Entry Three-Six-Five

MY LAST ENTRY EVAR! (For 2011, at least.)

Eve of Eves

New Year's Eve looms upon us. As this entry makes its way through the Internet and solidifies Post 364, I'd like to say a few things.

For one, I'm gonna be busy and stuck at work for the next few days. No, I don't mean I'm going to be at work until God-knows-when - I mean that most of my waking hours that aren't spent preparing for the day or playing something awesome on my 3DS will be used up at work, because I like to earn money.

Which leads to the second point I'd like to talk to you about: the highly probably chance that the next great entry will either be on January 2 or 3, 2012.

Why so late, you ask? Well, obviously work is an issue. There's also a lot of things I want to talk about (and I mean a lot), and to prep for a big entry like I'm planning requires some prior editing of the content's HTML that extends the typing session to more than just a few hours. That, or I just had so much to type that it took me more than two sit-down sessions in front of my laptop to pull it off.

"All this has happened before, and will happen again." Much like the credo heard in Battlestar Galactica, I've taken my time with some entries that I think were pretty epic in their own rights. And since I like dedicating time to craft a good entry, it's going to happen again - and not just with that upcoming entry that's going to show up next year.

Which means that y'all best be prepared for something awesome. It's probably going to be long and chock-full of content, and I'm pretty sure there's also going to be pictures as well.

Just thought I'd let you know in case you're wondering what's in store for the next few days.





In other news, I think I had a 24 Hour Flu or something. Sore body's gone; only trace of me being sick is a not-so-raw throat and a very light stuffy nose.

Stupid off-day sickness. =(





Until the 'morrow, everyone.

Sick Emblem on the End

A day off is no longer a day off when you're sick. *sneezes*

Karting Logic

So when I'm not working or sleeping today, I've been playing a lot of Mario Kart 7. A LOT. Matter of fact, it's the reason why today's entry is so frakkin' short and lame. (It's not because I'm at work. Noooooo...)

Well, if anything, there's going to be a great entry tomorrow. I'm sure of it.

Until the 'morrow, everybody! *zips off as Daisy*

Wishes That Never Were

I want this blog entry to be finished when I told myself it would be finished! If that was actually on my Christmas wish list, I wouldn't have received this, then. I'm going to be honest here: TV Tropes essentially stole about three hours' worth of potential typing time because it's so frakkin' addicting!

But no more! (For now, at least. I CAN QUIT WHEN I WANT TO!) I'm going back to typing this entry up so y'all can read something interesting! *cue three more hours spent on TV Tropes, playing Mario Kart 7, and/or eating din-din*

...

*adds "the opportunity to freely slap the magnificent bastard who introduced TV Tropes to me" to the Christmas 2012 wishlist*

Last Week Battle Plans

Lock and load, people - it's time to begin the final week of 2011! No one is going belly-up unless I say you can go belly-up! Suck in your [(post)-holiday] stomach - and I don't give a frak if it's full of all the delicious food you ate yesterday! This ain't no soup kitchen; this is WAR!

We have six days left until the (supposed) last year is upon us, so get your butts in shape and kick those Nazi scumbags execute the FTL jump get a move on READING, READER!

Obligatory Holiday Announcement for 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAHAUNAKWANZAKA!

The Eve

This entry has been claimed by a Christmas Eve shift at work and me sleeping in due to hanging out with friends last night after work. No doubt that it's going to be one of the most stressful and hectic days of the year.

*deep breath* I am prepared. I am ready to face the onslaught. Just get me some war paint. And my axe. And my vuvuzela.

Hateful Friday Love

BRING THE HATE! BRING THE LOVE! BRING THE SHRUBBERY!





CURRENT MUSIC:
Namie Amuro - "Baby Don't Cry"
Play

For those of you who don't know who Namie Amuro is (which is just about all of you), she is a famous Japanese R&B and pop singer widely hailed as the "Queen of Japanese Pop." With a career spanning nearly two decades, Amuro has certainly earned a legendary reputation as a long-lasting idol.

As I began to wonder what to relax to when I was typing today's entry, WinAmp cycled through some of her music. I figured, "Eh, why not?" and scoped through her discography. Play was her first album that I was exposed to, so it only made sense that I pick something from it.





So I promised you something decent, eh? Well, if you look up at the top of the page, you might notice an old page is back - "The Hate List." I took it down earlier this month for the whole "renovation" project I was doing, and I just finished going over that page.

Now when you look at it, you'll notice some features that weren't there before:

• Pictures!
• Improved navigation and links (for you lazy chums)!
• More things to hate! (25 things on the list now.)
• Humor!

Trust me when I say: You'll enjoy it. You'll get some laughs out of it. Plus, you might learn something about me as well. Isn't that a win-win?

Sleeper Entry

Lately it's been hard for me to get myself motivated and inspired to start my day. It's probably because of all the crazy work and how insane my job's been as of late. Of course, one can tell with the new posts I had for yesterday and the day before.

I'll post something nice mañana. Oh, and expect an old page to be back up and running as well!

Until then... *zzz*

Motivationally Speaking: Disco Fever

Not Mine; Found @ Halotivations

Motivationally Speaking: Procrastination

Prophetic Slumber - The Awakening

I had a hard time motivating myself to get up out of bed today. My alarm clock chirped me awake at 0900, and I'd tell it to shut up by smacking the snooze button. A few minutes later, it'd scream at me again and I'd slap it quiet in response and attempt to lull myself back to dream land. (And no, I don't mean the "Dream Land" of the Kirby games.)

This exchange lasted for a good hour or two before I decided to finally get up.

For a few moments I sat there, just wondering why it took me so bloody long to pull myself up. Fatigue? No; I just woke up. Lethargy? How could that be; it's my day off. Mental exhaustion? Hard to possess when your tolerance for stupidity has been the only thing drained from your brain.

So what was it? A premonition... that something dark is coming. I'll explain later - have to clock back in to my oh-so-calm (not) job.

List of Dreams

Gooood afternoon, everyone! Welcome to a special Sunday edition of The White Knight Chronicles, where we're going to have some major fun today! (At least I hope it's fun.)

So what're you waiting for? Read on!

Gone Treasure Hunting

With the second half of the last month of the year upon us, I thought it'd be nice if I posted something big and hearty sometime this weekend. Obviously, that ain't today. You'll see it tomorrow.

In other news: Wario Land 4. =D

Ten Free Gifts for Me

In today's news, the wait that Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors have been enduring is finally over in the form of an early Christmas present. Nintendo has finally released the ten free Game Boy Advance games promised to all those who purchased a 3DS at the original standard price of $249.99 USD.

In alphabetical order, those games are as follows:

• F-Zero Maximum Velocity
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• Mario Kart: Super Circut
• Mario vs Donkey Kong
• Metroid Fusion
• Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
• Wario Land 4
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$

These games are exclusively for Nintendo Ambassadors only. All you other 3DS owners who bought it at the lower $169.99 USD can suck it. =P

Anyway, when I saw that they updated the 3DS shop so we Ambassadors could download these games (finally), I took a bit of time to look over the titles available to us special people. I was rather surprised with the selection. After getting over the "whoo, free swag" euphoria, I began to garner some thoughts about each of the games.


F-Zero Maximum Velocity
I never really was much of an F-Zero gamer. The only reasons why I knew of the franchise was because of two things:

1. I have a friend who plays the F-Zero games.
2. Captain Fabulous Falcon.

But hey - who am I to refuse a free game? Especially one that I'll play because I absolutely loved my Game Boy Advance? (So much in fact, that my friend "preserved" it with floral tape. It's sitting in my storage unit somewhere, so remind me to fetch you a photo of it when I get the chance - or rather, when I find it.)


Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
I became ecstatic after seeing this pop up. I'll admit: I'm more of a "newer" fan of Fire Emblem - I was introduced to the series during my upperclassman high school years. While Sacred Stones wasn't the first game in the series that I played (Path of Radiance has that honor), it was the first Fire Emblem I actually finished. Now that I have it again, I know I'm going to have so much fun.

