Like a Xatu

Good night, everyone. As the second-to-last day of September begins to give way to the last day of September, let us take a look at some of the things that I want to take a look at. Are they interesting? Possibly. Do I want you to pay attention? Uh, yeah. Do I like asking you questions we all know the answers to?

*sips some water* What do you think? =P

And what's with the title, you ask? Well, if you paid any attention to my Top Ten Pokémon list, you'd know that Xatu are capable of viewing the past and the future. I'm doing that in this entry, so I figured it'd work as a title.





Gazing at My Dreamt-Up Self-Reflection
(Now possible without mirrors!)

With this month drawing to a close I felt that I should do a little bit of self-reflecting on what's happened and what I've accomplished on here. It could be said that I've done that already, but that was more of a teaser... if it could be called that.

Thus far I've succeeded in getting one thousand words on each of this month's entries, and when you count tonight's and tomorrow's entries, you will most definitely find more than thirty thousand words amassed for September. Someone remind me to get a total word count. I want to see how much I've typed up here.

This month has garnered new records for me and this website. I've gotten more hits on here than I've ever had before in past months. This can probably be attributed with the many advertisements I've placed on Facebook - it helps when people see something by me and click because I made it sound intriguing. I've slowly been garnering more readers, even if they won't openly admit it via telling me or slapping a comment on to something. And while it may seem like I'm still getting nowhere both with this and my life, I can still say this blog's gotten me farther than I've gotten before.

As noted earlier, I didn't succeed in Operation: DREAM EATER, but that shouldn't be surprising to anyone - especially me. I'm used to setting up giant challenges that I end up failing miserably at. Most times when failure bites me I end up kicking my psychological self around like a soccer ball in a FIFA game.

Deep down, I kind of knew I wasn't going to succeed. I didn't want to admit it to myself - last thing I'd want to do is break my optimism apart when I've been doing so well with keeping my morale at higher levels than I've seen all my life. So, when last Friday rolled around and I ended up failing to meet deadline, I sat there going "Huh. I failed." Instead of mindless self-torture with worthless comments such as "Nice going, screw-up," I instead shrugged, said "Okay. It happens. I screw up. We all do."

It seems like I'm just throwing a cop-out excuse here for everyone when I shrug off the failure of a campaign that could've propelled me to some higher place. Imagine, however, if I did achieve the goals I set for myself with Operation: DREAM EATER. I'd be working non-stop on getting everything done, and I'd throw away anything resembling imperfection and distraction. I have the feeling that I would lose myself somewhere in the process. It's happened before when I lock myself into some kind of work. While dedication like that is amazing, it often comes with a high cost, and aggression and a zombified personality are not worth getting things done. In the end, I would end up soulless, and the work that stripped me of my essence would also be soulless.

Of course, that's not the case now - I got other things on my plate that seem to be revitalizing my life, so it's all good there. I know that I'll have to revisit these tasks sometime soon, reanalyze their priorities and continue working on them, but when there's a lax deadline... well, that just means I can enjoy life more.

So, what have I taken out of this? Start small, and then eventually down the line, work my way up to bigger, better, more badass challenges. Greatness, while an epic and important goal to accomplish, can wait, especially if I put life on hold.

Yes, I'm aware if this sounded like a tangent. To excuse myself, look at the tags again. =P





A Prelude to War
(Cue war-sounding music. Preferably anything composed by Bear McCreary.)

In other, more awesome news, I started season two of Battlestar Galactica today. This past week was spent watching season one from a DVD collection I borrowed from a friend.

Now, what do I have to say about this military sci-fi space opera? Holy fraking shit. How I never got into this show before still baffles me. All my friends who've seen this show have always told me how much I'd love it. Here I am now... and I'm loving it.

Unfortunately (both for myself and the BSG fans out there who read this), I'm afraid I don't have much to say about it at this rate other than the fact that it's epic. I don't want to discuss anything without accidentally revealing major spoilers, and I most certainly don't want to receive any spoilers, either. So, until I finish the show, I think the most you'll probably see out of me in regards to this is stuff related to "OMG BSG EPIC O.O" statements. I promise you though that I will get to talking about it in great detail once I finish. Hell, maybe I'll even get someone I know who hasn't seen this show to watch it.

Thing is, if I do get around to doing stuff like that, I'll have to be careful with whoever reads the posts or watches the show - they could be Cylons. As you know, "the Cylons were created by man. They rebelled. They evolved. They look and feel human. Some are programmed to think they are human. There are many copies. And they have a plan."





Ten Reasons on Why Tomorrow's Entry Will Be Awesome
(Oh, yeah. Lots of reasons. No more, no less.)

So, tomorrow's entry will be important for a myriad of reasons. Why's that, you ask? Well...

1. I'm writing it.
   Well, obviously. But then again, that should make it more exciting for you, no? No? Well... sucks for you, then.
2. It's going to have a Top Ten list on it.
   Oh, yeah. That means it'll be fun to read and insightful to my personality! And you stalkers can get more crazy ideas to stalk me with. You creepy punks.
3. The entry will feature music in the pre-blog opening.
   Yeah, it's been a while since I've actually listed lots of music down, hasn't it?
4. It's completely safe.
   Tomorrow's entry is unsappable by enemy Spies, 100% contagion-free, and has been tested and revealed to totally not be a frakkin' toaster Cylon.
5. It's the last entry that will entail over one thousand words as a requirement.
   More of a breather for you than me, perhaps. =P
6. Pictures!
   Because you bastards can never get tired of pictures, can you? Nope. That's why it's got the highest tag number to this day.
7. It will be tagged as a "milestone" entry.
   Yes, it's that important. Why? I'm not exactly sure, but I got that gut feeling that it will be. And I like important things. Makes me look important.
8. It's a post... made on a Friday.
   Fridays are lots of fun. The start of the weekend, of life, of fun. Before certain people ruined it with things like "working on the weekend" and that dreadful song I'm refusing to link to.
9. [insert some "reason" here]
   [insert some one-liner related to the just-mentioned "reason" here]
10. Music. Enough said.
    I mentioned music already? Well, I guess it's important enough to warrant it being mentioned twice. MUSIC!

Yeah. So, keep your eyes peeled.





Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'll bid you adieu for now. Got some sleep and Battlestar Galactica to watch. Until the 'morrow, everyone. SO SAY WE ALL!

A Defeated Response Spells Victory

Sometimes things fall through for a reason. Some don't.





CURRENT MUSIC:
Asian Kung-Fu Generation - "Rewrite"
Sol-fa

Anime fans will probably know this song best as the fourth and final opening theme to the original Fullmetal Alchemist.

It's one of my favorite Japanese rock songs not just because of it's use with Fullmetal Alchemist. It possesses a more aggressive tone than what is normally heard with most other J-Rock pieces.


Naoko Mitome, Atsushi Yoshida & Kanako Teramae - "Bittersweet Victory"
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Original Game Audio

Path of Radiance was my first Fire Emblem game. Introduced to me by a friend when I was going through a craze of strategy games, I ended up becoming hooked, playing the game over and over because... well, I like being a tactician. I wish I had my save files for it, still (the memory card I had it all in got lost) because I'm itching to play it again.

Anyway, to the music. Just as the title indicates, the song is usually heard during moments where our protagonists' triumphs came with a rather heavy cost of some kind. It a way, it matches the feeling I have today - while I have to admit defeat somewhere, I can still say that I pulled something victorious out of this.


Michiru Oshima - "Reminiscence"
Fullmetal Alchemist Original Soundtrack 3

A rather short piece, "Reminiscence" is a nice little background track usable for brief and insightful self-reflection. In Fullmetal Alchemist it's also used to look back upon the happier times of the Elric brothers' lives.



"Paradoxically, the man who has failed and one who is at the peak of success are in exactly the same position. Each must decide what he will do next, choose the course that will lead him to the future."
- Jigoro Kano

Surprisingly, this little paradox makes a lot of sense. Most people would refute the truth of this statement, but to those that do, let me let you in on a little something: when someone fails something and that someone succeeds in something else, one of the most common responses after the stress and/or euphoria fades away is asking themselves some form of the question, "Now what?" Artists usually ask themselves this during every phase each one of their little projects go through, and big-shots and impulsive failures end up asking this whenever something goes right/wrong.

