it.
What’s your goal for the con this year?
What? I need to have a goal now? Urg this is all far too much work.
Eoathian (I REGRET NOTHING)Where are you staying?
Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel obviously. :3
What day are you getting there?
I...I have no idea yet. Poke
Scani for that information.Who will you be with?
Olefin Scani 
mazeryenaWho will you hang out with during the convention?
Everyone. No exceptions.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
Nope.
Are you attending any stage or public performances?
Heeeell no.
Will you be suiting?
Nope, no suit,
Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Wh-what did I just say? >:(
Do you draw?
Hahahaha. Not any more.
What are your limits to drawing?
Oh lord no. Just no.
How old are you?
29!
How tall are you?
6'3"! (190.5CM)
Are you taken? Are you looking for a mate?
Well, yes, but it's complicated. My hands have been known to wander, at least in regards to people i know..
Can I talk to you?
No. No you may not...K, maybe.
Can I touch you?
What is this? An interview for Prison Rape? I guess you can if it involves needing to get my attention and whatnot,
How can I find you?
I'll be one of those people walking around with a staff badge with my name on it. Track down any of the people I'm staying with and they can most likely find me for you.
Can I visit your room?
Well of course! Come on in person I barely know! Actually, most likely not. Exceptions can be made even though I don't see why you WOULD want to come to my room.
Can I buy you drinks?
I don't drink really, three beer this month is the most I've had in a year. I do like coca-cola though, and lately have had a huge craving for both orange and grape Crush.
Can I give you stuff?
Whoa buddy...wait...what kinda stuff?
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Maybe. I'm not as prickly as I used to be, but I still value my personal space. Just ask if you don't know me well.
Are you nice?
Nope.
How long are you going?
Again,
Scani has those details.If I see you, how should I get your attention?
I'll assume you have a basic understanding of how to socialize; I'll leave this up to you, just use your better judgement.
Where will you be most of the time during the days?
Most likely running the sponsor lounge with
dizzywizzy (unless something else needs my attention.)What/where will you be eating?
Probably whatever/wherever I get the chance. Just no fish.
Can I come with you for food/fun etc?
Er. What?
Can I look in your sketchbook?
lolnope.
Can I draw in your sketchbook?
Wait, I should have made the fact I don't have one more obvious.
Can I take your picture?
No, you may not have my soul. Oh wait, I don't have one. Go for it.
What’s your goal for the con this year?
What? I need to have a goal now? Urg this is all far too much work.
So I'm a week late.
General | Posted 13 years ago...but I'm a guy? Anyway, yeah. I just watched episode 1 of Gravity Falls. I am, for lack of better words, in love.
If you haven't seen it, or heard of it, check it out. It's a darkishly animated series at first look. Something for young adults, with the parents who are forced to watch it kept in mind. http://www.animefave.com/gravity-falls-episode-1/ the first recording I could find that wasn't a recording of someone's television... :3
Kudos, Disney.
If you haven't seen it, or heard of it, check it out. It's a darkishly animated series at first look. Something for young adults, with the parents who are forced to watch it kept in mind. http://www.animefave.com/gravity-falls-episode-1/ the first recording I could find that wasn't a recording of someone's television... :3
Kudos, Disney.
So everyone seems to be talking about FA's newest updates...
General | Posted 13 years ago...and how they seem to be falling short of most expectations. People have tried to give both positive and negative feedback regarding the update, and kudos to those new features they like. In my honest opinion, all that has been done has been adding a fresh coat of paint onto the site to hide the unsightly blemishes (and how artificial it that coat of paint looks.) As they say, don't fix something that isn't broken-- but just because something isn't broken, doesn't mean you shouldn't try to make it more efficient. Don't get me wrong, I applaud the effort, but I do not see it being enough.
