Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Her name is Yoshimi, she's a black belt in Karate.
Tomorrow's the start of the mid-terms. I'll be glad when all of the tests are done and accounted for, because I'm mentally drained just studying for the damn things. However, with the help of a few Power Points on my Comm teacher's website, my mind is still present and accounted for. It's nice when things are already laid out for you so you can take notes on the most important things only. Yep.

My mid-term tomorrow is for Introduction to Communication Theory. Shouldn't be that hard, I've taken some decent notes for that, and I have plenty of time to study for it, since it's my last class tomorrow. Plus, it's all writing, and writing is my strong suit, or so I would like to believe. Thursday is Philosophy, and that one will be a snap, thanks to the comprehensive review session we went through today. That was a life saver. Info Gathering and Writing I'm slightly worried about, if only because I hate studying for 90% of what we do in that class because it's so boring. But I'll probably do better on that one than I think I will.

Other than that, I did a bunch of studying today. Then I got bored in the middle of the day and just laid upon my bed for a half hour. That was really nice. After that, I stumbled upon the Power Points and stuff and praised all of the deities that ever existed, even though I don't really believe in any of them. But that's a moot point, because I praised them, regardless.

I had to go into school earlier than usual, because I had to meet with my advisor. Why we're doing all of this stuff so early is beyond me, but I still had to meet with her. Standard stuff, talked about my schedule, what classes I'm planning for, and the fact that I still can't get priority registration even if I sign up for the Honors Program, because I'm a jobless loser.

Then I went to the bookstore because there were a couple of books I wanted to pick up. Walking around the campus while most people are in class is weird, because you notice just how big the place is. Usually it's packed full of people wherever you go, so you can't really appreciate how big the college is. But it's pretty big. And it's kind of eerie just walking around and passing a couple of people every few minutes. Or maybe it's just me that gets that feeling lol.

Anyway, I bought Don Quixote and 1984 at the bookstore. Don Quixote I've been interested in reading for a while, but I think I'll wait on that, because the book is absolutely gigantic (my copy is over a thousand pages long, seriously). 1984 I'll definitely read sooner. I wasn't going to buy it at first, but I saw a used copy of it that was still in good condition, so I just went ahead and bought it. I've heard a lot of good things about it, and I've been putting off getting a copy of it forever, so it's nice to have finally gotten it. Yay for books.

When I got home, I realized I had to work on some sort of loose schedule of classes that I want for next quarter. Again, I have no idea why we're being forced to do this so early, but whatever. I'm keeping a sharp eye on all of my classes; I know the stupid online sign-up system a lot better now, so I'll be able to avoid any nasty surprises like I did last time, where I had to rearrange my schedule like five times.

My preferred list of classes for next quarter are: Communication Ethics (I have only a faint idea of what the class is about, and it sounds kind of hard, but it's a requirement for my major), Advocacy and Argument (debate, basically), Introduction to Modern Fiction (yay) and Beginner's Tennis (double yay, even though I'm stuck in beginner's level...I've probably regressed to that level after not having played for so long, though). Hopefully my ideal schedule won't be completely destroyed by a bunch of students snatching up the classes that I want. Especially not tennis, because that will be a perfect relaxation class, and I could use one of those.

So there you go, I had to get all of the boring out of my system and onto here. Hope I didn't infect you with it or anything. Before I forget, I'm going to end the lyrics game now and post up the results:

HC - 51
Tony - 22
Aleia - 8
Alan - 3
Sarah - 2
Wondershot - 2
Blinky - 2
Doc - 2

Once again, HC just kicked the collective asses of all of you lazy bums. Better luck next time, I guess. Here's the complete list of songs, even though most of them are named down below lol.

1. Weird Al Yankovic - Nature Trail to Hell
2. Franz Ferdinand - Darts of Pleasure
3. The Offspring - Self Esteem
4. Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused
5. The Blood Brothers - Every Breath Is A Bomb
6. The Clash - The Guns of Brixton
7. The Shins - Mine's Not a High Horse
8. At the Drive-In - Star Slight
9. Suicidal Tendencies - Tap Into the Power
10. David Bowie - Panic in Detroit
11. Nirvana - Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
12. Scarling - Alexander the Burn Victim
13. The Ramones - Chain Saw
14. Modest Mouse - Dark Center of the Universe
15. The Beatles - Happiness is a Warm Gun
16. Radiohead - Knives Out
17. Ween - Buenas Tardes Amigo
18. Queens of the Stone Age - Mosquito Song
19. Oingo Boingo - Weird Science
20. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Upside Down
21. Big Black - Kasmir S Pulaski Day
22. Melvins - At a Crawl
23. The Doors - The End
24. Soundgarden - Superunknown
25. Curve - Turkey Crossing
26. Foo Fighters - Everlong
27. The Tea Party - Psychopomp
28. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
29. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Rifles
30. Sex Pistols - Liar
31. AFI - Miseria Cantare (The Beginning)
32. Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
33. Pixies - Planet of Sound
34. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
35. Muse - Space Dementia
36. The Exies - My Goddess
37. Alice in Chains - Frogs
38. Jack off Jill - Cinnamon Spider
39. Sonic Youth - Little Trouble Girl
40. Bob Dylan - Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee
41. Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick
42. - Audioslave - I Am the Highway
43. The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
44. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Part One)
45. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic
46. Beck - Devil's Haircut
47. Rage Against the Machine - No Shelter
48. The Amps - Dedicated
49. System of a Down - Jet Pilot
50. Zeromancer - Neo Geisha
Comments (11) | Permalink

Monday, January 31, 2005

Adaptive Structuration
I was going to do Shinmaru vs. The World tonight, but I'm honestly too mentally wiped out at the moment to do it very well. I think if I forced it out tonight it would end up being a half-assed piece of crap, and since the Daily Posting Contest is over, I'm not allowed to half-ass things anymore :P

The combination of having the flu (though I have gotten progressively better) and spending about six or seven hours today studying and doing homework (which is a lot for me, let me tell you) and about four hours doing the same yesterday...yeah, I'm not feeling too hot at the moment. Not as bad as I felt on Friday (I felt like absolute shit on Friday), but still not that hot. So, I think you'll all forgive me for skipping out on it this one time :)

Monday is back to school day. I'll have lots of time to read, loaf around and do random bits of studying there. I think I'm overdoing it a tad right now, but my classes have been a notch or two tougher than my classes last quarter, so I kind of feel like I have to try that much harder to do well on them. Still not worried about the tests, though. I figure if I study enough, I'll do decently well on them. That's all I can hope for, really.

