Surrogates - Movie about a future where the American people live all their lives through robotic surrogates that make murder a thing of the past until a new technology is used to destroy the surrogate of/kill the son of the man who had originally invented Surrogates, which in turn sparks a civil war that a single FBI agent, disposessed from his Surrogate for the first time in years and in command of only his own body, is trying to stop.

The Crazies - A USAF cargo plane transporting a top-secret specimen crashes into the river that feeds the water supply of a small town in the American Midwest, isolated from any other form of civilization. The infectious disease turns ordinary, normal human beings into crazed, sadistic killers. The sheriff, his deputy, and the sheriff's pregnant wife seem to be the only ones not infected and attempt to break through the Army blockade of the town.

The Rock - When former Marines (some of them disgruntled Vietnam veterans) seize control of the prison of Alcatraz and threaten to launch 15 VX-gas rockets (a teaspoon of VX gas is capable of killing 8 city blocks) at San Fransisco unless a sum of $100-million dollars is paid in order to compensate to the families who had lost people in the Vietnam War, the FBI recruits the help of the only prisoner ever known to get off of Alcatraz island in an attempt to stop the Marines before it's too late.

Terminator: Salvation - The year is 2018, and Skynet has given up on the idea of sending Terminators back in time, instead deciding to find and kill Kyle Reese and John Connor (both members of the large militaristic Human Resistance) in the present time, using a new form of Terminator more human than anything that had ever been devised before--the only problem is that the Terminator thinks it is human and vehemently opposes Skynet when it learns what it truly is.

Beat that.

My mother has malignant cancer and no idea of how long she has to live, I'm starting to have small seizures in cold tempuratures, people are giving my friends shit, I'm almost consistently sick with one thing or another, nobody I know has any money for essentials and much less wanted items for themselves (I don't either), my schedule is taken up with retarded shit that gets thought up at the last minute by some idiots who want to destroy any and all individuality, my art block is back again (the stupid kind that makes it impossible to get ideas out on paper to the point where the ideas start to wither and die), I'm probably failing all or most of my classes, I can't sleep worth a shit, I forget things that I'm going to say a mere instant before saying them, the power keeps going out, and my dad is being a fucking asshole about my preferences (sexual and otherwise) again.

I am having a very, very bad day. My life seems to be falling apart around me and there is nothing, nothing that I can do to stop it. Now, my only possible escape from this day-to-day shit is also disappearing fast. I'm not normal, never was, and I never will be normal. I don't want to be normal. But I'm all alone in the world now. Suicidal thoughts are setting in, and while I never really came close to this before, I think that I may not even live to see my legal release into the world. I'll never get to see my "oyster".

I fear that I may have a heart attack before the year is over, and even more than that I fear that I won't be able to see my mother again before she passes away, whenever that may be. I don't know. I need to know. But I never will know. Everybody is trying to bring me down. The whole world is my fucking enemy now. All of humanity. And as much as I want to strike back and reclaim that small shard of sanity that I could have at some point called my life, I know that I won't stand a chance.

Sometimes you just have to go out with a bang.


-Vatz-

Contest with crazy-good prizes.
I seem to be entering lots of contests lately...

Anyways. Specific rules/prizes over on this journal here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1679663/
Crazy good prizes. Crazy good.

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1678112/ for free m/m yiff art.

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1677093/

Read this for the rules and such. The creator was going to sell it at a starting price of $300, and it kept going down and down until finally they just want to get rid of the damned thing.


If you want a free fursuit (or a fursuit at all) then this might be your chance :3

That's right. Free art. And this isn't an ad for somebody else.

I feel especially generous (and a bit insane at the moment, and feel that this should help with things later).

So I am going to ask a set of questions in a series of journals. And whoever wins each round gets a free gift (not saying when it'll arrive on FA since I can never scan things and my style is very inconsistent at the best of times, but I'll stick to it and upload it when I can).

So. First round. Whoever answers this question correctly gets another question asked via Reply to Comment, and if they answer that one correctly, they get another question asked, and so on. If they manage to answer five correctly, they get free art and a new round begins in a new journal. If they get a wrong answer three times after the first question (not necessarily on the same question), then they're out and a new round begins. If they get out on the first question, then the round continues until somebody clears it and moves on. There is no limit to the number of times you can play, win or lose.

Let's hope that's clear and concise.

