I spent my evening hanging out in the back of a seafood market.
It's run by friends who used to employ me at their Chinese takeout. They speak Fujian Chinese with each other, Spanish with their current employees, and a mix of English and Mandarin with me. All of their customers speak Black.
On Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, the night before Inauguration of our first black president, there was nowhere else I would've rather been.
20 January 2009
18 January 2009
A Flowering Tree
This tree is outside a business complex between my apartment and my chiropractor's office. I walked there last week because the car was in the shop getting an oil change. The chiropractor told me not to do that again, and had the receptionist drive me back to the shop. Apparently, walking can be hazardous to my health.
Anyway, so I saw some trees that were flowering. As usual, I have no idea what these are. Someone among the UCF probably does, though. :)
16 January 2009
There's a cat outside...
It wants to know if I can play with it.
Or it wants to eat me. I'm not quite sure. It stares at me while I'm sitting around at the computer, then goes into stalking mode. A friend says that means it wants to move in. Which I'd be fine with, but the complex management wouldn't. :(
Or it wants to eat me. I'm not quite sure. It stares at me while I'm sitting around at the computer, then goes into stalking mode. A friend says that means it wants to move in. Which I'd be fine with, but the complex management wouldn't. :(
15 January 2009
Thought of the Day
Actions have consequences.
The exact nature of the consequences might depend on what the motivations and intentions were behind the actions, if the source of the consequences happens to care.
One should not expect the source of the consequences to care.
The exact nature of the consequences might depend on what the motivations and intentions were behind the actions, if the source of the consequences happens to care.
One should not expect the source of the consequences to care.
14 January 2009
A Blurt: I Suxxorz
You know how sometimes you have a great idea for a blog post, but for some reason or other, don't actually write it for a few days - and then by the time you do get around to it, the great idea has magically morphed into a really dumb idea?
Yeah. That's why I haven't yet done the post I was originally going to do last Saturday, before the one that's there turned out to need to get out of my system first. I'm trying to convince myself that it's at least a good idea.
I suxxorz. T.T
Yeah. That's why I haven't yet done the post I was originally going to do last Saturday, before the one that's there turned out to need to get out of my system first. I'm trying to convince myself that it's at least a good idea.
I suxxorz. T.T
13 January 2009
Fusion Cuisine? or Melting Pot?
Across the street from me is a restaurant called the Cajun Cafe and Grille. The menu is:
chicken wings
sesame chicken
blackened chicken
bourbon chicken
teriyaki chicken
teriyaki shrimp
choice of white rice, plain fried rice, shrimp fried rice
choice of one veggie (cabbage and carrots, fried potatoes, mac-n-cheese, corn, green beans, lo mein)
They also sell egg rolls.
The place is run by a group of Hispanics, and the menu bears a striking resemblance to what the Hispanic demographic usually orders from the Chinese takeout. It does not have any resemblance whatsoever to Cajun food.
As I understand it, new arrivals from Latin America don't do so well with most American food. Too much cheese and such. New arrivals from Asia have the same problem, and so somehow, Americanized Chinese food is what they end up eating.
And what they end up serving too, apparently, if they run non-Americanized Mexican restaurants. It's good food, and they give a generous amount of it. But I still wish there were a place selling real Cajun food.
They also sell egg rolls.
The place is run by a group of Hispanics, and the menu bears a striking resemblance to what the Hispanic demographic usually orders from the Chinese takeout. It does not have any resemblance whatsoever to Cajun food.
As I understand it, new arrivals from Latin America don't do so well with most American food. Too much cheese and such. New arrivals from Asia have the same problem, and so somehow, Americanized Chinese food is what they end up eating.
And what they end up serving too, apparently, if they run non-Americanized Mexican restaurants. It's good food, and they give a generous amount of it. But I still wish there were a place selling real Cajun food.
12 January 2009
My Art Collection
My friend Robert is an artist. He posts what he does, artwise, on his blog on a regularly basis, and eventually I succumbed to temptation and bought some. Here's what I've amassed so far.
This one, called Forest Blessing, I like for the way the sun rays filter through the trees. I love that when I'm seeing it in real life.
Island Tree came as a free bonus when I bought Forest Blessing. I had a choice of three, and I liked this one best for the loneliness of the tree and the blue of the sea.
