No Third Charm

I don't get it. I spend all of yesterday psyching myself to get things done. I get most of the night squared away and about 98% of the prep-work completed. Writing something today should have been a snap, and yet... I managed to achieve very little.

*shakes head* Somehow I saw this coming. I don't know if this is extremely poor time management skills or me getting distracted like crazy all the time, but I think I need to find a way to focus. While that may not seem possible due to my potential ADHD (I say "potential" because I show symptoms but I never officially had myself checked) or because I placed way too much on my plate, I know there has to be a way.

Also, on an unrelated-but-possibly-related note: stomachache from eating too much. This might have been a driving factor in my evening lethargy in regards to writing. Damn you, Past Josh.

You think that's bad? Give me an hour and tell me to stay on TV Tropes. When you come back, there'll be four windows open with an average of at least 20 tabs each (of which maybe 40% are for TV Tropes), about three other programs running in the background (not counting WinAmp), and at least one YouTube video that's three clicks away from the music video for Vat19's Das Beer Boot.

Anyway, I'm afraid I'm going to have to delay myself yet again. (At least I'm trying not to give you lame entries like the last few years. This actually has a lot of words on it.) Consider the above photo as proof that I am working on it (although you can see with the tabs on those two windows that I was pretty distracted). If I can get myself into gear, we'll see about finishing it by tomorrow night.

Sideways

Okay, so I lied. It's not up today because I got super-distracted - both at work and at home. As such, it's not at the quality level I'd like for it to be in, and I don't feel like showing you something crappy that could've been better. Of course, that's not what you're thinking. Your line of thoughts look more like this:

--- --- ---

YOU:
Where's the entry? You said you had the entry!

ME:
Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Since I have said that, I can see how you would think that.

YOU:
Where is it?

ME:
Uh... tomorrow. Come back tomorrow and then I will again have the entry. Yes.

--- --- ---

Seriously, though: would you rather see a half-assed entry, or a full-assed one that actually has some merit to it? Personally, I'd like the latter - it's more fun.

(Also, if anyone sees the reference I made: kudos to you! Two Internet points for you!)

Taking the Black: A Nuzlocke Prologue

Nuzlocke runs are the Pokémon games' version of your local dominatrix. Apart from turning an already fun series into something out of the bowels of Hell, it's a great way to get into the psyche and mindset of the persons involved. It binds you into a routine that has you pulling your hair out of sheer agony, yet at the same time leaves you begging for more pain.

However, there's one glaring difference between a Nuzlocke run and a domme. One has you tied up against your wishes (even though you wanted it to begin with) and proceeds to put you through a session so blisteringly painful you wish you set up a safe word beforehand. The other is a dominatrix.

Lame bait-and-switch joke aside, I've played a few Nuzlockes (my first two are still ongoing as of this day). I've suffered minimal casualties on those runs (so far *crosses fingers*), and it helps that the games I'm running in - X and Omega Ruby - are games I've technically played before (via Y and Ruby respectively). Thing is, I don't think I fully appreciate the serious business that Nuzlockes are supposed to generate. And like a certain father voiced by Mark Hamill once said, "[I] will learn respect, and suffering will be [my] teacher." (Cue scar being made on the wrong side.)

Just hit "A" already...

This is why I'm going to start a blind Nuzlocke run on Pokémon: Black Version 2. Before I begin the prologue though, I think I need to explain a few things. I'm pretty sure I have so, considering that the average stranger probably has no idea what any part of that first sentence even means. So, we'll take a quick musical break and I'll explain both myself and those words above in greater detail in a bit.

A Thorn and Some Tweezers

So in a starting effort to begin typing things on here, I decided to try something new. (Gee, I sure haven't tried doing this before.)

I take that back. I'm not trying anything new. Matter-of-fact, I'm trying to finish something I started a long time ago. In my current pattern of "fail and fail some more," I figured this would be an interesting way to (yet again) attempt to break the cycle and yank this throbbing thorn that's been in my side for ages now. Yesterday's entry was a sign of this, and today you'll see what it was exactly that I rebooted.

By Virtual Design

Sometime in my teen years I began to notice that I possessed a rather peculiar talent. A group project would show up in one of my high school classes, and the teacher would state that a presentation was to be given. As the class started to look around the room in search of potential project mates, some people began eyeing me for a few particular reasons.

1. I actually did the necessary research and work.
2. I could write a killer paper and/or speech if necessary.
3. If we used digital visuals (e.g.: PowerPoint), I knew how to make our work stand out from everyone else's.
4. Our work (combined with the results from reason 3) netted us nothing but "A's."

In short: I made things look good. (I just wish I could say the same about myself. =P)

Yeah, I know - such a talent isn't of any particular use in the real world. Sure, you have some people go into some kind of job with the generic title of "{blank} Designer." In the end, most of them are (unfairly) ridiculed for not possessing an "actual" job like "other people." What makes these people stand out is the fact that the people with this kind of talent are usually proud of it - with some of them going to great lengths to show their skill (or "skill" - some do suck) to the world.

