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PCA: Character Updates
General | Posted 15 years agoOh yeah, second journal of the day. Usually try not to do this, but oh well, can't be helped.
Going to do what a few of my friends have been doing, and jump my kids forward a year. Figure it can't hurt any. Besides, they've been at Sophmore level for what...2-3 years now? Gotta move them forward or else they'll stagnate.
Yes, I am aware that I had a few writing projects in the works from a previous update, and I'm aware that none of them are currently up online. I've had several RL things that I've had to do and deal with, like job hunting, volunteer work, and in general spending time away from the internet to catch up with my actual life.
That won't keep me from doing those pieces though, so no one worry about it. I'll work on those pieces, and then do some profile re-writes for my characters, as I lack the artist's touch to do them proper images for their newer selves. :P
Going to do what a few of my friends have been doing, and jump my kids forward a year. Figure it can't hurt any. Besides, they've been at Sophmore level for what...2-3 years now? Gotta move them forward or else they'll stagnate.
Yes, I am aware that I had a few writing projects in the works from a previous update, and I'm aware that none of them are currently up online. I've had several RL things that I've had to do and deal with, like job hunting, volunteer work, and in general spending time away from the internet to catch up with my actual life.
That won't keep me from doing those pieces though, so no one worry about it. I'll work on those pieces, and then do some profile re-writes for my characters, as I lack the artist's touch to do them proper images for their newer selves. :P
Happy Belated Birthday To Me.
General | Posted 15 years agoMarch 29th was my B-day, and I turned 25. Eh, another day, another year gone by. I know, I know, I didn't exactly tell folks about it, mostly because at this point, it's just another year gone by. Having hit the last major milestone at 21, every after that just seems like run-of-the-mill.
Oh yeah, I found some old PCA fanart that was done of my character from about a year or so ago. The guy who did them had them up in some gallery he had made himself (like an image-dump, I think) but it's long since gone, and I think I might put the pictures up for prosterity.
Oh yeah, I found some old PCA fanart that was done of my character from about a year or so ago. The guy who did them had them up in some gallery he had made himself (like an image-dump, I think) but it's long since gone, and I think I might put the pictures up for prosterity.
Random Musings: Fantastic Racism (or rather a lack thereof)
General | Posted 15 years agoI've noticed a rather unusual trend in a great deal of furry/pokemorph/anthromorphic settings or works. Racism (perhaps more specifically, specism) does NOT usually exist.
Among general furry works, there's usually some tension between the carnivores and herbivores, but I don't usually see it taken to full blown racism. Even less so than division based upon eating habits is division based on actual species. I almost NEVER see any works in which horses segregate themselves from rabbits, dogs from cats, lions from tigers, etc, etc.
With Pokemon, due to the radical differences between types (moreso than your typical anthro setting) you might expect the racism and/or type tension to be very acute (at least among the characters, players who adore or abhor one type or species more than another don't count). But more often than not, couples are always typically of a species where one of the two is either super effective against the other, or one specifically is resistant or completely immune to their partner. There are some type-tensions though: Psychics often get a bad rap for their telepathy and potential for mental violations, and Darks for their tendency towards mischevious or even malicious behavior. But actual full-on "racism" doesn't usually exist.
...Except whenever humans are present. ANY time a human element is added (as in actual human beings in a setting), suddenly the racism comes into full swing, often with predictable and unfortunate results. Humans are often the ones inciting the majority of the racism, usually because the 'morphic critters are "strange" or because they possess traits that make them strictly superior, and if humanity doesn't have an edge well...there's always the fear that what is outdated gets replaced.
Occasionally the racism does fall on the other side of the fence, wherein the 'morphic critters treat humanity as scum because they're smaller, weaker and reproduce in large numbers. Often the scorn and will ill dealt to them by humans is reciprocated back in kind. However, sometimes the racism is more benign in nature. For example, an anthro who is in love with a human may have issues with this due to humans being normally weaker and more fragile individuals. The anthro, despite best intentions, is still engaging in a form of racism.
But again, I notice that the Fantastic Racism only seems to exist as long as the humans are present. When the 'morphs are among their own kind, or the humans stop being present in the setting, this problem seems to go away on it's own. And I find this fairly interesting. Why is it that 'racism' seem to require a physical human element? Even if the humans are entirely benevolent, the racism then tends to fall on the shoulders of the 'morphics, who are prejudiced against the humans.
It's an interesting phenomenon, to say the least. It seems rather unfortunate that, at least in works of fiction, that racism requires humans to exist, as though without us, people would never judge each other. However, and I quote Legion on this:
"A race must be judged by their own merits. To judge one species achievements to your own, no matter how benign, is inherently racist."
Among general furry works, there's usually some tension between the carnivores and herbivores, but I don't usually see it taken to full blown racism. Even less so than division based upon eating habits is division based on actual species. I almost NEVER see any works in which horses segregate themselves from rabbits, dogs from cats, lions from tigers, etc, etc.
With Pokemon, due to the radical differences between types (moreso than your typical anthro setting) you might expect the racism and/or type tension to be very acute (at least among the characters, players who adore or abhor one type or species more than another don't count). But more often than not, couples are always typically of a species where one of the two is either super effective against the other, or one specifically is resistant or completely immune to their partner. There are some type-tensions though: Psychics often get a bad rap for their telepathy and potential for mental violations, and Darks for their tendency towards mischevious or even malicious behavior. But actual full-on "racism" doesn't usually exist.
...Except whenever humans are present. ANY time a human element is added (as in actual human beings in a setting), suddenly the racism comes into full swing, often with predictable and unfortunate results. Humans are often the ones inciting the majority of the racism, usually because the 'morphic critters are "strange" or because they possess traits that make them strictly superior, and if humanity doesn't have an edge well...there's always the fear that what is outdated gets replaced.
Occasionally the racism does fall on the other side of the fence, wherein the 'morphic critters treat humanity as scum because they're smaller, weaker and reproduce in large numbers. Often the scorn and will ill dealt to them by humans is reciprocated back in kind. However, sometimes the racism is more benign in nature. For example, an anthro who is in love with a human may have issues with this due to humans being normally weaker and more fragile individuals. The anthro, despite best intentions, is still engaging in a form of racism.
But again, I notice that the Fantastic Racism only seems to exist as long as the humans are present. When the 'morphs are among their own kind, or the humans stop being present in the setting, this problem seems to go away on it's own. And I find this fairly interesting. Why is it that 'racism' seem to require a physical human element? Even if the humans are entirely benevolent, the racism then tends to fall on the shoulders of the 'morphics, who are prejudiced against the humans.
It's an interesting phenomenon, to say the least. It seems rather unfortunate that, at least in works of fiction, that racism requires humans to exist, as though without us, people would never judge each other. However, and I quote Legion on this:
"A race must be judged by their own merits. To judge one species achievements to your own, no matter how benign, is inherently racist."
Song of Saya - US Release
General | Posted 15 years agoI don't know if anyone cares, or if anyone ever bothered playing the old Nitroplus visual novel "Saya no Uta" (Or literally, "Song of Saya"), but apparently, there's a US Westernized comic book version of said game coming out. Or rather, the first issue is already out, and the second one comes at the end of this month, and the final installment is someone in April.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25087
I am however, more than hesistant about the adapatation. It seems to barely cover much of the material in the game itself, including the main characters. Fuminori is now "Josh" a doctor rather than a med-student. And "Saya" may or may not be an alien, and looks a LOT older and more sexy than her game incarnation, who was basically a loli.