ROUND ONE

What famous 1980's movie is this quotation from?
"This isn't Geneva, this is America."

Anyone who can tell me what that's from gets a prize.

They need to do this from memory only, and tell me where they first heard/saw the phrase as proof. If it matches what I have in mind, then I'll do something artistic for the lucky bastard who gets it right.

Ready? Set, Go.


In an unrelated subject, I am going to clear out my Artist Info and start from scratch. It's getting too big.

Now my new Steam password isn't fucking working, which means that either Steam is being fucking retarded again or somebody changed it again.

Probably going to just make a new account, since Valve still hasn't begun working on getting it back. And everyone else to be hit by the bot already got theirs back (some within mintes of getting attacked).



EDIT: Got it back.

Allow me to break every single trend I encounter on FA by saying this:

No, this shit does not remind me of fucking Final Fantasy, I have no love for the series, and I do not like SD Gundam. I don't even like fuckin' Pokemon. How I roll when it comes to Japanese stuff:

Sushi = Good

OLD Gundam shows (the ones with all the non-sentient Mobile Suits that looked like...well, war machines and not ballet dancers) = Good

Gundam Wing = Good

Robotech (doesn't strictly count as Japanese since the actual ROBOTECH story and characters are American--only the animation was Japanese) = Good

Dragon Ball Z = Okay

Japanese weaponry (I mean real weapons, not those stupid big-ass swords with guns built into them from Japanese games) = Good

Ancient Japanese Culture = Somewhat different and hard to work with, but still Good

Modern Japanese Culture/Everything Else (games etc.) = Ehmmmhmm...I'm just gonna walk away and end this now...and throw up somewhere....


Tschau!

And I am going to fucking KILL the fuckass that fucking did this.


DO NOT CONTACT ME UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ON STEAM FOR ANY REASON UNTIL THIS IS FIXED.

I WILL POST A NEW JOURNAL WHEN IT HAS BEEN FIXED.


[u][b]DO NOT CONTACT ME ON STEAM FOR ANY REASON
AT ALL
EVER
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE[/u][/b]

So I'm supposed to answer every single question on this with ONLY yes or no, with NO explanation whatsoever. Unless someone askes me about if afterwards.

Kissed any one of your Facebook friends? ---No
Been arrested? ---Yes
Kissed someone you didn't like? ---No
Slept in until 5 PM? --- Yes
Fallen asleep at work/school? ---Yes
Ran a red light? ---Yes
Been suspended from school? ---Yes
Experienced love at first sight? ---Yes
Totalled your car in an accident? ---No
Been fired from a job? ---Yes
Fired somebody? ---No
Sang karaoke? ---Yes
Pointed a gun at someone? ---Yes
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? ---Yes
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? ---Yes
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? ---Yes
Kissed in the rain? ---No
Had a close brush with death (your own)? ---Yes
Seen someone die? ---Yes
Played spin-the-bottle? ---No
Sang in the shower? --- Yes
Smoked a cigar? ---No
Sat on a rooftop? ---Yes
Taken pictures of yourself naked? ---Yes
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? ---Yes
Skipped school? ---Yes
Eaten a bug? ---No
Sleepwalked? --Yes
Walked a moonlit beach? ---No
Ridden a motorcycle? ---No
Dumped someone? ---Yes
Forgotten your anniversary? ---No
Lied to avoid a ticket? ---Yes
Ridden on a helicopter? ---Yes
Shaved your head? ---No
Blacked out from drinking? ---No
Played a prank on someone? ---Yes
Hit a home run? ---No
Felt like killing someone? ---Yes
Cross-dressed? ---Yes
Been falling-down drunk? ---No
Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? ---Yes
Eaten snake? --- No
Marched/Protested? ---No
Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? ---No
Puked on amusement ride? ---No
Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? ---Yes
Been in a band? ---No
Knitted? ---Yes
Been on TV? ---No
Shot a gun? ---Yes
Skinny-dipped? ---No
Caused someone to need stitches? ---No
Ridden a surfboard? ---No
Drank straight from a liquor bottle? ---Yes
Had surgery? ---Yes
Streaked? ---No
Taken by ambulance to hospital? ---No
Passed out when not drinking? ---Yes
Peed on a bush? ---Yes
Donated Blood? ---No
Grabbed electric fence? ---Yes
Eaten alligator meat? ---No
Eaten cheesecake? ---Yes
Eaten kids' Halloween candy? ---Yes
Killed an animal when not hunting? ---Yes
Peed your pants in public? ---Yes
Written graffiti? ---Yes
Still love someone you shouldn't? ---Yes
Think about the future? ---Yes
Been in handcuffs? ---Yes
Believe in love? ---Yes
Sleep on a certain side of the bed? ---Yes

A - AVAILABLE: Dunno. Relationships don't ever work out for me.

