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Bitch just got finished. Now to go play TF2 in celebration. With any luck my anthropology prof will tell me to just skip the final Thursday since I'll be finishing with an A no matter what.
only have to write ONE more section then flesh out intro and conclusion, write an abstract... god dammit all it's due fucking tomorrow why can't I just get my ass in gear?
So yeah, in case it isn't obvious, I'm one of Anonymous. I've been at every Seattle protest so far, and will be at the June 14th one. I'm browsing around, checking shit out, and then I see that post.
Read it. I'll give you a few moments.
Back? Good.
That scared the ever-living shit out of me. At the first one, I was ready for anything up to and including a full-scale riot. I got an incredibly peaceful protest and met all sorts of people. I attended the March, April, and May protests, and each one was peaceful and uneventful (well, except for some asshole rent-a-cops in May replacing the truly helpful ones we had April). And now, I see that.
Somebody ran up and assaulted a man with no provocation, simply because he was exercising his right to free speech.
And the cops didn't care.
The cops cared more about somebody being "secretly" taped (protip: it ain't a secret if you ask and are told that you're being taped) than a person being punched in the gut.
The cops cared more about waving at somebody in a car than a person trying to steal a digital camera, breaking the casing in the process.
And when somebody dared question the legality of what was happening, the police responded with threats of charges.
I suppose that I shouldn't be so surprised. I'd read reports and seen videos of countless similar tactics used against critics of Scientology, but never had it been in Seattle. "The Seattle org is timid and small, they won't try anything," I thought to myself. The places where it was happening were the big centers. L.A., New York City, Clearwater. That was where the action was.
Every time I go to a protest, there's a niggling thought in the back of my head. It's doubt. It's a fear that this one will be when shit hits the fan, that this one is where I'll be followed home and fair gamed, that this one is when something will go wrong, and I'll wind up hospitalized or dead. No, that's not an irrational fear, either; the building where every protest has been held so far is on Aurora Ave., which is more or less a four-lane highway. Nothing but two feet of grass separates the sidewalk from the road, and there are no safety barriers.
And now, one of my worst fears has been confirmed. If/when something does go wrong, I can't count on the police to respond appropriately. Yeah, there's been dozens of stories of police abuse, but it's never struck so close to home. I knew two of the people at that raid. I don't know their names, but I've seen 'em unmasked, and they've seen me the same way. For a group that only knows each other by their disguises and the sound of their voice, it's pretty damn intimate.
I suppose I could quit. I could stop protesting, leave the disguise in a dumpster, and get on with my life. But I won't. I'm not going to, because that's what Scientology wants me to do. They want me to ignore their humans rights abuses and the exploitation of their followers, and chuckle as I hear Tom Cruise and think "Oh, he so siwwy, what will he do next?" No, I'm in for the long haul.
So yeah, I suppose I just needed to vent the righteous indignation and outrage I'm feeling, along with the fear. I don't much like to bring in shit like that to GFF, though. Partly because I want to avoid a ban/ridicule, and partly because I don't want to give Scientology another potential lead on who I am (yeah, I know, paranoid), but mostly because I trust this place and the people in it. I've been here longer than any other community, going on 7 years, and I trust that people here don't really need to know why they should avoid Scientology, and I respect that they don't want my views shoved in their face. I just hope this is the last time I have to write like this.
That niggling feeling, though, is telling me it won't be.
So it's President's Day, and in approximately 2 hours 5 minutes from typing this sentence, I will be 21.
I can buy alcohol now. I can do more or less whatever the fuck I want, so long as it's legal. I'm an adult now, with all the rights and privileges inherent in adulthood.
Y'know, it's funny. The more I think about it, the more I agree with the drinking limit. When I was 18, I was an irresponsible little prick. I did whatever the fuck I could to be as lazy as possible, I was going emo over losing my first girlfriend (That's right, motherfuckers. I've been single for 18 years. Best part is that it was a long-distance relationship from day 1 to the end), and generally I was... well, still a kid. Sure, I puffed my chest out and got indignant when people said "Dude, you're not an adult," but the truth is they were right. And most of all, I know that I did not view alcohol with anywhere near the wariness I do now. And I have a DAMN good reason for being wary of alcohol. My entire family has alcoholism running in them. The only reason my dad wasn't an alcoholic is because he was too damn poor to support the habit, but if he went to a bar, he did not leave until he was falling-down drunk. My mother's family was the same way, too. By the time my dad could support a habit, he'd already grown up. He had a daughter to take care of, a job to maintain, and a life.
Still, I dunno. I still feel as if I'm lagging behind everybody. At the age of 21, I'm doing shit that people at the age of 18 have done. As I mentioned before, I've been single until a few years ago, in a relationship that ended disastrously. Hell, I still live with my parents, for fuck's sake. I'm only just now seriously pursuing a degree in a four-year college, and I still have to worry about finishing credits in the community college I'm attending so I can get a transfer degree. The second my sister graduated, she was off to California, to study at Caltech, while the rest of the family moved down to the shithole of Tampa Bay, Florida.
Bah. Ultimately doesn't matter. I'm making a decent living working part-time for Pizza Hut, and I'm going to be moving out soon, and hell, worst comes to worst in terms of love, I'll either turn gay or just stay single. It's not like the family line's depending on me to have a kid or anything.
Hmph... I hate how birthdays make you all introspective and shit. Won't stop me from getting smashed outta my gourd this Saturday, though. Cupcakes & Kegs party for the mother-fucking win.
Okay, so today I took a little delivery to this guy. Wasn't too far, maybe 5-6 minute drive. Anyway, I deliver his pizza, and he pays for his 16.34 order with a 20 and asks for change. I give him 3 bucks back ('cause I didn't have enough spare change to give him full amount, and usually they don't bother with it), and he asks if that's it. I say I'm sorry, but I only have 33 cents and show it to him.
