I love this group. They're positively...enchanting.
I mean, just listen to their rendition of the classic "Moon River."
Vanilla Mood is incredible, and they've caught my attention more than another string quarter, Bond, did. Unfortunately, I haven't found an album of this group. Yet.
Yes, I love their music enough to create a second post in a single day for them. Anyone who knows my blogging pattern would know how rare that is. But never mind that. Listen to them play. They're incredible.
This one's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."
The Asylum Director
- VIIIofSwords
- "The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer, and this rested solely on my suspicion that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn't require any." - Russel Baker
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Deckbuilder's Diary: Black
As the few among you who know what I'm talking about now know, I've gotten back into playing Magic: the Gathering. Of course, to play, I need a deck. I don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but I'm currently working on a black deck. I've decided to try and build a black weenie deck --- a deck type that I never fully built back in my heyday. At least, not for black. I had two perfectly viable weenie decks (one red and one white) in the past, but I honestly have no idea where either one is now. Anyway.
The deck itself is almost complete, with a solid strategy behind it. One that, I think, is becoming increasingly prevalent and predominant in Magic nowadays: creature power. The main damage this deck is designed to do is in creature form, basically. From Prickly Boggart...
...to the perennial favorite, the Black Knight...
...the core of the strategy is the core of all weenie deck strategies: continually hammer away at the enemy with a large number of cheap, efficient, low-cost creatures. However, like most modern weenie decks, I recognize the need for big beef.
What do you think the damn Gleancrawler is for?
I still have more than a few kinks to work out, though. For one thing, I lack big beef. The deck currently only has three creatures with a power or toughness that's higher than 4. That's two Plague Slivers and the aforementioned Gleancrawler. The bigger problem is that, unlike the smaller creatures that are easier to get rid of, they lack evasive capabilities. Then again, that's probably why I intend to grab the following creatures, which serve to add both more beef to the deck and possess much-needed evasive capabilities:
Dread
Demigod of Revenge
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Oona also adds something else that the deck needs: alternatives. The problem with a creature-focused deck is that it falters very quickly if the game degenerates into a stalemate. Unfortunately, this deck is prone to getting into stalemates with the decks I've played it against, but most especially stalls when taking on a creature deck that can match its pace. The big beef that I intend to put in have some way to avoid conventional blockers, but Oona also has the additional power to both deprive my opponents of options (library burn) and generate token creatures for me. Both have the potential to break a stalemate in my favor, though the former can also double as a win condition on high enough mana.
Another weakness the deck has is a common one when faced with a red deck that focuses on hitting the player: it can't hit back. The only real ways that my deck, in the current form, can hit back is through Choice of Damnations or Maga, Traitor to Mortals. The latter relies heavily on mana and the former needs to be timed perfectly to maximize the "screw over" effect. In other words, I need more ways to hit the player directly without relying on creatures.
For that purpose, I turn to both old and new school Magic.
The first solution is the simple, effective, classic Drain Life. The more modern version, Consume Spirit, works too. As for new school, I took a look around and the most likely to be readily available means for me to cause loss of life for my opponent (and potentially gain some for myself) comes from the upcoming set Shadowmoor, where Oona and the Demigod are coming from too. For that purpose, I feel I need to grab Ashenmoor Liege (more than one, if possible) and Rite of Consumption. It helps that Rite works so deviously well with a late-game Maga for some massive damage. I'm thinking of getting a Corrupt or two if I can find them, too.
It'll take some time before I can put everything together, but I should make a big leap towards completing this sometime either by the end of this week or by early next week - depending on how soon I can get my hands on a little something.
Of course, once this black menace to society is done, I intend to work on something a little les twisted and malignant: a green/white elf deck.
And now, I leave you with my personal favorite among the upcoming set's cards, Fists of the Demigod:
Because I like the art.
The deck itself is almost complete, with a solid strategy behind it. One that, I think, is becoming increasingly prevalent and predominant in Magic nowadays: creature power. The main damage this deck is designed to do is in creature form, basically. From Prickly Boggart...
...to the perennial favorite, the Black Knight...
...the core of the strategy is the core of all weenie deck strategies: continually hammer away at the enemy with a large number of cheap, efficient, low-cost creatures. However, like most modern weenie decks, I recognize the need for big beef.
What do you think the damn Gleancrawler is for?
I still have more than a few kinks to work out, though. For one thing, I lack big beef. The deck currently only has three creatures with a power or toughness that's higher than 4. That's two Plague Slivers and the aforementioned Gleancrawler. The bigger problem is that, unlike the smaller creatures that are easier to get rid of, they lack evasive capabilities. Then again, that's probably why I intend to grab the following creatures, which serve to add both more beef to the deck and possess much-needed evasive capabilities:
Dread
Demigod of Revenge
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Oona also adds something else that the deck needs: alternatives. The problem with a creature-focused deck is that it falters very quickly if the game degenerates into a stalemate. Unfortunately, this deck is prone to getting into stalemates with the decks I've played it against, but most especially stalls when taking on a creature deck that can match its pace. The big beef that I intend to put in have some way to avoid conventional blockers, but Oona also has the additional power to both deprive my opponents of options (library burn) and generate token creatures for me. Both have the potential to break a stalemate in my favor, though the former can also double as a win condition on high enough mana.
Another weakness the deck has is a common one when faced with a red deck that focuses on hitting the player: it can't hit back. The only real ways that my deck, in the current form, can hit back is through Choice of Damnations or Maga, Traitor to Mortals. The latter relies heavily on mana and the former needs to be timed perfectly to maximize the "screw over" effect. In other words, I need more ways to hit the player directly without relying on creatures.
For that purpose, I turn to both old and new school Magic.
The first solution is the simple, effective, classic Drain Life. The more modern version, Consume Spirit, works too. As for new school, I took a look around and the most likely to be readily available means for me to cause loss of life for my opponent (and potentially gain some for myself) comes from the upcoming set Shadowmoor, where Oona and the Demigod are coming from too. For that purpose, I feel I need to grab Ashenmoor Liege (more than one, if possible) and Rite of Consumption. It helps that Rite works so deviously well with a late-game Maga for some massive damage. I'm thinking of getting a Corrupt or two if I can find them, too.