In my case, I use it in video games. In games with some kind of character creation (be it an MMO or a fighting game), you can count on me to make a character who fits my aesthetic designs. These have ranged from the exceptionally beautiful to the plain everyman to the horribly disfigured. (In one particular case, I took someone beautiful and had her scarred. It happened in her storyline, so it would make sense for me to do that.) In games where I'm given free reign to construct objects (such as Minecraft), I've set up various buildings - from the practically-designed to the kinds that demand that you look at them.

Just what lies beyond the door of this rather large building?

So what happens when I apply this skill in a social simulation game like Animal Crossing: New Leaf? Well, allow me to show you... if you're willing to keep reading on. Prepare to be amazed (at how dorky I can be)!

Curse of the Eight

It seems fitting how recent circumstances in my life have culminated in me making this entry. As evidenced by the previous... well, lacking quality entries, it's surprising to see me finally post something. And of all days for me to type, it had to be this one - a Friday the 13th.

Now, I know I'm an anomaly when it comes to my beliefs. I don't follow any religion, yet under certain circumstances I get spooked by (childish) superstitions. I'm sensible enough to realize that the "bad luck" today supposedly unleashes is only what we make of today's events. Despite this, I can't help but feel that something conspired to punish me today.

I haven't been posting like I said I would. I feel stupid for failing to do so. But if there is/are (a) god(s), there must be some kind of schadenfreude-styled puppeteering going on here. If not, then it's karma biting back for some event that I've forgotten... or a set of poorly-timed events that spiraled into the topic of today's entry.

And this is how the fates saw fit to punish me - with a migraine.

Today's story warrants the use of a TL;DR notification now - before I even explain what the hell is going on. Most average people who read this blog don't even need the TL;DR if they view the above picture - they're now asking one question:

TL;DR: "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

The answer is "yes," by the way. Sans the moon. *cringes*

Próto Savato

Now that my birthday has passed, it's time to get serious. Seriously silly.

I did say yesterday that I'd try to get us back to our regular schedule, and this is my attempt at doing so. (It's also an effort at getting back to typing decent entries more often.)

"Happy birthday to me" indeed.

Well, let's not keep you waiting. Keep on reading if you feel like finding out what happened during my birthday!

Trolling for Shoes

I found this little gem in my documents a little while ago: a pre-typed response to this... (counter-)troll (for lack of a better term) I encountered long ago in World of Warcraft. Now, I'm usually not one to post anything on Trade Chat. If I do, I'm looking for business offers or trying to make money by Alchemy.

2013 Birthday Gift Ideas for Me

It just occurred to me right now yesterday that in two weeks, it'll be my birthday.

Wow. How could I forget such an important day for me this year? I become another year older in a mere thirteen days (counting this one)! I can officially be referred to as someone in their "mid-twenties!" While I could blame me and my bad memory, I'm not going to - this year's not a substantial birthday.

In about thirteen days, I'm likely to get something similar to this.

Confused? Keep reading to find out both what I mean... and what I want. *shifty eyes*

A Fortune in the Stars

I once heard these words from a magnificent bastard known as Revolver Ocelot:

"There's no such things as miracles or the supernatural - only cutting-edge technology!"

For the most part, when I began to actually think for myself as a teenager, I took those words to heart. Normally, I'm not one for delving in supernatural things and believing in them. I don't believe in any religion, having lost faith in God when I was a teenager (though that doesn't stop me from tolerating most of my friends' beliefs - it's their lives, not mine).

Waiting is Hell

CURRENT MUSIC:
Nobuo Uematsu - "Timber Owls"
Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack

I feel like this particular piece is one of the most definitive "I'm bored!" musical pieces ever.

Chaos in Town

For those of you with a Nintendo 3DS that live in the United States: y'all already know about Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the game that came out back on June 9.

I'm going to be honest when I say that me having this game is a very bad thing. No, not in the sense of me hating the game or anything of the sort. (Au contraire - why would I own something I hate?) Rather, it's detracting me from having fun with other things, because it's one of the few game that secretly installs a "Play me forever!" voice in the back of your head. Depending on the person, they can either ignore it entirely, or be suckered into listening.

Here's me saying hello from the front of town hall. And yes: that's an actual screenshot of my copy of the game. All the photos accompanying this entry were taken from my 3DS.

For me, the voice is as strong as the voices I get whenever a new Pokémon game is released. And seeing as how this is a sim game of sorts, let's just say I'm screwed.

Sidetracked Training and Emblems

Remember yesterday how I said the Internet claims my project time? Well, it did it again. As I loaded up Blogger and got myself in the mindset to type out an entry, I got sidetracked yet again. Through a combination of various activities such as:

• Imgur links found on Facebook
• an hour's worth of ambient music playing while I mindlessly surfed TV Tropes and Wikipedia
• some insight into myself
• and the dawning realization that today is in fact Sunday*

I was able to come up with an entry for y'all to read... despite the fact that it was far from the original idea I had when I first logged on. Sometimes my inability to stay focused on things ends up paving the road better than the best-laid plans I could ever conceive.