Then the guy asks for that. He freakin' asks for 33 cents to ensure I get the smallest tip possible... when the order was delivered early and I give my usual service (which I have never received a single complaint about)
Okay, this is seriously one of my pet peeves. There is literally no reason beyond a massive fuckup on the driver's part to NOT tip them. Think of it this way: We go out, using our own cars (and our own gas), making minimum wage, and making the drives that YOU don't want to. If your house is 10 minutes away from me, and you don't tip (leaving me with the .85 cents' commission I get for each delivery), then I lose money by delivering your pizza.
And let's be honest. If you don't have ENOUGH for a tip, even 2-3 bucks (no matter the size of the order), then you really shouldn't be ordering pizza to begin with. How about you spend that money on some groceries so you DON'T FUGGIN' STARVE?
It just boggles me how much of a dick people are when it comes to tipping. I've taken orders around 60 bucks to a trailer park 10 minutes away (just getting there) and wound up with spare change as a tip. I've delivered pizzas an hour early and gotten a check for exact change and a door slammed in my face (Checks are a WHOLE other can of worms, trust me). I've had people demand free pizza because they opened the door without expecting me there, and got startled (and the lady who did that eventually grabbed her pizza and slammed the door without giving me so much as a penny).
So the next time you order pizza delivered, remember that the person who is bringing your order is not only a human being, but one that's (9 times out of 10) driving their own damn car and wasting their own damn gas, willing to do what you won't: get off your lazy, fat ass and actually DRIVE for 10 minutes.
Wheee so I got a cold. Went to the doifmjareg DOCTOR yesterday, and he was all like "du-- no SHE was all like "dude it's fine just take some sudafed, robitussin, claritin, and OJ and you'll be FIEN." SO I did.
I popped some PILLZ. Sudafed. SUDEOAIMFSMGAG SUDAFED.
And well asio ntoyn you can see, it makes me LOOPYLOOPYLOOPYLOPPYLOOPY.
Heh... loppy. WTF?
Anyways....[iom aoietmh ]paiemth err... sorry.
I'm hainvig the tiem of me life RIGHT NOW, allllllll HOPPEDC UUP ON SUDAFED.
I think I should get some and take it EVERY FUCKING DAY so that I can be HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HJAPPPY!
And no I am NOT amking this shit UP. I serioulsy seriously get this hyper on Sudafed, and I have NO FUFFGIN CLUE WHY. ERR, FUGGIN.
You should see me leg right now. I swear to dog GOD god GOD GOD GODG DOGDGODGODOGDOGODGODOGDGODGODGODGODGODGODGODGO D that seismologists or whatever the hell is the name for the people who are somehow INTERESTED in watching a bunch of wavy lines that tell when OH SNAPS TEH EARTH QUAKES ARE COMING are goign all "WTF" wifgt now... RIGHT now because my LEG is causing TREMORS IN THE EARTH. IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOUNCY.
Anywoay. I'm about ot get on WoW. Think I should throw some Giygas quotes into RP out of nowhere? SOudns good to me!
NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NESS NES S SNE NSEN SNENSERNSNENSEN OSIUENFOAWERNO PASN RLKG NAWER[OG NAWR [PAW4NY LO[NRGY ;wkn [
WNG P
;r gy]p
MWR GYPKMqe]
g nRM
r QMRGY [
...Soerrey.
AND SUBMI
EDIT: I FOUND OUT YOUR SECRET INFERNAL AHAHAHAHAHAWHAWHAWHAEOTHMAWTHAWHYAWHAWHAwhawhahaha hahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!
*insert Fagdor moment where I post ::deleted 'cause NO BANDS FOR ME KKTHXBAI::*
Cripes, 20 already. One more year and I'll be able to get plastered without worrying about Johnny Law knockin' on my door.
What makes me pissed though is that the present my mom ordered online (HOPEFULLY the Rocko's Modern Life box set I asked for) probably won't arrive tomorrow. Oh well.
This thing... is the sickest, sickest, most perverted thing ever.
I have screamed into a pillow more in 24 hours than I have in my entire life.
OH DEAR LORD:
Voldemort was pacing back and forth in front of a cowering Wormtail.
“It’s time to go spelunking in the special cave, again,” Voldemort said knowingly.
“But Master, the ‘cave’ is dark and… and…” Wormtail nervously stammered. “It’s unnatural!”
...
“Nothing about me is natural,” Voldemort hissed at Wormtail’s hesitation. He threw a very small harness, something that would fit onto a rat, at the animagus’ feet. “Now, transform!”
Wormtail quickly changed into his rat-form and the Dark Lord pulled a cardboard tube, similar to the type from a roll of paper towel, out of his robes.
“You better have clipped your nails this time, Wormtail,” Voldemort threatened as he began to turn around. “I was bleeding for days last time!”
The villain reached down and grabbed the string that was attached to Wormtail’s harness. Then, much to Harry and Hermione’s disgust, Voldemort threw off his robes and revealing his deathly pale and boney arse to them. Voldemort positioned the cardboard tube at his bum and it finally became clear what the Dark Lord and Wormtail were about to do.
Harry cringed as Wormtail scampered into the tube, he could hear the rat’s tiny claws scarping on the inside of the tube.
“Oooh that’s it,” Voldemort cooed in a most disturbing manner as Wormtail disappeared from view into the tube. “Who’s been a good Dark Lord?”
Harry’s blood ran cold as he saw Voldemort’s face tighten, and the villain declared, “That’s right! I’ve been a good Dark Lord! A VERY GOOD DARK LORD!” Harry heard Wormtail squeak in pain
What sealed the deal for me was the fact that I had JUST beat the fifth case (for the third time) as I looked this up.
In other news, I preordered the second Phoenix Wright remake. Japanese version again, obviously. I'll probably wind up buying the American version as a present or something for somebody else. :sneaky:
Also, I'm a bit pumped, because this week, I'm flying down to Las Vegas to meet with a friend I met online. It's gonna be so much fun. I just hope that either Werewolf can be finished before then or I can manage to get internet access so that I can finish up modding the game.
That's about it, though. Mainly just wanted to post about that thread of utter hilarity. =D
Damn, it's been forever since I've written in this thing, and it shows. So much has changed since my last post. To start with:
Work. It's gone from bad to worse. Literally everybody in the store I even remotely like has left or turned in their two-weeks' notice, leaving me surrounded by incompetent workers, people I have no interest in, asshole managers that don't give a shit about me, and a complete lack of caring for the store.