For you Fire Emblem fans: if you know this game, I have a few things to say.

1. Natasha/Joshua. I liked their relationship so much that I've already decided on using them for my final party.
2. Amelia. FRAK, YES. When I did a second run-through on my original GBA cartridge, I decided to try the three recruits out. Amelia's stat growths were so insane she became a badass General. With boots.

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
I remember this game... it was, like almost ten years ago. It was short, but it was pretty fun. FIGHTER POWERUP FTW.


The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Can't say I've played this before, but hey - that means another thing for me to play through on my eventual "video game vacation" I'll be taking sometime next year. (I should probably also work on Wind Waker and Link's Awakening, too...


Mario Kart: Super Circuit
As much as I adore the Mario Kart games, I've never played Super Circuit. Guess it's time for me to do so now!


Mario vs Donkey Kong
Same goes with the Mario vs Donkey Kong series. New stuffs!


Metroid Fusion
The only Metroid game I've completed is Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo. That should change, and I think Fusion will be key in that.


Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
The Game Boy Advance Port of Super Mario World 2, eh? Awesome. Naval Piranha, you're about to get some payback for freaking me out oh-so-many-years-ago.


Wario Land 4
This was one of the first games I got for my Game Boy Advance. Anyone with a Game Boy of some iteration was likely to possess some game in the Wario Land series. Now I once again have a chance to get the anti-Mario his treasure! *Wario laugh*


WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$
Ahehehe... I remember this game quite fondly. So many silly games - so little time for all of them. Ahehehe. I'm going to enjoy this a LOT - especially since I want to unlock all the microgames.

Merry frakkin' Christmas, indeed. =D
Now if you'll excuse me, I got games to play. *gleefully starts up Sacred Stones*

My 3DS Can Blog

Today's entry was composed entirely on my Nindendo 3DS.

It's quite interesting to type on here; to be honest, I have no idea what got me to write today's entry on mine. Eh - it doesn't matter. This is awesome nonetheless.

Pokémon Rumble Blast has been surprisingly difficult lately. As mentioned before, I'm at Worl Rank 9, but even with legendaries at 3,000+ power, I'm unable to conquer the last Battle Royale challenge. Then again, that shouldn't be surprising, as all the Pokémon in the fight are legendaries. It's an insane challenge, but despite the losses I've had, I got closer and closer to tasting victory. That, I think, counts for something.

Well, I'm going to go prepare for work. More madness is to be expected, so I must stand ready. Until the 'morrow!

Resolution Confidence

As the halfway point of this month (the 16th) draws ever so closer, it's gotten me to think about some things. Namely, how I did this year in relation to how I did last year - or in other words: did I got any better or did I get worse?

Retail © Norm Feuti

Heh. I already know the answer to that question.

Holiday Horrors

This entry explains why the retail world drives the proverbial nail in the Christmahaunakwanzaka coffin.

Or rather: why the retail world drives the proverbial nail in my Christmahaunakwanzaka coffin.

A Blatant Lie

I'm totally not being lazy today.

Mellow Grind

Good afternoon, everybody. How goes it on this fine and... *looks outside* ...okay, not-so-fine day? It's cloudy outside. Nothing better to abruptly alter your general mindset than the weather. That's just frakkin'... *looks outside again* ...sunshine? So it's partly sunny? Joy!





CURRENT MUSIC:
Starry K. - "Sailor"
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Original Soundtrack

Muzak - always a nice genre of music for those moments of casual, upbeat, relaxing ambiance. As I've mentioned before, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater featured eight "healing tracks" that would restore your in-game stamina and health after listening to each one. "Sailor" is one of them, and it definitely possesses a calming, mellow sound to it.

Late Over the Hill

Today can be considered my hump day of sorts. It's day three of five days working strenuously at work. Things have begun to look upward, though - the last few days we somehow managed to make sales.

I'd post more but I'm going to be late if I don't leave right now.

Because Biographies are AWESOME

"It's a feature of our age that if you write a work of fiction, everyone assumes that the people and events in it are disguised biography. But if you write your biography, it's equally assumed you're lying your head off."
- Margaret Atwood

I found this quote particularly amusing because not only is it true, but it applies to an update I've made on this oh-so-(not-)humble blog of mine.

I finished updating my biography page!

Yeah! Now you can look and take a gander at exactly how much lying I did on that page!

The other pages will be coming back online in due time, but for now they're still in the construction yard undergoing maintenance. Patience, friends. My 100% totally true biography will sate your desires and hold you over until the next update occurs.

Forked

There's nothing like the sinking feeling you get after receiving and accepting a call in to work on your day off.

My plans for today consisted of the following tasks (in no particular order):

• take a shower
• go grocery shopping
• sort through my music
• re-watch/listen to season one of Battlestar Galactica
• recode a frak-ton of HTML on the side pages of this blog
• relax and take it easy for all of today

I got most of that done, but now I won't be able to pull off those last two.

After hanging up my cell phone, I found myself caught in a mental purgatory of sorts. I looked at the recoded pages - or what I had done for the day - and took a deep breath as reality sunk in.



On one hand I need to get as many hours as possible so I can stay financially adrift. We (and by we I mean the Target I work at) haven't been doing so well in terms of sales, and as such we've been forced to cut our hours much earlier in the holiday season than necessary. I normally get a number that hovers around the mid-thirties, but due to the cuts I've been reduced by roughly ten hours. Whoo. Getting called in means more hours for me, which means more monies to throw around for bills and what not. That basically means I will survive.

However, when we inspect the other side of the coin, taking and accepting the call now makes me feel like I'm not even respecting myself for a much-needed personal day. While I get decent time for myself to relax and not get pushed around at work, I have rarely had an off-day where I can relax and accomplish everything I set out to do for that day. Off-days provide me with the opportunity to recharge both my batteries and my sanity. I get to live.

Both choices are important in their own rights, but in the end, we're at a crossroads, and there's no backing out once a decision to turn is made.



Now, this means that at the fork in the road, I had to choose between two options that - in my view - are surprisingly symbiotic. Those choices? Survival, and living. By choosing the first option I succeed in surviving, but I sacrifice my freedom and my sanity. Choosing the latter option lets me stay at peace, but it dooms me when it comes to surviving in the real world. I understand both sides of the situation, and I know that in most scenarios, selection of "survival" is the preferred option. I just... I just don't know how long I can keep choosing that side before I get burnt out of that choice.

*sigh* Maybe I'm just ranting about the minutiae again. I 'unno. So, until I actually go in to work, I'm just going to finish what I can with the page editing.

Blinders On

Renovations are going smoothly so far. As most of you have probably noticed, quite a few of the page tabs at the top are missing. I had those pages taken down so I can tweak the content and the HTML without having a few nosy people catching wind of the changes until I'm ready to display 'em.

I can't give you an ETA on when this stuff'll be done - I swear I'm getting new ideas that I want to toy with every hour. Alls I can say is that when you see those missing pages again, you'll like what I did to them. (I hope.)

Anyway, I need to prepare for work. That means shower, lunch preparations, and finishing the HTML changes I'm making right now. Until the 'morrow!

Tuesday Announcement of Renovation

*double takes* WHAAT!?

Yeap. Sokka's sign... er, painting... is correct.

After spending some time looking over some of the stuff I have on this (not-so-) humble blog of mine, I figured I could make do with some cosmetic changes. While I am happy with how the blog looks at this moment (this simple design template works fine, really), there's some things on here that I need to get fixed - mostly because it looks aghast in my eyes.

Just as a note of forewarning: the changes you'll see here are not going to be overly dramatic. I'm not changing the colors and text to screw with any of you or anything, nor am I going to make this simple online journal of sorts extremely difficult to navigate. There's just a bit of things here and there that need repairs... and that's where I'm coming in to fix 'em.

