Non Sequitur 9: OONTZ

What a happy balloon!

Time to put a smile on your face! At least, I think that's a smile on your face...

Non Sequitur 8: Mess

Time to dive into the entry, don't 'cha think?

It's Wednesday for you, but it's Friday for me! Huzzah!

Non Sequitur 7: The 300 Milestones

Oh, geez, I slapped the "non sequitur" tag on here. I think we all know what that means...

Yes, I get to sort through multiples of these boxes all the time at work.
Why else would I be so cool? </narcissism>

...and if your guess involved the term "More Win," then you're absolutely wrong right.

Non Sequitur 6: All For a Monday

Afternoon. In this last day of work for a while, it's surprisingly difficult to come up with something for me to type up on here for you to read. On any other month I'd say that and call it a day, but this is September - the month where I said I'd give you 1,000+ words an entry. Ultimately I have to drive myself to perfection and achieve this (lest I be unable to achieve anything else), so as you can tell, this entry seems... almost forced. I'll do what I can to make this entry entertaining, though. I think.

Well, here goes, everyone.





Monday, MONDAY, MONDAY!!!
(Josh Blanco presents: "WORK" - Live, at the local Target store!)

...yeaaah, I got carried away with the sub-title there. Tried going for a cheesy monster truck rally announcer thing, but it's just so hard to convey tone with text. *shrugs*

Moving on.

Usually I view Mondays as a Friday. I know, I know - Like Garfield, I hate the day in question, but at the same time I kind of look forward to it. Monday generally means the weekend rush is over and store workers can relax a bit. Strangely enough, I'm happy for that. Generally a Monday spent at work is more than likely to be followed by a day off on Tuesday to recuperate from working the weekend, so it gives me a little something to look forward to when the weekend begins to feel like utter crap.

I don't know why, but for some odd reason I feel almost at peace knowing that Tuesday is coming. (And to those who are going to ask me: yes, I did bring my coat.) I can't really describe it - it's one of those feelings you can't really describe because you lose all sense of reality and discomfort and find yourself just... well, I don't want to say "floating" because then it sounds like an awesome acid trip... so let's just go with that feeling you get when you lie back on a grassy hill on a nice, sunny day, close your eyes, inhale deeply and a brief smile etches itself on your face. Something like that, I guess.





Time-Traveling With a Razor
(Going back, like, six years... in a matter of minutes.)

There's nothing in the world like a fresh shave. For a brief period of time you look a year younger (maybe more if you're Asian) and there's a soft innocence to your look. Okay, maybe I'm just being all wishy-washy or what not - but anyone who grows facial hair and shaves regularly can probably agree with me on what I said.

Obviously I've taken the time today and shaved - and maaaaaan, it feels good. I feel like I'm younger (some people have joked that - if my hair was the right length at the time I shaved - I'd look like a sixteen-year-old... and that's both cool and disturbing at once.) and have a bit more of a desire to take on the world. Muahahahaha.

To my readers out there who can't grow facial hair: I feel both envious and pitiful at the same time. While we shavers have to maintain a look and be careful not to nick ourselves, we get to be awesome with things like handlebar 'staches, fu manchus and not appearing like a six-foot-tall child.





A Numbered Challenge
(Proving how smart dorky I am... 151 species at a time.)

For lack of anything better to put on here so I get my 1,000 words, I decided that I'd announce a mini-challenge I'm casting upon myself.

While I'm at work today, I'm going to attempt to write down the original 151 Pokémon down by order of their PokéDex number. WITHOUT looking up any of the information.

Like I said, I have nothing better to put on here today, so... yeah.

Why am I doing this, you ask? Well, I can tell you right now that it wasn't because I was challenged or anything like that - I'm the go-to guy for anything related to Pokémon. It's also not because a new challenger came to town and is "threatening" me. It's also not because I'm trying to save face on today's entry (honest!).

It's because I want to better myself. Rather, I want to better my geekness. Yeah, Josh, I hear some of you saying. So how exactly is doing this and making yourself seem more like a (pompous) nerd going to help you land a girlfriend? Uhm, I'm not quite sure if any of this qualifies as attempts to "land a girlfriend." Hell, that's not even my intention.

I just wanna be the very best. Y'know... like no one ever was. *snerk*

*grabs a piece of paper* Bulbasaur... Ivysaur... Venusaur...





The Totally Not-Random Part To (Not) Save My Hide
(What's that on the ground over there? Is that the script?)

Sometimes I wonder aloud at night whether or not I'll make it out there. I lie on my bed, wondering if I'm doing anything with myself that'll benefit me in the long run. I've always been more of a fan of the short-term - mostly due to the fact that I have control over the short-term. The long-term is like the future - hard to see.

Sometimes I want pizza rolls. Granted, I won't accept them if I were to get any in the mail, but generally speaking, I'll eat 'em.