The worst part is that we're understaffed right now, especially with drivers. Last night, both managers were delivering, and had called in somebody from another store to manage in their place. What this means is that the request for a cutback of hours that I needed for unimportant stuff like HOMEWORK has gone out the window. For all of 3-4 weeks, I was working 18-20 hours, closing maybe once a week. Not anymore. It's back up to 26-28 hours, closing twice a week, which can bump it up to around 29-30 hours per week actually worked.
It gets worse, too. The managers have lately seemed to become utterly determined to keep me to finish my schedule no matter what. No deliveries? Sweep the floors and do dishes, then.
Oh, but they don't treat other drivers the same way. No less than three times in the past two weeks, has somebody else been sent home early because there were no deliveries while I was kept to complete my shift.
So I'm working nearly 30 hours a week, attending school on top of that, and because of the extra hours, I basically have all of one day out of the entire week where I can do homework. Needless to say, I'm failing my classes.
I've tried to do some stuff to get out of the place, but no dice so far. I've applied at a different Pizza Hut for a transfer, but it was denied because-- you guessed it-- the store I was in was understaffed. Across the table from me right now is an application for Garlic Jim's, a competitor's rivalry chain. They're basically Pizza Hut in terms of hours and closing, but the comission rate is better and I know better than to say I'm available to close on the application this time. I know it's not a good idea to quit a job within a year because it looks bad on my resume, but it's become such a gigantic stress on my life that I seriously don't care any more. I had a fucking nervous breakdown last Friday and had to go home early, for fuck's sake, and nearly had another last night!
Oh, and classes. I tried to get into three classes this semester, but because an asshole teacher wouldn't give me permission, I was stuck taking two. And to be honest... I hate them both so far. I'm taking a course in the basic concepts of physics (which, coincidentally, is the source of the majority of my homework), and... it's absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. Instead of the professor taking an active role in our education (doing his job in other words), he basically sits there and sets us on experiments. Considering that I learn best in a lecture-based environment, this isn't a good thing for me. And naturally, the notes we take suck ass because not a single person there, including me, knows what the fuck we're doing. The only time I was interested in that class was when a substitute teacher came in, and he showed us some fascinating properties of light refraction.
The other class I'm taking is Critical Reasoning. It's basically a sister course to Introduction to Logic, which I took last quarter, which means that every class I've taken so far has been the exact same as the first time around. Hopefully, though, now that we've gotten the first test over with, we'll actually move into some stuff I haven't covered before.
In other news, I've basically lost all time for World of Warcraft. I've hit 60 on my shammy, and I'm at a dead end. I'm trying to save up for my epic mount by playing the auction house, but it's been going slowly so far. On top of that, I'm trying to get into raiding, and no dice, because the group I was running with went on hiatus unexpectedly, and I don't wanna leave the guild I'm in because a) I'm the only leader in it right now and I don't wanna leave a power vacuum, and b) my first true, actual friend, the kind you share your deepest, darkest secrets with, is the guild master right now.
So... yeah. If I could be bothered to go back and read this thing, I'd say something to the effect of "God damn, this shit is fucking emo," and delete it... but it's a pretty accurate reflection of my state right now.
To be honest, if I hadn't found that friend, I doubt I'd be able to make it through without spending some quality time in an insane asylum for either a complete nervous breakdown or a suicide attempt. =\
So yesterday I was kept for two hours after my scheduled shift for Pizza Hut. I was pretty pissed off because I had plans to, you know, spend time with my family, including my pregnant sister. At around 7:00, I went up and told the night manager (keep in mind that I was opening driver, so I had been in since 10:00 that morning), "I would like to go home now, would you cash me out, please?"
"Sure, just answer these phones quick."
I did so, which took about 15 minutes. After I finished, he was helping some customers, so I waited for him to finish.
"I would like to go home now, please."
"Actually, could you grab cut table quick...?"
OH NO HE DIDN'T.
"No. I would like to go home now."
"You know, [the RGM] told me that I could keep you."
"I don't care what he said. I would like to go home now."
It went on like this for a few minutes (in front of customers, no less), until finally he caved in.
"I would like to go home. NOW."
"FINE! Clock yourself out, NOW. Don't count tips, don't do anything. Just clock yourself out NOW, or I will do it for you!"
Then he went on to rant about how I was a whiny baby because I was asked to stay two hours past my schedule on a day where I had prior plans, and that the RGM thought so too.
And now I get to go in there AGAIN. Where the RGM or the same guy who managed last night will undoubtably want to yell at me. For doing something I had EVERY right, and every REASON to do.
I'm sick of this job, to be honest. All the cool people have left either for another job or another store, there's a bunch of new people in, and they're all stiff necks who don't know shit about how to have the slightest amount of fun on the job (while getting the job done as well), or complete morons.
This week I have to help close, again. The last time I wound up staying two hours past my schedule... with the same guy as last night presiding. All because the moron RGM didn't think "Hey, maybe a cook helping out the closing manager and two drivers would be a good idea!" Especially since it was our BUSIEST NIGHT.
If the same shit as last week goes down, I'm going to change my hours of availability. I did NOT sign up to be there until 2 or 3 in the fucking morning.
And if they give me grief over it, I'll just transfer to a different store. There's one nearby that might be an easier drive for me. Sure, I'd have to learn a new area to drive, but it would be worth it to get away from those two.
Ugh, sometimes I hate life.
UPDATE: Color me surprised. Nobody yelled at me tonight. =o
My sister popped in today while doing errands before she left for Hawaii on business (and pleasure), and we chatted for a bit. While we were talking about the groceries we had picked up, mom mentioned that she had some decaf herbal tea. My sister responded, "That's good. I can't have caffeine anymore because I'm pregnant."
And just like that, I'm an uncle-to-be. Due date is in early February, which is coincidentally around the time that both my sister and I have our birthdays. One hell of a birthday present, neh?
"Happy Birthday To You! Breathe! C'mon, PUSH!"
