Saturday, November 06, 2004

Lost Wallet? Try and fix that capital one

First time I successfully lost my wallet. The other time, it was recovered money and all, but this time, no one has called to return it. Had to cancel all my Credit Cards (doh), D/L, ATM cards, and there were a bunch of unreplaceable contact information. Double Doh. It feels like a large chunk of important part of me disappeared in one foul blow. The bright side is that I get to shop for a new wallet. Also I'm revising my wallet fill strategy and not carry as much items. Just some core stuff. Also because I don't keep credit and atm backup cards, I have 15 dollars to my good name, can't drive anywhere, and can't rent library books, all until next week the cards begin arriving.

So in the meantime, NWN and taco bell it is.

AARON - HAPPY 30th SUCKA' !!!!


Donkey Konga

Well, I'm currently in Manhattan Beach right now after a typically unpleasant Greyhound trip home Thursday night. Yes, when you arrive at the station at 5:45 AM after being elbowed in the head by a sleeping homeless man, let me tell you, you are ready to rock!

Now that I've got a long-term place, it's time to move my shiyat. So I came down here (wish I planned ahead more and bought an airplane ticket, but they were too expensive last-minute); on Monday I go pick up the U-Haul and throw everything in it, and then Tuesday I drive up.

In the meantime I've got to figure out what to bring up (... hello, NWN Platinum Edition, which I just learned how to install on my Mac...). I've also of course revisited my precious GameCube. I had some video game store credit, so I picked up one of those gimmicky rhythm games I'm such a sucker for: Donkey Konga. It's like Dance Dance Revolution, but with Bongo drums. As each note scrolls by you have to either hit the left drum, hit the right drum, hit both, or clap. It's genius.

Speaking of genius, I forgot to bring my cell phone charger and my phone's on life support, so I'll be checking my messages periodically but mostly won't have it around. If anyone needs to reach me it's easier to do so at my parents' house.

Cock! Balls!
150 Titles in 7 Days

Ugggh! I just read or photocopied for reading about 150 articles and books for the bloody bibliography, citations, etc. so that I can finish! God, will someone please make this stop! Ok, I'm better now. Anyway, that's were I've been, so that explains the lack of blog from me. Can I just join with Eric and you all in our sadness that we face another four years of absolute monkey-brained, non-ecofriendly, money-based and corrupt politics when we will all become even less proud to be Americans than we already were. I hate the president too, but I hate the fuckers that voted for him more...

Ok, I thought I had lots of interesting things to say, but I don't. Let's face it, I lead a boring life.

Myke


Friday, November 05, 2004

*taps mic*


Is this thing on?

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Winter in America

You can all go to Georgerrmartin.com to see this, but I think it's worth posting here too. On his site, where he had a Kerry/Edwards banner these last couple of months, he now has a banner that reads: Mourning for America . And here is his update on the progress of his new book:

I write this the day after the presidential election.

A FEAST FOR CROWS is still not finished. Yes, I have written some more pages since the June update. No, the book is not yet done. My August and September schedule was full of conventions, travel, and speaking appearances, which cut deeply into my writing time during those months. Yes, I could have made more progress on the book if I had stayed at home chained to the desk, but I make these commitments years in advance and I take them very seriously.

Also, some of the writing that I have done since June has actually been rewriting. My goal, as I have said repeatedly in these updates, has always been to produce a book that is a good as it can be, so when I suddenly realize that one of my story threads can be made much more powerful and dramatic with some restructuring, I restructure... even if that means going back, tearing up finished chapters, and reworking them from start to finish.

That's done, anyway. A FEAST FOR CROWS will be much better for it, and now I am back at work on new chapters once again... although not today, and maybe not tomorrow, or next week. I am pretty good with words, usually, but no words can express how miserable, angry, and depressed I am feeling this morning over the results of yesterday's election. The exit polling makes it clear: this was a victory for bigotry and fear, a mandate bought with lies. I know from past experience that it is going to take me some time to shake off this depression.

