Adventures Nowhere and Everywhere

Afternoon, everyone. Today's proving to be quite an interesting day so far. Today's July 14, and as the second half of the year continues to make its opening, I think it's time we start by getting in touch with the rest of this entry.

When in doubt, pinky out.

Of course, we can do that in a second. And that second begins now after I'm done sipping my Kyoto Sunset tea.





CURRENT MUSIC:
Airbourne - "Heartbreaker"
Runnin' Wild

Australian hard rock band Airbourne opens up this list for today - and it's not just because they're the first artist/band to show up in alphabetical order. "Heartbreaker" possesses a "fast-paced and ready to roll out" feel to it, and that's just what I need.

I find it kind of funny how the first thing I think of when I hear this song is "fast driving" while the lyrics are just screaming sex, sex, sex. My guess is that this correlation arose when I was driving fast down the 101 one day. The iPod was on shuffle on my songs playlist, and Airbourne came on. (A friend took me to the Uproar Festival back in 2010, and Airbourne was one of the bands that showed up - needless to say, I got my hands on Runnin' Wild soon afterwards and threw it onto my iPod.) Anyway, "Heartbreaker" began playing and I felt that the fast-paced hard rock song matched perfectly with how fast I was going.

Seriously, though - great song.

(Author's Note: Holy frak; an actual song!? This... is weird!)


Frank Klepacki - "Hell March 3"
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Original Soundtrack

Anyone who's ever played any old school Command & Conquer game knows Frank Klepacki. Back when the franchise was owned by Westwood Studios, Klepacki was the sole music guy responsible for every game's soundtrack, and he delivered. But since EA took control of the franchise... eh. I like the music still, but it's just not the same.

Anyway, back to "Hell March 3." This track takes the epic invasion-esque, guitar-pumped feel of the famed "Hell March" motif and darkens the sound of it. Essentially, the music speaks in a way that signifies sudden (military) dominance. At the same time, there exists another message: "Look what you just unleashed, you dolt." Since Russia the Soviet Union went back in time to alter the events that would alter other events, the aural message seems fitting when you picture the massive fleet of Japan the Empire of the Rising Sun off the Russian Soviet coast.

Even without a militaristic or invasion setting, "Hell March 3" does quite well as introductory or main menu music. Need to liven your DVD movie menu? Want to properly introduce a (sports) team that's been destroying the competition to a lively crowd? Look no further - this track is it.


Bear McCreary - "Blood on the Scales"
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4 Original Soundtrack

Back in the start of April, I posted a lengthy description of this amazing piece from Battlestar Galactica's fourth season score. It's making a return appearance here after roughly two three months, because... well, I felt like it.

Okay, real talk. Not only did I feel like it, but I felt something about this month that seemed to feel a tad ominous. And as this feeling coursed through my lungs, I felt the thunderous roar of taiko backing it. While Battlestar Galactica features a large assortment with tracks and taiko, the lines from "Blood on the Scales" seemed to fit best with how today's aura felt.

Of course, that last paragraph would've made a lot more sense if this was June. Alas, this is July, so this no longer applies (I had saved a draft of this a month prior to today, and I liked the set list so much I threw it on here anyway). Plus, I've been feeling excellent lately. Still, though - I happened to like the list, so it's remained. Plus, you can't go wrong with Galactica's music.


Metallica - "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Ride the Lightning

As I began to write today, I realized that I needed some kind of music to accompany my escapade. So, I booted up WinAmp, hit the shuffle button, and hit play. The first track to come on? This one.

The third track from Metallica's sophomore album, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" was inspired by Ernest Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, set in the Spanish Civil War. Both refer to the dishonor of modern-day combat and the inevitability of death on the battlefield.

And at the same time, we don't think of just that now, either. We hear a song that gets our day started. We get this urge to do things in slow-motion. Those of us who've watched Zombieland probably want to go watch the film now after reading this little section. (I know I do.) Why? "For a hill men would kill, why? They do not know" - and neither do I.

Regardless, this is a great song to blare as you get your day started.


Orange Range - "O2"
Panic Fancy

Anime fans will probably recognize this song from the Japanese alternative rock band. For those of you who don't: "O2" was used as the opening theme for the first half of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2. When I listen to it, I hear a bit of a rebellious streak in the music. Mind you, I don't mean the lyrics - I mean the overall sound of the melody. Maybe that's why they used it in Code Geass - and maybe I should use it, too.





Well, with all that music now out of the way, let's get on to the meat and potatoes of this entry and just see what adventures unfolded recently.





A Whole Lot of Nothing Turns Around
(Because this month is starting to look like the last... but at the same time, it doesn't.)

Anyone who was with me back in June knows how that last month played out:

• a whole lot of nothing at the start of the month (barring, like, two entries)
• more nothing in the middle (and one "argument" with myself my muse)
• a strong close-out with the bulk of the quality entries showing up there

Yeah. Not so great, huh?

This Garfield Minus Garfield strip seems to sum up June quite nicely.

July so far has appeared to look the same, but there are some differences.