It's... yet to sink in, really. Once I do, I'll doubtless be quivering like a Jello mold during an earthquake, doubting that I'll be anything approaching a good role model, and wondering if I'm going to turn the kid into a hellion or a spoiled brat.
God, I hate being so insecure sometimes...
EDIT: And before you ask, YES, she IS married. And yes, her husband IS joining her in Hawaii, but not until Thursday.
My boss is trying to get me fired + Delivery Driver's Pet Peeves
Ugh. Worst night EVER tonight.
I come into work, my boss is sitting outside, smoking, and takes one look at me and sends me home to change my pants. I dash there and back (a half-hour drive total), and clock in... and then my boss writes me up. "Why?" I ask. "Because you didn't show up yesterday," he said. I point out that I wasn't scheduled for Thursday, and he shows me a schedule... that has me scheduled for Thursday, and tells me that he hadn't changed the schedule either. I sigh, sign the form, and go about my work.
Then, during a delivery, I'm letting my mind wander, when I notice something about the schedule in my mind's eye: it had nothing under Tuesday.
Tuesday, I was scheduled from 5:30 to 9:00, but I had been called in as an opening driver, and I remembered during the day looking at the whiteboard where we write the day's schedule and seeing myself on it.
After the delivery, I race back, check, and lo and behold, nothing but blank under Tuesday. So, at the VERY least, my boss wrote me up for a bullshit reason (which I was wondering about, since the policy states that no call+no show is an immediate termination, and the guy is a stickler for rules, yet he only wrote me up) AND lied to me about changing the schedule, and at worst, is trying to get me fired. WHY he would do this, though, I have no clue. It's not like I'm a bad worker or anything; hell, I'd go so far as to say I'm one of the better drivers despite my inexperience.
So tomorrow morning I'm going in under the pretense of having lost my hat (because I don't trust anybody in that god damn store anymore, and if my boss IS trying to get me fired, it would be as easy as pointing out to corporate offices that I was a no-show yesterday and changing my status from written up to fired) and looking up the number for HR and disputing this thing.
Enough about office Pizza Hut drama, though, it's time for pet peeves.
Asshole bosses who console you while stabbing you in the back: Err.... yeah. NOW I'm done with that.
CHECKS. I'm throwing my lot in with Tails and Mo0 here. Checks are the MOST ANNOYING GOD DAMN THING EVAR. Not only are they unreliable (some asshole wrote TWO checks for us from a closed account, which means that he basically got free pizza =\ ), but they're a PAIN to process compared to the rest. With cash, it's just shove in the register and take your tip. With cards, it's staple the signed and imprinted receipt to the ticket and take your tip.
With checks, it's endorsing it by stamping the back, writing a T-bar with the driver's license number of the customer (optional, but the boss yells at me if I don't do it), the ticket number, the phone number, and the driver's initials, and grabbing your (usually piddly) tip.
People who get pissed off at the driver for something he had no control over: Yes, I know it's a half hour late. Yes, I'm sorry. Yes, I know I won't get a damn tip, despite having gotten there in under five minutes. The only reason your pizza is late is because some fucktard at the store was sitting out back smoking instead of dispatching drivers.
Related: Yes, I know I had trouble finding your house. Yes, I'm sorry. Yes, I know I won't get a damn tip, despite having gotten there within the promise time. The only reason you're pissed is because your house, which has an address of 20th Street, is on FUCKING KENNEWICK PLACE, AND NO THE STREET SIGN DOES NOT SAY 20TH STREET YOU FAT BITCH.
Apartment complexes: Is it so fucking hard to put your address somewhat clearly on the sign? Seriously, some I've seen have a sign declaring the name of their complex yet have an address this big on it. And ONE sign I've seen doesn't have the address ANYWHERE on the sign. Just the name.
OI.
Areas without street lights: Not only is it unsafe (delivery drivers DO get robbed, ya know), but it makes it hard as fuck to find the house you're looking for because you can't see the address. THESE PLACES ARE WHY I NEED TO HAVE A FLASHLIGHT IN MY CAR AT ALL TIMES.
Houses with similarly colored addresses and walls Uhh... you DO realize that people find your house by address, right? So WHY would you have a tan-colored address, and a house painted a slightly lighter shade of tan?
Poor tippers: The worst case of this was one where I delivered a pizza a full HOUR early, and the guy casually handed the exact amount to me and slammed the door in my face. You know, when you work your ass off to get a pizza to somebody from the oven within five minutes, it sorta gets frustrating to not even get a nod or a "thank you."
Preferably, that nod or "thank you" would be in the form of a five-dollar bill.
So I come in and browse the journals, and see Deni's VG entry. Curious, I snoop around and discover that VG's closed down his journal, Miyomi HAD some entries concerning it but either made them private or deleted them, and the only thing I can piece together is from the comments.
God dammit, I hate missing out on drama.
Seriously, I view this like a game or a good book. It's entertaining as hell to browse around, and figure out the whole plot of the latest bout of drama. I usually don't PARTICIPATE in it, but I sure as hell enjoy it. It's like a whodunit without the murder. =D
After going back to Newgrounds after a good 6 months away (boredom and no GOOD flashes does that), I sat down and watched some of my favorite flashes back from when I was lurking around there. Now, before the newest crash, I had a sig/avatar from this movie, which I liked a LOT.
This new sig/avatar is from the same movie, and I like it even MORE than the old one (if you remember it).
The only reason why I haven't switched now is because I'm eagerly anticipating Infernal's mod abuse. I am his bitch. ;_;
EDIT: I remembered something today.
I went into the arcade for the first time in like a week, and popped in my 50 cents to pwn Virtual On again.
Well... let's just say that with my best character, I lost a round to the second character (Viper II, who is USUALLY pathetically easy), COULD NOT FUCKING HIT Bal-Bas-Bow for shit (eked out a win both rounds, but it was the most challenging fight I've had in a while. STOP JUMPING YOU UTTER FAG), met up with Jaguarandi, whom we affectionately call Big Brother, and got my ass kicked twice (granted, Big Brother is the one guy whom I can never beat, but it's a non-issue because I USUALLY am good enough to skip him).