Besides, once you start worrying, everything else gets shot to hell. At least, that's how it is with me. If I'm constantly worrying about something, then I won't be able to do it very well. I have to go into something with the mindset that I'm giving it my best shot, and it'll be good enough for me to score well. And if it's not, well, the test can shove the score up its stupid ass for all I care. Bastard test.

Anyway. I'll be glad once all of this testing and crap is done for. I'm just glad that I only have one mid-term a day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. If I had to take two in one day, I think my mind would collapse and a black hole would be created. And then where would you all be??

Well, you'd still all be visiting here. I'm sure that I wouldn't let a tiny thing like the complete and utter destruction of my mind keep me from posting here. You'd probably get gems like "having ur mind collapse into a black hole sux!1!1111!!1!!1!!11" and then I'd ramble on for twenty-five minutes about cheese biscuits and throwing mustard at sheep.

So, yeah. Wish me luck, and hope that my mind doesn't destroy itself!!
Comments (11) | Permalink

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Absalom, Absalom!
I have a strange love for the more absurd things in life. I think that's pretty obvious, or else I would not do Shinmaru vs. The World every week. The absurdities of life are just hilarious. Moreso if you don't try to think about them too much, because your mind will snap like a brittle twig if you try that.

Anyway. I was coming home from school yesterday, and one of life's little absurdities drove by me in the space of a few seconds. There was this woman, a housewife-looking lady. Conservative haircut, thick black glasses, pink shirt, and whatnot. Horrible stereotyping, to be sure, but whatever. She wasn't some gangsta chick with a bandana and tattoos up and down her body, either.

And that's a nice segue to the next part of the tale. I notice that she's driving an SUV (more proof of her inherent housewifeyness). Nothing really wrong with that, except that SUVs are big and they emit more gas than an entire season of Ren and Stimpy. But then I looked down at the wheels of her SUV, and what did I see?

Spinning rims.

Yes, you read right, she had SPINNING RIMS on her wheels. I like how after that I've basically ignored my own advice, because I can't get that image out of my mind. It's just so funny. It makes me wonder if businesswomen drive around in low riders and randomly blare out "La Cucaracha" when they honk their horns. But in a random attempt to get it out of my head, I wrote a 55 Fiction about it. Did it work? Well, not really, but I did get an amusing story out of it. Plus, I'd been wanting something to write about lately, anyway.

And then later on, after I've told Sennen about it in his myOtaku comments, Alex posted this...

Over the summer, I was pulling into the Hollywood Video parking lot, and I noticed this very dainty-looking woman coming out from the nail/hair salon a few stores down. And when I say "dainty-looking," I mean DAINTY-LOOKING.

High-heels, tiny purse, her arms almost in a 90-degree angle, tight, brightly-colored clothing...

Dainty-looking.

Guess what vehicle she gets into?

A Hummer.

A HUMMER.

That is likewise funny. I can just imagine this obscenely waifish woman climbing into this massive Hummer. The image is just hilarious. It would probably take most of the strength I have to stifle the laughter that would be begging to come out of me if I saw that. Especially if she could just barely see over the steering wheel, or something.

Actually, if that were to happen, I don't think I could hold in any laughter. Then I'd probably get run over by her Hummer (again, assuming she could see over the steering wheel), but at least I would die laughing.

And, finally, after looking at some of the comments on the article I wrote, I noticed that a couple of people informed me that, yes, there are fangirls in addition to fanboys! I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true. However, I chose to refer to that nice group of crazies with the all-inclusive term 'fanboys' for a few reasons:

1) Saying 'fanboys and fangirls' would get really annoying after a while. I decided to pick a gender and stick with it.

2) I wasn't about to use some bullshit PC-catchphrase like 'fanpeople' or something. If I did that, I'd have to drag my ass out to my backyard and shoot myself in the head.

3) I figured that women wouldn't want to be associated with fanboys in any way, shape or form. Apparently I was wrong.

So, yeah. Just some nice little things to chuckle at while life strings me along throwing random events every which way. Absurdities provide plenty of amusement, whether they come in the form of midget dogs trying to pick fights with gigantic dogs, snow in Las Vegas, or Thanksgiving.

I'm sure that you guys have seen some pretty absurd things in your lives. What are some of the more absurd things you've seen? Share the amusement with your friends.

Anyway, things are going well on this end of the world. I have mid-terms coming up, but for only three classes, I think, because it doesn't look as if we'll have a mid-term for English. That's a life saver. And the one I'll need to study most for, Info Gathering and Writing, is the last one I'll be taking. I must have made someone really happy.

Also, I caught up with an old friend of mine from high school who also goes to Cal Poly Pomona. Didn't get to chat with him for too long, but hey. I'll probably see him again sometime. Also, there's this girl in my Philosophy class that I've become friends with, though we've only talked in class lol. She's a nice person (and cute, admittedly), regardless. Perhaps something will come of this?

Hah, probably not. Watch as the powers of optimism and cynicism wage war in the mind of Shinmaru~!
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Thursday, January 27, 2005

We didn't see anything...ever.
I wasn't going to update today, but the article I wrote is finally up!! It's really your standard "fanboyism sucks, support all of the game consoles so we have a shitload of games!!1!11!!111" article, but it's just meant to be a nice read, not be really in-depth or anything. Plus, I have to get used to writing articles again, so I can make the really neat ideas I have (and I have a couple of them) as great as possible.

So, yeah. Read it if you have the time, vote on it if you wish, and comment if you'd like.