I don't actually have Seven per se. This was part of a deck of cards project, where 54 artists were assigned a number and a suit (or joker), and asked to draw something. (Some of them were better about staying on theme than others.) Robert got seven of spades, and drew seven marbles. I bought two of the decks and gave one to my brother for Christmas. He liked it, thought it was a really cool idea.
I also have Peregrine Falcon, which came as a free bonus with one of the card decks.
And finally:
Bird of Paradise is on its way in the mail. I love the colors on it, and he says he put it in a good matching frame. I'm looking forward to seeing it. It's also featured on his new website about oil pastels. He's hoping someday to be rich and famous with his art, so if that happens, I'll be rich too. :)
This one, called Forest Blessing, I like for the way the sun rays filter through the trees. I love that when I'm seeing it in real life.
Island Tree came as a free bonus when I bought Forest Blessing. I had a choice of three, and I liked this one best for the loneliness of the tree and the blue of the sea.
I don't actually have Seven per se. This was part of a deck of cards project, where 54 artists were assigned a number and a suit (or joker), and asked to draw something. (Some of them were better about staying on theme than others.) Robert got seven of spades, and drew seven marbles. I bought two of the decks and gave one to my brother for Christmas. He liked it, thought it was a really cool idea.
I also have Peregrine Falcon, which came as a free bonus with one of the card decks.
And finally:
Bird of Paradise is on its way in the mail. I love the colors on it, and he says he put it in a good matching frame. I'm looking forward to seeing it. It's also featured on his new website about oil pastels. He's hoping someday to be rich and famous with his art, so if that happens, I'll be rich too. :)
10 January 2009
A word to the skeptics
There are at least a couple regular visitors who are interested in hearing me talk more about my thoughts and experiences with non-physical reality (the paranormal, as it's often called). I'd like to do that here too, but before I do, I need to address the skeptics.
Up until very recently, the definition of "skeptic" had always been "annoying pest on the sidelines who can't see what we can see, and who insists that we can't either. The ones that say 'Just because you feel it doesn't mean it's there.' Just ignore them and get on with things." The notorious leader of the skeptics is James Randi. His name comes up from time to time, and then he's dismissed, and the real conversation moves on.
Then I became friends with some people who proudly call themselves skeptics and see James Randi as some kind of hero. I happen to like these friends, as people, very much. This has created a bit of cognitive dissonance that is taking a while to settle.
I don't doubt that Randi has done some good work, debunking frauds of the paranormal world. Yes, indeed there are frauds calling themselves psychic - just as there are frauds calling themselves lawyers, physicists, and military personnel. But this doesn't mean that all psychics are frauds, anymore than the existence of Wagner means that all lawyers and physicists are frauds.
This is my blog. This is the place where I present to the world my view of it. Non-physical reality is part of my worldview, and I want to present it. Some of it probably won't sit well with the skeptics at all, though I hope people will try to keep an open mind. If not, well, I'll still be making other posts on a variety of topics, so skipping these ones with "agree to disagree" is fine too. What I don't want is arguments that basically boil down to "my opinion and interpretation of your experience is somehow more valid than your firsthand view of it." Whatever you might want to say along those lines, you can rest assured that I've heard it already, and have zero interest in hearing it again.
Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there - especially when there are, in fact, other people who can.
Up until very recently, the definition of "skeptic" had always been "annoying pest on the sidelines who can't see what we can see, and who insists that we can't either. The ones that say 'Just because you feel it doesn't mean it's there.' Just ignore them and get on with things." The notorious leader of the skeptics is James Randi. His name comes up from time to time, and then he's dismissed, and the real conversation moves on.
Then I became friends with some people who proudly call themselves skeptics and see James Randi as some kind of hero. I happen to like these friends, as people, very much. This has created a bit of cognitive dissonance that is taking a while to settle.
I don't doubt that Randi has done some good work, debunking frauds of the paranormal world. Yes, indeed there are frauds calling themselves psychic - just as there are frauds calling themselves lawyers, physicists, and military personnel. But this doesn't mean that all psychics are frauds, anymore than the existence of Wagner means that all lawyers and physicists are frauds.