After class, I tried again, and won, thankfully. But Apharmd (the first guy after BBB) nearly made me lose another round, and I actually LOST a round against Fei-Yen (which is acceptable, since she IS the hardest character outside of the bosses, and may even be harder than Z-Gradt).
Now, Apharmd and Viper II had one thing in common: when they were in CC range and I was on the ground, those FUCKERS spammed the attacks in such a way that I couldn't retaliate. ;_;
I swear to God, they've upped the difficulty on that thing or something, because the computer has ALWAYS been CC-shy before. Sure, they'd counter-attack if you whiffed one and in range, but only Apharmd and Temjin actually actively sought out to do CC (and Temjin... well, let's just say that unless you have a hella good winning streak in versus, he's easy enough for a four-year-old kid playing for the first time to beat).
On the bright side, I'm getting better, too. I've learned a new fake-out with Dorkas' CC that makes his crouching Fireballs worth using, and I'm working on learning his special attack (which I have NEVER been able to pull off for some reason).
One of these days, I need to get a DC/PS2 and find the sequels to these games. ='D
Virtual On is the best game ever, and you know it.
The arcade at my college is pretty shitty. Almost every machine there is broken in some way. Our Tekken 5 machine is a pure ghetto mix of a Tekken 5 and a Tekken 4 screen, where the monitor is messed up so that it cuts off at the edges. Our MvC2 machine is notorious for giving out free games randomly, although they MIGHT have fixed that. Our Soul Calibur 2 machine is utter shit, where it was randomly freezing for NO REASON, and looks like it may be on its last legs. We have some weird-ass Japanese driving sim called Stunt Typhoon Plus, which is... well, it's shit.
Aside from that, we USED to have a Metal Slug 4 machine, which was PURE UNADULTERATED AWESOME, but it got replaced by the Tekken 5 machine. Did I mention that they opted to take out MS4 instead of Revolution X?
Yes, you heard me right. THEY FUCKING KEPT REVOLUTION X OVER METAL SLUG FOUR.
Anyways, we also have a Tekken Tag Tournament machine, which is pure lol for how terrible it looks (SCANLINES AHOY), and aside from that we have a pinball machine that recently had one of the flippers break, and Virtua Tennis, which replaced our older, yet still-working, second SC2 machine. ;_;
Have I mentioned that the face textures in that game are creepy as hell? Seriously, THIS IS THE FACE OF THE ANTI-CHRIST WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
But the one thing we DO have, is a Virtual On machine.
For those poor souls uneducated, it's a game where you play as a giant fucking robot. And you kill other giant fucking robots. And then you kill a BIG-ASS giant fucking robot, who conveniently has a cannon that can practically kill you in one hit. Which looks suspiciously like a dildo. What makes it unique, however, is that it has two joysticks that you use to play with. Both sticks have two triggers, one to dash in a direction and the other to fire your weapons. Each guy has three weapons that are different depending on if you're standing, dashing, jumping (done by pushing the joysticks away from each other), or crouching (done by pushing the joysticks towards each other).
Now, I am almost a god at this game. The boy I play with, Dorkas, is just... YES. I love him so much. It's SO easy to punish their attempts at dodging my attacks. And I can trap them so easily, too. And the DAMAGE I do with my fireballs. YES. The ONLY people I have trouble consistently beating are the cheap-ass whores who choose Viper II and spam the SLC dive, which tracks perfectly, does half-life damage, cannot be stopped by your fire, and can only be dodged by jumping (not easy to do, especially if they do it right in front of you), using a building for cover (almost impossible), or blocking it because it's technically a close-combat attack (more impossible than the second option).
Now, the machine's not perfect. The right side is fucked up so that it's almost impossible to jump (the right joystick won't work correctly, I think), and there are problems with lag and slowdown, ESPECIALLY with my character.
But the game is so good, so simple yet so deep, that I love it anyway.
Besides, it's giant fucking robots. How can you NOT love it?
One of the MANY things that I've tried over the years is writing. I've done all sorts of stuff, but I have NEVER, EVER been able to finish a story that was more than 10,000 words long. Hell, I've never posted a story that was over that to begin with. =\
With that said, I'm on the third chapter of my story, and I'm confident I've written at LEAST 5,000 words so far. And I'm nowhere near the end. =D
And before you ask, no, I won't post what I've written so far, because a) I'm actually rather embarrased by it, and b) I'm afraid that if I post something, it'll destroy what little resolve I have.
Here's a small preview, though, from chapter 1:
Spoiler:
Harry watched Sirius leave with concern, then turned back as the priestess walked over to Harry, holding the crystal.
Harry barely kept his nerves down as she slowly moved it down, but it did not pulse. Frowning, she once more moved it over the body, coming closer and even touching Harry in several spots on his body, but the stone remained silent. Finally, she sighed and turned towards McBride, shaking her head. McBride nodded, and said to Harry, "Looks like you're a bit of a toughie. The stone can't discern what you're suited for. However, it's just our primary method. We have others. Follow me."
McBride walked over to the wall, and pressing a hidden switch, a door opened in the wall and McBride and Harry walked into a room lined with weapons and various armor. McBride turned to Harry, saying, "This is the way that we test difficult cases like you. The weapons and armor that you see here are specialized training gear, imbued with enchantments that are designed to discover what you're suited for. To start off, take the cloth vest and put it on."
Harry did so, frowning. When he put it on, though, Harry felt... free, was the best way to describe it. He felt like he was just moments away from floating up to the skies. And by God, he felt smart! He felt like somebody could ask him any question, even a question of how to return to his home, and he could have answered instantly. McBride cocked his head, and asked, "Well? How do you feel?" Harry relayed his sensations, and McBride chuckled. "Definitely too light for you, then. Let's try the leather armor."