B - BIRTHDAY: May 15th

C - CRUSHING ON: Nobody right now.

D - DRINK YOU LAST HAD: Dr. Pepper kicks ass.

E - EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: Vipes.

F - FAVORITE SONG: Dunno. Ask again in seven hours.

G - GUMMY: Gangrene.

H - HOMETOWN: Somewhere in the OK.

I - IN LOVE WITH: Read the "Available" section.

J - JUGGLE: Chainsaws. In traffic. On a bike flying off a bikeramp.

K - KILLED SOMEONE: Yes.

L - LONGEST CAR RIDE: About two days.

M- MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: Chocolate.

N - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: Meh.

O - ONE WISH: Be an alternating coonfox and hyena.

P - PERSON YOU CALLED LAST: Some guy in Idaho, on accident. I hate pocket-dialers :/

Q- QUOTE: Brain's not working right now in the memory department.

R- REASON TO SMILE: Seeing something cute or funny.

S - SONG YOU LAST HEARD: Nicknoway - The Outer Universe (here on FA).

T - TIME YOU WOKE: 2:30-ish pm.

U- UMBRELLA: Useful tool.

V - VEGETABLE(S): Broccoli?

W - WORST HABIT: Language.

X - X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: One of my chest and several of my head.

Y – YOYOS ARE: Amazing works of art and engineering.

Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Taurus.

I came to a real, true conclusion. I'm fucking useless and not good for anything. Anything. I can't do anything right. I try to help people and come out the pariah every time, making things worse and being hated for it. I can't keep a stable relationship, I can't draw consistently, I can't write in a awy that makes sense to anybody else, I can't edit because I get too fucking distracted, I can't get a real job since I can't actually pay attention in a learning environment and I forget almost all of what I learn anyway. I can't even see things clearly. I have no real talent worth noting, I always make things worse than they really are, and I cn't control my temper in an argument, always making me look like the one at fault and the one who's an idiot--and always when I'm the one who's right. My reputation isn't big at all (although I delude myself into thinking I am at least noticeable to others, which I'm not, even in the slightest), I compusively steal things from people and don't return them (I can't fucking help it), I eat too much (I don't gain any fucking weight, but I burn through my pantry too fucking fast), my voice is horrible (which disqualifies me from singing), I can't get my ideas down in any way, and I'm generally too involved in my own stupid imaginary events to really notice what's going on around me in real life until somebody starts to shout at me. My only real friends are my imaginary ones, and even they aren't there for me when I need them the most...none of them except one, and I always push her away...never give her a chance to voice her opinion...she's a real person with real thoughts and feelings, even if she is imaginary...and I never listen to her. I should have--if I did, then all the shit I got into could have been avoided. I'm morbidly obsessed with death and painful things, and I sometimes think that I'm addicted to the feeling of loneliness, betrayal, heartbreak, and sorrow. It's like I can't get enough of it, even though I hate it so much when someone leaves me...it happens so often, but not fucking often enough to make me feel satisfied...I don't want to be satisfied with that....I need help, but nobody will ever give it to me. I help other people but in the end they leave me for dead as if I never even existed to them, or as if I was just a fucking tool to get to what they really wanted. That's how most of my relationships end. I can't even tell when somebody is joking or if they really mean something, and I start a fucking fight over it. I can never sleep...I wake up late and miss appointments and school over this stupid fixation on things that I can't even begin to explain or understand myself. My only real solace is in music--not in making music, since I don't have and never will have the skill to actually make music--but in things like Renard's works, or in Bush or 3 Doors Down. Renard especially, though...I listen to his lyrical works like the Figurehead album and Take Me To Space And Back, and I can never get over how extensively and perfectly they mirror my real thoughts and feelings...if it weren't for his music I probably woudl have killed myself a long time ago. I feel like I can only feel at home in a desolate, abandoned place like a post-nuclear Earth, or something like Folsom or the fictional Black Mesa after the bomb had destroyed the surface. Things like The Road are like far off, perfect realities for me. I want more than anything else to become perfect, and my version of perfection is seemingly unattainable--but only because nobody has ever seriously put time and effort into trying to make it a reality. I know how it would work, but fuck if I could ever do it myself or even with help. I will probably never be perfect. Even if it did work somehow, I would be hated and demonized more than I ever have been in the past, and probably hunted down and killed, scared, tired, and alone in the world. The human race is fucking abominable. It really makes me sick. Physically sick. I'm out of steam now...I really can't think of anything else to say at the moment...I'll leave it at this for now. Not like anybody cares about me enough to read this anyway....I need a drink and time to talk to my original love and only truly understanding friend...the one that's not "real". We need to make up for past failures...mostly, if not all, mine.