1. More Quality Entries
   By this point in June, there were only three entries I considered decent (and they just so happened to be the ones I linked to in the above list). July's fared much better. While there's only three big entries so far (not counting today's or the ones without pictures - y'all like your pictures, I know it), the other entries don't seem to be... well, crappy. June's lethargic feeling was caused by actual lethargy, while July's is being caused by life getting a higher priority than the blog.
2. Higher Emotional Outlook
   Yeah. By now I think I've made it painfully obvious that I've been in a more upbeat and positive mood - even more positive than I've been with my improved outlook I developed almost two years ago. My co-workers have been befuddled over my suddenly-high-spirited demeanor, and I'm sure you've been just as baffled when you've read everything on here. (Hell, I've dropped blatantly obvious hints on here already. At least twice now. And I thought I wasn't perceptive.)
3. I have beer. =D
   No kidding. I haven't had a drink in months, and lemme tell you... it tastes oh-so-good right now. Shock Top for the win.

So I've yet to see how this month fares, but I know one thing: July will be better. Hell, it already is better!

Lemon Shandy Shock Top - part of their seasonal collection.

And the beer's just a cherry on top. *takes a swig*





Adventures on the Metro
(What happened on Thursday.)

Thursday was a "monumental" occasion for me. As a Californian who's frequented the greater Los Angeles area enough to know some things about the area, I shocked myself when I realized that I had never taken the public transportation system they have out there.

That changed two days ago when one of my friends decided that he wanted to check out Royal/T in Culver City before they closed up shop. His itinerary also called for a trip to Little Tokyo and some Japanese markets before we headed home. In order to save on precious gas (the prices are rising again -_-;;), his plan called for us to use the Los Angeles Metro system.

After he told me about this plan, I was a little concerned. I had heard stories (mostly from him) about people getting shivved on the railway systems. Combine that with the whole stereotype that Los Angeles is a dangerous place to be at (well, it's partially true), and you got a slightly-fearful me who seemed reluctant to join in the day of fun.

Outside Royal/T in Culver City.

As you probably saw on Thursday, I ended up going, despite being initially uneasy about the idea of using public transportation. After about an hour of driving and interrogations (I'll get to that later), we parked at a public lot in Culver City and walked the rest of the way to our first stop: Royal/T. It was an interesting business - part (maid) café, part contemporary art exhibition hall, part shop... all interesting. We came primarily to try out the café, but I was impressed with the fusion of things I saw inside.

Tea and bread pudding? Sounds incredibly sophisticated, no?

And then we got our orders. I ended up getting a "Kyoto Sunset" tea (pictured above) while I sampled some of the bread pudding one of my other friends ordered. It was pretty tasty - "The tart flavor of apricot turns a premium Ceylon black tea into a refreshing respite from urban stress." Indeed, it helped me unwind from my uneasiness and got me to relax. The smell alone calmed me down, and the fruity taste got me relaxed and ready to enjoy the rest of the day.

Yay; we all enjoyed Thursday!

Then we boarded the Expo Line and had more fun marveling at the rail systems in Los Angeles. Lots of conversations and observations (and a very intense game of Yellow Bug) followed, and we all had a great time between talking, transferring between the various lines, and what not. We even tried "subway surfing" in a safer manner by riding the waves of the Red Line and not holding on to the rails.

HOLY FRAK THIS YAKIRAMEN WAS GODLY *FOODGASM*

And then we hit up Little Tokyo. Between the arcade, the various stores we shopped, and the food (dear Gods, the food), we had lots of fun despite the humid air and the spotty rain that seemed to pop up in the afternoon and early evening. After shopping around some more, we all headed home and called it an awesome night.

So, what does this mean for me? Did I have a great time? Did I enjoy the Metro, knowing that it is a very reasonable and safe method of transport in Los Angeles (assuming you don't get off at the places that aren't)?

...I'll take that as a "yes," past, me.

...I'll let you cast the verdict.





The Rise of a Contender
(I told you that Mario Kart is serious business.)

In other news, I'm afraid that I've a bit of bad news for those of you involved in the gaming community. Those of you aspiring to face me in a Mario Kart game better start learning to fear me when I'm on the track with you. Yes: I'm aware that I could probably wipe the floor with my raw skill; and yes: I'm aware that I'm bragging like crazy right this second (though it can be argued that it's not bragging if I've the skill to back my boasting).

And trust me when I say I'm a special kind of "classy."

Because as of yesterday morning, I am officially a three-star ranked racer on Mario Kart 7 with a title of "Star Racer." This means that not only did I destroy the notoriously-cheap rubber band AI in this game, but I have the skill to take on most anyone I face.

This is a big moment for me - it takes a special kind of skill to get this good. Not only do you have to be a skilled racer to begin with, but you also have to be able to challenge the computer to a match that you know they're cheating at and still wipe the floor with them. This means never placing in any position but first, constantly staying in the first place position, eating blue shell explosion after blue shell explosion, and using all your items in a defensive manner.

Of course, I think I'm just spouting hot air at this point - as can be seen by my Versus Rating, I haven't raced online (all players start with 1,000 points) yet, so maybe I should take a day off in the future to see if my words can kick ass... or if they get kicked themselves.

I have no idea who made this or where I found it, but it's such an awesome picture that showcases Daisy's competitive nature so bloody well..

However, to my local opponents: you are now frakked. *maniacal laughter*





Well, this is it for today. I've got work later on tonight and a lunch to devour before then, so this will be adieu for now. Until the 'morrow, everypony! Have fun making an adventure for yourself today!