Doesn't this just apply to today, I asked? Why, yes; it does. *nods sagely*





Evening, everybody. How's your Friday treating you so far? Hopefully it's going just as great as mine!

As the fourth day of my vacation begins to come to a close, I figured I'd blog on the more... "important" things going on in my life right now.





Responding Response
(Or: responding to the (few) commenters who said something to me.)

You know, I owe it to the readers to show them that I actually care about what they think and say even though I say I don't. It's been a while since I've responded to people, so let's change that by throwing some responses on here. Yaaaaaay for my responses! Right?



(Author's Note: When necessary, all comments have been edited for grammar and spelling as per my Nazi Germany Grammar upbringing in my high school and college classes. Yay for my perfectionist streak. -_-;;)

"One of my brothers has just recently started dating a Filipino woman and I am going to send him the link to this so he can cook it as part of a romantic dinner. It will either make them or break them!"

- Amateur Cook
(from "Spaghetti ng Pilipinas")

Wow, I'd never expect anyone to actually take my recipes into consideration. Thanks for suggesting that to your brother! I sure hope it made them (because if it broke them, that'd just be sad).

Oh, and I'm not sure if you saw, but there was a technical problem with the recipe I posted. Hopefully you didn't use that one. As of 16 September it's been rectified, so please use what I tossed on the page.

Han shot first. On a side note, ever see The Star Wars Holiday Special? It's like... the most AWESOME THING EVER.

- せしゃ
(from "A Great Disturbance in the Force")

Damn right he shot first! Sure, having Greedo pop off a shot makes the situation seem a bit more tense and dramatic, but it also kills the bit of thought processes that made you think, "Wow. Han Solo's a jackass."

As to your side note... to be honest, I haven't seen The Star Wars Holiday Special, and I personally would like to keep it that way. From what I heard and read about it I've rated the aired-once special somewhere between "so bad it's good" and "so bad it's bad." George Lucas regrets allowing television to make it; Harrison Ford is deeply embarrassed by it; Carrie Fisher uses it to shoo away people after a party ends.

So, unless I'm knocked unconscious and come to tied up with The Star Wars Holiday Special playing on a television in front of me, I'm not going to watch it... though I wouldn't mind seeing that section that introduces Boba Fett.

"No Vaporeon?"

- n8navarro
(from "The Top Ten: Pokémon")

Nope, no Vaporeon. There was a reason for that.

When I was in the middle of making the Top Ten list, I knew right away that at least one Eeveelution would make it on here. They were a popular set of Pokémon since the beginning. They were made even more popular when the fourth generation answered every trainer's dream of possessing a Grass-type Eevee (in the form of Leafeon).

As a Pokémon veteran, I've been pretty fond of the Eeveelutions - even more so since the fourth generation, which aided the quirky family in two ways:

1. Leafeon and Glaceon.
   Adding Grass and Ice to the mix brought the potential Eevee army count to eight (assuming you're like me and you count Eevee - otherwise it's seven). Plus, it was now officially possible to have a six-man Eeveelution army.
2. The physical/special attack split.
   This changed gameplay tactics drastically for most Pokémon, but it didn't faze the Eeveelution army any - except for Flareon. Poor Flareon had been suffering in the first three generations because of its ridiculously-high attack stat, which did no good for a Fire-type. The split made Flareon a more worthy contender, and the fifth generation helped even more by bolstering its physical Fire attack capability.

Historically, I've actually used Vaporeon at least thrice in my gaming history:

• my third-generation Eevee Army
• my fourth-generation Eevee Army, dubbed "Roman Eevees" due to their naming
• my primary Platinum Version team (named "Rhine")

Not counting the Eevee Armies, this places Vaporeon as the most-employed in my unit, and it's a great Eeveelution. However, as true as that may be, I'm just more of a Psychic-type fan. Thus, Espeon. I know - I'm biased, but what can I say?

*shrugs*





A Dream Shattered
(A dream restored.)

If you remember, back in the beginning of June I posted a series of challenges that I wanted to complete by today. I called it "Operation: DREAM EATER." The list was as follows:

• find the "perfect" look for this blog
• get Gefallen (US-Tichondrius - Human Rogue) to Lv85 and figure out a workable Combat PvP spec
• get Chariselle (US-Ravenholdt - Blood Elf Paladin) geared for end-game PvE raiding
• finish the first 30 pages of a new screenplay
• work on and complete the next chapter of my Street Fighter fanfic Unincorporated
• begin and complete Radiant Historia (NDS)
• lose some weight / get more fit
• write a poem
• work out and organize the rough basics of an epic roadtrip I want to take next year
• clean my room and maintain its cleanliness
• complete at least 50% of a cosplay outfit of my choice

I failed miserably. And I mean miserably. While it will be said that I've failed Operation: DREAM EATER quite horribly, I can't say that I didn't escape with some kind of victory.

I've gotten into work with projects - some on this list, and some placed elsewhere. I'm not beating myself over the head with this failure like I normally would in the past. It's kind of hard to explain, but I don't have the time to do so. I'll save that for tomorrow - for now, just know that while this could be considered a giant failure, there is a glimmer of hope and success. It might be a cliché, but it's true. Know it.





Yeah, I'm cutting myself short. I'm going to blame two of my friends who decided to show me (the guy with the addictive personality) the wonder that is Battlestar Galactica. Damn them. Damn them, because now I'm hooked. =D

I'll post more on things tomorrow. Until then, stay frosty.

Zwei

*looks at the post counter and does a double-take* Wait, WHAT!? Two hundred entries in a row!?
I dare say, it's time to throw some kind of celebration!

*blares all the music in the "Current Music" section and uses old photos as confetti*





CURRENT MUSIC: [Handy "Skip Music" Button for you Lamers who "NEED" TL;DRs]
Koutarou Nakagawa - "The Knight"
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Original Soundtrack Volume 1

While I listed fitting "introductory" pieces from this album twice already, I don't think they compare to how regal and fitting this particular track can be.

It's such a great fanfare - not only for me and my blog, but for what today's entry will say to you, the reader. After all, as this entry is what it is, it deserves nothing less than amazing fanfare and heroic gallantry.

And so do I, but we'll leave narcissistic issues aside and hopefully get back to them another day.


ON/OFF - "Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi"
Legend of Twins I: Futago Densetsu

(Author's Note: Anyone who's knowledgeable in Japanese: please feel free to jump in. I obviously have little experience in the language. =P)

"Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi" (roughly translated to "Two Heartbeats and a Red Sin") is well-known in anime circles as the opening theme to the first season of Vampire Knight. I really love how this song sounds - especially that lone violin interspersed throughout the thing. If one didn't know any better, they'd think it's just one guy singing, but in actuality it's sung by two people - and twin brothers, at that. Proof? Here. Enjoy the violin while you're at it. =D

I always told myself that if I were to learn Japanese, I would learn how to sing this song. Matter-of-fact, it kinda makes me want to learn it on the piano. If only that were me...^[1]


Hitomi Sato, Go Ichinose, and Junichi Masuda - "Pokémon League (Day)"
Nintendo DS Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Super Music Collection

Years ago (in 2007) when I first got Pokémon: Diamond Version for my Nintendo DS I remember blitzing out like crazy in an attempt to get the game defeated within a week. As the then-sole player of Pokémon games back then in high school, it would seem necessary for me to grab the National Dex and help out the closet players. I grabbed my team, plowed through the game and then came to a screeching halt right outside the Pokémon League building.

Fatigue didn't stop me. Food had no priority. Late homework assignments and newspaper articles couldn't even raise their hands up to dissuade me from being irresponsible. THIS MUSIC PIECE DID. There's a saying out there stipulating that the eyes are the gateway to a person's soul. While I subscribe to that theory, I also believe that there is an aural gateway as well - and the key to that gate would be music.