In other news, I'm sick, I have a headache, I'm so tired that I feel like a zombie, my back hurts quite a bit, and I have tons of homework and studying to do because mid-terms are coming up. YES!!!!! Boy, is life great right now, or what? [/sympathy]

And now...to procrastinate!

EDIT: WATER IS THE DRINK OF THE GODS~!

Oh, and there are still a few songs waiting to be gotten down there. Points, everyone, points!!

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Comments (10) | Permalink

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Lillies Dying
Philosophy was fun. Got some papers back that I did well on, and other things happened, and I feel pretty damn good right now. So, I decided to bring back a time-honored myOtaku tradition that first appeared on either Arcadia or terra's myOtaku, I can't remember which. Anyway, it's the lyrics game, because I love that game so, so much. Only this time, I can stretch it out a bit, since I don't have to update every day. Hurrah! I'll likely keep it open until Monday unless all of the songs are miraculously answered for before then.

In the spirit of the Nifty Fifty thread at OB (which those registered at OB had darn well better be voting in), I'll be posting lyrics to fifty songs, by fifty different bands and artists. Yep, no repeat bands in this bunch, though I'm surprised that I actually listen to fifty different bands. So, yeah, it's possible (but not likely) that a person could earn a total of 100 points, and be proclaimed the geekiest music lover in all the land. And, of course, you have to get to a song/artist first in order to score points for it. Songs and artists are all worth one point each. Yay.

Have at it, everyone! Some of these are easy, and some of these are difficult, I guess. Depends on what music you listen to :p (And, by the way, no cheating, you cheaters. We're working on the Honor System, here.)

EDIT: Stealing an idea from Mitch, I'm going to strikethrough the lyrics that have already been guessed. If one has a ? in the description, that means that particular part of it hasn't been guessed correctly yet. I'll half strike the songs that aren't completed.

Everyone can feel free to chime in with the "Oh, I should have gotten that one!" comments :p

1. Coming this Christmas to a theater near you
The most horrifying film to hit the screen
There's a homicidal maniac who finds a Cub Scout troop
And he hacks up two or three in every scene

Weird Al Yankovic - Nature Trail to Hell

2. You are the latest adventure
You're an emotion avenger
You are the devil that sells her
Light or dark, fantastic passion

Franz Ferdinand - Darts of Pleasure

3. We make plans to go out at night
I wait till 2 then I turn out the light
All this rejection's got me so low
If she keeps it up I just might tell her so

The Offspring - Self Esteem

4. You hurt and abuse tellin' all of your lies
Run around sweet baby, Lord how they hypnotize
Sweet little baby, I don't know where you've been
Gonna love you baby, here I come again

Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused

5. We've watched it all from the window ledge...
The nurses offer their condolences...
Tongues flapping I can't make out your tone
Our hearts beat in slow motion

The Blood Brothers - Every Breath Is a Bomb

6. When the law break in
How you gonna go?
Shot down on the pavement
Or waiting on death row

The Clash - The Guns of Brixton

7. You've got them all on your side
That just makes more for doubt to slaughter
"I never knew he thought that!"
I heard you say falling out of the van

The Shins - Mine's Not a High Horse

8. Sailing all alone, guided by starlight
Nowhere is my home
Inside of my mind
We've paid that shoeshine boy
Whose buff has no smile
He spits on your tip-toes

At the Drive-In - Star Slight

9. Stare at the wall, it doesn't move, must think it's bad
But I'll prove who is harder
It makes no sense, at least to you
But who's to say, I refuse
Refuse to be a martyr

Suicidal Tendencies - Tap Into the Power

10. He looked a lot like Che Guevara
Drove a diesel van
Kept his gun in quiet seclusion
Such a humble man

David Bowie - Panic In Detroit

11. It's so relieving to know that you're leaving as soon as you get paid
It's so relaxing to hear you're asking wherever you get your way
It's so soothing to know that you'll sue me, this is starting to
Sound the same
I miss the comfort in being sad

Nirvana - Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle

12. But when he sleeps I hope he's okay
But when he drinks he hits on you
And when he sleeps I know he's okay
'Cause when he dreams he's someone new

Scarling - Alexander the Burn Victim

13. Texas chain saw massacre
They took my baby away from me
But she'll never get out of there
She'll never get out of there

Ramones - Chain Saw

14. Well, died sayin' something, but didn't mean it
Everyone's life ends, but no one ever completes it
Dry or wet ice, they both melt and you're equally cheated
Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am

Modest Mouse - Dark Center of the Universe

15. She's well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand
Like a lizard on a window pane
The man in the crowd with the multicoloured mirrors
On his hobnail boots

The Beatles - Happiness Is a Warm Gun

16. I want you to know
He's not coming back
He's bloated and frozen
Still there's no point in letting it go to waste

Radiohead - ?

17. Cinco de Mayo's on Tuesday
And I hoped we'd see each other again
You killed my brother last winter
You shot him three times in the back

Ween - Buenas Tardes Amigo

18. Fat and soft, pink and weak
Foot and thigh, tongue and cheek
You know I'm told they swallow you whole
Skin and bone

Queens of the Stone Age - Mosquito Song

19. My creation
Is it real
It's my creation
Ooh my creation
It's my creation

Oingo Boingo - Weird Science

20. We're moving 'round and 'round
Can't hear a single sound
And when I hit the ground
I heard a ringing sound

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Upside Down

21. Saw something go wrong today when along, when a car went by
Grey car blew up today when along, when a car went by
Never thought it really happened that way
Never thought it really happened that way
Never thought it really happened that way

Big Black - Kasmir S Pulaski Day

22. Crawling blue mice bore holes through my walls
You were the best thing in my life 'til now
Heater moves, puts warmth in my heart
And stops without a word

23. Lost in a Roman...wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane, All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah
There's danger on the edge of town

The Doors - The End

24. If you don’t want to be seen
Well you don’t have to hide
And if you don’t want to believe
You don’t have to try to feel alive