In regards to the header, and navigation bar, I find it still looks out of place. The banner, and the advertisements themselves, look slapped on the page without regard for appearance, and little consideration was given to properly blend the bar itself into the site's existing, though archaic, templates. It may be the same colour as the header 'content' boxes strewn around the site, but there is no border around it (as in the content boxes), nothing to help it mesh in with how the site looks already. Infact, upon noticing how out of place the bar looked, I attempted to switch to the dark template to see if it looked better...what I found was the exact same issue: a sore thumb.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I do not care for these pop up menus either. They seem more copy/paste friendly than actually attempting to innovate a way to move around the site in a much friendlier way. But, alas, I did not care for them in the previous version of the header bar either.
I personally find it more difficult now to find what I want. It took me 5-10 minutes to locate News and Updates, nestled away comfortably under 'Support' where it should have it's own proper menu for ease of access. News is important.
* Users online feature implementation. Display current users online at the bottom of the page. Refresh every 60 sec. Page that lists the users and online status on userpages reserved for admins for now until an opt-out of it is coded for users.
Silly, and quite useless unless you're looking to compare your penises with other furry art sites. Is that what this is about? Penis envy?
* No notes feature implementation. Defines whether or not to disable the notes system entireally for a user. No effect on notes to and from admins.
Not really needed either, was select all/trash too hard? As it is, notes being tucked away under 'My FA' along with journals once again made things more difficult to find. With such a long, long header, and so much room, was it too difficult to just give a direct link to these options?
* No guests feature implementation. Controls whether guest users have access to: userpage, gallery, favorites, submission view, journal list and journal page that belong to the user.
Another option that I find frivolous. I've seen this option on other sites and I find it's usually a cause of more heartache. Hiding your gallery from non-registered users is just a way to try to pump site promotion. I was reading The Oatmeal yesterday and came across a cute, but accurate little gem, specifically http://theoatmeal.com/blog/bearfood. For those who don't want to read, it's essentially a public repository of links that people have found awesome, and/or neat. Now, that doesn't really apply, and I am sorry to have digressed. The point is, why force users to log in? I believe the author said it best: "I need more account logins like I need a butthole on my forehead and I figured other people feel that way too." Adult content on FA is already filtered out from the general audiences. Why on earth is this an issue? If someone does not want their artwork seen, perhaps they should think twice about posting it.
* Hide favorites feature. Allows one to hide their adult, mature+adult or all favorites from public view. Applies to favorites gallery and the favorites minigallery on userpages. No effect on admins
This one, yeah. I don't want people to know how much of a depraved sexual freak I really am.
* Rewrite to the user settings storage backend, now works much faster which allows for more settings/options to be added, and more easily.
Kudos! Something worth praising finally! However, my gripe with the settings has dated back years. Why do we need to enter our password to change settings? :P
* Added the footer ads back
* Removed the horizontal ads on submission pages above the comments
Because looking hideous in the top right hand corner wasn't enough? Because consistency is awkward?
* Fixed a bug in replying to comments that allowed to see the content of and reply to hidden comments. Code wasn't checking for is_deleted flag on the comment.
Why are we showing people who are not the submissions owner that there are even comments that are hidden? If a comment is hidden, don't let regular users even know about it! Just the owner of the submission and the user who posted the comment in the first place?
* Changing submission type icon overlays at the bottom right corner of thumbnails. Icon area is now 28x28 in size instead of the previous 16x16. Should make it easier to click on them, esp. on mobile devices.
In an age where mobile computing via tablets and smartphones is so common, why isn't there a mobile version of FurAffinity.net?
I don't really use the 'mouse over descriptions', so I don't have a lot to say about those, and everything else seems fairly cosmetic.
Now...with all that out of the way, I remember a rather nice mock-up layout a year or so ago, was it, maybe two? A brand new FA layout. Ground-up; not just face-lifts to hide the sagging wrinkles we've seen form over time. Whatever happened to that? I recall it being pretty well, pretty. Shades of grey and orange. Compacted, and functional. Anyone else remember that?