Rather than have you shake from nervousness with from the marching tones reminiscent of the prior three generations, the musical team behind Diamond, Pearl and Platinum decided to go for one of the most soothing synthesized piano pieces ever. Hearing it for the first time (and all subsequent times) was just soothing - I felt so much at peace with this playing. (Hearing it on a real piano will definitely make your day.)

Out of the previous pieces of music I featured today, I would pick this particular track to represent the overall feeling I had when writing this entry... a sense of accomplishment rewarded by serenity and the feeling that your adventure's only just begun. Maybe I should learn this piece on the piano, too?





Good evening, one and all, and welcome to The White Knight Chronicles! I'm your gracious and eccentric host Josh Blanco, and I bid you welcome to today's celebratory entry!

As this entry will be fueled by a huge amount of triumphant feelings and accomplishment (as well as a hearty brunch of Spamsilog^[2] I'm cooking up), I know this entry will have a lot to offer you. At least I hope it does. Heheheh...

*clears throat*

Now, I'm sure some of you who don't log on to Facebook or just don't listen to my posts on Facebook are probably just learning about this little project of mine. If this is the first entry you're reading here, then hi! My whole goal is to do one of those "365 Days, 365 Blogs" projects akin to people doing those "30 Days of Photos/Music" things.

Today's entry just so happens to have lots of attention on it because (if you haven't guessed already,) this is the two hundredth entry in a row. Counting today, I have yet to miss posting anything on this (barring technical difficulties from the Blogger website itself), so to do something like this can be claimed as quite a bit of an accomplishment.



So, regardless of whether you're a first-time reader or someone who's already been stalking me since Day 4, sit back, relax and have fun reading. Or snooping around, if you wanna be all creepy and what not. *cringes*





Two Hundred Down... One Hundred and Sixty-Five to Go!
(45% remaining? "At 40%, you will stop DoTs!")

More than halfway done with the year and I'm excited for the future. It honestly seems that it was only a few weeks ago when I first started this thing, and look at me now. 200 down, 165 to go.

You'd think I'd have more to say about this subject, but the truth is I don't. While I'm happy I've made it this far, I don't think it's as much of an impact as I'd expect it to be. Sure, some of my friends who placed bets on when I'd miss a day are probably relenting over losing their "Day 200" bet, but apart from their (negative) attention, I don't think anyone else really cares.

Eh. My blog, my story, my life. They're missing out. =P

Maybe they're just waiting for the 300^th entry just so they can spam comments related to 300 in some way. I 'unno. Regardless, I can't wait to see what the next hundred posts will look like and what will happen in my life in those hundred days. Will they be short? Will they be long? Will I get a girlfriend and not talk about it? Will I have some crazy pictures up that you'll laugh at?

All I can say is that we'll just have to wait and see what unfolds.





Ask the White Knight
(It's like Strong Bad answering his e-mails... except no verbal commentary and not as famous.)

As a special treat for the "celebration" of the 200th entry here, I decided to create a page where I respond to questions, comments and concerns from readers who dare to inquire about or state something to me.

The idea for this stems back to last Tuesday's entry, "Some Kind of Educated Response." In that, I responded to a comment made on last Sunday's entry "The Familiar Taste of Poison" - and it was met with praise that I responded.

Like mentioned in "Some Kind of Educated Response," the reasons I'm doing this sort of thing are threefold:

1. it shows that I listen to my readers and their comments
2. it helps promote increased viewership and interaction, and (more importantly,)
3. I get something to write about in the event that I'm lacking a topic to discuss.

It's going to be a fun experiment.



Now, I can hear some of you wondering what the ground rules are for this whole thing. Well, I haven't finely-tuned everything, but the basics are up-and-running.

Step One: Toss Up an Appropriate or "Appropriate" Question, Comment, and/or Concern
Now, to be fair, there will be some things I won't provide an answer to. Despite my apparent openness with all my readers here on this blog, a line has to be drawn somewhere. Example scenarios include:

• spam
• full-on Internet flame comments
• requests for something illegal
• a picture of my future girlfriend's/wife's rack
• anything grammatically incomprehensible^[3]
• the secret ingredient formula for the Krabby Patty
• publicly calling me out on a favor I owe you
• asking me to officially support the Horde
• requesting that I write your term paper/high school research paper/psychology dissertation
• inquiring about things I've already considered taboo
• a thesis on why I should allow you to call me "THAT NAME"
• the location of the Rebel base
• asking me out on a date
• a demand that I replace your ex-parrot

If it adheres to none of the above listed examples, then chances are that you can freely talk to me about it.

Step Two: Expect Some Kind of a Response Within Some Amount of Time
Now, I will respond in one of two ways using a combination of satirical humor, seriousness and all-around sincerity:

1. I will respond on the "Ask The White Knight" page on your comment.
2. If your statement requires a great amount of research or drives me to write a mini-dissertation (or if I just need an idea for a blog entry), then I will whip up an entry and post the link in my comment.

My response time will depend on the content of the response as well as how much traffic I have in regards to questions.

Step Three: Repeat Steps One and Two
Self-explanatory. I'm not going to bother even explaining this one.



Like I said, this is still being worked out, but it'd be great if I had a few people test-running this. So if you want to drop a line or have something to inquire me about, visit the page! Y'all got nothing to lose, and neither do I!





Annals of History - A Random Photo Montage of Randomness
(Like your parents' slide show of their trip to Kenya - plus the fun and minus the animals, disease and the gunrunners.)

I honestly couldn't think of anything to talk about apart from "YAY 200 POSTS LAWLZ" and "Ask The White Knight"^[4], and I was about to call it a day. Of course, that somehow led to me thinking about other things to sidetrack me a-plenty, and I eventually came to my cache of pictures I've hoarded on my computers over the years. Believe me when I say that there's a LOT. I mean, I save stuff if I think it's epic, funny, cool to have as a desktop or cell phone wallpaper or important for some other reason. Of the 6.21 gigabytes of memory spread out amongst 17,600+ pictures, 3.96 of that is from stuff from my various snapshots I've taken with my numerous cameras and camera-enabled cell phones. Ironic considering that I don't find myself photogenic^[5], but eh.

Anyway, I wanted to showcase a few random things from the past years of my life that I found amusing and/or cool while I prattled on about some random subject in a fictitiously depressing manner. The photos just happen to "match" what I'm talking about, so... hehehe.



DISCLAIMER: All photos present here were taken by me or a picture taken by a friend with me in it. Any game content and what not that obviously doesn't belong to me are copyright of their respective owners. Also, I'm not depressed or "bleh" in this "rant" I have going on below. All sub-text for photos, however, is actual truth. The whole "story contrasting with photos" thing is supposed to be funny, so please... laugh? =D



I don't get why I'm not popular.

During the early years of high school, this was how I saw the world.
I like to think that I matured somehow from this.

I went from an immature teenage brat to...

Apparently, my Target profile pic sports character. I was going for a "pseudo-Asian gangster" look but the camera somehow captured "typical Asian tourist."

...a twenty-something in the working class. (As the adage goes, "overworked and underpaid.") From how jubilant I appear to be in the picture, it would seem that I'm somewhat popular.

Where I used to live. Yeah, that was a fun mess to clean up. *sighs*

...eh, apparently not. In truth, I'm somewhat well-known throughout the local friend channels. I don't know why I'm "unpopular," though. It baffles me...

Found this at work about a year or two ago. Three - that's right - three broken mirrors a guest left behind.
I just hope they aren't superstitious.

I'm sure it's not my face. If that were the case, I'm sure I wouldn't be social in real life. I am shy, though, but that doesn't count.

Gefallen - Lv.83 Human Rogue (US-Tichondrius)
This is the Rogue I have to get to Lv.85 as part of "Operation: DREAM EATER."
While this screenshot was taken a looooong time ago, I think it validates the fact that I like Rogues... and that I can be extremely silly when I'm on him. For God's sake, I'm referencing that song by The Lonely Island...!

It can't be because I play World of Warcraft...

Chariselle - Lv.85 Blood Elf Paladin (US-Ravenholdt)
My second main and the other WoW character involved with "Operation: DREAM EATER."
Yes, I roleplay with her; and yes, that is pseudo-T2 armor and an eyepatch. She's been through a lot... =(

...and it can't be because I have a female character on World of Warcraft, either...

