A Toast to Lives, Old and New

To say that today's entry was going to be a swirling vortex of heartfelt string-plucking and geeky ridiculousness is a complete understatement.

The storyboard says Starbuck flies into this maelstrom as the camera flies head-on into her Viper. That's what you'll be doing as well today - metaphorically speaking, at least.

To say that today's entry is going to be waxing pseudo-philosophy in regards to friendships and gaming... yeah, that sums it up quite nicely, I'd say. Don't take my word for it, though - read on and see for yourself.

Elegiac Repetition

Sometimes I enjoy it when life decides to steamroll onward without me. It gives me some time to reflect on things and think about my place in the universe... and other things like that.

Gods, I'd hate to be that poor bastard right now. (*BETRAYAL!*)

However, it's not fun when I'm in front of life when it decides to steamroll onward. *winces*

The August Front

August is now officially here. Like the start of last August, I've succeeded in keeping all my entries posted on time thus far, and I have the feeling that it's going to be an interesting month (if not entertaining).

"Don't Forget to Do Good" is what this rock's message reads. The story behind this goes that one of my co-workers found this while zoning in our toys department over a year ago. Whether it was accidentally abandoned due to negligence by a guest or deliberately left behind in an attempt to promote positive thinking is something worth pondering about.

Unlike last August, however, this one promises to be even more memorable and ridiculously awesome than the other one. And somehow, I can tell that it'll be a good August this time around. (That's not to say that last August was bad - this one just holds more promise.)

So let's go off and have ourselves a war against last August - against monotony and dullards across the globe! Let's make this battle month a memorable one filled with camaraderie and entries! Let's perform good things and vanquish evil ones!

A Hero to Rise

Ideally, this post would have made a lot more sense if it had shown up two days ago. As you probably saw, that wasn't the case - I felt that I lacked sufficient time to post everything that's going to be on here today. You'll see why in a few minutes if you're not one of those jerks who skim this blog.

Anywho, two days ago was June 6, and if you remember your world history, it's the anniversary to World War II's famous "D-Day" - when an Allied invasion force consisting of thousands of Allied soldiers, sailors, and airmen break through Nazi Germany's "Fortress Europe" and breach the Atlantic Wall. The eyes of the world were upon them. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march[ed] with them. In company with their brave allies and brothers-in-arms on other fronts, [they brought] about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

(Author's Note: Eisenhower had a pretty good speech, I'd say.)

As a bit of a World War II buff, I happen to enjoy reading about the history and the (military) technology and I think remembering the sacrifices so many made on that day 68 years ago (or any day, really) should be something everyone should do - from thanking a living veteran for their services to their country to having a moment of silence remembering those who've died for theirs. (Yeah... I totally remembered to do that last year. *headdesk*) And yes, I mean everyone. Note how I didn't specifically say "Americans" - while I believe most of my fellow countrymen are taking every bloody thing for granted, we're not the only country that seems to forget about the past (though I have to say that we're just the country with the most obnoxious citizenry).

In memory of the patriots who saved the world.

While I wanted to do my own special thing to commemorate the events of June 6, 1944, I lacked the time to compose this said thing on Wednesday. Alas, this is Thursday Friday, and that means that I should have the day off (at least in theory) I'm working later on today. Seeing as how it's holding true thus far, I think it's time we gave a salute to the men and women in uniform (before I put this off again). I don't care what country; I don't care what war - just give them some kind of respect or sign of gratitude.

Disproportional Return

You know it's going to be an interesting day if the first five seconds of your day started with a tired sign and the words: "I need a drink."

Sunday night looked something like this. Plus three friends. Plus beer. Plus fun.

In all honesty, I didn't drink anything today. (Not yet, at least.) However, it got me thinking about some things, which as we all know leads into more thinking about more things. And then it hit me like a slippery fish: I haven't posted anything yet. Frak! *downs a screwdriver and begins typing furiously*

The Top Ten: Fictional Females

Time for another Top Ten list from yours truly, everyone! *fires confetti gun*

For today's segment, we'll be taking a closer look at various works of fiction and observing which characters are my favorites. More specifically, I'll be analyzing those who lack a "Y" chromosome - in other words: the females.

Now, keep in mind that there will most likely be spoilers - especially if the character in question goes through some scary things in the plot. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Anyway, let's go ahead and find out the fictional ladies who've earned a spot on my Top Ten list!

A Productive Record in Life

"He's targeting us!"

It's a new month! You know what that means? It means it's time to step in gear and get something moving! Time to read! Time... to... RIGHT-CLICK CHARGE!

Roll The Hard Six

Friday... a day that most people embrace lovingly. Some people like myself are unable to do that, though - a work schedule that demands your time when you don't want it being demanded (especially one from retail) really loves frakking with you at times. It grips you with this sense that your will day is no longer your own, and you have to bow down and succumb to its desires.