Now, I understand that, due to the rather uncomfortable content and nature of the visual novel and with the fact we Westerners have such STRICT laws on the kind of content that we expose ourselves too, that likely a lot of the pedophilia, rape, cannibalism and what not will either be toned down or removed. But I fear this will RUIN the atmosphere of the story. The Western release looks to be more of a horror-mystery, whereas the game was a horror-romance.
Still, if anyone decides to purchase it, or put up scans of it, please tell me how it goes.
EDIT: Since not many might know what Saya No Uta is, here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saya_no_Uta
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25087
I am however, more than hesistant about the adapatation. It seems to barely cover much of the material in the game itself, including the main characters. Fuminori is now "Josh" a doctor rather than a med-student. And "Saya" may or may not be an alien, and looks a LOT older and more sexy than her game incarnation, who was basically a loli.
Now, I understand that, due to the rather uncomfortable content and nature of the visual novel and with the fact we Westerners have such STRICT laws on the kind of content that we expose ourselves too, that likely a lot of the pedophilia, rape, cannibalism and what not will either be toned down or removed. But I fear this will RUIN the atmosphere of the story. The Western release looks to be more of a horror-mystery, whereas the game was a horror-romance.
Still, if anyone decides to purchase it, or put up scans of it, please tell me how it goes.
EDIT: Since not many might know what Saya No Uta is, here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saya_no_Uta
Pokemon Soul Silver FC
General | Posted 16 years ago4254-5683-6374
Trainer Name: Aaron
Trainer Name: Aaron
Ugh.
General | Posted 16 years agoFor those of you wondering where I've been, I've been avoiding AIM and a few other messenger services because my mom is pushing me to try and get a job, as well as having me help her around the house. Almost a year after I graduated and STILL nothing. Not giving up though. Also applied for volunteer work over at the local library, orientation and training starts next Thursday.
Just thought you'd want to know.
Just thought you'd want to know.
Update!
General | Posted 16 years agoSo...in case you folks have been wondering, I've been busy playing the everloving SHIT out of Mass Effect 2, finally got the DLC too! Anyway, currently I've been simultaneously working on three different writing pieces:
PCA Fall Formal Short: Boris/Riou
PCA Winter Break/New Years
aaand...*drumroll*
Mass Effect 2: Garrus x FemShep!
So this might take me a while to work on all of them.
Also, if you get the chance, PLAY MASS EFFECT 2 DAMMNIT!
PCA Fall Formal Short: Boris/Riou
PCA Winter Break/New Years
aaand...*drumroll*
Mass Effect 2: Garrus x FemShep!
So this might take me a while to work on all of them.
Also, if you get the chance, PLAY MASS EFFECT 2 DAMMNIT!
First Impressions of Mass Effect 2
General | Posted 16 years agoWell, yesterday at around 6pm PST, UPS delivered my copy of Mass Effect 2: Collector's Edition. Wheeeeee! Been looking forward to this for a LONG time. Anyway, got to play about an hour or so of it, so I'll give you the rundown:
Graphics/Sound/Music
I was very, very impressed by the significant level of improvement in the quality of this area, at least in comparison to the first Mass Effect. The whole thing feels smoother and cleaner. Animations are mostly seemless, and I've yet to encounter any glitches or graphical bugs (like the popping textures from ME1). The opening scenes look much more like an actual cutscene. Character details are also improved as well, especially in the eyes (ME1 had some issues with this)
Voice acting is impeccable as usual. Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer once again deliver a stellar performance as Commander Shepard. There are marked improvements in the delivery of their lines too (Meer was often noted by fans as being overly stoic and somewhat monotone in his acting, while Hale sometimes overdid her part). The lip-syncing is nigh perfect as well.
Sound and music is spot-on too. Exactly what we were expecting from an epic title. Some pieces will sound /very/ familiar to anyone who played the original, while some of the new pieces fit into the game beautifully. Even on a somewhat crappy TV, the overall look is quite nice, though I would recommend playing it on an HD TV for best results. I did notice some aliasing issues on the 360 version, I do not know if this is an issue on the PC version.
Gameplay
This is where the bulk of changes have taken place, and to list everything would probably be a whole new journal in itself. So, we'll start with the combat, which was touted as the largest change. Unlike the original, guns now have "ammo", though the word should be used liberally, since the game gives a perfectly sound explanation for the change. It's not bullets you're loading, it's an ejectable heat-sink. Gone are the days of ME1 with Double Frictionless Materials X on a Spectre X Pistol or Assault Rifle, where all you need to do was spray the room, and where the targetting assist could nail people with nigh perfect accuracy. Now you have to carefully aim, and the damage is now location-based, making limb and headshots the name of the game. Heat sinks are quite plentiful, and as long as you're somewhat conservative and use the appropriate weapon, you'll usually never run out of ammo. Also, the heat-sinks are universal, so picking one up can give you "ammo" for any of your weapons.
You have less powers to work with than in the original, no more armor training or weapon skills, thanks to a lower level cap (30 as opposed to 60), but your powers have noticeable improvements with each skill level you take, and cooldowns on powers have been reduced significantly. This was done to make the powers you do have more important, and to encourage people to use them smartly, not just spam and then wait for cooldown to be done. All 6 classes have received improvements as well, with each getting a unique power as a means of making them distinct from each other, but without one being game-breaking or visibly superior (like Immunity from ME1)
Squadmates have MUCH better AI, and can individually be commanded to take up different locations during combat, giving you much more control over the execution of pincer attacks and flanking maneuvers. Your teammates don't seem to have the issue with running out of ammo, but they don't spray-n-pray either. Taking cover is a lot better too. It took some getting use to, since you have to press a button to take cover now (GoW style) as opposed to the original where pressing up against an object in combat mode would result in taking cover, but the cover system feels much better, as opposed to gimmicky.
Enemies have a much better AI as well, rather than the silly charge tactics of the original, and luckily, on the harder difficulty settings there's just more of them, and they are smarter, which is a significant improvement, whereas in ME1 you spent 10 minutes pinning a Krogan in the corner with bullets until his Immunity wore off.
Conversations are as fluid as ever, with the innovative dialog wheel back in full effect (har har), but this time, Paragon and Renegade no longer require you to spend your skill points to make it easier to persuade people. Your bar itself doubles as both an indicator of your alignment AND a skill. Also, the interrupt system feels very interesting as well. Basically, depending on your alignment, an icon will appear, allowing you to "interrupt" the conversation or actions of the NPC, with a consequence dependent on your alignment. These interrupts don't always change the outcome of a conversation, but they do add a LOT of flavor.
Complaints have been leveled against the new Hacking/Bypass (basically the Decryption/Electronics from ME1) mini-game, since now they no longer require you to have a tech person with you, and are far different from the Simon-Says of ME1, requiring some thinking on the player's part, though the fact that it's no longer-skill dependent is refreshing. Also, scanning planets to find resources is considered an improvement over driving the Mako over ridiculously bland and aggravating terrain, but is still a somewhat tedious task that might become annoying to many. Still, the benefits of scanning are much more tangible, rather than just receiving a sum of credits and exp.