Sometimes I just want to debate important things. You know the things - what kind of pizza is the greatest (some kind of supreme with a stuffed crust, by the way); why guns are awesome; why I collect odd trinkets; why Hot Fuzz is epic - those kinds of things.

Sometimes I wonder what my top favorite Pokémon are. I've been fond of Psychic- and Dark-types, but I do have my favorites. Who are they? Why do I like them? Are they actually powerful in-game?

Sometimes I tell myself that I think too much. My friends say this to me quite often, and I believe them. I've got a feeling that if I think too much, they'll find a way to temporarily make me not think too much. Alcohol or codeine or mindless first-person shooter game sprees or something.

Sometimes I wonder if I procrastinate because I want to.

Sometimes I ask myself whether or not it's a good idea to listen to adrenaline-pumping music while driving down an isolated road or a long stretch of freeway. The music just makes me want to speed up and rocket down the asphalt at a gazillion miles an hour (or, according to my car, 125). I can't help it - it's awesome music that I listen to.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm long overdue for a vacation. When I ask myself this, I always say "YES."

Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm being watched. *looks around nervously* ...aaaand now I'm going to leave.





Alright. I'm done. I gotta go to work, so I'll see y'all tomorrow!

...Charmander... Charmeleon... Charizard...

Non Sequitur 5: Scatterbrained

Evening, everyone. I'm surprised at myself for posting late - the last few days or so, I tended to post while the sun was still up. (There's a sun!?) However, there's a few reasons for me being late with this entry (and yet still on time), so let's see if I can persuade you to see my point of view and ignore how I'm blatantly shoving words into your face so I hit one thousand words for today's entry. Hehehe.





So Off-Course
(Or what an off-day consisting of doing nothing will do to you.)

The first off day I've had in what feels like ages... God, does it feel good.

My entire day was spent loafing around and doing absolutely nothing. Yeah, this seems like a throwback to Office Space and Peter's line about doing nothing. Hell, this might seem like a throwback to a post I made back in May where I said pretty much the same thing. Ahehehe.

Despite performing nothing (productive), I managed to get some things done. Granted, there's no proof that anything actually happened, so you'll just have to take my word on it that I did (not) do all of these things. You have to beLIEve me!

And yes, that was a subtle Metal Gear Solid 2 reference. As explaining the situation where that line arises from would involve spoiler alerts, I've refrained from explaining it. But God, does that scenario and that line trip you out...





A Break in the Break
(And no, you don't get paid for it.)

So after five days of a very rough week of work, I'm out and not required to show up for the next two days (counting this one). It's a bit of a relief, but at the same time it makes me painfully aware of how much I need monies to survive.

Yeah, yeah: I sound all greedy and in it only for the moolah, but when it comes down to it, that's the only way you can pay bills. It's not like the old days where people could trade possessions and crafted items for services and vice-versa. It's a ruthless and cruel world where money is the law and those who possess zilch hold absolutely no power.

Ironic - how I need to work in order to live, and yet it kills me inside every time I do so. Quite a quandary, but life is full of that, too. So, when it comes to a choice, I think I'd pick having to work when I don't want to to having days off when I don't want to.





A Collapse and Recreation of the Old
(How "doing nothing" accompanied with "Lego playtime" equals "the invention of something old and new.")

As I started drafting on updates and changes to this blog site, I got sidetracked and ended up updating and revamping my Lego armies as well. It's at the point where I think I have not one, or two - but three warring factions. As these groups are linked with the universe I established for them via the two stories I posted on here, they'll get a proper introduction (as well as the Lego-ized versions of the characters).

To be honest, I haven't quite figured out the technological level my fictional world is at. It's been a bit of a challenge since I created the idea a long time ago. Military weaponry is just about a hundred-percent match with ours - and in some cases, even stronger (minus some things I changed for convenience). Air travel is severely restricted across the globe - partially due to the economy, partially due to highly-effective weaponry, and mostly due to military prioritization. This has nothing to do with the fact that while I have a plethora of land armies and what not, I lack the air-based models - I only have a battle chopper, a biplane and that pseudo DC-3 (still no name for it) I made a while back.

However, I'm sure I'm to come up with a story and reasoning behind all this - and maybe it'll work. For now, I'll just have to make do until something fanciful and awesome enough crosses my mind... whenever that is.





Tomorrow Becomes Today
(Some random spiel where I just typed what came to mind first.)

I want more money for more Legos. And to pay off my bills. But mostly for the Legos. There's a bunch of sets I want that could easily add to this universe and story that I'm developing. That, and maybe I'll have loads of fun along the way playing with them. Hell, if I'm lucky, I might get others to join in and have fun with me. Who knows? We might even come up with a new story or add on to the one I'm working on!