As such, one would expect me to capitulate to this day as well. I mean... I've been sorta doing that for the past... *looks at the archives* ...nine days now? Today, Friday asked me again if I felt like doing nothing. Just when I was about to say "yes," I remembered something:

"Sometimes, you have to roll a hard six."
- William Adama (Battlestar Galactica)

And who said television filled your mind with crap?

So, was it time to roll over and beg to get out of today - to write some lame-ass entry and not do anything else afterwards? Nuh-uh - I think it's time to fight back and start posting good stuff on here again! TIME TO ROLL THE HARD SIX!

...uhm...

...oh, well. I tried.

Frak Out

So I've been on a Battlestar Galactica binge right now, and it's just delicious. Maybe not as delicious as sandwiches, but delicious all the same. (If you're asking how I think sandwiches can taste better than Galactica, then I guess you don't know that I can make a mean sandwich if the conditions are right.)

As such, I'm not here to post anything decent (other than the whole "post once a day" thing), and I'm here to tell you that this is a good off-day that's well spent. Now if you'll excuse me... I need to bring the fight back to the toasters. So say we all!

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.

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.

Mental Insurrection

This post is NOT silly. I don't care what the tags above stipulate; this is a SERIOUS entry. I'm dead serious. That "silly" tag is lying to you, okay? It's lying! This is a very serious matter I'm dealing with here! So serious, in fact, that it's frakking silly! =P





CURRENT MUSIC:
Bear McCreary - "Storming New Caprica"
Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Original Soundtrack

Are you fed up with how things are going? Ready to start some kind of insurrection against your oppressors that have been making your life hell for months or years? Feel like it's time to put a bunch of your bosses, skin job toasters, Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht, the Holy Britannian Empire, Galactic Empire personnel, or Redcoats in their places by whatever methods you can resort to?

If you answered "yes" to any one of the above questions, then allow me (and by extension, Bear McCreary) to supply you with music to amplify the effect of your rebellion. "Storming New Caprica" is a battle piece that screams bloody insurrection and uprising throughout the almost-eight minutes it plays for. A percussion-heavy piece (God, those taiko drums are amazing!) backed occasionally by bagpipes and strings, this track will definitely get your pulse pumping as you lead your personal uprising against... well, whatever force it is that previously had you on the defensive.

Of course, with the description I used (and more notably: with the title of this piece), this is bound to be a spoiler to anyone who has yet to see Battlestar Galactica. However, I can't help it - this is such an awesome track to work and drive to. The next time you have to resort to fisticuffs or rebellions to solve your problems, consider having this play in the background. I'm sure the several thousand humans who died while under the leadership of President Gaius Baltar and the Cylon overseers would appreciate it.



"The writer is a spiritual anarchist, as in the depth of his soul every man is. He is discontented with everything and everybody. The writer is everybody's best friend and only true enemy – the good and great enemy. He neither walks with the multitude nor cheers with them. The writer who is a writer is a rebel who never stops."
- William Saroyan

Yes; quite. This could allude to why I'm such an asshole at times - because I both agree and disagree with everything everyone does. I fight for what I want, for what I believe to be right and just and awesome.

Sorting Madness from Cylon

A second "life stream" - an entry where I just type what comes to mind and fight every urge to second-guess what I typed on here. It works a lot better if I have alcohol in my system, but seeing as how I have work in a few hours (and more importantly: seeing as how I'm out of beer), I'm going to need to stay sober for this.

*shakes violently* Frak; this is a lot harder to do sober.

Okay, okay... I can get through this. I'm not going to second-guess anything I type here today. I'm just going to type it up and leave it as is (minus the post-typing grammar/spelling check, of course). I don't think I'm going to censor myself.

Part of me wants to do this so that if a psychologist or someone of the sort stumbles upon this when seeing me as a client/patient/money pot, they might be able to understand me a bit more (sort of).

*clears throat* Okay... time to get started. Let's see what my mind churns up...

Like a Xatu

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

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

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





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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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





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

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

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

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

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





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

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

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

Yeah. So, keep your eyes peeled.





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

FRAK!

(Author's Note: Just a few things you should know. One: beer. Two: Battlestar Galactica. Three: excessive "language." Four (and most importantly of all): everything in-between these lines is a live "mind streaming" session, where I just let go of my inhibitions and just type stuff. If you found any of this to be stupid and/or offensive, then go frak yourself. =3)

---------- ---------- ----------

It's 11 P.M. and I have less than an hour to get one thousand words gathered into a semi-cohesive blog entry posted on the Internet. If I don't, I miss my deadline and this year's only New Year's resolution will have failed before my friends could actually attempt to botch it for me. I have a splitting headache that makes me want to just go to sleep, but at the same time I have this to take care of. The fact that I'm currently nursing down a fresh-out-of-the-refrigerator Guinness and have the biggest temptation to keep watching Battlestar Galactica doesn't help me in this quest one bit. I think it's sheer iron will (backed by that adrenaline rush you get from procrastination) that's getting me to type.