Presentation
Mass Effect 2 exceeds all expectations in this area. If you import a character from ME1, many of the choices you did back in the original, and the missions you took, have an impact on the sequel. Most of the changes are aesthetic, like dialogue noting your deeds. Some of the changes actually confer bonuses, such as bonus resources if you did that horribly tedious Mineral Gathering quest from ME1, or having points in Paragon/Renegade based on your alignment. These bonuses are lovely extras on an already delicious cake, but luckily, people who don't import aren't penalized. It's simply an small incentive to play the original, or to be thorough in your ME1 run. There are many complaints that the shooter elements override the RPG elements, and it is true, there ARE more shooter and combat improvements, but, when compared to the original, these changes are for the best. The characters are believable and realistic displaying emotion in face and inflection. And even if you're someone completely new to the series, ME2 gives enough background information that it could almost be a standalone game on it's own merits.
Overall
Mass Effect 2 is definitely a better, more streamlined game than the original, and Bioware really outdid themselves with the changes. They even listened to the fans, re-implementing New Game+ and making new Love Interests that should surprise fans of the original. The game is considerably shorter feeling, from what I've heard, 35 hours or so, but that doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing, as anyone who spend time doing full completion runs of ME1 will tell you how horribly tedious that could be at times. While some of the changes aren't perfect; like the hacking and bypass games basically requiring you to save before attempting, as failure means no way to re-attempt (I think, I've not failed yet), and the system of using fuel and probes to scour the galaxy feel just a touch contrived, the total experience is a noticeably improved one.
I would highly recommend that everyone who can, go out and get Mass Effect 2, especially if you already own Mass Effect 1, you won't be disappointed.
Graphics/Sound/Music
I was very, very impressed by the significant level of improvement in the quality of this area, at least in comparison to the first Mass Effect. The whole thing feels smoother and cleaner. Animations are mostly seemless, and I've yet to encounter any glitches or graphical bugs (like the popping textures from ME1). The opening scenes look much more like an actual cutscene. Character details are also improved as well, especially in the eyes (ME1 had some issues with this)
Voice acting is impeccable as usual. Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer once again deliver a stellar performance as Commander Shepard. There are marked improvements in the delivery of their lines too (Meer was often noted by fans as being overly stoic and somewhat monotone in his acting, while Hale sometimes overdid her part). The lip-syncing is nigh perfect as well.
Sound and music is spot-on too. Exactly what we were expecting from an epic title. Some pieces will sound /very/ familiar to anyone who played the original, while some of the new pieces fit into the game beautifully. Even on a somewhat crappy TV, the overall look is quite nice, though I would recommend playing it on an HD TV for best results. I did notice some aliasing issues on the 360 version, I do not know if this is an issue on the PC version.
Gameplay
This is where the bulk of changes have taken place, and to list everything would probably be a whole new journal in itself. So, we'll start with the combat, which was touted as the largest change. Unlike the original, guns now have "ammo", though the word should be used liberally, since the game gives a perfectly sound explanation for the change. It's not bullets you're loading, it's an ejectable heat-sink. Gone are the days of ME1 with Double Frictionless Materials X on a Spectre X Pistol or Assault Rifle, where all you need to do was spray the room, and where the targetting assist could nail people with nigh perfect accuracy. Now you have to carefully aim, and the damage is now location-based, making limb and headshots the name of the game. Heat sinks are quite plentiful, and as long as you're somewhat conservative and use the appropriate weapon, you'll usually never run out of ammo. Also, the heat-sinks are universal, so picking one up can give you "ammo" for any of your weapons.
You have less powers to work with than in the original, no more armor training or weapon skills, thanks to a lower level cap (30 as opposed to 60), but your powers have noticeable improvements with each skill level you take, and cooldowns on powers have been reduced significantly. This was done to make the powers you do have more important, and to encourage people to use them smartly, not just spam and then wait for cooldown to be done. All 6 classes have received improvements as well, with each getting a unique power as a means of making them distinct from each other, but without one being game-breaking or visibly superior (like Immunity from ME1)
Squadmates have MUCH better AI, and can individually be commanded to take up different locations during combat, giving you much more control over the execution of pincer attacks and flanking maneuvers. Your teammates don't seem to have the issue with running out of ammo, but they don't spray-n-pray either. Taking cover is a lot better too. It took some getting use to, since you have to press a button to take cover now (GoW style) as opposed to the original where pressing up against an object in combat mode would result in taking cover, but the cover system feels much better, as opposed to gimmicky.
Enemies have a much better AI as well, rather than the silly charge tactics of the original, and luckily, on the harder difficulty settings there's just more of them, and they are smarter, which is a significant improvement, whereas in ME1 you spent 10 minutes pinning a Krogan in the corner with bullets until his Immunity wore off.
Conversations are as fluid as ever, with the innovative dialog wheel back in full effect (har har), but this time, Paragon and Renegade no longer require you to spend your skill points to make it easier to persuade people. Your bar itself doubles as both an indicator of your alignment AND a skill. Also, the interrupt system feels very interesting as well. Basically, depending on your alignment, an icon will appear, allowing you to "interrupt" the conversation or actions of the NPC, with a consequence dependent on your alignment. These interrupts don't always change the outcome of a conversation, but they do add a LOT of flavor.
Complaints have been leveled against the new Hacking/Bypass (basically the Decryption/Electronics from ME1) mini-game, since now they no longer require you to have a tech person with you, and are far different from the Simon-Says of ME1, requiring some thinking on the player's part, though the fact that it's no longer-skill dependent is refreshing. Also, scanning planets to find resources is considered an improvement over driving the Mako over ridiculously bland and aggravating terrain, but is still a somewhat tedious task that might become annoying to many. Still, the benefits of scanning are much more tangible, rather than just receiving a sum of credits and exp.
Presentation
Mass Effect 2 exceeds all expectations in this area. If you import a character from ME1, many of the choices you did back in the original, and the missions you took, have an impact on the sequel. Most of the changes are aesthetic, like dialogue noting your deeds. Some of the changes actually confer bonuses, such as bonus resources if you did that horribly tedious Mineral Gathering quest from ME1, or having points in Paragon/Renegade based on your alignment. These bonuses are lovely extras on an already delicious cake, but luckily, people who don't import aren't penalized. It's simply an small incentive to play the original, or to be thorough in your ME1 run. There are many complaints that the shooter elements override the RPG elements, and it is true, there ARE more shooter and combat improvements, but, when compared to the original, these changes are for the best. The characters are believable and realistic displaying emotion in face and inflection. And even if you're someone completely new to the series, ME2 gives enough background information that it could almost be a standalone game on it's own merits.
Overall
Mass Effect 2 is definitely a better, more streamlined game than the original, and Bioware really outdid themselves with the changes. They even listened to the fans, re-implementing New Game+ and making new Love Interests that should surprise fans of the original. The game is considerably shorter feeling, from what I've heard, 35 hours or so, but that doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing, as anyone who spend time doing full completion runs of ME1 will tell you how horribly tedious that could be at times. While some of the changes aren't perfect; like the hacking and bypass games basically requiring you to save before attempting, as failure means no way to re-attempt (I think, I've not failed yet), and the system of using fuel and probes to scour the galaxy feel just a touch contrived, the total experience is a noticeably improved one.
I would highly recommend that everyone who can, go out and get Mass Effect 2, especially if you already own Mass Effect 1, you won't be disappointed.
