I'm Gonna Wreck It!

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Happy Guy Fawkes Day everybody! If you don't know what that is, you are either not a history buff or you haven't watched the movie V for Vendetta (which is an excellent film by the way). Regardless, I hope that this Monday has treated you all well.

Not too much has transpired since my last blog entry to be perfectly honest, but I felt inspired to update it anyway so we'll see where this goes.

Easily the most exciting and important (in terms of a soul uplifting treat) thing that's happened since you last heard from me is that Skye and I went to see the Disney animated production Wreck-It Ralph on opening night last Friday, and it was awesome! A very brief summary for those who are uninformed on what the movie is about: Ralph is the bad guy from the DK Arcade-styled game 'Fix-It Felix Jr.', where he has for thirty years used his massive fists to wreck the apartment complex of the Nicelanders, a group of NPCs (non-playable characters) that always ask Felix Jr. for help. When the player 'wins' the game, Ralph is thrown off the top of the building to land in the mud. When the arcade that houses their cabinet closes up for the day, that's when the movie truly comes to life, as it shows us what our favourite video game characters do behind-the-scenes when they're not on the screen. Turns out that Ralph doesn't get treated very well for his bad guy status and doesn't want to be the villain any more. One of the Nicelanders coyly verbalizes what seems to be an impossibility: perhaps if Ralph could win a gold medal, it would prove that he is more than the sum of his parts, and they would give him the time of day.

Inspired, Ralph starts game-hopping to find a game where he can win a gold medal.

There's obviously a lot more to it than that, but I don't really want to spoil anything and I kind of suck at describing it anyway.

Wreck-It Ralph is a treat to watch, with an explosive voice cast (John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, Jack McBrayer as Felix, and Jane Lynch as Calhoun) and countless video game references and cameos. Sonic the Hedgehog and Bowser are even in there, for heaven's sake! It's the best video game movie ever made, period. It stays true to the material it is inspired from (encompassing the 8-bit era to the present) and you really can't ask for anything more. From the inclusion of the Konami code to this gem with Sergeant Calhoun ("She can't help it; she's programmed to have the most tragic back-story ever."); Wreck-It Ralph is a triumph and I highly recommend it to anyone who had positive experiences with games or even if you haven't, the movie holds up very well on its own merit. I've never seen a movie that has inspired me to want to watch it a second time in theatres, but I've finally discovered one that has.

Calhoun/Lynch demands that you go see the movie. SEE IT NOW!

So much love for that movie. I proudly wore my mushroom/NES controller shirt that night. Best day off ever!

Okay, so maybe Wreck-It Ralph is the only thing that's really happened since I last posted. All of the other days have gone something like this: Sleep, Work, Plop on Bed, Neglect to Move for Rest of Day, Sleep... Rinse and Repeat. I really need to get back in the flow of writing Red Rogues again, but right now my brain feels fried. My brain's computing capacity isn't too significant at the moment. :(

Well, I guess I'll end it off here; no point in delaying the inevitable...

PAPER MARIO: STICKER STAR IN SIX DAYS! 007: SKYFALL IN FOUR!

Good News Everyone!

If you were or are currently a fan of Futurama, you probably just read that title in the Professor's voice. No worries, that still happens to me around 80% of the time too.

Not surprising it started appearing on the internet everywhere

Anyway, onto the good news itself.

The first thing is that the Lime-Green Nintendo DS Lite replacement that was sent from China arrived the other day, and I'm pleased to report that the unit has no defects that we can see! The top screen isn't warped, the touch screen is actually responsive, and the volume slider directly controls the sound output. Skye says that the speakers sound a bit off to her but from our brief testing period I couldn't hear what she was talking about. I'll reserve any judgment as to whether or not that's the case when we pop a game in. It's a very minor issue if so, and can be easily remedied with headphones. I'm glad that it all turned out all right in the end - the internet would have suffered a severe maelstrom of my wrath otherwise.

Or so I would to think, anyway. In reality it would have just been a heated discussion with the seller and eBay representatives, but I digress.

The second bit of good news is that Skye and I have decided to invest in acquiring internet at our current place of residence, so that should be set up sometime in the next week. Now Skye doesn't have to worry about finding a place with a secure connection so she can do her work, and as for me, well, now I'll be able to webcam with my family (and check my emails) from the comfort of home. We're getting a pretty spectacular deal since Skye's Nan already is using Bell Aliant's phone service - the internet only adds around $35 a month, and between the two of us that's at most $17.50 each. Not too shabby eh?

Skye bought The Last Story as a gift for me and so far I am enjoying it. It's a different kind of JRPG from the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles - they're both good in their own ways, and The Last Story is all about getting into the thick of the plot immediately. The characters are more dynamic or at least their development seems more intricate than those of the Xenoblade ilk, but I can say that I do prefer the environments and soundtrack to Xenoblade overall. The Last Story keeps to more traditional aesthetics whereas Xenoblade has fun making visuals as surreal and memorable as possible. I'm also more a fan of Xenoblade's gameplay because it felt very tight and responsive (and you could choose to play as any character you wanted in the party at any time) while TLS feels a bit heavier and the battle mechanics are all right. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here - there are a lot of potential exciting avenues for it to tread, and we'll find out soon enough how it develops.

Also, you can change the colours of their outfits. That's a feature that Xenoblade probably could have used to dull the sometimes ridiculous clashing of parts of their outfits. Still, it made for some hilarious cutscenes.

Work has been treating me well for the most part; most of the co-workers seem to like me and I can easily say that the same goes for the other way around. I always try to put forth 100% in any task that I am given, though I am definitely better in some roles over others - trying to take cash while simultaneously taking another order is not my strong suit, nor do I particularly like it anyway. I feel that it is rude to the customer currently paying - I like interacting with each person to give them a uniquely personable experience, but it's hard to do that when you're trying to input an order from the next in line. I still prefer front counter to the other roles for that reason, but I've never been assigned there since joining the team. I've been exclusively on drive-thru, and while I've become used to it, I would like to take orders face-to-face once in awhile.

Random note: Skye is becoming more interested in Game of Thrones. EXCELLENNNNT.

My glee when she asked to watch an episode this morning

Every Sunday I look forward to the new episodes of Downton Abbey and Once Upon A Time. Unfortunately I will not be able to see them until tomorrow night as I work 5-11PM tonight (I'm already tired now, so this may be brutal) and 12-6PM tomorrow, but still. I'm looking forward to my day off on Tuesday. I haven't had one since last Tuesday, and I'm starting to feel it.

Skye bought a Blackberry Playbook (tablet) for herself this past week and is finding a lot of use and enjoyment out of it - so much so that I feel half-tempted to invest in one myself. It's cheaper than most tablets (the 32GB model is around $150) and works very well from what I've experienced so far. I am trying to resist that temptation in order to deliberate whether or not I wish to purchase the Wii U still. If I did, I'd be going for the 32GB Deluxe model (which is $350) and honestly I've never had many faults with Nintendo so it will likely turn out to be a worthy investment, but at the same time I don't know. If I pre-order one now I would be able to secure a unit for its release. If I don't and it turns out I want one later, it will probably be very difficult to come across, similar to how the Wii did in its first year and a half. I guess we'll see how I'm feeling after my next pay cheque.