Of course, what am I fixing? Well, I'll leave you to figure it out. The changes will slowly reveal themselves to you if you're curious enough to click around.

Oh, yay - looking through lines of code to make this site as close to perfect as possible.
What a reward this is.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to begin scanning my code. I'll see y'all tomorrow. *starts typing furiously*

Avenging Gales

Winds of confusion -
the weather of December
is quite so strange, yes?

Scrubbed Blasts

I want to post something, but something is telling me to post it tomorrow, so I will. In the meantime, Pokémon Rumble Blast and Scrubs are calling my name. Whee!

Good post showing up tomorrow, so you'll get to enjoy something as the work week starts!

Encroaching Holiday Darkness

CURRENT MUSIC:
Harry Gregson-Williams - "Shagohod"
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Original Soundtrack

Bear McCreary - "Something Dark is Coming"
Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 Original Soundtrack

Hitoshi Sakimoto - "Ground Battleship Marmot"
Valkyria Chronicles Original Soundtrack

Yoko Shimomura - "To the Battlefield"
Radiant Historia Original Soundtrack

Timothy Michael Wynn - "The European Storm"
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Original Soundtrack

Late Budgeting

Something tells me that today will be one of those interesting days at work tonight.

I don't know what it is. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

I know - another crap-short entry, but I kinda woke up late, and catching up on Retail didn't really help me out any. =/

Later, all.

Unions of December Fun

Eleven months down and now... we're at the tail end of 2011. Amazing, isn't it?





CURRENT MUSIC:
Bear McCreary - "Dirty Hands"
Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Original Soundtrack

I wanted to surprise you with a little something different, and I believe this piece does just that. Those of you who only know of Battlestar Galactica's music through what I've posted here will find a stark contrast between what I've posted before and "Dirty Hands." That's good - there was meant to be a difference in what you've heard before and expect to hear from the soundtrack... and what you end up hearing afterwards.

"Dirty Hands" aurally represents a "working man" theme, conveying through music a sense of hard labor and strain faced by crews aboard some of the more "essential" ships in the refugee fleet (such as a fuel refinery ship and a sewage treatment vessel). You can almost picture the formation of a union strike with this music. Matter-of-fact: a strike ended up occurring in the show itself...

As I've been a working man of sorts for the past eleven months, I have to say that this blues-sounding track carries a musical representation of the hard work I've done and the hard work I'll have to face in the future.

Plus, this makes for good background music for typing stuff up. Try it the next time you're writing some big, bag paper or a vehement e-mail to your supervisor about the pointlessness of TPS reports (or whatever business ethics minutiae you're calling them out on). Take the fight of the common man into your hands! ...er, I mean... *twiddles thumbs*

Not With a Bang...

For those of you expecting some big, badass entry to end November on: I don't have one for you. I know, I know - I've been lacking with the quality entries lately. Things have been... well... not quite so good for you. I-I mean me.

If anything, I'll be giving you things tomorrow. Good things. Quality things. That're... y'know, quality-filled. I promise.

For now, work and my 3DS call to me, so ciao-ciao.

Hai-Two

The honor and pride
of a fallen warrior
must be set aside

When life takes a dive
please keep the fire alive -
otherwise: no hope

Forks and Puzzles

What do I want today?

I don't know. I want to sleep. I want to eat. I want to explore and have fun all over the place. I want to work. I want to some kind of miracle (as in an actual miracle) to uplift my entire life. I want change. I want serenity. I want balance, peace, and lack of discord. I want money. I want a life. I want to live. I want it all.

It doesn't help that I rambled right there. Nor does it help that I'm somehow floating when I should otherwise be sinking. It's confusing, really.

Just like this entry.

Two choices are presented, and the machine turns to yield fruit. A fuel for life, and a life for fuel. Decadent. Like sin, clean and omitted, and the washboard rises with the clean hands. Know not the path of darkness, but rather the path of survival. Decisions have yet to be made. The road is crushed before you and will be repaved. Yielding to one offsets the other. A risk must be gambled, and the level is clear. We want many things and to want is to deny the wanting. Flip a coin.

*clears throat*

Sorry; been thinking a little too much there. As stated, I've come to a bit of a crossroads here, and depending on which path I take, something will get screwed over in the end. I'm not entirely sure what to pick - I've been weighing my options quite extensively - but I know to tread lightly.

I want to type more, but I have other things to take care of right now, so... until the 'morrow.

I Want To Sleep

I'm tired. I'm sick. I'm hungry. I'm overworked, underpaid, and stuck in a job where customers treat me like rocks. But at least I get to read comics and write some things up before work.

Black Saturday

As Day Two of Target's "2 Day Sale" continues on, I have to steel myself against the incompetency displayed by most of the guests that I ran into. So, as such, I decided to dedicate most of my time before work to video games where I can vent my frustrations.

This means that (obviously) there is no awesome entry today. Feh - I think getting myself steeled up and ready to metaphorically kick some ass is a priority, so therefore I have no qualms about posting this.

However, as short as this entry is, I do have one more thing to mention.



To you soon-to-be asshole guests: I have one thing to say to all of you. Your kind has been plaguing my store and the retail world longer than you've been living. You make those involved in bank runs look pacified compared to your sorry hides. You're the reason why cynics become misanthropists and why otherwise-good retail workers are driven mad. You create chaos out of order and encourage your pathetic monkeys of children to follow in your convoluted footsteps.

So, when you ransack my store, let your whelps run around and mirror your actions, switch your voice to ALL CAPS MODE and yell at the people who are doing their very best to help you and drug you with the pathetic crap you came to buy, we will rise above you and cast judgment. We will not back down from your erroneous logic and flawed vices, and when you whistle us over thinking we're your own personal lapdogs, we will heartily disincline to acquiesce your requests.

As for me: if you piss me off... *devious smile* ...oh, we're going to have some fun.

Treats in Chaos

*yawns* Morning, everybody. While most of y'all aren't able to read this right now because of work, Black Friday shopping sprees, I'm sure that the few of us waiting to switch in to take the helm will find this enjoyable right now. The rest of ya'? Enjoy it once you're home. =P





CURRENT MUSIC:
Yoko Shimomura - "A Place Where Wind and Feather Return"
Radiant Historia Piano Selections

As you already know, one of my big things in liking various media - including video games - is the music - if it doesn't capture the mood well enough, it may not capture my interest (forcing the story to perform all the saving throws). Fortunately for Nintendo DS's Radiant Historia both story and music got my attention, so I ended up playing it (and eventually beat it many months later). It's all great and awesome, especially when the music invokes good use of emotions.

Most starting copies of Radiant Historia included a short CD consisting of piano-solo variants of the game's soundtracks. "A Place Where Wind and Feather Return" was one such track that already held enough emotion to hold you over for several go-arounds. Yoko Shimomura took it one more step further and transcribed this beautiful piece so a piano could make the same hauntingly beautiful melodies on its own volition.





Hello, everybody. Just here to post some stuff about life (not just my life), music, toys, the fears and terrors of Black Friday, and what not. Pardon my... let's call it "uninteresting" topics. They're interesting to me, which means they bloody well better be interesting to you.

*intimidating sip*

Think of this as a light entry to sate your "I want stuff from your blog, Josh" feelings as I prep up for Black Friday and get myself psyched up to work. *sips*





Thanksgiving Din-Din of Awesome
(A pinch of salt's not what made this dinner tasty.)

Everyone has Thanksgiving plans of some kind - even "evil" and crazy people like myself. So last night I spent Thanksgiving with my cousins. It was a fantastic dinner filled with fun times and tasty food.

Itadakimasu~!

From left to right:
Front: honey-glazed spiral ham, baked macaroni and cheese
Second Row: chicken, cupcakes, assorted chocolate cheesecake, pancit, pork sisig
Third Row: Salad, lumpia, barbecue pork cutlets
Back Row: strawberries & cream





Havin' the Time of Their Lives
(Because everyone loves fun things caught on video.)