we're just a wish away

27th letter

much maligned

beat me clever

say you will

nevermind

open up

open wide




Lyrics ripped from a favorite Bush song.
Anybody else listen to this wicked shxt band?

Stole'd it from  strype.

Ahem.

Ganked from McArson, Cherushi AND Muzz at the SAME TIME! The three pieces create the TriForce of Retardation, and must be glued together with the leftover ejaculate scraped from the inside crotch area of a fursuit [NOTE: I'm pretty sure Strype wrote this part....]



[ ] you meow/bark to get attention
[x] you find pets toys amusing
[ ] you get hyper by the smell of catnip
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone gets too close to your food
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone you dislike is too close to you
[x] you purr/shake your leg when someone shows you affection
[ ] if someone tosses a ball, you chase it and brings it back
Total: 2

[x] you love to be scratched behind the ear
[x] you love fish/meat
[ ] you like to stick your head out trough the window of a moving car
[x] you like when people pet your head
[x] people can make you stop doing stuff by hitting you on the nose with a newspaper
[x] you think feathers are fun to play with
Total: 5

[x] you sleep a lot during daytime
[ ] you enjoy scaring birds
[ ] you lick peoples faces to show you like them
[ ] you bite people if they annoy you
[ ] you tend to steal food from your friends/family's plate when you have eaten all of yours
[ ] milk or water is your favorite drink (good Ol' Water can't be beat!)
Total: 1

[ ] you own a collar and you enjoy wearing it
[ ] you own a leash and enjoy wearing it
[ ] you own animal ears/tail/paws or a fursuit
[ ] you enjoy long walks in the park
[ ] you meow/bark when you see something you want
Total: 0

[x] you call your hands and feet "paws"
[x] you tilt your head when you do not understand what someone is talking about
[ ] you run to the door when someone mentions a walk
[x] you really enjoy cuddling
[x] you stretch your body and whimper a bit every morning when you wake up
[x] you can wake up and go back to sleep right away after looking around
Total: 5

[ ] you have your favorite spot besides your bed where you like to sleep
[ ] you meow or bark very often
[ ] you hide when you get scared
[x] you run to the door to see who it is every time someone comes in to the house
[x] you like to chase flying insects and try to catch them with your bare hand
[ ] you tend to chew on stuff a lot
[ ] you like to do tricks to get a treat
Total: 2

[x] you own a wearable item/tag with your name on it
[x] you refer to your self as an animal
[x] your username has something to do with animals
[x] your e-mail has something to do with animals
[ ] if you get a bleeding wound, you lick it to make it feel better
[ ] you look for edible stuff often
Total: 4

[x] you often find yourself looking through the window for a long time
[ ] you like to say hi to strangers
[ ] you like to be petted when you have done something good
[x] people think you act like a pet
[ ] you growl/hiss at stuff you do not like
[ ] you like to eat grass
[ ] if you get wet, you shake to get rid of the water
Total: 2
Final Total: 21


Now, take your score and multiply it with by two to get your final score.


Final Score: 42% Hurpy Derpy Furfaggity Furry

Aww, damn. I didn't make it. Came close though.

DOOM 3 and State of Decay (and a cute little fox nomad doodle on FA--check my favorites for it) pulled me out of my super-long art block (which was an inability to get my ideas onto paper rather than a lack of ideas). Drew a little psycho kitty with a flamethrower, a zombie from DOOM 3 (the jawless huge-freak-ass-eyes-that-glow carries a wrench kind with an engineering jacket kind...the exact same kind had attempted to climb onto a box I was standing on and walked around for hours staring at me in the game itself...so now I know what it is about zombies I hate so much), and a dragonish Gen-8 Combat Revivor with some DOOM-ish armor and an M16...so...yeah. I'm out of my fucking art block now.