Well, I'm off to enjoy the last two hours of freedom before work, so ta-ta for now!

These Be Crazy Times

A lot has been going on in October since my last entry (I do not mean to let the time pass between entries exponentially, and will try to curb that in the future) and I'm not going to touch base on all of it for varying reasons, but even with being selective there is plenty to share so let's dive straight into it.

I've been working at McDonald's for the past month now and I feel like that's a decent enough range of time to judge my experiences and what I think of it. Overall, it's not too bad. We were under construction for the first two weeks of my employment so we weren't hit by the usual high traffic levels that an establishment like McD's often receives - it gave me the wonderful (and slightly intimidating) opportunity to learn drive-thru, and tested my abilities in multi-tasking with order-taking, taking cash, cleaning, running, and presenting. I have still not quite mastered the art of taking an order and taking cash simultaneously, but I'm getting just a tad bit better at it each day and will soon be a pro. The dining room was closed until last week so now I may be placed on front counter occasionally in the future; that position was always where I felt most in my element so I'm actually looking forward to the time I'm assigned there.

If I were to compare my experiences of this McDonald's with the one I worked with in Victoria (which happened to be my first job!), so far I'd have to say that the management was much more consistent and understanding in Victoria - that's not to say that the management here is bad (some of the managers are quite awesome, actually), but they don't operate on the same wavelength like they should. The most current example of this is actually from yesterday; Skye's Nan has recently returned from the hospital and Skye called them to schedule Wednesday off to look after her - and, of obvious importance, take her to her blood-work appointment - but whoever answered the phone was not understanding at all and demanded that Skye find someone to fill the shift or she couldn't take it off. When I heard that, it honestly blew my mind - the Victoria team, no matter who took the call, would never have responded like that. They would have expressed their sympathies, been grateful for at least a two day notice, and called around to find someone to fill the shift themselves. Fortunately Skye talked with the head honcho today and he was much more understanding and now she officially has the day off, but still. Not much credibility to their compassion or their leadership (or those 'flexible hours') if some managers react to that situation in such a manner.

On a completely different note, the lime-green DS Lite that I ordered back in August from eBay for Skye's birthday has yet to arrive. Well no, that's not quite it; it did arrive on my birthday (September 10th) but the unit they sent was defective. The top screen was warped; the touch-screen was unresponsive (sometimes it worked, but it was incredibly glitchy and useless when so), and the volume slider was broken as the volume level stayed the same no matter where you moved it. Skye found the whole thing humorous but I was unhappy about it - when I buy things, especially as a birthday gift, I like them to work. There was around a week and a half discussion about it with the seller before they sent a replacement which has yet to arrive - on my end, I had to pay for return shipping of the defective unit and oh lord, my rants at the post office were not pretty. [The cashier sure did find it amusing though.] The seller is very highly rated and no one else has had any problems with them, but I should have known better despite their feedback to trust a seller from China - it takes forever for anything to get here, and it sure is expensive and takes a long time to send anything back. I wasn't too bothered that I had to buy a $3 bubble envelope for the handheld box to fit in, but when the cashier listed my options in mailing it out there... oh my. The first option would cost $10.75, would take approximately six weeks to arrive, and offered no tracking. The next option was $20.34, would take two-three weeks to ship, and offered tracking. The last option clocked in at a wonderful $41.44, would take 3-5 business days, and also offered tracking. After the annoyances and grief I had been through, and knowing that the replacement would take "at least" 20-25 business days to arrive here, I looked at Skye and proclaimed "Fuck China" and selected the first option. They weren't going to receive their defective unit back in a reasonable time (and cost me a lot of money for their mistake) when the replacement was easily going to take a month plus to get here. It's been over 20 business days already. If I don't see it in the next two weeks I'm going to contact eBay to change my feedback back to a blood-curling, scathing red review. The whole thing is obnoxious, and I'm going to let everyone know about it.

In entertainment news, Skye and I are now entirely caught up with Downton Abbey and are eagerly awaiting the next episode - so glad we took the plunge! It is a high-class British historical drama and I highly recommend it to everyone. It has very high production values, a stellar cast, a superbly written script (which weaves together the lives of the servants and their lords and ladies seamlessly), and beautiful cinematography that proclaims its artistic nature as soon as you watch the intro. The musical score is nothing to scoff at either and very elegantly sets the scenes up for hilarity or tragedy. You can feel the intensity of the characters' plights from the soundtrack itself.

I have inducted Skye into the world of Westeros recently (ala Game of Thrones) and have watched the first five episodes with her so far. I'm not entirely sure what she thinks about it to be honest; there's enough interest that she's willing to watch another episode if I suggest it, but I don't feel that it grabs her in quite the same way that it did me or Sophia (or my brother and parents, for that matter). Sophia and I were obsessed and would watch at least four episodes at a time because we were invested immediately - Skye's more content to just watch one every couple of days or if there's any free time. That's all right though, at this rate she will be caught up by the time season three airs and will hopefully be a tad more interested then. Medieval fantasy stories aren't really her thing, but at least she's humoring me.

They're finally back, to get some tail...

On the subject of games, after traveling through the perilous (and beautiful) world of the Bionis and Mechonis in Xenoblade Chronicles, Skye and I felt like taking a retro trip back to one of our nostalgic loves on the Nintendo 64 - Donkey Kong 64. For having only played through the game back in 2000-2001, I have a very fond memory of the different worlds and where to find the golden bananas. I'm currently at a 90% completion rate (187 out of 200 golden bananas acquired; only have a few left to acquire in Creepy Castle and the DK Isles overworld) and aiming for the 100%. When I was younger, I never would have had the patience to get to 100% - some of the golden bananas require getting past really difficult mini-games or obstacles, and back then I'd be inclined to skip the ones I couldn't beat in  a few tries because I'd rather explore and progress through the rest of the game. I wasn't much of a completionist then, and I technically am not that way nowadays either, but in a game like DK64 where collection is the core element of game play, I figured I might as well play through it properly. It's been a fun adventure and some great reminiscing for both of us. I will eventually purchase The Last Story (and Paper Mario: Sticker Star in November, eee) and play through that too; only a matter of time now.

I don't really know if I'll be doing anything for Halloween yet; I haven't done anything for it in years so I'm not too bothered, but I know it's an occasion that Skye likes to celebrate so there's bound to be something on the way. I may go as far as to buy candy corn (t'is the season!) if I can find it, but that's about as far as I usually go where Halloween is concerned. If one of my friends throw a party, that might change, of course... :)

October has been good to me for the most part, and there are plenty of things coming out in November (movies, games, other potential happenings) that I'm excited for, so there's bound to be good times ahead. 

I hope that you're all doing well, whoever you might be and wherever you might hail from. This American-Canadian sends her love. <3

End of the Month Reflection

As it has been twelve days since my last entry (that is two days longer than the last time, so this is worth a double oops!), it's about time I get a move on and write up an entry so that you all know what's currently going on in my wonderful life!

I'll try to keep this entry focused on just a few key points that have occurred since my last update, because a lot of big things have happened since then!