Harry took off the cloth, feeling disoriented from the sudden absence of freedom. He wanted to wear that cloth again, he wanted to be free, to feel that floating sensation. He looked longingly at the armor. McBride noticed, and frowned at him, before telling him "The longing you're feeling right now is why we don't use this as our primary method of testing. For one thing, it's slower, and the enchantments on these are incredibly powerful. In fact, most items imbued with enchantments like these have safeguards to prevent people who aren't powerful enough to control them from using such gear. Some gear, however, is better imbued than others, and allow you to wear them when you're weaker while still maintaining effects that may be greater than others." Sighing, he handed Harry a leather breastplate, which he put on. This time, Harry did not have the floating sensation, but he felt quicker. He felt like he could zip around the room and dodge anything that was thrown at him, and he felt like he could withstand what got through his speed with relative ease. This time, Harry automatically relayed his sensations, and McBride grinned. "Excellent, it looks like you've found the type of armor that you're best suited for. We'll come back to the armor later. Take off the breastplate, and take this sword." Harry did so, but the moment he gripped the blade, something felt... off. He frowned, and held it up. He felt stronger, and felt like he could withstand anything... but he felt like he couldn't use this sword if his life depended on it. Shaking his head, he handed it awkwardly back to McBride, who nodded and handed him an axe.
Once more, Harry felt off when he held the hatchet. He felt strange, though. He cocked his head, and examined the axe more thoroughly. He felt like he couldn't use it, as he had with the sword, but he also felt... different. He almost felt as if he should know how to use this. Shaking his head once again, he handed the axe back to McBride. McBride frowned and furrowed his eyebrows, peering curiously at Harry. He absently reached back and grabbed a small hammer off of the wall, handing it to Harry. This time, Harry grinned. He could use this as skillfully as any weapon, and he even gave it a few experimental swings. Harry looked up at McBride, nodding his head, and McBride paled a bit. He almost frantically reached back and handed Harry a staff. Once more, Harry felt like he could use this weapon. He almost absently twirled it around, and he felt powerful. He handed it back to McBride once more, who by this time, was as pale as a sheet. Gulping, he handed him the hammer again, as well as a shield. Harry took up both, and he looked down at the shield with another grin. He felt invincible behind this. He knew that any attack that came his way would be held back by this mighty instrument. He moved to give the shield back, but McBride shook his head and handed him a dagger. Once more, Harry felt off. He felt as he had with the axe, like he could use it, but not without being taught. McBride practically ripped the dagger out of his hand, and then handed him what appeared to be a glove with spikes on it. Looking at it curiously, Harry once more slipped it on, and then realized that this was a weapon. And once more, he felt off in the same way that he had with the axe and dagger. McBride took both glove and shield this time, and handed Harry a coat of mail armor. Shrugging, Harry slipped it on, and knew immediately that this wasn't for him. He struggled to move, and he all but growled with frustration as he overbalanced and fell down. However, he still felt as though he should be able to use it... but not now. He shook his head at McBride, who by this time was white as a sheet. McBride this time handed Harry a stone. Glancing curiously, he took it, and immediately three images popped up: a lightning bolt, a flame, and a snowflake. However, the snowflake and flame were hazy, and could barely be made out. Gulping, McBride took the stone, and sat down on the floor heavily. Harry, drunk with the aftereffects of the power and dizzy from gaining and losing so much power in such a short time, sat down heavily as well.
After several minutes, McBride was still as pale as he had been before, but Harry had mostly recovered. Finally, Harry looked up at McBride, and asked a simple question: "So what am I going to be?"
Truth be told, I can't help but think that I sorta suck as a writer. =\
ITE I swoon over my tires and complain about a lotta shit
URGH. BIG UNHAPPY TIME from the second I left the elevator in the parking garage. First off, some douchebag parked in the spot next to mine (that is marked off and so tiny that nobody can park in it), so that I couldn't open my car's door.
What'd I do? I keyed the shit out of his car and wrote him an angry note, leaving it under the windshield wiper. Dunno if the note will survive the rainstorm, but if it sticks and merges with his windshield, all the better.
Speaking of rain, my new tires are MEGA <3. I can practically stop on a dime (I tested), whereas before I would've skidded, done a doughnut, rolled over twice, blown into and through a semi truck carrying flammable cargo (preferably oil), crashed into and through an office building, fallen off a conveniently located cliff, and landed in a vat of radioactive waste lined with spikes and filled with sharks, complete with laser beams attached to their frikkin' heads.
But rain also brings up one of my biggest pet peeves EVER: people who drive with their headlights off in the middle of a rainstorm.
Now I'll be the first in line to admit that I'm no saint with this. Hell, I'm not even anywhere near a safe driver. I almost ALWAYS speed, I have a nasty tendency to weave in heavy traffic (although I'm not so bad I'll slow down the flow of traffic in the other lane to join in, and it DOES cut down MAJORLY on my commute time), and on the job, I oftentimes stop in the middle of the road to check directions, or a number that I need to call.
But while I will admit that in light rain, where I only need to flip my wipers on once in a blue moon, I keep my headlights off unless it's a long-ish drive, I'm not so stupid as to think that it's okay to drive in the middle of a storm, down the freeway, at 65 MPH, with my headlights OFF.
PEOPLE. WHEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ARE ON WE HAVE A HARD TIME SEEING YOU. WHEN YOUR GRAY CAR IS DRIVING ALONG WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OFF YOU ARE PRACTICALLY FUCKING INVISIBLE. HOW HARD IS IT TO THINK "GEE MAYBE THEY CAN'T SEE ME" AND TURN ON YOUR FUCKING HEADLIGHTS?
Anyway, I got home, and discovered to my chagrin that the rain had done nothing to clear away the bird shit.
Now, I live in a condo with my parents. It's a relatively high-class complex, and while it's not gated or anything, we still have to pay pretty hefty homeowner's association fees to live there.
With that said, come spring, a LOT of birds have been hanging around our complex for some reason. And with birds, comes bird shit.
It's fucking nasty. Right in front of my door is at LEAST a dozen dried splatches of bird shit, and it's all over the windows, the walls, the garage doors, and my car has been shat upon at least four times, several on the windshield.
A little down further the walkway I take to get to my car, is a literal PILE of bird shit. It will not dry, because it is at least two inches thick. It is one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen, and the homeowner's association is doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO CLEAN IT UP.
Seriously, they told us a few weeks ago to clear our patios so that they can powerwash them. How hard is it to do that again?