Post comments?

...don't give a shit.

Quote: "'We know the event is accurate. You were convicted of murdering that woman--this is a verifiable event. You're claiming now that your confessions was a lie?'
'I was not lying.'
'So you did, in fact, stab Noelle Hyde with a kitchen knife?'
'I did not.'
'You confessed. All the polygraph sensors and computer models validated your confession.'
'I was not lying.'
'Then you're lying now.'
'No.'
'They can't both be the truth. The event occured once, in one way. Not two.'
'In both cases, I was asked to tell the truth. In both cases, I related the information without alteration.'
'So you feel now the information you believed in life was false?'
'I don't know. I gain nothing by denying it now.'
'You either did or did not commit that crime. Events happen only one way,' Fawkes insisted.
'Are you sure?'
'Yes,' he snapped. 'Reanimation doesn't open the minds to parallel experiences and somehow replace perceptions of events with alternate possibilities.'
'Are you sure?'
'You killed her. Something corrupted those memories.'
'If it did,' Zhang [the zombie] said with the certainty of one who didn't care one way or the other, 'then I will never have any way of knowing which ones. By extension, neither will you.'"

Excerpt from State of Decay by James Knapp.


Zombies don't give a shit.

...are fucking pathetic. What the hell? Seriously? Now my friend Vipes (aka  amnail) has his account stolen by "Russians" who want to...talk to me? What the fuck is that shit?

If I knew any fucking Russians, then I'd be glad to talk to them. Russians are cool shit (even after seeing Red Dawn). But I don't know any Russians. I knew a few wannabe Russians once when I was back in school (they hung out every day in the back of the campus chugging vodka, usually), but I don't know any on the Internet (and just because somebody says they're Russian does not mean they are). Somebody who steals my friend's Steam and MSN accounts, removes himself from all former friend lists, then claims to be a Russian hacker and demands to talk to me is...frankly, probably abused at home, drunk, and high on dogshit rolled up in leaves all at the same time.

I know plenty of liars, sure. The bloody Internet is full of 'em. I know plenty of people who joke about what they are (a Mexican friend who claims to be Jewish, for example). I've talked to a few people on FA who happen to be Russian. But I don't know any fucking Russians, and I don't think I ever will. Even if I end up fighting for America in the inevitable World War III or whatever the fuck, I won't actually get a chance to know the people I'm shooting at. This isn't a Tom Clancy POW novel. This isn't Guatanamo Bay, with all those innocent (base 5% chance +5 per level of being a real terrorist leader) fucks that manage to occasionally convert one of the guards to Islam. This isn't a "new kid on the block" movie of some kind where everybody is happy and knows each other at the end.

The short, simple truth is that whoever the fuck cracked my friend's account to talk to me is a fucking loser with no friends, no family, no future, and no life. They'd be better off trying to drown themselves in cement or swimming through concrete than deluding themselves into thinking I could have anything that I'd want to talk to them about, or that they're Russians--which they fucking aren't.

Vipes, I hope that somehow you get your account back or manage to make a new one that won't get stolen. I also hope that you can create a newer, more secure MSN account that won't get cracked by some idiot with no future, holed up in his grandmother's basement, feasting on Snack Packs and screaming about his command center being impenetrable to zombies. Such sad souls don't have any place on this Earth.

...I have only one thing to say.

Trolls are pathetic. I win.

Do you:
01) [x] You own tools that you use regularly.
02) [x] You carry a wallet.
03) [x] You prefer movies or shows where there is more action than romance.
04) [x] You spit on the ground when not in a building.
05) [x] You scratch where it itches when it itches
06) [x] Your idea of good footwear is boots or tough tennis shoes.
07) [x] Your wardrobe only changes if you gain weight or the clothes fall apart.
08) [x] You don't count calories when eating.
09) [x] You have deodorant strong enough to make you socially acceptable but not strong enough to make you smell like it.
10) [x] You tend to wipe your hands on your clothes instead of a napkin.

Do you love:
11) [x] Video games
12) [x] Working on mechanical items.
13) [x] Building things.
14) [ ] Working out on gym machines
15) [x] Getting in and out of stores as quickly as possible [NOTE: Depends on the store.]
16) [ ] Football
17) [ ] Baseball
18) [ ] Wrestling
19) [ ] Boxing
20) [ ] Hunting and/or fishing.