And to close things off, here's a "random" video that was performed and posted back on the 11th. Target store 1027 (my store) had a visit that morning from Regional VPs (in other words: my bosses' bosses' bosses). Earlier that week, the execs (my bosses) cooked up an idea to have a flash mob performance during the visit. This is what ensued.


What's funny is that when they were trying to get the regular team members and everything to practice during the week, I decided to take it a step further and actually sort-of improvise the routine when I tried out. (Hey, I love flash mobs. While I haven't performed or executed any, I have plenty of awesome ideas.) After two of my bosses and about a dozen of my fellow co-workers witnessed my "awesome performance" (their words; not mine - I swear it), word-of-mouth spread it to the other execs, who wanted me to join them after the first wave performance. As much as I would've loved to, I unfortunately had other engagements that morning.

Eh, oh, well. The next time they plan something like this, they know who they're calling. *smiles*





Well, that's going to be it for today. I'll see y'all tomorrow - just as long as I don't die tonight at work. =P

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful and stuffing Thanksgiving, everyone! (This is assuming you live in America, celebrate the holiday, and aren't one of those crazy people with the whole "Black Friday midnight sales > Thanksgiving dinner & family time" mentality.)

I know I'M going to have a wonderful and stuffing time! *eats moar stuffing*

I'd post more things here, but I happen to have Thanksgiving plans, so you'll see me on the 'morrow... assuming I don't get killed in the Black Friday sales here at my local Target.

Eve of Thanks

As it's the day before Thanksgiving, I say you should be thankful that I posted this for you like I said I would. Now be happy and eat your awesome grub!





CURRENT MUSIC:
Sergei Mantis - "Sea Breeze"
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Original Soundtrack

When you listen to this, one of the first things you'll probably think of are the words "elevator music." Soothing, jazzy, calming - quite a relaxing track. I figured we could use a break from most other music pieces I put on here and play something that'll just relax your mind and heal that battered brain of yours (because too much work kills). Matter-of-fact, this track was one of eight "healing songs" used in Snake Eater. Simply dial a particular frequency in-game, and after listening to the music, Naked Snake's health and stamina would be fully restored.

The funny thing is that for something so soothing and mellow, it has a very high potential for ironic use. Perhaps the best example would be its use in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. One of the many items Old Snake has at his arsenal is an iPod (perhaps an iPod Classic), and "Sea Breeze" is one of the many songs the aged soldier can pick up along his journey. Like the "healing songs" in Snake Eater, "Sea Breeze" performs this job again, slowly restoring Snake's health and stamina while the iPod is playing. However, whenever I did this, I always made sure there was a battle going on close by while Snake lied down and listened along.

I mean, imagine the scenario - a war-torn area with people getting picked off left and right, and you're there listening to something like "Sea Breeze." See the irony?



"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
- Douglas Adams

There's a whooshing sound going off as I post this entry. =D





Welcome, everyone. Today's entry will feature two little big entrées before Thanksgiving, so I hope you prepared your mind to take in a bunch of text and pictures! Get ready to fill that tank of yours with awesome goodness!

No, not that tank. But yeah; if you need gas, get some, too.

And here we go!





Survey Time, Survey Time!
(Because social networking sites didn't already make you sick of 'em.)

Just to make sure you begin reading in a fun mood, I decided to blatantly steal totally "borrow" this survey thing I found on one of my friend's blog entries. I haven't done one of 'em in a while, so let's just see how interesting my responses are...

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1.) Who was the last person you held hands with?
Uhm, nobody.


2.) Are you loud, outgoing, or shy?
I'm all three. Believe it. My voice carries, and I'm one of those people who just has to get their say in - hence me being loud. I'm always one for going to places with friends and having some fun, so I have to be outgoing by that regard. However, while that's true, I'm also a bit timid around people and places I don't know all too well - and that's me being shy.


3.) Who are you looking forward to seeing?
I don't actually know if I'm looking forward for anything or anyone. Right now my life's just a jumbled mess that I want organized.


4.) Are you easy to get along with?
Indubitably - I'm a social butterfly like that. But God help you if you decide to annoy me and/or piss me off.


5.) Have you even given up on someone, but then gone back to them?
To be honest, I'm not quite sure. I'd have to ask my friends about that - apparently they're more knowledgeable about my life than I am.


6.) If you were drunk, would the person you like take care of you?
Not sure - mainly because I haven't gone out drinking all that much. But I don't think they would. Don't get me wrong: I'm sure they would (assuming they cared for me as much as I care for them), but since I'm more than likely the designated driver, there's no possible way I could be drunk.

Oh, wait, the question's asking if I was drunk. Ohh... well, then, I'd say probably. Assuming they're not preoccupied with anything, of course.


7.) Do you think you'll be in a relationship two months from now?
Anything's possible. The odds (and my former self's train of thought) would conclude the answer to be something akin to a "frak no," but sometimes, you don't get to control what happens. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up being lucky for the Christmas season. Maybe I won't. Only time will tell, right?


8.) Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?
Nobody. As heartless as that sounds, if I begin thinking too much, I'll spiral out of control and into a depression. We don't need that, so there hasn't been much thinking about the opposite gender lately.


9.) Does talking about sex make you feel uncomfortable?
A bit. In this day and age where chivalry and actual romantic courtships are nothing but myths, it puts those who are in (what I call) "the dying breed" in a bit of a nervous bind when the subject arises. I mean, if I'm asked, I'll eventually give some kind of half-assed response, but... *shrugs slowly*


10.) Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?
Can't remember this. I haven't really had time to hang out one-on-one with anyone lately. That, and I've been in such an excellent mindset this year so far, so there hasn't been much of a discussion.

Of course, this all depends on the definition of "deep" being used. I'm not sure if any of my big discussions have actually been considered as "deep," so until I get a firm definition, I'm just going to say "no."


11.) What does your most recent text say?
"So far, yeah. I think. *shrugs*"


12.) How do you feel about abortion?
Personally, I'm pro-life on the basis that it's still a human life no matter which side of the coin you look at. To me, killing an unborn child is like killing that one person at your school/job/local hangout that nobody likes. Yes, we don't want them around. Yes, they're probably frakkin' annoying. Yes, they're a needs-to-be-excised tumor that's leeching off of your fun and sanity. But do we really have to resort to violent maneuvers just to keep our chuckle-headed selves happy? No. We don't. In a way, I kinda wish it was illegal to abort, just so those women who thought of pregnancy as an inconvenience to their sex life could learn the ultimate lesson.

Of course, I'm just one opinion against a gazillion out there. More importantly: in the end, it's not my choice whether or not the "KILL" button is pressed - it's the pregnant woman's.

However, if there's a scenario where not performing the abortion would result in the woman's death (I'm pretty sure there's been a few medical scenarios like this already), then I'll just have to put my opinions on hold and reconsider the circumstances.


13.) Do you like big crowds of people?
No. Not at all. There's a high chance of mob mentality breaking out if so much as ten of them get pissed off because of a message they received from an outside party. Those ten have the power to distort this message to the point where everyone in the crowd gets pissed off as well.

Yeah, I know - I extrapolated a bit, but you know I'm right.


14.) Do you believe in luck and miracles?
Not really. Quoting Cavil from Battlestar Galactica: "Supernatural divinities are the primitive's answer for why the sun goes down at night." Most things out there are rather explainable by common mathematics and science. The other stuff? Well, if you want to be a religious bigot (who probably doesn't know any better), then go ahead and say it was some supernatural force beyond our control. Let the realists use actual intelligence and prove otherwise.

Bottom line? Luck's just the laws of probability swinging in your favor. Miracles are events that people need some kind of "explanation" for. So no, I don't really believe in either.


15.) What good thing happened this summer?
...I turned 22? I don't know - I was too busy working and not really paying attention to what was going on around me. Maybe something good happened that I just don't remember.