This is my blog. This is the place where I present to the world my view of it. Non-physical reality is part of my worldview, and I want to present it. Some of it probably won't sit well with the skeptics at all, though I hope people will try to keep an open mind. If not, well, I'll still be making other posts on a variety of topics, so skipping these ones with "agree to disagree" is fine too. What I don't want is arguments that basically boil down to "my opinion and interpretation of your experience is somehow more valid than your firsthand view of it." Whatever you might want to say along those lines, you can rest assured that I've heard it already, and have zero interest in hearing it again.
Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there - especially when there are, in fact, other people who can.
09 January 2009
State Of My Tomatoes
My tomato plants are tenacious. I figured they'd be dead by now, but they're still hanging in there. One of them even has a bunch of new flowers.
The fruits get bigger and ripen more after extra-cold nights (whenever it dips below freezing), but otherwise just sit there being pale green and not doing anything. Here's a picture of the third fruit that has managed to ripen.
It's also the biggest. Maybe these are supposed to be cherry tomatoes. Or maybe I should fertilize them. But they seem to do better if I don't bother to water them, too. I wonder if they'll survive February...
The fruits get bigger and ripen more after extra-cold nights (whenever it dips below freezing), but otherwise just sit there being pale green and not doing anything. Here's a picture of the third fruit that has managed to ripen.
It's also the biggest. Maybe these are supposed to be cherry tomatoes. Or maybe I should fertilize them. But they seem to do better if I don't bother to water them, too. I wonder if they'll survive February...
08 January 2009
Seasons
Where I grew up in Indiana, we had spring, summer, fall, and winter. The schedule was something like:
Spring - mid to late April
Summer - May to September
Autumn - October
Winter - November to early April
Spring was the brief period where daytime temperature was in the 60s and low 70s (Fahrenheit). It tended to last two or three weeks.
Then summer came in all its high heat, high humidity glory. It was usually 85-90, but the humidity made it feel much higher than that. There always seemed to be a midsummer drought, where all the grass turned brown.
Autumn tended to be longer than spring, but not by a whole lot. Maybe 6 weeks or so. The trees turned gold, the winds were warm, and the sky was a spectacular shade of deep blue.
Then, if we were unlucky, we would have snow just before Halloween. Trick or treating was always a chilly event. It sometimes warmed up for part of November, before there was snow again in December, lasting until the end of March or so. It didn't get as cold as more northerly parts, but because of that same high humidity, it always felt colder. Minnesotans sometimes commented about that.
Then March would end, the ground would be muddy and brown, and we were back to spring.
Here in Savannah, we sort of have the same seasons. But winter is more of a token appearance, and the schedule is completely different.
Spring - late February to early April
Summer - April to mid-November
Autumn - late November to December
Winter - January and February
At least, that's how it would be defined from an Indiana perspective. Except that about half of "summer" would probably have to be called "supersummer" because the temperatures are a lot higher - 95-100 is the norm. Humidity is pretty high too. If it's a normal summer, there's a 20-minute rainfall every afternoon. Sometimes those only happen on weekends, depending on air pollution or somesuch (I'm not real clear on the details). Either way, though, one can confidently say things like "oh it'll stop raining by 4:20pm" to one's visitors, and have it be exactly so. (In Indiana, when it rains, it rains for days at a time.)
The daily highs tend to drop a bit around September, which causes all the locals to call it the beginning of autumn. But they're still in the 80s range. So, by my definition, it's still summer.
Meanwhile, winter is a bit of a misnomer. Sometimes in January and February, the nightly lows will dip below freezing for multiple nights in a row. Shocking, I know. At least to outdoor plants.
This year we had a "cold" snap at the beginning of December, but ever since then it's been sunny and low 70s. Maybe Nature's schedule has shifted around on me again.
Spring - mid to late April
Summer - May to September
Autumn - October
Winter - November to early April
Spring was the brief period where daytime temperature was in the 60s and low 70s (Fahrenheit). It tended to last two or three weeks.
Then summer came in all its high heat, high humidity glory. It was usually 85-90, but the humidity made it feel much higher than that. There always seemed to be a midsummer drought, where all the grass turned brown.
Autumn tended to be longer than spring, but not by a whole lot. Maybe 6 weeks or so. The trees turned gold, the winds were warm, and the sky was a spectacular shade of deep blue.
Then, if we were unlucky, we would have snow just before Halloween. Trick or treating was always a chilly event. It sometimes warmed up for part of November, before there was snow again in December, lasting until the end of March or so. It didn't get as cold as more northerly parts, but because of that same high humidity, it always felt colder. Minnesotans sometimes commented about that.