Losing myself in the world of Westeros would probably be the best medicine for what ails me just now, I know full well. There is solace in work, and books -- my own books, and those of others -- have always been a refuge for me during dark times in my life. Today, however, the {fictional} travails of my {fictional} Seven Kingdoms seem pretty unimportant compared to the very real woes that the United States is facing, a future of war and isolation abroad, and division and repression at home.

Winter is coming to Westeros, but it has already come to America.


—George R.R. Martin, November 3, 2004


Blogger is taking a teh shits

- Seems slow for some reason. I am actually tinkering with the idea of using my home computer for the blogger stuff, and perhaps forgoing Blogger altogether, and using a consumer grade, freeware blogging software. I already have my computer working as a server, and maybe I will set-up a one of my junkers as a fulltime server. Fun! Dangerous!

- Moving is suck.

- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is cool, but a little tough to swallow. Maybe because it hits home more than its predecessors, but it really seems over the top, and downright racist. The protagonist is in a gang, and EVERYTHING that comes out of his, or his homies mouth is the most racist, stereotyped, gang-banger lingo of all time. Everything is motherfucker this, or nigga that. I'm sure it's related to some of my white guilt, regardless, it is somewhat even more tasteless than the last two.

- Enron, you should get back involved with the pick em league. who cares that you are behind, it is still super fun to follow from week to week!

- I will be out of computer commission for a few days because I am unplugging the bad boy tonight for the move, no ETA when it will be back up and running. Call me if you need me.



Wow.


Another four years of Dub. I think Eric summed up my thoughts well enough.

It's going to be hard, but I'm going to try and talk about something more fun and happy-orientated now.. NWN..

*deep slow sigh*

Regarding "expansions".. I'm assuming you mean modules and not expansions for the sake of my response.. (expansions = Urentide and Underdark?)

It's very very close between the Twilight/Midnight series and Honor Amongst Thieves for what I'd consider the top two modules in the entire database. They are both incredibly innovative and amazingly well done. I guess it would come down to "mood". If you're looking for something less linear and more open to free-choice and resulting "endings", then "HAT" is the one for you. If you're looking for a more direct storyline with some incredible interaction between your Paladin character (no other options here) and your DROW henchman/squire that you're trying to counsel and bring up from her chaotic/evil ways.. then that's your animal.

My travels took me through the Penultima series immediately after the original campaign which was a lot of fun for the completely different feel of a "funny" module with a great storyline. The custom items in the module are frigging hilarious.

So, I'd say one of those three for your starters depending on your mood. I sincerely don't think you can go wrong with any of the three.

Get them while you can before Ashcroft bans them as Satan's works.

*sigh*

Late,

~O.

My Faith in Humanity Has Slipped

We are here to witness the beginning of the end and a new dark era of absolute power that will continue to corrupt absolutely. A stronger republican senate and congress, as well as a republican president, and more than likely a republican chief justice, we are in for quite a ride in the proverbial handbasket.

With a lame duck president with nothing to lose, and God telling him what to do, with the total Baptist belief that armageddon will be a reality, and that armageddon will begin in the Middle East, I can't feel positively about our chances for future prosperity.

The polarization of wealth will continue unabated, women's rights will be stripped, many many more people will die in the world needlessly - we will continue to spiral down.

Things are going to get really, really, really, bad and there is fuckall we can do about it.

I'm gonna go read Dark Force Rising, the second of three books in a fine series continuing the Star Wars saga, post-Return of the Jedi... while I still have the chance before all my books are raided and burned.

Fuck Bush. I hate the president with my entire mind, body, and soul.

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Ok.. stop whatever you're doing..


..and download "Honor Amongst Theives" today.

I've played the original campaign through several times and played a dozen or more player made "hall of fame" modules.. and this one is the absolute best of the bunch, period. Granted, the "twilight" and "midnight" series is 1b.. but Honor Amongst Thieves is frigging AMAZING.. it's just incredible in terms of non-linearity (but with continuity if that makes sense) and role-playing. You actually feel like you're a part of a much bigger environment instead of playing the lead role in a scripted theatre piece. All kinds of opportunity to make moral (or not) decisions which effect how the end of the game unfolds.