Do you shop at:
21) [x] Home Depot
22) [x] Lowe's
23) [ ] Big and Tall men's stores
24) [x] Hunting and Fishing supply shops
25) [x] Auto supply stores or other mechanic shops
26) [x] Hobby shops
27) [x] Comic book stores
28) [x] Sports supply stores
29) [x] Video game stores
30) [x] Electronic supply stores

Do you say:
31) [x] Son
32) [x] I can fix it.
33) [ ] Man-up
34) [ ] When I was your age [NOTE: Only because I'm not yet old enough (40+) for that to be a valid phrase.]
35) [x] Don't be a wuss.
36) [x] It's just a scratch
37) [x] Take it like a man.
38) [x] That's not how you do it.
39) [x] (Shit)
40) [x] Here's your (insert profanity and what the person just said)

Do you read:
41) [ ] Field and Stream.
42) [ ] Bear Magazine
43) [ ] Playboy
44) [ ] Sports Illustrated
45) [ ] Pro Football Weekly
46) [ ] Comic books
47) [ ] Men's Health
48) [ ] Men's Fitness
49) [ ] Men's Journal
50) [ ] Private Media Group, Inc.

:31:

x (31) times 2 = 62

Total Score on the Manliness Bar: 62%


Notes: Needs to include less "Men's [insert subject here]" and more varied things like "Car Magazines", "War/Political Novels", "Military Biographies", "Conservative Magazines", and "Gun Magazines"--I do read those types of things but they weren't on the list. If they had been, I expect I'd have made about a 68% or 70% on the test.

First of all, I plan on opening my online store within two to three months!!!

Second of all, I've got a few awesome surprises in store for those of you who dig Cold War Russia stuff (ever seen Red Dawn?), I've got lots of it (and for you Russians out there, I've got plenty of American-bashing as well--I'm a proud American, but I recognize the problems we have ;])! I even have some items of furry interest (sorry, no Adult things, although I have a few Mature items in my inventory) for those of you who want that :3

Remember: It'll open in two to three months (I'm shooting for two) and it'll have Russian stuff, American stuff, and furry stuff. It'll have cool things, funny things, and somewhat "uhm...what?" things. It'll all be awesome :3

Comment with your questions and opinions, please :3

"What the fuck are they?" "Where did they come from?" "What do they want with us?"
The three main questions asked whenever strange new lifeforms are encountered. Those are also the same questions I imagined a moderate group of hunters/friends/family members (all in the early teens to late fifties age range) would ask if they had been staying (on vacation) in a cabin in the backcountry when one day, early in the morning, an anthro wolf, rat, and raccoon, all in body armor and all carrying weapons (the wolf an RPD and a PP2000, the raccoon an M4A1 and two Glock 17s, and the rat a Glock 18 and a silenced M16A4--very modern, high-tech firearms) had been seen walking towards the house, through the woods, and then into the kitchen to raid the food stores (all three are clearly emaciated and exhausted)--the heavily armed wolf tiredly keeping watch while the raccoon and rat pull out three black trash bags (one for each soldier) and start filling them with food, not aware that they are being watched (that animal instinct that alerts an animal to danger can dull if the animal does not eat or sleep, after all) by the inhabitants of the house, just a few rooms away. They [the animals] wear identical green BDUs and all have an unrecognizable flag patch on their shoulder. The wolf has on a black bandanna, the raccoon wears a headband with german wording, and the rat wears an engineering cap (again, with an unrecognizable symbol on it). They talk to each other quietly in low tones, speaking slightly accented English, commenting about the lack of people on the way to the house and marveling at their luck even finding it in the first place (they were entirely out of supplies and hadn't eaten in over a week, and were on the brink of collapse), debating whether or not to stay the night and move out in the morning (move out to where, they do not say). The wolf supports the idea the raccoon proposes, but the rat doesn't feel too strongly about it (he argues that the original inhabitants might discover them--oblivious to the ironic fact that they're already being watched) and suggests that they just take the food and look for a safe place to sleep in the woods. The raccoon considers this silently, but the wolf laughs without any humor and says "At this point, I don't even care if we're discovered. I just want to eat something and then sleep in a real bed for one night." Although the raccoon and rat both share this feeling, they remain cautious. In the other room, the human hunters quietly consider their own course of action while the younger ones keep quiet and stay out of sight of the windows (they don't know if there are any more animal things out there). They consider shooting them, but one looks at the animal trio and takes in the kevlar vests and big fully-automatic guns they carry, then at the hunters' bolt-action game rifles and shotguns. He shakes his head, no. There is no telling what the animals would even do if they discovered that they were being watched. At that point they hear the wolf say "So if we do stay here the night, what the hell are we supposed to do if the original owners show up and find us? We're on our own now, remember?" The raccoon replies "Yes, I remember fully what our situation is, Javier. We were lucky to get out of there with our skins intact. After the landing, the three of us are totally isolated. For all anyone else knows, we could be floating in space with aliens surrounding us." The rat laughs and calls the raccoon out. "You call that a landing? The damn pod nearly broke up when we left the plane! Next time, I fly, alright?" The animals are obviously more relaxed now, happy to have food and feeling secure, at least for the moment. The wolf Javier props his RPD against the fridge and kneels to retie his boot laces, while the raccoon and the rat finish filling the bags with food and tie them off to prevent spills. They pull up chairs and sit at the kitchen table, one pulling out a map and laying it flat. The raccoon points to a spot on the map, then uses a pencil to mark it and another spot clear on the other side. "That's where we were, and this house is where we are now. We're all that's left and we need to stick together. Anyone have any ideas on where to go next?"