August 15, 2007: the day before my 18^th birthday.
While I've been told that I'm one of the more safer drivers out there^[6], everyone had to be clumsy and stupid at some point. The infamous ATC incident serves as one of my prime "clumsy and stupid" moments.
If you want a story... well, I just created "Ask The White Knight" and I need someone to test it...

...and it can't be because I totally suck at driving (because in reality, I'm awesome at it). So, what could be the reason for me to be totally lame and not worthy of being listened to, of having my blog read by a bunch of random strangers and friends alike?

I enjoy a nice tabletop RPG once in a while. That bottom sheet, though... ahehehe. (It's not me, by the way - it's a friend's character sheet. Mine's obviously the top one. 'Cause, you know... it's got my name on it.)
In case you're trying to read my friend's character's name, it's "William von Bootez of Hamburg in Ryanland - AKA: Ryanland of Awesomesauce - AKA: It's Awesome - AKA: The Box Behind Your House." If you think I'm crazy, get some of my friends sleep deprived or on a sugar high.

I went over the paperwork in an attempt to figure out what was the reason behind all this ignorance my friends were throwing my way. I spent hours trying to figure out the source and almost gave up because of the heaping amounts of data I had accumulated...

In order from top to bottom: my cousin, then my brother, then me.
Here's the sad part: despite this being a real scoresheet from an actual bowling game, that's the best I've ever played.

...and then I found a court-issued document chronicling a past few infractions I had performed a long ways ago. I was shocked - I totally forgot about these crimes I had performed! Maybe my brain was just suppressing the trauma said crimes inflicted on my soul.

Every once in a while around work, it's "Random Fact" day. I found one particular note that grabbed my attention because I believed it needed commentary from a fan of Dragon Ball Z and Internet memes...

Apparently I committed 9,001 counts of vandalism...

I can't remember the last time my car's gas tank was that full.
That, and I can't believe my odometer is almost double that number now...

...was found with 33,844 illegally-obtained barrels of petroleum...

Just about everyone my age has played or seen Super Mario 64 in action. To the people who recognize where I am in-game: Look carefully at the star count. No, I didn't cheat for that. Yes, it's physically possible to do that.

...and apparently cheated some turtle-loving king out of 16 dollars in a poker game.

Poker face. (Not the Lady Gaga song, mind you.)

I found this photograph attached to the document - it blatantly showed me cheating that turtle-loving bastard of a king out of his money. I felt sick to my stomach knowing that I had committed something so vile and atrocious.

It's a Lego minifig of me at work in Target, complete with blue blocker shades, one of those gun-shaped PDAs you see us Target Team Members with, and a PDA holster on my belt! (If only I looked this cool at work...)

So I grabbed a few belongings, donned a disguise and fled to "The Great White North" - the land known as Canada.

One of my friends from high school has a bunch of those haiku magnet-things on her fridge.
I forgot which person from our mutual friend circle arranged this, but... I found it funny.

I left behind a note telling my loved ones that they'd never see me again but not to worry about me.

My Lego minifig platoon is semi-customized like this. Trained to be battle-hardened and equipped with reinforced Kevlar (Stormtrooper armor), a ballistics helmet with visor and AK-102s (courtesy of BrickArms), it'll take a lot to mow my guys down.
And yes, Avatar: The Last Airbender fans: that's Prince Zuko in Lego form. Crazy, huh?

I was able to find a group of mercenaries who found me and my silliness to be quite popular, and they've been under my employ since. I haven't had to call upon their services yet, but I pray I don't have to.

Remember these blocks back in elementary school? Yeah, you know you do.
You probably got as bored as I did one day, too.

After all, all I wanted was to be popular, but at least my life can be at peace for now. That's all that matters, right? *sighs* Well, I hope that's all that matters.





Footnotes:

1 ^ [Current Music] I think I have a New Year's Resolution for 2012. So what if it's six months early? I'm not allowed to plan ahead? =P

2 ^ [Opening Paragraphs] Spamsilog is a variant of "-silog" meals that stem from the cuisine of the Philippines. The original word, tapsilog, is a contraction of "tapa" (dried or cured meat), "sinangag" (garlic-fried rice) and "itlog" (egg - usually fried). Most Filipinos have taken the "-silog" part and simply slap on some other meat (dish) of their choice, creating their own contracted word. "Spamsilog" is one widely recognized variant, and those that enjoy this (breakfast) dish enjoy it with great gusto - myself included.

3 ^ [Ask the White Knight] Eh. I might just go all Strong Bad on it anyway and make fun of it. I'm a big stickler on grammar and spelling (in case you don't already know), so it'll be Grammar Nazi Josh's turn at the wheel if I have to respond to something visually heinous to the English language.

4 ^ [Annals of History 1] I can't really talk about how I'll be responding to people's questions, comments and concerns if there aren't any at its conception, right?

5 ^ [Annals of History 2] I once said to a few friends the following:

"STOP! I'm not photogenic... though the photos on my Facebook would say otherwise..."

...yeah, I contradict myself a lot. Hey, at least I admit it!

6 ^ [Annals of History: ATC Photo] As long as I have a live passenger in my vehicle I will be as safe and as responsible as can be. If I'm by myself, that's a different story - assuming the cops aren't around. =P





Well, that about sums it up for this entry. If you'll excuse me, I need to go off and work on Operation: DREAM EATER some - got some running to do.

Until the 'morrow, laddies and lassies! Enjoy the rest of your evening, and look forward to another hundred entries in a row!

Headlines! A Filipino, His Bongo and The DREAM

Today's entry title is stylized like a semi-literal translation of an episode from a Japanese TV show. Mind you, there's no dub, so that's why the title appears as such.

In the event you have zero idea as to what any of those words in the title could be referring to, here's a breakdown list on what will (not) be talked about today^[1]:

• cheese
• not cheese
• Kababayan Fest 2011
• basketballs
• Operation: DREAM EATER

I know, I'm confusing. But you kinda knew that coming in here. *shrugs* Anyway, here's what today's entry title references:

Headlines

I figured it'd get your attention. It did, didn't it?

A Filipino

Kababayan Fest 2011 (the "Filipino Con" 2011 I sorta talked about on Saturday)

His Bongo

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time boss "Bongo Bongo"

The DREAM

Operation: DREAM EATER

That better now?





CURRENT MUSIC:
Halestorm - "Bad Romance (Lady Gaga Cover)"
ReAniMate: The CoVeRs EP

Great cover by Halestorm. In a way, I think it sounds a bit better than Lady Gaga's version. (Then again, rock's always trumped pop in my music preferences, but hey - you never know.)

What makes me laugh a bit is that every time I hear this, I have the urge to sing along. I'm going to end up subconsciously learning the lyrics or something now. If the original song begins playing somewhere and I sing along with enthusiasm, you now know why.


Ryo Kunihiko - "The Tower of Eternity"
Aion: The Tower of Eternity Original Soundtrack

Known by Aion players as the music for the original login screen, "The Tower of Eternity" did more than just welcome Aion's players to the game - it set the stage for a fantasy adventure to take flight into the unknown. I say "did" because from what I've heard, Aion changed its login screen and music for its first expansion (much like how World of Warcraft does for each of its expansions).

Anyway, I decided to give the soundtrack a shot while I did stuff today and I can't help but put this opening track on repeat. It quickly opens with a triumphant fanfare before going into a melodic set of strings that play what I would assume to be the Aion leitmotif. I have to say that Ryo Kunihiko (also known as Yang Bang Ean) did an amazing job composing the soundtrack for this game. Can't wait to listen to the rest of it.

I field-tested this earlier this morning to see how well it meshed with random tasks. I can tell you right now that it qualifies for a certain playlist that I have going on WinAmp and on my iPod. Said playlist has a bunch of music that makes mundane tasks such as driving to the gas station, using an ATM, groggily saying "Hello" to random strangers, and shopping seem more... heroic. Yeah. Heroic shopping. It sounds weird at first, but if you look epic, act epic and have equally epic background music playing whilst you shop (or anything, really), then it'll feel heroic. Just ask Batman.