Then March would end, the ground would be muddy and brown, and we were back to spring.
Here in Savannah, we sort of have the same seasons. But winter is more of a token appearance, and the schedule is completely different.
Spring - late February to early April
Summer - April to mid-November
Autumn - late November to December
Winter - January and February
At least, that's how it would be defined from an Indiana perspective. Except that about half of "summer" would probably have to be called "supersummer" because the temperatures are a lot higher - 95-100 is the norm. Humidity is pretty high too. If it's a normal summer, there's a 20-minute rainfall every afternoon. Sometimes those only happen on weekends, depending on air pollution or somesuch (I'm not real clear on the details). Either way, though, one can confidently say things like "oh it'll stop raining by 4:20pm" to one's visitors, and have it be exactly so. (In Indiana, when it rains, it rains for days at a time.)
The daily highs tend to drop a bit around September, which causes all the locals to call it the beginning of autumn. But they're still in the 80s range. So, by my definition, it's still summer.
Meanwhile, winter is a bit of a misnomer. Sometimes in January and February, the nightly lows will dip below freezing for multiple nights in a row. Shocking, I know. At least to outdoor plants.
This year we had a "cold" snap at the beginning of December, but ever since then it's been sunny and low 70s. Maybe Nature's schedule has shifted around on me again.
06 January 2009
Soups (and some other things)
Behold! I have recipes. :) Mostly soup, some semisoup, one at the end that's not a soup at all.
vegetable beef barley soup
chicken noodle soup
spinach tofu soup
lentil chili
spiffed up canned tomato soup
canned clam chowder as a pasta sauce
lasagna
These are all on eHow, where I've been writing how-to articles since last July. I have 29 total articles so far (on lots of things, not just soups) and have made about $30 on them. Not the most lucrative, but better than I would've expected. ;)
(update: eHow and I had shall we say a falling-out back in May 2011, and now the links point to places on this blog and another one.)
vegetable beef barley soup
chicken noodle soup
spinach tofu soup
lentil chili
  |
| spiffed up ramen noodles |
spiffed up canned tomato soup
canned clam chowder as a pasta sauce
lasagna
These are all on eHow, where I've been writing how-to articles since last July. I have 29 total articles so far (on lots of things, not just soups) and have made about $30 on them. Not the most lucrative, but better than I would've expected. ;)
(update: eHow and I had shall we say a falling-out back in May 2011, and now the links point to places on this blog and another one.)
05 January 2009
Gift from Afar
The first thing I saw upon my return home from Indiana was a small, cylindrical package wedged precariously into my mailbox. I pulled it out. It moaned at me. o.O
The brown paper wrapper was plastered with Swedish stamps. There was barely room on it for anything else - the sender's address was crammed into a corner, as was a tiny note that said "package contains NOISE." Yes, yes it did - and the thing continued to moan as I pried apart an enormous quantity of tape, both outside the package and all over the green tissue inside, until I got to the yellow plastic bag and finally to the culprit itself.
It's a souvenir from Sweden. The pictures are of moose in pine valleys, with "Sweden" in three languages running around the bottom. And it moos. ;) Thanks, Galenthias and Rebelcat!
(There was going to be video of it mooing, but Blogger video upload isn't cooperating. If it's not finished uploading after 19 hours, I assume it was really just showing me the progress icon for fun...)
The brown paper wrapper was plastered with Swedish stamps. There was barely room on it for anything else - the sender's address was crammed into a corner, as was a tiny note that said "package contains NOISE." Yes, yes it did - and the thing continued to moan as I pried apart an enormous quantity of tape, both outside the package and all over the green tissue inside, until I got to the yellow plastic bag and finally to the culprit itself.
It's a souvenir from Sweden. The pictures are of moose in pine valleys, with "Sweden" in three languages running around the bottom. And it moos. ;) Thanks, Galenthias and Rebelcat!
(There was going to be video of it mooing, but Blogger video upload isn't cooperating. If it's not finished uploading after 19 hours, I assume it was really just showing me the progress icon for fun...)
04 January 2009
Roses in January
These are blooming outside the apartment complex manager's office.