I give it an 11 out of 10.

Just.. wow.


Monday, November 01, 2004

Bush vs. Kerry


Quite right, they are not that different, these two. They both want your money and they both want to spend it.. they just want to funnel our cash to different end-games and corporate sponsors. The biggest selling point for me to vote "no" on Bush tomorrow is that at least Kerry will have an opposed legilative branch to veto his rediculous budgetary ideas whereas Dub has gotten the green light on a Carlyle/Halliburton spending spree thus far.

Boy, can't wait to see what kind of clusterfuck feeding frenzy this Florida mess is going to be this week. Let's hope the victory is secured without Jeb's state being needed and thereby able to buy another election for brother Dub.

BTW.. you are ab-so-frigging-lutely correct about the folks REALLY in control of the white house. I dunno if you fellas have already been through this or not, but all you have to do is look up the PNAC think tank and take a look at the membership list pre-2000 and compare it to administrative positions held (beginning with the Veep himself) currently. I found it oh so suprising (or not) that the PNAC think tank wrote several letters/papers submitted to Clinton and other senators in the previous decade practically begging for an invasion of Iraq and what do you know? Hey! Let's blur the line between "terrorism" and "Saddam is a bad guy" and that way we can parlay the approved fundage for "war on terror" into our "war on Saddam".

**insert picture of raging hard on here**

Anyway.. don't get me started. Hehe. I'm not voting for Kerry, and I don't think most people are that are voting for him... we're all voting "NO" on referendum-Dub04. Kerry is just marginally electible than anything else. I particularly can't stand Edwards.. like almost so much that I'd rather see Bush in office for four more years if you can believe it. I wouldn't shed a single freaking tear to see that guy stumble into traffic and get smooshed flat.

Late,

~O.
Ya jael, I don't think they literally have bin laden in front of a backdrop or anything that ridiculous, BUT I think it's pretty easy to see how the administration has been using the spectre of "terror and fear" to try and manipulate the american public. Also, and this had to be pointed out to me by a friggin' comedian and NOT the media, whenever the bush adminstration has fucked-up with it's little scandals and lies, they've raised the terror alert, even when it comes out afterwards that there wasn't any credible reason to do so.

These 4 years have been a sick joke, and I hope to god they're coming to an end. Kerry and the Dems are no saints, and I'm sure there's way more in common between the two parties than either would like the public to know (from the Daily Show: This years election: Skull vs. Bones cuz both kerry and bush are bonesmen), and think i'd sleep a little better at night knowing that bush (and more importantly, his cronies who are the TRUE evil-masterminds) was not in the white house.

BTW

I don't see my last post in the EDIT feature of slogger, so sorry for yet another post, but to go with my post about Bushco and the fear-mongering, here's an "abridged" look at the RNC a couple months back. pretty obvious what they're up to:
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/04/10/con04413.html

Ok - I'll shutup for the day. VOTE TOMORROW!

That was an cool video...

I especilally liked the part where the background fell off behind bin laden, revealing bushe's chronies. Hehe. My friend told me, a radical shiite student overheard a conversation between the teacher and my friend about Osama bin laden. The Student disbelieved that Bin Laden could ever threaten america and it was all American propaganda. I'm having difficulties siding my allegiance in this matter. I don't think even bush and chronies would stoop that low and make false claims about our national security.

That redskin fact trips me out! Kerry will prevail!


PUNK

My friend made me a mix cd of Rancid stuff - most of the songs I knew - stuff from the first 3 albums, but then there were some other really good songs from later stuff. They're good! The friend who made it for me used to work with a lot of bands, so he always had the juicy gossip. He was telling me how Tim Armstrong was married to the singer from The Distillers, and how the two of them had gotten off of drugs together. Then, the Distillers went on tour to Australia with Queens of the Stone Age (that alternative band thats very much pro-hard drugs) and the singer got her all strung-out on drugs again and she left Tim Armstrong! What a fuckin' whore! Her and that guy from the other band! (And how he found out about it all was from a picture in Rolling Stone magazine of her tonguing the other guy - in an interview he said he dropped the magazine and started crying) The drama mang!
Eminem is my new hero

Okay, maybe I won't go THAT far, but that was a really great video. I wish there were more people out there in the entertainment business that would take a stand and show which side of the fence they were on and use their power to influence, inform and educate the public.