Soundgarden - Superunknown

25. All my friends are English
I heard you say that
And you stand beyond reproach
With everything considered
You don't think you've done badly for yourself
You should consider it an honour
I'm finished with you please be finished with me

Curve - Turkey Crossing

26. Come down and waste away with me, down with me
Slow how, you wanted it to be, I'm over my head, out of her head she sang
And I wonder when I sing along with you if everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again

Foo Fighters - Everlong

27. A frozen sun
Will guide you there
As shadows hide
The deep despair

The Tea Party - Psychopomp

28. She shines
In a world full of ugliness
She matters when everything is meaningless

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile

29. I see the rifles coming over the hill
And if you shout maybe they stop and won't kill
But if you think like me
You'll be as dead as he

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Rifles

30. I know where you go everybody you know
I know everything that you do or say
So when you tell lies
I'll always be in your way

31. Nothing, from nowhere, I am no one at all
Radiate, recognize, one silent call
As we all form one dark flame

AFI - Miseria Cantare (The Beginning)

32. You were my mechanical bride
Phenobarbidoll
A manniqueen of depression
With the face of a dead star

Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals

33. I had a talented wine
That land o' classical gas
And on the planet of glass
They sent me skipping through time

Pixies - Planet of Sound

34. Relax
I need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

35. You'll make us wanna die
I'd cut your name in my heart
We'll destroy this world for you
I know you want me to feel your pain

Muse - Space Dementia

36. I was knee deep in a sick love
I was cross eyed under your drug
Schizo savior, mad messiah
Fatal worship you inspired

The Exies - My Goddess

37. What does friend mean to you?
A word so wrongfully abused
Are you like me, confused
All included but you

Alice in Chains - Frogs

38. A witch will burn
When she's thrown into the fire
Not her she'll peel and writhe
But never expire

Jack Off Jill - Cinnamon Spider

39. (Sha la la) You taught me how to fit it good
(Sha la la) Flow down life you understood
(Sha la la) Curl my hair and eye lash
(Sha la la) Hitch my cheeks and do my lips

Sonic Youth - Little Trouble Girl

40. Well, they're goin' to the country, they're goin' to retire
They're takin' a streetcar named Desire
Lookin' at a window with a pecan pie
Lot of things they'd like they would never buy

Bob Dylan - Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee

41. I feel bad, and I've felt worse
I'm a creep, yeah, I'm a jerk
Come on
Touch me, I'm sick

42. Pearls that swim the rift of me
Long and weary my road has been
I was lost in the cities
Alone in the hills

43. Thirty notes in the mailbox
Will tell you that I'm coming home
And I think I'm gonna stick around
For a while so you're not alone

The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

44. Those evil natured robots - they're programmed to
Destroy us - She's gotta be strong to fight them -
So she's taking lots of vitamins - cause she knows that
It'd be tragic if those evil robots win - I know
She can beat them -

Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Part One)

45. Well now don't you tell me to smile
You stick around I'll make it worth your while
Got numbers beyond what you can dial
Maybe it's because I'm so versatile
Style profile I said
It always brings me back when I hear 'Ooh, child'

Beastie Boys - Intergalactic

46. Something's wrong 'cause my mind is fading
And everywhere I look there's a dead end waiting
Temperature's dropping at the rotten oasis
Stealing kisses from the leperous faces

Beck - Devil's Haircut

47. The main attraction - distraction
Got ya number than number than numb
Empty ya pockets son; they got you thinkin that
What ya need is what they sellin
Make you think that buyin is rebellin

Rage Against the Machine - No Shelter

48. If you wore one big mask
You'd never get a chance to kick ass
Demons in the spring
I can hear them sing
"I'll be coming"

The Amps - Dedicated

49. My horse is a shackled old man
His, his remorse, was that he couldn't survey
The skies, right before
Right before they went gray

System of a Down - Jet Pilot

50. From the bottom
Of my inflatable heart
I'll give you one chance to pray
For a happy end that doesn't exist
For a goodbye that's never been kissed

Zeromancer - Neo Geisha
Comments (19) | Permalink

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

I'm finished with you, please be finished with me.
Hey, I'm going to update on consecutive days! I'm putting off the RE4/ED post for now, because I don't have the energy to do something that in-depth tonight. I think that I'll save it for the weekend, when it will be guaranteed that I'll be doing nothing at all. I'll have plenty of time to do it then!!

So, I'm just here to talk about my college quarter right now. It's been a mixed bag so far. For one, there's been a lot more work, and there's just going to be more. Since I'm lazy, I don't like work. However, I've been able to keep up, and it's not been too much trouble yet. Plus, I probably needed college to give me a boot in the ass ala Bart Simpson and the Australians.

Info Gathering and Writing is my least favorite class so far. I'll be learning valuable skills, such as how to research correctly, how to best conduct interviews, etc. but the class sessions fluctuate between semi-interesting and unbelievably boring. It doesn't help that our primary textbook is amazingly dry, and an all-around terrible read. Seriously, our main text makes math textbooks look like Heart of Darkness.

But oh well. Can't drop it, because it's required for my major, and I'd end up having to take it anyway. So, I might as well get it over with now, so I can laugh at everyone who decides to take it later. "Info Gathering and Writing? Have fun, loser." And then I can interview them after classes about how much fun they're having in the class. That's where my first punch in the face will come from, and I will be a real journalist at last.

English is decent enough. I can tell that the class will tighten up my writing style, which in all honesty it's needed pretty badly, but the essay writing is sort of meh. I like the in-class stuff, because it's a nice challenge to finish them up in less than an hour, and to do them well. But essays at home? Hate them, unless the subject matter is really interesting.

The topics we got for our first home essay were just...eh. I wrote a rough draft yesterday, and it came out kind of average. I made my point in it, but the writing was really sloppy. Lots of extraneous words, sentences, and whatnot. Silver lining, though, it's another thing that's led me to realize that my writing could use some retooling. I've always been terrible at self-revision, but our professor knows what she's doing when it comes to that, so hey. I can swallow my pride and admit that my writing can be crap at times if it helps me to improve.