16.) Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
*bemused chuckle*


17.) Do you think there is life on other planets?
I'd say so. Considering how Mars has ice caps (what's ice made out of?) and microorganisms are being found on meteorites, there's got to be.


18.) Do you still talk to you first crush?
No.


19.) Do you like bubble baths?
No. I'll admit: they're lots of fun and you get to soak your worries away. However, that's just a large waste of water right there. Water that could be used for other, much better things. Like Super Soaker ammunition, for instance. Torture devices. Boiling pasta noodles. Hot, steamy shower sex, even.


20.) Do you like your neighbors?
*looks around* I have neighbors? And here I was thinking they were just houses full of other people who I'll outrun when Z-Day occurs.


21.) What are your bad habits?
There's quite a few on my plate, but for the sake of brevity I'll only list what I've considered as the biggest of them:

• my stubborn and prideful streak
• being a Grammar Nazi (it's at the point where my work friends jokingly call me "Führer")
• possessing bad financial impulses
• not getting enough sleep

Yes. Those're all pretty bad, I know. Could be worse, right?


22.) Where would you like to travel?
I'd love to do a cross-country road trip across the mainland United States. If I ever overcame my fear of flying, I'd probably want to hit up other places, like Japan, the Philippines, the U.K., Germany, France, and Italy.


23.) Do you have trust issues?
Quite indeed. (And how!)


24.) Favorite part of your daily routine?
That part where things go my way. Like friends not bailing out on plans we all made. Or that moment I punch out of work for the night.


25.) What body part are you most uncomfortable with?
The whole shebang. I'm not that fit.


26.) What do you do when you wake up?
If I had lots to drink the night prior (not necessarily alcohol, mind you): restroom.
If I had work to go over: power on the laptop.
If I had little sleep and feel that I should get more: go back to sleep.


27.) Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?
Darker by just a tad. Easily doable with a set day for suntanning or something.


28.) Who are you most comfortable around?
My friends, really.


29.) Have any of your ex's told you they regret breaking up?
[Josh arches an eyebrow at the camera as it pans out from behind him, where nobody is standing] ...I have ex's?


30.) Do you ever want to get married?
Yes. I'm going to leave it at that, because there's "nothing hotter than a guy planning out his own imaginary wedding, huh?" (Yes, that's a sarcastic tone there on the quote.)


31.) Is your hair long enough for a ponytail?
...yes. Honestly, I think this is the longest I've had it. It's getting to the point where it's interfering with my food. Might have to hack some of it off.


32.) Which celebrities would you like to have a threesome with?
Hrm. Tough question. Not a "there's so many choices" tough, but more like a "I don't really give a frak about celebrities' personal lives (because I'll never get to meet them)" tough.

Well, I can't think of who they'd be at the moment, so you'll have to get back to me on that.


33.) Spell your name with your chin:
ijolsdhnjn blasznjhcfvol

...yeah, that didn't go well. *scratches head* Sounds awesome, though - especially since my last name now looks pseudo-Russian. Blaz-nik-vol?" "Blaznykvohl?"


34.) Do you play sports?
Noooooope.


35.) Would you rather live without TV or music?
Television, hands down. While that means I would never get to witness things like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Battlestar Galactica, and How I Met Your Mother again, not having music would just leave me in an aural Hell.


36.) Have you ever liked someone and never told them?
As the kind of man who keeps the darker emotions in reserve (usually), I have to say that I have done just that - liked someone, never told them, lived to regret not telling them.


37.) What do you say during awkward silences?
I don't say anything unless I'm playing the role of "sarcastic smart(-ass) guy" - sometimes I have the means to break the silence; sometimes I don't; sometimes I live to torture the others around me with the silence.


38.) Do you think age matters in relationships?
Slightly. While I know love transcends a lot of things, there's still a certain age disparity that's observed - even if both parties won't admit it. It's more of a western world stigma, but there's this subconscious feeling of disgust that comes up when both parties' ages prove to be a vast difference. I won't get into that; it would take too long.

As for myself, there's a "rule" floating around the Internet that I've dubbed the "age disparity formula," where it is "used" as a rule of thumb in the western world to see if a couple were socially acceptable age-wise. If you know basic algebra, then you should be able to understand it perfectly.

Where:
"y" = age of the younger person in the relationship
"x" = age of the older person

So, let's take my age of 22 and pretend that I was dating someone who was... let's say, 19. Half of 22 is 11. 11 plus 7 equals 18. 18 is indeed less than or equal to 19, so there wouldn't be any stigma whatsoever.

Now, to showcase an example of this "rule" in effect, let's garner a look at Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The titular character Scott is 22, and near the beginning of the movie he begins dating Knives, a 17-year-old high schooler. Now while dating a high schooler was bad enough for Scott, when you take the age disparity rule and apply it here, the math ends at a clearly incorrect "17 ≥ 18" - earning more disapproval from Scott's friends.

Traditionally, this "rule" was set up in mind assuming the older person is male. However, as it's the 21^st Century I decided to reform it so that either gender could be the older one.

So in conclusion, as long as the "law" holds out okay, then age doesn't matter.


39.) What are your favorite stores to shop in?
None of them, unless I have money to buy me stuff.


40.) What did you think you'd be doing after high school?
There were a lot of things I thought I'd be doing. None of them have been achieved thus far, though.


41.) Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
That depends on what they're getting a second chance from and if they've actually learned their lesson. (Or how much of a sap I am for being too bloody nice.)


42.) If you're being extremely quiet, what does that mean?
Oh, that could mean anything. I could be thinking; I could be zoned out; I could be rendered catatonic by some event.


43.) Do you smile at strangers?
Depends. If I catch them doing something stupid, I'll end up cursing at them under my breath. But above all else, I won't show any sort of emotion directly at them other than a curt nod.

But if the stranger in question's a cute girl, then... *shrugs* ...maybe.


44.) What would you prefer: a trip to outer space, or the bottom of the ocean?
I'd have to pick the trip to outer space. For one, you can't drown in space (unless someone chucked you into a water tank or something). Secondly, if I got to go to space, I'd bet I'd be inside some super special awesome ship of some kind... like, oh, I don't know... the Galactica, maybe? =P

But seriously, space. Everyone knows what's under the ocean. Not everyone knows what's out in space, though. That'd be fun to explore.


45.) Do you want a roomate?
I don't think I'm capable of being alone, no matter how much I pretend to go all "lone wolf" in some projects. So yeah, I'd want a roommate.


46.) What are you paranoid about?
According to my friends, I think it'd be easier to ask me what I'm not paranoid about...


47.) What was the meanest thing someone has ever said to you?
"I want you to die."


48.) The nicest thing?
People say nice things to me?


49.) Have you done something recently that you hope no one finds out?
Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't. Obviously stuff like that is on the highest security clearance I have set up, so as such, nobody really knows. (Unless they possess clearance, but that's another story.)


50.) What language do you want to learn?
Tagalog. Russian. German. Japanese. Latin. Something made up.

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Well, that was certainly... interesting. Now that the fun's out of the way, it's time for the more serious half of this entry to begin.





Thanks For This Paper
(This is what happens when you let a writer get bored.)

With the American holiday of Thanksgiving looming around the corner, many people wishing to celebrate the festivities are beginning or have already begun preparations. Plans are developed and organized between families and friends wishing to congregate and make merry together. Cranberry farmers sell their wares for massive profits after a year's worth of toiling. Elsewhere, in an act of legalized genocide, turkeys and pigs that have been carefully raised have been slaughtered in the name of awesome-tasting baked/fried turkeys and/or honey-glazed spiral hams.

This all sounds delightful and delectable, doesn't it? Anyone gathering together is sure to have a massive amount of entertaining times (or if you're a cynic: drama). The food is sure to be deliciously gluttonizing and (let's face it:) fattening. No doubt this is what the modern American Thanksgiving is all about.

…or is it?

