kenjimurasame

SENTINEL 4 LYFE

So this weekend was...retarded, but fun. Elly and I spent pretty much all day since Thursday together playing MVC3, thanks to the ability of certain outlets we know to get the game early. The game is amazing and it was a lot of fun, and I'll be honest, playing it earlier than most only seemed to make it more fun, like it was winning a prize or something.

Anyway, on Saturday we went to dinner after hanging with Nurlock for a bit and playing MVC3. While we were at the restaurant (A place called Royal Thai that we frequent a lot) we overheard some 'special' conversation. It wasn't really eavesdropping--the way the building is laid out, a moderately loud conversation is easy to hear, and the table was right on top of us, basically.

The first set was an old man apparently trying to impress an old lady, talking about IT'S AN 11 MILE TRACK WITH 5 TURNS IN IT, apparently talking about race cars, and I guess not understanding why she didn't care. Then he proceeded to say that he was going to GET HIS HIP REPLACED BEFORE THE RACE, and it just sort of made me picture a sad, old Speed Racer trying to pick up chicks.

"HEY BABY, I'M SPEED RACER! WANNA TAKE A RIDE ON MY MACH-5?"

After they left, a younger man and woman sat down behind us. They were talking casually, and it seemed like they were maybe on a date of some sort, not a particularly long into to the relationship one, but a date, and somehow he started talking about how he found a YELLOW HAIR and joked I GUESS I'M SUPER SAIYAN! to which I and Elly both sort of made this face:



After that exchange, he continued with this gem:

"I have an affinity for Vegeta. Because you know, Goku always was so nice about everything and a nice guy about fighting, but Vegeta was such a primal guy who always just beat things to a pulp! Even though he wasn't as strong as Goku he always approached it like he was the best and he never left anything behind! That's totally like me."

Elly commented that the man probably would crumple like a card table in a fight, and I agreed. Then, she stated:

"You know, I share an affinity with Galactus, because when I'm hungry, I eat, and he's always eating. And whenever he wants to eat, he does, just like I'm doing now."

I asked her if her fork were the Silver Surfer, to which she replied:

"Yes. I hunger for this potato."

She stabbed the potato and ate it.

"Well done, my Herald."

Tonight, I finished the first novel of 2011 (well, my first novel, anyway), Yahtzee Croshaw's Mogworld.

Yes, that Yahtzee.

I was a bit unsure of what to expect before going into the book; Yahtzee is funny, sometimes, but his reviews teeter a bit too much on extended metaphor and become a bit similar after a while. But, it sounded somewhat interesting, so I decided to give it a read.

The general premise is that Mogworld follows Jim, an undead minion resurrected after being dead for 60 years, and the problems he finds himself in while trying to basically get himself killed for good; the little twist to Mogworld, though, is that the setting is within an MMO, like WoW.

Jim, basically, is an NPC.

The real charm of Mogworld revolves around this 'looking at a game from the NPC standpoint,' in which the NPCs treat the world around them (the "game") as their own world; and, suddenly, no one can die, and many Adventurers are becoming affected by a disease called the Syndrome, where they run mechanically, say very little, and are addicted to completing quests.

The book really doesn't need much more than that to get rolling; what I found surprising was that Yahtzee is actually a pretty competent writer, and Mogworld felt a little bit like a Discworld novel; not in the sense that he cribs entirely from Terry Pratchett, but it feels a little bit like it would fit nicely in that sort of universe. There are times when the humor is a bit overdrawn (like his reviews) but this generally occurs at the beginning of the book. Once it excels past part one (ironically, the part that was online available before publishing) the book turns into a quirky "adventure" novel set in a fantasy world that only the reader knows is really a "game," except that all of the characters are not players (like .hack or The Guild) but are, basically, data AI that are "living" in their own little world, and the one character who "died" and was then forcefully "resurrected" and the mystery behind it.

The novel isn't "groundbreaking" or "profound," but Jim's progression as a character is very well done and played out. You're never made to believe that he has to act a "savior," or rises to the role with gusto like most trite fantasy / adventure novels. Jim is just a guy who wants to die again, and above that he's not particularly good at anything; without his ability to not die, he'd probably have only lasted 10 pages. There are a few other supporting characters who really flesh the novel out, each one with their own little personality traits that make them memorable and makes you want to know about what's up with them. There are, obviously, lots of nods to gaming humor and in particular the lifestyle of MMO players and developers.

The book isn't perfect--I'd say my biggest problem with it is that there are, at times, a few too many 'one shot' characters who eat a lot of scenery with no real additions to the overall plot, but all in all the book is about Jim, and it stays focused on him. I never really found myself tired of him, and the resolution of the book is both fitting and humorous, as well as a little bit melancholic; I'm a bit sad the story is over already, really.

I was really pretty surprised at how well I enjoyed the book, and I polished it off rather quickly once I hit a bit towards the 1/2 point of the book. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Discworld, quirky fantasy humor, or plays WoW and can take a look at the game with a hint of humor--for example, the humor behind things like Mankrik's wife, etc.--but for 8 dollars, the book is well worth a read.

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Because nothing says I love you like making shit up and then hoping they never ask you about it again.

Then again the fact that people seem to think you still "win" people like a prize instead of, you know, establishing a mutual connection probably doesn't help either.

I give you a challenge, dearest LJ friends:

Can you find anything more Nigger than this scene from my day today?

Scene: Parking lot

An SUV is parked sideways in a handicapped spot with no handicapped sticker or tag. One man sits in the passenger side, door open, hat sideways. The other man stands outside to the right of the door, bouncing a basketball for no reason, smoking a cigarette, wearing baggy jeans, a long t-shirt, brown lugz-style boots, and a black football jacket. His hair is shaven in a barber-shop style design.

The suv is adorned with a license plate with a ridiculous customization that makes little grammatical sense

above said license plate is a small sticker that reads:

"Purple Platinum Rottweiler Puppies:" with a phone number

So, LJ, I dare you: Can you find what we're looking for?

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I find pedophilia is pretty much a no go for starting a conversation

This one seems kinda stupid for me to do but w/e

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four things you want in a romantic partner.
Day Eight: Three of your favorite possessions.
Day Nine: Two images that describe your life or yourself right now.
Day Ten: One confession

( I can't do that, Dave. )

"Break out the chips and the Mountain Dew, this welcoming community is dedicated to female gamers! Share stories, tips, and cheats while you get to know other LiveJournal users who share your fondest addiction."

so angry cannot contain

why not just call the group SILLYBOYSYOUDON'THITONMEIPLAYHALO

I think it's Italian!



Merry Christmas, Everyone.

Enjoy your Holidays!

Probably post a loot post later today, as we have to wait for Dad to get home from work.

Meanwhile, lots of Xmas movies to watch, and of course, 24 hours of A Christmas Story to turn on at different times and see where it randomly ends up.

I ended up having to work today, so I kind of forgot all about the meme. Time to catch up.

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four things you want in a romantic partner.
Day Eight: Three of your favorite possessions.
Day Nine: Two images that describe your life or yourself right now.
Day Ten: One confession

( does this one even matter, given the circumstance )

I'll do the next part in a separate entry