I know it isn't well organized or anything, and it's incomplete, but it's still an idea. As you can probably tell from the guns they use, it's inspired by Modern Warfare 2 (which would make that cabin in the woods the same cabin from the Estate multiplayer map).
Still not sure what the hell the humans are going to do, or how the anthros will react.

The videogame character, Task Force 141 Captain John Price, had a point.

Funny thing about videogames--they often have totally original quotes, maybe influenced by movies, but still unique and personalized to the character that first said them. People who don't play games don't actually understand this.

Politicians demonize games in general--so they obviously don't get it.

Soccer-mom style parents that look at the tag on a box and say "oh, this is M. That must be horrible. It must have nudity and drugs in it [ignoring the fact that it is a war game rated Mature for Strong Violence and Language--which most parents are surprisingly okay with), so I'm going to make a point of banning this game from my house." don't get it because they don't give the games (even T-rated and some E10-rated ones) a chance to begin with, and generally don't pay attention to the games since they're "just games. There's nothing really interesting in them since it's all shooting aliens with a spaceship, or maybe chasing dots in a maze."

Teachers and day-care directors (not all, obviously--I've had my fair share of awesome gaming teachers--this is referring to the more common, steriotypically snobbish ones) don't get it because they see the games in much the same way as the aforementioned parents do, or don't believe videogames could actually have quotes--or dialouge at all, in some cases.

Then, there are the people who assume all games are like DOOM or GTA--those people that think it's all about mindless killing and prostitutes and satanic symbols. (Interesting side note--the satanic images in DOOM are actually left there by the demons and possessed humans THAT YOU KILL--the player doesn't side with them or anything like that. Surprised?) They think games couldn't possibly have any good dialouge or monolouge in them, since there is nothing but aggressive killing and mutilation, and possibly drinking and sex.

But here are some random quotes from games. These may not seem like they came from games--after all, games don't have any good stuff in them.