Yep. In January. Where it's been sunny and 70 degrees for the past few weeks. ;)
Yep. In January. Where it's been sunny and 70 degrees for the past few weeks. ;)
03 January 2009
Now that I've lost my entire audience...
One of my resolutions this year is to get back to writing blog posts at least 5 times per week, like I was doing back in 2007. Previously, my posts tended toward cryptic or encyclopedic, and while I don't get quite as excruciatingly detailed as some others (*cough* Eric, John *cough*), I do try to make sure I have all my facts straight before publishing. In the past year as I've picked up other pursuits and had less time for everything, that has meant fewer overall posts.
So this year, I'm going to try out Nathan's Blurt MethodTM of blogging and see how that works out for me. I've already started; that Buffy Musical post qualifies. ;)
So this year, I'm going to try out Nathan's Blurt MethodTM of blogging and see how that works out for me. I've already started; that Buffy Musical post qualifies. ;)
02 January 2009
How I came to join the Uniformed Counter-Intelligence Force
There I was in the Serengeti, negotiating with the local poachers to get me six dozen geriatric giraffes, when a man in an old beatup jeep came roaring down the hill at me in a cloud of dust. The mustache was the first thing I saw, after I stopped coughing.
"Nathan!" I exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you," he replied. "I expected to find you in Georgia."
"They were having an incident with the Russians. It didn't seem safe."
He looked at me with disgust. "Not that Georgia."
I snickered, then glanced at the huddle of poachers at the other end of the mudhole. Their discussion sounded like it was heating up. I shrugged and looked back at Nathan. "I'm buying giraffes. What does it look like I'm doing? It'll expand my kangaroo carcassing business."
He looked at me askance. "Your what? Aren't you supposed to be a marine biologist?"
"I dabble in other pursuits here and there," I said vaguely. "You should know that better than most."
"Right," he said skeptically. "So you're canvassing kangaroos?"
"Carcassing," I said. "My client, a bit of an eccentric you might say, wants me to plant them along popular American highways. Says he was tired of seeing nothing but deer, possums, and people's pets there. Wants bigger and better roadkill. Wants to expand his diet." I shrugged. "It's too bad that so far nobody will sell me any elephants."
"You know," he said thoughtfully, stroking his mustache, "that can possibly be arranged."
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "You know people who can obtain whole elephants?"
He nodded. "And I can arrange it, of course. But only under one condition."
I waited for him to go on, not saying anything.
"I want you back in the UCF."
I thought it over. Go back to the insanity of chasing cranks all over the Internet, in exchange for geriatric elephants.
"This time there will be pay," he added. "From the government."
I thought it over some more. Geriatric elephants and taxpayer dollars funneled to my less than thought-through moneymaking schemes. It could work.
"And there will be a secret handshake. And a toaster."
That sealed it. "Deal," I said. "When do we start?"
And away we went for Round Two of Debunking Walter L. Wagner (who is currently under indictment for Attempted Theft In The First Degree and Identity Theft In The First Degree regarding a botanical garden in Hawaii). It all started when JTankers came back with his stick to poke at us some more (thanks Anne and Jeri for compiling lists to make all those links easy to find.)
Dun Dun DUN! :)
"Nathan!" I exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you," he replied. "I expected to find you in Georgia."
"They were having an incident with the Russians. It didn't seem safe."
He looked at me with disgust. "Not that Georgia."
I snickered, then glanced at the huddle of poachers at the other end of the mudhole. Their discussion sounded like it was heating up. I shrugged and looked back at Nathan. "I'm buying giraffes. What does it look like I'm doing? It'll expand my kangaroo carcassing business."
He looked at me askance. "Your what? Aren't you supposed to be a marine biologist?"
"I dabble in other pursuits here and there," I said vaguely. "You should know that better than most."
"Right," he said skeptically. "So you're canvassing kangaroos?"
"Carcassing," I said. "My client, a bit of an eccentric you might say, wants me to plant them along popular American highways. Says he was tired of seeing nothing but deer, possums, and people's pets there. Wants bigger and better roadkill. Wants to expand his diet." I shrugged. "It's too bad that so far nobody will sell me any elephants."
"You know," he said thoughtfully, stroking his mustache, "that can possibly be arranged."
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "You know people who can obtain whole elephants?"
He nodded. "And I can arrange it, of course. But only under one condition."