In regards to the header, and navigation bar, I find it still looks out of place. The banner, and the advertisements themselves, look slapped on the page without regard for appearance, and little consideration was given to properly blend the bar itself into the site's existing, though archaic, templates. It may be the same colour as the header 'content' boxes strewn around the site, but there is no border around it (as in the content boxes), nothing to help it mesh in with how the site looks already. Infact, upon noticing how out of place the bar looked, I attempted to switch to the dark template to see if it looked better...what I found was the exact same issue: a sore thumb.
Perhaps I'm biased, but I do not care for these pop up menus either. They seem more copy/paste friendly than actually attempting to innovate a way to move around the site in a much friendlier way. But, alas, I did not care for them in the previous version of the header bar either.
I personally find it more difficult now to find what I want. It took me 5-10 minutes to locate News and Updates, nestled away comfortably under 'Support' where it should have it's own proper menu for ease of access. News is important.
* Users online feature implementation. Display current users online at the bottom of the page. Refresh every 60 sec. Page that lists the users and online status on userpages reserved for admins for now until an opt-out of it is coded for users.
Silly, and quite useless unless you're looking to compare your penises with other furry art sites. Is that what this is about? Penis envy?
* No notes feature implementation. Defines whether or not to disable the notes system entireally for a user. No effect on notes to and from admins.
Not really needed either, was select all/trash too hard? As it is, notes being tucked away under 'My FA' along with journals once again made things more difficult to find. With such a long, long header, and so much room, was it too difficult to just give a direct link to these options?
* No guests feature implementation. Controls whether guest users have access to: userpage, gallery, favorites, submission view, journal list and journal page that belong to the user.
Another option that I find frivolous. I've seen this option on other sites and I find it's usually a cause of more heartache. Hiding your gallery from non-registered users is just a way to try to pump site promotion. I was reading The Oatmeal yesterday and came across a cute, but accurate little gem, specifically http://theoatmeal.com/blog/bearfood. For those who don't want to read, it's essentially a public repository of links that people have found awesome, and/or neat. Now, that doesn't really apply, and I am sorry to have digressed. The point is, why force users to log in? I believe the author said it best: "I need more account logins like I need a butthole on my forehead and I figured other people feel that way too." Adult content on FA is already filtered out from the general audiences. Why on earth is this an issue? If someone does not want their artwork seen, perhaps they should think twice about posting it.
* Hide favorites feature. Allows one to hide their adult, mature+adult or all favorites from public view. Applies to favorites gallery and the favorites minigallery on userpages. No effect on admins
This one, yeah. I don't want people to know how much of a depraved sexual freak I really am.
* Rewrite to the user settings storage backend, now works much faster which allows for more settings/options to be added, and more easily.
Kudos! Something worth praising finally! However, my gripe with the settings has dated back years. Why do we need to enter our password to change settings? :P
* Added the footer ads back
* Removed the horizontal ads on submission pages above the comments
Because looking hideous in the top right hand corner wasn't enough? Because consistency is awkward?
* Fixed a bug in replying to comments that allowed to see the content of and reply to hidden comments. Code wasn't checking for is_deleted flag on the comment.
Why are we showing people who are not the submissions owner that there are even comments that are hidden? If a comment is hidden, don't let regular users even know about it! Just the owner of the submission and the user who posted the comment in the first place?
* Changing submission type icon overlays at the bottom right corner of thumbnails. Icon area is now 28x28 in size instead of the previous 16x16. Should make it easier to click on them, esp. on mobile devices.
In an age where mobile computing via tablets and smartphones is so common, why isn't there a mobile version of FurAffinity.net?
I don't really use the 'mouse over descriptions', so I don't have a lot to say about those, and everything else seems fairly cosmetic.