Is this strange?
General | Posted 16 years agoI was engaging in a chat on Facebook with a bunch of fangirls (cool fangirls really, they're quite awesome) when someone came onto the room acting like the fictional character we fawned over. Now, normally this character is something of a ladies' man, but the person (acting IC in a very convincing) went out of his way to say he appreciated the fact I was one of his most devoted male fans. (Srsly, I am, I'm probably his only gay male fan XD)
...I felt really warm and fuzzy inside after the comment. It's rather silly, considering it's someone portraying a completely fictional character, and thus the compliment is essentially meaningless, but it felt nice in the same sense, as though it were the character actually saying that to ME, and making me feel special...in a nonsensical sort of way.
So yeah...if this is ridiculous or strange to you, just ignore it. I just felt like pondering on the feeling I had.
...I felt really warm and fuzzy inside after the comment. It's rather silly, considering it's someone portraying a completely fictional character, and thus the compliment is essentially meaningless, but it felt nice in the same sense, as though it were the character actually saying that to ME, and making me feel special...in a nonsensical sort of way.
So yeah...if this is ridiculous or strange to you, just ignore it. I just felt like pondering on the feeling I had.
lolwat?
General | Posted 16 years agoI didn't realize I was such a puppetmaster. Apparently I have talents that even I didn't know I had. That's just how good I am...allegedly.
Srsly though, I'm good at making persuasive arguments, but I'm definitely no Light Yagami. Thanks anyway!
(btw, cool story bro)
Srsly though, I'm good at making persuasive arguments, but I'm definitely no Light Yagami. Thanks anyway!
(btw, cool story bro)
Dungeon Fighter Online
General | Posted 16 years agoAnyone play this? I met a few furs at the local New Years Party who played, and while I've yet to run with them, it's nice to know there are people out there who play. So, anyone out there who plays?
I've got:
33 Blade Master - "RiouHotaru"
29 Asura - "Censhin"
12 Fighter - "Kagame" (Planned Nen Master)
12 Fighter - "Karon" (mostly unplayed, Grappler/Striker)
12 Slayer - "AdamHorizon" (Planned Berserker)
4 Mage - "Flo" (unplayed)
Also, I tend to use Skype while playing to facilitate communication.
I've got:
33 Blade Master - "RiouHotaru"
29 Asura - "Censhin"
12 Fighter - "Kagame" (Planned Nen Master)
12 Fighter - "Karon" (mostly unplayed, Grappler/Striker)
12 Slayer - "AdamHorizon" (Planned Berserker)
4 Mage - "Flo" (unplayed)
Also, I tend to use Skype while playing to facilitate communication.
Happy New Years
General | Posted 16 years agoHey everyone. Merry Christmas, New Years, Happy Holidays, and alllll that jazz. So, my haul this year was fairly mediocre, but then again, I doubt it's even possible to get the kind of loot I use to get back when I was 10 or 13. Ahhhh, those were the days...
ANYWAY! The items that came into my possession were the following:
A new iPod Nano
This was supposed to replace the Nano that I presumed lost over the past 4-5 months. However, after getting the new one, I went to go and plug it in to charge it...and lo and behold, I find the old one! Man that was embarassing. So, my mom has offered to buy my old Nano off of me, since her iPod is an older one, at least 4-5 years old.
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
Hey hey, this game! Finally got my hands on it. Unfortunately, given how close we are to Mass Effect 2 (Jan 26th!) my interest in KH is somewhat waning. Still, a lovely present. I'll likely play it once I've got my perfect Commander Shepards all sorted out.
District 9 on DVD
Best. Sci-fi. Movie. Ever. MERRY FREAKING CHRISTMAS!
No Plot, No Problem!
This is a book for people who participated in NaNo, as a gudie to help you write a novel in a month. After the horrendously strenuous and taxing adventure that was NaNo 2009, I want to come prepared for next year. This should do the trick!
$25 Jamba Juice Gift Card
Self-explanatory really. Jamba Juice is the shit yo.
Check for $500 from grandparents
Yeah...3rd or 4th year in a row that they've given me and my siblings this much money. I have to wonder where a 90-year old woman and an 89-year old man keep 2.5-3k money on hand every year to pass out to their kids and grandkids. But hey, I'm not complaining! Still quite a surprise though.
Annnnnd that's all! Hope you all got somethings you wanted for Christmas!
ANYWAY! The items that came into my possession were the following:
A new iPod Nano
This was supposed to replace the Nano that I presumed lost over the past 4-5 months. However, after getting the new one, I went to go and plug it in to charge it...and lo and behold, I find the old one! Man that was embarassing. So, my mom has offered to buy my old Nano off of me, since her iPod is an older one, at least 4-5 years old.
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
Hey hey, this game! Finally got my hands on it. Unfortunately, given how close we are to Mass Effect 2 (Jan 26th!) my interest in KH is somewhat waning. Still, a lovely present. I'll likely play it once I've got my perfect Commander Shepards all sorted out.
District 9 on DVD
Best. Sci-fi. Movie. Ever. MERRY FREAKING CHRISTMAS!
No Plot, No Problem!
This is a book for people who participated in NaNo, as a gudie to help you write a novel in a month. After the horrendously strenuous and taxing adventure that was NaNo 2009, I want to come prepared for next year. This should do the trick!
$25 Jamba Juice Gift Card
Self-explanatory really. Jamba Juice is the shit yo.
Check for $500 from grandparents
Yeah...3rd or 4th year in a row that they've given me and my siblings this much money. I have to wonder where a 90-year old woman and an 89-year old man keep 2.5-3k money on hand every year to pass out to their kids and grandkids. But hey, I'm not complaining! Still quite a surprise though.
Annnnnd that's all! Hope you all got somethings you wanted for Christmas!
Avatar: A pretty movie but...(Warning: May contain spoilers)
General | Posted 16 years agoSo yeah, I saw Avatar today, at 11:30am. I'll say straight, that it is definitely a film worth seeing in the big screen. When it eventually hits DVD status, I would recommend getting it in blu-ray, to preserve the sound and visuals. But, for all it's glorious and mightily impressive show, I feel it falls a touch flat.
For starters, the movie is gorgeous. I will never that the movie was extraordinarily pretty. The visuals and effects were spot on, and perfect. The look of flora and fauna alike, as well as things such as shadows, reflections, and what-have-you were stunning to the point of ridiculousness. And that's just during the daytime portions. The nighttime sequences were nothing short of beautiful. As I summed it up to a friend: "It looks as though a color wheel dropped serious acid, and then jizzed all over the movie cells." He followed that up with: "And the directors said, "Yeah! Jizz on it more!" It's quite true, at night pretty much everything exists to give off bright neon glows that are a raver's wet dream. Truly, truly awesome effects.
But all those effects don't help the story. Don't get me wrong, the story is solid and serviceable, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before. Someone argued that it's impossible to do an original story anymore. Which is probably right, it's in how you tell it. Avatar tells it in a very moving fashion, but still felt incredibly predictable and cliqued at moments. Humans are Bastard, Evil Mega-Corporations, the military refusing to get rid of the Idiot Ball, the poor indigenous people. On top of that, the analogy to the Native Americans and their tribes feels quite heavy-handed at times. I mean, we're basically never supposed to sympathize with the authorities and always side with the underdogs. The hero is a Mary Sue (though in his defense if he wasn't, he'd have died well halfway into the movie), and the "plot-twists" are anything but. Finally, there was a part, about just after the halfway mark, which could have been the end of the movie. It would've been a Downer Ending, but would've been much more realistic.