I waited for him to go on, not saying anything.
"I want you back in the UCF."
I thought it over. Go back to the insanity of chasing cranks all over the Internet, in exchange for geriatric elephants.
"This time there will be pay," he added. "From the government."
I thought it over some more. Geriatric elephants and taxpayer dollars funneled to my less than thought-through moneymaking schemes. It could work.
"And there will be a secret handshake. And a toaster."
That sealed it. "Deal," I said. "When do we start?"
And away we went for Round Two of Debunking Walter L. Wagner (who is currently under indictment for Attempted Theft In The First Degree and Identity Theft In The First Degree regarding a botanical garden in Hawaii). It all started when JTankers came back with his stick to poke at us some more (thanks Anne and Jeri for compiling lists to make all those links easy to find.)
Dun Dun DUN! :)
Family
This is what my mother needs to sing about my brother.
It's from the Buffy Musical - a hit for Buffy fans, possibly makes no sense to non-fans since it's a non-self-enclosed part of a larger story arc. Yes, I really am nerd enough to listen to that as an actual musical from time to time, and occasionally watch the extended version that I have on tape. The very first time they aired it, for a total of 1:20 rather than the usual :45 (or whatever it is), it had a ballet sequence with Dawn that got completely cut in all later airings. As did a couple of Spike's verses. I'm glad I have a copy.
(None of which was the original point of the post, but I wasn't planning to explain further, so I guess this post is just going to look like a non-sequitur of itself.)
((I probably shouldn't write blog posts immediately after 11-hour road trips.))
Hrm. Upon further research, it seems that they've also since replaced Tara's original singing. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
It's from the Buffy Musical - a hit for Buffy fans, possibly makes no sense to non-fans since it's a non-self-enclosed part of a larger story arc. Yes, I really am nerd enough to listen to that as an actual musical from time to time, and occasionally watch the extended version that I have on tape. The very first time they aired it, for a total of 1:20 rather than the usual :45 (or whatever it is), it had a ballet sequence with Dawn that got completely cut in all later airings. As did a couple of Spike's verses. I'm glad I have a copy.
(None of which was the original point of the post, but I wasn't planning to explain further, so I guess this post is just going to look like a non-sequitur of itself.)
((I probably shouldn't write blog posts immediately after 11-hour road trips.))
Hrm. Upon further research, it seems that they've also since replaced Tara's original singing. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
18 December 2008
Exit Diablo 2, Enter PackRat
Diablo 2, once you get done with the storyline and quests (and some people don't even bother with them the first time), is basically a game of item collection. You go around whacking the same key monsters over and over in the hopes that they drop interesting loot. Getting to the monsters can be time-consuming and boring, and experienced players eventually just skip past all the little treasure chests and smaller loot from lesser monsters killed along the way. Their paths are usually littered with unclaimed junk. (The most hardcore of them try to set up bots to automate all this, which Blizzard frowns heavily upon and thwarts with great vigor.)
Once interesting loot has been obtained, it often gets traded for higher level loot that other people have collected. At its peak, Diablo 2 had an entire economy based around the Stone of Jordan ring as its standard currency. The value of the SOJ fluctuated on a daily basis, just like in a real life stock market. And then one day it crashed - at which point, since they were worthless as money, someone gave me a couple to keep, which was the first I ever saw any. I wore them as rings; they weren't bad as actual items in actual use. There were other items like that as well - so valuable that nobody ever actually used them, because they were more useful for trading. (The Um rune comes to mind. Imagine my brother's horror whenever I talked about inserting ours into a hat....) Nowadays, as far as I know without knowing any hardcore players to keep me informed, it's back to old-fashioned barter.
Facebook PackRat takes all of the item collection and trading aspects of a game like Diablo 2, and turns it into a game all by itself. No longer must a player spend countless monotonous hours killing monsters to get to their loot - now you can just get them directly. No longer is there the flimsy excuse that collected items are supposed to do something for the player; once these are collected, they get put into a limitless-sized vault where they just sit there and look pretty for all eternity. It goes a step farther too - every few weeks the gamemakers introduce new sets of cards for players to collect, and retire the oldest sets - so there's always a rolling assortment of them no matter when you come in, and always something to do no matter how long you've been there. Trading, as I hear from the hardcore players, is heavy and fierce, especially for cards from expired sets.