I seem to remember some anecdotal history lesson from elementary school about the "first" Thanksgiving. You know the story – how a bunch of inept European "exiles" (read: "pilgrims") crossed over the Atlantic, made berth in what is now known as New England, and griped and whined about how crappy and underleveled their farming skills were. Their neighbors, the indigenous tribes who already lived on the land, began to get tired of their white-skinned neighbors' incessant complaints. So, they brought over a bunch of freshly-picked corn and other locally-grown food to the pilgrims so they could give a step-by-step tutorial. However, the now-starved "exiles" saw this presentation as the long-overdue "welcome to the neighborhood" party they've been craving, so they brought out their own food and thanked the natives with "totally clean and laundered blankets" [smallpox link] and gunshot wounds.

I notice those baffled stares out there. What: did the history books say something different?

Anyway, the whole point of that completely fabricated story was to show our impressionable young minds what American Thanksgiving is all about: murdering nice people for no good reason whatsoever acknowledging our blessings (if any were received) and giving thanks for each and every one of the. Every last Thursday on November, we reflect on how good it felt to rid the world of those savages [Pocahontas "Savages" song YouTube link] our circumstances and factor just how much worse our lives could have been at that point in time. We could be poor and unable to afford time to relax and sit down with our familes; we could have no warm grub to overfill our bellies with; we could be caught out in the cold with no roof over our heads or warm clothing to keep us from freezing; we could be gravely sick – heck, we could be dead.

Yet we aren't, and so we find ourselves seated with our friends and family at a table that runneth over with a bountiful amount of quality food. (Alcohol optional but totally necessary for an awesomer time.) It's all great and tasty until some chucklehead decides to ask the entire party, "Hey, what's everyone thankful for?"



So what's got me wondering about this whole Thanksgiving season and its associated question, you ask? Well, at work one day I plopped myself down in our break room when I noticed a rather large poster adorning one of the walls. In the middle in big letters was the following question:

What are you thankful for?

Our Human Resources team decided to slap this on there just to see what everyone's reactions would be. To this day it's gotten people to sign the board with varying responses.

Originally, I came into writing this paper thinking nobody really knows the meaning of Thanksgiving anymore. While we've outlawed the practice of handing out smallpox-infested blankets, we no longer commit ourselves to the other part of Thanksgiving: showing thanks to those who've helped us; counting our blessings; reminding ourselves that we could be in far worse scenarios. Most importantly of all, we no longer show gratitude but hunger.

Well, like I said, that's what I originally thought.

During the process of writing this little treatise up, I decided to get a glimpse of what people are thankful for this year, just to see what the current trends are. The idea was to go up to someone and ask them a simple question:

What are you thankful for this year?

To get a varied response to an otherwise straightforward question, I decided to find the most varied group of individuals who I figured had a good chance of varying statuses: my job at Target. Along with their answers are some of the ones I found inscribed on the wall. For the sake of privacy, all quotes have been rendered as anonymous.

(Author's Note: This may or may not be entirely accurate. I did my best to record their responses verbatim, but I can only type on my phone so fast. If you recognize your quote and find that it doesn't match what you said exactly, I apologize. If anything, I ad-libbed it so that the message your were conveying to me was still clear, so I guess that counts for something…)

"I'm thankful that I'm alive and nobody's killed me."

"I am thankful for the entire UNIVERSE!"

"2011, because I had many trying lessons that - while most of them were bad - were a learning experience. I'm happy I experienced them right now while I'm young rather than later."

"Shit."

"I'm thankful for my friends, family, and all the amazing people that have come into my life!"

"I'm thankful that I'm permanent [as opposed to being a seasonal hire]."

"Booze. Booze."

"I'm thankful [Black Friday] only happens once a year, That, and the fact that I'm of age to numb my holiday joys with alcohol. Legally."

"I'm thankful to everyone who has shown me love, happiness, and to those who created [Call of Duty:] Modern Warfare 3!"

"That I have a job in this tuff [sic] economy."

"Life, dawg. Just to be living... just to be breathing..."

"I'm probably going to have to say Hawaiian barbecue."

"I am thankful that my children will be home for Christmas."

"Not a whole lot."

"I'm thankful for Goku [from Dragon Ball Z]!"

I figured there'd be some satirical and not-so-serious answers, but I still got enough to help me write the rest of this out.

It seems that a good portion of people out there are grateful for the people around them. That's good - it shows that we as a species aren't exactly doomed just yet. It also instills a bit of hope in any cynic (assuming they're open to changes of heart) and gives us all that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, knowing that we matter to some people. Possessing a job seemed to be a big one, too. In these trying times it's important to be able to provide for ourselves and those we live with, so that would explain why it showed up so much.

I find it well that people are still thankful for things like that - while it's fun to be thankful for some petty things, we have to remember that they don't count - the people, the jobs, the at-home stability, and the breath of life are.



Now the question that remains to be answered is this:

"What am I thankful for?"

Well, to be honest, that's a difficult question to answer. I tried counting my blessings, but I stopped after I realized that while I've improved my demeanor, more bad has shown up than good in my life this year.

So after failing to come up with a decent-sized list of things to be thankful for, I decided to expand my search and included random things that I should be thankful for. Each of the entries below carry varying levels of craziness, but there's heartfelt thanks with each of them.



I'm thankful to still have a job despite how crappy this economy has been. Yeah, I'm aware this one's probably been overused to death by just about everyone, but a cliché is a cliché for a reason. Having a job helps me financially (which in these trying times is always a good thing). It also provides me with a good source of friends and fun times (and in rare cases, yelling contests between guests).

I'm thankful for the existence of Blizzard Entertainment, because without them, I never would have learned how to type (fast). Despite its best efforts, those "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing" programs did jack squat for me. (Plus, they were boring.) Then I was exposed to StarCraft and the wonders of Battle.net. When I began playing online, I was the kind of person who employed the "hunt-and-peck" method of typing, but that proved to be highly disastrous. Typing so slow meant that I couldn't communicate with my teammates fast enough. This forced me to learn and adjust my methods, and before long, I was typing all crazy-fast. Now I could actually warn my teammates with a "[Zerg]ling rush inc[oming]" instead of letting the enemy forces warn my allies about my incoming message.

I'm thankful for possessing a smart phone. Being able to access the Internet, check my bank account statements, and fully customize my contact lists has come in handy for me. I love it. It's gotten me out of a few pinches (particularly when I had to post a last-second entry)

I'm thankful that I've improved my morale and overall disposition. Last year I was anything but happy. (You've probably heard this story before, but damn if I don't shove it down your throats one more time.) I think my pessimistic demeanor was a boil that oughta' be lanced away from society. Now one year later, I've grown to be more optimistic and opportunistic, and seldom are the days where I just go all trigger-happy with the anger and frustrations of life.

I'm thankful for the people around me who've helped me get to where I am. I'm thankful also for the future help they will provide that will get me where I strive to be. They (along with help from myself) have molded me into what I am now, and I could never have accomplished such a task by myself.

I'm thankful that I got to post something fun and long like this today so I can continue saying that I've posted something once a day each day.

But most of all, I'm thankful for you, the reader, for reading this (assuming, of course, that you're not a skimming bastard). Each day that I hear that people read this, I warm up and smile inside. It's what's kept me from missing my deadlines each night (among other things), so it's a win-win - you get to read and be a fan, and I get to not miss deadlines and know that someone, somewhere - finds my life and written tirades amusing.





So, as it's Thanksgiving Eve here in the USA, I'll ask you Americans reading this (and for those of you who celebrate this holiday anyway) of a favor.

Think about what you're thankful for (and I mean really think). Post it somewhere public. Tell someone. Don't let it stay bottled up. And when you declare your thanks, be thankful that you did.

Until the 'morrow's feast, everyone! Take care!