And all of that other inspirational stuff that people love so much.

Introduction to Communication Theory is pretty neat. The different communication theories in our textbook are interesting, and our professor shows some great movie clips to help everyone understand the gist of everything. When you get shown clips of Office Space and Saving Private Ryan, you know you have a pretty cool class. Lots of group interaction, too, to help ol' Shinmaru get over his stigma with group work.

For those who don't know, I'm usually the quiet guy who sits around, lets people argue, and chimes in when things are just about hopeless. I'm starting to become a bit more assertive, though, making suggestions, throwing around ideas, and *gasp of the gods* volunteering in class.

Ha. I sound so lame. The little victories, people, the little victories. Cherish them when they come.

Introduction to Philosophy is easily my favorite class. The discussion is fun, all manner of viewpoints are welcome (the class is dominated by Christians, but these are the nice Christians who bake cookies for people and that you never see on the news, not the crazy Jerry Falwell-type Christians who make you want to jump out of a window), and the assignments are quite cool.

Plus, movies!! Watching movies = fun. Analyzing movies for class = surprisingly fun. Essay writing for said movies = happy, happy Shinmaru. The Being John Malkovich essay was great, and the Blade Runner essay should likewise be fun. And then we have The Matrix and Crimes and Misdemeanors afterwards. Fun stuff. Plus, the books aren't too bad. A bit dry on occasion, but nothing too bad.

There's also more that I like in the class, but I'm too lazy to expand on that particular thought. Plus, I like suspense, except that there will be no payoff for this suspense. Or will there be? I don't know!! It's too suspenseful to tell!!
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Monday, January 24, 2005

Saucer-Like
Ah, back from the two day sabbatical. How many of you missed me? Two? Sounds about right. I decided to change my avatar a while ago, just because. My avatar is of Toni Halliday, who is the lead singer of the band Curve. In my opinion, she is not only very beautiful (though there was a better picture of her on Google, but it was too small for me to use), but she has what might be my favorite singing voice ever. Tony, James, and Wondershot know what I'm talking about.

Anyway! I'm back, and am I ever itching to write this post. Those couple of days off did wonders, I tells ya.

Oh man. Resident Evil 4 is abso-freaking-lutely nuts. I've not gotten nearly as much time as I'd like to play it, because of various things that I've had to busy myself with, but damn. I was impressed as hell with the game in the beginning, and now I'm just in awe of it. Quite frankly, so far, it doesn't merely beat out Eternal Darkness as my favorite game on the GameCube, but it also gives it a nice bitchslap upside the head and kicks some dirt in its face as it wriggles on the ground. And coming from a guy who loves Eternal Darkness, that is mighty huge praise.

I think for my next post I might do a comparison between RE4 and Eternal Darkness. They're both horror games, but they have different styles, so I think it would be a fairly interesting comparison. It'd make for a cool post, at the very least.

My brother's pretty far into the game, a hell of a lot farther than I am, actually. Middle school must not be working him hard enough :P Watching him, though, he's got a real knack for this game. He's awesome, I'd say he's better than me at it, actually. Just watching him shotgun a couple of enemies to create some space, and then pull out a rifle and snipe the heads off of enemies spread across the room in the space of a few seconds...damn. He makes his brother so proud ;_;

I'm not surprised that he's so good at it, though. He's always been at least decent at action titles, while I'm usually better at the more cerebral titles, like Zelda, for instance (not to say that RE4 isn't a cerebral title, by the way, it's just more action-based). He's come a long way, however. His progress in gaming skill is a lot like mine, I think. I remember that when I first played, I was awful. I mean, god awful lol. As I played more, I started getting better and better, and now I'm at the point where I'm at least pretty good at most games I play. My brother's starting to get to that point, as well. Brings a tear to my eye, it does.

One more thing I have to mention about RE4 before I start Shinmaru vs. The World...the bosses are insane. These are some disgustingly designed, intimidating sons of bitches. None of them have been frustratingly difficult thus far, but they can beat the hell out of you if you don't know what you're doing. Did I mention the gross-out level? I'm pretty sure those who have played the game, or want to play the game, know by now that you fight the Village Elder...good god, what a nightmare he is lol. I won't describe him, so as not to spoil anything, but I'll just say that my reaction to the fight in the beginning was something close to "*jaw drops* ...oh, shit O_o"

Oh, yeah, I remember saying once that the game wasn't really that scary...I recant that statement lol. The game definitely gets pretty nerve-racking later on. It's an awesome combination of cheap thrills (like the ones you'd find in earlier RE games), and more cerebral scares (using lighting, setting and sound to build the mood, etc.). I love it. LOVE it. Even if it scares the hell out of me at times, because I have an overactive imagination lol.

Okay the lovefest is over, people. It's time for the bitchfest to start - let the good times roll.

First article can be read here.

Serb conman's Aussie Bruce trick

Did it fail somehow? I can't imagine why it would.

A Serbian conman has discovered not everyone called Bruce is Australian.

And not everyone who is Australian is called Bruce. It works both ways!

Goran Markovic had successfully passed himself off as Hollywood actor Bruce Willis until he was caught using a fake Australian passport and accent instead of an American one.

"Crikey! Do you know where the Outback is, mate? I have a gig to get to with my crappy band, and stereotypical accent."

Willis lookalike Markovic, 46, used several forged papers in his cons but made his critical mistake when he linked the name Bruce with Australia's invasion of Hollywood.

Australia doesn't run Hollywood...yet.

"I thought he was Australian, all the rest in Hollywood seem to be from there," he told police.

Yeah, man, those Australians are really taking over Hollywood right now. It's like every major actor who has made a hit movie in America lately is from there.

Markovic used his resemblance to Willis to get into exclusive clubs and events, claiming he was on holiday in the region.

"Yeah, spending all your time hopping into kangaroo pouches gets boring after a while. I needed a break from it."

He even started stealing cars and used the resemblance to Willis to get police to not look too closely at the paperwork.

