Reconstruction of Deconstruction

It's a pretty warm day, don't you think? And as such, I felt that it was necessary to construct something decent despite the fact that I'm on vacation and I have plans for today.

Toast gets plain ol' boring after a while. So right when I figured it out, I decided to try something new: slap on some butter and some kind of salad dressing before tossing it into the toaster oven.

So, without further ado, let's get this entry started! Right after I finish this toast...





CURRENT MUSIC:
Halestorm - "American Boys"
The Strange Case Of...

One of the things that drew me to liking Halestorm was the high amount of energy the band exudes. They definitely have lots of it - which, for hard rock bands, is a very good thing. I featured three of their songs in previous entries (with "Familiar Taste of Poison" getting mentioned twice), and each of those songs possesses that surge of power I've come to associate with the band.

"American Boys" is a simple song that showcases this high-octane energy quite well. Lzzy Hale just sings about how diverse and awesome the titular American boys are. I agree with her wholeheartedly - we are quite awesome. (Not trying to sound like an opinionated patriot here.) I don't know about you, but for some reason, the guitarwork seems to be wailing with a bit of inspiration to me. Apart from referencing ZZ Top and Metallica, I hear vague sounds reminiscent of Led Zeppelin in the notes (especially with the opening), but that's just me. (Which - when considering that Led Zeppelin's home country is the United Kingdom - is a tad ironic.) Regardless, the song is just brimming with vitality and sexiness. Yeah; I just called a song "sexy." Problem? =P

For some reason, listening to "American Boys" makes me want to don my heavy leather jacket, a T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of aviators as I drive around the suburbs... or wherever, really. Honestly, "American Boys" has a badass sound to it - and in order to fully appreciate this sound, I think I gotta look like a badass. Now where are my aviators...?


Jurassic 5 - "Work It Out (f. Dave Matthews)"
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While I've always been a rocker at heart, I do know that there's some rap and hip hop out there that's actually quite good. I say "good" in terms of my definition of "good" - I don't skip the song automatically (unless the iPod's on random and the song that's playing doesn't aurally fit the scenario).

So when this song popped up on the drive home a few nights back, I didn't switch out. One of the things that always drew me to the alternative hip hop music of Jurassic 5 was how they sounded. But what really helped anchor the playing of "Work It Out" was the fact that it seemed... really, really laid back. As it was a comfortable and casual night to drive home, it helped match the relaxing mood. (Weird for me to call a hip hop song "relaxing." I don't know why.)

Part of the reason why I'd say "Work It Out" worked so well was that the lyrics seemed to be talking about fixing life in general. Between romance, the public, and your own self, there's a lot that could potentially need some kind of mending depending on who you are. Perhaps if you take the time to work it out, you just might live a better life.

Dave Matthews singing the chorus was a nice touch, as well. So's the music video for the song, which is hilarious even though it's probably got nothing to do with the (possible) meaning I've interpreted.





Good day, everyone! It's the fourth day of my vacation, but at the same time, it's a Monday. I understand that while I'm off having fun not doing things, there's a major problem, and that's the fact that most of you... well, aren't off having fun because you're doing things. Like work. Or not having fun.

Gods, just look at how fluffy those clouds are.

For the past few days, it looks as though I've had my head in the clouds (seeing as how short the last few entries were). And to be honest, that's true. But today's Monday, and I need to get my head in the game if I want to survive... oh, wait. I'm on vacation still. About 99.98% of you aren't. Uh... whoops.

Either way, let's see if this entry can remedy your boredom or your monotony.





Status Update
(What's happened on my vacation thus far.)

So far, my vacation has been quite entertaining and interesting for me. I'm catching up on sleep - and I'm also catching up on some much-needed social interaction with people. Work's been responsible for draining the fun of life away, and I need some serious life dosage if I feel like surviving the rest of the year. (Especially since Fourth Quarter's inching closer and closer, but let's not talk about that for right now...

Let's see what I've been doing these past few days...

Gotta love cooked-to-order Mongolian barbecue.

I've been dining out on food that isn't "instant ramen and Jolly Ranchers" to a great degree, and while that may seem horrible for my budget, it's a nice break from the realization that my finances suck. Vacations let you do that no matter how "irresponsible" that may seem.

Besides, do I look like the kind of person who would pass up an opportunity for all-you-can-eat Mongolian Barbecue? Let me answer that question with a passionate "FRAK NO!" Now excuse me while I "napalm the jungle." *noms*

What? Family featured on my blog? I thought I'd never see the day.
(From left to right: me, my cousin, and my uncle.)

One of my cousins moved back into town (you've already "met" her - she hijacked my blog a while back), and as such I took the opportunity to welcome her back. I haven't hung out with her (or anyone in my extended family, really) in ages, so I think I should make an attempt to do so again during my vacation.

She did say she wanted to meet up, get lunch, and have fun hanging out... and she also wanted to meet my girlfriend (according to her Facebook comments)... so maybe that's a twofer opportunity. What can I say - I'm economical sometimes. =D

Vashj'ir holds many rewards for the adventurers who dare to swim through its depths...

I've been slowly reintegrating myself back into World of Warcraft. Erfrischen has been enjoying Ravenholdt, and I've been leveling with my friends (she's 82 now!), acting as the group tank. When I first started leveling, I was a bit rusty, but my friends knew I was back in the game when I began pulling a dozen mobs and killing them all without breaking a sweat.