Glenn Stafford, Derek Duke, Russell Brower and Neal Acree - "The Deal"
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Original Soundtrack

Anyone who's played StarCraft II knows this track, regardless of their knowledge of the soundtrack. Gamers not into the StarCraft games (or real-time strategies, in general) will still probably recognize this piece if they watch preview snippets or anything regarding game trailers and stuff.

Don't believe me? Watch the game's opening cinematic (which was used somewhat in that teaser video a year ago). Hehehehe.

Anyway, for those of you listening at home, fast-forwarding to 1:34 on the track is usually what's done - after all, that's the best part. Obviously this section works wonders with scenes involving construction and setting up some kind of plan. I wanna see if I can find a scene in a movie that would only become amazing with this music in the background.





Good night, readers! I know this entry's coming in rather late for today, but I was busy all day. Whee. So, without further ado, let's get started on what I wanna talk about today!





ID-Tagging this "Filipino Con 2011"
(IFF wasn't working before, and now it is. Yay.)

People obviously have realized by now that I never put any additional thing on Saturday's entry, nor did I slap additional entries and then mash them together. Probably because I had fun. Not in the sun, mind you - that star was murder.

Anyway, I did a bit more research on what the event was on the way there and I got the information I wanted. Called Kababayan Fest, the annual festival is purported as "the largest Filipino gathering in the West Coast [of the United States]." They travel from various locales from Vegas to California to even Hawaii, featuring food, music, entertainment and all-around Filipino culture. It's an event that brings out the inner pinoy/pinay in every Filipino that is around it, which is pretty cool.

That's right - I got to meet with the famed boxer, Manny Pacquiao!
(...well... sort of. *sighs*)

Fictitious celebrity meeting aside, as it was in Knott's Berry Farm, there was obviously more to do than just attend Kababayan Fest. I mean, come on - this is a theme park we're in. So my cousins and I hit the rides and hit the carnival games. While my luck in regards to games of chance isn't great, I did escape with some prizes.

Pay no attention to the Mario Kart-themed bedding.
Instead, pay attention to what's on the Mario Kart-themed bedding. =3

Yeah, a kamikaze bird and a minion from Despicable Me! MOAR STUFF to adorn my car's interior! =D (Special thanks to my cousin for winning me the Angry Bird! <3)

*clears throat* A-Anyway, that's that. As you can tell, I had a fun weekend. Moving on...!




A Fighting Rhythm
(Some random ditty involving a certain music-based boss...)

(Author's Note: I'll be delving into Ocarina of Time here, so for those of you who consider yourselves "lamers who don't play games" or if you were "OoT-deprived" in your childhood, then skip this section. You make me sad face.)

The Shadow Temple was never one of my favorite dungeons to go through in Ocarina of Time. I dislike it almost as much as I dislike the Water Temple. While the Water Temple annoys me with the multiple walls to blow up, the constantly annoying act of adjusting of the water level and the even more annoying act of pausing to switch the iron boots on and off, the Shadow Temple just confuses the fuck out of me. Between forgetting what rooms require the Lens of Truth, the lack of traction with the hover boots and the myriad of mysteries around every corner, I find the dungeon as a whole... very frustrating^[2].

Despite all that, Bongo Bongo has always been one of my favorite bosses due to his uniqueness. Most bosses are usually faced in some open area in the middle of nowhere or an arena ground of some kind or the top of their fortress or the physical manifestation of their psyche or something like that. No, not Bongo Bongo. The "Phantom Shadow Beast" decides that he wants to fight you on his bongo drum of all places.

That alone makes the fight fun. However, I want to try fighting him (and going through the Shadow Temple, for that matter) without the Lens of Truth. It's possible but 150% tougher.

And the best part about the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time? Boss fight replays - I can go back and fight them! *replays the Bongo Bongo fight*





Cleaning!? "RUN AWAY!"
(The goggles do nothing!)

So in keeping with how I made day four of five a personal day to work on things I want to work on, I figured I'd work on parts of Operation: DREAM EATER. To make a long story short, I've been cleaning and attempting to work out.

I learned one thing after today: I am waaaaaaaay out of shape. Also, I think I might be a bit more hallucinatory due to bleach inhalation. Eep.

Back to the topic at hand. It feels good to work on parts of this. I wonder if I should dedicate tomorrow to other aspects of Operation: DREAM EATER. It'd be productive work on my part, and I'd actually be enjoying it. Most of all, I wouldn't be exposing myself to nasty chemicals while I do!

Yippee!





Footnotes:

1 ^ [Pre-Blog Opening] Pre-"The White Knight Chronicles" readers (aka: those who read my Facebook blog) will probably be facepalming now, as this list is reminiscent of an old pre-blog thing I threw on there called "What's (Not) Featured." It was a list of things I slapped on the start of an entry that may or may not be talked about to the readers (inspired by a humorous news post from Bungie's website years ago). Unless you knew me well enough, I could've be lying about every single thing I listed. As much as I'd love to put that on here again, I won't. While it DID help with keeping reader interest, I think the joke got old rather fast.

2 ^ [A Fighting Rhythm] And don't even get me started with those damn SUDDEN SKULLTULAS in that one corridor. I was playing through the Shadow Temple on Ocarina of Time 3D two weeks ago for the first time and totally forgot about those bastards. Eep.





Well, that about wraps up today's entry. Until the 'morrow, everyone!

The Lost Serenade of the Valley

As a good portion of today's entry is inspired in part by The Legend of Zelda franchise, I figured the entry title should pay tribute to that.

Since the pre-blog things hit up all three of the major words in the title ("lost," "serenade" and "valley" in case you were wondering), I figured I could combine them into something that would probably be more of a memorable title.

Come on... you gotta admit that today's entry title sounds cool. =D





CURRENT MUSIC:
Diggi Dis - "Mamacitas in My Valley"
[OCRemix of Koji Kondo's "Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]

For those of you who aren't much of video game music enthusiasts like I am, not only are you missing out on amazing tunes that would probably rival Hollywood scores and playlists made for joggers, but you also probably have never heard of OverClocked Remix, a website dedicated to sharing musical remixes of video game music. It's been around for ages, and I go there on occasion to find a twist of flavor when a particular piece sounds stale.

Now, while I was randomly YouTube-surfing, I ended up landing on the preview vid for this particular remix. I honestly could only think of two words when I was listening to this piece: "HOLY FUCK." "Yeah, interesting choice of words," you're probably thinking. (And yes: I hear your sarcasm.) Seriously, though, after listening to it, you might end up in agreement - if it left me speechless, it should do the same to you.

Take the original "Gerudo Valley," mix it with Latin and hip-hop/dance overtones into a cocktail shaker, and the end result: THIS PIECE. And the best part is that it's got that flair you want for a summer dance party, and - oh, hey, look! SUMMERTIME!

Kinda inspires me to just dance with this. It'd be better if I knew how to dance, or if I had someone to dance with... but that's a story for another day. Just listen to the piece and enjoy the aural pleasure with me! (Here's the best part: you don't even need to be a Legend of Zelda fan to enjoy this! Click the above link if you doubt me!)


Koji Kondo - "Lost Woods"
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Original Soundtrack

Everyone has a few songs or pieces of music that they just can't get tired of. Either they're inspired by it every time they hear it or it brings them an emotion they can never get tired of. For me, one of my personal tracks would be the famed anthem from Ocarina of Time's "Lost Woods" - which is probably one of the best musical pieces from the game (apart from "Gerudo Valley"). Even if I was in the worst mood possible, if I were to hear this start chiming, I'd begin to feel more and more lighthearted until I was either in a much better mood or the music stops. All the field tests I've conducted with this song have been accurate thus far, which proves how hedonistic this piece is. Love it.