It'll take some time before I can put everything together, but I should make a big leap towards completing this sometime either by the end of this week or by early next week - depending on how soon I can get my hands on a little something.
Of course, once this black menace to society is done, I intend to work on something a little les twisted and malignant: a green/white elf deck.
And now, I leave you with my personal favorite among the upcoming set's cards, Fists of the Demigod:
Because I like the art.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Cash Is Fine. In Fact, Cash Is Preferable.
It is no secret that I love money. I love having it. I love spending it. I love the feeling that comes with people owing me money. I love the feeling that I get when I collect debts even more. You might say I have a very unnatural attachment to my finances --- not to mention the things that I obtain through use of my finances. However, there is one aspect of finance that I bitterly dislike.
And no, it isn't taxes. That's more of a government thing, in my book.
I hate banks.
To be more specific, I despise the ATM network system.
Especially when it decides to go up and shut itself down when I'm in the middle of getting my Cthulhu-damned pay.
This all happened a few days after payday. The transaction is a relatively simple one. Go to ATM, check balance, withdraw money, leave. Painless, really. Done it a few hundred times before. However, this particular event goes awry in the most ridiculously perfect way. Somewhere along the process, I have to confirm the withdrawal of my cash before the machine actually spits it out in nice, crisp bills. The machine decides to go off-line, eat my card, and screw me over in the one or two seconds in between the aforementioned events. This event has only served to solidify my belief that I should get my pay in cold, hard cash. What does this mean? A few things.
First, my card was stuck in there.
This I got taken care of by talking to the people inside the bank, who got it out for me. At the very least, I have my card back. The same card that reminds me that the bastards at the bank still have my money and won't give it to me.
Second, due to the inexplicably perfect timing of it all, the bank records now show that, since I confirmed the withdrawal, I already have my money. Which I don't.
This, of course, is very, very taxing. I guess I can consider myself fortunate that I have a little bit of money on the side, so I can use that to tide me over until I get what I earned back. However, this whole situation makes me feel like I'm the one paying for a screw-up on the bank's part, which I shouldn't be.
Third, because of the incredible timing, I am now stuck waiting for the bank to conduct an investigation into the things that happened before I can get my money.
If I'm timing this correctly, they should be done by the time payday hits. That's if they even bother to give me my money. As I said, these banking bastards seem utterly and completely dependent on their computer records to tell them everything. The awful timing of the outage just means that the money I should have gotten is currently stuck in limbo, and I'm unlikely to get it anytime soon.
I'm going to try and wait this one out, though. They said that they'd inform me in a week or two if --- IF! --- I can get my money. Bastards though they may be, I'm willing to see how this pans out. If the bank refuses to recognize my claim to my money, I'll take my friend's advice and see if my employer's accounting department can do anything about this. After all, technically speaking, the company is the client and not me.
For the curious, the bank in question is Banco De Oro.
Expect a more...inelegant post on my part should they try to do a Gene Cruz on me.
And on a completely unrelated note:
You did not see me on TV. It was only someone who looked like me and had the same name.
I ADMIT NOTHING!
And no, it isn't taxes. That's more of a government thing, in my book.
I hate banks.
To be more specific, I despise the ATM network system.
Especially when it decides to go up and shut itself down when I'm in the middle of getting my Cthulhu-damned pay.
This all happened a few days after payday. The transaction is a relatively simple one. Go to ATM, check balance, withdraw money, leave. Painless, really. Done it a few hundred times before. However, this particular event goes awry in the most ridiculously perfect way. Somewhere along the process, I have to confirm the withdrawal of my cash before the machine actually spits it out in nice, crisp bills. The machine decides to go off-line, eat my card, and screw me over in the one or two seconds in between the aforementioned events. This event has only served to solidify my belief that I should get my pay in cold, hard cash. What does this mean? A few things.
First, my card was stuck in there.
This I got taken care of by talking to the people inside the bank, who got it out for me. At the very least, I have my card back. The same card that reminds me that the bastards at the bank still have my money and won't give it to me.
Second, due to the inexplicably perfect timing of it all, the bank records now show that, since I confirmed the withdrawal, I already have my money. Which I don't.
This, of course, is very, very taxing. I guess I can consider myself fortunate that I have a little bit of money on the side, so I can use that to tide me over until I get what I earned back. However, this whole situation makes me feel like I'm the one paying for a screw-up on the bank's part, which I shouldn't be.
Third, because of the incredible timing, I am now stuck waiting for the bank to conduct an investigation into the things that happened before I can get my money.
If I'm timing this correctly, they should be done by the time payday hits. That's if they even bother to give me my money. As I said, these banking bastards seem utterly and completely dependent on their computer records to tell them everything. The awful timing of the outage just means that the money I should have gotten is currently stuck in limbo, and I'm unlikely to get it anytime soon.
I'm going to try and wait this one out, though. They said that they'd inform me in a week or two if --- IF! --- I can get my money. Bastards though they may be, I'm willing to see how this pans out. If the bank refuses to recognize my claim to my money, I'll take my friend's advice and see if my employer's accounting department can do anything about this. After all, technically speaking, the company is the client and not me.
For the curious, the bank in question is Banco De Oro.
Expect a more...inelegant post on my part should they try to do a Gene Cruz on me.
And on a completely unrelated note:
You did not see me on TV. It was only someone who looked like me and had the same name.
I ADMIT NOTHING!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
YouTube Raiding
I'm not entirely sure if I have, but I think that, at one point, I managed to talk about how to raid YouTube for videos using the software combination of YouTube Downloader to grab the videos, and Media Coder to convert it to other formats. Or just rip the audio out, whichever I felt like doing.
The only problem I had with this approach was that, sadly, I couldn't get it to work on Linux. Both are pieces of software that need to be installed on a Windows machine. I'd be willing to try emulation or WINE or something, but I haven't had the chance to do so. However, now I've discovered a way to grab them without the need to install anything, or even the need to be on Windows. All you'd need to use the wonderful, wonderful website known as KeepVid is to have an Internet browser. If you don't have that, then how the Hell are you reading this, let alone thinking about grabbing YouTube videos?
