Ok, so my last post was incredibly whiny and didn't deserve to be on my webspace. Sorry to anyone who read it. I woke up incredibly depressed for no reason I can pinpoint, wrote that post, went through the first part of my day, had some lunch (thanks to Debbie for loaning me the lunch money), felt immediately better and deleted said whiny post.
Negativity is not something I entertain lightly. Again, my apologies to all.
17 September 2008
11 September 2008
Gamer Geek Meme
From my wife.
List every video gaming machine you've ever owned. There's no need to feel ashamed of that Odyssey.
Atari, Nintendo, Genesis, Super Nintendo, N64, PS2, Gamecube, XBox 360, PS3, Wii, GBA, DS, PC
What was your first video game? When and where did you play it?
Joust. Still a great game even today. Why there hasn't been a remake I'll never know.
Do you own or collect OST's, artbooks, or other gaming memorabilia? If not, do you appreciate game music, art, or writing?
A bit... I mostly let my wife handle that. :P
Favorite genre?
RPG easy. MMOs included, folks; they were roleplaying games in the beginning. REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS.
Are you a social gamer or do you prefer to game alone?
Something of a trouble spot there. I used to be a very social gamer, especially where MMOs are concerned. However, the behavior of many online gamers these days makes my brain bleed, so I've eased off this trend. Now I tend to play only with people I know. It's troublesome because I *want* to get to know all the people out there who play, but... they make it so hard!
How frequently do you play?
Daily. In fact, I can't easily recall a day wherein gaming *didn't* come into it at some point.
Would you upgrade your PC or buy a new console expressly to play one particular game?
I'm guilty of upgrading my PC for the benefit of one game. Most recently it was NWN2, a game with unbelievably high system requirements for what you get.
Name some of your geekiest gamer moments.
Probably the best one was trying to get Randi to play MechWarrior. :P Not a girl game. She did all right, though, as memory serves. I think we were trying to get her to fight Amber in a 'net game. Josh might remember the details better than I.
Where would you like to see the industry go?
MORE STORY. MORE DEPTH. MORE MEANING. More to do, more reasons to do it. More more more! Onward and upward. Games will trample the movie industry into the dust yet!
And finally, how would you say video games have impacted your life?
It's a cornerstone. I don't know how sad that is, but gaming is more than a hobby to me. It's part of who I am, it's a cord in the weave that makes me who I am.
List every video gaming machine you've ever owned. There's no need to feel ashamed of that Odyssey.
Atari, Nintendo, Genesis, Super Nintendo, N64, PS2, Gamecube, XBox 360, PS3, Wii, GBA, DS, PC
What was your first video game? When and where did you play it?
Joust. Still a great game even today. Why there hasn't been a remake I'll never know.
Do you own or collect OST's, artbooks, or other gaming memorabilia? If not, do you appreciate game music, art, or writing?
A bit... I mostly let my wife handle that. :P
Favorite genre?
RPG easy. MMOs included, folks; they were roleplaying games in the beginning. REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS.
Are you a social gamer or do you prefer to game alone?
Something of a trouble spot there. I used to be a very social gamer, especially where MMOs are concerned. However, the behavior of many online gamers these days makes my brain bleed, so I've eased off this trend. Now I tend to play only with people I know. It's troublesome because I *want* to get to know all the people out there who play, but... they make it so hard!
How frequently do you play?
Daily. In fact, I can't easily recall a day wherein gaming *didn't* come into it at some point.
Would you upgrade your PC or buy a new console expressly to play one particular game?
I'm guilty of upgrading my PC for the benefit of one game. Most recently it was NWN2, a game with unbelievably high system requirements for what you get.
Name some of your geekiest gamer moments.
Probably the best one was trying to get Randi to play MechWarrior. :P Not a girl game. She did all right, though, as memory serves. I think we were trying to get her to fight Amber in a 'net game. Josh might remember the details better than I.
Where would you like to see the industry go?
MORE STORY. MORE DEPTH. MORE MEANING. More to do, more reasons to do it. More more more! Onward and upward. Games will trample the movie industry into the dust yet!