Firstly, and probably the most prominently interesting to note for the people that follow this blog - I GOT THE JOB! The interview was absolutely stellar; in fact it felt less like an interrogation and more like a casual conversation, because she asked me only a couple of questions and we talked pleasantly for the rest of the time. One thing I can remember clearly that she asked me was: "Are you always this happy?" and to be honest, the answer is "Yes!". When I'm out in public and dealing with people (and this is especially important for a front counter position), I am very peppy and naturally enthusiastic. It makes the experience more enjoyable for not only myself but the people interacting with me, and I really don't see any reason why I should or would want to act like a plug. That's not fun for anyone. I officially start on Tuesday, and having looked at the schedule I was given, they certainly don't look to be giving me any training shifts - perhaps they have more confidence in me than I do, because I have next to no experience serving breakfast! I'm nervous, but I'm sure I'll get back into the swing of things again. Hope so! I'll be chronicling my adventures here, so you'll get to hear all about it.

Secondly, and what may come as a surprise to you (it certainly did me; I never thought I would see the day) is that I am once again an Administrator of NintendoWorlds. I had left quite a legacy during my membership there in 2007-2010 apparently, because my friend Michelle messaged me on Facebook asking what it would take to convince me to come back - being me, I said 'Tyrannical Overlord!' and, well... Now I'm an enlarged pink dinosaur on a rampage.

This is me claiming dominion over the VIP Usergroup

Joking aside, it's both great and a bit strange to be back on the site. It's a lot different from how I remember it! XenForo took a little bit to get adjusted to, being a VBulletin native and all, but the transition hasn't been too difficult since there are people more than willing to help me should I have any daft moments. It's been a log of fun interacting and reminiscing with some good old friends of mine - can't believe two years have passed since I actively conversed with them last! The site is currently in the midst of a rejuvenation period, and we're getting it all set up to relive those glory days in the modern era of the 3DS and Wii U. It might take some time, but it'll all be worth it in the end!

For anyone who might be concerned, let your fears be assured - Red Rogues is still my highest priority, and I currently have my days scheduled to accommodate for work, writing, the site, and some downtime (which currently is still Xenoblade Chronicles). Speaking of which, I feel like I'm nearing the end of the game - and what an adventure it's been! I plan on potentially writing a review of the game once I'm completely done with it, so you can look forward to that! The next game on my to-do list (which is probably 'October's' game) will be The Last Story, another JRPG for the Wii that is part of the trio from Operation Rainfall just as Xenoblade Chronicles is. I can already tell you November's game is going to be Paper Mario: Sticker Star; there really is no deliberation over that. :D

On a completely random note, Cartoon Network's 20th anniversary is tomorrow (October 1st). To celebrate the occasion, they commissioned a video to be made that references the milestones of their broadcasting tenure. While I didn't see Teen Titans in it (surprisingly), Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls more than make up for their absence. The video itself is artistic and very trippy, so if you're interested in checking it out, you can find it HERE. Nostalgic memories came up for sure. <3

Also, I started watching Downton Abbey yesterday. While I've only seen the first episode so far, I do quite like it and it feels like it holds a lot of promise. I know many people who love it (the parentals included!) so I do look forward to taking some time to sit down and watch all the episodes. I also recently acquired the first season of Game of Thrones, so I definitely plan on introducing Skye to the world of Westeros soon! :D

I feel like I might be forgetting something, but as I can't seem to figure out what it is, I'm going to finish off  the entry here. I can always edit the bottom of this post if what's been forgotten is important enough.

I hope you've all had a fantastic (or at least bearable) September; I know that mine has certainly been interesting! Let's hope for an excellent October!

Much love!

PS: Season 2 premiere of Once Upon A Time tonight! Yay!

Rollin' on the Rails of Pop Culture

Hey all! It's been awhile (or a whopping 10 days, oops) since my last blog entry, and I do apologize for the delay for anyone that likes reading what I've been up to or are interested in at any given moment. Where I live at present the internet can be finicky at best so I tend to keep myself occupied with other pursuits while Skye tends to her online work at the desk (the only area we can get a wireless connection).

Soooo what have I been up to these last ten days?

Well, we can start with my birthday (September 10th). It has been one of the only days since I've been back thus far that's had absolutely abysmal weather (it rained hard and consistently for a good portion of the day, with the outskirts of hurricane/tropical storm Leslie battering us with wind and rain); I considered it Murphy's Law that it had to happen on my birthday of all days, but it didn't dampen my spirits any! In the card Skye gave me, she wrote "Have a great birthday Missie! - Sorry for the rain :(" and for some reason her apology I found really humorous. I got to webcam with my parentals and it was really great to see them (we'll have to do it again soon, hint hint Mom? :D) and finally got the recipe for one of my favourite dishes hamburger stroganoff. I carry the recipe with me everywhere with the intention of buying the ingredients, but I haven't actually got around to it yet, oops! My Mom also told me how to make coffee mocha cake, and I absolutely can't wait to try to recreate what I consider to be her dessert specialty. My brother's bound to agree - he and I used to ask her to make it for our birthdays every year! That and hamburger stroganoff (or tuna spinach bake) actually. Mmm... Makes me miss my Mom's home cooking. I know it might be a bit of a stereotypical thing to say, but my Mom really does make the best gourmet foods. <3

Later that afternoon we headed over to Bethley's house, because her Mom decided to be amazing and buy me a carrot cake! It was really greatly appreciated and I enjoyed hanging out with them before Debbie went line dancing. They got me a t-shirt exclaiming my awesomeness (really, it's a shirt that says I'm awesome) and a Japanese phone sock/cover with symbols on it I can't read. Yay language barriers! Looks pretty pimp; love them.

Speaking of love, Meghan (the friend I met in Victoria, and currently resides in Calgary) sent me a really thoughtful and amazing gift through the post - she knitted me a scarf! It's her first foray into the world of knitting, and it's downright impressive the level of care and precision that went into making it. She also accompanied it with an EB Games gift card that I already know what it's going towards - either Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the 3DS (comes out November 11th!) or maybe the deluxe version of the Wii U (releases November 18th). Ahhh, really good choices, can't go wrong either way.

The final few hours of my birthday were spent the good ol' fashioned way by drinking with Skye and Jordan at his house. Well, I guess I can't say that it's 'old fashioned' because I rarely ever drink, but we all saw my birthday as a good occasion to do so anyway so we went for it. It's probably the most I've ever had to drink (I had three glasses of vodka mixed with ginger ale and a couple of straight up shots after). We were all a bit loony but it definitely was a lot of fun - even if I had to be cautiously aware of Skye's inclination towards the ditch on our return walk home. We consumed the rest of the carrot cake then too. Haven't really hung out with any of those peeps since so I might just have to pop on over to their places and say hi sometime soon.