But apart from that, pizza sounds good. Pizza and hot wings. At the same time. Because I'm greedy like that. I had dinner already (beef rice bake casserole and sweet corn) but I'm still craving food... like pizza. Maybe I should get some pizza for lunch tomorrow. Yes. Yes, that sounds like a grand plan. I will get pizza tomorrow, and if any of my friends are free, so will they (I hope).

Maaaan, I should probably stop putting random songs on repeat. I've had all the fight music from Super Street Fighter IV looping constantly in an attempt to get me to fight type faster, and while it's working, I think I'm driving myself insane by listening to just that. *switches to his "Songs" playlist* Ahh, much better - Shinedown's "Sound of Madness."

I think I hit 1,000 words. Can I stop pulling words out of my ass now? *checks the word count* Nope; not yet. Makes me sad how I'm kinda just crapping out like this, but I think it's because work killed me and my thinking processes to the point where all I recognize is fun things like... oh, I dunno... fun? Maybe when I'm done posting for tonight I'll do something else that I can also consider as fun.

Like window shopping online for random trinkets, T-shirts and toys. (Yay for unintentional alliteration!)





Well, that'll be it for tonight. I'll take off for now and catch ya' on the 'morrow! *waves*

Non Sequitur 4: Totally Not a Rush Job

Afternoon, everyone! Welcome to today's entry on The White Knight Chronicles.

Today marks the first day of at least five straight working days. Hours are slowly beginning to pick up, which means lots of hours for me... which means losing my day to work. While that's bad for this blog in the sense that I'm restricted on time, it's good for my wallet and finances.

Well, let's get right on with it, shall we?





Sun-Weathered Hatred
(Or: how I dislike the sun and its actions.)

With the weather how it is is in my part of southern California, it's no surprise that I refer to it sometimes as "September's Summer." Sweltering heat at a time when it should be cooling down... weather like this has the potential to throw me out of sync and screw with my sinuses at the same time. Technically, it is still summer (autumn officially begins on the 23^rd), but come on... summer decides to kick in and become uncomfortably warm now when schools are back in session and work begins to go on the rise? Geez; we might as well rewind the clock by about a few months and start summer over or something.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me lashing out at the summer weather because I'm not a fan of the season. I know, I know - a Californian who despises the season of sun, swimming and... sweet-ass parties? (I was just trying to use something that kept up the alliteration. Could've been worse... I could've used "sex," "shade" or "sedition" as the random third adjective...) That just doesn't seem all right there, now don't it?

Now, I don't hate the summer because it interferes with the look pasty, indoor-type nerds have. I don't hate the it because I'm a bastard who likes screwing with other people's minds for funsies. I don't hate it because it screws up and gives you a tan that makes you look laughable in a professional setting. I certainly don't hate it because I supposedly can't stand the heat. It's also not because the sun irradiates all of us with alpha, beta and gamma rays. (Let's not get into physics and science; I never was one to enjoy stuff like that.)

It's because the sun beats down on you with a gazillion degrees of heat at the most inopportune time, even when you're not in direct contact with the star. You hear stories of the sun bombarding the area to high temperatures. People feel this firsthand and go, "Hey, it's hot outside. Let's go someplace with shade and air conditioning." And then these people go find shade in the local store and go, "Hey, I'm bored; let's shop for hours and annoy the people who work in this store!"

And then I have to deal with the people who can't stand the heat and have nothing better to do than to trash my store because they think, "Hey, Target's got air conditioning, right? Let's loiter there!" Of course, I get to laugh at them because I'm there wearing like three layers of clothing, going, "This is hot?" And then they whine because we can't control our air conditioning. (Funny thing about that: corporate controls our AC units. Whatever corporate has it set to, we're sure to receive the same. Seeing as how Target Corporation is headquartered at Minnesota...)

Sun, do me a favor: if you're going to crank up the heat, do it so that they're driven someplace else other than the Target I work at.




Encyclopædic Artistry
(Art defines us at times.)

Okay, some of you might be wondering what the hell I'm doing misspelling "encyclopedia" like that. Some of you are wondering what "Encyclopedic Artistry" even means - especially since I'm a fan of making the most extravagant metaphors for the most simplistic of things. And some of you are wondering why I spelled the first "Encyclopædic Artistry" with the "æ" and the second "Encyclopedic Artistry" without one.

If I'm confusing you somewhat, then good.

Truth be told, my work has nothing to do with the encyclopedia, nor does it have to do with flashy metaphors and rippling confusion (though oftentimes, it does anyway)... and it definitely has nothing to do with that squished-up "æ" ligature that's been mostly phased out of (American) English.

Instead, my work deals with life and how it defines you.

...I had some witty explanation and silly ending. for all this, but, uh... now I don't. *shrugs* Whoops.

Who knows: you might get something tomorrow.