Here's the basics of how to use this:
1. Load the video on YouTube. Well, actually, all you need is the URL.
2. Open KeepVid on a separate browser. I've not managed to get it to work on a separate tab in Firefox, but others may have done it. I don't know.
3. Copy and paste the video's URL in the appropriate textbox on the KeepVid site and click download.
4. Left-click on the format option of your choice, which would be either .flv or .mp4.
Notes:
1. .flv (flash videos) are the format YouTube stores their videos in on default. Low video quality downloads to be had from this format, though they're much simpler to convert using Media Coder than the alternative.
2. .mp4 videos are of higher quality, and much bigger in size. Note that this is video quality. The audio quality remains much the same, regardless of which format you pick.
The only problem I had with this approach was that, sadly, I couldn't get it to work on Linux. Both are pieces of software that need to be installed on a Windows machine. I'd be willing to try emulation or WINE or something, but I haven't had the chance to do so. However, now I've discovered a way to grab them without the need to install anything, or even the need to be on Windows. All you'd need to use the wonderful, wonderful website known as KeepVid is to have an Internet browser. If you don't have that, then how the Hell are you reading this, let alone thinking about grabbing YouTube videos?
Here's the basics of how to use this:
1. Load the video on YouTube. Well, actually, all you need is the URL.
2. Open KeepVid on a separate browser. I've not managed to get it to work on a separate tab in Firefox, but others may have done it. I don't know.
3. Copy and paste the video's URL in the appropriate textbox on the KeepVid site and click download.
4. Left-click on the format option of your choice, which would be either .flv or .mp4.
Notes:
1. .flv (flash videos) are the format YouTube stores their videos in on default. Low video quality downloads to be had from this format, though they're much simpler to convert using Media Coder than the alternative.
2. .mp4 videos are of higher quality, and much bigger in size. Note that this is video quality. The audio quality remains much the same, regardless of which format you pick.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Another Song, Because I'm Bored
To prove that I actually do listen to normal, non-anime music just as much as the average person, I present one of my current favorite songs. That it happens to basically describe how I feel about my social interactions not withstanding.
Bowling for Soup's High School Never Ends.
This part, I feel, is particularly apt for me:
And you still don't have the right look
And you don't have the right friends
Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends
Bowling for Soup's High School Never Ends.
HEY!
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
HEY!
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
HEY!
4 Years you think for sure
That's all you've got to endure
All the Total Dicks
All the Stuck-up Chicks
So superficial, so immature
Then When you graduate,
Ya take a look around and you say "Hey Wait!"
This is the same as where I just came from,
I thought it was over, Aw that's just great.
Ch:
The Whole Damned World is just as obsessed
With who‘s the best dressed and who's having sex
Who‘s got the money. Who gets the Honeys,
Who‘s kinda cute and who‘s just a mess
And you still don't have the right look
And you don't have the right friends
Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends
High School Never Ends
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
HEY!
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
HEY!
Check out the popular kids
You'll never guess what Jessica did!
And how did Mary Kate lose all that weight?
And Katie had a baby so I guess Tom's straight!
And the only thing that matters,
Is climbing up that social ladder
Still care about your hair and the car you drive
Doesn't matter if you're 16 or 35
Reese Witherspoon, she's the Prom Queen
Bill Gates, Captain of the chess team
Jack Black, the clown
Brad Pitt, the quarterback
Seen it all before
I want my money back!
Ch:
The Whole Damned World is just as obsessed
With who's the best dressed and who's having sex
Who's in the club and who's on the drugs
Who's throwing up before they digest
And you still don't have the right look
And you don't have the right friends
And you still listen to the same shit you did back then
High School Never Ends
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
High School Never Ends
Solo
Ch:
The Whole Damned World is just as obsessed
With who‘s the best dressed and who‘s having sex
Who‘s got the money. Who gets the Honeys,
Who‘s kinda cute and who‘s just a mess
And I still don't have the right look
And I still have the same 3 friends
And I'm pretty much the same as I was back then
High School Never Ends
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
High School Never Ends
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
High School Never Ends
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
Here We Go Again
Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh
This part, I feel, is particularly apt for me:
And you still don't have the right look
And you don't have the right friends
Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends
Monday, April 21, 2008
Like Watching A Blog. Or Something.
Before anything else, I'd just like to say that I hate the summer sun. Thank you.
Anyway, this entry is about Hidamari Sketch, the latest in a relatively long list of anime I watch and enjoy that nobody in this country has even heard about.
The show is like Lucky Star and Manabi Straight in the sense that there's nothing going on, and you're really only exposed to the core cast members. However, the show, for me, has a different tone.
You know how some blogs don't seem to be about anything at all? Most blogs don't have a given topic or focal point, unless the person writing the blog counts as a focal point. They tend to shift from topic to topic, paying attention to whatever it was that caught the attention of the person controlling the blog as the post was being made. Or something like that. In any case, bloggers don't seem to really pay much attention to the overall direction of their blogs (like me), and just hammer away whatever seemed worth writing down at the time.
Watching Hidamari Sketch is sort of like that, in that the show has no direction. Describing it as "slice of life" is highly accurate because it really is a "slice of life" show. There's nothing going on, no attempts at comedy, no goal that begins to manifest among the cast. Nothing. Just the literal daily goings-on in the lives of the cast, though most of the events tend to center around the heart of the show, Yuno. She's the one with the 'X' shaped hair clip thing. It might as well be some sort of collective blog for the four cast members. It doesn't help much that each episode literally only takes place in a day - with each episode having a specific date.
That being said, the show is quite cute. For a show that beats Seinfeld (and I honestly don't find anything about that show remotely likable) at its own game of being "a show about nothing," Hidamari Sketch is adorable. Yes, it is highly niche and unlikely to be aired anywhere outside of Japan, let alone be appreciated by the Narutards and the Bleachheads that seem to dominate the population of anime fans. Yes, there's really nothing going on other than things that could easily happen to any other person. Yet I can't help myself. The show is just adorable.