The job front, as dismayed as I am to admit it, has been rather silent for this entire period of time I've been here, despite printing out and submitting a TON of resumes. This is part of the reason I felt like I didn't have much to share, because for the most part, nothing has been happening! However, on a whim Skye and I decided to head to the McDonald's in Bayers Lake today, and our timing must have been superb because not only did we meet a manager genuinely interested in both of us (Skye's looking to get some part-time work to go along with her present marketing awesomeness to rake in the dough), but we both scored interviews for tomorrow! That lifted my spirits significantly - after not hearing from ANYONE in the entire duration of being here, I was starting to get a bit worried. We speculated that it may have been because of my phone number (perhaps they have a prejudice against different area codes? 778 Victoria is pretty far from Nova Scotia/PEI's 902 digits), but that doesn't seem very likely... Well, Bayers Lake might be a bit of a commute, but if I'm making money it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Relating to the title of this blog entry, I've recently been obsessed with the game I mentioned earlier (the one Mat bought for my birthday), Xenoblade Chronicles. I wasn't too sure what to think of it at first, but I honestly love it now - it has a deeply engaging/interesting story, the environments are gorgeous, the amount of quests you can partake in seem endless and the music... wow. I have loved the soundtrack for months prior to ever playing the game, so it's been really fascinating and fun to hear where the tracks are actually used in the medium they were designed for. After using the soundtrack as a muse for writing Red Rogues, though, it almost feels a bit disjointed and weird to hear them where they were actually intended to be heard! The game itself is a traditional Japanese role-playing game with real-time battles where your characters will automatically use their basic attack and it's up to you to coordinate your other skills into battle to get the upper hand. That might not sound as engaging as it actually is, though - the boss battles in particular can get very stressful and heated! I've currently logged about 50 hours into the game - that's including the occasional random exploration to fill in the maps and completing some side quests here and there - and I'm still nowhere  near finishing it. At least it's a long adventure! Really grateful that Mat got it for me; was a really worthwhile investment, to be sure. :)

Also, the voice-acting is entirely British. Can't go wrong with that!

Not too bad for a Wii game, eh?

The other main 'pop culture' support that both Skye and I have been up to is that we actually went to the HMV in Mic Mac Mall a few days back and each bought an album. That almost never happens so it was worth noting; Skye got the 'Torches' CD by Foster the People and I got 'Ceremonials' by Florence and the Machine. In terms of sound they're both as different as you can get from each other but they both sound superb in the car and we're quite content with our purchases. I'm quite happy listening to either when I'm in the car; I think Skye prefers Foster the People (unsurprisingly) but doesn't mind Florence too much and says "She definitely sounds like something I would hear you listening to". I am a schutbag who likes the D I didn't actually know most of the songs on the album when I bought it - I don't usually go for impulse purchases, but I went for it this time and am very grateful I did!

The above song is Strangeness and Charm, and that is what she relatively sounds like for most of them (sans the mild pitch adjustment so that this could actually be loaded on Youtube). Strangely, this song isn't on my album, though it's advertised online that it is (?) - a bit of a bummer, but the rest of the songs more than make up for its absence.

Well, Skye and I are going on an impromptu adventure to Bedford because why not so we're heading off for now. Hope you're all doing well everyone!

Edit: This is my favourite song from the album so far (it's so powerful with surround sound!). I demand you all take a listen since you're already at the end of this blog post. Thank you. <3

Edit 2: Also, forgot to mention it, but Glee's back. It's under the category of "I'm not too sure why I watch this any more but it's sort of a guilty pleasure or something". It wasn't too bad, but I do think that the writers deliberately make choices with the direction of the show that are there to make you groan and smack your head in disbelief. Sure the Glee club won Nationals last season, but I highly doubt the victory would have gone THAT much into their heads after the summer holidays (nor would the other students actually care that much after going on their own adventures during vacation time) and become jerks to everyone else because of it. I know you're supposed to suspend your disbelief and that it moves the plot forward (or something) but... at least try to have a semblance of reality somewhere in there show. Well, I guess it's never been too realistic, bursting into song in the hallway and all. Wow, this is more than I was planning on writing about Glee, oops. Yeah, Glee's back. End topic.

Birthday Presents

I think it's become an annual tradition for me to buy a birthday present for myself a couple of days before the actual day (which is on the 10th, for clarification). On September 8th, to be exact! Last year, inspired by some impulse and a barren dresser, I ended up purchasing a 24" Dynex Television for my second year in university. To "prep myself for Skyward Sword in November" was my excuse at the time, and for Skyward Sword it was used most often for sure! I distinctly recall finishing my homework days in advance before the release of the game so that I could enjoy it uninterrupted. That November was one of my most relaxed months despite the typical "November Landslide" that comes with being in a post-secondary institution.

Oh sweetums you so fly <3

This time around, after around a year of swimming in them, I decided it was time to invest in a new pair of jeans. Whereas last year was more a splurge and an unnecessary (though soul satisfying) purchase, this year was a bit essential as I had long downsized in stature and having ridiculously baggy jeans just wasn't cutting it any more. It's a $50 investment that should last as long as I don't lose or gain too much weight!

Hey there sexy... Come here often?

I am not the most photogenic of people; never quite knowing what to do with my face in those awkward "TAKE MY PICTURE" moments. I just really wanted to show off my jeans. 8x32, awww baby! I can fit in 7s depending on the brand, so I'm content. I don't need to weigh more or less; I'm pretty much where I'm should be right now! Happy camper.

Enjoy the intimacy of my face in TIRED MODE

You may have noticed that down in the (this is jokingly titled but we're totally going for it anyway) "Currently Playing" corner (the bottom left of the second picture) that a box of Xenoblade Chronicles is being displayed there. That is a very thoughtful and nice gift from my friend Mat, hailing from Victoria! I haven't got very far in the game yet, but I've enjoyed what I've played so far, and looking forward to playing more. I'll be sure to write an entry on my thoughts concerning my experience with it; commenting on what was done right and perhaps what wasn't in detail.

The other main short obsession I've had in terms of pop culture recently is entirely the fault of my friend Bethley, who did not need to make much effort to coerce me into watching the first few episodes of Young Justice with her. I've always been a fan of animated superhero cartoons (primarily Teen Titans, back in the day), so consider me hooked. Almost done the first season already, and I just started!

Last news to report of the day is that today was the mass-handing out of resumes that I alluded to in my previous entry. From EB Games and Chapters to Dollarama and Hallmark, no one was spared from my resume spree! Well, except for fast-food restaurant chains, which I have opted to wait in applying for to allow some chance to hear back from another business first. I have nothing against fast-food companies (in fact, I absolutely loved working at the McDonald's in Victoria), but I do wish to expand my horizons and my repertoire a bit. I will take any employment that comes my way, though! Not too picky; any job is a good job in my eyes, and it is what you make of the place you work at that defines the experience that you have with it. 

Of course I will update this blog with how the job hunt is going, but for now, it's time for some food and Xenoblade Chronicles, I think!

Have a great evening/night!

On the Prowl

Operation: Acquire A Job

Procedure: Update and beautify resume. Write personalized, targeted cover letters to each individual company being applied to. Proudly boast a shiny reference letter. Go out and submit these highly glamorized packets of professionalism to aforementioned businesses. Next, ???. End game: Profit.

That's how it works, after all!

Perhaps it is unsurprising after an introduction like that to learn that I am currently in the midst of writing cover letters towards pretty much any company in the Lower Sackville/Bedford areas. I am not too pressed for time yet, but I would like to get hired soon so I can start saving up some money for future investments! I am hoping to get employed by either of the EB Games this time around, as I've always had an aptitude for games and organization that I am sure would be useful in that particular retail environment. I am a former employee of McDonald's, so I do have experience in the food service industry should I wish to apply to any restaurant chain in the region. I'll keep you all updated on how the job pursuit goes!