I'd always thought of the item collecting aspects of Diablo 2 as kind of boring but required. Then again, the whole game is really kind of boring - but it gives me something to do with my hands when I'm too brainfried to do anything else. PackRat now does the same, except with all the boring parts of it streamlined out.
(Except for the waiting. All I need is one more %@#$& Farmer Stubbs and I can feat the Barnyard Ruckus set, and he hasn't been seen all day. -.- )
Once interesting loot has been obtained, it often gets traded for higher level loot that other people have collected. At its peak, Diablo 2 had an entire economy based around the Stone of Jordan ring as its standard currency. The value of the SOJ fluctuated on a daily basis, just like in a real life stock market. And then one day it crashed - at which point, since they were worthless as money, someone gave me a couple to keep, which was the first I ever saw any. I wore them as rings; they weren't bad as actual items in actual use. There were other items like that as well - so valuable that nobody ever actually used them, because they were more useful for trading. (The Um rune comes to mind. Imagine my brother's horror whenever I talked about inserting ours into a hat....) Nowadays, as far as I know without knowing any hardcore players to keep me informed, it's back to old-fashioned barter.
Facebook PackRat takes all of the item collection and trading aspects of a game like Diablo 2, and turns it into a game all by itself. No longer must a player spend countless monotonous hours killing monsters to get to their loot - now you can just get them directly. No longer is there the flimsy excuse that collected items are supposed to do something for the player; once these are collected, they get put into a limitless-sized vault where they just sit there and look pretty for all eternity. It goes a step farther too - every few weeks the gamemakers introduce new sets of cards for players to collect, and retire the oldest sets - so there's always a rolling assortment of them no matter when you come in, and always something to do no matter how long you've been there. Trading, as I hear from the hardcore players, is heavy and fierce, especially for cards from expired sets.
I'd always thought of the item collecting aspects of Diablo 2 as kind of boring but required. Then again, the whole game is really kind of boring - but it gives me something to do with my hands when I'm too brainfried to do anything else. PackRat now does the same, except with all the boring parts of it streamlined out.
(Except for the waiting. All I need is one more %@#$& Farmer Stubbs and I can feat the Barnyard Ruckus set, and he hasn't been seen all day. -.- )
10 December 2008
Day Without A Gay
Day Without A Gay is intended as a boycott and strike by all LBGTQ people and their supporters, to demonstrate our economic might. It coincides with International Human Rights Day.
Here's a condensed list of their suggestions on what to do on the day:
1. Don't go to work.
- That part is easy enough. Wednesdays are my midday weekend, when I don't go to work anyway. I'll have to stop in to sign my timesheet so I can get paid this month, since they're trying to close the books early for Christmas break. But I won't be working.
2. Don't spend any money, except at businesses that are clearly LBGTQ-friendly.
- Also easy enough. I planned ahead on groceries and gas.
3. Withdraw $80 from the bank and keep it pocketed all day.
- So, after I go in to sign the timesheet, I'll be visiting the bank.
4. Avoid advertising, such as from watching TV or browsing the Internet.
- That latter is going to be hard. o.O
5. Volunteer and/or join a nearby protest.
- I keep checking for opportunities on the official website, but there aren't any for Savannah. :( Of the local regular opportunities, all of them want me to commit lengthy periods of time that I don't have, and none want me to do something on the actual day. Likewise, we kind of sucked at the protesting back on Nov. 15, so unless I want to drive to Jacksonville, it looks like I'm out of luck there, too.
What I will be doing to make myself visible is outing myself on Facebook, which I finally caved and signed up for a month ago. Dozens of people from 5-20 years ago have since found me there. So yes, this will be a scary prospect in front of ~73 family, friends, longlost acquaintances recently found again, etc. But what better time than now? It'll consist of a status message that clearly states why I'm offline for the day, with question-answering the following day when I'm back online.
6. Don't use cell phones.
- I'm not sure I understand this one. But I can turn it off for the day. Nobody calls me anyway except wrong numbers and phone companies wanting me to sign up.
Additionally, there's a suggestion from WhiteKnot.org:
7. Wear a ribbon with a white knot in the middle, as a symbol of support for marriage equality.
- I'll have one. And I'll be wearing it when I sign my timesheet. We'll see if anyone asks what it is...
