When I'm Not Here

There is a common idea that for techies like me, who is surrounded by technology, that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have it. On the contrary, I do just fine without it. Let me explain this a bit.

The focus shouldn't be on the technology, rather, it should be on what we do with it. I use tech because it's an easy and familiar way to solve the problems that are presented to me (and in the case of the last week, presenting new problems by being entirely inconvenient). For example, I've mentioned that I have been working on a pen-and-paper RPG on this blog before. The game itself doesn't use a computer at all, though much of my work is on a computer. The reason for this easy: it's a quick and convenient place to put my writings on the subject. If I didn't have a computer, I'd just write it down. As a matter of fact, there are still notes that I've taken that are not on the computer, because I started by writing it down first.

Okay, so I play all kinds of video games. If I wasn't doing that, I have other interests that keep me busy (and might be a better way to pass the time while I'm at it. maybe). I also do a lot of reading and writing, neither of which require advanced technology.

My point is that people like me know exactly what to do in the face of a world-wide EMP blast. If anything, because we are so familiar with tech, we know what it does and does not do for us.

On a related note, I'll try and post in the comments some of the work I did on a D&D class in the past few days. Not necessarily for you to read it all, but to show you a little of what I do.

Comcast sucks some more

Sorry about the lack of posts, as I am wrestling with getting an internet connection back up. I'll be back soon.

Goofing Off

Link here.

Ouch. Somebody needs to remember when to be a cop.

I sometimes goof off at work, as it makes the place bearable, but even when I'm goofing off, I'm still working. That said, I'm not a cop in the middle of a drug raid.

On another note, I had my title 31 refresher class yesterday. Wait, that might not make sense to anyone reading this. Okay, basically title 31 is the federal laws that obligate me to cooperate with the government in catching financial criminals. Which means lots of paperwork for us, and the occasional frustrated customer thinking he's being taxed. This refresher class was different, though.

We had a guest speaker yesterday; a special agent from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Her purpose there was basically to reassure us that the papers we send out to the feds are useful and have helped put many criminals behind bars. Mostly, it seems, that more than that it helps them put away criminals for much longer, as our papers are usually the only proof of money laundering. All in all, she was pleasant and brief, as she turned a usually 2-hour class into a 40-minute one, which is more than I could say for the Secret Service agent we had last year. You know, for someone in the Secret Service, he sure did talk about a lot.

So I quickly finished the new Dan Brown Book...

The Lost Symbol. I tell you what, it had me hooked, and I just had to know what happened next. If you've read the other books or seen the movies (Angels & Demons and The DaVinci Code for the uninitiated), this book has the elements you've come to expect from a Langdon adventure. There are enough twists, some I anticipated, few I didn't, plenty of suspense, and a good mystery overall. I like how it takes place in D.C., too; you couldn't have done better to convince me that it would be a worthwhile trip (though I hear it is a rough city).

There's this subplot that centers around Noetic Science. Now, it would be fantastic if their claims are true, and it turns out people can be healed by willpower alone from a distance and all that jazz, but until their results are solid and repeatable, in a word, fact, claims are all they have. Anyway, the good news is that while it's present in the story, none of it is critical for the story to work. Nobody uses their jedi mind tricks here, which is great, because then I, like Langdon, wouldn't believe it.

In summation, Dan Brown does a good job of mixing ideas together to form a complete narrative. If this book is also adapted to film, I can already see a couple of parts that would need to change entirely (One really suspenseful scene is entirely in the dark. That simply wouldn't work visually), but I'd be there to see it in theaters.

Well, now that this one's done, what next? Any recommendations for a good read?

It Was Bound To Happen...

Link Here.

Of course I'm not surprised about this particular, ahem, implementation of this technology; there were jokes about things like this since people were thinking about motion controls on consoles. I am also not surprised to see Team Ninja being the first to commercialize it, either (exhibit A for pervertedness, exhibit B for how long they've been up to this). These guys (and you know it's mostly guys) have never been bashful about how they sell sex with their games. The appeal, supposedly, is that they make great games that also happen to be very male-targeted with upskirts and jiggly jugs.

Now, the older version of Ninja Gaiden 2 doesn't have this "feature" at all, which is reason enough to advertise it I guess. I played the other version, and it's tough as nails to progress through (I died in the introductory level, not even called level 1. Really tough). This makes me wonder: with this version, is the sort of thing they show in the commercial the payoff for progressing through the game? If so, you can count me out, as the real thing(s) must be easier to deal with.

And now for something completely different.

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!

In case you weren't aware, Sept. 19 is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, where the only thing you do to celebrate is talk like a pirate. The basics are here, if you want them. If you already talk like a pirate, then today's the day to just have fun with it.

Cheers!