Hey, What the Hell is This!?
(Calling me out on a "quality" entry? I'd love to see you try. =P)

So it looks like I pulled today's entry out of my ass. Truth be told: I did. As mentioned before, today's the first of five (known) working days in a row that I'll be dealing with. Normally, I'd just leave you with a very short entry. You know the kind - the less-than-ten-liners that (openly) admit to my laziness and procrastination and at the same time count for an entry for the day. I'd link them, but God knows everyone's seen them far too much.

Of course, seeing as how I challenged myself to make all of September's entries consist of at least a thousand words, I can't do that, so hence this non sequitur entry that forces you to question my insane sanity.

The only thing I can do to counteract a long work schedule isn't to pull off some crazy rush-job like today's entry. Rather, I have to prepare an entry in advance - type out half an entry overnight and finish it after I wake up or something - long before it's posted for the day I intend to post it. Sounds devious and tricky, but hey - I am devious and tricky.





Well, that's it for today. Apologies for something as "lame" as this, but time is short and I have a quota to meet for today before I have no time at work to work on this.

So, until the 'morrow, everyone. Try to stay cool in this weather (assuming you live near where I do, of course).

Non Sequitur 3: Cactus Juice Barbecue

This entry's title was totally not an Avatar: The Last Airbender reference at all. If you think otherwise, your brain is lying to you. IF YOUR BRAIN IS LYING TO YOU, THEN YOU WILL BE ALONE IN THE END. UNLESS YOU HAVE CACTUS JUICE.

*eerie music*

*sips*





CURRENT MUSIC:
Cerrax - "Out of Antidote (Viridian Forest)"
Pokémon: The Missingno Tracks

One of the tracks from OverClocked Remix's Pokémon-themed soundtrack and one of my favorites. Described by the artist as "some kind of bad acid trip via the poison from the Pokémon in the forest," "Out of Antidote" hits those tones perfectly - and maybe a little too eerily, might I add.

As the movie-making enthusiast in me listened to this particular piece, I saw another use for this. Imagine some kind of fantasy-esque setting where the good guys are put under some kind of trial through an eerie and fog-laden location. One by one, the good guys are ambushed and either knocked unconscious or snatched away, leaving the protagonist (and if you want, the deuteragonist as well) all alone in a freaky location.

Regardless, this track gives me the chills and gets me quite paranoid - and if that's what Cerrax was aiming for, then he succeeded. *shivers* Listen to it if you don't believe me... (Think it's not creepy enough? Have it play in the background as you play it again at the same time. Jesus Christ; I got goosebumps.)

Plus, I thought this track would be fitting with how... uhm... let's just say crazy... this entry is. Ahehehehe.

*sips more cactus juice*


Harry Gregson-Williams - "Desperate Chase"
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Original Soundtrack

If anyone knows my tastes in video games, they'll know automatically that I'm a die-hard fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, and part of that is primarily due to the music.

Now, when a game is made correctly, not only will it feel like one giant interactive movie, but it will possess the sound quality you'd hear from an award-winning Hollywood film as well. Guns of the Patriots possessed that quality and played it in spades, and it's partly due to Gregson-Williams' work in the series.

On to "Desperate Chase." I'm not going to spoil the plot of Guns of the Patriots, but it's kind of hard not to considering the piece's title. (Gee, I wonder where I'll hear this in-game.) The first ten seconds just overfills your internal threat meter before exploding into full-throttled, fast-paced action for the rest of the track.

The filmmaker inside me already sees a ton of scenes I could use this piece in to make it amazingly epic. Oh, maaaaaaaan. I'm getting giddy just listening to it. Just be sure not to be driving a car in the freeway when this comes up - if music affects you as it does me, you'll end up in an imaginary "Desperate Chase" of your own. Just watch out for the cops and those tailgating bastards.

(If you don't believe me on its epicness, click that link I provided for it. Again, not recommended for anyone currently driving... fast.)



"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking! That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous. ... Delectable tea, or deadly poison?"
- Iroh
(Avatar: The Last Airbender episode 2.02: "The Cave of Two Lovers")

Iroh has always been one of my favorite characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Wise, hedonistic, easygoing and quickly lovable - personality traits that I picture the ideal version of myself to have are all here in the form of "The Dragon of the West."

Anyway, this particular quote stems from one of his many humorous "tea" moments (pretty much all A:TLA fans love this from him whether they want to admit it or not). And to those of you who either forgot the outcome of this little quandary or have yet to watch this amazing television series (WHAAT!?): it wasn't tea. *laughs*





Good day, ladies and gents. Welcome to another entry in The White Knight Chronicles. Now, for your viewing (dis)pleasure, I present to you the third Non Sequitur entry...