So celebrities do get preferential treatment from the law! I'm so disillusioned.

But he was caught after getting underworld contacts to forge him an Australian passport and tried to use it to get out of trouble when he was pulled over by police at a routine roadside check in the southern Serbian town of Pirot.

Ironically enough, they just wanted his autograph.

When asked for his ID Markovic, who was wearing dark sunglasses and a cap, told them he was Bruce Willis and handed over the Australian passport which even had a picture of the real star.

"Here you are, ignore the fact that I only vaguely look like my passport."

But police immediately arrested him when they saw the passport was Australian.

"Uh...I'll give you my autograph? <_< ... >_>"

A further check revealed the car he was driving was stolen and an ensuing investigation linked him to other car thefts.

"...I know where Demi Moore lives, I'll take you to her house if you let me off the hook."

"When we pointed out the mistake he had to admit he wasn't the real thing," a police spokesman said.

But they still got his autograph, anyway. He's going to be a mini-celebrity after this stunt.

"He said he thought that Willis, like Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson and Nicole Kidman, was Australian.

BUT HE WAS WRONG. OWNED~!

"He did look like him, but it was the Australian accent that gave it away."

He should've just said that Butch from Pulp Fiction had an Australian accent. They wouldn't have known the difference, probably.

---

Next article can be read here.

New Technology Hopes to Help Teens Behind the Wheel

It's called 'the bus'.

It's no secret that teens are not the safest behind the wheel of a car, but there's a local company who thinks they've come up with a way to keep teens from coming to a crashing halt.

Five seconds before I burst out laughing at this claim...

What better way to teach kids how to drive then to put them in very realistic situations? So some 15-year olds are going to start learning to drive in cars with loud music, talking friends, and of course, a constantly ringing cell phone.

Just throw them in the car with their parents, they won't know the difference. Hell, that's what it was like when I was driving with my parents lol. Except the friends part, anyway ._.

A ringing cell phone, what teen could resist, even while driving in heavy traffic? It’s a distraction that could lead to the most common accident -- a rear end collision -- a teen's biggest driving mistake. But it's not the only distraction.

If I had a ringing cell phone in my car, I'd chuck it out the window.

With so many distractions to juggle, and very little driving experience, would teens be safer if they were taught to drive in the midst of constant chaos?

Well, this might just be me, but I think that a little area called a "parking lot" would prove sufficient for teens to get some driving experience. I know it sounds like a really radical idea, but hear me out.

Welcome to the latest in technology aimed at doing just that. It looks like a glorified video game, but one that may save your kid's life.

Hey, man, you don't think games have saved lives before? Because of A Link to the Past, I now know exactly what to do if I happen to get transported to a warped caricature of our own dimension.

Plus, don't you know that you can get full training on how to use weaponry from playing DOOM? Sheesh. You adults.

Renee Slick, Ph.D., Psychology Professor: “Put them in situations that we can’t practice in the real world.”

"Unfortunately, that amounts to calm roads with drivers who always let you in when you want to change lanes, and who all drive the speed limit."

From a ringing cell phone at a time when a car pulls out in front of the driver, the simulator is hoping that different scenarios will give kids the chance to decide now the best choice to make before they are confronted with it for real.

"Why does my cell phone sound like the CODEC from Metal Gear Solid? O_o"

"Shut up and drive."

Renee Slick, Ph.D.: “The simulator helps them understand those sorts of scenarios and how their behavior and their choices can impact and perhaps cause a crash.”

"And they get bonus points for running over people! Whee!"

It's an education that could turn out to be priceless should it help reduce the number of teen involved crashes, and possibly lead to more realizations like these...

But it won't.

Mason Payne, Student: “I had a life-threatening experience shifting over, and somebody honks their horn. I almost hit them, and it was like, ‘Oh, I’m checking my blind spot from now on.’”

Obviously, if we save lives like Mr. Payne's here, then this will all be worth it.

---

Last article can be read here.

Reno man taken to hospital after self-castration procedure

Man, I wonder how he got the balls to do that?

*cue rim shot*

A 50-year-old Reno man told authorities he castrated himself to lower his libido and learned of the procedure on the Internet, police said.

That's funny, because I learned how to not do it from the Internet.

Washoe Medical Center officials cited privacy issues on why they could not release any information on the man.

Man, those guys don't want to release the info...what a bunch of pricks.

*cue rim shot*

About 1:30 a.m. Monday, police said the man called 911 and asked for help because he could not stop the bleeding from a self-castration operation.

"Hey, I cut off my balls, and they're bleeding for some reason. A bit of help, bro?"

"...this is Domino's Pizza."

"Whoops, wrong number."

Reno police and medics responded to the man’s home near Brinkby Avenue and Robinhood Drive, and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Okay, this is a very good clue to figuring out who this guy is...just look for the guy on Brinkby Ave. and Robinhood Dr. who's missing his balls.

Hospital officials said the man successfully castrated himself, police reported. No further information was available.

Boy, these guys are being really dickish when it comes to telling the story.

*last rim shot, I swear*

“The man obviously needs some sort of counseling,” Reno police Lt. Ron Donnelly said.

And a new pair.

---

Forgot to mention this at the top, but I've decided to write a few articles, because I think that the Video Game section of theOtaku.com is depressingly sparse. I submitted my first one a couple of days ago, but it's yet to appear on the site that I know of. I have at least two or three more planned, probably more. So, yeah. Woo.
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Friday, January 21, 2005

Every Breath Is A Bomb
I've decided that I'm going to drop out of the Daily Posting Contest. Been thinking about it for a while now, actually, but I think that the contest has run its course for me. It's been a lot of fun, and some of my personal favorite posts have sprung forth from it, but I know when it's time to mosey on into the sunset. I've been appearing on AIM less and less lately, and it's taken me longer and longer every day to update my myOtaku. I don't see my schoolwork doing any favors to my schedule, so I'll be coming on here even less. Though that still means I'll be on here half the time. Hm.