Addendum

Dreams

I've had this recurring dream lately. Now, I'm not much for dream interpretation, but in the absence of authority, I like to humor the possibilities. Sure, there are psychological studies, but it doesn't seem we can get a mostly agreeable standpoint in which we should understand our dreams. Perhaps the most agreeable meaning is that they don't mean anything at all. Even still, I sometimes look online at a couple of dictionaries, put it all together and see if it has any merit or weight in it (usually doesn't, but it's kinda fun). Well, let's do that now and see what we get.

First, let's start with the dream/s. The basics of it is that I'm in my mom's old house, and my brothers are present (Just myself, Mom, and Brothers). We are having small talk, and during conversation we all notice that shoes are disappearing. Well, it turns out that the floor in certain parts has turned acidic, and was burning and eating away at our belongings and dishing out minor burns. Before things get too crazy, the dream ends.

Next let's look at some of the definitions for what has transpired. The floor could be reference to the foundation of lives and relationships of myself and people in the dreams. The acid may mean that I'm super angry, or that I'm being manipulated and something is eating away at me. The brothers being present may mean themselves or an aspect of our relationship. The conversation with Medusa, I mean, Mom (just kidding Mom, you know I love you) means that there is something that is bothering me, and I don't know how to deal with it. The loss of shoes suggest a loss of identity or serious setbacks and poverty. The burning injuries might be intense emotions that I can't ignore, or that I'm "burned out." Alright, let's put it together now.

One interpretation could be that the foundations of my relationships with my brothers is faltering, and my anger is causing it. I don't know how to handle this anger, and I lost myself being blinded by it. Could this really be it? I don't think so, because I'm not that angry of a person.

Another might be that I'm burned out at my job, and worse, it's not getting me any richer, and in fact, the opposite is occurring. I don't know what to do about my lack of money, and it's eating away at me and it's making it harder for me to be there for my family. This is prime source of frustration for me. How about this one? Actually, that pretty well sums it up for me. The biggest source of frustration for me lately has been that I can't be around everyone. I'm sick, I'm not happy with work, and money has always been a stressful subject for me.

Way to go, online dream interpreter. With trial and error (and multiple meanings), you got one.

Freakin' Sweet

Link here.

No need to watch the video, the summary is good enough.

I just wanted to share that, though. That's love right there.

Physical Challenge

I challenge everyone reading this blog to a game of Stereogram Tetris. If you can see those old-school magic eye pictures, try playing Tetris in the same fashion. On my first try, I got 4,300 points, which is nowhere near the high score.

If you can't see what is in the image above, maybe you should sit this one out. Otherwise, happy gaming!

Edit: It turns out the picture is just too big for my layout. Save it, or open it in a new tab to see the whole thing.

Koko Wa Foot Bento

Alright, I know that I have a few posts about the customers at the casino, but this is one that is hard to let slide. Someone should know about this.

The first customer I had last night (it's always the first one), needed change for a hundred. She handed me the bill, and upon inspection, I noticed it was a bit soggy. She chimes in, "Yeah, the bill is a bit soggy."

"Okay... how did you want your money?"

"Twenties."

Wiping my hands off, I pull out her new bills and hand them out. Only afterwards does she mention, "Yeah, the hundred was in my shoe."

As soon as she leaves view, I bolt for the sanitizer.

Okay, first, what possesses someone to not only stash their money in the shoes they're walking in (how uncomfortable is that?), but also to change it at a cashier, and subsequently tell said cashier all about it?! What was the point?

First of all, I handle all sorts of money. If anyone is exposed to all sorts of germs, it's anyone who handles money. Or trash. Or in the sewers. Anyway, with all the things you'd find on any dollar bill, why, oh why, would anyone think it's a good idea to keep uncovered money on your skin.

Secondly, despite that I handle all sorts of money, she made me feel ill. Feet themselves are not disgusting, but she's been walking around all night sweating it up, some complete stranger who might have a fungus or something hands me a wet bill, and I'm supposed to be fine with that. My stomach churned a bit, and I asked the cashier next to me, "Do I look any, uh, more pale than usual?"

I know I end up complaining a lot about work on this blog. That just tells me I need new work.

Where Are Your Kids?

I've been asked a very particular question lately: "When will you have kids?" It's been very frequent, so much so that it doesn't seem much of a stretch to think people are collaborating in a conspiracy to get me thinking about children. Not a day goes by, really. Well, let me address it here first, so perhaps I could give a better answer the next time (which would be sometime today I guess).

First, let me start right out by saying that I love kids. I hope to have a few myself, and that fact seems to be tattooed on my forehead. Just thinking about it, I know that by the time I do have a baby I'd probably break down in happiness. So what's the deal, then? What am I possibly waiting for? Well, the short answer is that I'm afraid, but that doesn't work well as an explanation when prodded with the question, and is very incomplete as an answer. So let's go a bit deeper.