Watching the show is like reading a well-written, regularly updated blog. Sure, the things contained are mundane and ordinary. Maybe some of the things there could even happen to the viewer/reader. Yet, it doesn't matter, because like a good blog, Hidamari Sketch manages to become more than the sum of the parts that make it up. It isn't outright comedy and it isn't dramatic and there's no plot to be hooked into, but that's probably what makes it so inviting to watch. The show is relaxing.
Very relaxing.
It isn't something I'd recommend to other fans, or to those who've never watched a single anime in their entire lives. It isn't something that is going to become a huge hit and have merchandise for it being made years from now. And I'm fine with that. Most shows like the second one tend to be complete and utter garbage anyway.
I'll just enjoy "reading" Hidamari Sketch, and let my mind take a break before I delve into the madness and conspiracy of Code Geass R2.
Anyway, this entry is about Hidamari Sketch, the latest in a relatively long list of anime I watch and enjoy that nobody in this country has even heard about.
The show is like Lucky Star and Manabi Straight in the sense that there's nothing going on, and you're really only exposed to the core cast members. However, the show, for me, has a different tone.
You know how some blogs don't seem to be about anything at all? Most blogs don't have a given topic or focal point, unless the person writing the blog counts as a focal point. They tend to shift from topic to topic, paying attention to whatever it was that caught the attention of the person controlling the blog as the post was being made. Or something like that. In any case, bloggers don't seem to really pay much attention to the overall direction of their blogs (like me), and just hammer away whatever seemed worth writing down at the time.
Watching Hidamari Sketch is sort of like that, in that the show has no direction. Describing it as "slice of life" is highly accurate because it really is a "slice of life" show. There's nothing going on, no attempts at comedy, no goal that begins to manifest among the cast. Nothing. Just the literal daily goings-on in the lives of the cast, though most of the events tend to center around the heart of the show, Yuno. She's the one with the 'X' shaped hair clip thing. It might as well be some sort of collective blog for the four cast members. It doesn't help much that each episode literally only takes place in a day - with each episode having a specific date.
That being said, the show is quite cute. For a show that beats Seinfeld (and I honestly don't find anything about that show remotely likable) at its own game of being "a show about nothing," Hidamari Sketch is adorable. Yes, it is highly niche and unlikely to be aired anywhere outside of Japan, let alone be appreciated by the Narutards and the Bleachheads that seem to dominate the population of anime fans. Yes, there's really nothing going on other than things that could easily happen to any other person. Yet I can't help myself. The show is just adorable.
Watching the show is like reading a well-written, regularly updated blog. Sure, the things contained are mundane and ordinary. Maybe some of the things there could even happen to the viewer/reader. Yet, it doesn't matter, because like a good blog, Hidamari Sketch manages to become more than the sum of the parts that make it up. It isn't outright comedy and it isn't dramatic and there's no plot to be hooked into, but that's probably what makes it so inviting to watch. The show is relaxing.
Very relaxing.
It isn't something I'd recommend to other fans, or to those who've never watched a single anime in their entire lives. It isn't something that is going to become a huge hit and have merchandise for it being made years from now. And I'm fine with that. Most shows like the second one tend to be complete and utter garbage anyway.
I'll just enjoy "reading" Hidamari Sketch, and let my mind take a break before I delve into the madness and conspiracy of Code Geass R2.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Currently Playing:
Perfect, by Fairground Attraction
I love this song. I don't know why, I just do.
Here's a video of it. Note that you'll likely only be able to appreciate the video if you're aware of the anime that the scenes were taken from, as well as the nature of the characters prominently shown in it.
I don't want half hearted love affairs
I need someone who really cares.
Life is too short to play silly games
I've promised myself I won't do that again.
It's got to be perfect
It's got to be worth it
yeah.
Too many people take second best
But I won't take anything less
It's got to be
yeah
pertect.
Young hearts are foolish
they make such mistakes
They're much too eager to give their love away.
Well
I have been foolish too many times
Now I'm determined I'm gonna get it right.
It's got to be perfect...
Young hearts are foolish
they make such mistakes
It's got to be perfect...
It's got to be
yeah
worth it
it's got to be perfect
I love this song. I don't know why, I just do.
Here's a video of it. Note that you'll likely only be able to appreciate the video if you're aware of the anime that the scenes were taken from, as well as the nature of the characters prominently shown in it.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Strange Descriptions
Over the years, and through a multitude of connections with people, I've established myself as a part of other people's lives. A small part, but still a part. Considering the fact that I don't really go around making connections with other people in a social or professional setting a particularly high priority, this might strike some people as relatively odd.
Then again, there are more than a few things about me that many of the people I encounter would find odd. Just the way life is, I guess. No doubt that I'd find a few things about them to be inexplicably odd as well, but that would probably take too much effort to find out. I just tend to let my own weirdness out more easily, I guess. I'm sure there are a few thousand people out there that are weirder than I am, but to date, I haven't found them.
Of course, over the course of those many connections and relationships, I've obviously been introduced to other people by the ones that know me. I've also been described by the people I know to people they know but I don't. Throughout that same span of time, I've been conscious enough to make note of how people describe my personality. For some reason, a good number of them actually amuse me. Even the ones that contradict others or themselves.
Especially the ones that contradict others or themselves.
Here are a few of my favorites.
From a friend from high school:
"Someone who needs to watch more Spongebob because he needs to dumb down a little."
From another high school friend, one that I didn't maintain contact with after graduation:
"Too mature for his age, too smart for his own good, and too oblivious to realize it."
From the second one's sister:
"Too immature for his own good, too dense for his age, and too observant to see the big picture."
From a friend in college:
"A narcoleptic insomniac."
From another friend in college:
"Dazed and confused."
From a fellow anime fan:
"He's a masochistic necrophiliac pedophile. He likes crazy girls, too."
From a very disgruntled ex-girlfriend:
"Evil incarnate, and damn proud of it."
From a former professor:
"Very intelligent, has lots of potential, but is too apathetic to realize any of it."
From a former co-worker who was linked to me romantically, but nothing was going on:
"The best person to go to for emotional advice, for the simple reason that his neutrality leads to objective, sensible advice. That nobody ever follows."