I wonder how many people will see this video vs. seeing any of the debates? To bad it was released so late.

I also am a huge fan of the Green Bay Packers myself for defeating the Washington Niggers, whoops, I mean Washington Spicks, whoops, I mean Washington Gooks, whoops I mean Washington Redskins. 1 year is a coincidence. 5 years is still probably a coincidence. 20 years? Looks more and more like fact... 30 years? I think we can all rest easier now that we know for absolutely certain that Kerry is going win the election. Check it out.

Sunday, October 31, 2004

No kids come to my door. They don't want apples with razor blades I guess. :(

You guys all see the new Eminem video, "Mosh"? I'm not much of an Eminem fan, but this new video is really good and I guess it's getting played on mtv a fair amount.

http://mosh.eminem.com/video/

Maybe this means he'll start rapping about more interesting and important things, but probably it's a fluke. At least it's a good fluke.

Wow..


We are getting slammed by an army of Sponge Bobs, Mulans, Mummies and firemen tonight.. lots of tooth decay being delivered by our household this evening! Hehe.. as a result, it's kinda getting a little late and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make it online with y'all tonight unfortunately.

Bleh.. sorry guys! I really look forward to this every week pretty fiercely.

=(

Regards,

~O.


P.S.. the Washington Redskins lost today, which, if their indication holds true (like it has for the last three decades.. REALLY weird), then this means that the incumbent is also going to lose (when they've won the week before election for the last 30 years or so, the incumbent has won the election.. isn't THAT fucking bizarre?) Anyway.. I'll take it. See ya, Dub.

I Love teh All Hallow's Eve!

I've got the creepy Halloween CD blasting out of our downstairs bedroom, some skulls hung from our front porch and one of those really annoying screeching ghosts over the stairs to scare the hell out of trick or treaters. Hehe.. Weeeee!

Later tonight, might be up for some Tomb of Whores.. going to level 20 is going to be a little rough though.. we'd need appropriate equipment, potions and weapons to match. There's a module out there in the top rated lists called something like "character creator" that allows you to get uber items and level up your character pretty easily to customize.

I'll check back in with everyone by about 8pm and let you know what my availabilty looks like for certain.

Muwahahahahaha!!!

happy helloweeen!

ya - what a worthless holiday. I wish I would have come up with some kind of costume though. Next year! When I'm almost 30!

So, what are you guys doing tonight? If I had a costume, I'd probably hit up with west hollywood parade - its always supposed to be off-teh-hookz, kinda like whatever thing jon is going to up north. are we gonna try some gaming later on? after 9 or whenever? let me know. damn, I wanted to play some more nwns, but sans dm, I don't see it being so banga-langin. Unless someone comes up with the ill module. Tomb of horrors! Me eric art and jael! we can start making our level 20 characters now, and hopefully it'll be ready by tonight.

ya - finished wolfs of teh calla from s. king. it was pretty good. it seemed like crap to me also when i started it, but then it gets pretty good... i guess. I "liked" it, but fuck, some chapters draggggg. i'm reading the next book now, and its cool, but it has the same "dragging" problem at parts. it's like, he sets up an event, "we're going to the cave in 5 minutes." Then, there's like 20 pages of them preparing to go to the cave, or someone's thoughts about the cave or some other bullshit. The story in the wolves of the calla is pretty straight-forward, and you get the gist of what's gonna happen after the 1st chapter, but it takes the whole fucking book for the thing to "happen." But, whatever - I'd read the other books already, might as well be done with this damn story already. Almost done thank goodness!

(I have the microsuck reader versions if yer interested - they're basically super fancy pdfs, but they have this retarded feature where a really lame computer voice will read it to you really slow lol - oh shit. It was funny for a second.)