*sigh*
Oh well. At least I have WoW to show that not everything about life is utter shit. =P
In other news, my car got a flat tire yesterday. So I was driving around, delivering pizzas, on a shitty-ass ghetto tire (that needed to be pumped up for some ridiculous reason), going under 50 MPH for fear of busting the tire open.
Granted, I shouldn't be going over 50 MPH to begin with, but it's the principle of the thing.
On the bright side, this finally gave me the excuse I needed to get two new front tires (the old ones were going bald). 166 bucks from Discount Tire Company for their mid-range tires, plus labor and a certs program that basically lets me get new tires whenever the old ones fuck up, for free. More or less.
So it's Mother's Day, and my sister and brother-in-law come over.
I decided to read Moth's hilarious entry about P-Daddy John's to them, so I pull out my laptop, and turn it on.
"WINDOWS CANNOT FIND THE FOLLOWING FILE BECAUSE IT IS MISSING OR CORRUPT. LOLZ."
So a chkdsk, fixmbr, fixboot, and desperate attempts at band-aid fixes later, I give it up as lost.
I can't do an ASR because laptops have no built-in drives anymore (>=|), the repair console is fucking WORTHLESS, which leaves format/reinstall.
The worst part is that this has happened before. IN THE EXACT SAME WAY. The same fucking directory got corrupted, which is leading me to think that it may be a corrupt sector. In other words, God hates me and is taking his rage out on my hard drive. =\
At least the one thing I care about is recoverable (work on a story I've been writing). OH WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO USE YOUR LAPTOP, BITCH.
My car is going to be the fucking death of my wallet.
So yesterday, I was in the middle of a delivery, and I stopped and parked my car. Then, I decided I should reposition myself, and turned it back on, and tried to shift it out of park.
I couldn't.
After completing the delivery, I was finally able to get it out of park by using the Shift Lock Release. Checking the manual, it basically said "you crackwhore, take it into a Honda dealer and spend shit-tons of money. =D"
Wanting to spite the manual, I did five minutes of research online, and discovered that, surprise surprise, the culprit is.... the brake lights.
Go figure.
Anyway, I checked the fuses and they're okay. All the other lights, EXCEPT for the brake lights, and the indicator light for my car's alarm, are working perfectly.
So in other words, it's something that I cannot fix.
And the worst part is that I have work, where I need to drive the car, AND school, where I need to drive a car.
So I downloaded the original game, 'cause I'm too cheap and lazy to find it around town.
Popped the fucker into ePSXe, and started playing.
My initial reaction? I got about to where I need to go to the school, got lost, and gave up.
I only really got freaked out twice during my play. The first time was during the initial scene, the second during the first trip down that god damn alley, and that was more the sirens and the corpse than the babies attacking me. ;_;
Somebody PLEASE tell me that this game gets better as I go along, or I just... won't play it again.
I have been spoiled by the intuitive controls of Mario 64/Ocarina of Time. Tomb Raider/RE style controls make me CRY now.
What I can remember of it is basically becoming friends with two sets of tentacles. And we're not talking the "Oh look an octopus" tentacles. We're talking the "RAPE RAPE RAPE" tentacles.
Which did so to me. Several times.
I'm a man, in case you were wondering.
Then somehow, I wound up on an armored car, trying to stop two male robbers from getting away with the money. They just sat there and let me (stealthily) put all the money in boxes so that they wouldn't get away with it, and then the tentacles I had made friends with came out and subdued them. With rape.
But they got tired from the rape and let them go, and I couldn't stop them, so they got away. Thankfully, without any of the money.
About that time, I woke up. It was 4:50 in the morning, and I just thought "What the FUCK was that?" and went back to sleep after a few minutes.
Fchan produces WEIRD-ass shit in my memories.
Of course, the night before I had dreamed of being a template character on the Public Test Realm for WoW, and having all grey and whites for gear (lol), so I dunno. My brain's just overactive.
Currently Playing: Severely Questioning My Sexuality
So I broke down and downloaded the Japanese version.
To be honest? I think it does absolutely nothing to alleviate the stigma of video game movies.
I played and even BEAT the game (okay, so I had to cheat to get through North Crater >_> <_< ), and half the time I had no clue what the fuck was going on. I think that I got something about some kinda disease that was a result of the cells of Jenova in the Lifestream. But let's be honest here, people; the entire plot was just a way to give Cloud an excuse to kick ass, even more so than Neo in the Matrix sequels.
Which brings us to the fights. UGH.
I literally loll'ed at half the fights in the game. Tifa/that weird boxer guy with the funky-ass weapon was the worst offender. If you can get through that fight with a straight face, then you either are a complete fanboy, drooling over Tifa's titties too much for your own good, a complete retard, or all of the above.
But that's implying that the rest of the fights are better. Oh, no. The motorcycle chase was a CLOSE second. There's something WRONG WITH THE ROAD when your motorcycle can do doughnuts at 115 MPH while you block bullets with your oversized sword (using all six at once in an X-TREME JUGGLING ACT) and not end in losing everything you love/hate to fire.
And the battle against what I'm ASSUMING to be one of Bahamut's incarnations (although he is never named as such) ended in an incredibly hilarious fashion.
And let's be honest, poor Red XIII didn't get enough screen time. ONE LINE ISN'T ENOUGH FOR HIS AWESOMENESS.
Seroiously, there's something wrong when fucking CAIT SITH, SANS THE "WTF" MOOGLE, and a DEAD WOMAN get more lines than he does.
All furry-based ranting and frothing at the mouth aside, to be honest, this movie is, IMO, the perfect example of why video games and movies are incompatible formats. It suffers most from not enough screen time. Sephiroth made at most, a 10-minute appearance, and he's the final villain. There wasn't enough plot development, the resolution for the whole geostigma disease was contrived at best, not to mention totally unexplained ("o hey guys here's some water drink up" "I'M CURED"), two people who are implied to be dead appear out of nowhere for all of 30 seconds and then disappear again, and that's just the surface.
I want my fucking one hour and thirty minutes back. >=(
The worst part is that I came to GFF to post this and I found out it was down. ;_;
Seriously, the bitch got perma-banned. So why has he not only come back, but made several posts, several journal entries, and had a mod comment on one?