The first excuse that comes to mind is that I haven't settled down with anyone, ever. In the past few years, all I've managed is a date every now and then. It's not like I'm repulsive (I'm pretty sure), just that there hasn't been a mutual feeling of keeping things together. Single life only gets harder as you get older; at least, that's what people tell me. I suppose it's good that I look young, even for my age, but with the barrage of baby questions, I get the impression that the hour is late, and I need to make some decisions and put them on the fast track.

Secondly, I live in an apartment with a roommate. This isn't much of an excuse, actually, but I would like to point out the lifestyle that comes with it. I am very much accustomed to sleeping at any hour when I need it, as I work nights. Also, the apartment itself isn't a place for children. Chemicals are placed conveniently instead of safely, there are bladed weapons strategically-placed for protection and for the zombie apocalypse (another whole post for this scenario/joke), spare computer parts and video games galore take up much of the space in my room, and it's upstairs. Unless my wife/girlfriend/whatever works during the day, nobody is here at night. This won't work with a newborn at all. I would need to leave this place behind. Eventually.

Thirdly, I can barely afford myself, much less a baby. Every parent will tell you how expensive babies are, and I'm stretching my money as it is. I'd much rather be in a more comfortable situation financially before intentionally straining it with a baby. Every day, one of my meals is a cup of noodles or mac and cheese. I don't need to make it every meal; it's not healthy, and it would get boring. There are not too many jobs in the area that pay more than mine, and the ones outside the casino that do are not as secure. I would need another part-time job, but that exacerbates the whole sleep and who's-taking-care-of-the-baby scenario. Maybe I should just find a rich woman.

So really, I don't know when I'll have kids. Certainly, it's not right now.

What People Learn From Video Games

Links here and here.

Actually, these incidents don't go into detail and actually say the idea was from a video game, but this strategy has been in the Metal Gear series since its inception in 1987. The scenario is that you hide yourself in a cardboard box in the back of a particular truck, and said truck goes into a base where you sneak around all stealthy. The incidents above are the same, just in reverse order.

I had a discussion with a coworker last night regarding video games. She doesn't like them at all because, as she says, people simply spend too much time playing them, and should instead do something active or productive. I argued that most anybody could serve to be more active than they are, and that video games didn't cause any laziness, rather, that lazy people would simply keep playing instead of doing other things. She didn't like that, as her son was level 80 on World of Warcraft (after learning of this, she made him sell the account. He got about $1,000 for it, too).

The discussion continued in a strange direction, as she was absolutely convinced that video games are addictive, a quality that other entertainment doesn't have. She was going on about it like it was an epidemic of massive proportions, and that today's technology made certain tasks too easy, so that kids today didn't value being active and play sports (my jock of a little brother would like to say otherwise). I told her that many lifestyles include video games in them that are very active. Hell, many NFL players play the latest Madden when they are on the road between games. Everyone that can be called a professional gamer in the US, one that goes to tournaments, someone in a league, that sort of thing, has an active lifestyle. The reason they do is because exercise and good diet increase reflexes and coordination, which are vital skills in a competition. And, of course, look at the Wii.

Looking at it in general, she's not totally out of line with her assessment. There are rare cases of addiction to video games, mostly in Asiatic countries. The games themselves are interactive and goal-oriented, so when a goal is completed, a sense of accomplishment arises in players. Couple this with an escapist scenario found in many games, and what you have is someone who is not in total control of their life, but in the game they are king. It really isn't hard to draw the conclusion that video games are not that good for you in this light.

All in all, though, if someone is passionate about video games, I find it hardly any different than if someone was passionate about any other pastime. What makes a sports nut or movie buff any different from a passionate gamer? The hobby of choice. It will take some time, but eventually, this hobby of choice will lack the stigma it has today. We will get over it.

Party Like It's 1998

My name is Swivl, and I approve of this article.

The number one item is definitely the best, and reminds me of how exciting gaming was in the past. Screw the nostalgia goggles, '98 had some classic games, ones that I still pick up and play every now and then. I guess I've been waiting for the new classics, and largely, they haven't been released yet.

So here is my personal list of what I believe will be the new classics. I will only talk about games I've played here, so no guessing (well, blind guessing). Plus, only games released in the last three years, as that is when this console generation started. So, here I go, let's see what I got.

Wii Sports. Love it or hate it, there are more copies of this game in the hands of people than any console game ever made, besting Super Mario Brothers earlier this year. And, with it's multiplayer focus, more people have played this game than most any video game ever (depends, do you count Minesweeper?). This is easily one that will be remembered in the years to come. Matter of fact, I should also put here Wii Play and Wii Fit, for the same reasons.