Oh, Come On

Okay, so I lied about something cool showing up. That's what happens when you spontaneously decide to spend half your day reading books and the other half is accidentally "wasted" on TV Tropes. Of course, as a (self-proclaimed) master of loophole-exploiting, I didn't actually promise that I'd give you something.

If it makes you feel better, though, it's in the works. Much like how it took me for-frakkin'-ever to get that PMX entry up, this one's taking its sweet time as well. Gotta let it roast in the oven along with the turkey, now...

So, it'll be up tomorrow. I promise it. Prepare the rifles for the firing squad if I fail to deliver, mm'kay?

Busy Tails

Today's been one of those busy days spent working on sorting music out on my computer. I have a lot, and I need to keep myself busy somehow. Win-win right there.

As such, I'm here to tell you that there will not be a decent or "decent" entry for you today. Rather, that'll be tomorrow. You can fully expect something fun and entertaining on one end, and seriously thought-provoking on the other. Count on it. =P

So as I adventure off to work on music sorting, I invite you to have your own adventure of some kind. If you're lacking imagination (or are just too lazy to start your own), then I'll invite you to regard some epic tails before you do go on an adventure. (No, that's not a typo. The video below oughta explain why.)



Until the 'morrow! (Woo-ooo!)

Dream of Work

"Have you ever had a dream that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?"
- Morpheus
(The Matrix)

I'm in one of those situations right now. I haven't been able to get much sleep lately (despite getting sleep last night?), and it's starting to take its toll on me.

Right now I'm working on a peculiar list that will make all trips in my car much more interesting if I get some time together to finish it. But as sleep and work are claiming my time right now, I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to finish it.

Oh, well - it's going to happen somehow, right?

Marathon Napping

I was going to type up an entry
but then I remembered:
"I'm sleepy."
So I ran a marathon.

But in all seriousness, I am tired. Only got about five hours of sleep, so... yeaaaaaah. I'm going to go ahead and get caught up on that. *continues running the marathon*

And yes, "running a marathon" is today's unusual euphemism for "taking a nap."

Artistic Combat

Sometimes, things just go horribly wrong. You're there just working on creating or editing something when without warning, the ideas just stop flowing. You don't know what happened, and right now it's the biggest obstacle in your life since that moment when you were six and the grade school bully was standing between you and your lunch. Or Game Boy. Or the playground.

Regardless of what this bully's blocking, you know you need to reach it as soon as possible while you still have time to do so. You struggle to get past, yet each attempt ends up falling apart as the bully stops you in your pitiful tracks and shoves you back. As you land on your butt for what seems like the umpteenth time, the bully just cackles maniacally at you. You struggle to get back on your feet, determined each time... only to repeat the cycle.

I don't know where I originally found this, but it's obvious that this isn't mine.
However, her focused and intense look at her laptop? That's me, like, half the time I type something up.

Artists (like myself) these days will tell you that while they've come a long way from the schoolyard blues, a different kind of bully comes through and blocks them from their goals. As such, the metaphor changes and adapts to their current wants, needs, and goals - lunch is now that lunch date they promised a friend they'd go out on when (s)he finished working; that Game Boy is his/her social life they've been cast away from due to some kind of self-imposed exile; the playground is the rest of their life that (s)he could be enjoying instead of working on whatever it is they're working on.

The Frakkin' PMX 2011 Special!

Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh MAN. Pacific Media Expo this year was just amazing. This opinion may seem quite biased, but believe me when I say that it was nothing short of extraordinary for this Veterans Day Weekend.

So what're you waiting for? If you're reading this, then chances are that one of the following two things are true:

1. You're reading this on the main page and have yet to click the "Please, Sir, May I Read More?" link that links you to the rest of the page.
2. You're reading the whole entry from start to finish and you just so happened to start from here

If Option One is true: stop bantering on and click that link below already!
If it's Option Two and you're already on the entry's page: just keep reading.

Tomorrow Can't Come Soon Enough

Still working on that PMX entry today, but I think you'll be wholly surprised at how much progress I've gotten through. Expect it to show up TOMORROW. That's right, ladies and gentlemen; you'll get to see what exactly happened this past weekend at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton... TOMORROW!

In other news: the fiddler on the roof has shingles. Bye-ni~!

Outside

Interesting day today, this Tuesday. It's quite quiet and nice and shady, but that's because I wrote this under the shade of a tree.

Yeah, I'm outside. I'm leeching off someone's bandwidth (because that's what happens when you're too stupid to make your connection secure), reading webcomics and working on that PMX blog (which is about 40-50% done right now).

Today's a good day. I'm just going to relax in a bit before going to work. Just thought I'd let you know what was going on.

A Monday Back on the Grind

During Pacific Media Expo, I joked about how once the whole convention ended, I'd go back to my dull and boring life. I wasn't kidding. I'm sitting here, staring at this screen, going, "Wow. I'm going back to "actual" work today. Lame.

As such, today will not be the day that I promised you a grandiose entry related to my experience at PMX this Veterans Day weekend. However, I am working on it - I just have to type everything down and upload every picture I plan on using in the entry. Then I have to go through the coding and make sure everything goes well. Whoo.

So, as a small teaser/treat/apology for taking so bloody long with this (even though I'm fully entitled to take as long as I need to compose this awesome entry), here's some cosplayers.

Can you spot the cosplayers?

Just shush: I'm giving you pictures, okay? =P

So, until the 'morrow. *goes back to work on the PMX entry before going to work*

PMX Day Three - The End is Not Always Bad

Today marks the third and final day of Pacific Media Expo. It's a sad thing knowing that my fun and excitement here will eventually give way to a (hopefully not-so-) dreary night at work, but... I'm going to enjoy this while I still can.

I need to wake up first. *downs some coffee and eats leftover pizza from Friday*

Anyway, last night was insane. Crowd control at a concert, numerous cosplayers running around, and millions of tons of fun just waiting to be let loose. As I have to get ready to check out and work Security for a few more hours, I'll once again be leaving you with this short entry.

Expect to see an entry detailing the events of Pacific Media Expo 2011 (that I experienced) sometime this week.

And just so I can tease you guys (and simultaneously prove that PMX ain't just about Pacific Rim stuffs): here's a photo of someone who stayed in character by breaking character:

"Hey, I freakin' LOVE Street Fighter! Autograph your spleen for me?"

Yeah. Deadpool kept zipping around. Hehehe.

So, until the 'morrow, everyone! If we're lucky (meaning I have time), then perhaps you'll get to see all these pictures and crazy things I got to live through tomorrow or Tuesday via a grand entry full of pictures and words and pictures and silly stuff and pictures and... me... and pictures! (Hey, guess what the PMX entry's going to have in it? =P)

PMX Day Two (And the Disneyland High)

For those of you looking at the timestamp, you're probably wondering how a person like me (who claims that times between 0515 and 0945 are myths, much like the Boogeyman and North Dakota) can be up at this hour. It's not because I have a Security shift at this ungodly time of morning, nor is it because there's a panel going on that I really want to attend.

It's because of what I'm going to call the "Disneyland High." You know - that state of excitement where you can't sleep due to the excitement of going to Disneyland the next day. The adrenaline is flowing through you at nearly-euphoric levels to the point where sleep almost seems pointless.

If you're the parent of any child who's ever been to Disneyland or Disneyworld (or any theme park where it's basically kid-friendly), you're aware of this phenomenon firsthand. I myself was guilty of exhibiting this effect when I was a kid whelp kid once.

Anyway, Day Two officially starts at 0900 (with staff offices starting at 0800), but for me, it's started long before that - even though my earliest "shift" isn't until mid-afternoon. So why bother typing this up when I could be catching up on sleep?