From an another anime fan, but one who dabbled in other genres:
"A product of a childhood on Robotech and teen years on romantic comedies. In other words: nonsensical."
From a very unusual friend who, by her nature, doesn't have anything good to say about anyone:
"Probably a little feminine because of all the dramas and love stories he likes so much, but he's too obsessed with pretty girls to be anything more than a little too weird."
And, from a close friend that I manage to sporadically contact every once in a while:
"A walking encyclopedia with all the useful bits torn out."
In other news, Hollywood might make a Ghost In The Shell adaptation. I foresee disaster, because there's no way any Western director can pull this story off and there's absolutely no way any actress can pull off Major Motoko Kusanagi with any degree of credibility.
Then again, there are more than a few things about me that many of the people I encounter would find odd. Just the way life is, I guess. No doubt that I'd find a few things about them to be inexplicably odd as well, but that would probably take too much effort to find out. I just tend to let my own weirdness out more easily, I guess. I'm sure there are a few thousand people out there that are weirder than I am, but to date, I haven't found them.
Of course, over the course of those many connections and relationships, I've obviously been introduced to other people by the ones that know me. I've also been described by the people I know to people they know but I don't. Throughout that same span of time, I've been conscious enough to make note of how people describe my personality. For some reason, a good number of them actually amuse me. Even the ones that contradict others or themselves.
Especially the ones that contradict others or themselves.
Here are a few of my favorites.
From a friend from high school:
"Someone who needs to watch more Spongebob because he needs to dumb down a little."
From another high school friend, one that I didn't maintain contact with after graduation:
"Too mature for his age, too smart for his own good, and too oblivious to realize it."
From the second one's sister:
"Too immature for his own good, too dense for his age, and too observant to see the big picture."
From a friend in college:
"A narcoleptic insomniac."
From another friend in college:
"Dazed and confused."
From a fellow anime fan:
"He's a masochistic necrophiliac pedophile. He likes crazy girls, too."
From a very disgruntled ex-girlfriend:
"Evil incarnate, and damn proud of it."
From a former professor:
"Very intelligent, has lots of potential, but is too apathetic to realize any of it."
From a former co-worker who was linked to me romantically, but nothing was going on:
"The best person to go to for emotional advice, for the simple reason that his neutrality leads to objective, sensible advice. That nobody ever follows."
From an another anime fan, but one who dabbled in other genres:
"A product of a childhood on Robotech and teen years on romantic comedies. In other words: nonsensical."
From a very unusual friend who, by her nature, doesn't have anything good to say about anyone:
"Probably a little feminine because of all the dramas and love stories he likes so much, but he's too obsessed with pretty girls to be anything more than a little too weird."
And, from a close friend that I manage to sporadically contact every once in a while:
"A walking encyclopedia with all the useful bits torn out."
In other news, Hollywood might make a Ghost In The Shell adaptation. I foresee disaster, because there's no way any Western director can pull this story off and there's absolutely no way any actress can pull off Major Motoko Kusanagi with any degree of credibility.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Gripe #14: And Gene Cruz Attempts To Screw Me Over One More Time
The frustrating part? He might actually pull this one off. Bastard.
Might.
Let me put this down into detail from the beginning.
I am, as an employee, entitled to a little something called a tax refund. Considering how the accounting department of pretty much every single company I've ever been to has worked to screw me over in my income tax, I suspect I should get just a little bit of it to come back to me. Anyway, the money has been a long time in coming and, damn it, I could use that cash.
I catch word that, yes, the money is coming. However, this news was disseminated by e-mail. An e-mail that was sent to what appeared to be just half of the former employees of the company, with the other half basically left in the dust. The official excuse for this was that the new office in Makati was small, and would likely be unable to accommodate all of the former employees. I figure they just don't want anyone to see just how deep in the dirt the company's gone.
Then, earlier this morning, without any real warning, only one of the former employees is informed - all of a sudden, no less - that the checks can be claimed today, 8am to 10am. And only today, mind you. Now, imagine that only one of us was informed, not all of us would be able to make it within the set time frame, and it is highly unlikely that all of us would be informed of this in time. Take into account things like travel time, availability, and all that. Yeah, I doubt that most of us would be able to get our hands on money that we so richly deserve.
That's not the only thing that's been set up against us, however. There's more.
The refund - that should have been in cold, hard cash - was given in the form of a check. Not just any check. Oh no. The damn thing is a thrice-damned cross-check.
What does that mean? It means I have to go through banking hoops to get my money. First, I need to get it deposited into my old payroll account. An account that, as is common practice around here, is closed shortly after I leave the company and withdraw every last cent from it that I can. Even if the account is, by some miracle, still open, I still need to wait for a three-day "clearing period" before I can even verify if the money even went in. Even then, there's no assurance that the check would get in and be deposited properly, making it very difficult for me to be sure that I'll even get to get my money.
This doesn't even begin to describe all the trouble I'd have to go through to get my money if the account is no longer open. No, that step involves visiting said former jackass shyster of an employer in their new office. I'd need to talk to them to see if there's anything they can do to give me my money. The last time I had to do that involved a discrepancy with my income tax (notice how this seems to be a recurring problem with them?) and I was told that there was nothing they could do. Despite my producing legal documents clearly stating that, contrary to their statements, there was something they could have done. Useless turds.
But this is money we're talking about. I like money. I love money. I need money.
It just so happens that my current employer has, as far as I can tell, a competent accounting team. There's a chance - a slim one, I admit - that they might be able to arrange things so that the thrice-damned cross-check is deposited into my current payroll account. Or better yet, on an even slimmer chance, give me the money in cash.
Gods damn you, Gene Cruz. Gods damn you, Intelligraph Corporation, or whatever your new name happens to be.
I will get my money, damn it.
You're not screwing me over. Never again.
Might.
Let me put this down into detail from the beginning.
I am, as an employee, entitled to a little something called a tax refund. Considering how the accounting department of pretty much every single company I've ever been to has worked to screw me over in my income tax, I suspect I should get just a little bit of it to come back to me. Anyway, the money has been a long time in coming and, damn it, I could use that cash.