Now...with all that out of the way, I remember a rather nice mock-up layout a year or so ago, was it, maybe two? A brand new FA layout. Ground-up; not just face-lifts to hide the sagging wrinkles we've seen form over time. Whatever happened to that? I recall it being pretty well, pretty. Shades of grey and orange. Compacted, and functional. Anyone else remember that?
GO \\/ <- NOW
General | Posted 13 years agofuck where do I start.
General | Posted 13 years agoMarch 16~18th
Went to Toronto for FurnalEquinox, roomed wiith Scani, and mazeryena (Housekeeping's reaction was priceless.) Got to meet Olefin for the first time after many lines of text via IRC, and 
Denji after years of instant messaging. Met Evilbirdie for the second time, and a ton of people I hadn't seen in over a year.
I was staff this year as well. I didn't have much choice in where I worked--the one place I was desperately needed however was up in the Wolfden on the 11th floor. It was enjoyable, even if a bit lonely at times. As a result I didn't get to see too much of the con itself, but in the end I think it was worth it. Wizzy was a pleasure to work with, and I know for a fact he appreciated having someone to switch off with! It all ended far too soon though, as is the old story.
Scani and I, as well as both
babytiger and 
prplhaze did get into the pool though on the last day, the hot tub too, and it was nice after all that running around. Almost enough to make me forget that I had been having issues with my back all weekend. We went out for dinner with Olefin afterwards, and then Scani and I stuck around a bit longer in con space to help wrap things up before heading home to Kingston.
March 18th ~ April 5th
This was ~ three weeks in Kingston with Scani; It was wonderful and I'm looking forward to doing this again. We arrived in around 12am, if I remember correctly, and pretty much went to bed. And thus began the early mornings and semi-early evenings. Normally we'd try to be in bed by 11. Admittedly I spent far more time sleeping than he did-- most of the time I didn't even hear him go to work. I really enjoy our morning routine, but it was just so hard to get out of bed.
The following weekend was spent with both BabyTiger and Prplhaze, First a game of monopoly at their apartment on Friday, and then Saturday a few hours out taking photos of BabyTiger and Scani in suit. (Some of these pictures can be seen over at
BT-Armistice's page. I may upload some of my own as well.)
After that, mostly just life as it is. Me waking up anywhere from 6:30~10:30am. Scani working. I watched a lot of YTV and it pains me to admit that....such a wonderful station gone to the dogs. The weekend following that, however, Scani and I invited both Olefin and Evilbirdie down for a visit! Much awesomeness followed, including more suit-walking! It was so much fun having them both over, and it was almost painful to have to say our farewells again. :<
Again, normal week. However Wednesday night, we'd stopped at Best Buy; my camera's lanyard is fraying and I wanted to pick up a new one. They did not have any. However I DID purchase The Muppets and we invited both BabyTiger and Prplhaze over to watch it. A 90 minute movie turned into a three hour event, once we were done with the bonus material. The movie was amazing, just as much so as the company. I do believe Scani's favorite part in the movie was Jim Parsons' guest appearance. :3
With that wrapped up, and us packed for the trip the next day, we went to bed in what would be my last night for who knows how long in Kingston.
Thursday was a rather mellow day. Packed and ready to go...at 4:30, when Scani returned from work, we were off. On the road and arrived in Toronto at
Mune's around 7PM. Met up with 
Raverfox420. Everyone was surprised to see us: they'd forgotten we were coming. :3 Scani didn't get to stay long, and had to literally run to catch a bus so he could make his flight on time.
The remainder of us ended up going out to the Mandarin chinese buffet, were everyone ate too much, and talked about things no one should talk about in a restaurant. Upon return, I was subjected to Birdemic (If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you do. Just don't pay money for it.) After that, once Mune returned home from work, I watched all of season 1 so far of 2 Broke Girls. Fucking. Hilarious. Woke up the next day and got to experience the TTC with both Raver and Mune, then a 5 hour drive home on a bus! Thankfully I spent about 1/2 of that trip asleep. :D
And uh. Yeah. That's about it. I picked up a Viewsonic ViewPad 7e for nearly 50 bucks off. I'm in love with it.