Right then. I'll be back on the 11th. :)
08 December 2008
Ficlets: A Song
I originally wrote this in 1990. Why yes, I was a goth back before I knew what goths were. :) The original was exactly one character too long to be a ficlet, so I changed the word "beautiful" to "glorious." Seems to work out well that way, too.
A Song
A solitary figure walked across the darkening quad. Her eyes were hooded, her face expressionless – and yet, at closer glance, grief and her very aloneness haunted her countenance.
She lifted her arms to the wind as it strengthened, as she began to sing. The wind moaned in harmony, and those who might have listened heard an enchanting melody begin. The song pervaded the blackened quad, transforming the silence into glorious strains of music, charging the air with whispered excitement, and gradually it crescendoed into an intense, resounding cadenza of thunder and delight! She danced furiously as the wind whirled around and swept the dried, fallen leaves in circles about her feet. The music cascaded through the dusk; her features were captivating – ever onward the song flew on, into the night and away. Slowly, she became still.
The wind whispered, gently and softly, and then died. Echoes of an enchanting tune – tragic echoes – lingered, hinting of what had been, then disappeared. She was alone once more.
Sequel: Track Two by alcar
Across the quad he watched from shadows, hearing no enchantment in wind, catching fragments of song like static from a TV set. She was enchantment enough, that anyone would dance like that during the dark of night without reason. He made no sound, not wanting to break the spell.
There was a song inside him too (everyone has one, if they listen the right way), but to him the silences mattered more than the song, when it was just her moving, and the wind, and her singing without a voice as the song ran past him and away; it did not matter, to him the singer was more important. He held his silence, not daring to break the moment, feeling something ease inside his heart, or an old wound break open.
And he was too afraid, of her stillness and his silence, and did not ask her a name, nor tell her he watched, even when he returned the next few nights, in case she moved through stillness, or might have guessed his own song.
In a different story, he would have carried a knife.
This is not that story.
These are also licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.5 (as is/was everything posted on the Ficlets site).
A Song
A solitary figure walked across the darkening quad. Her eyes were hooded, her face expressionless – and yet, at closer glance, grief and her very aloneness haunted her countenance.
She lifted her arms to the wind as it strengthened, as she began to sing. The wind moaned in harmony, and those who might have listened heard an enchanting melody begin. The song pervaded the blackened quad, transforming the silence into glorious strains of music, charging the air with whispered excitement, and gradually it crescendoed into an intense, resounding cadenza of thunder and delight! She danced furiously as the wind whirled around and swept the dried, fallen leaves in circles about her feet. The music cascaded through the dusk; her features were captivating – ever onward the song flew on, into the night and away. Slowly, she became still.
The wind whispered, gently and softly, and then died. Echoes of an enchanting tune – tragic echoes – lingered, hinting of what had been, then disappeared. She was alone once more.
Sequel: Track Two by alcar
Across the quad he watched from shadows, hearing no enchantment in wind, catching fragments of song like static from a TV set. She was enchantment enough, that anyone would dance like that during the dark of night without reason. He made no sound, not wanting to break the spell.
There was a song inside him too (everyone has one, if they listen the right way), but to him the silences mattered more than the song, when it was just her moving, and the wind, and her singing without a voice as the song ran past him and away; it did not matter, to him the singer was more important. He held his silence, not daring to break the moment, feeling something ease inside his heart, or an old wound break open.
And he was too afraid, of her stillness and his silence, and did not ask her a name, nor tell her he watched, even when he returned the next few nights, in case she moved through stillness, or might have guessed his own song.
In a different story, he would have carried a knife.
This is not that story.
These are also licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.5 (as is/was everything posted on the Ficlets site).
07 December 2008
Thought of the Day: Stupidity
The problem with stupid people is that it takes an enormous amount of time and effort to refute their stupidity. Therefore, most people don't bother - so the stupidity just keeps getting repeated with no response from any smart people. And therefore the semismart people believe it.
This was originally posted as part of a comment at Stonekettle Station. Then Chris Gerrib decided he liked it enough to quote it on his own blog. So it made sense, to me at least, that I should quote myself on my own blog as well. :)
This was originally posted as part of a comment at Stonekettle Station. Then Chris Gerrib decided he liked it enough to quote it on his own blog. So it made sense, to me at least, that I should quote myself on my own blog as well. :)
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