I catch word that, yes, the money is coming. However, this news was disseminated by e-mail. An e-mail that was sent to what appeared to be just half of the former employees of the company, with the other half basically left in the dust. The official excuse for this was that the new office in Makati was small, and would likely be unable to accommodate all of the former employees. I figure they just don't want anyone to see just how deep in the dirt the company's gone.
Then, earlier this morning, without any real warning, only one of the former employees is informed - all of a sudden, no less - that the checks can be claimed today, 8am to 10am. And only today, mind you. Now, imagine that only one of us was informed, not all of us would be able to make it within the set time frame, and it is highly unlikely that all of us would be informed of this in time. Take into account things like travel time, availability, and all that. Yeah, I doubt that most of us would be able to get our hands on money that we so richly deserve.
That's not the only thing that's been set up against us, however. There's more.
The refund - that should have been in cold, hard cash - was given in the form of a check. Not just any check. Oh no. The damn thing is a thrice-damned cross-check.
What does that mean? It means I have to go through banking hoops to get my money. First, I need to get it deposited into my old payroll account. An account that, as is common practice around here, is closed shortly after I leave the company and withdraw every last cent from it that I can. Even if the account is, by some miracle, still open, I still need to wait for a three-day "clearing period" before I can even verify if the money even went in. Even then, there's no assurance that the check would get in and be deposited properly, making it very difficult for me to be sure that I'll even get to get my money.
This doesn't even begin to describe all the trouble I'd have to go through to get my money if the account is no longer open. No, that step involves visiting said former jackass shyster of an employer in their new office. I'd need to talk to them to see if there's anything they can do to give me my money. The last time I had to do that involved a discrepancy with my income tax (notice how this seems to be a recurring problem with them?) and I was told that there was nothing they could do. Despite my producing legal documents clearly stating that, contrary to their statements, there was something they could have done. Useless turds.
But this is money we're talking about. I like money. I love money. I need money.
It just so happens that my current employer has, as far as I can tell, a competent accounting team. There's a chance - a slim one, I admit - that they might be able to arrange things so that the thrice-damned cross-check is deposited into my current payroll account. Or better yet, on an even slimmer chance, give me the money in cash.
Gods damn you, Gene Cruz. Gods damn you, Intelligraph Corporation, or whatever your new name happens to be.
I will get my money, damn it.
You're not screwing me over. Never again.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Just Another Test
What kind of writer are you? |
 You're a Narrative writer! Take this quiz!  Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code |
I'm not surprised. Not in the least.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Old School, New School
I'm an old school Magic: the Gathering player.
I started out when 4th Edition came out, but only really got into collecting and playing sometime after 5th Edition. At the top of my game, the only color that I didn't have an effective mono-color deck of was blue. That was more out of my dislike for blue's overly passive nature than anything else. I didn't always have the rarest of the rare, or the most powerful possible combos, but I had decent enough cards and I won my fair share of games. No tournaments, though. I really hit my stride when the Tempest Block came out, which was when I built my two discarder decks (one of which I sold, and the other is somewhere in my house, lost) and my first (and currently only) black weenie deck. I quit the game sometime around the Urza Block, mainly because I lacked people to play with.
I would eventually sell off or lose my various decks, keeping I think only my pure-red goblin-blaster and a touchy, experimental black-white weenie deck around.
Then my brother picked up the game. This occurred around the time the Mirrodin Block (which I despise to no end) came about. He had more resources than I did, and the cards of his time were (and still are) more powerful than the typical cards one could find in my heyday, but I saw a problem. He (and by all accounts, most of the people he played with that weren't trained in the old school cards) had no idea how to develop any strategy more complex than "summon creature, attack with creature, hope he doesn't block" or how to build a deck capable of weathering common threats. I didn't pay much attention to that for a while, though I decided to finally pick up the game a second time (the same way I picked up anime a second time thanks to Love Hina) when the Kamigawa Block came around.
At the same time, I decided to take a closer look at the cards.
The first thing I noticed was the most unfair one-mana creature drop I'd ever seen.
Sure, I appreciated the increase in effective power behind the cards. I even liked the basic concept of the "Indestructible" mechanic. Some of the cards, despite being overtly more powerful than anything I can recall from my first run with the game, weren't that extreme, and usually came at a cost that justified their raw destructive power. Yet, I definitely got the vibe that, along with the adjustments made to the rules, the game was going in a direction that implied greater power.
I generally ignored the Ravnica Block's cards, but paid as much attention to the flavor of it as I did the Kamigawa Block. It looked fun, but like a few old school players I know, the insane amount of keywords to memorize just to effectively play (and understand) the game became annoying to me. However, I did notice that the delicate game balance was present in the older sets (and basically kept any single type of deck or strategy from completely dominating the game) was starting to erode. Sure, Ravnica had some truly sensible cards that were quite balanced, and some of them were downright unplayable in terms of casting cost, but some were just insanely powerful.
Then the Time Spiral Block dropped in.
Black suddenly gained the ability to counter spells, which has always been a blue thing.
Giant Growth suddenly turned red.
Black also gained the capacity for mass destruction, which was once a domain reserved for white and red.
Hell, even my favorite white card made a comeback!
And suddenly, the game felt completely different from what I used to play years ago. Suddenly, new players didn't require nearly as much thought put into their decks and strategies than we used to. Conveniently, this also explains why I am consistently capable of bringing an awful beatdown on my brother whenever we play. I know how to make better use of even inferior cards and decks than he does.
The alien nature of the game acts like a warning, telling me to stay away from the game, but the fun I have playing and the new cards that aren't too powerful (or echo older cards that I'll likely never be able to find or afford) feel like they'd be nice to put into a deck.
It makes me shudder, the idea of going back into the game at this stage. It makes me grin when I begin trying to build old school decks, but with enough new cards to keep up with the raw power new decks nowadays have. I wonder how many expansions I'll last before I get tired of Magic this time around?
On a side note, I despite the Lorwyn and Shadowmoor mini-blocks, and I don't know why.