And Paladin players wonder why they "deserve" nerfs... we're just too powerful sometimes. A good Paladin can fend off a decent amount of enemies without dying. A good Paladin tank can pull multiple enemies and kill them all without dying or using an "oh, shit" ability like Lay on Hands or Divine Shield...

Part of the score for "Battlestar Sonatica." If you want specifics: this is roughly at 1:52 when you start from the left.

Remember that Battlestar Galactica piano book I bought a while back? I've been trying to play, and I realized that I can't. No, it's not because I suck at piano playing and I need to step up my game. It's because I can't read sheet music.

Now, lemme clarify this. I can read in C scale (which is the normal one). I'm not sure what the key signature for "Battlestar Sonatica" is, but all I know is that I can't read it, which makes for an awkward performance on the piano. If it's any consolation, I think I've got the first ten measures or so nailed down. I guess you could call that a start, right?





Armored Surprise
(Or: the story of how I built something awesome that I wasn't expecting to build.)

But sometimes, life causes you to spend time with yourself, and when you're someone like me, that's boring. So, you end up deconstructing the monotony you find yourself in and create something out of it.

So yesterday I was playing with my Lego creations - something I haven't done in ages. I wanted to do something with my hands while I was watching Band of Brothers, and since most of my Lego things tend to be war-related, it was the perfect fit. However, I didn't just wanted to play... I wanted to build.

Before: a Lego tank that seems futuristic and semi-Star Wars-esque.

So I pulled out an old project of mine: a Lego tank I had been slowly modifying and customizing for the past three years. "A tank?" Yes. A tank. While I may have a company's worth of infantry, they're useless if they can't breach a heavily-fortified position without a mobile source of big guns. Hence: a tank. But some of you may be looking at this thing and giving me a look that says, "Hey, this wasn't all entirely you." And you'd be just about right.

Lego Set #7679: Republic Fighter Tank

Those of you who've played a Star Wars: Battlefront game will recognize this immediately as the Republic Fighter Tank (the IFT-T... or is it the IFT-X?). If you notice, my "mod" kept about 95% of the hull chassis, but I made considerable changes to the primary armaments. I removed the side-mounted blaster cannons and the gunner beam turret...

I would not like to see that gun pointed at me.

...to make way for this heavy-hitter. Inspired by the turret from the "Hoth Rebel Base" set, I constructed my own and eventually modified it until it looked like an actual tank turret. Note the main gun, the coaxial-mounted machine gun (though it can't traverse up and down), the gunner/commander's hatch, and the top-mounted machine gun.

You can almost see a pseudo-space shuttle with this, huh?

So, after some tinkering and reconstruction, I came up with a new chassis while reversing the, uh, repulsorlifts. It almost looked like a space fighter, and for a brief moment in time, I didn't want to destroy this baby. It looked cool, clunky, armored, and menacing - which is what most space fighters are, right? At least the heavy-hitters are.

But then I realized something: while there's a bit of mysticism and fantasy in my Lego world (remind me to expand upon this at a later day), I wanted to keep it in a modern-day setting, which meant that those repulsorlifts had to go. Since I was going for a tank, that meant two words: caterpillar tracks.

A self-propelled howitzer. To those who're particular with artillery terminology: I checked my sources, and I can call this a howitzer - maximum elevation was about 55 degrees.

However, there was a problem with implementing tracks: I don't have much. The ones I have were already in use by an unarmored, self-propelled howitzer used by one of my Lego factions (in their universe: a PMC). I took a look at the vehicle and marveled at how it was one of my longest-surviving models. Most things I construct tend to only last for about a year tops before they get cannibalized for parts. This one lasted at least three years with only cosmetic changes or armor augmentation done to it.

But I decided that it was enough - I could make the PMC another vehicle and move that giant artillery piece back to the ship I stole it from (yes, this was originally mounted on a ship). So I began to remove the track system (which, due to my construction, forced me to demolish the whole vehicle) and tinkered with the tank chassis to see if I could incorporate it into the new project.

After: an IFV I wasn't expecting. But still... this looks too awesome to try reconstructing.

This is the end result. Yeah, I'm aware that this no longer looks like a tank - it looks more like a reinforced armored personnel carrier with a tank gun on top. While I could classify it as such, I don't think it is. And then it hit me: maybe in the process of trying to create a tank, I ended up making an infantry fighting vehicle.

This excited me like none other. Considering how most IFVs superficially resemble tanks, those not in the know may accidentally refer to this as such. Plus, to the conscripted infantryman not well-versed in military vehicles, the first time they see this vehicle charging their position, they might panic and call it a tank. Still, though, I was impressed with myself - I had started a project to create a tank, but in the process, I created an IFV with a heavy gun. I squeed with glee when I finished this (although to say that I am "finished" building this thing would be a clearly incorrect statement), because I got the best of both worlds: an armored vehicle with the power to take on armored vehicles, and the look of a semi-futuristic tank.

But it's an IFV, so that means it has the capability to hold soldiers inside. I've field-tested the baby - it'll hold four fully-geared soldiers comfortably, but if they're just focused on getting people in there, they could squeeze eight (not counting the driver and the commander/gunner). And I can see some of you out there with bewildered looks - "A tank with infantry inside it? That just sounds impractical... and stupid." If that's what you really think, then you probably need to be introduced to the Russian BMP-3...

All in all: an excellent building experience.





Well, I have things to do today, so I'm going to go get myself prepped up to face these plans with stalwart honor and happiness. Until the 'morrow, everypony!