1. Cosplayers
   Some will be up at this ungodly hour getting breakfast. Plus, Saturday's usually our biggest day for zombie cosplayers to show up, because a good portion of them got "infected" on Day One. As Security it's my "job" to keep the attendees (and by extension: the staff and guests of the LAX Hilton) safe to the best of my ability, and as such, I might as well call "first morning watch." (Oh, and let's not forget photos. I promised friends photos.)
2. Breakfast
   We know that I need it. I'm down to, like, two slices and a bottle of Tazo tea.
3. Because I'm taunting my work friends about how I'm actually "working" while they're actually working.
   *insert maniacal laughter here*

Now, you all might think I'm crazy, but I've got my reasons for willingly getting up this early. I mean, if any Resident Evil fan (game fans; not the movies, mind you) knows: if you spot Albert Wesker walking around the area, you're frakked unless you're either immune or well-prepared to fight zombies. And, well...

"Every day, humans come one step closer to self destruction. I'm not destroying the world; I'm saving it!"

...something tells me we're frakked unless I get down there soon. I'll report in tomorrow... if I don't get infected! *zips downstairs with his (Nerf) weaponry*

PMX Day One

Hey, all. Just wanted to post here and let you know that I made it here safe and sound at Pacific Media Expo 2011!

Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to actually do anything fun - a (very bad) SNAFU occurred over at the registration department, and as such, the Security detail in charge of line handling (including yours truly) ended up having to stay in the area all day.

I just decided to slap this on so that you know I'm alive and kicking and - more importantly - able to keep up my post quota and what not.

From the looks of it, it doesn't look like I'll be able to make a big post for this until after the whole con ends - and that's Sunday. Don't worry though: there's going to be a TON of pics and everything, because I promised people pictures and what not.

Well, I'm back to work doing Security. I'll see ya' tomorrow and see if I can let you in on other things that happened! Ciao-ciao!





Oh, and before I forget: I was pulled over today on the way here. My friend did not want me to live this down unscathed. Long story short: we passed a very bored CHP officer. Fortunately, there was no incident, but the fact that I got pulled over... yeah. Weird. *shrugs*

*goes back to working Security*

Eve of Seven, Strings of Thought

Look into this entry and grasp the obvious - that the eve of seven days' work is approaching, and that three days' work of excitement is about to unfold.

Oh, and notice that this is going to be an awesome entry, too. =P





CURRENT MUSIC:
Bear McCreary - "Roslin and Adama"
Battlestar Galactica

As Battlestar Galactica fits under the genre of "space opera," that means it is allowed to have its own romantic storylines. While there are a decent number of these in the course of the series, there's one that I absolutely adored: the subtle and natural romance between President Laura Roslin and Commander William Adama.

"Roslin and Adama" is the aural representation of their budding relationship (one that seems more obvious to us than to them). Composed in a style akin to a slow waltz, this string-heavy piece with piano backing plucks at the heartstrings whenever it appears. Matter-of-fact, it's so powerful of a leitmotif that Bear McCreary himself "...reserved this theme for only the most powerful, dramatic scenes in their relationship."

Powerful, stringed, and warm despite being slow and almost-melancholic-sounding. You can't really ask for a better combination than that. Unless of course, you're Bear McCreary and decide to make a piano-only version of it.



"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."
- A. A. Milne

Quite true. Maybe that's why I'm always so disorganized, both in a physical and mental sense. I keep bumping into things that grab my attention and get me to think or play.

Oysters in the Middle

I get the feeling that today's going to be one of those days where it's going to be... well... let's just say "interesting" for lack of a better word. I don't know why, but for some reason I have this gut feeling that it is.

Wednesdays do that to me often, it appears. And Wednesdays are just the middle of the week. Obviously there's going to be majorly good things in store for me come this weekend (what, with Pacific Media Expo 2011 just right around the corner), so all I can say is that it's going to be crazy.

As for today, however... not much to report just yet. Like I said, today is going to be interesting, but as of this moment, nothing has happened. It's probably going to be at work - some guest makes my night, I tell someone off, I find lots of money - who knows? Today's my oyster.

*dances off*

Drifting Around

My mind keeps drifting all over the place today. I can't seem to keep myself focused on any one thing - including typing a blog for today.

So far, I've been jumping the gun and working on numerous things, including (but not limited to):

• working on a new Top Ten list
• reading some books I acquired
• looking out the window and daydreaming
• eating pizza
• attempting silly hat tricks (not "hat-tricks," mind you)
• tracking Carmen Sandiego
• eating a yummy breakfast burrito
• listening to music from Battlestar Galactica
• wondering what time I go in to work
• waiting in anticipation for PMX 2011
• stroking an imaginary fu manchu
• browsing craigslist for silly things
• watching Colonel Tigh yell at himself
• browsing the Internet for various cosplay items
• contemplating about re-watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, and
• sleeping.

(Author's Note: I may not have done some of these things. Of course, what didn't I do? That's the question you want an answer to, right?)

Maybe I have ADHD or something, or maybe I'm just having one of those (many) days where I want to do a great many things with myself and the world and have so little time to perform all these said things. I don't know. But perhaps if I take some of the things I listed above (as well as the many things I didn't list), I could create something that's good.

Eh, something will come to me. One of these things has to give me inspiration, and I'm sure that something will come up before the week is out.

Conversations With a Hybrid

Well, I said I'd give you something good today. It's time for me to deliver.





CURRENT MUSIC:
Avenged Sevenfold - "Dear God"
Avenged Sevenfold

As WinAmp went through its shuffling of its playlists, this song popped up. It matches today in terms of how easygoing and sunny this day seems to be thus far and how mellow and easygoing "Dear God" sounds (that opening just sets the mood up so well). Plus, this song is noteworthy for me because it holds a slot in my "Songs Inappropriate for the Zombie Apocalypse" playlist on WinAmp.


Lady Gaga - "Telephone (f. Beyoncé)"
The Fame Monster

There's a few meanings I got from this song, and I'm not quite sure which one is the most likely one. However, the only thing I remember in the end was this: it's quite danceable. I'll admit: I've had this song stuck in my head for a while. Add the fact that I found a StepMania simfile for the song and you could probably guess how much rotation this song's been getting. As I'm attempting to get an A-Rank on StepMania with this song, this'll probably be on my head for a while.


Bear McCreary - "The Dance"
Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Original Soundtrack

Can someone say "fun musical piece" here? Yeah, I know you're thinking it. This 2.5 minute dance-worthy musical interlude just screams Irish/Scottish jig. If the fiddle and uilleann pipes didn't give it away, I'm not sure what will.

An excellent and lively piece, "The Dance" is sure to put a spring to your step as you work on whatever you're working on. A few of you may even be inspired to dance along with the music (or even perform your own (crappy) Irish/Scottish jig). Don't lie - you know you want to go along with the music.



"Chickenshit refers to behavior that makes military life worse than it need be: petty harassment of the weak by the strong; open scrimmage for power and authority and prestige; sadism thinly disguised as necessary discipline; a constant 'paying off of old scores'; and insistence on the letter rather than the spirit of ordinances. Chickenshit is so called - instead of horse- or bull- or elephant shit - because it is small-minded and ignoble and takes the trivial seriously."
- Paul Fussell
(Wartime: Understanding and Behavior in the Second World War)

Not-so-surprisingly, this quote can be applied to areas outside the war zone. Much like The Art of War, the concept of chickenshit is easily seen amongst the work force, politics - pretty much anywhere where a person is in some kind of command position amongst others.

I felt like quoting this for a few reasons:

1. I went through my ever-growing list of quotes I have on my laptop and randomly scrolled until I felt like stopping. This was on the page I stopped on.
2. As the retail world enters the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, they prepare to deal with large sales, even larger crowds of shoppers, and improperly-exercised authority amongst command crews who crack under the pressure that the fourth quarter brings.
3. It reminded me of Band of Brothers - both the book and the television series. Captain Sobel, anyone?

Now, that's not to say that every single retail worker out there (myself included) will either have to wade through the chickenshit or drown our subordinates with it. I just know that each part of the retail world will have to deal with this eventually - and fourth quarter's the most likely time for a tidal wave's worth to crash down on us.