* = I could've sworn that yesterday was somehow this Wednesday, which caused great confusion last night when I attempted to refresh some of my favorite webcomics and was left wondering why they weren't updating. Of course, I was all the more sad when I found out it wasn't Wednesday - I want my Oracle of Ages / Seasons on the 3DS eShop already! =O

I feel like this sometimes when I'm attempting to focus on work. Sometimes it works out... sometimes it doesn't.

Anyway, enough bantering. Let's read before I get distracted by somethi- oh, hey, Blackadder is on!

The Internet is a Shiny

You wanna know what happens when I dedicate time to write something for a project? The Internet.

As shown by the elders of the Internet.

The Lunatic Diaries, Part 1

Okay, I'll admit: that thing I wanted to post up on here by the weekend? I didn't finish it. No surprise there, really. However, in lieu of that I decided to work on something else to make up for it. I don't know if it was going to be as pointlessly informational as my original idea, but I figured I'd go ahead and roll with it.

Considering how I actually have the notes for this (as opposed to the original idea), it's better that I do this. But what is "this" exactly?

Okay, so remember how nearly two months ago I wanted to write a silly series involving marriages in Fire Emblem Awakening? (Of course not; nobody reads personal blogs - let alone mine.) That was the original thing I had planned to put up by today, but since I got sidetracked by about forty-five different things, that obviously didn't happen.

Four hours of pain and sixteen hours of level-grinding later... and I'm still getting my ass handed to me.

One of the aforementioned "different things" that sidetracked me was the promise I made to myself weeks back. After beating Fire Emblem Awakening, I told myself I'd go on and attempt to beat it in Lunatic mode, the game's second-highest difficulty. (Lunatic Plus, Awakening's highest, has to be unlocked by completing the game in Lunatic first.) I remember reading reports on how the two are nightmarish in their challenge, and after trying out a few missions in the campaign, I've found they weren't kidding.

I started my Lunatic run earlier this month, and since then it's been utter hell for me. To prove it, I've been keeping a log of thoughts, comments, and reactions I've had to this profanity-inducing run on my cell phone. I've transcribed everything from May 5 (the start of my run) to now for your viewing pleasure. So, if you've played the game and/or feel like laughing at my anguish, then feel free to read on.

¿Por qué no los dos?

I think I decided what I'm going to do with that project idea of mine. I'm going to see if I can DM it as a tabletop campaign (or at worst, be a player while I feed the plot to whoever I get to DM)... and then write the stories of the adventures that are had.

Or better yet: write out separate stories set in a different timeframe than the campaign goes.

Something tells me that I'm going to regret this decision in the future...

While this seems like a novel idea, something tells me it's going to be just as complicated as it is "simple."

Bachelorettes of Awakening: Introduction

It's usually scary when I can count the number of video games I touched over the past month-and-a-half on one hand. Normally, this is a sign that I'm too busy with tasks or I'm somehow being social. However, I have plenty of spare time even after performing mundane activities or hanging out with my friends... and yet that number is still countable on one hand. There's one reason - one culprit - responsible for this "travesty."

To say that I've been obsessed with Fire Emblem Awakening would be a sheer understatement - it has consumed my soul. I've just racked over 200 hours of game-time on the 3DS game (and that's not counting the resets and lost time spent after receiving a casualty), and yet I'm still drawn to it despite the fact that I beat it a month ago. I already made it quite clear how much this game has gripped me (there's a reason why it's still on that "Current Video Games" list to the left), and its influence was strong enough for it to land a spot on my last Top List.

Before the more attentive of you start asking: yes, this entry is the one I promised back on the 13^th. Matter-of-fact, it's the introduction in a series of entries I'll be posting on here. (Yes, I said "series" - prepare for a project that was long overdue.) There's a major dilemma I'm facing in-game and I'm having problems bringing myself to some kind of conclusion.

Renaming Dilemma

A major problem has recently been presented to me - one which I must say I'm having difficulty in solving.

The situation arose back on Wednesday, several hours after I posted that day's entry. I was involved in a conflict with some friends that ended up becoming quite sour after a backstab went horribly wrong. I assigned myself the position of "interventionist" and somehow brought the situation to a steady calm, only to lose control and watch as my friends and I embroiled ourselves in another brawl that would prove to be quite bloody.

In the end, I somehow ended up on top and unwittingly tasked myself with solving a major crisis. There's also a bit of a time limit - I was only able to bring about a metaphorical ceasefire, and if things go the way I'm foreseeing it, this crisis may escalate into yet another fight by tomorrow's end. Said crisis requires a bit of input from all of you, so I thank you in advance for taking the time to read this entry.

So, what is this dramatic and important dilemma, you ask?

Australia as it currently lies in our Risk Legacy game. As can be seen, I've yet to write a name for the continent.

I have won the right to rename Australia.
But what should I name the continent?

Cue many facepalms from people who did not see this anti-climax coming. Hee hee hee. =P

Holiday Announcement 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAHAUNAKWANZAKA!

(Doesn't this look familiar...?)

Apocalypse in the Mists

So, since the world didn't end today, I thought I'd give you a bit of a "welcome back to reality, idiots" gift* in the form of a cool entry today.

Yeaaaaaaaah, we're not exploring there today. *flees*

What are you waiting for: me to explode on you guys? Frak that; dig in on the entry already!