Something my parents have been doing is eating at me lately.
>=O
Alright, so I've been a delivery driver for about 3 weeks, nearly 4. I've been making pretty good money. Yesterday I bought Oblivion with a part of the tip money I've been making, and have been loving the shit out of it.
But that's not what this is about.
On Saint Patty's Day, my sister and brother-in-law came over. I joined in bringing a pizza and wings and caught the tail end of a game of Trivial Pursuit they had started. Much beer was imbibed, much pizza was eaten, and a jolly good time was had by all. Then all of a sudden out of the blue, my mom tells me "We want you to give us a hundred bucks a month to pay for car insurance, and another hundred to pay for tuition."
Now, I had just gotten my first paycheck a week earlier. Working 20 hours, I had made something in the range of 100 bucks. We get paid every two weeks, so I'm expecting my next to be somewhere in the range of 200 bucks.
Now look at that for one moment. My mom essentially wants me to give them HALF OF MY PAYCHECKS.
I immediately brought this up, and my sister was all like "Well, you still have one paycheck and tip money." To which my parents agreed. So I reluctantly agreed to this, something which I sorta regret now.
Today, my parents had me go get my brakes fixed, and I did so. When I came back, they mentioned that I probably wasn't going to be able to make the payment for car insurance this month. Then, we decided out of the blue to count my tip money. Grand total: about 145 bucks.
My mom looks up and says "Well, I guess you'll be able to make the payment after all."
And then she laid out the plans for tonight and tomorrow, which included me filling up their gas tank and paying for it with my money (because they "only have 19 or 29 bucks in the bank"), buying my brother-in-law a present with my money (which I don't mind), and getting some "groceries" (popcorn and bread) with my money (which I do mind).
Now this is where I'm incredibly pissed. My mom implied that she wouldn't dip into my tip money, and now she turned around and outright said "I want your tip money."
I am now considering to tell them to go fuck themselves. They want HALF OF MY PAYCHECKS, want me to fill their fucking huge-ass van with gas (40 bucks in of itself), and want me to give them part of my tip money?
So I'm asking you, GFF. Should I tell my parents to fuck off? Or am I being an ungrateful brat?
Keep in mind that I was originally planning on saving up to get a 6800 GS and maybe a Nintendo DS with a few games later on, and that because of this, I won't be able to do any of these for a good month. At least.
Currently Playing: South Park the Movie - [Gamingforce Original Soundtrack] - Uncle Fucka
So I just finished watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The new version.
And I'm going to get flamed to HELL by saying this, but I thought it was as good, if not better in a few instances than the Gene Wilder movie.
Depp was... well, he was bizzare in this film. Which sorta makes sense, since he's had no human contact for about 10 years, much less MEANINGFUL human contact. He actually sorta reminded me of Adrian Monk, and in those moments where he was awkward, had no clue what to do, and had no social skills, Depp just fucking shined. He wasn't perfect in the role; in the factory, he got a little too comfortable with interacting with others, but he still occasionally had that deliberate awkwardness that makes him, IMO, better in some parts than Wilder.
The boat scene was a big letdown. I would've LOVED another acid trip like the original, and for a moment you could catch a fleeting glimpse of the original, but it was gone after a second.
The kids outside of Charlie Bucket were perfect, if by perfect you mean "I want to fucking bitchslap each and every one of these shitstains until they get some fucking common sense." Mike T.V. or whatever the hell his name was played the role of a douche perfectly. If you ask me, it was a tie between him and the rich snob whose name I never really caught and can't remember, then it was Violet (who is fucking VIOLENT at times in this movie), and then it was Augustus Glopp or Glupp or whatever. Augustus only really showed his assholishness in his first appearance, when he was holding the ticket, and then when he got in the factory, he was more like Godzilla than anything for the short time he was present before he went down the tubes.
I'm not entirely sure I liked the modern approach; I personally would've preferred it had stuck to its 1930s Great Depression roots.
Oh, and the introduction for Wonka was fucking brilliant and just classic Burton. There's nothing like puppets singing a copycat of "It's a Small World" and then bursting into flame and having their eyeballs melt and fall out of their face.
I didn't like the flashbacks, though. They seemed a little forced, truth be told, and the "braces" (braces more liek bondage amirite) were over the top.
Aside from that, it had its ups and downs, but all in all, it was about as good as the original movie. The Wilder flick surpassed it in several ways, but I felt that the new one had a better Grandpa, and a Wonka that played up to par with Wilder most of the time, and surpassed him sometimes.
There are times when I hate being a delivery driver.
So the other day I go to make a delivery to an apartment. I'm having a little trouble finding the place because the buildings aren't in alphabetical order, so I call up and she gives me directions. Then I make it over a few minutes later, and knock on the door.
She opens it up and the first thing I notice is that she's wearing nothing but a blanket.
It was a mark of self-control that I managed to complete the transaction without fucking up hard and asking her if she was wearing just a blanket.
When I got in my car though, I couldn't resist sitting there for a few seconds and thinking "What the hell was she doing before I delivered that pizza?"
Outside of that, though, I love the job. There are two things that I would like to complain comment on, though:
1) It's fucking HARD to read addresses in the dark. Oftentimes the lights being on can even make it harder to read them. Doubly hard if there's no streetlights in the area, either (which is more common than you think), or if the numbers are smallish and/or a similar color to the background.
2) I fucking hate getting stiffed. You have no clue how much it pisses me off when I work my ass off, and get you your pizza practically fresh out of the oven, holy-shit-I-just-bit-into-it-and-the-sauce-burned-my-tongue hot, and not only get you the pizza on time, but as much as 15 minutes EARLY, and the guy hands me a check for the exact amount and all but slams the door in my face.
3) I'm pissed at my parents, because they want me to basically give them half of my paychecks "for tuition and car insurance." I can sorta understand car insurance, but 100 bucks a month to pay for tuition? I call bullshit.
Currently Playing: Earthbound_Red_Blue_Sanctuary_OC_Remix (I FUCKING LOVE THIS SONG)