However, in the interests of not depressing their audience, the movie goes on, and the heroes get their Happy Ending, even though they have to seriously earn it by the end. My issue lies with the glowing reviews the movie recieved, which seemed to be based largely on just how pretty the movie is. It's a great movie, worth spending good money on. But it's by no means Movie of The Year. It does a very good job, at wowing us with the total limits of visual presentations and shows, but to me, the story lacked a good deal of solid meat to it.
Not to mention, while the ending is certainly happy, there are several Unfortunate Implications, which were likely ignored or written out, which is understandable. But I feel that the absolute victory just doesn't have the personal impact. If you're going to see the movie, go see it for it's visuals and near perfect directing. Don't go in expecting the story to blow you off your feet. It's a good story, no arguing that. But as my brother put it: "The story is like a perfectly cut diamond. It's not the diamond that's bad. It's just not the shape you want."
I give Avatar a 8.75/10
For starters, the movie is gorgeous. I will never that the movie was extraordinarily pretty. The visuals and effects were spot on, and perfect. The look of flora and fauna alike, as well as things such as shadows, reflections, and what-have-you were stunning to the point of ridiculousness. And that's just during the daytime portions. The nighttime sequences were nothing short of beautiful. As I summed it up to a friend: "It looks as though a color wheel dropped serious acid, and then jizzed all over the movie cells." He followed that up with: "And the directors said, "Yeah! Jizz on it more!" It's quite true, at night pretty much everything exists to give off bright neon glows that are a raver's wet dream. Truly, truly awesome effects.
But all those effects don't help the story. Don't get me wrong, the story is solid and serviceable, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before. Someone argued that it's impossible to do an original story anymore. Which is probably right, it's in how you tell it. Avatar tells it in a very moving fashion, but still felt incredibly predictable and cliqued at moments. Humans are Bastard, Evil Mega-Corporations, the military refusing to get rid of the Idiot Ball, the poor indigenous people. On top of that, the analogy to the Native Americans and their tribes feels quite heavy-handed at times. I mean, we're basically never supposed to sympathize with the authorities and always side with the underdogs. The hero is a Mary Sue (though in his defense if he wasn't, he'd have died well halfway into the movie), and the "plot-twists" are anything but. Finally, there was a part, about just after the halfway mark, which could have been the end of the movie. It would've been a Downer Ending, but would've been much more realistic.
However, in the interests of not depressing their audience, the movie goes on, and the heroes get their Happy Ending, even though they have to seriously earn it by the end. My issue lies with the glowing reviews the movie recieved, which seemed to be based largely on just how pretty the movie is. It's a great movie, worth spending good money on. But it's by no means Movie of The Year. It does a very good job, at wowing us with the total limits of visual presentations and shows, but to me, the story lacked a good deal of solid meat to it.
Not to mention, while the ending is certainly happy, there are several Unfortunate Implications, which were likely ignored or written out, which is understandable. But I feel that the absolute victory just doesn't have the personal impact. If you're going to see the movie, go see it for it's visuals and near perfect directing. Don't go in expecting the story to blow you off your feet. It's a good story, no arguing that. But as my brother put it: "The story is like a perfectly cut diamond. It's not the diamond that's bad. It's just not the shape you want."
I give Avatar a 8.75/10
Christmas...!
General | Posted 16 years agoAhhh yes, that most glorious of holidays, where people will be trampling each other to make last-minute purchases, and guilt-trips invoked in order to get you to buy something for someone else. Oh well.
But really, it's cool. I love Christmas, but I guess as I got older, I found that my childhood fanatical enthusiasm for this Holiday has diminished significantly. And no, it's not because I'm jaded or cynical. I mean, when I was young, we'd write a letter to Santa, leave out cookies and milk, and when we found them gone and replaced with a nicely written letter back, me, my brother and sister were in awe. However, as we got older, we all unconsciously knew that the person leaving the extra presents, eating the milk and cookies, and writing the letter was likely one of our parents.
On top of that, the list of things that I actually wanted for Christmas was cut down sharply as well. Back then, action figures and movies and kid's books dominated the list. As I got older, I phased out of the action figures and coloring books, focusing on more teenage pursuits, like video games. Of course, as I got older, the things I wanted for Christmas diminished, but the items remaining got more and more expensive. It became less about how many presents I got, and more about the quality of the ones I got. There was still the issue of how many I received (for example, in the beginning, getting clothes was no big deal, but now I've got more shirts than I know what to do with, which makes the fact some of my folks refuse to get me anything BUT clothes annoying as hell) but it was not nearly the frantic race that it use to be.
On that note, I was recently informed of an old holiday myth that was dispelled. Anyone remember hearing or being told that the rate of people committing suicide rose sharply during some of the major holidays? (Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, 4th of July) Turns out it's a complete fabrication. Now honestly, it never bothered me, the idea that people might be more likely to kill themselves on a holiday as opposed to any other day, but finding out it was not true was a pleasant surprise. Old news perhaps, but still.
As for Further Confusion, well, at this point, you should consider me as non-attending. Considering that the only way for me to go is if my grand-parents continue the tradition of giving me and my siblings 500 bucks for Christmas (something they've started doing recently), and even then I've got no one to room with due to how late it is, my default stance will be non-attendance. If that changes, I'll let you know.
And on a last note, as for my writing, I'm likely to whip up a Holiday Break piece for my kids in the near future, so keep your eyes on my page if you're at all interested. And by interested, I mean actually interested, not just hoping I'll post something so you can take it and laugh at me for it. You know who you are. Chao!
But really, it's cool. I love Christmas, but I guess as I got older, I found that my childhood fanatical enthusiasm for this Holiday has diminished significantly. And no, it's not because I'm jaded or cynical. I mean, when I was young, we'd write a letter to Santa, leave out cookies and milk, and when we found them gone and replaced with a nicely written letter back, me, my brother and sister were in awe. However, as we got older, we all unconsciously knew that the person leaving the extra presents, eating the milk and cookies, and writing the letter was likely one of our parents.
On top of that, the list of things that I actually wanted for Christmas was cut down sharply as well. Back then, action figures and movies and kid's books dominated the list. As I got older, I phased out of the action figures and coloring books, focusing on more teenage pursuits, like video games. Of course, as I got older, the things I wanted for Christmas diminished, but the items remaining got more and more expensive. It became less about how many presents I got, and more about the quality of the ones I got. There was still the issue of how many I received (for example, in the beginning, getting clothes was no big deal, but now I've got more shirts than I know what to do with, which makes the fact some of my folks refuse to get me anything BUT clothes annoying as hell) but it was not nearly the frantic race that it use to be.
On that note, I was recently informed of an old holiday myth that was dispelled. Anyone remember hearing or being told that the rate of people committing suicide rose sharply during some of the major holidays? (Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, 4th of July) Turns out it's a complete fabrication. Now honestly, it never bothered me, the idea that people might be more likely to kill themselves on a holiday as opposed to any other day, but finding out it was not true was a pleasant surprise. Old news perhaps, but still.