No More Heroes. This game has garnered cult following since its release. The people who play this one keep playing it and keep talking about it as though it were a masterpiece of a game. Truth is, it has its flaws, but most anybody who's a fan of the style is willing to overlook them for the sake of entertainment. Entertaining it is, fortunately, and its simple controls allow for frantic, arcade-style action; a natural and necessary quality for nearly all classic games. Awareness isn't all that high for this game, but a sequel is on the way, with a bigger marketing push that may place this one or the sequel into the limelight.

Resident Evil 4 Wii edition. Okay, I'm cheating on this one. The original release was last generation, so I already kind of know that this one will be remembered well. Anyway, this was a fantastic game when it was released, and the Wii version of the game perfected the formula. There's little argument that the best version is the Wii edition of the game. So well done was this one that the bar was set too high for Resident Evil 5, and disappointed many fans (as well as causing a lot of controversy, which I don't feel like talking about). Joining along Resident Evil 2 as a classic, it looks like the "evens" have it. Let's hope 6 can do it again.

That's all I got for now. I will come back to this topic a bit later. In the meantime, happy gaming!

Priorities

The past week has been rough on me. I've been sick, and more than that, I've had all kinds of places to be.

The game at home was played three times last week in succession. By the end of the third day, I was getting restless and annoyed. We need to slow the pace on that one, or it'll irritate me to no end. Don't get me wrong, I like the game, but it takes a lot out of me, and I lose focus. I simply start thinking of all the things I'd rather be doing than sitting right there running the game.

I mentioned the retirement party and repair job in a previous post, and that was going on at the beginning of my work week. I did get to sleep every night, but it didn't feel at all rejuvenating. Sleep, but no rest, and there's no rest for the weary.

You know how when you play The Sims, and there's this queue up at the top of the screen for each sim? It's like a little order of operations, really. I think we all have one of these, and lately it's felt like my queue is never empty.

At work tonight, I'll ask my direct about my 2 days left of vacation, see if I can't take a short break.

So My Work Day Started Off With a Man Hitting On Me...

Work was actually fun last night. Good thing, too, because I needed that sort of entertainment to keep me awake. I was up for more than 29 hours before I got any sleep at all. You know, these things happen when you work the grave shift. But you know, instead of giving you a play-by-play, I'd rather just give out some highlights.

The cage I was switched to was with friends. It's a rare thing for a cage to be all guys, and it turns out to be pretty entertaining when it happens. Our supervisor wasn't even around most of the night; I suspect that it was because of our collective silliness that she wouldn't stay at her post.

The first guest I helped was a man who was eyeing me. It was obvious what his intentions were with his "What's uuuup?" and half-smile. This has never bothered me; in fact, in a cage with guys, it made for some good jokes. As an aside, it must be much easier to tell what a guy is thinking, because I notice when a guy is flirting much easier than when a woman does. Maybe they're more forward, or maybe I just bring it out of gay guys. Whatever it is, it's not that uncommon for a guy to hit on me. Sorry, guys, that's just not me.

I had a computer fix job yesterday. This one was a doozy; a coworker of mine got this computer a month ago, and it wouldn't start up completely anymore. It would give a prompt for safe mode et al, and when any option was selected, it would show the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH (there's that "of death" again) for less than a second, then reboot in an endless loop. After fixing this, what I saw when I started up was not surprising: Limewire. While this program itself wouldn't cause any errors in the MBR (from what I know), I knew then that I had to kill some viruses.

So first things first, I got rid of Limewire and Norton (which can be a post on its own how much trash this is. Incidentally, I noticed that Norton comes preloaded in lots of computers nowadays. You know what they call a software company which can't sell their product to regular people? Microsoft), and set it up with some AVG action to get things moving. After about two and a half hours, the regular scan finished. The result: 915 trojans! Let me spell that out: nine hundred and fifteen trojan viruses! And these are the ones that were found and rid of; the second time through, the slow scan, showed a couple more whitelisted viruses.

The family I helped was very generous. They bought me food and paid me thirty dollars at their insistence. Then, they proceeded to tell me to charge more the next time they need me so that they don't make the same mistakes, and be more careful with how they handle their computer.

One of the cashiers is retiring on Sunday, and yesterday we had a retirement/birthday party for her at a mexican restaurant. Lots of people showed up, but just as many made bad excuses for not being there ("I'm doing laundry." Really? That's nice, Pat's retiring.). It was fun there, too, though I didn't have anything to eat (see computer job above), just a margarita. You know, it might not be a bad idea, but before work, by about an hour or two, have a margarita. It just might save your sanity in case you have bad company at work that day (I, by job description, am always in bad company. I have gambling addicts to handle). I guess what I want the message to be there is to not take so many small things seriously, not to become an alcoholic.

I need to work on my message.