The irony here is that the carefree and innocent sound the ocarina "Lost Woods" plays contrasts with the fury and frustration every gamer playing Ocarina of Time for the first time gets when they first venture into the song's namesake. (There's a trick: listen carefully to the music when you're standing at each of the tunnel openings - if the music sounds faded or dimmed, that's not the right path.)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish the music section by having Link just stand in the Sacred Forest Meadow for about six hours while "Lost Woods" blares continuously. That's how much I love the song. *falls asleep and leaves the laptop on as it plays "Lost Woods" in an edited loop*



"Time passes, people move. Like a river's flow, it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition. Young love will become deep affection. The clear water's surface reflects growth. Now listen to the 'Serenade of Water' to reflect upon yourself..."
- Sheik
(The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Thirteen years ago when I first played this game, I always thought Sheik was mouthing off random gibberish that made the game feel more epic. Now, as I replay Ocarina of Time on my 3DS, I have come to realize how much more amazing the words and gameplay actually was.*

As to Shiek's words, they are said when first learning the "Serenade of Water." In a way, we've all grown somehow (speaking from a psycho-spiritual aspect, at least). As I spent the majority of the time I spent writing this entry thinking back upon what I've done, I'd like to think that I've grown so far in my journey through life. I'll be damned if I'm wrong.

* = Someone remind me to talk about this. There's one thing in particular that I never noticed when I was first playing this eons ago that kinda spoke to me.





Morning, readers! Welcome to my first entry that I've posted before sunrise! Weird for me, but it saves me the trouble of typing up something crappy before work, so... enjoy it!





So immediately after posting yesterday's "entry," I ended up thinking of what I could do afterwards to alleviate three things:

• the urge to follow through with my declaration for "other things I want to talk about"
  
• the "monotony" my mellow day gave me, and
• a swift and sudden migraine that makes the invasion of Poland look like a picnic.

After about two seconds of deliberation, I decided upon taking a shot at the first two things (the third I figured I could somewhat live with). So, I ended up experimenting some more with the "drunk author" theory. I grabbed a couple of Shock Tops, stuck them in the refrigerator, watched Burn Notice and How I Met Your Mother (one episode each) and retrieved my now-cooled beers, ready to go for... what I think is the third test. I'm not exactly sure.

Of course, the sad part is that I afterwards proceeded to waste hours just listening to music (particularly the two tracks mentioned waaaaay above) and reading up on random things, so when it comes to measuring how much of my night was spent doing something productive, the number came up to roughly 83% 14%.

However, that 14% was wisely spent working during my buzzed state, and that work ended up becoming something monumental (at least in my book) - the completion of 1/11th of Operation: DREAM EATER!



I'm pretty sure I heard a "Say what!?" out there. I'm not joking - one task is actually complete.



Anyway, in the event that the tags weren't any indicator, then the task I completed was "write a poem." I mentioned before that I had an idea I wanted to work on "...when my poetic muse wants a turn at the wheel," but not once did my mind think of that project this night. Rather, in my buzzed state I came up with an idea that stemmed from a conversation a friend and I had one night. I decided to go with that - fresh material usually yields better results when first encountered.

As per usual with my (old) work (and with poetry clichés, in general), the end result was a tad... melancholy. However, I instilled a good amount of positive hope in the end, and I'm sure the quantity of it was sufficient.

Bear with me - while I'm used to posting my work online, I'm not used to the fact that I haven't written actual poetry in ages. So basically: ignore things like the lack of rhyming (because poetry doesn't have to rhyme) and the very uneven flow of the words.

Oh, and ignore the somewhat-cliché and not-so-inspirational title (because after you see the title, you'll look back at this entry and give off one of those not-so-surprised "Huh" noises) - it's a work in progress.





Serenade of the Survivor
by Josh D. "Whitey" Blanco

I escaped from a gulag – my own personal Hell
a life in a warzone that I once called home
where lies were lullabies
blind hatred was law
and concepts of "happiness" existed only as myth

My situation and past were unique! I thought
no one else had been caught in that war
my scars unique to my time
for a crime that was never mine
no one could know, could understand

That all changed when we talked one day
you heard my harrowing story
dismissed me as petty and blind
revealed that my anguish was not unique
and told me a story that froze my blood cold

A different time and a different conflict
unique for you yet similar to mine
a world of peace, of happiness
of an enchanted, merry life
in a land unmired by battle

Then a bombshell – war!
you didn't know it at the time
one side fought another, claimed a stake
fought jagged tooth and bloodied nail
no care for collateral, for decency, for sanity

And where were you in all this?
under crossfire and deceit
in a foxhole carved with tears
never understanding why this was
and why peace could never be

You relocated as the hostilities went on
walking through miles of misery
overdrugged with the untruth
went from child to statistic
in a game you didn't want to play

And yet you tell me you escaped?
a miracle that sounded like mine
sanity leveled and rebuilt almost whole
somehow able to reach for peace
from a prison that offered you only war

The scars your bleeding heart bears
etched a message on my soul
a testament to our pasts, our torn worlds
and the lives of others like us
a serenade that sung "you're not alone"

An as we live on, please keep hope alive
for others disillusioned like we once were
their wars are now ours, that we walk with them
heads held high, our victory cry eternal:
"We survived. WE SURVIVED."





Interesting, really. What really intrigued me was the metaphor that this poem stood for. I'll leave it open to interpretation and comments, but I'm wondering if anyone can see what the message is here. I'm happy with it thus far, but after staring at the poem with far less alcohol in my system, I began noticing things. They're minor nitpicks, but enough for me to potentially warrant a second draft.

• The title. Explained above the poem, so I won't repeat.
• I don't think it flows all too well. I can probably go back and edit it, but... I'm a tad tired for that at the moment. After all, I did post this at nearly four in the morning.

No matter - the fact that Operation: DREAM EATER is officially a step closer to success just excites me in a manner similar to listening to "Lost Woods" after a bad day.

And yes: comments are welcome. Flames will be used to cook my summer s'mores.





Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and get some shut-eye. Lord knows I'll need it for later on tonight at work (what, with it being a Friday and all).
Since my customary farewell would seem... weird (as I'm sure I'll see a good portion of you later on today) given the circumstances, I shall simply say:

*loud snore*

Sailor Sushi to A4!

Those who've followed my various "blogs" will have already noticed that with the long and (for once,) good entries, I've sort of brought back my old blog titling habits. It's a confusing metaphorical menagerie of wordplay that summarizes the contents of the entry and paradoxically leaves the reader in the dark at the same time.

Anyway, before your brain suffers an aneurysm, here's why this entry's named the way it is:

• chess
• food (namely: sushi)
• Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon*
• writing

And in case you still don't see it, "A4" refers to chess (both the grid and the "What the deuce?" opening move**) and A4 paper (please tell me you can see the relation between writers and paper...).



* = A good 83% of you are probably giving this entry some kind of "WTF!?" look upon reading that. 83% of the initial 83% realize what it is and are probably wondering if they should revoke my man card for even referencing this. 83% of that secondary 83% have now realized that these statistics are fictional. Finally, 83% of that tertiary 83% probably don't know that this footnote was a How I Met Your Mother reference.

** = Seriously... if you should be playing chess against someone and they do "1.a4," then I hope to God that you win. Why bother wasting time by "blitzing" the queenside rook out to an awkward location when you can gain tempo and fight for control of the center?





CURRENT MUSIC:
Robert Summers - "Moon Crystal Power"
Sailor Moon: The Full Moon Collection

Yeah. You're still reading this correctly. Music from Sailor Moon - and the dubbed version, of all things? *nods* Now, if you have a problem, just shaddap and skip the rest of the music section. =P

Everyone around my age who's seen the well-known magical girl anime when they were a child knows this. Okay, maybe only the girls, but those of us guys out there who either had nothing better to watch before Dragon Ball Z or lived in a house with girls who watched Sailor Moon probably know this, too. In the event that you don't know (which is probably true for just about everyone in my "fan base"), "Moon Crystal Power" is known as the theme music for Serena/Usagi Tsukino's transformation sequence into the title character. While a majority of the English adaptation barely holds a candle to the original Japanese audio, I have to admit that I believe this is one of the better music themes for a transformation sequence.