As for Further Confusion, well, at this point, you should consider me as non-attending. Considering that the only way for me to go is if my grand-parents continue the tradition of giving me and my siblings 500 bucks for Christmas (something they've started doing recently), and even then I've got no one to room with due to how late it is, my default stance will be non-attendance. If that changes, I'll let you know.
And on a last note, as for my writing, I'm likely to whip up a Holiday Break piece for my kids in the near future, so keep your eyes on my page if you're at all interested. And by interested, I mean actually interested, not just hoping I'll post something so you can take it and laugh at me for it. You know who you are. Chao!
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
General | Posted 16 years agoWhoooooo! First Silent Hill game I've seen since Homecoming! And this one is actually quite fun! However, don't go into the game thinking it's a remake of the first game. It's a revision, a reimagining of the first game, using a different approach from the usual occult madness that usually inhabits the series.
It is a rather stark departure form the usual formula, and is rather short. However, the changes to the formula makes the game quite enjoyable. The psyche profile at the beginning makes it quite interesting, seeing how the world changes based on Harry's choices. It's interesting in that, based on the kind of person Harry is, he sees everything different. For example, whether Cybil is a nice, attractive woman, or hostile and mean. Because it's all based on his interpretation of events, even if say Cybil wasn't particular friendly or hostile, Harry interprets it as such based on his own mindset and psyche.
Also, the MUSIC! Holy shit the music! Favorite songs, hands down:
"Always On My Mind" (Duh)
"Hell Frozen Rain"
Srsly, go out and PLAY THIS GAME! After the medicore, but serviceable romp that was Homecoming, something deeper and more engrossing like Shattered Memories is nice.
It is a rather stark departure form the usual formula, and is rather short. However, the changes to the formula makes the game quite enjoyable. The psyche profile at the beginning makes it quite interesting, seeing how the world changes based on Harry's choices. It's interesting in that, based on the kind of person Harry is, he sees everything different. For example, whether Cybil is a nice, attractive woman, or hostile and mean. Because it's all based on his interpretation of events, even if say Cybil wasn't particular friendly or hostile, Harry interprets it as such based on his own mindset and psyche.
Also, the MUSIC! Holy shit the music! Favorite songs, hands down:
"Always On My Mind" (Duh)
"Hell Frozen Rain"
Srsly, go out and PLAY THIS GAME! After the medicore, but serviceable romp that was Homecoming, something deeper and more engrossing like Shattered Memories is nice.
A Clarification
General | Posted 16 years agoI was recently made aware of a series of PCA journals regarding my "banning" (Yes, I'm the singular individual that the PCA didn't call by name) from the project. Having checked out said journals, I found myself rather amused by the response, and also that the situation was being misrepresented So I'll clarify a few things in a calm, logical manner:
1) Yes, I was asked to leave by the previous administrator, who is no longer with the project. He and I discussed the issue privately, wherein the decision was made. The rest of the "group" as it were, was only made aware of the decision after the fact.
2) Despite such statements like:
Also I think you misread what I was trying to get across. I said that instead of screaming and running down the road getting his friends to cause hell and start trouble and making the entire community look like a drama fest he should take it up privately with the administration.
and
Now, obviously we cannot stop people from continuing to work on PCA related art if we have banned them. We simply ask that they respect our request to stop and to not cause dissention or spread misinformation by asking others to do things for them.
I have not encouraged nor condoned the actions of my friends with regards to their journals or whatever views they have put forth. I have talked about it to them, yes, but I never insinuated they should start something. They have chosen to do so of their own free will. As I've been rather busy on my NaNo novel, I've not been privy to their actions until just recently. As for me continuing to write in the PCA, I have no desire to "wait" and let my characters decay in the extremely unlikely event that a "reversal" ever takes place.
As for "misinformation" I'm sure their side of the issue has been presented as to why I was removed, and I won't deny some of the charges are accurate.
That's all I wanted to say.
1) Yes, I was asked to leave by the previous administrator, who is no longer with the project. He and I discussed the issue privately, wherein the decision was made. The rest of the "group" as it were, was only made aware of the decision after the fact.
2) Despite such statements like:
Also I think you misread what I was trying to get across. I said that instead of screaming and running down the road getting his friends to cause hell and start trouble and making the entire community look like a drama fest he should take it up privately with the administration.
and
Now, obviously we cannot stop people from continuing to work on PCA related art if we have banned them. We simply ask that they respect our request to stop and to not cause dissention or spread misinformation by asking others to do things for them.
I have not encouraged nor condoned the actions of my friends with regards to their journals or whatever views they have put forth. I have talked about it to them, yes, but I never insinuated they should start something. They have chosen to do so of their own free will. As I've been rather busy on my NaNo novel, I've not been privy to their actions until just recently. As for me continuing to write in the PCA, I have no desire to "wait" and let my characters decay in the extremely unlikely event that a "reversal" ever takes place.
As for "misinformation" I'm sure their side of the issue has been presented as to why I was removed, and I won't deny some of the charges are accurate.
That's all I wanted to say.
A Winner is I
General | Posted 16 years agoComing in at 50,231 words, my written piece, Hypothesis, is done. Well, done in the sense that I reached 50,000 words. There will still be some heavy, HEAVY editing that needs to be done in order to make it complete as a work. But for right now, I'm taking a much, MUCH deserved rest.
PCA Fall Formal Dates
General | Posted 16 years ago
kaemantis
ceegee
xylen
luircinUpdates, SSDD
General | Posted 16 years agoWell, 2 days from Thanksgiving, and what am I up to?
...Not much really. I've been playing PMD2: EotS...some L4D2...a little TF2...not much in the way of hardcore gaming. But then, lacking a top-tier PC on which to play such over-hyped (but not necessarily unfun) titles such as Modern Warfare 2 or Dragon Age: Origins, I'm stuck with the games I already have. Not that it's a bad thing.
On that note, I have set down some money to pre-order Soul Silver and Mass Effect 2 (*squee*)
As far as my writing goes...not much going on there. I'll likely have a PCA Fall Formal piece up within the next few days, but right now I'm focusing on my NaNoWriMo novel, which currently sits at the wordcount listed above. That's right, I'm in the final stretch. Just under 10k words. Overall, while a strenuous challenge that tried both my creativity and my patience (and my ability to NOT procrastinate) but otherwise, quite fun. I'm definitely going to try again next year. With any luck, once my current novel reaches it's conclusion, I might touch it up a bit and submit it to a publisher/editor/whathaveyou. This being my first serious piece of creative fiction.
As far as Further Confusion is concerned...I may go, I may not go. Thing is I won't have the money till at least Christmas (since I STILL don't have a job, stupid economy), so any attendance on my part will come pretty much last minute, if at all. That said of course, I won't make any final decisions on my attendance or lack thereof until that time, unless something extremely overriding comes up.
And on that note, I need to get back to my writing, as I have a haircut appointment in an hour or so, and I want to seriously chug away at this writing. I'm hoping to get to 50k or more by this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!
...Not much really. I've been playing PMD2: EotS...some L4D2...a little TF2...not much in the way of hardcore gaming. But then, lacking a top-tier PC on which to play such over-hyped (but not necessarily unfun) titles such as Modern Warfare 2 or Dragon Age: Origins, I'm stuck with the games I already have. Not that it's a bad thing.