*downs moar cactus juuce*

DISCLAIMER: The White Knight would like to happily remind you that this non sequitur entry is like the previous two before it: crazy enough for you to cause a shift of judgment in regards to my sanity, and sane enough for you to question your shift of judgment afterwards. The White Knight is not responsible for any potential brain aneurysms that might result from you reading this. Care should be advised - if you start experiencing symptoms such as random outbursts, out-of-context laughter, or a case of the "What the fucks?" then cease reading immediately. Follow up by either re-exposing yourself to this entry, or finding a more "sane" and/or "melancholic" entry. Better yet, just go crazy - it's just like treachery: MORE FUN!





Work It Off!
I'm beginning to run out of energy for work. It's day five of six, and I'm starting to feel the full effects of work-oriented fatigue.

Technically, today would have been my last day of work before getting six days off in a row (of which only three were personally requested), but I need money, so I took a shift on Thursday (tomorrow). The other two days (Monday and Tuesday) will probably be shuffled with shifts from somewhere else because if I don't, another six-day block of work will await me. Oy.

Because of my (sleep) schedule and having to go in to work earlier than usual this week (I've been going in at 1600ish each day thus far), today's entry was made a non sequitur. Blame Target (or my monetary greed necessities) if you wanted to yell at me for doing this. Hehehe.

In all seriousness, though, I'm enjoying work. It's a bit of a rarity, so I'm keeping this feeling intact for as long as necessary.



The Tales of Sushi Fridays - Bring On The Cactus Juice Food and Fun!
SUSHI WANT TO EAAAAT. Er, I mean... I get sushi on Friday with a bunch of work friendlies and everything. It'll be awesomely fuuuuun. And then afterwards I got a fun evening planned with more friends because I'm just that awesome.

What a way to start a three-day mini-"vacation" in my mind!



"MANY WHELPS! HANDLE IT!"
(Author's Note: This part is why this entry was tagged as a flash vent.)

Before I continue, let me introduce you to a policy I've recently enacted upon myself. Due to the illogical and ill-mannerisms that most of the children, teenagers, and the occasional immature twenty-somethings that enter my local Target present to us in the retail world, I've refused to call them as such. Instead, whenever I encounter them and want to curse them off to another fellow team member, I will use the "politically correct" term "whelp. Part of this has to do with the fact that whelp sounds awesome and demeaning, and part of this also has to do with the fact that these damn whelps are numerous (especially on any non-school day). The only thing that would probably have more whelps than your local Target would be a World of Warcraft raid group wiping on Onyxia.

Which brings us to now. Basically, any guest that has fallen out of favor with me for some reason will be referred to as a "whelp" from here on out. It makes it so I don't insult any one person in general, and at the same time I can rant about them with little consequence. Muahahaha.

I don't know what it is about summertime that spurs the whelps in the local area to act so... stupid. I say "stupid" not because of a sudden lack of vocabulary, but because it's the only proper way I can represent the whelps as a whole without singling out any single one of them.

I mean... here's a small tip of the iceberg of suffering these whelps put us through.

Yes, people just leave horrible messes behind them like this - as if walking away with an innocent look will absolve them of all the guilt this would have incurred them...

Uhm... o.O

Found this yesterday. Some hooligan whelps who've crowned themselves "The Royal Court of Target" have been coming in as of late and fucking with my store. Their latest endeavor: a camp-out with a barbecue.

And no barbecue is complete with spoiled food to grill, am I right? *annoyed sigh*
(Now you see where the "barbecue" part of the title came from.)

Remind me to take more photos of things whelps do in this store. I want photographic evidence available to the mass public to show that working retail is not just simple fun and games - it's annoying-ass clean-ups that take time out from our already-busy schedules and put us even more behind than what we should be.

Sometimes I wish I possessed the authority to just scream at these whelps for sullying the human gene pool. As much as I'd love to have these bastards eliminated from humanity's existence, we can't do that - I believe those lawyer-folks call it an illegal act of "murder" (or as the whelps would say: "moy-dur" or "mur-dur-hur-hurr"). So, the best I can do is give them an evil eye, an intimidating speech and an "I'm not leaving until you leave and/or fix the problem that got me to hate you in the first place" look.

*holsters a Nerf sword to his PDA holster* This is a start. *evil grin*





Well, until the 'morrow, everyone! Be sure to avoid the cactus juice on your way out!





(Author's Note: No cactus juice was consumed at any time before, during, or after the creation of today's entry. The White Knight was doing an Avatar: The Last Airbender marathon and ended on episode 2.11: "The Desert" - which, as every A:TLA fan knows, is Sokka's (in)famous "advertisement" of cactus juice.)

Non Sequitur 2: "Forecasted Renovations"

A question I posed myself: "How do I increase the readership of this little blog of mine?"

No answers have presented themselves yet, but I have some ideas.

Of course, with things going my way lately, I now have the time to test said ideas.

And ramble about random shenanigans at the same time! Thumbs up, soldiers!