What amazed me about this piece was that despite the obvious attachment for magical girls, I was able to place it as suitable background music for other characters and scenarios - particularly that "last-second rescue by a cavalry-esque squad" scene in not-so-dark war-based TV shows... and for some reason, opening credits for a sports show.

In the event that nobody's done this (or anything else) using this piece: I CALL DIBS.


Nobuo Uematsu - "Shuffle or Boogie"
Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack

Every main entry in the Final Fantasy series has had some kind of minigame, be it an Easter egg or something that actually helps benefit the storyline by strengthening your party. In the case of Final Fantasy VIII, that game would be Triple Triad, a card game played throughout the in-game world.

"Shuffle of Boogie" is the theme that plays whenever you engage in a Triple Triad game, and its lightheartedness complements the fun the game provides while creating that aura that just says, "Think about strategy while you're listening to me!" Obviously, this wouldn't sit well with a full-scale battlefield scenario, but for something like Triple Triad or any other children's card game, it works wonders.



"The chessboard is limited to an eight-by-eight grid. There is nothing beyond this little universe. No ninth rank. No green pieces that suddenly sweep onto the board to attack both black and white. ... [A pawn] doesn't suddenly blossom into a queen by its own volition. No, chess is nothing like war, which is one of the reasons I play it. It's so much simpler than real life."
- Arcturus Mengsk
(StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade)

I haven't read this book in ages. Loved it when I was younger (I was a bigger StarCraft nerd back then as compared to now), and now that I recently found the copy I had since 2002, I'm thinking of going through it again.

Anyway, Mengsk has a point. Maybe that's why everyone's so drawn to the game - unlike reality, the game's simplicity and complexities are much easier to handle and control.





Evening, readers. I honestly think it's about time to post a good entry for once. Fortunately, that's what y'all will be getting tonight, so celebrate.

Oh, and just for you skimmers: no TL;DR will be present for you. Please proceed to bludgeon yourself in the face with a sharpened shovel.





I woke up today feeling a huge surge of energy that for some reason has to be worked for whenever I'm working (ironic, ain't it?). This can be traced back to a few reasons:


I asked for today off.
Having a personally-scheduled personal day off to just kick back and relax is always a fun thing. Gives you time to recuperate from working your tail off so much and also lets you catch up on much-needed sleep. Plus, you can plan stuff with friends and everything.


Today is my "social sushi" day.
A few years ago my friends and I used to be big on getting sushi. We'd meet once a month, stuff our stomachs to the brim with the marvelous invention called sushi, have lots of talking and laughter shared amongst ourselves and then proceed back to our lives with a fat stomach and the most amazing food coma you can have... ever (until the next "social sushi" day, that is).

As the years have passed, the practice has dropped from most of my friends' schedules. I, however, seem to be a huge stickler for being conservative (in the non-political sense, mind you) and adhering to "tradition," so I revived the idea about ten months ago and have faithfully kept getting sushi with people who were free at that point in time. Nowadays, I'm still doing it (as today's entry will indicate).





So, if you like sushi, live near me, and wanna have a fun time eating, talking and what not, then bookmark every third Friday of the month off (or at least reserve lunch hours from 1200-1600).

Until the 'morrow, everyone!

Kicking Off With Virtuous Argent Fanfare

If I had it my way, I would have an entire symphony orchestra and rock band follow me around for the duration of the summer and watch over the traffic of this blog of mine.

Today's one of those days where their services would be of excellent use, because in case you don't know/remember/care, today is the official start of that summer campaign I told myself (and y'all) I'd get done.

And with the power of Geass the Force a metaphorical iron fist backed by Geass (Oh, come on, self-censorship? PLEASE!?) the Force (really; this, too!? Sad face!) steadfast determination and potential backing from Geass (*le sigh*) the Force (fuck it; I give up) all my friends nearby, I WILL.

*cue amazing orchestral sound as the "Current Music" section is read*





CURRENT MUSIC:
David Arkenstone - "Argent Coliseum 1", "Argent Coliseum 2" & "Argent Coliseum 3"
[World of Warcraft 3.2: Call of the Crusade]

While most of the excellent in-game music heard in World of Warcraft isn't available on the official soundtracks, that doesn't mean it's any less worthy to listen to for good ol' aural enjoyment - especially if you're not a WoW player.

I've always been one to herald video game music as some of the lesser-known musical delights of the world, and here I am sharing it with you - not just because it sounds awesome and epic (like this day will be known as) - but because it fits with the tone brought in today when the clock struck midnight and when I woke up this morning.

Digression aside, let me get to the music and the backstory. *clears throat*

In World of Warcraft lore, the divine Argent Crusade creates and hosts the Argent Tournament, a competition designed to find the best warriors and casters of Azeroth to fight Arthas the Lich King and his Scourge armies. As can be expected in a fantasy game, a good portion of this competition is held coliseum-style, where groups of players face multiple challenges in order to prepare themselves for the inevitable assault on Icecrown Citadel, the home of the Lich King. While performing these tasks, six tracks will play at random to help set the mood. All six of these pieces give you that "I'm a gladiator; let's slay some [insert species of your enemy here] ass!" kind of feeling, but half of them really stood out for me.

I found "Argent Coliseum 1" to be the perfect starter piece of the six. It threw me off when I first tried breaking it down years ago (patch 3.2: "Call of the Crusade" came out around the time I first started playing), but after listening to it enough times, it's rubbed off as a clever piece that announces impending combat with a heavy fanfare. (Not to mention it's got a 3/4 time signature - something I usually don't see with most video game music pieces...)

Despite that, "Argent Coliseum 2" is my personal favorite out of the six due to its versatility - not only is it great for gladiator introductions and pre-/post-combat conversations with the crowd and/or contestant(s), but it's perfect background music for fighting other champions on horseback, the Argent Crusade's own champions, devious agents of the Lich King, or just about any opponent in any challenge you're facing.

Of course, like in real life the jack-of-all-trades is usually outclassed by someone who is a legitimate expert in their field (assuming both entities are present), and that's where "Argent Coliseum 3" plays in. If you wanted pure tension and pressure, this track delivers it in spades. Quite handy for an arduous fight sequence - which, if you're not a good enough player, will be the entire instance or raid.

With all that said, I think the "Argent Coliseum" pieces are quite fitting for today (just look at the title) and what I now have ahead of me...


Harry Gregson-Williams - "Virtuous Mission"
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Original Soundtrack

Feels like a throwback to April's last entry when I post both this music track and the YouTube clip of the Virtuous Mission I want people to see it with.

Either way, it's almost poetic how this shows up again in my music playlist. I ended that month slowly formulating Operation: DREAM EATER... and now here it is, actually leaping out of a prototype AC-130 gunship the land of dreams and into the war zone commonly known as Tselinoyarsk Hell reality.

If you're watching the clip or listening to "Virtuous Mission" itself, consider the post-midnight insomniatic session (most of this was written before I went to sleep) as a metaphorical pre-jump phase.

When I wake up... *dramatically smirks* ...I'll be spreading my wings to fly.


Frank Klepacki - "Just Do It Up"
The Music of Command & Conquer

Seemed to me that the old-school Command & Conquer games were more badass than the new ones out there right now. No, it's not the gameplay or anything - but ever since Klepacki stopped being the primary music composer for the series, it's felt... not so fun.

Quite a fun piece to cruise along to. Whether you're casually cruising to work dressed like a (wannabe) badass or cutting through the desert in a rolling death machine, it's the perfect piece to turn the most unpleasant of drives into an awesome experience.

Don't believe me? Get this soundtrack somehow, pop it into your car via CD or MP3 player and "Just Do It Up." HAH! You see what I did there? Heh? Punny, right... right...? ...what, I don't even get a dry laugh?

=(


Keiki Kobayashi - "Glacial Skies"
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Original Soundtrack

A drumroll into a timpani crash and low tremolo strings... followed by a crash of more strings fanfaring the start of something new? Oh, I love the sound of that in the morning.

I've been a fan of the Ace Combat series since my dad got me a copy of Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies. The music's really drawn me to the games - there's something about it all that just gives the combat a bit more drama and intensity than I usually see in the big Hollywood films they make these days.