I am currently sitting in a Starbucks inside of Chapters in Bayers Lake - Skye is having a lunch meeting with her boss over at Montana's. I hope that all is going well! Looking forward to hearing the news. :)

It's been an odd but enjoyable experience to be back here in Nova Scotia so far. There is always a weird sense of nostalgia being back in the area, knowing where all the roads connect and (roughly) where all the buildings are. Of course there are always new additions after a year or two, but for the most part it still looks the same! No one has changed very much either; they may have acquired a couple of new obsessions (one has a hearty interest in the art of cosplaying and in the animated television show Young Justice) but they still possess the same relative personality traits. It's been a fun few reunions so far!

I'm going to end this off here because Skye's done her meeting and is on her way over to me now. I hope you're all having a great week!

Teen Titans Go!

WHAT.

How did I not learn of this sooner? They've been showing brief animated shorts as a test run since February! Why was I apparently looking in all the wrong places at the wrong time back in February when this started up?

I'm not sure what I think about the new art style or the more comedic-driven nature of it yet (the seriousness of the original animated series is what largely got me into it, though the comedy was a welcome sprinkled addition in the episodes), but I will celebrate the existence of this project anyway because THE WHOLE ORIGINAL VOICE CAST IS RETURNING and YES YES YES.

I was obsessed - and I mean, obsessed - with Teen Titans in my junior high and early high school days. I was always a bit disappointed when it was not given the green light for a fifth season even though it was a proven and successful series by that point. I don't know how the end product will turn out when it premieres in 2013, but I will guaranteed be a faithful viewer regardless. Here's to hoping it's good! The same group is producing it, so I just have to trust in their judgment with the direction they've chosen with the established animated material.

Dug around Youtube a little bit to see if I could find some of the shorts - just watched "Blackfire's Babysitter", that's hilarious! Won't spoil the punchline if you haven't seen it already, but... yes, they went there. Faith renewed immediately.

They seem to be drawing (pun totally intended) their art style from the more 'anime' styled moments of the previous series, but with a heavy emphasis on chibi forms. Not quite used to seeing them as something other than their relatively 'realistic' selves, but it's something I'm sure everyone will grow adjusted to.

Wow. After that one, consider me excited. It's been a long wait since those 2003-2006 days, but I'm really glad they're coming back! Looking forward to the full 22 minute episodes next year! TEEN TITANS GO!

Autopilot

It's something I've always noticed, but it especially comes to the forefront when you're suddenly out of it - your mind and body gets into a routine that it grows adjusted to and dependent on, and when something conflicts with that engrained schedule there's immediately warning bells or notable "Wait, what?" moments to alert you to the changes you're exposed to.

I'm not really referring to time zones this time, though that is definitely a mind game in itself to see my laptop say it's 11:00AM when every other clock around me (including my phone, which auto-adjusts based on the region it's in) says that it's 3:00PM. Of course that plays with my internal clock, making me tired or having issues concerning when I consume food - if I eat before 11:00AM Pacific time, my stomach gets really unsettled, it's just something I've always had so I've learned to deal - but what I'm referring to this time with this entry are the small expectations that come with living your life a particular way and then removing yourself from that environment.

This mainly came to mind when I was freshening up in the bathroom an hour ago - I had turned the fan on, and I found myself mentally timing how long it would take for the fan to turn itself off. In Victoria, our bathroom had a fan that you could turn on with a timer; I'd always set it to 15 minutes as a "You should be out of here when this ends" reminder, but at my friend Bethley's it is simply a switch that you turn on and then flip off when you are done. There is no timer, but I found myself listening and looking to hear the ticks that the other timer would make. I had trained myself to listen to and expect that noise. It's really weird not to hear it now.

There's a more humorous example of subconsciously training myself and then having it flipped around and messing with my head though. When I lived in British Columbia, I would always work out in my head what time it was in Nova Scotia whenever I was texting a friend from there. I would always add four hours to the time I saw to convert it to Atlantic time. Today, I woke up and went to check out what time it was on my phone - it said 11:30AM, and I had a slight panic attack thinking it was 3:30PM where I was (which is near the time I'm supposed to be going out to meet up with another friend), having completely forgotten that again, the phone automatically adjusts to the new time zone. In my confusion I had to check a clock behind me to confirm that it actually was 11:30, and then found myself surprised that I had woken up before noon. I have speculated that I managed that because both Skye and I had stayed up the entire time on the overnight flight, so our internal clocks were not still set to the Pacific coast. It is nice to be able to enjoy a few extra hours of the day you were not expecting to be awake for; you just have to be aware that there's likely to be more than a few times that what you're doing will feel "off" to you, because your schedule and environment has changed.

I'm staring at my laptop clock and it still is a bit hard to wrap my head around that it's only 11:20AM there now. Maybe it's because I don't feel like it's that time of day for me (though neither does it feel like 3:20, it might as well be 10PM in my head), but it's also likely the fact that my friends have only now just started their days with work/whatever when I've been up for awhile.

Another expectation I always had was how the internet would always have interesting things to look at upon my waking or in the early hours of the afternoon - with the Pacific coast being mostly behind everyone else, updates on webcomics/videos/Facebook/etc came a lot earlier in the day. Now it feels like nothing's ever happening on here; it's quite odd.

Well, I have to get ready to head out, so I'm going to end this entry here. Hope you're all having a great Sunday and that you're enjoying the long weekend! Peace!

Embarking on Adventure

I don't know why I wrote this in... uh, 'free verse'. It's awful, unedited, and the result of a mind that's been up for 24 hours. Lord help us all. Tells the story of the past 24 hours loosely, if you can get over the presentation of it... :p

---

T'was the longest day of the summer, one of which has not yet ended;
a tale of two weary travellers set to unfold anew.
Their final day on the reputable Vancouver Island came
after a night of little rest and much stress
and final preparations were made for the journey
in the wee hours of the morning.
Cleaning and polishing and sprucing
were done to prepare for a showing with the landlords,
which by all accounts went well and
the stress rendered completely unnecessary.

They rode the Majestic downtown and immersed
in the crowds of a busy bee Victoria,
buzzing with the knowledge of the pending long weekend.
A miracle burger and sub cured their unease and, satisfied,
made their way back home.

They hung with their friends,
true British Columbians in nature;
Sophia, the amazing  fashionable roommate
and
Mat, the man with a heart of gold.
They idly conversed while surfing the net and
watched a rather bizarre episode of Dr. Phil.
Soon, it was time to say farewell
and sadly, they bade it to Sophia then, who was scheduled to work that day.
The time spent with her over the past year has been an awesome and enjoyable experience,
and I wish her the best of luck with all of her future endeavours.
There is no doubt that she will be successful at anything she puts her mind to. :)

Mat remained with the two as wonderful company and invaluable help in their time of need.
Selfless and caring, he took the two to their destined destination, and the pizza they gave him
would never be enough to thank him for his friendship. The parting was bitter-sweet
but left on good terms - though the exact time itself is uncertain, the trio knew they would reunite someday.
That time is very much eagerly anticipated.