CURRENT MUSIC*:

Damn Dangerous - "Wrong Side of the Hax"

The Leet World: Season One Soundtrack

Now I'm willing to wager that most (if not all) of you are unfamiliar with The Leet World (unless you know what machinima is). A quick explanation on both before I dive into the music:

A machinima is a cinematic production filmed using real-time computer graphics engines. More often than not, video games (such as the Halo series, World of Warcraft or The Sims) are called upon due to their readily-available and low-cost graphics engines.

Smooth Few Films' The Leet World is a Counter-Strike: Source machinima stylized as a comedic reality show.

Anyway, a few days ago, I was attempting to go through my external hard drives in an attempt to free up much-needed memory. I ran into a folder loaded various machinima and instantly was greeted with a wave of nostalgia. I went through some of the series I had in it (selecting random episodes from each), and when I ended up going through The Leet World's folder, I saw the soundtrack for their first season. Pretty good stuff, I'd say - the tension flows quite well in the track as well as the episode it shows up in.

Jerry Goldsmith - "The Huns Attack"

Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack

Ah, Disney's Mulan... a personal childhood favorite of mine.

I liked the soundtrack to the movie, but when I hit random, this track came up, and I got the chills when the horns started blaring.

When you see that your efforts have failed and a massive wall of death is soon to be headed your way, you can't help but slowly accept defeat as the wall closes the distance.

This track captured that feeling of inevitability quite well. Not only that, but I'd say this piece has been etched in the minds of all who've watched it - even without watching the movie, I can still hear that chilling battle roar the Huns cry out when they amass at the top of the mountain...

Michael Kamen - "Paraplui"

Band of Brothers ~ Music from the HBO Miniseries

A soft piano interlude gives way to the strings and a lone... I'm going to say clarinet (most of the woodwinds still sound alike to me)... and while it gives off a tranquil feeling, you can't help but notice that the strings also emanate a high amount of tension.

Quite fitting considering its use - the paradrop sequence for the ill-fated Operation Market-Garden.

Linkin Park - "WTH>You (Aceyalone / Chairman Hahn Remix)"

Reanimation

One of my favorite remixed tracks from Linkin Park's remix album.

As background music, it seems to work well for a variety of things - credits sequences, "nighttime driving" and PvP combat (montages).

* = Despite my good mood, why'd I pick stressing musical pieces? Am I just drawn to "not happy" things? *shrugs*

Well, hello, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to today's entry of The White Knight Chronicles!

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-sequitur entry. Like the last one before it, I'll just be talking about anything and everything. Please don't have an aneurysm over attempting to comprehend any form of "complex" and underlying meanings I may (not) have implied.

It's a Long Entry, Yes?

If you're wondering why I suddenly decided to post something huge here today (and why I decided to make this entry a non sequitur), then here's your answers on why:

1. All my finals are done - my classes decided to have them smashed together on the same day. While that would cause immense panic, it also causes immense relief - as today was the first day of finals, I no longer have to worry about them... which means work and procrastination are now my only enemies from posting something decent.
2. I've been having a good past few days. Quite strange, if you ask me, but I'm enjoying it.
3. I woke up with a rather obnoxious and painful leg cramp that has yet to fully go away (right calf, if you're stalking curious), and as such, I'm not in any mood for any post-celebratory physical exertion. Writing doesn't require legs. =P

Feeling Good (and yes, I also mean the Muse cover)

You ever have one of those days where you just can't help but feel good the whole time you're up and about? Well, I had one of those days yesterday. It was pretty amazing - and to some of my friends, shocking and out of character.

It was a decent work day - I got my job done, I got to hang out with some friends, and I had enough time to draw up some ideas for this here blog.

Of course, now would have been a good time to do so, but apparently Blogger's been reverted to read-only mode to undergo site maintenance. Guess it'll have to be another time when I'm not working. Hrm. *shrugs*

Cars in Hillbilly Hell

Watching Cars on Blu-ray... wow. So much more awesome-looking and sounding.

I have to say... I looooooooooove this movie. Well-made, well-executed, well-watched by the mass public.

As amazing as it was when I first saw it, it just looks even better watching it on an HDTV and a Blu-ray player.

Blogger Down; May Mess With The White Knight Chronicles

So apparently, Blogger went down roughly around 1255 hrs. PST and as of the moment I'm writing this (2245 hrs. PST), it's still down. Theoretically, it could be said that I didn't post something on my Blogger site today.

While I feared a moment like this would come, I'm not going down without a fight. Therefore, I'll be posting this both on here and on Facebook. Should Blogger not come back online in time, I'll at least have people to verify that I did post on time.

I think it allows for a get-by due to a technical fault. I mean, I'm physically able to post and I made sure I managed my time well enough. Since it's Google's fault, I don't think I should be faulted on this, and I'm pretty sure you'd agree with me on that one.