On that note, I have set down some money to pre-order Soul Silver and Mass Effect 2 (*squee*)
As far as my writing goes...not much going on there. I'll likely have a PCA Fall Formal piece up within the next few days, but right now I'm focusing on my NaNoWriMo novel, which currently sits at the wordcount listed above. That's right, I'm in the final stretch. Just under 10k words. Overall, while a strenuous challenge that tried both my creativity and my patience (and my ability to NOT procrastinate) but otherwise, quite fun. I'm definitely going to try again next year. With any luck, once my current novel reaches it's conclusion, I might touch it up a bit and submit it to a publisher/editor/whathaveyou. This being my first serious piece of creative fiction.
As far as Further Confusion is concerned...I may go, I may not go. Thing is I won't have the money till at least Christmas (since I STILL don't have a job, stupid economy), so any attendance on my part will come pretty much last minute, if at all. That said of course, I won't make any final decisions on my attendance or lack thereof until that time, unless something extremely overriding comes up.
And on that note, I need to get back to my writing, as I have a haircut appointment in an hour or so, and I want to seriously chug away at this writing. I'm hoping to get to 50k or more by this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!
How To Make An Argument Part 3: Neutrality and Moderation
General | Posted 16 years agoHey, decided to write up the third part to this little quasi-series of mine about the correct manner to make an argumentative statement. Now, I've always addressed logical fallacies, but here I'll address something even more important. You see, most logical fallacies aren't accidental. Some of them are, because they can be rather sneaky, or a person simply incorrect states their point (through no fault of their own). But the majority of fallacies are purposeful.
By "purposeful" I mean that you either honestly believe that this line is logical, (for example, you believe an Ad Hominem attack is a completely reasonable argument to make), or you're maliciously attempting to mislead your audience (this particularly heinous in my book). But either way, they spawn from the same overall problem. Bias.
Now of course, that was a rather general statement so I'll be more specific, when people allow their bias to cloud or otherwise taint their logic. This is particularly true on heated issues such as abortion, foreign policy, and gay rights. Both sides tend to let their emotions and bias get in the way of facts. And unfortunately, the more extreme people tend to have a much louder voice, because there's typically more of them, than us.
Now, I've heard two lines regarding neutrality, that make me rather upset. One was from a friend, who stated that "Neutrality is the argument of confusion, apathy, or ignorance." The other was a famous quote, which I believe goes: "There is a special place in Hell for those, who during great times of moral crisis, claim neutrality."
These, in my opinion are hugely egregious statements. After all, neutrality is NOT a bad stance to take. There is some truth in that many who are neutral either don't know the issue, don't care, or are confused as to the importance of an issue. But to say that Neutrality is a stance only taken by those who feel that way...is a big mistake. After all, given the heated polarization that some topic tend to generate, there is an understandable desire NOT to take a side.
Of course for most, choosing not to take a side is viewed as a cop-out. What's even worse, is when you take BOTH sides (aka Moderation) and get slammed as being wishy-washy. But, when making an arugmentative statement, moderation and neutrality are the way to go.
Remember what I said about, when making an arugment you acknowledge counter-arguments and possible weaknesses. This is called academic honesty. Those of you science majors should we well aware of this process and the saying "Publish or Die." That is to say, in order for an idea to appear logical, sound, and sturdy, you MUST, I repeat, MUST acknowledge it's flaws or imperfections. That's not to say that you can't offer counter points to these counter arguments, but you must recognize your own weakness.
Now for many and especially in the political arena, this is unheard of, or treated as a stupid idea. After all, why admit to weakness and give your opponents an opening? What most don't recognize is that in approaching from a stance of moderation, you actually leave yourself FEWER openings. After all, if you acknowledge your own possible problems, your opponents can't use them against you, since you've already addressed them. Looks quite silly to have someone rant about an issue you've already recognized, huh?
That being said, while there are plenty of upsides to Neutrality and Moderation, be prepared to deal with the big nasty issues that go along with it, mostly the fact that, as you stand in the room, rather than your back to either wall, you leave yourself open to assault from all sides. But remember. It's ALWAYS better to be somewhat displaced from a particularly heated argument, to take a stance somewhere in the middle, then to let yourself be dragged to one extreme or the other.
By "purposeful" I mean that you either honestly believe that this line is logical, (for example, you believe an Ad Hominem attack is a completely reasonable argument to make), or you're maliciously attempting to mislead your audience (this particularly heinous in my book). But either way, they spawn from the same overall problem. Bias.
Now of course, that was a rather general statement so I'll be more specific, when people allow their bias to cloud or otherwise taint their logic. This is particularly true on heated issues such as abortion, foreign policy, and gay rights. Both sides tend to let their emotions and bias get in the way of facts. And unfortunately, the more extreme people tend to have a much louder voice, because there's typically more of them, than us.
Now, I've heard two lines regarding neutrality, that make me rather upset. One was from a friend, who stated that "Neutrality is the argument of confusion, apathy, or ignorance." The other was a famous quote, which I believe goes: "There is a special place in Hell for those, who during great times of moral crisis, claim neutrality."
These, in my opinion are hugely egregious statements. After all, neutrality is NOT a bad stance to take. There is some truth in that many who are neutral either don't know the issue, don't care, or are confused as to the importance of an issue. But to say that Neutrality is a stance only taken by those who feel that way...is a big mistake. After all, given the heated polarization that some topic tend to generate, there is an understandable desire NOT to take a side.
Of course for most, choosing not to take a side is viewed as a cop-out. What's even worse, is when you take BOTH sides (aka Moderation) and get slammed as being wishy-washy. But, when making an arugmentative statement, moderation and neutrality are the way to go.
Remember what I said about, when making an arugment you acknowledge counter-arguments and possible weaknesses. This is called academic honesty. Those of you science majors should we well aware of this process and the saying "Publish or Die." That is to say, in order for an idea to appear logical, sound, and sturdy, you MUST, I repeat, MUST acknowledge it's flaws or imperfections. That's not to say that you can't offer counter points to these counter arguments, but you must recognize your own weakness.
Now for many and especially in the political arena, this is unheard of, or treated as a stupid idea. After all, why admit to weakness and give your opponents an opening? What most don't recognize is that in approaching from a stance of moderation, you actually leave yourself FEWER openings. After all, if you acknowledge your own possible problems, your opponents can't use them against you, since you've already addressed them. Looks quite silly to have someone rant about an issue you've already recognized, huh?
That being said, while there are plenty of upsides to Neutrality and Moderation, be prepared to deal with the big nasty issues that go along with it, mostly the fact that, as you stand in the room, rather than your back to either wall, you leave yourself open to assault from all sides. But remember. It's ALWAYS better to be somewhat displaced from a particularly heated argument, to take a stance somewhere in the middle, then to let yourself be dragged to one extreme or the other.
This photo meme thingie
General | Posted 16 years agoOkay, seriously people, STOP BITCHING. You only look silly whining about people posting a photo of themselves. If you don't like it, nuke the submissions. It's what he button is there for. Or better yet, check your FA regularly! Don't wait a week, then come back and complain about how you have over 9000 things to sort through!! (I'm looking at you 
midekai You know of what I speak of!)