So it was that the two weary friends
began their journey across the country.
Leaving Victoria felt surreal to both of them
as they admired the beautiful mountains and islands laced in the strait.
Their first stop would be Edmonton, a relatively unfamiliar territory to either of them.
The clouds presented themselves with illuminant grace,
as lightning streaked across the sky and  lit up the fluff in various shades of purple.
It was the first time either of them had ever experienced seeing a thunderstorm in the air.
The effect was mesmerizing.

Edmonton itself was a short but memorable experience,
with oddly designed bathrooms and confusingly timed Tim Hortons hours.
Faced with little options, the travellers chose to wander further down the terminal
and discovered the holy grail of food - a Montana's restaurant lay nestled conveniently next to their gate.
Omelettes and quesadillas were much appreciated in their grumbling bellies,
and in the ambiance of the restaurant they temporarily forgot they were even at an airport.
They'll be back someday, Edmonton. An intriguing location you are, indeed.

They boarded early and sat on their pedestals near the front of the plane,
and there they engaged in some mindless viewing of Teletoons Friday cartoons.
American Dad, Family Guy, Robot Chicken were welcome distractions,
as was The Dating Guy... though that show was incredibly weird.
The pair would doze for around fifteen minutes and skip a short portion of Ontario,
before, in their wakefulness, they would continue the new day as part of their current one.

In the darkness of the night they felt closer to space and the stars that govern them
over the land that dwelled far, far beneath them. The big dipper playfully twisted
over the course of the journey, and with a start they saw the sunrise brightly illuminate the sky
in enthusiastic reds and oranges over the novelistic lands of Nova Scotia.

There they reunited with one's lover and the other's friend,
and with bewilderment have enjoyed a homecoming in lands entirely nostalgic and familiar.

And here the story ends for now, but what shall become of the travellers? What will they do, where will they go?

Only time will tell... and this blog will seek best to document those moments.

Eventually, hopefully, I'll fall asleep. I should not still be awake, but it is so bright, and I'm overtired to the point I'm no longer tired... Ahhhh. :G

So, uh, morning all? Not regular for me to post in the early hours, is it? Hope you all have a great long weekend!

Shopping for Classic Games

Any gamer who has grown up in the eighties or nineties has at one point felt the familiar tingle of nostalgia, inspiring them to relive the classic experiences of their youth. I have certainly been the (fortunate) victim of such motivations many times before, and as a result I have played some games countlessly and others that were only played once I finally got around to playing to completion again. We all know that in the current era it can be incredibly hard to find these retro treasures if you aren't already in possession in them, and most rely on the internet to get their old-school fix. There is also good ol' fashioned garage sale hunting, but the nature of the business leaves much up to spontaneity, and you're never too sure what you're going to find.

Why am I bringing up this topic? Well, I read on IGN today (Source) that Gamestop is planning on tapping into the "Vintage Games" market, and is currently accumulating a collection to potentially distribute in the future. The idea that a current game retail store might dabble into our nostalgic past to make older games accessible is an interesting concept, but I'm not too sure how it will be managed or how much they plan on charging for them. Obviously Gamestop just wants in on what appears to be a profitable and successful market, but what do you think of the potential plan? Are you excited that the games of NES/SNES/N64 (etc) yore might once again be something you can regularly walk into a store to purchase?

I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out - I'd personally love to own some of my old favourites again, so if the opportunity presents itself... I'm all for it. I'm not an online auctioneer purist so I'm all for any method that will add those classics to my collection the fastest. I know of many people who absolutely loathe and detest Gamestop/EB Games, but I'm not one of them.

This game is awesome

The other main point of interest for the day (other than hanging out with some of my best buds from both sides of the country at once <3) is viewing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Part 2 we will start watching in a couple of hours) for the first time since it was released in theatres. I still find it to be really enjoyable to watch, and now that I'm not under the influence of expectation due to my love of the books, I found that I could appreciate it a lot more this time. Part 1 still feels like it drags a bit, as it seems more a guided tour of the English countryside with epic helicopter pan-shots than a fully realized plot, but I can't really fault the movie for this because the novel was structured the exact same way and Part 2 was left with the responsibility (and the privilege) of delivering the climax of the series we all came to know and love. Mat and Skye still have yet to see Part 2 (they had never even watched Part 1 before today), so we'll gauge their reactions after we get to viewing it with my roomie Sophia upon her return from work.

Sorry if this entry seems more rambling or less structured or just secretly riddled with errors or something... I'm very tired and don't seem to be firing on all cylinders today. Good enough excuse I hope!

Have a great evening everyone. :)

The Leaning Tower of Pizza

Never a dull moment on Wednesday! It started off simply enough, having woken up late after staying up as late as I did (you all know that from the previous entry... whoops). Most of it has been spent doing a bit of spring cleaning, cooking, and hanging with my bestie, who everyone knows to be on the top of the tier list. (If you did not previously know this, check out your nearest tier list - Skye is most undoubtedly at the top, and if she's not, your tier list is old and needs to be updated to the August 29th, 2012 "SKYE IS TOP TIER" version.)

More importantly, Wednesdays are known around these parts as 'club day' - also known as the Super Smash Bros. Club at the University of Victoria (UVic), where various peeps come together to play all sorts of awesome games (and the club's namesake, of course). We've got tons of people who play Magic: The Gathering, some come together to play League of Legends exclusively; there are others who play obscure-looking fighting games on the PS3... Whatever floats your boat, it's probably being done here. Personally, when I'm not indulging in kicking everyone's butt at Brawl (unless it's against Rob... then it is my butt that is being kicked), I either partake in playing N64 games with some peeps, browse around/write on my laptop, or on the spare occasion when I bring it, I will play games on my DS Lite. My latest DS obsession is Okamiden, which may or may not have been directly influenced by Chuggaaconroy's recently started Let's Play of it.

Today, though, I engaged in the beautiful act of pizza delivery. As it is the final club meet of the semester, we like to mark the occasion with a celebration of some kind - this time, as the title implies, it's a pizza party! The name of the entry itself is a quote from the Little Caesar's employee who had the fun task of stacking our boxes on the counter. I had an internal giggle fit upon hearing it. I whipped out the camera for the sheer hilarity I saw before me:

Those boxes have nice hair - and eyebrows

Fifteen boxes of beautiful pizza, eleven pepperoni and four cheese. The whole gang is consuming them as I write this. Skye and I took our own bounty of the spoils:

Yummy!

... and proceeded to not finish them because she and I have small shrunken stomachs and we are incapable of consuming two entire boxes of pizza by ourselves. Oops.

Not to be outdone by our morals, though, the tempting offer of cookies proved too great and we consumed a few despite ourselves. I couldn't help it - Chewie was telling us to!

You can't resist this adorable face

There was also a friendly message on the board reminding us that Chewie indeed wanted us to eat his cookies:

That's me longing for the cookies on the left

So now I feel fat and to make things even better... when Skye and I choose to leave at a likely arbitrary time such as 2-3AM, we are going to walk down to Mac's Convenience Store and indulge in some Cherry Kool Aid slushies. Well, it's nearing the end of the summer so we might as well succumb to some indulgences before fall and winter sets in! As the kids are saying nowadays, YOLO, right? =P

Off to play some Okamiden now and maybe chat to some nerds (and get completely lost in what they're discussing, as per the norm); hope you're all enjoying your Wednesday evening/night! 