Aw, frak! I don't even have a title for this entry! (Yes, I said "frak." Galactica has already influenced me that much. =3)

Anyway, as far as you can tell, this is a live stream of my thoughts and what not. Currently I don't believe I have an entry that's like this - where I just type what I think right away without a second thought or care as to if it's of any good content. With me, I'm only backtracking for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, so this is quite interesting. As a writer, it's always a blessing when moments like this show up - it automatically cancels out any self-doubts we have for as long as it lasts, and at the same time we're just furiously writing so that we can look at it later and go "What the frak did I just write!?"

Oh, maaaaaaaaaan, is this Guinness tasty. I'm not sure if it's helping with this migraine (my headache evolved somehow - I wasn't even training it!), but you know what? I don't care! Maybe I should get a second bottle. Naaah - don't need it. Yet. When I'm watching Battlestar Galactica, maybe. Other than that, no. Don't need it. Don't need it.

Yep, I don't need it. Moving on somewhat (if you can call it "moving on").

Why I allowed myself to procrastinate this long is beyond me. I mean, there's no reason I could've just posted something before I went it to work -

Oh, wait. WORK. Yeah. After five straight days of vacationing, I went back to work. Now, most people who return to work from an awesome vacation seem to have a case of the "frak its," where the person in question just doesn't really care. They zombify themselves to the point where they're almost in autopilot, and their apathy levels skyrocket when it isn't necessary to care.

Not me. Apparently people were surprised that I was happy coming in to work. Mind you, they're surprised when I'm happy in the first place, but for me to be happy coming in from what sounded to be an awesome vacation? What the frak is that all about? It was a great day with only one downing moment (some lady confused me for a woman... *tears*) and work was busy enough and entertaining enough for me not to think about anything negative (minus the "Excuse me, Ma'am" moment). Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe my morale and overall happiness is improving. Maybe this vacation is what I needed to get myself recharged and ready to fight this week. Maybe I'm just having a random happy moment which coincidentally coincided with the first day back on the job. I just don't know. I just don't frakking know.

And yes; I'm using "frak" a lot. It's partially because it's awesome and partially because to everyone else I'm not technically cursing. Of course, if I say "frak" to someone who knows Battlestar Galactica, then I have to be careful (especially if they get angered easily and believe that I just told 'em to frak off). It's also because I'm cursing like crazy and getting away with murder it at the same time. Insert evil laugh here. Muahahahaha.

Oh, maaaan. I'm starting to think I might just need that second Guinness - this one's going pretty fast. Normally I take my time and nurse my beer, and that's for a number of reasons.

1. I enjoy savoring flavor.
   I'm a bit of a food connoisseur. I enjoy things that taste good and will savor every moment I get to have that flavor make contact with my taste buds. The better it tastes, the more likely I'm going to sit there and be mesmerized with its flavor. Same goes with drinks, and by that extension: beer. Pardon the potential foodgasms that may be experienced by yours truly.
2. I like taking my time with my food.
   With exception to the times where I'm starving and haven't eaten anything yet, I'll take my time. Hey, you don't want to get all bloated and feel all sick afterwards, do you? No? Good - then let me take my frakking time. Plus, I'm probably exploiting Reason One listed above as well. *takes another sip*
3. I have yet to get my tolerance levels tested.
   Yeah. Hey, friends of mine! When the hell you going to "volunteer" me for this procedure?

I don't care if you say I'm a wuss for this or anything. I'll just list these reasons. Plus, it's a good beer, and I'm sure as hell not going to waste all the flavor by chugging it like some college fraternity/sorority barbarian. Yeah - I went there.

Man, what's with WinAmp? I put it on random and opened up my "working music" playlist, and the majority of the songs that it belted out were from Ocarina of Time. Don't get me wrong; it's a great game - but... really? On random? There's seventy-nine songs and pieces of music on this playlist, and only nine of them are from Ocarina's soundtrack. Huh.

And now WinAmp must've saw the draft of this entry - Shoji Meguro's "Iwato Dormitory" from the Persona 3 Original Soundtrack. Oh, well - can't complain.

PLEASE tell me this is one thousand words already. I want this live mind stream to end already!

---------- ---------- ----------

Holy crap. One thousand and twenty words all above this line here, excluding the Author's Note. Not bad for my first time just mindlessly typing anything that comes into mind, eh?

Well, I'm going to go ahead and warm up some pizza rolls and get myself another Guiness - Battlestar Galactica time! Frak, yeah! "But what about sleeping that migraine off, Josh?" Eh, I can do that some other time. That's Future Josh's problem. *smirks*

...

FRAK! Almost forgot the title! Uh... *looks at his blatant over-(mis)use of the Battlestar Galactica expletive and smirks evilly*

Omens of Awesome

Evening, everybody! How's everyone doing this fine night? I myself am doing pretty okay - it's the last day of my vacation and I'm feeling absolutely refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes my way (minus anything that's pointy). I like good feelings like this - y'all should, too - it keeps me alive, allows me to be all super-fun-happy, and lets me catch up on something I wanted to get myself caught up with.

Well, then... let's begin.