"We've lost more in this week than we'd ever dreamed. But we will recover. When history looks back on this day, we will not be the ones who stood guard while America died. One man is responsible for all this. Makarov must be brought to light."
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"One man in the Gulag doesn't mean much to the Navy at this point."
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"I never thought I'd see a Resonance Cascade...let alone create one."
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"Welcome. Welcome, to City Seventeen. You have chosen--or been chosen--to relocate to one of Earth's finest remaining urban centers. I thought so highly of this city that I elected to establish my administration here. Whether you are here to stay, or passing through to places unknown, welcome to City Seventeen. It's safer here."
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"You know how to use a gun, right?"
"Yeah--you just hold the back end in your hand and point the other end at the bad guy...right?"
"Good girl. Just stick with that for now."
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"Who the hell ordered this operation? Killing the aliens, sure. But the science team too? That's not right. I didn't sign on for this shit."
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"Aren't you afraid to die?"
"No trophies of my triumphs precede me. But I have lived well, and my ghost shall rest easy."
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"We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us."
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"Stop there, would you kindly. 'Would you kindly'...such a powerful phrase. Run--would you kindly. Stop...would you kindly. Walk...would you kindly. Sit...would you kindly. A man chooses. A slave obeys. Are you a man, or a slave?"
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"You may...see my name around...on posters and whatnot. I used to be a big man here. But politics are just an excuse for men to kill one another. I'm done with them now."
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"Look around at the people on these walls. They all had mothers, fathers, people who loved them. They all had hopes, dreams, ambitions. They're all dead. You are no different from them. You will die too, one day. Do not think that your role in this will grant you immortality."
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"Who the hell are you? You know what? Forget that question. If you took care of those guys outside--then thanks for your help. If you're with them--then stay back, 'cause I know kung-fu...nah, I'm just joking with ya. But I am getting the hell out of here. I would do the same if I were you, man. They'll be back."
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"The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak."
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"Have I lied to you? [pauses for a moment] I mean, in this room?"
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"The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Companion Cube cannot speak. In the event that the Companion Cube does speak, the Enrichment Center urges you to disregard its advice."
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"That thing you burned up isn't important to me. It's the fluid catalytic cracking unit. It made shoes for orphans. Nice job breaking it, hero."
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"I'd just like to point out that you were given every opportunity to succeed. There was even going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend the Companion Cube. Of course, he couldn't come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come either because you don't have any other friends. Because of how unlikeable you are. It says so here in your personnel file: Unlikeable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikeable loner whose passing shall not be mourned. 'Shall not be mourned.' That's exactly what it says. Very formal. Very official. It also says you were adopted. So that's funny, too."
-

Modern Warfare 2 is a very violent game. That goes without saying. And it's authenticity does a good job of making you realize the horrors of war. This is one of the reasons I like it so much. It's not just the scripted events, even.

Just last night, I was playing the Wolverines!!!* chapter of the Campaign (I only play the campaign and Spec Ops, not multiplayer), and in the middle of the fight, two Russian BTRs are dragged into the fray. Soldiers from both sides are running and limping towards cover as they open fire, not caring if they take out friendly forces in their lust for American blood. Russians and Americans alike are cut down by the BTRs as they make pass after pass. One U.S. Army Ranger right in front of me is running at a dead sprint for cover. He dropped his gun and was only concerned with getting behind a nearby brick wall. You could see the desperation on his face (id Tech-powered games actually are capable of rendering dynamic facial expressions--I did not make this part up). Right before he got to the effective safe area outside of the BTR's line of fire, he got hit in the face by a friendly-fire bullet that another Ranger had intended for a Russian soldier with an RPG, aimed at the fleeing soldier. Ironically, the soldier killed the man he was trying to protect, all due to bad timing and shitty luck. The worst part of this, to me, is that I had just enough time to read his name (in CoD games, a friendly soldier's name appears next to them when you aim/look at them). It was Pvt. Cho. This man had a name, had dreams, had ambitions, and he got cut down--by a friendly soldier, no less--right before he could get to safety in the heat of battle. There's a strong chance he would have survived to make it to the convoy at the end of the chapter had he survived that single instance of combat. It doesn't matter if he was a computer-controlled entity. He was still, in the in-game universe, a real person. None of this was scripted, either. It was all random, all chance events.

Games like DOOM and Quake may desensitize us to mass killing, sure. There's no denying that. There is no moral obligation to keeping people alive. But the more realistic a game or a movie gets (Saving Private Ryan or District 9 as opposed to Shoot 'Em Up or Enemy of the State, for example), the more it affects us. The more people will say "Shit...that person was a real person with real dreams and real hopes for the future, and he just died...." instead of blowing it off as "Eh, that guy got shot and died. Kinda funny. Since he almost made it and all."








*Modern Warfare 2's Wolverines!!! chapter is the segment of the game when the Russian Federation launches a massed attack on all sides of the United States of America, killing civilian and military targets with extreme prejudice in retaliation to a staged attack by the terrorist Makarov, who frames the United States by killing and leaving behind at the scene of the massacre a Deep-Cover CIA agent who was attempting to infiltrate the terrorist ring. The entire United States is under attack--the Capitol building is reduced to ruins, the Midwest is burned, so on and so forth. Russians occupy the cities and towns (the reason behind the name "Wolverines!!!"--it is a reference to the old Cold-War-era movie of the same name).