Anyway, I love writing updates, because I like to be creative with this site, but lately it's been a chore more than anything. Half the things I write are fun to write, and fun to read, I hope, but the other half is sort of boring. Writing about your life stays interesting for only so long.

Though I'm quite certain that you all love reading about what I ate on what day, and at what time I shit it out, writing about everyday activities gets monotonous really quickly. I prefer the video game reviews, Shinmaru vs. The World, and whatever completely random stuff I happen to dream up (if only Sonic Blaster were still around to feed me inspiration). I like writing that stuff far more, and I'm sure that you all like reading that stuff far more.

So, yeah. Today's update will be my last true update of the contest. In eight days, provided she keeps up her update schedule, DDG will be the winner of the Daily Posting Contest, and I will change my intro accordingly. I say congrats to her for participating in this, for keeping up with my craziness, and for providing a worthy foil to me. She'll likely win, and she's earned it. ^_^

And thanks to everyone else who participated in the contest, too. I hope it didn't drive any of you to the brink of insanity, and if it did, oh well. You all would have gotten there, eventually. I just helped speed up the process, if only very slightly.

In closing, we must move forward...not backwards, not to the side, not forwards, but whirling, whirling, whirling towards freedom!

*waits for everyone who doesn't care to leave*

Everyone: *walk away slowly*
Comments (10) | Permalink

I got a great performance from me, because I respected me so much.
Hm. This is one of the rare days where I have absolutely nothing to write about. It does seem rather silly to have writer's block for a blog post, though. I think this contest stuff is finally starting to get to me. Maybe. Along with an increased workload due to school, and other such things. I might decide to quietly bow out of the contest eventually. But not right now, I'm not a vegetable quite yet.

There's this assignment I have to do for my Info Gathering and Writing class. We have to tape some sort of interview on television, and show part of it in our class. I figure that most of the other students will be doing some sort of serious interview. The first person who presented did a Larry King interview, for example.

I was thinking about nabbing something from Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Those are interviews of sorts, they serve a specific purpose (i.e. shill as much as possible, and endear the guests to the audience, so that they go out and see the person's movie/buy their book/buy their CD/join their cult), and they're entertaining, if not entirely informative about anything in particular.

But whatever. We're just supposed to say whether the interview is 'good' or not. At the very least, something like this could be a bit interesting. It's not what most people think of when they think of an interview, though it's debatable as to whether or not they're good. You could say they're good if they accomplish their intended purpose, shilling the hell out of stuff. Or maybe they're bad interviews, because they're full of shallow, though highly amusing, anecdotes and information.

Mostly this is just an excuse to show Conan O'Brien during class lol. Also, I don't want to do something like 60 Minutes, Bill O'Reilly, or whatever else. So yeah.

Agh, more writer's block. *attacks it and sends it on its way*

Tired. School's not been doing me any favors lately. I doubt that I have it as bad as others right now, but school is still a bit tiring at the moment. Reading, homework, in-class work, and so on. But, I go on, no use in crying over it for too long. Keep a good perspective on things and all. I have other things that demand my expertise in bitching and moaning, anyway.

Hm. I'm going to cut this post short. I've got a couple of things that I'd like to think about at the moment. Computer saps my thinking, the bastard. It must not interfere. *kills the computer*

Oh no, how will anyone ever see this post? :O!
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Thursday, January 20, 2005

Quite possible. We live long and are celebrated poopers.
I'm in an AIM chat room right now, and the lag is horrendous. I think that this is a sign of some sort. I think...it's telling me to QUIT AIM FOREVER~!

Or maybe not. I think AIM just decided to be dickish. Or maybe it's punishing me for not going on for ungodly amounts of hours like I used to, everyday. A man can only go on so much, AIM! A MAN CAN ONLY GO ON SO MUCH!!

Anyway. Two great, classic Simpsons episodes on earlier today. The episode where Homer joins the Stonecutters, and the episode where Sideshow Bob's parole forces The Simpsons to move to a new town and become 'The Thompsons'. Those two are definitely two of my favorite episodes of The Simpsons.

Watching older episodes of The Simpsons is both great and saddening at the same time. During the first ten seasons or so, you were virtually 100% guaranteed that if you happened to switch onto an episode of The Simpsons, you were in for some hilarious, high-quality stuff. There were no maybes about it, The Simpsons just ruled, and that was it.

The last few seasons...well, I'm not going to totally trash them, as there are a couple of quality episodes here and there, but for the most part the show is just an absolute shell of its former self. This wouldn't be so bad if The Simpsons were merely good or great instead of Godly, but it's just sort of average now. I don't think it's putrid, but there's been a very observable decline in the quality of the writing over the past few years.

Oh well. Poor Simpsons. I can only hope that when the series finally does end it does so with a bang, and not a whimper.

Hm. Barely three weeks into Winter Quarter, and my school's already started selling class schedules for the Spring Quarter. I don't know why they're trying to get me thinking about classes for next quarter, but oh well lol. The only class I know I'll want to take is Tennis. I have to take Beginner's Tennis, though, because they won't let me go into Intermediate. Bastards.

Ah well, I'll probably need more practice by then, anyway. I haven't played in a few months, after all. But it won't take me that long to get back into form...mostly because I remember the basics, and I'm not too proud to abide by them :p And also because I'm not actually that skilled in tennis (I'd say I'm an above-average player, I'd kick your ass if you were just starting, but if you knew how to play you could give me a run for my money).

Do any of you play tennis? If not, then it looks like I'm the best tennis player I know on here. Oh yeah.

I do like to fool around on the court a lot, though. What can I say, tennis is a really easy game to goof off in. I had a friend that I played tennis with for three years in high school, and we played maybe two or three serious games the entire time lol. Tennis is fun to play serious, but like most things, it's more fun when you're just screwing around. Being serious is for squares, anyway.

Yeah, you heard me - squares!!

Also, in front of the Student Center, this one guy was handing out these books that are 'applying the prophecies of the Bible to modern times'. I took one just because I was curious, but I haven't really read it yet. It's obviously a fictionalized account, because these prophecies that the Bible tells of have not come to pass yet, so there's random characters and stuff.