If you don't, then... as some of my friends say: "Fuck your couch." (I still have no idea why we're screwing with a couch. Any one of my friends care to elaborate on this?)

The King of All Cosmos: "Um. So, this is being graded on a curve, yes?"

So, if you've never played any of the Katamari games, you're reaaaaaaaly missing out on what could be the greatest and only legal form of acid tripping in existence.

Between the ridiculous things The King of All Cosmos says ("'Checkbook:' a book filled with numbers. People either smile or cry when they read this. It must be a very good novel.") and the ridiculousness of the game itself, it is sure to give you a hilarious kick.

Don't believe me? Get a PS2 and invite me over. You will see how insane and trippy this series is.

As I'm with friends at the moment, I don't want to take too much time away from hanging out with them, so I'm afraid I must bid you adieu for tonight.

I'll see y'all later - and hopefully Blogger gets their stuff fixed before midnight. Either way, though... I'm safe.

Until the 'morrow, everyone!

Non Sequitur 1: "Who are the Patriots?"

I decided that for today's entry, I was just going to rant about random things (in no particular order) and just call it today's blog entry.
Quick one-shot flash writes that could incorporate any and all topics... call it cryptic nonsense, if you will.
Granted, it qualifies as an entry - and at the same time, I get to clear my head with all these random thought chains that keep popping into my head.

As for the "subject" I put up there: this entry has nothing to do with the question I asked.
Of course, you can go ahead and ignore that and assume there's an underlying meaning behind it, but there isn't - I just wanted something to go up there to throw people off, and that was the first thing that came to mind when coming up for today's entry's title.

So now that you know that, perhaps the title makes a little more sense.
Then again... maybe not.





CURRENT MUSIC:
Capcom Sound Team - "Guile Stage"
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers Soundtrack

Quite possibly one of the most iconic theme songs for any Street Fighter character.
It screams strength and pride - something that Guile (and any American fighter in a fighting game) has.

Of course, the fact that last year it was the subject of an infamous YouTube meme called "Guile Theme Goes with Everything" (where random clips from movies, television shows and video games have their music replaced by this particular track) just adds to its awesomeness.

When the meme first started, I wanted to make my own videos myself - I had a few ideas of my own that weren't on YouTube at the time (and as far as I can see, they still aren't).

Here's an experiment: grab this track (make sure it's the original one - the others don't sound quite as awesome) and play it whenever you're doing something - whether it be something mundane as getting your friend out of a boring international business meeting or something crazy like surviving electrical torture.
I guarantee it'll make whatever you're doing seem more epic.


Godsmack - "Whiskey Hangover"
The Oracle

A song about drinking and loving it, plain and simple. From the sound of the lyrics, it also sounds like an appropriate counter for drinkers to use against those who say that drinking's bad for you.

Pretty awesome to blare on the car stereo, too.


Van Halen - "Jump"
1984

Great way for me to start my morning.
I don't know what it is about this song, but it empowers me. If I hear it within the first hour of me waking up, I'll usually end up with a surge of energy, and if I'm tired I'll get revitalized the more this song plays.

Plus, I wanna learn the keyboard part. Been craving something fun to learn on the piano for a while, and I think I found it.




"Why I'm not wearing any pants isn't important. Let's just say I took some Scourge shrapnel in the wrong place and leave it at that, okay?"
- Ambo Cash
(World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King)

Trust me: I didn't ask.
(To you WoW junkies wondering who this guy is, he's some random human NPC in Dragonblight.)



"Just one question, though. IS there a way to take off my pants?"
- Naked Snake
(Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)

The only appropriate response to this question would be the words "Say WHAT!?"





Hey, everyone. Like I said in the intro, I'm just going to rant about random stuff.
Some of it can be serious; some of it light-hearted; some of it ridiculous and sanity-questioning; all of it true-talk from the innards of my mind.
Let's get started, shall we?
 
(DISCLAIMER: The White Knight is not responsible for any lapses of judgment or aneurysms you may incur after reading all of this. Care should be taken to make sure you realize that this is all just text. Text with potential underlying meanings. Text that might just be text to confuse you for no reason other than to make me happy because I posted something.)





Of Time...

Sometimes I wish I had all the time in the world to do whatever.
Then I think to myself... once I finish all I want to do, what next?
Is it because I currently lack the time management skills to complete all the tasks at hand?

Or is it because I'm looking at it all wrong?



I Need Scissors! 61!

"I was a North American Fall Webworm in my past life. Those were the good old days... what were you in your former life?"



What Am I Afraid Of?

21 and still haven't done things I could've done eons ago.
I don't know whether to call myself prudish or just plain sad...

Makes me wonder if any of it will be done before the time I hit 22.
Time will tell, but so will my actions. Am I correct in this hypothesis so far?

My question is this: in the future, should I fall... would I actually be falling, or am I just in love with the concept of falling?