HTML Noob

It took me awhile, but I finally figured out how to get those pesky image buttons above in the alignment I wanted them to be in. The first image naturally hangs out on the left side, which I am completely kosher with, but the others all wanted to be in a second row all over the place! If it wasn't that, the link that directs you to the site would refuse to work, or my code would decide to rewrite itself after I pressed the save button! I was used to very basic HTML functions being written in for me (such as in forums) so to write everything myself took a bit of time.

I bet even the most novice of programmers are laughing at this right now. I am a bit of a noob, so I welcome all the humour and self-deprecation.

Oh, speaking of those image buttons, I crafted a quick one for my blog should anybody wish to include mine on theirs:

In order to make use of this fancy button, you're going to need to have added the HTML Editor gadget to your blog, and then you can use this code to get it to work:

<a target='_blank' title='She Who Wanderlusts' href=' http://ladyhood.blogspot.ca/'><img src='http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7779/shewhowanderlustsaffili.png' border='0'/></a><br>

Learning a new platform to make my blog aesthetically pleasing certainly has been fun so far! Who knew blogging could be so much fun? :)

Well, it is nearing 5am now and I believe it would be smart to head to bed... I have much to do on this Wednesday, and not that much time to get everything done!

Have a great night, all. Hope you're all doing well, wherever (and whenever) you are!

Renovations

After several months hiatus and not really knowing what to do with this blog after the spring semester was over (as this blog was created as part of a requirement with my FA 245: Arts and Technology I class), the time has come for a much needed reboot!

As a new phase of my life begins, I have decided that I will virtually document my adventures and experiences here on this blog, not only to let my friends and family know what I'm up to on occasion, but as a slightly personal journal of sorts that I can later look back on and marvel at what I may have been up to at any particular moment. Based on my enthusiasm and interest in reading my former entries for class, I can see this being a rewarding idea.

Entries will not ever be specifically themed, but more based on anything that seems important or is on my mind at the time of writing them. Undoubtedly there will be Red Rogues entries, as that is a predominant aspect of my life right now, but there will also be life snippets and other varied interests to share. We'll all find out what those things are when the time comes!

The last few hours have been spent learning how to customize this blogspot page. Backgrounds that are not a preset template require additional CSS code in order to work, and let's just say that I'm not entirely proficient in the language of programming (even for simple lines) and Blogger isn't exactly 100% newbie friendly with its layout. Oh well, got there eventually! It's not the most aesthetically pleasing I could have done (admittedly it's a bit rushed, as I wanted to get something up here without being too nit-picky on the quality), so there may be some changes in the near future in regards to color (what I have at the moment is... erm, unique haha) and certain aspects of the banner (Chibiterasu seems a bit too sharp, maybe that's just me).

Random exciting news moment: my buddy Skye is starting up her own blog! You can view it here at http://thefictitiousscribbler.blogspot.ca/. In the future, when I can figure out code a little better, I plan on adding an affiliate button to my page that will directly link to her blog. I really like the name 'The Fictitious Scribber' - very appropriate with what she plans to do with it, from what I've heard! Looking forward to reading some entries!

Not going to ramble too much with this entry, just wanted to oil the machine and get those gears moving, if you know what I mean.

For now, I'm going to leave you all with what I have been listening to for this past little while - I have always adored the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, and someone has seen fit to upload the entire trilogy's music on Youtube for our enjoyment! I've certainly been reminiscing about key scenes and at the same time the music causes my imagination to go wild. You really can't go wrong with the fantasy genre... especially not when it is accompanied with such an epic orchestra.

RIDERS OF ROHAN! LET'S RIDE!

Blog Reflection

In the semester before attending this course, I had very strict definitions and guidelines imprinted in my mind for how to evaluate what constitutes ‘art’ and ‘technology’ respectively. I never saw the two as relatable beyond being able to use one as a tool to create the other as a product. By default, I was a person that would focus on what differentiated the two subjects – one is (usually) devised and defined by its electrical components; the other is most commonly seen as a creative process that either highlights the power of imagination or as a means to address/challenge political and social issues – rather than noticing their shared similarities. This is how society conditions us to view them, as the two are always under separate categories in the educational spectrum. ‘Fine Arts’ and the ‘Sciences’ promote a limited view (or particular perspective) of the subjects they are attempting to define. If you associate more as being a creative mind, you are considered ‘artsy’. If your talent lies in logistics, you must be a nerd or an engineer.

This class, above all else, revealed to me my own personal biases and the rather ambiguous method I subconsciously use to judge what is considered ‘art’. I realized fairly early on that I was having a hard time wrapping my head around some of the artistic pursuits we covered in the lectures. Is networking art? It’s a fine example of technology, but is using the internet to open and close a door simultaneously (in response to another door’s movement) actually an art form? In the sense that it is creative, one could argue the artistic value in it, but my mindset saw it as simply another quirky way to use technology.

Having grown up as a digital native, the division between technologies and art were clear. Technology (which I have a natural affinity to) was any tool (electrical or otherwise) that served a specific purpose. Art was a creative outlet in which individuals could explore various mediums and share with the world either aspects of themselves or messages they wished the public to notice. Now that there has been a semester’s worth of ideas and discussions circulating through my brain, I find it harder to distinguish any notable difference between the two categories. How is building technology not creative? That alarm clock on my desk is an art form, not simply because of the function it performs but because its design was an intentional aesthetic decision by its manufacturers. Every form of art ever - whether it be the Red Rogues or those McDonald’s pony figurines currently displayed on my shelf - required technology to enable its existence. The two go hand in hand; one frankly cannot exist without the other, for their premises, at their core, are nearly the exact same thing. They are all creative inventions with their own unique purpose.

My technological portrait (this blog) was largely influenced by that mindset. At first, my indecisiveness led me to post about anything that might have been going on that particular day that seemed to have relevance. Reading back on those entries, they were very thoughtful and applicable with the course themes, even if I was not 100% certain that they were at the time. As I had predicted in the first few posts, my subjects were largely based on a specific threshold of ideas – all projects personally related to myself: Red Rogues and school projects, mainly, showcasing the work I had been doing for other classes that related to the arts and technology theme. As I discovered and mentioned above, I came to the realization that anything could really be spun to be a harmonization of the arts and technology, so mostly everything I did this semester was technically relevant to the project. Perhaps that is the main reason why this blog consists mostly of my own material, though to be honest when I find nifty projects created by others, I am not hardwired to think “Oh, this would be great for the blog!” The first time that epiphany struck me was with the Game of Thrones post… which is certainly a most recent and last minute endeavour after an entire semester of opportunity.

           

Overall, this course was an enjoyable experience and I definitely recommend keeping the technological portrait as part of the curriculum. It is a fun way of expressing yourself while relating to the course themes (the best way to learn is through application and experience, after all). My initial worry when I heard about the project was that I wouldn’t be updating it enough. I do think that 20 (perhaps one more after this entry, we will find out) is a decent number, considering the demands of the semester altogether.

Thanks for the great semester! It’s been a lot of fun!