What I did notice is that in the back of the book, there's this ad for 'Armageddon for Beginners' that offers a more detailed explanation of Bible prophecies and how they relate to today's world events. And, of course, all I really see is the 'Armageddon for Beginners,' because I think that's funny. I think they should go the next step, and make 'Armageddon for Dummies'. You know it will happen eventually.

It might, too...the guy handing out the books was asking for a bit of money. He just wanted loose change, like a couple of pennies, but he seemed like a nice guy, so I gave him fifty cents. Yep, I laid out the cash for him there.

THIS JUST IN, IGNORE MY BORING RAMBLING, BECAUSE I HAVE ACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT READY FOR YOU~!!

Yes, because of the actions of one Sennen von Otaku, I have a special edition of Shinmaru vs. The World to do tonight. No banner, because I'm too lazy to fetch it this story needs to head out of the gates right away!! *ignore that the date on the story reads January 12th*

Article can be read here.

New AIDS Campaign Uses Animated Characters

Personally, I think a Got AIDS? campaign would be more effective.

*is booed at by politically correct people*

UNITED NATIONS - A new global campaign to stop the spread of AIDS (news - web sites) uses three animated characters dressed as condoms who deliver a serious message in humorous public service spots in 41 languages: If you're going to have sex, use a condom.

This is the greatest idea ever in the history of mankind. This is so horrible that it can't be anything but amazing.

The short spots are being offered free to broadcasters, community groups and universities and have the potential of reaching 80 percent of the world's population, Canadian producer-director Firdaus Kharas said Tuesday.

In a bitter twist of irony, the University of Southern California has declined to run the ad, saying "we have plenty of Trojans on our campus already, thanks."

"We're using humor to stop the spread of AIDS," he told a news conference launching the public service announcements, which are targeted at people aged 15 to 24 in countries threatened by the epidemic including India, China, Russia, the Caribbean and central Asia.

"If girls are too busy laughing at guys to accept their sexual advances, then AIDS won't spread! It's so simple!!"

"The Three Amigos" — as the cartoon condoms named Shaft, Stretch and Dick are called — are pictured in a variety of settings from a spaceship to a soccer field to a casino. Twenty different spots are available in each of the 41 languages varying from 20 to 60 seconds in length. Some spots are blatantly sexual, others more restrained.

*after five solid minutes of laughing*

Shaft, Stretch and Dick. Whoever thought of that needs to be a millionaire. My god would I love to see these in America lol. It'd be the greatest thing ever, not just because these sound so horribly hilarious, but also because they would cause an absolute uproar. It would be the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life.

Of course, it'd be kind of ass-backwards for Jerry Falwell to complain, since he's sort of already a dick, and we've been putting up with him for years.

The punch line in the spaceship spot says: "No condom, No blastoff. Stop the spread of AIDS." The soccer spot says: "You just can't score without a condom." And the spot focusing on a roulette wheel in a casino says: "Not all gamblers realize the odds stacked against them. Don't gamble with your life. Use a condom. Stop the spread of AIDS."

Dude. A guy could make a killing writing up these lol.

Movie Theater - "AIDS doesn't give a crap if it's dark and nobody can see you. Use a condom. Stop the spread of AIDS."

Zoo - "Stop thinking about the animals that way, and use a condom. Stop AIDS."

School - "So Mrs. Robinson is trying to seduce you? Don't be a fuckhead, wear a condom. Stop the spread of AIDS."

Nuclear Wasteland - "You're already going to be exposed to all sorts of radiation - you'll likely mutate down there, as well. Don't make it any worse than it has to be. Wear a condom. Stop the spread of AIDS."

And so on.

Kharas said the idea for the spots came from his co-producer, South African film writer Brent Quint, who believes that AIDS is "a preventable disease," and that using animated figures and humor can get across the message that condoms are essential for safe sex.

If this works, Shaft, Stretch and Dick will be the most important historical figures ever.

The spots are currently being shown in South Africa, Canada and the Netherlands and have already won 25 international awards and a strong endorsement from South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who called them "a powerful communicating tool to encourage people to change their behavior."

Stupid Canadians, getting the luxuries of being informed about safe sex by cartoon characters before us...

Frequent playing of the spots "has the potential to capture the imagination of young people through humor, the portrayal of situations to which they can easily relate and the portrayal of characters who express what in a normal situation would be too embarrassing to speak of," he said.

"Plus, we can say 'Dick' on TV! Whee! =D"

Asked how the spots had been received in the United States, where the Bush administration is promoting abstinence rather than condom use, Kharas said arguing about abstinence vs. condoms "is sterile" because 5.3 million people got the HIV virus (news - web sites) last year.

HAHA STERILE I GET IT LOL~!

"I think we need to do everything possible to prevent the spread of AIDS," he said.

"Fuck Bush. Bring him on, I say. He can take his monkey face, and stick it. Just cram it deep up his ass. Condom use will take over the world, we'll stop the spread of AIDS, and we WILL commercialize our characters! Because, damn it, is it not the dream of every human being to make millions of dollars off the use of cartoon characters named 'Shaft,' 'Stretch,' and 'Dick'?! We will be victorious. America won't know what hit it."

Kharas said the United States isn't a primary target for the campaign though spots have already been requested by a number of universities.

"Sorry, disregard what I just said, you're all going to die from AIDS."

He said some countries have been "touchy" about the spots, but he insisted that everyone should be able to find several that are acceptable. He noted that in South Africa, which has large Hindu and Muslim minorities, only two complaints had been received.

One of those was from a commercial that featured Apu from The Simpsons, and the other was one with Malcolm X.

"The Three Amigos" was conceived and written in South Africa. The characters, props and layouts were designed and created in Canada, and the background and animation was done in India, Kharas said. More than 320 people volunteered to support the project.

So, does that mean that Shaft, Stretch and Dick are all Canadian? Wow.

EDIT: Survey, w00t.
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