Really, complaining about how much this meme sucks is like the PC gamers bitching about how Modern Warfare 2 doesn't have dedicated servers, and are trying (read: failing) to boycott the game. Honestly, if you don't like it, just ignore it and move on. It'll clear itself up eventually! But don't just stand around and make all sorts of noise because you don't like what you see. It's not going to stop anyone.
midekai You know of what I speak of!)Really, complaining about how much this meme sucks is like the PC gamers bitching about how Modern Warfare 2 doesn't have dedicated servers, and are trying (read: failing) to boycott the game. Honestly, if you don't like it, just ignore it and move on. It'll clear itself up eventually! But don't just stand around and make all sorts of noise because you don't like what you see. It's not going to stop anyone.
OH EMM GEE! *laughs!* The Onion did it again!
General | Posted 16 years agohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-faCh8BUEts
Wow. This. Is. Awesome!
Honestly, ever since Glenn got his own TV show he has been a completely ignorant asshat. But still when I saw the title I could NOT stop laughing.
REMEMBER, GLENN BECK MAY HAVE RAPED AND MURDERED A YOUNG GIRL! *falls over giggling*
Wow. This. Is. Awesome!
Honestly, ever since Glenn got his own TV show he has been a completely ignorant asshat. But still when I saw the title I could NOT stop laughing.
REMEMBER, GLENN BECK MAY HAVE RAPED AND MURDERED A YOUNG GIRL! *falls over giggling*
National Novel Writing Month Solution
General | Posted 16 years agoThanks to everyone who talked to me and offered their opinions on which idea I should run with. I'm already well under way now, and with any luck I'll actually pull this off. Longest piece I've ever written was only 11k words, so I've got to write something approximately 5 times that long. Will likely be the single longest piece of writing I will have ever done to date. From now till it ends, I'll be using the Journal Header to note my progress. Wish me luck~
National Novel Writing Month Dilemma
General | Posted 16 years agoAlright, this is my first NaNoWriMo, and I've decided to dip into my favorite genre (Science Fiction). Unfortunately, I have three distinctly different ideas, either of which is good, but I absolutely MUST choose one and stick to it! I'd love some input:
1) Aliens visit and offer to rocket us into the Golden Age, in exchange, they want our kids (12-18) as vessels for information, to teach them, to make them the next generation of the new human race. But there's a bit more to this than meets the eye, and things quickly get complicated.
2) The life of a race, from the it's single-celled origins, all the way till they reach the depths, and possibly discover whether God does or does not exist (This was inspired by a particularly interesting run of Spore, a recent video game)
3) A nigh-omnipotent alien being decides to perform a social engineering experiment on the human race to test a hypothesis. Unfortunately, the experiment has rather disastrous, apocalyptic results for us. The only surviving (and unwilling participant) of the experiment becomes the world's hottest commodity, as he may have somehow inherited a portion of this rather awesome power as a result. Let the race begin.
So...thoughts? Most opinions point to idea #1, or #3, and I need to specifically narrow it down.
1) Aliens visit and offer to rocket us into the Golden Age, in exchange, they want our kids (12-18) as vessels for information, to teach them, to make them the next generation of the new human race. But there's a bit more to this than meets the eye, and things quickly get complicated.
2) The life of a race, from the it's single-celled origins, all the way till they reach the depths, and possibly discover whether God does or does not exist (This was inspired by a particularly interesting run of Spore, a recent video game)
3) A nigh-omnipotent alien being decides to perform a social engineering experiment on the human race to test a hypothesis. Unfortunately, the experiment has rather disastrous, apocalyptic results for us. The only surviving (and unwilling participant) of the experiment becomes the world's hottest commodity, as he may have somehow inherited a portion of this rather awesome power as a result. Let the race begin.
So...thoughts? Most opinions point to idea #1, or #3, and I need to specifically narrow it down.
So...Dems are idiots, hm?
General | Posted 16 years agoNow normally, I don't get into political arguments. In fact, I try to keep a wide berth of politics. But one of 
cigarskunk's journals made the broad generalization about the political party which he so despises (In fact, it's a recent journal about Democrats being idiots and racist, shouldn't be hard to find):
That's because informed voters never vote Democrat - who in their right mind would vote for a Democrat knowing the Dem's full agenda?
So, apparently the only people who ever vote Democrat are uninformed idiots. So...if the liberals are all idiots, then how do the Republicans explain this?
http://www.republicansforrape.org/why-rape/
Yes, I am aware that this site is satire, but it DOES bring up an extremely unusual issue. Senator Al Franken wrote an amendment, whose contents are described here:
http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00308
Basically, the amendment would prohibit the government from spending Federal funds on companies which force their employees to use private arbitration as a means of settling disputes, such as sexual harassment. Note, the amendment does NOT eliminate arbitration, it simply states that companies cannot force employees to use arbitration. If the choice of arbitration or non-arbitration is voluntary, the company is okay.
Now, the voting was 68-30, with two senators abstaining to vote, and 10 Republicans voting FOR the amendment! (Holy crap!) But here comes the part that'll blow your mind. Those 30 who voted against the amendment?
All. REPUBLICAN.
And Cigarskunk says Democrats are stupid? I think someone opened their mouth and inserted their own foot down into their stomach.
One of the Senators called the bill an attack on the Halliburton Company. Really? Requiring that a company not force employees to deal with harassment issues in private isn't asking much.
So, can someone to explain to me why anyone would be against such an amendment. Also, as I was warned that apparently the words "Free Market" would be possibly the sole defense, if you use 'Free Market', you are required to explain it in detail, though I expect everyone to explain in detail their reasonings. Also, make it a working argument. Logical fallacies will not be tolerated.
Also, just for kicks: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/w.....2009/rape-nuts This is awesome. Pretty much how I felt about this.
cigarskunk's journals made the broad generalization about the political party which he so despises (In fact, it's a recent journal about Democrats being idiots and racist, shouldn't be hard to find):That's because informed voters never vote Democrat - who in their right mind would vote for a Democrat knowing the Dem's full agenda?
So, apparently the only people who ever vote Democrat are uninformed idiots. So...if the liberals are all idiots, then how do the Republicans explain this?
http://www.republicansforrape.org/why-rape/
Yes, I am aware that this site is satire, but it DOES bring up an extremely unusual issue. Senator Al Franken wrote an amendment, whose contents are described here:
http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00308
Basically, the amendment would prohibit the government from spending Federal funds on companies which force their employees to use private arbitration as a means of settling disputes, such as sexual harassment. Note, the amendment does NOT eliminate arbitration, it simply states that companies cannot force employees to use arbitration. If the choice of arbitration or non-arbitration is voluntary, the company is okay.
Now, the voting was 68-30, with two senators abstaining to vote, and 10 Republicans voting FOR the amendment! (Holy crap!) But here comes the part that'll blow your mind. Those 30 who voted against the amendment?
All. REPUBLICAN.
And Cigarskunk says Democrats are stupid? I think someone opened their mouth and inserted their own foot down into their stomach.
One of the Senators called the bill an attack on the Halliburton Company. Really? Requiring that a company not force employees to deal with harassment issues in private isn't asking much.
So, can someone to explain to me why anyone would be against such an amendment. Also, as I was warned that apparently the words "Free Market" would be possibly the sole defense, if you use 'Free Market', you are required to explain it in detail, though I expect everyone to explain in detail their reasonings. Also, make it a working argument. Logical fallacies will not be tolerated.
Also, just for kicks: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/w.....2009/rape-nuts This is awesome. Pretty much how I felt about this.