Went to Toronto for FurnalEquinox, roomed wiith
Scani, and mazeryena (Housekeeping's reaction was priceless.) Got to meet Olefin for the first time after many lines of text via IRC, and 
Denji after years of instant messaging. Met Evilbirdie for the second time, and a ton of people I hadn't seen in over a year. I was staff this year as well. I didn't have much choice in where I worked--the one place I was desperately needed however was up in the Wolfden on the 11th floor. It was enjoyable, even if a bit lonely at times. As a result I didn't get to see too much of the con itself, but in the end I think it was worth it. Wizzy was a pleasure to work with, and I know for a fact he appreciated having someone to switch off with! It all ended far too soon though, as is the old story.
Scani and I, as well as both
babytiger and 
prplhaze did get into the pool though on the last day, the hot tub too, and it was nice after all that running around. Almost enough to make me forget that I had been having issues with my back all weekend. We went out for dinner with Olefin afterwards, and then Scani and I stuck around a bit longer in con space to help wrap things up before heading home to Kingston.March 18th ~ April 5th
This was ~ three weeks in Kingston with Scani; It was wonderful and I'm looking forward to doing this again. We arrived in around 12am, if I remember correctly, and pretty much went to bed. And thus began the early mornings and semi-early evenings. Normally we'd try to be in bed by 11. Admittedly I spent far more time sleeping than he did-- most of the time I didn't even hear him go to work. I really enjoy our morning routine, but it was just so hard to get out of bed.
The following weekend was spent with both BabyTiger and Prplhaze, First a game of monopoly at their apartment on Friday, and then Saturday a few hours out taking photos of BabyTiger and Scani in suit. (Some of these pictures can be seen over at
BT-Armistice's page. I may upload some of my own as well.) After that, mostly just life as it is. Me waking up anywhere from 6:30~10:30am. Scani working. I watched a lot of YTV and it pains me to admit that....such a wonderful station gone to the dogs. The weekend following that, however, Scani and I invited both Olefin and Evilbirdie down for a visit! Much awesomeness followed, including more suit-walking! It was so much fun having them both over, and it was almost painful to have to say our farewells again. :<
Again, normal week. However Wednesday night, we'd stopped at Best Buy; my camera's lanyard is fraying and I wanted to pick up a new one. They did not have any. However I DID purchase The Muppets and we invited both BabyTiger and Prplhaze over to watch it. A 90 minute movie turned into a three hour event, once we were done with the bonus material. The movie was amazing, just as much so as the company. I do believe Scani's favorite part in the movie was Jim Parsons' guest appearance. :3
With that wrapped up, and us packed for the trip the next day, we went to bed in what would be my last night for who knows how long in Kingston.
Thursday was a rather mellow day. Packed and ready to go...at 4:30, when Scani returned from work, we were off. On the road and arrived in Toronto at
Mune's around 7PM. Met up with 
Raverfox420. Everyone was surprised to see us: they'd forgotten we were coming. :3 Scani didn't get to stay long, and had to literally run to catch a bus so he could make his flight on time.The remainder of us ended up going out to the Mandarin chinese buffet, were everyone ate too much, and talked about things no one should talk about in a restaurant. Upon return, I was subjected to Birdemic (If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you do. Just don't pay money for it.) After that, once Mune returned home from work, I watched all of season 1 so far of 2 Broke Girls. Fucking. Hilarious. Woke up the next day and got to experience the TTC with both Raver and Mune, then a 5 hour drive home on a bus! Thankfully I spent about 1/2 of that trip asleep. :D
And uh. Yeah. That's about it. I picked up a Viewsonic ViewPad 7e for nearly 50 bucks off. I'm in love with it.
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General | Posted 14 years agoI'm not a good person.