At the moment, I intend to build either a Kamigawa Block-only white weenie deck, or a black weenie deck constructed from cheap weenies from the Ravnica Block, Kamigawa Block, and the Time Spiral Block. Just for kicks.
Late Edit:
Zessei Bijin (Unparalleled Beauty) by the Zetsubou Shoujo-tai. Enjoy.
I started out when 4th Edition came out, but only really got into collecting and playing sometime after 5th Edition. At the top of my game, the only color that I didn't have an effective mono-color deck of was blue. That was more out of my dislike for blue's overly passive nature than anything else. I didn't always have the rarest of the rare, or the most powerful possible combos, but I had decent enough cards and I won my fair share of games. No tournaments, though. I really hit my stride when the Tempest Block came out, which was when I built my two discarder decks (one of which I sold, and the other is somewhere in my house, lost) and my first (and currently only) black weenie deck. I quit the game sometime around the Urza Block, mainly because I lacked people to play with.
I would eventually sell off or lose my various decks, keeping I think only my pure-red goblin-blaster and a touchy, experimental black-white weenie deck around.
Then my brother picked up the game. This occurred around the time the Mirrodin Block (which I despise to no end) came about. He had more resources than I did, and the cards of his time were (and still are) more powerful than the typical cards one could find in my heyday, but I saw a problem. He (and by all accounts, most of the people he played with that weren't trained in the old school cards) had no idea how to develop any strategy more complex than "summon creature, attack with creature, hope he doesn't block" or how to build a deck capable of weathering common threats. I didn't pay much attention to that for a while, though I decided to finally pick up the game a second time (the same way I picked up anime a second time thanks to Love Hina) when the Kamigawa Block came around.
At the same time, I decided to take a closer look at the cards.
The first thing I noticed was the most unfair one-mana creature drop I'd ever seen.
Sure, I appreciated the increase in effective power behind the cards. I even liked the basic concept of the "Indestructible" mechanic. Some of the cards, despite being overtly more powerful than anything I can recall from my first run with the game, weren't that extreme, and usually came at a cost that justified their raw destructive power. Yet, I definitely got the vibe that, along with the adjustments made to the rules, the game was going in a direction that implied greater power.
I generally ignored the Ravnica Block's cards, but paid as much attention to the flavor of it as I did the Kamigawa Block. It looked fun, but like a few old school players I know, the insane amount of keywords to memorize just to effectively play (and understand) the game became annoying to me. However, I did notice that the delicate game balance was present in the older sets (and basically kept any single type of deck or strategy from completely dominating the game) was starting to erode. Sure, Ravnica had some truly sensible cards that were quite balanced, and some of them were downright unplayable in terms of casting cost, but some were just insanely powerful.
Then the Time Spiral Block dropped in.
Black suddenly gained the ability to counter spells, which has always been a blue thing.
Giant Growth suddenly turned red.
Black also gained the capacity for mass destruction, which was once a domain reserved for white and red.
Hell, even my favorite white card made a comeback!
And suddenly, the game felt completely different from what I used to play years ago. Suddenly, new players didn't require nearly as much thought put into their decks and strategies than we used to. Conveniently, this also explains why I am consistently capable of bringing an awful beatdown on my brother whenever we play. I know how to make better use of even inferior cards and decks than he does.
The alien nature of the game acts like a warning, telling me to stay away from the game, but the fun I have playing and the new cards that aren't too powerful (or echo older cards that I'll likely never be able to find or afford) feel like they'd be nice to put into a deck.
It makes me shudder, the idea of going back into the game at this stage. It makes me grin when I begin trying to build old school decks, but with enough new cards to keep up with the raw power new decks nowadays have. I wonder how many expansions I'll last before I get tired of Magic this time around?
On a side note, I despite the Lorwyn and Shadowmoor mini-blocks, and I don't know why.
At the moment, I intend to build either a Kamigawa Block-only white weenie deck, or a black weenie deck constructed from cheap weenies from the Ravnica Block, Kamigawa Block, and the Time Spiral Block. Just for kicks.
Late Edit:
Zessei Bijin (Unparalleled Beauty) by the Zetsubou Shoujo-tai. Enjoy.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Cold, Dead Hands
Charlton Heston is dead.
Yes, I know I'm late, but I've always been late about these things. Rest in peace to the man who played Ben-Hur, Moses, and many other memorable characters. Let no man pry his rifle from his cold, dead hands.
And if you call yourself a movie buff and don't know who this man is, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Yes, I know I'm late, but I've always been late about these things. Rest in peace to the man who played Ben-Hur, Moses, and many other memorable characters. Let no man pry his rifle from his cold, dead hands.
And if you call yourself a movie buff and don't know who this man is, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
The Point Of Diminishing Desire
I have a theory.
I have long speculated that, whenever someone works and is not morally, culturally, or socially obliged to support anyone other than himself and that all his needs are sated by his work, he will eventually encounter what I call the "point of diminishing desire." At this point, no matter how much he loves the work, the desire to do so just begins to disappear. No amount of motivation will help, save for a complete overhaul of the details of the work that have caused him to enter this point in the first place. It will eventually just grind him down to the point when he goes to work and fulfills his set tasks, and nothing more.
I've reached that point.
I simply don't care enough about the job to do more than just what is required of me anymore. It doesn't really help that I've been writing about the same general field since I started this gig. I mean, sure pharmacy and medicine are interesting topics, but if I wanted to focus on them each and every minute I spend in my workplace, you'd think I'd have taken up something like, oh, I don't know, pharmacy and medicine? As much as I love writing, I kind of like a little spice in my life a bit more. I want to stop writing about this drug and that, or about this medical problem or that, because as interesting as they might be, they get old.
Really old.
It doesn't help that the keywords we have to work with are perhaps the most constricting set I've encountered since "Project Micah" from by Intellicrap days. Granted, the ones from that old thing were even worse on a variety of levels, but at least there was a certain flexibility granted in the general topic. So long as we could plug the keywords in without making them look too obvious, then there was no problem. In other words, I could write about drag racing if I damn well wanted to, so long as I manage to sneak in a mention or two (or six) of the keyword for that particular article. Considering the fact that the keywords were automotive in nature, I didn't have too much of a problem.