Vanessa Hood

Game of Thrones Theme - Violin Cover

I absolutely love the Game of Thrones intro. The video is the most incredible effort I have ever seen for television series, and it's so well done! The theme song has a tendency of playing on loop in my brain for hours because it is just soooo good (and very catchy and memorable, too).

Here is the original, for those few that have not actually seen it yet:

The main reason why I have brought this topic up is that I recently came across an amazing violin cover of the theme song. I have always been a fan of the violin and have always wanted to learn how to play the instrument (the sounds it produces is gorgeous, after all), so any original/cover that is particularly well made gets automatic kudos for me. This guy here is a true professional at work:

As Game of Thrones has grown increasingly popular and into the mainstream, it is unsurprising that parodies galore are cropping up in unexpected places. One of my personal favourites has to be The Simpsons intro spoof, which has Springfield developing in a similar style to that of the fantasy world epic crafted by George R.R. Martin. Unfortunately I cannot embed the best quality video I have seen of this intro (all the Youtube uploads were taken down) but I can at least link you to the page here: http://io9.com/5890410/watch-the-simpsons-game-of-thrones-intro

Also, there is nothing better than popular culture mash-ups, and that's what you'll get with this fan-made Game of Thrones intro given the My Little Pony treatment:

This post feels like one of the first entries I've made in awhile that does not focus so much on what I personally create, but rather showcases my appreciation for what other members of society can do in creating an artistic masterpiece. I guess that is a good thing, since I shouldn't always be so self-absorbed.

Have a great night all! Hope you enjoyed a video-centric entry. :)

I Wish...

... that I was an artist. Or perhaps I should clarify, a visual artist, as I am fully aware that writing is considered an art form in its own right. I was never particularly amazing with my drawings when I was younger, and thanks to my being exceptionally self-conscious during my childhood, I lacked the motivation to improve. After all, the best way to hide mediocre artwork was to never create any in the first place.

That easily explains why my drawings look like they have been done by a third grader.

Why am I prefacing this post with slight self-deprecation towards my ability to draw? Simple. I am about to show examples, yay!

Around a month ago I mentioned that I had to pitch another game idea for my Game Strategy and Design class. I gave you all the scoop in advance with a pre-screening of the pitch 'Escape the Biebs!', and now I'm about to do it again. I have been working on the storyline images that will serve as an introduction to the game - why I am the artist for this, I cannot fathom - and considering the time constraints and balancing with other classes... they're not too bad. They could be better (for starters, I could get off my lazy butt and shade them if I had the time, to make them more glossy), but they'll serve their purpose in the limited time we have to put it together.

Here are a couple of examples, to show you what I mean:

 

Perhaps I'm not being too fair on myself by judging these. If I had a lot more time available, they'd be much higher quality than they are. I guess they're already 'high quality' compared to most of the other groups in the class, though, since most of them don't even have a developed storyline (or images to accompany them)! I still have a lot more to get through... hoping to maximize the weekend to the fullest for this project and the remainder for my other classes.

Nearly done the school year, all! Best of luck with your future endeavours!

Social Media: To What Connectivity Do I Indulge?

Last night's presentations were either exclusively about a social media platform (Facebook, Second Life, the history of social media as a whole) or on technologies as a way of interconnectivity to interact on these aforementioned platforms (through such means as a cell phone - though it went much further where they discussed the impact of cell phones on everyday life). It was interesting hearing my classmates' experiences and it inspired me to make a blog entry to comment on my own personal experience with social media.

My social media experience began with Myspace in 2004. I enjoyed being able to construct my own page (Myspace was a very customizable platform, probably being a major reason why it was so popular at the time) and had joined pretty much because my brother had and his interactions with other people intrigued me. He primarily used it as a source to find music and was on everyday listening to previews of upcoming albums and the like. As soon as I joined, I lost interest in it immediately. I did not want to disclose any information about myself (I was 13 at the time, so that was a good mindset to have in hindsight) and once the novelty of editing an internet page wore off I had no desire to continue running it.

It was a very abrupt and short-lived experience. :p

Fast-forward to March 2007. A friend that I had just been getting really well acquainted with that year (you might have heard of her... Skye Braham :D) asked me to join Facebook because she had just signed up and didn't have many friends on her list yet (she wanted to try out the system with someone; understandable). It was March break at the time so we dawdled around, drawing 'graffiti' on each other's walls (the option was removed a long time ago, but it was possible at one point to draw on a small template rather than just text the person). It was fun, but we didn't really care about it too much. Facebook did not see much activity from me between 2007 - 2009; didn't feel there was much point to, since I saw mostly everyone I was friends with in person everyday. Graduating high school changed that for me. It soon gained a purpose because suddenly everyone was going off in different directions and it became the only way to communicate with most of them. 2009 - 2010 still did not see me using Facebook too much, however, because most friendships had grown distant and I spent most of my free time hanging out with Skye. That time period is still one of my all-time favourites and I wouldn't trade it for the world. When I moved out to Victoria (I had lived in Nova Scotia for five years prior), it became more a necessity to keep in contact with my east coast buddies. I had still never owned a cell phone so the internet/email was the only way to talk to me.

Nowadays, from the later half of 2011 to present day, the experience and usage has again shifted. I was quite literally forced to get a cell phone by my parents in August 2011, who both reasoned that:
1) If there was any emergency, they could inform me immediately;
2) I'm growing up and should have one already because I'll need it for future jobs/whatever;
3) All of my friends have one so I could text them while I'm on the go, wouldn't that be convenient?

I never wanted a cell phone. I found it annoying that other people would disrupt my conversation with them just so that they could check it every time it vibrated (and then give more attention to that conversation rather than with the one they were currently having in person) and anyone who owns one generally grows a dependency to it and brings it everywhere with them (they cannot just remain disconnected). I didn't want to be like that, so I would always refuse (there was also the fact that I'd have to pay for it, which I did not want to do) the pressure in getting one. I still wish I didn't have it but it's been the only way to communicate with certain people because they don't have the time to get online. I mostly use it to occasionally text with Skye. No one ever calls me and I generally do not call anyone either because it would charge them long distance. I sometimes forget it in my room and do not particularly care if I'm parted with it. I do not use any of its functions except for texting; I do not go on the internet or listen to music or play games or any of the other bells and whistles I presume it does. I save that for when I am at home and on the computer. I do not need to be connected to that level everywhere I go.

My Facebook experience did not change too much from the inclusion of the phone - I still only message the same couple of people on Facebook and might post a monumental landmark in my life if anything significant happens. Recently, as Skye is a marketing student, she has been discovering and exploring the powers of social media as an advertising tool for Red Rogues. That has certainly got me inspired and interested, so the shift in personal usage is bound to change again when I have further progressed in writing the novel!

On a random note, I've never played Second Life but it seems like it would be fun to explore and view everyone's creative inputs there. I am a traditional 'gamer' and any MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) I lose interest in relatively quickly, but it would be a fun jaunt to fiddle around with it at some point.

Social media, is it a major part of my life? If Skype counts, the answer is a MAJOR yes, as Skye and I are constantly brainstorming and collaborating our ideas on there. If not, I do believe that I could easily disconnect myself from the Facebook juggernaut. It does not run my life, and it is not a necessity to my well being.