And finally, how would you say video games have impacted your life?
It's a cornerstone. I don't know how sad that is, but gaming is more than a hobby to me. It's part of who I am, it's a cord in the weave that makes me who I am.
10 September 2008
Financial Matters
I received a financial shock this morning. I've been the primary money-handler for quite a while now and thus far, my wife and I have been on solid ground without need of fear or anxiety in terms of what we spend and where. Confident in my bookkeeping, I checked our account online today to verify we were in good financial standing. Turns out we weren't.
We switched banks recently and as it happens, many of our bills come out earlier in the month than they used to. Also IPL double-charged us since the changeover withheld August for some reason. Also our insurance premiums went up in the grand tradition of insurance premiums the world over. Also I purchased a new camera lens for my wife. The list of "also's" goes on for a long time and I needn't bore anyone with the details. Suffice to say, we'd allowed the new financial institution situation combined with runaway spending to place us in jeopardy. Again, no details to be shared, but the dollar figure in our checking account was far lower than I am comfortable with.
That being said, changes are now necessary to prevent further trouble. Speaking to my wife, we have resolved on the following:
* Eliminate unnecessary spending. Games, movies, other entertainment are all on hold until later. Halloween this year is also on the chopping block, though we might be out of hoc by then.
* Eliminate unnecessary driving. If we don't absolutely need to go somewhere, we won't. Fuel is too expensive.
* No eating out. Again, too expensive.
In short, Depression-era living. This happens to even the best of us from time to time, or so I've been told, and because that is true I am not worried. I do, however, feel guilt.
You see, I've poked, prodded, pushed, begged, pleaded, cried, and generally made a supplicant spectacle out of myself with my friend Josh for months in an effort to get him to play City of Heroes with me. He finally bent and spent the money. Now I am being forced to shut my service down, effectively screwing him out of about $40. Josh, I am so sorry. I'll get back in the game as soon as I can, or I'll pay you back somehow. My account doesn't officially close until later, though; we can still play for as long as we both are paid up. I'll happily enjoy the time left with you if you wish.
(I don't know if you even read this thing anymore, but I know your wife does. Randi, be a doll and pass the word if he hasn't gotten it yet, would you?)
Anyway... here's to lean living. Wish us luck; we're going to need it.
We switched banks recently and as it happens, many of our bills come out earlier in the month than they used to. Also IPL double-charged us since the changeover withheld August for some reason. Also our insurance premiums went up in the grand tradition of insurance premiums the world over. Also I purchased a new camera lens for my wife. The list of "also's" goes on for a long time and I needn't bore anyone with the details. Suffice to say, we'd allowed the new financial institution situation combined with runaway spending to place us in jeopardy. Again, no details to be shared, but the dollar figure in our checking account was far lower than I am comfortable with.
That being said, changes are now necessary to prevent further trouble. Speaking to my wife, we have resolved on the following:
* Eliminate unnecessary spending. Games, movies, other entertainment are all on hold until later. Halloween this year is also on the chopping block, though we might be out of hoc by then.
* Eliminate unnecessary driving. If we don't absolutely need to go somewhere, we won't. Fuel is too expensive.
* No eating out. Again, too expensive.
In short, Depression-era living. This happens to even the best of us from time to time, or so I've been told, and because that is true I am not worried. I do, however, feel guilt.
You see, I've poked, prodded, pushed, begged, pleaded, cried, and generally made a supplicant spectacle out of myself with my friend Josh for months in an effort to get him to play City of Heroes with me. He finally bent and spent the money. Now I am being forced to shut my service down, effectively screwing him out of about $40. Josh, I am so sorry. I'll get back in the game as soon as I can, or I'll pay you back somehow. My account doesn't officially close until later, though; we can still play for as long as we both are paid up. I'll happily enjoy the time left with you if you wish.
(I don't know if you even read this thing anymore, but I know your wife does. Randi, be a doll and pass the word if he hasn't gotten it yet, would you?)
Anyway... here's to lean living. Wish us luck; we're going to need it.
06 September 2008
Day Late, One Hundred Cents Short
Meant to do this one earlier. Kudos to Jessica and Randi for this.
A) Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
B) Using only the first page, pick an image.
C) Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.
Here are the questions:
1. What is your first name? Jason
2. What is your favorite food? Steak
3. What high school did you go to? Franklin Central
4. What is your favorite color? Forest Green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Jeri Ryan
6. Favorite drink? Lipton Iced Tea
7. Dream vacation? Secluded Cabin
8. Favorite dessert? Ritters Frozen Custard
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Novelist
10. What do you love most in life? Writing
11. One Word to describe you. Nerdy
12. Your flickr name. Thilisianis. (Nothing came up though, so used a pic of me my wife took.)
1. Jason (Dark), 2. Steak & Fries, 3. Early evening lights, 4. Raureif, 5. jeri_ryan003, 6. # Everybody adores Lipton ice Tea., 7. Good times..., 8. Ritters, 9. GUY N SMITH - Horror Novelist, 10. When Waves Collide, 11. Space Cube, 12. Jason Mack Is Serious Business
A) Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
B) Using only the first page, pick an image.
C) Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.
Here are the questions:
1. What is your first name? Jason
2. What is your favorite food? Steak
3. What high school did you go to? Franklin Central
4. What is your favorite color? Forest Green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Jeri Ryan
6. Favorite drink? Lipton Iced Tea
7. Dream vacation? Secluded Cabin
8. Favorite dessert? Ritters Frozen Custard
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Novelist
10. What do you love most in life? Writing
11. One Word to describe you. Nerdy
12. Your flickr name. Thilisianis. (Nothing came up though, so used a pic of me my wife took.)
1. Jason (Dark), 2. Steak & Fries, 3. Early evening lights, 4. Raureif, 5. jeri_ryan003, 6. # Everybody adores Lipton ice Tea., 7. Good times..., 8. Ritters, 9. GUY N SMITH - Horror Novelist, 10. When Waves Collide, 11. Space Cube, 12. Jason Mack Is Serious Business
04 September 2008
Prepare to be shocked!
I Am A: Neutral Good Human Bard/Cleric (2nd/2nd Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-15
Dexterity-12
Constitution-14
Intelligence-12
Wisdom-14
Charisma-13
Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Primary Class:
Bards often serve as negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. They love to accompany heroes (and villains) to witness heroic (or villainous) deeds firsthand, since a bard who can tell a story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows. A bard casts arcane spells without any advance preparation, much like a sorcerer. Bards also share some specialized skills with rogues, and their knowledge of item lore is nearly unmatched. A high Charisma score allows a bard to cast high-level spells.
Secondary Class:
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron's vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity's domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric's Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)
Take that, all you who thought I'd end up a Paladin or a Ranger! :)
As I get older, I tend to lean to a more "realistic" view of the world. Very little is black-and-white anymore; to succeed, a person needs to look at a problem from every angle. I still hold to my faith but I don't accept it blindly. I ask the big questions and I seek the big answers. As for the bard part... hello? Writer! That's a kind of bard. A storyteller, right?
Yeah, I'd say this test is accurate. Accurate indeed.
Ability Scores:
Strength-15
Dexterity-12
Constitution-14
Intelligence-12
Wisdom-14
Charisma-13
Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Primary Class:
Bards often serve as negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. They love to accompany heroes (and villains) to witness heroic (or villainous) deeds firsthand, since a bard who can tell a story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows. A bard casts arcane spells without any advance preparation, much like a sorcerer. Bards also share some specialized skills with rogues, and their knowledge of item lore is nearly unmatched. A high Charisma score allows a bard to cast high-level spells.
Secondary Class:
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron's vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity's domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric's Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)
Take that, all you who thought I'd end up a Paladin or a Ranger! :)
As I get older, I tend to lean to a more "realistic" view of the world. Very little is black-and-white anymore; to succeed, a person needs to look at a problem from every angle. I still hold to my faith but I don't accept it blindly. I ask the big questions and I seek the big answers. As for the bard part... hello? Writer! That's a kind of bard. A storyteller, right?
Yeah, I'd say this test is accurate. Accurate indeed.
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