The case is not the same where I am now. The case is bitterly, bitterly different. The keywords not only tie our hands on what we can write about, but the topic has to fall within a certain range of acceptable areas. Of course, this is only the official word. Unofficially, we can't really veer away from one topic and writing about other possible fields can sometimes feel like a practice that is silently frowned upon. It doesn't help that the management sometimes comes across as being willing to put forth new restrictions on what can and cannot be written.
While I understand that this is a business and we are following SEO procedure, there are times when the guidelines and requests border on sheer stupidity. For example, they recently asked us to deviate from our regularly scheduled quota to write about specific products. This would not be too much of a problem aside from the fact that pretty much any sort of information a customer would want to know about these products is already scattered on a thousand and one different medical and drug information sites. For us to write more would be idiotic, and even if we do take a different angle, it won't help. I mean, patients look for articles on their medication to learn about the important stuff like what they're used for and what side effects there might be. Incidentally, and ironically, this sort of information was exactly the type of stuff they asked us to avoid when possible. Idiocy. Pure idiocy.
Of course, that isn't even half as annoying as the lack of solid guidelines on the new stuff we're supposed to be making. I understand that the guy assigning us these things is busy, and doesn't always have time to consult us on what we think about things, but for the love of Cthulhu, at least take the time to write down the guidelines and format of what we're supposed to do before throwing it in our faces! I didn't mind the new work, but what I did mind was how poorly prepared the whole thing was. We were getting instructions on how the format was supposed to be and what information we needed to put it a good two days after we were told to start it!
Then again, maybe this is all beside the point. The point being that I just don't feel it anymore. I don't have that same spark I had early on, when I could cruise through double the current quota simply because I could. Take note that I did double the quota once, simply because I was bored and I felt like it would be good for a few lulz, but that was a long time ago and I have no desire now to do that again. I guess it could be that. All this griping and spotting even the smallest problems with how things are is probably just a product of me losing my drive to work beyond what is required of me - and even then, meeting only the bare minimum required. I don't want to work anymore, but firmly understand that I need to, so I do.
Funny thing, how slice-of-life shows so rarely touch upon actual slice-of-life lives.
Well, I guess I should be thankful that I still have my fiction to fall back on. Gods bless Darkness & Stars, even though I've only barely touched it this past month.
I blame the Anime Grand Prix.
I have long speculated that, whenever someone works and is not morally, culturally, or socially obliged to support anyone other than himself and that all his needs are sated by his work, he will eventually encounter what I call the "point of diminishing desire." At this point, no matter how much he loves the work, the desire to do so just begins to disappear. No amount of motivation will help, save for a complete overhaul of the details of the work that have caused him to enter this point in the first place. It will eventually just grind him down to the point when he goes to work and fulfills his set tasks, and nothing more.
I've reached that point.
I simply don't care enough about the job to do more than just what is required of me anymore. It doesn't really help that I've been writing about the same general field since I started this gig. I mean, sure pharmacy and medicine are interesting topics, but if I wanted to focus on them each and every minute I spend in my workplace, you'd think I'd have taken up something like, oh, I don't know, pharmacy and medicine? As much as I love writing, I kind of like a little spice in my life a bit more. I want to stop writing about this drug and that, or about this medical problem or that, because as interesting as they might be, they get old.
Really old.
It doesn't help that the keywords we have to work with are perhaps the most constricting set I've encountered since "Project Micah" from by Intellicrap days. Granted, the ones from that old thing were even worse on a variety of levels, but at least there was a certain flexibility granted in the general topic. So long as we could plug the keywords in without making them look too obvious, then there was no problem. In other words, I could write about drag racing if I damn well wanted to, so long as I manage to sneak in a mention or two (or six) of the keyword for that particular article. Considering the fact that the keywords were automotive in nature, I didn't have too much of a problem.
The case is not the same where I am now. The case is bitterly, bitterly different. The keywords not only tie our hands on what we can write about, but the topic has to fall within a certain range of acceptable areas. Of course, this is only the official word. Unofficially, we can't really veer away from one topic and writing about other possible fields can sometimes feel like a practice that is silently frowned upon. It doesn't help that the management sometimes comes across as being willing to put forth new restrictions on what can and cannot be written.
While I understand that this is a business and we are following SEO procedure, there are times when the guidelines and requests border on sheer stupidity. For example, they recently asked us to deviate from our regularly scheduled quota to write about specific products. This would not be too much of a problem aside from the fact that pretty much any sort of information a customer would want to know about these products is already scattered on a thousand and one different medical and drug information sites. For us to write more would be idiotic, and even if we do take a different angle, it won't help. I mean, patients look for articles on their medication to learn about the important stuff like what they're used for and what side effects there might be. Incidentally, and ironically, this sort of information was exactly the type of stuff they asked us to avoid when possible. Idiocy. Pure idiocy.
Of course, that isn't even half as annoying as the lack of solid guidelines on the new stuff we're supposed to be making. I understand that the guy assigning us these things is busy, and doesn't always have time to consult us on what we think about things, but for the love of Cthulhu, at least take the time to write down the guidelines and format of what we're supposed to do before throwing it in our faces! I didn't mind the new work, but what I did mind was how poorly prepared the whole thing was. We were getting instructions on how the format was supposed to be and what information we needed to put it a good two days after we were told to start it!
Then again, maybe this is all beside the point. The point being that I just don't feel it anymore. I don't have that same spark I had early on, when I could cruise through double the current quota simply because I could. Take note that I did double the quota once, simply because I was bored and I felt like it would be good for a few lulz, but that was a long time ago and I have no desire now to do that again. I guess it could be that. All this griping and spotting even the smallest problems with how things are is probably just a product of me losing my drive to work beyond what is required of me - and even then, meeting only the bare minimum required. I don't want to work anymore, but firmly understand that I need to, so I do.
Funny thing, how slice-of-life shows so rarely touch upon actual slice-of-life lives.
Well, I guess I should be thankful that I still have my fiction to fall back on. Gods bless Darkness & Stars, even though I've only barely touched it this past month.
I blame the Anime Grand Prix.
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