It's one of the questions I have yet to answer for myself, and it haunts me for failing to do so.



Metal Gear HAIKU
(by Josh D. "Whitey" Blanco)


Metal Gear Solid:
Series with cryptic meanings
Meme, gene, scene, and sense



I Need a New Chair...

My current computer chair seems to sink randomly about 75% of the time. It's ridiculous how many times I have to adjust the damn thing, and for someone who's completely nitpicky about having zero distractions while trying to actually work (that's a first), this is driving me nuts.

Sadly, it's barely been a year since I got it.
No, I don't abuse the chair, nor do I do anything stupid like land my butt on in with force.
It just one day decided to off itself and now I have to suffer with it.

While we're talking about the need of a new chair, perhaps I should look into those plastic things they put on carpets so chairs can roll more easily... those would help, too...



The 3DS Needs to Come Out Faster

Seriously. My slowly-dying DSi just lost functionality with its L-Button.
While my friends and I are attributing the button failures to dust, I don't have the means (or the know-how) to safely dismantle a DSi without frying the circuit boards by accident.

I should invest in one of those anti-static bracelets, huh?

And I should look for more old games I don't play anymore so I can get some more in-store credit.
Having to pay less for an awesome handheld console is always a good thing.

Oh, and maybe I should pre-order one of the 3DS launch titles. Maybe Super Street Fighter IV or something like that, because that Metal Gear Solid game they're planning won't be out for a while...



What's In a Name?

One of the fun things about playing any Pokémon game is the naming of caught Pokémon.
While others think of random nicknames that work (and show off the creative intelligence of a six-year-old), I tend to either have lesser-known references to other things, actual names that I'd like to name my future children, or fusion names that combine a few qualities of the previously mentioned reasons (or just plain sound awesome.

Heh. Look at me, still dreaming about the future when the present is such a mess.

But anyway, names. They're fun, and they're meaningful, and when I get to name something, I put a good amount of thought into it.

(I'm going to sound like such a dork with the following words, but eh.)

Examples of names my Pokémon have include:

Alexia (Gardevoir - from my Pokémon: Platinum Version team)
Gardevoir are described as powerful Psychic-type Pokémon that can feel the emotions of others around them.
Their emotional bonds with their trainers are to the point where they will sacrifice their lives to protect them.
And Alexia happens to be a variant of the name Alexandra, a Greek name meaning "defender of men." I thought it fitting.

Nellington (Lilligant - from my Pokémon: White Version team)
Lilligant have a certain unique grace to their appearance, so I wanted a rather unique name for mine when I caught one.
As far as I know, nobody has the name Nellington (though it may exist as a surname), and so I chose that.
The name in my opinion seems strong and serene at the same time, and it has the capability to be shortened to a nickname: Nelly.
(I'll be honest: should I have a daughter, this name is going up as a contender.)

Panzer Rex (Rampardos - from my Pokémon: Diamond Version team)
A combination of German and Latin that, when translated to English, literally mean "tank king."
Rampardos' look just screams Tyrannosaurus, and with the highest unmodified base Attack stat in the game, it has the power to boot any contenders out of its way.

Voidwalker (Gengar - from my Pokémon: Soul Silver Version team)
My Gengar's namesake comes from the voidwalkers of World of Warcraft, sentient demonic energy resembling gaseous humanoids.
Since both draw upon and use energy in a dark and sinister manner (a voidwalker's touch can summon extreme mental anguish, and Gengar are said to feed off the suffering and life force of its victims), I thought the similarities were good enough for this referential name.



I (Still) Want a Vuvuzela! Like, MEOW!

For those of you who for some reason didn't watch any of the FIFA 2010 World Cup last year, you missed out on the biggest blessing-slash-curse to hit the earth: the introduction of the vuvuzela.

When the World Cup was on TV, all anyone could hear were the announcers and the vuvuzelas, causing much annoyance to the world population. Hell, even Middle Earth found them annoying.

While I will admit that they're a literal ear-sore, I still wanted to get my hands on one.
It got to the point where I started asking desperately for one (ask my friends - they know what was on the top of my wish lists for my 21st birthday and Christmas last year) and began to "threaten" everyone who didn't get me one to eternal random doom*.

And here's the scary part about this "threat": I'm dead serious.

* = The "threat" goes like this: the moment I get a vuvuzela from someone, everyone else will be subject to what I call a "vuvuzela drive-by," where I pay someone to drive me around to everyone else's place of residence (at a random time of my choosing) and blare the vuvuzela. Should I get angry yelling or a pissed-off phone call within the first 15 seconds, I will deem my "hit" successful and go on my merry way.



I Need Money

...but don't we all?





Well, that about wraps up my first non sequitur. I'll spare everyone from more of this for today...
Until the 'morrow, everyone!