Anyway, with today being what today is, I'll be flying up alone into "Glacial Skies" - and while it'll be chilly and lonely, I know that if I don't conquer those skies I won't have anyone flying with me. (Don't get the metaphor? I don't, either. It just sounded awesome.)

I can imagine me blaring this as I begin driving to work. Matter-of-fact... I think I just might do that. *nods firmly*


Koutarou Nakagawa - "The Master"
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Original Soundtrack Volume 1

I mentioned before that another track from this album, "Beautiful Emperor," was excellent for a kind of dramatic entrance - "heroic dominance," I believe I said. While this is true, it doesn't seem to be appropriate when the character in question either has a streak of metaphorical blood tarnishing their reputation... or has violently usurped control of everything and wants to announce it to the world in style.

This track feels quite appropriate for today - after all, not only am I "bloodstained," but I'm highly confident in the impending victory. Just thinking about me makes me want to let off a domineering and evil-sounding laugh... and I've been told I can pull off quite an evil laugh.

Anyway, if you don't believe it's usable in a situation like mentioned above, just ask Lelouch vi Britannia what he has to say to that.

If you hear this playing from my end, either I'm still going power-crazy from the sudden surge of motivation hitting me now... or I've just claimed victory in a dramatic manner. Or I'm just wanting to let people know aurally that I'm currently maniacal. Or all three. *evil laugh*


Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori - "This Is the Hour"
Halo 3 Original Soundtrack

So far it looks as though today's playlist will primarily be composed of tracks possessing that "dramatic/explosive beginning/entrance" sound to it. When I woke up, it was indeed the hour I immediately set off to start "DREAM EATER" and get it underway.

Oh, and did I mention that the music from Halo 3 was just amazing?


Saliva - "Ladies and Gentlemen"
Blood Stained Love Story

I remember thinking when I first heard this back in high school: "Hey, this would be GREAT for a movie trailer or introductory theme of some kind." I was right, but some other bastards got to capitalize on the idea before I did. Made me sad.

Regardless, this is perfect for the scenarios listed above, plus a few more (pumping the crowd up and "nighttime driving," amongst others). I'd use it myself for my video blogs if I had the camera for it, but... it'd feel like I'm copying ideas (even though I'd be legally safe due to not making a profit or claim off of it...).



"Never act until you have clearly answered the question: 'What happens if I do nothing?'"
- Robert Brault

Well, aside from failing this pre-planned and carefully-calculated campaign of chaos (say that five times fast), I will probably end up in the same square I'm in now - and it's not a fun square to sit in at the moment. Trust me on this one.



"Let us be blessed with glory as we pass through the gates of Hell!"
- "OFNIR 1"
(Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War)

...I honestly don't think I need to explain this. I mean, it's a battle cry. Much like how people scream "Remember the Alamo!" or "Curahee!" or "All hail Britannia!"* or "For the Horde Alliance!"** bolsters the morale of the soldiers involved, so too does this.

I mean, it'd better - it's more along the lines of "things one says in a last stand" than a battle cry, but those still get the job done.

* = If you supported the resistance efforts of the Black Knights, I think you'd prefer "Nippon banzai!" Or, if you stood by Lelouch until the very end: "All hail Lelouch!"

** = Yeah. I went there. I still proudly support the Alliance. NYAH.



"Spread your wings and fly! God be with you!"
- Major Zero
(Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)

Great advice for me, too. Today... TODAY... TODAY I will be rescuing a Soviet rocket scientist seeking asylum starting life anew and conquering all 11 tasks set by me...!!!





Good morning/day/afternoon/evening/night, fair ladies and gentlemen. No matter what time you read this, let it be known that today, Wednesday, June 1, 2011, is the day Operation: DREAM EATER has commenced! The campaign against the debauchery known as monotony, apathy and stagnancy starts NOW!





Quick recap to those of you who're either too lazy to re-read the backstory behind Operation: DREAM EATER or just don't know because you're new or haven't been here in a while:

Back in the middle of May, I woke up from a dream that seemed to hold meaning to a potential future - one of success, accomplished projects, accolades and lots of female company.
...okay, so there weren't lots of women flocking me with their presence. (I can dream.) However, the other three held true, and after deciphering its meaning and absent-mindedly working on small projects I thought I'd never do, I realized what it all meant - it meant that my mind was screaming "J'en ai marre!" (not the Alizée song, mind you) to my current life and that I had to do something dramatic and amazing with myself to earn this "reward" I'll be seeing soon.

So I ingested the dream and absorbed it into my mind, came up with a list of things I wanted done, and called it "Operation: DREAM EATER." (If you want the reason behind the name, it looks like you're going to have to read back on it. No getting it out of me today. =P)

The overall objective of "Operation: DREAM EATER": complete all 11 tasks by Friday, September 23, 2011 (the official end of the summer season).





As such, I've begun working on a good portion of the 11 tasks I've set out for myself.

For those of you wishing to keep score at home and don't really want to check another entry for the 11 tasks, here they are once more (in no specific order):

• find the "perfect" look for this blog
  
• get Gefallen (US-Tichondrius - Human Rogue) to Lv85 and figure out a workable Combat PvP spec
  
• get Chariselle (US-Ravenholdt - Blood Elf Paladin) geared for end-game PvE raiding
  
• finish the first 30 pages of a new screenplay
  
• work on and complete the next chapter of my Street Fighter fanfic Unincorporated
  
• begin and complete Radiant Historia (NDS)
  
• lose some weight / get more fit
  
• write a poem
  
• work out and organize the rough basics of an epic road trip I want to take next year
  
• clean my room and maintain its cleanliness
  
• complete at least 50% of a cosplay outfit of my choice
  

Let's take a look at some made-up-yet-entirely-true "statistics" here:

• Of the eleven tasks I'm set to finish: three involve video games (Gef, Chari, and Radiant Historia); three involve writing (screenplay, Unincorporated and poem); two are quite simple to accomplish, despite "possessing" an "easier said than done" look on them (blog looks and room cleaning); two involve physical aesthetics, fashion, and the concept of "looking good" (fitness and cosplay); one has no physical effect on the current timeline of 2011 (road trip 2012).
  
• Four of these tasks are completed by partially completing their tasks.
  
• The World of Warcraft-based objectives will most likely only be worked on when I have days off from work.
  
• One task will probably show no short-term results - it'll all be long-term (which is something I despise waiting for).
  
• One task allows me to look into the future. Three guesses as to which one, huh?
  
• One task will allow me to look cooler and enable me to pose for pictures for a certain convention I'll be going to in November. Details on that will be saved so they can be told to you, the general public, another day.
  

From the looks of it, it can be said that I have quite the challenge there. However, I think I woke up ready to eat up any sushi rolls challenges that came my way today.



C'est magnifique, no?



As of right now, I've worked on several of these. Rather than repeat the list and explain what's been conducted or what hasn't been done, I'll just cite the objectives I've actively worked on today.

• begin and complete Radiant Historia (NDS)
  I figured I'd have enough down-time during my lunch break at work to get myself started, and I know I sure will when I'm trying to sleep tonight. It's loaded on my 3DS and ready to play. Of course, there might be a problem with this challenge seeing as BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II comes out for the 3DS tomorrow...
  
• write a poem
  I rifled through an old notebook of literary ideas I had years ago and found an incomplete entry that immediately grabbed my attention. I don't know what it was that drew me to it... it was hauntingly beautiful (at least by my standards), and it begged me to complete it. I chose it, and now I know what I'll be working on when my poetic muse wants a turn at the wheel.
  
• complete at least 50% of a cosplay outfit of my choice
  I know what I want to create. Details will show up the same day I post about Pacific Media Expo 2011.
  

So, with all that said and (eventually) done, I'll bid you all adieu. Until the 'morrow, everyone - I'll be sure to perform admirably and with great fanfare today!

(P.S.: Amazing discovery: leftover Five Guys burger + submarine sandwich dressing = WIN. Just thought I'd share that with y'all. *noms*)


(P.P.S.: I told you I keep my promises. Didn't I say that today's entry would be prime quality?)